Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_05_08_2020

FRIDAY 8th May, 2020

'

40 boxes counted No.105993

National Recount…

on day 2

…Coalition defends lengthy scrutiny of boxes, PPP/C disagrees

SEE PAGE 03

…ANUG sees exercise going beyond 25 days

Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission, Yolanda Ward, briefs members of the media following Thursday’s recounting exercise (Carl Croker photo)

10th COVID-19 fatality was resident of Palms -12 staff of the home quarantined, facility to screen persons twice daily

PAGE

14

PPP/C accused of holding secret meeting with GECOM IT staff …PRO downplays report, says accusation blown out of proportion

PAGE

08

22 charged for breaching curfew in Corentyne 05 PAGE

…nabbed at Mahogany Hotel partying

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday May 8, 2020

GECOM orders daily tabulation GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward

By Svetlana Marshall MOMENTS after the Guyana Elections Commission indicated that the tabulation process for each electoral district will commence upon the completion of all of the Statements of Recount (SORs) in accordance with the order, it reverted on its position, thereby allowing for the tabulation to take place on a daily basis as they are submitted to the tabulation centre from the 10 workstations.

A Statement of Recount (SOR) is generated upon the completion of each ballot box, and details the result of the General and Regional Recount, according to the votes cast in an electoral block.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, said that, based on a decision of the Elections Commission

on Thursday, the tabulation process will commence daily at 17:00hrs until 18:30hrs.

According to her, the decision was taken to tabulate the SORs daily based on recommendations made by a political party.

“I don’t know what prompted the Commission to move in that direction of a decision in that regard but I am sure that the Commission in its wisdom has enough justification as to its actions,” Ward told reporters.

But the decision, she said, will not affect the order or result in an amendment. “The order will not be amended since at the end of every region, they will also go back through everything full process,” Ward told reporters moments after the Elections Commission meeting ended.

This means that as the Statements of Recount are produced at the level of the workstations, they will be submitted

PPP/C’s Executive, Dr. Frank Anthony to the tabulation centre where they will be tabulated on a daily basis from 17:00hrs. Then, once all the SORs are completed for a given region, GECOM, in the presence of party agents and observers, will then proceed to tabulate those SORs for a second time.

According to the Order gazetted on Monday, the SORs will be tabulated at central tabulation centre upon the completion of the count at the workstations.

“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,” a section of the Order states. Those persons include the CARICOM scrutinizing team, representatives of political parties that contested the March 2 Elections, international and local observers and GECOM officials.

Less than an hour before Ward made the announcement based on the Commission’s decision, she had indicated that the tabulation of Statements of Recount for any given Region would commence on the completion of all of the SORs. “Basically what the order dictates is that the tabulation exercise will be done at the

end of every region, and that is what the order states,” Ward had explained. She was keen on noting that the SORs would be projected as they are being tabulated, in addition to an excel file showing the data being inputted from the SORs. But ANUG representative, Timothy Jonas, objected to the SORs being tabulated collectively for a given region. According to him, the order allows for the SORs to be tabulated within the Central Tabulation Centre as they are completed at the level of the workstations. “It is my view that that Statement of Recount needs to be tabulated on an ongoing basis, publicly for everyone to see,” Jonas posited while emphasizing that it would lend to a transparent process. He contended that to tabulate all of the SORs at once would affect the credibility of the process.

But Ward was quick to debunk that, explaining that each step of the way representatives of the various political parties and observers are provided with copies of the SORs and the Observation Reports, and the process at that stage cannot be compromised.

Ward reminded that once a Statement of Recount is generated, it is signed by the GECOM staff present and the representatives from the various

ANUG Representative, Timothy Jonas

political parties present and copies are distributed to them.

But as the day progressed more issues arose with the tabulation process. Ward had indicated that while six SORs from Region One were tabulated on Wednesday, that was merely a demonstration of the tabulation exercise and not the actual tabulation, as she alluded to the order.

She noted that the demonstration was done after a party agent approached the Chair of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, asking for same to be facilitated. But People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Executive, Dr Frank Anthony, and Leader of Liberty and Justice Party (JLP), Lenox Shuman, were adamant that what took place at the Tabulation Center was the actual tabulation and not a dry run of the exercise.

“We went through a tabulation process for those six both for the General and Regional,” Dr. Anthony said. According to Dr. Anthony, it was expected that, having completed six Statements of Recount (SORs) from Region One, they would have proceeded, on Thursday, to tabulate SORs submitted from other regions. However, he said representatives from the various political parties were informed that the tabulation

would be done from 17:00hrs to 18:30hrs daily.

Dr. Anthony had also complained to the press that GECOM, on Thursday, opted to have the Secretariat insert comments on the Statements of Recount but the Public Relations Officer said that such was far from the truth. Ward said what was agreed by the Elections Commission was for the Observation Report to be made public during the tabulation exercise.

“For every workstation, an observation report is generated and it was also a decision of the Elections Commission that, that observation report be presented during the tabulation process,” the GECOM PRO clarified. She made it clear that it was never GECOM’s intention to have the observations or comments inserted on the SORs as alleged by the PPP/C. “The decision of the Commission is not for observation information to be written onto the Statements of Recount. The decision of the Commission is that the observation report that is generated at the respective work stations which is attached to that Statement of Recount, be shown or the information be read to those in the tabulation centre,” Ward explained.

Foreign Affairs Minister holds talks with ABCE countries

FOREIGN Affairs Minister, Dr. Karen Cummings on Thursday held talks with the ambassadors of the ABCE countries, during which they discussed the ongoing recount and other issues.

The High Commissioner of Canada to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Her Excellency, Lilian Chatterjee; High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, His Excellency Greg Quinn; Ambassador of the United States, Her Excellency Sarah-Ann Lynch; and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union (EU), His Excellency Fernando Ponz Cantó all met with Minister Cummings.

Dr. Cummings conveyed to the diplomats that the Government of Guyana values their participation, which, as

At Thursday’s meeting between Guyana and heads of the ABCE missions here to discuss, inter alia, developments related to the recent general and regional elections. Seated from left are: High Commissioner of Canada to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Her Excellency, Lilian Chatterjee; Ambassador of the United States, Her Excellency Sarah-Ann Lynch; High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, His Excellency Greg Quinn; Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings; and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union (EU), His Excellency Fernando Ponz Cantó international observers, could provide an effective means of verifying the genuineness and transparency of the electoral process.

Further, she noted that, “undoubtedly, we are all

pleased that this process is now on its way, and will expeditiously and in a transparent manner produce credible and final results of our elections”.

Meanwhile, the Heads of the Foreign Missions agreed that

the ongoing recount process was extremely important.

The recount of the ballots is now underway at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Today is Day Three of the expected 25-day process.

3

GUYANA CHRONICLE FrIday May 8, 2020

40 boxes counted on day 2 of National Recount …Coalition defends lengthy scrutiny of boxes, PPP/C disagrees

…ANUG sees exercise going beyond 25 days

By Svetlana Marshall

FORTY ballot boxes were counted on the second day of the National Recount bringing the total number of processed ballot boxes to 65 from a total of 2,339, Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Yolanda Ward, disclosed on Thursday.

It therefore means that 2,274 more ballot boxes are yet to be counted. At the close of operations at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre where the recount is unfolding, Ward told reporters that of the 40 boxes counted – nine were from Region One (Barima-Waini); 10 from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), nine from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and 12 from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

Started on time Unlike the first day of the National Recount, in which several challenges arose resulting in a late start, Ward said, on Thursday, the recount started on time. “We had a very smooth process at the various stations,” the GECOM PRO reported, noting that the early start resulted in an increase number of ballot boxes counted.

There are a total of 10 workstations established at the Conference Centre to recount the ballots cast at the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections. In accordance with the operational plan and gazetted order, GECOM is tabulating the votes cast in Regions One, Two, Three and Four first and

will proceed to count other regions upon the completion of the first three regions. Region 4 votes are being counted simultaneously due to the fact that it is the largest electoral block.

(ANUG) Representative, Attorney-at-Law Timothy Jonas, also reported that the process was smoothly executed on Thursday with the exception of a few minor hiccups. “It is a slow process but from what

PPP/C Executive Anil Nandlall

A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Agent and Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, said the recount process was executed on Thursday with minor hiccups.

“Well this morning was better organised than yesterday (Wednesday) but of course one party did not have their keys again or their locks were not working…so they had to cut the locks on the East Bank container but we started on time,” Patterson said on Thursday when approached by reporters. He noted that once the ballot boxes where moved from the containers to the workstations, the process commenced with little delay.

Smooth operations A New and United Guyana

I saw from the room that I was in, the slowness of the process was because the process was slow not because of anybody,” Jonas said. He noted that the time taken to count a single box is influenced by the number of ballots within the box.

It was noted that while some voting blocks are small others have more than 250 ballots within them. Elections Commission has set a 25-day duration to execute the recount, but Jonas said, based on the rate at which the boxes are being processed, the duration may need to be extended.

“I am concerned about the 25-day original plan because if you do the Math and you have 2,200 ballot boxes, even if we get 20-30 done a day, that still cannot be done within 25

Ballot boxes being removed from a container to be sent to a workstation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre

days…so we have a mathematical issue here,” Jonas noted.

PPP wants more speed But the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Executive Member, Anil Nandlall, complained bitterly about the

But while PPP/C agents are alleging that the process is being dragged out and stalled due to what they consider as “unnecessary” queries, Ward said it is important for all concerns to be addressed. This, she posited, will add further transparency to the process.

APNU+AFC Candidate, Ganesh Mahipaul

rate at which the boxes are being processed. “Our biggest concern remains the pace at which the process is going at.

We think that it is considerably too slow. At the end of today, only 40 boxes were completed and we saw again recurrent instances of stations being closed way before the scheduled 7pm, and that is unacceptable, we can’t continue at this rate,” Nandlall told reporters but said that significant progress was being made. He alleged that APNU+AFC agents are employing delaying tactics at the workstations resulting in a slow counting process. “There are unnecessary queries being raised,” he posited while pointing to the APNU+AFC. Important concerns being addressed

“We are at a recount exercise and like anything else people will have queries and so it is important whatever those queries are, [they] are adequately addressed,” she told the press.

Ward underscored the Elections Commission’s commitment to transparency. “We want to ensure that every person, every agent in the room is satisfied with whatever decision is taken at a respective workstation; so it therefore means if an issue needs to be ventilated to ensure that it comes to a conclusion that is agreed to by all, it must be done,” Ward made clear.

Not unnecessary APNU+AFC Candidate, Ganesh Mahipaul also ruled out the contention that the APNU+AFC agents had a number

of “unnecessary queries.” He said the task is a lengthy one and cannot be avoided. “This process is a lengthy process.

It is slow because of the reconciliation that is necessary before you go into the one two three, one two three, and because you are scanning the ballots and you have to ensure that it is stamped with the six digits number; and you have to verify that the six digit number is across on all the ballots and you have to ensure that it is the same six digit number that is across on all the ballots; and you have to make sure that you see the ‘X’ and see the ‘X’ properly,” he explained.

Mahipaul maintained that the lengthiness of the process is by no means as a result of delaying tactics employed by any of the political parties.

He said the process allows for transparency and credibility in accordance with the Constitution and Electoral Laws of the country.

“We from the APNU+AFC we stand solidly for credibility, accountability, and transparency, and that is why what is happening has to happen,” the APNU+AFC Candidate said. The National Recount is being observed by the parties that contested the General and Regional Elections in addition to local and international observers including the Organisation for American States (OAS), the Canadian High Commission, the CARICOM Scrutinizing Team, the Private Sector Commission and CUFFY 250 among others.

Notably, there are strict security and COVID-19 measures in place.

Security checks being done before access to the ACCC is granted

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Coronavirus: Paris restrictions to stay as France reopens (BBC) Measures to curb the spread of coronavirus will be kept in place in Paris when the lockdown is eased in other parts of France, its PM says.

Edouard Philippe said the country was "cut in two" in terms of the rate of infections.

Restrictions will remain in the capital and north-eastern regions.

It comes as France prepares to relax its lockdown on Monday, with shops and some schools allowed to reopen.

The country has suffered one of the highest Covid-19 death rates in Europe.

More than 25,800 people there have died from the disease in hospitals and care

homes, but the number of new cases has also fallen in recent days.

Restrictions - introduced on 17 March - would be lifted over the course of several weeks, Prime Minister Philippe said on Thursday.

"It's good news for France and for the French people," he said.

The government has issued a colour-coded map of the country, splitting it into green and red areas depending on the rate of infection.

Restrictions will be eased more in the green areas than the red for the time being.

To begin with, primary schools and most businesses will be allowed to reopen in

Primary schools can reopen across France from Monday

both zones. Cafes, restaurants and secondary schools will be able to reopen in June in the green zones, infection rates

permitting, Mr Philippe said.

In Paris and the four adjoining regions - Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-

France, Grand Est Bourgogne-Franche-Comte which comprise the red zone, public parks and gardens will

stay shut.

Masks must be on worn on public transport, which will be disinfected at least once a day, and stores will have the right to ask shoppers to wear them. Social distancing rules will also stay in place.

But for the first time since the lockdown began, people everywhere (except the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte) can go back to work and leave home without downloading a permit.

Video surveillance cameras will monitor how many people are wearing masks and staying at least a metre (3ft) apart.

India gas leak: At least 13 dead after Visakhapatnam incident

(BBC) At least 13 people have been killed by a massive gas leak at a chemical plant in southern India, with 800 others taken to hospital.

The leak from the LG Polymers plant in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra

Pradesh state came as people slept.

Doctors say patients have been complaining of a burning sensation in the eyes and difficulties breathing.

Areas around the plant have been evacuated. The leak may have been due to

Friday, May 08, 2020 –– 05:00hrs

negligence, officials say.

Reports suggest initial attempts to control the gas leak were unsuccessful but the company and state officials say the situation is now under control.

LG said in a statement it was investigating the cause of the incident, and was looking at ways "to provide speedy treatment" for those affected.

Rajendra Reddy, a senior official in the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, told the BBC that the leaked gas was styrene, which is usually refrigerated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called an emergency disaster meeting.

'My eyes were itchy' The leak took place at

around 03:00 local time (21:30 GMT Wednesday) as the plant was being re-opened for the first time since 24 March, when India went into lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

"All those who have been hospitalised are currently stable," BK Naik, a local health official, told Reuters news agency. Doctors say 86 patients are being treated on ventilators, but many injured have been discharged.

Legal action is being taken against the company, says state Industries Minister Goutam Reddy. Earlier, he told BBC Telugu that it looked as though proper procedures and guidelines were not followed when the South Ko-

rean-owned plant was being re-opened.

"We would like the company to proactively respond to the incident and ensure that the same level of responsibility is taken if this incident were to happen in EU or United States," he said, adding that the incident had been reported to the Korean embassy.

Swaroop Rani, a senior police official in Visakhapatnam, told AFP that the plant had been left idle because of the lockdown. "[The gas] was left there because of the lockdown. It led to a chemical reaction and heat was produced inside the tanks, and the gas leaked because of that."

Local villagers complained around 03:30 and police immediately went to the scene, but had to quickly retreat for fear of being poisoned, the news agency quoted her as saying.

"One could feel the gas in the air and it was not possible for any of us to stay there for more than a few minutes," she said.

As the gas spread, residents ran out of their homes in panic. Distressing images of people fainting and dropping unconscious on the streets are being shared on social media.

"My eyes were itchy, and I was feeling drowsy, light-headed and slightly breathless," Yashwanth Saikumar Ambati, who lives about 300 metres from the plant, told Reuters.

Officials said the fumes had spread over a radius of about 3km (2 miles) and people from surrounding areas were evacuated.

Although a large number have been admitted to hospital, most should be able to make a recovery, they added.

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

22 charged for breaching curfew in Corentyne

…nabbed at Mahogany Hotel and Sports bar partying

By Nafeeza Yahya TWENTY TWO persons, including seven Venezuelans, were, on Thursday, charged, after they breached the curfew in place for COVID-19, including the restriction on social activities.

The persons arrested hail from different communities along the Corentyne Coast and from the Mahogany Hotel and Sports bar in Corriverton, East Berbice Corentyne. According to information, the Police were informed of a party being held at the popular Corentyne Hotel and Sports bar on Tuesday evening where several Venezuelan women were present.

Police went to the scene and cautioned the individuals of the offence and subsequently made the arrest.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the revellers were celebrating someone’s birth anniversary with loud music. The defendants were expected to make a court appearance at the Springlands

Magistrate’s Court on Thursday; however after there was no sitting of the court, they were each placed on $10,000 station bail.

Among those charged from the Mahagony Hotel

Rodriques of Number 50 Village and Buonetina Nalliui Sarai of Number 78 Village.

The others charged were Mario Dave of Number 50 Village, Vikash Singh of Number 78 Village, Oneil

Some of the persons who were charged and placed on bail forbreaching the COVID-19 curfew

and Sports bar were: owners, Sherwin Peterson and Carlos Angel along with Venezuelans Teleelo Mendoza Maria De Jesus, Brehaspat Rashawn Joshua, Mapta Guzman Poela Yanireth, Moita Guzman Yamileth, Zorrill Corolina whose addresses were listed as the Hotel , as well as Nikol

Lewis of Linepath, Bertly Small of Number 78 Rahaman Park, Abdul Haniff of Albert Street Corriverton, Tameshwar Basdeo of Number 64 Village, Lennox Renaldo of Number 79 Village, Calvin Douglas of Number 54 Village, Savita Maniram of Crabwood Creek, Arjan

Jagdeo of Corriverton, Romaine Simonds of Number 69 Village, Kevin Rambarran and Richard Jeffery of Number 78 Village.

Under the COVID-19 emergency measures, a person can face a fine or up to six months in prison for breaching the restrictions.

Meanwhile, a senior Police Officer in the Division told the Guyana Chronicle that they have been trying to sensitise the population in the Region so that they can adhere to the restrictions and avoid being prosecuted.

Among the measures used from Number 51 to Crabwood Creek were public announcements encouraging persons to adhere to the curfew and avoid congested areas, officers going to popular places where persons were conducting business to ensure they maintained the social distance as well as patrolling the areas.

However despite the efforts of the police and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and municipalities

Body of woman found in drain The body of a mother of two was taken out of a drain in Belle Vue on the West Bank Demerara Public Road on Thursday afternoon and the family and others in the community are unsure as to what might have led to her death.

Dead is 29-year-old Tonica Thomas of 144 Murphy Street West Bank Demerara.

The woman is said to have a mental illness. Her body was discovered around 14:00hrs face down in the drain alongside the cane fields. The body was removed from the drain,

29 year old Tonica Thomas

by police, around 15:00hrs.

Thomas was well known by residents of communities on the West Bank, often seen traversing the road on a daily basis. She is also known

for having once been a very successful businesswoman.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, her sister, Nicola Carrington, said the family had often worried about Thomas owing to her roaming the streets. “Everybody knows that she walks, day and night she walks, and this was we biggest fear, we were afraid that when she walk something happen to she,” Carrington shared.

Carrington said it has been speculated that she could have been hit by a vehicle, or beaten by someone,

UK provides Caribbean £5 million to address COVID-19

The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has provided £5 million to the Caribbean to help contain the spread of COVID-19 in the Region.

A release from the British High Commission on Thursday stated that the funds will be split by way of £3 million to the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) for the provision of essential medical supplies and management support, and £2 million to scale up assistance for the most vulnerable households and to counter domestic violence against women and children.

“The UK Government is committed to supporting our Caribbean friends and partners through this crisis. We all face unprecedented challenges with COVID19, and UK assistance is supporting vulnerable health systems in the Caribbean and across the world - to save lives, protect vital services and reduce the risk of future waves of infection globally,” UK Minister for the Caribbean, Baroness Sugg said.

“In addition to our multi-million funding to UN agencies and the WHO that benefits the Caribbean, this direct regional support will help Caribbean countries to cope with the coronavirus crisis, mitigate the wider social

and economic impacts and protect the most vulnerable. The UK stands with you in these difficult times.”

Meanwhile, the UK is also reallocating resources from its £400 million development programme to help tackle the crisis and support countries that are most at risk.

This will see support being provided to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). It includes COVID-19 modelling and surveillance products for participating states being developed by University of the West Indies (UWI), through the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre.

Altogether, the UK has provided £744 million to support global efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus, find a vaccine and save lives around the world.

The British High Commission stated that the UK government will continue to work with existing partners that are well placed to coordinate the regional and international response to the disease and help reduce the negative impacts on the economies and people of the region.

as the drain Thomas was found in was a very shallow one. “We don’t know what happened, we don’t know. But some of the drivers on the road said they saw her on the road as recent as three hours before she died,” she said.

Police are investigating the matter.

Venezuelans assemble at the Springlands Police Station, after they were released on station bail on Thursday

in Region 6, many persons still seek clever methods to breach the restrictions.

The arrests and prosecutions were meant to be a last resort. However, in light of the growing number of sensitisation campaigns, the police

have been enforcing the law hoping others will adhere.

Recently, three business owners on the Corentyne, who operate liquor shops, were arrested and charged. Their items were also seized.

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

The CEO and his constitutional functions THE subject of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its raison d’etre has been written on, ad nauseam, and mentioned in numerous letters published in this newspaper. That this has been so is largely due to the numerous sinister attempts in some well-known political quarters, and by their vested-interest cliques to denude this key constitutional body of its autonomy and independent functions to make it a creature of their anti-national designs.

This constitutional fact is well known to the PPP/C and those with whom it continues to conspire to make obscene demands of the GECOM. It is particularly ridiculous, to put it mildly, and equally asinine for those who do so to continue to make unlawful demands of the nation’s electoral body, such as objecting to the Chief Executive Officer having control of the Statement of Recounts. How much more of this utter nonsense and dangerous charade must GECOM, and the nation, by extension, continue to be subject to? Must one be reminded time and again that the CEO, a constitutional office-holder, must at all times be in charge of the electoral process, until it is satisfactorily completed?

It, therefore, becomes necessary for the constitutional position of the nation’s electoral body to be reiterated, as an important reminder to those who are bent on bringing this important institution into disrepute, by ways which defy any rational explanation, if only because the reasons are only too obviously contrived and devious in their intention and execution.

GECOM is the nation’s electoral organ, in fact and in law, as underlined in the Constitution of Guyana, that is empowered with the important task of being responsible for the administrating of national and regional elections in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

This means that it is wholly responsible for all matters, inclusive of fulsome preparations, that pertain to this most important democratic function of facilitating the expression of the free will of the citizen. Inherent to this undertaking is the all-important key responsibility of ensuring that the balloting exercise is free, fair, and transparent, which must be extended to the equally critically-important ability of declaring results that can withstand scrutiny.

In its execution of the foregoing functions, there has been unconditional support and

unyielding insistence, by the Executive especially, that the nation’s electoral body must be undeterred and deliberate in its independence in carrying out those constitutional functions as mandated.

In its executive structure and administrative functions, the GECOM is managed by a Commission, which body is headed by a Chairperson, as catered for by the Constitution. It is the Chairperson who is tasked with finalising all actions as are related to the holding of national and regional polls, which, in turn, are delegated to the Chief Elections Officer, and those of his support team for execution. In fact, the Chief Elections Officer’s functions are integral to the role and function of receiving the final results; the allocation of seats to the various political participating parties in the elections; and ensuring the accuracy of those final results before presenting them to the Chairperson for discussion with the Commission, before their final announcement, which leads to the swearing in of either the incumbent executive for another term of office, or a new government.

The above, as outlined, illustrates not only the uncontested supremacy of the GECOM

The PPP hierarchy is not interested --in the whole story of Elections 2020

Dear Editor, THIS letter is being written shortly after learning that GECOM has suspended the examination and counting of the ballots of our March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The reason for this unhappy suspension is the discovery of a secret early-morning meeting at the Tabulation Department of the the Arthur Chung Convention Centre among PPP agents, Frank Anthony, Sasenarine Singh and two others, and GECOM Information Technology Superviser, Aneal Giddings and his Deputy.

It will be inappropriate for me to comment on the likely result of an investigation into the clearly-unauthorised and highly-suspicious gathering, except to say that the meeting of these two groups in secret is highly improper, and should raise alarm bells and a red flag. Add this to the strange behaviour of Mr. Trevon Harris, Returning Officer, Region 1, who is known by the community to

be a Guyanese of mixed ancestry whose loyalty is to a certain political party, refused to provide GECOM with his Region’s Polling Book.

His alleged statement that he left GECOM, not knowing when, speaks volumes, and to have important election documents not being in the proper place, is, at best, mysterious or unacceptable.

I expect that by now, this gentleman, Mr. Trevon Harris, may or may not recall his association or visits to places linked to the PPP. As a concerned citizen, I expect to hear volumes from those who publicly stated that the rigging in these Elections were the worst ever in our history. To that, I say I pity those who know not that they know not, or have erased from their memories. Beginning with 1961, 1992, 1997, 2001, and 2005, all of these elections were characterised by events that qualify to be termed ‘rigged’. Let them speak now or hereafter hold their peace.

Next, those who have ap-

pealed to the OAS, obviously, these folks neither understand nor can appreciate that the credibility and impartiality of the OAS is currently being called into question. And those of us who have been part of Elections since the early 50s have reason to believe that the North-West incident, and the secret meeting are but the tip of an iceberg.

From the fulminations of Mr. Anil Nandall and the PPP Commissioners at GECOM, it is crystal clear that the PPP hierarchy is not interested in the whole story of Elections 2020.

Let us hear from a certain diplomat and those experts. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th United States President: To sin by silence when they should protest make cowards of men.”

Regards, Hamilton Green

as being the sole constitutional body tasked with ensuring that national elections are held, but also outlines its fulsome powers, as enunciated not so long ago by a Court of Appeal decision that it is empowered to ensure impartiality in its results. In fact, such a ruling served to remind the nation that the GECOM is the sole constitutional authority that is vested with the power to direct all electoral matters, which includes the recount, as stipulated in its decisions.

It goes without saying, therefore, that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), as in the process of the holding of any or all national and regional elections, is also the constitutionally-delegated officer that is responsible for the currently conducted recount, which includes a forensic audit, as ordered by the GECOM. There cannot, and should not, be any change or deviation from THE CEO’s responsibility, since his constitutional status remains unchanged, as far as his functions are outlined under the Constitution which governs the functioning of the GECOM. For those who respect the powers of the Constitution, the answer has to be very obvious.

The PPP does not really care for a recount Dear Editor , THE President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Statesman that he is, David Arthur Granger unequivocally stated that he would accept the results of the recount period. Adhering to the law, there should never have been a recount in the first place, but he agreed. Is it surprising, however, that the leader of the Opposition; he who has been screaming about transparency all the time, did not join with the President to unequivocally agree to accept the results. The problem, though, is that the PPP and their sycophants do not really care for a recount; no, they do not. They know that a recount would expose all their underhandedness, and prove what has been said all along, that the PPP not only tried to rig this election, but they have rigged prior

elections, and of course, with the assistance of the ‘rags’ that are euphemistically called newspapers, they have the audacity to accuse the ‘Coalition’ of rigging.

If one should look at the Opposition playbook, one cannot help but notice similarities in their agenda. Who can forget their outlandish behaviour at the Marriott, with their man-of-thecloth (who said that Jesus would have voted PPP) leading the way along, with their Presidential Candidate in tow. This ugly behaviour was followed by what we call the GECOM invasion on March 5, then the display of further hooliganism at Mon Repos, Lusignan, Cotton Tree, and Blairmont, in East Berbice, where a police Sergeant was injured, as were schoolchildren in the throwing of missiles at a school bus.

TURN TO PAGE

07

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

What Guyana needs is a good, shared inclusive government

Dear Editor,

A Government’s highest responsibility is to ensure the physical, economic, psychological and spiritual well-being and security of its citizens; all of its citizens. This responsibility is also enshrined and guaranteed under its Constitution.

Over the last two months, there have been several media articles on shared governance and much debate.

Dr. Henry Jeffrey, Dr. David Hinds, Lincoln Lewis, Nigel Hughes, Doerga Persaud, GHK Lall, WPA, ACDA, ANUG and many others have written on this topic. Interestingly, the Indo-Guyanese community seems to want to continue the winner-take-all form of government. Some who consider themselves the intellectual leaders of that community are pushing Federalism instead of shared governance.

What is most disappointing about these discussions is that the focus is entirely on a political solution.

Guyana’s real problem is how to achieve political, economic and social justice.

All of the debates, letters and Facebook conversations have ignored the real essence of our problems. Hence, the solutions being discussed have limited chances of success. We have a deep penchant for defining the wrong problem in Guyana. Equally frightening is that we have great intellectual debates solving the wrong problem.

Leadership matters and a critical skill of all great leaders is defining the real problem and ensuring that the solutions address that problem.

Guyana is a divided society. For historical reasons, and more recently, for political reasons, Guyana is politically divided. Guyana is also economically divided.

Guyana is also racially divided. Guyana is religiously and spiritually divided. As much as there are varying degrees of tolerance, the country is divided in many significant ways. Just as important is the fact that Guyana has no intrinsic set of shared values, shared expectations and shared benefits. Many of the races have a different narrative of Guyana’s history, much of which is based on myth and not reality.

We speak often about Guyanese culture, but we are very superficial in our understanding of culture. When we speak of “the culture of a place”, we are talking about far more than its artistic expressions, or its “cultural products, such as literature, music, dance, art, sculpture, theatre, film and sport. All of these are, of course, important expressions of the culture of any social group, and are part of its shared joy in the business of being alive.

But culture is more than that culture is about shared patterns of identity, symbolic meaning and aspirations, and about the relationships between individuals and groups within that society. Culture is also about the relationship between ideas and perspectives; about self- respect and a sense of security; how individuals are socialised, and values are formed and transmitted. Culture is also deeply intertwined with structures of power and wealth.

In essence, Guyana is also very culturally divided because of learnt expectations through religion and ethnic socialisation in homes.

Before we debate shared governance and create false positive solutions, Guyanese have to first accept that there are 10 inconvenient truths facing us that we ignore or choose to ignore at our peril. I am currently using my COVID-19 lock-

up, or lockdown, to write a book about them. In my earlier letter, I wrote: “The global COVID-19 pandemic is the moral, social, cultural, religious, economic, health, political and financial crisis of our times and will be with us for quite a while.

Likewise, any solutions to Guyana’s problems should be created within the context of a moral, political, social, religious, economic and financial context. Winnertake-all, shared governance, federalism, separation or any other solution, should have a broader context than just a political restructuring of the functional architecture of government.

Restructuring government does not address the structural racism that exists in our institutions. It does not address the cancerous racism that exists. The biggest racists seem to be arguing there is no racism. Only reflecting their selfish interests and not the interests of the whole.

GOOD SHARED GOVERNANCE What Guyana needs is good shared, inclusive government. All three elements are needed. Good governance. Shared governance.

Inclusive government. Without a framework in which all Guyanese have proportional access to the countries resources, we will not move forward in peace.

Take for example inclusive economics. Government procurement cannot just go to one or two races. This will continue to expand economic inequalities in Guyana. This is inclusive government that addresses racism and mutual economic growth of all races.

We need a new “social contract” as part of inclusive shared governance architecture. . Our new “social contract” must benefit all Guyanese. We cannot use the

neoliberal economics which has created increasing inequalities leading to environmental devastation, massive corruption and in which the rich get richer because they have competitive advantage.

Much of this competitive advantage or business acumen arguments are created myths.

It is about privilege. Just look at some of the richest people in Guyana. They got so because they had privileged access to gold concessions and now 20 people control massive amounts of land that has gold. This is not about equity or brilliance. This is about privilege. Amerindians have 15% of Guyana’s lands through the Amerindian Act of 2006. Shouldn’t they own a Bank? Shouldn’t they have procurement rights so that youth unemployment in their communities is addressed.

Most of the wealthy in Guyana have become so through unequal access to State assets. Yes, State assets.

As Mike McCormack stated in his letter: “gold-mining has been far and away, the largest contributor to squandering the shared inheritance that mineral wealth ought to represent. According to official sources, a total of 11.1 million ounces of gold have been extracted from Guyana in the forty year period from 1980-2019. Based on yearly average prices over this period, the total value of gold extracted was valued at USD7.4 billion, or G$1.5 trillion dollars. All races must have equal access and rights to the nation’s resources.”

What we need is a group, inclusive of all races, working with lawyers and politicians (Why am I repeating myself?) to develop a reality based comprehensive good shared inclusive government framework that addresses political, economic and social justice using a Universal Declaration of Human Rights

based definition of democracy that is relevant to a society that wants to be at peace with itself and a model for other developing countries ravaged by the neoliberal capitalist inequality based and environmentally destructive system of the West. For example, we could approach our inclusive democracy versus majoritarian democracy by defining “democracy as a market of freedoms, collective ideas, inclusive and transparent institutions and community”. This means democracy should ensure community based inclusive decision-making.

INCONVENIENT TRUTHS In closing, I hope we expand our intellectual debates about our future. We need to recognize these 10 inconvenient truths namely: (1) We are a divided society: politically, economically, socially, culturally, religiously and structurally. (2) The winnertake-all system is a pernicious system for a society such as Guyana.(3) We are heading to inclusive shared governance or separation. We already have a form of separation in our society. Indigenous Guyanese already have their own lands and separate governance frameworks such as the National Toshao’s Council and their own Ministry of Indigenous Affairs.

(4) We need to redefine democracy to suit our own Guyanese needs. Democracy is not about a majority imposing its will on others in society. Democracy for Guyana has to be underpinned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (5) We have to create a new “Social Contract”. This contract has to be based on inclusivity, total inclusivity.(6) We have to re-purpose our economy to maximize the social and economic welfare of Guyanese.

The PPP does not really care ...

What are we witnessing with this type of behaviour? Are these episodes a "dress rehearsal" for opening night, when the count goes against them? Are we to expect violence from the supporters on the instruction of the PPP? Surely the PPP would know that would be a

lost cause; that they have become the laughing stock of Guyanese the world over. The question that reverberates is: What they coming with now? The latest from one of their cronies is: “Stakeholders, observers too far away from counting table.” Is that the best you have to

offer? The PPP’s constant stymieing with their constant screaming of “wolf” is, in fact, testing the patience of the Guyanese people.

Saint Augustine, the first modern political thinker, in his book, The City of God, said: "There is a biological predisposition

Guyana is extremely blessed with an incredible portfolio of resources. (7) We have to re-tool our workforce to bring value to our citizens and to maximize our global economic prospects. (8) We have to create shared cultural values if we are to become “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.(9) We have to re-define our global economic strategy and create a different geo-political paradigm.

(10) We have to understand we are a Caribbean People with a Continental destiny.

Guyana is extremely blessed with an incredible portfolio of resources. It has approximately 18 million hectares of pristine forest; an abundance of water (the source of life) ; sunshine , no hurricanes or earthquakes; oil ; gold; diamonds; manganese; bountiful seafood; unique bio-diversity; a land with over 200 fruits and vegetables ; a land that has produced brilliant scholars, scientists, teachers engineers, lawyers , nurses who populate and develop other countries of the world. Guyana is not land locked and is English speaking and strategically located as an English bridge between the Caribbean and Latin America; a land that sits next to Brazil, a country of over 200 million and the 6th largest economy in the world.

I have strong faith in Guyanese solving Guyanese problems using Guyanese models. We have become too “foreign” minded thus allowing too many foreign dictates on our society. We are all faced with a series of great opportunities - brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems (John Gardner).

FROM PAGE

Regards, Eric Phillips

6

in human beings to maximise their own self-interest, regardless of the interest and needs of others.”

Regards, Milton Bruce

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

‘Coalition’ vows to expose voter fraud during recount … says agents armed with immigration, death records of persons who voted

By Lisa Hamilton

THE APNU+AFC coalition, in an organised manner, will be highlighting to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) evidence of persons who would have voted at the recent regional and general elections, but who are known to have either been deceased or migrated.

This method includes death certificates and the migration records of these individuals, documents which would serve as hard proof to the Commission, which has requested the same. For these persons in question, especially those that are still alive, the Commission has asked that the party utilise the individual’s ballot serial number instead of their names.

Coming out of the Centre on Thursday, shortly after Day Two of the recount commenced, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, representing the APNU/AFC said: “We have a team in the background providing all the serial numbers to

migrant ones.

At the close of the day on Wednesday, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward told reporters said that the Commission had taken note of these concerns and, providing that there is proof to support the claims, will deliberate on how these matters will be addressed.

APNU+AFC Election Agent, Joseph Harmon our agents before the boxes are open, so that we can give them as much information as possible; we have death certificates, we have migration records, we have very reliable information.”

On Wednesday, Patterson and several others had raised the issue that there were around 15 discrepancies the party had found, the majority of which had to do with dead voters or

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN “For us at GECOM, we have not sought any authenticity as it relates to that information, but I’m sure, now that it’s in the public domain, it is something that the Commission will have to deliberate on and provide some guidance going forward,” she had said.

Patterson’s hope on Thursday was that before the first round of ballot boxes are dealt with, the Commission would decide on how it plans to deal with the matter.

“We took their word; they said they would have a resolution to certain issues, so I don’t

hope for another round of ballot boxes to be opened without us having some clear directions on what we can do and what will be allowed,” he said.

This is even as a photograph has been going the rounds on social media since Thursday of a deceased man named Emanuel Williams, who allegedly still voted at a polling station at the Karawab Primary School.

In a letter to GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, APNU+AFC Election Agent Joseph Harmon said that the party is concerned about the voting of persons purported to be electors, and that GECOM should make provision for such objections to be attended to during the recount.

“After one day of the recount, instances of the dead and electors not present in Guyana on Elections Day have surfaced.

In the circumstance, we request that any information capable of sufficiently identifying the elector should be accepted by the Counting Officer,” he said.

As the Commission hopes

to address the matter, Commissioner Vincent Alexander has noted that such cases are difficult to decide upon, as, while someone may have died, how the Commission identifies the said person’s vote is the question.

Even so, Patterson said that the APNU/AFC will make use of the recount as an opportunity not only to point out such anomalies, but to finally conclude on the victor of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The political party is also actively comparing the Statement of Record Statements of Recount (SORs) to data from the previous Statements of Poll (SOPs) to see what differences arise.

“We’re doing that right now, and we’re supposed to have a live feed some time. As I said yesterday, there are some [ballots] that would have already been moved from one side to the other side; we are comparing them with the new cleared figures,” the Minister said, adding: “As it is, we have an oppor-

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, representing the APNU+AFC tunity for a recount so therefore we’re going through it to provide as much evidence as we can on the process and how the process transpired, how persons voted and, eventually, who was the successful winner.”

However, by the end of the day, Ward updated the media that the Commission had not yet deliberated on the matter.

PPP/C accused of having secret meeting with tabulation personnel ON day two of the national recount of the March 2, 2020 elections, the APNU+AFC were highly annoyed by an alleged secret meeting the PPP/C had in the tabulation room with the IT personnel.

APNU+AFC representative, Daniel Seeram, told the media that he was the one who

witnessed that a private meeting was being had in the room.

“I was the first coalition rep to enter the room at exactly 8AM and there were GECOM staff, along with two GECOM technical personnel which were the IT supervisor and his assistant. Now what I saw at that time were the two

IT officers surrounded by four PPP/C agents at the IT station.

They were engaged in a meeting with four PPP/C personnel, two of which were Frank Anthony and Sasenarine Singh,” Seeram said.

He said that he asked what was being queried that they (APNU+AFC) were not a

part of.

Seeram emphasised that there was no APNU or other reps present at that time.

“When I entered the room I said that I didn’t know that there was a very early morning meeting and that I wasn’t invited. They said that it’s not a meeting they’re just asking some questions. So I told the IT supervisor, that if questions are to be asked, they’re to be asked in an open manner and not by one political party alone. I came outside and I made the case clear that there was no APNU+AFC Coalition rep in the room. The IT persons did indicate the questions that were asked but I don’t think those were all the questions because when I got into the room, it got very silent when they saw my presence. Hence why I objected to what was happening. And then everyone quickly went to their seats, and they uttered no words after that,” he further explained.

Both Seeram and Minister David Patterson said that the action was highly irregular because that was the tabulation room. They said they can’t be certain that what they said they were discussing was what was actually being discussed.

PPP/C agent, Dr. Frank Anthony, came out and denied those claims, contending that it was an open query with the persons in the tabulation room.

“We have made some inquiry of the persons who are running the tabulation room,

in the presence of all the observers there, asking them when these SORs will come to the tabulation room to start this process. The answer that was given to us was the CEO would have to approve when the tabulation will start this morning or what time of the day they can start. So currently we are awaiting that, and we don’t know what time this tabulation will start. Secondly, what we asked the GECOM staff that were there, yesterday there were some queries we were making during that process, and what we were asking is that, what we were querying yesterday wasn’t being broadcast. It seem that what the GECOM staff, only what they were saying was being broadcast. So what we asked is to correct that, and we are waiting on the response,” Anthony contended.

He claimed that all the parties had representatives there.

He said that their understanding of the tabulation process was that the GECOM staff would then bring to the GECOM staff in the tabulation room, their official copy of the SOR. “Then that is displayed so that we can see and verify that that is the actual SOR and then it is also called out and tabulated. So that went on for just 6 SORs for Region One and up to now, apparently the other SORs have not come to the tabulation room,” Anthony said, claiming that that was

all they were querying in the alleged ‘secret meeting’.

He also said that the meeting wasn’t a secret one and that there were about 15-20 persons in the room, including observers and the questions were asked openly.

“Every person in the room could have heard my question and the response and there were three APNU+AFC observers in the room who heard everything I said and the response that was given. And there were other party reps,” Anthony said.

A few hours after, GECOM’s PRO, Yolanda Ward, came out to the media and said she was not present at the time of the incident but based on her investigations, the GECOM IT staff were just approached with quuestions.

“I can’t understand that a space that is accessible by all party agents now becomes a private space. So that’s the first thing we need to establish.

My understanding is that two of the IT staff were setting up their work area. They were approached by two agents with questions and it was from there that the whole thing spin out of proportion as being termed a ‘secret meeting’. I was not on site to have the details of what may have transpired, but based on my little investigation, that is what I garnered,” Ward said.

She later said that they had a meeting to discuss the allegation and they are still to deliberate on the matter.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Barticans honour President Granger – during anniversary celebrations

THURSDAY marked four years to the day since President David Granger declared Bartica a town.

Given the current state of the country and the township, in light of the Coronavirus, the usually celebratory way

water-front area. Other major roads within the community have also been upgraded and a modern stelling is currently being erected. The regional hospital was also enhanced, the water distribution system is being restructured, and the

in a public statement, said it was thanks to President Granger that democracy has been restored to this great country of ours.

“Today, we celebrate four years since Bartica was declared a town. On this

A plaque erected at the Bartica Town Council in honour of President David Granger’s leadership

The new GPL power station at Bartica of this milestone is hindered.

However, the people of the town and the Mayor and his Council have chosen to celebrate President Granger, since it was he who initiated the unprecedented development of their hometown over the years of his leadership.

Since being declared a township in 2016, Bartica has benefitted from a steady increase in regional budgetary allocations, moving from $226M in 2015 to $1.9B in 2019. This budgetary increase has been largely responsible for the transformation of the town’s infrastructure with the Bartica-Potaro Road being a major achievement, along with the redesigning of the

waste disposal system vastly improved.

Additionally, after suffering for decades from unstable power supply, the township now boasts a brand new $800M power station, which is capable of transmitting current without load-shedding and frequent power outages to all of Bartica.

The Bartica Community Centre was also greatly enhanced, and a sports complex was built at the venue. The municipality’s market was also modernised, with ample space for persons to vend and earn a living.

These are but a few of the reported projects that were reeled out in Bartica.

Mayor Gifford Marshall,

occasion, we honour His Excellency David Arthur Granger for his leadership in local governance. President Granger, you restored local democracy, and strengthened our nation with the establishment of four new towns. It was the first time in our history that hinterland villages received township status. My President, Guyana’s democracy is stronger because of you,” Mayor Marshall said in his statement.

He told the Guyana Chronicle that as the municipality commemorates yet another anniversary of its being gazetted a town, he celebrates with each and every Bartican, as they measure the long but worthwhile way

The modernised Municipal Market

The Bartica Magistrate’s Court that they have come.

“While the current pandemic has greatly affected all of our celebratory activities, we must still reflect on all that has been accomplished thus far. My Council and I remain thankful for all of the support shown to us by all stakeholders,” Mayor Marshall said, adding: “We must specially recognise the David Granger Administration for the sterling commitment to Bartica town. It was out of

the hard work and vision of President Granger that we were mandated to be the model ‘green’ town of Guyana. We have also found tremendous support from the Ministry of Communities; the Office of Climate Change; UNDP, and even locally, in partnerships with the Regional Council, private sector and other groupings. We must be grateful for these things as we celebrate.”

Under his public state-

ment on his Facebook page, residents were commenting in agreement that the Granger administration indeed transformed their way of living.

Persons alluded to developments such as the school buses, bikes and boats for children who live far from school, the increased hinterland scholarship for tertiary students, the access to tertiary level education in the township, and more.

The new and improved Bartica Community Centre

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Contagion or starvation, the dilemma facing informal workers during the COVID-19 pandemic GENEVA (ILO News) – COVID-19 lockdown and containment measures threaten to increase relative poverty levels among the world’s informal economy workers by as much as 56 percentage points in low-in-

come countries, says a new briefing paper issued by the International Labour Organization.

In high-income countries, relative poverty levels among informal workers is estimated to increase by 52 percentage

points, while in upper middle-income countries the increase is estimated to be 21 percentage points.

As many as 1.6 billion of the world’s two billion informal economy workers are affected by lockdown and

containment measures. Most are working in the hardest-hit sectors or in small units more vulnerable to shocks. These include workers in accommodation and food services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and the more than 500 million farmers producing for the urban market.

Women are particularly affected in high-risk sectors, the report says.

In addition, with these workers needing to work to feed their families, COVID-19 containment measures in many countries cannot be implemented successfully. This is endangering governments’ efforts to protect the population and fight the pandemic. It may become a source of social tension in countries with large informal economies, the report says.

More than 75 per cent of total informal employment takes place in businesses of fewer than ten workers, including 45 per cent of independent workers without employees. With most informal workers having no other means of support, they face an almost unsolvable

dilemma: to die from hunger or from the virus, the briefing says. This has been exacerbated by disruptions in food supplies, which has particularly affected those in the informal economy.

“The COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating already existing vulnerabilities and inequalities.” For the world’s 67 million domestic workers, 75 per cent of whom are informal workers, unemployment has become as threatening as the virus itself. Many have not been able to work, whether at the request of their employers or in compliance with lockdowns. Those who do continue to go to work face a high risk of contagion, caring for families in private households. For the 11 million migrant domestic workers the situation is even worse.

“The COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating already existing vulnerabilities and inequalities,” says Philippe Marcadent, Chief of the ILO’s INWORK branch. “Policy responses must ensure that support reaches the workers and enterprises who need it most.”

The countries with the largest informal economies where full lockdowns have been adopted, are suffering the most from the consequences of the pandemic.

Informal economy workers significantly impacted by lockdown varies from 89 per cent in Latin America and the Arab States to 83 per cent in Africa, 73 per cent in Asia and the Pacific, and 64 per cent in Europe and Central Asia.

Countries need to follow a multi-track strategy that combines several lines of actions relating to both the health and economic impacts of the pandemic, says the ILO. Among its recommendations, the report highlights the need for policies that reduce the exposure of informal workers to the virus; ensure that those infected have access to health care; provide income and food support to individuals and their families; and prevent damage to the economic fabric of countries.

Juvenile escapee on the run

Juvenile Holding Centre in Sophia

A 17-year-old boy is currently on the run after he escaped from the Juvenile Holding Centre in Sophia, on Tuesday.

The lad, who is a former resident of Leopold & Cross streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, was on remand at the holding centre for

murder.

On Tuesday, around 22:30hrs, 12 teenagers escaped from the Sophia facility, after brutally beating two police officers who were on guard.

Meanwhile, a thorough investigation has been launched into the circum-

stances surrounding the escape.

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force, through stringent and well-planned efforts, managed to recapture 11 of the teen inmates, while the 17-year-old lad remains on the run.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

CARICOM developing protocol for reopening regional travel THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is examining the protocols and policies necessary for a possible reopening of Member States guided above all by the health risks of COVID-19.

This was one of the main topics discussed by Heads of Government on Tuesday at the Tenth Special Emergency Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government via video conference. In attendance on Guyana’s behalf was President David Granger accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings.

A release from CARICOM on Thursday provided a report of the discussions which took place.

POSSIBLITIES FOR TRAVEL “Heads of Government welcomed a presentation from a Regional Working Group which indicated that the pandemic was largely contained in the Region due to the decisive action by Governments to put restrictions in place.

They also noted the emphasis by the Group that re-opening by the Member States must be done with the health consideration being the foremost criterion,” the release stated.

“The recommendations included parameters for the easing of restrictions in Member States that would allow for a re-opening in phases. The recommendations also includ-

initiative recommended by the Regional Working Group. The Group is inclusive of representation from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the University of the West Indies (UWI), and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

Moving forward, the Heads of Government have given their commitment to speaking to the cruise and airline industries with one voice.

Meanwhile, Heads of Government have recognised the need to pool their efforts at procurement of medical devices and supplies in the context of COVID-19 in order gain better access to supplies and achieve Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, addressing the opening ceremony of economies of scale.

This system would utilise the existing 9th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting structures of the Pan-American Health Ored suggested criteria for a protocol on the common protocol for the re-opening of re- ganisation (PAHO) and the Organisation of re-opening of airports for intra-regional gional airports to flights from selected third Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Pharmatravel. The draft policy will be resubmitted countries and the re-opening of hotels was ceutical Procurement Service (PPS). The to Heads of Government for final approval.” discussed. As a result, Heads of Government Heads of Government also endorsed the The intention was first discussed at the Ninth established a sub-committee led by Prime regional COVID-19 Agri-Food Security Special Emergency Meeting after CAR- Minister of Saint Lucia, Allen Chastanet to Action Plan to strengthen the Region’s food ICOM Chair, Mia Mottley has recognized have discussions with stakeholders in the security in the face of the threat posed by that “regional blocks” will become more im- tourism industry, including the hoteliers, air- the pandemic. portant as countries worldwide may remain lines, cruise operators and the labour unions The Plan was developed by agriculture fearful of full globalisation. to settle the appropriate protocols needed to stakeholders, including the private sector.

She said that countries will have to rely ensure safety for workers and visitors upon In the coming weeks, they will meet again on their neighbours and there is no better re-opening of the sector. to discuss the financial and economic time for CARICOM to band together than This, however, would be informed challenges related to the impact of the now. At the Tenth Meeting, the need for a by a regional public health policy --- an pandemic.

Appeal made for persons to get tested for COVID-19 … as seven more recover

THE authorities are appealing to persons who may be experiencing symptoms of the Coronavirus or those who may have been in contact with a positive case, to get tested.

This was noted on Thursday afternoon by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, who noted that while there has not been any increase in the number of cases since Wednesday, the number of persons who recovered from the pandemic, climbed from 27 to 34.

It was noted that the number of persons tested to date has increased to 736 while the number of deaths attributed to the virus remains at 10.To date, 93 persons have tested positive for the Coronavirus in Guyana.

To date the total number of patients seen in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit is 26 with 7 deaths being registered within the ICU. The total number of patients who were transferred from ICU is 13, with the total number of patients who recovered and were discharged from ICU being 3.

Of all positive cases, children account for 5.4%, adults 82 % and the elderly 12.6%.

Persaud said that even though 52% of Guyana’s confirmed cases were males, they account for 80% of COVID-19 deaths recorded thus far.

Persaud said the authorities continue to appeal to Guyanese ,”to come forward if you have been in contact with a positive case or experience any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19.

We are pleading with you to access our mobile units positioned at various points in the city as well as the COVID-19 sites on the East Coast and the East Bank Demerara.”

Persaud said that testing is critical if the MOPH is to uncover the asymptomatic cases and to provide them with the necessary screening and assist in reducing the number of illnesses and deaths due to the severe form of the disease.

The CMO said that Guyana’s fatality rate stands at 10.8% whereas the World Health Organisation(WHO) Global fatality rate is 4%.

“This simply means that

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud we must detect those in our communities showing no symptoms but require medical intervention,” he said.

He said that the asymptomatic cases which account for most of our confirmed cases in Guyana.”COVID-19 is still in our midst, we cannot let our guard down. Remember that COVID-19 is not only a concern of the MoPH, but for the entire nation,” Dr Persaud noted.

Globally, the number of confirmed cases of the pandemic has climbed past 3.8 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Brazil has recorded over 132,000 confirmed cases of the virus with an alarming number of deaths which has eclipsed the 7000 mark.

Men arrested for possession of unlicensed firearm THREE men, who carried an unlicensed firearm, were arrested, on Thursday afternoon, by the police, after they were seen acting in a suspicious manner, near several business establishments at Ec-

The firearm and ammunition found

cles Industrial Site, on the East Bank of Demerara.

According to reports reaching the Guyana Chronicle, the men were seen driving around the area in motor car PJJ 2560 and acting in a suspicious manner.

However, at13:45hours, the police were alerted and the men were nabbed.

As the police were in the process of conducting a search, two of the suspects made a bold attempt to escape, but were promptly detained, along with the driver.

An unlicenced pistol with two live ammunition was found in the possession of one of the men. The motor car was impounded.

Regional Commander Kurleigh Simon confirmed that the suspects are in custody assisting with the investigation

The three suspects

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

GWI acquires $160M drilling rig -- wells to be drilled in Georgetown, Berbice, Linden, hinterland

By Lisa Hamilton The Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) is now equipped to advance its well-drilling campaign at faster and more efficient rate with the commissioning of a new drilling rig to the tune of GY$160M The rig was commissioned on Thursday along with an air compressor and marks one of two acquired by the GWI from Brazil. The second rig, not yet commissioned, costs $120million and will be operated in the hinterland region. They both were primarily paid for by the government.

It marks the first set of rigs the GWI has acquired since the 1980s and will facilitate ground-water well drilling for about 100 million dollars less. It will also see several areas around the country accessing 24-hour water service.

At a small ceremony on Sheriff Street on Thursday, GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles said the company has always been seeking to improve its water production by way of ground-water production.

He said that this rig on the coastland will help to drill wells in several regions and will increase water supply in key areas.

Telling of these areas was Executive Director of Operations, Dwayne Shako, who noted that the first well will

be drilled in Central Georgetown on Mandela Avenue.

“That well will allow us to bring this central water sys-

about 12 hours a day, we’ll be able to bring that area to 24-hours,” Shako said.

The well will be followed

Ward in Region 10.

Van-West Charles said that from January 2020 to present, countrywide water

right time.

“It is one of the initiatives of this government which has demonstrated its commitment

Members of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) Board and other workers inclusive of GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles (centre); Vice Chairman of the Board, David Dewar (left of Van-West Charles) and Executive Director of Operations, Dwayne Shako (first right) (Delano Williams photo)

Workers of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) demonstrate the operations of the rig (Delano Williams photo)

tem plan system on 24-hours.

We’ll have Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Guyhoc, East/ West Ruimveldt; that area that is receiving water for

by others in Berbice; Farm/ Prospect on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD); Tuschen in Region Three into Region Two and, finally, Amelia’s

The new $160M drilling rig (Delano Williams photo)

consumption has increased by 20 per cent, most likely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). He stated that the rig has therefore come on board at the

to service people and to ensure that people are provided with the basic needs that they require for sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

“GWI will be in a much

better position at the end of this year and as we break into 2021 in terms of ensuring our population across the country that the gaps in equity, as pointed out by President Granger, will be met.”

The managing director said that as soon as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, the company is expecting another equipment out of Holland which will further increase the maintenance capacity of some 139 wells countrywide.

Giving additional details, Shako said that the rig design is about 1,000 meters and can reach about 3,000 feet.

Well-experienced drillers with years of experience, along with younger drillers hoping to learn more from them, will spearhead the drilling programme.

The rig’s spare parts can easily be acquired which lowers cost for maintenance and repair while the rigs will allow for wells to be drilled faster with one well taking only about six weeks.

In brief remarks, Chair of the Water Resources and Technical Committee, Gavin Todd, said that the rigs will help to meet Guyana’s growing need for water supply and it is his hope that the operational experience to be gained will benefit GWI workers.

From 2015 to present, GWI has drilled approximately 48 wells on both the coast and in the hinterland.

Procurement Commission implements monitoring software The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) recently collaborated with the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) to develop and implement a Procurement Monitoring Software to enable the Commission to effectively monitor the public procurement system and the implementation of procurement activities by procuring entities.

The specific goal of the system is to allow procuring entities to submit their annual procurement plans to the Commission in compliance with the requirement stipulated in the Procurement Amendment Act No. 14 of 2019.

This software will allow procuring entities to electronically upload their annual procurement plans and quarterly procurement expenditure data to enable

monitoring and analysis by the Commission in keeping with its functions listed in Article 212 AA.(1)(a) to (m) of the Constitution.

training workshops with staff of procuring entities over the period December 2019 to February 2020 to present the features and functionality of

drawn from 28 procuring entities were trained to upload the required data, navigate the system’s interface and generate reports.

abled the software developers at NDMA to make enhancements and improvements to the overall performance of the software.

curing entities by the end of May 2020, following which a second round of training would be conducted online in time for its use after the 2020 National Budget is approved.

The PPC is confident that the implementation of the Procurement Monitoring Software will bring significant benefits to the public procurement system in terms of modernization and efficiency in the execution of procurement activities across all procuring entities.

Mrs. Carol Corbin, Chairperson, along with other senior staff of the PPC, meeting with representatives of Procuring Entities (DPI photo)

Prior to the implementation of the Software, the PPC successfully facilitated six (6)

the Procurement Monitoring Software and allow for their feedback. Over 60 persons

Significant and useful feedback was received from the participants, which en-

The Procurement Monitoring Software is expected to be in operation across all pro-

The Procurement Monitoring Software supports government’s plan for the implementation of E-Government in Guyana. (DPI)

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Military honours for soldier who died in accident

Theotroy Phillips, the late Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard rank

THEOTROY Phillips, called “Troy”, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guardsman, who died on April 25, following a motorcycle accident along the Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) carriageway, will be accorded military honours during his funeral scheduled for today, at Skeldon, Corriverton, Berbice.

A service to celebrate the life of the late Phillips, 42, will be conducted at the God of Change Apostolic Ministries, Church Street, Number 78 Village, Corriverton, Berbice, starting at 13:00hrs, Phillips succumbed at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre while undergoing treatment for injuries he received when he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding and collided with the concrete median.

Reports are that as a result of the impact, he was flung into the air and landed some distance away on the road. He was picked in an unconscious state by a public-spirited citizen and rushed to the hospital but died as he was being treated.

Urban farmers rethink ways of working Simón Laura, a farmer on the outskirts of El Alto, has been producing vegetables for 10 years with the support of his wife and daughter. Every week, he and his family used to take their fresh produce to different markets in the city, selling it to the many shoppers who came for their supply of fruits and vegetables.

Now, these are different times. People must remain at home as part of the safety measures responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Bolivia’s high-density cities like Santa Cruz, Oruro, La Paz, Sucre and Potosí, these measures are of utmost importance to stall if not stop the spread of the virus. At the same time, the restrictions are pushing food producers to find new ways of working so that they can maintain their livelihoods and provide food to nearby cities.

Because most of El Alto’s population works in small businesses or are self-employed, it is one city which has immediately felt the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic.

On 22 March, the Bolivian Government implemented a quarantine on the whole of the country’s population in response to COVID-19. One allowance, however, is that food producers can continue to work until noon to safeguard the food supply.

Simon Laura is one who is committed to keep farming to ensure that people have access to the food they need.

"Before, we used to spend four hours in the greenhouse; now we only spend one hour to comply with the quarantine."

Simon and his family grow green and red chard, lettuce, yellow cherry tomatoes and other vegetables in his greenhouse, but he needed a new way of getting food to his costumers. So he turned to making home deliveries.

“With my wife and daughter, we coordinate taking care of the greenhouse and making deliveries, and we are very careful with our products. People can be sure that our vegetables are healthy and safe."

With the local government and the support of FAO, Simon and more than 250 other family farmers on the perimeter of Bolivia’s major cities are now making home deliveries to supply urban families with fresh food produced in orchards and greenhouses.

FAO’s programmes in Bolivia have historically provided farming families with technical assistance, training to improve production through good agricultural practices and proper handling and manufacturing

Simón Laura grows varieties of lettuce, tomato and other vegetables, with technical support from FAO (FAO photo)

methods. The Organization also helps farmers manage their production costs, giving advice on adequate price setting, negotiation techniques and the development of new markets.

During this time of

COVID-19, FAO is also training food producers to take security measures and working to facilitate their movement, coordinating with the Ministry of Productive Development and Plural Economy.

"Our routine has changed due to COVID-19," says Simón. “When we leave the house, we take all the necessary precautions. We put on gloves, a facemask and when we return, we even take off our shoes,” says Simón.

In this crisis, families working in urban and peri-urban agriculture are fundamental to continuing the flow of food into Bolivia’s populous areas.

With the backing of the government and FAO’s increased support to this sector, peri-urban farmers are shortening food value chains so that people can have access to fresh, nutritious and diverse food during the quarantine. This work is important to ensure continued food security and keep livelihoods afloat, now during this crisis period and beyond. (FAO)

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Latest COVID-19 fatality was resident of Palms

-12 workers of the facility quarantined, facility to screen persons twice a day

By Navendra Seoraj THE deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has found its way into the Palms Geriatric Home, a facility which houses elderly persons, who are listed in the high-risk population for the disease.

The deadly disease claimed the life of a 64-yearold male resident of the facility, on Monday, making him the tenth person to succumb locally due complications caused by the disease.

From the inception, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that older persons and those with underlying medical problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop the serious forms of COVID-19.

Testimony to this was the death of not just the resident of the Palms, but also OSA Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam; 77-year-old, Colonel John Percy Leon Lewis; and a diabetic patient, 67-year-old, Samuel Morris.

Persons over the age of 65 years account for just

about 6.4 per cent of the local population. And, with the Palms being a facility, which houses about 190 persons, who form part of this section of the population, there is cause for concern, especially since the death of the 64-year-old resident.

“The gentleman, who was bedridden for a while, became ill sometime last week, however, the GPHC (Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation) was contacted and he was taken there, but before he passed on May 1, a test was administered. The results of the test, however, came back on Tuesday evening,” said Director of Social Services at the Ministry of Social Protection, Wentworth Tanner in an invited comment, on Thursday.

Once it was found that the man was positive, the Health Emergency Operating Centre (HEOC) deployed a team to commence contact tracing.

And, as a result, 12 persons, who were in contact with the 64-year-old man, were placed in quarantine. All 12 of the individuals were persons, who were caring for the elderly man, and did not include other residents of the

facility.

Tanner said public health authorities have tested the 12 individuals and are awaiting the results and completion of the 14-day incubation period, before either isolating the potentially-infected persons or allowing them to return to work.

While that process is ongoing, the social services director confirmed that public health authorities have also launched an investigation into how the disease reached the facility.

“That is what the public health authorities are doing, so once that is completed I am sure they will be able to determine how he contracted the disease,” said Tanner.

When asked what measures were in place prior to this incident, the director said visitations were suspended since March 30 and all staff members are screened before they enter the facility.

Workers are also mandated to wear protective gear while administering care.

Despite those measures, Tanner said it has become difficult to detect signs of the disease because, as reported, persons can be asymptomat-

Director of Social Services at the Ministry of Social Protection, Wentworth Tanner

ic, and this poses a “real challenge” for anyone responsible for the administration of the geriatric home.

“It is difficult for us to identify those persons, so to boost efforts, residents and staff will be screened twice per day, and once the slightest change in temperature is detected or they show a sign or symptom of the disease, we will take necessary action to isolate persons and contact the public health authorities,” said the director.

With the reality being that

elderly persons are indeed vulnerable to the disease, Tanner advised this section of the population to take extra precautions and practise social distancing, sanitise and eat healthy. Persons caring for the elderly were also advised to observe the necessary protocols because they interact directly with those who are vulnerable.

It was reported that the Ministry of Social Protection has heightened measures at various local care centres to protect “vulnerable” groups from contracting COVID-19, which has so far infected about 93 persons, here.

According to a report from the Department of Public Information (DPI), among some of the measures implemented by the social protection ministry is the adjustment to the daily operations at all of the care facilities.

Those care facilities include the Palms Geriatric Home, Night Shelter, Hugo Chavez Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre, the New Opportunity Corps, Sophia Care Centre, Mahaica Children’s Home, Children and Family Centre, and specialty home centres.

“We enforced restriction of visitation at all care centres. Staff and visitors must

sanitise before entering facilities; routine screening of staff reporting for duty, that is, taking and documenting their temperature by a nurse, medic or doctor on the staff,” Tanner said in a past report.

Medical, administrative, and auxiliary staff have also been issued with protective equipment such as gloves and masks, and, where necessary, aprons, long boots and overalls, while administrators are to ensure that staff are appropriately outfitted while on duty.

“There is an updated stock inventory of critical stock items, especially cleaning and janitorial supplies,” Tanner said, adding: “and critical food items must be submitted by the storekeepers to administrators on Mondays and Wednesdays to ensure that stock does not fall below minimum stock levels.”

Protocols for new admissions, as well as recent information on suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19, have been documented on user-friendly posters and displayed prominently at strategic points around each facility.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

CGX working to meet commitments

--- seeks alternative approaches due to COVID-19 CGX ENERGY, holder of three oil Block licences in Guyana, is in discussion with the Government of Guyana on the alternative ways it can meet its work commitments, given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements for the first quarter of 2020, released on Wednesday, the Company said that many parts of its work have been affected by the travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines, as a result of the virus.

The report stated: “The Company’s operational activities are particularly affected due to the inability of staff to travel because of the closure of borders, especially into and out of Guyana. Furthermore, suppliers of services to the Company are also similarly affected and this may lead to delays in the provision of data and services to the Company’s operational efforts…the Company has been engaged in discussions with the Government of Guyana on alternative approaches to its work commitments in that country, so as to preserve the integrity of its licences.”

The three licences held by the Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company are “New Demerara Petroleum Agreement”, “New Berbice Petroleum Agreement” and “Corentyne Petroleum

Agreement” acquired in 2012 and 2013.

In late 2017, as part of the renegotiation of its contract with the Government, CGX

2019; acquiring additional seismic or conducting seismic reprocessing by November 27, 2020; drilling an exploration well by November

agreed to drill an exploration well by February 12, 2021 and another by February 12, 2023 in the Berbice Block; complete a geochemical

The location of the three licences held by the Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company, CGX Energy

Energy relinquished 25 percent of the acreage of both the Corentyne and Demerara blocks.

The new work commitments include drilling an exploration well on the Corentyne Block by November 27,

27, 2022 in the Demerara Block; completing any additional data processing and planning and securing all regulatory approvals for the drilling of an exploration well by February 12, 2020.

The Company has also

survey of a minimum area of 120 square kilometers and commence a seismic programme defined by the aforementioned geochemical survey by February 12, 2020; complete the seismic programme and complete all

processing and interpretation of data by August 12, 2021 and drill an exploration well

by February 12, 2023.

Providing some of its most recent highlights, CGX Energy said that, on September 23, 2019, the Company contracted PGS Geophysical to provide acquisition and processing of a full broadband marine 3D seismic survey over a northern segment of the Corentyne Block.

The seismic acquisition commenced on October 18, 2019 and was completed on November 2, 2019 and produced seismic data covering approximately 582 km2 of the northern portion of the Corentyne Block. The Company noted that the acquired data is now being processed

by PGS. Now, as a result of the pandemic, CGX Energy has implemented alternative working arrangements for all employees to work from home in Canada, Guyana and the United States and closed all of its offices. Despite the necessary changes, some of the Company’s work is still progressing.

“Due to the nature of the work, which permits social distancing to be preserved, work on the construction of the flood protection barriers

at the Company’s deep-water port facility in Berbice, Guyana has continued to progress,” the statement indicated.

“The Company will continue to monitor the COVID-19 related situation and will only fully resume regular activities when there are clear indications that its employees are able to return to work in a safe environment, and in accordance with the advice provided by the regulatory authorities in all of the countries within which CGX Energy operates.”

In the meanwhile, CGX Energy said that itself and its Joint Venture (JV) partner, Frontera Energy Guyana Corp (FEGC), have collaborated with the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) and Morning Glory Inc. in Guyana to donate 10, 000 boxes of Morning Glory Breakfast cereal to orphanages, regional hospitals, shelters, retirement homes and vulnerable communities in Guyana.

For the three-month period that ended March 31, 2020, the Company improved its working capital deficiency by approximately $200,000 and recorded cash on hand as at March 31, 2020 of $11,907,595.

NICIL spearheading repairs to Wismar Bridge -- garbage build-up caused some delays, says LINMINE general manager Linden Mining Enterprise’s (LINMINE) General Manager, Emmet Alves, has reported that the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) will be spearheading emergency rehabilitation works to the Wismar Bridge.

Alves stated that the structure was last repaired in 2005 and scheduled maintenance was hindered due to “massive and continuous pile up of garbage” close to the bridge.

“The last time we did any repairs to this bridge was in 2005, but it was not to this magnitude and, as we continue to repair, we are discovering that there are more repairs at various sections that are needed,” he noted.

Among repair works will

be the replacement of the vertical supports and horizontal beams under the carriageway which are in very bad shape due to age and the vagaries of the weather.

“The two sections we recognised had to change as the vertical sector by the western side has now been completed and we are presently working on the eastern section,” Alves explained.

He added that there were several other sections of the bridge which contractors identified and are currently working on.

“We found, however, that as we move to various sections of the bridge, we have been finding various damage and [we] are working on rectifying those, but so far with the review and evaluation that

Linden Mining Enterprise (LINMINE) General Manager, Emmet Alves

we have done, we found that these repairs were emergency and, as such, had to be done immediately,” Alves said.

Given the deterioration over time and the abuse by residents who continue to dump garbage in its environ-

ment, Alves suggested that the structure could no longer bear the daily stress.

“As a result of the enormous amounts of garbage that are being thrown…by residents, it has been preventing us from doing proper inspection and maintenance to the bridge,” he said.

This prevented thorough inspection and repairs to the bridge in the past and restricted repairs to the upper section of the structure only.

“The reality is that even if you were to go there now, you would find a lot of garbage dumped there and this continues to be a major challenge for us, but we continue to work as we must complete these repairs,” he stressed.

A section of the bridge where vertical columns were repaired

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Touching hearts and lives with sweet steel pan music

By Jared Liddel HANANI Ben Lewi is a 23-year-old student of the University of Guyana, but academics are not his only focus; he also has a love for music, particularly steel pan music, which he has been sharing with the world for the past six years.

In an interview with The Buzz, Lewi said that he has been playing the steel pan since 2011 as part of the Bishop’s High Steelpan orchestra. “[My love for steelpan] started in 2009, at my Primary School North Georgetown Primary, after Common Entrance exam we had some time and my friends and I were involved in a dance class, and we were in the auditorium and I saw the pans and I played with it a bit and I was a bit drawn to it but I didn’t follow it up that much at that time. It wasn’t until I started secondary school, the then Ministry of Culture was housed behind Bishop’s and the National Band practised there, and from hearing the music, I told my mother this is what I want to do,” Lewi explained.

He further explained that at that time in the school, first formers were not allowed to be in the school’s orchestra or choir, but he and his friends were determined to follow this art form so they pleaded with the headteacher who changed the rules and allowed them the opportunity to join.

Lewi, who has competed in five years of Guyana’s national steelpan competition, Pan-O-Rama, has copped the coveted first-place prize in the solo category four times consecutively and currently holds the second place prize for this year’s competition. He described his journey as extremely rewarding saying, “I have played for several important persons and had the opportunity to play at many important places due to my gift, so I feel very rewarded that I followed my passion for this art form.”

Lewi said that he felt compelled to share his knowledge of the musical instrument that is indigenous to the Caribbean, not only through playing and entertaining but also through teaching. This led him to his first longtime job where he took up the mantle of teaching the art form at his alma mater, ‘the Bishops High school’. He also led the school's steel pan orchestra to victory while he was in charge of the band copping second and third place titles. He said the feeling he got from passing on the knowledge he had with the future generation has been rewarding.

He stated that he sadly had to step down from his post of a music teacher to focus on his studies at the university in 2019. Lewi told The Buzz that after a few months, he missed that part of him that shared his gift with other persons who are as in love with this art form as he was and he subsequently decided to start his own music class, ‘Steel and Notes’, where he would now not only be able to share with the students of his previous high school but to anyone who wants to learn.

“I would advise [aspiring steelpan musicians] to have discipline and passion. Any art form requires respect for it. Once you have a respect for the instrument you would say I want to learn everything I can so that I can play this the right way and I want to play the best that I can play. I would often tell them don’t judge your progress based on someone else’s, just dedicate yourself to the art form and respect it and love it and you will succeed.”

He further stated that anyone of any age can love art, and it is that love for art that drives him to play, to educate and to share, to touch the hearts of persons through his love of the steel pan art form.

Hanani Ben Lewi at the Annual Pan-O-Rama Steel pan Competition.

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

One of the artistes on Drew’s project, Gully Ras

Drew Thoven excited and challenged by downtime

WHILE many are stifled and suppressed by the Coronavirus pandemic which is hindering the continuance of their regular lives and livelihood, others are finding alternative ways to use the downtime to pivot and thrive.

Young Guyanese Producer, ‘Drew Thoven’ said that though this time is one that has serious health concerns, he is not fazed by the current atmosphere of the country, but rather he is stimulated by the challenge it poses to his creativity.

“My attitude to this pandemic is not a negative

one, aside from the health factor. But the fact that you either ride the wave or get left behind, is exciting to me. It pushes me to be productive in a very unproductive environment, so this is a very thrilling time for me,” Drew told ‘The Buzz’.

In fact, he said that as people are using this time for ‘self-healing’ and other things, it has actually allowed him to slow things down and do the thing that he really loves, which is making his own music.

He said that over the past couple of years, he got carried away with events

and planning shows which caused him to put music on the back burner.

So this downtime will allow him to focus on music and do what he wanted to do for years.

The producer is widely known for his Carnival soca productions hosted over the years, and his work with international/regional artistes.

However, his most creative

Guyanese Producer, Drew Thoven in his zone time is during carnival, and now that there is no carnival due to COVID-19, Drew said he refuses to have his creative lifestyle on a standstill.

As such, he is now working on a new project that will have persons see a different side of his creativity.

Though he is widely known for Soca, the young producer is actually pretty versatile. This new project

entails the production of a five-track EP with under-rated Guyanese talent, in the genres of afrobeat, trap and modern dancehall. And this project will be a true representation of his versatility.

“This is a project that represents me and my different moods, and it will be a launching pad to release See page 18

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Local actor eyeing virtual performances –– Believes no one should take things they love for granted MARK Anthony Luke-Edwards, one of Guyana’s leading comedians and performers in the acting fraternity whose work is deeply affected by the coronavirus, is now in talks to conduct virtual performances via Zoom and other online platforms.

Just before the outbreak of the disease here last March, Mark was working on two important projects that had to be postponed.

One was the popular Link Show for which held-over shows were planned.

Mark, 40, is also a member of the National Drama Company which produces an annual literature show for children. That too had to be cancelled. “The teachers look forward to this because it helps them to teach the students. It gives them a clearer understanding of the book they’re studying,” Mark noted in an interview with The Buzz.

“COVID-19 has a direct impact on what I do because theatre involves people sitting close to each other, laughing loud; actors acting in close proximity to each other on stage and these activities are the polar opposites of social distancing,” Mark said.

“It’s kind of uncertain when we would be able to do plays, and stage plays and have crowds and gatherings to view plays again in the future. I’m a poet and we don’t have groups gathering

Mark Anthony Luke-Edwards together to listen to poetry ers,” he observed. either. It’s a direct, negative At the moment, Mark impact on everything I do,” said he is in discussions with he added. persons about being able to While companies have produce virtual performancalso decreased the number es with the help of zoom or of ads they’re hiring Mark social media. “That may be to produce, he is happy that the way to go for now. But in his nine to five job teaching terms of physical gatherings, theatre arts is still there. that’s totally out of the quesThanks to this job at the So- tion. We have to reinvent the phia Training Centre Mark wheel and look at how we can continue to be gainfully are able to go forward.” employed.

As negative as the im“So although the income pacts of the coronavirus is shortened, I am still not may be, Mark said that totally out in the cold. There they have taught him valuare some of my other col- able lessons about life. For leagues who mainly depend instance, he said he learnt on this kind of thing and that nothing in life should they probably are very much be taken for granted. “I affected. Some are not fortu- took my talent for granted; nate enough to have a nine I took the ability or the to five job and are mainly opportunity to perform for actors and poets, or perform- an audience and to do what I was born to do, and to do what I love on a regular basis, for granted.”

Mark can still recall those times he complained about not getting a break from work or having too much work. “But it goes to show that in life, you don’t take things for granted.

Those things you take for granted can be taken away from you. Here I am unable to do the things that I sometimes complained about.”

Mark feels he didn’t take enough time to enjoy the things in his life and to consider the possibility that they may be things he may not be able to do anymore in the future.

“Everything you have in life, embrace it and cherish A Link Show scene featuring Mark it because you can lose it.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

19

Drew Thoven ...

From page 17

more sentimental stuff later down.

I did a lot of ghost tracks and projects like these, but behind the scenes. And only Soca I was able to claim publicly.

When I release this EP, I expect a lot of people to be surprised, but I believe it will have the same effect and reception as my soca releases,” he said.

Thus far, he has Gully Ras, cKush and Jay Anderson as artistes on the EP and he is open to more under-rated Guyanese talent to feature on the project. Persons interested can message him on Instagram.

The track with Gully Ras, titled ‘Hardball’, was released last Saturday as a teaser to the full EP that will come in August for his Drew Thoven and his mentor, Kerwin Bollers at one of their Carnival events last year

Young dancer living her passion Marcia Liverpool

“I will never change my career as a dancer, as long as Let’s Dance is around,” is how a young, passionate Guyanese dancer views her career as a dancer.

The International Day of Dance is observed the world over on April 29 and in its observance, The Buzz looks at a young, passionate Guyanese dancer and teacher of dance.

Marcia Liverpool has been dancing from the tender age of seven years old.

“I dance because it makes me happy, as a performer. Going on stage in front of a live audience gives me a sense of freedom and confidence,” she See page 20

birthday. Gully Ras’ release was previewed on Drew’s Instagram, and within two days acquired over 6,000 views.

Two other singles from the EP will be released soon as more teasers for what is to come.

Drew said that he will also be doing EPs for each artiste that he can get from this project, and he hinted that he will be doing a full album with Gully Ras, who is exploring to do music on a larger scale.

He also told ‘The Buzz’ that his Carnival 2020 album was already completed, but due to its cancellation, he held back and hopes for normalcy by 2021 so he can release the exceptional creation.

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

Young dancer living her passion From page 19 said This young energetic beauty went on to say that her passion for dancing makes her feel like she has never worked a day in her life. She went on to say that she would always choose dancing against any other career.

The mother of one said that she has found the Let’s Dance Studios to be her second home since she began working there 11 years ago and that she has no plans on leaving.

For the past eight years, this dancer has been teaching scores of students, in all categories and ages, ranging from three years old to adults and has also held the high office of Assistant Director of the school.

“As a teacher, I am responsible for teaching and training a dynamic group of students in a range of techniques and dance styles ensuring all students are engaged, motivated and inspired,” she explained. “As the studio’s Assistant Director I overlook the day to day responsibilities of the school.”

Liverpool sees herself as fortunate to have taught and performed in many places. “I feel lucky to have been raised a versatile dancer and had the opportunity to dance everything from ballet, modern, jazz, Caribbean, Bollywood, waltz etc. It has been an incredible experience to be in such different cultures,” she said.

“I will never change my career as a dancer, as long as Let’s Dance is around that’s where I’ll be until the end.”

With dancing as her only career path, Liverpool explained that she just can’t see herself doing anything else and accredits Martha Graham as her mentor in dancing because, as she explained, Graham is considered the mother of modern dance. This, she explained, happens to be her favourite dance technique. “She broke the rules of ballet and created a new language of dance that expressed powerful emotions. She used techniques of contracting and releasing emotions and the use of the floor which I was immediately drawn to,” Liverpool explained.

Apart from loving what she does, Liverpool explained that she chooses to work at Let’s Dance because the founder of the school created an environment that is supportive, wholesome and non - competitive.

“The focus is put on individual students and we as teachers are encouraged to find the strengths of each dancer,” she went on to say.

Like all other businesses the school has had to shut its doors due to the COVID19 epidemic which she explained has been hard for the school. As such the annual May Blossoms production which is held at the National Cultural Centre had to be cancelled.

However, she went on to explain that the school has made alternative arrangements for teaching the children.

“Videos are sent out via WhatsApp to the different levels for the girls to work on while they’re home,” she explained.

Her advice to persons on dancing is for them to ‘soak up’ as much information, expertise and life lessons from dance as possible. “Allow yourself to learn from each experience you have in your life both in and out the studio,” she advised.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

21

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, May 8, 2020

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE FrIday May 8, 2020

Emrit excited to captain Patriots in CPL tournament EXPERIENCED T&T all-rounder Rayad Emrit says he is excited to skipper the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for the upcoming Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket tournament.

On Wednesday, the Patriots announced the Caribbean players that they will be retaining for this season. International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date. This year teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish. They could also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players.

“I am very excited to be part of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots for a second season. I think that the team that is selected this year is going to be a very exciting one. I am very excited to be named as captain. It’s always an honour and a privilege to lead a franchise,” said captain Emrit.

The Patriots have chosen to retain seven Caribbean players overall ahead of the CPL draft including signing Denesh Ramdin from the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).

The others are T&T’s Evin Lewis, the Jamaican pair of Fabian Allen and Sheldon Cottrell and Alzarri Joseph of the Leeward Islands. They have

also picked up Ramdin on a transfer, while Dominic Drakes has been selected as their up-and-coming player.

Emrit will be working with former TKR coach Australian Simon Helmot, who was announced as head coach of the Patriots for this season. “Our new coach Simon Helmot knows the CPL and he knows how to win titles. He and I are going to work very hard to get the team to the finals,” said Emrit.

The CPL is scheduled to take place between August 19 and September 26 but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID-19 closely and are liaising with medical advisers and governments.

A decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, will be made as soon as possible.

PLAYERS SIGNED: Evin Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago), Fabian Allen (Jamaica),Sheldon Cottrell (Jamaica), Denesh Ramdin (T&T - new signing), Rayad Emrit (T&T),Alzarri Joseph (Leeward Islands), Dominic Drakes (Barbados),Transfer from Trinbago Knight Riders (Emerging player),

Cudjoe calls on stakeholders to unite to restore football

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe has called for unity among stakeholders and an end to the wrangling between the ousted Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) and the normalisation committee that FIFA appointed to replace it.

The two sides are in a fight for control of the association’s accounts at First Citizens Bank, while the ousted William Wallace-led executive appeals the decision by football’s world governing body to appoint the Robert Hadad-chaired committee to run the association’s affairs, at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland.

Stressing in an interview with Guardian Media on Monday that she was not taking sides, Cudjoe said she wanted all involved to work together in the interest of the players and the sport.

After FIFA uncovered financial mismanagement at the TTFA, it appointed the normalisation committee in March to replace the executive that was elected in the November 2019 elections.

“Football in Trinidad and Tobago has been in trouble for quite some time. So, if the parent body [FIFA] has stepped in with intention to restore football, to straighten things out, and to assist in coming up with a plan to get TTFA out of debt, then I think everybody who cares about football, and cares about the sport, the athletes, the footballers and so on, will get on board,” she said.

The minister contended that football in the twin-island republic has been tarnished and destroyed by personal egos and power struggles, and expressed hope that “in quick time, good sense prevails… and everybody could come to the table and speak with a face of positivity, unity and moving forward

in the best interest of the sport”.

“I think FIFA and the normalisation committee through Robert Hadad, has come to assist and I think those who are in positions to assist should jump on board and assist,” she said.

“The tug-of-war and the throwing of words, the bacchanal on Facebook and on social media does not help anybody; it doesn’t help the TTFA, it doesn’t help FIFA and it certainly doesn’t help the athletes who are depending on this sport as a means of livelihood and as a means of income generator.”

The FIFA-appointed normalisation committee has been mandated to establish a plan to repay the association’s TT$50 million-plus debt, review and amend the local body’s statutes and other regulations where necessary and ensure their compliance with the FIFA statutes, and carry out elections

Keemo Paul helps homeland in COVID-19 fight GUYANA and West Indies cricketer, Keemo Paul, recently returned to his homeland in Saxacalli, on a mission to provide basic food and cleaning supplies for the livelihood of villagers.

The community, which is located on the west bank of the Essequibo River, some 25 miles south of Parika, has taken it upon themselves to reduce travel to a minimum, in an effort to safeguard themselves from the novel coronavirus, commonly called COVID-19.

With boat-service operation and fishing a key part of livelihood, both of which are reduced significantly now, accessing basic amenities has become difficult.

The 22-year-old Paul took it upon himself to supply the community with face masks and sanitising products, along with numerous food supplies. It is understood the village has just over 60 residents currently, many of whom are elderly persons.

Allan Wilson, one of the residents who collected the care hampers, stated he was overjoyed for such since it will help him and family tremendously.

“I don’t work the boat as much as before so this will help us a lot. Most of our food comes from the land where we plant, but these supplies are stuff we would have to travel to Parika to get, and not going there will keep me safer”, Wilson stated.

According to Paul, “Saxa-

calli is my home. I am not here currently, but I know that being in lockdown will be hard even for communities like these that live off the land. From time to time, we would have to travel to do business for other food supplies and I felt if I can give persons those needs, they will stay home more.”

The all-rounder, who would have been in India playing the Indian Premier League had it not been for the pandemic, added “Prevention is better than a cure and I just want to see my family and close friends remain safe.”

Keemo further asked for persons to act smart, follow the guidelines of the health authorities, and stay home unless it is necessary to leave home.

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday May 8, 2020

Current WI T20 team better than the 2016 World Cup-winning one - Dwayne Bravo WEST Indies' current T20I team is better than the one that won the World T20 four years ago in India. So says Dwayne Bravo, who overturned his international T20 retirement in December to strengthen West Indies' bid to defend their title.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo's Alexis Nunes, Bravo was thrilled at the depth of batting resources available to the West Indies side - riches that have turned him, a globally respected allrounder in the format, into playing a more-or-less specialist bowler's role.

"In the last series in Sri Lanka, we had a team meeting, and coach Phil [Simmons] put the team down, the list, and he put it down in batting order, and he had my name down at No. 9," Bravo said. "And I said to the guys, I said listen, I don't think I was ever involved in a T20 team when I am down to bat at No. 9. "[‌] I'm just in awe of our batting line-up, and I said to the guys, I said listen, I think this team is actually better than our WorldCup-winning team, and that is no joke, because at the end of the day, you have batting all the way down to No. 10.

"And imagine, Sunil Narine is not even in the team as yet. So just

imagine, when Sunil comes into the team, Sunil will be batting at No. 10, or No. 11. He's an opening batsman now in T20.

"So just imagine a full-strength West Indies team, everyone is on deck. As a bowler, you get Evin Lewis out, [Shimron] Hetmyer comes in. You get Hetmyer out, [Nicholas] Pooran comes in, you get Lendl Simmons out, [Andre] Russell comes in, you get Russell out, [Kieron] Pollard comes in, you get Pollard out, Rovman Powell comes in, and it keeps going, going, and then you reach the champion DJ Bravo.

"It's an intimidating team, it's a team to intimidate the opposition, and that excites me. So I will just do my part as a bowler, try to control the back end of the innings, especially closing off the innings with death bowling, which has been, in the past, a bit of a concern for us. You saw how Oshane Thomas did with his pace in Sri Lanka.

Then you have Sheldon Cottrell, now a leader of the attack, Kesrick Williams on the bench, so things starting to look bright again, things starting to look good again."Apart from all the talent in that line-up, Bravo believes West Indies also have the leadership they need to defend their T20 world title - whenever that

happens, with the Covid-19 pandemic leaving the T20 World Cup's scheduled staging, later this year in Australia, in doubt. Bravo referred to Pollard, who took over as captain of West Indies' ODI and T20I teams last year, as a "figurehead" who "commands respect worldwide".

"He loves to win," Bravo said of Pollard. "That's the most important thing, and as a captain, he'll do anything to win, in the right way and the right spirit, and he's very determined to win, to make a difference. I remember when they approached him to take over, I said to him, it's going to be a good challenge, a big one, a tough one, but now is the best time.

You get both teams at the bottom of the table. There's only one way you can go, which is up, right?

"I said now is the right time, you build a team and you create a dressing-room environment where everyone is on the same page, and I think what Pollard has is his honesty, which is the most important thing. You have leaders in the past sometimes that said, okay, well, I don't get involved in selection, I had no say, you know, they give all types of excuses and stuff, and the system will be able to manoeuvre them and control them, but Pollard, you can't control him. You can't control

someone who's so independent and all that, and strong within himself. "[‌] The players also respect him, because of whatever he has done and achieved in the white-ball format, especially in T20 cricket.

He's one of the best in the world. So if someone like Pollard is speaking in the dressing room about T20 cricket, we all have to listen, because he's played the most games, he's had success, and he's highly respected around the world.

"West Indies always needed a leader like that, a figurehead leader.

One time we had Chris Gayle, we had Brian Lara, we had Sir Vivian Richards, we had Clive Lloyd. We had Darren Sammy. West Indies leaders have always been figureheads, and have that impact on world cricket. Not just West Indies cricket, but world cricket. Pollard is someone like that, you know, he demands and commands that respect worldwide, so the team will always give him that support and love.

"And that relationship we have with Phil Simmons as well, it's another good thing. Captain, coach always have to have a good relationship. The captain cannot be singing one song and the coach singing the next song, and the selectors a dif-

ferent song. Collectively everybody has to sing the same song. You can disagree and agree at some point, but as long as at the end of the day you all decide to sing the same song, then everybody would be happy."

Bravo made his international comeback in January, against Ireland in Grenada . He said the match felt like a second international debut for him.

"I announced my return while I was in India on a music tour [‌] I talked to my family, I talked to my close friends, and I said I'm going to make myself available," Bravo said.

"One of the things I wanted to make sure was that when I do make myself available that I am 100 percent committed to play T20s for West Indies.

I would not say okay, I'm available, and then miss a series to go and play in a league or something like that. I just wanted to make sure I played every T20 series once selected.

"And the first chance was in Grenada versus Ireland. I remember the morning of that particular game.

That game was scheduled to start at 2pm or something like that. I wake up at 7am. Had breakfast. I'm not a morning person. I wake up so early, I put on my uniform, I went downstairs, had breakfast, and everyone was watching me like, I just felt like

a kid making his debut all over again.

I just wanted to put on the West Indies clothes again and represent the people. "[I] get into Grenada stadium, seeing a lot of children, a lot of kids with 'Welcome Back DJ Bravo', 'We Missed You, Champion' - so many placards around the ground, with my name, and all the love, and I'm just thankful that I got the opportunity again, and I wanted to do well and contribute to something that I think is very special, especially in the T20 format, with the team that we have now, with the young players that are there: Pooran, Hetmyer, Rutherford, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Rovman Powell, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph.

"These players are brilliant players. They just need guidance, they just need someone to put their hand around them, and walk them through. Russell is back now, Pollard is the captain, a very good leader, Phil Simmons, a very good coach. We're waiting for the return of Sunil Narine, and once that happens, we're going to be another team that people are going to talk about again, but for me, on my return back to West Indies, I'm very happy and thankful for the opportunity."(ESPN Cricinfo)

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE FrIday May 8, 2020

Bundesliga season resumes on May 16 with empty stadiums BERLIN (Reuters) - The Bundesliga season will restart on May 16 after a suspension of more than two months, the German Football League (DFL) said on Thursday, becoming the first European league to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The DFL said the season would restart under the terms of a strict health protocol that bans fans from the stadium, with six games on Saturday, including the high-profile Ruhr valley derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04.

The derby and four other matches will start at 1330GMT while Eintracht Frankfurt will host Borussia Moenchengladbach at 1630GMT. League leaders Bayern Munich face Union Berlin in one of two games on Sunday while one more will be played on Monday.

“The interest (globally) is big. I see reports from across

the world that we are the first major league to return,” DFL CEO Christian Seifert told a news conference.

“This is only possible because we have the privilege to live in a country with one of the most modern health systems in the world.”

He was speaking by video conference after a meeting with first and second division clubs following the government’s decision on Wednesday to give the green light for the Bundesliga to restart in the second half of May and throw a financial lifeline to the cashstrapped clubs.

Seifert said there would be no Friday match in the first week as the government’s order was for play to resume in the second part of the month.

“Friday the 15th is not in the second half of the month,” Seifert said.

Bayern, chasing an eighth successive Bundesliga title, currently lead the table with 55 points from 25 games, four

its excitement, emotion and unpredictability — back into our lives.”

Bayern Munich’s Joshua Zirkzee during training despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID19) continues REUTERS/Andreas Gebert ahead of Dortmund with RB can return,” he said. “This is Leipzig third on 50. There are a huge and positive step to nine rounds of matches left to bringing optimism back to people’s lives. play this season.

“It is the result of conUEFA president Aleksander Ceferin welcomed the structive dialogue and careful return of football in Germany planning between the football and wished everyone involved authorities and politicians and I am confident that Gerevery success.

“It is great news that the many will provide a shining German authorities have example to all of us in how agreed that the Bundesliga to bring football — with all

COMPLETE ISOLATION All teams will have to go into a seven-day training camp in complete isolation before May 16 with players tested before their inclusion in the camps to reduce the risk of any infection.

About 300 people, including players, staff and officials, will be in and around the stadiums during matchdays.

“The matches will feel different. After the first matchday we will all know why we prefer games with fans,” Seifert said. “But that is the framework we have to operate in and I expect the best possible sport within this framework.”

The DFL is desperate to finish the season by June 30 to be contractually in compliance with sponsors and broadcasters and because more

than 100 players’ contracts are running out on that date, Seifert said.

The DFL has warned any further delay could be “existence-threatening” for some clubs.

“The season finale will take place at the end of June,” Seifert added, with June 27-28 as a likely date.

He said ideally he hoped the new season would start some time in August but a date had not been finalised.

The teams have been training since mid-April, divided into small groups and under strict conditions, including extensive COVID-19 testing of all players and coaching staff.

The country has reported more than 166,000 infections and over 7,000 deaths and officials said on Thursday the coronavirus crisis was far from over despite the country slowly reopening its economy and trying to get life back to normal.

Premier League threatened with legal action over relegation decision

THE Premier League could be set for a legal battle if they decide to scrap relegation for this season, according to English Football League chief Rick Parry.

With the coronavirus halting professional football in England since midMarch, there are question marks over how seasons will be completed and how champions, European places, as well as promotion and relegation will be determined.

Several teams have shown a willingness to finish the season in neutral locations – but only if the possibility of relegation is removed.

Norwich, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are currently in the Premier League’s relegation zone, while Watford, West Ham and Brighton are all fighting

to avoid the drop.

Championship clubs Leeds and West Brom were favoured to get automatic promotion to the English top flight, however their possible participation in the top division is in doubt.

Parry warned the Premier League they would be forced into the courts if they decided to scrap promotion and relegation because of the amount of money at stake for the clubs.

“The Premier League is aware of our position on that. Lawyers are going to get wealthy [if the Premier League opted not to relegate three teams],” Parry said in front of the government’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee.

“There would be a degree of outrage

English Football League chief Rick Parry.

from a number of clubs in the Championship and it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement.”

The return of the Premier League is currently being discussed by stakeholders, with the likelihood that any season resumption will see matches played behind closed doors.

Parry explained that it was important for campaigns to be completed before some players’ contracts expired at the end of July, but also acknowledged the financial impact of having no fans at matches.

“Our end date realistically is July 31 because of the situation with contracts. We can’t go beyond July,” he said.

“Players and staff have been fur-

Playing without fans won’t diminish competitive edge - Stokes (REUTERS) - England all-rounder Ben Stokes says playing in closed stadiums would not dampen the competitive side of matches and that players “would do anything” to get cricket back on television screens for fans to watch during the COVID-19 crisis.

The spread of the novel coronavirus has brought sport to a standstill. Staging games without spectators has been suggested as one way to resume professional cricket.

England’s home series against

West Indies scheduled for June has been postponed, with the likelihood of those three tests being played later in the summer without fans.

When asked if cricket might lose its competitive edge in such an atmosphere Stokes, 28, said that even without fans the players would still be going out to win.

“Think about it, we are walking out to represent our country, we got three lions on our chest and there is a game that we are supposed to win,” Stokes told BBC Radio

5 Live.

“So whether it’s in front of nobody or, like we are used to, in front of full crowd, I don’t think it’s going to take that competitive side away.

“It’s a completely different scenario to get our heads around, that there isn’t going to be the atmosphere or cheering that we’re used to when we play international game.

“We would do anything to get cricket back on the TVs and for people to follow and watch. If that means you have to play in front of

nobody then so be it,” he added.

Stokes, a key part of England’s 2019 World Cup triumph, was not sure when cricket would resume but felt bigger issues were at stake.

“We are still not 100% sure when that’s going to happen,” he said. “... at the end of the day, cricket is just a sport and the safety, health and wellbeing of everybody involved, not just in the team but around cricket community, is important right now.”

loughed and to expect clubs to bring them back in now, to forgo the furlough, only to then find in a month they can’t play would be a complete mess. We need to be taking decisions within days.

“We have a great deal of uncertainty around next season and the undetermined matter of when we’ll be able to return with crowds, which for the EFL is absolutely critical.

“We’re much more dependent upon the revenue and atmosphere generated by crowds than the Premier League.

“If we were starting behind closed doors it would be finely balanced economically. It’s almost neutral, but for many clubs it would actually cost them to play.”(Goal.com).

England all-rounder Ben Stokes

26

Barbados Tridents announce CPL local player retentions ..All-rounder Nyeem Young selected as one of their emerging players

All-rounder Nyeem Young THE Barbados Tridents have announced the Caribbean players they will be retaining for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date. This year teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish. They could also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players.

The Tridents have chosen to retain or sign nine Caribbean players ahead of the CPL draft including the exciting all-rounder Nyeem Young as one of their emerging players.

Jason Holder (Barbados), Johnson Charles (Windward Islands), Shai Hope (Barbados), Hayden Walsh Jr (Leeward Islands), Ashley Nurse (Barbados), Jonathan Carter (Barbados), Raymon Reifer (Barbados), Nyeem Young (Barbados)* Justin Greaves (Barbados) Speaking about the Caribbean player retentions, Tridents captain Jason Holder said: “We are really excited to build on last year’s championship win and it is great that we have been able to retain the core of our squad for this season. Combined with the international players that we are planning to add to the squad we are looking forward to defending our championship.”

The CPL is scheduled to take place between 19 August and 26 September, but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID-19 closely and are liaising with medical advisors and governments.

A decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, will be made as soon as possible.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (FRIDAY MAY 08, 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)

Heath Streak-5/27 (Trinidad, 2000)

(2) Reon King-5/51 (Jamaica, 2000) Today’s Quiz: (1)

What is the highest individual Test score made by a ZIM player against the WI to date?

What is the highest score made by a WI player in a Test against Zimbabwe to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

(2)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday May 8, 2020

Formula 1 may not race in 2020, say bosses FORMULA 1 chairman Chase Carey has admitted that the sport’s owners are preparing for “the remote possibility of no racing in 2020”.

He said they discussed with lenders how to handle the loss of income involved in not being able to run a season.

But he emphasised: “We are increasingly confident - although there are no guarantees - that we will have a 2020 championship season.”

F1 released figures showing income fell by 84% in the first quarter of 2019.

Owner Liberty Media said F1’s revenue in the first quarter of 2020 was $39m (£31.6m) compared to $246m (£199m) in the same period in 2019.

The records do not include any income received for the two races called off in that period in Australia and Bahrain, or any revenue from broadcasting rights.

Carey, who was speaking on a conference call with investors after the release of the first-quarter results, said the coronavirus crisis had had “a significant impact on F1 and we are adjusting in numerous ways”.

The figures reflect the difficulty created for F1 by the lack of racing, with all the sport’s main revenue streams facing disruption, and the importance of running a season this year.

Carey said the “goal” remained to start the season in Austria on the first weekend in July, and that it was “likely” this would be followed by a second race at the Red Bull Ring the on 11-12 July.

He said he believed it would be possible to have a championship of 15-18

Testing times: will February’s test sessions in Barcelona be the only on-track action we will see this year?

races, and that the plan was for a series of European races through August and into September, before heading to Eurasia, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, finishing on 13 December.

“We expect the European races to be without fans,” Carey said, adding that he was working through the methods by which teams could get to the races without adding to the risk of spreading coronavirus.

“We are making good headway on having races that can be secure and safe for everyone,” he said.

Carey added: “We hope to be able to allow fans to attend in the latter part of the year” and that he was “increasingly positive about the number of locations that will be able and want to host a race this year”.

A series of internal transactions at F1 owner the Liberty Media Group gave the sport an extra $1.4bn of liquidity to deal with the effects of the coronavirus crisis.

Carey said: “We expect the impact of the coronavirus on the wider world will continue, but we feel well positioned to return to the growth curve we were on a few months ago.”

The sport has made a series of moves in recent weeks to reduce costs for teams in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

These include delaying a major regulation change planned for 2021 until 2022, forcing teams to use their 2020 cars next season and a move to lower the budget cap that is planned to be introduced next year. (BBC Sport).

Former England batsman Brian Bolus dies aged 86

FORMER England batsman Brian Bolus has died at the age of 86.

The right-hander played seven Tests between 1963 and 1964 and averaged 41.33 with a highest score of 88, made against India in Chennai.

He began his career with Yorkshire and was part of three Championship-winning sides before moving on to Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

In all, Bolus scored

25,598 first-class runs, including 39 centuries, and more than 3,000 in limited-overs cricket.

He retired from playing in 1976 and later served as an England selector and chairman of the management advisory committee before becoming Notts president in 2004 and 2005.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” by the news.

(BBC Sport).

Brian Bolus captained both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire during his playing career.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE FrIday May 8, 2020

Mr Chris Gayle’s terrible blunder

MAKE no mistake about it, Mr Christopher Gayle, a former West Indies captain, is one of the great cricketers of our time.

Without doubt, the selfstyled “Universe Boss” has been the most dominant name in Twenty20 cricket since that version of the game took on global recognition and popularity in the early 2000s.

Over the last 15 years, the globe-trotting Mr Gayle’s six-hitting and happy persona have made him a cult figure — not least in cricket-mad India.

His record speaks for itself. In 404 T20 games Mr Gayle has scored 13,296 runs, with 22 centuries, at an average of 38.20 and a strike rate

of 146.94.

But it would be a mistake to believe his greatness is confined to ‘slam bang’ T20 cricket.

In One-Day Internationals (ODIs) he has scored 10,480 runs and 25 centuries in 301 matches for an average of 37.83.

And cricket traditionalists will remember him as being among the West Indies’ most successful Test match opening batsmen of any era.

In 103 Tests the former West Indies captain scored 7,214 runs with 15 centuries for an average of 42.18. As a bonus, Mr Gayle took 73 wickets bowling off spin.

Yet, for all his wonderful achievements as a player,

this newspaper feels compelled — not for the first time — to seriously question Mr Gayle’s judgement and indeed his awareness of his standing as servant of his sport and responsibility as exemplar for young people.

In truth, Mr Gayle’s social media assault on another former West Indies captain, outstanding batsman, former close friend and many-time ally in battle Mr Ramnaresh Sarwan, has left Caribbean cricket fans staggering and disoriented in this awful time of COVID-19.

We note that Mr Sarwan has publicly and categorically refuted Mr Gayle’s allegations.

For our part, we have no way of knowing who speaks truth or not.

But it is obvious that this matter should have been thrashed out at a personal level between adults. By taking it into the public sphere, and especially in the vitriolic manner in which he did it, Mr Gayle showed himself to be manifestly immature, the very fault he said he found with Mr Sarwan.

Clearly too, it has again demonstrated a downside of social media, which all too often seems to attract and nurture thoughtless, poisonous commentary, rather than reasoned conversation.

As another cricketing great Mr Jeffrey Dujon lamented, too many people using social media “just don’t see the need to sit down and talk to each

other”.

Sadly, by his outburst, Mr Gayle has managed to not only tarnish the public image of West Indies cricket but more so his own reputation. It seems fair to say that respect for him will have fallen in every corner of the cricket-playing world in what is now sure to be the tail end of his illustrious career.

Sportsmen and women should be reminded that no matter their achievements, they are far better off remaining loyal servants of their sport and fans. They should never reach the stage where they consider themselves bigger than the sport that made them great. ( Reprinted from Jamaica Observer)

Christopher Gayle

Ace Golfer Deo still working on swing, enjoying recreation time during lockdown mode -former Golf champ says she misses action, competition among club-mates

By Clifton Ross LOCAL pro golfer and Dental Surgeon, Dr. Joaan Deo, is taking full advantage of the current lockdown situation, spending time with family and training rigorously, as athletes globally cope with prolonged break due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

With athletes forced into seclusion due to the global stoppage of sports, the local fraternities have also felt the brunt of the ripple effect caused by the outbreak.

As such, athletes like Deo, one of Guyana’s most seasoned

golfers and a former Guyana Open cup champion, are now forced to sit back and wait for what could be an alternate universe whenever sports resumes fully.

Deo, who has been away from the Greens since quarantine began, said in an interview with Chronicle Sports that the abrupt shift from playing golf every weekend, competitively, for a number of years, to just sitting at home waiting for the world to return to normalcy, is quite difficult.

“It’s hard cause I started training in morning every week.

Because of that, my game was on point and I won a few tour-

naments before everything was called off and even the games I didn’t win, I was on the winners row”, said Deo. Although golf is quite different from the other sporting discipline, and golfers can actually play without a caddy and without mass gathering while still having a competitive run, the former champ said she was, nevertheless, grateful for the time off.

“When I return to competitive golf, I really don’t want to be rusty. By having regular swing motions at home, I can maintain my swing, with respect to flow and timing.” She

Local golfer, Joaan Deo, said she’s cherishing the time off from her busy work schedule and professional athletic career

outlined.

One of the main challenges thus far, not just locally but globally, is the strict lockdown on gyms. The move meant athletes and normal gym ‘rats’ had no option but to work out at home.

The Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) Vice-Captain pointed out that her home-workout regimes have been going well. I have been keeping fit by doing some cardio and working on my timing along with the rhythm in my swing “.

However, some of the downsides, according to the golfer, are the very things the current lockdown rules repre-

sent.

“I miss hanging and fraternising with my clubmates or just going places in general; now it’s different but it’s good in a way”.

Wrapping up her interview, the local pro said she thinks that in the future while some persons might readjust to normal living, athletes, in particular, might be a bit skeptical on how they interact with the world again.

“Hopefully, we get decreased numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and we can then readjust. But I think some persons, especially athletes, might be a bit skeptical on how they interact with the world again” Deo ended.

Normalisation committee working on paying TTFA staff, assures chairman PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – The head of the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee running the affairs of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has assured staff members awaiting salaries that efforts are being made to pay them, despite the ongoing legal battle for access to the organisation’s bank accounts.

Robert Hadad said while the committee that replaced the TTFA executive was unable to access the accounts at First Citizens Bank here, it was “working on other means” of paying the office staff who last received salaries in February, and technical staff who have not been paid for as long as six months.

“We are aware that we are in a [COVID-19] pandemic and we are in very dangerous times and some people need their money, so we are working around ways of getting them their money before we have control of the bank account,” said the local businessman on the SportsMax Zone programme on

Monday, although not disclosing what the alternative means of payment were under consideration.

The TTFA staff, in a letter to ousted president William Wallace over the weekend, urged him to end his fight with the normalisation committee for control of the bank accounts as it was standing in the way of them being paid.

They urged the embattled football boss to consider that if control of the accounts had to be taken before the courts to be settled, “staff members will have to endure extreme hardship because of the extended time we will have to go without a means to be paid”.

The bank has denied both the TTFA and the normalisation committee access for now, and the association’s legal counsel Matthew Gayle on Tuesday wrote to the bank saying his client was pressing ahead with legal action.

Hadad, who confirmed he had seen the employees’ letter, said the TTFA, as an associate member of FIFA, was the only body that could receive FIFA

funds and football’s world governing body could only send money to the association’s accounts.

“Until I could confirm to FIFA that we have control of the bank accounts and there is no risk of garnishing, I don’t see any money coming forth,” the committee chairman said.

“We are here to stay and we are representing FIFA and FIFA will only send money to us.”

Hadad made it clear that the normalisation committee would continue the job FIFA had given it to do, despite opposition from Wallace and his executive who have also appealed the takeover at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland.

“We were not appointed because we wanted to be appointed. We were appointed because the TTFA is in serious debt and in serious risk of insolvency and not being able to pay their debts, and FIFA, they are doing the right thing,” said the 53-year-old

CEO of family-owned company Hadco.

“Whether or not it should have been done before, or whatever anyone wants to say, I’m not here to judge that. I don’t know why now, what I do is now, the debt is very high and the revenue we have is not enough to pay the debt and (court) judgments are happening now…. The judgments and the garnishing of the account are all not good situations to be in. So, somebody had to do the job,” he added.

The mandate of the committee is to: run the TTFA’S daily affairs; establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA; review and amend the TTFA statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the FIFA statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress; and organise and to conduct elections of a new TTFA Executive Committee for a four-year mandate.

The Zurich-based FIFA removed

Chairman of the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee, Robert Hadad. the TTFA Board after an assessment found “extremely low overall financial management methods, combined with a massive debt”, which left the local body “facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity”.

n i a t p a c o t Emrit excited t n e m a n r u o t L Patriots inon pCagPe 23 See story

Cudjoe calls on stakeholders to unite to restore football See story on page 23

Rayad Emrit of St Kitts and Nevis Patriots bowls during the Hero Caribbean Premier League match between St Kitts Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders at Warner Park Sporting Complex on September 17, 2019 in Basseterre, St Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis. (Photo by Ashley Allen - CPL T20/Getty Images)

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe.

Keemo Paul helps

PAGE 23

homeland in COVID-19 fight Keemo Paul (left) hands over some of the care hampers

GFF postpones Ordinary Congress

THE Guyana Football Federation’s Ordinary Congress, which is constitutionally due on or before May 31 every year, has been postponed due to the Corona Virus pandemic.

This was communicated to the Regional Member Associations on May 5 by GFF’s General Secretary Ian Alves.

In the correspondence, Alves informed the membership that alternative options and dates will be determined and guided by the dictates of the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Public Heath, and will be shared to all of the Members of Congress in due time.

Mr Chris Gayle’s terrible blunder Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

PAGE 27

FRIDAY, MAY 08, 2020