Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_03_12_2020

THURSDAY 12th March, 2020

' No.105937

Guyana records first case of Coronavirus

…woman back from New York dies at GPHC during treatment

SEE STORY ON PAGE 03

…President discourages public gatherings, non-essential travel President David Granger with Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, OR, at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

‘Back to verification’

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…Court orders GECOM to return to verification process of Region 4 votes …finds RO actions to be in breach of law; nullifies declared results

Former Registrar of Deeds guilty

CARICOM delegation holds talks with political leaders SEE STORY ON PAGE 14

…ordered to repay state $4.5M on fraud charge

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Statement by His Excellency David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana on the Coronavirus G

uyanese, it is my sad duty to announce Guyana confirmed its first imported case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Georgetown on Wednesday 11th March 2020.

The patient has been identified as a 52-year-old Guyanese female who had travelled from the United States of America, which has reported cases of COVID-19. She arrived in the country on 5th March, presented to the public health system on 10th March and was found to have uncontrolled Diabetes and Hypertension. She subsequently died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation at 08:00 hours on 11th March.

Health professionals sought to conduct tests for COVID-19 based on the patient’s travel history. A clinical sample was collected and sent at 10:00 hours on 11th March 2020 to the National Reference Laboratory, where laboratory test confirmed the diagnosis at approximately 17:00 hours. The patient’s infection is classified an imported case.

Measures are being taken to prevent the risk of community spread. These measures include: - dispatch of a health team to the home of the deceased for assessment and initiation of public health prevention measures; - identification and contact tracing for all possible exposed persons; - meeting of Ministry officials with members of staff at the hospital; and, - implementation of necessary interventions.

Screening remains in place for those persons arriving from high-risk countries. Seven countries – Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, French Guiana, Panama, St. Vincent and the United States of America – have been added to the list of eight (People’s Republic of China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Iran) that was previously made public. I advise, further, that: - public gatherings be discouraged; - non-essential travel be discouraged; - competent agencies continue to patrol irregular border crossings; and - enhanced sensitization of key personnel at all air and seaports is to continue.

The Ministry of Public Health has designated three quarantine facilities; others will be identified.

The Ministry, also, has: - developed the local capacity to test for the COVID-19, thanks to training provided by the Pan-American Health Organization; it is on that capacity that we relied for this test result; - assessed the readiness of our health facilities to meet the anticipated increase in demand on services; - continued to fill existing gaps, including with respect of additional supplies and equipment, though, at the present time, the Ministry has enough personal protective equipment in the country for our health facilities. It has, also, adequate stores of respiratory medicine for the next three months; - trained, and continues to train, health-care providers and first-responders; and - heightened Active Surveillance.

These efforts are supported by a communications campaign to keep the population updated on the virus and its impacts and oversight provided by the Health Emergency Operations Centre. The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) will be activated to provide sector wide support.

The Ministry of Public Health is also urging the public to adhere to infection prevention and control measures, particularly to: - maintain a distance of at least one metre from persons who are coughing or sneezing; - perform hand hygiene frequently by washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer if hands are not visibly soiled; - cover mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and then discarding it; and - resist the habit to touch the face.

I use this opportunity to appeal to the public to remain calm and to implement all the advisories relating to personal hygiene, social distancing and overall infection prevention and control. The Government of Guyana will continue to keep the public informed as we manage this public health challenge.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Guyana records first case of Coronavirus …woman back from New York dies at GPHC during treatment …President discourages public gatherings, non-essential travel

By Navendra Seoraj GUYANESE woman with travel history to the United States died at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Wednesday, from the dreaded coronavirus.

The 52-year-old Guyanese woman lived at Good Hope on the East Coast of Demerara and reportedly only recently returned from New York with family members.

President David Granger, in a statement on Wednesday, confirmed that the case of the 52-year-old woman was the first “imported case” of the COVID-19 in Georgetown.

President Granger said the woman arrived in the country on March 5, 2020 and was presented to the public health system on March 10. At that time, she was found to have uncontrolled Diabetes and Hypertension, but subsequently

can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Meanwhile, early in the day, on Wednesday, health authorities had said the woman also had flu-like symptoms and travelled from a “high risk” country, so that prompted them to conduct tests for the COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), on Wednesday.

ASSESSMENT OF VICTIM’S HOME A clinical sample was, as such, collected and sent at 10:00hrs on March 11, 2020 to the National Reference Laboratory where laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis at approximately 17:00hrs. Considering the victim’s positive diagnosis, President Granger said a team has been dispatched to the victim’s home

was previously made public,” said President Granger. The President also advised against public gatherings and non-essential travel, and encouraged agencies to sensitise key personnel at all air and seaports so that they could be alert.

In the event of a suspected case reaching the shores of Guyana, the Ministry of Public Health has designated three quarantine facilities and will be identifying more, said President Granger. These facilities are expected to be efficient because Guyana already has the capacity to test for COVID-19, thanks to training provided by the Pan American Health Organisation.

Despite the preparatory work, government has started to assess the readiness of health facilities to meet the anticipated increase in demand of

As a safeguard, the public health ministry has urged the public to adhere to infection prevention and control measures such as maintaining a distance of at least one metre from persons who are coughing or sneezing; performing hand hygiene frequently by washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer; covering mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing; and resisting the habit to touch your face. In encouraging the

be responsible and to not take the disease lightly, noting that COVID-19 is a “real threat”.

The New York Times had reported that more than 114,000 cases of infection have been reported globally, and more than 4,000 people have died.

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence (Carl Croker photo)

Resident PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow (Carl Croker photo)

Persons lined up outside of a local pharmacy to get preventative medication and disinfectant (Cark Croker photo)

died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) at 08:00hrs on March 11.

According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to many other countries, including some in the Americas. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughs, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection

for assessments and the initiation of public health prevention measures. As part of measures to prevent the risk of community spread, health authorities will be conducting identification and contact tracing for all possible exposed persons; conducting meetings with staff of GPHC and implementing necessary interventions.

“Screening remains in place for those persons arriving from high-risk countries.

Seven countries – Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, French Guiana, Panama, St. Vincent and the United States of America – have been added to the list of eight (People’s Republic of China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Iran) that

services and will continue to fill existing gaps by providing additional supplies and equipment through the public health ministry. As it is now, President Granger said the public health ministry has enough personal protective equipment in the country for health facilities and it also has adequate stores of respiratory medicine for the next three months.

“These efforts are supported by a communications campaign to keep the population updated on the virus and its impacts and oversight provided by the Health Emergency Operations Centre. The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) will be activated to provide sector-wide support,” he said.

public to practise these measures and stay calm, President Granger said: “I use this opportunity to appeal to the public to remain calm and to implement all the advisories relating to personal hygiene, social distancing and overall infection prevention and control. The Government of Guyana will continue to keep the public informed as we manage this public health challenge.”

ALL ARE INVOLVED Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, who spoke at a Coronavirus Symposium on Wednesday, said the task of ensuring that persons remain safe from the virus does not rest solely on the public health ministry, since it will require a multi-stakeholder approach.

“The private sector, other ministries and all citizens have to demonstrate the will and national spirit so that mobilisation is concerted and there is a collective effort,” said Minister Lawrence in her address to stakeholders who were present at the symposium which was held at the National Cultural Centre.

She charged persons to

But the global count of at least 114,000 cases also includes more than 64,000 people who have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

“This is not an issue which will disappear at a flash… we have evidence that it is on a rampage…it has a foothold in several countries across the world,” said Minister Lawrence, noting that Guyana is, however, not at the mercy of the virus because the decisions taken here will influence the trajectory of the disease. In referring to the WHO’s declaration that COVID-19 could be the first pandemic in history that can be controlled, Minister Lawrence said Guyana must do its part by mobilizing and uniting to fight against the virus. She believes that everyone will be at risk if Guyanese fail to rally together, but the elderly and children, who are more vulnerable, will be affected the most.

NECESSARY MEASURES Resident Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)/ WHO Representative, Dr.

William Adu-Krow, however, believes that Guyana will have the virus under wraps, but will have to take the necessary measures to ensure Guyanese stay safe.

Countries like Italy and Lebanon, which have recorded cases of COVD-19, have implemented extreme travel restrictions so as to ensure that they get a handle on the situation. “Sometimes we need to take measures that may not sound right, but they have to be taken to protect the people of Guyana,” said Dr. Adu-Krow during his remarks at the symposium.

There are 28 persons being monitored locally, said Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. Since the public health ministry started its port monitoring campaign in January, some 97 persons have been monitored. According to Dr. Persaud, 64 of those persons were from China while 34 persons were from other high-risk countries. With the exception of the woman who died on Wednesday, he said all of the persons, who were monitored so far, tested negative for the Coronavirus.

As word broke of the first local case, there was a mad rush at local pharmacies for various preventative medication and disinfectants. The Guyana Chronicle visited several pharmacies and was told that most if not all of their sanitizers, masks, and disinfectants were sold out.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

CJ warns against attempts to usurp power of RO

By Svetlana Marshall

WARNING against any attempts to usurp the powers of the Returning Officer (RO), Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, in the High Court on Wednesday, made it clear if candidates are dissatisfied with the returning officer, in terms of what is recorded, it is not for them to challenge the figure at that point in time, so as to cause disruption or chaos.

“I do not conclude that the [Representation of the People] Act provides for verification or reconciliation in this sense.

This is especially in the context of the well-known fact that 10 political parties contesting the 2020 Elections in District Four, if each were to object, more so in a vociferous or hostile manner, the tabulation process would definitely be delayed, and indeed there may be risk that it is not completed,” she reasoned.

The Chief Justice noted that while the aggrieved persons would no doubt make their concerns known and take note for further action including but not limited to an application for a recount or the filing of an elections petition following the declaration of the results for the general and regional elections, such must be done in an orderly and respectful manner. “To permit otherwise, would be to invite protest and possibly chaos,” she posited.

The Chief Justice, at the time, was handing down a judgment in a case brought against the Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo; the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), by Reeaz Holladar on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C). In Mingo’s Affidavit in Defence, he told the court that GECOM’s Command

Centre was flooded by a large contingent of PPP/C agents who were demanding “verification” of the statements of poll before the declaration of the votes for District Four. “I was made aware of their demands and after consideration of same and having found no merit for their request, I announced that I intended to make my declaration in accordance with Section 84 of the Representation of the Peoples Act, Chapter 1:03. This was met by a loud uproar, threats of violence and menacing conduct by the PPP/C representatives in the building…,” the returning officer had informed the court through his Affidavit

in Defence.

The Chief Justice told the parties present that chaos and confusion would not lend to the overall credibility of the process and would “exacerbate the already tense and even volatile situation” that exists during the election period.

As such, she called for the duly-appointed candidates of the various political parties to respectfully indicate their concerns, if needs be, going forward, and in a similar fashion, the respectful consideration of the concerns, including the making of corrections or adjustments by the returning officer.

“However, it is not for

Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire

the persons to so intervene in or stop the tabulation process and ultimately the declaration of the votes, which declaration must be made public because there are of the view that the returning officer has not addressed their concerns,” Chief Justice George-Wiltshire warned. The Chief Justice was also keen on noting that the only official documents that the returning officer can consider are the statements of poll that have been transmitted to him by the presiding officer of the various polling stations pursuant to Section 83. “Any statements of poll, in the possession of agents of political parties or others would not be such,” she made clear.

It was noted that only the returning officer can decide on the avenue to be taken to address any objections or concerns. Such decision, the Chief Justice emphasised, is not within the remit of those persons who are entitled to be present, and to do so, would be to usurp the powers and responsibilities of the returning officer.

Having ruled that the returning officer erred during the process of tabulating the SOPs, the Chief Justice nullified the declaration made by Mingo on March 5, 2020, and ordered that the process recommence.

“It would be for the returning officer and or the deputy returning officer to decide whether in the interest of transparency, the addition process should be restarted

or continued where it was left off. It would also be for these functionaries to determine the best method of tabulating the statements of poll,” she stated, as she warned against any attempt to usurp the powers or the returning officer or his deputy. Again, the judge warned that it is not for the parties’ representatives or any other person to determine how the tabulation should be done.

Nonetheless, she said one would expect that the returning officer acts reasonably.

Before concluding her judgment, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire, as was done

by Chief Justice Bernard some 22 years ago in application by Aubrey Norton, stressed that the decision does not decide the results or validity of the elections for District Four, regionally or nationally.

The Chief Justice said too that is particularly saddening that 19 years after the Hamilton’s case, the words of Chief Justice Bernard still ring- true. “The role of the Elections Commission and its staff is to take such actions as appears necessary to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the Constitution and any other Acts of Parliament.

In the presence of volatile situation which pervades our country, no effort must be spared to assure everyone that the process was fair and impartial…” Justice George-Wiltshire said as she quoted Justice Bernard.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

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T&T in a perfect economic storm—Kamla (TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Faced with tumbling oil and gas prices, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar believes it cheaper now to leave T&T’s oil in the ground, rather than produce it.

Speaking to reporters during the opening of the Penal Fire Station in her constituency on Tuesday Persad-Bissessar said T&T was facing the perfect economic storm with commodity price shocks and falling oil and gas production.

“It’s a very worrisome issue and prices have tumbled with oil and gas as well as commodity price shocks as it relates to methanol and ammonia that we earn foreign exchange for. The world is in a bad place and we have all our

eggs in the energy basket so we are facing a very tough time economically,” she said.

She said oil and gas production has been the lowest seen in decades.

Persad-Bissessar said there had been no attempts at diversification. Under the Economic Transformation Master plan for 2020 to 2025, Persad-Bissessar said her government planned on putting agriculture at the fore.

She said when she spoke to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley about boosting agriculture he said T&T did not have sufficient land. However she said now Rowley had gone to Ghana to import raw provisions.

“What I find amazing is having shut down the energy

industry he is giving advice to Ghana and I say please don’t take that advice,” Persad-Bissessar warned.

She said the government had engaged in only one bid round since it took office and that bid failed.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar rides an exercise bicycle while touring the new Penal Fire Station after the official opening on Tuesday

“Our production output is very low. This government has failed in every which way in terms of keeping production and increasing production.

Now with the prices so low, it may be cheaper to just leave it on the ground. Economically we are in a very bad way and I await the word of the Minister of Finance tomorrow,” Persad-Bissessar said.

Meanwhile, president of the Penal/Debe Chamber of Industry Rampersad Sieuraj said it may be better for the government to have an earlier mid-year review. He said the devaluation of the T&T dollar may occur adding that T&T will face difficulties in getting imported goods.

President of the Greater San Fernando Area Chamber

of Commerce (GSACC) Kiran Singh echoed similar sentiments saying the government must deal with the challenges.

“We have been advocating for diversification. Its never too late to start. We need to boost tourism and agriculture.

We are also faced with the coronavirus and this has had a terrible effect on the world economies as well,” Singh said.

While the Chamber did not want a devaluation of the T&T dollar, Singh said the government must improve the ease of doing business.

He said it was becoming increasingly difficult to source goods out of China noting that T&T has to work on becoming self-sufficient with food.

(BBC) US President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new travel restrictions on Europe in a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

In a televised address on Wednesday, he said all travel from Europe would be suspended for the next 30 days.

But he said the “strong but necessary” restrictions would not apply to the UK, where 460 cases of the virus have now been confirmed.

There are 1,135 confirmed cases of the virus across the US, with 38 deaths.

“To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days,” Mr Trump said.

“The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight,” he added.

Mr Trump also urged Congress to pass tax relief measures in an attempt to combat the effect of the coronavirus

outbreak on the US economy.

“I am calling on Congress to provide Americans with immediate payroll tax relief,” he said.

What is the situation in the US? Officials said the risk of infection was low for the general US public, but concern deepened after a number of new cases were confirmed earlier this month.

Containment efforts have begun in earnest. Troops have been deployed to New Rochelle, just north of New York City, where one outbreak is believed to have originated.

The National Guard will deliver food to some individuals who have been told to self-isolate there.

The governor of Washington state has banned large gatherings in several counties. The north-western state is the focal point of the outbreak in the US, accounting for 24 of at least 38 deaths across the country.

Coronavirus: Trump We’re doing nothing wrong suspends travel from (TINIDAD GUARDIAN) Providing some insight into one occasion, we have reached with us for the last 35 plus Europe to US Three days after the Carib- how they came to be involved out to the Minister of Health years are very happy with us.”

St Augustine lab on COVID-19 testing:

bean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) claimed it was the only regional reference laboratory accredited to test for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and also confirm positive/negative results—officials at the St Augustine Medical Laboratory (STAML) say they are doing nothing wrong or illegal as they too, perform verified diagnostic tests for the virus.

Refusing to engage in a public confrontation with CARPHA and the Ministry of Health on the issue, STAML’s deputy director Dr Shari Ramsaran said they remained concerned about the possible entry of COVID-19 into T&T as this would be detrimental to the population.

Speaking with Guardian Media at their office, Ramsaran reiterated, “In whatever way we can, we are here to assist.”

“Our job is centered around diagnostics and we are not known to be irresponsible in health care.”

in testing for COVID-19, Ramsaran said, “We have been in touch with CARPHA and the Ministry long before a test was available for COVID-19, informing them of our interest to do testing.”

She said an informative article had been posted to social media on January 31, addressing the public on coronavirus and STAML’s promise to, “Be updated with all diagnostic possibilities and standard criteria to deliver services if need be.”

Ramsaran went on, “We even offered possibilities to CARPHA in which to date, March 6, it was agreed to work as a team as this was the way forward.”

STAML has a state-ofthe-art molecular diagnostics laboratory with a PCR section with all tests ISO 15189 internationally accredited, which Ramsaran said was, “very capable of doing COVID-19 while meeting international requirements.”

She added, “On more than

and his CMO to bring their experts to visit us and review our staff qualifications, PCR lab, policies and quality assurance systems to avoid making any uninformed, reckless statements. To date, we have had no response.”

Ramsaran said, “If we do get a sample here that has tested positive as it was agreed with CARPHA before, it will be sent to CARPHA who is the governing body to reconfirm this positive and for statistical reason, and that is our legal obligation to do and which we are very happy to fulfill.”

She explained it was illegal to refuse to accept any sample.

STAML is one of several private laboratories that are testing for the COVID-19.

Asked if STAML felt the statement by CARPHA was damaging to its’ reputation as a credible testing laboratory, Ramsaran said, “It is not damaging at all because we stand by our reputation and our clientele and our patients that have been

“They know the work we do, the highest quality and efficiency we provide, without compromising our patients.”

She urged local authorities to join with the private sector as she said, “In a time of a world health crisis where the US has issued advice for private labs to go ahead and test because we need as many capable people testing on the market…this is the only country in the world saying hold up, we only want one testing body. I think it is very unfortunate and sad that that is the direction our health care has gone in.”

She advised, “We need to put aside ego and focus on the fact that this is a health care crisis and if it reaches T&T, we can be in serious trouble and the person at the forefront is the patient. They are the ones that are going to suffer and you need to offer them the best. You need to offer them options and you need to be a 100 per cent prepared.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

President remains impartial and in control

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VER a week has passed since the March 2, 2020 Regional and General Elections were held. The “mother of all elections” has indeed lived up to the hype and has delivered some remarkable moments, many of which will remain etched in the minds of Guyanese the world over.

Since then, Guyana has witnessed many scenes which continue to leave Guyanese confused and bewildered. The current state of affairs in Guyana right now is analogous to that of a deeply dysfunctional family dynamic where the parents are not getting along, the siblings are out of control and the neighbours look on in shock, horror and derision.

In the hours and days following the close of polls, a campaign seems to have been carefully coordinated in order to attempt to cast reasonable doubt or indeed any sort of doubt upon the fairness and credibility of the Guyana elections process. Citizens were incensed and mobilised to take to the streets in protest of what was being peddled as rigged elections. It seemed as if all the hard work done to get Guyana ready to head to the polls was all for naught. The rest of the week produced scenes from the Guyana Elections Commissions (GECOM) headquarters which can only be described as reminiscent of a poorly directed horror movie.

In the midst of the chaos that followed once GECOM had been compromised by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) party operatives, officials and anyone else who was able to gain access, the incumbent A Partnership

for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC), Campaign Manager and Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, issued a statement on behalf of APNU+AFC. Mr Harmon stated that “The behaviour and conduct of the PPP leaders and their enforcers is totally and wholly unacceptable, and is to be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and I do so unequivocally.” He continued that “I am appalled that PPP leaders would seek to intimidate and bully the GECOM staff that they would storm into offices at GECOM which they are not authorised to enter, that they would abuse staff, attempt to seize GECOM property and handle and seemingly tamper with GECOM records.”

Following the dissent of order at GECOM, local and international observers voiced their concerns over what had transpired. Rumours and theories spread rapidly on social media and the Guyanese public became enraged as many, on both sides, felt as though their democratic right had been circumvented.

Throughout the unrest however, President Granger has displayed excellent leadership in a poised, dignified and graceful manner. The President has been briefing diplomats and members of the international community who all have expressed concern over what transpired at GECOM and the credibility of the elections held on March 2. The President has remained steadfast in reinforcing that GECOM is a constitutional body and as such it is unlawful for the Executive to interfere with the work of the body.

In a statement issued on Monday, President Granger asserted that “I assure the nation that, at all times, I have acted in accordance with the Constitution and Laws of Guyana.

After the elections on March 2nd, the nation awaited the declaration of the results by the Elections Commission after completing its work.” The President continued that, “GECOM is an independent constitutional agency over which I and the Executive have no control. I assure you, that as President, I cannot, did not and will not interfere in the work of GECOM.” President Granger noted in particular that “It is my sworn duty, as President, to uphold the Constitution and keep our citizens safe. I intend to do so. I will not allow political malefactors to hijack our democracy and compromise public order and human safety. Law and order will be maintained.

Guyanese, I appeal to you to remain calm and not to engage in any activity which can lead to the heightening of tensions in society. I urge you to go about your business in a peaceful manner. Some damage has already been done to social relations in our communities. We must repair that damage.”

Regardless of the outcome of the March 2, 2020 Regional and General Elections, President David Granger continues to lead Guyana forward with integrity and diplomacy as we await the official Elections declaration from GECOM. President Granger’s conduct has been lawful, mature and exemplifies qualities desirous of a leader. Let us follow his lead as we await the outcome of the “mother of all elections.”

Arbitrary and calculated partisan Time for a New World Order? public notices by Roy Beepat Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

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N March 5, 2020 after the People’s Progressive Party, its representatives and a number of men who clearly had weapons stormed the GECOM Command Centre, Mr. Roy Beepat issued what can be described as a knee-jerk, emotive and misguided public advisory purportedly on behalf of the management and vendors of Giftland Mall. In this message, Mr. Beepat threatened to close Giftland Mall until further notice and until the rule of law is followed. The advisory also encouraged other business persons to follow suit. I spoke with several vendors who noted that Mr. Beepat never consulted with them, neither were they aware that he would issue such a contemptuous advisory. Some two days after issuing his first public advisory (March 7, 2020), Mr. Beepat walked back his initial remarks by stating that Giftland will reopen from 10am to 3pm.

Mr. Beepat, like most Guyanese, is getting his news about what took place in GECOM and numerous polling places indirectly; in other words, he was not present inside GECOM during the counting and verification for each electoral district.

He was also not present at an overwhelming majority of polling places. Importantly, he was not present in GECOM when the PPP’s agents and representatives attempted to overthrow GECOM, twice, some with guns in hand and waist. Instead of speaking out about this, the threats directed at the GECOM

Chairperson, Mr. Lowenfield and other GECOM officials, something that is treasonous and has never happened in the history of Guyana, he issues a calculated, partisan advisory because he thinks this would position him for political favours.

Readers, Giftland Mall sits on nine acres of commercial land which Mr. Beepat acquired several years ago when the PPP was at the helm of government. Mr. Beepat pays less than $200,000 per year for this land; this is way below market value. There are other commercial land leased in the area for three to five times as much as he pays yearly. His remarks are utterly hypocritical and calculated to bring pressure to a sitting government and its supporters. Mr. Beepat also has an option to buy the nine acres of land on which he sits for $12m. He has leased this land more than six years.

As someone remarked to me, why would he buy when he has a sweetheart lease that was given to him by the Donald Ramotar- led government?

I do hope that Mr. Beepat publicly apologises to the citizens of this country, the Government of Guyana, patrons of Giftland Mall and the vendors who are paying him a rent to sell in the mall. We know that his remarks were misguided, emotive and partisan, so much so that he failed to even consult and consider the very people who are paying him rent in Giftland Mall.

Regards R. Chung-A-On

A

PLEA for peace and sanity from an educator with no political agenda. What are we teaching our youth at this crucial juncture in the development of the nation? What legacy are the ‘leaders’ giving to our future generation? Who is there providing the leadership to bring the disparate threads of this country together into a tapestry that reflects all our talents and abilities?

Are we there to serve others or are we simply pushing forward to serve ourselves?

These questions are not only being asked in Guyana but increasingly all over the world. We are facing possibly the biggest challenge mankind has yet witnessed with the unknowns of the coronavirus and yet – across the globe – our leaders jostle for position and advantage.

Are we approaching a situation internationally where people are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the alternatives on offer and are looking for new ways to organise our increasingly complex society? Is it time to recognise that the choices on offer are outworn and a radically new alternative needs to be explored? Are we beginning to see the need for a New World Order to tackle the challenges of the hour?

Regards Dr Brian O’Toole, MBE, AA

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

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Transparent verification of the 2020 elections results is essential

Dear Editor, This statement was issued by the TIGI local observer team for the 2020 elections in Guyana.

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REE and fair elections are indispensable in a democracy. Such elections convey the people’s choice of leadership and in the absence of a credible process for determining the results, the legitimacy of any leadership installed is questionable. All reports to date and our own observations indicate that the 2020 elections were, overall, free and fair at the level of voting (though some incidents have occurred). This, however, has been derailed by tabulation of the results in Region Four, which has the largest population of the 10 regions with the potential to determine the outcome of the national elections. In this regard, we have taken note of and endorse the press statement by the Guyana Human Rights Association (see Stabroek News, March 7, 2020) on the process followed by the GECOM. The GECOM has a duty and owes it to the people of Guyana to verify the results of the elections before announcing a winner. All this must precede the swearing in of a president. Should a president be sworn-in prior to verification of the results, the legitimacy of that president and his/her regime will remain questionable and GECOM would have shredded its credibility and that of its officers.

We also believe that no leader worthy of the presidency and

of the responsibility to lead the development of our society would countenance such a cloud over his/her leadership.

Even when systems fail, leadership cannot be allowed to fail.

The political parties and the local and international observers agree that an appropriate process for verification of the tabulated results was employed in all the regions except Region Four. In fact, the transparent process was initially followed in Region Four, then aborted. There is no reason why this should happen. Notwithstanding GECOM’s power to decide on its processes, a change in process would necessitate agreement of all involved to maintain integrity and there was no such agreement. Against this backdrop, the results declared for Region Four in the 2020 elections lack credibility.

The circumstances surrounding the declaration of the results for Region Four have created an appearance of collusion between GECOM and the incumbent, APNU+AFC, in so far as the results which were not transparently verified but declared for Region Four, tip the national election in favour of the incumbent. President Granger has indicated that he has not intervened in the functions of GECOM in relation to the results of the elections (Guyana Chronicle, March 10, 2020).

However, his statement has not cleared his party and its members of such interventions. Furthermore, whereas he indicated that GECOM should be allowed to “execute its mandate to deliver credible elections to the Guyanese peo-

Mark Phillips responds to Lincoln Lewis Dear Editor,

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RADE unionist Lincoln Lewis is misguided. A declaration for District Four can only be made when the District Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, complies with the statutory requirements in Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act. Given that the verification process for the District Four Statements of Poll was aborted, a declaration should not have been made by Mr. Mingo. The fact that the verification process was not completed means that the declaration made by Mr. Mingo is fraudulent.

Mr. Mingo unilaterally declared the results for District Four after failing to verify almost 60 percent of the Statements of Poll. Of 879 SOPs, only 349 were verified. That leaves 530 Statements of Poll to be verified. It is unfortunate that this fraudulent act by Mr. Mingo followed his commitment to complete the District Four verification process.

This fraudulent act clearly jaundiced the District Four verification process and lead to vehement objections by everyone present except APNU+AFC representatives.

Why did the APNU+AFC embrace this anomaly?

The demand for use of

the District Four Statements of Poll cannot be unfounded, since Chapter 84 of the Representation of the People Act is pellucid. This is coupled with the fact that Statements of Poll were used for the tabulation of results in the other nine districts.

At no time during the aborted District Four verification process did the People’s Progressive Party/Civic invade GECOM. At no time during the aborted District Four verification process did the PPP/C intimidate GECOM staff or disrupt them from conducting their work. Such accusations are ridiculous.

Instead of peddling what has now become ridiculous rhetoric and falsehoods, Lincoln Lewis should answer the following questions for the Guyanese people: 1. Why is the signature of Volda Lawrence, the Chairperson of the PNCR, affixed to the declaration of the Region Four Returning Officer, when the declarations of the other nine regions have only the stamp and signature of the returning officers of those areas?

2. Why was Amna Ally, the General-Secretary of the PNCR, visiting the GECOM Chairperson at her home, when the chair was unavailable to her international advisers, members of the in-

ternational election observer missions and the political parties?

3. Why was the GECOM lawyer, Neil Boston, being openly assisted by Roysdale Forde and Darren Wade, two APNU+AFC candidates?

4. Why was the Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, after he made the fraudulent declaration, escorted from the GECOM Command Centre by six ranks of the Guyana Police Force, and has not been seen since nor has been available to any stakeholders in the electoral process, since?

5. Why did former Foreign Affairs Minister Karen Cummings threaten to revoke the accreditation of members of the international Election Observer Missions?

6. Why are former ministers, Cathy Hughes and others, peddling falsehoods about Russians hacking into our electoral system, when that system is a manual one?

7. Why the fear about returning to verification of the election results Statement of Poll by Statement of Poll, and/or a recount, if there is such confidence in an electoral victory?

Regards Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips

ple,” he did not indicate whether he believes that the results as declared are credible (see Guyana Chronicle, March 10, 2020). It is important to note that the credibility of elections is an assessment to be made by citizens and observers, including political parties, and is not evident upon GECOM being allowed to do its work. We therefore call on the APNU+AFC to indicate its position on the credibility of the process employed by GECOM in Region Four and to clear its image in the interest of its supporters and the country.

All Guyanese deserve and should demand nothing less than transparent verification of the results of the 2020 elections and all political parties, including those that might appear to have benefitted from the opacity, should support only a transparent process. This responsibility goes beyond what is perhaps merely legal or perceived to be so and to delivering elections of the highest standard for all Guyanese.

The longer a credible and correct procedure is delayed, the greater the opportunity will be given to possible compromising of the ballot boxes at GECOM, that are no longer within sight of local and international observers.

TIGI will address elections in Guyana and the 2020 elections in greater detail at a later date.

Regards TIGI observer team Georgetown Guyana

The coronavirus outbreak Dear Editor,

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HE 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak is an ongoing global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the SARS coronavirus. The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, and has since been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation. As of March 10, 2020, over 118,000 cases have been confirmed globally, of which 5,800 were classified as serious.

More than 115 countries and territories have been affected, with major outbreaks in central China, Italy, South Korea and Iran. More than 4,200 people have died: more than 3,100 in mainland China and over 1,000 in other countries. More than 64,000 people have recovered.

The virus spreads between people in a similar way to influenza, via respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. The time between exposure and symptom onset is typically five days, but may range from two to 14 days. Symptoms are most often fever, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Complications may include pneumonia and acute respi-

ratory distress syndrome.

There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, but research is ongoing. Efforts are aimed at managing symptoms and supportive therapy. Recommended preventive measures include hand-washing, maintaining distance from other people, particularly those who are sick, and monitoring and self-isolation for 14 days for people who suspect that they are infected.

Public health responses around the world have included travel restrictions, quarantines, curfews, and school closures. They have included the quarantine of Hubei, China, and the entirety of Italy; various

curfew measures in China and South [screening methods at airports and train stations;[18] and travel advisories regarding regions with community transmission. Schools have closed nationwide or locally in some countries, affecting more than 300 million students. The wider impact of the outbreak has included social and economic instability, xenophobia and racism against people of Chinese and East Asian descent, and the online spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus.

Regards Ramcharan Ramdat

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Verification of Region Four SOPs restarts today

The Guyana Elections Commission has stated that the Office of Region Four’s Returning Officer (RO) will be opened today from 09:30hrs with the restart or continuation of the tabulation of the Region’s Statements of Poll (SOPs) to commence at 11:00hrs.

The announcement came on Wednesday following the ruling of Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire that the declaration of a results for District Four for the General and Regional Elections were unlawful.

She had set a time limit of 11:00hrs today by which the process should either recommence from or restart. The RO for the Region is Mr. Clairmont Mingo who fell ill on March 4,

The Office of Region Four’s Returning Officer (RO) on High and Hadfield Streets

2020 at the High and Hadfield Streets Office during the SOP tabulation process.

Mingo was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) around 10:30hrs after reporters spot him being transported with an oxygen mask into a waiting ambulance with the assistance of medical practitioners. It was shortly after the process recommenced at around 14:00hrs by a GECOM Clerk that an alarm was raised about discrepancies noted in the SOPs being tallied.

Reports are that a summarised spreadsheet was used by GECOM Clerk who took over from Mingo and the results on the sheet did not match that of the SOPs

with the number of votes appearing higher than the number of voters. The Chief Justice had ruled yesterday that the use of the spreadsheet was lawful as the same was used in eight other Regions. In today’s continuation or restart, she stated that GECOM has the right to choose which method of tabulation it wants to use.

The Region holds 879 polling stations and 285,618 electors.

It could be the deciding factor for which party wins the elections. The previous count --- now made null and void --- had shown the coalition government as taking the lead over the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) by just over 7,000 votes.

Play your role by praying and encouraging others to stay calm Dear Editor,

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O, in 2011, John (now my husband) and I had our first discussion and disagreement about politics. I embraced this because I am never the one to follow the masses, or to be swayed by popular culture, and neither is he. It was my first ‘political’ experience on several counts: my first ‘Election Season’ in Guyana, my first ownership of an ID card and my first time voting.

I remember there was a presidential debate held at the GWLT auditorium at the University of Guyana. I attended because I wanted my vote to have merit. I wanted to make an informed decision. The auditorium was filled to capacity and chants roared from all across the room as people rooted for whichever party they thought was best fit to lead the country. I remember seeing many youths standing and sitting at the front-right of the room. These were PPP/C supporters and representatives decked in red T-shirts, hats and flags, enthusiastically hitting on the desks, stomping and shouting to affirm whatever points were raised by their presidential candidate, who did not have to worry whether his points were substantial or not. His support base was very reassuring!

On the other side of the room were APNU supporters who were just as enthusiastic and behaved in the same manner when points were raised by their presidential candidate.

Immediately, I knew that these two parties were major and probably in existence for a longer time than the others. My eyes were filled with glee and excitement. I had never seen anything like this before. As I looked around there were many like me, who had not yet decided on a party, but came with an open mind to hear them out.

The AFC was fresh on the scene. Mr Ramjattan spoke exceptionally well; I was not persuaded per se, but I was overwhelmingly impressed. I don’t remember him having as many supporters, but what he had to say commanded one’s attention. Before I continue let me just plug this in here: the TUF’s presidential candidate was the most outstanding – “if ya know ya know.”

From my perspective, it was at this point that political discussions took a turn and had several views from several angles, because the head table now had new guests who had just as much to offer the people of this country. So John and I talked and we definitely had disagreements and differences, but we had an understanding (to this day I am not sure that we voted for the same people that year and that’s fine) I have unshakable respect for people who think for themselves and make decisions based on their own convictions. I believe that is the correct way to exercise one’s democratic

right, but with all that has been happening recently, I have been thinking that the reality of the situation is, everyone will not think independently. Hear me out.

Throughout this life, I have identified four types of people in our society who are equally important but play very different roles.

1. LEADERS: people who have that innate ability to inspire and influence the decisions made by those around them. These are very powerful people. Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo is a born leader! That man is intellectual, tactful, very calculated, and has the ability to accomplish! Good or bad, he gets things done! I have many friends who stand by his leadership because of how business oriented the man is.

However, Mr. Jagdeo’s agenda, priorities and methods are totally different from His Excellency David Granger, who is also a born leader!

Mr Granger’s mere presence demands respect and those who have been around him can attest to this. His hands have been soft and caring towards this nation and I believe that his nature, coupled with the fact that he is family-oriented, is what encourages that passion he has to clean, develop, educate and father this nation. We have seen the evidence and as a young person, this affects me directly.

2. CHALLENGERS: those who delight in thinking for themselves. You cannot lead these people by their noses.

Challengers fact-check, do their research, ask questions and make informed deductions that also greatly influence those around them. Challengers can be leaders but, ‘deh don’t fight up with dat.’ They know their place and strengths and usually serve as activists in society in one way or another. If what you’re talking about is right up their lane, expect some traffic before you reach your destination.

3. CHALLENGERS WITH AN AGENDA: For these people, though they are brilliant, money talks! Their biggest motivation is money and positions, and once that is in order they will argue to the dust, even if it means arguing senselessly. They have the intelligence to swing things in their favour. Often- times, challengers with an agenda take extreme measures to make what they are doing believable, because too much is at stake for them. These people have no regard for right and wrong. They will destroy your reputation if you oppose them. They answer questions with questions and justify wrongdoing by highlighting wrongdoing. I deem challengers with an agenda as very dangerous, because they too bear great influence.

4. THE LAYMAN: These people are the vast majority of any population. The economy cannot survive without them. They work hard and many times all they want to hear is about house lots, increased minimum wage, proppa’ healthcare and how deh children getting to school. These people can be very loyal—if you care for them, they care for you. Some tend to be gullible though, easily influenced and manipulated. They will believe what you believe and preach what you tell them. Unfortunately, these are the easy prey in society. The layman is not always an independent thinker so he/she looks to leaders who seem trustworthy.

The sick cycle in Guyana is a repeat of the notion that “the leader I can trust is the one who looks like me.”

The chaos I see today involves irresponsible leaders preying on challengers with an agenda, who have no love or respect for the layman. They will continue to brainwash these people and drag them through the mud to fulfil their dirty hidden agendas. This is where my heart bleeds.

Violence and race hate can never be the way. How can that possibly be the way to go when diversity of our cultures and six peoples, unity and love is what we sell to the world as a tourist attraction. The law exists so that order can remain! There is a legal process for matters such as these.

Allow law and order to take its course.

We should know that legal processes take time; that is why Irfaan Ali can walk around feeling the wind beneath his wings with 19 CRIMINAL CHARGES and have the audacity to look this nation in the face and solicit our votes.

Put aside race, political differences, put aside even the history of who did and said what in the 1970s 80s and 90s.

This is 2020 and the world is watching Guyana and waiting to see if the oil will make us or break us. There are nations also wanting to sift us as wheat and make us believe that their opinions are superior to our laws. That is wicked disrespect to this sovereign land. People open your eyes, I beg.

I already feel ashamed for those who will read and venture to insult, may comprehension and respect for others’ views be your portion this good day. I perceive that this matter is bigger and deeper than our socialisation will allow us to fathom at this point, but the truth exists. It has life and it will find its way to the surface. Again, allow the law to take its course, play your role by praying and encouraging others to stay calm. Respect each other and have patience.

We unfolding nicely!

Regards Rochelle Maxius-Benn

‘Back to verification’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

…Court orders GECOM to return to verification process of Region 4 votes … nullifies declared results; says RO must decide way forward;

By Svetlana Marshall CHIEF JUSTICE Roxane George-Wiltshire has ruled that the declaration of votes made by the Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, was unlawful, on the grounds that there was substantial non-compliance with Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act when the Statements of Poll (SOPs) for District 4 were tabulated. She then ordered that the verification process, which was interrupted, be resumed or restarted.

The Chief Justice handed down her judgment in the High Court on Wednesday in the case – Reeaz Holladar vs the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; the Chief Elections officer, Keith Lowenfield; and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), before a packed courtroom.

Last Thursday (March 5, 2020) amid loud screams of ‘No’ at GECOM’s Command Centre, Mingo had declared the total number of votes for each List of Candidates in his District for the General and Regional Elections, but Justice George-Wiltshire, after analysing the submissions made by both sides, concluded that Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 01:03 was breached by the Returning Officer. It was explained that while 421 of the 879 SOPs for District 4 were publicly tabulated, there was no evidence to suggest that the remaining 458 Statements of Poll were added in the presence of persons entitled to be there as required by law. “…the declaration made on the 5th March, 2020 by the Returning Officer for District 4 of the total votes cast for District 4 was unlawful, as being in breach of Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03, and is null, void and of no effect,” Chief Justice George-Wiltshire said as she handed down one of the orders sought by Holladar, on behalf of the People’s Progressive Part/Civic (PPP/C). The ruling, in effect, bars GECOM from making a final declaration of the results for the General and Regional Elections, unless and until all of the SOPs for District 4 are tabulated in the presence of those persons entitled to be there in accordance with Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act. “It is also ordered that the Guyana Elections Commission cannot lawfully declare the results of the Elections for March 2nd, 2020 unless and until the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer for District 4 complies with and or ensures

compliance with the provisions of Section 84 (1) of Chapter 01:03,” the Chief Justice said as she granted another order sought by Holladar.

Section 84 (1) states: “As soon as practicable after the receipt of all the ballot boxes and the envelopes and packets delivered to him in pursuance of Section 83 (10), the Returning Officer shall, in the presence of such of the persons entitled under Section 86 (1) to be present or attend, ascertain the total votes cast in favour of the list in accordance with the Statements of Poll, and thereupon publicly declare the votes recorded for each list of Candidates.” Members of the Commission, duly appointed candidates and counting agents are among persons covered under Section 86 (1) of the Act. BOUND BY LAW

that the presence of all persons listed in Section 86 (1) is not required during the addition of the SOPs. However, she said in this era that calls for greater transparency in the actions of public officials, it is mandatory that if persons entitled to be there are present, the addition of the SOPs must be done in

Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire

Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall (Photos by Adrian Narine)

In justifying her position, the Chief Justice first established the fact that the office of the Returning Officer is statutory in nature and therefore requires he or she to act in accordance with the laws that govern that office, in this case, Chapter 1:03. Failure to do so can result in the Court exercising supervisory powers to direct that there be compliance with the Law. It was noted that the process outlined in Section 84 is meant to engender transparency and accountability.

TRANSPARENCY Referencing to the case – Joseph Hamilton v Guyana Elections Commission & Others – a matter adjudicated

by Chief Justice Desiree Bernard, as she then was, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire took note of the fact that Section 84 was considered not to be mandatory with respect to the timeframe for the additions of SOPs. “I agreed with Chief Justice Bernard that the timeframe for the commencement of the adding of the votes as recorded in the Statements of Poll is directory as this is to be done as soon as practicable,” Chief Justice George-Wiltshire said while further agreeing

of the applicant, an Affidavit was submitted by him through his lawyers – Anil Nandlall and Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes. Attorney-at-Law Savitri Sonia Parag was among a number of other persons who submitted Affidavits in support of Holladar.

their presence.

She noted that non-compliance with Section 84 (1) in this regard could result in the process being invalidated. In the interest of transparency, the Laws provide for safeguards such as the posting of SOPs as well as public tabulation of SOPs. “While the failure to post the Statements of Poll in a place of poll, maybe considered directory, as failure to do so would not affect the results recorded; the failure to comply with Section 84 (1) has much more serious consequences,” Chief Justice George-Wiltshire pointed out.

Against this background, the Chief Justice said that the decision boils down to the facts disclosed in the Affidavits submitted by the parties in the matter.

Senior Counsel Neil Boston and Attorney-at-Law Robin Hunte – the attorneys representing the Returning Officer, the Chief Elections Officer and GECOM – submitted a total of six Affidavits. Those included an Affidavit in Defence from Clairmont Mingo and Affidavits in Support from James Bond, Aubrey Norton, John Adams, Nicola Trotman and Roxanne Myers. In the case

has not been accounted for. The Returning Officer said nothing about how many Statements of Poll had been added onto when he fell ill and left. He did not refute the evidence of the applicant in this regard, that 421 Statements of Poll had been completed, and therefore 458 remained to be completed,” the Chief Justice submitted.

Added to that, she said it was incumbent on the Returning Officer to ensure that the addition was done in the presence of persons entitled to be present. Citing the Affidavit submitted by Parag, the Chief Justice said there is evidence that such persons were available to participate in the process at the time of the tabulation but were not included during the latter half of the process.

It was noted that while the Returning Officer relied heavily on GECOM’s Senior Clerk,

Senior Counsel Neil Boston and attorney-at-law Robin Hunte

FLAWED PROCESS The Chief Justice said while Section 84 of Chapter 1:03 outlines provisions for the Returning Officer to tabulate the SOPs in the presence of the persons listed in Section 86 (1), there was evidence of substantial non-compliance. “In my view, and I hold, and the facts disclosed, that a significant part of the addition of votes from the Statements of Poll was done in the absence of persons who are entitled to be there, that is, in the absence of elections officers, members of GECOM, duly appointed candidates, counting agents and others with good reason to be present, that is, for example, elections observers, and as such, the process would have been flawed, and there has been a breach of Section 84 (1),” the Chief Justice explained.

In his oral submissions, Senior Counsel Boston, on behalf of Mingo, had argued that there was “substantial compliance,” and as such the “principle of the presumption of regularity should be applied,” but the Judge rejected this line of argument.

“There cannot be substantial compliance when the tabulation of 458 Statements of Poll

Michelle Miller to detail what had happened, no affidavit was submitted by her to outline how the process unfolded under her supervision. The Chief Justice noted that none of the persons who submitted affidavits in support of the respondent accounted for what happened with the tabulation process from the time the Returning Officer left for the hospital around mid-day on March 4, and unto his return later that day.

“I concluded that in the absence of credible evidence about [what] occurred after the Returning Officer left for the hospital, unto the time he made the declaration, then the presumption of regularity cannot apply. It cannot be presumed based on the Returning Officer’s Affidavit that the process was regularly conducted, that is, that there was addition of the Statements of Poll and in the presence of persons entitled to be there; thus I hold that there has been a breach of Section 84 (1) in these regards,” the Chief Justice said.

Such breaches, she emphasized, cannot be condoned.

RO MUST DECIDE ON THE WAY FORWARD Meanwhile, the Chief Jus-

tice made it clear that Chapter 1:03 does not address the issue of verification and or reconciliation of the SOPs as suggested

by Parag in her Affidavit. “It does appear to me that there is a misunderstanding as regards operationalising Section 84 (1),” she said.

It was noted that while Section 84 (1) Subsection (1A) (a) and (b) clearly provide for the correction of mistakes in the Statements of Poll, that subsection does not outline how a material error or a mistake is to be brought to the attention of an Elections Officer or a Returning Officer. “I do not conclude that the Act provides for verification or reconciliation in this sense.

This is especially in the context of the well-known fact that 10 political parties contesting the 2020 Elections in District 4, if each were to object, moreso in a vociferous or hostile manner, the tabulation process would definitely be delayed, and indeed there may be risk that it is not completed,” she reasoned.

While duly appointed candidates may raise concerns, and those concerns ought to be reasonable, the Chief Justice made it clear that it is not for persons to stop the tabulation process and ultimately the declaration of the votes because the RO did not address their concerns.

It is for the Returning Officer to determine how.

Only GECOM SOPs It was noted that aggrieved persons, can, among other things, file an Election Petition following the declaration of the results for the General and Regional Elections. The Chief Justice was also keen on noting that the only official documents that the Returning Officer can consider are the Statements of Poll that have been transmitted to him by the Presiding Officer of the various polling stations pursuant to Section 83. “Any Statements of Poll, in the possession of agents of political parties or others would not be such,” she made clear.

In handing down the ruling, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire ordered that the addition of the SOPs recommence no later than 11:00hrs today (March 12, 2020). “It would be for the Returning Officer and or the Deputy Returning Officer to decide whether in the interest of transparency, the addition process should be restarted or continued where it was left off. It would also be for these functionaries to determine the best method of tabulating the Statements of Poll,” she stated, as she warned against any attempt to usurp the powers or the Returning Officer or his deputy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Guyana rises three places on Rule of Law ranking IDB assigns US$2B - Places 17th out of 30 in the Latin America and Caribbean Region and 73rd out of 128 countries worldwide

THE World Justice Project (WJP), on Wednesday, released the WJP Rule of Law Index® 2020, an annual report based on national surveys of more than 130,000 households and 4,000 legal practitioners and experts around the world and Guyana saw a slightly improved placing of 73rd out of 128 countries.

According to a press release, the WJP Rule of Law Index measures rule of law performance in 128 countries and jurisdictions across eight primary factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice. The Index is the world’s leading source for original, independent data on the rule of law.

“Guyana’s overall rule of law score increased by less than 1% in this year’s Index. At 73rd place out of 128 countries and jurisdictions worldwide, Guyana

improved three positions in global rank. Guyana’s score places it at 17 out of 30 countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region* and 25 out of 42 among upper middle income** countries,” the release said.

Denmark, Norway, and Finland topped the WJP Rule of Law Index rankings in 2020 while Venezuela; Cambodia; and Democratic Republic of the Congo had the lowest overall rule of law scores—the same as in 2019.

It noted that more countries declined than improved in overall rule of law performance for a third year in a row, continuing a negative slide toward weakening and stagnating rule of law around the world. “The majority of countries showing deteriorating rule of law in the 2020 Index also declined in the previous year, demonstrating a persistent downward trend. This was particularly pronounced in the Index factor measuring Constraints on Government Powers,” the release said.

The declines were widespread and seen in all corners of the world, it said, adding that in every region, a majority of countries slipped backward or remained unchanged in their overall rule of law performance since the 2019 WJP Rule of Law Index.

The release said that regionally, Latin America and the Caribbean’s top performer in the Index is Uruguay (22nd out of 128 countries globally), followed by Costa Rica and Chile. The three countries with the lowest scores in the region were Nicaragua; Bolivia; and Venezuela, RB (128th out of 128 countries globally).

“Countries with the strongest improvement in rule of law were Ethiopia (5.6% increase in score, driven primarily by gains in Constraints on Government Powers and Fundamental Rights) and Malaysia (5.1%, driven primarily by gains in Constraints on Government Powers, Fundamental Rights, and Regulatory Enforcement),” it said.

The largest declines in the rule of law were seen in Cameroon (-4.4%, driven primarily by falling scores in Order and Security and Fundamental Rights) and Iran (-4.2%, driven primarily by falling scores in Criminal Justice). Over the last five years, countries experiencing the largest average annual percentage drop in the rule of law were Egypt (-4.6 %); Venezuela, RB (-3.9%); Cambodia (-3.0%); Philippines (-2.5%); Cameroon (-2.4%); Hungary (-2.1%); and Bosnia and Herzegovina (-2.1%), the report said.

“The rule of law is not just a matter for judges or lawyers,” said William H. Neukom, WJP founder and CEO. “It is the bedrock of communities of justice, opportunity, and peace. We are all stakeholders in the rule of law and therefore we all have a role to play in upholding it. The 2020 Index underscores that we have our work cut out for us.”

to help members tackle Coronavirus

THE Inter-American Development Bank is actively engaged in coordinated efforts to fight the COVID-19 outbreak with member countries and other international institutions, and is prepared to help countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean cope with challenges posed by the pandemic.

In a release the IDB said it has up to US$2 billion in resources that can be programmed to countries requesting support for disease monitoring, testing and public health services. The Bank can also work with countries that have undisbursed loan balances to redirect resources to pandemic-response efforts.

In addition, the IDB is studying the economic consequences of the pandemic in its member countries and is considering alternatives for providing resources to help them weather the mid- and long-term effects. Under the technical leadership of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization , the IDB will continue to coordinate with its member countries and other multilateral institutions to ensure a proper response to the pandemic.

The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is the leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public- and private-sector clients throughout the region.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

All you need to know about the Coronaviruses What is a coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19?

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell.

Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

HOW DOES COVID-19 SPREAD? People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in drop-

lets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.

WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.

est information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.

Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks.

CAN THE VIRUS THAT However, the situation is CAUSES COVID-19 unpredictable so check regBE TRANSMITTED ularly for the latest news.

THROUGH THE AIR? You can reduce your Studies to date suggest chances of being infected that the virus that causes or spreading COVID-19 by COVID-19 is mainly trans- taking some simple precaumitted through contact with tions: respiratory droplets rather * Regularly and thorthan through the air. See oughly clean your hands previous answer on “How with an alcohol-based hand does COVID-19 spread?” rub or wash them with soap C a n C o V I D - 1 9 b e and water. caught from a person who Why? Washing your has no symptoms? hands with soap and water The main way the dis- or using alcohol-based hand ease spreads is through re- rub kills viruses that may be spiratory droplets expelled on your hands. by someone who is cough* Maintain at least 1 meing. The risk of catching tre (3 feet) distance between COVID-19 from someone yourself and anyone who is with no symptoms at all is coughing or sneezing. very low. However, many Why? When someone people with COVID-19 ex- coughs or sneezes they perience only mild symp- spray small liquid droplets toms. This is particularly from their nose or mouth true at the early stages of which may contain virus. the disease. It is therefore If you are too close, you possible to catch COVID-19 can breathe in the droplets, from someone who has, including the COVID-19 for example, just a mild virus if the person coughing cough and does not feel ill. has the disease.

WHO is assessing ongoing * Avoid touching eyes, research on the period of nose and mouth. transmission of COVID-19 Why? Hands touch and will continue to share many surfaces and can pick updated findings. up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the CAN I CATCH virus to your eyes, nose or COVID-19 FROM THE mouth. From there, the virus FECES OF SOMEONE can enter your body and can WITH THE DISEASE? make you sick.

The risk of catching * Make sure you, and COVID-19 from the feces the people around you, folof an infected person ap- low good respiratory hypears to be low. While ini- giene. This means covering tial investigations suggest your mouth and nose with the virus may be present in your bent elbow or tissue feces in some cases, spread when you cough or sneeze. through this route is not Then dispose of the used a main feature of the out- tissue immediately. break. WHO is assessing Why? Droplets spread ongoing research on the virus. By following good ways COVID-19 is spread respiratory hygiene you proand will continue to share tect the people around you new findings. Because this from viruses such as cold, is a risk, however, it is an- flu and COVID-19. other reason to clean hands * Stay home if you feel regularly, after using the unwell. If you have a fever, bathroom and before eating. cough and difficulty breathWhat can I do to pro- ing, seek medical attention tect myself and prevent and call in advance. Follow the spread of disease? the directions of your local health authority.

PROTECTION Why? National and local MEASURES FOR authorities will have the EVERYONE most up to date information Stay aware of the lat- on the situation in your area.

Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility.

This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections. * Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.

WHY? YOU HAVE A HIGHER CHANCE OF CATCHING COVID-19 IN ONE OF THESE AREAS. Protection measures for persons who are in or have recently visited (past 14 days) areas where COVID-19 is spreading o Follow the guidance outlined above (Protection measures for everyone) o Self-isolate by staying at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache, low grade fever (37.3 C or above) and slight runny nose, until you recover. If it is essential for you to have someone bring you supplies or to go out, e.g. to buy food, then wear a mask to avoid infecting other people.

Why? Avoiding contact with others and visits to medical facilities will allow these facilities to operate more effectively and help protect you and others from possible COVID-19 and other viruses. o If you develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical advice promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Call in advance and tell your provider of any recent travel or contact with travelers.

Why? Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also help to prevent possible spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

HOW LIKELY AM I TO CATCH COVID-19?

The risk depends on where you are - and more specifically, whether there is a COVID-19 outbreak unfolding there.

For most people in most locations the risk of catching COVID-19 is still low.

However, there are now places around the world

(cities or areas) where the disease is spreading. For people living in, or visiting, these areas the risk of catching COVID-19 is higher. Governments and health authorities are taking vigorous action every time a new case of COVID-19 is identified. Be sure to comply with any local restrictions on travel, movement or large gatherings. Cooperating with disease control efforts will reduce your risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.

COVID-19 outbreaks can be contained and transmission stopped, as has been shown in China and some other countries. Unfortunately, new outbreaks can emerge rapidly. It’s important to be aware of the situation where you are or intend to go. WHO publishes daily updates on the COVID-19 situation worldwide.

SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT COVID-19?

Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care. It is therefore quite normal for people to worry about how the COVID-19 outbreak will affect them and their loved ones.

We can channel our concerns into actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. First and foremost among these actions is regular and thorough hand-washing and good respiratory hygiene.

Secondly, keep informed and follow the advice of the local health authorities including any restrictions put in place on travel, movement and gatherings.

WHO IS AT RISK OF DEVELOPING SEVERE ILLNESS? While we are still learning about how COVID-2019 affects people, older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer or diabetes) appear to develop serious illness more often than others.

Should I wear a mask to protect myself?

Only wear a mask if you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms (especially coughing) or looking after someone who may have

COVID-19. Disposable face mask can only be used once.

If you are not ill or looking after someone who is ill then you are wasting a mask. There is a world-wide shortage of masks, so WHO urges people to use masks wisely.

WHO advises rational use of medical masks to avoid unnecessary wastage of precious resources and mis-use of masks.

The most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to frequently clean your hands, cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue and maintain a distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from people who are coughing or sneezing.

How long is the incubation period for COVID-19?

The “incubation period” means the time between catching the virus and beginning to have symptoms of the disease. Most estimates of the incubation period for COVID-19 range from 1-14 days, most commonly around five days.

These estimates will be updated as more data become available.

CAN I CATCH COVID-19 FROM MY PET? No. There is no evidence that companion animals or pets such as cats and dogs have been infected or could spread the virus that causes COVID-19.

HOW LONG DOES THE VIRUS SURVIVE ON SURFACES? It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.

This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).

If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others.

Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.

(WHO)

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Elections stalemate hits Linden businesses …residents urge speedy resolution to impasse

By Vanessa Braithwaite WHILE Linden remains very peaceful, with no reports of election-related violence, commercial activities in the town have been affected by the elections aftermath, as several business owners decided to either shut shop or change their operating hours to an earlier time.

Residents of Linden are complaining that some items cannot be sourced in stores and this is because trucks supplying these retail and wholesale businesses are not making frequent trips to the mining town. This has forced many business own-

ers to travel to Georgetown in search of items to sell. It was not a successful journey for some, since many supply stores in Georgetown have shut their doors. One grocery seller said she was currently selling from old stocks as most of the suppliers have not come to Linden, since the elections, for her to restock.

She remains anxious about the situation and is afraid to travel to Georgetown as some vendors have done.

During a walk-about in Mackenzie Market on Tuesday, this newspaper observed quite a few shops locked, and those that were opened were closing very early. One of the three fruit vendors on the

Mackenzie Park was closed, while another had very limited stocks, compared to any normal day. Customers have also complained about the increase in prices for some fruits and vegetables.

Schools and government agencies continue to operate as normal and public transportation remains available.

What is of concern to many residents is the availability of agricultural produce in the mining town since it is heavily dependent on other regions.

"I am very concerned… trucks already not coming up, people hardly buying, this has been my slowest week for the year, so far," said market

A popular Mackenzie store that was closed

vendor, Hildi Sampson.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS Regional Agricultural Officer, Derrick Collins, encouraged the residents to not get too despondent over the situation relative to the limited agricultural produce coming to the region, but to use this time to support the local farmers as they have been making significant strides to increase their production for times like these.

Many residents, he said, are focusing on retail sellers who are dependent on produce from the out-of-town trucks but there are many local farmers who can supply the town at times. The Regional Democratic Council, he said, has been working assiduously with local farmers to increase production in the region and there has been an increase, particularly with exotic crops such as cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, carrots etc.

"We are encouraging residents to support the local farmers; we still have farmers producing and coming out that can even sell to retail farmers on the market so I don't foresee a problem in Linden where we might not get food and this is when farmers should be encouraged to go back to the land and plant," Collins said. The RDC had made agriculture a programme head following the 2005 floods on the East Coast which caused major food shortage in Region 10.

In the 2020 budget, he

A fruit stand in the Mackenzie Market

said the RDC will be investing a substantial amount of money in agriculture which will see significant support being given to agricultural communities. Already for 2019, the region has embarked on multiple agricultural projects, the big ticket one being a farm to market road. With these projects, the region is expected to reduce its dependency on outside food markets by 40 per cent by 2022. In addition to this farm-to-market road, farmers have been exposed to climate-smart training

aimed at combating extreme weather patterns and climate change. Fourteen shade houses were established, seven of which were in secondary schools across the region, in an effort to encourage agriculture at the school level. The agriculture department is also pushing for more farmers to access agricultural loans in the region through small business financial institutions such as the Linden Enterprise Network and commercial banks.

Drug trafficker fined Two arrested for ‘ganja’ in juice box RASHAAN ALPHANSO of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was, on March 11, 2020, brought before Magistrate Faith McGusty, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, having been charged with trafficking in narcotics.

The charge alleged that, on Sunday, March 8, 2020, at Irving Street, Georgetown, Alphanso was found with 5 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

Alphanso pleaded not guilty to the charge.

When given the op-

portunity by Magistrate McGusty to explain his act, Alphanso stated that he used the drug for medicinal purposes, specifically, to relieve himself of his asthmatic condition. Alphanso further informed the court that the cannabis was used in a boiled form and as a substitute for his prescribed inhaler.

After the case was heard, Alphanso was fined $5000 by Magistrate McGusty.

The cannabis that was discovered by the police in the juice box.

TWO persons have been taken into police custody following the discovery of 235 grams of suspected cannabis in a vehicle.

Police ranks from the 70km Police Outpost, on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, made the discovery following a search of a vehicle during

a routine stop-and-search exercise. The illicit substance was found concealed inside of a juice box. The driver and another occupant of the car

have been taken into police custody. They are currently assisting with the investigation.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

ExxonMobil and Government of Guyana share a strategic partnership - Mangal PRESIDENT and CEO of Guyanese oil services company Totaltec Lars Mangal has defended the contract signed between the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil, saying that while there may be room for improvement of the agreement, time is of the essence.

Mangal was speaking during an interview with German news agency Deutsche Welle in late February 2020.

Over the period since the disclosure of the ExxonMobil contract in late 2017, the Government of Guyana has been severely criticized for what many believe are poor contract terms including the 2 percent royalty and the 50/50 profit oil split.

However, Mangal said that the agreement is good for both the people of Guyana and the contractor. Following ExxonMobil’s discovery

Totaltec’s President and CEO Lars Mangal

of 16 successful wells in the offshore Stabroek Block from 2015, production commenced last December at the Liza Phase 1 and so far three tankers have departed Guyana each bearing one million barrels of light, sweet crude.

“We now have the opportunity to change this country, to drive development, to modernize the economy and to lift every Guyanese household out of poverty. Exxon is one of the most capable oil companies in the world.

GECOM dismisses false circular THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has condemned a “malicious” attempt to accuse its staff of destroying electoral information in relation to the contested Region Four results.

In a release on Wednesday, the commission stated that it has been made aware of an email purporting to be sent by Personal Assistant to the Chief Election Officer (CEO), Duarte Hetsberger, in which it was alleged that he destroyed electoral information and presented a substituted declaration of the Region Four results.

“The contents of the fake email with attachment being circulated are not authentic and should be disregarded as no such act was committed by Mr. Hetsberger,” GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) said in a release.

“The commission views this recent malicious act not only as a personal attack on Mr. Hetsberger and the integrity of the Chief Elections Officer, but also an attempt to create mischief and confusion. Persons are therefore urged to be vigilant and do not allow the misinformation peddled by a malicious few to cause distraction and chaos.”

GECOM, in a statement on Sunday, had given its assurance that it will not flout the laws of Guyana, reminding the public that a mandatory injunction granted against it and CEO Keith Lowenfield impedes the finalisation of its work.

“It is important for all relevant parties and members of the public to note that while GECOM is a constitutional agency, it is still subjected to the Laws of Guyana; hence the mandatory injunction granted against the commission and Chief Elections Officer on Thursday, March 5, 2020, has affected the finalisation of the commission’s work at this point,” GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, said in a statement on Wednesday. According to GECOM, while it is unfortunate how things have escalated, it is their intention to abide by all legal and procedural requirements to conclude its work.

We have a technologically complex offshore project here in Guyana that smaller companies couldn’t handle at the pace required. Given the depth of the field (10003000 meters), extracting oil in Guyana is like landing on the moon,” he said.

He said that as with all agreements, there may be room for improvement. “The

question is whether we have time to do so and will it create overall value?” he asked.

Mangal pointed out, too, that the global economy is transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. “Fossil fuels are also being used less in electricity generation. The window of opportunity for Guyana is closing fast and the country

must act with a true sense of urgency,” he said.

He called ExxonMobil a competent partner and said that Guyana is now the crown jewel in Exxon’s portfolio in view of the state of the international oil business and the great exploration success they have had in Guyana.

“Both parties have a stake in success here. It has

to be looked at as a strategic partnership. The country has an unprecedented opportunity for a paradigm shift. But time is pressing.

Our goal must be to produce 2 to 3 million barrels of oil a day as quickly as possible. Otherwise, there is a danger that we cannot benefit as a society from this resource,” he said.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

CARICOM delegation holds talks with political leaders

…President Granger restates he will abide by constitution THE delegation of CARICOM leaders which arrived in Guyana on Wednesday have met with President David Granger, members of the main opposition party and the heads of several small parties amidst concerns about the tension over the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Leading the team was CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados. She was accompanied

by Prime Ministers Dr. Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, Keith Mitchell of Grenada and Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Also present was Secretary General, CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.

At the meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP), President Granger told the leaders that he will continue to abide by the Constitution of Guyana, the ruling of the Supreme Court

and the decision of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). According to a release from the MOTP, the President said: "I am committed to the rule of law and the Constitution. We will abide by the declaration of the Elections Commission. Like all of Guyana, we are waiting for the declaration.”

He told the leaders that he considers Guyana a continental state with Caribbean characteristics and welcomed the

presence of the five regional leaders. He also stated that he has always respected and will continue to respect the decisions of the Court. "We have respected the integrity and autonomous nature of the Elections Commission.

We respect the Courts, as independent from the Executive and will abide by the decisions of the Court," the President assured the Caribbean leaders.

In return, Prime Minister President David Granger, Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Barbados, the Right Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, OR, Prime Ministers Dr. Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, Keith Mitchell of Grenada (partially hidden) and Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque during yesterday's meeting. Also pictured, from first left are Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Vice-President and Minister of Public Security, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, Director General, Ministry of the Presidency, Mr. Joseph Harmon, Minister of State, Mrs. Dawn Hastings-Williams and Barbados' Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Dale Marshall (MOTP photo)

The delegation of CARICOM leaders greets members of the Opposition outside the Office of the Leader of the Opposition (Adrian Narine photo)

Mottley said the regional leaders have travelled to Guyana to find an amicable solution to the challenges facing the country's leaders.

She said that it is undesirable to see the loss of life, injury, and damage to property. "We are conscious that the court has ruled and that the process [validation] has to be continued. We [Caribbean leaders] do not want to see the loss of life, damage to property or injuries," Mottley said with the full agreement of the other leaders.

President Granger was accompanied by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Vice-President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Director General, Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon and Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams. At around 18:00hrs yesterday, the delegation arrived at the Leader of the Opposition on Church Street where they met with People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo and other party executives such as Anil Nandlall, Gail Teixeira and Juan Edghill.

Exiting the building, Prime Minister Mitchell said that the talks were progressing well. “We’re getting some progress,” he said.

They then left to meet with the leaders of several small parties in Guyana.

Today, they will brief the media on their two-day visitation at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown. Mottley, has stated on a previous occasion that the community stands ready to facilitate dialogue between Guyana’s main political leaders and take other necessary actions to aid in the process.

Felonious wounding accused for court today

ON Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Joel Stanford, charged with felonious wounding, was brought before Magistrate Faith McGusty, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The charge alleged that, on Wednesday, November 6,

2019, at Queen Street, Kitty, Stanford, unlawfully and maliciously, wounded Kareem Lovell, in an attempt to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm to him.

When Stanford was read the charge, he pleaded not

guilty.

Stanford’s grandmother and the victim (Lovell), came to an agreement.

The conditions of the agreement would be heard today in court.

Stanford was refused bail by Magistrate McGusty.

Man accused of assault and breach of peace granted bail RAY JERRICK, a 25-yearold man, was, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, brought before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on two criminal charges.

The first charge alleged that, on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at Shoe Source, Regent Street, Georgetown, Jerrick unlawfully assaulted

Melissa Joseph.

The second charge alleged that, on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at Shoe Source, Regent Street, Georgetown, Jerrick provoked Melissa Joseph in the attempt to annoy her, thereby causing a breach of peace.

When Jerrick was read both charges, he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor had no

objections to the defendant being granted bail but requested that the court should place Jerrick on a bond of peace.

Magistrate McGusty granted Jerrick $20,000 bail and ordered that he be on a bond of peace.

The matter was transferred to Court 8 and 9.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Former Deeds Registry official ordered to repay state $4.5M SENIOR Magistrate Leron Daly on Wednesday ordered former Registrar (ag) of the Deeds Registry, Azeena Baksh to repay the state $4.5M or serve one year imprisonment.

The magistrate made the ruling after Baksh was found guilty of procuring money by false pretence while being in the employ of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

It was alleged that between May 1, 2014 and January 31, 2017 in Georgetown, Baksh caused or procured valuable securities in the sum of $4.5M to be delivered to her Nova Scotia bank account for her own use, pretending she was a contracted employee at the Deeds Registry.

Baksh was out on $250,000 bail during trial and was represented by attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes.

The magistrate ruled that she believed the case of State Prosecutor Teshana JamesLake, who proved to the court that Baksh was not a contracted employee and was also not eligible for bi-annual gratuity.

Baksh, the state contended, knew that she was not a

Former Registrar (ag) of the Deeds Registry, Azeena Baksh

contracted worker and placed her name on a memorandum which was taken to the Ministry of Finance and placed into her Nova Scotia bank account.

Magistrate Daly granted Baksh restitution and ordered that she repay the state $4.5M or serve one year imprisonment. She was ordered to pay $1.1M as an initial payment and the remainder within three months.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that in April

2017, the Ministry of Legal Affairs said that staff of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA) had called upon it to investigate complaints of alleged financial improprieties committed by Baksh.

The Human Resource and Accounting Departments of the DCRA had complained that as Head of the Budget Agency and sole person in authority to approve and sign off the payroll of the Deeds and Commercial Registries

Authority, Baksh allegedly unlawfully paid herself gratuity, while knowing that she was a pensionable employee, having been appointed by the Judicial Services Commission.

On July 16, 2012, Baksh was appointed Acting Registrar of Deeds Registry with a stipulated salary of $326,171 monthly.

She was also entitled to duty, entertainment and house allowances as well as subsistence allowance when working out-of-district; duty-free concessions every three years; leave passage allowance and 42 days annual vacation leave; security at her residence; paid residential and mobile phone charges and monthly internet service charges.

The Judicial Services Commission did not grant her gratuity since she was not a contracted worker.

In May 2014, the Deeds Registry was merged with the Commercial Registry pursuant to the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority Act.

APNU+AFC slams PPP officials for ‘flagrant lies’ about District 5 recount THE APNU+AFC Coalition strongly condemned the People’s Progressive Party for misleading and misinforming the people of Guyana, said a press release from the coalition.

It said that on a television programme called Elections 2020 Update broadcast on Tuesday, March 10, featuring the PPP’s Joseph Hamilton, Priya Manickchand and another individual, Hamilton falsely stated that a recount was done in District 5. His assertion was not corrected by Manickchand who appeared to have been in support of the patently false declaration.

Specifically the following is a transcript of the relevant part of the programme: Joseph Hamilton: "APNU indicated that they will challenge and ask for recount in Region 3, I don’t think they went through with that. I know they also ask for request in region five and six… only Region 5 the recount was done and the recount at their behest showed nothing changed."

Priya Manickchand: “Something did, the PPP

got two or three more votes."

The release said that the facts are that a recount had commenced in District 5 which has a total of 179 ballot boxes but only seven boxes were counted after the process was hastily aborted. A total of 172 ballot boxes is yet to be recounted in District 5.

“APNU+AFC wishes to further clarify that its request for recount in District 3 was denied by the Returning Officer. APNU+AFC calls on the PPP to desist from spreading lies and misinformation and to withdraw from their propaganda onslaught of total and complete falsehoods being unleashed on the innocent people of this nation,” the release said.

The coalition said that the “campaign of lies” is “designed to mislead the populace and create instability, fear and ultimately destabilize the society” and that the APNU+AFC will hold the PPP wholly accountable as the intellectual authors, initiators and instigators of any destabilization which takes place as a result.

T&T press association condemns treatment of Guyanese journalists

Cuban wanted for murder of Bourda St woman

THE Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) has joined with the Guyana Press Association (GPA) in condemning the treatment of journalists who are covering events, which followed the March 2, General and Regional Elections.

The TTPBA in a press statement said: “We stand in solidarity with the Guyana Press Association (GPA) who has reported that media operatives are increasingly becoming the targets of attacks related to the ongoing post- elections situation.”

According to the statement, the GPA had received several reports of threats of violence against journalists on social media and attempts to interfere with the

POLICE have issued a wanted bulletin for a Cuban in connection with the 2019 murder of 67-yearold pensioner, Marva Oudkerk, whose lifeless body was found at Bourda Street, Georgetown.

Wanted is Lopez Perez Jair, a 31-year-old of Lot 106 Plantation Versailles, West Bank Demerara and Miguel Del Pedron, Havana, Cuba.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Lopez Perez Jair is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers, 216-0251, 216-0253, 226-6978, 2258196, 226-2870, 226-7065, 227-1149, 226-7065, 2269834, 268-2298, 226-2222, 229-2557, 617-9660, 911 or the nearest police station.

All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

The Guyana Chronicle

work of media operatives covering events that have followed the elections.

“The TTPBA joins in the call by the GPA for the leadership of all political parties, state authorities and interest groups to openly discourage actions that can have the impact of undermining the work of journalists and their media enterprises,” said the T&T press association.

The association believes that press freedom is a critical pillar of democracy, together with the right of the people to know. In any society where such freedom is being undermined through acts of intimidation, it is up to leaders and those who act as watchdogs to step in and address circumstances which can have severe repercussions on a nation.

GPA had said there is a stringent process of media accreditation to determine the bona fides of local journalists and other media workers and they would, as such, expect that all due regard be paid and courtesies extended to these professionals in the execution of their duties.

“We urge all political leaders to cease and desist from creating conditions for the perpetuation of media harassment and the dampening of press freedom,” said the GPA. An alert on the dangers being posed by these practices is being developed by the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) for onward transmission to its international partners.

Deceased: Marva Oudkerk

Wanted is Lopez Perez Jair

had reported that Oudkerk, 67, a pensioner who was the caretaker of a home at Lot 241 Bourda Street, Georgetown was killed sometime between 16:30hrs on October 9 and 18:30hrs on October 10, 2019 with a mosquito netting tied around her neck.

The woman’s daughter told this newspaper that her mother was the caretaker of the home which belonged to the late Magda Pollard,

the Guyanese stalwart who passed away in May this year. The intruder/s carted off items from the home including the woman’s cash.

An autopsy was performed by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, who gave her cause of death as strangulation and blunt trauma to the head.

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

MoTP wins large band category at Mash parade

…Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts crowned Road March Queen

Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts, Road March Queen for Guyana’s Golden Republic Jubilee 2020

THE Ministry of the Presidency has managed to cop the first position in the Full Costume Large Band category of the costume and float parade, trumping Digicel Guyana in the road march for Guyana’s Golden Republic Jubilee 2020.

In the full costume medium band category, the Guyana Water Incorporated outshined its competitors – the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Education – which secured

the second and third positions, respectively.

The semi-costume small band aspect of the parade was won by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, followed by Regional Democratic Council Number Four.

While for non-commercial floats, the Ministry of the Presidency secured the top position followed by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

In addition, the night of Kings and Queens was staged to some of the most intri-

Dr. George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion with Responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport leading the ministry’s band on February 23, 2020

cately vibrant designs from some of Guyana’s leading designers. After the scores were tallied, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs was adjudged the band bearing the best King, and Queen Costumes as well as the best male and female individual costumes.

The full costume small band category of the parade saw the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) being captured in the limelight, followed by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and the Heritage Band in second and third place respectively.

THE QUEEN OF ROAD MARCH 2020 Meanwhile, the incredible energetic songbird, Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts, once again managed to cop the much-coveted Road March crown for the eighth time, with her latest song, ‘I am 592’.

The piece, which ignited patriotism along the route of the grand Republic Jubilee Costume and Float Parade,

found much favour with the judges and participants alike.

Roberts’ song managed to outshine her colleagues, Kishana ‘Kady Kish’ Ferguson and Jumo ‘Rubber Waist’ Primo, both of whom secured 14 points, respectively.

However, while the Republic Golden Jubilee Calendar of Activities come to an end, and the country awaits the March 2, 2020 elections results, the Min-

istry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport is still encouraging all Guyanese to continue their jubilation in the spirit of Guyana’s 50th Republic Anniversary, a momentous occasion that deserves continued recognition throughout the year.

Larceny accused handyman granted bail

RANDOLPH NURSE, a 44-year-old handyman of B Field, Sophia, charged with simple larceny, was, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, granted $25,000 bail by Magistrate Faith McGusty.

Nurse denied that, between Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, 2020, on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, he stole, from Teon Alleyne, beverages that amount to $16,250 and 2 gas bottles valued at $21,000.

Prosecutor had no objec-

tions to Nurse being granted bail.

Magistrate McGusty granted Nurse $25,000 bail.

The matter was transferred to Court 11.

26-year-old woman accused of assault granted bail LISA BOBB, a 26-year-old woman, charged with assault, was, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, granted $15,000 bail by Magistrate Faith McGusty.

The charge alleged that, on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at Campbellville, Georgetown, Bobb unlaw-

fully assaulted Carl Marks to actually cause bodily harm.

When Bobb was read the charge, she pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor had no objections to the defendant being granted bail but requested that the court should

place Bobb on a bond of peace.

Magistrate McGusty granted Bobb $15,000 bail and ordered that she be on a bond of peace.

The matter was transferred to Court 8 and 9.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Four charged for Corentyne businessman’s murder

IN an emotionally-charged environment, four men were remanded to prison for the murder of Corentyne businessman, Lomenzo Jhonny called “Sham” at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court, on Wednesday morning.

The men identified as Satram Khuslay called “Steve Urkel”, 27, a cane harvester, of Lot 80 Hampshire and Billal Mc Lennon, 30, a labourer of Mora Street Swamp Section Rose Hall Town were charged with the capital offence while Navindra Narain called “Husk” and Gopaul Ramgobin, both 24, and employed as hire car drivers of Tain Village, Corentyne, Berbice were charged with accessory to murder after the fact.

The quartet were jointly charged and not required to plead when they appeared before senior Magistrate Alex Moore.

It is alleged that, on February 27, 2020, Khuslay, Mc Lennon and Daniel Mc Lennon called “Dutty” for whom a wanted bullet was issued, murdered the 49-year-old businessman while Ramgobin and Narain knowing that the trio killed Jhonny assisted them and were in receipt of

the loot from the murder/ robbery.

Only Narain was represented by an attorney while the others were unrepresented and appeared lost when the charges were read to them.

After the charges were read to the men and they were about to make their exit of the courtroom, a son of the deceased, unable to control his emotions, began using indecent language against the men and was briefly detained by the police then released.

The senior magistrate exercised consideration and did not charge him with contempt of court.

Outside in the courtyard, the drama continued as shouts of ‘Murderer! Murderer!” from relatives of the deceased were met with expletives from the family of the accused. The police eventually managed to diffuse the situation and escorted them out into the streets while the ex-wife of Jhonny wailed uncontrollably as her sons tried to comfort her.

Jhonny, a father of three, was last seen alive on February 26 at around 19:30 hrs when he left for his usual evening jog.

His remains were dis-

covered around 07:45hrs the following morning with his feet tied with a black lace, severe wounds to his head, injuries to his left eye and strangulation marks on his neck. Wounds were also seen on his back and bruises to the hands.

About four feet away from his body, a red and black sneakers, a pair of scissors and a piece of wood, about three feet in length were found. After committing the act, the killer/s took the key to Johnny’s home and ransacked the premises and carried away a safe.

His cellphones and an electronic tablet device were left untouched. Police subsequently found a .25 auto pistol with 28 live rounds of

Caribbean youths reaffirm commitment to fight against poverty, inequality YOUNG people from 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirmed their commitment to overcoming poverty and inequality, with a view to achieving the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at a ceremony held on Wednesday at ECLAC’s headquarters in Santiago, Chile.

The event took place in the framework of the Concausa (“With a Cause”) 2030 initiative – organised by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the América Solidaria Foundation, and the Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Chile – which seeks to identify and disseminate social and environmental innovation projects led by adolescents in a bid to change the reality of their communities. The ceremony was inaugurated by Raúl García-Buchaca, ECLAC’s Deputy Executive Secretary for Management and Program Analysis, on behalf of Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena; Paolo Mefalopulos, UNICEF’s Representative in Chile; and Benito Baranda, Chief Executive of América Solidaria International.

At the inauguration, Raúl

García-Buchaca stated that “the region’s young people are the protagonists of the Concausa initiative, and we feel very honored and pleased that they are presenting their projects for a fairer and more egalitarian world here at ECLAC.” “Sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda cannot be attained without everyone’s participation, and young people like you are key to achieving it,” he added.

Meanwhile, Paolo Mefalopulos emphasised that “young people are showing us that it is possible to change and they are doing it. We adults owe you a great deal. Concausa emerged from the dream shared by ECLAC, UNICEF and América Solidaria, and you are witnesses of history.”

“You will be the main actors in this process. We need all of you to achieve the goals that we vowed to attain, to end poverty and fulfill the 2030 Agenda,” he added.

Benito Baranda, in his remarks, highlighted that the young people participating in the Concausa project made a choice and moved from indignation to being committed.

“All of you made a choice, not to just be upset or indignant, but to be committed and work on behalf of your territories.

If each of you sustains that commitment, we will not only comply with the 2030 Agenda, we will achieve much more.

You should hold on to your commitment over time, which has just one goal: social justice,” he stated.

In the fourth version of Concausa, a total of 2,340 people between 14 and 17 years of age applied. Fifty-one (51) young people were selected, coming from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. The youth selected to participate formed 17 teams, each with projects focused on key themes for the Region’s development, such as overcoming child poverty, ending gender violence, caring for the environment, and reducing inequalities, among others. From March 6 to March 11, these teams were participating in a week of educational activities in Santiago, Chile, which allowed them to work on their initiatives along with mentors and experts while also learning about the scope of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs.

ammunition in a bedroom of the home.

Sleuths were able to recover some $2M on the suspects as well as the damaged safe in a trench aback the community of Williamsburg after the suspects in custody confessed. According to information reaching Guyana Chronicle, the businessman recognised two of his assailants and was battered and left to die.

Following the arrests, law enforcement officials

issued a wanted bulletin for the brother of Billal, Daniel Mc Lennon, called “Dutty” of Lot 153, Third Street, Swamp Section, Rose Hall Town, who is said to have been the mastermind behind the entire plot.

He has since eluded sleuths. Anyone with information that may lead to his arrest is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers, 226-6978, 225-8196, 2262870, 226-7065, 227-1149, 226-7065, 226-9834, 268-

2298, 694-1664, 333-5564, 911 or the nearest police station.

The matter has been transferred to the Albion Magistrate’s court on April 17, 2020, where the men will make their second appearance.

The four men charged on Wednesday for the murder of businessman, Lomenzo Jhonny

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Coronavirus fears

GBA counts loss of millions as IOC cancels Olympic Qualifier Boxing in Argentina … Guyana’s five-member team Olympic dreams in limbo

THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has been informed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) that the Americas Olympic Qualifier for boxing has been cancelled because of fear of spread of the Coronavirus.

The Qualifier was scheduled for March 26 to April 4 in Buenos Aries, Argentina.

Guyana was scheduled to send a team of five boxers and three coaches to the tournament.

It follows a move from the Government of Argentina to restrict international events in the country with immediate effect.

The boxing tournament at Tokyo 2020 will be run by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) task force after the International Boxing Association was stripped of involvement for a series of governance issues.

The IOC Boxing Task Force (BTF) announced the decision yesterday, the latest in a long list of events that have been cancelled because of COVID-19.

“The BTF understands and respects the decision taken by the public authorities

of Argentina during this difficult time worldwide. We are searching for the appropriate solution for this unexpected situation and will immediately inform the National Olympic Committees, National Federations and other impacted parties as soon as further information is available,” the task force said in a statement.

Officials now face a headache in creating a fair qualification system for all athletes, with the African event in Dakar already completed and the Asia-Oceania competition finished in Amman yesterday.

GBA president Steve Ninvalle called the cancellation a major setback but reasoned that it was done for the safety of all involved.

“We have already spent a hefty sum securing tickets and insurance for the boxers and coaches. Those moneys are not refundable. We had also timed preparation of four of the boxers to peak just before the Qualifier. We will now have to await information from the IOC regarding if there would be a rescheduling,” Ninvalle said.

“The spread of the Coronavirus is a very serious issue and for that alone we accept

without reservation the decision to cancel the tournament,” said the GBA head.

With the support of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and the Government of Guyana, GBA dispatched Keevin Allicock, Desmond Amsterdam, Colin Lewis and Dennis Thomas for a three-month trading stint in Cuba.

The stint is scheduled to conclude next week. They would have been joined by Canada-based Taveena Kum at the Qualifiers. The coaches were Terrence Poole MS, Sebert Blake and Cuban Francisco Roldan. Ninvalle said that he has sent off a message informing the boxers and had called president of GOA, K. Juman-Yassin to update him.

Efforts to contact Director of Sport Christopher Jones proved futile.

Meanwhile, Ninvalle informed that in light of the recent cancellation, GBA is planning an international card for early April, stating that “we have to make sure that at least the four from Cuba remain active. I am in discussion with Trinidad and hopefully by weekend we will have concrete information”.

Paul, Hetmyer, Shepherd return for must-win battle against Barbados Pride WITH Round 8 posing a must-win situation, defending champs Guyana Jaguars have named their Windies trio in Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd and Keemo Paul in their squad for today’s Day/Night encounter at Providence.

After playing without most of their marquee stars, the return of the Windies Big 3 will further buff the second-place champs’ chances over the next four days against the table-leaders Pride.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Tevin Imlach had a tough outing in the last match scoring 2 and 0, batting in place of the

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injured Chandrapaul Hemraj and could now make way for Hetmyer.

Meanwhile, the pair of pacers, Keon Joseph and Niall Smith, will have their spots taken by Paul and Shepherd; who could provide fresher seam-bowling options for Guyana, which will aid in their quest to secure as many fast-bowling points as possible.

The Pride have also beefed up their squad, adding their Windies trio of players in Kemar Roach, Jason Holder and Jonathan Carter for today’s clash, which gets underway from 14:00hrs.

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JAGUARS: Leon Johnson (captain), Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shimron Hetmyer, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Akshaya Persaud, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Vishaul Singh PRIDE: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Shane Dowrich, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Shayne Moseley, Ashley Nurse, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican. (Clifton Ross) Cheltenham 09:30 hrs Faugheen 10:10 hrs A Great View 10:50 hrs A Plus Tard 11:30 hrs Paisley Park 12:10 hrs Springtown Lake 12:50 hrs Ard Abhainn 13:30 hrs Le Breuil Chelmsford City 14:00 hrs Haayem 14:30 hrs Transition 15:00 hrs Glenn Coco 15:30 hrs Restless Rose 16:00 hrs Kyllukey 16:30 hrs In Demand

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

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No West Indian makes ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Team-of-the-Tournament PREDICTABLY, there were no West Indian women in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 Team-of-the-Tournament after the 2016 champions faltered badly to go out in the first round.

The West Indies Women started with a seven-wicket win over Thailand before being blitzed by Pakistan then England. Their final game against South Africa was abandoned on account of persistent showers.

But in those losses there were no individual performances of note, leaving the ICC selectors with the easy choice of leaving them out.

The selectors did have a tough time though, with five players from Australia’s victorious squad being named to the Team-of-the-Tournament.

Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney did damage aplenty with the bat and the two reprise their roles as openers in the final XI. They’re joined by fast bowler Megan Schutt, who took four wickets in the Final against India to finish as leading wicket-taker with 13, and left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen.

There is also a spot for captain Meg Lanning, who led Australia from the front both with the bat and in the field

to guide her country to a fifth Women’s T20 World Cup title.

The side was pulled together by a selection panel featuring commentators and former international players Ian Bishop, Anjum Chopra and Lisa Sthalekar, journalist Raf Nicholson and ICC representative Holly Colvin.

Meg Lanning (c) (Australia) – 132 runs at 44 Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) – 94 runs at strike rate of 149 Jess Jonassen (Australia) – 10 wickets at 14.00 Sophie Ecclestone (England) – eight wickets at 6.12 Anya Shrubsole (England)

Australia captain Meg Lanning

The team of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 (in batting order) is: Alyssa Healy (wkp.) (Australia) – 236 runs at 39.33, seven dismissals Beth Mooney (Australia) – 259 runs at 64.75 Nat Sciver (England) – 202 runs at 67.33 Heather Knight (England) – 193 runs at 64.33

– eight wickets at 10.62 Megan Schutt (Australia) – 13 wickets at 10.30 Poonam Yadav (India) – 10 wickets at 11.9 Shafali Verma (India) – 163 runs at strike rate of 158.25 Healy and Mooney broke their own record set in 2018 with the most runs as a partnership in a Women’s T20

World Cup, with 352 at an average close to 60.

They also made their second century partnership in four innings while Healy lit up Melbourne to record the quickest 50 in a Final and the highest score in the showcase.

The latter was beaten by her partner a few overs later, with Mooney’s unbeaten 78 seeing her reach 259 runs - the most for one player at any edition of the tournament.

The Australian pair are followed in the team by another stellar duo, with nobody bettering the 169-run partnership made by Nat Sciver and Heather Knight against Thailand.

The middle-order batters were in inspired form throughout, Knight becoming the first England cricketer to register centuries in all three formats with her ton against the debutants.

Sciver’s consistency was remorseless in Australia, scoring half-centuries in three of England’s four completed matches to end her tournament with 202 runs and two wickets.

Ensconcing herself in the middle order is Lanning, who steered her country to a historic fifth Women’s T20 World Cup title and the first on home soil.

Her 49 in the semi-final against South Africa will be remembered as one of the

most vital innings of the competition, while her tournament-defining captaincy sees her named skipper for this team.

Laura Wolvaardt only batted in two innings but certainly made her mark on the action.

The 20-year-old struck 53 not out to take South Africa beyond Pakistan, with a glorious array of straight and cover drives lighting up the Sydney Showground.

And she almost went one better in the semi-final against Australia, another eye-catching knock of 41 not out seeing her team finish just short of the Final.

As for the bowlers, few could match the feats of leftarm spinner Jonassen, who finished with ten scalps in her six matches.

The Australian took at least one wicket in each, with no better haul than the three for 20 against India in the Final which clinched a fifth title.

She’s joined in the XI by two record-breaking England bowlers in spinner Sophie Ecclestone and pacer Anya Shrubsole.

No bowler has taken more than Shrubsole’s 41 Women’s T20 World Cup wickets, with eight coming in her four matches Down Under.

For Ecclestone, meanwhile, the sky is the limit for

a 20-year-old who has taken a wicket in her last 18 T20I matches.

A tournament tally of eight for 49 combines both wicket-taking ability and a stunning economy rate for Ecclestone, who now sits top of the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Bowling Rankings.

Coming in at 10, is Schutt, with no player bettering the 13 wickets she took at a single tournament.

That all came to the perfect conclusion at the MCG for Schutt, finishing with four for 18 against an India line-up she had feared to win the Final for Australia.

Rounding off the XI is leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, who had Australia in knots in a dramatic opening game of the tournament.

India’s leading T20I wicket-taker took four for 19 in the opener and didn’t look back, bagging three against Bangladesh before rounding off with wickets in each match.

Taking her place as 12th is teenage sensation Shafali Verma – who broke record after record at the top of India’s order.

Fearless cricket had the opposition running scared of the 16-year-old, with her devastating 163 runs coming at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 158.25.

India in ball-shining dilemma, Proteas skipper welcomes back England ban selfies and autographs predecessor Faf du Plessis

DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - New South Africa captain Quinton de Kock has welcomed the return to the One Day International squad of his predecessor Faf du Plessis as they prepare to meet India in Dharamsala today..

us and he also knows he has lot of value to give to this team,” de Kock told a news conference on the eve of the match.

“It’s still great to have him around. The experience he has picked up over the years will be a great help to us in this

New SA skipper Quinton de Kock has welcomed back his predecessor Faf du Plessis

“Faf plays big role for us from a leadership point of view. He’s here to help out a lot of the younger guys in the team, and he still adds a lot of value to

series.

“He’s been given a chance to have a break. I feel it was important for him to put his feet up for a little bit and regather his

thoughts.” de Kock replaced du Plessis as skipper of the ODI team for the threematch series against England, when du Plessis was surprisingly left out in a clear signal that his tenure was headed to an end. du Plessis then quit as South Africa captain across all three formats of cricket, but said he would remain available for selection and after also being left out for the 3-0 home series win against Australia, over the last fortnight, was restored to the squad for the three matches in India.

“We understand we have an inexperienced side in these conditions, so it’s important that guys like me and Faf help lead the way,” added de Kock.

“India have become an unbelievable team but we are also coming here with a lot of confidence.”

To d a y ’s m a t c h i n Dharamsala is followed by a meeting on Sunday in Lucknow and next Wednesday in Kolkata.

DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - Indian bowlers face a dilemma over whether to apply saliva to shine the ball against South Africa while England’s players have been asked not to sign autographs or take selfies with fans in Sri Lanka following the coronavirus outbreak.

Globally, more than 119 000 people have been infected by the coronavirus and over 4 000 have died.

While lots of international sporting events have been affected, South Africa play the first of their three one-day internationals in the northern city of Dharamsala today.

Asked if the traditional way of shining the ball using saliva would be too much of a risk, India quick Bhuvneshwar Kumar told reporters: “We have thought about this thing but right now I can’t say what we’ll do.

“But then if you don’t use saliva, how do you shine the ball? And if you don’t shine it, you’re bound to bleed runs and people will India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah during nets yesterday, in Dharamsala, India (REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File photo)

criticise your performance,” he said.

“But, yes, it’s a valid point. We have a team meeting later today (yesterday) and we’ll follow whatever instruction we get and whichever is the best option.”

In Sri Lanka, England’s players were asked yesterday not to sign autographs or take selfies with fans as Joe Root’s men prepare for the two-Test series starting at Galle on March 19.

“England players and staff have been asked to avoid any unnecessary public engagements, and temporarily avoid casual supporter interaction such as selfies or autographs,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said.

“Whilst we acknowledge that this will be disappointing for some supporters, we stress that this is a measure to protect the ongoing wellbeing of the England Test squad and is a decision which has not been taken lightly,” it added.

The tourists had already decided to replace handshakes with fist bumps to avoid contamination.

The ECB also urged travelling England fans to maintain good levels of hygiene to avoid infection or spreading of the virus.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Savory, Persaud, Singh hit centuries in Essequibo T20 Big Bash League

By Elroy Stephney THE third round of the Essequibo T20 Big Bash League was played on Sunday at various venues along the Essequibo Coast.

There were victories for Rising Star, Reliance Hustlers, Reliance SC, Lima United, Devonshire Castle, Spartan, Cotton Field Strikers, NOC, Affiance #1, Charity SC, Queenstown SC and United Warriors.

At the Reliance ground, the hosts hammered Sparwin by 91 runs. After winning the toss and batting, Reliance Hustlers enjoyed a run-fest with savage half-centuries from Mark Austin 95 (11x4, 5x6) and Narendra Mandolall 64 not-out (5x4, 6x6).

Anthony Ifill was also among the runs with 45 (4x6, 2x6) to charge the Hustlers to 236-5 from their 20 overs. Sparwin, in reply, crumbled and reached 145-8 when the overs expired. Only Eshwar Lall 33 (5x4) entertained briefly. Mandolall returned with the ball to capture 3-18 from 4 miserly overs.

In the second game at the same venue, Reliance SC thumped Scheme Gunners by a massive 197 runs.

Reliance SC were led by

half-centuries from Satish Persaud 65 (11x4) and Rondell Boyal 59 (7x4, 3x6) along with 43 (6x4, 2x6) from Rovin Doodnauth to reach 262-5 from their 20

Kemol Savory hit an unbeaten 108 for Rising Star

overs.

Gunners never got firing and were eventually all-out for 65 in 14 overs.

Basil Persaud 4-9 (4) and Dillon Blackman 4-14 (3) were the main destroyers.

At Imam Bacchus ground in Affiance, Bacchus Bulls galloped to 257-6 from their 20 overs against Rebels XI.

Copa del Rey final postponed due to coronavirus fears - federation

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Spain’s Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the national soccer federation RFEF said yesterday.

The match was due to take place on April 18 at Seville’s La Cartuja Stadium.

The announcement followed the federation postponing all organised football matches outside Spain’s top two divisions for two weeks.

Matches in the top-flight and second division have been ordered to be played without spectators for at least two weeks, although some clubs and players have called for those matches to also be postponed for health reasons.

A meeting is set to take place today between the RFEF, the league’s organising body and the players’ association to determine whether the matches should be postponed, an RFEF spokesman said.

This was due mainly to a superb century from former national Under-19 batsman Nathan Persaud whose 105 contained 15 fours and 3 sixes..

the Pomona ground.

Savory’s unbeaten 108 (16x4, 4x6) helped the Stars to reach 192-6 from their 20 overs. In reply, Devonshire Castle were restricted to

Nathan Persaud’s 105 contained 15 fours and 3 sixes

Rebels were never a threat as they collapsed to 93 all-out in 17 overs. Another century, this time by national wicketkeeper-batsman Kemol Savory, who steered Rising Star to victory against Devonshire Castle at

Australia opener David Warner

160-8 from their allotted overs to lose by 32 runs.

Yet another century was recorded as Affiance #1 played against Gunners at home and posted 174-4 with Yogesh Singh smashing 103 (14x4, 4x4).

They then reduced Gunners to 125-7 despite a fluent half-century from Grayson Paul to win by 71 runs. At the Charity ground, the hosts gained

Mark Austin (left) and Narendra Mandolall scored half- centuries

a fighting 2-wicket victory against Golden Fleece, who recorded 114 all-out to which Charity SC reached 116-8 in 19 overs.

At Walton Hall, the hosts were shot out for a paltry 81

in 13 overs against Cotton Field Strikers, who then raced to 83-2 in just 10 overs for an 8-wicket win. In another low-scoring match, Spartan tamed the Jaguars who could score only 115 all-out.

Spartan replied with 1177 in 19 overs for a 3-wicket win. Meanwhile NOC also recorded victory against Jaguar Over-40 who made 115 all-out to which NOC replied with 116-2 in 13 overs. United Warriors fought gallantly to defeat Aurora Knight Riders who made 141-6 from their 20 overs.

The Warriors then reached 144-8 in 19 overs for a 2-wicket victory.

Queenstown SC gained a 2-wicket win against Young Achievers who made 146 all-out. Queenstown responded with 1458 from 18 overs. Lima United were also in winners’ row but the scores were not available.

The round-robin League continues on Sunday with various matches across the Region.

Australia bank on top four against buoyant New Zealand

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) - Australia will be banking on their top order as they seek to end their fivematch winless streak in one-day internationals against a buoyant New Zealand in the three-match series beginning in Sydney tomorrow.

Aaron Finch’s men are smarting from a 3-0 whitewash in South Africa earlier this month, which followed their 2-1 series defeat in India, and their top order look exhausted after 12 months of

relentless cricket.

In New Zealand, they meet a side brimming with confidence having just whitewashed India both in the ODI and Test series.

Opener David Warner agreed the onus was on the frontline batsmen to fuel Australia’s bid to reclaim the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

“The only thing I can put it (Australia’s losing streak) down to is the top four not scoring the bulk of the runs,” Warner told reporters yesterday.

“You can’t do it all the time but at least one of us (has to) go on and be there at the end.

“It is disappointing but at the end of the day we’ve got to keep trying to get better at that, try to find a balance with our batting through the middle as well.”

Team mate Matthew Wade agreed with Warner’s diagnosis and said they need to do better against a New Zealand side renowned for their discipline in all aspects of the game.

“We’ve got to make sure one of the

top four really bats through and makes a big hundred and in Australia we back our power towards the end on pretty true wickets,” said Wade.

“It’ll be nice to see if one of the top order can go through and bat the whole innings; that would be very helpful.”

New Zealand have welcomed their fit-again pace trio of Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, who powered their run to the final of the World Cup last year.

Coach Gary Stead said his team considered Australia a “benchmark” but will carry the confidence from their excellent performance against India.

“They are a great team; we respect them a lot for the way they play their cricket. They set a benchmark for us to aspire to,” Stead said.

“I think we have played some really good ODI cricket in the last three or four years and hopefully we can continue that.”

Sydney hosts the second match as well on Sunday before teams move to Hobart for the last ODI next Friday.

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Bangladesh sets dates for Baggy Green rematch AUSTRALIA’S next Test assignment has been confirmed with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) revealing the dates and venues for a two-match series in June.

Australia will return to Chattogram (formerly known as Chittagong) and Dhaka for the two-Test series where 120 points in the World Test Championship will be up for grabs.

It’s the same two venues they played in 2017 when a side captained by Steve Smith drew a series 1-1, although the order will be reversed in 2020 with the first Test at Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

The first Test will be played from June 11 before the second match at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from June 19.

I t m e a n s A u s t r a l i a ’s three-format players will spend some eight weeks out of the country over the winter, with a series comprising three T20s and three ODIs in England to follow the Bangladesh tour.

Australia will have one four-day practice match to prepare for the Tests

against Bangladesh, possibly at Chattogram’s MA Aziz Stadium, while several stars – including World No.3 Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne – will arrive from stints in English county cricket.

On the 2017 tour that started in Dhaka, Nathan Lyon claimed an incredible 22 wickets in the two-Test series while David Warner conquered his subcontinent demons with a century in each Test.

The make-up of Australia’s Test squad is expected to be largely settled, following their dominant ‘perfect summer’ of five successive crushing Test victories against Pakistan (twice) and New Zealand (three-nil).

“We had our review of the summer and what’s interesting and relevant is the continuity of the team as much as the balance of the team,” head coach Justin Langer said after the SCG Test in January.

“We’ve been able to keep the guys together. We’ve obviously got an excellent fast-bowling attack, we’ve got the best off-spinner in the world (Nathan Lyon), we’ve got two of the best

batsmen who have played for Australia (David Warner and Steve Smith) and Tim Paine is the best wicketkeeper in the world.

When you have all those bases covered, it means you’ve got a very good cricket team.

“We’re still working towards having a great cricket team, but we’ve got a very good cricket team at the moment.”

The Bangladesh series will be Australia’s only foreign T e s t match

another catch to the deep fielders. Richmond Mutombani lasted just two balls before also being caught, and Tinotenda Mutombodzi and Wesley Madhevere fell in the space of three balls, the latter for a golden duck.

engagements in 2020 before hosting Afghanistan and India next summer.

“If we go to Bangladesh and play well and get some wins over there, then we come back to Australia playing India, and that’s a pretty

seeking to test out their bench strength, and together with Das constructed a 77-run opening stand which all but sealed Zimbabwe’s fate.

Naim’s wicket in the 11th over, caught at deep

Liton Das cuts one during his unbeaten 60 (BCB photo)

All the time, Taylor kept things moving with a mix of powerful lofted drives and inventive scoops bringing him a total of six fours and one maximum as he finished the innings unbeaten on 59 from 48 balls, dragging Zimbabwe up to 119-7.

Mohammad Naim opened in place of Tamim Iqbal with Bangladesh

t h e main playing

Bangladesh brilliant all-rounder Shakib al- Hasan wiil not be eligible to return to international cricket until October

Das continues fine form as Zimbabwe go winless A NINE-WICKET victory for Bangladesh sealed a disappointing tour for Zimbabwe in which they lost all six matches across all formats.

The Bangladesh chase was led by an unbeaten 60 from Liton Das, his fifth score greater than 50 during his six innings over the course of the tour, as the hosts coasted to a 2-0 series win in the T20I leg.

Home skipper Mahmudullah had earlier won the toss, opting to bowl first and allowing his bowlers to immediately put pressure on a batting line-up already under stress. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe fell early, succeeding only in getting a feather behind as he tried to scoop to Al-Amin Hossain.

The experienced duo of Craig Ervine and Brendan Taylor held things steady with a 57-run partnership before Ervine was caught in the deep for 29 from 33 balls.

Captain Sean Williams charged past a ball from Mehedi Hasan and was duly stumped for 3, while Sikandar Raza provided

mouth-watering series for players and for fans,” Test captain Paine said in the aftermath of Australia’s 280-run win in the third Test against New Zealand.

“It’s hard not to be looking at that, and we’ve got some people at Cricket Australia already looking ahead to that series.

“But for

mid-wicket for 33, gave a brief glimmer of hope for the visitors, but a breezy unbeaten 20 from Soumya Sarkar, including two sixes, quickly put rest to any ideas of a comeback.

The win seals a 2-0 series win for Bangladesh to go with a 3-0 win in the ODIs and victory in the one-off Test. (ICC.com)

group our next goal is Bangladesh, and we certainly can’t take that lightly.”

Opener Joe Burns’ form in the second half of the Marsh Sheffield Shield season could have eased scrutiny on his position, while the conjecture on

who would be Lyon’s understudy eased with the call-up of leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson for this summer’s SCG Test.

In 2017 Australia played spin-bowling all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar alongside Lyon with two quicks (Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins) in the first Test.

Mitchell Starc was out of the tour injured while Hazlewood picked up a side strain in the opening match.

In the second Test they won to level the series, Australia played two front-line spinners in Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe alongside Maxwell and Agar with Pat Cummins as the sole frontline quick.

Seam-bowling all-rounder Hilton Cartwright was drafted into the side for just his second Test match with Usman Khawaja jettisoned.

Once viewed as minnows in world cricket, Bangladesh have become a legitimate threat at major international limited-overs tournaments and a force in Test cricket on their home turf.

The Tigers have won Tests over England and Australia in recent years but have been hampered by the ban for Shakib al-

Hasan, one of the finest all-rounders in the history of the game, for failing to report bookmaker approaches.

Shakib was banned in late October for two years – one fully suspended – meaning he will not be eligible to return to international cricket until October 29 this year.

Shakib was found to have failed to report two approaches he received during a tri-series between Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in January 2018, and a third related to a 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab.

The Tests had originally been scheduled for February but were moved after negotiations between the two countries.

A three-match T20 series between the countries has also been moved – it had originally been scheduled for last October – and will now be played in Bangladesh in 2021 in the lead-up to next year’s T20 World Cup in India (a tournament that itself is a replacement for the now-scrapped Champions Trophy).

Dominican Republic to host Caribbean Club Championship - CONCACAF MIAMI, United States Domingo for what should be a (CMC) – The Dominican thrilling fourth edition of this Republic’s Felix Sanchez important championship.”

Olympic Stadium will host The group stage of the the CONCACAF Carib- 2020 Flow CONCACAF Cabean Club Championship ribbean Club Championship this year. kicked off on January 29 in CONCACAF announced Kingston, Jamaica, with six here Tuesday that the semifi- teams battling for four semifinals, third-place match, final nal spots. and playoff match will be Group staged at the venue in Santo A saw JaDomingo from May 8 to 13. maican Five clubs are partici- club Wapating: Arcahaie FC (Haiti), terhouse Cibao FC (Dominican Re- p o w e r public), Club Atletico Pantoja to a first(Dominican Republic), Waterhouse FC (Jamaica), and the to-be-confirmed 2020 CONCACAF Caribbean Shield Champions “The Flow CONCACAF CaribbeCONCACAF General an Club ChamSecretary Philippe Moggio pionship is the pinnacle of club football place finish with a draw in the Caribbean, provid- versus Cibao FC of the Doing fully professionalised minican Republic and a leagues and their teams with win over Haitian club Don a clear pathway to Confed- Bosco. The Dominican club eration-wide tournaments,” claimed the second place in said CONCACAF General the group, with two ties.

Secretary Philippe Moggio.

In Group B, Atletico “After an exciting group Pantoja of the Dominican stage in Jamaica earlier this Republic finished top of the year, we are pleased to bring group, with victories over the finals to the Dominican reigning FCCCC champiRepublic capital of Santo ons Portmore United of Ja-

maica and Haiti’s Arcahaie.

The Haitian side secured a semifinal spot with a win over the Jamaican co-hosts.

The group winners will face the second-place finishers of the opposite group. The two semifinal matches are scheduled for May 8. The third placematch and final, which will determine the Caribbean representatives in the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF League and 2021 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, will be played on May 10.

Once the 2020 CONCACAF Caribbean Shield Champions fulfil the CONCACAF Regional Club Licensing criteria required to participate in a Confederation-wide club competition, an additional playoff match will be disputed on May 13, between the fourth-place finishers of the Caribbean Club Championship and the Shield Champions.

The winners of that game will claim the last spot for Caribbean clubs in the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

Male footballers should earn more than women – U.S. football authorities

THE U.S. women’s football players are less skilled and have fewer responsibilities than their male colleagues, according to U.S. Soccer.

Lawyers for the football governing body in the U.S. have submitted the claims in legal papers as part of a lawsuit over equal pay filed by 28 women’s national team players - the court trial is expected to start on May 5.

It stated that the job of a male footballer on the national team “requires a higher level of skill based on speed and strength” than their female counterparts.

‘PLAIN SEXISM’ While the men’s national team have never won a relevant international title, the women’s side are four-time world champions and have won five Olympic gold medals.

American women footballers also outdid men in terms of revenue in the last few years. It has emerged that the women’s team generated more money from ticket sales than the men’s side between 2016 and 2018.

However, the male athletes

serving the national team are disproportionally paid more, according to lawyers representing the group of female players.

They claim, for example, that women can earn a maximum $4 950 (£3 858) bonus per friendly game played for the national team, while the men’s pay topped $13 000 (£10 132).

“Literally everyone in the world understands that an argument: male players ‘have more responsibility’ is just plain simple sexism,” Molly Levinson, a spokesperson for the players, said in a statement.

“It also illustrates the very gender discrimination that caused us to file this lawsuit to begin with.”

The group of players took legal action on March 8 2019, seeking equal pay and $66M (£51.4M) in damages for lost earnings.

They also accused governing body U.S. Soccer of “institutionalised gender discrimination”.

That happened before the women’s team took part in - and won - the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.

Megan Rapinoe, one of the

side’s stars, is adamant about the group’s resolve.

“We won’t accept anything less than equal pay,” she said in an interview with ABC TV channel last August.

EQUAL PAY OFFER The women’s case was publicly supported by male players.

On February 12 the U.S. men’s team issued a statement criticising the governing body

ment read.

Kirsten Schlewitz, a U.S. journalist who specialises in women’s football, told the BBC that public perception is also favourable to the plight of the

The U.S. Women’s team won the last World Cup. The men’s team did not even qualify for Russia 2018

“We show up for a game, if we win the game, if we lose the game, if we tie the game, we want to be paid equally, period.”

in no uncertain terms.

“Yes, the federation continues to discriminate against the women in their wages and working conditions,” the state-

female players.

“Almost all fans in the U.S. see the women’s team as one of the few things that have gone right in U.S. football,” she said.

“Then U.S. Soccer, which most fans already had little time for, made degrading and dismissive remarks about how the women weren’t earning their keep.”

U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro released an open letter on March 7, saying that the governing body had made multiple attempts to meet with the women’s national team.

PRIZE MONEY GAP Cordeiro claimed that U.S. Soccer had offered an equal pay package for matches under its control.

But the governing body did not offer compensation for the difference in prize money paid to men and women’s teams at World Cups, as they are of responsibility of FIFA, the global governing body.

The last men’s World Cup champions France received $38M (£29.6M) after winning the tournament in Russia, in 2018.

The U.S. women’s team however, went home with $4M (£3.1M) for winning the trophy last year.

(BBC Sport)

Holders Liverpool out of Champions League LIVERPOOL’s hold on the Champions League was wrestled from them by Atletico Madrid after a dramatic last-16 second leg went into extra time - and a finely balanced game turned on a catastrophic blunder by goalkeeper Adrian.

Jurgen Klopp’s side seeking to win the trophy for a seventh time - thought they had overturned Atletico’s 1-0 advantage from the first leg when Roberto Firmino’s first goal at Anfield this season

at the start of the added 30 minutes gave them the lead in the tie.

Georginio Wijnaldum’s first-half header was full reward for Liverpool laying siege to the Atletico goal for much of the first 90 minutes.

And yet, as the Kop sensed another memorable Champions League victory, Adrian - deputising for the injured Alisson - paid the price for a dreadful clearance as substitute Marcos Llorente

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pounced with a low finish to secure Atletico’s crucial away goal.

Llorente struck again with another composed finish in the 105th minute and with the spirit draining out of Liverpool and their supporters, former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata adding insult to injury with a third in the dying seconds to send Atletico through to the last eight.

This game was, in many respects, a tale of two goalkeepers.

The magnificent Jan Oblak formed a formidable barrier for Atletico Madrid, his yellow shirt a colossal presence in his penalty area as he made nine saves and claimed countless crosses.

In contrast, Liverpool’s mammoth effort was fatally undermined by the hapless Adrian, who also made an error that contributed to their FA Cup fifth-round defeat by Chelsea.

(BBC Sport)

IPL could prove key World Cup test for veterans Bravo, Gayle - Lara Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo

WEST Indies legend Brian Lara believes the upcoming IPL could prove a key barometer for veteran players like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, who could be looking for one last hurrah at the ICC T20 World Cup later this year.

At ages 40 and 36, the players are in the twilight of their careers and currently on the fringes of the West Indies squad looking to prepare for the upcoming tournament.

Lara is, however, convinced that a successful IPL campaign could put the players back in the mind of the selectors.

The tournament, the former batting star insists, will not only test their current form but also their longevity by providing a gruelling schedule. The near one-month tournament could see teams play as many as 17 matches, with a minimum of 14 during the short period.

“I think the IPL is go-

ing to be a huge point or signal for who is actually going to carry on.

It’s still going to be five months after the IPL for the World Cup,” Lara said in a recent interview with bdcrictime.

“Fitness levels are very important, but a gruesome tournament like the IPL is going to tell the West Indies selectors who are the players that they really need, going into the last four months of preparation for the World Cup,” he added.

(Sportsmax)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, March 12, 2020

27

GABA/Andrew Ifill knockout tournament to bounce-off Sunday

THE newly-elected executives of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) will bounce-off their on-court action this Sunday (March 15) with the hosting of the first-ever Andrew Ifill Knockout Basketball tournament.

The tournament will celebrate the life of the late Andrew Ifill, a former national player who passed away last October at age 40.

“He (Ifill) was an exceptional basketball player of Guyana and we would like to ensure that this tournament is done annually,” Jermaine Slater, president of GABA, said at the official launch of the tournament yesterday at Palm Court, Main Street.

The tournament will be contested in the Open and Under-21 divisions. Slater explained the reason for sticking to these two categories.

“Our administration has moved to exclude Second

President of GABA, Jermaine Slater, (third from left), along with other executives and club members at the launch of the Andrew Ifill knockout tournament

McKinnon, Phang emerge winners of GSSF/Orinduik Development Inc. Shoot

Prize winners and participants of Orinduik Development Inc. 2020-sponsored GSSF Practical Shooting Match

RYAN McKinnon and Andrew Phang were winners as the Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation hosted its first Practical Pistol Match for 2020, sponsored by Orinduik Development Inc. Local practical shooters gathered at the Timehri shooting ranges to take part in an exciting Practical Pistol Match which comprised five challenging but fun stages.

The Match was conducted

by Match Director, David Dharry who declared it open.

When the dust settled, McKinnon had taken the limited division with 335.4148 points ahead of Pravesh Harry (324.8440 points) and John Phang (225.3842 points).

In the Production division, Phang (351.7516 points) won ahead of David Dharry (230.8017 points) and Dallas

Thomas (185.1150 points).

At the Opening Ceremony, Managing Director, Brian Backer, of the match sponsor’s company delivered brief remarks and wished competitors all the best for a safe match.

The five stages were as follows: ‘Zig-or-Zag challenged shooters’ strategic abilities with multiple possible routes to complete the course of fire.

Reverse Gear tested their ability to shoot from a stable position while moving backward.

4 Bill Drill was a standard exercise, meaning that shooters could compare their scores on that stage with shooters around the world for a skill ranking. It involved drawing from the holster multiple times, rapid magazine changes and firing both right

and left-handed.

Go a fish was a fun, quick-fire stage which involved rising from a seated position to engage close range targets.

The Ironsides stage rigorously tested the technique and discipline of the shooters with shooting positions that were unfamiliar and uncomfortable while they aimed at targets that demanded high accuracy.

At the end of the Match, members of the Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF) were all treated to a special Side Match whereby he/she could use any firearm on the range to engage three steel targets to compete against each other to see who can do so in the fastest time. After many tries and enthused cheering on, Harold Hopkinson emerged victorious.

Division from our tenure to try and have more basketball played at the Open level, which would give more persons a chance to actually play the game. A lot of teams have a lot of players and sometimes these players don’t get to see court,” Slater reasoned.

Slater added that teams can put forward two teams per division for this tournament, creating a situation that allows for more games to be played and players to test their skills against a wider pool of competitors.

All matches will be played at Burnham Court, Georgetown. The match days are March 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, April 1, 3 and 5.

The teams are U-21 Eagles, Colts, Sonics, UG-A and UG-B. Open - Guardians, Colts, UG-A, Vikings, Sonics, Pacesetters A and B, Eagles, Kobras and Ravens.

The tournament will be played under FIBA rules.

Jamaica schools’ athletics championships cancelled over Coronavirus K I N G S T O N , J a m a i c a of Health and Wellness Dr uled for April 23 to 25 in (CMC) – There will be no secondary schools’ athletics championships this year, it was announced yesterday, a day after Jamaica confirmed its first case of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, Richard Thompson, said the event had been cancelled following a meeting involving officials from ISSA, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and title sponsors GraceKennedy.

The event had been scheduled for March 24-28 at the National Stadium.

“ISSA had a meeting with its executive to discuss concerns regarding the championships, especially with the new information that we have just confirmed the first case of the virus in Jamaica,” the Jamaica Gleaner quoted Thompson as saying.

“The members of the committee were principals of schools and they expressed concerns about the safety of athletes, spectators, and the country generally. Our position was that we were prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect all concerned,” he added.

Thompson said Minister

Christopher Tufton, Sports Minister Olivia Grange and an official from the Education Ministry had shared ISSA’s concern and recommended that this year’s championships be cancelled, “especially given the fact that a lot of persons would be travelling from the diaspora and many of those countries have widespread cases of COVID-19”.

Philadelphia.

Meantime, the Kingston City Marathon (KCM) has also been called off. Nicola Madden Greig, co-chair of KCM said that while all was in place for the eighth staging of the four-race event – which includes a marathon, half-marathon, 10K and 5K race/walk, and annually attracts over 5 000 participants and spectators

The decision follows M i n i s t e r Tu f t o n ’s a n nouncement the day before that Jamaican schools would not be participating in this year’s staging of the prestigious Penn Relays track and field competition in the United States because “travel and the location could involve levels of risk that we would like to discourage”.

That event was sched-

from several Caribbean islands and other countries – organisers were mindful of their responsibility “to comply with the mandates of the Ministry of Health as we all work to prevent the potential for community spread of the Coronavirus”.

More than 121 500 persons in 114 countries have been infected with COVID-19 and over 4 300 have died.

Canada-based Taveena Kum is the lone female on Guyana’s five-member team

From left: Keevin Allicock, Colin Lewis, Desmond Amsterdam and Dennis Thomas, prior to their departure to Cuba

Coronavirus fears

GBA counts loss of millions as IOC cancels Olympic Qualifier Boxing in Argentina PAGE

22

… Guyana’s five-member team Olympic dreams in limbo

FIFA postpones Congress for three months over coronavirus ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) - FIFA has postponed its annual Congress, due to be held in Ethiopia in June, for three months due to the coronavirus outbreak, the world soccer body said yesterday.

FIFA said in a statement that its 70th Congress, where delegations from all 211 of its member national associations are due to meet, will take place in Addis Ababa on September 18.

“Numerous international bodies and public health authorities have advised against the organisation of international events,” the statement said.

“Concerns over the health and well-being of participants, as well as travel restrictions in many countries have resulted in the cancellation or postponement of many such events in various parts of the world,” it added.

A FIFA Council meeting due to be held in Zurich on March 20 - previously scheduled for Asuncion - would now take place in June or July, it added.

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Paul, Hetmyer, Shepherd return for must-win battle against Barbados Pride PAGE

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Keemo Paul (left) and Shimron Hetmyer are back for Guyana’s must-win game against Barbados Pride

GABA/Andrew Ifill knockout tournament to bounce-off Sunday

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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020