Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_06_07_2020

MONDAY 6th July, 2020

HAPPY CARICOM DAY TO ALL READERS

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No. 106052

‘All eyes on CCJ’

–– Ramjattan says court will be overreaching, if it establishes jurisdiction on elections matter PAGE

–– urges citizens to remain calm and await ruling 03

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure will host a public consultation on its plans to construct a new bridge across the Demerara River in Linden.

Above is the preliminary design of the Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge, Linden, Region 10.(See story on page 13)

10 in COVID-19 ICU PAGE

… as Guyana records one new case 08

Man stabbed to death over a Guinness 13 PAGE

Teacher’s car targeted in suspected arson attempt –– victim believes attack politically motivated

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

‘All eyes on CCJ’ –– Ramjattan says court will be overreaching, if it establishes jurisdiction on elections matter –– urges citizens to remain calm and await ruling

PRIME Ministerial Candidate of the APNU+AFC and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan has stated that it would be “totally misguided” and contrary to the Constitution and other binding agreements for the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to rule that it has jurisdiction to hear the elections matter currently before it.

On Sunday, the minister expressed his Party’s position on the matter in relation to the Eslyn David V Chief Elections Office et al case, while a guest on 104.3 Power FM radio.

He said that while lawyers representing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) have argued that it is the Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction to rule on the said matter that they question, and not the jurisdiction of the CCJ, Article 177 (4) of the Constitution not only places the ruling on such matters into the remit of the Court of Appeal, but limits the CCJ’s jurisdiction to rule on the said matter subsequently.

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

Ramjattan said that it would be very difficult, and will take “some magic” for the CCJ to conclude that it has jurisdiction to upturn the Appellate Court’s ruling, or that the Appeal Court had no jurisdiction in its ruling.

“When we signed on to the Treaty that made

the Caribbean Court of Justice come into existence, we signed on there with that exclusivity in determining the presidency; that the Court of Appeal will be the authority and will be the final authority,” he said. “So, in view of the explicit provisions of all these laws: the Constitution, the Treaty and the municipal law that created the CCJ, it is very unlikely.

It will be most misguided of a Court…to say that it has jurisdiction. This is an ouster clause in law; it outs the jurisdiction, and it will be like threading through a needle’s eye a camel rather than a thread to come to a conclusion that they have jurisdiction.

It would be totally misguided.”

NO JUDICIAL LEGISLATION Furthermore, the APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate reminded the public that it was Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo who, while President of Guyana, assented to the municipal law and the treaty establishing that the CCJ doesn’t have jurisdiction on such matters.

Ramjattan said: “The CCJ, I believe, will be out of place, and it will be heavily criticised and also have huge repercussions all across the Caribbean, because a number of countries have not signed on to the Caribbean Court of Justice [Appellate functions] simply because they feel that it can sometimes overreach and go beyond places that it’s supposed to go.”

He said that if there is a will for the Court to have jurisdiction on such matters in Guyana, Guyana would have to amend Article 177 (4) of the Constitution to give the CCJ that right, which is something only elected officials must do, and not through an interpretation of the Court. “We have to let

the Caribbean people know that this must not come by judicial legislation; this must come by an amendment to our Constitution by the elected officials. I think two-thirds is required

by Parliament,” he said. Despite whichever member of the international community has lent its voice to Guyana’s affairs, Ramjattan reminded that it is not their position that will determine the outcome of Guyana’s elections.

“They can make their statements, but the ultimate authority is an independent constitutional body called GECOM. They are the final authority, after being guided by the Courts as to how you’ll interpret the law and how you apply it, they will be the final authority,” he reminded.

APNU+AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan (DPI photo)

REMAIN CALM During his remarks, Ramjattan encouraged all Guyanese to practise restraint as they await the decision of the CCJ, and acknowledged that while it has been a long wait, precious time has been spent on ensuring that a legal declaration is made on the elections.

“I feel that they do not have jurisdiction, and that is the feeling of a number of lawyers in and across the Caribbean; even the lawyers in the case,” he said, adding: “So, it is important, then, that we, as our President has indicated, make sure that we await all these guidance that we will get from the very important Courts of law; patience is what is required, and we are going to await this final phase of a declaration… I do not want, as Public Security Minister, that we get misguided, and all manner of things start happening in our country, and then we go back into a time when we found disfavour in that kind of action.”

He stressed that despite the political challenges of the day, as a nation of six peoples, Guyanese must learn to live in harmony, away from negative practices such as racism and division. The Minister said: “I ultimately believe that we are going to get the declarations in our favour, but even if for a miracle that does not happen, we have to live by the declarations of the GECOM Chairperson and, to that extent, we must be united forever in this country.”

He said that Guyana’s massive oil wealth will no doubt increase the development of the nation, but the APNU+AFC has fought over the last five years since the discovery to ensure that the best managers are put in charge of the country’s resources. Ramjattan said that it is evident that the PPP/C was involved in massive corruption during its tenure in office, and the APNU+AFC wants to remove that scourge from Guyana, and place it on better footing.

ERC urges de-escalation of tensions in society THE Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has again called for a de-escalation of tension here as citizens wait on the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice regarding the March 2, 2020 elections.

“There is no doubt that the historically long period it has taken for the declaration to be made has exacerbated tensions and discontent while unfortunately fostering ethnic strife, especially on social media platforms,” ERC said in a statement Sunday. The body said there is also no doubt that public utterances, including the building of expectations by some officials and their political subjects,

have and continue to contribute to the heightening of tensions and a further widening of unwanted division among our people.

“This is not only extremely worrying due to the potential danger it poses as our electoral history so regrettably reminds, but woefully unhelpful to the daunting and crucial task of forging harmony so vital at this juncture. The commission therefore reiterates the need for all leaders and stakeholder groups to act in a much needed responsible manner and to ensure those, whom they influence, do likewise. At the same time, it commends those who have and continue to act responsibly,”

according to the body.

The commission said it will officially write to the leaders of all political parties urging them and their constituents to work towards de-escalating tensions and adherence to law and order. It said the desire for peace and good relations will take genuine and collective efforts by stakeholder groups and individuals. “These efforts would also include acceptance of the elections results when they are declared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).”

The ERC said the agreement by H.E. President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Bharrat

Jagdeo, for a national recount of ballots with the participation of CARICOM, further demonstrates that paths can be found to help resolve our political gridlock. “The commission, having been birthed out of political discord, values and commend the efforts of all stakeholders who have and continue to work tirelessly in the interest of safeguarding peace and democracy in Guyana. Let us therefore work together in the best interest of our nation, for there can be no option to peace and unity which ultimately reside in our hands.

With all hands on board let us promote harmony and good relations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Iran reports new record one-day coronavirus death toll - 163 new deaths recorded as the total number of fatalities rises to 11,571

Iran recorded its highest number of deaths from COVID-19 within a 24-hour period, official health ministry figures showed. The 163 deaths reported on Sunday exceeded the previous record from last Monday, when the health ministry reported 162 deaths in a day.

Coronavirus infections in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia rise after curfews were fully lifted last month.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it was discontinuing its trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and combination HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 after the

medications failed to reduce mortality.

Over 212,000 new coronavirus cases were reported globally by WHO - the highest single-day increase since the start of the pandemic.

Worldwide cases have reached 11.23 million while 6.04 million patients have recovered, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University tally. The number of deaths worldwide have totalled more than 530,000.

CHILE In Chile, the President Sebastian Pinera announced a new $1.5bn package of measures to help keep the country’s ailing middle class afloat as the coronavirus pan-

demic continues to ravage the economy.

The measures include access to zero-interest loans, subsidised rent and the ability to defer mortgage loan payments for up to six months, Pinera said in a televised speech.

“The coronavirus pandemic ... is hitting our middle class hard,” Pinera said, touting the fresh round of stimulus as a bailout at least one million families.

Pinera’s centre-right administration has already announced two sprawling stimulus packages worth nearly 12 percent of gross domestic product, aimed primarily at protecting small businesses, the poor and the unemployed.

MALAWI CANCELS INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has called off planned Independence Day celebrations and drastically scaled back on his inauguration ceremony following a spike in coronavirus infections.

His formal inauguration had been slated for Monday at a giant stadium in the capital to coincide with the country’s 56th Independence Day celebrations.

But in an address on Sunday, the president called off the stadium festivities and shifted his inauguration event to a military barracks to be

witnessed by only 100 specially-invited guests.

TAJ MAHAL REMAINS SHUT India’s top tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal, will remain shut, officials said, as the country registered a record daily number of coronavirus cases.

The health ministry reported just under 25,000 cases and 613 deaths in 24 hours the biggest daily spike since the first case was detected in late January.

The surge took India’s total tally to more than 673,000 cases and 19,268 deaths, pulling the country closer to surpassing badly-hit Russia, the world’s third-most infected

nation.

The jump in infections came as local authorities in northern Agra city said the Taj Mahal, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, would remain closed to visitors even though the national government said it had permission to reopen on Monday.

“The Taj Mahal, which is in the Taj Ganj police station jurisdiction, is a ‘containment zone’,” a document released

by Agra’s District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh stated late Sunday.

Containment zones are where high infection rates have been detected, with all activity except essential services halted. (Al Jazeera)

Trump vows to defeat ‘radical left’ in Independence Day speech

US President Donald Trump has used an Independence Day address to vow to defeat the “radical left” as protests sweep the country.

Striking a combative tone, Mr Trump said he would “fight... to preserve American way of life,” while railing at “mobs” targeting historical monuments.

Monday,July 6 , 2020–– 05:30hrs & 07:00

Ahead of his speech, Black Lives Matter protesters gathered nearby.

Mr Trump’s 2020 election rival Joe Biden said everyone deserved “a full share of the American dream.”

The 4 July holiday marks the nation’s declaration of independence from Britain in 1776 and is one of the most important days in the national calendar.

Historically presidents have used the occasion to deliver speeches extolling the virtues of unity. Last year Mr Trump spoke of the “extraordinary heritage” of the country at an event with a militaristic theme that involved Air Force flyovers

and tanks parked on display.

This year, Mr Trump’s address was again followed by a flyover involving various aircraft, including B-52 bombers and F-35 fighter jets.

Speaking from the White House lawn on Saturday, Mr Trump took aim at protesters that he sees as anti-patriotic who have taken to the streets in the wake of the death in police custody in May of African-American George Floyd.

“We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and the people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing,”

he said.

“We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children.”

Statues and monuments of historical figures associated with racism or slavery have been pulled down or removed amid the wave of protests - drawing Mr Trump’s ire. “Their goal is demolition,” he declared.

Elaborating on his plan to create a “National Garden of American Heroes” featuring statues of renowned Americans, Mr Trump said the country’s rich heritage belonged to citizens of all races.

“The patriots who built our country were not villains,” he said. “They were heroes.” After he spoke, protesters in Baltimore, about 40 miles (65km) north of the capital, pulled down a statue of explorer Christopher Columbus - whom Mr Trump

had mentioned in his speech - and rolled it into a harbour.

Many people in the US celebrate the memory of Columbus, who in textbooks is credited with discovering “the New World”, the Americas, in the 15th Century.

But Native Americans have long objected to honouring Columbus, saying that his expeditions to the Americas led to the colonisation and genocide of their ancestors.

Meanwhile, in a videotaped address for 4 July, Mr Trump’s Democrat challenger for the presidency in November, Joe Biden, said Americans “have a chance now to give the marginalised, the demonised, the isolated, the oppressed a full share of American dream”.

Mr Biden, who has accused Mr Trump of fuelling racial tensions, said: “We have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country.”(BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Petrojam Extradition Requests: MOCA could make second attempt to have Grindley, Bahado-Singh face charges in Jamaica THE Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) could make another push to have former Petrojam Executives Floyd Grindley and Perceval Bahado-Singh extradited to Jamaica to face charges over their alleged roles in the messy Petrojam saga after their initial attempt fizzled nearly two years ago.

In late 2018, MOCA had put forward its case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which ruled that the evidence was not strong enough to win over the authorities in the United States, where the men are reportedly based.

In a nine-page January 2019 opinion, the ODPP informed the anti-corruption agency that the file needed more work and outlined what would be required. Although MOCA has not yet put forward another request, the agency told The Sunday Gleaner that it was having ongoing dialogue with the DPP’s office with a view to concluding the investigation.

“At this time, that is the extent of the comment we will make on the matter,” said Col Desmond Edwards, MOCA’s Director General. Both Grindley, who served as general manager at the state-owned oil refinery, and Bahado-Singh, chairman, were axed in 2018 as a multimillion-dollar corruption scandal engulfed Petrojam with allegations of irregularities, nepotism and cronyism. It also toppled then Energy Minister Andrew Wheatley, a loyalist of Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

Last week, the nation’s chief prosecutor, Paula Llewellyn, told The Sunday Gleaner that the extradition unit in her office, headed by Jeremy Taylor, thoroughly assessed the file presented by MOCA and found that there was insufficient material to make a viable extradition request at that time. “A request, without more, is not sufficient,” she said.

DOUBLE CRIMINALITY PRINCIPLE Llewellyn said one of the sticking points was that Jamaica would have had a hard

time proving the double criminality principle, where the offences the men were being sought for must be recognised in law in both countries.

The 1991 extradition treaty between Jamaica and the US also said extraditable offences must be punishable by imprisonment or other forms of detention for a period of more than one year.

In addition, a request must be supported by, among other things, an arrest warrant. But Llewellyn said the inadequate material from MOCA meant a warrant was a long way off.

“When you are asking for extradition and you have to deal with the Central Authority in the United States, you have to make sure that the material that you present shows a clear, clear case in respect of the ingredients of any possible offence,” the DPP said, adding that there must also be a reasonable prospect for conviction.

The DPP said her office has been working with MOCA to facilitate the investigation.

Last week, the Integrity Commission, in its annual report for 2019-20, said it provided MOCA with information on statutory declarations for two public officers.

The report also made several stinging conclusions about Grindley, Bahado-Singh and some of their former colleagues.

It questioned whether Grindley was strategically placed in his position as general manager to support “corruption-enabling mechanisms” at Petrojam. It added that there was evidence that Grindley, along with ex-human resources head Yolande Ramharrack and former procurement head Ronique Budram-Ford, were involved in a conspiracy to defraud Petrojam and the Government with the hosting of birthday parties on tax dollars for Wheatley and Bahado-Singh.

Grindley was also accused of presiding over a hiring process for Ramharrack that was marred by nepotism, gross improprieties and irregularities.

The Integrity Commission also concluded that Grindley “improperly” inserted himself in Petrojam’s donation of $2

File Photo: Prime Minister Andrew Holness (left) greets (from second left) Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica Chairman Russell Hadeed, Petrojam General Manager Floyd Grindley, and Petrojam Chairman Dr Perceval Bahado-Singh in this February 2018 Gleaner photo.

million to the Munro College Old Boys’ Association. He is a past student of the St Elizabeth-based school.

REIMBURSEMENTS FOR OVERSEAS TRIPS Bahado-Singh, meanwhile, was accused of engaging in acts of corruption in relation to 27 overseas trips he planned and later claimed reimbursements for although they had nothing to do with Petrojam.

When the scandal broke, Bahado-Singh, who has disputed the allegations, refunded Petrojam approximately US$57,000.

But the Integrity Commission said the reimbursements do not relieve him of accountability, pointing out that there is evidence of dishonesty and a breach of duty. It said those acts were “wilful” because Bahado-Singh claimed he was going on Petrojam-related trips but “would have been aware that he did not in fact attend” such meetings.

Grindley, the report said, breached the law when he authorised the reimbursements.

Bahado-Singh had also approved a $14-million donation to the Scientific Research Council, which has been deemed a conflict of interest because the council’s executive director, Dr Cliff Riley, was not only Bahado-Singh’s academic affiliate but a “close friend”. The report said ac-

tion could be brought against the former chairman, whose two-year stint began in 2016, for misconduct in public office. Both Bahado-Singh and Grindley have been referred to the director of corruption prosecution for possible criminal actions.

Some of the findings in the two published reports were redacted, which a former senior prosecutor in the ODPP said could mean several things, including that prosecutions were imminent and the commission would not want to prejudice court proceedings. It could also mean investigations were ongoing. A third report on the Petrojam investigation is outstanding from the Integrity Commission. (The Gleaner)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Making CARICOM work THE philosophy that led to formation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is grounded in the collective determination of the Region’s peoples and their development. Consequently, a number of attendant institutions were established with the aim of harnessing the cultural, economic, political and social resources of the Region for empowerment of its peoples.

The vision and goals of the Founding Fathers (Forbes Burnham, Errol Barrow, Eric Williams and Michael Manley) were premised on indigenous programmes, utlising the resources of the Region towards satisfying the needs of the Region, and competing internationally. Ideas emerged, such as using the energy resources of Trinidad and bauxite of Jamaica and Guyana to produce aluminium, rather than exporting the raw material to the developed world to be processed. It was also determined that while Caribbean islands concentrate on tourism and Trinidad and Tobago on manufacturing, Guyana, with its vast landmass, would be tasked with the responsibility of producing most of the food.

In that regional bodies recently engaged in discussions about the Region’s food bill, with an aim that includes channelling a focus on indigenous production and re-acculturation to taste, this focus serves as a reminder that the vision of the Founding Fathers remains relevant.

In addition to the Region shouldering a staggering and unsustainable food-import bill of more than US$2B annually, it serves as a reminder of the untapped potential within the Region.

The need to engage in a sustained indigenous programme has been tried before with measured success. Guyana, for instance, had a self-sustainable development policy that saw the canning of local food and fruits made into preserves for local and foreign consumption. It would be remembered that our dried carambola (five-finger) was exported to the

European market, bringing much-needed foreign exchange.

This country still has room to create a 21st-century manufacturing hub that would advance the nation from a primary-product producer to being a value-added one. As a nation that produces sugar in abundance, with the price of sugar falling on the world market, opportunities exist for value-added production in confectionery and so forth. Staples such as rice, cassava, plantain, breadfruit and other ground provisions can see value added in the form of cereals, flour and toiletries, in addition to their also being seen as healthy alternatives to wheat. To some extent, there has been movement such as in ethanol from sugar and the re-opening of a cassava mill; but this new era must see new challenges set and boundaries surpassed.

While CARICOM countries are signatories to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), nothing prevents the Region, individually or collectively, from creating thriving cottage industries, which would not only see opportunities for income-generation, but would also generate pride in production.

It ought to raise eyebrows that the Region is yet to take its competitive place among other nations. This can be easily gleaned from a visit to the market, where plantain chips and herbal teas, for instance — which can be produced locally — are sold with labels showing they were imported from Central America, USA or Britain.

Products made in China are being sold in the Region at prices that force local manufacturers out of business — affecting employment and incomes for locals. At the regional level, bringing the people together in co-opetition, a term that speaks to competitive cooperation at inter-organisational or intra-organisational levels, is deserving of attention. Co-opetition allows for member states to collectively engage in research and development, even as they compete for markets.

Competition, grounded by strong universal guidelines, allows for the unleashing of potential, sharing of ideas and looking at who best can produce what, at what cost, and with what resources.

Building on the premises that guided regional forerunners is also useful. There was a time when Guyana bought soap from the Commonwealth of Dominica at a higher price relative to cost outside the Region. Such act was guided by the principle underpinning sustainable development, inclusive of opportunities for the Region’s peoples.

Trinidad, as the oil-producing country, gave credit to member states such as Guyana with the aim of ensuring the industries of production in the various regions were operational. Other benefits were employment across the Region and minimisation of large-scale migration with potential for creating shocks to social systems, thereby contributing to inner-city slums, increasing poverty, etc.

Possibilities are within reach. The presence of indigenous education, the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institution (NAREI), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) are institutions providing the needed foundational pillars to unleash, harness and support the Region’s intellectual (human) capital. As a new era of development approaches, wherein the world intends to make real the establishment of a Green Economy, it is apposite to note that the dreams and aspirations of CARICOM are still relevant to development today.

The Region stands on the foundation needed to guide actions that would not only see reduction in its food bill, but also ensure food security, putting its peoples to work, and ultimately development for the benefit of all.

Let the thief finish stealing before you call the cops

Dear Editor

It seems that current wisdom dictates that if you see someone attempting to break into your home, you must wait and allow him or her to do so, then allow the thief to get away before you call the police. Do not call the police to report that you have evidence showing that someone tried or is trying to steal your money or other valuables from your home. Wait until you have lost your valuables before calling the cops. If that sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is. But that is precisely what the PPP-C expects from APNU-AFC supporters. That is what two Prime Ministers want APNU-AFC supporters to do. And that is what the Private Sector Commission in Guyana wants APNU-AFC supporters to do.

They insist that APNU-AFC ignore the evidence of election fraud; allow

GECOM Chairman Claudette Singh to let the PPP steal the election; count all the doctored votes and swear in the doctor as President. Then, APNU-AFC should file a petition to the High Court to complain that the election was stolen.

In their minds, that is how the process must work.

Indeed, there was a time not very long ago when Guyana operated under that principle of lawlessness. As a reminder to some, during the last election held under the PPP-C administration, Crum Ewing was not permitted to exercise his lawful right to protest the Attorney General; He was killed. Shot in Cold Blood. During that 2015 election campaign, Fazil Azeez, former radio announcer invited then Candidate David Granger to give a speech to Muslims at a mosque. The following day, someone walked up to Azeez and shot him. And some may recall the election petition case

in 1997. The ‘newly elected’ Janet Jagan proudly tore up a court order in front of television cameras. The High Court vitiated the results, but the election theft nonetheless succeeded. These are just a few reminders of the erosion of the rule of law taking place during the PPP-C administration, and likely to resume should that party snatch power again. In their attempt to steal the 2020 elections using an improved 1997 playbook, the PPP-C demanded that the outdated bloated electoral list be used.

An unsuspecting GECOM chairman allowed herself to be manipulated into acquiescence.

That list contains the names of tens of thousands who died or emigrated during the past ten years. That list allowed massive rigging by a party that has not won a general election since 1997.

Although no one expected this to happen, someone or several persons impersonated

thousands – not just a few, but thousands of those who were not here to vote because they are dead or had emigrated.

Under normal circumstances, those fraudulent votes would not have been discovered, and the PPP-C theft would have succeeded. But as it turned out, President Granger and Bharat Jagdeo agreed to a nationwide recount and audit of the election. That recount and audit allowed the boxes to be opened before the election results were declared. Many irregularities were then discovered and exposed; The PPP-C was caught attempting to steal the elections before that party could be declared the winner.

Understandably, that made them, and some special interest groups very unhappy to the point that they issue threats to those who attempt to uphold the law.

What must APNU-AFC supporters do? The PPP-C and the special interest groups

want them to allow the theft to succeed and then afterwards, to file a petition at the High Court. GECOM Chairman Claudette Singh, presumably under tremendous duress, attempted to push for that approach. But a courageous APNU-AFC candidate is trying to foil the most audacious attempt to steal the election. It seems clear that APNU-AFC supporters are not ready to abide by the PPP-C rules or to give in to foreign special interests. They do not believe that the crime must be allowed to succeed while they stand by and watch.

The Guyana Court of Appeal agreed that only the valid votes must be counted. Yet, foreign people are pressing for; some even demanding that the fraudulent votes to be counted; claiming that they are calling for democracy to be preserved.

I doubt that those who want dead people votes to be counted in Guyana would want the same brand of democracy for

their respective country. In their minds, APNU-AFC supporters do not deserve fairness at the elections.

Meanwhile, the PPP-C asked the Caribbean Court of Justice to overturn the Guyana Court’s decision as they continue to press for fraudulent votes to be counted. The CCJ will make its ruling, whether with bias or not, no one knows. Then, a final decision by GECOM is expected, and that decision will be based largely on whether retired Judge Claudette Singh believes that an exposed electoral crime should succeed. She will decide whether Guyana continues as a law and order nation, or whether we revert to the days when the clouds of death squads and phantoms terrorised the Guyanese people. Let us hope that she puts Guyana First.

Respectfully Max Mohamed

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

OP-ED The PPP and CARICOM

By David Hinds

THE ongoing elections dispute has brought into the public domain several things which had remained hidden for decades. One such thing is the PPP’s hypocrisy as it relates to the regional integration movement. The party’s embrace of CARICOM today is purely opportunistic; it is attempting to use CARICOM for its narrow partisan ends. In its quest for power, the PPP is prepared to embrace even those it has deemed to be its worst enemies.

For those who are old enough to remember, the PPP has always taken an ethnic attitude to the integration movement. That party views CARICOM and its predecessors as an African club that is hostile to the interests of Indian-Guyanese. Many Guyanese of recent gener-

ations may be excused for not knowing that when the Anglophone Caribbean made its first attempt at integration, Guyana, then governed by the PPP stayed out of it. The PPP kept out of the Federation (1958 -1962) on the grounds that Indian-Guyanese would become a minority.

Historian Hazel Woolford reported that while the PPP rejected the Federation, The PNC fully supported the initiative: “During the 1950s, more politicians joined the campaign for a West Indian Federation, but British Guiana did not participate.

Forbes Burnham tabled a motion in the Legislative Assembly requesting British Guiana to join the Federation, but this was rejected.”

This was one of the reasons for the second split of the PPP when Sydney King (Eusi Kwayana), Martin Carter and others left the party in the face of its transition to

an East Indian-based party.

Whereas King et al favoured taking the then British Guiana into the West Indies Federation, the Jagan faction was determined to steer clear of it. In a Stabroek News editorial of December 19, 1986, on regional integration, the paper stated that others, notably Eusi Kwayana (then Sydney King) attributed Jagan’s opposition to the Federation to his editorial also reported unwillingness to be swamped in a predominantly African grouping. The eminent philosopher CLR James is also reported to have taken a similar position.

A 1992 Country Study for the US library of Congress supported this view: “Jagan’s veto of British Guiana’s participation in the West Indies Federation resulted in the complete loss of Afro-Guyanese support.

In the late 1950s, the British Caribbean colonies had

been actively negotiating establishment of a West Indies Federation. The PPP had pledged to work for the eventual political union of British Guiana with the Caribbean territories. The Indo-Guyanese, who constituted a majority in Guyana, were apprehensive of becoming part of a federation in which they would be outnumbered by people of African descent. Jagan’s veto of the federation caused his party to lose all significant Afro-Guyanese support.”

Then, during the 1970s and 1980s when the PNC held the reins of power, the PPP consistently charged CARICOM with upholding dictatorship in Guyana and accused the Caribbean leaders of racism. They were very scornful of CARICOM and had no place for regional integration with the Caribbean. The PPP instead argued for a continental destiny with

South America. The PPP sought common ground with the communist parties of Latin America, while relegating the Caribbean left to the back seat. In the end the party viewed integration in ethnic terms.

It was therefore no surprise that when the PPP returned to power in the 1990s, it advocated for a sub-regional organisation including Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, all of which were then governed by East Indian-based parties. While the initiative did not gain much traction, the PPP and Trinidad’s UNC developed a close fraternal relationship that superseded their relations with other CARICOM leaders and countries. Commenting on the proposed union among the three East Indian-led countries, columnist Freddie Kissoon had this to say: “Finally, what is behind his call for closer ties

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between Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad with eventual closer economic integration with South America? The answer is race. Basdeo Panday is one of the purest Hindu ideologues in this part of the world. In fact, Hindu supremacist may not be a misnomer if applied to him. Mr. Panday is not exactly a believer in multi-racial politics and may be happier with Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname becoming closer for obvious reasons.” ( Kaieteur News, March 12, 2014) That the PPP today behaves as if CARICOM has always been a close ally is the height of hypocrisy. The PPP never trusted CARICOM for purely ethnic reasons. It now seeks to use CARICOM to help install it in power illegally. With all due respect to most of the current CARICOM leaders, they may not be aware of that history.

PNCR hails CARICOM on 47th Anniversary

ON the 47th Anniversary of the regional integration movement, the People’s National Congress Reform extends warm congratulations to the people of the Caribbean Community, the staff of the CARICOM Secretariat, and to the Guyanese people for a happy and meaningful CARICOM Day 2020.

Forty-seven years ago, the Treaty of Chaguaramas established the Caribbean Community and Common Market, later known as CARICOM. At the 8th Heads of Government conference of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), held in April 1973 in Georgetown Guyana, the decision was made

to establish the Caribbean Community. The process through which it was to be established is set out in the Georgetown Accord issued by that conference.

The Founding Fathers of CARICOM and the signatories to the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was signed on the 4th of July 1973 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, were Prime Ministers Hon. Errol Barrow for Barbados; Hon. Forbes Burnham for Guyana; Hon. Michael Manley for Jamaica; and Hon. Eric Williams for Trinidad and Tobago.

The PNCR takes great pride in the role of our Founder Leader in the regional integration movement. Our Party trusts that even as we

celebrate this occasion, we will all continue to commit ourselves to the strengthening and advancement of our common Caribbean home.

The PNCR has played a pivotal role in promoting and sustaining the movement for the development of a common Caribbean identity and a strong Regional Economy. The integration process has been challenged before, in various ways, but it has survived them, and as a result is today one of the oldest integration movements in the World. The PNCR would never lose faith in the resilience of the Community, despite the trials. On this the 47th Anniversary, we affirm

our commitment to the Integration Process and our Caribbean Leaders, in the confident expectation

that all obstacles and challenges will be overcome, so that the Community will be enabled to play an even

greater role in the lives of all of the citizens of this our Caribbean Region.

GAWU urges continued recognition PSC congratulates of importance of integration CARICOM

THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) joins with all Guyanese, and indeed the people of the Caribbean as we again hail our cultural ties, our economic bonds, and our social links which have been fortified and consolidated through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In its 47 years of existence, CARICOM has grown from four young independent nations in 1973 to a 15-nation-strong grouping spanning from Bahamas in the north, to Guyana and Suriname in the South.

The approximate 18 million citizens of CARICOM come from diverse backgrounds, but are wedded by the common goal of integration. The Community, over its years, has realised several remarkable and laudable milestones which have brought the peoples

of the Caribbean closer and made them stronger. Today, it is this collective strength that makes CARICOM the pre-eminent organization in our region.

Of course, as we consider our own nation’s present situation, we must recognise the efforts of CARICOM in seeking to ensure the will of our people is respected and upheld. Their support in providing a team to scrutinise the national recount, especially given the circumstances of our world at this time, makes us even more indebted to the Community. We also hail the forthright expressions of the Community’s leaders who undoubtedly are concerned about the well-being of the people of our dear land. **We of the GAWU, like thousands of Guyanese, are most appreciate of the efforts of CARICOM at this time.

We continue to recognise the importance of integration today,

especially, too, as we face several new challenges and continue to face up to those persistent difficulties.

There is also now greater need to redouble our efforts to reach the goals our leaders of the past envisioned. This is ever important as we confront a harsher world which for many is looking more inward.

We are aware that differences will be ever-present and that our conditions may not always be the same and that circumstances continue to evolve which sometimes push us in other directions. At the same time, we should recall that we stand stronger together and we record our greatest successes when we speak with one collective voice in a democratic environment. The GAWU again extends sincere wishes as we observe CARICOM Day

THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) takes great pleasure in congratulating the Caribbean community on the observance of CARICOM Day. The PSC most especially extends its congratulations to CARICOM Secretary- General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, on his sterling work in organising and supporting the CARICOM observer mission for the March 2 General elections, and the delegation of high-level observers to scrutinise the GECOM Election Recount.

We would like to particularly express our appreciation to the members of the high-level delegation for the personal sacrifice they made in the completion of the mission, and submission of a comprehensive and conclusive report. The Private Sector Commission also particularly expresses its unreserved appreciation of and admiration for the unstinting support and dedication of Barbados’s Prime Minister Mia Mottley and current Chairman of CARICOM, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines specifically, and to all CARICOM leaders generally for the protection and preservation of democracy in Guyana.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

10 in COVID-19 ICU ‌ as Guyana records one new case

THE number of persons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit has increased to ten, while only one new case of the virus was recorded as at last Sunday, from 27 ad-

ditional tests carried out within the past 24 hours.

This is an increase of seven new patients in the COVID-19 ICU, and comes just as the country recorded another death as a

result of COVID-19 complications, after 25-yearold schoolteacher Donna Greaves died at the GPHC COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) last Saturday.

Greaves, who hails

from Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), tested positive for the virus last Monday, before her condition started to deteriorate.

This brings the total

number of recorded cases in the country to 273, which includes 120 recoveries and the 15 deaths, while the authorities are still monitoring 138 active cases. Some 2806 tests

have been conducted so far, of which number, 2533 have proven negative.

According to the existing statistics, Regions One (Barima-Waini), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) continue to have most of the cases.

Regions One and Seven, in particular, have seen a rapid increase in the number of cases being recorded. Last Thursday, this newspaper reported that COVID-19 claimed the life of Abdool Khan, a miner from Bartica, in Region Seven.

The spike of cases in Regions One and Seven have since seen authorities implementing a lockdown of those areas, with restrictions of travel in and out of the areas at reference.

Health authorities had found that a large number of positive cases in these regions, have no signs and symptoms, so they are what is known as asymptomatic. This means that these persons can transmit the disease, and the infected persons will not even know that they are sick, because there is no sign.

Medical teams were dispatched to Aranka and surrounding mining areas in Region Seven, as well as Moruca in Region One, to conduct mass testing in those areas to tackle the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases.

The continuous rise in the amount of cases has seen local authorities creating a special emergency unit to enforce the control measures, and curtail the spread of the disease. Authorities believe that the rise is primarily because sections of the population continue to flout the existing measures, which include a national curfew.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Wismar fire leaves mother, son homeless

A three-bedroom partially wooden and concrete house was reduced to ashes late Sunday night at Second Alley, Wismar, Linden.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that at around 22:30hrs, the two-storey house, which was occupied by a woman and her son – Jenel Smith and Kelvin Smith, was allegedly set on fire

by Kelvin who is believed to be mentally ill.

According to an eye witness, Kelvin experienced a mental breakdown earlier in the day.

“I was alerted by my brother that there was a fire at the neighbour’s house and when I got outside and saw the blaze we tried contacting the fire service.

When they arrived the house was mostly consumed by the fire,” a neighbour told this newspaper.

Though the fire fighters were unable to save house from being completely destroyed, they managed to contain the blaze. No one was hurt during the fire.

Kelvin, however, was apprehended by the police.

The two-storey house being destroyed by fire

Mahdia Hospital doctors recognised on ‘Doctors’ Day A SMALL corps of doctors attached to the Mahdia Hospital were lauded for their efforts in providing healthcare to the people of Mahdia and by extension, Region Eight.

Speaking to DPI, Regional Health Officer, Region Eight Dr. Chrissundra Abdool said the commendation was held for Doctors’ day.

In some countries around the world every year, a day is set aside to celebrate their doctors. Most popular in India National

Doctors’ Day is observed on July 1 to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy who died on that day in 1962.

Though not officially observed in Guyana, some of the medical professionals take time out to reflect on their contributions to the health sector on the day. Dr. Abdool noted that all doctors serving in the hospital are from the coast but have dedicated their time to working in the region, ensuring persons have

better access to healthcare. Apart from the RHO herself, the hospital has five doctors and a Medex who often works in the capacity as a Doctor, narrowing gaps which may exist.

The doctors are Dr. Delissa Thomas – Medical Superintendent (ag), Dr, Nina Holder, Dr. Cameica Inniss, Dr. Kwesi Welcome, Dr. Magdalena Clay and Medex Noelene Siland. “I realised that Doctors Day is not a thing, but I thought my doctors need to know that they are

doing a great job so we surprised them with a small treat. And it went a long way in letting them know they are valued and appreciated.” The RHO relayed.

Even in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors all around the world are on the frontline, putting their lives at risks to save the lives of others. In Guyana, doctors working in the hinterland experience several challenges but execute their duty daily.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Better parenting DID you know that there are four main types of parenting styles? Most people fall into one of the following categories; they are Authoritarian, Permissive, Authoritative and Uninvolved, which one are you?

What type of relationship do you have with your children? Do they fear you? Or do they take their eyes and pass you? If you reprimand your child with a slap, would your child slap you back? Or would he/she run off crying and hide his/her face in the corner.

Does your child talk to you openly or hold back because he/she knows, without doubt, what your reaction will be?

Everyone has their idea on how to raise children, a large percentage of people use their upbringing as a blueprint for what and what not to do, without checking out whether the results are favourable or flawed. On 4 minutes 4 change, this week, we would like to share some tips on how to be a better parent.

Children are born with an intrinsic need to be loved and protected and as they grow their needs change, so parents need to be adaptable and provide encouragement, guidance, praise and nurturing as part of their positive enforcement. Exposing children to positive qualities will support their sense of well-being and bring out the best in them. So how do you parent? Are you an AUTHORITARIAN parent? In this particular parenting style, parents are strict. They put high demands on

their children and expect satisfactory results.

In return, there is very little praise or nurturing. Parents do not appear to be as big on hugs and kisses as they are on obedience, good behaviour and punishment. If this is your mode of parenting, consider these tips: Children need parents to be responsive; they need to feel warmth and affection from their parents, naturally. When parents offer consistent guidance and nurturing, and spend quality time interacting with their children regularly, children grow more confident and feel protected - attributes for a successful childhood.

Are you a PERMISSIVE parent? Permissive parents do not set high demands on their children. They tend to be very loving but fail to lay down any clear rules or boundaries.

Permissive parents seem more like a friend than a parent to their children. Although this may sound fine on the surface, because children are at least experiencing lots of love; on the contrary, they are technically at risk.

Children from permissive households are more likely to develop behavioural problems and less likely to do well at school. This will not be because they are academically inept, but because they do not value structure or working methodically towards achievements.

Consider these tips: Children need boundaries and regulations at home so they can understand and respect the same in society.

No one is above the law. Morals and values

should be instilled at an early age. Children will always need someone they love and trust to lead by example and to explain to them where they are wrong and encourage them when they are right. Parenting skills evolve and change as children grow older but parameters must be maintained. Have fun, be open, love and enjoy your children; teach them qualities to enhance their lives.

AUTHORITATIVE parenting is when parents set high demands for their children and they are present to give their support in every way. They are consistent in maintaining boundaries and consider their child’s emotional welfare and sense of well-being in every circumstance. Children experience the warmth and a sense of security from parents in an authoritative setting.

Parents avoid talking down to their children or calling them derogatory names. In this manner of parenting beating, threatening or punishing them for misdeeds is non-existent. Instead, children are treated with sensitivity and guided by reasoning. They benefit more from this type of parenting than the others and children are more likely to be independent, self-reliant and well-behaved.

Tips to consider: Regardless of how well you believe you are doing it is always useful to do a self-analysis of your actions. How well are you managing your role? Are there areas in which you can improve? What are your

strengths and weaknesses?

The fourth type of parenting is called UNINVOLVED parenting and as the word implies ‘uninvolved parenting’ means parents are bordering on being neglectful. Their demands on their offspring are low, and their involvement is usually minimal. They very rarely set boundaries or demand good behaviour from their children.

Uninvolved parents fail to meet the needs of their children beyond food, clothes and shelter. They always seem to be pre-occupied or overwhelmed by their problems, offering little guidance or protection to their children. Tips to consider: As children grow they will need to be guided by the adults in their lives so they can strive and develop into well-rounded, law-abiding citizens. When children grow in a neglected environment, they lack self-esteem and feel unloved and unworthy. Later on in life, they may struggle to maintain a meaningful relationship and suffer from emotional anxieties and problems.

Parents can influence their children’s outcome by adapting positive parenting skills.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION

Room for improvement, greater unity in CARICOM THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has come a far way since the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973, with notable achievements along the way.

However, there is much room for improvement and a clear need for the younger generation to better understand the value of cooperation within the Region for a sturdier CARICOM. This was the position of former Prime Minister and Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green and Director of the Foreign Service Institute, former Ambassador, Ronald Austin, who appeared as guests on an online programme of the APNU+AFC on Sunday.

Today, Member States observe CARICOM Day, 47 years after the signing of the Treaty.

Former Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, said that while CARICOM has had its fair share of challenges,

Former Prime Minister and Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green to date, it has moved forward with commendable strides. However, he said that there are still numerous areas in which Member States can collaborate to ensure that the Region grows as a collective and is recognized internationally.

“Today, I believe the imperative is for the Members of CARICOM, those who first formed the West Indian Federation,

to recognise, that, in today’s environment, it is an imperative that small countries such as those that comprise CARICOM, recognise the absolute necessity to work together, to harmonise their programmes, so that we can effectively be part of a fast-growing technological world,” he advised.

Greene said that it is equally important that when CARICOM leaders meet to make decisions, that these decisions are implemented without reservation. “We are good at talking sometimes but it is important for us to act and translate the rhetoric into reality,” he stressed.

In his interaction, Green provided a condensed history of what led up to the establishment of the Treaty of Chaguaramas and who were the main contributors. He also pointed out the many ways in which Guyana contributed to collaboration in the region, prior to, and after, the Treaty’s formation.

Director of the Foreign Service Institute, former Ambassador Ronald Austin He highlighted the creation of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) in 1972 by President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, prior to 1973, as a means to showcase the talents of the West Indies and Caribbean to the world.

He also noted Burnham’s intention, in 1962, to work in collaboration with former United States

(U.S) President, Lyndon Johnson, to bring West Indians from all over the world to support projects in Guyana which would open up the highway and expound the agriculture potential in the Essesquibo to ward off Venezuela’s claims. However, Green said that these plans fell through when President Johnson was voted out of office.

He said: “That, I think, is something that we need to remember as we talk about CARICOM.” Meanwhile, Ambassador Austin noted that, after 1973, with the onset of the oil crisis, CARICOM hadn’t met for seven years between 1974 and 1981.

He stated that it was at the 1982 Summit in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, that President Burnham proposed and received the support for annual meetings.

After the Ocho Rios Summit, and throughout the 1980s, he said that it was recognised that CARICOM was ‘losing steam’

but, through collaboration, this led to the launching of the West Indian Commission and the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Ambassador Austin believes that it is unfortunate that many within the younger generation are unaware of this history but encouraged that they take up interest, as unity within the Region will remain relevant for years to come.

Specifically, to Guyana, he reminded that CARICOM has played an instrumental role in representing Guyana’s rights in the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy.

“It is vital for us to understand that, as far as Guyana is concerned, strategically and otherwise, CARICOM is our first line of defence,” he said.

“Having worked with CARICOM for quite a few years [I can speak to] the importance and the necessity of CARICOM politically, economically and socially for Guyana.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Not on our watch!

–– GPHC refutes husband’s claims that Lethem schoolteacher contracted COVID-19 while warded there

THE Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is refuting claims that Lethem schoolteacher, Donna Greaves, Guyana’s latest COVID-19 victim, may have contracted the virus while being warded there; but her husband begs to differ.

Franklin Greaves is holding fast to his belief that all evidence is leading him to conclude otherwise, as his wife was subject to a total of three tests for COVID-19, the first two of which were done on June 26, the day before she was admitted to the GPHC, and returned negative results. The third test, however, was done last Monday, June 29, while she was at the hospital and that was when the result proved positive.

“She took two COVID-19 tests in Lethem, according to her doctors; one swabbing and one rapid test,” the grieving husband said, adding: “The rapid test, they got a faster result, which was negative. But with the swabbing, they had to wait for Georgetown to release that. But the first swabbing came out negative.”

Greaves said that had his wife contracted the virus in Lethem, then the authorities there would need to explain how her previous two tests gave negative results. The 25-year-old schoolteacher, who resided at Culvert City, Lethem, died last Saturday, becoming the country’s 15th COVID-19 victim.

He said it was also on Monday that his wife’s condition started to rapidly deteriorate, and she became unconscious. The mother of one would subsequently die without regaining consciousness.

“I’m not claiming that she didn’t die from COVID-19, but I want to get it clear that she went to the hospital for another ailment that she was suffering from for months,” Franklin Greaves said. “We know that she

don’t know the causes of the anaemia; they just know that she had a blood shortage,” he noted.

Franklin said it was because his wife’s symptoms included shortness of breath that she was tested for the virus in Lethem. And it was only because the results of the first two tests came back negative that she was even taken out of isolation at the GPHC and placed with other patients. But after she began to develop new symptoms while at the GPHC, it was decided that a third COVID-19 test be administered “as a precaution”.

And this was done last Monday, June 29.

Franklin Greaves with his wife Donna, who died last Saturday of COVID-19-related complications was exposed to the COVID-19, but it’s how she got exposed to it,” he wanted to know.

Donna Greaves was admitted to the Lethem Regional Hospital on June 25, and was transferred to the GPHC on June 27. Franklin said it was also not until after she was admitted to the GPHC that she developed new symptoms, which included a sore throat.

According to Franklin, his wife had been ill for some time now, and had first begun visiting the Lethem Hospital a few weeks before she was admitted. He said the doctors there had explained that the symptoms she was exhibiting had to do with her having a low blood count.

“She keep suffering from back pain and other joint pain for months, so we keep treating it with muscle rubs, and normal painkillers,” Franklin said. “They claimed that she was suffering from anaemia, but they

KEPT MOVING HER AROUND “They kept moving her around,” Franklin said, adding: “They had her in COVID isolation; then they had her in regular ICU. And then they rushed her back into COVID ICU; so they had a confusion at the hospital. They had to shut down ICU, because they said they made a mistake to put her there. They had to trace back the ward and isolate doctors that were in contact with her after that test came back positive.”

After the third test returned positive, Franklin said, the authorities began contact- tracing persons who had been in close proximity with his wife. And this is what led him to further question how or where his wife might have picked up the virus.

According to him, several hospital staff, family members and other persons who were in contact with Donna prior to her being admitted to the GPHC tested negative, while he was made to understand that four persons with whom she’d been in contact at the GPHC tested positive for the virus, including

a medical staff.

“When she was medivaced from Lethem,” he said, “she was even on the flight with another female patient that fly out.

They separated at ‘Emergency’ when the other person went to the maternity ward. The other patient that fly with her is negative and discharged already.”

Franklin said two of his wife’s sisters, her parents and their housekeeper were tested and cleared as not having the virus. He himself, he said, has not been tested so far, but is in quarantine, and plans to get tested at the end of his two-week isolation.

Franklin took to social media last Sunday and posted a video querying how is it that his wife may have picked up the virus, and alleging that the infection took place while she was at the GPHC. GPHC Communications Manager, Chelauna Providence subsequently released a statement challenging those claims.

“The GPHC notes and wishes to refute claims that Donna Greaves contracted COVID-19 while being a patient at our institution. While our commitment to medical confidentiality restricts us from sharing details of Ms. Greaves’ clinical records, we maintain that these claims are furthest from the facts, and wish to state in a definitive manner that Donna Greaves did not contract COVID-19 at the GPHC,” Providence said in the statement, adding: “We strongly condemn the proclivity to cast blame on our hardworking and dedicated doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.

The Corporation continues to practise strict protocols and quality-control measures to eliminate transmission and maintain a safe space for our staff, patients and visitors.”

Better access to farmlands, improved D&I systems, construction of sluices among others –– realised through D&I’s $8.2B expenditure in 2019 IN its continued effort to ensure that all Guyanese benefit from improved, extension and provision of drainage, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) expended some $8.2 Billion in 2019.

Part of this sum was used to acquire Guyana’s first Cutter Suction Dredge (CSD) valued at $329M for more effective clearing of coastal drainage channels.

This was disclosed by the Ministry of Finance in its end-of-year report for 2019.

Increasing Guyana’s resilience to flood and droughts, five sluices were constructed and rehabilitated in several communities across Guyana, and a pump station was commissioned at Herstelling, valued at $335M, improving drainage and irrigation for approximately 1,821 hectares (4,500 acres) of residential and agricultural lands from Providence to Little Diamond.

This specific venture by the NDIA benefitted 7,526 persons and 69 registered

farmers from the Mocha cooperative.

“The ultimate goal is to increase incomes and reduce unemployment, by providing access to land for farming through the rehabilitation of Drainage and Irrigation systems and access dams; and, additionally, by providing the necessary support, such as extension services and planting material to ensure the success of farmers,” Agriculture Minister Noel Holder remarked.

Also, in keeping with the holistic approach to drainage and irrigation, another pump station was completed at Buxton last year. The construction of seven pump stations was advanced; these will house nine newly-acquired pumps.

Also, under the Flood Risk Management Project (FRMP), the reconstruction of four kilometres of the North Eastern Dam of the East Demerara Water Conservancy is almost completed.

(DPI)

The pump at Herstelling in action

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Health sector underwent massive development in 2019 – Finance Ministry reports –– New services added at GPHC

–– $760M spent on medical equipment –– Hinterland health posts upgraded to health centres

THE Ministry of Finance’s 2019 End-of-Year Report has stated that, of the $35.9B allocated to the Health sector, $34.7B was expended.

The sector has seen several developmental projects being rolled out, with a series of upgrades being facilitated at health facilities throughout the country. New services were introduced at the National Referral Hospital, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in the areas of haematology and radiology.

These services include Contrast CT and CT Angiogram, Mammograms and Ultrasound-Guided Biopsies.

Also, a ForceTriad machine Mnister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, speaking was purchased and put into with a dialysis patient at the Regional Dialysis Centre operation, facilitating the use of LigaSure technology during in New Amsterdam laparoscopic surgery.

Long Creek health centres; warmers and anaesthetic maHealth facilities in several a dental clinic at President’s chines were also purchased regions also saw the introduc- College; dialysis in Region 6; for health facilities across tion and addition of new ser- ophthalmology in Region 7; the country. Approximately vices. Some noteworthy ones VIA cryotherapy in Region $760.7M was expended in are ultrasound at the Buxton 8; and, urology in Region 10. this regard. health centre, EKG at CC Incubators, laser therapy There were several new Nicholson Hospital as well machines, foetal dopplers, facilities established and exas at Plaisance, Mocha, and dental x-ray machines, infant pansion/upgrades to others.

The $6.3M Regional Dialysis Centre that was commissioned earlier this year at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital. $2.5 Billion was expended Kaituma Hospital and an- at different levels in the on the maintenance and other $31 million was health sector in communities construction of buildings in used to commence the across the country. the health sector. design of a new laboratoThe EoY report detailed Among these were the ry for the Food and Drug that more than 50 persons living quarters construct- Analyst Department,” the were trained as Community ed at Kamarang, Kaikan, report stated.

Health Workers (CHW) Lethem, Wiruni, MabaruAdditionally, in 2019 within the hinterland rema, Leguan and Mabura to the government expended gions. house additional medical $26.6 Million for the deThis brings the countrypersonnel to serve those ployment of the Geographic wide total number of CHWs communities.

Health Information System to 430, as the government “The new, state-of- (GHIS) to 15 health fa- continued its effort to imthe-art, drug storage bond cilities. With this system prove access and quality of for the Central Supplies in place, the capacity for health services provided to Unit at Kingston, costing improved data collection is persons in the remotest areas almost $540 million, was assured and will allow for of the country. commissioned, while the the coordination of variWhile ensuring access, extension of the bond for ous aspects of patient care more doctors were dethe Material Management delivery. ployed to serve in several Unit at Diamond was In terms of human re- areas. In 2019, 14 were completed for $116 Mil- sources, the Public Health added to the system in lion. The sum of $149.5 Ministry continues to pro- Region 4; six in Region 10; million was spent on the vide the opportunity for two in Region 5; and one completion of the Port staff to be trained to work in Region 8. (DPI)

Businesswoman launches fitness line to encourage home workouts THE Coronavirus pandemic has, undoubtedly, disrupted the lives of Guyanese.

It is now four months since the government instituted restricted measures to prevent the spread of the deadly decease. Many persons are finding it difficult to cope not only with the pandemic, but the ongoing electoral impasse and other challenges that have since arisen.

However, young businesswoman and fitness enthusiast, Tandika Morgan, says that incorporating exercise in your daily schedule will help maintain mental stability.

Further, she believes that when persons have the right fitness gears, they are more motivated to exercise regularly. As such, she launched her own fitness line, ‘Get Fit with Tandy’, to be a motivation, especially to women, to keep their health and fitness intact during, and even after this period.

The young woman who grew up on Norton Street, told this publication that in

Some of the gym wear from ‘Get Fit with Tandy’ addition to encouraging exercise for mental stability, she wanted to inspire women to work hard to achieve their body goals the natural way.

“I also wanted to give women like myself hope again. I wanted them to see that they can work out and

achieve the body they would want. I wanted to be an inspiration to women that they can have that healthy and fit body the natural way,” Morgan said.

But more importantly, she noted the cathartic effects of exercise.

“Being fit is caused by

physical activity, but such exercise also makes us healthier, emotionally. It gives us a sense of purpose and reduces feelings of lethargy and depression. There are so many reasons to be fit; it decreases risk of Type Two diabetes, hypertension (or high blood pressure), and all-cause mortality; it improves cholesterol levels, mental health, better quality sleep; and it reduces anxiety.

‘Get Fit with Tandy’ gears are comfortable to workout with and affordable, we cater for all sizes. Our gears help give you the confidence you need to stay dedicated to your healthy lifestyle,” the young woman shared.

Since the gyms are currently closed, the next best and safest place to work out is at home, she further said, noting that ‘Get Fit with Tandy’ makes this possible by providing the gears you need to workout at home.

Morgan said this new business initiative is also tied with her love for entre-

preneurship.

“Growing up, I would always see how hard my mom would have to work to provide for me and my siblings. She would do all she could to make sure we had everything. The love she gave and showed to us was all I needed to be inspired to work for everything that I want. I knew I liked being an entrepreneur when I started my first business venture five years ago, which was selling makeup products.

The love and support I got was unbelievable and ever since then, I’ve been looking and finding new ways to expand,” she told the Guyana Chronicle.

Adding further, that she aspires to be someone that everyone could think of when they hear about gym wear, makeup, and clothing.

Persons can contact Morgan on Instagram @ get-fit-with-Tandy and Facebook: Get Fit with Tandy.

Owner of Get Fit with Tandy gym wear line, Tandika Morgan wearing her gears

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

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Consultation on new Linden bridge for Tuesday

Preliminary Design of the Linden Wismar Bridge, Region10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) FORGING ahead with its plans to construct a new Wismar-Mackenzie bridge at Linden, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) will host a Virtual Public Consultation on July 7, 2020 via Zoom and citizens will be able to give their inputs on the bridge’s design and possible impact to the environment.

The MoPI has advertised that the consultation will see the presentation of alternative bridge designs and will allow for questions to be asked and answered.

Back in October 2019, through public consultations hosted by Politecnica --- the consultancy firm hired by the ministry --- many Lindeners agreed that they wanted the new bridge to be constructed in proximity to the existing bridge.

Meanwhile, the consultancy firm was tasked with preparing the final design of the bridge, based on a detailed feasibility study and bid documents.

For the design, residents who attended the consultations had preferred that the

bridge be durable and wide enough to support heavy-duty vehicles such as lumber trucks, which frequent Linden.

The bridge, they requested, should also be high enough to accommodate bauxite ships and that scales be placed at both ends of the bridge.

The residents also spoke of how accessing infrastructure should match the width of the bridge to accommodate the influx of traffic that is expected in the town with the construction of the Linden to Lethem Road.

The new bridge will be built according to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards.

A video released by the MoPI last month showed the preliminary design of the bridge which includes a round-about on both the Mackenzie and Wismar ends of the bride and separate lanes for going and coming traffic.

It was also high enough for passing vessels and includes rails.

Man stabbed to death over a Guinness THE police in Berbice have launched an investigation into the death of Nickosie VanKenie known as ‘Scarie,’ who was stabbed during an argument over a Guinness stout at “Choby” Hangout, Patrick Dam, Plantation Mount Sinai, commonly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue, in New Amsterdam.

The 24-year-old who resided at Angoy’s Avenue, succumbed to his injuries at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital at 09:30hrs on Sunday, despite undergoing a nine-hour emergency surgery. His injuries, which included a wound to his neck, stemmed from an argument with the suspect, a 29-year-old security guard of Pope Street, New Amsterdam.

The incident took place on Friday night.

The police in a statement on Sunday said the incident took place around 23:40hrs under a shed, located in proximity to a shop. The police have confirmed that the victim and suspect had an argument over

Dead: Nickosie Vankenie a ‘Guinness’ when the 29-yearold suspect allegedly stabbed Vankenie in the regions of his neck and abdomen.

“The victim was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he received medical attention and was admitted in the ICU but succumbed to his injuries about 09:30h today [Sunday],” the police reported.

The suspect, who fled the scene after the incident, was apprehended around 13:00hrs on Sunday and investigators are in possession of a statement from an eye witness, the police said.

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Teacher’s car targeted in suspected arson attempt

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

–– victim believes attack politically motivated

THE police are currently investigating an incident of suspected attempted arson on a Honda Fitz motor car owned by Eamuka Mgqondo, on Sunday at his Good Hope home. According to Mgqondo, he noticed the fire sometime around 07:00hrs when he got up.

Mggondo told the Guyana Chronicle that he had gotten up to open the gate to allow the gardener access

to weed the yard; he added that while downstairs he noticed “black soot” coming from the back half of the car, and went to investigate. He then saw a bottle with burnt paper on top of the car.

“Well I got up around 7 am and I went downstairs to open the gate for the gardener to come and cut the grass in the yard; I smelled gasoline, so I started looking for where it was coming

from. That’s when I saw some black soot coming form the back of the vehicle and I rushed to see what was happening. There was a bottle with some burnt paper on the top of the car, so I tried my best to put it out because the blaze wasn’t that big by the time I caught it.”

Mgqondo stated that although he cannot confirm it, he believes that the attack was politically motivated, as he has no known ene-

mies, stating: “I never had any issue with people, the only thing I can say is that it’s political, cause I have a set of APNU+AFC banners all over the front of my house.” He further told the Chronicle that he is a teacher by profession and does not believe the issue stems from his professional life.

Although the interior of the vehicle was not damaged, and there was only minor exterior damage, the

The damage caused to the Honda Fitz police are currently conducting an investigation to ascertain the identity of the perpetrator, and have received video surveillance footage from one of Mgqondo’s neighbours.

This incident comes almost one week after a similar incident of suspected arson which destroyed four vehicles that were parked in the compound of the Ministry of the Public Service. A Honda CRV belonging to local television journalist Travis Chase was destroyed in that incident; a vehicle which belonged to the ministry and two privately owned vehicles were also completely destroyed in the blaze which reportedly started around 02:45hrs on June 29, 2020.

Chase had told the Guy-

ana Chronicle that although he has been threatened several times in the past for his work as a journalist, he could not definitively say that the attack has anything to do with his job.

Chase, who is also executive director of a gold-mining company, stated that in February 2019, someone had slashed the tyres of his Nissan Dualis, a matter which is currently under investigation by the police.

The GPF has stated that it is currently utilising its resources to conduct an investigation into the destruction of the vehicles that were being housed in the building, and will be working on finding the perpetrators of the crime.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

‘You are endangering yourself and others’ –– Public Security Minister urges public to take COVID-19 seriously

THERE is only so much the government can do to encourage citizens to practice physical and social distancing during the pandemic.

Beyond that, citizens must exercise self-discipline realising that if they flout the measures in place, they not only endanger themselves, but put at risk additional health workers and citizens of the country.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan sent a strong message to Guyanese on Sunday through 104.3 Power FM urging them to take a look at the recent spike and spread in COVID-19 cases which, undoubtedly, could have been avoided.

He said that the government, through the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), has put in place a number of measures meant to balance the protection of citizens and the maintenance of livelihoods, but many are taking the global health crisis, which has already killed millions, for granted.

“A lot of us are hard ears…and that is what has caused a spike. We have tried not to do [a] complete lockdown, as in other countries, because we know people got to live and people got to do their activity and all of that. So, we’ve done a curfew, 6pm to 6am largely and even so, after hours we notice people clustering, not wearing their masks, doing a number of things in crowded areas,” he lamented.

He added: “We have to ensure that people do the correct things as the measures have proclaimed and that they live in accordance with that, but we still have some people who want to drink late in the nights and they’re close enough to each other, they’re talking to each other, they’re not keeping their social distancing and that is what is causing this thing.”

To date, Guyana as recorded over 270 cases of the virus. On Saturday, the Ministry of Public Health reported that there were 16 new cases, carrying the

He said in the observation of other countries which were among the first to be infected by the virus, is that those who were able to flatten their curve or even eliminate the virus in some parts did so not only on the basis of their public health systems, but through the coop-

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan total number of active cases to 135. On Sunday, the Guyana Chronicle broke the news of the country’s 15th COVID-19 related death, a 25-year-old teacher from the Rupununi Savannah.

Ramjattan said that the government, in response to the recent spike, has had to lockdown some Indigenous communities with no travel in our out and has had to halt mining in at least one area, amongst other measures.

However, in those Regions, close to the border with Brazil which has had over 1.5 million cases and over 64,000 deaths, there is still the challenge of porous borders where people, who have been warned not to, continue to cross over back and forth, spreading the virus to populated areas such a Georgetown, Bartica and Charity.

While enforcement is a last resort, the Public Security Minister said that even when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) arrests individuals, it has to consider the safety of the said individuals while in the lockups.

He therefore urged the listening public: “We have to understand that it will put a lot of pressure on our health services…if you get more cases coming in and the people are having breathing problems, they need respirators, you’re going to put so much more stress [on the system]. So, we are begging.”

eration of their citizens who were willing to be disciplined.

“The best way, as has been found in Singapore, even China itself, is people being disciplined. South Korea and these countries that have done well, it is discipline, citizenry, listening to what the authori-

ties are saying, especially the Public Health Ministry and I think that is where we have to learn a thing or two as to how to ensure that we come out of this with minimum damage,” he advised.

Seeking to combat the spread before it worsens,

the NCTF has instructed the Ministry of Public Security to create a Mobile Emergency Response and Enforcement Unit which will not only enforce the advisories but visit the new COVID-19 hotspots and arrest the situation.

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Exam students’ mental health needs attention –– says psychologist, advises that support systems be put in place

By Vishani Ragobeer

SUPPORT systems should be put in place for students who will be sitting the ‘high-stakes’ examinations as their mental health is at-risk, according to Trinidadian Psychologist, Dr. Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor.

In a recent online engagement, Dr. Nakhid-Chatoor addressed the mental health effects of children in the Caribbean writing ‘high-stakes’ examinations amidst a global pandemic and the ramifications caused by that. These examinations include the secondary schools entrance examination (known as the National Grade Six Assessment in Guyana) and the Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC’s) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

“Children and youth are mostly resilient, but during times of uncertainty such as this pandemic, they would experience more stress and anxiety and their mental health concerns would increase if there is a lack of structure, support in their homes and if there is no interaction with their peers and teachers,” the psychologist explained.

Furthermore, she emphasised that children and adolescents are “social beings” who require social interaction for growth and development. This pandemic and its emphasis on physical distancing have been antithetical to that.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pupils and students would have spent months away from the normal school routine and their social interactions with their teachers and peers. In Guyana, schoolchildren returned to school to prepare for NGSA, which was held on July 1 and 2. Secondary school children have also been attending classes in preparation for the CXC examinations slated to begin next week.

Parents and teachers praised Guyana’s Education Ministry for a job well done on sanitising the schools and putting sufficient measures in place to ensure that the threat of COVID-19 was minimised. Dr. Nakhid-Chatoor, however, is contending that while policymakers have been perceptive in implementing “physical” safeguard measures, across the Caribbean, a focus on the holistic well-being of children was not being considered. Focus on the mental well-being of children, particularly those in less-than-favourable circumstances during the pandemic has not been given enough attention.

“The narrative continues to cater for those homes where parents were able to engage with children, and those homes where the fridges were stocked with food,” she stressed while adding that “there was no narrative for marginalised and disadvantaged children.”

Trinidadian Psychologist, Dr. Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor “This is what children need to feel right now- they need to feel safe and secure that they will be able to do it,” she said, reasoning: “The teacher and the administration of the school are very important here, because parents can’t do it.”

In addition to ensuring that children feel a sense of safety and security, she also advised that the respective ministries of education include adequate personnel- whether guidance counsellors Revised dates for the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC’s) examinations or social workers- to help children work through the upcoming weeks of examAccording to her, there are children of this newspaper. In that letter, he inations. This is particularly important who would have been in homes where expressed his frustration that the for marginalised children who may be they had access to online services, CXC examinations were still being returning to schools with “baggage.” where their parents’ livelihoods were held when the Caribbean has not “Many children seek sanctuary at not adversely affected by the pandemic managed to control the spread of the the school, for their mental health,” and where their living situation would novel coronavirus, COVID-19. she said. Many schools provide chilFurthermore, he wrote of his and be conducive to learning. But then, there dren and students with resources that are many children who have not been his colleagues’ disapproval of the CXC they may not have at home, including: in those favourable circumstances and using only School Based Assessments hot meals (through the school-feeding who had challenges learning during the (SBAs) and the traditional multiple programmes), amenities, guidance and choice, paper one examination for stuperiod. counselling and a safe space for them The day before this year’s NGSA, dents this year. to be themselves. Though these all “As a student, I can confidently state the Guyana Chronicle spoke with affect the various aspects of a child’s Lamheimant Ram, of Albouystown knowing that many others share this holistic health, the absence of any of who indicated that online learning was sentiment, that students are tired. We these weighs on one’s mental health, a challenge for his daughter, as the are fatigued, we are exhausted, weary, according to the psychologist. household did not have internet access drained, and most of all fed up. WhichIn the medium to long-term, the until two weeks before. In Aishalton, ever way you put it, students as a whole Trinidadian advised that there are many Region Nine, this newspaper also spoke are tired of this whole exam affair,” things that can be improved upon withto a secondary school teacher who indi- Sharma wrote. in the education sector, given that the The CXC has remained firm in its cated that internet and communication pandemic has exposed the myriad of technology (ICT) is not readily available decision that exams will be held at the disparities that exist. in the region. However, the region nine stipulated time (that is, beginning from She indicated that resources need to teacher tried sending questions for her July 13). Dr. Nakhid-Chatoor related be aimed at “catching up” and transiCSEC students to work via Whatsapp that it is expected that the students will tioning students who are falling behind and went above and beyond to distribute panic at the mere thought of the change in their education. Great focus should worksheets to her students, who were in examination structure, even if nothing be given to the provision of reliable and living in sometimes distant communi- else affects them. She pointed to the accessible mental health services for fact that these students spent five years ties. both students and teachers, and incenThere is a very real challenge of preparing for the examinations and have tives should be provided to teachers who educational disparities, the psycholo- worked past papers and conditioned have gone beyond the call of duty at this gist emphasised, adding that all these their minds to a particular examination time, she said. factors impact children’s mental format.

And finally, she suggested that Cognisant of this, she highlighted health and their ability to learn. greater focus must be given to trainthat teachers need to take some time ing teachers for blended learning to revise with the students in ways that SAFETY AND SECURITY (using both online and traditional In May, a sixth form student, Vijay ensure that a sense of “safety and secu- platforms) and equipping the educaSharma, penned a letter to the editor rity” prevails. tion system to accommodate this.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Shuman calls for Lowenfield to be dismissed –– pens letter to GECOM’s Chair citing several reasons

LEADER of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman, in a letter to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, requested the immediate dismissal of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield.

LJP is one of the nine political parties that contested the General and Regional Elections last March, for which, the results are still pending.

In his letter, Shuman alleged that the CEO has demonstrated little or no respect for the will of the electorate, and, as such, called for his dismissal.

“Over the last four (4) months, Mr. Lowenfield has conducted himself in a manner that does not command the confidence of the public and continues to demonstrate no degree of respect for the electorate, the Guyanese people nor the structures and institutions that were meant to protect and safeguard the will of the

people,” the LJP Presidential Candidate wrote.

Shuman, in the letter, accused the Chief Elections Officer of being bias in the execution of his duty. Further to that, he alleged that Lowenfield has demonstrated gross negligence with regards to the safeguarding of elections documents.

It was pointed out that during the National Recount at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in May, more than 29 ballot boxes from

Presidential Candidate of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman the East Coast of Demerara were discovered without statutory documents such as the counterfoils, Official List of Electors (OLE), poll books, folios, spoilt ballots, damaged ballots, and proxies.

Shuman believes that Lowenfield would have failed to provide clear written instructions to the Presiding Officers on Polling Day with regards to safeguarding documents.

The LJP Presidential

Candidate contended that the first Elections Report submitted to the GECOM Chair by Lowenfield contained “inaccurate and fraudulent information” that was declared by Region Four’s Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

He alleged that following the completion of the National Recount, the CEO, in his second Elections Report, disenfranchised thousands of voters so as to project a win for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). “[He] willfully attempted to disenfranchise 115,000+ voters by wanting to invalidate said number of votes, exercising authority that is not vested in him and beyond his remit in interpreting the Appeal Court’s Ruling and acting contrary to said court orders,” Shuman complained.

That report, Shuman contended, was contrary to the directions of the Commission and was an act of

Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield gross insubordination on the part of Lowenfield. It was also pointed out that the CEO was currently facing three separate criminal charges for electoral fraud.

In contending that the Guyanese electorate no longer had confidence in the CEO, the LJP Presidential Candidate recommended that Lowenfield be replaced with a candidate who will adhere to the electoral laws of the country.

Need for a much more robust response to endangered sea turtles – says conservationist Annette Arjoon-Martins, as more sea turtles die WITHIN the past two weeks there has been a surge in the number of dead sea turtles, some of which are endangered species, washing up on the Guyana’s coastal shore with no trace or evidence of how they died.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle early Sunday morning, conservationist Annette Arjoon-Martins made a call for a much more robust response to what can be considered as an environmental epidemic.

Martins disclosed that just last week, a 1000lb leatherback sea turtle was

seen adjacent to Celina Resort and this week a green sea turtle adjacent to the new COVID-19 Hospital.

“The state of decomposition of the leatherback made it difficult to establish cause of death. The green sea turtle was not as decomposed and whist there were no signs of entanglement with fishing the right side was irreparably damaged and appeared to indicate injury from collision with a vessel.”

She added that while sea turtle conservation started in Guyana over four decades ago, the field-monitoring programme has been based

Conservationist Annette Arjoon-Martins at Shell Beach, Region One (Barima-Waini), making it difficult to address incidents that occur in other areas.

Martins noted that while the sea turtle rangers are See page 19

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Need for a much more robust response ...

From page 18

familiar with establishing cause of death by entanglement in fishing nets or vessel strikes, there is limited capacity to conduct further investigations to determine other causes of death.

She further noted that currently there is a partnership with the University of Guyana and the Georgetown Zoo, the Sea Turtle Conservation University of Guyana and the Georgetown Zoo-

logical Park investigations and equipment are limited to determine the cause of the recent rapid deaths of the sea turtles,.

“Whilst an informal and limited partnership exists with the University of Guyana and the Georgetown Zoo for preliminarily investigations and rehabilitation facilities respectively, there is need for a much more robust response capability and

additional equipment.”

She noted that there is not much that can be done as there is no technical expertise nor facilities to further any additional investigations, as turtle rangers can only make an assessment based on their usual visual checks, which makes it impossible to determine how the conservation can slow and eventually put an end to the high death rate of sea turtles in Guyana’s

A Green Back Sea Turtle that had washed up on Guyana’s seashore

waters.

“Unfortunately, we do not have the technical expertise nor facilities to do the necessary investigations to determine cause of death. Beyond our experience with depending on a simple visual check to see fishing net marks and determining that death by drowning would have been the cause, we have not progressed much.”

The giant leatherback sea turtle is the only species of sea turtle that lacks a hard shell. Its carapace is large, elongated and flexible with seven distinct ridges running the length of the animal. It has a thin layer as well as tough, rubbery skin which is strengthened by thousands of tiny bones. The sea turtle is one of four species of marine turtles that nest on Guyana’s beaches.

Remains of a dead Leatherback Back Sea Turtle that had recently washed up on the Coastland of Guyana’s seashore They were recently placed on the ICUN red list, deeming them an endangered species.

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae.

This sea turtle’s dorsoventrally flattened body is

covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace; it has a pair of large, paddle-like flippers.

It is usually lightly coloured, although in the Eastern Pacific populations parts of the carapace can be almost black.

They too have been listed as an endangered species.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Bottas wins dramatic...

CONTINUED FROM BACKPAGE

ninth for Alfa Romeo and Sebastian Vettel, who had another nightmare, completed the top 10 for Ferrari.

Canadian Nicholas Latifi was the last car running with 11th for Williams.

There was drama even before the race when stewards performed a U-turn after a Red Bull challenge and dropped Hamilton from the front row to fifth on the grid for a qualifying error.

That also promoted Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to the front row alongside Bottas.

Any hopes the Dutchman had of completing a hat-trick of Austrian wins disappeared when he suffered an early technical problem and became the season’s first retirement.

“I think it would have been an easy podium and third would have been a decent start to the season but what can you do?,” he said.

SAFETY CAR The first safety car was deployed when Haas’s Kevin Magnussen spun off on lap 26 and it then came out again when George Russell parked up his stricken Williams.

The third was after Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo turned into a three-wheeler, a loose wheel bouncing off and

across the track.

Bottas had Hamilton in his mirrors soon enough but the Briton was handed a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Red Bull’s Alex Albon while defending second place.

The Thai spun off into the gravel, his podium hopes gone.

“It’s not been a great weekend for me, yesterday was entirely my fault and to get a penalty today... it is what it is,” said Hamilton.

Leclerc, whose team had struggled in qualifying with Vettel failing even to make the top 10, moved up to third against all expectations — which became second after the chequered flag.

“It feels like a victory today,” said the Monegasque.

Perez, who ran as high as third, lost out to Norris two laps from the end but the Mexican was already carrying a time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

Anyone who had feared Mercedes enjoying a race of their own, after dominating practice and qualifying, need not have worried. They fretted over gearbox sensors and possible kerb damage as he race wore on.

The second race is at the same circuit next weekend, another Formula One first.

CPL asked to fill-in the blanks for...

CONTINUED FROM BACKPAGE

were supposed to have met on Tuesday but protests in Portof-Spain prevented that and instead, they met on Thursday.

With the Caribbean not badly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there was always the chance that the CPL will be played.

Originally CPL hinted that they may have played the tournament in two or three countries. There has been a change of heart and T&T has now been allowed to take the entire tournament.

Prime Minister Dr Rowley and the cabinet will have to decide whether it is safe to open the borders in time for the tournament and how will they treat with players coming from across the region into this country? The opening of the borders was listed as last on the agenda by the government.

The government will also have to weigh the fact that staging the entire CPL in T&T will be an economic boost to the country, especially in this trying financial times.

(Reprinted from Trinidad Guardian)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

‘Sci-fi’ England-Windies opener a new frontier for Test cricket

By Julian Guyer , IT will be Test cricket but not as we’ve known it when England face the West Indies in the opening match of a “bio-secure” series at Southampton starting on Wednesday.

With the coronavirus pandemic having brought the world game to a halt in March, there were fears this three-Test campaign might also fall victim to COVID-19.

But, with the West Indies agreeing to go ahead despite Britain’s virus death toll of over 44,000 being the highest in Europe, the series is set to mark cricket’s return from lockdown instead.

However, a number of anti-virus measures mean next week’s match will look like few others in 143 years of Testmatch history.

For a start, both sides will be staying at on-site hotels at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford in Manchester -- the ven-

ue for the second and third Tests -- in a series originally scheduled for elsewhere in England in June.

England have already settled in at the Ageas Bowl, where they played a three-day intra-squad match this week as the West Indies continued their preparations at Old Trafford.

- ‘Back at school’ Mark Wood, the England fast bowler, said the environment, “feels a bit like a sci-fi movie”, with players subjected to repeated health checks.

“There is hand sanitiser at every turn, and on the floor there are arrows, lines and footprints to show the way to go,” Wood told the BBC. He added meal times were “like being back at school”, with players at individual desks “looking at the back of the person in front”.

But perhaps the most visible change will be the lack of any spectators.

Sci-fi cricket - England fast bowler Mark Wood.

For while sparse crowds all this season that, according to are not unknown in Test cricket its own estimates, could cost the -- particularly when Pakistan England and Wales Cricket Board play ‘home’ games in the United £252 million ($309 million).

Arab Emirates -- this series will Meanwhile, Cricket West be a completely behind closed Indies(CWI) president Ricky doors affair.

Skerritt insisted a $3 million That does help officials to loan from the ECB was a “helphonour lucrative broadcast coning hand” at a time of economic tracts and so eliminate a ‘nightcrisis rather than a condition of mare scenario’ of no cricket at

touring England.

Quite how the lack of atmosphere, as well as being cooped up on the ground at night, will affect the players is uncertain, with West Indies captain Jason Holder admitting he would miss England’s loudest fans.

“I enjoy playing in front of the Barmy Army, to not hear them sing, to not hear them chant will take some getting used to,” he said.

England batsman Ollie Pope, however, was adamant the teams would have no trouble in maintaining the standards associated with cricket’s pinnacle format.

“Even if there’s not a single person in the crowd it’s still what we all dreamt of doing,” he said.

“When that Test match starts up, crowd or no crowd, you are going to be really up for it.”

Players will be barred from using saliva to shine the ball, although overhead conditions could still mean there’s swing for the faster bowlers.

The series will also take place against the backdrop of recent worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, with both teams set to have a BLM logo on their shirts.

But amid all the changes, which includes provision for virus substitutes if required, there will be a return to cricket’s past.

Travel restrictions mean there are set to be two on-field home umpires in a Test for the first time since 2002 when the International Cricket Council made neutral match officials mandatory in the five-day game.

Yet concerns about the alterations are outweighed by a sense of relief that the series is still going ahead.

England captain Joe Root -- before it was confirmed he would miss the first Test to attend the birth of his second child -- summed up the mood by saying: “I think the whole cricketing world will be grateful to see some cricket again.”(AFP)

Ronaldo becomes first Juventus player in 60 years to score 25 league goals …finally breaks free-kick duck

CRISTIANO Ronaldo has become the first man in 60 years to hit 25 goals for Juventus in a single Serie A season, bringing up the milestone with his first-ever free-kick goal for the Italian giants.

The prolific Portuguese reached that mark by finding the target in Saturday’s derby against Torino, which ended in a convincing victory for the league leaders.

His remarkable standards have been maintained throughout the current campaign, with the target found on 25 occasions through just 26 appearances in the Italian top-flight.

Ronaldo is still looking to chase down the Capocannoniere crown in 2020, but remains four efforts short of Lazio frontman Ciro Immobile.

Time is still on the 35-yearold’s side, though, and he remains a model of consistency.

He has helped Juve back to the top of the table this season, as they chase down a ninth successive Serie A crown.

Title glory was enjoyed during his debut campaign in Italy, but only 21 league goals were recorded by a five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

That haul has been raised this term, allowing him to match the efforts of club legend Omar Sivori from 1960-61.

The Argentine-born Italy star

Cristiano Ronaldo admitted to feeling a sense of relief after scoring from a free-kick in Juventus’ 4-1 win over Torino on Saturday. scored exactly 25 to help Juve win the Scudetto that season, although he was pipped to the top scorer title

by Sampdoria’s Sergio Brighenti.

Nobody has managed 25 league goals since then, with legendary figures such as Alessandro Del Piero, Roberto Baggio and Michel Platini all falling short.

Ronaldo’s exploits in front of goal are now expected and no longer come as any surprise.

Over the course of a record-setting career, he has raised the bar of individual excellence to never before seen heights.

He is the complete package when it comes to a modern-day footballer, with there seemingly nothing that he cannot do.

Questions have, however,

been asked of his free-kick record at times.

For someone who stands over so many set-pieces, Ronaldo’s strike rate is not the best.

That has remained the case during his time in Turin, although a dead ball situation was the source of his most recent strike.

Ronaldo’s effort against local rivals was his first from a direct free-kick for the Bianconeri, with 42 previous attempts having failed to find the back of the net.

Ronaldo helped to put Juve out of sight in their meeting with Torino, with the Portuguese adding to earlier efforts from Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado as Maurizio Sarri’s side eventually ran out 4-1 winners on the day.

(Goal.com)

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Batsmen must back up bowlers’ intensity, says Brooks SOUTHAMPTON, England, (CMC) – Righthander Shamarh Brooks on Saturday reiterated the importance of West Indies’ batsmen pulling their weight in the upcoming England series, especially coming on the heels of inconsistent performances in the two recent warm-up matches.

The tourists’ batting has developed a notorious reputation for being unpredictable and is expected to come under the microscope in often difficult English conditions, against the prodigious likes of seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

“The guys have been working very, very hard.

We know the English bowling attack is a good one [but] once we bat well, I think we have a very good chance,” said Brooks, who has played three Tests since making his debut a year

ago.

“Spending time at the crease will be key and as long as we apply ourselves, spend some time out there, it will get easier. We need as a batting unit to stand up in this series and make the difference.”

Frontline batsman provided some reassurance in last week’s three-day ‘inter-squad’ fixture at Old Trafford as opener Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Brooks and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich all struck half-centuries.

There was no such enterprise in this week’s fourday game, however, with Brathwaite, Hope, opener John Campbell and Roston Chase all managing only single digits in their only knock.

Captain Jason Holder, Test cricket’s top-ranked all-rounder, struggled with nought, five and two in his

three innings.

In contrast, the Caribbean side’s pace attack looked sharp and aggressive and Brooks said it was critical the batting unit backed up the bowlers.

“Clearly our bowling will be our strength, and has been for the past couple of years.

If you look at our batting, when we do get it right as a unit we have won games,” he pointed out.

“That’s why I’m stressing on the point that we need to bat well, especially against a team like England at home, who are going to be very challenging.

“The coach, I guess he would feel that way because of what he saw in the last game, where the bowlers really raised the intensity and we (batting) fell down.

“But I still don’t feel that when we come to the Test series, it will go that way. We need to apply ourselves, stick

Liverpool maintain 100 percent home record with 2-0 win over Villa

Sadio Mane scored Liverpool’s first goal in the 71st minute(Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Champions Liverpool made it 17 wins out of 17 at Anfield with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday which pushed Dean Smith’s side deeper into trouble.

After their 4-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City on Thursday, Juergen Klopp’s side struggled to break down a determined Villa.

Klopp fielded another strong side but with the ground empty and the title already in the bag, there was a lack of edge to Liverpool’s play.

The visitor’s were solid and

organised and could even have gone ahead in the 52nd minute when Anwar El Ghazi forced a fine save out of Alisson.

But Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, meeting a low ball from Naby Keita with a firm shot that rattled in off the underside of the cross-bar.

Substitute Curtis Jones scored the second, a minute from the end, with the 19 year old hooking home after Mohamed Salah headed an Andy Robertson cross into his path.

Villa, who have now lost 20 games, remain deep in rel-

egation trouble, in 18th place on 27 points and they have yet to win since the resumption of the season, their winless streak going back nine games.

“I don’t want to be a valiant loser because we are scrapping for points and we are running out of games. But I thought the game plan and the effort was excellent... but we never found that quality in the final third,” said Smith.

Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last 57 Premier League home games with 47 wins and 10 draws and they have won 24 home games in a row.

to the basics and stick to our game plans.”

He added: “Some of us got the opportunity to bat and spend time at the crease. It’s still a batsman or bowlers game. Our bowlers bowled well, especially in the second game – our Test bowlers really came with a different intensity.

“It’s good to get out there and have a practice game but I think we are backing our preparation to bring success in this series.”

West Indies arrived on England’s south coast on Friday to finalise preparations for the opening Test starting Wednesday, after spending just over three weeks at their “bio-secure” Old Trafford facility in Manchester.

They engaged in intense training and net sessions while undergoing a twoweek quarantine, before turning their attention to the two practice games.

West Indies batsman Shamarh Brooks.

Brooks said the buildup to the series had been adequate and West Indies were champing at the bit.

“I think we’ve had enough time to prepare.

We’ve been here three, four weeks now, we’ve had two practice games, and I think the intensity in those practice games was decent,” he said.

“But having said that, we just came off a first-class

season as well, so it’s not like we are out of the woods in terms of not being in cricket form.

“I know three months [in lockdown in the Caribbean without cricket] might seem like a while but I think the four weeks we have had here would be enough time to get ourselves back in shape and ready for this Test series.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

Hamilton and other F1 drivers take a knee in Austria SPIELBERG, Austria (Reuters) - Six times world champion Lewis Hamilton and a majority of Formula One’s 20 drivers took a knee on the starting grid before Sunday’s season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.

The sport’s only Black driver, an outspoken campaigner against racial injustice and for greater diversity, wore a black T-shirt with ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the front and ‘End Racism’ on the back.

Hamilton appeared to be the only driver with ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the front of his shirt as they gathered before the anthem at the Red Bull Ring. The others wore ones with the message ‘End Racism’.

The knee protest was

Drivers display their own interpretation of a stance against racism

popularised by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and has gained steam following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis

in May. Television images showed six drivers standing behind the 14 who knelt, including Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Both had already explained their positions on social media.

“I believe that what matters are facts and behaviours in our daily life rather than formal gestures that could

be seen as controversial in some countries,” Leclerc said on Twitter.

“I will not take the knee but this does not mean at all that I am less committed than others in

the fight against racism.”

Verstappen, winner in Austria for the past two years and on the front row of the grid, said he was also committed to equality and the fight against racism.

“But I believe everyone has the right to express themself at a time and in a way that suits them. I will not take the knee today but respect and support the personal choices every driver makes,” said the Dutch 22-year-old.

Formula One posted a clip of the drivers on Twitter with the words: “End Racism. One cause.

One commitment. As individuals, we choose our own way to support the cause.

As a group of drivers and a wider F1 family, we are united in its goal.”

BCCI ethics officer receives conflict of interest complaint against Virat Kohli A conflict of interest complaint has been filed against Virat Kohli for his positions in two business ventures.

Complainant Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, wrote an email to BCCI ethics officer-cum-ombudsman Justice (retd) DK Jain and a number of BCCI executives, including president Sourav Ganguly and CEO Rahul Johri, arguing that Kohli’s various posts were in violation of the BCCI constitution.

In his complaint filed on July 4, Gupta said that Kohli’s co-directors at Virat Kohli Sports (LLP)

and Cornerstone Venture Partners (LLP) were also directors in Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment Private Limited, a talent agency that contracts Indian cricketers and handles their branding and commercial interests. Justice Jain said he was examining the complaint.

“Shri Virat Kohli is occupying two posts at a time in blatant violation to BCCI Rule 38 (4) approved by Supreme Court Of India. As such, he must relinquish his one post at once in compliance. His two posts are covered as under: A - 38(4)(a) - Player and B - 38(4)(o) - Contractual Entity, to be read with

BCCI Rule 38(1) (iii),” Gupta’s complaint said.

Rule 38(4) of the BCCI constitution prevents individuals from holding more than one of 16 posts: player (current), selector/member of cricket committee, team official, commentator, match official, administrator/office bearer, electoral officer, ombudsman & ethics officer, auditor, any person who is governance, management or employee of a franchisee, member of a standing committee, CEO & managers, office Bearer of a Member (state association), service provider (legal, financial etc.), contractual entity (broadcast, se-

curity, contractor etc.) and owner of cricket academy.

“I have received a complaint,” Justice Jain told PTI on Sunday. “I will examine it and then see if the case is made out or not. If yes, then I have to afford an opportunity to him (Kohli) to respond.”

Gupta had previously filed conflict of interest complaints against Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman and also Rahul Dravid. In each of those instances, the ethics officer had served notices based on the complaints, but the former cricketers were eventually cleared.(ESPN Cricinfo)

Sanjeev Gupta has alleged that Virat Kohli’s various posts were in violation of the BCCI constitution.

Softball cricket fraternity pays tribute to the late Anil Persaud

AS the local cricket fraternity continues to mourn the loss of former cricket administrator, Anil Persaud, many organisations have expressed their

grief at the loss to the sport of cricket.

Among the latest bodies to openly share their sentiments are the Georgetown Softball Cricket

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

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League Incorporated (GSCL) and the Enterprise Legends Cricket team.

Throughout his life, local cricket administrator, Anil Persaud, had touched many persons especially in the field of cricket.

As a cricket organiser, coach and selector, Persaud’s responsibilities were endless but, for the love of the game, the former resident of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, still found time to have some fun on the field of play, at least at the softball level.

For two consecutive years, Persaud participated in the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Incorporated -organized Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup with distinction. In 2018, he turned out for the Enterprise Legends while in 2019, he suited up for the visiting Tropical Springs Masters.

A release from the GSCL stated: “Cricket has lost a fighter, he did it all for crick-

Anil Persaud (left) and Seemangal Yadram (2nd left) with other members of the Enterprise Legends side at a team function. et, for the love of the sport.

He was a true all-rounder, a champion. He will be missed.

May his humble soul be granted eternal peace.”

Meanwhile, his former Enterprise Legends teammates have also shared their sentiments. “His passing shocked us in the team and in cricket

generally. He was very reliable and passionate. He was more than a teammate to us; he was our friend and brother.

Cricket will miss him.

On behalf of all of us at Enterprise Busta Cricket Club, Enterprise Legends and our families, I would like to express our condolences to his wife, Sunita, and his children, Rejane and Renuka. May his soul rest in peace.”

Persaud who passed away suddenly last Wednesday July 1 at the age of 48 years old was at the time the serving Assistant Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)and member of the Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club.

Additionally, he was very visible on match days at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence where he did his best to ensure the ultimate fan experience. He was the true cricket all-rounder. His funeral is set for Sunday July 5.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 6, 2020

FIFA keeping football in the Caribbean alive during pandemic

...CFU president says football in the region will be difficult to sustain without fans

By Rawle Toney WITH sports around the world returning with restrictions on spectators, Randy Harris, president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), believes however, that in the Caribbean, football administrators will not be able to sustain the game without fans.

Harris pointed out that unlike the rest of the federations affiliated to the sport’s global governing body, football in the region is heavily dependent on the support from FIFA and spectators.

“The fans in the Caribbean are critical for us to do well. We have not yet understood that if we want to benefit from the game, that we have to develop our footballers, and our administrators,” Harris candidly stated, while stressing that unlike cricket, “we (football) can’t attract television at this time, so our basic income is people coming and supporting the game.”

The CFU boss further told Chronicle Sport that “in other words, in a situation like this (with COVID-19), if we weren’t getting assistance from FIFA, we’ll be dead!”

FIFA announced, on June 25, that their Council had unanimously approved the FIFA COVID‑19 Relief Plan, which was designed by the FIFA administration in close cooperation with representatives of the confed-

erations.

In a media release, FIFA stated that across its three stages, the global support plan will make available up to US$1.5 billion to assist the football community.

In the first two stages of the plan, FIFA provided for the immediate release of all Forward operational‑cost payments to member associations and, subsequently, for the opportunity to transform Forward development grants into COVID-19 operational relief funds – with a minimum of 50% of released funds to be allocated to women’s football .

FOOTBALL’S RETURN IN JEOPARDY! Meanwhile, Harris, when asked about football’s return in the Caribbean, taking into account that the sport had returned in all the professional leagues globally, stressed that the game in the region lacks finances and specific funding, which limits them from emulating what is done at the professional leagues.

While COVID-19 numbers in the Caribbean does not measure-up as compared to the rate of infections and confirmed cases to that of Europe and other places where the game has returned, Harris believes that the CFU and its members would like to keep the numbers in the region at a minimum, since the statistics are only

Randy Harris - Caribbean Football Union president, Randy Harris

Guyana’s Matthew Briggs (#20) in action against Panama at the CONCACAF Gold Cup given from the number of test done.

According to Harris, the protocol set-up by the health officials, by the countries at large, would not include more stringent measures to minimize the risk for players in a contact sport.

Cricket, he stressed, “may get away with it, but football is a contact sport and we have to ensure that whatever we do, we put everything in place to make sure that our players are safe.”

“If you look at some of [the] measures that were employed in Europe, you would see how difficult it would be for the Caribbean to just romanticize and

start football right away. There are so many protocols to be put in place and a lot of them will be difficult for us in the Caribbean, both from a financial and resources situation, to be able to put in place,” Harris said.

While the rate of infection in the Caribbean is significantly less than the places around the world where football has seen a return, Harris was adamant that this doesn’t necessarily mean that there might be a lower risk of contagion, and a safe space and the possibility of football being played with certain

measures in place.

“The statistics of COVID-19 in our region has been very-well-managed and we want to keep it so, because we are given these statistics on testing and it is not a situation where everyone can be tested. We just don’t want to take any chances; we’re glad with the position our countries (in the Caribbean) are in at the moment, but we want to be careful and to let a little more time go along to see how things would turn,” said Harris.

The CFU president is of the opinion that presently, “it is more damaging to restart football competition, and then some time down the road we have to stop it again. It is better to give this situation a little bit more time to see how it goes, and give the players and the people who are participating in the sport an opportunity to regain their confidence to be involved.”

FIFA COVID-19 RELIEF FUND In FIFA’s ‘COVID-19 Relief

Plan’ a universal solidarity grant of US$1 million will be made available to all member associations, and an additional grant of US$500,000 will be allocated specifically to women’s football. In addition, each confederation will receive a grant of US$2 million.

Member associations will be able to apply for interest-free loans, amounting to up to 35% of their audited annual revenues. In the interest of solidarity, a minimum loan of US$500,000 will be available and a maximum of US$5 million. In addition, each confederation will have access to a loan of up to US$4 million.

To ensure effective oversight of the plan, there will be strict controls on the use of funds, audit requirements, as well as clear loan repayment conditions.

A FIFA COVID-19 Relief Plan steering committee, which will be headed by Olli Rehn, the deputy chairman of the FIFA Governance Committee, was also established to supervise the administration of the scheme.

Explained: Why Test shirts will look different in 2020 ..Rules about the size and placement of commercial logos on Test shirts have been relaxed by the ICC for the next 12 months

WHEN Test cricket resumes this week, the absence of crowds and high fives won’t be the only noticeable difference.

Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved a handful of interim measures to help the sport resume during the COVID-19 pandemic, with non-neutral umpires to return and the use of saliva to polish the ball no longer permitted.

Another change will be far more conspicuous to the average fan, with sponsor’s logos on Test shirts to be more prominent than ever before.

As cricket boards around the world struggle with a drop in commercial revenue due to the pandemic, the ICC has given nations scope to recoup some losses by allowing – for the next 12 months – a 32 square inch sponsor’s logo to feature on the chest of Test shirts and sweaters.

The change came after a request from one Test-playing nation and was approved by the other members.

While prominent sponsor’s logos have been commonplace in limited-overs cricket for decades, Test shirts and sweaters have hitherto been ‘clean’, with only smaller logos – no bigger than 10 square inches – permitted on the breast and the sleeve.

England and the West Indies have taken up the opportunity, with both sides to wear Test shirts next week with the logo of their major sponsor emblazoned across the front, while the Windies’ sponsor will also feature prominently on their sweaters (the sweaters worn during England’s intra-squad match this week do not have a sponsor’s logo).

This is in addition to the player names and numbers that were controversially introduced to the back of

shirts by the ICC Windies players in their new Test last year as part sweaters // Getty of the introduction of the World Test Championof logos all over the ship.

I think it can be Australia’s Test side won’t be in place,well. action until they face India this sum- done“Whether it’s 12 mer and it’s yet to be determined if months or longer, The Black Lives Matter logo on the a commercial partner’s logo will are suffering likesports Windies’ Test shirt // Getty everyfeature more prominently on their one else in the community shirts. this can help the a r t Speaking to Nine Media last and if that’s got to be a good work on month, former Cricket Australia sport, their collars executive and commercial boss at thing.”

There will also be a smaller during the Ashes the National Rugby League, Mi- tweak to the England and West last year, while they added the chael Brown, said giving sponsors Indies shirts week, with both Ruth Strauss Foundation symbol greater prominence made sense sides movingnext to have the ‘Black to the collar for the Lord’s Test during this time.

Matter’ logo added to the and the McGrath Foundation “You’ve actually got to move Lives logo for the annual Pink Test in to support the teams,” he said. “It collar.

Acknowledgement of a charity Sydney. costs them a lot of money to put the or social issue has been permitted The first Test between England games on. Providing it’s done in a on the collars of Test shirts for and the West Indies starts on professional way, and it’s not slap some time; Australia’s had Wednesday.(Cricket.com.au) dash and it’s not a ridiculous number the Walkabout Wickets players Indigenous

Former CWI president Dave Cameron

No to Cameron –

CWI likely to go with Englishman Graves for ICC chairmanship

Cricket West Indies (CWI) is set to nominate outgoing English and Wales Cricket Board chief Colin Graves over former CWI President Dave Cameron for the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairmanship.

The Sunday Gleaner understands that CWI President Ricky Skerritt is well in favour of Grave’s nomination and is keen to back the Englishman for the top ICC post, which has become vacant as India’s Shashank Manohar had announced in December that he would not be seeking a third two-year term.

Manohar stepped down as ICC chairman last Wednesday, one week before the election process for his successor is announced.

Deputy chairman Imran Khwaja, formerly of Singapore Cricket Association, has stepped in as the interim chairman.

In the media release on Wednesday, the ICC said that the board would finalise the nomination process to elect Manohar’s full-time successor “within the next week”.

Cameron, who has been recommended by the United States Cricket Hall of Fame, has stated that he knew it would be difficult to get the support of the current CWI administration after he was told by members of the current board of ICC that

Skerritt had openly pledged his support to Graves because of their over 20-year personal relationship.

CLEAR SIGNS The signs were clear when CWI vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow stated on a Jamaican radio talk show interview recently that it is unlikely that the regional body would support Cameron’s bid, and that if it was up to him, he would not support the 49-year-old.

“I will have my reservations in the fact that just over a year ago, I challenged Dave Cameron’s leadership for what I believe is great reasons. I seriously have questions over his performance as a leader and based on those reasons, I will not be able to support him at this time,” Shallow said.

Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president and CWI director Azim Bassarath was also vocal about his feelings regarding Cameron’s ICC nomination bid.

“I am laughing! I don’t know how to react to this but the fact that Mr Cameron is seeking nomination for the ICC chairman, I don’t think anybody in the Caribbean would take that serious,” said Bassarth on a Trinidadian radio show this past week.(Reprinted from The Gleaner)

Bottas wins dramatic Austrian Formula One opener

By Alan Baldwin

(REUTERS) - Formula One came back with a bang on Sunday as Finland’s Valtteri Bottas won a dramatic Austrian season-opener for champions Mercedes in a race with only 11 finishers and no spectators.

Charles Leclerc finished a surprise second for struggling Ferrari with McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrating his first F1 podium after a time penalty dropped Mercedes’ six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton to fourth.

“I managed to keep it together and control the race from my side and it’s a good start to the season,” said Bottas, who started on pole position and had to keep his cool through three safety car periods.

Norris, at 20 the youngest driver in the race and now the youngest Briton to stand on an F1 podium, also claimed a bonus point for fastest lap.

The race, on a sunny afternoon at the scenic Red Bull Ring was behind closed doors — a Formula One first — due to the COVID-19 pandemic that had put the season on hold since March.

The drivers gathered on the grid before the start in a show of unity against racism, with Hamilton and 13 others taking a knee in solidarity.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz made it a double points haul for McLaren in fifth, with Sergio Perez sixth for Racing Point and Pierre Gasly seventh for AlphaTauri.

Esteban Ocon, who last raced in 2018, took eighth for Renault on his return while Antonio Giovinazzi bagged CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas celebrates with the trophy on the podium after winning the race, as F1 resumes following the outbreak of the coronavirus. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Reuters

Outgoing ECB chief Colin Greaves

CPL asked to fillin the blanks for T&T government

THE cabinet of the government of Trinidad and Tobago has not signed off on the CPL tournament being played in this country as yet and has asked further questions of the owners of the tournament.

It was expected that the cabinet would have signed off on the tournament on Thursday but this did not happen as there were further questions asked.

A source close to the situation told Guardian Media Sports that the initial document sent to the cabinet was rushed and as such some areas needed clarification and others guarantee.

The CPL team will now look to quickly re-submit their proposal for the cabinet to sit on yet again.

Time is of the essence at the moment because all have to be sign off in time for CPL to have their officials and all foreign players in the country in early August for the proposed August 18 start. They would require to go through a period of quarantine before the tournament gets going.

At the moment plans are going on by the LOC is preparation for the tournament and both venues the Queen’s Park Oval and the Brian Lara Stadium are in a state of readiness.

There have been some practice matches held at the BLCA to give the pitch some work ahead of the tournament.

The LOC met Saturday to continue talks concerning their preparation for the tournament. They SEE PAGE 23

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MONDAY,JULY 6, 2020