Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_07_13_2020

MONDAY 13th JULY, 2020

No.106059

‘Crucial meeting of GECOM today’

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...to examine CEO’s report, possible declaration ― commissioners hope for amicable solution in spite of contrasting views

Soldiers called out to quell riot at Lusignan Prison

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…15 inmates injured; no escapees

President Granger deemed re-elected

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…top legal luminary says GECOM chairman must adhere to Constitution

Man seen setting fire to Umana Yana

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…escaped during chase by police constable

Soldiers were called out to help restore order at the Lusignan Prison, on Sunday, after inmates set fire to the building during a riot (Carl Croker photo)

Six new cases of COVID-19, with six recoveries

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

15 injured in Lusignan Prison riot …security forces restore order, no escapees

SOME 15 prisoners are said to have sustained injuries, while there were no deaths or escapes following a riot that led to a fire at the East Coast Demerara Lusignan Prison around 12:45hrs on Sunday.

According to reports from the police, the riot erupted after an investigative unit went into the prison to conduct a search, following narcotics being found at the prison. The injured were taken to receive medical attention, while the police reported that all prisoners were accounted for by 16:00hrs. The fire is said to have completely destroyed a section of the building that housed a number of prisoners.

Several Guyana Fire Service tenders were deployed to the location, and were aided by rainy weather conditions in their battle to out the flames.

Prisoners could be heard screaming as thick smoke billowed from the building.

As the relevant joint services protocol was activated, several units from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Police Force (GPF) were sent to the scene. Several ambulances were also seen moving to and from the prison as the day progressed. “Joint Services ranks were able to contain the riot and escort most prisoners from the Lusignan prison to nearby facilities,” a GPF statement said on Sunday afternoon. “The situation is contained at this time and logistics and other systems are being implemented.” Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels and Fire Chief Marlon Gentle were not available for comment, up to press time

Several army units were deployed to assist in containing the situation at the Lusignan Prison, following a fire at the penitentiary on Sunday afternoon (Elvin Croker photo)

Members of the joint services had to brave the rain as they carried out their duty and contained the situation at the Lusignan Prison. (Elvin Croker photo)

A GDF Helicopter kept watch overhead, as the situation unfolded. (Elvin Croker photo)

Several ambulances were summoned to take the injured for treatment, after a fire broke out at the Lusignan Prison, on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo)

Smoke billowing from the Lusignan Prison, after a fire broke out on Sunday, following rioting by the prisoners (Elvin Croker photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

President Granger deemed re-elected …top legal luminary says GECOM chairman must adhere to Constitution A TOP legal luminary here said on Sunday that David Granger has been deemed the reelected President of Guyana, based on the Constitution, given the results tendered by the Chief Elections Officer.

The legal expert says that Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission Justice Claudette Singh has to follow the Constitution of Guyana, which requires her to declare Granger as President. “Anything outside of that will be considered unconstitutional,” the lawyer said, alluding to the Constitution which requires the chairman to act only on the advice of the CEO. “She has a duty to uphold the Constitution; she cannot say she does not want his report and want another one.”

Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield on Saturday submitted his Elections Report to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), showing a win for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

The Elections Report, the third of its kind since the conduct of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, was submitted to the Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh on Saturday at around 11:00hrs by the Chief Elections Officer. It is reflective of the declarations made in March 2020 by the Returning Officers in the country’s 10 Electoral Districts.

According to the Elections Re-

port, there were a total of 475,118 valid votes cast at the General and Regional Elections, and of that number, the APNU+AFC secured 236,777 votes, while the PPP/C raked in 229,330. A New and United Guyana (ANUG) received 2,275 votes; Change Guyana, 2,026 votes; Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), 2,569 votes; People’s Republic Party (PRP), 862 votes; The Citizenship Initiative (TCI), 680 votes; The New Movement (TNM), 246 votes; and the United Republican Party (URP), 353 votes. There were a total of 3,997 rejected ballots.

Based on the valid votes cast in favour of the Lists of Candidates that contested the elections, the APNU+AFC was allocated 33 seats; the PPP/C, 31; and the Joined Lists – ANUG, LJP, TNM – one seat in the National Assembly. The National Assembly has 65 seats.

In submitting his Elections Report, the Chief Elections Officer told the GECOM Chair his Report was consistent with Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution, and the Elections Laws governing the country. “It is my understanding that Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution affords the technical officer the right to advise the Chairman of the elections result that ought to be declared. In this regard, I have prepared and submitted the results of the General and Regional Elections in accordance with my statutory and constitutional

duties, and all applicable laws,” Lowenfield said in a signed letter to Justice Singh.

Lowenfield, on Friday, July 10, had sought clarification from the GECOM Chair, based on a request she had made, but instead of providing the required clarity, Justice Singh insisted that the Elections Report be submitted in accordance with Article 177 (2) (b), Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act; and the Certificates of Recount, which were generated during the 33-day National Recount.

A COLLISION WITH THE CONSTITUTION, ELECTION LAWS In his Friday, July 10, 2020 letter, the Chief Elections Officer had said that the July 8, 2020 judgment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the case – Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo v Eslyn David and others ruled out the notion that the Elections Commission could determine the credibility of the Elections. On that basis, he said Order No. 60 – the legal instrument used to trigger the National Recount – could not be executed in its entirety. The primary objective of the National Recount was to determine a final credible count as provided for in Order No. 60.

Further, Lowenfield sought clarity on the request for another Elections Report under Section 96 of the

Representation of the People Act. “Kindly provide guidance on how Section 96 (1) of the ROPA could be properly operationalised,” the Chief Elections Officer asked, while noting that “of particular relevance are two facts: 1) that the election law envisages that “the votes counted, and information furnished” would be provided by statutory officers and 2) the allocation of seats is premised on the statutory report of the Returning Officers.”

On March 14, the Chief Elections Officer had submitted to the GECOM Chair an Elections Report on the basis of declarations made by the Returning Officers in the 10 Electoral Districts, in accordance with Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, but those declarations and the Elections Report were placed in abeyance to pave way for a national recount, after allegations of electoral fraud had erupted during the tabulation of the Statements of Recount in District Four.

The Elections Commission had relied on Article 162 of the Constitution, and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act to bring Order No. 60 into effect, but the CCJ, in its ruling, said the allocation of seats in the National Assembly and the identification of the successful presidential candidate could only be based on the reports of the Returning Officers.

President of Guyana, Brigadier David Arthur Granger

Paragraph 37 of the judgment reads: “Both the allocation of seats in the National Assembly and the identification of the successful presidential candidate are determined on the sole basis of votes counted and information furnished by Returning Officers under the Representation of the People Act.” Against this background, the Chief Elections Officer reminded the Chair of the Elections Commission that the National Recount was not undertaken by Returning Officers.

“The concluding opinion [Paragraph 52] of the CCJ’s judgment states that Order 60 is in tension with the Constitution of Guyana, and could not create a new election regime,” Lowenfield had said.

The Chief Elections Officer had also informed the GECOM Chair that her “missive” dictating how the Elections Report should be compiled was contrary to the historic practice, since Article 177 (2) (b) states that it is the Chief Elections Officer who must advise the GECOM Chair.

‘Crucial meeting of GECOM today’ --commissioners hope for amicable solution in spite of contrasting views

….to examine CEO’s report, possible declaration

AS on many previous occasions, Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be heading into what could possibly be their last meeting prior to a declaration, in spite of their disparate views on what should be done.

Ultimately, what will become of the meeting lies in the hands of GECOM Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, who has thus far received the report of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, based on the declarations made in March by the Returning Officers in the 10 electoral districts.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, government-nominated Commissioner, Desmond Trotman said that what he will personally be putting forward to the Commission will depend on the agenda items the Chair will set. Nonetheless, he recalled that at the previous meeting, he and the other government-nominated Commissioners had pushed for the elections to be vitiated.

“We have argued that the recount process was corrupted, and as such there should be no declaration, based on what took place during the recount,” Commissioner Trot-

man said.

Guyana has come a long way since the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, which included court battles, a national recount and more court battles. Yet still, the Commission is not hardset or in unison on what legal means should form the basis of a declaration, or whether the elections should be vitiated.

Understandably, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)-nominated Commissioners want the recount data, which shows a win for their party, to be used to declare the elections. However, there is not only contention about whether the entire elections should be scrapped, but other concerns as well.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), in handing down its recent decision, had noted that Guyana’s Constitution trumps the Recount Order No.60 in the areas where there is contradiction.

It also noted that the election of a president and members of the National Assembly can only be done “on the sole basis of votes counted, and information furnished by Returning Officers under the Representation of the People Act.”

Commissioner Desmond Trotman

The CEO, in presenting his elections report to the Commission, did so on the basis of declarations made by the Returning Officers in the 10 Electoral Districts, in accordance with Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act. Those declarations and the Elections Report were placed in abeyance to pave way for the national recount.

In his report, the CEO reminded the Chair that the national recount was not undertaken by Returning Officers. “The concluding opinion [Paragraph 52] of the CCJ’s judgment states that Order 60

Commissioner Sase Gunraj

is in tension with the Constitution of Guyana, and could not create a new election regime,” Lowenfield said in his report.

However, the use of any other data besides the contentious recount data has not found favour with PPP/C-nominated Commissioners. Sase Gunraj made it clear that Lowenfield’s report was a total “eye-pass” to the Commission.

“How much longer must a nation be held hostage by a depraved, dishonest bunch bent on thwarting the will of the electorate?” he asked, adding: “That report does not

contain the correct numbers as was generated by the recount exercise.”

Furthermore, the party contends that CCJ never invalidated Order No. 60, but rather “endorsed the recount process”.

The Opposition has called for the CEO to be fired and even charged for the action and previous actions they deem illegal. However, Commissioner Trotman said that he does not view the CEO’s request for clarity prior to the submission of his report as being disrespectful.

He said that Lowenfield’s observation and questions were legitimate, and this is why government-nominated Commissioners supported his right to seek clarity, but the PPP/C did not accept it.

“We also argued [against] threats to dismiss the CEO. The CEO has, under the law, the right to come to the Commission to demand that the concerns which he has on specific issues relevant to [his report] should be addressed, and that despite the fact that they are attempting to say that he was rude when he raised those concerns, the fact of the matter is that he has a legitimate right to be given the opportunity to be heard,

and have those concerns be raised,” Trotman said.

However, calls for dismissal are not the worst of the messages that have been coming to CEO, Commissioners of Chair of the Commission.

There have been reports of death threats being made to the Justice Singh and the CEO while government-nominated Commissioners have noticed that they are being watched.

Trotman told of a recent encounter which has led him to advocate for greater security to be put in place for Commissioners during these tense times.

“Up to last night, there were persons outside my home photographing the house. So, the question of security of Commissioners really should be addressed. The same way like how the Chair has protection 24 hours a day, there should be some consideration for Commissioners,” he said, adding: “It is true that we’re exiting in a highly volatile atmosphere at this particular point in time, and, as a result of that, steps should have been taken a long time ago to ensure Commissioners safety.” The Commission will meet today at an undisclosed time.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

Hagia Sophia: Pope ‘pained’ as Istanbul museum reverts to mosque (BBC) Pope Francis has said he’s “pained” by Turkey’s decision to convert Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia back into a mosque.

Speaking at a service in the Vatican, the Roman Catholic leader added that his “thoughts go to Istanbul”.

Hagia Sophia was built as a Christian cathedral nearly 1,500 years ago and turned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of 1453.

The Unesco World Heritage Site became a museum in 1934 under Turkish Republic founding father Ataturk.

But earlier this week a

Turkish court annulled the site’s museum status, saying its use as anything other than a mosque was “not possible legally”.

Pope Francis confined himself to a few words on the issue: “My thoughts go to Istanbul. I think of Santa Sophia and I am very pained.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the first Muslim prayers would be held in Hagia Sophia on July 24.

Shortly after the announcement, the first call to prayer was recited at the site and broadcast on all of Turkey’s main news channels.

Hagia Sophia’s social media

channels have also been taken down.

Islamists in Turkey have long called for it to become a mosque again but secular

opposition members opposed the move.

Defending the decision, President Erdogan stressed that the country had exercised

Pope Francis is the latest religious leader to speak out over the Turkish president’s move

its sovereign right, and he added that the building would remain open to all Muslims, non-Muslims and foreign visitors.

‘VOICES NOT HEARD’ The Pope is one of several religious and political leaders worldwide who have criticised the move.

The World Council of Churches has called on President Erdogan to reverse the decision. The Church in Russia, home to the world’s largest Orthodox Christian community, immediately expressed regret that the Turkish court had not taken

its concerns into account when ruling on Hagia Sophia.

It has also drawn condemnation from Greece, and Unesco said its World Heritage Committee would now review the monument’s status.

One of Turkey’s most famous authors, Orhan Pamuk, told the BBC that the decision would take away the “pride” some Turks had in being a secular Muslim nation.

“There are millions of secular Turks like me who are crying against this but their voices are not heard,” said Mr Pamuk.

Iran plane crash: ‘Human error’ to blame for downing of Ukrainian jet

(BBC) Iran has said the misalignment of air defence equipment was responsible for the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January.

In a report released on Saturday, the Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran (CAOI)

blamed “human error” and poor military communication.

All 176 people on board were killed when the plane was hit by two missiles shortly after take-off in Tehran.

Iran initially denied responsibility for the incident.

The plane came down shortly after taking off from Tehran

MONDAY, 13 JULY ― 11:00hrs ~12:30hrs

But after Western intelligence officials said evidence pointed to Iranian involvement, the country admitted fault, saying it had mistaken the plane for a cruise missile. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described it as an “unforgivable mistake”.

The Ukraine International Airlines flight was downed on 8 January amid heightened tensions between Iran and America.

Iran’s air defences had been on high alert at the time. Hours earlier, the country had fired ballistic missiles at two US bases in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by a US drone strike in Baghdad.

What does the report say?

A full version of the CAOI’s report has not been made publicly available, but excerpts have been published by state news agency Fars.

In its findings, the CAOI said the passenger plane

travelled in a normal flight corridor, but the air defence unit that targeted it had recently moved and failed to calibrate its equipment correctly. As a result, it misidentified the civilian plane as a hostile object.

The report also said the missile battery could not communicate with their command centre, and fired on the plane without receiving official approval.

“If each had not arisen, the aircraft would not have been targeted,” the CAOI concluded.

Last month, Iranian authorities said six people have been arrested over the incident.

Iran has repeatedly delayed releasing the plane’s “black box”, which holds key data and communications from the cockpit. It is expected to send the box to France for examination on 20 July, according to state news agency IRNA. There has been much speculation about why Iran did not clear the skies during the attack. A recent audio recording obtained by Canada’s CBC News suggests that the airspace remained open to avoid giving away Iran’s intention to attack the US air base in Iraq.

The recording is allegedly a conversation between the family of one of the accident victims and Hassan Rezaeifar, who at the time was leading Iran’s investigation into the incident.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Baharvand dismissed the recording, saying it could not be used as evidence.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

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Mexico crime: Could this become the bloodiest year on record?

(BBC) In the two years since Andrés Manuel López Obrador won the presidential election in Mexico by a landslide, the country has endured many violent moments.

But recent months have been especially bloody and brutal.

On 7 June, an astonishing 117 murders were recorded in 24 hours, making it the country’s most violent day of the year so far. The previous high had been on 20 April, when 114 homicides took place.

If the trend set in the first four months continues, 2020 could become the bloodiest year on record.

IMPUNITY Rather than the numbers, though, it is the sheer brazenness of these attacks which stands out.

Criminal gangs have targeted low-level cartel foot soldiers and high-profile political figures alike. There have been both mass killings and carefully planned assassinations.

“This is a cost that we are now paying for years and years of continued, almost perfect

impunity in Mexico”, says Falko Ernst, a senior analyst at Crisis Group.

One of the most audacious attacks took place in the upscale neighbourhood of Lomas de Chapultepec in Mexico City in late June.

A group of gunmen reportedly disguised as construction workers pulled up in a truck and attempted to assassinate the city’s police chief, Omar García Harfuch.

During a fierce gun battle between the gang and his security detail, three people were killed, one of them a woman who was on her way to work.

Despite being shot three times, Mr García Harfuch survived the attempt on his life which he later blamed on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

The same group was also implicated in one of the recent shooting sprees, too. In Irapuato, in the state of Guanajuato, gunmen entered a drug rehabilitation centre and forced patients and staff on to the floor before opening fire on them as they lay prone on the ground.

Twenty-six people were

killed in the shocking incident, believed to be part of a worsening turf war between the local Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the CJNG.

to, and the shooting down of military helicopters,” explains Falko Ernst.

Mr Ernst argues that the underlying problem is the

has not tackled the twin issues of impunity and state involvement in criminal activity or developed any kind of coherent security policy.

Police in Mexico have faced a surge of violence

Once considered one of Mexico’s most peaceful states, Guanajuato is increasingly among its most dangerous as the CJNG gradually extends its influence into new areas of the country.

“They have been very aggressive from the outset and have gotten away with killing federal forces, including lots and lots of police in Guanajua-

blurred line between state security forces and organised crime. “Even though the Jalisco Cartel has publicly declared itself as an enemy of the state, there are still a lot of shady ties with fragments of the state, including at the federal level,” he says.

Critics of President López Obrador argue that, despite its promises, his administration

The BBC repeatedly requested an interview with the public security ministry but no-one was made available for comment.

CHILLING MEMORIES For many in Mexico, the period between 2009 and 2011 brings back chilling memories.

Widely considered some

of the worst years of the country’s drug war, it was a time of ferocious internecine violence between powerful cartels.

Many communities lived under almost constant curfew and gun battles for territorial control were commonplace.

Yet today, the monthly homicide rate is far worse.

The bloodshed seen in 2019 and this year suggests Mexico may have already slid back into a familiar pattern of violence, even as some regions remain under lockdown over the country’s worsening coronavirus outbreak.

One of the particular complications of Covid-19 in Mexico has been that police and security resources have been stretched to breaking point.

“Security forces in Mexico were already very weak to start with and now they’re being overwhelmed by the pandemic,” says Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope.

Manpower has been turned towards managing one of the most severe outbreaks in Latin America, he says, instead of tackling violent crime.

PM accuses UNC of buying votes for $300 (TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has accused the United National Congress (UNC) of buying votes for $300 as part of their attempt to ensure success in the August 10 general election.

He alleged that the source of these funds came from ill-gotten gains during their time in office. The PMmade the allegations during the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) first virtual political meeting last night at the Bagatelle Community Centre, Diego Martin.

Rowley boasted that no one in his government was running from the police, nor had anyone used their position to further their own interests during the past five years.

During the television and radio broadcast, he said, “Tonight I can stand on this platform and tell you without fear of contradiction there is nobody in my Government who is running from the police.”

The PM said his Government was about solving problems. Questioning what was their role, he added, “And then you will realise that their solution in this election is to spend as much as the money they thief to come into constituencies and pay you $300 for your vote.”

He reminded citizens that under T&T’s laws, it is an offence to pay somebody to vote.

Rowley added, “But secondly, your vote is worth more than $300. And anyone who is paying you to vote is insulting you and your intelligence, and your children’s future is at risk in the hand of any such person.”

Rowley said the one ques-

tion citizens must ask themselves is, “Where is that money coming from? We know the answer already, but ask them the question. That is the money they thief that now coming out.

Their friends who helped them thief it paying them to get back in office to continue to thief it.”

the Government’s proposal “and we try and get it done” or “wait for the UNC to come into office and start it back.”

He claimed that the UNC has no intention of doing anything in the oil industry.

Persad-Bissessar has indicated that once she is voted

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley addresses supporters during the PM’s Campaign Meeting in Diego Martin last night

He urged the population to stay far away from UNC’s leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her kindergarten class.

Rowley said there were two options available to the Oilfield Workers and Trade Union in operating Petrotrin’s refinery —either to go with

back into office, she will reopen the refinery.

Rowley warned the country to look out for the three demons—indiscipline, incisiveness and inaction. He said this would destroy the country’s prospects of moving forward.

The PM said while he has

been trying to protect the nation from the UNC’s irresponsibility, “Their major interest is to hide from the police.

They want to get back into government to stop the numerous criminal operations at the police against them for their misconduct.”

Rowley said the PNM had

maintained their silence “and left them to the police.”

Rowley said whenever their number is called “they must not be able to say that their difficult circumstance is as a result of any political persecution or prosecution.

Let the wheels of justice turn.

They turn slowly but they do

turn.”

Highlighting his government’s achievements and the special efforts it had undertaken to keep this country afloat, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rowley detailed every move the PNM had undertaken since assuming office in 2015.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

ICT development

T

HERE is no country in what is now definitely a global village that can ever hope to advance in its growth and development without it embracing fully the wonders of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Even in those countries that still have restrictions on communication and information flow, because of particular political/ideological restrictions, are gradually lifting restrictions on internet access. For, not to do so can only be to the total disadvantage of the particular state, since ICT is about using technology for the betterment of lives.

It would be the understatement of the century if it is denied how much the world has changed, in the process of becoming revolutionised by the wonders of ICT. With its advent, and evolution in so many different forms of communication, whether

by Tweeting, Facebook, WhatsApp or Mes-

sage – the entire world has since become smaller; in fact being able to share space in our living rooms, as we surf the fast-paced world, facilitated by ICT. At the press of a key, we are now able to communicate with family and friends, and even make new acquaintances, from any corner of the world; acquire information and knowledge on any historical or contemporary event that had ever occurred, while tracking current events of any kind, as they unfold. Just about anything and everything that pertains to humanity, nature, and its existence is available on the Internet, made possible because of the wonderful innovation of the Highway Technology, compliments of ICT. When it took office in 2015, the coalition-- A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change-- recognised the need to ensure that Guyana is not excluded from the fast-moving pace of Information and Communication Technology. Led by the

e-government process, an elaborate mechanism of ICT HUBS has been introduced to many our coastal areas, geared to arm citizens with the knowledge of the internet through the acquisition of ICT knowledge and skills for use of the former. As far as the hinterland regions, there are now ICT HUBS, which is part of a wider hinterland ICT project of establishing in excess of 200 such stations over the next five years.

Many schools within this geographic area now have WIFI services for easier internet access. This is both a boon and a blessing to students in this particular locale, as it will enable for proper scholastic research for timely submission of assignments; and for the general citizenry, communicating for social purposes. Also, because of e-government, citizens in those areas and even along the coastland, many public services can now be accessed. This has removed the need for what used to be the traditional journey to the city of Georgetown.

There is a growing reality – accepted -- that ICT and its acquired skills-based knowledge are an absolute for living in our modern world of the 21st century; and that it is incumbent on every Guyanese to become acquainted with its use for everyday living, if we intend to still remain in modern life. It has already begun to touch all of our lives, in ways not thought of, at least 10 years ago.

And we are reminded as to the revolution that is ICT, as underlined by President David Arthur Granger: “ICT must drive the establishment of paperless agencies, departments and ministries. It must promote greater use of non-cash financial instruments.

E-Government must make public services more accessible; e-business must facilitate commerce, investment and trade.”

This is a reminder as to the galloping pace of ICT that will be quickening Guyana’s socio-economic development, and how far-reaching are its implications for citizens to become au fait with its skills.

Western diplomats continue to ignore evidence of election day fraud Dear Editor,

O

N Friday, July 10, U.S. President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Roger Stone, a Republican activist who was sentenced to seven years for obstruction, witness-tampering and making false statements to Congress in relation to FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Republicans are generally happy with Trump’s decision while Democrats are livid. Many Republicans believe that Roger Stone was unfairly targeted by biased prosecutors and that he did not commit a crime which warranted such a long prison sentence. Democrats on the other hand, believe that he lied to protect the President and for that he should be locked up for a long time.

The differences in the way Republicans and Democrats feel about the Roger Stone case is attributed to heuristic biases that influence the way we see and process information.

Humans tend to readily accept and believe what is said by those whom they support, and to disregard information that conflict with their pre-existing beliefs. This explains why Trump’s supporters always seem to agree with what he says.

In Guyana, these biases explain why APNU+AFC supporters believe that the PPP/C rigged the 2020 elections, while at the same time, PPP/C supporters believe it is the

APNU+AFC coalition that is attempting to steal the elections. People tend to accept only that information supporting what they believe to be true. For this reason, facts often do not change peoples’ minds. And it does not matter that the recount exercise exposed facts showing that there was voter impersonation at the March 2 elections, people will continue to believe what they already hold to be true.

For the past five months, coalition leaders consistently claim that the PPP/C exploited the bloated electoral list to rig the March 2 elections. The western diplomats continue to disregard those claims. Respected businessman Stanley Ming highlighted the absurdity of an election result showing more people voted than is possible, given our population. Western diplomats continue to disregard that possibility. The recount exercise exposed many serious anomalies, all pointing to a conclusion that the PPP/C rigged the elections, yet western diplomats continue to disregard those facts. It seems therefore that western diplomats are indeed humans; they also suffer from the effects of human cognitive biases. And unless there is an illegal covert intelligence operation aimed at ousting the coalition, one can only assume that the western diplomats’ continued disregard of evidence showing the PPP fraud is an effect of heuristic biases.

When foreign diplomats allow cognitive biases to affect

their judgements, they risk relaying biased and inaccurate information back to their respective governments. Those governments will consequently make poor foreign policy decisions based on faulty information. In some cases, diplomats are deliberately fed fabricated information to influence policy decisions.

A case in point is the 2003 U.S. decision to invade Iraq.

As noted in Wikipedia, Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi, with the help of lobbying firm BKSH & Associates provided U.S. Intelligence with fabricated information suggesting that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and that he had ties to al-Qaeda. Chalabi at the time desperately wanted to become President of Iraq, and he found a way to effectively deceive the Americans into helping him to remove Saddam Hussein. The result of Chalabi’s greedy ambition is the complete destruction of his country and a more destabilised Middle East region.

Let us hope that the posture taken by western diplomats in Guyana is not influenced by fabricated information and/or greedy ambition, and that the coalition’s assertion of electoral fraud is not indefinitely blacked out.

Respectfully Max Mohamed

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

GECOM Chair must declare results of the elections Dear Editor,

O

N Saturday Guyana’s Chief Elections Officer Mr. Keith Lowenfield submitted the elections results to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The lawful process, as promulgated in Section (96) the Laws of Guyana Chapter 1:03 – The Representation of the People Act, must ensue with dispatch to bring this elections impasse to an end.

The Caribbean-Guyana Institute for Democracy (C-GID) has noted with much concern and utter dismay, the bellicose rhetoric by politicians and bureaucrats from the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Union, as well as the Organization of American States (OAS), on Guyana’s elections dispute. Instead of helping to foster a resolution, these parties have adopted an overtly partisan posture in support of the opposition People’s Progressive Party.

These foreign state and non-state actors have been issuing instructions to Guyanese government officials and members of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), which are reminiscent of

slave master commands to slaves on plantations during slavery. Slavery was abolished hundreds of years ago. Guyana is not a plantation. It is a sovereign nation.

Guyanese should therefore reject these paternalistic lectures from Western states whose streets are currently engulfed with violent protests because of undemocratic practices and injustice against citizens of colour.

Everyone is aware that the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has spent billions of Guyana dollars lobbying foreign governments and international organisations to force GECOM and the chief elections officer (CEO) to count fraudulently cast ballots, obtained through voter impersonation, to secure a victory for the PPP. The OAS has even demonstrated the absurdity of jointly calling for removal of the nation’s CEO. This is an invasion of Guyana’s sovereignty.

Clearly, the OAS is acting as a mouthpiece for the PPP at the urging of the high-priced Washington lobbyist. Such a move could have serious consequences; including unrest, which PPP members have been inciting from day one.

The desires of the international com-

munity and the Chairperson of GECOM cannot supplant the constitution and extant electoral laws. Article 162(1)(b) of the constitution compels GECOM to take any action that appears necessary to ensure impartiality and fairness of elections, and compliance with the constitution and all other electoral laws. It is pursuant to this provision and Section 22 of the Election Law Amendment Act, that the Chairperson of GECOM enacted the recount process to address irregularities and alleged fraud in the Region Four elections results. Now GECOM Chaiperson Justice Claudette Singh, is refusing to fix additional irregularities, thousands of fraudulent ballots and flagrant voter impersonation and fraud discovered during the said recount. Consequently, Justice Singh has instructed the CEO to knowingly declare fraudulent results that do not reflect the will of the people, which the CEO has refused to do. Both Article 177 (2) of the Guyana constitution and Section (96) of the Laws of Guyana – Representation of the People Act, mandates that the chairperson shall use only the CEO’s report to declare the elections results.

This impasse exists precisely be-

cause of the intransigence and indecisiveness of the chairperson of GECOM. It should be obvious to her by now that regardless of her obdurate refusal to address the PPP’s fraudulent ballots, the country will not accept her desire to count fraudulent ballots to appease the PPP and their international partners. Article 162 of the constitution grants GECOM broad, discretionary powers to ensure the fairness of elections. Justice Singh must stop deceiving the nation and reject fraudulent ballots as provided for in Article 162. Anything less will produce fraudulent results and prolong the impasse. The CEO has submitted his report. It is time to bring the elections to a close. The chairperson must declare the results submitted by the CEO, in accordance with Section (96) of the Representation of the People Act. Regards Richard Millington, Esq. Director of Communications Caribbean-Guyana Institute for Democracy (C-GID)

A callous and cavalier treatment of a very serious social scourge Dear Editor,

O

NE is certain that every Guyanese of mature age, and even younger, knows and understand the meaning of the well-known Guyanese parlance, “Bedroom story,” which reference is to the intimate drama/moments between a couple, in the passionate privacy of their bedroom.

Such intimate, tender interactions are not intended to mean, or include sexual violence of a predatory type, in which the male partner after subjecting his female victim to a premeditated process of grooming, as in instances of mostly under age females, and other devious methods of control measures, inclusive of violence, as a means of subdue and control, gets his way. This is psychopathy in all its actions.

Surely, if one is to be guided by the shocking revelations of Akola Thompson and another female, Sinal Klob, then the

above description of sexual violence in its most denigrating form is what they have ascribed to the person of their former male partner, Ruel Johnson.

Simply put, such beastly denigration with its devastating psychological effects, is not, and cannot be, the ”It’s a bedroom story’’ type which the publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glen Lall, has proffered as description for the publicly reported accusations against Ruel Johnson, a senior member of his media house staff.

Such a descriptive brand for what has been alleged against Johnson, by his two ex-partners, is not only shameful and shocking, particularly emanating from a media owner, whose paper through the years has carried numerous stories of such degrading male treatment against females; but again says much for the traditional indifference that is known to be displayed by some, towards such humiliating treatment of our women.

Ruel Johnson’s reported acts have to be a shocking letdown of much abysmal proportions from such a prominent member of society, though it is known to be common in other jurisdictions, when victims decide to go public with their shocking and almost unbelievable stories.

Maybe, the recent revelations may spark other similar ones to be made by other suffering females, and/or others who would have had past experiences at the hands of very significant persons in Guyana. The sad fact of life is that there are many more Akola Thompsons and Sinal Klobs who have similar harrowing treatment meted out to them by such personalities like Johnson. They must continue to speak out, because deciding to remain quiet gives a false veneer to the persona of such serial abusers. Of course, investigations must be carried out, since Johnson like any citizen is entitled to due process.

However, Glen Lall and his “It’s a

bedroom story” line, as a print publisher, his remarks can be described as making simple a very, very serious behaviour pattern which does not fall within the pattern of humanity.

And even though Lall has said that he will not remove Johnson from his employ, he has a moral responsibility in ensuring that his female employers are made comfortable until such time that Johnson is made to account for his actions. Such a comment falls very short of the level of seriousness that ought to be given to such a known social scourge. In fact, such a cavalier and callous treatment of such a heinous sub social, is not helpful in engendering national awareness of such a brutality.

It can only serve to embolden its many perpetrators.

Regards Carla Mendonca

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

Commonwealth urges GECOM to adhere to CCJ direction, declare elections results

SECRETARY-GENERAL of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, has urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to adhere to the directions given by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to conclude Guyana’s elections so that the country can fully refocus on its governance.

In a release on Sunday, she welcomed the July 9, 2020 statement from the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, which she said called on all stakeholders to respect the ruling of the CCJ, Guyana’s final court of appeal.

Scotland said that the court’s ruling was “clear and unambiguous,” as the CCJ stated that it is for GECOM to ensure that the election results are swiftly declared in accordance with

the laws of Guyana.

“Guyana is a much loved and valued member of the Commonwealth.

On behalf of the entire Commonwealth family, I strongly encourage the Guyana

Elections Commission to follow the directions given by the CCJ and decisively conclude the 2 March, 2020 elections based on the results of the national recount. The will of the people as expressed in the 2 March 2020 General

and Regional Elections must be respected for democracy to prevail in Guyana,” the Commonwealth Secretary-General stated.

“I urge all political actors and stakeholders in Guyana to accept and respect the results of the national recount and ensure that their words and actions promote an environment of peace, harmony and social cohesion among all Guyanese.

Guyana’s des-

tiny as a great nation rests on the shoulders of those men and women who are duty bound to make the right decision, respecting the will of the people and the rule of law, and ready to place their country before their personal ambitions.”

Scotland further noted that the Commonwealth calls on Guyana’s leaders to be faithful to the common good so that Guyana can embark on its bright future ahead.

Six new cases of COVID-19, with six recoveries AS of July 12, Guyana recorded six new positive cases of coronavirus from 86 tests that were carried out, which takes the total number of confirmed cases to 297.

Of the 297, 154 persons recovered and 17 lost their lives, leaving 126 active

cases in the country.

The 17th death was recorded on Friday; however, there has been a notable recovery rate.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 80 per cent of the persons, who become infected, recover from the

disease without needing special treatment, and for the majority – especially for children and young adults – illness due to COVID-19 is generally minor.

WHO also said around one in every five persons, who are infected with COVID-19, develop dif-

Security guard’s home goes up in flames at Riverstown

The security guard’s home

SUNDAY was indeed a very sad day for 27-year-old Kumar Mohamed of Riverstown, Essequibo Coast, when his home was completely gutted by a fire of unknown origin.

According to information this newspaper received, the fire occurred between 06:30hrs and 8:30hrs on Sunday.

The security guard related that he was not at home when the fire started. He said that he received a call from his uncle that his home was on fire and by the time he got there, everything was in flames.

The Guyana Fire Service was summoned but could not save anything in the house.

The security guard said items approximately to the value of $1.4M went up in flames. ”All my laptop, bed, gas stove, television set, jewellery and refrigerator were burnt. I live alone and I work daily to make ends meet,” the guard related.

An investigation is ongoing.

ficulty in breathing and require hospital care. People who are aged over 60 years, and people who have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease or hypertension are among those who are at greater risk.

Even though there are recoveries, the numbers are continuously rising and Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle, had said that citizens must cooperate in order to keep the numbers down.

In expressing her dissatisfaction with the situation, Dr. Boyle asked Guyanese, “are we really serious about returning to normalcy when we openly flout all the guidelines that have been outlined for our protection? Are we saying that we are uncaring about our life and that of others around us? Where has our appreciation for life disappeared to? It is unfair to our healthcare workers, ten of whom have become ill and have had to battle for their lives with COVID-19 and you know what, this was totally unnecessary but for your carelessness.”

She pleaded with persons to consider their actions and envisage that their life could drastically change and end in fatality. “Avoid the COVID-19 trauma and cooperate fully with all who are working collaboratively with the Ministry of Public Health to contain the spread

of this fatal disease, in every community”.

Dr. Boyle reminded repatriated nationals that they are equally involved in the fight, and they ought to be cognisant of their agreement prior to their departure from overseas.

Such persons were reminded that, even though their PCR- test results might have been negative prior to their departure, they still have to cooperate with the health officials and provide accurate information on their arrival in Guyana.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and, according to global statistics, there are 11.3 million cases of COVID-19, with over 532,000 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.

“Our surveillance unit is tasked with following up on every single repatriate, checking in daily by phone for early detection of signs and symptoms of the disease. This requires, among other things, the daily checking of body temperatures and hence all repatriates are required to bring thermometers with

them. Kindly support our effort by reminding your family members to come armed with a thermometer,” Dr. Boyle advised.

According to the existing statistics, Regions One, Four, Seven and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) continue to have most of the cases.

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

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

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

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

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

9

ELECTORAL numbers face their ultimate verification and test of credibility in the court of law THIS is the electoral season of numbers, spreadsheets and tables; they are everywhere. This numerical deluge is being driven by the high political passions due to the just concluded general and regional elections.

In this context, numbers are being thrown around in the service of political interests.

In the course of this occurrence, invariably, confusion and uncertainty reign supreme. Citizens are having a difficult time trying to establish the truth. This is the precise reason why the framers of the Constitution ensured that the ultimate repository for electoral numerical truth resided in the court of law.

THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION Data, statistics and numbers are often cited or quoted to strengthen an argument or present conclusions that are

consistent with a particular objective in the court of public opinion. Invariably, half of the story is often told because those who engage in such, would carefully select specific numbers and ignore those that are inconsistent with their narrative. In such a circumstance, you are not under oath or subject to cross-examination by judicial officers and processes. Besides, those who possess the economic resources can control the narrative through vast systems of communication and ensure what is far from the truth is accepted as reality. When this is placed in the electoral circumstance, it teems with dangerous implications for the average country and it is for this safe reason, the test of verification and credibility must remain with the judicial branch.

Further, the art of cherry-picking is a stark reminder of why we cannot leave the

verification of electoral numbers to the whims and fancies of the court of public opinion.

It is the main feature in public debating where numbers are plucked from thin air to buttress arguments. In this, there is a wholesale suppression of numerical facts that may disprove a particular argumentation. Proponents often present spreadsheets, tables and documented statistics to argue a case that does not face the stringent judicial critique.

There is no final arbiter in the form of a judge who can demand the best standards of verification.

ELECTORAL NUMBERS IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE Political parties, by virtue of their raison d’etre being the passionate pursuit of power, should never be left to decide the credibility of electoral numbers. Even when they have SoPs being waved about

with brimming confidence and certainty, this responsibility must never be left up to political actors. Even if political actors release every bit of electoral documents and subscribe to the highest standard of transparency, the ultimate test of verification and credibility of electoral numbers must not remain with these entities. For very simple reasons, in this modern technological era, we cannot trust documents. Political parties will never subscribe to the truth that is not consistent with their aims and objectives, and verification and credibility will forever be subject to brinksmanship and gamesmanship. In a court of law, documents are subject to forensics checks, witnesses are called and rigorous investigative methods ensure there is the establishment of electoral truth. This is directly linked to fairness and justice which are key concepts that

keep a society glued and insulated from disintegration. It is apparent to me and ought to be apparent to any objective and reasonable mind that this cannot be subject to the vicissitudes of the political sphere.

In this realm, infinite lies are told in a cocktail of numerical concoctions due to the nature of politics. It is the least safe place for electoral numbers.

ELECTORAL NUMBERS IN THE COURT OF LAW The legitimate court of law is that celestial place where fairness and justice beckon. Trials and all their processes and systems are a search for ultimate truth.

Where there is injury, the court provides the forum where the remedy can be procured. In the court of law, electoral numbers would have to face all the requirements of evidentiary standards: admissibility, authentication, relevance, privilege, witness-

es, opinions, expert testimony, identification and rules of physical evidence. There are various standards of evidence, standards showing how strong the evidence must be to meet the legal burden of proof in a given situation, ranging from reasonable suspicion to preponderance of the evidence, clear and convincing evidence, or beyond a reasonable doubt. Such supreme levels of veracity are anathema to the court of public opinion or the political sphere. It is against this backdrop, the arguments for the dogged commitment to the elections petition culture are sustained.

One might ask, what is the true will of the Guyanese as expressed on March 2, 2020? That question should be put to a court of law, and, therein, the ultimate verification and credibility of electoral numbers shall be established.

US-based NGO to launch feeding programme amid COVID-19 pandemic ― several, in Number 71 Village, Corentyne, to receive food baskets

A UNITED STATES non-governmental organization, Guyanese Outreach (GO), will soon be launching a feeding programme, which will see the distribution of several food baskets to the less fortunate residents of Number 71 Village, Corentyne, in response to COVID-19 health crisis.

The NGO with local operations in greater Skeldon (Corriverton) and facilities at Number 71 Village, disclosed that the organization will launch the feeding programme on July 14, 2020.

The food baskets will be free and will help to alleviate some of the difficulties faced by many. GO has screened first round recipients as unemployed.

Ruth Singh, founder and head of GO, said that she could not stand by and watch the great suffering, especially of children. She felt that she had to do her part in assisting those placed in vulnerable situations due to the coronavirus. “We all are duty bound by our Heavenly Maker to help the less fortunate.” She stated.

Under this pilot, GO will deliver one food basket, each week, to 66 families for six months in and around Number 71 Village.

Ruth said that the community is suffering from a triple whammy: persistent poverty, closure of the Skeldon Sugar Estate, and now closure of many businesses due to COVID-19.

She added that her only regret is not being able to serve more families.

Each food basket will include one chicken about 4 lbs., 4 pints rice, 2 lbs. flour, 1 bottle cooking oil, 1?2 lb. of onion and garlic, 2 lbs. potatoes, 1 packet of masala and curry powder, 1 lb. salt, and 1 lb. split peas.

This pilot is made possible by the generous donations of GO supporters in the US. GO also will reach out to the diaspora and international aid organisations, that have a presence in Guyana, for financial assistance to serve even more families.

100% of all donations to this programme goes to pur-

chasing food. GO has other funds for logistics, overhead and administrative costs.

If one wishes to contribute, one must either send an e-mail to Ruth Singh or communicate via the organisation’s web page. GO is recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a tax-exempt charitable organization.

Guyanese Outreach has been in service of the poor in Guyana since 1995. GO serves the community, regardless of race, politics, or religion. GO focuses on job creation skills, such as computer literacy, sewing and knitting and crafts. For the past 10 years, the primary priority has been on functional literacy and functional mathematics for pupils. However, the present humanitarian crisis changed GO’s priorities to also provide food.

Contact information and more information about GO is on its web page: www.guyaneseoutreach.org Ruth Singh contact: ruth@guyaneseoutreach.org

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

One-stop Child Advocacy Centre opened at Kwakwani

―is one of six such facilities here for reporting, treatment of child sexual abuse THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners on Wednesday opened a one-stop ‘Child Advocacy Centre’ (CAC) in Kwakwani to facilitate the reporting and treatment of child sexual abuse.

The partners at reference are the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA); Blossom Inc; and the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

Being child-centered, the one-stop facility ensures that survivors do not have to recount their experiences any more than necessary.

The new Child Advocacy Centre will serve Kwakwani and other Region 10 communities which were hitherto unable to access such specialised service because the next available centre is located all the way in Linden.

The Kwakwani Centre is

services such as those a CAC centre offers are critical, given the possible increased rates of violence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A report issued in April 2020 by the United Nations has warned that children risk being among the biggest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. While children have been largely spared from the direct health effects of the disease up to this point, the crisis is hav-

and families in the hard-toreach communities in the Upper Demerara-Berbice can receive this critical service,” said Blossom Inc. Founder and Managing Director Ayodele Dalgety-Dean. “Blossom Inc. is passionate about ensuring that child victims of sexual abuse receive the best possible service, and this means that we must take services to children,” she added.

The establishment of a

open to all communities, including migrants, and will also serve as a hub for training to ensure that the CAC concept can be extended to other communities.

As of June 2020, the number of reports of child sexual abuse in Guyana has exceeded 200, and as such, access to

ing a profound effect on their overall well-being, including a heightened risk of witnessing or suffering violence and abuse.

“We are delighted to open this Child Advocacy Centre in Kwakwani to respond to and prevent child sexual abuse.

This will ensure that children

CAC Centre at Kwakwani was made possible through joint efforts, active contributions and the leadership of several partners, among them the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC); the Guyana Police Force and UNICEF. The CPA, Blossom Inc.,

‘Make the call! Time’s of the essence!’

AFTER patiently waiting four long months and more for a formal declaration of the winner of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional elections, it is safe to say that the man in the street has had enough, and wants those in authority to make the call, so that the victor can get on with the business of running the country.

The Guyana Chronicle took to the streets to get the views of the average Guyanese on the extensive and record- breaking process.

Several persons called the process “frustrating”, including minibus driver Joel Griffith. He said he feels frustrated that the process has taken this long, and is hoping for a speedy resolution.

“I feel that the process shouldn’t have to take this long; it’s frustrating people, because things can’t go back to normal yet. Four months already pass, and it’s constantly a delay,” Griffith said, adding: “I feel there were a lot of matters that went to the court, and we got past all of that; I feel it’s time we get a declaration.”

The Guyana Chronicle also spoke to a vendor at the Stabroek Market, one Charles Prince, and he expressed similar sentiments as Griffith. As far as he’s concerned, the process has proven all along that the APNU+AFC coalition is the winner, and a declaration should have been made following the initial count of the ballots.

“From what I understand,” Joel Griffith Prince said, “APNU win, so I

believe President Granger should’ve been sworn in; all this goand-come, go-and-come is nah easy fuh anybody. I respect Mr. Granger as a president; I feel he did a good job, and the numbers show that he party win. In my mind, this thing shoulda never tek this long; everybody know who win, and I think a declaration shoulda done mek.”

Another Stabroek Market vendor who goes by the name of ‘Lee’, stated that he agrees with the Court of Appeal’s decision, as it is “well in keeping with the Constitution”. He went on to say that all he wants to see is a government sworn in on the basis of credibility, as he thinks that that is the only way the country can move forward.

“I did agree with the decision of the Appeal Court,” Lee said. “We know that the recount was brought about on alleged fraud, so if you g o into a recount o n fraud, and now you’re findi n g

Charles Prince

bers of communities, including faith-based organisations, are urged to play a more proactive role in protecting children from abuse, exploitation and violence. Reports of child abuse can be made to the Childcare and Protection Agency by telephone on 227- 0979, while the Kwakwani Child Advocacy Centre can be contacted on telephone number 608-6719.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest plac-

A section of the room where interviews are to be done at the Centre

At the opening of the Centre on Wednesday

The purpose of the Centre is to offer specialised services designed to respond to cases of child sexual abuse efficiently by ensuring that children have access to a child-safe and child-friendly space to share their stories and get the support that will help them overcome the trauma they have suffered.

the Guyana Police Force and UNICEF have also collaborated to ensure the continued operation of five other CACs in the country, including those at Linden, Mabaruma and Georgetown.

“UNICEF is pleased to support the setting up of the Child Advocacy Centres being a safe haven for children who are survivors of violence, and offering services for them to recover. The services have

‘Lee’

gained the trust of the communities,” UNICEF Country Representative Sylvie Fouet said, adding: “These essential and core child protection services are critical in ensuring that there are safe spaces, especially in times of COVID-19.”

In order to maximise the services, all partners and mem-

es, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children.

“Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.” For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. (DPI)

―‘John Public’ says in wake of submission of the Lowenfield report

fraud, you expect everybody to sit down and say, ‘We see the fraud, but we won’t do anything’ with all of this fraud that was exposed?

I believe that whatever government is sworn in should be sworn in, based on legitimate votes.”

Lee stated, however, that he believes that at this point, it is selfish for parties to try to move to further keep the people of Guyana in this state of limbo, as it is time Guyana has a functioning government, especially now that the country and its citizens are battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he has nothing but the utmost respect for President Granger for being as transparent as possible, and agreeing to a recount, even after the deadline for such a request had passed, adding that what he did has set a precedent that was never practised by any other president since his time of voting.

The Guyana Chronicle also spoke to Sherwin Anthony, who exclaimed, “PPP win on rigged votes, and APNU win on valid votes!” As he went to explain, from all accounts, the figures that were in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s favour were fraught with discrepancies, including many instances of voter impersonation as well as migrant voters.

“This thing went on long enough,” Anthony said, adding that in his estimation, the process has been extended well past a timeframe that any Guyanese would believe is reasonable or Sherwin Anthony (Photos by Delano Williams) acceptable.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

11

Teach them while they grow UNFORTUNATELY, there is nowhere in the school curriculum that teaches young people how to raise happy, healthy, responsible children; and for those embarking on parenthood, learning as they go along can be stressful. Lack of parenting skills is sometimes portrayed in the way that children behave when they are older. For instance, a child might grow to be disobedient, sulky, stubborn, ‘hard ears’, lazy or troublesome.

Take the plight of a first time father who wanted to go for a jog with his friends, but his son, aged three, wouldn’t let him go.

Every time the father tried to sneak away, the boy started crying and misbehaving. So the father would stop and console his son each time. After several unsuccessful attempts to steal away, the father decided that he would take his son with him, much to the disappointment of his jogging buddies, who had to change their original exercise regime, due to a three-year-old child.

Children do have this much power over their parents and more, but parents can change this. In this case, the father should have explained clearly to the child, what will take place, and stick to it. Even if a child has a meltdown and starts bawling and flailing around on the floor, it should not deter the adult. Parents need to be strong and not cave in. The crying will calm down and eventually cease at some stage, and a valuable lesson would have been learnt.

There is nothing wrong with a child crying through his/her perceived sorrow, just the same as there is nothing wrong with a child learning that things in life do not always go the way he/she may wish. While a child should not be deprived out of spite or neglect, there is nothing wrong with laying down and sticking to some ground rules. This will allow the child to understand that

there are boundaries. Sometimes the boundaries are tweaked and sometimes they are relaxed, but they exist, so cry and perform as he/she might, it is not going to have the desired effect.

Parents should agree early on how they will raise their child, and yet, many parents hardly discuss this essential aspect of their child’s development. Lots of parents leave child-rearing to chance, and then end up saying disparaging things about their children such as: ‘this child too disgusting’, ‘this child too own way’, this child have no manners, ‘this child will not turn out good’, ‘I don’t know why this child stay suh?’. Most attributes children have, were learnt from their parents or encouraged by them. This could happen subconsciously.

Children do have their own personalities, and these are not to be stifled by parents trying to bend them into the shape they require. But children do need to be taught the right way in life and not just supplied with necessary provisions. Parents and care-givers should also anticipate the needs of their children. If children are gifted in a particular talent, parents should encourage them to practise same; they should expose their children to a variety of activities and experiences that will enhance them holistically.

When young people have little, adult interjection, or anyone showing an interest in their lives, they are left to be guided by their immature, precarious moral compass. An orphaned 14-yearold girl had been sending nude pictures online to some of her male followers. When the aunt with whom she resided found out, the aunt, and another female relative set about beating the child until a male family member intervened.

When he heard the whole story, rather than endorse the punishment, he realised that the child lacked guidance and direction

in her life. He asked the two female relatives, ‘Has anyone ever told her that this behaviour is wrong and why she should not do it?’

As the child grew, a trusting person should have taken the time to explain the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Also, every child should be taught, ‘when you are in doubt, ask an adult’. Not just in the case of moral actions or deeds, but also when children are online because the internet plays a significant role in their lives.

Unfortunately for teenage girls, without proper supervision, or someone to look up to, to guide them, falling into this type of trap is prevalent. The problem is compounded if they are lonely, insecure and need a father or mother figure in their lives.

Unbeknown to some adults, most teenagers are interested in their bodily functions, (especially their sexual ones) their selfimage and how they are perceived by others. This is natural and should not be frowned upon by parents. Though a level of vigilance, interaction, and a few stern but choice words from parents may be needed, to steer a child away from danger and keep him/ her on the right track.

Children and young people go through many stages of development, of which parents should be cognisant. Raising children does not have to seem like a battlefield, but for success, a little extra know-how, some strategising and consistent work are needed. (If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

Man seen setting fire to Umana Yana …escaped during chase by police constable

A section of the Umana Yana’s roof that was scorched during the attempted arson on Sunday morning (Photo by Elvin Croker)

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are investigating the suspected arson which occurred in the wee hours of Sunday morning at the Umana Yana at Kingston Georgetown.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that a female rank of GPF was on duty when she observed a man, who has not yet been identified, scaling the north-eastern fence of the compound with what appeared to be

a bottle in his hand. The man was subsequently seen running to the to the western side of the building where he set the lower branches to the roof of the Umana Yana on fire. The constable in an attempt to apprehend the man and put out the fire, ran in his direction and used a fire extinguisher to put out the small flames. However, the suspect made good his escape on foot in the eastern direction away from the building.

The Umana Yana

According to information received the incident was immediately reported, and an investigation was launched leading ranks to now be in search of a (GWW) series Pick-Up which was said to be parked North on High Street, Kingston moments after the fire.

When contacted the Fire Chief Marlon Gentle disclosed that the incident is now the third recorded case of attempted arson,

the first being the torching of well-known Journalist Travis Chase’s car and second the attempted arson at the Suddie Magistrates’ Court last week where arsonists had set fire to the Magistrates’ desk and chair.

In September 2014, the Umana Yana was gutted by a fire believed to be of electrical origin. It was later rebuilt with additional modern features in 2015.

‘Embrace evidentiary truth of the election’ ―Says Professor Sir Hilary Beckles

REGIONAL Scholar, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, urged Guyana not to delay the declaration and implementation of the March 2 election’s result any further, and contended that the country should work towards sustaining the multi-racial society.

“The people have spoken. And so has the highest court. From the 2019-2020 electoral campaign and franchise exercise, their will is now known,” the Professor of Economic History said in a recent statement.

The declaration of results from Guyana’s March 2 Regional and General elections has been stalled for weeks in the wake of several discrepancies which have been unearthed. Beckles, however, reminded that the electoral process was monitored and reviewed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), alluding to his confidence in the regional body.

“The findings of the outcome should be declared

and implemented,” he advised, stating, “There is no other option that will be acceptable to the region and wider world. The future of the nation is assured with the compliance of (the) State to the popular will.”

He reasoned that the prolonging of the declaration and implementation of the elections’ results will result in a greater tarnish on the varnish of the history of a great nation. The professor also reasoned that a fear of the future that may result is not an acceptable explanation for the current situation of “franchise frustration”.

The Professor also highlighted that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the regional court and Guyana’s final court of Appeal, is counting on the integrity of the country’s polity to protect the democracy of Guyana.

On Thursday, the CCJin ruling that it has the jurisdiction to an application filed by People’s Progres-

sive Party/Civic (PPP/C)set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal on the interpretation of the Constitution; and invalidated the Elections Report submitted by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield. That elections report, submitted

by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield on June 23, excluded approximately 115, 000 votes on the basis that they were compromised due to a string of irregularities and cases of voter impersonation.

“I join with the current and past Heads of CARICOM, the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves and the Honourable Mia Mottley respectively, and with the former Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Owen Arthur, in calling for the official embrace of the evidentiary truth of the election,” Professor Sir Beckles said.

‘STAY THE COURSE’ Sir Beckles’ statement, as he illustrated, were

drawn from his personal ties to Guyana. According to him, his Uncle, Hilary Alfonso McDonald Beck-

its history and culture, including the good and the bad times evident in its turbulent journey to and

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles

les- whom he was named after- supported Guyana’s dream for democratic development, and that the equality of ethnicities was his personal quest.

“I know something of

beyond nationhood,” Sir Beckles said, “It has been a torn and tortured terrain with divisive seeds sown in the colonial waters that nurture the rich land.”

Cognisant of the racial

challenges that exist in Guyana, often exacerbated at ‘election’s time’, the Professor underscored that the determined evidence of the debilitating deployment of ethnic identity as expressions of indigenous nationalism can be seen in far too many places. Even so, he posited that there is a “compelling story” to be told, in the history from seawalls to sugar estates. This story, he said, is the, “...commitment to the paramount principle that the will of the people should not be toppled, but respected.”

“The children of indigenous survivors, the chattel enslaved, the deceived indentured, and others in between, must now converge at the rendezvous of victory. The minority party should stay the course and continue to contribute to the sustainability and maturity of the integrated, multi-racial nation,” he said.

It’s A Done Deal

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

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― Min Raphael Trotman said that CEO’s report cannot be rescinded

PNU+AFC Co-Campaign Manager and Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman

― disgruntled parties must take up election petition after declaration as CCJ ruled

“THE CEO, once he tenders that advice and that report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People’s Act, it cannot be undone and it can’t be changed or replaced and whatever quarrel we may have or whether they’ve been an inadvertent or deliberate error, it can only be cured or remedied by an elections petition,” APNU+AFC Co-Campaign Manager, Raphael Trotman said on Saturday.

Speaking on an APNU+AFC programme, the Minister of Natural Resources said that, based on his legal understanding, advice given to his party in 2006 and the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ’s) recent decision, it appears that a declaration must be made and those not in favour of the results must take to the courts but only after it is made.

Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, submitted his Elections Report to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Saturday, showing a win for the APNU+AFC. It is the third of its kind since the conduct of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and is, for the first time, reflective of the declarations made in March 2020 by the Returning Officers in the country’s 10 Electoral Districts.

There is now great national debate, and amongst GECOM Commissioners, about whether his report should have been guided by the March 2 elections results from the 10 declarations or the subsequent national recount which the CCJ picked apart.

In explaining his position on the matter, Trotman pointed to 2006 when he and now Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, visited the GECOM headquarters to meet with the then Chairman and CEO, when he said they were told that once the CEO’s report has been issued, no changes could be made.

“We were told that he could not go back and make any changes to it even if there were patent flaws or errors and we were then told that an elections petition had to be filed if we intended to pursue gaining the seat which had been wrongfully allocated to the PPP,” Trotman recounted.

Furthermore, he said that while the GECOM Chair has directed that the recount data be used and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has been clamoring for Lowenfield to use same, no one can dictate the actions of the CEO who has indicated that his report is in keeping with the law.

Trotman said that while some point to Section 18 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act which stipulates that the CEO is “subject to the direction and control of the Commission”, the fact remains that the CEO has a statutory and a constitutional duty and no Commission, Court or person can direct him to deliver results of their choosing.

He drew for example the similarity that the Minister of Public Security cannot instruct the Commissioner of Police how to conduct his operations.

Trotman also noted that while some disgruntled with Lowenfield’s report have called for him to be replaced, a new CEO would not be able to certify the elections unless that person was present and working alongside the CEO during the elections and rightfully qualifies for the said position.

The Minister stated: “I hear people saying ‘fire him’ but, quite frankly, if you dismiss the CEO, we’re going to plunge ourselves into deeper trouble because no one can rightfully now assume his responsibilities to say ‘I can certify this or that result’ because no one else has the general and even specific authority and supervision of these elections other than the CEO.” CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS Trotman said that though some had hoped that CCJ’s ruling would have provided finality on Guyana’s elections leading to a swift declaration, the very opposite came out of the Court’s assumption of jurisdiction and ruling whereby the Elections Commission is now left with many uncertainties.

“We are in uncharted waters; we are in, I would say, a Constitutional crisis. Unfortunately, the CCJ has muddied the waters rather than made it clearer for us…in a week’s time, they sought to come down with some decisions which turned out not to be helpful. They left several ambiguities,” he said.

One of which he outlines was the current uncertainty about the legal effect of Order No.60 --- the legal cover used to facilitate the national recount which pointed to massive irregularities and close to 5,000 cases of voter impersonation.

The Elections Commission had relied on Article 162 of the Constitution, and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act to bring Order No. 60 into effect, but the CCJ, in its ruling, said the allocation of seats in the National Assembly and the identification of the successful presidential candidate could only be based on the reports of the Returning Officers.

It was on that basis that the CEO submitted his latest Elections Report, no longer on the information coming out of the recount, but in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, based on the declaration made by Returning Officers in the 10 Electoral Districts in March.

circumstances. However, like the rest of Guyana, Trotman said that one can only wait to see what unfolds at the Commission level.

A GUYANA PROBLEM At the end of the day, the Minister said that the issues at hand are Guyana’s problems and the country and its leaders will have to find a way forward. He said that those who do not understand the history of Guyana’s elections and politics may not be able to provide proper guidance on the situation.

“There seems to be more outside and external interest in our elections than there is in Guyana. More foreign states seem to be more interested in a particular outcome than even the people of Guyana to some extent, to the point where they are prepared to breach all international protocols and conventions and say and do things which are unheard of and which could not even have been risked or entertained in their own states,” he said.

With the tensions high, he said that he is nonetheless pleased that President David Granger, Leader of the Oppo-

The Guyana Elections Commission

However, the PPP/C argues that Order No. 60 and therefore the recount data --- which shows victory for the PPP/C --- was not set aside by the CCJ but was actually endorsed by the Court and should be used to make the declaration.

Still, in this case, the question would remain of whether one can only adhere to one aspect of a legally binding Order and not the Order in its entirety without amounting to a breach of the Order.

Turing back to the role of the CEO, Trotman said: “We are in the throes of a Constitutional crisis. I don’t see how any section of the Representation of the People Act, or any powers that the Commission may have, could overturn or undo that report once it is issued and, given the reasoning of the CCJ, it would appear that any aggrieved party or parties would have to await a declaration and then approach the High Court for a petition to set aside that declaration.”

He also put forward the option that the Commission is in its right to state that it cannot make a declaration based on the

sition, Bharrat Jagdeo and members of civil society have encouraged patience amongst the people so that chaos does not ensue.

However, he condemned reported acts of persons previously seeking to intimidate the GECOM Chair in weeks passed by throwing snakes into her yard and flying drones over her home; and the threats coming to the CEO for seeking to do his constitutional duty.

“We pray that the peace prevails, we pray that good sense prevails,” Trotman said. “In the days ahead, I believe that the political leaders will be called on to find a way forward. It will not be the first time that political leaders have had to have dialogue. We’re locked in an epic battle where neither side intends to budge and, unfortunately, elections in Guyana have been where one has to win and one has to lose. But I do believe that the time has come for us to seriously look at finding a way where both sides could win and the country can win”.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

National dialogue needed urgently ―PM Nagamootoo says

GUYANA’s unorthodox 2020 General and Regional Elections have proved, undeniably, the need for Guyana’s political leaders to have serious discussions about shared governance, constitutional reform and electoral reform, sooner rather than later.

This is a position shared by many, including Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo who endorsed these and other needed changes in the Sunday column, ‘My Turn’.

The Prime Minister said that the year’s elections have been stained with electoral fraud, a cycle of litigation and ethnic tensions which point to deep-seated issues which will require collective efforts to address.

To set the course, Nagamootoo said that it is crucial that President David Granger and the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, meet “urgently” to engage on the way forward.

The last time the President and Opposition leader met was almost one year ago in July 2019 to begin discussions on the selection of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ahead of the March 2, 2020 elections.

The dialogue, which was later continued by party representatives of the APNU+AFC and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), ended successfully with the swearing in of Justice (Ret’d) Claudette

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

Singh as Chair.

The Prime Minister believes that another meeting between the leaders of the country’s main political parties is timely and should prove beneficial in the current tense climate.

Subsequently to this meeting, he endorsed that a multi-stakeholders National Commission be established to prepare for transition to a multi-party/multi-ethnic interim national government based on 50/50 parity in Cabinet.

A national government is a government with members from more than one political party and are especially formed during a crisis.

Nagamootoo also proposed a number of electoral reforms which have proven themselves as necessary during the current elections.

He proposed that the Constitution ought to be amended to depoliticise and broaden the Elections Commission and that laws must be made to regulate campaign financing and foreign interference in the electoral process.

Such recommendations also came out of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) report on Guyana’s elections. The Mission had observed that the bipartisan composition of the Commission resulted in excessive polarisation, affecting the Commission’s ability to function, reach common ground and make timely decisions.

Meanwhile, regarding campaign financing, the Mission noted that the legal framework did not sufficiently provide for transparency, accountability and oversight.

It also said that the GECOM did not assume its oversight responsibility to monitor campaign finance.

Further to that, the Prime Minister also called for a thorough revision of the voters list to weed out the names of deceased persons, and those who are living permanently in foreign countries.

Other well-known individuals such as businessman, Stanley Ming and Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes have pointed out that the decision to head into the crucial elections with a bloated Official List of Electors (OLE) and the halting of the houseto-house registration exercise was a “recipe for chaos”.

Prior to the OLE’s confirmation, GECOM Commissioners nominated by the government had argued that under no circumstance could Guy-

ana’s population of 750,000 plus persons produce such large Voters List considering that the school-age population is around 200,000.

There were also issues regarding the presence of the dead and migrated on the list and, while efforts were made through the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) to remove some of the dead, the Court ruled that residency was not a requirement for voting in Guyana.

Even in accepting the decisions, Government-nominated Commissioners contended that with Guyana’s known history in accusations of rigged elections and calls for the recounting of votes, heading into ‘the mother of all elections’ the most credible List should have been sought.

However, the PPP/C opposed the continuation of the exercise and made light of the calls to remove the dead and migrants. Fast forward to post E-Day, Guyana has engaged in a national recount and several court battles and is yet to declare its elections results due to contention on the validity of votes cast which include the deceased and migrated.

Also, in his list of endorsed recommendations was a call for the personal data of all Guyanese nationals to be protected from unauthorised access and manipulation for electoral purposes.

The PPP/C’s 2020 elections campaign is still being viewed as highly suspicious by the governing APNU+AFC as information has been released about the party’s involvement with Cambridge Analytica, a data marketing firm that uses data to change audience behaviour. It has been exposed internationally for its practices of data harvesting from tens of millions of Facebook users --- in some cases, private messages.

Another company the party is involved with includes Mercury Public Affairs --- an American firm contracted by the PPP/C in March 2019 --- from which representatives entering the country and were found in possession of cyber equipment according to reports.

The final endorsement by the Prime Minister was for fresh elections to be held under the aegis of the United Nations (UN) within three years.

“These are by no means novel or new ideas but I share them today with a view to stimulating a national dialogue on the way forward so that we could avoid the pitfalls that would attend zero-sum, winner-takes-all elections,” he stated.

“For too long Guyanese have been trapped in these ethnic silos in which we have found it difficult to breathe and to grow. We have to step out and away from our collective self-entrapment, and literally escape from the political labyrinth. Together we must face our many challenges and enjoy our new opportunities as an enviable rich petroleum state.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

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GUYANA CHRONICLE MondAY, July 13, 2020

Wolves beat Everton 3-0

Raul Jimenez has scored 24 goals and assisted 10 in all competitions this season

(BBC) - Wolves boosted their chances of claiming a place in next season’s Champions League with a comprehensive home victory over Everton.

Wanderers bounced back from consecutive defeats with a victory through goals either side of halftime and a game-sealing third from Diogo Jota with 15 minutes to go.

Raul Jimenez scored the first from the penalty spot in first-half injury time following a clumsy Lucas Digne foul on Daniel Podence.

Leander Dendoncker headed in the second just a minute after the restart before Jota lashed in from just inside the box to put the game beyond the visitors.

It moves Wolves back

up to sixth in the table, three points behind Manchester United in fifth - a position that could be good enough to earn a place in Europe’s top club competition next season.

Everton committed so much of their efforts to keeping the home side at bay and as a result offered little at the other end of the pitch, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison given scraps to feed off at best.

The closest they came to a goal was a Digne angled drive that flashed past the far post in the second half.

The defeat leaves the Toffees 11th and surely ends their hopes of securing a Europa League spot for 2020-21.

And there was more bad news for manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was already without Mason Holgate and saw fellow centre-back Yer-

ry Mina limp off in the first half with what appeared to be a thigh injury.

Wolves return to winning ways in style Wolves returned to action in June in fine form, winning their first three games without conceding a goal to increase hope that a late dart for a Champions League place was on.

But early July checked that optimism, courtesy of successive defeats without scoring against Arsenal and Sheffield United - opponents who are also in the mix for a place in the top five.

This, then, was a necessary victory, resulting from very timely goals.

Podence had already tested Jordan Pickford twice with low angled drives inside the box before he used his trickery to good effect to turn and draw a mistimed challenge from Digne.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(MONDAY JULY 13, 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)1988 (2) 4-0 Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the first captain to lead the WI to

victory in a Test match?

(2)Which WI bowler has taken most Test wickets

against ENG to date? How many?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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GUYANA CHRONICLE MondAY, JULY 13, 2020

W.I. Win! (ESPNCricinfo) - West Indies went 1-0 up in England for the first time since 2000 thanks to a superb 95 from Jermaine Blackwood which guided them to a target of 200 on the final day with four wickets to spare.

Their seamers had set up the win with a burst of five wickets on the fourth evening just as the game had started to look as though it was petering out into a draw, but it was Blackwood who dealt the killer blow with a superb knock on the final day.

Coming in at 27 for 3 with

John Campbell retired hurt soon before lunch, Blackwood made England pay for their misses. He was put down twice, on 5 and on 20, and offered regular run-out chances at several points in his innings.

But he batted brilliantly, pulling and cutting his way out of short-ball barrages from Jofra Archer and lofting drives over extra cover as he grew in fluency. He gave away a chance for only his second Test hundred on 95, but the returning Campbell scrambled a single into the leg side just before 6pm to take West Indies over the line.

England needed their tailenders to hang around on the final morning and Archer in particular obliged, flashing hard to pick up three boundaries to push the target up to 200. But Mark Wood edged a cut through to Shane Dowrich backing away before Archer gloved a short ball behind, giving Shannon Gabriel a five-wicket haul and nine in the match in his first first-class game for 10 months.

That left 200 to win. Phil Simmons had stressed on the fourth evening that Kraigg Brathwaite would be “the glue” in the fourth innings,

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND 1st Innings 204 WEST INDIES 1st Innings 318 ENGLAND 2nd Innings (overnight 284 for eight) R Burns c Campbell b Chase 42 D Sibley c wkp Dowrich b Gabriel 50 J Denly c Holder b Chase 29 Z Crawley c and b Joseph 76 *B Stokes c Hope b Holder 46 O Pope b Gabriel 12 +J Buttler b Joseph 9 D Bess b Gabriel 3 J Archer c wkp Dowrich b Gabriel 23 M Wood c wkp Dowrich b Gabriel 2 J Anderson not out 4 Extras (b4, lb10, nb3) 17 TOTAL (all out, 111.2 overs) 313 Fall of wickets : 1-72 (Burns), 2-113 (Sibley), 3-151 (Denly), 4-249 (Stokes), 5-253 (Crawley), 6-265 (Buttler), 7-278 (Bess), 8-279 (Pope), 9-303 (Wood), 10-313 (Archer) Bowling: Roach 22-8-50-0, Gabriel 21.2-4-75-5, Holder 22-8-49-1, Chase 256-71-2, Joseph 18-2-45-2, with others batting around him, so there was immediate pressure on the openers.

But perhaps Simmons hadn’t counted on Archer.

Campbell survived an lbw shout when Archer speared a yorker in at his feet, but his big toe did not: he hobbled off two overs later, and spent most of the day with an ice pack on. Archer sensed an opening and burst through it, piercing Brathwaite’s tentative defence shot as he dragged one on before trapping Shamarh Brooks plumb in front with a full inswinger.

Shai Hope got up and running with a pair of elegant cover drives off James Anderson as if to tempt West Indies supporters into dreaming of a Headingley repeat, but a loose drive soon followed which Wood burst through with a full ball that seamed in to clean him up. That left West Indies 27 for 3 moments before lunch, with Campbell retired hurt, and it was difficult to envisage any other result than an England win.

Brathwaite 3-0-9-0.

WEST INDIES 2nd innings (target: 200) K Brathwaite b Archer 4 J Campbell not out 8 S Hope b Wood 9 S Brooks lbw b Archer 0 R Chase c wkp Buttler b Archer 37 J Blackwood c Anderson b Stokes 95 +S Dowrich c wkp Buttler b Stokes 20 *J Holder not out 14 Extras (lb7, w5, nb1) 13 TOTAL (6 wkts, 64.2 overs) 200 Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Brathwaite), 2-7 (Brooks), 3-27 (Hope), 4-100 (Chase), 5-168 (Dowrich), 6-189 (Blackwood) Bowling: Anderson 15-3-420, Archer 17-3-45-3, Wood 12-0-36-1, Bess 10-2-31-0, Stokes 10.2-1-39-2 (nb1) Result: West Indies won by four wickets.

Series: West Indies lead three-match series 1-0.

Man-of-the-Match: Shannon Gabriel.

Toss: England.

But Roston Chase and Blackwood came out after lunch with determination and enough positive intent to keep the equation ticking down.

Blackwood in particular rode his luck. On five, he edged a cut shot to Stokes at slip, but was reprieved by England’s captain outsmarting himself, running round towards point in anticipation only to be wrong-footed when the chance came to his left.

Blackwood, who had spent the best part of two-and-a-half years out of the side going into this series, had looked his old, frenetic self in the first innings, playing what Dom Bess said was a “rogue shot” when running down the track and slashing to mid-off. But in the run chase, he instead managed to settle into a rhythm.

He and Chase were given testing examinations against the short ball. Jos Buttler dropped a chance off Stokes when Blackwood gloved down the leg side on 20, before Zak Crawley fumbled a run-out chance in the covers to offer

another reprieve. A third in as many overs arrived when Rory Burns shelled an edge in the gully - though it would not have counted as Stokes had overstepped - and Blackwood made England pay for their profligacy.

In particular, he cut and pulled purposefully, scoring the majority of his runs behind square. An upper-cut off Archer was the pick of the bunch, and he survived a brutal spell from him that accounted for Chase, caught behind off a lifter aimed at his chin. Chase’s struggles against the short ball have been well-documented, and it was a classic, calculated set-up; a yorker fired in outside off, followed by a steepling bumper he failed to evade.

But Dowrich joined Blackwood in the middle and saw them through to tea, starting busily before settling into his innings and ticking over calmly and comfortably. There was time for a twist after tea.

After Blackwood fired Wood through the covers and over mid-off for two boundaries in four balls, Stokes decided that it was up to him to make the breakthrough. He looked furious when he realised he had overstepped after Dowrich poked to slip, but made up for it next ball, reversing one away from the outside edge as Buttler took the catch behind the stumps.

Blackwood looked intent on reaching three figures, itching to take singles leading to several mix-ups with the new man Jason Holder, but continued to time the ball beautifully, upper-cutting Stokes over the cordon to move to 95. He threw away a golden opportunity for a ton, caught at mid-off for the second time in the match, but nobody was asking questions of his spot in the side after this “rogue shot”.

Campbell walked out at No. 8, eking out singles to take the equation into single figures, before he slashed a cut past gully and snuck a single off the pads to take West Indies to a famous win, with Holder, the inspirational captain, running through to seal the victory.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE MondAY, July 13, 2020

Hamilton wins in Styrian GP

(BBC) - MERCEDES driver Lewis Hamilton cruised to a comfortable victory in the Styrian Grand Prix.

The world champion’s first victory of the year was founded on a stupendous performance in wet qualifying, in which he took pole by more than 1.2 seconds.

Hamilton led from pole position, headed only at the pitstops, as team-mate Valtteri Bottas overtook Red Bull’s Max Verstappen late on for second.

The Ferraris retired early after colliding with each other on lap one.

It was another dark day for the Italian team, after an uncompetitive showing in qualifying, as Charles Leclerc apologised for a rash move on the first lap that took out both cars.

ANOTHER ANTIRACISM PROTEST Hamilton led the majority of drivers in taking the knee ahead of the race - and then raised his fist in a black-power salute twice after the race, as he stood on the front of his car with his helmet still on, and again on the podium.

The drivers’ pre-race an-

ti-racism protest was not as well co-ordinated as it had been at the same track for the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix last weekend, but the message was clear.

A handful of drivers were not present for the moment ahead of the playing of the Styrian regional anthem, but all who were wore “end racism” T-shirts other than Hamilton’s, whose said “Black Lives Matter”.

Of those who were there, only Charles Leclerc, Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen and Daniil Kvyat chose not to kneel.

No problems for Hamilton on track Hamilton, who has pledged to continue the fight against racism this year in parallel with his quest for a record-equalling seventh world title, was in total control of the race from the start.

He converted his pole position into a lead at the first corner, survived an early safety car period following a collision between the two Ferrari drivers, and never looked back.

The fight was all behind him, as Mercedes sought to get Bottas ahead of Verstappen.

The Finn had qualified

fourth in the rain, 1.4secs slower than Hamilton, passed McLaren’s Carlos Sainz by lap six, but was not able to make much progress towards the Red Bull.

When Red Bull made Verstappen’s pit stop for fresh tyres on lap 24, Hamilton was brought in three laps later, while Bottas was left out 10 laps longer than the Dutchman.

The aim was to give him a tyre off-set and greater pace at the end of the race.

And it worked. Bottas crept up on Verstappen and was with him with five laps to go.

Bottas looked to have the move down on the straight towards Turn Four on lap 66, but Verstappen fought back around the outside of the corner and held on to the place.

But his valiant defence lasted only another lap before Bottas was able to storm past to complete a Mercedes one-two.

He retains the championship lead over Hamilton, but it is now down to eight points.

CALAMITY FOR FERRARI Ferrari had worked flat out to bring upgrades to their car

Renault launches protest against Racing Point

Racing point have been among the quickest in F1 this year.

(BBC) - RENAULT have launched a protest against Racing Point, accusing them of not designing their own car.

The Racing Point has been dubbed the ‘Pink Mercedes’ for its likeness to last year’s world title-winning car.

Racing Point have admitted the similarity and that they have copied the 2019 Mercedes but say they have done so in compliance with the rules.

The rules dictate that teams must design specific parts of the car themselves.

Teams can buy certain parts from other teams but the rules

dictate that so-called ‘listed parts’ must be designed by each individual team.

The listed parts effectively amount to the car’s aerodynamic surfaces and its monocoque or survival cell.

The rules dictate that each team “retains the exclusive right to use listed parts” as long as it competes in F1.

Racing Point finished seventh in last year’s championship but their competitiveness has taken a step forward this year and their driver Sergio Perez was one of the fastest on track

in Sunday’s Styrian Grand Prix.

The Mexican charged up from 17th on the grid and was challenging the Red Bull of Alexander Albon for fourth before the two collided in the closing stages and Perez fell back to sixth at the finish.

His team-mate Lance Stroll, whose father Lawrence Stroll owns the team, finished seventh.

Racing Point use Mercedes engines and have a contract by which they buy their gearbox and other parts from the world champions, as well as lease time in their wind tunnel.

ahead of this race, after showing a dismal pace the week before.

But they did not have the effect they had hoped and the cars could qualify only 10th and 11th. Leclerc started a further three places back after a threeplace grid penalty for blocking in qualifying.

But things got much worse in the race. Leclerc made an over-ambitious move up the inside of Turn Three on the first lap as Vettel was hemmed in on the outside and the two cars collided.

Vettel’s rear wing was torn off and Leclerc suffered floor damage and both had to retire.

Sergio Perez in particular and Racing Point in general did not have a good day in the wet in qualifying, with the Mexican down in 17th on the grid, but the so-called ‘Pink Mercedes’ was soon making up ground.

The likes of McLaren and Renault said before the race that they were concerned about the Racing Point’s pace, and their worries were well founded, with Renault launching a protest at the end of the race.

Perez picked off driver after driver in a car that has drawn criticisms because of its likeness to last year’s Mercedes - which Racing Point admit they have copied - until he was up into the top six after the pit stops.

He passed Daniel Ricciardo’s Renault on lap 48, with just over 20 to go, and set off after Alexander Albon.

Perez was soon with Albon, but while the Anglo-Thai had been having an unremarkable race in the second Red Bull, he picked up his pace and was able to hold Perez back.

The Mexican finally made a bid for the position with two

laps to go but came to grief as he tried to pass at Turn Four in a mirror of the collision between Hamilton and Albon at the same point last week.

Perez was alongside Albon, on the inside, but the Red Bull driver tried to hang on around the outside of the turn and tagged Perez’s front wing on the exit.

Perez limped around the remaining two laps, but was passed by McLaren’s Lando Norris for fifth at the final two corners of the last lap.

Their scrap was part of a hectic midfield battle in the closing laps, as Norris took advantage of Perez’s teammate Lance Stroll racing with Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo for seventh and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, who qualified a brilliant third, faded in the race to finish ninth.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

Twelve-year-old arrested for racist messages to Zaha

(BBC) - A 12-year-old boy has been arrested by police investigating racist messages sent to Crystal Palace forward, Wilfried Zaha on social media.

Zaha revealed he had received several abusive messages on social media before Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa, a game they lost 2-0.

His manager, Roy Hodgson called the abuse “cowardly and despicable”.

The Premier League called the abuse of the 27-year-old Ivory Coast winger “completely unacceptable”.

West Midlands Police tweeted

Zaha to say they would look into the abuse and hours later confirmed an arrest.

“We were alerted to a series of racist messages sent to a footballer today and after looking into them and conducting checks, we have arrested a boy,” read a WM Police tweet.

“The 12-year-old from Solihull has been taken into custody. Thanks to everyone who raised it. Racism won’t be tolerated.”

Speaking to Sky Sports before the arrest, Hodgson added: “It’s been highlighted at the moment anyway with the Black Lives Matter

movement and everyone seems to be making such an effort to eradicate this behaviour.

“It is very sad that, on the day of a game, a player wakes up to this cowardly and despicable abuse. It’s right Wilf has made people aware of it and I don’t think this is something you should keep quiet about.

“He wants to put off one of our best players from playing well today, but to do it in the way he has chosen is totally inexcusable.”

The Premier League said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and the Premier League stands alongside Wilfried Zaha in opposing

Wilfried Zaha received abusive messages on social media before Sunday’s match at Aston Villa

this, and discrimination in any form.

“We will continue to support players, managers, coaches and their family members who receive serious discriminatory online abuse.”

Players in England’s top flight have been kneeling in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before every match since the season restarted in June.

Tottenham beat Arsenal in North London Derby (BBC)- Toby Alderweireld’s late header gave Tottenham victory in a tightly-contested North London derby.

There was an eerie atmosphere behind closed doors in the vast Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but this was still a fiercely-competitive derby in the traditions of this great rivalry as Spurs and Arsenal battle for a place in Europe next season.

Arsenal took the lead after 16 minutes when Alexandre Lacazette’s rising drive flashed past Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris but Jose Mourinho’s side were level within three minutes when Son Heung-min took advantage of slack defending by Sead Kolasinac and David Luiz to score with a deft chip.

Both sides had chances to force victory with Ben Davies denied

when his 30-yard drive was brilliantly turned on to the bar by Arsenal keeper Emiliano Martinez in the first half while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also struck the frame of the goal after the break.

Arsenal had the greater share of possession but it was Spurs who struck decisively nine minutes from time when Alderweireld glanced in Son’s corner, securing a win that leaves them in eighth place, two points ahead of the Gunners.

Spurs show grit to secure vital win Mourinho was feeling the pressure to produce a big result after recent poor performances - and this will do the trick nicely with victory against Spurs’ greatest rivals.

Spurs may not have had the greater share of possession and terri-

Bourenmouth stun Leicester (Reuters) - Bournemouth breathed life into their Premier League survival bid on Sunday, coming from a goal down to beat fourth-placed Leicester City 4-1 for their first win in 10 games.

Leicester were in command after Jamie Vardy’s scrappy firsthalf goal. But with the relegation trapdoor creaking underneath their feet, Bournemouth turned the match around in stunning fashion with Dominic Solanke scoring twice.

For Leicester, defeat was a huge blow to their hopes of a topfour finish.

Junior Stanislas equalised from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after a mistake by Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel, who was at fault again one minute later when he allowed Solanke’s shot to trickle over the line.

To make matters worse for the foxes, defender Caglar Soyu-

ncu was shown a straight red card after tangling with Callum Wilson immediately after Bournemouth’s goal.

Leicester then collapsed in alarming fashion.

Stanislas’s shot in the 83rd minute went in off Leicester defender Jonny Evans before Solanke seized on more dreadful Leicester defending to add his second.

With Aston Villa winning earlier in the day, Bournemouth began the match second from bottom, six points behind fourth-from-bottom Watford. The victory - their first since Feb. 1 - means that with three games remaining they still have hope of securing a sixth successive season of top-flight football.

They moved back above Villa to 18th place on 31 points, three behind both Watford and West Ham United, who face each other in the next round of fixtures.

Son Heung-Min levelled two minutes and 17 seconds after Alexandre Lacazette’s opener tory but they always carried a threat against an Arsenal side that was

energetic and positive but looked vulnerable at the back - although

keeper Martinez was excellent.

Mourinho’s side dug deep and struck just as the game looked to be heading for stalemate to get three points to keep Spurs right in the hunt for a place in Europe next season.

The result will also lift spirits after the recent loss at Sheffield United and the poor display in the draw at struggling Bournemouth.

For any faults this Spurs side have, and they are nowhere near the effervescent outfit that reached last season’s Champions League final, they still carry serious menace in the shape of Son, who scored one goal and created another, and Harry Kane.

There is still much for Mourinho to do but a win over Arsenal has never done any harm to Tottenham’s morale.

Lifebuoy becomes the Official Hand Sanitizer of West Indies tour of England THE Unilever brand has partnered with the West Indies, the first international cricket team to travel to the UK since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide hand sanitizer product to the touring party.

The partnership is actively contributing to Lifebuoy’s commitment to improve the hand hygiene habits of communities around the world and has already reached over 1 billion people.

Saturday, 11 July 2020 — Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the West Indies team today announced a new partnership with Lifebuoy, the world’s number one selling hygiene soap, for their ongoing Sandals Tour of England.

The series started last Wednesday July 8, as West Indies faced England in the opening match at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton.

Lifebuoy will be working with the West Indies by providing hand hygiene products to the full touring party.

The brand will also be capturing

content with the squad to help champion the cause for better health through hygiene.

Players and support staff will take part in a number of ‘myth busting’ challenges as well as light-hearted educational videos, to help motivate fans around the world to improve their hygiene behavior.

Kartik Chandrasekar, Global Vice President of Lifebuoy, said: “Lifebuoy has always been a brand that has looked to support people in their quest for better personal hygiene. We are incredibly proud to be partnering with such an iconic team as the West Indies, who are the first international sports team to travel to the UK since the country was placed in lockdown earlier this year.

Dominic Warne, Commercial Director of Cricket West Indies said: “CWI are delighted to announce this new partnership with Lifebuoy where our cricketers will be delivering en-

gaging and fun content as part of a serious mission to improve hygiene and health. The West Indies are loved and followed around the world, and we’re looking forward to joining forces with Lifebuoy to improve hygiene behaviour as fans tune in from around the world to follow this historic Test Series.“ West Indies’ Tour of England consists of a three-match Test Series, played behind closed doors.

The #RaisetheBat Series is part of the ICC World Test Championship which concludes in 2021. The First Test starts at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton on July 8 before the second (July 16-20) and third (July 24-28) Tests will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. Players have been quarantined and entered a ‘bio-secure bubble’ ahead of the matches, with temperature checks and COVID-19 testing taking place on a regular basis.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 13, 2020

Campbell staying inspired throughout COVID-19 saga - Mr. Guyana Physique Champ gunning for Pro Card

By Clifton Ross Fitness Guru and Guyana/Commonwealth bodybuilder, Emmerson Campbell, said he’s staying optimistic and enthused amid the pandemic, adding that he can’t wait to restart his training regimen, but in an innocuous setting.

The national powerlifter who, a few months ago, said he wanted to be a ‘Voice’ for Guyanese and athletes alike in the fight against the deadly COVID-19 plague, told Chronicle Sports on Friday that his state-of-mind had never been more fixated on getting back in peak shape

while keeping himself as safe as possible as the world rides out the coronavirus.

“I was a bit disappointed (when the outbreak came) but it was quickly put into perspective, just knowing what was happening all around the world and here in Guyana and what everyone was experiencing, this great loss of jobs and huge disruption [to] normalcy”, said the commonwealth athlete.

Campbell, a certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist and a decorated CAC Silver and Bronze medalist and 4-time Mr. Guyana Men’s Physique Champion, said keeping

a strong mindset is key during this time of isolation. The strongman added that prior to the outbreak, he was preparing to return to the stage this year with his sights set on earning a Pro card.

“I had my sights set on again representing Guyana at CAC with the goal of earning a pro card this year, but I’m all for prioritizing the health and safety of athletes and spectators.

All I can do is remain positive and focused on the new dates for qualification and be prepared when the time comes”, Campbell explained.

Like most professional sportsmen, Campbell has been served

some unwanted downtime, which hit most ‘gym rats’ like himself hard as they were forced to work out at home or in makeshift environments. Using quarantine to focus on other aspects of keeping fit without the use of weights, the 2-time Sports Journalist of the Year said he was deeply into learning Spanish as well as placing more emphasis on eating healthier and finding newer ways to stay safe.

“Right now, the time off from the gym routine and dieting has been quite refreshing. I haven’t had a break this long since 2013 and although it was not planned by me, it’s all part of God’s plan. However,

I am still inspired and still hungry to earn a Pro card at the highest level regionally and, when the time comes, to start competition training and competing in-person again ahead.

I feel confident steps will be taken to ensure the safety of all athletes” he stated.

Wrapping up his interview, the muscleman encouraged all Guyanese, athletes and non-athletes, to continue observing the various health and safety protocols while ensuring they find time to exercise and eat as clean as possible; in the indeterminate wait for normalcy to return.

Taylor inclusion a huge plus for Amazon Warriors

-Kiwi batsman could play key role if used well

By Clifton Ross THE Guyana Amazon Warriors added Kiwi batting star, Ross Taylor, to their armory as part of the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) draft which ended recently; making the multiple-time finalists a strong contender for this year’s crown.

With no Shoaib Malik, Taylor’s addition to the squad is like a sigh of relief, given how the Warriors batting structure basically revolves around their local or regional players; making the New Zealand bats-

man’s inclusion even more important to the franchise’s campaign this year.

At 36, Taylor is one of the most capped Kiwi batsmen and is among the most prolific run-getters in Test, ODI and T20’s in his country’s rich cricket history. With more than a 100 T20 internationals under his belt, Taylor recently copped, for the third time, the coveted Richard Hadlee Medal, after recording 1389 runs across all formats: 511 in Tests, 548 in ODIs and 330 in T20Is, in which he averaged an even 30.

What makes Taylor more

valuable to the side is his familiarity with the tournament and conditions, having played key roles with two former championship teams over the previous seasons: for the Trinbago Knight Riders and the Jamaica Tallawahs.

The Warriors will rely on the likes of their West Indian talents in Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Anthony Bramble and Chandrapaul Hemraj, who are the pure batters in the side.

However, with not much experience in the Warriors batting department, Taylor will have his work cut out for him

as he will need to play more of an anchor-type/attacking role when the time comes. The Warriors depth in their allround department also allows Taylor to come in early and set up nicely for a big finish, should the Warriors encounter any early hiccups.

Another crucial aspect to having a seasoned veteran like Taylor in the team is the invaluable wealth of knowledge and tactics a player of his class and caliber possesses. Guyana have not yet named their Captain, but regardless of their choice, having a former Test captain in their ranks is always

Ross Taylor will bring a wealth of experience to the Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise a plus when it comes to taking will be keen on building their pressure off of inexperienced batting department around the Kiwi legend and will or under-pressure captains.

More of Taylor’s role will more than likely lean towards be known as time approach- his expertise when it comes to es, but one thing is certain, the tactical on-field aspect of that the Amazon Warriors coordinating a successful win.

Usman retains title on ‘Fight Island’ (BBC) - Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman retained his title with a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 which was held on ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi.

The emirate’s Yas Island has been transformed into a closed-off fight zone able to stage four UFC events in July after UFC President Dana White secured it.

Masvidal was drafted in at six days notice to face Nigerian Usman and the American could not find an answer to Usman’s powerful wrestling game.

The 33-year-old successfully defended his belt with a gritty display to earn scores of

50-45, 50-45, 49-46 from the three judges after five gruelling rounds in an “octagon in the sand” without spectators.

Authorities set up a safety zone including an arena, hotel, training facilities and a restaurant which will only be open to fighters, coaches, UFC staff and other event personnel.

There are more than 2,500 UFC personnel and Yas Island employees staying within the zone, with all local staff having been in quarantine for 14 days.

Usman should have been fighting Gilbert Burns in the first main event of the fourevent run but the Brazilian

Usman extended his winning run to 16 fights tested positive for coronavirus so Masvidal stepped in.

The 35-year-old American found a home for his

strikes early on as he started the faster of the pair. He had a clear speed and accuracy advantage in the striking de-

partment and he stung the champion with multiple shots during the opening exchanges, while nullifying Usman’s early takedown attempts.

But Usman exerted constant pressure on the challenger as he denied Masvidal the time and space to throw his strikes. Usman looked to use his clinch work to wear on Masvidal, with much of the second round spent against the cage in a lengthy and gruelling exchange. The legacy of the round was a nasty cut above Masvidal’s right eye, courtesy of an accidental clash of heads.

A huge slam takedown from Usman was the biggest moment of the third round as

the champion continued to smother Masvidal’s striking.

That pattern repeated through the final two rounds as Usman shut down Masvidal, who had earned his shot at the title with a trio of stoppage victories over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in 2019.

Usman’s victory improved his record to 17-1 and extended his winning streak to 12 fights in the UFC. “Jorge is a tough guy and I give him credit for that,” said Usman.

“They call him ‘Gamebred’ for a reason - he’s always game to fight. I’m just a level better. I have more tools in the toolbox.”

West Indies captain Jason Holder celebrates with John Campbell after winning the 1st #RaiseTheBat Test match at The Ageas Bowl on July 12, 2020 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images for ECB) PAGE

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Jermaine Blackwood in action © Getty Images

W.I. Win! Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton raises a fist on the podium after the Formula One Styrian Grand Prix race on July 12, 2020 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by LEONHARD FOEGER / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LEONHARD FOEGER/ POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Bournemouth’s English striker Dominic Solanke and Bournemouth’s English goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale celebrate after the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Leicester City at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on July 12, 2020. (Photo by Michael Steele / POOL / AFP)

Bourenmouth Hamilton wins stun Leicester in Styrian GP

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MONDAY,JULY 13, 2020