Guyana Chronicle E-paper 6-23-2020

TUESDAY 23rd June, 2020

' No.106038

21 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours

PAGE

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Court rules:

MORE VOTES CAST MEANS

MORE VALID VOTES CAST * * *

Justice of Appeal, Dawn Gregory

High Court Judge, Brassington Reynolds

…APNU+AFC hails decision …PPP/C mulls appealing …AG says decision final, can’t go to CCJ SEE STORIES PAGES 03, 05, 9, 10 &12

Justice of Appeal, Rishi Persaud

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

21 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours ----CMO says hinterland communities highly vulnerable to the disease

GUYANA continues to record a consistent increase in the number of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, with tests, over the past 24 hours, producing some 21 new cases of the disease.

Health authorities found those cases after conducting 39 tests between Sunday and Monday, said Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Shamdeo Persaud,

during a virtual COVID-19 update, on Monday.

“We have conducted 2,147 tests so far with 1,942 negative cases,” said Dr. Persaud, noting that there were 205 positive cases.

Of those cases, 103 persons have recovered and 12 persons have died, but health authorities continue to monitor 90 positive cases, all in institutional

isolation.

“Even within Guyana, we have not seen a reduction but a constant increase in the number of positive cases with our males continuing to be the sex most affected by this disease and the 20-29 age group being the most-at-risk group according to our data,” the CMO lamented.

The Ministry of Public Health continues to plead with

persons to act responsibly. The CMO reminded persons to

“We are entering the second week of students being

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud

wash their hands, wear a face mask if out in public and maintain physical distance. Persons were also advised to call the hotlines in their community; use the mobile units or engage the COVID-19 site facilities if they have signs or symptoms or if they have been in contact with a positive case.

The Mobile Units will be in Central Georgetown at the Merriman’s Mall this week.

The Ministry continues to rely on persons to play their part.

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back at school, and we encourage all to continue with their positive response to the guidelines. We continue to support the Ministry of Education, their regional staff and the health workers in the regions for their efforts in implementing the guidelines,” said Dr. Persaud.

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

The Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region, notably Aranka, has the second highest number of confirmed cases. It is a mining community which means that there is continuous movement in and out of the area, making it extremely easy for the disease to spread.

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, while among those on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) are: Diamond, Grove, Land of Canaan, Providence,

and Timehri.

“We wish to remind you of the runaway situation in neighbouring Brazil that has climbed to the position of being the second country in the world to have reported cases with an alarmingly high number of deaths registered,” said Dr. Persaud.

Residents in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are extremely vulnerable because of this situation and need to be vigilant and stop all cross-border movement and stop migrant persons entering your community.

R e g i o n s O n e ( B a r ima-Waini), Four and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) are the regions which have been most impacted by the disease.

“The mining community is now one of the most vulnerable groups for the spread of this disease…Residents in Region Seven, I wish to make a special appeal to you as the situation in your community is of grave concern to the ministry,” Dr. Persaud lamented.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue, not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and, according to global statistics, there are 8.7 million cases of COVID-19, with over 461,000 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 Tuesday, June 23, 2020

‘More votes’ means ‘more valid votes’

…Court of Appeal hands down landmark ruling in ‘challenge to declaration of elections results’ …affirms that CEO must ascertain winner from valid votes cast

By Svetlana Marshall IN a landmark ruling, on Monday, the Court of Appeal ordered that the words “more votes” in the Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution of Guyana be interpreted to mean “more valid votes” in determining the election of a President.

The order granted by the Appellate Court signals a significant win for Eslyn David – a North Sophia voter – who had challenged a decision of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to proceed with the compilation and submission of an Elections Report under Article 177 (2) (b) and Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act without first determining a “final credible count” as provided for in Order No. 60 and its addendum.

David, through her battery of lawyers, had asked the Court of Appeal to interpret the words “more votes are cast” in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution.

That section of the Article reads: “(2) Where – (b) there are two or more Presidential candidates, if more votes are cast in favour of the list in which a person is designated as Presidential candidate than in favour of any other list, that Presidential candidate shall be deemed to be elected as President and shall be so declared by the Chairman of the Elections Commission acting only in accordance with the advice of the Chief Elections Officer, after such advice has been tendered to the Elections Commission at a duly summoned meeting.”

In issuing the order, Justice of Appeal, Dawn Gregory, who led a panel of three judges, explained that Order No. 60 and its addendum had “sufficient force” to impact the interpretation of those words in Article 177 (2) (b) in relation the General and Regional Elections held on March 2, 2020. “To my mind, this court has the jurisdiction, in light of Order No. 60 of 2020, to interpret those words to mean ‘if more valid votes are cast,’” Justice Gregory said as she handed down her ruling.

Order No. 60, which was gazetted on May 4, 2020, and amended on May 29, 2020 was the legal cover used

by GECOM under Article 162 of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act to facilitate a 33-day National Recount in its quest to determine a final credible count.

Paragraph 14, in particular,

ties the Elections Commission to declare the results of the General and Regional Elections based on a “final credible count.”

CEO’s report But when the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, in a Report on the National Recount, indi-

Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, through her Attorney Kim Kyte-Thomas, argued that Order No. 60 – a subsidiary legislation cannot supersede the Constitution – the Supreme Court of Law. But High Court Judge – Justice Brassington Reynolds, who

Justice of Appeal, Dawn Gregory

cated that more than 200,000 votes had been “tainted” due

pation of the High Court’s function, after the fact of its inclusion in the very order which brought the recount into being, concedes an abdication of sort of the Commission’s responsibilities in that regard,” Justice Reynolds said.

The Judge said based

High Court Judge, Brassington Reynolds

formed part of the panel of judges at the Court of Appeal

this formulation of words is that the Commission having defined it as an objective of the recount must have intended that those words be given effect to,” Justice Reynolds said.

He added: “Accordingly, I find that GECOM does have a responsibility to determine

Justice of Appeal, Rishi Persaud

on his examination of the affidavits and the exhibits

the final credible count of the results. It would be rea-

The Appellant, Eslyn David, flanked by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde and Attorney-at-Law Mayo Robertson, shortly after the ruling. Roysdale and Robertson were part of a battery of lawyers that represented David.

to widespread anomalies and cases of voter impersonation, the Elections Commission said it was outside of its jurisdiction to determine the credibility of the elections.

As such, the CEO was instructed on June 16, 2020 to compile and submit an Elections Report, so as to pave way for the declaration of the Elections Result and ultimately the swearing in of the President.

on Monday, drew attention to the fact that Justice Singh’s attorney admitted, during the hearing, that GECOM, under Order No. 60, had set as an objective to determine the credible count.

“Counsel for the second-named respondent admitted that GECOM did set as its objective, determining the final credible count of votes but by saying that it would be effectively a usur-

tabled, it is pellucid that it was GECOM’s intention to determine a “final credible count.” The term “final credible count” was deployed twice in the Order, he said, while pointing out that it could be found in the third recital, at the beginning of the original order, and in the final paragraph of the amended order. “I conclude that the reasonable inference to be drawn from the inclusion of

sonable to presume that the final credible count would require both quantitative and qualitative assessments of reports and the summary of observations submitted to the Commission in compliance with Order No. 60 of 2020.”

On that basis, Justice Reynolds said that when Article 177 (2) (b) is considered together with Order No. 60, consideration ought to be given to the valid votes.

“It is thereby ordered that the words ‘more votes cast’ in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, be interpreted to mean ‘more valid votes cast” within the meaning of Order No. 60 of 2020,” he ruled.

However, both Justice Reynolds and Justice Gregory agreed that the Appellate Court, in its narrow and special jurisdiction as laid out in Article 177 (4), could not grant the injunctive reliefs prayed for by David. In her application, David had sought an order restraining the Chief Elections Officer from submitting to the Elections Commission, an Elections Report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03 containing votes which are not valid and credible but both judges agreed that it was not within the jurisdiction of the Appellate Court to grant such injunctive relief.

While Justice Reynolds and Justice Gregory ruled that the Court of Appeal had a narrow jurisdiction to hear the case and thereby interpret the Constitution in its Original Constitutional Jurisdiction conferred by Article 177(4), Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud had ruled that the Court had no such jurisdiction, and as such, ruled that the orders and declaration sought could not have been granted.

David was represented by a battery of lawyers led

by Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Counsel, John Jeremie. Jeremie appeared in association with Trinidad’s Legal Counsel Keith Scotland, and Guyana’s Senior Counsel, Roysdale Forde, and Attorney-at-Law Mayo Robertson. The team had argued that Order No. 60 had changed the dynamics of the country’s electoral process, and as such the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ought to determine the final credible count and or the credibility of the result of the General and Regional Elections, in accordance with the Order.

Attorney-at-Law Kashir Khan, who represented Citizenship Initiative and Change Guyana – added respondents - asked the Appellate Court to stay the order on the interpretation of the Constitution for a period of three days. That stay was granted, and as such the order will take effect three days after the ruling.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Arctic Circle sees 'highest-ever' recorded temperatures

(BBC) Temperatures in the Arctic Circle are likely to have hit an all-time record on Saturday, reaching a scorching 38C (100F) in Verkhoyansk, a Siberian town.

The record still needs to be verified, but it appears to have been 18C higher than the average maximum daily temperature in June.

Hot summer weather is not uncommon in the Arctic Circle, but recent months have seen abnormally high temperatures.

The Arctic is believed to be warming twice as fast as

the global average.

Verkhoyansk, home to about 1,300 people, sits just inside the Arctic Circle, in remote Siberia. It has an extreme climate with temperatures plunging in January to an average maximum of -42C and then surging in June to 20C. But a persistent heatwave this year in the Arctic Circle has worried meteorologists.

In March, April and May, the Copernicus Climate Change service reported that the average temperature was around 10C above normal.

Earlier in June, parts of Siberia recorded 30C, while in May, Khatanga in Russia - situated in the Arctic Circle at 72 degrees north - set a new May temperature record of 25.4C. "Year-on-year temperature records are being broken around the world, but the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth," said Dr Dann Mitchell, associate professor in atmospheric science at the University of

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 - 05:00 hrs

Bristol. "So it is unsurprising to see records being broken in this region. We will see more

of this weather pattern has led to a longevity and scale of heat that is worrying. This

WHY SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT

Wildfires have been made more severe by high temperatures and strong winds in the Arctic

of this in the near future."

IS THIS EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE? Heatwaves in the Arctic aren't unusual. Weather patterns around the world can align in such a way that hot air is transported quite far northward and colder air from the poles southward.

Over the last few months a large area of high pressure in eastern Russia has been dominant. This has led to southerly winds bringing warmer air from near the tropics, leading to higher than average temperatures.

However, the persistence

is consistent with what climatologists believe will happen in the Arctic with climate change.

Most scientists agree that over the past 30 years, the Arctic has warmed at a rate of twice the global average.

The graphic below shows that across the globe, through the period 1960-2019, average air temperature has generally increased by around 1C. However, as you head closer to the North Pole - latitude 90° - the reds become darker. This shows how the temperature has increased here more than anywhere else - by around 4C.

WARMING IN THE ARCTIC? Warming in the Arctic is leading to the thawing of once permanently frozen permafrost below ground.

This is alarming scientists because as permafrost thaws, carbon dioxide and methane previously locked up below ground is released.

These greenhouse gases can cause further warming, and further thawing of the permafrost, in a vicious cycle known as positive feedback.

The higher temperatures also cause land ice in the Arctic to melt at a faster rate, leading to greater run-off into the ocean where it contributes to sea-level rise.

There is also an element of positive feedback here, says BBC Weather, because the loss of highly reflective white ice means that

the ground and sea absorb more heat. This leads to more warming.

The impact of wildfires are also a consideration. Last summer, they ravaged parts of the Arctic. Although they are common in summer, high temperatures and strong winds made them unusually severe.

They typically start in early May before peaking in July and August but by late April this year they were already ten times bigger in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia compared to the same time last year, Russia's emergencies minister said.

HOTTEST YEAR EVER? Well, 2020 is certainly shaping up to be a contender.

The Met Office, the UK's national weather service, reckons there's a 50:50 chance it'll be the hottest year ever recorded.

Much of northern Europe and Asia has had an exceptionally mild spring and early summer with temperatures 10C higher than normal in some areas.

The hottest year to date is 2016. It is still a nose ahead, but the margins are "very close".

Of course, this should come as no surprise.

"We've upset the energy balance of the entire planet," cautions Prof Chris Rapley of University College London. Year after year we see temperature records being broken, the eminent climate scientist says.

"This is a warning message from the Earth itself," he tells me. "We ignore it at our peril."

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 23, 2020

The Court’s Ruling is Final

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---AG says buck stops at Appeal Court, cannot go on to CCJ

By Lisa Hamilton Though the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is mulling a move to take the election challenge case to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams has reminded that the Court of Appeal’s decision on the matter is final.

According to Article 177 (4) of the Constitution: “The Court of Appeal shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to the validity of an election of a President in so far as the question depends upon the qualification of any person for election or the interpretation of this Constitution; and any decision of that Court under this paragraph shall be final.”

FINAL ACCORDING TO LAW In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, the AG stated that he is unsure why the Court of Appeal would have seen it necessary to grant a three-day stay of its judgement when its decision, according to law, is final.

“The election of the President which is reflected in an instrument under the hand of the Chairman of the Elections Commission is final and conclusive and cannot be inquired into in another Court,” he stated. “I don’t why they asked for a stay because Article 177 (4) says quite clearly that any decision made there under was final so that they can’t appeal it and, equally under our Caribbean Court of Justice Act, Chapter 3:07, there’s a provision also which states that the Caribbean Court would not exercise jurisdiction or hear any matter coming from our Court of Appeal which is stated to be final.”

According to Section 4 (3) of the Act: “Nothing in this Act shall confer jurisdiction on the Court to hear matters in relation to any decision of the Court of Appeal which at the time of entry into force of this Act was declared to be final by any law.” The AG added: “Since this is final under 177 (4), the CCJ wouldn’t hear it.”

THE APPEAL COURT HAS JURISDICTION The AG also explained why the Court of Appeal was

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams

correct in its ruling that it does have jurisdiction to hear the application filed. He explained that according to Article 177 (4) of the Constitution, the Court could exercise its jurisdiction where no President was elected and also spoke to the question of conflicted jurisdiction. “The jurisdiction of the High Court relates to the election of Members of the National Assembly and not the President, the President not being a member of the Na-

tional Assembly. That’s why the Constitution constituted a separate, exclusive jurisdiction in relation to the President and reposed it in the Court of Appeal,” he said.

As the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) is now expected to submit his report to the Commission, the Attorney General said that, in keeping with the Court’s ruling, he can only present votes which meet the credibility requirement. This

Coronavirus: Brazil becomes second country to pass 50,000 deaths

(BBC) Brazil has become the second country, after the US, to register more than 50,000 deaths from Covid-19.

It comes amid growing political tension and just days after the country confirmed more than one million coronavirus infections.

Brazil recorded its highest number of daily deaths on 4 June; the seven-day average seems to have plateaued since.

President Jair Bolsonaro’s decision to oppose lockdowns and focus on the economy has been hugely divisive.

Two health ministers both doctors - have left their posts as deaths and infections have surged. The first was sacked by Mr Bolsonaro, the second resigned after disagreeing with the far-right president.

What are the figures for Brazil and Latin America?

On Sunday, Brazil’s health ministry announced that 641 more deaths had been registered in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 50,617. Over the same period it also registered more than 17,000 new infections.

Only the US has fared worse overall, with 2.2 million cases and nearly 120,000 deaths.

Brazil has recently been recording about 1,000 deaths a day, although figures at weekends tend to be lower.

Many experts believe the lack of testing nationally - some of them say the level is 20 times less than needed - suggests the overall figures could be considerably higher.

The northern states of Amazonas, Pará and Ceará have seen more than 12,000 deaths in total, but it is São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro that have seen the biggest spikes, now standing at 12,500 and 8,800 fatalities respectively.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recorded the biggest one-day increase in global cases, with most new infections in the Americas.

The WHO says that, of the 183,000 new cases reported globally in 24 hours, more than 60% were from North and South America.

Mexico, Peru and Chile have been particularly badly hit, aside from the US, and

on Sunday Argentina passed 1,000 deaths.

Latin America and the Caribbean now have more than two million infections.

How have protests in Brazil developed?

Despite the threat of the virus, thousands of supporters and opponents of Mr Bolsonaro took to the streets in rival demonstrations on Sunday.

Police in the capital, Brasilia, kept rival groups apart as they marched outside Congress and the Supreme Court buildings. One anti-Bolsonaro protester there, Nilva Aparecida, told AFP: “[We are here] in defence of democracy and asking for Bolsonaro to leave. This president who usurped the people’s power and today is committing atrocities. He does not deserve to govern our country.”

Other large gatherings took place in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Opponents of Mr Bolsonaro are also calling for him to be impeached amid a growing political crisis. He is under investigation for allegedly trying to interfere with the police for political motives,

which he denies, while the Supreme Court is carrying out two separate inquiries into his allies.

On Thursday, a former aide and family friend was arrested after being accused of corruption.

Mr Bolsonaro’s supporters say Congress and the Supreme Court are trying to curb his powers.

Mr Bolsonaro has openly disagreed with advice from his own health ministry, arguing that the economic impact of lockdowns would be more detrimental than the health impact of the virus itself, and he retains strong backing from his supporters.

Some states and cities have adopted their own measures. After months of restrictions, some are slowly being lifted, even though infection levels remain high.

There is still concern that the health system will be unable to cope in some places, and that the disease is spreading faster in deprived neighbourhoods and remote areas, such as indigenous communities, where access to adequate care is difficult.

is so as the Court of Appeal ruled that the words “more votes cast” in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution must be interpreted as “more valid votes cast” in keeping with Order No. 60 of 2020 otherwise known as the national recount Order. The Court said that the recount was not intended to be a mere numerical tabulation of votes but an assessment of the credibility and validity of votes as contemplated in the recount Order.

The AG stated: “In ascertaining votes under Section 96 [of the Representation of the Peoples Act], he has to ascertain only valid votes and that’s where he applies the credibility test to the numbers. He has shown already in his first report that the votes were substantially reduced because of irregularities, discrepancies and anomalies.”

Though the Opposition has discredited the role of the CEO in the process, he added that under the Representation of the Peoples Act, the CEO’s report must form the basis for the declaration of the elections. The AG also noted his observation that GECOM Chair, Retired Chief Justice Claudette Singh, throughout her time at the Commission, has allowed her actions to be guided by the decisions of the Court. Williams looks forward to a conclusion of Guyana’s elections which has been ongoing since March 2, 2020. With the Court of Appeal having ruled on the matter, he has urged GECOM to move forward with the national recount process expeditiously.

Police constable implicated in multiple gun crimes under close arrest

DIVISIONAL Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Andries Junor on Monday confirmed that his ranks have taken into custody a police constable and placed him under close arrest as they investigate allegations that he was part of a recent robbery.

The Guyana Chronicle has learnt that the Constable, whose surname has been given as Joseph, was placed at a crime scene in Buxton by a suspect who was arrested and beaten by public-spirited citizens a few days ago.

The suspect told police ranks that the police constable is usually part of their operation, and usually drives their getaway cars.

He also placed the rank at the centre of several robberies which detectives are now investigating.

Based on what was told the Guyana Chronicle, Constable Joseph is part of an anti-crime special unit.

In the first of two separate videos seen by this publication in relation to the robbery, the civilian suspect was seen walking up to a group of persons, and, whipping out a handgun, pointed it at one of them and demanded all of his valuables. While that was taking place, the other civilians who were also liming with the victim fled the scene.

The second video showed the suspect being apprehended by public-spirited citizens from the Buxton community, who beat him within an inch of his life before calling the police to take him into custody. (Leroy Smith)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

The Court of Appeal has Spoken As we editorialised on Monday, it was the considered view of this publication that the Court of Appeal had jurisdiction to hear the matter brought by Eslyn David. We contended that GECOM has the power to make a declaration of the winner of the election based on the credible votes that resulted from the recount. It was not surprising to us then that the court in a 2-1 decision upheld arguments to this effect. The learned justices, in particular Justices Reynolds and Gregory, explored the pertinent sections of the constitution and the various submissions to arrive at their conclusions.

They also relied on precedence to bolster their case.

The first argument they had to explore was the one which posit-

ed that Article 177 (4) gave the Appeal Court jurisdiction limited jurisdiction only on matters that have to do with an elected president. In other words, the article assumes that the President has already been elected. However, the court pointed to the qualification imperative in 177 (4) and argued that the substantive case before it has bearing on the qualification of the person seeking to be declared the President. The court in effect has ruled that the article should not be narrowly read. In this regard it agreed with the court’s ruling in the 1980 case Kwayana vs Shahabudeen where it employed a broader interpretation to allow hearing of Kwayana’s application.

A second argument the court had to overcome is whether the case should have been taken be-

fore the High Court. The court ruled that this was not the case since the High Court has jurisdiction over election to the National Assembly while the Court of appeal has original jurisdiction over matters of the presidency. Since the President is not a member of the National Assembly, the Court of Appeal would not in this instance be encroaching on the High Court’s territory. This distinction was highlighted by counsel for Eslyn David, John Jeremie.

This paved the way for the court to make the ruling on the substantive matter brought by Eslyn David. Ms. David had asked the court to find that “votes counted” in the constitution must be construed to mean valid votes.

And that the Recount Order was explicit in its definition that a valid

vote would be determined by the conditions set out in the order.

The Order makes clear that valid votes would be those that can be reconciled by the necessary statutory documents. Since GECOM set itself the task of determining the credibility of the votes cast, it follows that valid votes must confirm to this standard.

The court’s ruling on Monday is a big blow to those who have argued that the PPP won the election and that its Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali should be declared the President. The advocates of this argument studiously downplayed or ignored the salience of the Recount Order. On the other hand, the Coalition must be breathing a sigh of relief, given the many setbacks it has suffered since

March 2, 2020. This publication has argued in the past that decisions have consequences. When the PPP charged that Mr. Mingo did not tabulate the Region 4 votes correctly and opted to go to court, it obviously could not have envisaged this outcome. Is this the end of the road for the PPP? This has to be pondered as we await the next move.

Counsel for the plaintiff have contended that the rules of the CCJ do not allow for an appeal of a matter of this nature. It is doubtful that the PPP would adhere to this reader. We shall see. But it is clear that for now GECOM chair would have to reverse her directive to the CEO.

GPSU message on United Nations Public Service Day 2020

By Patrick Yarde, President GPSU

The United Nation has designated June 23rd each year to mark the occasion of Public Service Day. This date was specifically occasioned to bring recognition to and celebrate the values, virtues and visibility of public service, to the community; the delivery of quality public service in the development process and recognizes that democracy and successful governance are built on the foundation of a competent and professional public service.

June 23rd was also identified by the United Nations for the reason that it coincided with the anniversary when the International Labour Organization adopted Conven-

tion 151 – Labour Relations (Public Service) 1978. This Convention determines the framework for working conditions of all civil servants across the world.

Public Service Day 2020 celebration is centered around the theme: 'Action Today, Impact Tomorrow: Innovating and Transforming Public Services and Institutions to Realize the Sustainable Development Goals 2030”.

Public Service Day 2020 would be celebrated under a contagion of enormous proportions, as the coronavirus continues to affect lives worldwide, health care systems are left strained, the education and school systems are disrupted and businesses and economies are uncertain about sustainability in the future. Combating the aftermath demands an

approach grounded in technology, boundary-breaking collaboration and innovative ways of working. Public Service organizations would need to find and adapt critical solutions that are flexible and robust to the new reality. This will be a turning point for government. A time to build even more meaningful, trust-based relationships with the citizen.

In transitioning to the new environment, the International Labour Organization’s standards can serve as a decent work compass in the response to the COVID 19 health and social crisis. The key provisions of these standards particularly, as it relates to safety and health working arrangements, protection of specific categories of workers, non-discrimination, social security and employment

protection, would ensure that governments, employers and Unions (workers’ representatives) can maintain decent work while adjusting to the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic.

The socio-economic response, recovery and spending must not come at the expense of workers and stagnation in the public service where workers are faced with inadequate or frozen wages, rising cost of living and austerity guttered public sector.

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) wishes to encourage all workers to be safe; to adopt to the new ways, contexts, technology and digital/virtual capabilities available to ensure smart and safe work. The Union is in the vanguard negotiating appropriate measures to

national conditions, where necessary, to encourage and promote the full development and utilization of machinery for negotiation of terms and conditions of employment for workers nationally. The social and mental health of workers is of paramount interest to the Union and therefore workers are encouraged to put health and security first.

At the international level the GPSU has been involved and contributed to the development of new techniques and strategies to confront all these challenges, including climate change and effective strategies to mitigate its adverse effects on workers; that training and retraining of all categories workers in an effort of just transition.

The Union further wishes to encourage all workers to keep

themselves relevant, to adopt safe and healthy practices in light of the new and changing world of work.

The Guyana Public Service Union salutes all public service workers on this Public Service Day 2020 for their sterling contribution to the nation’s progress, despite the prevailing inadequacies, and urge them to continue to deliver, in an efficient and professionalism manner, quality public service to the nation. You are also encouraged, particularly in the prevailing environment of political instability, to be steadfast in the execution of your duties and to understand that your roles and functions must be consistent with the policy framework of public institutions.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

If I am asked to say how I see Ram I would say a person who badly craves attention Dear Editor, I write in response to Christopher Ram’s letter captioned “A movement once famous for its values and Rodneyite principles is now deeply involved in attempt to rig 2020 elections” which appeared in Stabroek News’ (SN) Saturday June 13, 2020 edition. I propose in my response to expose Ram for the blatant liar he is while at the same time, raise questions about his duplicitous behaviour. Even as I write I am not sure that my letter would be exposed in SN because Ram enjoys a very healthy relationship with the Editor-in-Chief. It is not unusual to find the publication of certain letters being negatively impacted as a result of the close relationship between persons.

At the outset I wish to state that Ram, who poses as a paragon of virtue and as a practitioner and respecter of democratic norms in the society, is not averse to using his enormous wealth and the Courts, to stymie the efforts of his critics, particularly those persons like myself, when we demand from him public explanations about allegations made against him that are similar and consistent to those he levels against his opponents.

Let me also state here that since March 2019, subsequent to Ram filing a matter against me in the courts, there have been several public, provocative attacks on my person by him, which I have ignored, not out of fear of him, but primarily because I have enormous respect for the protocols of the judicial system in Guyana.

Because Ram, an officer of the courts, has not demonstrated the same respect for the Courts, I am no longer prepared to exercise restraint in the face of the vicious attacks

by Ram on my person, my party - the WPA - and my close comrades, Professor Clive Thomas, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, Dr. Maurice Odle, Tacuma Ogunseye and those unnamed persons who by inference, he felt free to attack in the SN edition referred to above.

I believe and challenge Ram to deny that his attitude to Professor Thomas has everything to do with envy for the Professor’s achievements and recognition on the world stage, which Ram wishes for himself but seemingly, will; never achieve in this lifetime. What this little tin god finds even more galling

and this apparently, leaves him feeling driven to the point of madness, is that the Professor, being who he is, has not once, yes, not even once, sought to respond to him. Ram badly desires Professor Thomas to publicly criticize him with the hope that his foolishness would be dignified, but for that he will have to wait forever. Similarly, I believe Dr Odle will not waste his valuable time to respond to him.

Ram should tell the truth about why he is so angry with Dr. Roopnaraine, Ogunseye, me and the WPA. As he has not done so I will. It has to do with a discussion he had, first with Roopnaraine and subsequently with Ogunseye in the leadup to the 2015 general and regional elections when he was asked if he would allow his name to be put forward as the WPA’s choice for the Prime Ministerial slot on the APNU’s list of candidates for those elections. The APNU+AFC arrangements for those elections were not yet being discussed and it was felt by some executive members of the WPA that a candidate of Indian origin, should be identified by the organization, whose name would be advanced as a possible replacement for Dr. Roopnaraine, who had indicated to the Executive that while he was prepared to participate in the 2015 campaign he did not want to do so in such a high profile position. The point to note is that the approach to Ram was not formally agreed by the Executive, because within that grouping there were persons, including me, who were opposed to it. What was however agreed was that no barrier would have been imposed on the persons who had advanced the proposal to approach Ram on it. Hence, his discussions with Roopnaraine and Ogunseye.

My opposition to the proposal which I explained to Ram when he approached me to support it, had to do with what I believed was his unsuitability for the position.

In fact, the exact words I used at the Executive meeting and to him was that “politically, I consider him to be a wild cannon and an unguided missile, whose candidacy would have disastrous consequences for the APNU”. I had also told the Executive and Ram that in the elections, persons who were inclined to support the APNU would have been hard pressed to do so if his name appeared on the APNU’s list of candidates, particularly

in such a critical position, bearing in mind that he, Ram, had publicly baptised the announced ticket of the AFC Moses Nagamootoo and Nigel Hughes - as the best possible one to face the electorate.

My understanding was that in the discussion Ram had with Ogunseye it was made clear to him that the matter was still being discussed in the WPA and was not agreed. He was advised that in the circumstance he should allow the WPA’s discussion to be concluded.

But, politically backward as he is, or, with the intention of forcing an early favourable decision in the WPA, he then proceeded to tell every Tom, Dick, Harry and Jane who had the time to listen that he was the anointed APNU Prime Ministerial candidate and he was preparing to renounce his British citizenship. Eventually, the bubble burst when the APNU+AFC arrangement was brokered and Nagamootoo was announced as the coalition’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Ram was devastated by the news and became very obsessive in his criticisms of the WPA and particularly of Roopnaraine, Ogunseye and me. I challenge him also to deny that he also harboured thoughts of being proposed for the position of Speaker of the National Assembly after the Coalition’s victory in the 2015 elections.

It is true that Ram’s initial involvement with the WPA Executive was when specific subjects were being discussed. However, that gradually changed and from around 2005 he became a fixture on that organ. He participated in several policy decisions in the party and proposed matters for discussions for which he held strong views, including his description of the Jagdeo and Ramotar regimes as being the most corrupt in the world. Statistical genius that he is, he, up to and including the 2015 election on several occasions, advanced the position and produced empirical data to support his argument, that the voters list had been bloated for years and that it required a new house to house registration exercise to guarantee satisfaction across the board, for the results emanating from the holding of elections. That he has now conveniently changed his position is as a result of where he is now located in the political landscape. Another of his ideas which he discussed with me and presumably with other persons, was one where he equated then President Jag-

deo’s treatment of Africans in Guyana to Adolph Hitler’s holocaust of the Jews during the second world war.

Periodically, Ram, would have made small, personal donations to the party. Like most businessmen he indulged in what is known as ‘hedging his bets’. In other words, he donated to several parties at the same time, particularly to the larger parties, which received considerable amounts, thereby ensuring he was a beneficiary of largesse from which ever party won. Even as he criticised the APNU+AFC coalition government for every offence under the sun he, unashamedly, accepted contracts worth millions of dollars from it.

On several occasions Ram, without an explanation for doing so, would abruptly stop his donations to the WPA. On those occasions I would say to party comrades that he was most likely responding to an unpleasant situation, which might have occurred the previous night.

I recall a particular situation, subsequent to his stopping of a monthly donation, when he gave as his reasons for doing so the failure of Roopnaraine and Jocelyn Dow, both of whom were Board members at Cara Lodge, for failing to keep a promise to facilitate the award of an audit contract to his accounting firm by Cara Lodge. It is also true that during the 2015 elections he, along with Dr. Maurice Odle, comprised a WPA fund raising team. What he has not said is that the major slice of the money raised came from sources close to Dr. Odle.

I agree with all of the praise which Ram has heaped on the sisters who once associated with the WPA. All of them, including those he did not name, are deserving of the highest commendation and awards for the magnificent work they have done and continue to do. However, if the truth be known Ram is not held in the same high esteem by a large number of them because of his treatment of women.

Andaiye is now deceased and can no longer testify to his behaviour, but some of the others are still alive and are well positioned to do so.

Ram, I have never been nor will I ever be a practitioner of sexual exploitation of women.

I have never beaten my wife and will never do so. There are some men who pretend to recognize women’s democratic right to address issues, including the right to disagree

with their spouses on domestic matters with equal ferocity as men do. However, when their wives choose to exercise that right, they run the risk of being brutally beaten into submission, to the extent that some are forced to abandon their homes and run down the road, naked, with their night gowns in their hands. Ram, I will never be guilty of those transgressions against our women folk.

Ram, your posture on women is characterized by your vicious, brutal, vile and unjustified criticisms of the incumbent Chairman of the Commission, retired Justice Claudette Singh SC, CCH. She occupies a position, which you desired but were overlooked for. It is therefore difficult to escape the feeling that your actions against her are nothing but spiteful and vindictive. To my mind and notwithstanding the fact that I disagreed with the judgement she rendered at the Commission’s meeting on Tuesday, June 16th, 2020, I continue to respect her and believe you are not worthy to stand on the same stage with her. Incidentally, Ram, it would be helpful to you if you take the time to remind yourself about the reason why you had to stop participating in the weekly one hour activity, which was sponsored and conducted by Mothers In Black outside of Parliament building.

In his self-serving criticism of a number of WPA members Ram said “Judging by their public roles, the leading active members of the Party are Desmond Trotman, Tacuma Ogunseye and David Hinds.

The first holds the PNC line in GECOM. Ogunseye remains committed to the romantic notion of a liberation struggle and Hinds’ dismissal of elections moves him sharply away from the WPA’s embrace of multicultural relationships and free and fair elections and closer to the promotion of an increasingly strident brand of African rights”. I will address the aspects of the quoted sentences in his letter pertaining to me. Ogunseye and Hinds are adequately endowed with the ability to address his utterances, if they care to.

I am assuming here that when Ram said I was holding the PNC line in GECOM he purported to mean that the PNC’s line was/is about rigging the elections and I am party to that course of action.

I therefore make the following points: (!) I was appointed a Commissioner of GECOM by Pres-

ident Granger about one week after WPA issued a statement, which I helped to craft, that said under no circumstances will it support or condone the rigging of elections. That to my mind says a lot about President Granger’s posture on elections in Guyana.

(2). Since my appointment to the position of Commissioner I have never been asked or told by President Granger or by any of the other leaders of the PNCR, to support any position that is not my own.

(3). The only positions I can be accused of adopting at GECOM’s meeting are the historical WPA’s positions. The records of GECOM’s meetings will show that (a) I had in the lead up to the 2020 Local Government Elections proposed that persons/organisations interested in participating in those elections, should, in addition to parties represented in parliament, be invited to attend discussion sessions as part of the familiarization process, prior to the day appointed as nomination day. (b) On several occasions I have said that elections do one of two things, they either conform the incumbents or replace them with another group, that I do not care which party wins once the results are accepted by the populace at large thereby allowing the country to move forward in peace and harmony. (c) I described the behaviour of the then UNDP Resident Representative, Madam Tanaka, in ignoring the established protocols for assistance to GECOM, as being disrespectful and obscene and that the Commission should say that to her. (d) I told the representatives of the A, B, C, and E countries that GECOM is an independent Agency and cannot be dictated to by those countries. (d) During the familiarization meeting that the advanced EU observation team had with GECOM, a member of the team indicated that as part of their process of observing the electi0ns they will have to sit in at statutory meetings of the Commission.

I made it very clear that while I will welcome any assistance that will enhance the work of the Commission, I will not sit at meetings of the Commission where a representative of a foreign power is permitted to monitor meetings of the Commission. It never happened.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Alternative facts cannot be fair to truth

Dear Editor

With reference to, “NIS condemns false social media report”, Guyana Chronicle of June 21. The National Insurance Scheme (NIS)Public Relations Officer, Ms. Dianne Lewis Baxter’s description of the Inews social media page, which reported that the NIS has halted the payments of Injury and sickness benefits to sugar workers, as being “mischievous”, is to say the least, too charitable. In essence, this is a high class, and vile attempt by the dark forces, of con-

tinuing their well-known, orchestrated attempts to cause disaffection between the government and sugar workers.

One is in no doubt that this particular social media clique would have been among the numerous elements of misinformation, disinformation and fake news that would have disseminated the ugly lie that it had been the coalition that had been responsible for as the collapse of GuySuCo, and the subsequent closing of some sugar estates and termination of workers.

But to engage the point

as captioned – It is a nefarious lie, since no such action has ever been taken by the NIS, since its came into being as a national institution, in September, 1969, with its operational laws encapsulated in Chap. 28:01, and other procedural guide. And these two particular benefits, in addition to the others have continued, despite the known financial challenges with which the institution has had to confront.

As far as is known, Injury benefits is commonly paid to sugar workers, as it is about a worker who sustain an injury proven to have arisen

during and out of the course of employment. And given the nature of a sugar worker function, injuries are a common factor. But of course, there have been known to be numerous instances in which such claimed accidents have had to be investigated, because of doubts surrounding the circumstances of the cause of the accident, caused by way of conflicting explanations given. Once clarified then a decision is made as to allowing/disallowing the benefit.

Sickness benefit, like the latter benefit, and other benefits are all governed by spe-

cific conditions which must be fulfilled, before consideration for payment or not. Whichever decision, the particular claimant is notified, either by way of voucher, or notice of disallowance. There is recourse to appeal, as provided in the NIS Act. The fact of the matter, is that the scheme, as stated above, and to the best of my knowledge, has never ordered the cessation of any benefit(s), save and except when such benefit(s) do not satisfy the conditions for qualification; which means that the benefit cannot be paid.

It is a continuing tragedy for social media to be used for the advancement of such wickedness for political ends. Seen for what it is, it is another deception being perpetrated on the poor sugar workers, who have been made to suffer because of criminal mis-management for over two decades. These online “alternative facts” cannot be fair to truth.

Regards Earl Hamilton

If I am asked to say how I see Ram I would say a ....

FROM PAGE

(e) I said to the Carter Centre observation team which was led by President

Carter’s grandson when he outlined to the Commission the Centre’s proposal for

holding elections in 2019, I could not support it because it failed to consider the inter-

nal dynamics in this country (f) I resolutely defended the Chairman, in the Commission, against the brutal attacks directed to her by the three PPP Commissioners and at least on three occasions have said that her problem in so far as those Commissioners are concerned is that her name is Singh and she is expected to make decisions not based on Law or fairness but on the basis of her name, Singh. (g) Notwithstanding the fact that nearly all of the small parties, which contested the elections could not field polling and counting agents in a large number of polling stations, that their participation at the Recount Exercise should not be limited to only overseeing the process in the districts they contested. They should be allowed to participate in the entire exercise.

I have had cause to say in a private discussion to the US Ambassador, Madam Sarah Lynch, that in doing what the President of Guyana was not doing that is, meeting with Commissioners for private discussions, she ran the risk of being accused of interfering in the affairs of Guyana.

I have also as a Commissioner, publicly declared that when the Canadian High Commissioner forced her way into a meeting of GECOM Commissioners at Ashmin’s building, she acted as if she was the country’s new colonial overlord and should be recalled.

These are some of the positions, I have taken, unapologetically, within and outside of GECOM, wearing my hat of a GECOM Commissioner.

I stand by my actions. These are positions which Rodney, Kwayana, Thomas, Roopnaraine, Bhagwan, Westmaas Ogunseye, Kanhai, Henderson, Odle, Jocelyn Dow, Godfrey Sage, Stanley Humphrey, Ali Majeed, the sisters

and other comrades named and unnamed and all of the WPA, would I believe, lend their unconditional support to. If Ram has difficulties with those positions all he would be doing is confirming what I have always thought, he was really a WPA supporter purely as a matter of convenience.

Incidentally, almost all of the positions identified above have been supported

by Commissioners Alexander and Corbin who have always insisted they are Constitutional Office holders not party hacks. What that makes them? Ram, I applaud the work of those two Commissioners in the Commission.

If you have proof of our collective involvement in what you have said is rigging the results of the 2020 General and Regional Elections, provide it to the police As far as I am aware it is unlawful tor anyone to falsify the results of the elections. Similarly, if an officer of the court has information of such an act being committed and refuses to pass the information to the police of a crime he is to my mind, complicit in the commission of an offence. Ram must either put up or shut up.

In the matter of his appearance on behalf of WPA in the Rodney Inquiry I was not one of the persons who instructed him. He has his facts wrong.

Ram’s relationship with the WPA Executive and the Party was terminated after he attended a social gathering and was heard making scurrilous statements about the Party. That assault on the WPA was made in the presence of a senior WPA Executive member who reported the matter to the collective.

If I recall correctly, I was the Chairman of the Executive at the time and I proposed, and it was agreed that in light of the report he should no longer be allowed to sit at the

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meetings. In conveying the decision to him I indicated the reason and the source of the information, which he did not deny.

But we must be concerned that hypocrites like Ram see nothing wrong with the persons who are PPP Commissioners who have made it very clear that they are instructed by their party and assiduously represent that party’s views at meetings of the Commission He condemns the non PPP Commissioners without providing proof to support his allegations that these Commissioners hold the PNC line at meetings of the Commission.

I find this to be very sinister.

It has serious implications for the state of affairs in Guyana in the immediate period ahead, in the medium and long term.

If I am asked to say how I see Ram I would say (i) a person who badly craves attention who would provide sociologists with amazing material for case study; and (ii) a political prostitute whose opportunism moves him uncontrollably, like goat dung blown in the wind (in America the parallel is known as tumbleweed), from position to position and from political party to political party.

WALTER RODNEY LIVES! Regards Desmond Trotman

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

APNU+AFC pleased with court’s decision

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--- urges GECOM to complete process according to ruling --- says ruling provided the finality needed

Some supporters of the APNU+AFC outside the Court of Appeal on Monday

THE APNU+AFC is pleased that the Court of Appeal has ruled that elections results cannot be based on fraudulent votes and the party has therefore called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to complete its work in accordance with the Court’s ruling.

In a statement on Monday, following the pronouncements of the Court of Appeal, the APNU+AFC stated: “The Court of Appeal has today, in its judgement, confirmed the position of the APNU+AFC Coalition that the determination of a final and credible count as contemplated by Order No. 60 of 2020 does not mean a mere numerical tabulation of votes but an assessment of the credibility of votes as contemplated by Order No. 60 of 2020.”

Order No. 60 of 2020 is the legal document which paved the way for the national recount which is still only at Phase Three of a fourphase process. Throughout Phase One of the process which ran from May 6 to June 7, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had vehemently argued against the conduct of more than a simple numerical count.

However, the AP-

NU+AFC pointed to the Order which states that both the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) and the Commission have to assess any discrepancies coming out of the recount which would be noted in a summary of Observation Reports.

In this summary of the Observation Reports, presented to the Commission by the CEO on June 13, he outlined 4,864 cases of voter impersonation and more than 2,000 anomalies which were verified by the Commission.

Both votes affected and unaffected were highlighted.

In conclusion to these cases, he had noted that the complete results, though putting the PPP/C in the lead, “clearly does not appear to satisfy the criteria of impartiality, fairness, and compliance with provisions of the Constitution and the ROPA Cap 1:03.”

VALID VOTES ONLY Given his remarks, the APNU+AFC had reiterated its position based on Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act which states: “The Chief Elections Officer shall calculate the total number of valid votes of electors which have been cast for each list of candidates and thereupon shall ascertain

the results of the election in accordance with sections 97 and 98. 97.”

On Monday, the Court of Appeal ruled that the words "more votes cast" in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution must be interpreted as "more valid votes cast" in keeping with Order No. 60 of 2020. The Court said that the recount was not intended to be a mere numerical tabulation of votes but an assessment of the credibility and validity of votes as contemplated in the recount Order.

In response, the governing party stated: “The APNU+AFC, from the inception of this process, maintained that elections cannot be arbitrary and results cannot be based on fraudulent and illegitimate votes. Elections with proven illegitimate and ‘defective’ votes bring into question the credibility of those votes and cannot be foisted upon the people of Guyana.

Illegitimate votes, cannot be included in the consideration

of ‘valid votes’ to determine a credible outcome.”

It said that the recount proved that thousands of votes were affected by fraud, discrepancies and anomalies which include voter impersonation, missing ballots, unstamped ballots, missing poll books, missing oaths of identity, unsigned oaths of identity, more ballots than electors found in ballot boxes and other grave issues.

“The judgment of the Court of Appeal vindicates the position of APNU+AFC Coalition which it has maintained throughout. The APNU+AFC Coalition now calls on the Guyana Elections Commission to do its duty and complete its work to ensure that credible results for the March 2nd elections are declared based on the valid votes cast,” the party stated.

THE RULING IS CLEAR Weighing in on the ruling just outside the Court of Appeal, People’s National

People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) Executive, Aubrey Norton (Adrian Narine photos)

Congress/Reform (PNC/R) Executive, Aubrey Norton, said that the CEO, Keith Lowenfield, now has clear directions from the Court which he must abide by.

Norton said his party and its coalition partners are pleased that the Court has interpreted the law in its rightful sense which will ensure that only credible results are declared from Guyana’s General and Regional Elections.

“Our position has always been that you cannot go to a recount and then treat the recount as if it had no meaning. You had to deal with the letter and spirit of the law and when one looks at that, it seems almost obvious that you had to consider the observation report and you had to separate votes that are not valid from votes that are valid,” he stated.

While several reports coming from observation missions had previously urged GECOM to make a declaration on the ballots which the CEO noted in his report were compromised, the PNC/R Executive said that the Court has now given finality.

He said: “I believe that some people wanted to pre-determine the outcome and it is good that we have the Courts to look at the law

and to conclude…it is unfortunate that some sections of the international community arrived at their conclusion before the facts [but] the facts are now out and, I do believe, that if they keep to their word that they want a President sworn in based on law, that is credible, then I think the ruling has been clear.”

Moving forward, he urged the Commission to improve the rules and regulations governing its polling day staff which should ensure that the importance of key documents such as poll books, oaths of identity and the ticked-off Official List of Electors (OLE), are understood.

When it comes to Constitutional reform, he shares the views of his party that the ‘winner-take-all’ system must be done away with if Guyana’s leaders truly want their country to realise greater development.

“We have to, at some stage, seek to resolve the issues that underpin the tension and division that occur in our society,” he stated.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Court of Appeal rules it has jurisdiction to interpret Constitution

By Svetlana Marshall BY a 2-1 margin, the Court of Appeal ruled that it had jurisdiction to interpret the words “more votes are cast” in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution in a case brought against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and others by a North Sophia voter, Eslyn David, who had challenged the Commission’s failure to determine a final credible count.

In its original constitutional jurisdiction conferred by Article 177(4) of the Constitution, David, last Thursday (June 18), asked the Appellate Court to interpret the words “more votes are cast” in Article 177 (2) (b). On Monday, the ruling was handed down in the Court of Appeal by a panel of three judges with Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory and High Court Judge, Justice Brassington Reynolds ruling that the Court has jurisdiction to interpret Article 177 (2) (b) as provided for in Article 177 (4). However, Justice of Appeal, Rishi Persaud ruled that the application was premature, misconceived and ought to have been thrown out.

Article 177(4) of the Constitution states: “The Court of Appeal shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to the validity of an election of a President in so far as that question depends upon the qualification of any person for election or the interpretation of this Constitution; and any decision of that Court under this paragraph shall be final.”

In handing down his rul-

ing, Justice Reynolds referenced the case – Eusi Kwayana’s Application (1980) which was relied upon by both the appellant, through her battery of lawyers, and the added respondents – People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General-Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo and PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali and others – though offering different interpretation.

Justice Reynolds said the Court of Appeal, in examining Article 177 (4) at the time, said though its jurisdiction is circumscribed, the Article relates to questions as to the validity of a President in so far as such questions depend “(a) upon the qualification of any person for election or (b) upon the interpretation of the Constitution.”

On this basis, the High Court Judge concluded that the limbs for testing the validity of the election of a President were to be read disjunctively – a position held by the appellant’s Attorney Trinidad Senior Counsel John Jeremie and Legal Counsel Mayo Robertson and others, and the Attorney General Basil Williams – the fourth named respondent.

With the exception of the Attorney General, the other respondents in the case – the Chair of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, Jagdeo, Ali and others – through their Lawyers, had argued that the narrow, exclusive jurisdiction created by Article 177 (4) could not have been invoked in the case brought by David.

Justice Reynolds noted that Attorney-at-Law Timothy Jonas, who presented

ANUG’s Representative, Dr. Mark Defiance and others, in association with Senior Coun-

qualification and or the interpretation of the Constitution.

She had contended that the

The Court of Appeal

sel Ralph Ramkarran, had argued that the Appellate Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case in the absence of an elected president. But Justice Reynolds disagreed. “This position, the court believes, is not borne out by Article 177 (6) which clearly from its reference to the documents referred therein contemplates equally a situation as in the instant case where the elections process has not been concluded,” the High Court Judge ruled.

Legal Counsel Kim Kyte-Thomas, on behalf of GECOM Chair, had argued that Article 177 (4) of the Constitution clothes the Appellate Court with a “narrow special exclusive” jurisdiction to hear and determine questions relative to the validity of an election of a president with particular reference to

words “or the interpretation of the Constitution in Article 177 (4)” relate to the interpretation of the constitutional provisions in relation to any person for election to the President and nothing else. In fact, Kyte-Thomas had submitted to the Court that David was seeking an interpretation of Order No. 60, which was gazetted by the Elections Commission on May 4, and not the Constitution and as such the case ought to have been struck out. Kyte-Thomas and Douglas Mendes – the attorney, which presented the PPP/C Officials – had submitted that David’s case ought to have been filed in the High Court by way of an Elections Petition under Article 163 of the Constitution and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act after the declaration of the Election

Results. The attorneys had argued that the Article 163 of the Constitution gives the High Court exclusive jurisdiction to determine the validity of an election.

But Justice Reynolds, in arriving at his ruling, said that exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 163 of the Constitution is separate and distinct from the exclusive jurisdiction granted to the Court of Appeal under Article 177 (4). “The election petition process as provided for under Article163 and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act relates to the election of a person to the National Assembly; it however does not replace the Court of Appeal’s exclusive jurisdiction as it relates to the election of a person to the office of the president.

Furthermore, the completion of the electoral process by declaration of the results is not a necessary precondition to invoke the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal under Article 177 (4),” Justice Reynolds said as he summarized the submissions of the appellant’s attorneys while noting that any person at any stage during the electoral process could approach the Court of Appeal pursuant to Article 177 (4) to seek an interpretation of any provision of the Constitution so far as such an interpretation impacts, touches or concerns an election of a president.

He concluded that the Constitution provides separate jurisdictions for the election of members of the National Assembly and that of the President, though the elections are conducted simultaneously.

He reminded that the President does not form part of the National Assembly but rather Parliament.

“I have formed the opinion, respectfully so, that Article 177 (4) establishes a separate exclusive jurisdiction in the Court of Appeal, that is to say, in respect to appeals to hear and determine questions as to the validity of the election of a president, in so far as that question depends on, firstly, the qualification of any person or the interpretation of the constitution.

Respectfully, therefore, it is my view that the High Court in Article 163 or the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Law does not have this jurisdiction,” Justice Reynolds said while making it clear that there is no competing jurisdiction as was suggested by Mendes and others.

Justice Gregory had made similar conclusions.

In handing down her ruling she said: “To my mind, the court is well within the jurisdiction, as accorded to it within the confines of Article 177 (4) which creates two limbs for jurisdiction and that jurisdiction turns on the election of a president, whether the court is exercising the jurisdiction in relation to qualification or whether the court is exercising its jurisdiction in relation to interpretation, the jurisdiction turns on election of a President, when one considers the wording of Article 177 (4).”

GPL procuring modernised equipment to improve services THE Guyana Power & Light (GPL) Inc. is looking to acquire new modernised equipment to advance the services of the national power company.

By way of a press statement, the company said the equipment being procured are modern mobile elevated working platforms comprising IVECO trucks, retrofitted with VERSALIFT aerial lifts and ancillary equipment.

The trucks will be manufactured in Italy and Spain and the aerial lifts in the USA. These vehicles represent stateof-the-art technology and will have multiple functionalities that will, among other benefits, significantly improve GPL’s ability to expand and maintain the transmission and distribution systems.

“The initiative forms part of GPL’s overall plans to modernise the tools and equipment being used by our staff.

GPL currently has only three bucket trucks, which were

bought second-hand a decade ago. They have been unreliable and do not meet all of the required specifications. The new equipment being procured will replace these and allow us to improve the safety and general working conditions of employees, improve the reliability of supply, be more responsive to emergencies and ultimately provide a better quality service, while more expeditiously expanding the network to accommodate additional customers. The lifts being supplied with the trucks are based on specifications developed by GPL’s technical staff, following extensive consultations and research, and are intended to provide optimal performance under Guyanese conditions,” the statement outlined.

It also stated that Versalift has been one of the leading companies in the aerial lift industry in reliability and innovation since 1967 and its equipment will provide: im-

proved safety of all operators with the buckets insulated to provide protection up to 46,000 volts; dual controls with operation possible from in the bucket and on the deck; off centre hitch design which will allow 360-degree rotation of the lifts when extended, thereby providing maximum flexibility; auxiliary ports on the deck and in the bucket to facilitate use of power tools; special equipment to facilitate lifting of transformers and heavy materials up to the elevated bucket; thereby eliminating the need for multiple trucks; and outriggers (A & H frame designs) to ensure the stability of the trucks, bunkers and additional subframe for assured stability.

This statement came as a response to an article published in the Kaieteur Newspaper (KN) demanding information publicly, from the state-owned company.

KN contended in its report that GPL spent $587M

on eight trucks and that the cost was highly padded as the manufacturer allegedly confirmed a much lower price.

To this end, the statement clarified that “The cost of the trucks constitute approximately 35% of the overall cost of the equipment to be supplied.

The balance is made up of the cost of the lifting equipment, ancillary equipment, retrofitting costs (installing the lifting equipment onto the trucks) and the freight and insurance costs to deliver the lifting equipment and trucks from USA and Europe respectively, then retrofitting, certifying and commissioning in Guyana.

Also included, are the costs for operator training of GPL staff in Guyana on the new equipment and preventative maintenance for one year.”

No definitive figure was given on the cost of this new initiative.

Bringing further clarity to the politically-tainted article from KN, which also suggests

that no procurement procedure was followed, the power company confirmed in the statement that an open tender process was used.

“The bid documents were first published on GPL’s website on April 30th 2019, and during the months of May and June 2019, a total of 12 paid advertisements for the supply were made in the national newspapers including Kaieteur News (5), Stabroek News (5) and the Guyana Chronicle. Additionally, GPL also advertised the tender on the United Nations Business Development Website. Following completion of the evaluation process, GPL’s Tender Board approved the award to Massy Motors during the month of December 2019.

The Purchase Order (PO) was then issued on January 31, 2020. The MASSY GROUP is one of the most reputable regional conglomerates and has an excellent track record of satisfactorily fulfilling

commitments with GPL,” the statement outlined.

In relation to the current status of the order, the supplier had advised GPL that, as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, both the manufacturer of the trucks in Europe and the manufacturer of the lifting equipment in the USA, had encountered issues which affected their respective operations resulting in temporary delays in their supply chain processes. GPL has now been advised that the manufacturers have recommenced operations and completed units are being prepared for shipment.

GPL said payment has not yet been made to MASSY MOTORS, and the company remains committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability, and would be pleased to provide any additional information that would provide greater clarity with regards to this order.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Teachers, hospital staff among new COVID-19 cases at Moruca

The Moruca Bridge which connects the villages of San Jose and Kumaka at Moruca

SEVERAL secondary school teachers and six staff members of the Kumaka District Hospital are among 19 new cases of the Coronavirus which have been recorded at the Moruca sub-region in the North West District.

The Ministry of Public Health on Monday announced that 21 new cases of the virus have been recorded here in Guyana, and reports from Santa Rosa are that as many as 11 teachers in the area have tested positive for the virus. Said teachers were

among a large group of residents who were tested several days ago.

The new figure adds to 11 teachers, from both the primary and secondary level, who have already tested positive for the virus there.

Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr. Steven Chefoon last week advised that with the increasing number of confirmed cases in the Moruca sub-district, the situation there is now deemed a ‘community transmission’.

The RHO has also requested that the communi-

ty be put on lockdown for a period of 14 days. “The Department of Education, under guidance from the Ministry of Education, with effect from Friday, June 19, 2020, has closed all schools in the sub-district until the spread is contained,” the Ministry of Education said, and that alternative methods of engagement are being implemented to ensure that the 359 National Grade Six Assessment pupils and 214 Caribbean Secondary Entrance Certificate (CSEC) students are prepared to write

the exams.

The authorities at Santa Rosa, Moruca, which is Guyana’s most populated indigenous village, have been facing an uphill battle in their fight to implement precautionary measures to stem the spread of the disease at the village. Thus far, one death attributed to the virus has been recorded at Moruca.

Many residents who are aligned to a major political party have deemed the situation a political gimmick.

High Court orders release of ‘blow-blow’ man High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall on Sunday ordered Commissioner of Police Leslie James to immediately release Jermaine Kingston from custody after he was kept beyond the mandatory 72 hours period.

Kingston, 27, known as ‘blow-blow man’ was on Wednesday, June 17 arrested by the Police Major Crimes Unit after a video of him singing and making threats to the government and its supporters went viral on social media.

At the time of the threat, the man also displayed several high-powered weapons and small arms in a vehicle which the police said belongs to a private firm. Kingston is also said to be working with

Jermaine Kingston

Commissioner of Police Leslie James

the company.

The investigation into that case is still in progress.

On Saturday, June 20, an application for a habeas corpus ad subjiciendum was

filed on Kingston’s behalf

by John Marcus through Attorney at Law Everton Singh-Lammy against the commissioner of police.

During the court hearing

on Sunday, June 21, which was done via Zoom cloud, Justice Morris-Ramlall ordered that the commissioner forthwith release Kingston from police custody.

Also, the commissioner was also ordered to pay the cost of $150,000 to the applicant.

GTT believes companies can benefit from technology innovations Post COVID -19 THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) Company believes that many industries and companies in Guyana can benefit greatly from the innovative technological solutions that came about, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the view expressed by the Company’s CEO, Justin Nedd, through the series of virtual conversations on technology-driven options to survive and thrive during the pandemic.

Nedd stated that the company, as the country’s largest technology provider, felt compelled to share its knowledge and open up its tech toolkit for consideration, so as to help companies throughout the transition. The conversations which were held throughout June with the general public and private sector organizations were aimed at equipping participants with technology-driven solutions to the current mode of operations that the country is faced with since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nedd explained his belief that many of these systems can be used in future to promote more efficient and effective sectors, stating, “The sectors can immediately benefit from the tech solutions that we offer – so much so that post-pandemic, they can be more digitally equipped to

launch into any direction they choose; because while these are challenging times, there are opportunities for innovation that can serve Guyana well in the long run. We are in this together – and together we will rise,” Nedd stated.

The Company related that it has been successfully able to transition its own staff to working from home since the confirmation of the country’s first case of the COVID-19 virus in March 2020. The telecoms CEO described this swift transition as “highly successful”.

“Like us, the sectors are adjusting to working from home. They are trying to maintain productivity while remaining connected to their people, their clients and stakeholders. They are looking for ways to facilitate cashless payments and deliveries. It’s our new normal – and GTT is poised and willing to assist,” said Nedd.

During the conversations, thousands of participants explored helpful solutions offered by GTT, including Cloud-based applications, the use of products such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, PBX support, the convenience of Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) and the importance of cyber security.

70-year-old man found dead at Karrau, Mazaruni A POLICE investigation is now underway into the death of a 70-yearold man who was discovered dead on Monday at Karrau Creek, Lower Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Dead is Lester Williams of Karrau Village, Mazaruni. He is said to have died between 17:00hrs on Saturday and 06:30hrs yesterday. According to a police report, on June 22, 2020, a 48-year-old business woman of Karrau creek discovered Williams’ motionless body in front of her shop.

Reports are that Williams, an alleged alcoholic, was last seen alive on Saturday around 17:00hrs

in an intoxicated state by a 36-year-old female at the Karrau Creek Landing.

Following the discovery of Williams’ lifeless body an alarm was raised by the business woman and the matter was subsequently reported to the police, who promptly arrived at the scene.

Williams was examined and small abrasions were seen to his hand and also to his knee. He was subsequently taken to the Bartica Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His body is presently at the Bartica Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

PPP/C mulls appealing court’s final ruling --- Jagdeo says party does not intend to ‘just roll over and die’ --- argues that recount already produced valid votes

By Lisa Hamilton THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is refusing to accept the ruling of the Court of Appeal on how the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) should treat with its elections declaration and intends to take its contention to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) though the Constitution states that, on such matters, the Court of Appeal’s decision is final.

In an online press briefing on Monday following the court’s decision, PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo accused APNU+AFC of seeking to “invalidate valid votes” and maintained that GECOM cannot invalidate any of the votes coming out of Phase One of the national recount which put his party in the lead.

The court has ruled that Article 177 (4) of the Constitution grants it jurisdiction to hear the Eslyn David v. GECOM case and that GECOM has the responsibility to establish the "final credible count" as the words "more votes cast" according to the Article should be interpreted to mean "more valid votes cast." Furthermore, Article 177 (4) indicates that the decision of the Court of Appeal on such matters is final. It states: “The Court of Appeal shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to the validity of an election of a President in so far as the question depends upon the qualification of any person for election or the interpretation of this Constitution; and any decision of that Court under this paragraph shall be final.”

VOTES ALREADY VALID However, in his press

already been determined by the commission.”

Explaining his position,

it is titled ‘Valid Votes Cast for Each Party of Candidates’ and as we go down the list it

state that the presence of anomalies, irregularities and voter impersonation hinders

PPP/C General-Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo displays one of the certificates coming out of the national recount

briefing on Monday, Jagdeo contended: “We’ve made it public that this decision on jurisdiction is appealable and may very well end up in the Caribbean Court of Justice.” Though the report of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has highlighted 4,864 cases of voter impersonation and more than 2,000 anomalies, the PPP/C general-secretary accused the APNU+AFC of seeking to invalidate votes his party believes are valid.

“On the question of validity of votes, clearly the Court of Appeal could not mean that Lowenfield or any single political party, and in this case, APNU, can solely determine what valid votes are. This has to be determined based on a process,” he argued. “We are contending that all along this is provided for in our laws and total valid votes have

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

he turned the public’s attention to the Statements of Recount (SORs) coming out of Phase One of the recount process which he said are headed with the words ‘Valid Votes Cast.’ He contended that only a court can invalidate any of the said votes. Holding up one of the certificates, he stated: “That is the title of the certificate for the 10 districts,

says ‘Total Number of Valid Votes Cast.’ Now, this is the evidence. This is what APNU is trying to invalidate.”

STILL CONFIDENT OF VICTORY He discredited the summarised Observation Reports submitted by the CEO which led Lowenfield to

him from determining that the elections were credible and in accordance with the Representation of the People Act. The PPP/C general-secretary instead iterated that the certificates coming out of the recount already speak to the valid votes which should be counted and anything else should be dealt with through an elections petition.

“My contention is that when the court interprets ‘more votes than’ and it says ‘more valid votes than,’ there actually is no issue with it because in every case and in the recount itself, all of the people were counting valid votes,” he said. Anticipating a declaration from the elections commission in its favour, members of the PPP/C have already erected billboards congratulating PPP/C presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali and PPP/C prime

ministerial candidate Mark Philips on victory.

Ali has also declared himself “President-elect” and participated in several interviews with regional television stations declaring himself as victor prior to the conclusion of the four-phase recount. In response to the court’s ruling, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall stated on his Facebook page: “…the Court of Appeal ruling, today, changes nothing in that the votes that GECOM has recounted, tabulated and totalled are only valid votes.

As a result, all that the CEO is now left to do, is to allocate the seats to be awarded to the respective parties, based upon the total valid votes cast in their favour and identify Irfaan Ali as the duly elected President of Guyana.”

Meanwhile, former Minister of Education Priya Manickchand agreed: “…the Court of Appeal did not say anything that we don't already know.

That is that valid votes are what must count. The chair has already told us how a vote can be invalidated. The claim that it is not valid must be examined by a court of law with rules of evidence and where the people against who the claims are made must be heard.” The PPP/C general-secretary said that his party has no intention to now simply “roll over and die”; he said that the party would be consulting with its lawyers about whether the matter should be appealed to the CCJ.

Club-hopping turns deadly for Kitty resident TWENTY-seven-year-old Tyron Duesbury was killed early Monday morning after being struck by a stray bullet as he, his wife and friends were looking for a place to continue partying after leaving an Albouystown Club.

Police sources told the Guyana Chronicle that Duesbury and his wife, a gold miner and another

woman were in a car headed up the East Bank, when, as they were about to pass Brutus Street, Agricola, they saw a crowd of more than three dozen persons and decided to turn back to see what all the commotion was about.

According to one source, it was the gold miner, who was the designated driver at the time, that

decided they should turn back, and they were in the process of doing so when they heard what sounded like a series of rapid explosions.

Shortly thereafter, the source said, Duesbury and his friends came to realise that the car’s rear windscreen was shattered, and he told them he’d been shot and began leaning forward, bleeding from his

mouth.

He was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors on duty.

A senior police source told the Guyana Chronicle that initial investigations have revealed that there was an altercation of sorts in the area at the time the explosions

were heard, and that a ‘warhead’ was found in the vehicle in which Duesbury and his friends were travelling, but unfortunately, they were unable to find any spent shells where the crowd was assembled.

As the probe into the matter continues, Duesbury’s death has since been classified as murder.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 23, 2020

Mining activities to be halted in some areas …as Guyana steps-up fight against COVID-19 in hinterland regions

The National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), the Ministry of Public Health and various other ministries and government agencies along with non-governmental organisations on Monday evening held an emergency multi-stakeholder meeting on the alarming increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in parts of regions 1 and 7.

Decisions were taken to implement enhanced containment measures within the affected areas in these regions and these will be gazetted shortly, the NCTF said in a statement Monday night.

According to the body, the enhanced containment measures will include cease work orders for specific areas in the mining sector, screening, wider testing, checkpoints and other measures in several locations within regions 1 and 7. Specific details will be provided subsequently.

These measures are necessary and urgent by the medical experts so as to prevent the wider spread of COVID-19 in these two regions along with other regions. The emergency meeting was chaired by Chairman of the NCTF, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and attended by Vice Presidents

Khemraj Ramjattan (Minister of Public Security) and Sydney Allicock (Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs), Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, Minister of Education Dr. Nicolette Henry, Pan-American Health Organisation-World Health Organisation (PAHO-WHO) Country Representative Dr. William Adu-Krow, UNICEF Country Representative Sylvie Fouet, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle, multiple Permanent Secretaries and several technical and medical experts from the Ministry of Public Health, the Health Emergency Operations Centre and the Guyana Defence Force. Guyana confirmed 21 new cases of COVID-19 today, 18 of which are in the Moruca sub-district of Region 1, and inclusive of 11 teachers (in Moruca).

Indigenous villages are highly vulnerable to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and this vulnerability could be exacerbated if persons, particularly miners and residents of neighbouring

Prime Minister and Chairman of the NCTF, Moses Nagamootoo

Brazil, who test positive for the disease, knowingly enter those villages.

It is against this background that the Guyana

Human Rights Association (GHRA) recently suggested that legal charges be instituted against miners and persons, who test positive for the disease in Brazil, and

purposely visit Indigenous villages in Guyana. Just recently, a Guyanese man with Brazilian citizenship, who is the Rupununi’s first confirmed COVID-19 patient, fled the isolation facility at the Lethem Regional Hospital compound.

The man, Hamlet Da Silva, lives in Brazil and he would make frequent trips across the border. The man discharged himself from the isolation facility during Monday night and crossed the border illegally. He was arrested in the town of BonFim on Tuesday morning by Brazil’s federal police.

The Guyana Chronicle reported that news of Da Silva’s case has created much worry in sections of Region Eight. Concerns in the villages of Monkey Mountain and Paramakatoi spiraled on Tuesday, since the man travelled to those areas in a sick state a week ago to sell ‘tasso’ among other commodities. He was actively communicating with persons within the two villages, medical sources in the region noted.

Reports are that the man spent six days at Monkey Mountain and he informed residents that he had malaria.

As a consequence of this and other prevailing issues involving miners and truck-drivers, the GHRA, in a press statement, said the COVID-19 Health Emergency Committee of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) made a decision to reduce movement in South Rupununi.

“Thanks to resolute action by Toshaos in the South, national authorities are beginning to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation,” said the human rights body.

The association believes that this realisation has its origins in the stand-off between communities and the authorities over miners being prevented from transiting the communities en route to their mine-sites.

GHRA cited an incident when a truck driver/miner forced his way through checkpoints on the basis of being given permission by the Regional Executive Officer (REO) and the Lethem police. The decisions taken at the level of the Region Nine committee, tacitly acknowledge the legal authority of Toshaos and Village Councils to determine who should access their communities.

Over 265,000 votes tainted ---CEO report OVER 265,000 ballots cast in the General and Regional Elections have been impacted by anomalies, irregularities and voter impersonation with Region Six seeing the highest percentage of ballots being affected. And with the Court of Appeal ruling on Monday which effectively said that CEO must use valid votes to ascertain the winner of the March2, 2020 elections, the coalition is leading all of its rivals.

These are the findings coming out of the report of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield from the recently concluded national recount of votes cast in the March 2, elections. The information was included in a summary of the numerous observation reports coming out of the process which has led

the CEO to note in his report that the elections did not satisfy the criteria of impartiality, fairness and compliance with the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act. GLARING ISSUES

In Region One (Barima-Waini), where there were 99 ballot boxes counted, the total number of affected ballots stands at 4,194 or 34. 6 per cent of the ballots cast in that region.

In Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where there were 135 ballot boxes, 19,913 votes were affected, representing 74.8 per cent of all ballots cast.

For Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) where 355 ballot boxes were present, there were 49,286 or 67.9 per cent of ballots

affected.

Home to the highest number of ballot boxes , 879, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) saw 112,039 or 55.4 per cent of ballots cast being affected.

Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) saw 16,737 or 50.5 per cent of its ballots cast being affected out of 158 ballot boxes.

In Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) where there were 378 ballot boxes, there were a total of 49,952 or 77.4 per cent of ballots cast affected, the highest percentage witnessed.

In Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) with only 82 ballot boxes, there were 6,763 or 70.5 per cent of ballots cast affected.

Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo)) had only 55 ballot boxes and saw 2,507

or 53.7 per cent of ballots being affected.

In Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) with 125 ballot boxes, had 3,873 or 17.per cent of ballots cast affected.

LOWENFIELD ACTED LAWFULLY Although the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has accused Lowenfield of violating the national recount order in his report, the APNU+AFC has pointed to the Constitution to show that the CEO acted within the law.

The APNU+AFC pointed out that the Representation of the People Act is clear in Part X1, which addresses the ascertainment of election results while Article 96 of the Constitution empowers the CEO to “cal-

culate the total valid votes of electors cast and thereupon ascertain the results.”.

“It is reprehensible and appalling that the PPP irresponsibly continues its campaign to malign Mr. Lowenfield who has acted within the ambit of the law as he is required to do, and is in strict compliance with the Gazetted Order. The CEO in his report, as he is obliged to do, considered the numerous fraudulent discoveries contained in the painstakingly detailed Observation Reports as outlined by the Gazetted Order, which was agreed by both the APNU+AFC coalition and the opposition PPP,” the APNU+AFC stated in a release.

President David Granger during a recent interview had said that he too has heard of the criticisms against the CEO which he believes are unfounded. “My understanding

is that he has not exceeded his authority; he has not done anything abnormal or unlawful…I accept that what I read about what he wrote indicates that there has been widespread abuse and this is what APNU+AFC has complained about publicly over the last 100 days,” he said He also stated that this is not Lowenfield’s final report as once the report is deliberated upon, it will determine whether he should use the data to compile a final report for the possible declaration of results by GECOM Chairperson Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh. The President said that he does not know what steps the commission will take next, following its deliberations, but expects that all forthcoming actions will be within the confines of the law.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Two NGSA pupils at Lethem Police seeking help to identify victims in East test positive for COVID-19 Coast hit-and-run

An aerial view of the town of Lethem. In foreground is the Takutu Bridge which links it with Brazil

TWO children who are pre-

(NGSA) at the border town

Coronavirus.

paring to write the National

of Lethem in the Rupununi

This was confirmed by

Grade Six Examination

have tested positive for the

regional health officials, and

takes the total number of cases recorded in Lethem to three.

Reports are that the two children reside at the town of Bon Fim, in neighbouring Brazil but attend primary school at Lethem. The children will now be placed in institutional quarantine at a facility within the Lethem Hospital compound, where staff will provide them with support.

Regional authorities at the town continue to urge residents to avoid crossing the border between both countries, and testing has been ramped up within the town recently.

The two cases add to one which was recorded at Lethem several weeks ago, where the patient had escaped from the Lethem Hospital after he was placed in quarantine there. He was subsequently nabbed in Brazil by the Brazilian authorities.

Brazil has recorded more than one million cases of the Coronavirus to date, and according to the Johns Hopkins University in the United States, the death of over 50, 000 Brazilians is attributed to the pandemic.

The NGSA examinations is set for July 1 and 2, 2020.

– one injured, one killed

RANKS of the Guyana Police Force are seeking the assistance of the public to identify two young men who were involved in a fatal accident which occurred on the Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara.

According to the police, the accident occurred around 19:00hrs on Sunday evening; however, ranks have not been able to identify the young men who were struck down .

The police further related that the accident involved a motorcar and the two men who were pedestrians. The model of the vehicle and the driver have not yet been identified.

The police in a release noted that one of the victims

was discovered motionless on the northern edge of the road, while the other individual was found in a semi-conscious state on the parapet.

They were subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation by police ranks and one was pronounced dead on arrival, while the other was admitted to the Accident and Emergency Unit.

As the investigations are ongoing, the police are appealing to the public for any information in identifying the victims and for any further information that will enable them to trace the vehicle involved and that will eventually see the apprehension of the driver.

Men more vulnerable to COVID-19 than women

…because of risky behaviour, neglect of their health MANAGER of the Men Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Social Protection, Adel Lilly, has attributed the surge of COVID-19 infections among men to the way men are socialised.

During a telephone interview, the manager told the Guyana Chronicle that he believes a lot of men see themselves as being immune to sickness; hence, they do not believe that they can contract the coronavirus. Additionally, he contended that many men see themselves as risk-takers and they associate risk-taking with masculinity.

The great risk-takers, he said, are men between ages 20-29 Most recently, men have been exposed to the virus and there have been more men who have contracted COVID-19 than women.

Manager of the Men Affairs Bureau, Adel Lilly

The manager believes that for a man to go to a medical institution to disclose his sickness is to appear weak; this, he noted, could be the reason for the spike in cases among men.

“It is more cultural in nature which [sic] men do not go to medical institutions for a checkup, “Lilly told

the Chronicle. Further, he noted that many men share populous work environments and that they are less likely to take care of themselves than women.

He also noted that men are more likely to resort to alcoholic beverages to ease their minds, and are therefore more than likely to break the

curfew measures that have been put in place by public health officials.

Lilly advised that men take better care of their health “Nothing is wrong with seeking help and think of your family; even if your immune system is strong to withstand the virus such as COVID-19, you must think of your family members who might [not] be as strong as you are and can be more susceptible to contracting the virus,” Lilly contended.

Finally, he pointed that alcohol and tobacco can be contributing factors to the deterioration of health, especially in men, and this is definitely a factor to consider with regard to one’s health.

Peacemaker Rakesh stabbed to death A MAN was on Sunday fatally stabbed when he attempted to part a fight between two lovers at Turtle Creek Landing, Mazaruni River.

The dead man has been identified as Rakesh of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that Rakesh was killed on Sunday around 16:30hrs by a man known

as ‘Niggie,’ who is being sought by the police.

According to reports, the suspect and his reputed wife were involved in a scuffle which caused Rakesh to intervene. It was then that the suspect whipped out a knife and stabbed Rakesh several times about the body and to the neck.

Crime scene technicians and investigators are en route to the scene.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Beware the water bearers!

--‘Food & Drug’ warns against buying unsealed water

THE issue of the unlicensed refilling and distribution of water has significantly worsened over the past few months due to the adverse effect social distancing and other COVID-19-related restrictions have had on the functioning of the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GAFDD), particularly where carrying out inspections is concerned.

GA-FDD Director Dr. Marlon Cole said it has come to their attention that about less than 20 per cent of the approximately 50 water-processing factories countrywide that registered last year have renewed their licences for 2020. This means that around 40 or so distributors are operating with their 2019 licences.

“The COVID-19 activity has restricted our inspection activities to an extent, and the manpower to go around,” Dr. Cole said. “We have a record of all of those who are licensed for 2019, so they would be in possession of a 2019 licence. Some haven’t renewed their licence as yet.”

Cole explained that the Department hopes to have this particular issue addressed within a few weeks, just as soon as the economy starts to

return to normalcy.

“In a couple of weeks’ time, that will be our first priority; we will prioritise doing the sampling to ensure that the quality of water coming out of those premises is safe,” he said.

The renewal of licences entails a re-inspection of the facilities and re-testing of a water sample from the facility to ensure that the water being bottled and sold by the company meets required standards, and is done to ensure the safety of the water being bought by the general public.

Outside of the annual inspection, companies are only monitored again if a complaint is made against them.

Here in Guyana, most households do not drink the water coming out of their taps, as they prefer to purchase filtered water, on the assumption that the product is safe.

The water is usually sold in five-gallon containers, but consumers can take their own bottles to be refilled at refilling locations, or as is the common practice, have it done right at their doors by distribution units. However, the actual safety of the water being purchased continues to come under scrutiny year

after year.

“We are aware of the practice of companies not passing the water through

carries a fine of $30,000 for residential customers, and $65,000 for non-residential ones.

GA-FDD Director, Dr. Marlon Cole

the filtration and disinfection, and UV Light treatment.

What they do is go directly to GWI sources and sell that water directly to consumers,” Cole explained.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT He said that up until two weeks ago, the GA-FDD lacked the evidence it needed to prosecute any company, but all that changed when Arctic Waters was caught red-handed recently, refilling their tank from a fire hydrant, and fined by the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) for tampering with their property, which

Cole noted that other than being fined, Artic Waters has not been sanctioned for breaching any standards or its water processing licence, and is not likely to either, as the GA-FDD will not be investigating the incident, nor questioning the company to ascertain if the untreated water was being deceitfully resold to consumers.

“We never played any role in that; it was specifically dealt with by the water company (GWI). We don’t know for sure they were carrying it to be reprocessed or to be sold directly to consum-

ers as raw material before treatment,” Cole said.

Noting that consumers are more susceptible to ending up with unfiltered or contaminated water when purchasing water from distributors issuing unsealed bottles, Cole said there is also an issue with many bottles often being in unappealing conditions.

Cole said though the distribution of water to consumers in unsealed bottles has been outlawed, there is not much that can be done about companies that use damaged, recycled bottles.

“Companies like DDL and Banks DIH, Cole said, “have the bottle-blowing machines, but the other companies are not allowed to place their labels on those bottles; they could be sued. So the refillers are most of the time using recycled bottles; don’t have their own bottles, so they sometimes use that of others.”

On the issue of unsealed bottles, Cole appealed to consumers to desist from purchasing water from unsealed bottles, and the practice of throwing water into the owners bottle with the aid of a funnel.

“There is a severe problem with water distributors;

we have no problem with the water being distributed, but it must be sealed at the processing station, and then taken directly to the consumer,” Cole said, adding: “But what we have is that persons would walk with a funnel and throw out the water from an unsealed bottle. We’re not sure if the bottles emanate from a processing facility, or are being refilled at say Banks DIH or Providence wells.”

Outside of the current delay in the renewing of licences, Cole acknowledged that the GA-FDD continues to regularly face an uphill task with water processing factories operating unlicensed, as well as companies violating standard requirements.

Cole said it is up to consumers to ensure they are buying water from licensed facilities.

“The licence should be posted conspicuously at the facility, and if you don’t see the licence, then they should avoid buying from that facility,” Cole explained.

In cases of violations, the GA-FDD does little more than issue a “ceaseand- desist” order, until the sanctioned companies rectify the situation. The companies are not fined.

Shepherd’s Touch goes to Sophia HAVING donated hampers in La Parfaite Harmonie on the West Bank Demerara, and villages in Region One (Barima-Waini), the Shepherd’s Touch Church of God in Christ last Sunday took its ministry to the people of Sophia, here in Georgetown.

Armed with loads of foodstuff and items of clothing, the religious organisation did at Sophia what it has been doing for the main branch, which is located at Port Kaituma, in the North West District.

Over the past few months, the church, having distributed a number of hampers in Port Kaituma, has been helping a number of Venezuelans who’ve sought refuge in Region One. “We’re in Farmers’ Field, South Sophia; we’re distributing hampers to

The distribution exercise on Sunday in Sophia

families here today. It’s a blessing to be here, and great

things are being done here today. Persons are coming from

all over; the folks really came out,” said head of the church

Pastor Jose Francis.

Many of those receiving

the donations were very happy, and expressed their gratitude.

“What I received today is a blessing to me, because times hard due to the ‘Corona’. I’m not working, and I have three children to maintain, so I am very much grateful, and God bless you,” noted one of the recipients.

Since Guyana was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic back in March, measures implemented to curb the spread of the disease has been curtailing economic activities and reducing income for many persons.

The project obtains much of its support from other organisations such as Food for the Poor and Anastacia Stationery, and several private citizens from around the country.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 23, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 23, 2020

FBI and NASCAR

investigate noose found

in Wallace’s garage

By Steve Keating

(REUTERS) - The FBI is reviewing the situation surrounding the noose that was found in NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s garage to determine whether there are violations of federal law, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Alabama said on Monday.

As drivers prepared to return to the Talladega Superspeedway on Monday for a rain delayed race, NASCAR was also investigating the incident to try and find out the identity of the person who placed the noose in the garage on Sunday.

The only Black driver in NASCAR’s top series and a vocal supporter of Black Lives Matter, Wallace was the target of a racial attack on Sunday when a noose, a symbol connected to lynching and America’s slave history, was left in his team stall.

The incident has rocked NASCAR but exploded beyond the sport when the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Alabama confirmed that they, the FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division were looking into the matter.

“Regardless of whether federal charges can be brought, this type of action has no place in our society,” U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town said in a statement.

NASCAR said the incident was a “a despicable act of racism and hatred” and added it would “eliminate” whoever was responsible from the sport.

Wallace was also one of the loudest voices in the push

to have NASCAR remove the Confederate flag from tracks where it staged races.

In the wake of nationwide protests of racism, NASCAR announced earlier this month that Confederate flags would be prohibited from all events and properties.

Despite NASCAR’s ruling, outside the Alabama track on Sunday there were still plenty of Confederate flags flying and merchandise for sale.

Prior to the race, a small plane flew above the superspeedway with a banner of the Confederate flag trailing another that read “DEFUND NASCAR.” Alabama governor Kay Ivey on Monday condemned the act and apologized to Wallace, a native of Mobile, calling the 26-year-old “one of us”.

“I am shocked and appalled to hear of yesterday’s vile act against Bubba Wallace in Talladega - there is no place for this disgusting display of hatred in our state,” said Ivey in a statement.

“Racism and threats of this nature will not be condoned nor tolerated, and I commit to assisting in any way possible to ensure that the person responsible for this is caught and punished.”

NASCAR and the larger sporting world have rallied behind Wallace.

Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James was among the first tweeting: “Sickening! @BubbaWallace my brother! Know you don’t stand alone! I’m right here with you as well as every other athlete.”

NASCAR was among the top-three trending topics on Twitter in the U.S. on Monday, with supporters of Wallace using the hashtag #IStandWithBubba.

The incident has not distracted Wallace who will be back in his car on Monday with legendary 82-year-old team owner Richard Petty reportedly making the trip to the track to support his driver despite the threat of the novel coronavirus.

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 23, 2020

Fifty years ago, Brazil taught the world to play, in colour

PARIS , France (AFP) — Fifty years ago modern football was born at the World Cup in Mexico, kicking and yelling, and live in vibrant colour for a global audience.

Sunday marked the anniversary of the final of that 1970 tournament which was won by Brazil’s technicolour team.

Mexico in 1970 was not the first World Cup broadcast live.

Four years earlier 400 million watched England beat West Germany in the final. But that tournament was shown in black

and white.

Battered Brazil, the reigning champions, limped out playing, as far as viewers could tell, in two shades of grey.

In Mexico, their yellow, blue, and green glowed in the sunshine.

Most viewers still watched in black and white. But the games were shot in colour, and when the many iconic moments are replayed, that is how they are seen. And that is how the competition is remembered, even by its greatest star.

“I watch it because there

are a lot of videos available and TV programmes,” Pele told Fifa’s website. “If I’m not careful, I always start crying.”

The tournament gave Pele his third winner’s medal, but the images also cemented his reputation as the world’s greatest player, partly because of three spectacular near misses: a shot from his own half against Czechoslovakia, a header saved by England’s Gordon Banks, and the dummy that almost turned a Tostao pass into a goal against Uruguay.

“I was at my peak,” Pele

said. “We had a fantastic side and everyone expected us to win, which gave me the shakes.”

His strike partner Tostao wrote in his column in Brazilian newspaper Folha recently that Pele “wanted to end his international career with a great triumph, both individually and collectively, so no one would have any doubts that he was the best of all time.”

The quarter-finals all kicked off at noon on June 14.

Gigi Riva scored twice and Gianni Rivera once as Italy beat hosts Mexico 4-1.

Rivellino, Tostao, and Jairzinho, but not Pele, scored as Brazil beat Peru 4-2.

“There were four 10 shirts in that team,” Teofilo Cubillas, one of Peru’s scorers, told the Brazil football federation website. “If you scored four goals, they would go there and score eight.

Reigning champions England, with many of the stars of 1966 but not an ailing Banks and not, by the end, Bobby Charlton, substituted with his team two goals up to protect him from the heat, lost 3-2 in extra time to West Germany. Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Mueller were among the German scorers.

In the semi-finals, in Guadalajara, Brazil gave Uruguay a

one-goal start but won 3-1. Again Pele didn’t score, but Clodoaldo, Jairzinho and Rivellino did.

In Mexico City, the other semi-final was heading for a 1-0 Italian win until Karl-Heinz Schnellinger scored a 90th-minute equaliser for West Germany.

Extra time was 30 minutes of mayhem.

Mueller gave West Germany the lead. Tarcisio Burgnich levelled and Riva put Italy ahead.

Mueller replied, but a minute later Rivera gave Italy victory.

The abiding image is of Beckenbauer playing much of the game extravagantly strapped after dislocating a shoulder when West Germany had already used both substitutes.

Everybody is still talking about it The best was yet to come.

Italy were a good team, with the extravagantly gifted Sandro Mazzola. The defence was built on the great Inter Milan side, pioneers of ‘catenaccio’, with Giacinto Facchetti at its heart.

Brazil tore them apart.

At an altitude of 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) in dazzling sunshine in the Azteca, Brazil produced a display of attacking football that touched Olympian heights.

Mario Zagallo, Brazil’s coach, later said he thought the 1-0 victory over England “was the best game of the tournament...a high-class game of

chess.”

Yet Brazil’s attacking display in the first technicolour World Cup final set a benchmark against which every one of the tens of thousands of matches broadcast since is measured.

Pele gave Brazil the lead with his fourth goal of the competition.

“I told myself before the game, he’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong,” Burgnich said later.

Roberto Boninsegna levelled, but in the second half Gerson and Jairzinho put the match beyond reach.

It was as if Brazil were inventing football. They finished with a flourish, scoring one of the great team goals with four minutes left as full-back Carlos Alberto finished a mesmerising eight-man move by lashing home Pele’s deft pass.

“I realise how beautiful and how important that goal was, because everybody is still talking about it,” Carlos Alberto told the BBC years later.

“Nobody talks about Pele’s goal, the first goal, the second goal. It is always about the fourth goal. I think it was the best goal ever scored in a World Cup.” It was a fitting exclamation mark at the end of what might have been the best World Cup.

Navarrete dominates NSW says plans to and stops journeyman invest in the game, won’t cut jobs

WORLD Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior featherweight champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) dominated journeyman Uriel “Yuca” López (13-14-1, 6 KOs) getting a KO in round six of a non-title bout on Saturday night last at the TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City.

Navarrete cruised through the early rounds then opened up in round five, dropping Lopez with a body shot. Lopez survived the round but went down again after taking more punishment from the champ in the sixth. Time was 2:22.

It was the sixth victory in 13 months for Navarrete.

“I have the utmost respect for Uriel Lopez,” said

Emanuel Navarrete (left) on the attack

Navarrete. “He put forth a courageous effort, but I was coming to win by knockout. I want to unify titles, but if nobody accepts my challenge, I’ll move up to featherweight.”

Featherweight Edwin “Pupo” Palomares (13-31, 4 KOs) battered Carlos

“Chinito” Ornelas (25-3, 14 KOs) to a knee in round five to get a TKO. Featherweight Sergio “Chirino” Sánchez (151, 9 KOs) scored a third round KO over Gustavo Alan Piña (10-3, 6 KOs).

Highlight reel knockout.

(Fightnews)

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) - Australia’s most powerful cricket state New South Wales says it has “no intention”of cutting staff, despite the national board’s move to slash jobs in a bid to shore up finances hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cricket Australia (CA) laid off 40 staff last week and has tried to secure agreement for 25% reductions in grants to member states as part of cost-cutting measures.

While several states have also cut staff, including South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, Cricket NSW Chairman John Knox saw no reason for his state to go down that path.

“We continue to invest significantly in the game of cricket,” Knox told a podcast on state broadcaster ABC.

“We have no intention to make any cuts at all in our head count.

“We’ve got nearly 90 people employed in delivering critical cricket services to the grass roots and we’re going to continue to invest hard and grow the game.”

NSW has declined to accept reductions in state grants, cuts that were led by the board’s former Chief Executive Kevin Roberts, who resigned last week after months of criticism over his leadership during the pandemic.

Roberts had said the board’s “proactive” cost-cutting was to protect the domestic game from potentially devastating future impacts of COVID-19 on revenue.

Knox said NSW had a rosier outlook for the game.

“We’ve deliberately

NSW chairman John Knox

made the decision that we think the summer of cricket looks great ahead of us and we’re going to continue to grow what we think is the greatest game in the country,” he added.

CA were criticised by the players’ union last month for not being transparent enough about its finances.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell doubted the board would be more forthcoming.

“Particularly when it comes to finances the board has always been a bit of a secret society so I’m not sure much is going to change there,” he told the ABC.

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 23, 2020

Head coach Simmons wants strong start from Windies batsmen MANCHESTER, England, (CMC) – Head coach Phil Simmons wants his batsmen to hit the ground running from the first Test to avoid West Indies having to play catch-up in the three-Test series which bowls off here next month.

With concerns already surrounding the Caribbean side’s batting, Simmons said he hoped the senior players would be at their best from the start, as West Indies chased their first series in in England in 32 years.

“I think most of the senior batsmen are seasoned players,” Simmons told reporters via Zoom from Old Trafford.

“Mentally I think they’re tough but I think we just need to continue working on our skills because I think when you look back at Kraigg, Roston and Shai, they’re mentally tough because they’ve done it at this level so it’s about

making sure they’re sharp and ready to go in the first game.

“We’ve had occasions when we’ve toured and only after the first game we start really playing cricket so it’s something we’re trying to get out of our system and make sure we are ready and raring to go when we get to Southampton.”

West Indies were guilty of a slow start on their last tour here three years ago when they were rolled over cheaply for under 200 in each innings, to slump to an embarrassing innings and 209-run defeat inside three days at Edgbaston.

And while they bounced back with a stunning win at Leeds in the second Test to level the series, they crumbled to a nine-wicket loss at Lord’s in the final Test.

That series defeat extended the Windies’ poor record in England but Simmons said the side was highly motivated to alter that

history.

“When you come to England it’s always good to win in England,” said Simmons, who played 26 Tests for West Indies.

“We won at home [last year] and we want to continue that trend but we’re also wanting our own little piece of history, so I think the guys are up for the fight.”

West Indies arrived in the United Kingdom almost two weeks ago and have been undergoing preparation while being quarantined due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

And with 17 days remaining until the first Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, Simmons said the visitors’ preparation was moving into high gear, with the start of the first three-day warm-up match starting Tuesday.

“Our preparation, our practices have gone to another level from today (Monday). We had

a nice day off [on Sunday], we worked hard on Saturday when it was nice up here … and it’s gone to the next level today,” he explained.“It’s only two weeks before the first Test match and preparation has to go to the next level so we’ve started that today.”

The warm-up game will be the first of two and will be played among themselves, with the usual tour matches against county sides prohibited because of COVID-19.

Having travelled with a large 25-man group – a 14-member Test squad and 11 reserves – Simmons believes the tour matches will be of major benefit.

“The aim is the same as if you were playing a four-day match against a county,” he noted.

“The good thing about it is that the quality of bowling we have here as part of the reserves makes it a worthwhile run out over the next three days because

Batsman Shai Hope during training at Old Trafford.

you will still have quality bowling on the other end, don’t matter which team plays against which.

Real Madrid go top of La Liga after edging past Real Sociedad REAL Madrid went to the top of La Liga thanks to a hard-fought victory at Real Sociedad.Zinedine Zidane’s side are level on points with Barca, who drew 0-0 with Sevilla on Friday, but go top because of their superior head-tohead record.

Sergio Ramos’ penalty after the lively Vinicius Jr was fouled gave the visitors the lead.

Karim Benzema doubled their advantage before

Mikel Merino’s strike set up a tense finale.

There was controversy when substitute Adnan Januzaj thought he had made it 1-1 with a strike from outside the area but it was ruled out for a Merino offside. Merino did not get a touch but the officials deemed he was blocking goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ view, so interfering with play.

Their sense of grievance grew when moments

Karim Benzema is Real Madrid’s fourth highest scorer in La Liga history with 165 goals.

later Benzema controlled a Federico Valverde cross with his shoulder before firing home. The goal stood after a video assistant referee review for handball.

Madrid looked comfortable at that stage but Merino rifled a shot in via the underside of the crossbar, after a cross from substitute Roberto Lopez, to keep the closing minutes interesting.

The visitors’ biggest

problem from the game came when Ramos was injured soon after his goal and needed an ice pack on his leg in the stands.

Madrid - who have only won one La Liga title since 2012 - are now eight victories away from winning the league.

Barcelona host Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday with Real at home to Mallorca the next day (both 21:00 BST kick-offs).(BBC Sport)

Dettori to ride favourite English King in Derby at Epsom

English King won by two and three quarter lengths at Lingfield this month.

IN-form Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride the favourite, English King, in the Derby at Epsom on 4 July.

The 49-year-old, who was leading jockey at Royal Ascot, will seek his third Derby triumph on the horse trained

by Ed Walker.

Tom Marquand was on board for English King’s past two runs, including an impressive victory at Lingfield.

English King is a general 7-2 chance ahead of 4-1 Kameko, the 2,000 Guineas winner trained by Andrew Balding.

“Frankie obviously has a wealth of big-race experience and raises his game to stratospheric heights for the big races. We feel very privileged to have him on board,” said Walker.

The Derby, which normally attracts more than 100,000 racegoers, is being held without spectators this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Postponed from its original date on 6 June, the new fixture will also stage the Oaks on the same day.

Dettori rode Stradivar-

ius to a third consecutive Gold Cup win at Ascot on Thursday in the black and yellow silks of Bjorn Nielsen, who also owns English King - a son of 2012 Derby winner Camelot.

The Italian jockey won the Derby at the 15th attempt on Authorized in 2007 and triumphed again on Golden Horn in 2015.

Briton Marquand, 22, is considered one of racing’s rising stars and claimed his first Royal Ascot winner with Who Dares Wins on Saturday.(BBC Sport).

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday June 23, 2020

Loose uncapped Holder on England, urges former Test opener

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Former Test opener Philo Wallace has urged West Indies tour selectors to hand Chemar Holder his debut in the first Test against England next month, contending the uncapped speedster can shock England and lay the foundation for a series win.

The 49-year-old, who played seven Tests and 33 One-Day Internationals, argued Holder should be made part of a four-pronged pace attack including Captain Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, and Alzarri Joseph, pointing out he was “sharp and ready”.

“I think the exciting thing about this squad is we have fast bowlers.

We have fast bowlers – I’m not putting anything else – and to hear the bowling coach [Roddy Estwick] when he speaks about the excitement of these fast bowlers is wonderful,” Wallace said.

“My excitement is going to be Chemar Holder and I hope they don’t keep him in cotton wool.

I hope that he starts because he and Alzarri Joseph are the future of our bowling and we need to get them in as quickly as possible.

“They won an Under-19 World Cup together [in 2016] – Chemar

went up as a replacement and everybody wanted to know why he wasn’t there from the beginning.

He went up in the end and showed his class.

“He’s been an investment in Barbados and West Indies cricket, and I think the time is right now to showcase him. He’s sharp and he’s ready, and I think someone like him would shock the Englishmen.

“I know Shannon [Gabriel] is in the reserves and I think that he would be the 15th man.”

Chemar Holder proved outstanding in the recent first-class championship, snatching 36 wickets at just under 19 runs apiece for champions Barbados Pride, to emerge as the leading fast bowler in the tournament.

The 22-year-old bowled with pace and aggression in tandem with the likes of Test seamer Kemar Roach and his performances saw him force his way into the 14-man squad for the three-Test series which bowls off in Southampton on July 8.

Wallace said along with the four quicks he would also include off-spinning all-rounders Roston Chase and Rahkeem Cornwall in

Chemar Holder bowls for Barbados Pride during a regional fourday match against Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park, in this January 2020 file photo. (Photo: Michael Gordon)

the final XI for the opening Test – a move designed to also boost the Windies’ batting.

“You’re looking at five batsmen, but when you look at those six bowlers, four out of those six bowlers can bat so you’re actually playing nine or 10 batsmen,” Wallace pointed out.

“It’s time Cornwall recognises

his ability as a batsman. I know he’s only played a few Test matches but we have to give him the confidence that he can go out there and bat.”

West Indies are wrapping up quarantine at Old Trafford after arriving in England two weeks ago for cricket’s first-ever biosecure series, amid the novel

Colombian FA accuses FIFA of bias for raising security fears BOGOTA (Reuters) The FIFA evaluation report which highlighted that security could be an issue if Colombia hosted the 2023 women’s World Cup were based on a preconceived bias rather than reality, the head of the Colombian Football Federation told Reuters on Monday.

The Colombian pro-

posal to become the first South American country to stage the tournament received the lowest score in reports prepared by FIFA’s evaluation team of the three bids.

A joint bid from Australia and New Zealand was rated 4.1 out of five in the report, Japan was awarded 3.9 but Colombia scored only 2.8 ahead

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of next Thursday’s vote.

Japan withdrew from the process on Monday and threw their support behind the Australia/ New Zealand bid.

“Today, fortunately, we believe we’ve got over this problem and the peace process is being implemented very well,” Colombia’s football chief Ramon Jesurun told Reuters.

“Those who know Colombia and have come to Colombia have been really surprised by what is reflected in this report.

“In the last few hours we have told FIFA that this was not right and that I think there is a bit of bias in these comments.

coronavirus pandemic.

Following quarantine, they will continue to train in isolation from the public for another two weeks ahead of the first Test. All three Tests are being played behind closed doors to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Wallace argued that the isolation measures implemented for the series could actually work to the tourists’ advantage.

“I think West Indies can win this series. I think the four weeks they have been quarantined at Old Trafford is going to do them wonderfully well,” explained Wallace.

“Mind you, some of the players – or most of the players have been playing four-day cricket before COVID-19 caused that to stop… but I think that the team will bond.

“We have young men that have played cricket together and we have senior guys who have played together…there’s a good gel, a good mixture and I think the camaraderie will definitely be there.

“So this confinement is really going to help West Indies to really bring that bond and that brotherly love together, and that togetherness quite quickly.”

World championship

boxing returns this week

Colombia football chief Ramon Jesurun

But I repeat, Colombia is absolutely and totally prepared for this.”

Jesurun said Colombia had sporting, health and tourism infrastructure ready in eight or nine cities, although he acknowledged that improvements would be made if they won the bid.

AFTER the approval of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, boxing in times of coronavirus is now a reality, although without fans.

Las Vegas has become the city that hosts the most boxing events in the United States and the world. And after two weeks of twice-weekly shows, Top Rank will deliver the sport’s first world championship boxing action this week.

The fight that marks the return of world title fights will be between reigning beltholder Andrew Moloney and Joshua Franco, who will fight for the WBA super flyweight title on Tuesday, June 23 at the MGM “Bubble” in Las Vegas.

“The Monster” Molo-

ney (21-0, 14 KOs), who moved his camp from Australia to Las Vegas, will make his debut in America, while “The Professor” Franco (16-1-2, 8 KOs) will fight in his first championship fight. The champion is undefeated since his debut in 2014 and his challenger has not lost in two years.

The winner will stand at the gates of a mega-fight against Nicaragua’s pride and WBA super champion Román “El Chocolatito” González, who has just recently dethroned Khalid Yafai.

The fight looks even on paper and has high expectations on ESPN’s platform, which will broadcast the first world title fight in times of the pandemic, presented by Top Rank. (Fightnews)

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 23, 2020

‘Review technology helps umpires sleep better at night’ -Bucknor ….confident technology has improved umpiring

ICONIC West Indies umpire Steve Bucknor believes the game’s recent embrace of technology must make it easier for umpires to sleep well at night, as bad decisions can be corrected quickly.

Bucknor, whose career behind the stumps lasted for 20-years, officiated in 128 Test matches and 181 One Day Internationals.

In addition, he stood in 5 World Cups.

With the Jamaica-born official having retired in

2009 and the Umpire Digital Review System (DRS) being trialed in 2008, he never had the advantage of appeals and instant replays but is certain it has made the game better for all involved.

“I am not certain if it affects the confidence of umpires, but I know it has improved umpiring,” Bucknor told the Mason and Guest radio programme..

“It has improved umpiring because there was a

time when we were saying the batsman was so-called playing down the line, therefore he is not going to be given out leg before, but if the technology is saying the ball is hitting, then you have to give him out. So, we learn from the technology,” he added.

“The umpires who do not enjoy having technology around, I hope that they have a rethink.

What it does if you make a mistake it can be corrected on the field,” Buc-

knor said. “Now thinking about when I was umpiring and I gave a batsman out who was not out, realizing I made a mistake it took a long time to fall asleep that night. Now you can fall asleep quickly because the correct decision is eventually given.”

Bucknor infamously and incorrectly gave legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar out on two occasions. The first of the mistakes came in

Umpire Steve Bucknor officiated in 128 Test matches and 181 ODIs before retiring in 2009.

Australia (at the Gabba in Brisbane off Jason Gillespie in 2003) where he declared Tendulkar lbw, when the ball was clearly flying over the stumps.

Another decision was a caught behind (at the Eden in Kolkata off Abdul Razzaq in 2005) when he thought the batsman had nicked the ball.

“It is human to err.

These were mistakes. I don’t think any umpire wants to do the wrong thing, it lives with him and his future could be jeopardised. I was unhappy but human beings make mistakes. Accepting your mistakes and moving on is a part of life.”(Sportsmax)

Jaguars’ speedster Smith thankful for new contract, looking forward to possible 2020/21 season

-admits training as a pacer during lockdown was challenging

Guyana Jaguars fast-bowler, Nial Smith

By Clifton Ross NIAL Smith, the fiery Guyana Jaguars quick, said he’s poised to return to action following a lengthy break due to COVID-19, revealing that training as a fast-bowler during lockdown was a good test.

The rookie quick-bowl-

er, who hails from Berbice, told Chronicle Sport on Monday, roughly a week after being named in the Jaguars 15 who secured A, B and C contracts respectively for the 2020/21 season, that playing for his country was the greatest emotion a young cricketer could feel.

“It was a great feeling because playing for Guy-

ana was something I’ve always dreamed of. You always want to represent your team of play for your country and do well and that happen for me; I’ve been putting in a lot of hard work; I had a good season and getting a contract; I just want to push forward keep doing better for the Jaguars”, Smith declared.

Much like his teammates, the venomous right-hander was relegated to makeshift training methods due to the pandemic. However, being arguably the fastest bowler in his team came at a stiff price, as facilities which would usually afford bowl-

ers the chance to work on their craft have been and remain closed until further notice.

Smith, however, admitted that he has been working more on his batting which is already decent, while lauding the efforts of team physio, Neil Barry, for working daily with the Jaguars players via ZOOM; up until things return to some normality.

“It was very challenging I must say (isolated training), because we were not able to go out as usual and do fielding, batting practice and more. I do some workouts with Barry every day and he’s very

reliable and he gets along with the team very well”.

“It’s good to work with him, but I work with myself, I do a lot of strength training and I’m doing some batting practice because there isn’t much room to run in where we practice. So I’m working on improving my batting and hopefully when this is all over, I can get back to working on my bowling”, said an optimistic Smith With the 2020/21 Regional season still under COVID-watch, franchises have more time to further gel their new pieces together or work with developing squads, but a team like the

5-Time champs have stuck with a familiar 15 for this upcoming season; prompting Smith, who has 20 wickets from just 7 1st Class matches, to further back his crew to do well whenever play resumes.

“I think we are going to do well this season. I think our 15 is a perfect 15 in terms of the mix of youth and experience Guys. These guys show you a lot of stuff, they are very experienced, they made a good choice in blending the youngsters with the seniors because the younger guys are the future for Guyana cricket, so I think it’s a very good pick,” ended the fast-bowler.

England players to honour key workers with names on training shirts

(REUTERS) - England players will wear training shirts bearing the names of key workers before the start of the first test against the West Indies next month to honour their service during the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s cricket board said on Monday.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said

people whose names will feature on the shirts have been nominated by their local cricket clubs and include teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers and carers.

The first Test is scheduled to begin in Southampton on July 8, with the last two matches at Old Trafford, as international cricket returns following its suspension in March.

“As we get back to playing the game we love, we want to take the time to honour the brave key workers who went into bat for their country under the toughest circumstances,” England skipper Joe Root said in a statement.

“It’s only fitting that we use this series as an opportunity to ‘raise a bat’ in their honour. We’ll wear their

names with pride.”

The ECB said the series would be called the #raisethebat test series in honour of key workers.

“It has been a long and challenging journey to cricket’s return and while this pales in comparison to what the country has faced, we hope the #raisethebat test series will bring some enjoyment... to

ECB chief executive officer Tom Harrison

people’s lives,” ECB CEO Tom Harrison said.

The novel coronavirus has infected more

than 304,300 people in the United Kingdom, causing more than 42,600 deaths.

CWI pays tribute to World Cup heroes of 1975 and 1979 FLASHBACK:

West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd proudly lifts the coveted World Cup trophy in 1975

CRICKET West Indies (CWI) on Sunday saluted the heroes of the famous Cricket World Cup triumphs of 1975 and 1979. Sunday marked 45 years since the West Indies won the inaugural World Cup at Lord’s. In that famous match they defeated Australia by 17 runs and Sir Clive Lloyd had the honour of being the first man to lift the coveted trophy.

On June 23, 1979, Lloyd again hoisted the treasured prize as West Indies beat England by 92 runs at the historic venue.

Speaking on behalf of CWI, President Ricky Skerritt said: “This particular World Cup victory by Sir Clive Lloyd and his legendary teammates brought a great deal of pride and esteem to thousands of West Indians everywhere. That is why such proud memories of our past glory on the cricket field will never die. I join in celebration of this special anniversary with all those who truly love West Indies cricket.”

In the 1975 final Lloyd made a glorious century to earn the Man-of-the-Match award. He shared a century stand with Rohan Kanhai, who made an invaluable 55. The West Indies were outstanding with the ball and in the outfield. Keith Boyce took four wickets and there were five run outs –three by Sir Vivian Richards – as they played unbeaten throughout the tournament and lifted the inaugural Cricket World Cup. Four years later Sir Viv put on a batting masterclass

with a majestic 138 not out – one of the finest innings in ODI history. He was joined by Collis King, who scored 86 off just 66 balls in memorable display of batting. Joel Garner then took five wickets to bring more glory to the all-conquering West Indies and to win at Lord’s, the home of cricket, was another remarkable achievement.

Sir Clive said: “Today is a memorable day for me and the members of the team which won that first World Cup back in 1975. It was one of the greatest days of my life. To see the way we performed – we played unbeaten throughout the entire tournament – and win at Lords was something remarkable.

Our victories in those two World Cup finals were celebration of West Indies cricket and the many people who turned up to see us lift the cup.

Lloyd added: “We were the best sports team in the world, no one could beat us. We were admired everywhere we went.

The Caribbean has produced some truly great people in several fields of endeavour and we formed part of that, we were the symbol of sporting success. Our victories were for the many supporters who we represented. It wasn’t just for us as players, our victories touched many people all across the world.”

Squads for both World Cups 1975: Sir Clive Lloyd (captain), Keith Boyce, Roy Fred-

ericks; Maurice Foster, Lance Gibbs, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Vanburn Holder, Bernard Julien, Alvin Kallicharran, Rohan Kanhai, Collis King, Deryck Murray, Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Viv Richards; Sir Clyde Walcott (manager).

1979: Sir Clive Lloyd (captain), Faoud Bacchus, Colin Croft, Joel Garner, Larry Gomes, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Michael Holding, Alvin Kallicharran, Collis King, Malcolm Marshall, Deryck Murray, Sir Viv Richards, Sir Andy Roberts; Sir Clyde Walcott (manager).

List of West Indies global cricket titles June 21, 1975: Cricket World Cup – beat Australia at Lord’s, London June 23, 1979: Cricket World Cup – beat England at Lord’s, London September 25, 2004: ICC Champions Trophy – beat England at the Oval, London October 7, 2012: ICC T20 World Cup – beat Sri Lanka at Premadasa Stadium, Colombo February 14, 2016: ICC Under-19 World Cup – beat India at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka April 3, 2016: ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – beat Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata April 3, 2016: ICC T20 World Cup – beat England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. (Cricket West Indies)

Bubba Wallace said the act had left him “incredibly saddened”.

PAGE 19

FBI and NASCAR investigate noose found in Wallace’s garage

PELE the record breaker: In 1970, Pele became the first footballer to win 3 World Cups. (SEE STORY ON PAGE 20)

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TUESDAY,JUNE 23, 2020