Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_01_08_2020

SATURDAY 1st August, 2020

' No.106078

Happy Emancipation Day to all Guyanese

COVID-19 measures under daily review

...says President as he calls on Guyanese to play their part in fight against the pandemic

SEE PAGE 03

Guyana records 12 new cases of COVID-19 ----208 active cases being monitored

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Exxon urges swift approval of Payara Development …says Guyana will lose big, project will face ‘months’ of delay 10 PAGE

David Hinds pulls column from Kaieteur News

…sees ethnic lobby to push him out

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President David Granger and First Lady Mrs Sandra Granger wish all Guyanese a happy Emancipation Day (see

page 11)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

COVID-19 measures being reviewed daily ...says President

CONTROL measures instituted by the Government of Guyana to guard against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), are being reviewed daily, but President David Granger believes Guyanese need to play an equal role in the fight against the dreaded disease, as measures without compliance would be futile.

There has been a consistent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases over the past two months, with the latest statistics showing that the country recorded 413 cases to date. Officials have, time and again, said the rise is due mainly to the callous behaviour of some persons, who choose to flout the control measures.

The existing measures have been promulgated by the Ministry of Public Health and published by the government in the Official Gazette.

“We adjust those measures daily… the NCTF (National COVID-19 Task Force) meets regularly and Cabinet is briefed,” said President Granger in an invited comment, on Thursday.

The President recalled that government immediately took action after Guyana re-

-calls for Guyanese to play their part in fight against the pandemic

corded its first case in March.

The NCTF was formed and measures were crafted and implemented, in order to mitigate the spread of the disease.

In speaking further about the situation, President Granger said: “The hinterland was almost free of COVID-19, but because people have been coming across (the border) illegally, we have seen a spike in mining and logging areas.”

Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), which is situated close to the border with Brazil, have since been identified as the country’s COVID-19 “hotspots.”

But, in addition to illegal crossing, persons, right here, have been purposely flouting the measures, and this poses a risk to the entire population.

Government has since responded by creating the Mobile Emergency Enforcement Team, which comprises officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and health personnel.

“Whenever there is a change in the situation we respond immediately…We do not want to make life

President David Granger

uncomfortable (with control measures), but it is a fact that unless people at an individual or personal level observe those rules, the situation won’t change.

“The government cannot only enforce, we are calling on the population to observe those measures. If the measures are not observed, the population is at risk. And, only then will the government need to act,” said President Granger.

The president said government and other agencies

need to engage, educate and explain what is happening, as these actions must precede enforcement. Enforcement, he believes, is the last stage, but engagement is the earlier stage.

President Granger, in his remarks at the opening of the country’s infectious disease hospital, said inescapable interconnection and interdependence of human societies increase the risks of epidemic, pandemics and global health emergencies.

International travel, legal

or illegal, formal or informal, will increase the risk of transmission of human and vector-borne diseases. Epidemics are now more likely to become pandemics.

Communicable diseases exact a huge toll on human life, the economy and on social development. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is expected to result in the contraction of the global economy by 5.2 per cent this year – the deepest recession recorded in over eight decades, according to the World Bank.

The economy of Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to contract by 7.2 per cent in 2020. The pandemic, also, is projected to retard long-term economic growth, reduce living standards and shrink investments, constrain international trade and increase public health expenditures.

“Sickness and deaths – consequences of pandemics – impact adversely on human capital and, particularly, on unemployment and labour productivity. The vulnerable – aged, very young and poor – are affected disproportionately, also.

“This is a dark and a dif-

ficult period. Social life has been constrained; sport has been curtailed; employment has shrunk; education has been restricted; business has contracted,” said President Granger, adding that communicable diseases have the potential to cause major disruptions to the normal way of life.

He said Guyanese have been subject to social restrictions over the past four months. These restrictions are only now being relaxed in a phased manner.

Even as authorities relax measures to some extent, there is still keen attention on the management of COVID-19 and its spill-off effects.

President Granger said public health has always been high on government’s agenda. And, this is evident in the “substantial investments” in the public health sector, over the past five years.

Expenditure moved from 3.19 per cent of nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2014 to 4.10 per cent in 2019 and, for the corresponding period, from 9.6 per cent of total public sector expenditure to 11.32 per cent.

Guyana records 12 new cases of COVID-19 -208 active cases being monitored

GUYANA continues to be burdened by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which continues to spread at alarming rates across the country, with 12 new cases being recorded in the past 24 hours.

Health authorities have so far tested 4,507 persons for the disease, with 4,292 being negative and 413 positive. Of the positive cases, 185 persons have recovered and 20 persons have lost their lives, but authorities are still monitoring 208 active cases. Three of those persons are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Guyana, on Thursday, took a major leap in the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, with

the commissioning of its new Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, at the site of the former Ocean View Hotel. This “leap” is expected to radically improve the quality of service and infrastructure for patients and staff, as the country continues to battle COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, which may arise in the future.

The global pandemic has tested public health systems everywhere. The new reality requires that public health systems increase and strengthen their capacity to address sudden and unexpected outbreaks of communicable diseases by providing more hospital beds, improved protective gear for medical person-

nel, better communicable diseases surveillance and specialised hospitals, such as this institution, devoted exclusively to infectious diseases.

To this end, President David Granger had said: “The establishment of this infectious diseases’ hospital represents an essential and urgent investment in safeguarding our people’s health, not just against the coronavirus pandemic, but also against future communicable epidemics.”

This facility, which was rehabilitated and built at a cost of $1.6B billion, is seen as an essential element of the emergency response.

Government recognised the urgency of having an institution which could

be dedicated exclusively to providing treatment to coronavirus patients. And, according to the President Granger, the model which was developed in the “early days” of the pandemic required Guyana to have the capacity and the capability to achieve accommodation of 197 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients at any one time.

He, therefore, believes that the infectious diseases hospital is strategic, as it will be used primarily for COVID-19 patients but, eventually, will become a fully-specialised communicable disease hospital.

Though the facility is there, persons need to remain vigilant and cautious so as to stay out of harm’s

way. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, in an update on Tuesday, had said persons need to take note of the existing situation, especially in the hinterland regions where cases continue to rise daily.

The country, in the early days of the pandemic, had grown accustomed to Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) being the epicentre for the disease, but this has since changed, and Regions Seven and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are now the “hotspots” for the disease.

Region Nine shares a wide border with Brazil, where COVID-19 is rampant. Globally, Brazil ranks second for the most cases of COVID-19 after the

United States of America, and has reported a total of 2,455,905 cases, with 88,017 deaths. Dr. Persaud, however, sought to reassure persons that the Ministry of Public Health is doing everything possible to keep Guyanese safe.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and according to global statistics, there are 16.8 million cases of COVID-19, with over 662,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Infrastructure key to spur post-pandemic recovery …IDB says infrastructure transformation will generate big windfall for Latin America and Caribbean A new report by the Inter-American Development Bank charts a course for a massive infrastructure transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean through gains in efficiency, use of digital technologies, and a focus on quality and affordability of consumer services rather than structures.

Even small improvements in service efficiency by increasing digitalization and other actions can boost growth by 5.7 percentage points over a 10-year period.

For Latin America and the Caribbean, this represents approximately $325 billion in additional income over ten years.

Infrastructure improvements will reduce inequality and help vulnerable populations especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As service efficiency increases and prices drop, the incomes of the poorest people would increase 28 percent more on average than the incomes of

the rich over ten years, the report finds.

“Infrastructure will be a critical component as we build our post-pandemic economies and aim to reduce inequality,” said IDB Chief Economist Eric Parrado. “Budgets will be tight, so we must invest wisely and sustainably. Our report recommends areas where government policies can promote innovations and bring a service-oriented vision to infrastructure.”

From Structures to Services: the Path to Better Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean is part of the Development In the Americas flagship series and the result of a multi-year investigation into the latest trends in water, energy and transportation sectors and how they can be incorporated by countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The region suffers from large infrastructure gaps with wealthier economies. The region invested 2.8 percent of

its GDP in infrastructure over the last decade, half the level of emerging Asia.

“For too long we’ve focused on bricks, pipes and other hard assets,” said Agustín Aguerre, the IDB’s Manager for the Infrastructure Department. “Digital technology allows us to better understand how people use our roads, consume electricity and water. Our future infrastructure will be cheaper, more sustainable and better serve our citizens.”

The region performs well in terms of basic measures of access but poorly in terms of the quality of services. For instance, 97 percent of Latin American urban households have access to water but less than 40 percent of sewage in cities is treated. The average commuting time in the region’s big cities is 90 minutes. The region also lags in internet penetration and download speeds in Latin America and the Caribbean are ten times slower than in OECD countries.

In addition to low quality of services, households and firms face high prices.

The poorest 50 percent of households spend 14 percent of their income on water, energy and public transport – 30 percent more than in the

other developing regions.

Consumers spend more on water, electricity and other services in Latin America and the Caribbean despite governments providing close to 1 percent of GDP annually in operational subsidies to service providers.

GREENER, BETTER FUTURE To rectify these shortfalls, the book envisions a future where investments take into account the region’s rich natural capital, where individuals, firms and even cities and regions are more empowered over centralized authorities or utilities thanks to technological innovations.

This decentralisation is a powerful incentive for households and firms to adapt, for instance, renewable energy. Smart meters allow customers to track the quality of the water they receive, monitor their consumption, learn about their water use patterns, pinpoint ways to be more efficient, and better understand their bills. This is critical in a region where 35 percent of the population live in areas of moderate to high levels of water stress.

GDP would be 1.2 percent higher over ten years if 30 percent of car and

bus fleets were powered by electricity, according to the report, which reviews the potential impacts in autonomous, connected, electric and shared vehicle technology.

Project execution also has room for improvements. Cost overruns and time delays account for 35 percent of the total public investment in the region, or the equivalent of 0.65 percent of the region’s GDP. Drones and satellite technologies, among others, could be used to improve the planning and engineering phases of construction projects. Emerging technologies could reduce project costs by between 10 percent and 50 percent, the report estimates.

POLICIES AND REGULATIONS NEED TO ADAPT Technology will not just bring greater efficiency and reduce prices but will change the very nature of markets for services. These gains will only be realized if policies and regulations adapt. The report identifies where reforms are required. Ministries and agencies that regulate energy, transport, and water will have to update regulatory frameworks to make the most of digitalization opportunities and to ensure greater

competition leads to tangible benefits for consumers. Only one-third of countries in the region enacted or updated laws to regulate the communications sector after 2010, while half of the countries have laws that were enacted in the 20th century and have been only partially updated since. More and faster policy action is needed.

Given climate change, electricity pricing structures will need to shift from a pricing scheme based on the volume demanded to one with a higher fixed component to cover the investment required to expand and maintain the electricity transmission and distribution network.

“As Latin America and the Caribbean speeds from structures to services,” the report argues, “regulators must act now to catch the train and keep the process on track to better infrastructure in the region.”

PAC: Emancipation Day – Much to Reflect on Saturday August 01, 2020 – 03:00hrs &14:30hrs

The Protected Areas Commission (PAC) would like to wish all Guyanese, particularly our brothers and sisters of African descent, a

happy Emancipation Day. As we celebrate the 182nd anniversary of the abolition of slavery we are reminded that the freedom we

have today is as a result of the struggles – the long fight of our African ancestors.

After gaining their freedom they worked toward creating and developing their own communities and villages.

For example, many areas along the East Coast were developed and transformed into residential villages and in some cases farmlands – this is how the Africans survived the post slavery years. Being free from bondage also gave Africans a sense of dignity as they were no longer subjected to the inhumane conditions of slavery. Surviving slavery can only be achieved by the physically and mentally strong.

African Guyanese have also developed themselves, becoming teachers, scholars, degree holders, chefs, nurses, doctors, lawyers, scientists, politicians, religious leaders, and even presidents among other things, contributing to the development of our country.

Even as we celebrate the many achievements of Africans, meaningful recollection is important to ensure that the mistakes of the past are never made again, even as some may dub it, “modern day slavery” or “mental slavery”.

Remaining emancipated is indeed an uphill task in today’s world – however we must continue to strive to achieve such. There is indeed much to celebrate but also much to reflect on.

We at PAC greet you in the spirit of freedom brought by emancipation and would like to remind all Guyanese that we are now free to take ownership, take responsibility for, and help to take care of our national protected areas – our natural heritage.

A happy and safe Emancipation Day to all Guyanese.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

David Hinds pulls column from Kaieteur News …sees ethnic lobby to push him out

EXECUTIVE member of the Working People’s Alliance and political scientist, Dr.

and indirectly muzzled.”

Hinds said: “As an independent thinker, censorship is

Dr. David Hinds

David Hinds has pulled his column from the Kaieteur News, citing a suppression of his views and an ethnic lobby to push him out.

His decision comes days after another columnist, Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis also pulled his column citing the same problems. In a letter to Publisher of the newspaper, Glenn Lall, Hinds wrote that “in March 2018, you opened your newspaper to my weekly column after it was discontinued by the Guyana Chronicle. I was grateful for that bighearted gesture. In the two years since I have enjoyed a cordial relationship with you and the staff I worked with. I never sensed that I was being censored even when you from time to time expressed disagreement with the views expressed in some of the columns. That for me is the pinnacle of free speech.

However, I always knew that a columnist serves at the pleasure of the owner-publisher. I was equally clear that my independence of thought would not forever sit well in our fragile political environment. So, it was not surprising that as the recent election season heated up and Kaieteur News’ evident partisan slant was manifested, that my opinions would not be in sync with that new thrust,” Hinds told Lall.

He added: “Soon, some of my columns were being rejected as not being in line with the newspaper’s reportage.” I took that to mean that the columns were inconsistent with Kaieteur News’ partisan stance. I initially decided to immediately part company but yielded to other instincts. However, with each passing week, it became more and more difficult to write in what was clearly an environment of censorship. I could no longer be critical of the PPP or express views uncritical of the Coalition. I could not write about the electoral developments in a full-throated manner.

Apart from being prevented from free expression in my column, Kaieteur News reporters no longer contacted me for comments. I was being directly

inimical to my political values.

I cannot function in such circumstances. So, I have reached that point; I have to leave. I do so aware that I gave it my all and, in the process, I have not violated cardinal principles or did anything to attract libel to the paper. I am however aware that there has been an ethnic lobby to have my column removed. Hence, I decided to no longer wait to be pushed out.

I am walking away with my dignity which means a lot to me especially at this Emancipation moment. Those who have led the lobby have won.”

“To you Glenn I say thanks for letting me into your “home.” To your thousands of readers who looked forward to my column, I also give thanks.

To those who felt and feel that for ethno-political reasons I do not belong at Kaieteur News, I understand the origins of your feelings. These are serious political times for our country, and I appreciate that partisanship has replaced objectivity in much of the media and the wider society. I think Guyana is poorer for it. But the logic of our politics has backed us into a tempest. I continue to wish you and Kaieteur News well and look forward to a return to a state of political independence when the tempest recedes.

As for me, I will continue to express my opinions in the open space. The times ahead are likely to be more than Guyana deserves. I hope that I am made a liar. But I will not put my voice up for sale. Nor will I be silenced. From Buxton Bottom Station to the frontline of the struggles of my time to places not made for my type, I remain unbought. What flows from my pen is shaped by what I see and feel,” Dr. Hinds said.

CENSORSHIP In a Facebook post on Sunday, Lewis stated that from henceforth, his weekly column will be published on his Facebook page for re-publishing by newspapers if they opt to do so. Lewis’ “Eye on Guyana” was first taken up by Kaieteur News in 2018. “I am no longer,

in good conscience to my pride, dignity, beliefs in free speech, freedoms and love of Guyana

Lincoln Lewis

able to continue the “Eye on Guyana” column in Kaieteur News,” Lewis stated, adding: “I find it difficult to satisfy this obligation with the censorship imposed that contradicts the principles that I have fought for all my adult life; principles that dictate the fundamentals of right and wrong, good and bad, evil and righteous. Unfortunately, we are witnessing situations where right is wrong, and wrong is right, depending on who says what to whom, when, where and how. Laws are no longer given preeminence, and those who disagree revel in being disagreeable. The environment has become toxic, strained and too polarised.”

Lewis said that making the decision was not easy, as it comes at a time when he believes that his voice is most important to Guyana. However, he said that he has watched the Kaieteur News, in recent times, “evolve from being at the pinnacle of media diversity, to one that is more partisan- aligned with an apparent strangulation on said (diverse) views.”

He stated plainly: “I can no longer be comfortable in an environment where such public acrimony is being encouraged. The principle of free speech is not only being transgressed, but being used to promote falsity, justify linguistic dehumanisation of some by some, hate and intolerance, not to build bridges.

Having dedicated my public life to the fight of upholding universally acceptable principles, Rights and the Rule of Law, I cannot sacrifice the pursuit of same, even in these trying times when some are being rendered voiceless.” In parting ways with newspaper, Lewis wished its Publisher, Glen Lall, all the best, and expressed his hope that the newspaper would successfully embark on a pathway towards balance and mainstream journalistic standards. He also expressed appreciation for the working relationship he shared with staff there with whom he has interacted over the years.

PM Nagamootoo extends warm Eid- ul- Adha wishes GUYANA'S Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, has extended Eid Mubarak to the Muslim Community as they observe Eid-UlAdha on Friday.

In his message, Prime Minister Nagamootoo expressed wishes for a peaceful and safe day of sacrifice at the mosques and other locations across Guyana on this most auspicious day for our Muslim brothers and sisters.

The festival celebrates a story about the prophet called Ibrahim. He had been told by God that he must sacrifice his son Ishmael to prove his faith. Every year, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha to remember Ibrahim’s loyalty and obedience to God above all others. And because of Ibrahim’s actions, Eid al-Adha is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice.

However, many Masjids will be observing Eid prayers while adhering to social distancing procedures in the light of the novel coronavirus pandemic which has swept across the world.

The Central Islamic Organisations President Al- Hajj Shahabudeen Ahmad added in his message said that, “Eid is also an opportunity to demonstrate solidarity; especially since this year’s Eid-Ul-Adha comes as the Muslim Ummah and the world suffers difficult times filled with crises and obstacles. Compassion and support are needed, for many of our brethren are experiencing uncertainty, fear, pain, and frustration. The Coronavirus Pandemic has virtually brought the world to a halt and stopped the journey to perform the Hajj for those residing outside of Saudi Arabia. This is a period of great test which requires reflection and meaningful action. Eid-Ul-Adha cannot be celebrated without remembering the patriarch, the friend of Allah (SWT), Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), and peace be upon him.”

The CIOG’S President urged that we should pray for peaceful co-existence in Guyana and the entire world.

He noted that our actions must prove that we mean no ill to anyone and we are all part of one humanity.

“Each one of us has to be the change that we desire. Change yourself in order to set an example which encourages others to change.

Verily, Allah (SWT) will not change the condition of a people until they change themselves”.

Further, Allah (SWT) reminds us in the Quran, “Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people are those who followed him [in submission to Allah] and this Prophet, and those who believe [in his message]. And Allah is the (protector and helper) of the believers.” “(Holy Quran – Chapter 3: verse 68) Our Father, Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, epitomised the verse of the Quran: Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us.”

May Allah (SWT) continue to bless you and your families and make us people who strive to bring benefit to others.

Let us work on improving ourselves and those around us. Together we work to become agents of peace, instilling harmony among people regardless of ethnicity and creed. Let us be protectors of each other, ensuring we respect the rights of each other. May GOD bless our nation as we strive to build a better country May Allah (SWT) show us the truth as truth and help us to follow it and show us evil as evil and enable us to avoid it. Let us be like the great Prophet, the Patriarch, our father, the Friend of GOD Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him and his family.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Emancipation and healing scars of the past TODAY, Guyanese join with the African- Guyanese community to celebrate the 182nd Anniversary of Emancipation. While African- Guyanese were directly affected by the period of enslavement which necessitated the moment of emancipation, its significance is important to all ethnic groups in the country. Emancipation meant the formal defeat of chattel slavery as the overarching political and socio-economic order that paved the way for freedom for all other ethnic groups.

The system of Indentureship that followed, harsh though it was, could not be based on the formal-legal system whereby human beings were deemed as property. So, as we celebrate Emancipation, it is worth reflecting on the profound intervention of the system of slavery and

its role in shaping developments, then and now. The role of slavery in aiding the accumulation of European wealth is key to understanding development and underdevelopment on both the local and global scales.

It was our own Dr. Walter Rodney’s seminal book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, that highlights the causal relationship between development and underdevelopment within the context of chattel slavery.

The underdevelopment of post-plantation countries such as Guyana is directly the result of the exploitation of African labour and Amerindian lands. This dynamic characterised socio-economic and political relations, even in post-emancipation Guyana.

Consequently, the defeat of slavery and the emancipation of the enslaved opened up

new possibilities for independence and freedom for all. The African- Guyanese Village Movement of the immediate post-emancipation period was both an act of resistance and a blow for social advancement. Here were people who had not only survived the most vicious system of human organization, but who had also displayed the capacity to exist in a state of freedom. The Village Moment humanised the Guyanese landscape and planted the seeds of modern Guyanese political economy. It is a feat whose significance is yet to be fully analysed. Perhaps this Emancipation anniversary is a good time to point young scholars in that direction, so that, that story could be transported into the consciousness of the contemporary society.

Of course, the emancipation of 1838 did not translate into

true freedom for the victims of enslavement. The colonial system that followed ensured that Africans were kept as second-class subjects. As Bob Marley reminded us—” No chains around my feet/But I am not free.”

Marley would also echo the words of Marcus Garvey in song when he urged the survivors of enslavement to “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.” These lyrical interventions underscore the relationship between enslavement and the current condition of African Guyanese and Africans in other parts the diaspora. Leaders, advocates and scholars of the African Guyanese community have constantly referred to Emancipation as an ongoing process that must include the need for structural repairs.

The assumption is that the structural socio-economic

problems evident in the African-Guyanese community and Guyana at large cannot be overcome in isolation from a proper understanding of the lasting destruction wrought by slavery and its aftermath.

This is an important theory as it clashes with a view in some quarters that these structural problems have been the work of a flawed people and can only be solved by a teaching of new values.

We reject the latter view and urge the opening up of new opportunities aimed at a lasting emancipation.

Some have already correctly identified the expected oil and gas wealth as a potential source of repair not onl y for African Guyanese, but for all groups afflicted by the scars of structural bondage.

The challenging question in this regard is whether the concept of reparations is

embraced by decision- makers. There can be no doubt that social justice must be premised on social equality.

In this regard, the embrace of the reparations movement by regional governments, including our own, is an encouraging sign. Despite the challenges alluded to, African Guyanese can still celebrate on this 181st Anniversary of Emancipation.

They have survived and are still an integral part of Guyana’s beautiful national tapestry. Many African Guyanese have distinguished themselves nationally and internationally. Others in the ranks of the poor and the working poor continue to grasp the limited opportunities that come their way and, in the process, continue the legacy of Black Uplift.

Happy Emancipation!

People of African descent must be celebrated

Dear Editor,

I START this missive by wishing all my African brothers and sisters a blessed Emancipation Day. If there are people who need to be specially celebrated and recognised in the world, it is our African brothers and sisters. They are a people who suffered the worst of holocaust known to Mankind and the universe. They are a people who have given so much to the world, in history, in the sciences, in their wisdom, their inventions and their humanity; a people who gave to the world the peoples.

In their seed is the ability to create a Caucasian from the womb (the Albino), with blond hair and blue eyes. In their features we can see the traces of all of Mankind’s races. Some look like the Indians of Asia, others have the cheekbones and looks of the Chinese, Mongolians and Korean nations, some like the American Indians and some direct Africans with their own looks, yet with difference, as the Tutsis and Hutus. I wish to state an Islamic fact. When our holy Prophet, Muhammed (peace and Blessings of Allah be with him) received prophethood, despite his popularity and clan relations, he and his followers were severely persecuted, targeted, mocked at, attacked, with many killed and savagely brutalized. He had no place to turn to, and sent his followers to the Land of Ethiopia, where a benevolent king ruled, who gave protection and rights to the Proph-

et’s companions, with freedom to live as long as they want or return to Arabia when conditions were better.

In other words, Islam got protection from a Christian African King, who later accepted Islam after studying the religion.

The Africans constructed the Pyramids of Egypt and Sudan, a scientific feat without machines; invented mummification of human flesh that astounds modern scientists; could have performed surgery in the heads of men and women, and made medical instruments still in use today. They were masters in astronomy, the high seas, shipping and warfare. In recent times, they have invented so many magnificent things, many of which we don’t know about or simply take for granted: Elijah McCoy created the FIRST oil dripping cup for trains.

Lewis Latimer created the amazing invention of carbon filament, as he worked in the laboratories of both Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. George Washington Carver was the man who developed peanut butter and over 400 plant products! He was born a slave and didn’t attend college until he was 30 years old! Yet another, Garrett Morgan, the man who invented the first traffic signal. Jan Ernst Matzeliger invented a shoemaking machine that increased shoemaking speed by 900%! In 1992, the US made a postage stamp in honour of Matzeliger. And still alive today is Dr. Patricia E Bath, who invented a method of eye surgery that has helped many blind people to see.

Dr. Bath has been nominated to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

These are a few names not widely known–but the list goes on and on.

The Africans were subjected to the slave trade to enrich Europe and its colonists to the so-called New World. The African “soul” was penetrated, by the preaching against their creed and religions of the ancestors of Africa. Whilst the Bible was shared, they stole arid and valuable lands. In the process, building castles, with European styles and creating Europeans lifestyles, stealing the peoples’ diamonds and gold –even their animals ravaged for export into their zoos and shops, and body parts to enrich the Commerce of Europe. Until today they have poachers killing elephants for the valued ivory, and involved in the sale of ‘Blood Diamonds,’ creating human suffering, struggles and pains, where limbs of various opposing groups are hacked off, or youth enslaved to be child soldiers and sex slaves for the perverted converted to the nature of the Europeans. Hence, misery lingers at the mercy of the evil of invading Europeans, whose master-stroke of evil still perpetuate the enslavement of Africans.

They suffered such cruelties at the hands of man, for the cause of greed, by the Romans, the Arabs, and the Europeans, unheard of in history, where tens of millions of the best and strongest, the wisest, among them Kings and princes, were brought into what was called by the Europeans as the New World

(the Caribbean and West Indies), stolen and claimed in the names of the Kings and Queens of Europe, though the lands were already inhabited. In what was the Middle Passage, the hazardous, inhuman voyage, in ships laden with living human flesh, made stink. Men, women and children, packed as lice in infested coffins, one on top the other, hungry, poorly fed, with sweat, human feces and urine pouring from top to bottom, with dead and rotten infecting the living with disease; millions died of smallpox, dysentery and dehydration.

My Dearest Friends, modern European Governments have tried in measure (too little too late), but albeit, they have tried to pacify the former colonies, slaves and indentured servants with certain goodies, we must be appreciative, but never forget. Those who forget are bound to re-experience the atrocities, and for the oppressors, they are bound to revisit with much more severe atrocities.

I write this piece with great passion and power in my heart for this is the reality of history, an abominable act of inhumanity against humanity, even for which they refuse to want to compensate Africa and the descendants of the slave-trade. Definitely, they will refuse, for the wealth they gathered and built will have to be paid over to the descendants of the African ancestors.

It was our own scholar and philosopher, Dr. Walter Rodney who studied the plight of slavery

and its effect on the psyche of the Africans and their descendants, that he penned his scholarly treatise, The Underdevelopment of Africa.

The Europeans had the audacity to dictate the political affairs of nations through thievery, manipulation and dishonesty, to manage the resources of Africa, pitting one nation against the other, causing infighting amongst tribes, one against the other, providing weapons and ammunition to kill each other, then calling the Africans uncivilized brutes, cruel to their own kind, unfit for independence or freedom, cannot govern themselves, etc., etc.

Reparations is A Plea for Inclusion, Not Separatism.

The point of reparations is to give many African people an opportunity to begin sharing in the work, the production and the opportunity of a dream that’s been denied them, their parents, their grandparents and their greator great-great-grandparents.

Accepting reparations, and the requisite apology along with it, closes the divide that’s held us all back, whites and blacks, over the decades and centuries of our history. It’s not charity to pay what’s due; it’s not begging to take it. It’s a handshake deal between equals and hopefully friends, a word as a bond, a new beginning we’ve all put off far too long.

Sincerely, Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Time to resolve the elections issues

Dear Editor,

I HOPE this letter finds you well and also take this time to wish you and all our Guyanese brothers and sisters, home and abroad, safety, love and a Happy 182nd Emancipation Day. In relation to the events of General and Regional Elections 2020 and all that has happened since that fateful day to this present one when the will of the people of Guyana is not yet "officially" clear, officially being the operative term. I have no degrees, doctorates nor diplomas but I have some CSEC subjects and a few CAPE ones and of course, my fair share of common sense. It is against this backdrop, in pursuit of a proper understanding of our current state of affairs, that I consider the following: 1. Paragraph 3. of the introduction of the National

Recount Order 2020 which states, "AND WHEREAS, the President and the Leader of the Opposition and all contesting parties agreed to a CARICOM proposal for a total recount of all Electoral Districts as a means of assuaging the contesting parties and determining a final credible count;" 2. Paragraph 8. of the introduction of the Recount Order 2020 which states, "AND WHEREAS, GECOM, in exercise of the authority vested in it by Article 162 of Our Constitution pursuant to Section 22. of the Elections Laws (Amendment) No. 15 of 2000, seeks to remove difficulties connected with the application of ROPA Cap. 1:03, in implementing its decisions relating to the conduct of the aforementioned recount of all ballots cast at the said election, including the reconciliation of the ballots issued with the ballots cast, destroyed, spoiled,

stamped and as deemed necessary, their counterfoils/stubs, authenticity of the ballots and the number of voters listed and crossed out as having voted; the number of voters cast without ID;the number of proxies listed and the number utilized; statistical anomalies; occurrences recorded in the Poll Book.

3. Paragraph 1. (b) of the Recount Order which states the role of the Election Commission includes but is not limited to being the final arbiter of issues not resolved at the lower levels of the established procedure; (f) to determine and declare the final results of GRE 2020.

4. Paragraph 11 of the Recount Order which states that the signed matrix produced in accordance with the aforementioned at Paragraph 9 shall then be transmitted to the CEO and copies given to the political parties that contested

the Elections, the CARICOM Scrutinising Team, the Chairman and Commissioners and available to the public, 5. Paragraph 12. of the Recount Order which states, "the matrices for the recount of the ten (10) Electoral Districts shall then be tabulated by the CEO and shall be submitted in a report, together with a summary of the observation report for each district, to the Commission", Paragraph 14. Which, states, "the Commission shall, after deliberating on the report at Paragraph 11, determine whether it should request the CEO to use the data compiled in accordance with Paragraph 11, as the basis for the submission of the report under section 96. of ROPA Cap. 1:03", And finally, the aforementioned section 96. (1) of ROPA Cap. 1:03 which states "the CEO shall, after calculating the total number of valid votes of

Is Gail Teixeira really against ‘bullyism’ against women --or is she just posturing?

Dear Editor, IN a letter published under the caption, “Guyanese women must say no to the APNU+AFC bullying,” (SN, July 30, 2020), Ms. Gail Teixeira talks about being “angered and embarrassed” at the “vile and baseless attacks” meted out by the APNU+AFC against a number of women, and asserts that, “the APNU+AFC Coalition leaders are bullies.”

Ms. Teixeira’s obvious selective “anger and embarrassment” against “bullyism” towards women is typical of political practitioners posturing conveniently (PPP/C).

Ms. Teixeira and her PPP/C comrades now know that the Constitution is the “supreme law” of the land. They didn’t know that when, for twenty years, they refused to hold Local Government Elections (LGEs), which are constitutionally due every three years. When a former foreign diplomat talked about it, the PPP/C sent one of their ministers to “feral blast” him at his residence. When they were in power, the supremacy of the Constitution was subject to the convenient political posturing of the PPP/C. But back to Ms. Teixeira and her “anger and embarrassment” at “bullyism” against women. When the former First Lady Varshnie Singh – before she was unceremoniously stripped of the Title – was treated like a piece of trash by her supposed-to-have-been husband, then President Bharrat Jagdeo, in the house that was paid for by the State, did Ms. Teixeira think that that was something for her to be an-

gry and embarrassed about? When one Peeping Tom contributor penned an article, calling the issue a “private affair;” and when those sentiments were echoed by a prominent male religious leader, did that provoke Ms. Teixeira’s ire?

When the late Janet Jagan took a principled stand against what she saw as Mr, Jagdeo’s attack on the press, he relegated her to a status of “just a private citizen.” In other words, she should “just shut up.”

That is something that Mr. Jagdeo would never have entertained, not even as a thought, if Dr. Jagan was alive. Did that stir Ms. Teixeira’s wrath against “bullyism against women”? Did she call out Mr. Jagdeo’s sexism? When Mr. Jagdeo labeled a group of protesting women, “loonies from the fringes,” did Ms. Teixeira defend their right to peaceful protest? Mr. Jagdeo could have been gracious to the women.

He didn’t have to agree with their position but he could have, at least, demonstrated his own respect for women. Instead, in his typical condescending fashion when faced with opposition, he described them in the lowest and most grotesque fashion allowed in public. Was that considered “bullyism” in Ms. Teixeira’s thinking?

When the once fearsome black clothes (rogue) police ranks, reportedly, “kicked up” those women in Wellington Street, the word that came from the highest echelons of her party were, “If women behave like men, they will be treated like men.” Did Ms. Teixeira consider the police’s action as “bullyism”?

And did she get angry and feel embarrassed about her party’s

response? Perhaps that was a different breed of women. When Ms. Teixeira’s colleague doused that female activist with his famous SSS, threatening to “Slap that piece of Sh*t” or get his “girls to Strip” her, did Ms. Teixeira’s anger burn within her, that a powerful male Minister of Government could be so crass and demeaning towards a woman? Was she embarrassed about that?

More recently, when that male lawyer, publicly, threatened that female rank on the steps of the GECOM facility (Hadfield and High Streets), calling on “Dr. Alli” to “remember her face, because she should know that [if] the government changes, she is out of a job.”

(That young woman was carrying out the orders of her functional superiors.) Wasn’t that something that Ms. Teixeira should have been angry and embarrassed about? As someone who is, supposedly, supportive of women and is opposed to their being “bullied,” wasn’t that something that she should have said, NO” to? Wasn’t that an absolute “bullyism”?

In her missive she wrote: “we, . . . especially Guyanese women, must say “NO” we shall not be bullied nor shall we stand by quietly and watch these women, or, anyone else, being bullied. Editor, Ms. Teixeira’s selective approach to “bullyism” against women, is typical of political practitioners posturing conveniently (PPPC). These are people who excuse themselves (and their own) for acts they accuse others of.

With kind regards, Remington Nelson Pastor Soesdyke Wesleyan Church

electors which have been cast for each list of candidates on the basis of the votes counted and the information furnished by the RO's under section 84.

(11), ascertain the election results in accordance with section 97 and 98".

While the other aspects of both of the source documents are as equally important as the highlighted ones, these indicate to me, the simplicity of this, on so many levels, impactful situation. I call upon all the individuals involved in this process, especially the end which is a beginning also, to think not only of themselves but of our children and our children's children. Apart from the material benefits generally entitled to all citizens of Guyana which all this fuss has been tied to in many instances, the spiritual and moral gains of our people which controls our general handling of the

material realm happens to be involved likewise. I pray that our leaders and those aspiring to become leaders to humbly widen their circumferences of awareness as opposed to being small minded at the detriment of those who faithfully incorporate your leadership into their existence and forget not that the easiest way to defeat a group is from the inside. Let us be instruments of our own destruction no longer. The Almighty, regardless of our perception of Him/Her, never sleeps. God Bless Guyana.

God Bless the Human Race.

Regards, A junior staff member of the Guyana Elections Commission

Be Counted, Cuffy’s Children!

Dear Editor,

ON ships we came. In chains we were bound. Like cargo we were treated.

Their properties we were. Language forcibly removed from us. Culture forcibly removed from us. Religion forcibly removed from us. Names forcibly removed from us. Human rights forcibly removed from us.

Resources forcibly removed from us. All stolen. All denied. De jure but now de facto. Unilateral contract.

Our daily pay cheques were rapes, murders, forced labour and whippings. Whipping keloid scars the evidence. Psychological scars still evident. Millions died. Millions survived.

Millions fought. Millions liberated.

Harriet Tubman. Our ancestors. Our strength. Our driving force.

And this day we celebrate their emancipation. Their physically emancipation. Psychological emancipation far from a reality. How did they do it? Over 400 years of dehumanising mistreatment.

Heads held high. Proud people from the African Continent. Doctors. Lawyers.

Economists. Accountants et al. Slaves.

Enslaved.

Why they did it? Who aided and abetted these heinous crimes? Where were the condemnations from the religious leaders? Where were the condemnations from the moral leaders? Where were our brothers to protect us? Our brothers’ keepers. We know who bought us. We are still uncertain of who sold us. We were sold. We were the de jure properties of the masters. The European countries. The Western nations. Their countries we built. Their Empire built by our sweat and blood. Yes our blood.

Now they demand visas of us.

We are no longer being whipped and raped into submission. We are now being shot dead. George Floyd.

Breonna Taylor. Atatiana Jefferson.

Aura Rosser. Stephon Clark. Botham Jean. Philando Castille. Alton Sterling.

Michelle Cusseaux. Freddie Gray. Janisha Fonville. Eric Garner. Akai Gurley.

Gabriella Nevarez. Tamir Rice. Michael Brown. Tanisha Anderson. 1640 slave descendants murdered in America from 2014-2019. Hundreds murdered under the PPP from 1992-2015. Courtney Crum-Ewing, Ronald Waddell, Yohance Douglas, Oliver Springer et al. Are we free? Are we really free?

Seriously! Are we really free? No longer physical chains on our ankles.

Now psychological chains to impede our progress. Systemic racism. Institutional racism. Covert racism. State-sponsored racism. Overt racism. Aversive racism.

Cultural racism. Racial segregation.

Direct discrimination. Indirect discrimination. Apartheid. Jim Crow laws. They use us to kill us. They teach us to hate us.

Our invisible chains.

For these atrocities reparations we demanded. Reparations denied. Apology we demanded. Apology denied.

Discrimination they gave us. Victimisation they gave us. Incarcerations they gave us. Death they gave us. Are we scarred for life? We are scarred daily.

We continue to fight. Fight for basic human rights. Fight for equality. Fight for equity. Fight for diversity in our workplaces. Fight for a home. Fight to live. Not live to fight. We will never give up. Our ancestors never did.

Over four hundred years they fought.

They fought for us. Their descendants. Now the baton to freedom is in our hands. Not to be dropped. Stay focus we must. Stay in lane. Prison awaits us. To new heights we will rise.

Heights that 182 years from now, our descendants will celebrate us. So my brothers and sisters, hold your heads up high. Chins up. Your lives matter.

They matter to future generations.

Happy Emancipation struggle.

Regards, Dr. Mark Devonish

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Emancipation Day messages PNCR: Emancipation an important milestone towards Guyana’s social and economic independence ON the 182nd Anniversary of the Emancipation of the Slaves, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) joins other Guyanese organisations and the Guyanese people in general, in commemoration of this most important milestone in our country’s march towards social and economic independence.

On the first of August 1838, descendants of Africans in Guyana regained their freedom after two centuries of enslavement.

Every August, therefore, it is fitting that the entire Guyanese nation should participate in the public celebration to commemorate not only the bloody sacrifices of the Africans who struggled, suffered and were slaughtered for the sake of the freedom we all enjoy today but also the birth of the nation itself which was the consequence of Emancipation.

In fact, Emancipation is Guyana’s most important national celebration. It marks the start of the most significant demographic change through the coming of various ethnic groups – mainly the Portuguese, East Indians and Chinese; the transformation of the coastal landscape through the creation of free villages; the diversification of the economy into the production of food crops, gold-mining and logging; and, eventually, the liberation of society through the popular movements for labour organisation, constitutional reform and political mobilisation.

In celebrating Emancipation, we celebrate the diversity of the Guyanese nation and the rich cultural heritage of all our people. Emancipation was not for few, but for all. It is true that the African foreparents of the Guyanese people fought for freedom 257 years ago in the Berbice Revolt led by Kofi; 197 years ago

in the Demerara Revolt inspired by Kwamina; 186 years ago in the Essequibo Revolt led by Damon; and in so many other places at many other times. Today, Guyanese of all races are the beneficiaries and heirs of our nation’s first freedom fighters.

After Emancipation, the free people established village communities which became the crucible of what became recognised as African-Guyanese culture which rested securely on the foundation of freedom and was manifested in their adherence to the church - almost every African was a Christian and almost every village had at least one church; the family home - regardless how poor, everyone was a member of a family and had a home in which to live; the school - in which they were enabled to achieve near universal literacy; and the farm - the provision grounds which made

Guyana a major exporter of vegetables to the Eastern Caribbean by early in the 20th Century.

This was the Emancipation Covenant for which the foreparents of the African-Guyanese fought - freedom; faith; family; education and labour. Emancipation was about liberation, not just from enslavement on the plantation, but from all forms of restrictions that prevented them from enjoying a dignified life. They understood that Emancipation was not a single event that occurred on August 1.

It was the start of a continuous process in which the emancipated must continuously emancipate themselves. Emancipation, after all, was not a finite event that ended 182 years ago. Rather, it was the start of a long, continuous process which must aim at affording a higher quality of life to Guyanese of every race.

ERC: Afro-Guyanese community must add new memory and understanding of their own experience THE Ethnic Relations Commission, (ERC), extends Emancipation greetings to all Guyanese on the 182nd anniversary marking the end of slavery.

The ERC notes that with each commemoration of Emancipation, the Afro-Guyanese community must add a new memory and understanding of their own experience in the social world we share with our fellow humans.

Learning experiences are and will not always be pleasant, but the ancestral ‘will’ to transcend have always enabled us to endure

and to meet the challenges cast before us without losing the virtues of our nature. We must not shrink from any confrontation, nor be embittered into losing faith in ourselves when challenged to endure. Our ancestors found resolve and courage in the pits of misery, that slavery from inception, through its rebellions to the abolition of chattel slavery to the struggle to find self as we were remade as colonials, arguably the most extreme extension of slavery.

But individually we were and are severed

from Africa, but collectively Africa resides in our soul and guides us. We are the primary foundations upon which Guyana was built, taking nothing away from the contributions of others, yet it must not be diluted that slavery gave the planters access to the talents, rain forest clearing and drainage ideas as well as hygiene applications from the subjugated. After emancipation it was recognised that both planters and Africans ate basically localised African foods.

Those slave ancestors not only carried out plantation duties but also shaped their plan-

tation lives as best to that of their historical memory. In commemorating Emancipation 2020, we must invite our neighbours to learn and appreciate as we appreciate their contributions, of our earned entitlement to living space, freedoms and integrity in this our homeland, to whom we have paid our toll from its foundation. Nevertheless, the Guyanese nation continues to thrive on a unique diversity arising from past occurrences of struggle and sacrifice.

Happy Emancipation anniversary to all!

PPP salutes unwavering courage of Africans THIS year marks the 186th anniversary of the formal abolition of slavery in British colonies and the Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to salute our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters across the country and in the Diaspora on the occasion of Emancipation Day 2020.

This anniversary provides yet another opportune moment to reflect on the sacrifices made by our African ancestors who were brought to these shores in chains and against their will. Stripped of their humanity and dignity and forced to toil long hours, to say that our African ancestors suffered at the

hands of the sugar planters would be a gross understatement.

During that genocidal period, many were tortured and brutally killed for standing up for their rights. In the long march to freedom, many battles were fought, including the Berbice Slave Rebellion led by our National Hero, Cuffy. In the end, the resilient spirit of resistance, demonstrated by our African ancestors, prevailed and freedom was attained in August 1838. Their unwavering courage while experiencing the cruelties of slavery, not only led to their freedom but remains a beacon of hope for freedom-loving people in Guyana and around the world. Freed and successful in forging a

society, having purchased a number of villages, there were attempts by the sugar planters to sabotage the slaves’ newly won freedom.

However, their determination for success and peace resulted in their triumph once again. Our African ancestors and their descendants have and continue to make invaluable contributions to the development of Guyana. The foundations of our society and economy were firmly laid by them through hard work and commitment to their homeland. We recognise that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the traditionally rich cultural expositions held throughout our country to celebrate Emancipation Day will

be curtailed. While unavoidable, the spirit of what this occasion symbolises cannot be subdued. The PPP remains proud of the fact that it remains the largest multi-ethnic political party and will continue to welcome all Guyanese into its ranks from all races and ethnicities – who, like our fore-parents, share our vision of a society grounded on justice and the principle of racial equality, and one where governance caters for each and every citizen regardless of race, colour or creed.

Once again, Happy Emancipation Day greetings to all Guyanese, in particular our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters.

GAWU: Reflect on the sacrifices made by our African ancestors THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) once again takes this opportunity to salute our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters across the country and in the Diaspora on the occasion of Emancipation Day. This historic anniversary provides yet another opportune moment to reflect on the sacrifices made by our African ancestors who were brought to these shores in chains in order to provide free labour to the sugar planters.

Stripped of their humanity and dignity

and forced to toil long hours, to say that our African ancestors suffered at the hands of the sugar planters would be a gross understatement. During that genocidal process, many were tortured and brutally killed for standing up for their rights. In the long march to freedom, many battles were fought, including the Berbice Slave rebellion led by our National Hero, Cuffy.

In the end, the resilient spirit of resistance, demonstrated by our African ancestors, prevailed and freedom was attained in August

1838. Freed and successful in forging a society, having purchased a number of villages, there were attempts by the sugar planters to sabotage the slaves’ newly won independence.

However, their determination for success and peace resulted in their triumph.

Our African ancestors and their descendants have, and continue to make invaluable contributions to the development of Guyana.

The foundations of our society and economy were firmly laid by them through hard work and commitment to their homeland.

As our Union once again recognizes the tremendous sacrifices and the selfless contributions African ancestors made to our modern society, it wishes to reiterate the importance of the principle of racial equality, and a governance mechanism where each and every citizen regardless of race, colour or creed, be given an equal opportunity to contribute to advancement of our society.

Once again, happy Emancipation greetings to all Guyanese, in particular our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

‘We’re unbothered’

Black Lives Matter movement expected racist, angry reactions over mural …vows to continue advocacy for a more equal, just society

By Naomi Parris THE racist rants and angry reactions by some over a group’s decision to paint a ‘Black Lives Matter’ Mural at the Square of the Revolution might just have ignited the spirit of the organisers to continue their fight for a more just and equal society.

In ushering this year’s Emancipation Celebrations, Black Lives Matter-Guyana (BLM-GY) joined the rest of the world in the fight for equality and justice for slain black men and women who lost their lives as a result of racism in the United States of America (USA) and other parts of the world. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Eden Corbin, a coordinator of the group and project, related that the non-governmental organisation was birthed when the world saw the realities of what Afro-ethnic community faced on a daily. "The black lives we would have recognised that the whole world was now mobilising and standing in solidarity with behind what was happening in America with the George Floyd thing and I think that we would have woke up a lot of persons because the issues of Black Lives Matter, black discrimination and the ill treatment in society is not new to us, we are all aware but I think now because of social media we would have been able to psychically view how serious this thing is and the death of George Floyd would have set a chain reaction in our society and our way of thinking," Corbin explained.

As result of that, he added that himself and a group of youths decided that it was time Guyana join the movement. The organisation had originally planned to host a march, however due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the mandatory health guidelines they were unable to do so.

Nevertheless, he stated that the organisation went through the right and legal channels and was able to erect the mural in front of the Square of the Revolution, where the 1763 Monument commonly known as Cuffy stands. "We went through the various local government institutions and they saw that our idea and our motivation were correct,

and they empowered us by permitting us to make a statement," he said. Additionally, Corbin noted that the mural is also the BLM organisation’s introduction into the world.

Corbin in addressing criticism from naysayers, stated that while every man is entitled to their opinion, BLM Guyana will not allow those who may not be for the movement to silence their voices," We will not let people’s opinions [hinder] us in what we are willing to do which is to highlight the struggle of the black community we realise all factions of Guyanese have been affected and we have taken it upon ourselves to represent our black community, we do not discriminate any other community nor do we encourage racial division...we did what we had to do."

Additionally, in addressing the mural being used as a political weapon, the 22-year-old, said, "We are not politically-affiliated, we cannot stop the politicians from politicising this but what we can do is make sure our message is clear and if that means we have to shout on top of our voice we will shout." He added that it is critical for persons to speak of their injustices in this case, black people are being dehumanised and are suffering grave injustices and the relevant authorities have not done anything to address same, so black people are speaking out for their human rights.

"Our lively hoods are at risk and it is continuously at that, we are in a system that does not cater for or provide any security or safety net for us, we now will not sit down and allow people to piggy bank on our statement," he stated.

‘VANDALISM IS A MUST’ Unfortunately, Corbin noted that vandalism is expected, however he stated if the movement did not spark a conversation whether good or bad then the entire initiative behind having their voices heard would have gone down as futile. "The vandalism of this mural is something that we expect, it is something that we unfortunately anticipate but all that will do is vindicate our efforts because if it this does enrage or upset something then we

have failed in our attempts," he stated.

Additionally, he stated that anyone who tries to deface the mural are doing such at their own risk since the act if defacing public infrastructure is a crime as such the relevant authorities can and will deal with delinquents in the right accordance.

IT IS A MOVEMENT!!

Meanwhile, in Bartica, Region Seven, another BLM mural was erected as Barticians prepared to welcome Emancipation, however, like the first mural, the reactions were not as positive as expected.

According the Mayor of the Town, Gifford Marshal, to his surprise the abuse, threats and insults that were levelled against the organisers were unbelievable, referencing it to the days of slavery.

“Africans have always had to explain and justify their actions, needs and behaviour. Slavery was once legal and it took a rebellion (blood shed) for fellow humans to understand it was evil,” Marshall said.

In expressing his is disappoint he added that, “The reality is, any movement, image or writing in favor of Africans locally or internationally will be met with the most venomous attacks and outrage because of various belief systems.”

Additionally he stated as the Mayor of Bartica, he is

proud of his town and country at large for its multiethnic society and has always promoted the ideals for religious, gender and ethnic tolerance.

In addition, he said, “I have always spoke glowingly of the contributions of our various ethnic groups, especially our Indian and Amerindian brothers and sisters, in the months of May and September, respectively.”

As such during this year’s celebration he will do no different and stand in support with his African brothers and sisters in celebration as well as join the international fight for equality and bring an end to racism.

Coordinator of the Black Lives Matter-Guyana group, Eden Corbin (Photos by Delano Williams)

A view of the Black Lives Matter, Mural painted at the Square of the Revolution, Home to the 1763 Monument commonly known as ‘Cuffy’

One of the painters, adding the colours of the Golden Arrowhead to the mural on Thursday morning (Photos by Delano Williams)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Exxon urges swift approval of Payara Development …says Guyana will lose big, project will face ‘months’ of delay

By Lisa Hamilton EXXONMOBIL has noted that if the Payara Development Project is not approved soon to allow for a Final Investment Decision (FID) at least by September 2020, weather conditions may delay the project further by months.

ExxonMobil’s Senior Vice-President, Neil Chapman, made these remarks at the company’s 2020 Annual Shareholders Meeting on Friday. It was raised that a delay in the resolution to the March 2020 General and Regional Elections is causing the issue as, despite the pandemic, the company has been forging ahead with its developments in Guyana.

At the meeting, the Senior Vice-President nonetheless expressed his confidence that the project will soon receive approval and assured that the political leaders of Guyana understand the importance of facilitating the work of the oil and gas sector.

“We’re continuing to work with the government on approval for the Payara development plan. Without final resolution of the election result and the signing in of a new government, there is

a potential for delays to the schedule. Having said that, it’s very clear that all parties in-country understand the importance of progressing the developments quickly given the significant benefits to all stakeholders, especially the citizens of Guyana,” Chapman stated.

In June, the Guyana Chronicle reported that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pending governmental and regulatory approval, advancements on ExxonMobil’s third and fourth development projects have stalled.

These include the Third Development, the Payara Development Project which has outstanding approval for its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Field Development Plan; and the Fourth, the Hammerhead Development Project, for which ExxonMobil has paused its provision of the required EIA. The Payara Development Project is expected to produce a capacity of 220,000 gross barrels of oil per day (bpd) but its deferral has a potential delay in production startup of six to 12 months.

However, the Senior Vice-President remains positive that this development,

ExxonMobil’s Senior Vice-President, Neil Chapman

along with others will not be affected in a drastic way.

Furthermore, he stated that ExxonMobil is poised to commence operations at the Development Field the moment it is given the go-ahead by the government.

He stated: “Liza Two is in construction, I’m confident we’ll move on Payara as well…everything we and the partners can do to progress Payara on schedule, we are doing and we’ve done.

I’ve said to our organisation many times, we need to be ready to move as soon as the government is ready and we

are ready, we’re ready to FID this project but we need an approved development plan and that approved development plan needs to come from the government.”

As it stands on Guyana’s elections, the Elections Commission is expected to meet on Sunday to discuss the next steps towards making an elections declaration. This meeting of the commission comes following several court battles before and after a national recount. Altogether, the elections have dragged on for approximately five months.

Chapman said that many are well aware of the situation in Guyana and ExxonMobil is limited to the extent and understands that it must wait on the elections to be completed before progress on its projects can recommence.

“We’re waiting for the resolution, like everybody else, of the election and I think you’re very familiar with what happened down there. There was a vote, there was the recount and then there’s been a series of legal action that has taken place since that time. What we know, is that all parties in Guyana want to progress this development. Of course, we’re in regular contact with both President Granger of the APNU+AFC coalition and we’re also in discussion with the PPP/C and Irfaan Ali. What we continue to stress to the government is that, if the project does get delayed it’s a loss of value to the country and they understand that. It’s very, very clear. The Department of Energy understands that,” he said.

The Senior Vice-President noted that it is very important that the Development Plan is approved for a Final Investment Decision (FID) by a September 2020

timeline because there are weather conditions whereby if a certain window is missed it could result in months of delays.

Chapman said: “I’m confident this’ll get resolved but we need that approval of the development plan and that’s what governments have to do and obviously we’ll work with them, as I said, we’re ready to go.”

Apart from matters relating to Payara, Chapman reported that Liza Phase Two remains on schedule for startup in 2022 and, while Liza Phase One experienced low production capacity in the second quarter due to mechanical issues, full capacity with a 100 per cent gas injection in is expected in August.

Added to this, the company noted that it is still actively investing for the future in Guyana with four drilling rigs as of the end of June with one on exploration and three on appraisal and project development drilling.

Just recently, it was also announced that finds of “high quality reservoirs” were made at Yellowtail-Two further cementing confidence in the “world class quality” of the Guyana basin.

Guyana receives 15,000 COVID-19 test kits from PAHO -ventilators, more medical supplies on the way THE World Health Organisation (WHO) continues to be an integral supporter and partner of Guyana, in the fight against the dreaded novel coronavirus (COVID-19), with the organisation’s most recent support coming in the form of 15,000 COVID-19 test kits.

The WHO’s support to Guyana has been consistent since the pandemic reached the nation’s shores, in March 2020.

Thousands of test kits and other medical supplies have been donated to date, said Resident Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, in an invited comment, on Thursday.

“Recently we delivered 15,000 kits and we have already ordered

some other things,” said Dr. AduKrow.

In two weeks Guyana will be receiving five ventilators - a key tool in the fight against COVID-19, which is known to attack a person’s respiratory system.

“We have more things coming…a container already arrived in Panama, so there are many things we will be delivering to this country,” said the PAHO/WHO representative.

Local health authorities have so far tested 4,507 persons for COVID-19, with 4,292 being negative and 413 positive. Of the positive cases, 185 persons have recovered and 20 persons have lost their lives, but authorities are still monitoring 208 active cases. Three of those persons are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care

Unit (ICU).

In a past report, Dr. Adu-Krow was asked about the rate of testing, to which he said it would tend to vary from country to country across the Caribbean, because there are established criteria to determine the persons who are being tested.

And while there is nothing like an optimal testing rate, Dr. AduKrow said that Guyana’s is about 20-25 per cent, which is what obtains globally. This means that if 100 persons are tested, 25 per cent would be positive.

“If you open it up too wide, you would be testing a 1,000 and only get 20; so you will be wasting test kits… On the other hand, if you are too rigid, you will be testing 10, and eight are positive. But you will be missing a lot,” Dr. AduKrow said.

Guyana has been consistent in the area of testing, but the country continues to face challenges when it comes to mitigating the spread of the disease. Health authorities, despite the challenges, continue to “press on” with the fight against the scourge, which is COVID-19.

Back in April, Guyana had received timely support, in the form of protective equipment, from the People’s Republic of China.

According to a press statement from the Ministry of Public Health, China’s donation comprised 500 protective face masks, 500 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and 100 infrared thermometers.

Also included in the gift from the Chinese are 500 medical goggles, 500 pairs of disposable gloves and 500 isolation shoe covers.

During the handing-over cer-

emony, China’s Deputy Chief of Mission to Guyana, Chen Xilai, reminded officials how his country has suffered since the COVID-19 outbreak, in the Wuhan Province last year.

Xilai said hundreds of thousands have been affected and some 3,000 died as a result of the outbreak.

Despite the devastating impact of the outbreak in China, Xilai assured that Guyana can look forward to more donations from his country, nothing that there is more to come.

The relationship between Guyana and China dates back to 1972 and Xilai wants the two friendly nations to “work together” to win the battle against the deadly pandemic.

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'They laid the foundation for our freedom' ...President Granger says of African ancestors in Emancipation Day message

President David Granger

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The Late Former Presidents, Hugh Desmond Hoyte and Dr Cheddi Jagan at a Emancipation activity at Parliament Buildings back in 1993

fricans endured enslavement in the Guiana colonies for 200 years before achieving their Emancipation 182 years ago on 1st August 1838. They laid the foundation for the freedoms enjoyed by every Guyanese today.

Emancipation was not a generous gift of the European slave trading empires. Africans resisted enslavement and fought for freedom in the great revolts in Berbice in 1763, in Demerara, in 1823 and in Essequibo, in 1834 and at other times in other places.

The Emancipation festival recognises the exertions of our African foreparents who, during the era of enslavement, toiled to convert the coastland and swamp lands into plantations; to construct sea defences; to build dams; to dig irrigation canals and water conservancies and to plant and harvest crops – all with their sinews and sweat and the most rudimentary tools.

The Emancipation Movement – the first of Guiana’s five great transformative movements – preceded the village, labour, cultural and political movements which carried our people forward to Independence and present-day nationhood.

Emancipation opened opportunities for the acquisition of abandoned plantations on which free men and women established their churches, farmsteads, homes and schools.

It triggered the demographic transition through indentured immigration of the Chinese, East Indians and Portuguese; economic diversification; hinterland exploration and the demand for political and constitutional reforms.

Emancipation is the single most significant event in our national history. This festival should be celebrated by Guyanese everywhere, regardless of their social rank, race, religion, region of residence, political beliefs or wealth.

Happy Emancipation to everyone!

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

‘Making the best of the situation’

…Main Street vendors hope for the best as Emancipation sales kick in ON Saturday Guyana will be celebrating Emancipation Day, under the theme “Overcoming challenges over innovation”. The day’s festivities are usually commemorated

with a series of cultural events and a colourful festival held in the National Park, however, these events were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and will be held virtually instead.

Nevertheless, a few vendors showed up at their regular hotspot, Main Street Avenue, Georgetown in hopes that the virus has not hindered Guyanese from dressing in their best African attire for the season.

Tasha Bishops, who usually sets up her booth every year, told the Guyana Chronicle that while it’s not business as per normal she has still managed to make some sales and will be returning at a later date to see how business would improve.

“Its fine at least you still make a lil something so to me it’s okay, but ill be back for the last week in August,” the woman said.

Additionally, like many,

Scenes from the popular vending spot at Main Street Avenue, where vendors set up shop in hopes of making an Emancipation Day sale (Photos by Delano Williams)

Bishops stated that herself and family will be joining the live virtual celebrations which is expected to be broadcasted on Saturday.

Another Vendor, Natasha

David of David’s creative designs, said, “This year is a little different because of the COVID-19, and last year and the years before it was good, during this its like three days

now I’m on main street and it’s a little slow but still sure, but I’m hopeful that more people will come out.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Black lives matter and the time for reparations is now

By Dr Melissa Ifill The demand for reparatory justice for people of African descent has intensified over the past decade and there is increasing acknowledgement that Africans suffered and continue to suffer from grave structural disadvantages in every location they were transported, enslaved and dehumanised. The UN has acknowledged this by designating a decade 20152024 to seek equality, justice, inclusion and recognition of the lived reality of approximately "200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent" living outside of the African continent - in the Americas and in other parts of the world. This stance was adopted by the UN following multiple studies and findings by international, regional and local institutions that 'whether as descendants of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade or as more recent migrants, they constitute some of the poorest and most

marginalized groups" and have restricted access to the quality of care and services and that they experience excessive "discrimination in their access to justice, and face alarmingly high rates of police violence, together with racial profiling."

The articulation of the Black Lives Matter ideology at this particular juncture in our country's history - in light of the chaotic 2020 elections and our deep ethnic cleavages has been condemned by some and derided by others as irrelevant to our particular environment. Indeed, the context of black lives in America in many respects is different from that of black lives in the Caribbean where most territories have majority black populations and black politicians hold political power. However, as noted these last two months in our sister CARICOM countries, the issue of non black domination - historically and contemporarily - of the economies of these countries, and the systematic exclusion of black people from the 'real' power FROM PAGE

economic power - ensure the perpetuation of the structural inequalities that were present

can descent to the margins.

Moreover in all CARICOM territories there are allegations

Professor, Melissa Ifill

since the days of enslavement and colonisation and the continued relegation of the majority population of Afri-

of over policing and police brutality targeting impoverished communities and in particular, black males.

These themes of economic marginalisation, state brutality and restricted access to power were precisely the issues raised by the African Guyanese community with the Special UN Rapporteur Gay McDougall who visited Guyana in 2008. She reported that the Afro-Guyanese experienced extra judicial killings of young men, 'feeling excluded from having a full voice and stake in the national polity and equal enjoyment of rights in many fields of life including employment and economic participation. They reported stigmatization of young Afro-Guyanese males and entire African communities. Derogatory stereotypes of criminality colour wider societal perceptions of Afro-Guyanese individuals and communities.'

Ms. MacDougall further asserted that "Current anti-discrimination legislation and policies are insufficient to address discrimination, exclusion and ethnically based bias. A new and robust anti-discrimination and equality plan of action is required to

be applied across all sectors of society to break down the barriers that have become ingrained in Guyana."

Acknowledging that Afro descendants have experienced marginalisation and discrimination within the Guyanese context does not suggest that other groups might not have had similar experiences. Indigenous peoples in Guyana were enslaved though not on the scale and for the length of time as Africans. Indigenous peoples still experience internal colonialism from the independent Guyanese state, they are marginalised and constitute the poorest of the poor using western measurements of wealth. East Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, West Indians and some Africans experienced that brutish system of indentureship. However, indentureship, horrible as it was, was definitely not equivalent to the experience of new world slavery, which was the greatest crime against humanity.

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‘Making the best ...

David, who makes handcrafted jewelry from leather, wood and other materials, noted that she will be returning to the streets on Saturday for any last-minute buyers.

Donette Cummings from DC Styles related that she has received a decent amount of support amid the pandemic to keep her business afloat during her few days on the Avenue.

“It surprised me although business is slow, what I like about the Guyanese is that they still come out and shop because of the culture day at workplaces you know I found more adults shopping,” the woman said.

The woman, who usually comes out during the Emancipation season, stated that due to schools being out, as many children would shop for cultural events at schools, sales were not as booming as they would usually be. Cummings, who sources and sews her own clothing designs, stated that amid the pandemic she added a bonus package to most of her outfits, making

matching face masks to go with suits and dresses.

Meanwhile, Chitiru (only name given) from G’s African best wear, noted that the atmosphere is not like it used to be due to the pandemic, however, herself and boss have managed to make a few sales. The young woman noted that given the situation with the current health crisis, she was not expecting sales to be a booming as it usually would, however, she is still grateful for the little sales she has managed to make.

Roxanne Adams, who owns a joint business with her sister and nephew, like many other vendors expressed that the season is not the same due to the virus, however, they are managing with the little they have managed to earn.

Adams noted that given the situation she won’t be working on Emancipation Day as she usually would, however she will be at home, where it is safe celebrating with the virtual programme.

Natasha David of David’s Creative Designs

Roxanne Adams having her ‘one of a kind’ headpiece designed by her nephew, Christian Adams, in preparation for the upcoming virtual Emancipation event scheduled to be held on Saturday (Photos by Delano Williams)

Donette Cummings from DC’s Styles showcasing her package deal outfits that comes along with matching masks

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Black lives matter and the time for ...

There appears to be a bid in Guyana to claim greatest victimhood. It is an unnecessary and strange desire manifested the counter calls 'all lives matter', 'Indian lives matter' and 'Indigenous lives matter'. All are absolutely true, All lives do matter but there is no need for competition or attempts at minimising the BLM movement. The Black Lives Matter movement is a signal moment in global history. While this is not the first time a call has been made for justice, equality and reparatory justice for Afro descendants - this dates back centuries - it is certainly the first time there has been an almost global recognition of the historic and contemporary dehumanising experiences of Africans in the diaspora, including in Guyana.

Under colonialism, ALL ethnic groups were exploited for the benefit of the metropole and its capitalist class but in so doing, some groups were offered carrots while Africans faced the big stick. Take for instance the extremely contentious land issue. Africans have long argued that they were historically disadvantaged regard-

ing land allocation by the state vis-à-vis the other ethnic groups in British Guiana/Guyana. The historical evidence appears to bear this out. Many are familiar with the African village movement in the post emancipation era. There was enormous land hunger on the part of emancipated Africans after 1838. The Africans had remarkably accumulated during slavery and apprenticeship, significant economic resources and purchased lands both on individual and community bases. By 1850, they had secured 16, 850 acres of land for which they paid in excess of $1 million.

By 1848 some 32,717 people resided on freehold properties and the total value of property (included buildings and other improvements as well as land amounted to almost 2.5 million.

However planters, who controlled the legislature, sought to prevent or restrict access to land. They therefore enacted laws, regulations and rules all aimed at forcing Africans to remain as labourers on the sugar estates.

The regulations, rules and laws included those that: restricted internal migration;

- imposed taxes to pressure people into wage labor; criminalised free movement under vagrancy laws; criminalised the occupation of land without permission; established systems of police, magistrates and prisons to punish those who violated the labour laws; - dramatically increased the price of crown lands and restricted the number of persons who could jointly purchase; offered lands for sale in undesirable locations and conditions (such as those that were not cleared or had easy access to transportation]; Africans’ desire for land and autonomy was nonetheless so enormous that they worked and accumulated the then astronomical sums mentioned previously to purchase land. This led to other actions by the colonial state and the plantocracy including:- flooding the villages, - denial of credit to improve the physical environment and engage in agricultural entrepreneurship,- denial of request to fund village infrastructure although infrastructure on plantations was funded through the public purse and efforts at seizing control of village administration.

In other words, Africans were not compensated for the centuries of forced labour (though their 'owners were compensated for loss of their 'property') and their efforts at self advancement were deliberately smashed to meet the labour needs of the plantation.

The historic village movement buckled under the weight of oppression and sabotage.

On the other hand the historical records show that the policy of the colonial state differed starkly when it came to indentured groups.

In the post emancipation era, there were numerous discussions, debates and resolutions introduced in the Court of Policy regarding land policies in British Guiana dealing with repatriation, settlement, criteria for land access, criteria for distributing gifts of land and for establishing house schemes. Most of these discussions were directly linked to indentureship schemes to secure a regular and cheap supply of labour on the plantations and have surplus reserve labour for the labour intensive periods of the crop cycle. As the most enduring and largest of the Indentureship schemes, most of these

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discussions were related to conditions under which lands could be granted to East Indian immigrants to persuade them to remain in the colony after their terms of indenture had been concluded. Concretely, land in exchange for passages for East Indian indentured Indians started in 1880, paused in 1882, recommenced in 1897, and stopped again in 1903. Between 1880 and 1882, 49 residential lots and 69 cultivated lots were granted to East Indians. 2,711 Indians meanwhile received land between 1897 and 1903: 1,206 got land in Helena, 574 got land in Whim, 755 received land in Bush Lot, and 176 received land in Maria’s Pleasure settlements.

The size of the lots were ranged between 5 to 10 acres – amounting to approximately 28,229 acres of land. During this period, in return East Indians forfeited about 5,550 of their return passage. There was a prior land settlement in 1865 for Chinese indentured immigrants. Hopetown village was established by the state as an inducement for these immigrants to settle permanently in Guyana. A grant from the local government

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was used to drain the land used for this settlement that was located, 22 miles up the Demerara River.

One colonial state. One overarching enduring aim satisfying the labouring needs of the plantocracy. This state however used differing policies which had differing impacts on the different groups.

One final word. The colonial state at the time of independence made as a condition of independence, the resolution of Indigenous land rights in an attempt to correct a historical wrong. It was the right thing to do and efforts to retard the resolution of these claims are wrong. No such reparatory justice was ever considered for people of African descent. Meanwhile the impact of myriad colonial policies continue to reverberate. Black lives matter. The time for equality, justice and reparations for African descendants is now.

I don't know the folks behind the painting of the BLM slogan in front of the Square of the Revolution but I dare say that Cuffy, our celebrated freedom fighter would have been proud.

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Emancipation flashback!

As Guyanese celebrate the 182nd Anniversary of Emancipation, the Guyana Chronicle reflects on some of the activities over the years to commemorate the occasion

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Emancipation flashback!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Afro-Guyanese group holds walk in remembrance of 1823 Revolution

A SMALL group of Afro-Guyanese from the Coalition for the 1823 Monument, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, participated in the annual Remembrance Walk from Le Resouvenir on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) to Parade Ground in memory of the 1823 martyrs.

The oldest person taking the journey was President of the Ghana Day Organisation, Sister Penda Guyan. Amidst the

sounds of drum beating, she told the Guyana Chronicle of the motivation behind the walk and what it signifies. Guyan first shared that the 1823 revolution was the continuation of the 1763 uprising --- an organised revolt which was later known as the Berbice Slave Rebellion.

On August 18, 1823, a two-day uprising of over 10,000 enslaved Africans, led by those of the highest status amongst them, took place in the Crown Colony of Demerara-Essequibo.

The enslaved Africans were fuelled mainly by poor treatment and the deliberate withholding of information by the planters on England’s orders that immediate and effective measures be taken for the abolition of slavery See page 20

Some of the individuals who made the walk from Le Ressouvenir.

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Drummers strap themselves tightly to the back of a car that transports them along the route to Parade Ground

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Afro-Guyanese group holds walk in remembrance ...

From page 19

throughout the British colonies.

The rebellion was deemed largely non-violent as the enslaved Africans tied up the whites, relieving them of their weapons and ammunition. Guyan said that the 1823 revolution was one of the biggest in the region, at that time. It was chiefly instigated by Jack Gladstone, a slave at the Success plantation; his father, Quamina Gladstone, and other senior members of their church group, the Bethel Chapel of the London Missionary Society. However, on August 20, 1823, the Africans were defeated by the colonial cavalry, and over 200 were killed. Following the rebellion, the government sentenced another 45 men to death and 27 were executed.

Many heads were placed on spikes and dead bodies were publicly displayed at what is now known as Parade Ground, which originally stretched from New Market Street to Quamina Street. It served as a means to discourage other enslaved Africans from rebelling against their masters. “They made them carry their own coffins all along Main Street into the Parade Ground where they

were executed, the ring leaders. They gave them a mock trial and executed them,” Guyan said.

“Why we do the walk, is that we’re remembering the sacrifices that they made, the blueprint they left us. They left us an example of what we should do. So, every year we try to do a recreation of the

steps that they took. We do this walk to see how it must have felt for our ancestors to have to do this bearing in mind they were in chains and shackles.”

In September 2019, members of the African community in Guyana were overjoyed that the sod was officially turned for the erection of an

This image depicts the punishment of slaves convicted of participating in the major 1823 slave revolt in Demerara, British Guiana. 1) upper left, Quamina on plantation Success; 2) upper right, Lindor on La Bonne Intention; 3), lower left, Paul at Friendship, and two heads at the middle-walk of Plantation New Orange Nassau; 4), lower right, Telemachus and Jemmy, on Bachelor’s Adventure. (British Library photo)

1823 memorial in memory of those who lost their lives during the 1823 Demerara Rebellion. Guyan and others believe that placement of the monument at the ground acknowledges the right of those who brutally lost their lives to have their wandering spirits be laid to rest, know-

ing that the whole truth of the rebellion will be told.

During the walk, some members of the Coalition for the 1823 Monument used the occasion to protest against what they believe are the common-day injustices in Guyana. Their placards were specifically related to the on-

going elections and their call for authenticity to form the basis from which the result of the elections is declared.

Guyan said that, though the pandemic has forced many persons to remain indoors, she is pleased that some have decided to make the walk

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton (left) and President of the Ghana Day Organisation, Sister Penda Guyan turn the sod at Parade Ground in September 2019 where the new memorial will be placed. In the background are Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore (left) and Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine (Samuel Maughn photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

African groups host colourful Emancipation programme

THE St Peters African Apostolic Church in collaboration with the Guyana United Apostolic Mystical Council hosted its 15th Annual Emancipation Day celebration at the Square of the Revolution.

The event was pre-recorded and was aired last evening on the National Communications Network. It featured several activities including dances and songs and poetry and spoken word pieces, highlighting the meaning of emancipation.

The recording of the event drew a fair number of spectators. Organiser of the programme’s cultural aspect, Wendy Hermonstine, told the Guyana Chronicle that the importance of the event to her is a time of reflection, stating, “the activity is not just for entertainment, it’s a time to remember where we came from, where we are and where we want to go.” She stated that the activity has been a significant part of sharing and showcasing African culture.

Hermonstine further explained that due to the COVID-19 guidelines, several changes had to be made to host the programme. She stated that the programme is usually held on July 31 and usually draws a large gathering of Guyanese, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it had to be pre-recorded to be aired on July 31 and did not allow for persons other than the performers being present at the activity.

The activities at the day’s proceedings

featured several persons showcasing colour traditional clothing and headwear, and dances.

Several Afro-Guyanese artistes took to the stage to showcase their talents in observance of the sacrifices, struggles and triumphs of their African fore parents.

Some of the artistes include Charmaine Blackman, Calvin Burnette, Mark Baptiste, Onika Joseph, Hopetown Folk Group, Enigma Dance Studio and Young Bill Rogers.

Some of the performers at the St Peters African Apostolic Church annual Pre Emancipation Day Celebration (Mondale Smith photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

UN Women, IDB urge Caribbean to integrate gender as catalyst for economic recovery THE UN entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women (UN Women), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), convened High-Level representatives from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for an in-depth discussion on the urgency of addressing the care economy and the impact on women, who comprise the majority of unpaid care workers.

Participants included ministers of finance, planning, gender and social protection, representatives from the Economic Commission

for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), members of the diplomatic corps and officials of agencies responsible for gender.

Rising demand for care in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and response has deepened already-existing inequalities in the gendered division of labour, placing a disproportionate burden on women and girls with potential long-term implications for their health, wellbeing and economic empowerment.

The full potential and sustainability of the economic recovery requires the care sector to be functioning well.

Global studies have demonstrated that investments in care services and infrastructure can potentially create up to 2.5 more jobs than investments in regular infrastructure. The virtual roundtable provided the opportunity for representatives to share strategies that are effective, experiences, practical initiatives and collaborations that are integrating social protection into the economic recovery.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, reflected on the ‘5R Strategy’ for addressing unpaid care work in the Caribbean Community

(CARICOM),which includes recognizing unpaid care work through measurement and data collection; reducing unpaid care work through the universal provision of services (i.e. day care services); redistributing unpaid care work within homes, between men and women, and with the state and the private sector through policies and programmes; rewarding paid care work in line with decent work remuneration; and representation of care workers in social dialogue and collective bargaining.

“This conversation was an important opportunity to

discuss how the Caribbean will build back better from the COVID-19 crisis. We heard about timely and comprehensive social protection interventions by the region’s governments – many with the support of the private sector – to address economic hardship and job losses, as well as initiatives to support families. At UN Women, we are committed to continuing to support the Governments and the people of the Caribbean in developing policies and programmes that address the needs of women, both in the private sector and in the informal sector, to ensure no one is left behind in the rebuilding of the region’s economies,” said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.

CARICOM, with technical support from UN Women, has agreed to measure unpaid care and domestic work though the 2020 Round of Census, with Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago piloting this methodology. Therese Turner-Jones, General Manager of the Caribbean Country Department, IDB, pointed to a recent survey of Caribbean households conducted by the IDB. It showed that the pandemic has had a greater negative effect on women’s employment, nutrition and safety. “This was an important and timely conversation, which we hope will lead to the creation of economic recovery strategies that are sensitive to the realities of women in our region—who are facing more job losses and domestic violence

under the pandemic,” said Therese Turner-Jones, General Manager, Caribbean Country Department, IDB. “It allowed us to learn from the ongoing experiences of countries and share specific ways the care economy can contribute to resilient recovery. We were encouraged by the rich discussion and the innovative approaches that countries are undertaking and really appreciated the sharing of experiences, knowledge, and insights. IDB Caribbean is committed to supporting governments as they integrate gender as a catalyst for economic recovery.” The participants called for sustained investments in the care economy to be at the centre of efforts to ‘build back better’ and to focus on redressing long-standing gender inequalities in paid work and unpaid care.

Ministers of Finance, Gender and Social Development and other government officials highlighted concrete social protection measures that have been implemented in various CARICOM countries, which have worked and directly benefitted women, such as: an income support programme in St. Lucia for those most affected in the service industry; a cash transfer tourism grant in Jamaica; paid leave in Trinidad and Tobago to care for children and elders; food assistance programmes in Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas; a Household Survival Programme in Barbados; and stimulus packages in St. Vincent and Grenada.

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2,006 persons repatriated to Guyana since May

THE Government of Guyana, through the collaborative efforts of the National COVID-19 Task Force, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health and the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has brought home 2,006 Guyanese including students who were left stranded

overseas as a result of the closure of airports, in an effort to combat the spread of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This number is expected to increase over the coming weeks as the government continues to broker agreements for repatriation flights, which would see

more citizens being able to return home.

Thus far, there have been flights from New York, Miami, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Canada, St. Maarten, Jamaica, Suriname, Grenada and Curaçao. Chief Executive Officer of the National Task Force Secretariat, Mr. Joseph Harmon, said the

Guyanese disembark an Eastern Airlines flight from New York recently government is cognisant of the challenges citizens face while they are stranded overseas. He noted that while the Task Force has been taking measures to

ensure Guyanese at home are safe and the numbers of infected persons are minimised, it has also been working assiduously to ensure that persons who were left stranded, could return home during this difficult period.

“While we have been working to ensure that Guyanese at home are taken care of and remain safe during this period, we have also taken stock of the number of persons who were left stuck or stranded in different parts of the world. Some were without financial and other support, while others had family emergencies and other situations that they would have liked to be there for.

So, we have decided that we must get our citizens home, but in a manner that still ensures we follow all the necessary protocols and does not jeopardise the health and wellbeing of any one or everyone,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) Egbert Field, in an invited comment, said the GCAA has been working around the clock to ensure that citizens are presented with an opportunity to return home while reducing the risk to other travellers and Guyanese at home. “We work in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Health. We would decide on a location and then set a date and time.

Once we have decided on that, we make contact with the appropriate airline. Depending on the location, we decide whether it is going to be airline ‘A’ or airline ‘B’. For instance, for North America, we can call upon Eastern Airlines and for the Caribbean, there is Caribbean Airlines. We then have to look at the paperwork for the aircraft to ensure they have all the appropriate systems in place.

Once that has been settled,

we must then look at the list of applications and ensure every person has a valid PCR test before they can be placed on the approved list to travel,” he explained.

Colonel Field noted that the GCAA works closely with the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that the PCR tests are genuine and valid before passengers are given the go-ahead to travel. He noted that once this is done, the approved list is then sent off to the airline. The airline must then make contact with the approved persons so they can purchase their tickets.

“The airline cannot sell a ticket to anyone outside of that approved list because everyone on that approved list would have gone through a process to ensure they are safe to travel. That is why we have such a stringent system in place. It is to ensure that someone cannot just go and purchase a ticket without undergoing the health and other checks that are in place. We have to ensure every citizen is safe guarded,” he said.

Meanwhile, incoming passengers, many of whom have been stranded overseas since March, said they were happy to be home albeit the world is still grappling with daily increases in the number of recorded cases. Mr. William Wilson, who arrived from a Caribbean Airlines flight out of Trinidad and Tobago said, “It has been a very stressful time but I am very happy to be home.” Ms. Pennyann John was slated to return home since March 24, 2020. On her arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), she said, “It is so good to be back home.

I feel so happy to be home.

I was just out for two weeks in March and the borders closed and I have been away for all this time.

It was rough time, but I am so pleased to be back home.” (Ministry of the Presidency)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Courts hosts Emancipation celebrations THE Staff and management of Courts Guyana Main Street Branch, on Thursday, dressed in their African attire in observance of annual Emancipation celebrations.

The company believes that as a country Guyanese must collectively build on these triumphs, persevere and resolutely aspire to greater heights and a deepening of the spirit of social cohesion.

Courts Brand Manager, Roberta Ferguson, stated that due to the COVID-19 guidelines for social distancing, it had to cancel its annual Emancipation Celebration and Cultural Display Ceremony at its Main Street, Georgetown branch, which sees its main activity as a “Best Dressed” competition which was keenly contested by COURTS employees.

Ferguson stated that although the company cannot host its annual activity, it has donated $100,000 to the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA), online Emancipation Celebration.

Further, Ferguson stated COURTS Guyana understands the significance of the company’s continued observance of the historic movement saying that “It is important that we at Courts encourage this because this leads to a better understanding of each other’s culture as we celebrate together.”

Staff members of COURTS Guyana Main Street Branch

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Gov’t rolls out vocational training for Sophia youths

YOUTHS between the ages of 16 to 25 years will be exposed to six months of vocational skills training compliments of the Sophia Training Centre.

The programme which is being undertaken by the Ministry of the Presidency Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sports, caters for youths who are residents of Sophia and its environment and will last for six months. Areas that will be covered in the training programme include; catering, information tech-

nology, plumbing, masonry, welding and fabrication and refrigeration and air conditioning.

Application forms are available at the Training Centre, Dennis Street Sophia, Monday to Friday between 8:00 hours and 14:00 hours or contact 219-0075, or 219- 0076. In September, 2019, more than 50 persons graduated from the Social Protection Ministry’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme as the government continues to empower and provide opportunities for the young people of the country.

The graduates were trained in the areas of Heavy Duty Equipment Operation and Apiculture. The training courses were facilitated by the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport – Youth Empowerment Unit, in collaboration with BIT. The Coalition government during the year 2019 had rolled out a number of skill training programmes in an effort to reduce youth unemployment and increase entrepreneurship and mentorship training in the nation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Zijin Mining receives remaining Chinese regulatory approvals for Guyana Goldfields Inc. acquisition ZIJIN Mining Group Co., Ltd. has received the remaining required Chinese regulatory approvals, namely approvals from the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the People’s Republic of China, with respect to the acquisition of shares of Guyana Goldfields Inc. This was announced on Friday by Guyana Goldfields Inc. in a press release. Pursuant to the Arrangement, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Guyana Goldfields Inc. not already owned by Zijin for cash consideration of C$1.85 per share.

The company also announced that the hearing of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for the final order to approve the arrangement, which was previously scheduled for July 30, 2020, has been deferred to August 14, 2020.

“This delay is the result of two third parties who have each advised the court that they will be appearing at the Fairness Hearing seeking for the company to set aside, in anticipation of the completion of the arrangement, funds for the potential payment of certain unproven claims they have made against the company.

Neither such third party has indicated that it is seeking to challenge the fairness of the arrangement to shareholders of the company. However, in order to enable certain court-related procedures pertaining to these two third parties to be completed prior to the Fairness Hearing, such hearing will now take place on such later date,” the release said.

Guyana Goldfields Inc. said that subject to the satisfaction of all conditions precedent to completion of the arrangement (including receipt of the Final Order), the completion of the arrangement is still anticipated to occur in August 2020.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Fans not allowed at British pilot sports

FANS will not be allowed to attend the pilot sports events scheduled for this weekend in England after a spike in coronavirus cases, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Spectators were due to watch the first two days of two county cricket matches, while 205 fans were at the start of the World Snooker Championship yesterday.

It was also hoped to allow 4 000 racegoers at Goodwood today.

The new restrictions on fans will be enforced until at least August 15.

The announcement comes after general restrictions were reintroduced for people in parts of northern England.

“Pilots of larger crowds at sports venues will not take place,” Johnson said at a news conference yesterday.

“I said from May we would not hesitate to put on the brakes at the slightest sign that the numbers were going in the wrong direction.”

Johnson had said earlier this month that spectators could return to stadiums in England from October.

THE PLANNED PILOTS

- AND REACTION Fans were already at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield when the prime minister spoke yesterday, with announcer Rob Walker shouting “we are back” as play started, before adding: “Our socially-distanced crowd are poised to roar once more.”

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn was shown smiling, clapping and fist-pumping, as spectators - some wearing masks - cheered on the first players Judd Trump and Tom Ford.

Just hours earlier, Hearn had told BBC of his “pride” and “relief” at getting fans back at events.

However, while those with tickets for yesterday’s further sessions were allowed to stay, there will now be no spectators permitted at the Crucible Theatre from today.

Fans with tickets will be given a refund, or be allowed to use them next year.

After the government decision, Hearn told BBC Sport he was “gutted” and “disappointed” to not have an atmosphere, but added: “The show must go on.

“There is a chance - I’m

Sport has been held behind closed doors since its return, including England’s Test series against West Indies.

forever the optimist - that maybe a return for the final (on August 16) is the earliest possible opportunity.

“Congratulations to those guys who went today because they will be able to talk about this for the rest of their lives - the ultimate golden ticket.

“I’ve never known a circumstance change in a couple of hours, but that is symbolic of what is happening in the world at the moment.

“We don’t go off into a corner or go into sulks or

tears, we get the job done.”

Two matches in cricket’s Bob Willis Trophy starting today had been due to welcome spectators - Surrey v Middlesex at the Oval and Warwickshire against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: “We understand the reasons the government has made this decision, and remain ready to work with them to ensure supporters can safely return

to stadiums when government advice allows.

“We are pleased the Bob Willis Trophy will still begin this weekend behind closed doors, and fans will be able to watch their teams in action through the online streams being provided.”

The Oval had been due to host 2 500 fans today and tomorrow, having held the first pilot last weekend of 1 000 fans.

Surrey chief executive Richard Gould said: “A lot of

hard work has taken place to ensure that members and fans could return to our ground safely.

“We still hope to welcome members to the ground for future matches this summer, and we will continue to work with the ECB and the government to encourage this to happen.”

A statement from Goodwood racecourse said: “We are very disappointed for those who were hoping to attend tomorrow’s event and for all those who have worked so hard to make it possible for spectators to be present.

“We will engage with public health authorities and the DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) over a rescheduled pilot at the earliest opportunity.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden posted on social media that it was “very disappointing news”.

“I know the huge efforts cricket, snooker and horseracing have made to welcome fans back. We’ll keep working together on their safe return ASAP,” he added.

James calls for ‘foot on the gas’ in BLM movement (BBC) - Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James called for players to “keep our foot on the gas” in the push for racial justice as the NBA season resumed in Orlando.

The staff of Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans the four teams in action on

Thursday night - all knelt during the pre-match anthem.

“In the past when we’ve seen progress, we’ve let our foot of the gas a little bit. We can’t do that,” said James.

“We want to keep our foot on the gas.”

Before the anthems,

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (SATURDAY AUGUST 1, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK - STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) &CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz (1) Zak Crawley (ENG) (2)22 Tests Today’s Quiz: (1) Who took the Man of the Match in the third

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television coverage of the matches broadcast an introductory segment - narrated by rapper Meek Mill - that promoted social justice initiatives and the campaign for societal change sparked by viral video of the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis in May. Instead of displaying their names on the back of their jerseys, several players wore a slogan from a list approved by the league organisers, including ‘Black Lives Matter’, ‘Say Their Names’ and ‘I Can’t Breathe’.

James, 35, who kept his own name on his jersey as none of the slogans “seriously resonated” with his goals, said that basketball has the power to make a change globally.

“The game of basketball has always been bigger than just the ball and the rim and 10 guys on the floor,” he told TNT. “It’s an opportunity to use this platform to be able to spread a lot of positives, a lot of love, throughout the

LeBron James (left) got the better of Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers when the action got under way.

whole world.”

New Orleans Pelicans’ meeting with the Utah Jazz was the first NBA match in more than four months after the league had been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 22 teams with a chance of making the post-season play-offs have assembled in a bio-secure ‘bubble’ at Walt Disney World, Orlando to play out

the remainder of the season at the resort’s elite-level basketball facilities.

Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans players took a knee before the first game of the NBA’s restart.

All matches are taking place without fans and even the opening-night anthems, performed by jazz star Jon Batiste and Compton Kidz Club respectively, were performed virtually and dis-

played via video link.

The headline match-up of the evening, which pitted James against Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, lived up to billing with the Lakers shading a see-saw contest 103-101.

Earlier the Jazz, who are fourth in the Western Conference, came on strong in the final quarter to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-104.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Santner set for back-to-back leagues NEW Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner is all set to stay away from home for as many as four months in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic as he flies off to play in the CPL first and then the IPL. A party of ten will fly out from New Zealand this week for the CPL after obtaining no-objection certificates from NZC, of which Santner, Ish Sodhi and Brendon McCullum will then head over to the UAE in September to be a part of the IPL. Santner is the only one who will play in both leagues, for Barbados Tridents first

then Chennai Super Kings, as Sodhi will be playing for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL but working as spin consultant for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, while McCullum will be head coach of the two Knight Riders franchises - Trinbago and Kolkata.

Ross Taylor, Colin Munro, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Corey Anderson, Scott Kuggeleijn and Nick Kelly are the other New Zealand players set to feature only in the CPL, while Lockie Ferguson Jimmy Neesham, Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan and Kane Williamson should make the trip across for the

IPL. Santner admitted there were risks involved in flying through different continents and staying in hotels, even though there are going to be all sorts of safety apparatus in place. “It’s an interesting one. I’m going through America and I’ll park up in the (airport) lounge in the corner somewhere. It’s one of the risks we’ve got to think about,” Santner told stuff. co.nz.

“They’ve put an extensive booklet together about what happens in each circumstance which has been good, and a bit of clarity around where

we’re staying. It seems like they’ve got it under control.”

Santner, Sodhi and McCullum have a slim window to travel between the two leagues as the CPL ends on September 10 in Trinidad and the IPL begins only nine days later, with the quarantine rules for entering bio-secure bubbles in the IPL not defined yet. With IPL scheduled to end on November 8 or 10, the trio will then be expected to quarantine for two weeks once they get back to New Zealand.

“At this stage we’ll just fly straight across (from the Caribbean),” Santner said of

getting to the IPL. “I’m not sure what quarantine looks like yet (before the IPL), but there are some other big dogs like Dwayne Bravo and Brendon McCullum I can tag along with.”

Santner will have another group to fly with after the CPL as the likes of Rashid Khan, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard are also expected to be at the IPL. Santner was part of the last international match that took place before the COVID-19 crisis hit the world, when New Zealand took on Australia behind

closed doors in Sydney in March. More recently, the New Zealand players - men and women - have attended camps in Lincoln and Mount Maunganui to train for the cricket scheduled ahead.

“It’ll be exciting to play some cricket again,” Santner said. “It’s been a slow winter but good to be at home for a bit and train and do all the fitness work.

Chris (Donaldson, New Zealand strength and conditioning coach) put us through the wringer the last six weeks so it’s nice to go away and not see him for a few months.”

Pollard to continue as TKR captain

(ESPNCRICINFO) - West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard will continue to lead Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) for the upcoming CPL season.

Pollard had been named Knight Riders’ replacement captain after regular captain Dwayne Bravo was sidelined from the entire CPL 2019 with an injury.

After captaining Knight Riders to the playoffs - they were beaten by eventual champions Barbados Tridents in the second qualifier - Pollard took over as the captain of West Indies’ ODI and T20I sides.

It was Bravo who had led Knight Riders to back-toback title victories in 2017

and 2018, but, according to Venky Mysore, the CEO of the team as well as Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Bravo wasn’t keen to lead the side earlier too, and instead wanted to focus on his career as a player.

“We are happy that Kieron who is the West Indies captain is our leader at TKR,” Mysore was quoted by Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. “The champion DJ Bravo has been coming to me year after year and asking me to give someone else the captaincy because he wants to just concentrate on playing and enjoying the game. I always told him, not until I am ready and that time has come and he is very happy to play

Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo share a great relationship. (AFP)

under Pollard.”

Pollard and Bravo also share a great relationship and when Bravo announced his

decision to come out T20I retirement last December, he talked up Pollard’s captaincy.

ECB looking at 30-50 percent stadium capacity (ESPNCRICINFO) - The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is hopeful of getting the government’s clearance to fill 30-50 % of the stadiums with spectators for IPL 2020, which is scheduled to be held in the country from September 19 to November 10.

“We will definitely want our people to experience this prestigious event but it is totally the government’s decision,” UAE board secretary Mubashshir Usmani told PTI. “For most events here, the number ranges from 30 to 50% capacity; we are

looking at a similar number.

We are hopeful of getting our government’s approval on that.”

Currently, the UAE has just over 6 200 active cases of COVID-19, and Usmani believed that it would reduce further by the time the IPL gets underway.

“The UAE government has been very efficient in bringing down the case numbers,” he said. We are almost living a normal life with certain rules and protocols to be followed. And with the IPL still some time way, we will be in an even better place

than what it is right now.”

The UAE board has received an official letter of intent from the BCCI for hosting IPL 2020, and is now waiting for the formal nod from the Indian government to “ink the final deal” with the BCCI. The protocols for the tournament in the UAE are expected to be finalised during the IPL governing council’s meeting on August 2.

But would the UAE board be able to manage the training sessions of eight franchises?

“UAE is blessed with the

“They are great friends and they will both come together to give us the best chance at the CPL this year,” Mysore said.

“Bravo said he has played under Pollard before and this will be the best thing at this time for all parties. Pollard was kind enough to accept the position to lead the team at the tournament. He said if we wanted him to do it he will and we said that we will be delighted to have him as captain again.”

During the draft that was held virtually on June 24, Knight Riders snapped up 48-year old Indian leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza and local quick Ander-

son Phillip.

Earlier, Knight Riders retained their core from last season and signed New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert, Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed and fast bowler Jayden Seales, who had represented West Indies in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.

Knight Riders will play five-time finalists Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL 2020 opener on August 18. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire tournament will be held in Trinidad & Tobago this year, with the final scheduled for September 11 at Brian Lara Stadium.

The IPL goes to the UAE in search of bio-security. (BCCI)

support of private infrastructure,” Usmani said. “We are able to deliver such events and have delivered before.

Last year, we hosted the T20 World Cup qualifier which had 14 teams.”

It’s not a completely new experience for the ECB, as the first 20 games of the 2014 IPL were held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah because of the Indian general elections.

“Last time also, it contributed significantly to the UAE economy,” Usmani said. “With the full tournament taking place this time, it will be a much bigger boost.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Brooks’ subtlety with bat invaluable to West Indies team

By Clifton Ross WEST Indies middle-order batsman Shamarh Brooks came out of the England series as one of the bright stars amidst the Caribbean side’s failed attempt to capture the Wisden Trophy.

Having a mere 6 Tests under his belt at 31, the Barbados batsman was among the leading run-scorers for the West Indies, finishing in the top 10 batting charts after the 3-match series ended a few days ago.

The right-hander got off to a slow start before looking more

settled as the series progressed. Failing in the first innings of the Test, Brooks rebounded with a second-innings 39, a match which the visitors won thanks mainly to their pacers.

The second match, arguably the most important of the series saw England need to rebound in order to save the series. Although Joe Root and his men pulled off a heist, Brooks almost kept things in his team’s favour with a pair of backto-back fifties.

Brooks stroked a composed 62 with 4 fours and a pair of sixes in the first innings, making amends for

his personal woes in the first game.

His second attempt to help the tourists secure the series, saw the President’s XI batsman better his first-innings score with an even more confident-looking 68 with 11 fours.

While no Windies batsman managed to make a century, Brooks was undoubtedly one of the X-factors behind his team’s semi-successful attempt to create history on English soil.

Brooks himself was keen on doing well during the tour and despite not finishing with a century, the Barbados Tridents batsman still

managed to save face and keep his spot in the team due to his classy performances.

Adding to the conditions of the tour which was played during the pandemic, both sides were forced to mentally adjust to the safety guidelines and rule of social distancing.

Apart from Jermaine Blackwood who hit 95 in the first game to steer his team home, ending as the leading run-getter for his team and 4th overall in the series, it was Brooks’ pair of half-centuries which highlighted the tour for West Indies.

His ability to quickly adapt to conditions while batting with intent

to score but play the anchor role between the top and lower-order is enough to justify him sealing either the 4th or 5th spot in the Windies batting line-up.

More importantly, Brooks’ current form is good for his fellow countrymen in the Test team like Roston Chase, Kraigg Brathwaite and especially Shai Hope who had a horrid tour of England.

Looking ahead to the next assignment for the Caribbean side, it will be interesting to see what role Brooks will play as a batsman and possibly one of the new-found leaders in the batting department.

Albon crashes as Stroll tops FP1

(BBC) - Alexander Albon suffered a heavy crash in his Red Bull as Lance Stroll’s Racing Point set the pace in second practice at the British Grand Prix.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton were only third and fifth, struggling with the windy conditions and balance on the ‘soft’ tyres.

Albon was second fastest, 0.090 seconds behind Stroll, but crashed at Stowe.

Albon has a new race engineer as Red Bull try to help the inexperienced driver cope with a difficult car.

The Anglo-Thai’s crash was the umpteenth time either he or team-mate Max Verstappen has lost the rear of his car mid-corner this season as the team battle with an aerodynamic instability problem with their new design.

Red Bull brought Daniel Ricciardo’s former engineer Simon Rennie back to the race team to try to help Albon out and the 24-year-old had looked like he was in decent shape before the crash.

“The rear went quite quickly and I struggled to correct it,” said Albon. “I thought I had it but then you get the tank-slapper as well.

We’ll have a look at the data

Alexander Albon crashed hard in FP1.

and see.

“We’ve definitely made a step as a team. The car feels good and we expected worse to be honest. The car was hooked up straightaway. I’m sure the Merc are hiding quite a lot but as a car it feels well balanced.

“But the weather is different to what we expect tomorrow so it will be a reset.”

Team-mate Max Verstappen was only 14th, after getting blocked by Haas driver Romain Grosjean on his sole

flying lap on the soft tyre, but appeared to have similar pace to Bottas on the medium tyre on a long run.

Hamilton, split from his team-mate by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth, looked very fast on the race-simulation runs later in the session, but the teams ran different programmes at different times so it was difficult to compare them as accurately as normal.

“Quite a difficult day, to be honest,” said Hamil-

ton. “It’s always windy here, which is a good thing about this track but it has made it really tricky today with the car and the balance is not as good as I would like so we are just going to work on it tonight.

“It is not a disaster but it has been a hard day of driving.”

Leclerc’s team-mate Sebastian Vettel had a difficult day, missing nearly all the first session with an intercooler problem and then being delayed in the second session

by a need to change his pedals after he complained of something loose in the cockpit. He ended up 18th.

Temperatures were extremely high at Silverstone yesterday, hitting 35C during the course of the afternoon.

But conditions are expected to be significantly cooler over the weekend, which means the times from yesterday are especially unrepresentative.

But Stroll’s time underlines Racing Point’s emer-

gence as a contender close to the front this year, in a car that has been dubbed the ‘pink Mercedes’ as the team admit to copying last year’s world title-winning car.

Behind the top five, McLaren’s Carlos Sainz was sixth, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who is subbing for Sergio Perez at Racing Point after the Mexican contracted coronavirus.

Perez says he is asymptomatic but is forced to self-isolate and may miss next weekend’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, again back at Silverstone.

Hulkenberg flew to Silverstone on Thursday night after Perez’s test result and spent the evening learning about the car and having a seat fit.

He then was confirmed only minutes before the first session in the morning when his coronavirus test came back negative.

Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly was eighth, ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, both running new parts on their cars.

Sainz’s team-mate Lando Norris was 11th quickest, just over 0.3secs behind the Spaniard, while George Russell put the Williams 17th fastest.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 1, 2020

Murray touts ‘severe repercussions’ for bio-safety breach (BBC) - Britain’s Andy Murray says there must be “severe repercussions” for players who break the US Open safety bubble at next month’s Grand Slam in New York.

The event is set to be held without fans at Flushing Meadows with players having to follow strict measures.

But there are fears some may break the curfew by going out in Manhattan and putting the event in jeopardy.

“The repercussions should be quite serious, you end up putting the whole tour and event at risk,” said Murray.

The United States Tennis Association is hosting a double tournament at Flushing Meadows, having moved the Cincinnati Masters to New York.

The event will be staged at the Billie Jean King Ten-

nis Centre from August 22, with the US Open taking place immediately afterwards on August 31.

Former world number one Murray, who is continuing to build up his fitness after pelvic and shin issues this year, is planning to play both events.

USTA measures within the safety bubble include regular testing, mitigation measures and increased sanitisation. The organisation said yesterday it was confident the health and safety of everyone involved in the tournaments remained “on track”.

“I think the majority of players will follow the rules but it would be silly to expect nobody would break the rules and the protocols,” said Murray.

Last week, American player Danielle Collins was

dismissed from the World Team Tennis event in West Virginia for breaching coronavirus protocols.

Collins drove two hours away to the neighbouring state of Virginia, telling the New York Times she travelled to buy supplements to help with her rheumatoid arthritis.

“In the NBA for example, which I think will be a similar set-up to the tennis, players have broken the bubble so we should be preparing for that,” added Murray.

“The USTA is going through a huge effort to try to get this on and make it as safe as possible so if players aren’t abiding by the rules the repercussions should be severe.”

The 33-year-old Scot is expecting to book his flights to New York over the

weekend, with the number of cases continuing to decrease in the state.

Once the epicentre of the pandemic, New York recorded 668 new cases this week, but the US as a whole

is seeing rising infections, recording nearly 1.8 million new coronavirus cases in July, while the death rate rose 19%.

Australia’s women’s world number one Ash-

leigh Barty pulled out of the US Open on Thursday because of her concerns, although Murray said the decisions of other players had no bearing on his own plans.

Shamarh Brooks works the ball into the leg side. (Getty Images)

Brooks’ subtlety with bat invaluable to West Indies team PAGE

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Santner set for back-to-back leagues See story on page 37 Mitchell Santner is set to fly out across continents soon. (Getty Images)

Players were able to wear slogans from a league-approved list on the back of their jerseys

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James calls for ‘foot on the gas’ in BLM movement Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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