Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_05_05_2020

TUESDAY 5th May, 2020

' No.105990

Happy Arrival Day to all Guyanese

‘Full scrutiny’

SEE PAGE 03

…GECOM sticks to scrutiny of ballot boxes despite PPP/C’s protest …gazetted order includes simultaneous counting of votes, live broadcast

10 new cases of COVID-19 …92 now confirmed with deadly disease; three persons in ICU 08 PAGE

'I will accept the results of the recount'

PAGE

09

…President welcomes commencement

Guyana to conduct own seismic survey soon PAGE

17

GECOM's Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

President leads tribute to the contribution of Indian indentured immigrants and their descendants The following is the full text of the President’s message: “Indian Arrival Day is celebrated each year on 5th May. The East Indians who arrived came largely from the Uttar Pradesh and Southern Indian regions of India. The first ship to arrive in British Guiana, Whitby, sailed from Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 13th January, 1838 with 249 immigrants, and, after a voyage of 112 days, landed on 5th May, 1838. This began their indentureship experience.

This year marks the 182nd anniversary of the arrival of Indians in our country. Nearly 240,000 Indians immigrated to British Guiana between 1838 and 1917, when indentured immigration ended. The majority of immigrants opted to remain and to make the country their home.

Indian religious rituals, cuisine, customs and traditions enriched the country’s cultural mosaic.

Indian enterprise diversified the local economy.

Indian descendants ventured successfully into

politics, and were active in social organisations and in sport.

Indians have achieved prominence in all aspects of national life. They cultivated respectful relations with other races, and, in so doing, fostered the development of a more cohesive nation. They are an integral part of the political system, and, together with other ethnic groups, contributed to the evolution of Guyana’s demography, economy and society. Guyana pays tribute to the contribution of Indian indentured immigrants and their descendants. I extend best wishes to all Guyanese on the occasion of Indian Arrival Day. David Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana

President David Granger

‘Indulge in activities to forge unity’ …PNCR says in Arrival Day message

ON the occasion of the 182nd Anniversary of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana, the PNCR salutes all Guyanese of East Indian descent, and those in the Diaspora who are celebrating this milestone in the nation’s historical calendar.

The Party recognises the valuable contribution that our East Indian brothers and sisters have made to the development of our country, and the shaping of the cultural tapestry of this nation. The PNCR, therefore, salutes all our East Indian brothers and sisters on this special commemorative day.

When the PNCR, in the 1980s, inaugurated the concept of celebrating the arrival of the respective ethnic groups of this nation, the intention was to deepen an under-

standing of the culture of these groups, and so promote greater understanding and racial harmony as tools for nation building. The Party held, at all times, that such a course of action was absolutely necessary for welding the nation into a single whole, out of the various groups which emigrated here from the various continents of the world.

As we reflect on this historical milestone, it is the wish of the PNCR that the occasion would be used to indulge ourselves in activities designed to forge and mould a destiny of racial and cultural cohesion, so necessary for building an economically-strong and vibrant nation.

Happy Arrival Day!

‘Full scrutiny’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

…gazettes order which includes simultaneous counting of votes, live streaming

By Svetlana Marshall

of the process.

THE Order, bringing into legal effect the National Recount of the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections, was published in the Official Gazette of Guyana on Monday, May 4.

The gazetting of the Order now paves the way for the much-anticipated recount to commence on Wednesday, under the supervision of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and the watchful eyes of scrutineers drawn from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The Order, which comprises a total of eight ‘whereas’ clauses, was signed by Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and made by the Elections Commission, pursuant to its powers under Article 162 of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act. In accordance with the Constitution and the ruling of the Court of Appeal, the Order states that the Elections Commission will provide overall supervision and guidance to the Elections Secretariat during the conduct of the National Recount, and will serve as the final arbiter of issues not resolved at lower levels. Importantly, it states that an Order on the national recount will be gazzetted, and the final results of the March 2 Elections will be determined and declared.

Notably, while the recount will be conducted by GECOM’s staff, under the direct supervision of the Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, it will be scrutinised by the three-member CARICOM team, and witnessed by representatives of political parties that contested the elections, as well as accredited international and local observers, and advisers to the Elections Commission. The Chairman of GECOM and the Elections Commissioners will also be present.

It also clearly specified the duration of the National Recount, the sequence in which it will be executed, and the contents to be scrutinised.

According to the Order, the recount will commence on Wednesday, May 6, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), and run for a period of 25 days; however, the duration is subject to review during the course of the first week. The 10 workstations, which will be housed within the Conference Centre, will operate every day of the week, from 08:00hrs to 19:00hrs, until the completion

NO GIVING IN Based on the Order, the Elections Commission did not give in to the demands of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) that the votes should be counted one region at a time. In fact, the Order provides for the simultaneous counting of votes, starting with the first four (4) Elections Districts: Barima-Waini; Pomeroon-Supenaam; Essequibo Islands-West Demerara; and Demerara-Mahaica.

“The recount shall commence with the allocation of 10 workstations as follows: District 1, two workstations; District 2, two workstations; District 3, three workstations; and District 4, three workstations. The recount for District 4 shall continue at the three workstations assigned to it. The recounts for Districts 5 through 10 shall be conducted, based on the completion of, and at the workstations assigned to Districts 1, 2 and 3,” the gazzetted order states.

Further to that, clear guidelines have been established for the examination of the ballot boxes and the contents therein.

The PPP/C has been vehemently objecting to the scrutiny of the contents of the ballot boxes that are separate and apart from the ballots. According to the PPP, it should be a numerical recount of the ballots cast and nothing else.

CLEARLYESTABLISHED But the Order clearly establishes a procedure for the contents of the ballot boxes to be analysed.

“Upon arrival of the ballot box at the workstation, it shall be first examined to ascertain that the seals are intact. The contents shall then be emptied, and the election materials examined.

Notes shall be taken, and records made in accordance with the requirements of the Ballot Box Checklist. Any observation not catered for in the checklist provided shall be recorded on the Observation Report Form,” the Order states.

The supervisers at the 10 workstations will be required to sign off on the Ballot Box Checklists, in addition to the Observation Reports. Those reports will also be signed by representatives of each contesting party, and copies of the completed Ballot Box Checklists and Observation Reports will be given to the party representatives.

“The result of the General and Regional Recount of each ballot box shall be recorded, as provided for, on a Statement of

Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act was not followed, and that the RO had substituted the Statements of

GECOM's Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh

Recount (SOR) upon the completion of the recount of each box,” the Order states, while noting that the SOR will be signed by the person conducting the recount, and the rep-

Poll (SOPs) with spreadsheets, and had failed to project the SOPs as required. This time around, the Elections Commission hopes not to have history repeat itself, and as such, has

…GECOM sticking to scrutiny of ballot boxes despite PPP protest

and international observers and GECOM officials. “The Statement of Recount shall be projected on a screen to be viewed by all persons present, and the information shall be input into a matrix, which process could be viewed simultaneously by all persons present,” the Order states. Similarly, in the presence of those entitled to be there, all of the SORs will be tabulated by the District Superviser.

A copy of the signed matrix will then be submitted to the CEO, and copies thereof will be given to the parties’ representatives, observers, CARICOM Scrutinising Team, the GECOM Chair and Commissioners.

“The matrices for the recount of the ten (10) Electoral Districts shall then be tabulated by the Chief Election Officer, and shall be submitted in a report, together with a summary of the observation reports for each District, to the Commission,” another section of the order reads. It also indicated that the CARICOM Scrutinising Team will also submit a report to the Commission inclusive of its observations, recommendations and conclusions.

LIVE BROADCAST, NO LIVE-STREAMING The Order also provides for the broadcast and live-streaming of the National Recount, though the Commission, in a majority decision in the recent past, had objected to live-streaming the process due to conflicts with Section 90 of the Representation of the People Act, which provides for the maintenance of secrecy.

According to the Order, each of the 10 workstations will have a facility which will capture and broadcast a picture of the ballot box, depicting the state in which it was delivered to the workstation, and an audio feed of the recount process. Added to that, an audio-visual facility will be installed in the Tabulation Centre, which will broadcast, live, the entire tabulation process.

The Order for the National Recount of the National and Regional Elections

resentative of each contesting party in the presence of officials entitled to be there.

It was a breakdown in the tabulation process in District Four that landed GECOM and the District’s Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo in the High Court. It was alleged that the procedure established in

laid out clear guidelines.

THE TABULATION PROCESS The tabulation of the Statements of Recount will be done at a central tabulation centre in the presence of the CARICOM Scrutinising Team, representatives of political parties, local

BACKGROUNDER In the eight ‘whereas’ clauses detailed in the Order, the Elections Commission justified its decision to facilitate the National Recount.

It noted that while the General and Regional Elections were held in Guyana on March 2, 2020, the electoral process encountered a number of stumbling blocks, and in some instances, parts of the process were legally challenged in the

Courts.

It explained that though the declarations of the results were made in accordance with Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, requests for recounts in a number of electoral districts were rejected, aborted, or held in abeyance. Further to that, a report detailing the results of the elections was submitted to the Chairman of the Elections Commission, but that, too, was held in abeyance, and aspects of the election process challenged in the Court.

Given the challenges that arose, President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo agreed to a CARICOM proposal for a total recount of all electoral districts, as “a means of assuaging the contesting parties and determining a final credible count.”

In keeping with the general consensus among the political parties, the Elections Commission, on April 3, made a decision to recount all of the ballots cast in the General and Regional Elections. Its actions, GECOM has always maintained, are in accordance with the Constitution and the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act. The final clause states: “AND WHEREAS the Guyana Elections Commission, in exercise of the authority vested in it under Article 162 of the Constitution, and pursuant to Section 22 of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act, No. 15 of 2000, seeks to remove difficulties connected with the application of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03, in implementing its decisions relating to the conduct of the aforementioned recount of all ballots cast at the said elections, including the reconciliation of the ballots issued with the ballots cast, destroyed, spoiled, stamped, and as deemed necessary, their counterfoils/stubs; authenticity of the ballots and the number of voters listed and crossed out as having voted; the number of votes cast without ID cards; the number of proxies issued and the number utilised; statistical anomalies; occurrences recorded in the Poll Book.”

Now that the Order has been gazetted, the GECOM Secretariat is actively preparing for the recount.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 5, 2020

Malaria ‘completely stopped’ by microbe

(BBC) Scientists have discovered a microbe that completely protects mosquitoes from being infected with malaria.

The team in Kenya and the UK say the finding has “enormous potential” to control the disease.

Malaria is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, so protecting them could in turn protect people.

The researchers are now investigating whether they can release infected mosquitoes into the wild, or use spores to suppress the disease.

What is this microbe?

The malaria-blocking bug, Microsporidia MB, was discovered by studying mosquitoes on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya. It lives in the gut and genitals of the insects.

The researchers could not find a single mosquito carrying the Microsporidia that was harbouring the malaria parasite. And lab exper-

iments, published in Nature Communications, confirmed the microbe gave the mosquitoes protection.

Microsporidias are fungi, or at least closely related to them, and most are parasites.

However, this new species may be beneficial to the mosquito and was naturally found in around 5% of the insects studied.

How big a discovery is it?

“The data we have so far suggest it is 100% blockage, it’s a very severe blockage of malaria,” Dr Jeremy Herren, from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Kenya told the BBC. He added: “It will come as a quite a surprise. I think people will find that a real big breakthrough.”

More than 400,000 people are killed by malaria each year, most of

them children under the age of five.

While huge progress has been made through the use of bed nets and spraying homes with insecticide, this has stalled in recent years.

It is widely agreed new tools are needed to tackle malaria.

How does the microbe stop malaria?

The fine details still need to be worked out.

But Microsporidia MB could be priming the mosquito’s immune system, so it is more able to fight off infections.

Or the presence of the microbe in the insect could be having a profound effect on the mosquito’s metabolism, making it inhospitable for the malaria parasite.

Microsporidia MB infections appear to be life-long. If anything, the experiments show they become

more intense, so the malaria-blocking effect would be long-lasting.

When can this be used against malaria?

At the very least, 40% of mosquitoes in a region need to be infected with Microsporidia in order to make a significant dent in malaria.

The microbe can be passed between adult mosquitoes and is also passed from the female to her offspring.

So, the researchers are investigating two main strategies for increasing the number of infected mosquitoes.

“It’s a new discovery. We are very excited by its potential for malaria control. It has enormous potential,” Prof Steven Sinkins, from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, told the BBC. This concept of disease control

using microbes is not unprecedented. A type of bacteria called Wolbachia has been shown to make it harder for mosquitoes to spread dengue fever in real-world trials.

What happens next?

The scientists need to understand how the microbe spreads, so they plan to perform more tests in Kenya.

However, these approaches are relatively uncontroversial as the species is already found in wild mosquitoes and is not introducing something new.

It also would not kill the mosquitoes, so would not have an impact on ecosystems that are dependent on them as food. This is part of other strategies like a killer fungus that can almost completely collapse mosquito populations in weeks.

IS militants ‘dumped bodies in Syria gorge’, HRW says (BBC) The jihadist group Islamic State used a gorge in north-eastern

Syria to dump the bodies of people it had abducted or detained, Human

Tuesday, May 05, 2020–– 3:30hrs & 05:00

Rights Watch says.

Researchers began an investigation after being sent a video in 2014 showing militants throwing corpses into the 50m (164ft) deep al-Hota gorge.

HRW also believes bodies continued to be dumped there following IS rule.

It wants local authorities to secure the site,

remove human remains, and preserve evidence for prosecutions.

More than 20 mass graves containing thousands of bodies have been found in areas of Syria formerly held by IS. Among those missing and believed to have been killed are activists, humanitarian workers, journalists, and residents who ran

afoul of the jihadists.

IS once controlled 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) of land stretching from western Syria to eastern Iraq, and imposed its brutal rule on almost eight million people.

The al-Hota gorge, which is about 85km (53 miles) north of the former IS “capital” of Raqqa, is a site of spectacular natural beauty.

But when IS controlled the surrounding area between 2013 and 2015, it became “a place of horror and reckoning”, HRW Syria researcher Sara Kayyali said.

“Exposing what happened there, and at the other mass graves in Syria, is crucial to determining what happened to the thousands of the people [IS] executed and holding their killers to account,” she added.

According to a report published by HRW on Monday, locals recalled that IS militants had threatened people with being thrown into al-Hota. Some said they had seen bodies scattered along the gorge’s edge.

An IS-recorded video posted on social media in

2014 also showed a group of militants throwing into the gorge the bodies of two men summarily killed

by IS. During a visit in 2018, HRW researchers flew a drone into the chasm and found six bodies floating in water at the bottom. But they concluded that, based on the state of decomposition, the bodies had been dumped there long after IS had left the area.

Geological maps and a topographic model also suggest the gorge goes deeper than the drone was able to see, so more human remains may lie below the water’s surface, according to the report.

HRW said that whoever controlled the gorge had an obligation to treat al-Hota as a crime scene, identify the missing, and investigate their deaths.

The area around al-Hota is currently held by the Turkish-backed Syrian rebel factions fighting under the banner of the Syrian National Army (SNA).

They captured the territory last year from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia alliance that drove IS out of north-eastern Syria.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 5, 2020

Mexican drug lord Carrillo Fuentes’

villa auctioned for $2m (BBC) The Mexican government has auctioned off the villa of the late drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes.

The Mexico City home sold for more than $2m (£1.6m) and the proceeds will go to Mexico’s public health service and its fight against coronavirus.

Carrillo Fuentes, who was known as “Lord of the Skies”, died in 1997 after botched plastic surgery.

He gained his nickname for his knack of smuggling large quantities of drugs in his private fleet of aeroplanes.

Who was Amado Carrillo Fuentes?

Amado Carillo Fuentes was one of the most powerful Mexican drug lords in the 1980s and 1990s. Born in the northern state of Sinaloa, he was the nephew of one of the founders of the Guadalajara cartel, which he soon joined.

Carillo Fuentes learned to fly planes and would later use his knowledge of planes and flight routes to expand the drug-smuggling business to the skies, earning him his nickname.

He began by smuggling marijuana but later switched to smuggling mainly cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and on to the US in his fleet of aeroplanes.

He took control of the Ju·rez cartel after killing his boss, Rafael Aguilar Guajardo, and was known for his ruthlessness.

He kept out of the public eye and was rarely photographed. In 1997, he checked into a Mexican hospital under a false name to have plastic surgery to alter his appearance and evade capture.

He died as a result of the botched operation, which included liposuction.

The authorities released gruesome photos of his body to counter rumours he was still alive. But the battered state of the body meant he was almost unrecognisable, and their release only fuelled the rumours.

The surgeons who performed the operation were killed some months later. Their bodies, which showed signs of torture, had been stuffed into an oil drum and covered in concrete.

Amado Carrillo Fuentes’ brother, Vicente, allegedly took over leadership of the Ju·rez cartel after Amado’s death.

Vicente Carrillo Fuentes was arrested in October 2014 and is awaiting sentencing in a jail in Mexico.

The two-million dollar home Under the slogan “buy goods to do good”, Indep, the Mexican government body created to return the proceeds of crime to the people, put up the Mexico City home for auction on Sunday.

There was only one bidder for the luxurious property in the ¡lvaro ObregÛn neighbourhood and the sum he offered fell short of the $2.17m Indep had hoped to sell it for.

The house measures 3,500 sq m (38,000 sq ft) and boasts a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a bar and a wine cellar, as well as extensive gardens.

Apart from Carrillo Fuentes’ home, there were another 143 lots for sale at the auction, held at the presidential palace.

Among them were more than 70 cars, five planes, five other homes and more than 100 items of jewellery.

In total, the six-hour-long auction raised more than 111m Mexican pesos ($4.5m; £3.6m) the highest amount an Indep auction has so far fetched, the government body said in a statement.

The house is showing some wear and tear 23 years after the death of its owner

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Why the PPP is terrified of an audit WHILE it has always been obvious that the PPP does not want to have a thorough and comprehensive examination of the results of the March 2 General and Regional elections, it is now becoming increasingly evident that the PPP is utterly and desperately terrified of a full recount and forensic audit of the elections. It is possible to determine the reason that the PPP is terrified of a comprehensive audit if one examines the auditing process, and the fact that a full examination will definitely reveal skulduggery and fraud.

First, we should bear in mind that the ultimate goal of the PPP is to grab political power at any cost, legal or illegal. Political power, though an end in itself, is also a means for the demonstrably greedy PPP heads to get their hands on taxpayers’ money and Guyana’s resources. Clearly, the PPP planned and plotted, and on December 21, 2018, the PPP put their sinister plot into motion with the allegedly paid-for no-confidence vote.

Regarding the recount and audit, we should know what the PPP wants versus what

the Coalition desires. From the moment that the idea of a recount/audit, supported by the Coalition, began to gain traction, the PPP bosses have been running around the place like headless chickens in an effort to prevent such an exercise. They ran into the streets and staged ridiculous protests; they ran to the law-courts with comical motions and requests.

The PPP brazenly threatened government officials, GECOM staff, activists, and even engineered attacks on innocent children. Yet, in spite of all the running around, the PPP lost.

Eventually, they tried to have only one region counted, Region # 4. After they ran around some more, they lost again, and it is now the current reality that all the regions will be recounted. That is what the Coalition wants: A full, transparent, comprehensive recount and forensic audit of the results of the elections in all the regions.

As it is, the PPP, having lost their desperate bid to prevent a recount, is now running around again. This time, however, the PPP bosses and heads, having accepted that they cannot stop a recount, are trying to block the

audit. In other words, they just want the ballots to be counted, and nothing more. They DO NOT want all the contents of the ballot boxes to be scrutinized, because, as GECOM has said in a ‘Guidance Note’, “A review of key documents is imperative to establish that the number of ballots found in the box accord with the number of electors who appeared to have voted at the polling station.” And, the PPP heads know that such a review will reveal their dirty hands; an audit will disclose their dishonest ways, and their rigging of Guyana’s elections.

Further, the PPP heads are running around even faster, trying to prevent the use of the list of electors in the recount, because they know that, the voters’ list, when it is compared with the numbers of ballots in the ballot boxes, will clearly show that the PPP stuffed ballot boxes, when, in truth, no one voted. In fact, the PPP’s Anil Nandlall admitted it. He said, “Why are you expanding the scope of the process [to] check off things like the List of Electors (Voters’ List) who were ticked [off] by the

GTT’s CEO denounces sharing of disinformation Dear Editor Georgetown, GUYANA; May 3, 2020 : The following is a statement from Justin Nedd, CEO of GTT : “AS we joined the world in commemorating World Press Freedom Day on Sunday May 3, 2020 information, without any research, responsible conduct, basis or fact check was disseminated throughout social media channels, accusing GTT of being in talks with the incumbent government to “shutting off if possible or to reduce internet speeds across the country to contain the spread of information,” allegedly during the upcoming electoral recounting process.

GTT hereby states that this statement is baseless, libellous and untrue. Such a statement is irresponsible and has severe national security implications. I have stated before – and will state again – that GTT as a private entity, is not politically inclined. We will work with all elected officials -- and respect their various roles. We are independent in our corporate structure and do our best to support Guyana well beyond the provision of telecommunication services.

That havng been said, what concerns us was the swift sharing of the erroneous contents of the article via social media. In keeping with celebrating the freedom of information, it would be prudent to also appreciate the terms of such freedoms. Generally, this is to be shrouded in the pursuit of truth and fact – and speaks to the dissemination of balanced, accurate and credible information. While this is largely the responsibility of the media, our access to social media holds us all accountable to these principles.

It is disappointing that persons unhesitatingly shared that article to create division and incite dissension.

We are mindful also that our energies and collective efforts are needed elsewhere. There is a pandemic to manage – and far from withholding access to internet services, we have taken measures to make mobile services free to our medical frontliners, reduced rates for the business community, offered extra data to our mobile customers – and our MMG app is supporting the call to transact business from the safety of our homes. Additionally, in anticipation of increased demand, we increased internet capacity on the 1st of March. In the coming weeks, we will announce even further measures to help the people of Guyana throughout this time.

There is never a good time to divide, but now more than ever, we need to unite. We are in this together Guyana and as your telecommunication provider we are committed to enabling the sharing of information and keeping you connected. As the leader of GTT, taking a position of shutting off our customers for the sake of an alleged political ploy is not something that my team and I can ever justify or condone and hence our absolute condemnation of this spurious piece of disinformation. Let me reiterate that GTT is irrefutably committed to Guyana’s development and growth. “ Regards Jasmin Harris PR & Corporate Communications Manager

presiding officers? What is the purpose of that? Why are you going to open envelopes of unused ballots and count it?” A terrified Nandlall said, too, “Why are we going to examine the whole process of elections?

You are bound to find irregularities. That, to me, is creating a platform for unnecessary queries to be raised…” And, there it is, the PPP has just admitted that there were irregularities. And, who created those irregularities? Well, the answer is obvious.

The APNU+AFC Coalition wants to find the irregularities by auditing everything, while, on the other hand, the PPP wants to hide them by trying to prevent a recount and audit. Evidently, the PPP has a lot to hide; the PPP heads are terrified of being found out to be the dishonest, untrustworthy, fraudsters, and election-riggers that they are. But, the process is unstoppable; there will be a full, comprehensive, recount, and a thorough forensic audit.

And, the sheep’s clothing of the PPP will be stripped away, revealing the greedy wolves beneath.

The coalition must move early during the recount to confirm its victory Dear Editor FROM its pronouncements on the recount, the coalition expects two outcomes: (i) confirmation of its electoral victory, and (ii) exposure of PPP rigging in the districts the PPP won. Most recently, the AFC’s David Patterson spoke convincingly on both outcomes.

And while I support his case on (ii) above, I would advise the coalition that nothing must distract it and its election workers from attaining the first objective, i.e., verification of its victory. Its scrutineers at the 10 recount stations, therefore, must not get bogged down in prolonged arguments over, for example, spoilt votes (only 816 observed in Region Four, for example), as these likely affected all parties similarly. Nor should they chase after vague evidence of PPP cheating.

The far more important objective is to confirm its victory. And in that regard, the coalition must focus on a critical aspect of the recount. The process will not identify an election winner until extremely late or only at its very end. The coalition must not wait that long for the truth to be revealed; it must find a way to demonstrate far earlier in the process that GECOM’s previous numbers are credible (especially in Region Four) in terms of who won this election. The lesson learnt during the first attempt to tabulate the SOPs of Region

Four at Ashmin’s building should not be ignored. Although 421 SOPs (48% of the total) easily passed muster, the subsequent disruptions of the process cast doubt on the eventual total tally and on the declared winner.

The coalition must not permit any such disruption or derailment of the recount to prevent the legitimisation of its victory.

Even should there be no such trouble, it should not allow the opposition parties and critics to out-PR it as regards the trends and evidence in the early recount results.

The coalition must proactively substantiate its claim of victory well before the final ballot boxes are opened.

In particular, it has to show that there was no inflation of its votes on the SOPs for Region Four. That the accusation of SOP tampering is a figment of the imagination of conspiracy theorists and the politically paranoid.

To pursue this objective effectively, however, would require the release of its own or GECOM’s SOPs. Without a credible basis for comparison, I see no other way for the coalition to make its case early and thus avoid the severe risk of waiting on GECOM to complete the entire recount sometime in June or July. The coalition must know that others will not wait.

Regards Sherwood Lowe

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Pause for peace

Dear Editor

GUYANA’s fragile post-election calm from 2006 to 2015 has been revisited by the tumultuous discord of the post- 1997 and 2001 elections and now threatens to descend into the virulence and violence which followed. In this unfolding situation we are witnessing the degeneration of social cohesion initiated through peace-building efforts leading up to the 2006 elections. An independent (UNDP funded) consultants’ post-election 2006 review identified a number of lessons learned, which they felt could be “replicated and/or improved for the future.”

Some of the more compelling pre-2006 election activities they identified, were: peace efforts to facilitate dialogue and 483 citizens engaged in conflict-transformation workshops; political parties and media representatives informed and trained on the Racial Hostilities and Representation of People Act; distribution of 18,600 user-friendly elections procedure manuals with training for GECOM staff and officials and made available in every polling station; the Election Assistance Board recruited and fielded 1,400 local observers; media personnel and houses signed the Media Code of Conduct; GECOM and donor agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding which was tabled in parliament; political

parties signed a Peace Pact and Code of Conduct; recognition of the Private Sector Commission and preparation of the Joint Services to respond to volatile situations.

On elections day GECOM provided timely results and transparency in communicating to the public by publishing counts on a rolling basis. The results were posted continuously by media houses right up to official declaration (in three days) by the CEO. In the immediate post-election period both the local and international observers verified the fairness of the polls and the opposition parties conceded to a gracious winner, who almost immediately reached out to the opposition in a conciliatory way. In the words of the reviewers, “Guyanese society at age 40 finds itself in a unique position. On the one hand it attained this marked accomplishment which could signal its coming of age as a fledgling democracy.”

Despite the euphoria in this electoral calm, the reviewers were also cognisant that some segments of the population saw the (internationally sponsored) peace campaign as “the biggest social pacification programme ever attempted in Guyana” aimed at pacifying the opposition while ignoring the shortcomings and provocation of the incumbents. Some, they said, felt the donor community “could have better served Guyanese if implementation of constitutional reforms were leveraged for interna-

tional support…Otherwise, the risk of another five-years of non-implementation of agreements resulting from the Herdmanston Accord, Constitutional Reforms and other agreements was likely”’ The review also provided some of the recommendations, made by Guyanese and observers who had participated in the pre-election and election day activities, on what was still needed to be done to address underlying concerns and establish a truly democratic society: 1. Social cohesion, especially trust-building, was seen as the pressing issue and “study” was important and needed in defining, understanding, and educating “trust” (or lack thereof) in the public and private sectors, NGOs, unions, schools, etc. while giving voice to women, youth, civil society, and ethnicities by creating new spaces beyond those currently dominated by politicians, criminals, and business.

2. Social Mitigation, especially with respect to the violence of poverty (sexual, child, spousal abuse); youth education, training, and employment opportunities; and development projects in local communities which engage local residents and youths in a meaningful way.

3. Improve the election process by: fixed-date elections every five years; increase the number and geographic diversity of GECOM Commissioners -- more women, ethnicities, parties, and civil soci-

Open letter to Canada’s PM from Guyanese-Canadian Dear Editor MR Prime Minister Justin Trudeau It is with deep sadness that I ask as a Guyanese-Canadian for you to recall Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Ms. Lilian Chatterjee.

Madam Ambassador has offended a large part of the citizenry of Guyana by doing things many would call un-diplomatic. She first played a major role in facilitating the escape of a government backbencher who it is alleged was bribed to vote in favour of a no-confidence vote against a sitting government. What is shocking is, she had the cooperation of known criminal elements of the society.

The ambassador is on tape as joining a loud and unruly protest at the office of the elections commission. The ambassador openly questioned a bomb threat at the

elections commission and suggested to senior staff, with cameras present, they must have planted the bomb. The final straw occurred this week when she called a ruling by one of the judges of our independent judiciary, “frivolous.” It is important to point out that part of the action was upheld on appeal.

Definitely not “frivolous.” I think everyone will agree it is rather unusual for a diplomat to second guess the ruling of a sovereign independent judge .

Mr. Prime Minister, please allow me to thank you and the people of Canada for being a friend of Guyana for over 50 years. This friendship has been made stronger as a result of your father’s commitment to the Region and respect for the sovereignty of smaller countries. Prime Minister, there is also a persistent belief among Guyanese folk that Pierre and Margaret

Trudeau had their honeymoon at the Kaieteur National Park, and that you were conceived there. This may or may not be true, but I know we all want to believe it. I can tell you Guyanese of every persuasion are anxiously hoping you will visit our paradise, a place fitting for a person like yourself who is fond of the outdoors.

In closing, I must make it clear the request for a recall of the ambassador is not done for partisan political reasons. It is purely because her actions have alienated a large segment of the population and is very reminiscent of the colonial era when our overseas masters knew what was good for us.

Regards Rawle Blackman London, Ontario Canada

ety; non-partisan (eg UG) study of elections and train citizens in Elections Management; and legislative action on campaign finances and use of public funds for partisan electioneering.

4. Constitutional and social reform: independent candidates allowed to contest local government elections; parliament prioritising and implementing reforms e.g. the National Development Strategy, Sir Davies Report, Bradford Report, Herdmanston Accord, St Lucia Statement and Disciplinary Services Report.

5. Legislative reform to develop the broadcast sector.

6. Political parties geared towards national interests rather than organised around ethnic fault lines.

7. Elections with direct selection of representatives would allow for community participation in decisions at the grass-roots level.

In this time of social isolation and election paralysis, Guyanese may be well served to reflect on what got us here, both the positive and the negatives. Two UNDP staff who played a part in the peace initiative identified these 10 values which underlie conflict-prevention approaches: 1. The process (election) is as important as the outcome (result); 2. Public commitment to non-violence by all parties; 3. Value-based leadership, i.e., non-incendiary vs confrontational election rhetoric;

4. Transparency by all: in source of funds, strategies, & post-election distribution of positions; 5. Information (credible and verifiable) sharing by all parties and agencies; 6. Accountability through citizen-engagement with politicians, the process and the outcome; 7. Accountability through codes of conduct for key players in the process; 8. Inclusion and flexibility in including who participate in dialogue and decisions; 9. Collaboration instead of competition, i.e., avoiding winner-takeall positions, and 10. Justice that is inclusive and fair.

Somewhere along the way we seem to have lost our way.

The question for me was: Who dropped the ball? However, in this crisis there is little time for self-indulgent curiosity, instead, maybe we can use this retrospective to assess the current processes and performers. The dangling questions are: Can we get to less fractious elections and equitable democratic governance? And what do we need to do to get there? I suspect most of the answers have been around for 14 years, or more.

Regards Rory Fraser

Honouring and continuing the legacy of our ancestors Dear Editor, INDIANS, have over the years since their arrival in 1838, evolved into one of the single largest ethnic groups in Guyana. Through tremendous difficulties, our ancestors persevered and carved a path for us into glory.

Today, as we honour and value the sacrifices of our ancestors, we, the Guyana Islamic Forum for Education, Peace and Religious Solidarity, the Electric Mosque’s Presentation of the Teachings of Islam, in association with the Universal Peace Federation – Guyana, seize this opportunity to extend Arrival Day greetings to the nation of Guyana and to our fellow brothers and sisters of the Indian diaspora.

Through tremendous fortitude, sacrifice, and unwavering resilience, our ancestors -- like the ancestors from our other ethnicities -- laid

their bones on our shores so that we may live, that we may breathe, that we may achieve and that we may be of what we are today. We beseech you, oh people of Guyana, let us not allow their tears, blood, and sweat to go in vain, but rather, we should build on the legacy they have bequeathed to us to further develop this beautiful nation.

Let us use the tools, skills, and talents that were brought from these different territories and continue to build this nation upward to prosperity. Despite our individual talents, gifts, foods, dances, languages, and religious practices, let us never forget that we are a part of one identity, as we are “One People, One Nation with One Destiny.”

Regards Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan Snr.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

10 new cases of COVID-19

…confirmed cases jump to 92 -three persons in ICU, 56 in isolation

By Navendra Seoraj THERE continues to be a consistent increase in the number of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, with the latest statistics showing that Guyana recorded 10 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 92.

Health authorities have so far tested 639 persons, and while 547 of those persons have tested negative, the increasing number of cases continue to be a cause for concern, because nine precious lives have also been lost.

With a death rate of a little over 9 per cent (based on the cases), Guyana remains above the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s average of 2-4 per cent.

And, as it is now, three persons are battling for their lives in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while

56 persons remain in institutional isolation and seven are in institutional quarantine.

To date, the total number of patients seen in the COVID-19 ICU is 25, with seven deaths being registered within the unit. Of the 25 persons, three persons have recovered and were discharged from the ICU. In total, some 27 persons have recovered from the deadly COVID-19 disease, but in order to “flatten the curve,” persons need to be more cautious.

“On day nine, with six confirmed cases, we began implementing measures with the closure of all international airports. On day 24, when another 33 cases were confirmed, the Ministry of Public Health instituted the curfew, the rotation policy, the stay at home and work from home policies, as well as the closing of several businesses.

“We are now at day 50

and we are right where we began with another 43 cases, a 110 per cent increase in less than one month,” said Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence in a past report.

The minister reiterated this harsh reality during her update, on Monday, noting that healthcare workers continue to work selflessly in order to protect everyone, but some persons continue to behave selfishly and with total disregard for their own safety and life.

In expressing her dissatisfaction, Minister Lawrence said: “With regard to the social distancing guidelines, you have interpreted them to suit your own agenda. Not only are you continuing to congregate in large numbers, but you are also out there way past the curfew time and with no face mask for your protection and those around you.”

She said this behaviour is “unfair” to persons, who

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence

are following the guidelines in place. From the inception, persons were all told that they can stop COVID-19 from spreading by simply staying home and following all the precautionary guidelines- this advice is still in effect.

“You know all these guidelines, so please adhere to them so that we can get on with our lives and our livelihood,” said Minister Lawrence.

Globally, there are over 3.3 million cases of COVID-19, with over

238,000 deaths. And with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventative measures to contain the spread of the disease.

In an effort to improve the response to the pandemic, the Public Health Ministry has launched its mobile unit at the East La Penitence Health Centre, as well as at the community COVID-19 facilities of Region Four at Herstelling, on the East Bank Demerara, and at Paradise, on the East Coast Demerara.

Additionally, the government has extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded disease, with the imposition of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency measures were taken pursuant to Paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the directive issued by the President, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020. These

measures have been extended to June 3, 2020.

As the country wages war against the deadly disease, President David Granger is on record as saying that the efforts of the country’s frontline workers, in particular those within the medical field, should not go unnoticed.

“I ask you… to think tenderly of our public health professionals and service providers; that is to say, our doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all other supporting staff, medical and non-medical, who are providing the required care for those in distress,” President Granger said, adding: “Public health practitioners are on the frontline of protecting those stricken by the disease; they have been working tirelessly, through this very difficult situation, to provide quality healthcare to those who have been infected and afflicted. Everyone in the public health system has played a vital part in the fight against this disease.”

Freddie Kissoon can’t compromise my love for country and the working class Dear Editor I NOTE that the Kaieteur News (KN) newspaper is not uncomfortable with Frederick Kissoon using this media to abuse me. I hope said paper will not be uncomfortable with my response. Reference is made to his letter, “Lincoln Lewis’ credibility is over” (KN, 4th May 2020).

First, let me remind Freddie that I shall stand in his and the lawless cabal’s way to make sure they respect rights and the rule of law in this country. The election management and governance will have to be conducted within the purview of the law and not what he and the lawless societal crew feel.

I don’t care about the 17, 000 votes he claims to know the PPP won by. I note the PPP leadership quoted different numbers- 20k, 18k, 15k. The Coalition too has said it won and the declarations before GECOM support this view. The national recount, in which I am interested, will allow for laying the issue to rest and must be allowed to proceed lawfully in an environment of peace. I shall not be silent by those seeking to intimidate and threaten the workers of GECOM and their families with various acts of subversion and interference.

Kissoon should be the last to speak of credibility because if credibility falls on his lap, he won’t recognise same.

This is a man who went on sabbatical and received money to do research, did

not do it nor had the common decency to return the funds. When he was asked by the University of Guyana (UG) about the failure to submit his work, his response was “go read the newspapers,” suggesting that him writing a column could suffice for serious academic work.

A recommendation came to the UG Council for his services to be terminated. As labour’s representative on the council, in principle I represented him as a worker. I questioned due process and the management’s position could not withstand the test of scrutiny because they had failed to write him on the matter. That is how he was allowed continuity in employment.

His problem with me is multi-dimensional. Any black man who writes or takes a position, particularly if strident, he feels his is the task to seek to discredit us for he must be the only one to speak for and interpret the reality of this community. Readers are invited to examine his record, be it from Burnham, Hoyte Corbin, Hinds, Kwayana, Ogunseye. I have been his recent target since I expressed a dissenting view to his on an industrial matter at UG. I say to him, the gloves are off and I am prepared to come into his crabhole habitat where his mind dwells and do battle with him. I remind Kissoon that I am a trade unionist. All my life I’ve known to fight when fighting becomes necessary.

I suspect one of his problems is me writing for KN and the influence he perceives I derive from so doing.

When Glenn Lall invited me to write a column I shared this with Freddie.

His immediate response was no, I should stay far from them because Lall believes in Indian tribalism; he did not want me to be at KN. On the matter of integrity, unapologetically I say, Kissoon cannot hold a candle to me. I never had cause to hate any government because they haven’t granted personal favours to me, my wife or children. All I ask and demand of every administration is good governance, respect for workers/citizens’ rights and the rule of law. Shortly after the coalition came to office he laid out to me his complaint and disappointment:-he had expected a job at the Department of Labour; his child did not receive a government scholarship; his spouse did not return to her job at the state agency where, according to him, she was fired during the PPP administration and, failure by the coalition to reconcile his position at UG. He who accuses me of plagiarising Trump and Salvini, though there is no need to, should be afraid and ashamed to use this word. It is this academic shame of plagiarism that serves to demonstrate the history and depth of his credibility that caused him not to complete his PhD. After suffering from academic dishonesty he has not grown wiser with age.

Further, when I accused the PPP government of economic genocide in the African community, it was Kissoon in his capacity as a PPP tool, the wannabe strongman, who took me on

as a columnist and influenced another media house not to carry my letters mentioning this term or delete same even though the situation I described fitted the United Nations’ classification. But then again he appoints himself the sole authority to speak to the welfare of the African community.

Instructively, when Bharrat Jagdeo took him to court for libel he reached out to me for my writings on the issue and used same without attributing credit, claiming it to be his. This dishonest plagiarist. Today he toes the line due to Jagdeo dropping the court case and according to him, he cannot reveal the agreement signed that resulted in the case being dropped. I say to Freddie, reveal the agreement. Failure to do so will confirm he has to sing for his supper and forever will be a mercenary pen. Unlike him, no one in this society has anything on me that will make me compromise the principles I hold dear and the love I have for the working class of this country.

To his obsession with my age I do not have to defend same. I recognised age as honour and testimony of not only genetic, but ability to stave off challenging conditions that could affect longevity. As a representative of labour I pay homage to all our labour force--past, present and potential-- and will not do as Freddie does, seek to denigrate anyone based on age, race and other factors over which they have no control. I leave that to small minds like him.

Let us debate performance, which

is the essence of persons and their careers. Even if I were in my late 90s, as I am likely to live given my genetic makeup, what matters is my performance. To date, at this mature age, I have had no complaints in any area of performance. I have doubts Freddie can speak so definitively about all- round performance. So while this fellow pensioner, someone of my generation, the midwife who cannot remember my age is obsessed with same, I judge him on performance, and his university and public performance leaves much to be desired. Let me also remind him that Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan and David Granger attained the presidency older than me. And since he thinks he knows when is the time for me to leave the Guyana Trades Union Congress, he should resign from his job at KN and hand it over to a younger person.

Finally, I stand by my position of his mischief-making antics in referencing trade unionist Coretta McDonald being a candidate for the coalition and ignoring a fellow trade unionist, who is alive and a candidate for the PPP. Intelligent people aren’t fooled by the deception he practised in referencing Chand, who is deceased.

Regards Lincoln Lewis

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Gov’t will address any conflict of interest between US law firm, Exxon …Dr Bynoe says no valid case has been established

By Lisa Hamilton DIRECTOR of the Department of Energy (DE), Dr. Mark Bynoe, has stated that should a valid conflict of interest be found between American law firm, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP and ExxonMobil, this will be addressed.

However, until such a case, it must be understood that the firm was hired in the best interest of Guyana. On Monday, Dr. Bynoe set the record straight on what he said has been a “brewing” matter which misrepresents the current situation. On March 8, 2020, British daily newspaper, The Guardian, published the article ‘World Bank accused over ExxonMobil plans to tap Guyana oil rush’ indicating that the American law firm has a 40-year relationship with ExxonMobil.

This information piqued the interest of local media entities as Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP was hired about a month earlier to review Guyana’s Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act 1986 for improvement. A sum of $1.2M was supplied by the World Bank to cover the oneyear contract for consultancy and the provision of legal advice to the DE on all matters.

The Bank was also required to vet the selection and found no fault in it.

In the article, the newspaper quoted Senior Advisor on Multilateral Financial Institutions, Heike Mainhardt, employed at German non-profit environmental and human rights organization, Urgewald, as stating that the World Bank is causing a conflict of interest and un-

dermining good governance.

According to Section 3.17 of the Bank’s Procurement Regulations: “Consultants shall not be hired for any assignment that would be in conflict with their prior or current obligations to other clients, or that may place them in a position of being unable to carry out the assignment in the best interests of the Borrower.”

Mainhardt was quoted a month later in the local media as stating that the World Bank funded the contract under a limited, non-transparent process. “I’m not here to defend that firm, if there is a conflict, yes, we have to address it because we want the best for Guyana,” Dr. Bynoe said when the matter was posed to him.

interest.

Even so, the DE Head

DE has hired, the issue of a conflict of interest has arisen.

said, that in the specific case of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, there are several check points along the way which

While the DE has plausible reason to be concerned about conflicts of interest, he reminded the media that most

asked to do for the government of Guyana,” he said.

The DE Head also reminded reporters that Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, in its contract, is partnering with one of Guyana’s leading law firms, Cameron & Shepherd.

He said that the misconception must not prevail that Guyana is somehow now at the behest of the said firm.

He made it clear: “Let us remember that consultants don’t determine where the government goes, consultants make recommendations and this company was called onboard to draft laws not to set laws. Even after they’ve been drafted, they still have to go through a process of going through the AG Chambers, of going to the National Assembly and it almost seems to

However, he noted that before the contracting of a firm, a Request for Proposal (RFP) and draft contract is used – as common practice -- to determine whether the firm possesses a conflict of interest. He said that even when a specific firm denies having any conflicts of interest, the DE does as much due diligence as it can, stopping short of the unrealistic measure of hiring a Private Investigator to look into every company/firm showing

led to its final selection.

He said: “When we go through the draft contract during the contract negotiating period, each clause is examined. If you’re asking me if an entity has a conflict [of interest] if I’d be concerned, I have to be concerned. This is something which we go though as part of the procurement process; this is then sent to the Bank for no objection.”

Dr. Bynoe pointed out to reporters that almost every single consultant that the

worthwhile law firms in the industry have worked for one major oil giant or the other.

“All companies are asked to present the history of work previously done and for whom it was done. Yes, they would have submitted what they would have done. It is almost an impossibility to find any firm worth their salt who would not have worked for one of the oil majors. The important thing is, what that relationship is really like as against what they’re being

insult the intelligence of Guyanese to say that, somehow, once these laws are drafted, it becomes a quid pro quo.”

Furthermore, Dr. Bynoe said that he has taken note and is displeased that organisations such as Urgewald have chosen to take up fire at the wrong target.

In another one of its articles on Guyana in February, the organisation which fights against environmental destruction, said that Guyana’s oil and gas production would

Director of the Department of Energy (DE), Dr. Mark Bynoe

turn it into the “largest issuer of CO2 per capita” Dr. Bynoe’s position is that the writers of the said article have chosen terms to benefit their motive by making Guyana’s contribution to CO2 emissions seem greater than it is.

“Let me say here and now, per capita emission is nonsense because the globe is not concerned about per capita emissions, the globe is concerned about global emissions. If my per capita emissions are high and I only have 750,000 people and China or U.S.’ per capita is low and they have hundreds and millions of people, the totality is what matters,” he explained.

The DE Head urged persons to really sit and think about why organisations such as Urgewald, Global Witness and some international lawyers have been urging Guyana against the utilisaiton of its resources when it is the first time that the country has an opportunity for self-determination.

He put forward the questions: “Why isn’t this also being spoken to Norway, to the U.S. that has massive shale exploitation and is the only county to have opted out of the Paris Agreement? Why is it that you’re coming to a small, developing country whom you continuously remind is just sitting above Haiti?

Now that she’s been given an opportunity, why are we getting in to those discussions? This bothers me somewhat. Yes, conflict of interest bothers me, but the larger picture bothers me even more.”

ERC: build upon our gains

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) extends best wishes to all Guyanese on the observance of Arrival Day 2020, marking 100 years of the end of Indentureship.

This Day, May 5, commemorates the profound historical period of Indentureship lasting from 1838 until 1920- the year that the British Parliament officially ended the contractual scheme to then British Guiana.

The ERC therefore, wishes to take the opportunity on this centennial milestone to reiterate the need for all to build together upon our gains and to continue robustly the process of fostering unity and harmony. To-

day, we celebrate the enrichment of diversity that Arrival Day embodies in the shaping of modern Guyana.

Arrival Day is most significant for what it represents in the context of the multi-faceted mosaic it created and for which our country is known.

Our hodgepodge of multiculturalism was as a result of the untold sacrifices, desires and steadfastness of our ancestors, to practise and preserve their rich and colourful cultural traditions, having come to this land from different parts of the world at different times in our history.

In doing so individually through the various ethnic groups, sharing and participating in each other’s

traditions forged our dear nation to become multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural. That is evident as all participate meaningfully in each other’s festivities which have transcended religious and ethnic boundaries to become truly national observances.

Over time, that rich, beautiful and vibrant diversity has become our strength and the common bond in the process of becoming one people in this our nation working towards a common destiny. While there have been challenges along the way, our Guyanese brothers and sisters have always found ways to foster togetherness through tolerance and

respect. Herein lies the desire of all of our people for harmony and unity to be strengthened and for it to continue to prevail across this land that is home to all.

This is imperative in the interest of our nation and all its peoples so that our diversity must never be made a tool for division but one that will continue to reflect our strength and bonds of togetherness. May 5 also marks the anniversary of the arrival of our East Indian ancestors who reached these shores on that day in 1838 while two days ago on May 3, Portuguese Arrival Day was observed. The colourful commemorative events across the country will

once again serve to bring our people together, allowing opportunities to not only participate, but for the continuation of that important process of educating for a better understanding and appreciation of our cultural traditions. This builds tolerance which is the bedrock of harmony and unity as we strive for one people out of many cultures.

As Guyanese record another milestone amidst the difficult and threatening COVID-19 crisis, the ERC nevertheless emphasizes the importance of continuing to observe all the necessary precautions and regulations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Guyana’s O&G Industry Progressing Despite Challenges DESPITE the global crisis which has posed delays in oil and gas operations in Guyana, the country’s industry is still progressing, with Guyana’s second million-barrel crude lift expected by the third week of May, and its third, possibly

by July 2020.

This information was provided by Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe in a media briefing via Zoom on Monday.

Guyana sold its first 1 million barrels of oil on February 19, 2020 to Shell Western Supply and Trading which raked in nearly US$55 million. Meanwhile, coming from its first quarter gross production, the country received US$4.9 million --now deposited into the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

LIZA CRUDE PERFORMING WELL Dr. Bynoe said that the 'light sweet' Liza Crude has been well received despite it being new to the market and despite the drop in global oil demand. Updates from Shell indicate that the crude oil assay --- testing of the properties and composition of crude oils --- is performing consistent with samples put out over a year ago.

“It is looking pretty good for the Liza Crude at this point in time,” he said.

Dr. Bynoe explained that the DE was strategic in its initial search for International Oil Companies (IOCs) to buy its crude, as it wanted to ensure that many potential refineries would come into contact with its crude for the creation of a “global footprint”.

Already, the Liza Crude has touched at least 20 different refineries non-inclusive of what the operator and the co-venturers are lifting.

Dr. Bynoe stated: “We are beginning to see that the Liza Crude is indeed having a global impact, a number

of refineries are touching to know how it will perform.

That feedback that comes to us gives us a very good idea as to how our crude is performing and how it can be marketed.”

The projection that Guyana is entitled to five cargoes for this year has not changed, which means that, after Shell would have received its three cargoes by July, the country can market its crude to another company/location.

Given the current volatility of oil prices, persons are curious about whether Guyana will receive a lower price for its next shipment of crude to Shell. In response, the DE Director reminded that each cargo will be paid for on ‘dated Brent’ which means that 10 days after the bill of lading (working days) the average price will be calculated and paid for the cargo.

Even so, he informed the public that the resounding

down existing production can prove costly and detrimental to future production from the reservoir. Hedging crude entitlement has also been advised against, as it comes with a high cost and does not offer full protection.

CHALLENGES TO OPERATIONS Altogether, Dr. Bynoe said that the major challenges affecting all operators at the moment is their ability to change out crews in light of international travel restrictions and slippages in work plans, due to the quarantine period in place.

“In the case of the Liza Destiny we have seen operational slippages due to the inability to complete the commissioning phase of operations and ramp up to steady state production, as some of the operations have encountered some challenges with the gas compressor,”

sion because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is due to the reality that many of Guyana’s contracts require that consultants

Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe

be in the country but travel restrictions have prevented this.

The Liza Destiny FPSO

advice of industry experts is that Guyana should not halt production but continue at a steady rate at the Liza Destiny, as doing otherwise could jeopardize operational integrity.

Added to this, shutting

he said.

He noted the contract for the Cost Recovery Audit is progressing well with the multi-agency team from IHS Markit working alongside the consultant, but this contract has received a no-cost exten-

However, should the global storage issue progress, Guyana will consider all options, even as it remains aware that storage is very ex-

When it comes to storage, Dr. Bynoe said that this issue does not pose a current challenge to Guyana as its first three million barrels of crude have been sold to Shell which must take up the responsibility for storage.

pensive, given the current demand. The DE is also aware that some world economies such as China are beginning to reopen which may reduce the current global backlog.

Ultimately, Dr. Bynoe said that Guyana, as a new producer, is unlikely to be largely affected economically and socially by the slump in oil prices because the dependence on oil has not penetrated to household incomes.

“The growth forecast for the country which was expected to be staggering from 2020 onwards will be delayed with the steepest of the growth curve expected to materialize beyond 2021,” he stated.

OTHER PLANS PROGESSING Meanwhile, offshore Guyana, the Liza 1 field has produced over 8 million barrels of oil, with average daily production between 75 – 80 kbd, with an expected ramp up to 120 kbd by early June 2020.

There are currently two active rigs focused mainly on drilling water injection wells

for the Liza Destiny FPSO and two hot-stack rigs on standby, as they require crew change and are faced with restriction to drilling operations, due to the pandemic.

At Liza Phase 2, the laying and installation of riser campaign has commenced and work is continuing apace, but this too will require a crew change soon.

The DE is working closely with the National Covid-19 Task Force (NCTF), the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Ministry of Citizenship, among others, to facilitate a smooth flow of operations without contravening the country’s laws and regulations.

Regarding the Lisa Unity FPSO with works contracted to SBM Offshore, topsides fabrication is progressing with all 19 modules under construction. Several trees/ tubing heads have been completed, with the first two trees shipped to Trinidad from Brazil, with trees 3-8 expected to be shipped shortly.

Development drilling has commenced, as well as the installation of the risers and this project remains on schedule. The Operator is working with the DE to include Guyanese expertise in various stages of the Unity’s completion as per the FDP approval.

To ensure institutional strengthening, the DE has contracted the services of a Petroleum Accounting Specialist, and has been working to secure the services of a Contract Administration Specialist, Sub-Surface Engineer and an Oil and Gas Advisor to the Director of the DE. In addition, the DE hopes to conclude the Market Price Determination Procedure and Provisional Crude Oil Basket for marketing Guyana’s crude as per Article 13 of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).

Arrival Day is a celebration of Guyana’s rich diversity --- says GAWU

THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) has extended Arrival Day greetings to all Guyanese.

GAWU, in a release, said the occasion reminds all about the rich diversity and the unique multi-cultural composition of Guyana.

“Indeed, it adds to the specialness of Guyana that people of different backgrounds can

co-exist in harmony and unity as they all seek to improve their lives, a goal linked to building our country which will surely augur well for the future generations.

“While Arrival Day – May 05 – though largely associated with the arrival of East Indians, the day reminds us of all indentured immigrants brought to our land. Our research advises us that outside of the East Indians, the Madeiran Portuguese came in May 1835,

the Chinese in 1853, as well as a few other ethnicities during that phase of colonialism. We are aware that the colonialists brought also labourers from Malta, Ireland, Germany and England,” the release noted.

Arrival Day, GAWU said reminds all about the reasons for the indentureship system.

The then immigrants who replaced the emancipated slaves were made to toil in the fields of the sugar plantations to enrich the foreign owners

of the plantations. Indentured labourers and their families were forced to exist in inhumane and atrocious conditions.

And, like their compatriots, they were forced to engage in several struggles, which produced several martyrs, in order to bring about small improvements and meagre benefits in their lives and work conditions.

“GAWU cannot fail to observe that the industry that occasioned our diversity is

finding itself in difficult times.

We are disheartened to note that the sugar industry, a large source of sustenance for thousands of Guyanese, has been significantly minimised. For the workers and their families, the cane farmers, the shop owners, the market vendors, the bus drivers and others, their days are filled with hardship, misery and difficulty. Even worse, is that they have been left to fend for themselves as the powers-that-be have

largely ignored their plight,” GAWU said.

It also noted that, at this time, when the nation celebrates a day set aside to recognise the contribution of the indentured immigrants to the nation, their heirs, along with other fellow workers, are forced to contend with harrowing circumstances arising from closure and the intended miniaturisation of the sugar industry.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

‘Fear and discrimination won’t stop us from delivering care’ ---nurses say they are doing it for the love, not the likes

By Navendra Seoraj AN unfettered approach and wholehearted commitment from frontline workers are exactly what is needed at this time to combat a “silent killer” in the form of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, which has driven Guyana into a health crisis, with nine precious lives being lost and about 92 persons infected.

In the face of death, distress, fear and discrimination, Nursing Assistant, Juella Adams and Registered Nurse, Saudia Amin have joined many others in taking up the mantle to deliver care to anyone who is suffering from COVID-19.

Citing the words of Jamaican, Reggae Superstar, Chronixx: “Anuh everybody a go like we… do it fi di love mi nuh do it fi di likes,” both Adams and Amin, who work in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s COVID-19 unit, said they have always done their job without looking forward to recognition and will continue to do so, despite being discriminated against by ignorant persons.

“When the first case was announced, I worked the 1-9pm shift and I was going home and we stopped a bus and the bus refused to pick us up…the driver said having us in the bus will prevent him from getting other passengers,” said Adams, as

she recounted her experience To convince her family, during a recent interview she asked them to mentalwith the Guyana Chronicle. ly place themselves in the Adams reached home “shoes” of patients and famuntil 23:00hrs that night, but ilies of patients, who depend the discrimination did not on frontline workers to delivstop there. She said persons, er care and save lives. particularly operators of pubAmin said her family lic transportation, continue to expressed similar sentiments, discriminate, leaving her with limited options for transportation. “Sometimes I call the ambulance to pick me up, but most times I try to work around the discrimination,” said the nursing assistant.

In addition to enduring discrimination, Adams said she made personal sacrifices, which included staying away from her family and friends because their safety, like the safety of every other person, is important. “I try to stay away from persons because I don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable… we [her colleagues] Nursing Assistant don’t want to go Juella Adams home and deal with our families,” said the but she also managed to nursing assistant.

Considering all that was convince them about the and is going on, Adams’ necessity of her input in the sisters raised concerns about fight against COVID-19. Evher participation in the fight idence of the nurses’ genuine against the disease, but she commitment to be part of the successfully convinced them fight, was the mere fact that that it is necessary because working in the COVID-19 saving lives is the main ob- unit was voluntary. jective right now.

EMOTIONAL AND SCARY

to do everything to save the person’s life.

“It was very emotional and scary…it was also sad, knowing that this person’s family would not get to see them back…but trust me, we always try our best…at one point the patient started ‘crashing’ and when that happens the virus becomes aerosolized, making it easy to spread, but all I could think of is what can be done to save the person’s life…you don’t think about yourself” said an emotional Amin.

Although she was well-equipped with personal proRegistered Nurse tective equipment Saudia Amin (PPE) during both occasions, the Being strong was, hownurse said it is still a risk, but ever, the hallmark of keeping one that she is always willing the fight up because as Amin to take. said, some aspects of their Thousands of healthcare/ work has been emotional and frontline workers lost their scary, particularly for her be- lives to COVID-19 after cause she witnessed the death contracting the disease while of two COVID-19 patients. on the job, but despite know“ I e x p e r i e n c e d t w o ing the dangers and risks C O V I D - 1 9 d e a t h s … w e attached to the profession, looked to the monitor and we Amin said she will continue were not getting a pulse and to work until the fight is over.

“I love what I do and at we tried getting a pulse… we the end of the day, I am gotried everything and did eving up there (GPHC) to take erything and all I was thinkcare of patients, fear or dising at that time was we have

crimination won’t stop me... safety comes first, but we try our best to make things work.

I will keep this up until it is over,” said the courageous nurse.

Adding to what Amin said, Adams told the Guyana Chronicle: “We are ready to persevere because if I was not a nurse and I got ill or my family got ill, I would want someone to be there to deliver care.”

Despite their unwavering courage, both nurses continue to take the necessary precautions and following the guidelines established by the local health authorities, something which they urged every Guyanese to do at this time. “In order for us to fight this virus everyone has to play their part, adhere and let us fight together…if they do their part we would not have patients,” said Adams.

Globally, there are over 3.3 million cases of COVID-19, with approximately 238,000 deaths. And with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventive measures to contain the spread of the disease.

PPP: reflect on the valiant efforts of all of our fore-parents The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends greetings to all Guyanese on the occasion of Arrival Day. This occasion is of great significance in commemorating the arrival of our ancestors who came to these shores from various parts of the world.

They were brought here under harsh circumstances at various points in our history and laboured as they made this land their home. In the face of many adversities, they were resolute in their endeavours to preserve their culture, traditions and values, which gave birth to a culturally-diverse Guyana.

Many of our fore-parents paid the ultimate price to ensure our freedoms as a people.

Unfortunately, as we celebrate Arrival Day today, there are some who are attempting to deprive our people of their fundamental right to elect a government of their choice and

erode our freedoms and democracy. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us as Guyanese to stave off any attempt to steal our rights and return us to the abyss of dictatorship.

Despite these adversaries to democracy and freedom, our Party takes this opportunity to commend all those who have worked steadfastly over the years and who continue to do so in the promotion of activities designed to foster and preserve our history, values and cultural traditions which have become shared; demonstrative of the strength in our diversity.

As we observe Arrival Day, our Party urges reflection on the valiant efforts of all of our fore-parents so that we can continue to be inspired and to better contextualize the value of our gains. This will ensure that we remain determined to build upon our gains and that our country remains a place for all of its sons and daughters.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Vendors, stall-holders found without face masks will be charged $5,000 –– as M&CC rolls out further measures to curtail spread of COVID-19

By Navendra Seoraj THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown, in doing its bit to reduce the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), has mandated that stallholders or vendors and their staff wear face masks while conducting their operations, failure to do which will result in being charged $5,000.

This stipulation is included in a plethora of measures rolled out by the M&CC which will take effect from tomorrow, Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

Among the new measures is the strict prohibition of unauthorised vending, in that anyone found selling at a place not approved by the Council will be subject to the payment of a removal fee of $25,000.

The M&CC has also revised the operational hours for all its municipal markets, and the new opening hours will be 07:00hrs to 16:00hrs daily.

“Only one main gate will be opened at all the municipal markets; all shoppers entering the municipal market will not be allowed to enter if they are not wearing a face mask. No exemptions apply,” the M&CC says.

Also, a limited amount of shoppers will be allowed to enter each market at a given time, and as persons exit, others will be allowed to enter.

And while in the market, persons must practise social distancing, and be six feet apart, because crowding and large gatherings will not be permitted. Stall-holders are also asked to regulate this activity, and will be held accountable for any breaches.

These measures are in line with universal guidelines established by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Recently, following a thorough assessment by the Public Health Ministry on Guyana’s prevailing health conditions, the emergency measures implemented to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic were extended for another month.

SIX-TO-SIX CURFEW The updated COVID-19 emergency measures took

effect from May 4, and will last until June 3, 2020. The regulation requires citizens to remain indoors between 6:00pm and 6:00am. The emergency measures also speak sternly to, among other things, the restriction on visitations, specific working hours allotted to essential services, preferential treatment for healthcare workers, social and physical distancing protocols, religious worship and domestic travel.

The COVID-19 emergency measures clearly state that anyone who fails to comply with these measures commits an offence under Section 152 of the Public Health Ordinance, and is liable, on summary conviction, to the penalty provided under that section.

The Guyana Chronicle reported last week that there would have been a likely extension of the measures.

Chairman of the National COVID-19 Taskforce (NCTF), Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had stated that the agency was aware that the WHO has warned that lifting lockdown restrictions too quickly could lead to negative consequences.

“If something is working, and working for the interest of Guyana, then we will need to review its effectiveness, and to make decisions as we go along. As of now, we cannot say that any measures have been relaxed,” he told reporters.

The curfew in place states that unless a citizen is conducting or visiting an essential service between 18:00 hours and 06:00 hours, he or she is to stay within the enclosure of his or her home and yard. A number of social activities have also been prohibited.

The last time the emergency measures in place were updated was on April 20, 2020, where the services of attorneys-at-law were deemed essential. Said update was published in the gazette in the amended COVID-19 Emergency Measures.

The preamble to the list of measures has made it clear that it could be terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health, after an

assessment of the conditions. The Prime Minister stated that the NCTF has recognised that, in isolated cases, the measures are not being adhered to.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

REO donates masks to Region

By Navendra Seoraj IN recognition of the hard work of police officers of Region Three, the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of the said region, Jennifer Ferreira- Dougall, in her personal capacity, donated a substantial amount of face masks to the officers.

At the short handing over at the Leonora Police Station on Monday, the REO said she recognised that cops in Region Three are doing an exceptional job as it relates to COVID-19, and the fight against it.

She further recognised that because the police are considered essential workers, they must be well equipped to fight the deadly virus and at the same time maintain law and order.

“That is why my personal donation of these face masks is expected to assist police officers so that we can fight COVID-19 as a team. I must thank you for the wonderful job you are doing, and I must remind the public that police are human beings too and are subject to be affected, and they too are considered hard workers like our nurses

and doctors and we must respect and give regards to them,” Ferreira- Dougall said.

Receiving the donation was the Regional Commander, Simon McBean, who is also the police representative on the region’s task force.

McBean said the masks would be useful to officers in line, as they are reusable and the force is a 24-hour organisation.

“And because we are a 24-hour organisation, the quantum where mask is concerned, will always be a challenge.

So having these reusable ones, we will be

able to manage better, because they can be washed and we can have them for a longer period,” he said.

He noted too that the masks will be given to frontline officers (about 160 of them) and another 160 will be made available so that all the officers will benefit.

McBean told the Guyana Chronicle that the officers continue to work tirelessly in the region to ensure that persons stay in line with the Public Health Ordinance.

“We continue to conduct road blocks and patrol to keep people in line with the

emergency are frequen like more th be charged he said.

There h far, he adde been carryin “We ha at the Dem Amstel, Leo and other road block

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

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n Three cops

response requirements. If they nt breech of these requirements, han one and two times, they will and placed before the court,”

has not been any such care this ed, noting that the task force has ng out their work effectively. ave established road blocks merara Harbour Bridge, Den onora, Vreed-en-Hoop, Wales key areas in the region. The k is for us to target non-essen-

tial vehicles, and enquire where they’re headed and what they are going there for. This task force that was put together is a team consisting of police and members from the Ministry of Public Health and we have been going around, at each business establishment and ensuring that they are operating within the guidelines provided. And we also have our patrols going around to ensure that people are off the road.”

Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Three, Jennifer Ferreira- Dougall, handing over face masks to the Regional Commander, Simon McBean, in the presence of Regional Deputy Commander, Dion Moore, and other ranks of the Guyana Police Force

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

‘It’s a bittersweet goodbye’ GTA bids farewell to Brian T. Mullis

–– welcomes new director, Carla James DESPITE not being able to bid farewell to their beloved former director, Brian Mullis, in the psychical form, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) made the best of the situation in sending their farewell and good wishes, via zoom, in a virtual meeting on Monday.

In sending his regard, Minister of Business, Haimraj Rajkumar, noted that

Mr. Mullis has been a great asset to Guyana’s tourism sector and because of him the sector has seen a grave development in the time that he has served.

“Our tourism sector has developed over the few months Brian was in charge, and I would really like to thank him, on behalf of the people of Guyana… we would have won several awards through his dili-

gence and guidance; indeed it is very sad for us to say goodbye to [him]. He has done so much for tourism in our country, Minister Rajkumar stated.

The Minister further stated that, while it is a bittersweet goodbye for Mr. Mullis, the GTA and all other tourism entities are pleased to welcome Miss Carla James as their new director.

Former Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority Mr. Brian T. Mullis

Newly-appointed Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Ms. Carla James

Mr. Mullis, in brief remarks, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the authority: “I really am extremely grateful for the amazing support that I have received, not only from the team at the GTA who was ready themselves to take things to the next level, but Ministers that I have served under and supported our work, our board of directors and other sister governmental industries.”

Additionally, in passing the baton on to the new director, Mr. Mullis stated that, he has all confidence that Ms. James will lead Guyana’s tourism to a prosperous future.

He noted that Guyana’s tourism sector has been strong, and, as such, Ms. James who has shown great consistency and resilience over the decades is highly qualified to lead the industry through recovery, while strengthening its resilience to maintain the country’s top position as one of the leading sustainable destinations.

New Director The newly-appointed director, Ms. Carla James, in her inaugural remarks, stated that she was fit and ready to continue the excellent work of the GTA. “I would like to thank the Minister and the Board of the GTA for believing in me and entrusting me with this great responsibility which I do not take lightly…It is my hope and plan to continue the standard of excellence that has earned me this position,” she stated.

Additionally, James, who is the first indigenous woman to hold the position, noted that she was grateful for the opportunity to serve her country at such a high level.

“It truly has been an amazing journey of learning, apprenticeship, training and experiences and I am extremely honoured to take on the role of director and serve the place that I am so very proud to call my home,” she added.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Guyana to conduct its own seismic survey soon

VERY soon, Guyana will better understand its offshore assets and increase its leverage in oil block negotiation, following the conduct of its own 2D and 3D seismic surveys.

Speaking with the media on Monday, Director of the Department of Energy (DE), Dr. Mark Bynoe, said that the procurement process for a firm to conduct the surveys is almost completed. In fact, several bids have already been submitted and the evaluation is completed.

“Only yesterday [Sunday] I was speaking with the procurement officer; they’re just about to make a notification.

The evaluation report was completed and we are awaiting the evaluators to just sign off and then we can make a formal declaration,” he said.

Seismic surveys are conducted by creating a shock wave, also known as a seismic wave, on the surface of the ground along a predetermined line, to map subsurface formations and anomalies.

While it is most often used by exploration companies to determine the best locations for drilling, while saving on dry holes, the DE has recognized the importance of Guyana understanding its available resources offshore, to guide its future allocation.

Back in November 2019, Dr. Bynoe stated that Guyana is fairly ignorant when it comes to what potential assets

Diagram of an offshore seismic survey (Delivery Images photo)

are within its shallow continental shelf, for example. He said that the country will not rush into the awarding of additional oil blocks until those and other outstanding matters

are finalised.

The data from the surveys will allow for more informed issuance of oil blocks, and for an upperhand during negotiations. It would set the stage

Businesswoman’s killer still to be apprehended IT has been one year since bandits attacked and killed popular Albouystown businesswoman, Nalinie Persaud, called ‘Nalo’, at her James Street residence.

The police are yet to make an arrest.

On May 2, 2019, two of the bandits, who were armed with handguns, had attacked the 44-year-old woman, and, when they escaped, the businesswoman’s lifeless body was discovered with a rope, which was used to strangle her, tied around her neck.

Police confirmed that cash and jewellery were carted off by the bandits who ransacked the premises. They

Albouystown businesswoman, Nalinie Persaud, called ‘Nalo’

gained entry by removing a board from the northern wall of the lower flat of the house.

The victim’s husband was

assaulted and taken out of the bedroom into the lower flat of the premises, which housed a grocery shop, where he was bound to a chair and duct-taped.

An autopsy conducted on the body of the businesswoman revealed that she died due to compression to the neck and blunt trauma to the head.

A Senior Police Detective, on Monday, May 4, 2020, told the Guyana Chronicle that the Persaud’s murder investigation was still open and was on-going.

for a new licencing round for offshore acreage around the second quarter of 2021, should plans remain on track.

In providing an update on the procurement process on

Monday, he explained that the surveys will aid in the development of data packages which will be used to provide indications on prospectivity

17

within a specific location. It will also help the country to be able to define boundaries of potential blocks it may wish to issue.

The contract will also incorporate the use of historical data on acreages relinquished, and a 3D seismic on Block ‘C’ to determine whether it should be kept in its original state or divided, and what potentials exist.

Block ‘C’ is Guyana’s s sole remaining ultra-deep-water block for which there is significant interest by global oil majors. However, Guyana is in no rush to allocate the Block before it gets its house in order.

“The government of Guyana takes very little risk even though we have to be concerned about what price the packages are sold at. But, once we go with a company, that company will use its own monies, based on an agreement with the government, to conduct the 2D, 3D seismic with the sale of the packages, having to be agreed upon by government,” Dr. Bynoe said.

The company has but a limited period to conduct its work after which all that data must be handed over to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) as the regulator.

This is to ensure that Guyana’s interest and national sovereignty are protected.

Alleged killer on the run

IT has been six long months since 67-year-old Marva Oudkerk was strangled with a mosquito net and killed during an invasion at her Bourda Street, Lacytown, Georgetown home.

Police have since issued a wanted bulletin for Cuban national, Lopez Perez Jair, for the murder of Oudkerk.

Oudkerk was the caretaker of a home at Lot 241, Bourda Street. The woman was killed sometime between 16:30hrs on October 9 and 18:30hrs on October 10, 2019.

The woman’s daughter had told this newspaper at the time that her mother was the caretaker of the home which belonged to the late Magda Pollard, the Guyanese stalwart who passed away in

Wanted - Lopez Perez Jair

May 2019.

The intruder/s carted off items from the home including Oudkerk’s cash.

The family of Oudkerk is offering $600,000 to anyone who can provide them with substantial information about her killer’s whereabouts.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Lopez Perez Jair is asked to contact the police on tele-

Marva Oudkerk

phone 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.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 5, 2020

10 positive COVID COVID--19 results from German football league

(BBC) - CLUBS in the top two German divisions have returned 10 positive results from 1,724 coronavirus tests, says the German football league.

Clubs have been training in groups, with the tests taken before a planned return to training as teams.

Measures including “the isolation of the affected person” have been taken, said the DFL. Top-flight side Cologne have had no further Covid-19 infections after three people tested positive last week.

The trio are “symptom-free” but remain in quarantine for 14 days,

said the club.

The Bundesliga is set to become the first major football league in Europe to return to competition.

Officials suggested resuming on 9 May but the government delayed the decision and a restart may now be on 16 or 23 May. Cologne said in a statement that “only players who have been tested negatively twice in succession are allowed to train and play”.

The DFL added: “A second wave of tests will be carried out this week - here too there may be isolated positive test results, especially since one of the tasks of this

second round is to reduce the likelihood of ‘false negative’ findings that can never be completely ruled out.”

Last week, chancellor Angela Merkel said that any decision on if and when sports activities could resume would be taken on Wednesday, 6 May. The league has been suspended since midMarch because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

The DFL has warned that many top-division teams will be in an “existence-threatening” financial position if play does not resume

by June.

West Indies move up to ninth in T20I CMC – Reigning Twenty20 world champions, West Indies, have moved up to ninth in the International Cricket Council’s rankings, gaining one place after languishing in 10th for several months.

Though there has been a cessation of all cricket globally due to the global novel coronavirus pandemic, the ICC revised the rankings to eliminate results from the 2016-17 period.

As a result, West Indies gained three points from the ICC update to move to 229 points while Afghanistan dropped five points to slip to 228 points, and down to 10th in the rankings.

After a run of poor results, West Indies found their best form last March, crushing Sri Lanka 2-0 in a two-match series in Pallekele.

However, the series win was only the Caribbean side’s second in 10 outings, a run of form which had led to their steady slide down the rankings.

In fact, since their capture of the T20 World Cup in India four years ago, West Indies have won just four of 15 series, excluding one-off matches.

For their part, Afghani-

stan have won their last six bilateral series, including a 2-1 verdict in a three-match series against West Indies in India last November.

Australia, meanwhile, have climbed to the top of the T20 standings for the first time since they were introduced in 2011, with England moving into second spot and India assuming

third position.

Pakistan, who spent the last 27 months at the top, have slumped to fourth.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in Australia from October 18 to November 15 but could be scrapped as the world remains in lockdown because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (TUESDAY MAY 05, 2020)

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK - STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) &CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Jaques Rudolph-222* (SA vs BANG,

Chattogram, 2003)

(2) Lawerence Rowe-214 (WI vs NZ, Jamaica,

1972)

Today’s Quiz: (1) When and where did the WI and ZIM contest

a Test match for the first time?

(2) When and where did ZIM drew a Test match

against the WI for the first time?

Answers in tomorrow’s iss

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 5, 2020

Project Restart: Premier League doctors raise concerns over resuming season (BBC) - A number of Premier League club doctors have raised a range of concerns with league bosses over plans to resume the season, BBC Sport has learned.

One issue that the senior medics have sought assurances over includes their own liability and insurance cover if players contract the virus.

The Premier League has also been asked to provide some clarity over medical protocols, testing and player welfare.

The Premier League is hopeful of a potential 8 June resumption.

The 20 club doctors have been holding their own discussions about Project Restart - the label given to plans to resume action - with a view to feeding their thoughts into the Premier League’s leadership.

A Premier League source told

the BBC that they viewed the move by the medics as a natural part of the process with clubs, and a means of reaching “the best possible set of protocols”.

They also confirmed that the league was in talks with insurance companies over the issue of club and doctor liability, and that this would be brought up with government representatives this week.

The Premier League is represented on a cross-sport working group of medical experts and public health officials which will meet for the second time in a week on Wednesday.

The panel is devising the health and hygiene measures that players, managers and club staff will be asked to agree to before full training and then competition can resume, but only if the government deems it safe to do so.

The government is set to review its lockdown measures later this week, with the Premier League meeting to vote on the plans next Monday. A number of players and sports medics have already voiced their concerns about whether it is safe to return to action.

Eamonn Salmon, the chief executive of the Football Medicine and Performance Association (FMPA), has told BBC Sport that opinion among doctors and physios at English football clubs regarding resumption plans was varied.

Speaking last week, he said: “I guess the views of our members will be a kind of snapshot of society really.

“There are those who think it can be done, there are those that are doubtful and there are those that probably suggest it is an impossible

task.

“We have to wait, this is a waiting game all the time, it is such a changing landscape and fluctuating on a day to day basis.

“This is just the start in some respects, whatever proposals are put there it is then open to debate and for comment and opinion to feed into that.”

If training is resumed before social distancing rules are relaxed, BBC Sport understands players will be tested for coronavirus twice a week and would be screened for symptoms every day.

All tests would be carried out by health professionals at a drivethrough NHS testing facility that each club would have access to.

Training grounds will be optimised for social distancing and high hygiene levels.

In Germany, where the Bundesliga is set to become the first major football league in Europe to return to competition, 10 positive results have been returned from 1,724 coronavirus tests from clubs in the top two divisions.

Cubs have been training in groups and the tests are being taken before a planned return to training as teams.

Measures including “the isolation of the affected person” have been taken, said the DFL. Top-flight side Cologne have had no further Covid-19 infections after three people tested positive last week.

Bundesliga officials suggested resuming on 9 May but the government delayed the decision and a restart may now be on 16 or 23 May.

La Liga aiming for June restart as clubs return to training this week (BBC) - La Liga organisers are aiming for a June restart to the season, which was halted by the coronavirus crisis, as clubs return to training this week.

Players from the top two divisions will train in-

dividually after an agreement with Spain’s sports and health authorities that guaranteed the safety of both players and staff.

Players must undergo test before they can return to training facilities.

Football in Spain was

suspended indefinitely in March.

The country’s top division has created detailed protocols for the return to training so proper health safeguards are observed.

Part of this involves training sessions progressing

from individual to small groups and then team training.

“These measures cover a period of approximately four weeks with different phases that, in any case, will be subject to the de-escalation process

established by the government,” a La Liga statement read.

“Together with the medical tests carried out by clubs, a staggered return to training has been implemented that will start with players training alone

and with group activities prior to the return to competition, scheduled for June.”

There are 11 rounds of matches remaining, with Barcelona top of the table, two points clear of rivals Real Madrid.

Egyptian Youssef Hossam banned for match-fixing (BBC) - Youssef Hossam has been banned for life by the Tennis Integrity Unit after being found guilty of multiple match-fixing and other corruption offences.

The TIU found that the Egyptian, 21, had committed 21 breaches of anti-corruption rules between 2015 and 2019.

It also ruled he conspired with others to carry out betting-related corruption at the lower levels of the sport.

Hossam reached a career-high singles ranking of 291 in December 2017 and is currently ranked 820.

He was provisionally suspended from tennis in May last year and was found to have committed eight cases of match-fixing, six cases of facilitating gambling and two cases of soliciting other players not to use their best efforts.

He was also found guilty of three failures to report corrupt approaches and two failures to co-operate with a TIU investigation.

“As a result of his conviction, Mr Hossam is now permanently excluded from competing in or attending any sanctioned tennis event organised or recognised by the governing bodies of the sport,” said a TIU statement.

His elder brother, Karim Hossam, was banned from tennis for life for multiple match-fixing offences in 2018.

Barcelona are top of La Liga, two points clear of rivals Real Madrid

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday May 5, 2020

Remembering Guyana’s first World boxing champion! ...Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis five years after his death

By Rawle Toney

MAY 4, 2015, the boxing fraternity plunged into mourning after news that Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis died in the vicinity of Covent Garden, on the East Bank of Demerara. He was 44-years old.

With his casket draped in the Golden Arrowhead and the WBA welterweight belt resting on top of it, Guyana’s first World boxing champion, Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis said goodbye to his many fans. Lewis made his final ‘hooray’ on May 14, 2015, as the man who many will remember for his famous 7th round TKO win over American James Page on February 17, 2001, at the MGM Grand

in Las Vegas.

Reports stated that the former World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion was riding his bicycle, heading to a popular ‘coconut’ spot near his home – a place he visits daily – when he was struck from behind by a motor car.

A resident of Albouystown, Lewis was remembered not only for his exploits in the ring, but for his kindness; a man that would give his last to someone if he believed that the person needed it more than he did.

Lewis, at the time of his climb to the top, was the number one welterweight contender in the WBA rankings and was undefeated in 20 professional fights, knocking

out 18 of his opponents. The beloved Lewis was hunting an achievement that would make him a legend if accomplished.

With an entire nation behind him, Lewis went on to win via TKO against Page in the 7th of their 12-round contest.

He became his country’s Champion, after great fighters before him, like Patrick Ford, Lennox Blackmore, Terrence Alli, Dennis Andries, Wayne Harris and Andrew Murray (just to name a few) had all failed to do in their illustrious careers.

The boy from Albouystown turned ‘Pro’ in 1993, first stepping into the ring against Fitzroy Davidson. Eight years later, he sat

on top of the world, immortalised by Guyanese at home and abroad. He would finish his career in 2008, with a ring record of 23 wins, four losses and two draws from 29 outings in the ring.

Two years after Lewis’s death (March 24, 2017 to be exact), Manx Powers, the man charged with causing the death of the former World Champion, walked out of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court a free man.

Magistrate Fabayo Azore dismissed the charge against Powers, who was on trial for the offence of causing death by dangerous driving, on the grounds that there was not enough evidence against him.

F1 budget cap figure reduction talks set for this week (BBC) - F1 bosses will meet this week to discuss a reduction of the budget cap figure to $145m (£117m) in 2021.

The new level has been arrived at after a meeting on Monday between F1 chairman Chase Carey, managing director Ross Brawn and FIA president Jean Todt.

F1 is also closing in on plans to re-start the season in Austria in July amid a tightly controlled environment.

Bosses want to carry out coronavirus tests on all staff before they travel and every two days while at races.

Teams will be separated from each other at the event and stay in different hotels, and will be taken to and from the race track by buses.

The plans are being agreed with the national governments involved and F1 plans to brief the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association to reassure the drivers that bosses are not taking any risks with participants’ health, nor are they being a burden to the countries that will host races.

F1 is increasingly certain that its plan to start the season in Austria with two races on 5 and 12 July is viable - assuming there is a not a sudden spike in coronavirus cases in the country.

The hope is to follow the events at the Red Bull Ring with two at Silverstone on 19 and 25 July, but financial terms for the British races have not been agreed.

Budget cap progress Teams reached an impasse on the budget cap during a series of meetings last month, with Ferrari leading objections to lowering the cap below $150m and some other teams - most vocally McLaren - pushing for a much lower figure.

Carey, Todt and Brawn agreed a compromise plan on Monday whereby a new lower

Jean Todt, left, Ross Brawn, centre left and Chase Carey, right, all met on Monday

figure of $145m would be installed for 2021, and talks would continue in the coming weeks on lowering it further for 2022 and beyond.

This will be presented to the teams in a letter from the FIA and F1 ahead of a discussion by team bosses.

The rules currently enshrine a figure of $175m (£137.9m) for 2021, which was agreed last October. But the impact of the coronavirus crisis on F1’s finances has led to moves to lower it.

Teams have already agreed informally to lower that figure to $150m but have so far failed to agree on a lower number.

The hope is that Ferrari will move sufficiently to accept the $145m figure this week and can be persuaded after further talks to move beyond that in future years.

The Italian team say their biggest concern is over the number of redundancies that would be involved if the cap was lower than $150m.

Mercedes have similar concerns but have indicated that they would accept a figure of $145m - as long as overall spending is also addressed, including a limit on engine development costs, which is currently one of a number of exemptions from the cap.

Brawn told Sky on Monday: “We started at 175. That was a long battle to get it there.

And with the current crisis we’re now going to start at 145. The discussion really is how much further down we can drive the next few years.”

What about the season?

F1 is hopeful it will be able to firm up at least the European portion of the season within the next two to three weeks.

After the Austria and Silverstone events in July - assuming the terms for the British Grands Prix are agreed - a number of options are being discussed, with a further four races to come from a selection of Spain, Hungary, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.

Some of those countries have restrictions on mass gatherings until close to the end of the summer - Hungary’s is until mid-August, those in Belgium, the Netherlands and France until the end.

But F1 is in talks with national governments on the basis of the isolation model that it will operate in Austria and is optimistic countries will agree races can take place behind closed doors on the basis that they will present minimal risk of spreading the virus.

After Europe and into the northern hemisphere autumn, plans are considerably more fluid.

Singapore has to take place on its original date of 20 September if it is to take place at all; and Canada must also be held during that month because of the early onset of winter in Montreal in October. Neither event is certain.

Russia and Azerbaijan would follow whichever of the Singapore and Canada races can happen, before a move to Asia and Japan, China and Vietnam, then on to the Americas and the Middle East, ending the season with the final two races in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

Of those events, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are considered most certain, with varying degrees of uncertainty hanging over the others.

Beyond that, plans depend on the development of the virus situation in each country and F1 will likely have to delay confirming a schedule until that becomes clearer.

g n i r e b m e Rem t s r i f s ’ a n a y Gu g n i x o b d l r Wo chamHpeaidos’ nLe!w is

Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis after winning the WBA World Welterweight Title by defeating James Page.

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.Andrew ‘‘SSix ...A h t a e d is h r e t f a s r a e five y

West Indies celebrate (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Project Restart Restart::

West Indies move up to ninth in T20I See story on page 25

Liverpool lead the table by 25 points but have not played a Premier League game since 7 March

Premier League doctors raise concerns over resuming season See story on page 26

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TUESDAY, MAY 05, 2020