Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_07_02_2020

THURSDAY 2nd July, 2020

' No.106048

‘JURISDICTION OR

CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders

NO JURISDICTION’?

…CCJ to hand down landmark decision on PPP/C elections appeal next Wednesday

…AG tells Court it was widespread electoral fraud that warranted need for the determination of “valid votes”

…maintains court has no jurisdiction to hear appeal to Court of Appeal’s decision

SEE PAGE 03

GuySuCo receives $250M bailout from NICIL -a further $750M to be released soon

Bess

promoted to Brigadier PAGE

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---President urges continuance of stellar leadership of GDF Brigadier Godfrey Bess and President David Granger greet each other (DPI photo)

PAGE

05

Death toll of COVID-19 now at 13 …three new cases recorded from 55 tests

SEE PAGES 02 & 05

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Guyana records 13th COVID-19 death GUYANA has lost another precious life to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the total number of deaths to 13.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the victim, a 42-year-old male, died while receiving treatment in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s emergency unit, on Monday.

This publication was reliably informed that the person was not listed among those infected with COVID-19, but tested positive for the disease subsequent to his demise. The latest statistics from health authorities show that 2,634 persons have so far been tested for the disease, of which 2,386 were negative and 248 were positive.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that the COVID-19 disease has proven to be a “real killer,” especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities. This was according to doctors of the GPHC. At that time, Guyana had recorded six deaths due to the COVID-19 disease and while

the loss of life is never pleasant, doctors had said most of the persons who died had co-morbidities.

In medicine, comorbidity is defined as the presence of one or more additional conditions co-occurring with

a primary condition; in the countable sense of the term, a comorbidity is each additional condition. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that 81 per cent of persons who contract COVID-19 will have mild symptoms, while

14 per cent will have severe symptoms and five per cent will need intensive care.

“Most of the people who passed, have [sic] co-morbidities…some had diabetes, hypertension, asthma and one of them even had severe pneumonia, which, without COVID-19, can also cause death… these, coupled with the complications related to COVID-19 can be dangerous,” said Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at GPHC, Dr. Genellys Camps, during a past interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

Among the persons who lost their lives to the deadly

disease was local drag racer, Deryck Jaisingh, called ‘Mad Dog.’ It was reported that Jaisingh was also being treated for malaria and reports are that he was diabetic. Guyana’s first COVID-19 victim, 52-year-old, Ratna Baboolall, was also hypertensive and a diabetic. Jermaine Ifill, an emergency medical technician (EMT), who had also succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19, was also being treated for pneumonia.

Two other persons who died from the disease were OSA Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam; and 77-year-old, Colonel John

Percy Leon Lewis. Forty-fiveyear-old, Lennox Williams, who also had underlying conditions, also died because of COVID-19. And most recently, a diabetic patient, 67-year-old, Samuel Morris, also lost his life.

Considering the local situation, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, had said the ministry will continue to plead with all Guyanese to intensify efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 by practising social distancing, staying at home, wearing face masks and regularly and thoroughly washing hands.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

JURISDICTION OR NO JURISDICTION?

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…CCJ to hand down, next Wednesday, landmark decision on PPP/C’s elections appeal …AG tells Court it was widespread electoral fraud that warranted need for the determination of “valid votes” …maintains court has no jurisdiction to hear appeal to Court of Appeal’s decision

By Svetlana Marshall NEXT Wednesday, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hand down its decision on whether it can assume jurisdiction in a challenge seeking to set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal that the election of the President must be on the basis of “valid votes.”

President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders, who led a panel of five judges, made the announcement on Wednesday (July 1) after hearing more than five hours of legal arguments virtually on whether the CCJ has jurisdiction to hear the case filed by People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s (PPP/C’s) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo and Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali; and if it has jurisdiction, whether the Court of Appeal’s decision that the words “more voters are cast” in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution are interpreted to mean “more valid votes are cast,” should be upheld or set aside. The ruling will be delivered at 15:00hrs on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.

The other judges in the case were Justice Jacob Wit, Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, Justice Denys Barrow and Justice Peter Jamadar - all of whom appeared virtually.

WIDESPREAD FRAUD In his oral submission to the panel of judges, Guyana’s Attorney General, while maintaining that the CCJ has absolutely no jurisdiction to hear an appeal to the decision of the Court of Appeal made under Article 177 (4), explained that it was widespread anomalies and cases of voter impersonation that warranted a clear indication that the President ought to be elected on the basis of “valid votes.”

“The reason for introducing valid in Article 177 (2) (b) is simple, fraudulent votes. The elections produced fraud of an unprecedented scale in the history of elections in Guyana and therefore every precaution had to be taken to ensure that in the Presidential Elections also, in Article 177 [(2) (b)], that if more votes are cast, should be crystalised,” the Attorney General explained.

At the time, he was offering clarification in response to a series of questions posed by the President of the CCJ, in addition to Justice Jacob Wit and Justice Jamadar. The judges had asked whether a President could be elected on the basis of “invalid votes,” in their quest to understand the reason behind Eslyn David’s request, in her Notice of Motion to the Court of Appeal, for there to be an interpretation of the words “more votes are cast” in Article 177 (2) (b).

Williams told the CCJ that while Article 163 of the Constitution grants the High

Court exclusive jurisdiction to determine the validity of the election of any member to the National Assembly, the President does not form part of the National Assembly. He submitted that only the Court of Appeal has jurisdiction to determine the validity of the election of any person to the Office of the President. In fact, Article 177 (4) grants the Court of Appeal exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to the validity of an election of a President in so far as that question depends upon the qualifications of any person for election or the interpretation of the Constitution.

particularly the CCJ,” Queen Counsel Simon told the judges.

He noted that at the core of the first respondent Eslyn David’s Notice of Motion, which was filed in the Court of Appeal, was an interpretation of Article 177 (2) (b) which outlines the procedure for the election of a President. He pointed out that the Court of Appeal, in its decision, simply interpreted the words “more votes are cast” to mean “more valid votes are cast.” “This was the specific relief which was given because there were no coercive orders made by the Court of Appeal. And in giving that interpretation, the Court

Petition, Queen Counsel Simon turned the CCJ’s attention to the case – Reeaz Holladar v the Returning Officer, in which, the Court adjudicated on the matter outside of an Elections Petition, albeit that the issue arose during the elections process. Reference was also made to the case –Ulita Moore v the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), which was also filed and adjudicated upon during the ongoing elections.

Interjecting, Justice Saunders, while pointing to Article 177 (4), asked the Queen Counsel, who is the person about whom a question was

Attorney General Basil Williams

Antigua and Barbuda’s Queen Counsel, Justin Simon

Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Counsel John Jeremie

FINALITY On the issue of jurisdiction, the Attorney General pointed out that any decision made by the Court of Appeal under Article 177 (4) is final, and cannot be the subject of an appeal in any other court including the CCJ. He argued that while Parliament, under Article 123 of the Constitution, established the CCJ as Guyana’s final Appellate Court with the enactment of the Caribbean Court of Justice Act, the court’s jurisdiction is limited. Section 4 (3) of the Caribbean Court of Justice Act, he said, limits the court’s jurisdiction. “Nothing in this Act shall confer jurisdiction on the Court to hear matters in relation to any decision of the Court of Appeal which at the time of entry into force of this Act was declared to be final by any law,” the section states.

Further to that, he made it clear that no Act can override the constitution – the supreme law of the land. Antigua and Barbuda’s Queen Counsel, Justin Simon, who appeared in association with the Attorney General, in establishing the argument, said both Section 4 (3) of the Caribbean Court of Justice Act and the Article 177 (4) of the Constitution ouster the CCJ’s jurisdiction in the case currently before the Court. “That constitutional section makes it very clear that the Court of Appeal’s decisions in respect of issues raised as to the validity of an election of a President are decisions which are final and ought not be appealed to any higher body,

The Caribbean Court of Justice

of Appeal was looking at the broad meaning of the words which were used in Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act. It is our respectful contention, therefore, that what was sought was an interpretation of a Constitutional provision, and as such, we submit that…Article 177 (4) gives to the Court of Appeal, in no uncertain terms, the exclusive jurisdiction to hear the motion which had been filed by the first respondent,” the Antiguan and Barbadian Queen Counsel submitted to the court. He iterated that on the basis that the decision was made under Article 177 (4), it is final.

Jurisdiction aside, he asked the judges what is the harm in giving a liberal interpretation of the words identified by David in Article 177 (2) (b).

Amid contentions by Jagdeo and Ali’s attorneys that David’s case ought to have been filed in the High Court via an Elections

being raised as to the validity of the election as President. In responding, the Queen Counsel said it spoke to whomever was going to be President from the List of Candidates with the most votes. Pressing Queen Counsel Simon for more answers, the CCJ President then asked: “when it (Article 177 (4)) goes on to speak about the qualification of a person, if we don’t know the identity of the person, how can we begin to assess the qualification of someone who we don’t know, who we can’t identity?”

QUALIFICATION In response, Queen Counsel Simon told the Court: “With respect, I do not think that is the proper way to look at it because if we look at the section, what it says clearly, in so far as that question depends upon the qualification of any person for election. So the qualification of any person for

election, presumes that there is a particular candidate, one looks at the qualification of that candidate.”

Again, Justice Saunders questioned who is the Candidate? The Queen Counsel said in this case, it speaks to the election of either of two candidates. Simon urged the Court not to limit the interpretation of the Constitution.

“I would respectfully submit especially as we are looking at the Constitution that what we ought to be doing is giving it a liberal interpretation because what is important is that the process is followed, and more importantly, while the Constitution has provided that the decision of the Court of Appeal would be final, that the matter actually goes directly to the Court of Appeal, is to ensure that in terms of time that there is no wastage or lengthy timeframe,” Queen Counsel Simon told the CCJ. Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Counsel John Jeremie, who appeared on behalf of Eslyn David, also argued that the CCJ had no jurisdiction to entertain the appeal brought

by Ali and Jagdeo on the basis that the Court of Appeal’s decision is final due to its exclusive jurisdiction. While the PPP/C’s lawyers suggested that David, in approaching the Court, was really seeking an interpretation of the Order No. 60 and not Article 177 (2) (b), Jeremie, like the Attorney General and Simon, made it clear that key to David’s case was the interpretation of the Constitution, and it was the judicial responsibility of the Court of Appeal to assume jurisdiction.

“I say the Court of Appeal had jurisdiction. But even if I am wrong, I am saying that this court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain this appeal because the clear intendment of the Constitution and the agreement is that disputes of this type end in the Court of Appeal even if the Court of Appeal was wrong on the question of Jurisdiction,” Jeremie told the judges.

DISJUNCTIVE CONDITIONS In support of his argument, Jeremie like the Attorney General, relied on the Eusi Kwayana 1980 application, in which the Court of Appeal at the time indicated that the conditions laid out in the Article are disjunctive, and therefore not dependent on each other.

“Those words do not require any interpretation. They are the words of the final court of appeal in Guyana. The case tells us how the section is to be construed,” Jeremie argued even as he maintained that there can be no challenge to the Court of Appeal’s decision.

Interjecting, Justice Wit, in putting forward a hypothetical situation, asked the Trinidadian Senior Counsel if the Court of Appeal in its ruling had

determined that the elections were to be considered by the term “more invalid votes cast,” if it would still be correct in jurisdiction.

Jeremie, in response, said as strange as that may be, the Appeal Court’s decision would still be final.

“In respect of the sovereign pronouncements by the Guyanese parliament in enacting the CCJ Act and in respect of the provisions of the Constitution, on the authority as silly as that proposition is, this court has no jurisdiction to trespass on that once it is the provisions of Section (4) (3) are there and once the provisions are cast in terms of the constitutional provision,” he submitted.

He added: “That is the result which deeming provision contained in the constitution dealing with exclusivity and finality and the conjoined effect of the CCJ Act Sect 4, which is the conclusion that we are drawn to. It is a position which is well settled by authority and which has never been a subject of rebuke.”

Jeremie appeared in association with Attorneys-at-Law Keith Scotland, Mayo Robinson, Roysdale Forde SC, Timothy Affonso and Rondelle Keller. Senior Counsel Reginald Armour of Trinidad and Tobago, who represented the interest of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, also put forward similar arguments, and asked that the Court refuse the PPP/C’s application for special leave.

NO JURISDICTION Trinidad’s Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who appeared on behalf of the PPP/C, while confirming that the CCJ has no jurisdiction to hear an appeal to a decision made under Article 177 (4), submitted that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction to hear the case, and its decision was bad in law.

On that basis, Mendes, whose submissions were endorsed by Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran and Attorneys-at-Law Kashir Khan and Timothy Jonas, argued that the CCJ had jurisdiction to hear the appeal, and in hearing the appeal should set aside the decision of the lower court. Further, the attorneys asked the Court to order that the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield’s Elections Report submitted on June 23, 2020 be set aside.

This request came notwithstanding the fact that the CCJ last week indicated that it cannot undo what has already been done. The Chair of GECOM, Justice Ret’d Claudette Singh, who opted not to actively participate in the case, has indicated that she will respect the decision of the CCJ. She is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Fearing an election loss, Trump allies push him to be less polarising WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some of President Donald Trump’s Republican allies are urging him to ditch his divisive messaging and outline a clear vision for a second term, fearing his handling of a series of crises has dimmed his re-election hopes.

With four months to go before he faces Democrat Joe Biden in a Nov. 3 U.S. election, Trump’s opinion poll numbers have sunk as he struggles to manage the coronavirus pandemic, economic woes and protests over racial injustice.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, allies said Trump was often his own worst enemy. They pointed to him

retweeting a video on Sunday that included a supporter shouting, “white power,” a slogan among white supremacists, and then deleting it. “He has to go back and become an acceptable president and then take the wood to Biden,” said a Republican ally close to the White House.

“People are even actually saying, ‘Does he want this anymore?’” the ally said of fellow Republican supporters. “‘Is he looking for an exit strategy?’” Trump’s falling poll numbers worry some fellow Republicans they will lose control of the U.S. Senate, having already lost leadership of the House of Representatives in 2018.

The source said perhaps

Thursday July 2, 2020 –– 02:30hrs & 14:30

U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board in the East Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

as soon as August, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may have to advise Republican Senate candidates to distance themselves from Trump if needed to win election and keep their majority.

McConnell’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Asked about the concerns, White House spokesman Judd Deere said the president “has shown time and again that he’s not afraid to take on the big challenges facing this country” and that Trump and his team are “engaged in an ongoing policy process for a bold second-term agenda.”

Another Republican close to the White House said Trump last week acknowledged privately that he was behind in his race against Biden after a raft of polls showed him losing nationally and in battleground states that will decide the election.

“He knows he’s in trouble,” the Republican source said.

“He has no message.” Hoping to end his slump, Trump is considering making staff changes and ways to broaden his message to draw support beyond his conservative base.

Aides say he wants to focus on his ability to lead the country’s economic comeback,

his one bright spot in polls. [nL1N2E11F0} The view inside the White House, however, is that it will be hard for Trump to gain ground until there is more scrutiny of Biden, who has mostly stayed off the campaign trail due to stay-athome orders during the virus outbreak.

“Until the media starts calling out Joe Biden for just hanging out in his basement, I don’t know how we end this cycle we’re in because we’re the only ones out there taking shots,” said a Republican official familiar with the internal dynamics at the White House.

Biden has said he would prefer in-person campaigning but that relying on virtual events has allowed him to reach more people directly than he would have otherwise.

A DIVISIVE MESSAGE During a presidency rife with controversy, Trump often has mastered changing the subject - but less so with the spotlight on a months-long pandemic that has killed more than 127,000 Americans and put millions of Americans out of work.

He has further divided the country with a “law-andorder” message that critics say fails to address the twin issues of police brutality and racial inequality at the heart of nationwide street protests. At campaign events on Tuesday, Biden said the president was pitting Americans against one another instead of leading. “They’re looking at this appeal to hate and how it’s divided the country. And they’re tired of it,” Biden said of the public’s changing mood.

Some supporters were disappointed last week when Trump did not directly respond when asked by Fox News Channel anchor Sean Hannity, a close friend, to share plans for his second term. Trump has outlined his plans in broad strokes that include rebuilding the economy and taking on China, but

he has yet to specify what he would do with another four years. “He needs to articulate why he wants a second term,” said the Republican official familiar with internal White House dynamics.

In a memo on Sunday, deputy campaign manager Bill Stepien battled the poor poll numbers by arguing that Trump leads Biden in voter enthusiasm and remains strong in key states according to internal campaign data.

“We know the media loves to play the game of using their public polling to create an unfavorable scenario and to attempt to discourage President Trump’s supporters,” Stepien said. “As we can see from the obvious level of enthusiasm among Republicans, especially as compared to Joe Biden’s situation, it is not working.”

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted this week online, gave Biden an advantage of 8 percentage points over Trump in support among registered voters. Biden had a 10-point edge in a similar poll last week. With his signature, large-scale rallies sidelined by fears of COVID-19 infections, Trump has been considering doing media interviews beyond conservative Fox News, his usual venue, one ally said.

There have been some discussions of increasing the role of senior adviser Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who is already heavily involved in the campaign, two officials said.

On Wednesday, a source confirmed that Michael Glassner, who organised Trump’s rallies, had been “reassigned” as a legal adviser for the campaign following the disappointing rally last month in Tulsa. Trump’s 2016 Arizona chairman, Jeff DeWit, will join the campaign as chief operating officer to oversee the final stretch to Election Day, the source said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Guyana records three new cases of COVID-19 -Regions One, Four and Seven still heavily impacted by the disease

GUYANA continues to record a consistent increase in the number of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, with the latest statistics showing that the country recorded three new cases within the past 24 hours.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle, said the new cases were discovered after authorities tested 56 persons between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Health authorities have tested some 2,634 persons to date, with 2,386 of those persons being negative and 248 positive. Of the positive cases, some 116 persons have recovered and 13 persons have died, but there are 120 active

cases of which 118 are in institutional isolation and two in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

As cases continue to climb, health authorities have warned that the full effect of COVID-19 on the human body is not fully known; persons can recover from the Coronavirus disease but may develop other conditions that they previously did not have, which can result in death.

“So, my fellow Guyanese, lets follow the guidelines…

We continue to say thank you to all of our health workers who continue to screen the population, provide testing for suspected cases and treat the positive cases,” said Dr.

Boyle.

The safety of every Guyanese is dependent on the compliance with control measures, which were implemented by local health authorities to contain the spread of the disease.

Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) is still the epicentre of the disease, and there are a number of communities outside of Georgetown which have recorded cases.

Among communities on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) where cases have been recorded are: Atlantic Gardens, Friendship, Golden Grove, Good Hope, Lusignan, Plaisance, and Strathspey; among those on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) are: Dia-

GuySuCo receives $250M bailout from NICIL -$750M more to be released soon

THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) received a much-needed bailout of $250 million from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

In a letter to President David Granger on May 15, Chairman of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors, John Dow, had said that the sugar corporation was in a “dire financial crisis” with billions in debt, and insufficient finances to execute critical factory maintenance.

The Ministry of Finance in response to GuySuCo’s request for a bailout, had cited a $30 billion bond backed by NICIL’s assets and guaranteed by the Government of Guyana, which was secured through NICIL to retrofit and revitalise the three remaining sugar estates.

It is to this end that NICIL disbursed $250 million to GuySuCo under the syndicated bond. The funds were transferred to GuySuCo’s account, on Wednesday. “This sum represents a partial response from NICIL to GuySuCo’s request to government for a ‘bailout,’ and brings the total disbursements to GuySuCo from July 2018 to date to $9, 970, 759, 568; in addition to the close to 40 billion it has received from the government,” said NICIL. NICIL, however, reminded GuySuCo that it should seek to resolve its financial challenges through professional engagements with the investment company and by extension the government, rather than resorting to “pet-

ty disclosures” and “halftruths” in the press; none of which is providing solutions to its myriad of problems.

“We strongly advise the Directors of GuySuCo to obey the terms and conditions of the bond and to seek to ensure compliance with same. In particular, we urge that it honours the reporting of its expenditure schedule to NICIL and the bond holders,” said NICIL. NICIL will, in the “very near future,” make available a further G$750,000,000.

This disbursement can only be possible when NICIL and GuySuCo engage in solutions-driven discussions about making GuySuCo a commercially viable entity.

Just Wednesday, the Stabroek News reported that there appears to be active consideration to bring the operations of GuySuCo to a halt and as a consequence lay off thousands of workers.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has since dispatched a letter to the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Harold Davis jnr, seeking clarification on the report appearing in the media.

GAWU remains hopeful that the situation could be averted, but holds that meaningful assistance could only come through the installation of a legitimate government, a product of the will of the Guyanese people.

GuySuCo has, however, been in financial turmoil for years, and according to Dow, in his recent letter, “despite improvements in

the productivity of cane, GuySuCo’s sugar production for the last two crops has fallen short of expectations and the current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems experienced in meeting the first crop 2020 production targets…As a result, the cash generated from operations cannot meet the ‘outgoings’, particularly when external funding has been difficult to obtain.

In referring to the condition of the sugar corporation, President Granger had said, “it is very unfortunate we are in this position. Throughout the tenure, we have been engaged in trying to resolve the issue of the industry.”

In executing its plan to resuscitate the industry, President Granger said government had to make “hard decisions,” which included the retrenching of workers. But, despite the scaling down of the industry and future provision of government bailouts, the President said there is no guarantee that the corporation could produce sugar at world market prices and function economically.

“We have done everything possible to return the industry to normalcy and even profitability…we will continue to help and not send anybody home…we want an efficient sugar industry which can produce sugar at competitive prices,” said President Granger.

The idea is to compete with Brazil, Cuba and other “heavy” sugar producers, but in order for Guyana to do that, the industry needs to be economically viable and feasible.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Boyle

mond, Grove, Land of Canaan, Providence, and Timehri.

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

Dr. Boyle, however, assured that the Ministry of Public Health is working collaboratively with the various agencies within those regions to address and help arrest the situation that is threatening to spiral out of control.

“We are calling on all the residents to cooperate with the health officials as we work to contain the spread of the disease in your communities,” she advised.

Health authorities have found that a large number

of positive cases, in these regions, have no signs and symptoms, so they are asymptomatic. These persons can transmit this disease and the infected person will not even know that they are sick because there is no sign.

Toshaos and village councillors, operations owners all have a role to play in this pandemic. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, had called on them to impress upon villagers and workers the importance of what is being said. All of the evidence points to the fact that if the guidelines are followed, the disease will be contained.

Considering the situation, Dr. Persaud had said residents

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of the community need to “be on guard” and take all necessary precautions in order to prevent further spread of the disease.

“We are urging you to support the health team in this area by coming forward for testing if you have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive; by staying home unless it is necessary for you to come out, and if you must come out, ensure that your noses and mouths are covered.

“We ask that there is no congregating of persons, and that all passenger vehicles adhere to the guidelines that were provided. “We wish to also remind you of the runaway situation in neighbouring Brazil that has climbed to the position of being the second country in the world to have reported cases with an alarmingly high number of deaths registered,” said Dr. Persaud.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and according to global statistics, there are 10.1 million cases of COVID-19, with over 500,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventive measures to contain the spread of the disease.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Social media

THE wonders of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) must be described as the technology of the modern age, because of the revolution that it has brought to the ways in which we currently communicate with each other. Its wide-ranging components, that continue to evolve almost every day, have caused the wider world and its distant parts to be a global village.

Now, at the touch of a button, distant shores are brought into the privacy of our living rooms, as we communicate via our computers and our smartphones to friends and relatives; and even seeking information on any person, anything, or place that we may wish.

But it is the aspect of Social Media that is the wondrous centrepiece of this communication revolution. Whether via Twitter, SnapChat, Instagram,or the ever popular Facebook – ground-breaking

events, wherever they occur, are instantly transmitted; messages, greetings relayed; and friendships are formed. In short, they allow for the creation and sharing of information, ideas, and career interests. This is networking, the heart of this system.

Fundamentally, New Media (Social Media) has changed the world irrevocably, influencing the way we conduct our daily affairs, hitherto, the way we live.

However, there is the very dark side to Social Media and it is this aspect–one of them– that we wish to highlight, in the current context of Guyana.

We refer to the daily use of social media, particularly Facebook, to make racial slurs about a section of our multi- ethnic society. There is no doubt that this is a politically motivated strategy that forms part of the broader plan of furthering ethnic divisions in our multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society, creating racial tensions, with the

objective of destabilising our society, and even the coalition government.

We deem those attacks as evil and wicked, since they are meant to be personally demeaning and degrading, as they make judgement on an ethnic group’s capacity to govern, manage the important aspects of daily existence, even to live, based on the colour of their skin. Those of us who are open-minded and have read well, will know that such a narrow and offensive interpretation of human kind based on ethno-cultural interpretations of the evolution of man, has ever since been proven entirely false and without foundation. Yet, we still observe its disgusting persistence by those whose only agenda is to promote and foster the idea of domination by race: all in the name of political power.

To the intellectual authors of such a disgusting and dangerous practice and their followers, for we know who they

are, we say to them the following: that their category is not a boon or credit to the current or future growth and development of this multi-ethnic society, with such a distorted view of the world, narrow too; from time immemorial, ethnicities have continued to make their contributions to the development of mankind, inclusive of this beautiful land of ours in so many ways, as their forbears would have done.

Rather than use social media for such odious ends, employ it towards the better good with the exchange of ideas as to how we as Guyanese can understand each other, foster social cohesion, and in the process evolving a better land which we can bequeath to our children and grandchildren. This ought to be our legacy to the future heirs of this country – a united Guyana where everyone, irrespective of ethnicity, has a role.

Attacks on NICIL unwarranted

Dear Editor

THE recent brouhaha raised by the PPP/C in which they have sought to accuse the APNU+AFC government of ‘’large scale corruption…as Winston Jordan signed off on the transferal of land…” pertaining the vesting orders, signed off by Minister Jordan for lands at Ogle.

Of course, these are accusations that have to do with the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). NICIL’S FUNCTIONS as custodians of state assets, especially those of lands vested, and its sale of those for investment purposes, which excellent undertaking it has been doing for the benefit of the country and people.

And this current pathway, is unlike the NICIL of pre-May 2015, when this body functioned in a shadowy environment, transacting deals with its details which were largely secret – a case in point being the Marriot Hotel. No doubt, that its former chairman, and CEO are facing criminal charges relative to the institution’s transactions.

Editor, it is pertinent here to explain that the NICIL that functions today is of a progressive and economically-vibrant type, which transactions removes it from the cloak and dagger,

smoky room type of deals. In fact, every one of its transactions have been publicised, with the names of investors, and the purpose for the sale of land, and where these are located. Unlike, the old order, which were about friends and cronies – the current transactions are not.

Further, the proceeds from these transactions have been directed towards the refurbishment/ enhancement of important social landmarks which were neglected and fell into disuse, during the tenure of PPP/C governance. Today, these renewed entities have been a source of garnering revenue for communities and State.

Now to the current attempts by agents of the PPP/C to suggest dishonesty on the part of the government, as what had been done, following the NCM, accusing the administration of massive land give away to prominent Afro-Guyanese and the latter of participation in land grabbing. Made by none other than the leader of the political opposition, these lies were not only shot down by especially the formidable Geotechnical Engineer, Charles Ceres, defending himself; but who also went on to expose the ugly hypocrisy and double standards of land leasing policy under the PPP/C government. Mr. Ceres also sued Jagdeo, and was successful, as his court suit disproved Jagdeo’s lie. Editor, I have digressed somewhat, but only to give contextual

background to another groundless assault on the government, and NICIL’S policy with regards sale of state lands.

Editor, NICIL has since debunked the PPP/ C’s spurious claims and pointed out that NICIL received deposits for the lands commencing December 2019 for the transformational Ogle Development project, however, the transactions remained incomplete since the vesting orders were not ‘signed and gazetted’ as required by law and this meant that the remaining sums could not be paid over by the investors. The need for expediency in the payments for land, however, arose after the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) made public its financial crisis.

As NICIL had explained, “… that GuySuCo and the bond holders were in the process of ironing out some matters so that further disbursements could be had. But NICIL, having recognised the urgency of the request, sought to complete the land transactions. It therefore became necessary to regularise the Vesting Orders.”

Though one will agree that NICIL is the custodian of state assets, those with regard to lands have to be vested in the institution with an authorisation for sale to prospective investors, which it has been doing. However, the attempts at misinformation on NICIL’S present transac-

tions, by the political surrogates, seem to have been because of a technicality, surrounding its only recently gazette order for lands vested in its authority, ever since and which transactions for sale to investors would have been entered sometime in 2019. In other words, the completion of such transactions, which have been in train for some time, remained incomplete because of a technicality. That has now been remedied, hence the finalisation of the transactions.

As a reminder: NICIL, functions as a wholly autonomous body, unlike during the regime of the PPP/C, and makes its own decisions, as could be understood from the manner of its present operations. Its portfolio speaks for itself, since it is led by a dynamic young man of strategic vision whose successes are there for the record. It is time that those elements which were aligned with ancient and anti-state and discriminatory policies, understand that the era for dubious deals for close associates and cabal types are over.

It has since become a brand-new day; so, let NICIL continue to play its vital role in developmental nation building.

Regards Earl Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Lowenfield is not a public officer – PPP/C criminal complaint malicious Dear Editor The charade must stop.

The will of the Guyanese people must prevail. The notion of ‘one man, one vote’ must prevail. Only valid votes can be counted as ordered by the Court of Appeal. Disgraceful efforts by the PPP/C to threaten public servants either by informal coercion (threats of sanctions) or malicious prosecution must be rejected.

The attempt by the PPP/C to abuse the good office of the Commissioner of Police by laying a malicious complaint before that office must be met with contempt.

I refer to the false criminal complaint against GECOM’s CEO, Mr. Keith Lowenfield, for misconduct in public office. Mr. Lowenfield is an employee of GECOM; enjoying a private contractual relationship with that entity.

The staff of GECOM do not contribute to the Government Pension Fund; neither do they provide a public service (goods). Unlike those working in the ministries, teachers and policemen, GECOM employees are not civil servants. They are much like the staff of GRA, GPHC, Guyana Civil Aviation and the CJIA. The complaint is therefore unmeritorious, unattractive and must have been actuated by nothing less than malice and a vexatious spirit. I come to this conclusion simply because Mr. Keith Lowenfield is not a public officer; despite he is performing a public duty.

The question as to who is a public officer or who holds public office was answered since 1973 by Chancellor of Judiciary, Edward Victor Luckhoo, in the matter of an application for a Writ of Certiorari by Gordon Yaw v.

V.J. Correia (C.A. 12/1973).

The Court of Appeal noted then that there must be an office held by a person appointed by or on behalf of the Public Service Commission, to serve the State, for an emolument. This is the interpretation of article 232 of our Constitution.

Further, appointments to the Public Service of Guyana are done pursuant to article 201(1) of the Constitution of Guyana and the Public

Service Rules, 1987/1998 (as amended). Common sense will tell you that Mr. Lowenfield was not appointed by the Public Service Commission. Rather, he is an employee of GECOM - an independent and absolutely autonomous Constitutional body. Therefore, the complaint of misconduct in public office is malicious and must die an early death at the desk of the Secretary to the Commissioner of Police.

The question as to who is a public officer was also answered by former Chancellor, Carl Singh, in the case of Chue and Hyman v Attorney General of Guyana (unreported, H.C.A. No. 6 of 1998). Justice Royston Nelson of the CCJ later approved Justice Singh’s reasoning in Griffith (Brent) v Guyana Revenue Authority (2006) 69 WIR 320, where he concluded that Griffith was not a public officer of the GRA/Inland Revenue by virtue of the status of the Revenue Authority and its employees not providing a civil service but one owed to the Government of Guyana.

Further, Chancellor Desiree Bernard, sitting alongside former Chancellor Carl Singh and Justice Nandram Kissoon in the outstanding Case of Sita Ramlall (Registrar of the High Court) v Cheryl Scotland and Others, concluded that public officers are persons employed by the Public Service Commission or someone delegated with powers to employ on behalf of the commission.

GECOM was never one such body. Moreover, the PPP/ C's private charges against Mr. Lowenfield relates to execution of his function as part of the work of GECOM. Under Article 226 (7) of the Constitution, no court can inquire into the work of GECOM. The circus must end, and the will of the Guyanese people must be recognised fully on the basis of ‘one man, one vote’ and the tabulation of valid votes.

Regards, Richard Millington Attorney-at-Law Board Member Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)

Facts should cause you to make principled adjustment Dear Editor The ill-timed and ill-conceived comments of Ms. Mia Mottley, Mr. Owen Arthur and Mr. Bruce Golding have already attracted the wrath of my fellow country men and women.

Writers from inside and outside of Guyana were brutal in their responses or comments. Many of these went into great details as to why these eminent Caribbean leaders needed to be rebuked. However, in spite of the letters and other forms of protestations, neither the lady nor the two gentlemen has publicly changed their stance.

This behaviour reminds me of some Ghanaian Generals. Some Western governments, especially the Americans were concerned about the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah. Nkrumah, was not satisfied with independence on paper, he wanted true independence in order to fully develop his country and to fully realise Ghana’s potential.

He also was not satisfied with Ghana being independent but his aim was to free the whole of Africa, including those countries which were under the firm grip of apartheid. This vision scared the so-called Western democracies so they decided to get

rid of Nkrumah.

The preferred option was to fool the Ghanian Generals by providing false intelligence. The trick worked and Nkrumah was overthrown. Some twenty five years passed and files in the USA were declassified. The public then learnt the truth.

However, when the generals were finally told that they were duped, they refused to accept the facts, but rather held on to the lies for the rest of their lives.

I could understand Prime Minister Mottley and her compatriots’ interest in democracy but like the Ghanaian Generals, even though the irregularities discovered

in the boxes show fraud, they are completely focused on the narrative provided by the PPP/C. I hope that they would be bold enough and sensible enough to disentangle themselves without holding on to false information because they cannot admit that they were fooled into reading from a false script.

To prove that you are firm on an issue, does not mean that you should be stubborn to the point of idiocy, it makes good sense to respond to truth and light.

Regards Nelson Heath

At last, Jagdeo agrees with President Granger Dear Editor During his online public briefing yesterday, PPP/C Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, stated that the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) “is the only body that can make the decision and declaration of the results”. That position mirrors what President Granger has repeatedly said since the conclusion of the March 2 elections, when the PPP/C ‘declared’ itself the winner, and a few foreign diplomats and local organisations blindly accepted the PPP/C declaration.

Had Jagdeo accepted what Granger had been saying all along, then it is possible that the elections crisis would have ended weeks ago. But, as they say, better late than never.

Perhaps Jagdeo will now order the removal of those billboards declaring Irfan Ali the President-elect of Guyana.

A remaining difference of opinion between the two leaders is whether the GECOM declaration should include all votes, or only valid votes. The question seems elementary,

yet here we are, months after the elections, having to ask the country’s highest court to decide that simple question. The Guyana Court of Appeal not surprisingly ruled that the word “votes” is intended to mean “valid votes”. Despite that ruling, Jagdeo and the PPP/C continue to pressure the international community to support its call that all votes, including those of people who died before elections day must be counted. It seems that Jagdeo is arguing that the dearly departed have the right to elect their leaders. Senator Marco Rubio, residing in Florida, seems to agree as he and a handful of others called on GECOM to count those dead people votes. In a normal world, ballots cast by dead people are not valid, and cannot be counted. Plain and simple!

Then we have those who seek to use the CARICOM report to justify the argument that all votes, including invalid ones must be used to declare the results.

The author of the CARICOM report was careful to note that the election was “reasonably credible”.

Everyone knows that an election can be credible

or not credible. Just like a woman can be pregnant or not pregnant. She cannot be ‘reasonably pregnant’.

The only explanation for the curious choice of words in the CARICOM report is that the author did not want CARICOM to be dragged deeper into Guyana’s internal conflict. The report was therefore written to give both parties a win, and to allow CARICOM to take a non-committal / neutral position. The report was not intended to be used as a basis for the declaration of the results, but as a guide for the Chief Elections Officer as he decides how to tabulate the votes.

The CARICOM report is indeed very instructional. Even though the CARICOM scrutineers observed less than 20 per cent of the boxes, they were able to determine that the integrity of the electoral system was compromised. At that point, they may have applied the ‘cockroach rule’ in deciding that they did not need to observe more boxes. The ‘cockroach rule’ was articulated during the OJ Simpson trial when a forensic scientist noted that “if you find a cockroach in your soup,

you do not try to see how many cockroaches there are; you simply conclude that the soup is no good”.

The Chief Elections Officer attempted to take that route in presenting his first report that the credibility of the elections could not be ascertained. The GECOM Chairman reportedly rejected that report. The Judicial branch was then called upon to intervene, and now that the Court of Appeal ruling instructed that only valid votes be counted, Keith Lowenfield must comply.

To do otherwise would place him in contempt.

Those valid votes show that David Granger has won reelection. The Irfan Ali victory billboards must therefore be taken down!

Jagdeo and the PPP/C have the option to file an election petition if they disagree with Lowenfield’s report - but they should first take down those billboards and accept that their propaganda priming was unsuccessful.

Respectfully Max Mohamed

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

‘United on sovereignty’

--- President pleased with opposition, gov’t cooperation in Guyana v Venezuela border controversy PRESIDENT David Granger is pleased that the government and opposition are collaborating on the Arbitral Award of 1899 - Guyana v. Venezuela case, an event which he believes is the single most important international issue for the country.

On June 30, 2020, international lawyers representing Guyana put forward legal arguments to a panel of judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking to obtain a final and binding judgment. The judgment being sought is that the 1899 Arbitral Award which established the location of the land boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana, and not Venezuela.

While Guyana was represented by legal luminaries of the

likes of Sir Shridath Ramphal, Philippe Sands, Paul Reichler, Payam Akhavan and Alain Pellet, representative of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Gail Teixeira and Foreign Secretary and Agent of Guyana in the case before the ICJ, Carl B. Greenidge, viewed the hearing of the case at the ICJ, collectively, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Also present were Ambassador Audrey Waddell; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashleigh Jackson and Ambassador Cedric Joseph.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a ceremony at State House on Wednesday, President Granger noted his pleasure: “We have a collaborative response by the opposition and the government in representing Guyana’s national interest.”

Representative of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, Gail Teixeira; Foreign Secretary and Agent of Guyana in the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Carl B. Greenidge, viewing the hearing at the ICJ.

The President said that the Guyana v. Venezuela case is very important to all of Guyana, as it represents a hopeful end to the threat to Guyana’s sovereignty and development.

In his first year in office in

2015, the President sought meetings with former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon and, subsequently, current Secretary-General, António Guterres, to bring a favourable closure to the territorial issue.

On Wednesday he said that he is pleased that Guterres decided to refer the matter to the ICJ for a final ruling.

“The territorial question has been an enormous burden for this country to bear; for the foreign service, for the Defence Force and for the people of this country who have been denied the ability and the opportunity to develop the hinterland. For generations to come, who have seen that their maritime resources have been threatened by aggressive actions by our neighbor; the expulsion of unarmed, civilian exploration vessels. It is difficult to find any international event or occurrence more important than the territorial question,” the President said.

Questioned by the media about the justification for setting aside US$15M from the US$18M ExxonMobil signing

bonus to cover legal fees for the case, the President said that the sum was used to ensure that Guyana was equipped with the best possible defence.

“Yes, money had to be spent, it is not cheap and it is not simple. It is not something for a lawyer who specialises in divorce and landlord and tenant. We had to get the best international lawyers and yes, money has been spent to employ those lawyers and I’m very confident in their ability to bring about a solution to this 54-year problem that Guyana’s people, now and in the future, could be satisfied with,” he said.

The hearing was conducted at the Peace Palace in The Hague with virtual presentations being done by Guyana in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fisheries Dept acquires new $99M surveillance vessel THE Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, in keeping with its mandate to ensure sustainable fishing in its Exclusive Economic Zone of Guyana, has acquired a Marine vessel worth $99M. This vessel will significantly boost the department’s capacity to carry out monitoring and surveillance activities. This is necessary to ensure that all fishing activities are carried out under the prescribed regulations, the ministry said in a release.

The vessel was commissioned on Tuesday, by Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, and was named after the Cavalli (Caranx hippos), an abundant species of fish distributed across both the

tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The name is fitting as it is brief and unique, important for reference in rapid communication, and, like the fish, while it isn’t the largest, it has a large fuel capacity and powerful engines. Traditionally, the seafarers’ community believes that the name of a ship has a great role in bringing good fortune and safety to the vessel, its crew and passengers.

Guyana has signed on to the Port States Measures Agreement that seeks to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and as such this vessel will be a valuable asset in this respect. The fishing industry in Guyana is a very important economic

activity that provides a cheap source of protein to the population, and, at the same time, provides employment within the rural areas, contributing to food and nutrition security.

Market access is very important, as approximately sixty percent of production is exported. However, access to markets is dependent on importing countries’ regulations and these are becoming increasingly stringent. As such, to ensure continued market access, Guyana has to ensure that all the criteria are being met. As recent as last year, the shrimp industry was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council which is a requirement of our international customers. This is a dynamic process which requires

that fisher folk are adhering to the principles of sustainable fishing and ensuring that all regulatory devices on fishing gear are being utilised in the correct manner.

It is expected that research activities, which are important in assisting to properly monitor and regulate fishing activities, will be boosted with the Department’s ability to travel to the fishing grounds, and carry out on-site experiments and monitoring activities. The Fisheries industry Minister Holder, alongside Chief Fisheries Officer, Denzil is therefore expected to Roberts, as they unveiled the plaque at the be better monitored and commissioning on Tuesday managed with the acquisiconstant monitoring and sur- in the harvesting of this spe- tion of the vessel, and it is veillance to ensure that all the cies. At sea, inspections and envisaged that the fisheries right processes are adhered to regular patrolling will ensure sector will be sustainable for generations to come.

Airports to remain closed until August 1

THE scheduled July 1 reopening of the airports to international passenger flights has been deferred to August 1, following the steep increases of COVID-19 cases that Guyana continues to record.

The postponement however, will not affect the continuation of limited repatriation flights, which is being coordinated to bring Guyanese stranded overseas back home.

Outgoing flights, cargo flights, medivac flights, technical stops, and special authorised flights will also still continue. The postponement was announced by the Guy-

ana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in a statement issued last Wednesday “This decision was made after careful assessment of the current COVID-19 situation in Guyana and other international ports where flights to Guyana originates.

In recent days, Guyana saw steep increases in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases,” the statement noted.

Last Tuesday, Guyana recorded 10 new cases of the COVID-19, while the country’s highest daily record of cases occurred last week Tuesday, when 21 cases were recorded in one day.

The re-opening of the

airports to international flights would’ve marked the commencement of Phase Two of a Four-Phase programme to return the airports and travel to normalcy.

Phase One of the programme was the planning stage which involved meetings between the GCAA and the government, airport authorities and operators, local tourism bodies and other stakeholders’ groups for a collective understanding. Phase Two was the implementation stage with the re-opening of airports to some Regional travel.

Phase Three would see the expansion to the accep-

tance of foreign nationals from areas like North America; while Phase Four, which would extend into 2021, would see the country going back to normal or adjusting its travel SOPs based on the situation.

It was during a virtual meeting in early June that GCAA Director General Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field announced the planned July re-opening. However, in an earlier interview, Field cautioned that the phases of the programme would be contingent on how the COVID-19 situation developed.

“As much as you will set

a timeline for these phases, it will be fluid because the situation of each phase may depend on the effectiveness and the implementation of not only the individual measures in your State, but also the prevailing environment in the points of origin,” Field had said in an earlier interview in May. Guyana’s two international airports have been closed to incoming international flights since midnight on March 18, after Guyana recorded its first COVID-19 case on March 11.

The airports were initially scheduled to close for a two week period, howev-

Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field

er, as cases in the country increased, the closure continued to be extended.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

No hiccups as Corentyne pupils write NGSA FROM as early as 07:45hrs pupils in East Berbice, Corentyne, began making their way to their respective schools to write the National Grade Six Assessment on Wednesday.

Decked in their uniforms, and observing COVID-19 protocols, the pupils with anxious but supportive parents and guardians made their way to schools on day one of the two-day programme to write English Language and Science papers 1 & 2. On Thursday they will write Mathematics and Social Studies papers 1&2, thereby completing the assessment.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Shamkumarie Balgobin, a parent of a pupil of the Kildonan Primary School said she has been working with her daughter during the past four months on revision and she is relieved that she is finally being able to write the examinations. “We are happy to get this over with because we were so stressed out, it’s like a big weight lift from we shoulders. Them children happy they can just write the exam and relax when it done”.

Balgobin added she was thankful that the Ministry

of Education opted to open school on June 15 so learners could have benefitted from revision with their teachers.

She added, she was scared of sending her daughter at first, but after she had the chance to see the setup that the ministry implemented, she felt pleased.

Since the announcement that

schools would be opened to facilitate revision for the NGSA, CSEC and CAPE, and in light of COVID-19, The Department of Education in Region 6, along with the Regional Health Services, has begun a sanitisation exercise at schools across the county.

A hand-washing facility was

Students practise social distancing while they await their turn to be screened

Shamkumarie Balgobin and her daughter before she entered the school compound

A guardian hands over lunch box to a pupil as he prepares to go into the school yard

installed at each school and a community health worker was assigned to check the temperature of students, teachers and anyone entering the compound of the school.

Many parents also took timeout to prepare special meals for their children to take to school and helped to make them as comfortable as possible. Shamkumarie prepared chicken chowmein for her daughter as that is her favorite meal. Throughout the region, and across Guyana, pupils were screened before they made their way to the examination rooms.

Local HR firm completes Farmer charged TRACE-certified due diligence with possession of arms, ammunition

COMPLETING trace-certified due diligence is one more way Strategic Recruitment Solutions Guyana Inc.(SRSGY) is meeting the compliance requirements of customers internationally “With the aim of servicing international markets and as we continue to develop relationships with businesses in other countries, we understand the importance of commercial transparency. One of the strongest messages we want to send to our partners is that we are a human resource company that operates within the law and adheres to a high ethical standard. As such, SRSGY is happy to announce that we are trace-certified.

Trace certification is a heavily benchmarked and comprehensive due- diligence review, analysis and approval process establishing that an individual or organisation has been thoroughly vetted, trained and certified by TRACE, the world’s leading anti-bribery standard-setting organisation.

TRACE-certified companies are pre-vetted partners

for multinational companies seeking to do business with suppliers, agents and consultants who share their commitment to commercial transparency.

The TRACE-certification review process is based on internationally accepted standards and requires candidates to complete global anti-bribery training, adopt a code of conduct and update due-diligence information annually. Reports include daily screening of names against international sanctions and enforcement lists.

Companies and individuals that have completed TRACE certification within the last year are included in the TRACE Intermediary Directory, a publicly searchable database of pre-vetted and trained small and medium-sized entities worldwide.

Certification by TRACE signifies that a company has completed internationally accepted due-diligence procedures and has been forthcoming and cooperative during the review process.

The successful completion of

TRACE certification demonstrates your commitment to commercial transparency, allowing you to serve as a valued business partner to multinational companies.

“By allocating time and resources to completing a thorough due- diligence review—and anti-bribery training—TRACE-certified companies have a competitive advantage in the global marketplace,” TRACE President Alexandra Wrage said.

Strategic Recruitment Solutions Guyana (SRSGY) Founder and CEO Kerri Gravesande-Bart said, “TRACE certification reinforces our commitment to transparency and communicates to all stakeholders that we are serious about doing business ethically. As global HR continues to transform and evolve, SRSGY intends to be a trusted partner in each transaction we enter.

Becoming TRACE-certified is one way we can show our business affiliates that we are dedicated to commercial transparency and ethical business practices.”

SRSGY is a leading multi-disciplinary recruitment consultancy firm specialising in all levels of offshore, accountancy, finance, HR, office support and commercial recruitment.

SRSGY offers permanent, fixed-term and temporary recruitment, from entry-level positions to the level of director.

“Our partner clients and candidates benefit from over 50 years combined recruitment expertise gained across the Caribbean and internationally. Our team’s qualifications range from a Master’s Degree in Maritime Studies; first degrees in Tourism and Psychology; diplomas in Public Management and Business Management, with credits in the areas of Human Resource Management and Communications.

“Our teams are trained in behavioural interviewing techniques and are registered professional members of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRMP) Professionals,” SRSGY concluded.

Charan ‘Suresh’ Guman

CHARAN ‘Suresh’ Guman, a 60-year-old poultry farmer of Lot 195 Clifton Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice, was, on Monday, charged with possession of firearm and ammunition without the relevant Iicence.

He allegedly had in his possession illegally: a .38 revolver; two live .38 rounds and four. 38 spent

shells.

Guman appeared at Whim Magistrate’s Court before Her Worship Renita Singh, pleaded not guilty to both charges and was granted bail in the sum of $200,000 on each charge. He was also ordered to lodge his passport. The cases have been postponed to August 17, 2020 for a ‘Report’.

10

Virtual Hand-Over Ceremony for CARICOM Chairmanship

HEADS of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will host a special conference on Friday, July 3, which will see Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley handing over the reins to incoming chairman, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Twentieth Special Meeting of CARICOM will be held via video conference throughout the region, beginning at 10:00 a.m. CARICOM Heads decided at their Ninth Special Meeting in April this year to stage the handing-over ceremony at the beginning of July.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Forty-First Regular Meeting of Heads of Government to be rescheduled to September 2 and 3 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

During Friday’s virtual meeting, CARICOM leaders are expected to also address a number of procedural matters. As CARICOM Chairman, among other things, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley hosted the 31st Intersessional Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, from February 18 to 19 in Barbados, and held a number of Special Meetings in March and May

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley handing over the reins to incoming chairman, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

to map out a strategy to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

In addition, as Conference Chairman, Ms. Mottley was able to facilitate a high-level meeting between CARICOM Heads of Government and owners/chairmen of leading cruise lines to discuss mutual matters of interest.

The relationship which was established between the cruise ship principals and the Conference of Heads enabled the members of the Commu-

nity to have frank and cordial discussions with cruise industry representatives about the impact of COVID-19 on cruises in and around the Caribbean.

Prime Minister Mottley also has lead responsibility for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy in the region’s quasi cabinet.

The Caribbean Community has 15 member states – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,

Sixth COVID-19 case in Bartica confirmed ACCORDING to a release from the Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Dr. Edward Sagala, another individual from the mining town of Bartica has now tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

On Wednesday last, Bartica recorded its first resident to test positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, after which four family contacts of the individual, including a three-year-old child, who also tested positive.

This prompted another 16 individuals including healthcare workers to also be tested. Of the 16, one test result returned positive, presenting a total of now six COVID-19 positive cases, in less than a week for Bartica.

“The total number of posi-

tive cases in the entire CuyuniMazaruni region now stands at 37, most of which were recorded out of Aranka, making our region second only to the Barima-Waini Region,” Dr. Sagala stated.

The RHO said that residents of Bartica appear to be carefree and casual towards the pandemic. “Simply put, most residents seem not to care. This virus is not going away anytime soon, as many may want to believe. It has no respect for age, sex or sexuality, economic standing, etc. It kills!” he warned. Dr. Sagala again urged all residents to stay safe and to observe all the advisories being constantly provided to the community from the Department of Health. (DPI)

Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It also has five associate members – Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. (Barbados Government Information Service)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Gov’t warns against COVID-19 scammers THE Ministry of Social Protection (MoSP) has condemned the actions of unscrupulous persons who are reportedly impersonating its staff and soliciting monies from disadvantaged persons under the guise of helping them fill out the COVID-19 application forms.

It is reported that this nefarious act is prevalent in several Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) communities, the ministry said in a release. It is alleged that individuals are asking residents to provide their national identification cards and other personal information on behalf of the MoSP. “The ministry has not

authorised anyone to manually fill the forms. The only two options available are (1) to fill the form online or (2) contact the tollfree numbers 665-2271; 615-9990; 615-9507 or 615-945 where assistance would be given. Additional numbers can be found on the ministry’s Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/mospgy.”

Residents are advised to contact 227-4410 or 2256545 or make contact with the nearest police station in Region Six to make a report should they have an encounter with any of these individuals. These reports will be investigated and addressed swiftly.

Two arrested for illegal gun, ganja possession POLICE on Tuesday arrested two men and seized an illegal firearm and a quantity of marijuana during a raid at Mora Village, North West District.

In a release, police said ranks conducted an intelligence-led operation at

Mora Village, North West District and arrested two males who were found in possession of a total of one hundred and twenty -one grams of suspected cannabis and also a pistol. The suspects are in custody assisting with the investigation.

Mine worker crushed to death A 55-year-old Brazilian man was, on Tuesday, crushed to death in an underground tunnel at Puruni Mines, Region Seven.

DEAD is Jose Cicero Ferreira Pereira known as ‘Garapal’, who was employed at the Hard Rock Mining Company as a maintenance worker.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that Pereira was killed on Tuesday around 00:20h when he was working at the top of the shaft section of the mining pit with another man.

The men were pumping water from the tunnel which is 80 feet below the earth’s surface.

However, there

was a problem with the pump and Pereira was lowered into the tunnel to clear the hole.

After 15 minutes went by and Pereira did not signal to be winched up, the other worker became worried and went to the the site’s manager, Paulo Matis De Souza.

The site manager was lowered into the tunnel and found Pereira lying face down in an unconscious state, with a rock weighing in excess of 200 lbs on his head.

Pereira died while being brought out of the tunnel.

A post mortem done on Wednesday confirmed that Pereira died due to injuries to the head.

Seafield man charged for Enmore fatal-hit-and-run

A West Coast Berbice man was, on Tuesday, charged with causing death by dangerous driving for the hit-and-run fatal accident committed on Sheldon Major, 16, of 76 Enmore North , East Coast Demerara, last week.

Steven Pierre,28, of 26 Seafield Village, WCB, and driver of motor car # PLL 7855, was charged with: Causing death by dangerous driving; failing

to report an accident; failing to render assistance and failing to stop after an accident.

He appeared at the Cove & John Magistrate’s Court before Her Worship, Fabyo Azore.

He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and was placed on a total of $575,000 bail. The case has been postponed to 2020-07-14 for report and fixture.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Godfrey Bess promoted to Brigadier ---President urges continuance of stellar leadership of Force

PRESIDENT David Granger, on Wednesday, presented Brigadier Godfrey Bess with an Instrument of Commission appointing him acting Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Baridi Benab at State House and saw the attendance of representatives of the government, GDF and the relatives of Bess. The new Chief of Staff (acting) has

fostering a collective effort towards excellence.

“The Chief of Staff is not merely the holder of the highest rank and most prestigious appointment in the Force. He is required to exercise command continuously in order to achieve the objectives of the Defence Board and directives of the Minister in order to accomplish the Force’s mission.

He must communicate, coordinate and, most important,

of their country; integrity and more.

He said: “Leadership is a personal, moral and intellectual quality that is founded on clear and coherent concepts, rational objectives, viable measures and the availability of adequate resources which enable and encourage disparate elements of the Force – air, land, sea and services – to work together as a team. The

President David Granger affixes new Badge of Rank on GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, under the Baridi Benab, State House

Staff is assuming command of the Force as Guyana celebrates its 50th Republic Anniversary, the Force celebrates its 55th anniversary and the country embarks on a Decade of Development.

Nonetheless, he said that

that his achievements will be recorded in our country’s military history as a period of consolidation and transformation,” he said, adding: “The Guyana Defence Board congratulates Brigadier Godfrey Bess on his appoint-

General; Colonel Sherwin Anderson, Quartermaster General; and Colonel Raul Jerrick, Adjutant General with effect from July 1, 2020.

Brigadier West, 54, served as the country’s 10th Chief of Staff. He has expressed

Brigadier Godfrey Bess and his wife Shandelle Bess (MOTP photo)

now replaced Brigadier Patrick West who has proceeded on pre-retirement leave.

In his address to the audience, arranged to suit the COVID-19 guidelines in place, the President congratulated Bess, wishing him best in the future execution of his duties.

As Chief of Staff (ag), he said that Bess will have to instruct and influence his subordinates to achieve a specific mission while effectively employing the Force’s assets, demonstrating leadership and

collaborate with his subordinates,” the President said.

Describing further the qualities the Chief of Staff should maintain, the Head of State highlighted the need for qualities of intelligence and prudence which would set the ‘Values and Standards’ expected of the Force and its members.

He also pointed to the need for the sacred bearing of the Force’s ‘colours’; discipline, for maintaining organisational cohesiveness; loyalty, binding officers to the service

Chief of Staff’s task is not only to command and lead but, also less glamorously, it is to manage. Management includes the traditional textbook functions–of planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating and controlling. It involves more than handling inanimate materials; it is a process which requires motivating human resources to achieve the Force’s mission.”

He said that the management of the Defence Force, this year, will no doubt be challenging as the Chief of Insignia Rank of Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force

Members of the audience, inclusive of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings (MOTP photo)

the Decade will include investments aimed at the continuous retooling and strengthening of the Defence Force and urged Bess to build on the Force’s achievements over the past five years.

“I record the appreciation of the Guyana Defence Board to Brigadier West for his service to country and to the Defence Force. He assumed the leadership of the Force during a period of transformation.

The Force, during his tenure, has been reorganised and reequipped to become a more professional organisation. The Defence Board wishes Brigadier West a happy retirement, content in the knowledge

ment. We wish him success in executing the functions of the office of Chief of Staff of the Force.”

The Defence Act, Section 169, empowers the President to appoint an officer to command the Defence Force. The very Act tasks the Chief of Staff with commanding and issuing authoritative orders in respect to the operations of the Force, subject to the directives of the Defence Board and the Minister responsible for Defence.

As West proceeds on pre-retirement leave, there have also been approved the appointments of Colonel Trevor Bowman, Inspector

gratitude to the President and the Defence Board for both “specific and general direction” which he said has helped to shape the course of effective transformation within the Force, while at the same time developing the concept of Total National Defence.

Meanwhile, 51-year old Colonel Godfrey Bess said it was an honour to have been bestowed with the privilege of serving as Chief of Staff of the Defence Force. He thanked President Granger and the Defence Board for the opportunity to serve while Brigadier West proceeds on his accumulated leave.

ECD pupils confident of good scores 12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

…as NGSA commences countrywide

By Naomi Parris ANXIETIES were high on Wednesday morning, as parents sent off their children to their respective primary schools on the East Coast of Demerara to write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NGSA is considered a ‘stepping stone’ for children as they say goodbye to their primary school days and enter into a new era of learning and growth. The results of the assessment determine which secondary school a student will attend in the new school term, and every child is vying for a spot at the top secondary schools in the country. As such, some children are filled with a bittersweet anxiety as they enter the examination room. However, parents as

difficult, because for children this is their first [big] examination and it is an examination that determines their future and so to speak children need that reassurance that teachers and parents would be around but parents aren’t allowed to stick around,” the teacher stated.

She added that, amid the anxieties of the actual examination, pupils are still faced with grasping the reality of what a pandemic is and what is going on around them.

Another parent, David Chung, stated that, “I am feeling confident and likewise the children should feel the same reason being they had more time on hand due to the pandemic to do a little bit more studying. They had three months additional grace period that they could have developed themselves.”

Meanwhile, Arlene Gar-

he could get during the time he was at home. “Some of the children didn’t have the internet to get their lessons

fact that the cases were still climbing amid the re-opening of the schools and the days leading up to the examina-

Miss Bibi, A Grade six teacher attached to the Enmore/ Hope Primary School on the East Coast of Demerara

A mother escorting her child to school on Wednesday morning to write the National Grade Six Assessment

Nicola Charles smothering her son, a pupil of the St. Andrews Primary School, with kisses before he enters the National Grade Six Assessment on Wednesday A pupil of the Golden Grove Primary having her temperature tested before entering the school compound on Wednesday morning

well as teachers, ‘in normal times’ would remain at the school during the day to reassure them and boost their confidence during breaks; but given the current health crisis such is not allowed.

The Guyana Chronicle journeyed along the East Coast corridor and spoke to a number of parents and teachers who were in high spirits as they made their way to schools for the very first two subjects.

Miss Bibi, a teacher and parent attached to the Enmore/Hope primary school stated that she is not only concerned about her child but also about her other pupils whom she taught during the pandemic. Nevertheless, she added that she was confident that the pupils will persevere and be successful in the end.

“As a parent and as a teacher it has been really

dener was in high spirits as she preached manifestations of positivity for the children of Guyana as they made their way to schools.

“COVID aint got nothing on these children, because I know, and I trust God that they will make it. COVID is only here to bring people to consciousness,” the woman exclaimed.

Another parent who gave her name as Miss Lowes noted that her son had been working extremely hard and is aiming for a spot at President’s College on the East Coast of Demerara. The woman related that she was a bit skeptical since the pupils only had a short time to revise what they would have learned with their teachers.

The woman further noted that, by all means necessary, she made sure that her son received the best tutoring

on ‘zoom’. My experience personally was that, when his class teacher started the zoom lessons, I didn’t have internet, so I had to hurry and get the internet sorted out for him to join the zoom class.

I could say I am one of the fortunate ones”.

Nicola Charles whose child attends the St. Andrews Primary told the Guyana Chronicle that she was confident in her son’s ability and was in high spirits. “I’m quite confident with my son. He’s been working hard at home and he has been revising a lot. I mean it’s a challenge for the children because of the coronavirus, but we can just hope for the best and everything is in the hands of God”.

Meanwhile, another parent who gave her name as Nickacey admitted that she was nervous due to the

A pupil of the Victoria Primary School washing his hands moments before he enters the school building to write his examination ( All five Photos by Elvin Croker)

tions.

Nevertheless, she added that she was confident that the pupils who attended the St. Andrews primary will do well, since the teachers, along with the headteacher,

had been working overtime during the pandemic to ensure that every child received tutoring.

Lloyd Bruce, another parent, whose son attended the Victoria Primary School, made sure that he

schooled his child, not only on his academics, but also about the pandemic and the risks of not adhering to the guidelines, “ I spoke to him and told him to wash his hands, protect you and others.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Guyana Police Force Celebrates 181

Past GPF Anniversary Celebrations (2010-2018)-Asif Hakim, Police Corporal 22739

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) celebrated its 181year Anniversary on July 1, 2020, observing its mission statement "to serve all citizens and communities of Guyana in a professional, pro-active and accountable manner. To achieve this we will work in partnership with communities, public agencies and private bodies to enhance and support an environment where all people are preventing crime and building a safer and secure Guyana" The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leslie James DSS DSM, sends greetings to all Officers, Inspectors and Other

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force on the occasion of the Force's 181st Anniversary; the Top Cop also wishes them the best of health and prays that the Force continues to progress in the future.

The Guyana Police Force is currently undergoing a modernization and reform process in keeping with its strategic plan 2018-2021 under the citizen security programme to aid in fulfilling the objectives of the Force outlined in Section 3(2) of the Police Act, Chapter 16:01 for the preservation of law and order; the preservation of peace; the repression of internal disturbances; the protection of property; the

apprehension of offenders; the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which it is directly charged; perform Military duties within Guyana as may be required of it by or under the authority of the Minister; and the prevention and detection of crime.

The GPF stated that although it cannot host its usual anniversary celebrations with its officers and ranks it “wants to thank the almighty for bringing us this far and ask him to shower his blessings upon the ranks and let us continue to work hard and serve the nation to the best of our ability.”

Investigation launched into Mabaruma doctors’ quarters fire –– Cuban doctors currently housed at guest house THE authorities are investigating a fire of unknown origin which destroyed the living quarters of three Cuban doctors at Mabaruma on Monday.

This was disclosed by Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr. Stephen Cheefoon on Tuesday, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has reported. The DPI said that in his report to the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Cheefoon noted that the fire began late on Monday morning and he received word that the building was on fire around 11:30hrs.

No one was in the building at the time, thus there were no casualties; however, all of the doctors’ belongings along with household furniture and appliances were lost in the fire.

The building was at the time being rented by the regional administration, Region One, on an annual contract.

The region has responded promptly and currently houses the doctors at a private guest house in the town, with the necessary personal items provided for the doctors to continue to execute their duties at the hospital

and this includes clothes, etc.

Further, Dr. Cheefoon’s report stated that “The regional executive officer engaged the fire chief and a decision was made to have the fire chief send an investigator to review this situation on 30 June 2020. The police were informed to secure the site to be investigated.” Officials and other personnel have been cooperating to ensure a prompt investigation is facilitated to determine the origin of the fire. A subsequent report will be provided, the RHO said. (DPI)

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GRA rolls out duty-free alcohol stamps

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

----countrywide exercise almost complete

GRA officers affixing the stamp on bottles

IN its ongoing effort to bolster its anti-smuggling capabilities at the level of

Customs and enforcement, the Excise Stamp and Environmental Levy Unit of the

Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has embarked on a countrywide duty-free

alcohol stamping exercise.

The stamps which were manufactured with detailed security features, will enable Customs and Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) to easily identify and differentiate the duty-free alcohol from those that are duty-paid, GRA said in a release.

The endeavour started on June 1, 2020 when officers from the Unit visited duty-free shops (including warehouse facilities) to register retailers/importers, verify their inventories and supervise the placement of stamps on all duty-free alcohol.

As part of the process, importers/retailers and duty-free/warehouse operators are required to produce relevant documents and/ or evidence to verify legal acquisition of the alcohol for sale. Officers then staged a few demonstrations after which the importers/retailers were tasked with completing the process under the watchful eye of Customs officers.

The cost of each stamp is G$30. Persons are reminded that payments should only be made to the cashiers at the GRA’s Headquarters or any of its locations countrywide.

At present, the Excise Stamp and Environmental Levy Unit is about eighty (80) percent complete in its countrywide task, having recently completed stamping at outgoing duty-free shops at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and moving apace at various warehouse facilities. At the culmination of the exercise, importers/retailers who sell un-stamped alcohol may be subject to seizures, penalties and/or prosecution in accordance with the laws of Guyana.

The implementation of the duty-free stamps is an extension of the successful Excise Stamp Control programme launched in 2017 to curb the smuggling of imported alcohol and tobacco products and safeguard Government’s revenues.

Chairperson of CARICOM, Prime Minister Mia Mottley

CARICOM given access to procurement platform for COVID-19 medical supplies MEMBER states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have been given access to the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), a procurement system for supplies and equipment in the fight against COVID-19.

The AMSP unlocks immediate access to an African and global base of vetted manufacturers and procurement strategic partners, the CARICOM Secretariat said in a release Wednesday.

The platform enables African Union member states to purchase certified medical equipment, such as diagnostic kits, personal protection equipment (PPE) and clinical management devices, with increased cost effectiveness and transparency.

Chair of CARICOM, Mia Mottley, welcomed the development and thanked the Chair of the African Union (AU), His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa; His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya and Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for their assistance in making it possible.

“The COVID-19 crisis has produced, among other things, a glaring example of the disparity among developed and developing states regarding the access to critical supplies necessary to successfully combat the spread of the COVID,” the prime minister said.

“We have seen supplies being withheld from transhipment, and our relatively small populations put us at a disadvantage for successful optimal procurement of needed supplies. We, therefore, welcome this opportunity which has become avail-

able through inter-regional discussion. This underlines the strength of the relationship between Africa and CARICOM,” Prime Minister Mottley added.

The outgoing CARICOM Chairperson went on to say “Coincidentally, last week we were to have been holding the inaugural AU- CARICOM Summit in Nairobi to discuss such partnerships, but this had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and here we are today with a tangible outcome of the partnership between Africa and the Caribbean.”

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) will serve as the suppliesmanagement hub for the Region, working along with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) which provides the payment and trade services in support of AMPS. The platform not only affords more competitive procurement of a wide range of supplies and equipment to address the COVID pandemic, but also for additional health services. It was developed under the leadership of African Union Special Envoy Mr. Strive Masiyiwa and powered by Janngo, an African technology company, on behalf of the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and in partnership with Afreximbank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and other leading African and international corporations, institutions and foundations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

PAHO urges caution in relaxing COVID-19 restrictions …says timing, local planning critical

DIRECTOR of the Pan American Health Organisation, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, said countries planning to relax public health measures must take a phased approach based on local conditions and be prepared to impose preventive measures again if the epidemiological situation changes.

“The key is to think both nationally and locally and base decisions on the latest data. The more granular our understanding of where the virus strikes, the more targeted our response will be,” she told a media briefing this week. “As we are seeing, countries, states and cities that do not embrace preventive measures or relax restrictions too soon can be flooded with new cases,” Etienne said. “Timing is critical. At national or at local level, we must open gradually, taking a phased approach that relies on robust surveillance, data, and expanded testing and contact-tracing capacity.”

If the situation changes and infections rise, localities and countries must adjust course

quickly, she added.

Noting that 5.1 million cases and more than 247,000 deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported in the Americas through June 29, she said, “To truly understand the impact of the virus, and to plan more effectively for what comes next, it’s important to look beyond regional and national data and focus on the local level.” “We often hear about the number of cases in large countries like Brazil, Mexico or the United States without the appreciation of their considerable societal and geographic diversity.

In fact, multiple epidemiological curves co-exist both within our Region and within each country, and public health responses must be tailored to these specific situations,” Etienne said.

The PAHO director said reopening requires public health measures to track new cases and build sufficient capacity to detect and control new outbreaks. “Transmission in your area should be going down in a sustainable way, deaths should be decreasing, and hospital bed occupancy rates should be low before restrictions are

relaxed,” Etienne added.

She listed public health measures local and national governments should take including timely tests, isolation of cases to reduce transmission, contact-tracing to find infected persons and isolate them, access to Personal Protective Equipment and training for health workers, and if necessary, travel measures to limit new infections such as screening, case-finding, quarantines and other measures. “We need tests, but we also need test results to be reported quickly to paint an accurate picture,” Etienne said.

“Anyone with symptoms should have the guidance and support needed to reduce the chance of transmitting to others,” she added.

Contact tracing, when anchored to a strong primary health care system, “can help reduce the risk of transmission among vulnerable communities,” Etienne said, “and the health system needs enough hospital beds and intensive care units to provide care for severe cases. PAHO is working closely with

Woman critical after shot in the face

WANTED: Julian Arthur

A 28-year-old West Berbice woman is currently fighting for her life, after being shot in the face, Wednesday morning, by a man who reportedly is her boyfriend.

Devlin Garraway, a mother of three, was

shot in her home at # 30 Village WCB around 09:30 hours by her assailant who it was said lives elsewhere. A relative said: “Earlier in the week she told him that their relationship was over. He visited her this morning and neighbours said they heard voices raised in anger and then the sound of a gunshot.”

Moments later, the male suspect was seen fleeing from the scene in a motor car.

Garraway was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital where she received emergency medical treatment and then transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital. Her condition was reported to be stable since the bullet intended for her head hit her in her face instead.

Police have since issued a wanted bulletin which names the suspect in the shooting as Julian Arthur, 30, with his last known address being Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Police are asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Julian Arthur to contact the police on telephone numbers 333-2151, 333-5564, 333-3876, 226-6978, 225-8196, 226-2870, 226-7065, 227-1149, 226-7065, 911 or the nearest police station. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

countries and, “in many cases, local governments to analyse these trends to help guide their decision- making, she said.

“PAHO has supported

countries in every aspect of the response, providing guidance, training, and supplies. Over the past two months we have donated almost 5 million PCR tests

to the Region and procured more than 10 million tests on behalf of our countries.

We made 54 shipments of PPEs to 26 countries.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (THURSDAY, JULY 02, 2020)

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Avishka Gunawardene-132 (Nairobi, 2000) (2) Viv Richards-181 (Karachi, 1987)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Who is the first SL player to take a One Day International hattrick?

(2) What are the best bowling figures by a WI in an ODI game against SL to date??

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

TURN FROM PAGE 21

third, with Soares scoring the goal of the night from distance to complete an emphatic win.

Aubameyang, the fastest Arsenal player to 50 Premier League goals, is yet to pledge his long-term future to the Gunners, with his current contract due to expire in 2021.

The Gunners will hope he can be persuaded to stay after another inspirational performance by the forward, who has 51 league goals for Arsenal in 79 games.

HOPE FADING FOR NORWICH With three successive games against fellow strugglers Brighton (home), Watford (away) and West Ham (home) to come, Norwich will still believe they can turn it around.

But it looks increasingly likely the Canaries will be making a quick return to the

Championship, which they won last season.

This was their fourth straight defeat since the restart, while they have not scored a top-flight goal for more than six hours.

League defeat number 21 of the season was self-inflicted as mistakes by Krul and Drmic contributed to their latest downfall.

Boss Daniel Farke made a triple change at half-time and there was a brief period when Norwich looked like they might respond, but it was the same old story for the Canaries.

They are a team short of confidence while their leading scorer Teemu Pukki, one of the three players replaced at halftime, has not scored in his last 10 outings, playing 657 minutes, attempting 15 shots, with just five hitting the target.

Holder urges...

TURN FROM PAGE 20

ing a lot of work with (batting coach Floyd) Reifer. All the other guys I thought gave away their wickets a little easily. The wicket had a bit in it - it was a bit slow, it was a bit two-paced at times and the ball moved around at times as well.

“It means everything. Every hundred is an awesome feeling to me. I opened last season for the majority of the season, and did it in a couple of games this season as well, so it’s nothing I’m not accustomed to. Anywhere I’m needed, I’m ready to take up the role.”

Despite his analysis that his team-mates had given away their wickets too easily, Da Silva said that he was “100% confident” that the batsmen were ready for the first Test on July 8.

“The squad and the batting group are quite ready.

In the last practice match we had a few good scores from each of the batsmen.

I’m 100% confident that the guys are ready for the Test coming up. The bowlers asked the right questions - it can happen.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

Bracey half-century signals hope for English side (ESPNCricinfo) - It wasn’t a first-class innings, and it barely even counts as an England representative game.

Yet it was played in England colours, against a Testclass bowling attack, and in spite of the unavoidable lack of a crowd, it was televised to a global audience, albeit via the ECB’s own fixed-camera web-stream.

Three and a half months after England’s cricketers left the field in Colombo as their tour of Sri Lanka was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, James Bracey became the first Englishman to score a half-century in the 2020 home season. And in so doing, he laid down the sort of marker that he hopes could yet earn him higher honours before the summer is out.

Invited to open the Buttler XI innings alongside Rory Burns, Bracey not only outlasted his senior partner but turned his opportunity into an impressively fluent 85 - an innings that might have promised even more had he not been strangled

down the leg side with a century beginning to beckon.

Nevertheless, for the 23-year-old Bracey - nominally the fourth-choice wicketkeeper in England’s 30-man squad - this was an innings full of calm shot selection and measured decision-making that can only have turned heads in his favour, especially given that he is a relative newcomer to the opener’s role, having done the job on an irregular basis for Gloucestershire in last season’s County Championship.

“I’m delighted with today, it was a great opportunity to get out there against the new ball, and show them what I’ve got,” said Bracey. “I haven’t opened up a huge amount in the last couple of years and a lot of people wouldn’t have seen me play in that role, so it was really nice to repay some faith and show them that I’ve got the capability to do that job.”

By his own admission, the step-up from Division Two Championship cricket

to the England set-up has not been a small one, but Bracey’s head for heights has already been clocked by the national selectors - not least thanks to his key role on the Lions tour of Australia in February, a trip in which he made a key half-century at Melbourne in the visitors’ first victory in an unofficial Test in seven tours.

“Big moments like that are

obviously going to go a long way for me personally,” said Bracey. “Being able to score runs and keep wicket was really nice and may have gone a long way for me to be part of this squad.

“Obviously I haven’t played Division One like a lot of the other lads, so it was nice today to get a taste of what those Division One pitches are

if I’m lucky enough.”

Bracey certainly held his own against the best of British today, withstanding James Anderson’s new-ball bursts as well as some brisk fare from Saqib Mahmood in particular in the morning session.

“But on an attritional wicket, and against an attack that has been barred from using saliva to shine the ball due to

Joe Denly and James Bracey run between the wickets (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

like, and to play on a Division One ground which I haven’t done a huge amount of.

“But I think there are skills I’ve developed playing in (Division Two) on maybe some more challenging pitches against different styles of bowling that I think can put me in good stead going up those levels. I think it’s helped me build a pretty sound technique and hopefully I can take that into Test cricket at some point

the COVID-19 outbreak, he was able to thrive as the day wore on, not least in a 98-run stand with Joe Denly for the second wicket.

“The ball went quite soft a way out but I think that was the state of the ball itself,” said Bracey. “It did swing for Stokes in particular and Anderson did get it to talk, but it lacked a little bit of that zip.

“The lads worked hard on the ball in terms of dry-shin-

ing, possibly using any sweat they could get on the ball, but it’s very different. They’ll have to be creative with ways that they can get the ball to move around.

“But as much as it was tough and attritional for the bowlers, it was tough for us guys to score in periods as well, especially when they built pressure. It’s possibly not what we expected a Test-match pitch to be like but it’s good practice nonetheless to get to test our skills, and try and build that temperament ready for next week.”

As much as Bracey made his personal case, arguably the key innings of the day came from his Lions team-mate, Dan Lawrence, whose hard-hitting half-century further cemented the sense that he is the coming man in England’s ranks, particularly given that Joe Root’s paternity leave creates a vacancy in the middle order for the first Windies Test.

“He looks really good,” said Bracey. “I played with Dan all winter. I went to India with him before Christmas and he was obviously with us on the Lions in Australia, and he was outrageous when we went over there.

“He’s really good at going through the gears, but it’s important to know he’s got a really good defensive game too. He’s definitely got the technique to play Test cricket, no doubt about it.

Today, we saw more of that and he was able to get into his stride.”

West Indies warm up match …

(ESPNCricinfo) - Jason Holder has told West Indies batsmen to “really look at (themselves) in the mirror” after suffering a top-order collapse on the third day of their intra-squad warm-up match.

The second fixture between Holder XI and Brathwaite XI has again pitted the Test side’s likely bowling and batting lineups respectively against each other, and yesterday there was no doubt who came out on top, as the batsmen limped to 112 for 7 at the close.

Holder, who took a wicket in his first over of the tour, told the PA news agency: “No doubt, we’ve got to really look at ourselves in the mirror and really knuckle down, especially up front.

“Up front is probably the hardest place to bat in any format in cricket and we’ve got to find ways to fight a little bit harder up front in our innings.

“But in our first game, you pretty much saw people knuckle down and got in, Kraigg played really well and he’s been batting well in the nets, Shai Hope got a score in the first game. There are still some scores from our top-order.”

Holder did not bowl in the first game after an ankle niggle, but said that he was feeling “pretty good” after getting through five overs last evening.

“I’m pretty good. I won’t push it as hard as I probably would in a game as yet, but there are still a few more days before the first Test; but this has been the first bowl in the middle I’ve had since maybe March.

“I just need to work myself back into it, gradually. I don’t feel under-prepared. I’ve had a good amount of time in the nets. Yes, I haven’t had the time in the middle but I’ve ticked all the boxes in terms of preparation.”

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper/ batsman Joshua Da Silva has declared himself ready for inclusion in the Test side if incumbent Shane Dowrich is not fit to play in the first Test.

Dowrich hurt his side in last week’s warm-up game, and has played no part in this warm-up match as a precaution. A Cricket West Indies spokesperson said that Dowrich was “100% fit”, but Da Silva said that he was “definitely” ready if called upon after making an unbeaten 133.

“Any opportunity I get, I’ll be ready to take, 100%,” he said in a virtual press conference. “You’re always trying to make the first team, but it’s not in my control. I’m just here to play cricket and score runs when possible - whatever happens, happens. “(The innings) wasn’t that difficult for me. I’ve been doTURN TO PAGE 19

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

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Yarmolenko’s last ditch Khawaja is interim ICC Chair effort downs Chelsea

West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko came off the bench to earn three points for the hosts late on

(BBC) - Andriy Yarmolenko’s last-gasp winner settled an eventful London derby with Chelsea and delivered a huge boost to West Ham United’s hopes of avoiding relegation.

In a topsy-turvy game, which saw West Ham infuriated when Tomas Soucek’s first-half goal was ruled out

by VAR, substitute Yarmolenko made the decisive contribution when they finished off a superb counter attack with a classic left-foot finish.

It looked like both sides would have to settle for a point but that late twist not only provides a huge morale lift to David Moyes’ side, putting them three points clear of the relegation places, but also completed a good 24 hours for Manchester United

in the race for Champions League places after their win at Brighton and thirdplaced Leicester City’s loss at Everton.

Moyes was angry when Soucek saw a first-half goal ruled out because Michail Antonio was adjudged to be offside and in Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s line of vision.

Chelsea then took the lead through Willian’s penalty but battling West Ham levelled through Soucek’s header right on the stroke of half-time.

Man-of-the-match Antonio bundled West Ham in front six minutes after the interval but this eventful affair looked to be heading for a draw when Willian’s superb free-kick with 18 minutes left drew Chelsea level.

And yet, with injury-time looming, West Ham broke and the tireless Antonio set up Yarmolenko for a crisp finish that gave Moyes’ men what could be a priceless three points.

(BBC) - A howler by goalkeeper Tim Krul helped set Arsenal on their way to a win that lifts them up to seventh as bottom club Norwich City’s hopes of staying in the Premier League faded further.

Dutchman Krul lost possession to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the edge of his own penalty area for Arsenal’s opener, the Gabon forward whipping the ball from his feet to score his 18th top-flight goal of the season.

Aubameyang then turned provider for Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka to sweep home his first club goal since March 2019 before Aubameyang added another after a mistake by

Josip Drmic.

Cedric Soares completed the rout, the substitute scoring from outside the penalty area four minutes after coming on for his Gunners debut.

Norwich, six points from safety with six games left, hit the woodwork through Ben Godfrey when the game was goalless while Emiliano Martinez produced a fine save to keep out Kenny McLean’s free-kick.

March 7 with an easy win.

Having lost their first two matches after the restart, Gunners have now won their past three, have an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to, while Aubameyang is level on 19 goals with Leicester’s Jamie Vardy at the top of the Premier League scoring charts.

His first was a gift; Krul easily dispossessed after a back pass by Godfrey as Aubameyang steamed in to score before laying on the pass for Xhaka to double the lead before halftime.

Another mistake, this time

by Josip Drmic, allowed Aubameyang to pounce for the

AUBAMEYANG INSPIRES GUNNERS This was a highly satisfactory return to the Emirates Stadium for Mikel Arteta’s side as they marked their first competitive home match since

ANTONIO SETS THE TONE West Ham manager Moyes needed a big performance to turn around their fortunes in an increasingly fraught battle to avoid the drop.

And when he was needed, Antonio stepped up with a performance of determination and quality as he led from the front to see off the challenge of Chelsea as they chase a place in the top four.

Antonio was a potent mix of skill and power, a central figure as he was controver-

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sially adjudged to be in Chelsea keeper Arrizabalaga’s eyeline when West Ham’s first goal was disallowed, then scoring their equaliser before leading the counter that led to Yarmolenko’s winner.

West Ham needed a reaction after losing at home to Wolves and away to Spurs since the Premier League kicked into action again - and there will be no better tonic for Moyes and his players than a win over their arch-rivals from west London.

With a visit to Newcastle United and a home game against Burnley on the horizon, with both teams in form, it was vital West Ham gained full reward and Antonio was the driving force behind this vital victory.

(ESPNCricinfo) - Imran Khawaja will be the interim chairman of ICC until elections are held for the post. The decision was taken by the ICC Board yesterday after incumbent Shashank Manohar stepped down following two terms in the role.

Khawaja, who is a former president of the Singapore Cricket Association, was elected as ICC’s deputy chairman in 2017 - a year after Manohar became the global cricket body’s inaugural independent chairman. The deputy chairman’s position was part of the new ICC constitution which came into effect from 2017. That constitution was drafted by a five-person working group which included Khwaja.

A lawyer by profession, Khawaja, 64, has been an ever-present but little-heard figure - publicly at least. He remains, however, a powerful voice on the ICC Board and is part of a number of influential committees. Currently, the committees Khawaja sits on include the Finance & Commercial Affairs, Nominations, Development (Chair) and Membership.

It was Khawaja who played a significant role in convincing Manohar to continue as ICC chairman in 2017 after the former BCCI president had opted to step down even before finishing a year in the post.

Although he is the Chairman of Associates, Khawaja has had a say in significant reforms the ICC carried out under Manohar’s leadership, including the overhaul of the governance structure, the finance model and creating a democratic structure at the ICC board where even the smaller countries have had a say.

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

Normally the new chair would have been installed at the ICC’s annual conference, which this year is believed to have been postponed indefi-

nitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although the annual general meeting will still take place virtually.

Khawaja, along with the outgoing ECB chairman Colin Grave, has been talked about as the frontrunner to replace Manohar on a full-time basis, although neither has made their desire to contest public.

Also in the reckoning could be BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who became eligible after he participated in his first ICC Board meeting this March. A fellow ICC director told ESPNcricinfo that Ganguly brought good cricketing arguments to the Board which has traditionally been populated by administrators who have not played the game.

The BCCI has been actively looking for support for Ganguly, although the former India captain has not made his intention known either in public or within BCCI circles.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, now director of cricket at Cricket South Africa, said global cricket needed a “strong leadership” which Ganguly was “best positioned” to provide. Hours after Smith made his comments, CSA president Chris Nenzani said the South African board did not want to “anticipate any candidates to be nominated” until the process was finalised.

Over the last couple of months, a number of board heads have had their name attached to the chairmanship, though none has stated any intentions publicly and the process for how they are elected has not even been finalised.

The latest hat in the ring has been thrown by Dave Cameron, former president of Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Cameron, who lost the CWI presidency to Ricky Skerritt in 2019, has been recommended by the United States Cricket Hall of Fame. Cameron has been lobbying for support in the Caribbean and has at least one backer in Conde Riley, the president of Barbados Cricket Association, who also sits on the CWI Board.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his first Premier League goals since February 23

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

BCA president calls for ‘immediate removal’ of Simmons (ESPNCricinfo) - The president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) has called for the “immediate removal” of Phil Simmons as head coach of West Indies.

Conde’ Riley, who is also on the board of directors of Cricket West Indies (CWI), has described Simmons’ decision to attend a family funeral as “inconsiderate and reckless” and claimed it has “endangered the lives” of the rest of the touring party.

Simmons, who is based in the UK, was allowed to leave the West Indies training base to attend the funeral of his father-in-law at the end of last week. As a consequence, he was obliged to go into quarantine in the team hotel upon his return.

In an email to board members Riley wrote: “I just heard on the radio that our head coach Mr Phil Simmons attended a funeral recently and is now being quarantined as a result. If this is true I am calling for his immediate removal as head coach.

“I am being bombarded by concerned parents and

members of the BCA. This behaviour is inconsiderate and reckless. It endangers the lives of those 25 young men in the UK and in fact the entire management team and cannot be tolerated.

“The English press will have a feast on his judgement and I suggest we act swiftly.”

Nine members of West Indies’ 14-man Test squad are from Barbados, as well as four of the squad’s 11 reserve players. Three further players - Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Darren Bravo opted out of selection prior to the series due to their concerns about the pandemic.

A statement from CWI at the time confirmed that Simmons had gained permission to attend the funeral ahead of the tour.

“The entire process of his exit and re-entry to the bio-secure location was approved and managed by the medical teams of the CWI and the ECB and strictly followed protocols set up prior to the tour which addressed such scenarios,” the statement said.

“Following his re-

turn, Simmons has been in self-isolation away from other members of the squad, exactly as had always been planned. He has so far undergone two COVID-19 tests since Friday - both of which came back negative. He was due for another test yestersday before he will re-join the squad as they prepare for the three-match #RaiseTheBat Series against England.”

Simmons’ movements have been barely noted in the UK press as of now.

Joe Root, the England captain, has been given similar dispensation to leave the training bubble to attend the birth of his second child. He will miss the first Test as a consequence.

Riley’s email comes a week before West Indies begin the three-Test series in England with the first match scheduled from July 8 in Southampton.

West Indies hold the Wisden Trophy after their 2-1 win at home last year, but have not won a Test series in England since 1988.

There is wider context behind this. In 2019 Ricky

Skerritt ended Dave Cameron’s six-year reign as CWI president, winning the elections by an 8-4 margin with voting conducted through a secret ballot. However, the BCA was one of the boards to nominate Cameron.

Cameron now also wants to contest for the ICC chairman’s position, which is up for grabs after incumbent Shashank Manohar recently said he would not be standing for another term.

Although the CWI is yet to take a formal stance on whether to support Cameron’s nomination, on Tuesday Riley told the Mason and Guest Cricket Show, hosted on Starcom Network, a Barbados-based radio station, that he would “certainly” support the Jamaican.

The relationship between Cameron and Skerritt’s administration has been tense, especially of late. Last month, Cameron threatened legal action against the board unless they handed over a copy to him of an audit which had been critical of Cameron’s time in office.

Simmons was also

sacked as head coach by the board during Cameron’s time as president, and was reappointed to the same post b y S k e rritt. The coach subsequently won a legal case f o r unfair dismissal against CWI and re c e i v e d a significant payout.

(BBC) - Everton kept up their post-restart push for a place in next season’s Europa League with an impressive victory over Leicester at Goodison Park.

The Blues are unbeaten since the Premier League began again two weeks ago, with a second successive win coming courtesy of two goals in quick succession in the game’s first quarter.

Richarlison struck from close range before Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a debatable penalty, awarded following a lengthy VAR review for handball against Wilfred Ndidi.

Leicester rallied at the start of the second half and pulled a somewhat fortuitous goal back when Mason Holgate’s attempted clearance flew into the net off the face of substitute Kelechi Iheanacho.

But they were unable to make the most of the larger share of possession and chances to gain parity.

It is another blow for the Foxes, who exited the FA Cup at the hands of Chelsea at the weekend and now face a real test to hang on to their top-four spot in the table.

Two points from their past three games has opened the door to Manchester United and Wolves, both of whom are only

three points behind Leicester and in much better form.

Everton, though, are looking up the table, with this win leaving them one point behind eighth-place Tottenham - a position that could be good enough to secure a European spot for next season.

Richarlison limped from the field in the second half following a challenge by Ndidi, although manager Carlo Ancelotti eased fears after the game by stating the Brazilian should be fit to face Tottenham in five days’ time.

two goals which won them the match.

Gordon’s whipped cross from the left laid Richarlison’s 11th goal of the season on a plate, while Sigurdsson demonstrated calmness to slot away the spot-kick soon after.

of the penalty - it was their first in 38 league games, and the first they have scored at Goodison since Wayne Rooney against Swansea in December 2017.

They were forced to dig deep for the win, though, espe-

ford before the defender hacked the ball off the line.

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons (Getty Images)

Everton keep Europa league alive

Ancelotti continues to make his mark Everton came into the game off the back of a seven-day rest from action - a rarity in this post-lockdown rush to conclude the 2019-20 season.

It enabled Ancelotti to make only minor tweaks to a side that had initially struggled in a 1-0 win at Norwich in their previous game.

Sigurdsson, who came on to contribute to an improved second-half display at Carrow Road, was restored to the team, as was fellow midfielder Anthony Gordon for his second Premier League start.

The pair both contributed to Everton’s first-half onslaught, which brought the

Leicester’s top-four grip loosens further Unlike their opponents, Leicester’s involvement in the FA Cup meant they had only

Everton have picked up seven points from their three games since the restart of the Premier League

The Iceland international had to wait to dispatch it, with the video official needing numerous replays to decide if the ball had struck Ndidi’s outstretched arm during his aerial challenge with Michael Keane.

Everton could be forgiven for being shocked at the award

cially after the double blow of conceding and losing Richarlison to injury.

Everton gave away 65% of possession and numerous chances to Leicester, and almost gifted them an equaliser through a mix-up between Keane and keeper Jordan Pick-

two days after the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to recuperate and refocus on the league task at hand.

That involves securing a Champions League spot to reward what has been a season of significant progress under manager Brendan Rodgers.

But that is looking a lot less certain than it did before sport was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is not just that Leicester have dropped points; it is that they look so bereft of creativity and threat for long periods, especially before the break, when a Jonny Evans’ effort from close range that was saved by Pickford was the best opportunity they fashioned.

The absence of James Maddison, who sat out the cup defeat, did not help in the first half, but his introduction for the second - along with Iheanacho - at least gave them some impetus.

They moved the ball quicker, pressed better and had more players on the pitch who could damage the home side, even if this was only by sticking their head in where it hurts as Iheanacho did to reduce the deficit.

Jamie Vardy was involved in the build-up to the goal but he was otherwise given very little to work with as he went in pursuit of a 100th Premier League goal.

Leicester’s race is far from run, though, with this unorthodox, condensed end to the season meaning the chance to rectify matters is only ever a few days away.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, July 2, 2020

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Legendary West Indian

(BBC) - Sir Everton Weekes was the last survivor of the famous ‘Three Ws’ - a trio of West Indies batting legends whose lives and careers became irrevocably entwined.

Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott were all born within 18 months and within three miles of each other in Barbados and were even delivered by the same midwife.

All three made their debuts in early 1948 against England, were the middle-order mainstays of the great West Indies side of the 1950s and

the Barbados Defence Force.

He appeared in 10 first-class games for Barbados before being called up to face England at Kensington Oval in his home town, Bridgetown, a month before his 23rd birthday.

A first Test century came in the final game of that series in Jamaica - the start of an unparalleled purple patch of form for Weekes, a stocky, powerful right-hander.

Touring India later that year, he struck centuries in Delhi, Bombay and two in Calcutta, to complete a run of

The Three Ws and the heroes of 1950 Weekes’ run of seven consecutive Test scores of 50 or more has only been matched

by Andy Flower, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kumar San-

Test at Manchester, where Worrell, Weekes and Walcott batted at three, four and five respectively for the first time, West Indies bounced back superbly to take the series 3-1 with three spectacular victories.

named among Wisden’s five cricketers of the year in 1951, as were spinners Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine who took 59 wickets between them.

Despite injury problems for Weekes in the years that

Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott - the ‘Three W’s’ - were part of a legendary West Indies team

Weekes presents Australia’s Adam Gilchrist with the man-of-the-match award at the 2007 World Cup final in Barbados

were all subsequently knighted for services to cricket.

A record run of centuries Everton DeCourcy Weekes was born on February 26 1925 and was named after the famous Merseyside football team of which his father was an avid supporter.

According to legend, England spinner Jim Laker once remarked to Weekes: “It’s a good job that he wasn’t a fan of West Bromwich Albion.”

Born in poverty, Weekes left school at 14 and served in

five successive Test hundreds - a feat not matched before or since.

He was even controversially run-out for 90 in the fourth Test in Madras while chasing a sixth ton. He did pass 1 000 Test runs though, in only his 12th innings, another record - jointly held with Herbert Sutcliffe - that still stands.

That form earned Weekes an offer to play in the Lancashire League, where he was a much-loved professional for Bacup for seven seasons, averaging more than 90.

Weekes’ run of seven consecutive Test scores of 50 or more has only been matched by Andy Flower, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kumar Sangakkara

gakkara.

West Indies had never won a Test on English soil on three previous tours before they arrived in 1950, two years after the Windrush had brought the first large wave of Caribbean migrants to the UK. But after losing the first

The Three Ws, as they were dubbed on that tour, became household names, while Weekes also helped himself to four double-centuries against county sides and a triple ton against Cambridge University.

Weekes and Worrell were

followed, he hit double-centuries against India and England, both in Trinidad, and three back-to-back hundreds in New Zealand in 1956.

A thigh injury prompted his international retirement in 1958, aged only 33, just as

the great all-rounder Garry Sobers was making his mark - and two years before Worrell became West Indies’ first black captain.

Although retired from Tests, Weekes played for Barbados until 1964. He coached Canada at the 1979 World Cup and served on the Barbados Cricket Association board.

A popular voice in the commentary box and briefly an International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee, Weekes also represented Barbados at contract bridge and remained close to Worrell and Walcott, becoming the last of the trio to be knighted in 1995.

A first-class cricket ground on the edge of Barbados is named Three Ws Oval, and Worrell and Walcott are both buried overlooking it, while a stand at Kensington Oval also bears their names.

Worrell died aged 42 in 1967 after suffering with leukaemia, while Walcott, who later managed the West Indies team and served as ICC chairman, died in 2006.

That left Weekes as the genial elder statesman of West Indies cricket, regularly attending games until well into his 90s.

In 2019 he said: “I’m 93, and my doctor has only just told me to stop swimming in the sea every day.” He suffered a heart attack later that year.

At the time of his death he was the third oldest surviving male Test cricketer.

Weekes’ son David Murray kept wicket for West Indies in 19 Tests and 10 one-day internationals between 1973 and 1982, before receiving a life ban for joining a rebel tour of apartheid South Africa.

West Indies warm up match …

Jason Holder took a wicket in his first over of the tour (Getty Images)

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Holder urges batsmanship Legendary West Indian

Khawaja is interim ICC Chair

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Sir Everton Weekes has died at the age of 95 (Getty Images) Imran Khawaja speaks at the ICC annual conference (ICC via Getty)

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BCA president calls for ‘immediate removal’ of Simmons

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020