Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_28_05_2020

28th June, 2020

' No.106043

President reaffirms strong ties with USA, Western Hemisphere

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SEE PAGE 03

3 dead in Cummings Lodge fire 05 PAGE

Owner of ‘natural hair’ store, ‘KOKO’, dies at age 31 PAGE

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‘PPP/C’s APPEAL DOOMED’

…Dr. Francis Alexis QC says PPP/C’s appeal at CCJ has no real prospect of success

…asserted that Guyana’s constitutional provisions ought not to be overruled Dr Francis Alexis QC

…says Constitution, Elections Laws clearly provide for valid votes

“A final appellate court, as is the CCJ, undoubtedly has a wide inherent jurisdiction to grant special leave to appeal to it. But such a court does not grant such leave when so doing would overrule constitutional provisions. Granting such special leave in this case would involve CCJ in overruling both Article 177(4) of the Constitution, which makes the ruling of the Court of Appeal ‘final’, and Article 162(1)(b) of the Constitution constitutionalising the command in section 96(1) of ROPA that what is calculated is the total number of ‘valid votes’. CCJ should not thus overrule both those provisions of the Constitution,” Dr. Alexis reasoned.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

‘Don’t let PPP/C thwart the will of the people’ …PM Nagamootoo accuses opposition of devious tactics to return to power GUYANESE, according to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, have been the victims of voter manipulation at the hands of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), in its quest to return to power at time when Guyana is on the verge of becoming one of the world’s leading oil producing countries.

In levying the allegation against the PPP/C, the Prime Minister said the party should not be allowed to thwart the will of the people. Prime Minister Nagamootoo made the allegations against the PPP/C during his appearance on WINNFM. COM – St Kitts and Nevis’ leading radio and internet station. In support of his position, the Prime Minister pointed to the hiring of Cambridge Analytica in 2013 and Mercury Public Affairs in 2019 by the PPP/C. At the cost of US$420,000 or GUY$80M, Cambridge Analytica was contracted by the PPP/C, under the Donald Ramotar Administration, to control the course of elections in its favour.

Cambridge Analytica is 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. The data is then used to identify target voter groups with designed targeted messages to influence opinion. Mercury Public Affairs is no different.

The American firm was embroiled in the probe into alleged Russian interference in U.S. elections, and was contracted by the General Secretary of the PPP/C, Bharrat Jagdeo.

“Together, they have been able to do a violent intrusion

into the privacy of the Guyanese and to use their personal data for voter manipulation,” Prime Minister Nagamootooo said while noting that the PPP/C has doled out millions of dollars to Cambridge Analytica and Mercury Public Affairs in a ‘violent’ assault on Guyana’s democracy.

In June 2020, Brittany Kaiser, of Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower, had attest to the use of data to manipulate the outcome of Guyana’s elections.

“They conducted the type of political research that I talked to you about earlier, they did a behavioural poll and what they call a Target Audience Analysis (TAA) and that is large scale national research where they would have done those qualitative focus groups and then quantitative surveys in order to understand as much as possible from the population. From their politics to their culture to their affiliations, the way that they do their decision making…and that allowed them to go about an entire elections strategy based on what they found out from that research,” Kaiser said.

She disclosed that the PPP/C used the information for its advertisement and communication strategies and had a satellite team both in-country and internationally from the London Headquarters. She said: “Not all countries actually allow political support from abroad or even political support from foreigners so it’s usually a satellite team that can be hidden in-country and is not obvious to the opposition that foreign assistance is active.”

ELECTORAL FRAUD And when the PPP/C lost the Elections in 2015, it turned to Mercury Public Affairs in

March 2019 ahead of the elections. Prime Minister Nagamootoo said while the March 2020 General and Regional Elections appeared “free

Demerara, District Four, had only ballots inside, and were therefore void of statutory documents such as the official lists of elections, certificates of

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

and fair” at a glance, the 33 day-national recount, which was agreed to by President David Granger and the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, unearthed the massive electoral fraud which had taken place on March 2.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo said not only were there cases of voter impersonation – dead and migrant voters, but hundreds of boxes turned up without statutory documents. In fact, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, in his report on the national recount, indicated that the elections were not credible due to 4,864 cases of voter impersonation and more than 2,000 anomalies. Approximately 47 ballot boxes from the East Coast of

employment, oaths of identity and counterfoils among others.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo clarified that while the CEO submitted a report on the tabulation of votes cast together with observation reports from the 10 Electoral Districts based on the national recount – the report consisted of “raw data” inclusive of votes affected by the thousands of anomalies and cases of voter impersonation.

He said it was expected that, in keeping with the Order, which triggered the national recount, that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) would have considered the raw data (votes) together with the observation reports before arriving at a decision. However, without determining “a final

credible count” as provided for in the Order, the CEO was ordered by the Elections Commission to prepare an elections report based on the votes tabulated during the recount. That tabulation, which was done at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), showed that the PPP/C won the elections by 15,000 votes.

However, just as the CEO was preparing to submit his report, a North Sophia Resident, Eslyn David, challenged the decision of the Elections Commission at the level of the Court of Appeal, and in doing so, requested an interpretation of Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution.

The Appellate Court subsequently ruled that the election of a President must be based on “valid votes” in accordance with Article 177 (2) (b) and Order No. 60. In keeping with this decision, the CEO submitted his elections report, which showed that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) won the General and Regional Elections when the valid votes were considered. Based on the CEO’s Elections Report, it would appear that over 100,000 votes had been compromised as a result of anomalies and voter impersonation, and were therefore not included.

“If the Elections Commission considers the report from the Chief Elections Officer, they could swear in the incumbent president, and then the matter could go to court, so that the court could decide that whether the process was so tainted, that you need to have new elections in Guyana. So, yes we believe that every vote counts, but it should be a valid vote, part of a credible electoral process,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo said.

But the Chief Elections Officer has come in for major criticism. While his reports speak to widespread electoral fraud, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Observation Team, after observing 18 per cent of the 2,339 ballot boxes, had concluded that the elections were “reasonably credible” though noting that the country went into the elections with a bloated Official List of Electors, and a number of defects inclusive of missing statutory documents were detected. But Prime Minister Nagamootoo said “reasonably credible” is simply not good enough.

“You can’t be half way free and half way slaved. You can’t

be fair and half way unfair; and these elections must not only be judged on valid votes, but by a process that has been credible.

Thus, the ruling of the Court of Appeal is that the votes cast, they cannot simply be votes, they have to be valid votes, and those valid votes have to meet the credibility test,” the Prime Minister said. But the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, and the ABCE countries, in backing the CARICOM Report, have been increasingly calling for a swift transition in governments on the basis that, according to the national recount, the PPP/C won the elections. In response, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said it is time for international interference in Guyana’s electoral process come to an end.

“We are a sovereign state, sovereignty belongs to the people, and the people who are the sovereign, should be allowed to choose the government, the parties of their choice free from outside interference, and outside manipulation,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo said, noting that situation has become toxic as a result of cyber intrusion and digital interference.

Guyana, in the eyes of some countries, is simply collateral damage, in their quest to pursue their geopolitical interests, the Prime Minister contended. “So when we were approached that we should support the opposition as president of the Republic of Venezuela, we were not inclined to intervene. When we were asked to set up a Spanish speaking radio station in Guyana to broadcast to the people of Venezuela, we didn’t agree to that. So we maintained our independence, we maintained our sovereignty, we maintained the national interest, and so there are some geopolitical reasons why some would say that they want a regime change in Guyana,” Prime Minister reasoned.

He added: “And so if you have some people in the opposition who sell out to that agenda, so then you can have all the parties appear to be on one side, advocating the change, and they come down on you like a pack of vultures, manipulate the agenda, manipulate the way people think, manipulate even the fears of people by threatening sanctions…”

Guyana, he posited, must take tough measures to guard itself against outside interference in the future.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

President reaffirms strong ties with USA, Western Hemisphere

PRESIDENT DAVID GRANGER has reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to Western Hemispheric values and to the furtherance of mutual goals and ideals.

The Head of State, in a recent interview, emphasised that the United States of America is a friend and has worked closely with Guyana over several decades through several organisations such as The Carter Center, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Agency for International Development (USAID), among others.

“Guyana is part of the Western Hemisphere. We have very cordial relations with the United States from defence, economy and security points of view,” the President was quoted as

saying in a release by the Ministry of the Presidency.

He said Guyana, together with other Caribbean states, cooperates with the US Southern Command through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), which is aimed at combating drug trafficking and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security.

President Granger made it clear that Guyana’s strategic interests in the Western Hemisphere were not in jeopardy. He said Guyana and the USA have enjoyed mutually beneficial defence, economic, political and social relations since Independence. He noted that relations between the two states have deepened through cooperation in the fields of defence, public health, public security,

President David Granger

the economy and youth empowerment. The Head of State emphasised that

Guyana remains committed to strengthening its relations with the USA to

overcome challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and to continue to build the

groundwork for a peaceful and prosperous Western Hemisphere.

‘PPP/C APPEAL DOOMED’

…Dr. Francis Alexis QC says PPP/C’s appeal at CCJ has no real prospect of success …asserted that Guyana’s constitutional provisions ought not be overruled …says Constitution, Elections Laws clearly provide for valid votes

GRENADIAN Queen Counsel, Dr. Francis Alexis

By Svetlana Marshall GRENADIAN Queen Counsel, Dr. Francis Alexis – the Caribbean’s leading authority on constitutional law – said not only was the Court of Appeal right in ruling that Guyana’s President ought to be elected based on valid votes in accordance with the Constitution and Electoral Laws of the country, but there can be no challenge to that

decision, even at the level of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). To do so, would be to overrule the constitutional provisions provided for in Articles 177 (4) AND 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution. On that basis, he said the application filed by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for special leave to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal should not be granted.

The PPP/C last Tues-

day (June 23) applied to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for special leave to appeal a decision of the Court of Appeal to interpret the words of Article 177 (2) (b) to mean “more valid votes are cast” in determining the President following an Election.

Dr. Alexis – the author of Changing Caribbean Constitutions – in offering his legal opinion on the ‘Jurisdiction relating to Article 177 (4) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana,’ said Article 177 (4), undoubtedly, gives the Court of Appeal ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ to hear and determine any question relating to the validity of an election of a President based on two limbs – qualification of any person for election or interpretation of the Constitution.

As indicated by the Court of Appeal, in its majority decision in the case – Eslyn David v the Chief Elections Officer and others, Dr. Alexis said those two limbs have to be read disjunctively and not conjunctively. “The Court of Appeal therefore properly decided that it had jurisdiction

to entertain the application

by David,” the Queen Counsel said.

He said not only was the Court of Appeal correct in establishing jurisdiction but also in its interpretation of the Constitution. Dr. Alexis submitted that both the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act provide for election of a President based on valid votes.

“The mantra of Article 162(1) (b) of the Constitution and its constitutionalising the ROPA (Representation of the People Act) whose section 96(1) requires that there be calculated ‘valid votes’ is that a person be elected as the President on the basis of only valid votes,” the Constitutional Queen Counsel said while iterating that the Court of Appeal was absolutely correct in interpreting ‘more votes’ in Article 177(2)(b) as meaning ‘more valid votes.’

Article 177(4) makes the decision on the interpretation of 177(2)(b) of the Constitution ‘final.’

“A final appellate court, as is the CCJ, undoubtedly has a wide inherent jurisdic-

tion to grant special leave to appeal to it. But such a court does not grant such leave when doing so would overrule constitutional provisions. Granting such special leave in this case would involve CCJ in overruling both Article 177(4) of the Constitution which makes the ruling of the Court of Appeal ‘final’ and Article 162(1)(b) of the Constitution constitutionalising the command in section 96(1) of ROPA that what is calculated is the total number of ‘valid votes’.

CCJ should not thus overrule both those provisions of the Constitution,” Dr. Alexis reasoned.

He said from all indication, the appellants – PPP/C’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo and Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali – have no reasonable, real prospect of success in an appeal, on the basis that the decision of the Court of Appeal is final, and based on the undeniable fact that Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act mandate a calculation of valid votes. The application

for special leave to appeal, he said, should therefore be refused.

“Coming out of the process, GECOM ordered a national recount of all the ballots cast in the election. That recount has been held. The report of the Chief Elections Officer to GECOM on that recount affords a proper formula for calculating the valid votes cast at the election, and so enabling the declaring of a President and members of the National Assembly,” he said.

The case filed by Jagdeo and Ali will come up before the CCJ on July 1, 2020 before a panel of judges led

by President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders.

The court has agreed to accept written and oral submissions on the issue of jurisdiction, the application for special leave and on the substantive matter simultaneously. It will, however, make a determination on the issue of its jurisdiction before ruling on any other matter.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

Malawi leader refuses to concede election

(BBC) Although the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is yet to declare the final result from the re-run of the presidential election, early indications show that the incumbent Peter Mutharika is trailing behind his main rival Lazarus Chakwera.

Mr Mutharika says there's no winner or loser, and has refused to concede defeat.

According to his running mate, Atupele Muluzi, who said he had been sent by Mutharika to address the media, the president is appealing to all his supporters to disregard reports that say he has lost the elections, saying they must wait for the MEC's official announcement.

Atupele Muluzi is son of former President Bakili Muluzi and leader

of a small opposition party, the United Democratic Front (UDF) which was in an electoral alliance with Mr Mutharika's governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The young Muluzi claimed that up to 15 monitors deployed by the DPP /UDF to opposition strongholds are currently missing and feared dead after being attacked by opposition loyalists.

Results from all 28 districts, signed off by officials and party representatives at district level show that President Mutharika is lagging behind Lazarus Chakwera - who leads the main opposition Malawi Congress Party and represents the Tonse Alliance made up of nine opposition parties.

President Peter Mutharika is not swayed by early indications and is waiting for the electoral body's official announcement

Coronavirus: Florida and Texas reverse reopening as infections surge

(BBC) Florida has reported a new record in Covid infections, amid a surge in cases in southern US states that have allowed businesses to re-open in recent weeks.

On Saturday, Florida reported more than 9,500 new cases, up from almost 9,000 on Friday, the previous record.

The spike has led state officials to tighten restrictions

Sunday, June 28, 2020 - 10:30 hrs

on business again - as Texas also did on Friday.

The official number of coronavirus infections across the US is expected to surpass 2.5 million over the weekend.

More than 125,000 Covid-19 patients have died nationwide - more than in any other country.

On Friday the leading government adviser on coronavirus, Dr Anthony Fauci, said the US had a "serious problem".

Speaking at the first

White House coronavirus task force briefing in two months, Dr Fauci said the current rises were due to regions "maybe opening a little bit too early" and to people themselves not following guidance.

"People are infecting other people, and then ultimately you will infect someone who's vulnerable," he said.

On Saturday morning the state reported 9,585 coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours. It has set records for new cases almost daily since

mid-June.

The total number of cases in Florida so far is over 132,000. More than 3,300 people with Covid-19 have died.

Many other southern and western states have reported record spikes as they moved to reopen and people from other areas poured in in recent weeks.

Earlier this week Texas, Florida and Arizona put re-opening plans on pause in an effort to tackle the outbreak.

But on Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis imposed new restrictions, orderings bars in the state to stop serving alcohol on their premises - although it was not clear how the new measures would affect restaurants, the Miami Herald reported.

And in Texas, which has also seen record numbers of cases this week, Governor Greg Abbott told bars to close and limited restaurants' indoor seating capacity to 50%.

What is the overall situation in the US? On Friday Johns Hopkins University said the total number of cases in the

country had risen by more than 40,000 to 2,483,516. It was the second record daily increase in as many days.

While some of the rise is down to more extensive testing, the rate of positive tests in some areas is also increasing.

Health officials estimate the true number of cases is likely to be 10 times higher than the confirmed total.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said up to 20 million Americans may have been infected.

The surge in cases was being driven by young people testing positive, especially in the south and west of the US, said the head of the CDC, Dr Robert Redfield.

The White House has stressed that the situation is stabilising in most of the country.

During Friday's coronavirus briefing, Vice-President Mike Pence hailed the Trump administration's "truly remarkable progress in moving our nation forward", highlighting improvements in job figures and retail sales.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

Family of three perishes in Cummings Lodge blaze …Fire Chief says arson suspected, one person in custody

The apartment complex was reduced to rubble after being ravaged by fire (Elvin Croker photo)

The apartment building engulfed in flames (News Room photo)

By Navendra Seoraj Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara erupted in anguish and shock following a fire that claimed the lives of a family of three.

Residents of Sixth Street Cummings Lodge witnessed as the charred remains of the three family members were removed by undertakers, from a razed apartment complex, on Saturday. The Guyana Chronicle understands that 46-year-old, Martin Lewis; his 40-year-old wife, Beverly Miller and their 14-year-old son, Dawall Ifill, lost their lives after being trapped in the burning building.

Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle told this publication that the Guyana Fire Service responded to reports of a fire in Sixth Street Cummings, around 17:30hrs. “Units from Campbellville and Alberttown responded and they found that a massive fire was in progress in an apartment building… they immediately went into fire-fighting action, but subsequently learnt that three persons could not be accounted for,” said Gentle in an invited

comment.

Reports indicate that the family was living in a heavily-grilled apartment on the lower flat of the apartment complex, which is located next to the Cummings Lodge Secondary School. The fire started in an apartment on the upper flat of the complex. Sections of the media reported that firefighters found the bodies hugging each other, but Gentle could not confirm this, at the time of the interview.

The source of the fire is still unknown, but Gentle said one person, who is a tenant of the apartment complex, is in police custody because there were allegations about threats being made by this person, against the landlord and his “representative.” “There were some allegations about threats because of non-payment of rent…so it was some kind of confrontation between the tenant and the person who supposed to be the landlord or representative of the landlord,” the fire chief explained.

He confirmed that further investigations are ongoing, but as it is now, the issue is being treated as suspected arson. It

was reported that close to 15 persons occupied the complex, and since the building was completely destroyed, all of them have been rendered homeless.

There have been a number of fires in the past few weeks, and persons are starting to say this is a new “epidemic,” while remaining equally cautious because of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Considering the upsurge in fires across the country, Gentle said persons need to be conscious of their surroundings and practice basic fire safety drills. “Some of the recent fires are basically carelessness and some involve people setting fire to buildings, but we do not want to cause an alarm…we have been having a fair share of fires since this year started,” Gentle lamented.

Just recently, a pensioner, Dhanhiram Harcharan, lost his home when a two-storey Kingston building went up in flames. And, four persons were left homeless after a fire, suspected to be electrical in origin, gutted their home at Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara, one week ago.

Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle

Early this month, a bodywork shop and at least one other building in Lusignan were completely destroyed by fire. In May, the former Morocco Hotel and another within the

Relatives and other residents in disbelief

same compound at First Avenue at the town of Bartica were also destroyed by fire. Additionally, persons were left homeless after an early-morning fire ravaged their home at Lot B-2, Bent

Street, Wortmanville, in April. As the numbers continue to climb, authorities will have to be watchful because the country recorded over 700 fires in 2019 alone.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

Where do we go from here?

AS the prolonged elections season inches towards what most Guyanese hope would be a just resolution to the problems therein, it is time for us to begin to think of a post-elections Guyana. There is no doubt that the elections have engendered severe damage to our national political psyche. It would take a tremendous effort on our part to rebuild the broken bridges and the severed relations. Guyanese have to recapture that shared aspiration that has kept us together as a nation for so long.

Experience has shown that that is perhaps the hardest task to accomplish the morning after the storm.

Like many countries of the post-colonial world, Guyana has been cobbled together by the force of history—a history that was determined by forces and actions which the vast majority of us did not control. In the case of Guyana, the European quest for wealth led to the institution of slavery after attempts to subdue the original

inhabitants failed. Millions of Africans were then uprooted from their homeland against their will.

They came to the so-called new world to a long night of inhumanity that has no parallel in history.

Slavery shaped everything that came after it.

Colonialism in its many manifestations continued the agony for the formerly enslaved as they were joined on the plantation by new victims of bondage. It was during this period that the diverse groups developed their distrust for each other. Despite moments of mutual solidarity in the face of the hand of oppression, the seeds of distrust and animosity were sowed and nurtured. By the time the long hand of colonial domination was forced to retreat, our multi-ethnic fabric had been infected with the virus of insecurity and fear of the other.

Since independence almost six decades ago, we have struggled to make good on our aspiration of one people, one nation, one destiny. But the push towards

this aspiration has been impeded by the pull of the competition for power to guarantee defence against domination by the other.

Amidst this seemingly permanent state of siege, we limped along to the present. We paid enough lip service to national unity to get us from one scare to another. We dodged our self-inflicted pain to live for another day. We kicked the ball down the road. We danced the dance of “one people” even though the rhythm betrayed something else.

And then came 2020. Everything seems to come together in one moment. All the contradictions which we papered over for five decades and more escaped their makeshift prisons. For three months now our insanity has taken hold of us in a way that defies logic and commonsense. We walk and talk past each other as if we are old enemies. What is most dangerous is that we convinced ourselves that we are defending precious ideals such as democracy and rule of law. So, we crush one

another with a strange conviction that it is a fight of what a former Attorney General dubbed “good over evil.”

When the goodly Attorney General uttered those words, little did he know that he was betraying a formulation that is pregnant with decades of simmering hate. That is the basis of the tumultuous days we have experienced these past four months. Today, Martin Carter’s “Brown Beatles” are not the British soldiers of 1953, but the soldiers of ethnic venom disguised as something else. One side is being egged on by new “Brown Beatles” from the metropoles aided by those closer to our our shores. Vidia Naipaul must be smiling in his grave as the Mimic Men and Women lift their voices in true mimic style.

Where do we go from here, we ask in part desperation and part triumphalism; forked tongue, they say. The answer to that question lies in our capacity to embrace sanity over insanity. As unprecedented wealth beckons, we seem

bent on ceding it to others who are willing us on to keep fighting while they stand in waiting with outstretched hands. Where do we go from here? Will we reach for our joint patrimony or will we keep wallowing in our new-found aggression? Will we reach for a hand of goodwill or will we plaster our faces with the grease of doom? Will we drop the sword of domination and reach for a sharing and caring solution? Will we come to our senses or will we keep clinging to senselessness?

Guyana, this is a call to change course—it is not too late.

Everything potentially uplifting is within our horizon. We just have to see; we just have to want to see. After the battle for the power is over, we may well discover that there is no power.

Where do we go from here? The path is in our hand, if only we have the presence of mind to grasp it.

Response to Robin Singh Dear Editor I RECEIVED an Open Letter in the link above from one Robin Singh via Priya Manickchand as a rebuttal to my letter re the interference by Prime Minister Mia Mottley in the sovereign and independent procedures of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. The author sought to involve my father Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham and at the same time sought to belittle my father who has served and sacrificed for this country, the Caribbean, Southern Africa, and collaborated with Pierre Trudeau, Indira Gandhi, Sirimavo Bandaranaike

and Julius Nyerere, among many other world leaders.

Nothing you or anyone can do or say can diminish his stature.

In your letter you did indicate that my action was an exercise in boldness. No, it was an exercise of my independent right which had been taught to me by my father.

For him, and for many of us our independence is sacred.

The validity of the vote is linked to the sanctity of Guyana’s independence. Unlike you, I have lived through the 60s when my father had to send me to Codrington College in Barbados after I escaped an attempt on my life. I have lived through the threats, and from then, on to

now “MY Black Life MATTERS.” Isn’t it strange that in the year 2020, I am reliving exactly what happened to me in the attack on the school bus with innocent children in West Coast Berbice and for all of us the global slogan Black Lives Matter/All lives Matter is of critical importance in a multi-ethnic Guyana, formed from the amalgam my father spoke about. Yet that is a known fact and the deafening silence from Ms Mottley, Dr Gonsalves , Mr Owen Arthur, and all of the other violators of our democracy and the DIPLOMATIC Representatives, did not go unnoticed. That truth hurts when Ms. Mottley was happy to know that our

black children were attacked.

What a shame? As a mother, that truth did hurt me, are we supposed to teach the next generation of children that bribery, corruption thievery, and even violence, are the new “Tools of Success”? I think not!!!!

The importance of the validity of the vote is in direct relationship to the fair and credible outcome of the elections and for Ms. Mottley that is the truth, and that truth never hurts.

Mr Singh, you have sought to make reference to my husband of 45 years and his role within the APNU+AFC Coalition. Well young man he and his staff have done an excellent job at a little

place called “GWI”, please feel free to check. In relation to the fuel business you so glibly mentioned, “Let me be clear, that business is legitimate.” You made reference to the old allegation of rigging but what is clear today, is that there is the indisputable evidence of the death certificates of those who voted across the country; there is evidence of those who were out of Guyana and who voted while living abroad, together with a host of irregularities. That is the TRUTH, that should not hurt. It is strange that you or Ms Mottley cannot appreciate the difference between Valid votes and Invalid

Votes as stated by the Court of Appeal of independent Guyana. The validity of the vote means so much to me and I stand with President Granger to go forth so that our Motto of One People, One Nation, One Destiny will be a reality; you are free to stand where you please, just defend it as such. “Truth shall be our martial weapon, Brotherhood our armour plate.

Onward to victory.”

Regards Roxane Burnham Van-West Charles

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

Open letter to Prime Minister Mia Mottley and citizens of CARICOM Dear Citizens of the Caribbean: I HOLD Prime Minister Mia Mottley in high regard. Many other Guyanese did as well. I am disappointed in the misguided position she espoused on Guyana’s March 2, 2020 elections impasse.

Without seizing herself of the full set of facts, Prime Minister Mottley, in her capacity as CARICOM Chairperson, jumped into Guyana's electoral politics to support her friend Bharrat Jagdeo, leader of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

The Caribbean knows that Bharrat Jagdeo’s PPP is the most violently racist and brutally oppressive political party in the western hemisphere. The United Nations has accused Bharrat Jagdeo’s previous PPP government of being complicit in the extra-judicial killing of over 1400 African-Guyanese young men. There has been no justice.

Prime Minister Mottley viciously attacked Guyana's Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield. His elections results report shows that Guyana's ruling

APNU+AFC coalition won the elections. Like Jagdeo, Ms. Mottley delivered remarks, penned in Georgetown and riddled with misinformation, which purported that the PPP won the elections. She recklessly called on the Guyana Elections Commission to declare the PPP the winner, although the Caribbean Court of Justice had already issued a restraining order against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) prohibiting it from declaring the results.

The prime minister is dead wrong. Guyana's chief elections officer doesn't work for her. Her blatant disrespect crossed the line.

Furthermore, she demonstrated contempt for the ruling of the Guyana Court of Appeal which directed GECOM to count only valid votes. More astonishingly, the prime minister violated the rules of judicial independence by commenting extensively on this matter which is sub judice at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) - an organ of CARICOM of which she is chairperson.

This is repugnant to the principles of jurisprudence. Her un-

informed comments manifest an improper attempt to influence the outcome of the matter before the CCJ. As an attorney-at-law, the prime minister knows fully well that her conduct was inappropriate, as it affects the appearance of impartiality and independence of the CCJ, which is an imperative for the administration of justice in any jurisdiction.

No objective person who arms his/herself with the facts will support Prime Minister Mia Mottley's misguided position. These are the facts. Guyana’s opposition PPP is part of an international conspiracy with international actors, to force out the APNU+AFC coalition government to control Guyana’s oil and gas. The PPP is attempting to sneak into government through the back door with fraudulent ballots to re-establish an ethnocracy in Guyana to monopolise Guyana's oil wealth.

The March 2, 2020 elections were plagued by fraud and voter impersonation. The police and Registrar of Deaths conducted separate investigations and confirmed, through immigration records and

PM Mottley ignored the facts Dear Editor

LET’s skip the niceties, I am in no mood for them, reason being the disrespect which you have meted out to our sovereign state, constitution, distinguished judges and people of this almost 215 000 Km2 of resource-rich land.

My first disappointment with Prime Minister Mia Mottley is her “who dare Lowenfield….” question. Well, let me tell you “who dare” Lowenfield, and the answer is the CONSTITUTION OF GUYANA “dared Lowenfield.” Take a read of the Representation of the People Act, article 96, which states: “The Chief Election Officer shall calculate the total number of valid votes of electors which have been cast for each list of candidates and thereupon shall ascertain the result of the election in accordance with sections 97 and 98. In addition, our learned judges of the Appeal Court of GUYANA, a sovereign state “dared Lowenfield” when they ruled that, “…more votes must mean more valid votes,” and the requirements of recount order 60 of 2020 stand as part of the process of determining the validity of such votes.

Secondly, I am offended by PM Mottley’s claim that valid

votes were tabulated and certified

by GECOM’s staff in the presence of agents of the various parties and hence all tabulated votes are valid.

How dare you insult my intelligence with such sleight of hand.

The facts are, that among the votes tabulated are to be found thousands which could not be verified by virtue of missing statutory documents.

The fact that verification was not possible makes them not credible / of questionable validity. The agents of APNU+AFC therefore objected to these being referred to as total valid votes, hence their refusal to sign off on the regional tabulations.

If you are unaware of such occurrence, as it would appear you are, it is because the CARICOM observers did a reasonably credible job of observing and reporting accurately their observations.

And finally, let’s talk about gamesmanship. This I find distasteful coming from the chairperson of our leading regional body which has for decades sat idly by and watched the Bharrat Jagdeo-led government of the People’s Progressive Party play games with the lives and freedom of ordinary Guyanese, many of whom they murdered and many of whom still remain unaccounted for, without uttering a syllable of

condemnation. Gamesmanship, dear PM Mottley, is when you as chairperson emerged from under a rock to criticise the APNU+AFC for standing up for the Guyanese citizenry and insisting that only credible votes be counted, despite not saying anything when the clarion call was for a sanitised list before elections are held. Indeed, gamesmanship is when the recount of 18 percent of 2,339 ballot boxes are observed and a pronouncement is made by your representatives, presumably the best their small island states have to offer, that the elections were reasonably credible.

I dare challenge them to say that they are reasonably proud of this failed effort to pull wool over the eyes of our people.

In closing, let me say unashamedly that I am a proud citizen of a sovereign Guyana, supportive of a President whose thrust is to ensure equality and fair access for all and I, like others, will not stand idly by and watch a group of reasonably credible foreign nationals conspire to remove him from office by fraudulent votes.

Regards Kidackie Amsterdam

death certificates, that PPP operatives around Guyana voted for dead people and people who live abroad, whose names remain on the voters’ list. To cover up their fraud they destroyed statutory, elections documents required by law to authenticate each ballot.

The PPP and their international collaborators are trying to bully GECOM to conflate and count fraudulent ballots along with valid votes. There is a big difference between a valid ballot paper and a valid vote. A valid ballot paper can be fraudulently but correctly marked for a political party by someone who is impersonating a legitimate voter. However, a valid vote is a vote cast in person by an eligible voter, whose name appears on the voters’ list, after that voter properly identifies himself or herself with a valid photo ID as prescribed by law. The PPP’s vote total consists of thousands of fraudulent ballot papers, which were cast via voter impersonation and are therefore invalid votes.

The national ballot recount total shows that the PPP has 15,000 more votes than the ruling AP-

NU+AFC coalition. However, the elections commission has verified that between 32,000 and 56,000 ballot papers marked for the PPP are actually fraudulent ballots that were obtained through voter impersonation -- fraud. The Guyana Court of Appeal ruled on June 20, 2020, that only valid votes cast in the March 2, 2020 elections shall be counted. The Guyana constitution mandates that the Court of Appeal ruling is final. Notwithstanding the constitutional mandate as to the finality of ruling of the Guyana Court of Appeal, the PPP appealed the Court of Appeal’s decision, "that only valid votes must be counted," to the CCJ. The PPP is the only political party in the history of the world that is appealing a court order compelling that only valid votes must be counted in an election. The PPP is the only party in the world that is fighting to have dead people’s votes, as well as other fraudulent votes, counted. The Prime Minister of Barbados is supporting them in this "dead-man-voting-from-thegrave" initiative.

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CLARIFYING STATEMENT Dear Editor THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd (GTT) draws to your attention, erroneous references related to the company’s billing practices in an article dated June 25, 2020 within the Guyana Chronicle.

The article headlined, ‘Discontinuation of bank statements disenfranchise consumers – says Pat Dyal,’ makes mention of a September 2019 public hearing, as hosted by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) whereby GTT provided more information with respect to its introduction to a summarised billing format.

GTT wishes to clarify that it is still issuing paper bills to its customers, in addition to making bills available by a number of other convenient methods, including electronic format, in-person and telephonic support.

GTT‘s introduction of e-billing by means of the MyGTT App is in support of the country’s green initiative, coupled with technological growth and increased customer demand for digital engagement. By using the app, consumers can access their bills and make convenient

and immediate payment to GTT, as well as top up their accounts, view balances and add new services. Through the initiative, GTT has seen a 30 per cent decline in the number of customers being disconnected for non-payment – which speaks to the efficiency and convenience of the app. Persons who have not signed up MyGTT to access their bills are sent a summarised paper statement, and are able to obtain a more detailed bill through MyGTT, 0488 or in store.

Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) facilitates bill payments electronically and most recently, GTT provided an additional paperless option that gives customers the added convenience of receiving bills via email only.

Customers can register for this option through https://bit.ly/ BillDelivery.

The company continues to encourage its customers to utilise these options to access and pay their GTT bills, noting also that the more traditional bill-payment methods are still available.

Orson Ferguson VP of Customer Experience

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ONLY VALID VOTES MATTER

MAKING the news yesterday in the New York Times and the Washington Post were claims by President Donald Trump that mailin elections in the United States exposed massive fraud and rigging, but his critics said that those claims were baseless.

In one article, Mark Hemingway reported that in New Jersey one in five ballots was rejected as fraudulent. As I read the claims and counter-claims, I wondered why it seems so difficult for a handful of American and other Western officials to identify with the credible claims raised in Guyana that the March 2, 2020 elections were characterised by widespread fraud and massive rigging.

POETIC JUSTICE For cynics, what is happening in the United States might appear as poetic justice for the victims against whom external forces have engineered, facilitated, encouraged and applauded the fraud in Guyana. What happened here on March 2 is just one tiny blot in what David Shimer documented in his book, “Rigged: America, Russia and One Hundred Years of Covert Electoral Interference,” which

was released last week. In some situations, interference is a mild word to describe regime change, such as had taken place in Guatemala way back in 1954.

UNJUSTIFIED INTERFERENCE In the late 1970s while I was on my way to a solidarity conference in Africa, I remember meeting Guillermo Toriello Garrido, a friend of President Jacobo Arbenz and former Foreign Minister of Guatemala. He had been on a one-man crusade around the world to expose the unlawful removal of the Arbenz government.

I have since seen declassified CIA reports that described Guillermo as a former staunch anti-communist, which contradicts the ideological reasons given for the coup against Arbenz that he was a radical, left-wing communist.

American historian Stephen Schlesinger has exposed the unjustified interference in that so-called “banana republic” in his book, “Bitter Fruit -- the Story of the American Coup in Guatemala.” In 2011, after 57 long years, a new-generation President, Alvaro Colom, apologised for what he described as “a great crime,”

and asked forgiveness for the overthrow of President Arbenz. However, sadly, in the interval between that “great crime” and the apology, there have been three decades of brutal conflicts in Guatemala that claimed some 200,000 lives.

CORRIDOR OF BITTERNESS Whatever the outcome of the appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and the 2020 elections in Guyana, for years to come there would exist a corridor of bitterness between our two major ethnic groupings and their representatives.

We hope that we could be spared the social costs of conflicts, particularly ethnic conflicts. The least of the bad blood that could flow would be across the aisle in the Parliament chamber, where “honourable members” would trade these two words – “thieves” and “riggers.”

The final report on these elections has been submitted by the chief elections officer (CEO) to the Chairman of the Elections Commission, in compliance with the law and the Order of the Court of Appeal, that only valid votes count. It appears incomprehensible that the

major opposition party is challenging the authority of our Court of Appeal to make such an Order.

PROCESS NOT AN EVENT The determination of a valid vote has to be part of a process that involves a recount, review, report and results. It was Prime Minister Mia Mottley, during her visit to Guyana after the original foiled count of ballots, who reminded us that the elections were not a single event, but a process. As she articulated this position in her authoritative and oratorical style, I was day-dreaming about the far-end of this process, which ought to be the formation of a broad-based government of national unity.

Now, with events that have soured inter-party relations, it is doubtful that this dream could ever come true. But for those following the fourstage recount process, the tabulation of ballots for each of the 10 districts has to be subjected to a review of the figures to take into account the Observation Reports that highlighted massive irregularities and naked fraud, similar to those alluded to

by President Trump in the

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

context of mail-in balloting.

After the tabulation it is the CEO who has to apply the credibility test to determine how the massive material irregularities have impacted on the ballots cast and, for the purpose of the law, to ensure that only valid votes count. It is for him, as the sole constitutional functionary, to apply applicable methods in his computation of valid votes.

MORE VALID VOTES The fact of the matter is that he did his computation, and he has reported on the outcome of the polls, which gives the APNU+AFC Coalition some 5,500 more valid votes than its nearest rival, the PPP/C. This gives the Coalition a one-seat majority in the 65-seat National Assembly.

The Observation Reports provide compelling data on voter impersonation of the dead and Guyanese who have migrated, multiple other irregularities, and missing official records. Were they available, those records could have cast a light on the credibility of balloting in several polling places where more than 7,000 irregular practices were identified, and were duly recorded.

Whether described as “defects” or fraud, the Observation Reports would be handy in an elections petition for vitiation or nullification of the elections subsequent to the assumption to office of the President.

TWO COURTS For now, the limelight this week is placed on two courts – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Caribbean Court of Justice. The former will hear submissions from Guyana in assertion of the indivisibility and territorial integrity of our beloved country under a binding treaty. The latter will be asked to pronounce on the constitutional sanctity of the Guyana Court of Appeal to definitively settle a narrow range of issues, among which is assertion of the sovereign right of the Guyanese people to choose their government at periodic, credible elections by way of valid votes cast at these elections. The clock is ticking for final adjudication of both of these matters of national importance after which, hopefully, the Guyanese people can breathe freely again.

Open letter to ...

FROM PAGE

Every Guyanese and Caribbean citizen must reject this, and demand that only valid votes must be counted! Will Prime Minister Mottley allow fraudulent votes to be counted in a Barbados general election? I hope not! Under the previous PPP government, death squads killed over 1400 African-Guyanese.

There has never been any investigation or justice for this genocide. Now the very people accused by the US and UN of being complicit in this genocide are attempting to get back into government through the back door, with fraudulent ballots to boot. It is this barefaced thievery and contumely that have outraged over half of the

population of Guyana.

Former PPP Attorney General Anil Nandlall yesterday said if the PPP gets back into government certain people will have to leave the country. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what type of people the PPP will attempt to run out of our country. These are the people Ms. Mottley is advocating for. Moreover, she's silent on their genocidal threats against certain people in Guyana. Our indomitable forefathers, slaves and indentured labourers bequeathed to us the will to resist oppressors and imperialists. We the people shall!

We must all join the relatives of these death

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squad victims and the people of the Caribbean to demand justice for these black lives that were murdered by death squads. Now the brutal oppressors are trying to regain power by fraudulent ballots. That will not happen. Prime Minister Mottley must advise her friends in the PPP to try to win an election freely and fairly, and that they will not be rewarded for casting fraudulent ballots.

Regards Rickford Burke President Caribbean-Guyana Institute for Democracy

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

THE FAUSTIAN PACT

FAUST is a classic fictional German legend who has been featured in numerous books based on real-life historical character, Johann Georg Faust. The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures.

The word Faustian has made its way into our lexicon, describing a circumstance in which a person compromises her beliefs or morals in order to achieve some kind of success. Transposed to the current Guyana political circumstance, the devil, in the form of his representative, Mephistopheles, is personified by Guyana’s underworld. It is reasonable to conclude that they have offered a pact to one side of the political divide and it has been readily accepted in the pursuit of power at any cost. This teems with perilous implications for Guyana if they are triumphant.

THE PLOT The mother of all elections has expectedly thrown up numerous unprecedented developments that run the full gamut of jaw-dropping surprises, from the private

sector, civil society, citizens and the regional and international community. We have seen staunchly apolitical personalities and organisations metamorphose into quasi-political parties. We have seen the international community take daring steps into areas that were considered, hitherto, diplomatic taboos. We have witnessed the international and regional media pay close attention to every insignificant development in Georgetown.

All of these developments bear witness to the fact that Guyana is in a new economic paradigm due to its nascent oil and gas economy; it is difficult, nay, impossible to find any evidence that could negate this conclusion.

In the midst of all this, the most dangerous phenomenon brought on by these unparalleled regional and national elections is the passionate involvement of the dark forces of Guyana’s underworld.

There is enough in the public domain which demonstrates that unscrupulous businessmen, drug Lords, guns-forhire and gold smugglers have thrown their hats in the political ring with passion and vigour never seen before. Out of an abundance of caution, evidence on the subject at hand cannot be proffered but suffice it to mention, on March 2nd, heavily armed

men showed up at a place of poll in Alberttown and numerous videos circulating on social media point to the political preference of those who despise the rule of law.

Unsurprisingly, they have found themselves in the anti-Granger camp and due to their burning interest in a certain outcome of these elections, one political party has seized the opportunity and has entered into what appears to be a Faustian pact with nebulous finance.

THE ORIGINS As you may know by now, in the pre-2015, Guyana’s underworld had a friend in the state apparatus. This was made possible due to a direct link between the streets and the halls of government. Accessibility became quite easy due to the simple pleasure of the nightlife which was the indulgence of key members of the previous administration. Heads of state and senior state functionaries frequented nightspots owned by the operators of the underworld, private rooms were secured to cut deals. Also, there was no fear of a compromised judiciary and the tax authority could not even suggest that some untouchable businessmen pay their fair share. The cover and shade they enjoyed ended in May 2015 when David Arthur Granger ascended

to the presidency. Immediately upon assuming office, the commitment to law and order was made pellucid and the key players in the underworld felt the impact, and there was a determination from day one to bring an end to this state scrutiny which would certainly end the lawless party.

The bacchanal quickly ended when the President made key security changes which completely cut off access to main members of the Cosa nostra.

This development irked the souls of the dark forces and the commitment to regime change started. In service of that interest, a plot to assassinate the President was put into motion and, thankfully, foiled.

However, the mission did not end or slowed down. The 2020 regional and national elections became the main focus to bring down this ‘cochore government’ and return to the glory days of lawlessness.

CAMPAIGNING AND GOVERNING With a burning desire to see the back of this government which has dared to expand the tax net, make gold

dealers pay their fair share, stop the illicit trade of drugs and repair Guyana’s damaged reputation, it can be easily inferred that this enterprise found succour in the camp outside of government. In this, it can be envisioned that in numerous meetings at the Marriott Hotel and smokefilled rooms, deals were made to channel dark finance to any electoral endeavor that would see the end of the reign of David Arthur Granger.

As a consequence, the Guyanese public witnessed, for the first time, record spending on campaigning which started before the elections commission even considered the location of one place of poll. Dark money was there to burn; the Faustian pact had commenced.

This led to the introduction of heavy lobbying, every hall of power in Washington, London and Brussels were inundated with anti-government petitioning. Cambridge Analytic and Mercury were in the mix, all made possible by a deluge of cash from every murky crevice of the Guyanese society. It became

a matter of life or death, the mantra was that the ‘chochore President’ must go at all costs.

With all of this mind, it is an opportune time to remind that there is nothing such as a free lunch and, therefore, the question is begged: what do these forces require from a return on their investment? In answering this question, the difference between campaigning and governing emerges and dangers that lies in the distinction of the two. Once you campaign with collect dark money, once you enter the government, you must deliver and in this, the average country is in serious trouble.

For example, once drug Lords are involved in the buying of elections, at minimum, they expect once their man [is] in the seat, he must allow them to engage in a carnival of blood and guns.

The Faustian pact was sealed and signed before the elections and Dr. Faust has offered his soul in return for power at the expense of the citizens of this nation who shall feel the wrath if he succeeds.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

‘We’re an independent nation’ …Anglican Bishop says in pushback against diplomats over elections

BISHOP of the Anglican Diocese Charles Davidson has said that he is not surprised by the intervention of the international community in Guyana’s affairs, even as he asserted that this country is a sovereign independent nation.

“I was 12 years old when we became independent. I am not surprised the ambassadors are saying what they are saying. We are an independent nation and we do not have to pay any attention to their utterances. Que sera, sera,” Bishop Davidson said in a Facebook post last week. There has been a lot of pushback from Guyanese at home and abroad regarding the incessant statements by the diplomatic community here and recently two CARICOM leaders with respect to the March 2, 2020 elections.

On Wednesday the Ambassador of the United States of America, H.E. Sarah-Ann Lynch, the British High Commissioner, H.E. Greg Quinn, the Canadian High Commissioner, H.E. Lilian Chatterjee, and the Ambassador of the European Union, H.E. Fernando Ponz-Canto, said they were concerned that 114 days after the 2 March elections the people of Guyana continue to await the declaration of an election result. In the statement the diplomats said it is important “in our view that every vote, cast by every voter, be reflected in that declaration, in order to ensure that the will of the people of Guyana is respected. That respect includes an election declara-

tion of results that mirrors the order and integrity displayed by the people of Guyana, GECOM and party officials, as witnessed by domestic and international observers during the 2 March general and regional elections.”

They added: “We also note that the CARICOM observer mission, referred to as “the most legitimate interlocutor” by President Granger, concluded on 15 June that “nothing we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of results of the March 2, 2020 elections.” We believe election results are long overdue and, in that regard, we applaud the patience and peacefulness displayed by the people of Guyana. Pending the outcome of the appeal to the CCJ, we trust GECOM to meet its constitutional duty to issue a declaration on the basis of the results of the recount as confirmed by CARICOM, to ensure the democratic choice of the people is fulfilled,” the statement concluded.

However, prominent Washington DC Attorney Bart Fisher has criticised the statements emanating from diplomats stationed in Guyana, which he said seek to influence the outcome of the national recount of the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections. In an appearance on 107.1FM Benschop Radio, the US attorney listed a series of grave issues with Wednesday’s joint statement by the

Bishop of the Anglican Diocese, Charles Davidson

ABCE foreign missions.

Categorising the statement as premature, Fischer stated, “one would have thought that the signatories would have respected the process and comment on it only at the conclusion.” According to the DC Attorney, the statement is also harmful as matters pertaining to the elections are under judicial review. “That’s a prejudicial statement even before the matter has been heard by the CCJ.” The attorney further criticised the statement for its perceived lack of authorisation by the top foreign affairs officials from the respective countries the ABCE diplomats represent.

“I would like to know if these statements were sanctioned by the appropriate ranking,” Fischer said. Ad-

ditionally, the attorney noted the joint statement not only flies in the face of Guyana’s laws by showing disregard for the recent Appeal Court ruling, but it was a narrow show of support for the next major contender in the elections. “It is clear they were trying to prejudge this […] it is interference with the internal affairs of Guyana,” he reiterated. Questioning the rationale for the perceived support displayed in the statement for deeming invalid votes credible, Bart conveyed, “obviously you want to count valid votes.

Why would you want to count invalid votes?”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo also last week reminded that following the country’s General and Regional Elections on March

2, 2020, the Chair and other CARICOM heads of government intervened to ensure that there was a recount of the total votes cast. He noted that an order was gazetted and a CARICOM observer team was facilitated to oversee the recount. “There was a three-member scrutinising team in Guyana, they had conducted limited scrutiny of the ballots and submitted a report,” he remarked and further pointed out that the report also highlighted several anomalies unearthed during the recount.

The prime minister said that the statement by Prime Minister Mottley relied on the recount without the figures produced being reviewed, despite the CARICOM team’s report indicating that “it was not just a mere recount but an audit, like a forensic audit looking at everything.” He alluded to statements made

by CARICOM Chairperson Mia Mottley, noting that she is entitled to her opinion as Chair of CARICOM, “It is unfortunate that her statement comes on the eve of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) being engaged in a matter of appeal.” On Tuesday, the PPP approached the CCJ to appeal the decision handed down by Guyana’s Appellate Court. The CCJ on Tuesday evening granted an injunction barring GECOM from issuing a declaration of the results of the elections until it hands down final orders relating to the application.”

Body of E’bo resident found in trench THE lifeless body of 48-year-old Rajanauth Daljit called ‘Rohit’ was on Friday afternoon fished out from a trench at New Road, Essequibo Coast.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that Daljit lived alone at Lot 32 New Road, Essequibo Coast and works as a labourer. Daljit reportedly suffers from epilepsy (“fits”) and is said to be an alcoholic.

According to reports, Daljit was seen washing paddy bags in a trench in front of a home by 51-year-old rice farmer Karran Koomar, at Lot 28 New Road on Friday between 10:00hrs and 17:00hrs.

According to Koomar he left Daljit washing the bags while he (Koomar) went to fetch manure.

However, Koomar told the police that when he returned around 17:00hrs he saw Daljit’s cigarette and lighter on his veranda but he did not see him.

He then decided to look for Daljit and saw him floating face down in the said trench and raised an alarm.

Daljit’s relatives and neighbours came and the body was then removed from the trench by relatives and examined by a police for marks of violence.

The police found bruises on Daljit’s forehead and what appears to be blood coming from his nose; the body was then taken to the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor. The body was then taken to the Suddie mortuary where it awaits a post-mortem.

Understanding Energy

Local companies feel ripple effect of oil development

SINCE the rapid rise of oil and gas development in Guyana, there have been questions about what role Guyanese people and companies would play. After all, we do not have experience with this very technical field.

Yet, in just a few short years, there are many examples of how our people and our companies are vital to the success of the world’s newest oil and gas producer. And it is not just engineering firms that have something to offer.

Indeed the economic “ripple effect” flowing from the offshore production facility

and drill ships is being felt in many areas here onshore and offshore.

This ripple effect encompasses businesses that have emerged, retooled their services, or expanded existing offerings and invested in their people for this new industry.

They would not have had these opportunities if oil had not been discovered off our shores and companies did not spend billions of dollars to build up the infrastructure to bring that oil to market.

In fact, it is quite remarkable to see how quickly Guyanese have established a niche in oil and gas. When

ExxonMobil first discovered oil in the Stabroek block in 2015, less than 100 Guyanese vendors were employed supporting the industry. In 2019, that number grew to more than 700. More than GYD $52 billion dollars were spent directly on Guyanese goods and services and more than 2,000 Guyanese are employed by entities supporting oil and gas development.

As we have seen, Guyanese companies such as Atlantic Marine Services, Mine Services Limited, Fernandes Energy Inc., Guyson’s Oil and Gas, SRS Recruiting and even Maggie’s Snackette

have all gained a toehold in the nascent industry. These companies have worked hard to build capacity and stretch their offerings to be able to provide goods, services, and materials to the industry.

International companies like Exxon and their big contractors have very strict safety standards and regimented process and procedures so the Guyanese companies who have garnered work have proven they could compete with companies from the around the world.

To build local capacity and help Guyanese companies, the Centre for Local

Business Development has played a pivotal role. Funded

by Exxon and its co-venturers, the Centre is a reliable resource for information on safety, technical standards, procurement opportunities, and project-specific information. And it provides mentoring to assist firms joining the oil and gas sector or help their companies become more competitive in other sectors.

One Guyanese company to make use of the Centre’s programmes is Fernandes Energy, a long time service and logistics provider based in Georgetown. On a re-

cent video on ExxonMobil Guyana’s Facebook page, Jeremy Fernandes relates how his company epitomizes the ripple effect. He explained that upon signing contracts with Exxon and its contractors, his company utilizes other local Guyanese companies for good and services. “We believe in a better Guyana built for Guyanese by Guyanese.

We want to bring home as much of the industry as we can,” Jeremy said.

Book review:

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 28, 2020

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A Review of David Granger’s Crime against humanity: The Trans-Atlantic Trade in Captive Africans, 1440-180. ISBN 978-976-8178-15-2.

A V I D Granger’s Crime against humanity: The Trans-Atlantic Trade in Captive Africans, 1440-1807, offers a panoramic view of the slave trade from its initiation in the 15th century through intensification and competition to its abolition in the 19th century. The book forms part of the author’s trilogy on aspects of human enslavement, emancipation and reparations.

The Trans-Atlantic trade in captive Africans has been the subject of numerous books and treatises. Most have examined the trade’s role in the economic underdevelopment of Africa and to the industrialisation and enrichment of North America and Western Europe. Voluminous as they are, reading could be tedious and is likely to be ignored by the non-academic seeking a comprehensive but concise overview of the slave trade.

David Granger’s Crime against humanity: The Trans-Atlantic Trade in Captive Africans, 1440-1807 satisfies the need of the general reader. It is a sweeping, simplified and succinct recounting of the trade in enslaved Africans over a period of more than 350 years.

Granger displays his craft as a versatile writer with the ability to distill the essential elements of a subject without diminishing the substance of its argument. The special attractiveness of the book is its compact and coherent treatment of this subject in six sections, each named after a book of the Bible: * Genesis traces the origins of the slave trade to maritime exploration by Western European states along the coasts of North and West Africa and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, beginning in the early 15th century. It explains how Roman Catholic Popes, through a series of Papal Bulls, sanctioned the oppression of Africans and how the development of Caribbean plantations intensified the demand for cheap labour;

* Exodus outlines the roles played by Portuguese explorers and Dutch Trading Companies in the early development of the slave trade; * Chronicles examines the development of the triangular trans-Atlantic trade between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean; * Lamentations highlights the horrible treatment of enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic voyages which transported them to America, the Caribbean and Europe; * Numbers quantifies the cargoes and deaths involved in the trafficking of enslaved Africans; and * Apocalypse details the factors which led to the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1807.

David Granger has mined a rich vein of sources – including Philip Curtin’s The Atlantic Slave Trade: A Census; Ralph Davis’s The Rise of the Atlantic Economies; Richard Dunn’s Sugar and Slaves: The Rise of the Planter Class in the English West Indies, 1624-1713; Joseph Inikori’s The Slave Trade and the Atlantic economies 14511870; and Hugh Thomas’s The Slave Trade: the history of the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1440-1870 – among others in compiling this highly informative book.

Granger situates the trade in enslaved Africans within three major developments in the international political economy. The first was the trade’s role as a consequence, initially, of the Western European maritime exploration of the early 15th century. The second was the pivotal role of the trade in the emergence and expansion of Europe’s sea-borne economic empires – especially those of England, France, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The third was the role of the trade in shaping the system of mercantilism and consequently

the international division of labour and the creation of the Atlantic economy, shifting economic forces from the Mediterranean.

which were then taken back to Europe, came to constitute a ‘great circuit’ of commerce, better known as the ‘triangular trade.’ This provided a tri-

Granger details how the triangular trade between Africa, the Caribbean and Europe remodelled the international trading system.

He states: The transport of goods manufactured in Europe to be traded in Africa and, in turn, the transport of Africans to the Caribbean and the Americas to be traded for tropical products

ple stimulus to British industry – captives were acquired in Africa by exchanging them for European manufactured goods. They were taken to the plantations of the New World where they produced tropical goods, including cotton, molasses, rum, sugar, and tobacco, which were then shipped to Europe where they were processed, creating new

industries there. By stimulating shipping, manufacturing, marketing and production of agricultural goods, the triangular trade came to constitute a large volume of overall international economic transactions during the period 14511870.”

David Landes, in The Wealth and Poverty of Nations (1998), acknowledged the horrors of the slave trade and human enslavement but pointed, also, to the trade’s instrumentality in ensuring high-intensity sugar production, the enrichment of planters and merchants and the increase in European exports to its colonies.

Landes argues that the system stimulated industrialisation, but asserts that industrialisation would have occurred even without human enslavement.

Implicit in this argument is that Europe would have become rich even without the slave trade. Ironically, it was this process of industrialisation and the social relations which it spawned which, according to Granger, were the decisive factors responsible for the abolition of the slave trade.

Granger does not dismiss, but discounts the influence of humanitarian and religious concerns in the decision to abolish the trade. He places greater emphasis on economic factors, arguing that work done by free labour was cheaper than that performed by slave labour and that the trade was no longer compatible, or even competitive, with the emerging era of private property, free enterprise and open markets.

Granger overlooks the fact, however, that slavery continued in some parts of the British Empire after the trade ended in 1807. If economic arguments were persuasive in the debate in the British Parliament, then these were rendered otiose by the

continuation of slavery after 1807. It was not until three decades later that slavery was finally abolished in the British West Indies and, later still, in America, Brazil, Cuba and elsewhere in the New World.

Crime against humanity: The Trans-Atlantic Trade in Captive Africans, 1440-1807 was first published in 2007, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

The book in its ‘foreword’ highlights the demands which have been made for a “complete and unequivocal apology” for the greatest crime against humanity – human enslavement.

The book is a monument of remembrance. Remembrance, however, is not simply about recounting or revising past occurrences. At the heart of the act of remembrance is a cry for recognition and reconciliation.

The world is yet to reconcile itself with the descendants of the victims of that greatest crime against humanity. The protests which are sweeping the western world are sufficient evidence that the memory of what occurred more than 350 years ago continues to lacerate the human spirit and western civilisation. Monuments are being toppled, defaced and destroyed today because of the memory of past wrongs for which there has not been justice.

Kazuo Ishiguro, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2017, in his acceptance address asked whether free nations can truly be established on foundations of wilful amnesia and frustrated justice.

David Granger with this book reminds the world of its debt to persons of African descent – whose ancestors were the principal victims of humanity’s shameful crime of human enslavement.

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No COVID-19 testing for two days

…as National lab closes for electrical works With the National Reference Laboratory being closed for two days to facilitate electrical works there will be no testing of COVID-19 until Monday.

Secretary to the National COVID-19 Task Force, Imran Khan said there will be no testing for COVID-19 on Saturday June 27th and Sunday June 28th as the National Reference Laboratory is closed for electrical works to be done.

Meanwhile, Guyana Chronicle reported on Saturday that cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to climb.

The country recorded some 15 cases on Friday. Health authorities discovered these cases after conducting 68 tests between Thursday and Friday, said Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, during a virtual COVID-19 update, on Friday.

Some 2,423 persons have been tested to date, and the results of those tests proved that 2,193 were negative and 230 were positive. Of the positive cases, some 109 persons have recovered and 12 persons have died, but health authorities are still contending with 109 active cases, of which 108 are in institutional isolation and one in the

COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The safety of every Guyanese is dependent on the com-

which means that there is continuous movement in and out of the area, making it extremely easy for the disease to spread.

Region One (Barima-Waini), where over 20 cases have been recorded in a short space of time.

This has prompted health au-

pliance with control measures, which were implemented by local health authorities to contain the spread of the disease. Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) is still the epicentre of the disease, and there are a number of communities outside of Georgetown which have recorded cases.

The Cuyuni-Mazaruni region, notably Aranka, has the second highest number of confirmed cases. It is a mining community,

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

There is, however, a worrying development in Moruca,

thorities to label the community as the epicentre for Region One. “We call again on the residents of Moruca and those of the mining communities in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) to heed the warning. This disease is easily transmitted when you are in close contact with someone who is positive,” Dr. Persaud warned.

Health authorities have found that a large number of

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

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

Considering the situation, Dr. Persaud had said residents of the community need to “be on guard” and take all necessary precautions in order to prevent further spread of the disease.

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

“We ask that there is no congregating of persons, and that all passenger vehicles adhere to the guidelines that were provided. “We wish to also remind you of the runaway situation in neighbouring Brazil

‘Not political, a commercial transaction’ -NICIL CEO says all transactions were ‘above board’

By Navendra Seoraj ALL transactions made by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) regarding land, were ‘above aboard’ and strictly business, said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Colvin Heath-London.

Heath-London’s defence of the company’s transactions comes days after NICIL rejected claims that Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, signed off on documents for the transferal of land.

The accusations against the minister were being circulated on Facebook and was titled, “APNU+AFC engaged in large-scale corruption … as Winston Jordan signed off on the transferal of land …”

“Remember, NICIL is an independent company and the minister does not get involved in our affairs…the sale of land has a due process and people, who meet the criteria, are selected.

“NICIL land sales are not regular land sale, these are commercial land sales; so, for instance if you tell

me you want land to put four apartments and it will be put up by a particular date, then there is a penalty clause if that date is not met,” said Heath-London in an invited comment, on Thursday.

He assured that the sale of land is not political, but rather a commercial transaction which is above board.

The company has so far sold land to business people alone.

In order for land to be transferred to a buyer, that land has to be vested, so if these lands are not vested to NICIL within a specific period of time, it could affect the buyer’s ability to execute his investment.

Heath-London assured that the lands being sold, especially those formerly owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), were vested to NICIL. “When GuySuCo was vested to NICIL, we got certain lands and one of the jobs we had was to sell lands to cover the bond payment taken to sustain and diversify the sugar industry… the money from the bond is disbursed to GuySuCo and we use the money from the sale of lands to repay the

loan and the remainder is transferred to GuySuCo,” the CEO explained.

The $30 billion bond, backed by NICIL’s assets and guaranteed by the Government of Guyana, was secured through NICIL to retrofit and revitalise the three remaining sugar estates.

NICIL received deposits for the lands commencing December 2019, however, the transactions remained incomplete since the vesting orders were not ‘signed and gazetted’ as required by law and this meant that the remaining sums could not be paid over by the investors.

The need for expediency in the payments for land, however, arose after the GuySuCo made public its financial crisis.

It was reported that the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other prevailing national conditions have rendered the national treasury incapable of providing a bailout to the “cash-strapped” GuySuCo, but all hope is not lost, as the company is expected to benefit from $1.5 billion, paid to NICIL for the sale of land.

Following GuySuCo’s recent request to the gov-

ernment for a bailout, NICIL was approached to assist the company.

“By now, the public must be aware that a $30 Billion bond backed by NICIL’s assets and guaranteed by the Government of Guyana was secured through NICIL to retrofit and revitalise GUYSUCO. We wish to remind too, that from July 2018 to February 2020, NICIL has disbursed $9,720,759,568 to GUYSUCO to fund its Capital and Operational Expenditure,” said NICIL. In a letter to President Granger on May 15, close to a month ago, Chairman of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors, John Dow, said the sugar corporation was in a “dire financial crisis” with billions in debt, and insufficient finances to execute critical factory maintenance.

“Despite improvements in the productivity of cane, GuySuCo’s sugar production for the last two crops has fallen short of expectations and the current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems experienced in meeting the first crop 2020 production targets. As a result, the cash generated from operations

cannot meet the ‘outgoings’ particularly when external funding has been difficult to obtain,” Dow said as he painted a vivid picture of the financial challenges facing the sugar industry.

GuySuCo’s condition could dwindle even further if “crucial creditors” are paid, said Dow, noting that if the corporation takes this recourse, the company would be out of cash before the second week of June.

“It is also common knowledge that GuySuCo and the bond holders were in the process of ironing out some matters so that further disbursements could be had. But NICIL, having recognised the urgency of the request, sought to complete the land transactions. It therefore became necessary to regularise the Vesting Orders,” said NICIL. The company assured that along with government, they are committed to safeguarding the livelihood of the sugar workers and the industry.

that has climbed to the position of being the second country in the world to have reported cases with an alarmingly high number of deaths registered,” said Dr. Persaud.

EXTREMELY VULNERABLE Residents in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are extremely vulnerable because of this situation, and need to be vigilant and stop all cross-border movement and stop migrant persons entering the communities in those regions.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and according to global statistics, there are 9.2 million cases of COVID-19, with over 479,000 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.

Bandit on motorbike captured POLICE on Saturday said that one of two bandits, who have been riding around the city robbing citizens, was, on Friday evening, captured after he and his accomplice tried to rob someone but fell off their motorcycle.

In a release, police said following a robbery-under-arms committed on an Albouystown resident on June 22 last, which was captured on CCTV and circulated on social media platform—Facebook-- the alleged gunman is presently under guard at the GPHC. Information received relates that the suspects, on Friday evening, attempted the same stunt as seen in the video, but fell off their motorcycle in the process and injured themselves. The guarded suspect is a 22-year-old resident of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown and his accomplice, who was reportedly whisked away from the scene, is currently being pursued by investigators.

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DDL donates sanitising Cops destroy 300 marijuana plants cleaner to Education Ministry … as schools prepare for CXC exams; each at Onderneeming secondary school to receive five gallons of Environ

POLICE ranks attached to G Division, on Saturday afternoon, destroyed some 300 Marijuana plants, during a drug eradication exercise at the Onderneeming Sandpit area in Region Two. According to information reaching Guyana Chronicle, a party of policemen went to the area and carried out a search. During the search, 300 Marijuana plants, measuring 3

to 6 feet in height, were seen under cultivation. No one was seen on the farm. However, two motorcycles were seen in the trackway. The plants were pulled out, place in a heap and set afire. The motorcycles were taken to the Suddie Police Station.

Over the past months, police attached to the division have destroyed large quantities of marijuana.

DEMERARA Distillers Limited (DDL), on Friday, announced a donation of alcohol-based sanitising cleaner, Environ, to the Ministry of Education to assist secondary schools with preparation for the upcoming Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Examinations (CSEC and CAPE).

A press release from the company said that 128 second-

directly to the ministry for distribution, the company said.

DDL’s Chairman, Komal Samaroo, said, “The students who are about to write these examinations are our next generation of leadership and COVID-19 is the most recent addition to the challenges that they face on the road to development. As a company we have remained focused on supporting education so this was an obvious decision for us to

DDL Brand Manager Larry Wills with Headteacher, Donna Isles, and student of South Ruimveldt Secondary

The marijuana plants at Onderneeming were destroyed

DDL Brand Manager Larry Wills with Headteacher, Melanie Jones, of Richard Ishmael Secondary

The two motorcycles seized by police

ary schools across the country will each receive a 19 litres (five gallons) of the cleanser to ensure that the areas to be used by the examination students are cleaned to guard against the spread of COVID-19.

The first donations were, on Friday, delivered directly to three Georgetown secondary schools: St Joseph’s High, South Ruimveldt Secondary and Richard Ishmael. The remainder will be delivered

Several injured when Route 50 minibus toppled at Soesdyke SEVERAL passengers onboard a Route 50 minibus were rushed to the Diamond Hospital on Saturday evening after the vehicle toppled at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara.

Reports are that the driver of the BWW7196 minibus was heading to Georgetown when he lost control of the vehicle around 19:15hrs and slammed into a Toyota Tacoma.

Such was the impact that the minibus turned turtle near Grant Sand Road at Soesdyke, causing six of its occupants to have to be rushed to the Diamond Hospital.

Thankfully, their injuries were reportedly not life threatening.

Since the implementation of COVID-19 emergency measures in Guyana,

a number of road accidents have occurred during the 6pm to 6am curfew.

The bus that was involved in the accident at Soesdyke on Saturday evening (Photo by Onika Gentle)

respond to the COVID-19 challenge that our current students face.”

The company said it is now working on arrangements to provide similar support to schools at other levels prior to the planned opening of all schools in September.

According to the press release, this donation of 2,500 litres to secondary schools follows a donation

of 15,000 litres, in March, to senior citizens’ homes, orphanages, night shelters, prisons, and other facilities similar to these. In addition, the sanitising cleaner was distributed to agencies that provide public services to assist in keeping counter surfaces clean.

These included the post offices, police stations, health centres, and public hospitals.

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Owner of ‘natural hair’ store ‘KOKO’ dies at age 31

By Gabriella Chapman OWNER of the popular ‘natural hair’ store Koko, Denisha Victor, died on Saturday, shortly after she was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after collapsing at home.

News of her death shocked many and social media was abuzz with messages of condolences for the woman who helped create the famous Curlfete hair show. Victor is a young entrepreneur and natural hair enthusiast who is well known in the small business and natural hair communities, after opening her natural hair store ‘KOKO’, on Robb and King Streets, and cofounding the annual natural hair event ‘Curlfete’.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that she collapsed and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital early Saturday morning and was pronounced dead on arrival. Several friends of the now deceased have been expressing their grief on their Facebook pages.

Former beauty queen and queen’s young leader, Marva Langevine, wrote “All I can think about is her beautiful smile and strong work ethic. Denisha Victor was truly a shining star and a selfless leader. I’m extremely sad to hear that she has died. I am praying for her family and loved ones right now as they cherish and find comfort in her remarkable legacy.”

Another young female entrepreneur, Ashaka King said, “You Denisha Victor are a stellar example of Black Female Entre-

Deceased: Denisha Victor preneurship. I loved your kindness to me, her easy fire, zeal, dedication and smile, and her genuineness commitment to everything of nature. I don’t profess you did. I admired you. to be one of her closest I’m happy I managed to friends but through all our tell you. I’ll cherish every interactions in theatre and encounter, for each and ev- poetry night, Curlfette, her ery one was pleasant. The store Koko and her waving young business community excitedly from behind the has lost a good one. This glass when I went to apis nothing short of a blow. ply for my visa at the US May your soul rest in per- embassy, I will remember fect peace.” how she was always kind.

A fellow natural hair But my main reason for enthusiast like Victor, making this post is because Lloyda Alicia, wrote an over the last two months, extensive post reflecting Denisha Victor used her on what an exceptional voice to publicly and fearperson Victor was. “Be- lessly call out people like yond all her accomplish- Gerry Gouveia, Guyanese ments, which were not Critic, Samuel Barakat, and few, I remember her for her Indrawattie Hirai, among

Miners confess to beating, robbing employer of raw gold … accuses him of not paying them

THREE miners, who allegedly beat and robbed their employer of a quantity of raw gold at Sandhill/ Oku Landing, on Friday, have been caught and subsequently confessed to the crime, even saying that the man had not been paying them for work done.

Police, in a release, said that the stolen gold has been recovered and the victim, Adam Da Silva , 62, of Boa

Vista, Brazil/Sandhill Landing, who suffered a fractured leg and multiple lacerations about his body, has been admitted at the Bartica Regional Hospital.

He is in a stable condition.

The suspects, ages 19, 20 and 23, residents of East Bank Essequibo and Essequibo Coast respectively, told investigators that they committed the act because they were not paid for work done.

others for their racist posts and comments related to the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States and the situation in Guyana.

She removed her support and friendship where it existed from them and she demanded the same of her friends and loved ones. She is a person of integrity, who accomplished much. Those who love her are grieving, and many more are feeling this loss so deeply. I am sad and I hurt for her family and friends. I choose to honour her life by ensuring that I continue to be just as fearless in my principles as her and I call on all of you to take a look at her FB page, read her words and see it as a call to action. My heart hurts so much Denisha. I wish I had told you how much your kindness meant to me especially at a time when I needed it most. Our country has lost a wonderful daughter.”

Victor was also listed in the BrandYouth website as an Entrepreneurial Awards Recipient, 2019 Honouree (Special Award).

The site also stated that the

young woman wad passionate about community service. She has served as the president of the Rotaract Club of Georgetown Central in 2015-16. During her tenure, the club executed a literacy project called R.E.A.D, which consisted of a discussion on dyslexia and a six-week reading program for the children at the Ruimveldt Children Home. Victor also created the club’s signature fundraiser called Wine and Art, which has raised over $3 million dollars for community development in Guyana. She was still actively involved in Rotaract, and recently co-chaired a Rotaract conference for over 200 delegates from around the Caribbean where they partnered with various organisations to build and furnish a home for a single mother in the village of Haruni on the Linden Soesdyke Highway.

Victor was the holder of a diploma in banking and finance, and a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Guyana. She also graduated from the University of the

West Indies with a master’s in business administration, specialising in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

She previously taught Personnel Administration at School of Nations. In a first for the institution, two of her students were awarded the top paper for the examination worldwide.

In October 2017, Victor won the Scotiabank Vision Achievers Live Pitch Business competition.

Her list of achievements is exorbitant. And less than a month ago, Victor was featured in the Guyana Chronicle for her activities during quarantine. She launched a natural hair competition to celebrate her customers and promote a new line of hair care products. She had plans of implementing a wellness corner due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her store also had recently launched a website to make the delivery process easier for her customers during this quarantine season. Victor’s death came as a shock to many and still has not yet resonated with some.

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Six Pakistan players get negative result in second COVID-19 test LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Six of the 10 Pakistan cricketers bound for England who tested positive for COVID-19 have now registered negative results on re-testing, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday.

Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, however, must return a second negative result before they can join the main squad of 20 players who will leave for England today.

“These players were asymptomatic, which means their chances of regaining complete fitness are higher and brighter than most,” PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said in a statement.

“As soon as these players test negative twice through the PCB testing process they will be flown to England to join the squad.”

Kashif Bhatti, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali and Imran Khan have tested positive again.

Pakistan are scheduled to play three Test matches

Mohammad Hafeez is one of the six players to register negative result on re-testing. and three T20 internationals behind closed doors in August-September, although the exact dates and venues have not been announced yet.

After reaching Manchester today, the players will undergo COVID-19 tests before moving to Worcestershire for a 14-day isolation period, the PCB said.

Test captain Azhar Ali and limited-overs skipper Babar Azam will be in the first batch of players, accompanied by head coach Misbah-ul-Haq. Fast bowling coach Waqar Younis will travel to England from Australia, while Twenty20 specialist Shoaib Malik has been allowed to join late after meeting his family in India.

“With the Test series being played first in August, Misbah is satisfied with the group of players that are travelling today as the focus will be on red-ball preparation,” the PCB CEO added.

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Late extra-time Maguire winner edges Seifert replaces United past Norwich and into FA Cup semis Ramdin at TKR (REUTERS) - Captain Harry Maguire fired Manchester United into the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a winner deep into extra-time against 10-man Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday.

The game looked to be heading for a penalty shootout after Norwich, who had Timm Klose sent off in the 89th minute, defended superbly against constant pressure from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side before Maguire’s goal two minutes from the end.

The win extends United’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 14 matches and secures a 30th appearance in the last four of the FA Cup for the club.

“It wasn’t a spectacle, we didn’t threaten enough or create enough chances,” said Solskjaer.

“But I am delighted we are into the last four and it was a good workout, we got some minutes for a lot of players. We are through

FA Cup - Quarter Final - Norwich City v Manchester United - Carrow Road, Norwich, Britain - June 27, 2020 Manchester United’s Harry Maguire celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Catherine Ivill/Pool via REUTERS and that is what counts in the of squad players given a start.

Cup,” said the Norwegian.

After a low-key first Solskjaer made eight half, United went ahead in changes from the team which the 51st minute when Juan beat Sheffield United 3-0 Mata flicked on a cross in the Premier League on from Luke Shaw and NigeWednesday, with a number rian striker Odion Ighalo

did well to hook the falling ball home.

But Norwich stuck at their task and drew level through a sweetly struck long-range drive from Todd Cantwell, the winger drilling into the bottom corner from 25 yards out with 15 minutes remaining.

Solskjaer threw on Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic as United looked to avoid extra-time and the momentum shifted back to his side when Norwich defender Klose was sent off for pulling down Ighalo on the edge of the box in the 89th minute.

It was one-way traffic in extra-time but Norwich’s massed defence kept United at bay with keeper Tim Krul doing well to keep out a goalbound header from Maguire at the start of the second period.

But with Norwich agonisingly close to the shootout, Maguire was able to strike a loose ball after a scramble in the box.

FIFA postpones CONCACAF qualifiers, new format to be decided ZURICH, Switzerland (CMC) – Football’s world governing body FIFA has confirmed that CONCACAF’s planned qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup have been postponed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCACAF’s Hexagonal was set to kick off during the September international window, but a statement issued after a FIFA Council meeting on Thursday said that window would be closed for federations outside Europe and South America. CONCACAF will therefore be forced to alter plans in the run-up to the World Cup, including changing the format of the qualification competition.

However, the decision to alter the match calendars was welcomed by the regional football governing body, which said many of its member associations and their communities continued to face significant challenges due to the spread of the highly contagious virus.

“The rescheduling of competitions, and agreements on new international match dates, provide some encouragement across the football world and enable CONCACAF to progress our planning to resume men’s and women’s international football when it is safe to

do so,” CONCACAF said.

It added that it would work with its stakeholders to reorganise the CONCACAF Road to Gold Cup Qualifiers (originally scheduled for March and June 2020), its inaugural Nations League Finals, originally scheduled to be held in Houston and Dallas this month, and a range of other suspended competitions.

Given the elimination of the September window, the football body will be revamping the World Cup qualifying competition, nixing the Hexagonal which would have had to be followed by playoffs in two international windows.

In the Hex, the top six ranked CONCACAF teams based on the FIFA rankings play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top three teams would qualify for the World Cup, and the fourth-placed team would advance to the CONCACAF play-off round.

“The challenges presented by postponements to the football calendar and the incomplete FIFA rankings cycle in our confederation mean our current World Cup Qualifying process has been compromised and will be changed. We will now work with the new framework provided and liaise with FIFA to finalise a new

World Cup Qualification format for the CONCACAF region,” the continental body said.

FIFA had also announced that the June 2021 window would be extended by seven days for CONCACAF and other federations outside Europe and South America, so they can play four games instead of two.

Meantime, in its statement, FIFA announced that its Council on Thursday approved stage three of its US$1.5 billion COVID‑19 Relief Plan which was created to assist the football community amid the pandemic.

In that stage, FIFA will provide national federations with grants and interest-free loans to cope with budget hits.

A universal solidarity grant of US$1 million will be made available to all member associations, with an additional grant of US$500 000 allocated specifically to women’s football.

In addition, each confederation will receive a grant of US$2 million.

Member associations will also be able to apply for interest-free loans.

Both grants and loans can be directed by member associations to the wider football community in their respective territories, including clubs, players, leagues, or others that have been affected by COVID-19.

NEW Zealand wicketkeeper/batsman Tim Seifert has been chosen as the replacement player for Denesh Ramdin who was not retained by the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Guardian Media Sports understands on Friday that Seifert was picked up in the draft that was held on Wednesday. The player nicknamed The Flinstones is a ball beater and one who has been compared to a young Brendan McCullum, who is the TKR coach.

The youngster on T20 international debut ran down the pitch and clobbered Indian pacer Buvneshwar Kumar for six.

In facing only his third ball he crashed it down the ground for another boundary. He counted 84 on debut against the Indians and this only required 43 balls.

Seifert’s news comes on the heels of news that Indian New Zealand wicketPremier League (IPL) player keeper/batsman Tim Praveen Tambe will also fea- Seifert ture for the TKR this year.

The tournament is yet to be given the green light by the government of T&T but sources close to the situation say it is just a matter of time before it is approved. CPL has given a proposal to the government which includes 33 matches in this country and the games to be split between Brian Lara Cricket Academy and the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. They are also looking to create a bio-secure environment at the Hilton Trinidad for all teams and officials.

The latest checks by Guardian Media Sports are that cabinet is yet to receive the note to approve as work in being done in conjunction with the Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram on the protocols needed for such a situation.

With CPL allowing teams to choose their foreign players, it means that players will be coming from all parts of the world. Areas that are considered Covis-19 hotspots and others that have dealt with the dreaded virus well.

T&T has dealt well with the Covid-19 pandemic with only 123 cases and eight deaths. Community spread is not evident and this makes this the twin-island Republic safe at this point.The CPL is expected to be played from August 16 to September 10.(Extracted from The T&T Guardian

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday June 28, 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) 13 (2) 11

Today’s Quiz:

(1) When and where did the WI & SL contest an ODI game for the first time?

(2) When did SL defeat the WI in an ODI match for the first time?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 28, 2020

What now for Liverpool after ending Premier League title drought?

LIVERPOOL , United Kingdom (AFP) — Liverpool’s romp to a first league title in 30 years with a record seven games of the season remaining could herald a golden new era for the Reds with Jurgen Klopp at the helm.

Klopp has delivered the holy grail of a long-awaited league title to Anfield, a year after winning the club’s sixth European Cup. Further records could yet tumble before the season is out, with Liverpool on course for an all-time high Premier League points tally and the biggest-ever margin of victory.

A 23-point gap to Manchester City is all the more remarkable given how Pep Guardiola’s men themselves have raised the bar in recent seasons.

“How is it possible anybody is 20 points ahead of this team?” Klopp himself said after watching City’s 5-0 demolition of Burnley on Monday.

City’s brilliance has pushed Liverpool to new heights.

Even during the trophy-laden 1970s and 80s at Anfield, Liverpool never amassed as many points as they have in losing just two of their past 70 league games.

A 4-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace on Wednesday was a 23rd consecutive Premier League win at home.

“It is not over yet, that’s the good thing,” said an emotional Klopp, who extended his contract until 2024 earlier this season. “The team all look like they have a good few years in their legs.”

The club have also tied down a core group of key players to long contracts over the past two years.

LEGACY Wayne Rooney helped win five of Alex Ferguson’s 13 league titles during the Scot’s spell as Manchester United

manager, and believes Klopp could leave a similar legacy.

“They have huge potential to win more trophies,” Rooney, a former Everton and United captain, begrudgingly admitted in his Sunday Times column.

“Klopp says it’s impossible for any club to dominate like United once did, but he is wrong,” added Rooney.

“There’s a simple way for Liverpool: Let Klopp go on and on.”

City boss Guardiola highlighted Liverpool’s “passion” as the key component his side could not match.

And Liverpool Captain Jordan Henderson urged his teammates to remain “hungry” and “keep wanting more” next season.

MORE THAN A TWO-HORSE RACE However, plenty of hurdles stand in Liverpool’s way if they are to establish such a spell of dominance, principally City’s reaction to losing their title.

“When we retained the title we were the first for 10 years, so you know how difficult it is to do that,” Guardiola warned this week.

As it stands, City will also be banned from European competition for the next two seasons.

Should their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport next month fail it could be a fatal blow in the push to convince Guardiola to stay beyond the end of his contract in 2021, but would also allow City to concentrate their resources on toppling Liverpool domestically.

Unlike the past two seasons, the title race may be more than a two-horse race in 2020/21.

Chelsea’s 2-1 win over City on Thursday was the result that finally crowned Liverpool champions and the Blues have

Root reminds England of Windies’ bowling depth LONDON (Reuters) - England batsmen must prepare well if they are to get the better of a “formidable” West Indies bowling attack in the three-Test series next month, captain Joe Root has said.

West Indies will be banking heavily on their pace attack in England to defend the Wisden Trophy which they won after triumphing 2-1 on home soil in the 2019 series.

Root said England could not afford to lower their guard against an attack which featured three bowlers - Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel who are among the top 20 in official Test rankings.

“We are very aware of the skill West Indies have and what they will bring to this series,” Root told BBC Sport.

“One thing that stood out was how formidable their bowling attack can be. It is really important we prepare

well and we are ready for all of that.”

Holder is also the top ranked Test all-rounder, followed by England’s Ben Stokes, and West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has predicted their rivalry would light up the series.

“Jase is one of the most well-respected guys in international cricket,” Root said.

“He took the job at a young age and we are starting to see him at the peak of his career.

“He comes across as a very good bloke. I am looking forward to chatting to him from a social distance.”

Root has said he would miss the series opener in Southampton from July 8 should it clash with the birth of his second child with vice-captain Stokes taking the reins in his absence.

Manchester hosts the last two Tests of the series which will be played behind closed doors in a bio-secure environment.

In this file photo taken on March 07, 2020 Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp reacts at the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England. (Photo: AFP) already stated their intention to challenge with the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.

Manchester United are unbeaten in 13 games, with the January signing of Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes transforming their fortunes.

Other factors such as the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), still scheduled to take place from January 10 to February 8, could also play a huge role in Liverpool’s title defence should Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane be absent for two months in the middle of the season.

The return of the AFCON to the European winter had seen Werner strongly linked with a move to Anfield.

However, the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus meant Liverpool were not willing to commit to meeting the German international’s 60-million euro (US$67 million) buyout clause from RB Leipzig.

The chemistry between Mane, Salah, and Roberto Firmino has been key to Liverpool’s rise from struggling to qualify for the Champions League to the dizzy heights of European and English champions.

“The front three we know are as good as anything in Europe,” said former Liverpool captain, Jamie Carragher.

“They don’t miss too many games but when they do there is a massive drop-off, and that’s why I feel Liverpool still need to strengthen.”

For the first time in three decades, though, Liverpool can build from a position of strength to tighten their grip on the Premier League rather than playing catch-up.

Canelo Alvarez likely to fight ...

From back page

Windies pacer Kemar Roach

Canelo, which we’re still working on. It’s exhilarating, and we’re close to getting a deal done,” said De La Hoya.

People want to see Canelo face someone talented and young in his next fight and not another older fighter. He fought 36-year-old Sergey Kovalev last November, and he looked older than his age.

Canelo will probably end up facing Jaime Munguia, Anthony Dirrell, or David Lemieux. Those are weak choices, but they fit in with some of Canelo’s recent picks for opponents.

Fans would like to see Canelo fight one of these fighters: Dmitry Bivol, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Demetrius Andrade, Jermall Charlo, Artur Beterbiev, David Benavidez, Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.

Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing is still hopeful that he can salvage the deal between his fighter Billy Joe Saunders and Canelo. Hearn knows the offer that Saunders had previously to face Canelo for May 2 is no longer on the table.

(Boxingnews)

22

SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 28, 2020

Persaud happy to be part of Guyana Jaguars future core … says time-off great for reflection, healing

By Clifton Ross GUYANA Jaguars batsman Akshaya Persaud is geared towards making the most of his upcoming season with the 5-time 4-Day champions, adding that it was good to be apart of the future nexus of the franchise.

Persaud, one of Guyana’s future batting stars, given his brief yet decent records at the national level; mainly in Regional 50-Over cricket, earned another chance to up his game at the 4-day level after being among the recently contracted 15 players for the 2020-21 season.

With 2 first class matches under his belt, Persaud has used the opportunities at the senior level to make better of his limited-overs career, racking up a pair of 50s while playing a key role in the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) team

during last year’s Super50.

Speaking on his new contract and being able to play for his country while looking to improve his 4-Day career, the left-hander said he was more than joyful looking towards the future.

“Firstly I would like to thank God for giving me another opportunity in my career. It means a lot to me because It’s another step in my career moving forward,” said Persaud.

Being indoors due to the pandemic has left a number of cricketers itching for some action and Persaud, being no different from the rest, explained that he was making the most of the lockdown as he awaits the silver lining.

“It’s something that we’re not accustomed to and also we don’t have control over. As a team, we would spend most of the time together training and

Guyana Jaguars batsman Akshaya Persaud wants to make the most of his new season with the 5-time champs practising. Due to the virus, Guyana Amazon Warriors it has forced us to train youth brigade a few season from home. Our trainer ago, Persaud has been one of Barry has been doing a fine the prolific scorers domestijob thus far with the pro- cally in the Jaguars League gramme that we are cur- over the years, most notably rently using,” the batsman in the longest format. explained.

Although his stats reA product of Guyana Jag- gionally do no justice to uars Cricket Academy and his talent and hard work,

Indies Regional season which usually gets underway in October.

Looking at the odds and the possibility of the season being played once restrictions are lifted, Persaud believed that his team will benefit from the time off, adding that it was good to see more young players being entrusted with the future of the Jaguars franchise.

“From a team’s perspective the break allowed us to reflect on our weak points from the last season and to plan ahead for the new season. Looking at the players who were given contracts, it’s a mix of youth and experience and our younger guys can feed off the senior players’ experience and work towards winning another title for the Jaguars,” Persaud ended.

‘Misconceptions and falsehoods’

Green cleared to return after bowling ban

Sydney Thunder off-spinner Chris Green

SYDNEY Thunder spinner Chris Green has been cleared to return to competitive cricket after biomechanical testing in Brisbane deemed his bowling action to be legal.

In January, Green was banned from bowling in all Cricket Australia competitions for three months after testing revealed his bowling elbow would bend beyond the allowable 15 degrees.

It ruled him out of the remainder of last summer’s KFC BBL and also put his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) stint in jeopardy, but the cricketing shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has meant he hasn’t missed any more matches.

Green was tested again at the Bupa National

and he was tested by University of Queensland biomechanics expert Dr Luke Kelly, who is a consultant for Cricket Australia.

Just when Green will return to competitive action is yet to be determined. He was purchased by the Kolkata Knight Riders to play in the IPL, which may reportedly be held in October after it was postponed earlier this year due to the global health crisis.

The 26-year-old has also played in domestic T20 leagues in England, the Caribbean, Pakistan and Canada.

Last year, he signed a six-year deal with the Thunder in the Big Bash, the longest in tournament history.

Cricket Centre in Brisbane last week and the Thunder announced today that the results showed the off-spinner’s action “performed significantly below the allowable 15 degrees of elbow extension”, clearing him to return.

“I feel like I’m in peak physical condition, my batting is going really well and now I’m really excited to get back bowling competitively again,” Green said.

“I just can’t wait to play again. I’m so excited to get back out on the field and repay the faith that has been shown in me the best way I know how – by putting out my best effort.”

Green’s off-spin and faster ball were the deliveries under review at the NCC

coupled with the limited chances at that level, the youngster admitted that another positive being away from cricket was the time to reflect on one’s game.

“Also, this break away from the game gives me the opportunity to reflect on my game, to work on the areas that needed some extra attention and to plan ahead for the upcoming season. The rest is very important because at times you need a break away from the game to analyse and reflect on your personal game,” he said.

The 2020-21 season has a shroud of uncertainty lingering over it due to the pandemic, with the 2020 Hero CPL set for August also being under watch.

Guyana will be playing key roles in the CPL this year with a number of Jaguars players set to take part - a good kick-start to the West

…WADA formally responds to US report demanding reform

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) formally responded to a US Government report that recommended lawmakers be given power to withhold funding from the global drugs watchdog in the absence of governance reforms.

In a letter to James W Carroll, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), WADA President Witold Banka reiterated the agency’s “disappointment” at what WADA says are factual inaccuracies in the report as well as a lack of consultation as it was compiled.

“Given that, during our 12 June telephone meeting, we discussed a renewed spirit of cooperation, I would have expected your office to have consulted us on the report or, at the very least, to have verified the factual veracity of the allegations being made against WADA,” Banka wrote.

“Instead, in the days before publication, you informed us of the impending report and asked us to verify three paragraphs by a certain deadline; and when we did so in good faith, you chose not to incorporate our clarifications.

“As the saying goes, ‘why let the truth get in the way of a good story?’ “ Banka attached a summary of WADA’s views on the report, reiterating the agency’s view that it was littered with “multiple inaccuracies, misconceptions and falsehoods”.

The ONDCP study released this week

questioned whether the United States was receiving value for money for its contribution of US$2.7 million per year to WADA. It urges reforms to include independent athlete and anti-doping representatives on WADA committees and decision-making bodies.

It also called for WADA leadership to be “free from undue influence by sports organisations with a direct financial interest in WADA decisions”.

WADA noted that governance reforms have already been undertaken, with the approval of US representatives.

Reforms already implemented include formation of a nomination committee to ensure independent, appropriately skilled people are recruited for senior governance roles, and stipulation that seats on all standing committees be reserved for both athlete and national anti-doping organisation representatives.

Term limits have been set for members of the WADA board, executive committee and standing committees.

“I remain convinced that the US Government has an important role to play in protecting clean sport,” Banka wrote, “and it is my sincere hope that, going forward, we can work collaboratively rather than WADA having to defend itself against unfounded attacks via the media – which do absolutely nothing to advance the global anti-doping programme for athletes worldwide.”

23

SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 28, 2020

The Africans who helped Liverpool win the Premier League title LIVERPOOL have won the Premier League, the first time they have triumphed in the English top flight since 1990 and their first time ever since the Premier League began.

And it was powered by crucial players from Africa.

Here is how they contributed: MO SALAH The Egyptian striker has been a cult hero at Anfield from his first season in 2017. Given he had not been that impressive for Chelsea in a previous spell in the Premier League, it had

Mo Salah and Sadio Mane have become two of the Premier League’s all-time deadliest strike forces not been expected that he would be as astonishingly prolific as he turned out to be.

But in his first season, he scored 32 goals in 36 Premier League games. They finished 4th but made it to the Champions League Final against Real Madrid - only for Salah to be injured by a forceful challenge from Sergio Ramos.

It was clear that if Liverpool were going to end their 30-year wait to win the title, Salah would be a key part of it - and so it has proved.

The second-top scorer this season with 17, Salah got the crucial second in the absolutely critical 3-1 win over Manchester City in November.

It had been defeat to City in the previous season that had cost Liverpool the title that time around. This time, Salah’s header was the moment that put the Reds in a position from which they were never going to lose.

Salah also scored the opener in a 2-0 win against West Ham United in January - a win which meant the team had, for the first time in their history, beaten every team in the top flight in a season.

SADIO MANE Such was the impact Salah had in his first season at Anfield, it was easy to overlook the contribution that his Senegalese strike partner had had.

But in the two subsequent seasons, Mane has proved himself just as important as the iconic Egyptian.

It was Mane who got the third in that Manchester City victory - at that point, the 16th he had scored at Anfield in 2019 - five minutes in the second half, seeing the ball fumbled by Claudio Bravo and gleefully wheeling away.

But it was a couple of games before that, against Aston Villa on November 2 that Mane played perhaps his most pivotal role.

At 1-0 down with five minutes to go and facing the first defeat of the season, Mane crossed for Andy Robertson to head in and get an equaliser.

The momentum was with Liverpool and Mane now, and as heartbroken Villa tried to see the game out and get at least a point, Mane got his head on a 94th-minute cross - and Liverpool’s winning run continued.

Jurgen Klopp was keen to utilise his squad and spare the first team players as much as possible, whilst still targeting the Club World Cup trophy. So Keita came into the side - and played a pivotal role.

He scored against Monterrey in the semi-final and then played 100 minutes in the heat of the final against Flamengo, eventually being substituted in extra time.

JOEL MATIP The Cameroon defender has been another squad player for Liverpool - who sought as much as possible to stick to the centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dyke and the flourishing young talent of Joe Gomez.

With further competition from Dejan Lovren, Matip has found his chances limited - but still played nine times for the Reds overall, and got the opening goal in an early-season 3-1 win over Arsenal that exposed the gulf in quality between the two sides.

DIVOCK ORIGI Of course Origi actually plays for Belgium - but his father

NABY KEITA The Guinean midfielder only scored once for Liverpool in the league, in a routine 3-0 win over Bournemouth, and mostly had a role as a squad player in 2019/20.

Naby Keita provided critical back-up at a crunch time for Liverpool But he did make a decisive contribution to their overall success this season - which in its own way enabled their Premier League triumph.

In December, Liverpool went to play in the Club World Cup in Qatar - splitting their squad in two so that they could also play in a domestic cup game.

Divock Origi seems to have a particular love of playing against Everton Mike was a Kenya international so he makes the list anyway.

Just before the season began, Origi signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool. Featuring mostly as a substitute, he still popped up with a couple of critical goals - including two against Everton in the first Merseyside derby as Liverpool romped to a 5-2 win. (BBC Sports)

Racism should be treated as seriously as match-fixing and doping - Holder PLAYERS found guilty of racism should face the same penalties as match-fixers and dopers, says West Indies captain Jason Holder.

While International Cricket Council (ICC) rules allow for a life ban for on-pitch racist abuse, culprits are rarely punished to that extent.

“I don’t think the penalty for doping or corruption should be any different for racism,” Holder told BBC Sport.

“If we’ve got issues within our sport,

we must deal with them equally.”

Under the ICC’s anti-racism policy, a first offence is usually punished with between four and eight suspension points. Two suspension points equate to a ban for one Test or two one-day internationals or two T20 international matches.

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed missed two one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches as punishment for a racist remark to South Africa all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo in 2019.

Holder cited the experience of England’s Jofra Archer, who has been a target of racial remarks from the crowd both in home and away Tests, and team-mate Moeen Ali, who it is believed was targeted by India fans in a 2014 match because of his Pakistani background.

Holder, whose team will take on England in a behind-closed-doors threeTest series starting on July 8 in Southampton, said that he believed that each international meeting could be preceded

by reminders to both teams of their responsibilities around race.”In addition to having anti-doping briefings and anti-corruption briefings, maybe we should have an anti-racism feature before we start a series,” he added.

“My message is more education needs to go around it.

“I’ve not experienced any racial abuse first-hand but have heard or seen a few things around it. It’s something you just can’t stand for.” (BBC Sport)

Former CWI president Dave Cameron KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Dave Cameron confirmed Friday he will be seeking to become the next head of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and will be asking Cricket West Indies (CWI), which he led for three terms, to back his nomination.

“It’s been really about the big three for a very, very long time. Hence, why I think I would definitely put my hat into the ring. But the other boards need to want a change and need to want to move world cricket forward,” he said in an interview with Nationwide Sports here.

Cameron will require the support of two full members of the ICC in his bid to succeed Shashank Manohar of India as chairman of cricket’s world governing body.

Asked whether he would be approaching CWI for one such endorsement, the former ICC executive committee member responded in the affirmative: “Absolutely. Of course I will ask the West Indies cricket board.”

Cameron to seek CWI support for bid to become ICC chairman Cameron, who lost the presidency of what was then called the West Indies Cricket Board to Ricky Skerritt in the March 2019 elections – in which he was seeking a fourth consecutive term – last month sent a legal letter to the regional body seeking a copy of the report that was submitted after an audit of the board’s finances under his tenure was done last year on behalf of the new administration.

Dave Cameron, the 49-year-old former cricket administrator, has questioned the credibility and fairness of that report.

In his interview with Nationwide Sports, Cameron dismissed suggestions that he was arrogant in his running of CWI’s affairs, which may have contributed to his shocking loss to Skerritt, a former Cabinet minister in St Kitts and Nevis.

The Jamaican insisted that his confidence was misconstrued as arrogance.

“I’m not arrogant, I just tell you that I have an idea of what I’m doing and I’m confident of what I’m doing. You call it

arrogance, I call it confidence. It depends on which side of the thing you’re on,” he said.

“You can’t have more information than me, because I’m leading. I have all the information. I’m telling you that what you’re suggesting to me was tried already and it hasn’t worked and you’re telling me well, it has to go that way and I’m saying to you well, I understand your views but I don’t have to agree with them but this is where I’m going. Why is that arrogance?”

If Cameron is successful in winning the race for ICC chairman, he would become the second West Indian to lead world cricket.

Barbadian Clyde Walcott served as ICC chairman from 1993 to 1997.

International media reports indicate that England’s Colin Graves is the front runner to succeed outgoing chairman Manohar, who is not vying for the position again.

However, the US Cricket Hall of Fame – an organisation that honours cricket legends – has written to the world body

recommending Cameron as the man for the job.

“I am hoping that CWI can see the benefits of nominating Dave Cameron for this position. With the hope that India, Pakistan, or England would second the nomination,” said executive director Mike Chambers.

“Since 1997 we have not had any representation or equal sharing of the wealth at ICC. If England is in charge we will continue to receive loans, India will continue to give us grants. Only if Dave Cameron is in charge will the bottom ten receive their just share.”

Noting that, since 1981, the US Cricket Hall of Fame has paid special attention to West Indies cricket although its emphasis is on growth and development of cricket in the US, Chambers added: “Cricket in the USA is struggling. The US market has a potential to generate half a billion dollars each year.

With Dave at the helm I believe this can be accomplished.”

No timeline for the ICC election has been announced.

FIFA postpones CONCACAF qualifiers, new format to be decided

Racism should be treated as seriously as match-fixing and doping - Holder See story on page 23

West Indies Test captain Jason Holder

‘Misconceptions and falsehoods’ … WADA formally responds to US report demanding reform See story on page 22

WADA president Withold Banka

work for Canelo in terms of the number of fans that will be permitted. De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions are contacting the different commissions in California, Texas, and Nevada to find out how many fans will be able to attend.

It’s not a good time for Canelo to be staging a fight in Texas, with the state being hard hit by the virus.

De La Hoya isn’t giving any clues about Canelo’s opponent for September 16. We’ve heard a lot of names, but most of them are underwhelming. Canelo wants the fight at 168, but that doesn’t mean he’ll fight a super middleweight. He could face a 160-pounder that would come up in weight to meet him.

“I wanted to create another holiday for boxing,” said De La Hoya to Ring TV. “We started with Cinco de Mayo, which has become the date for the sport, and then you have September 16.

“We’re looking forward to it with a fight with

Canelo Alvarez likely to fight on September 16 GOLDEN Boy Promotions will likely get a deal done for Canelo Alvarez to fight on September 16. Oscar De La Hoya says Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) is going to be fighting on that date, but there is still need to finalise with his opponent and pick a suitable venue.

De La Hoya wants to get the size of the crowd figured out and in which state they’re going to stage Canelo’s next fight. Oscar mentioned Las Vegas, Texas, and New York as possible options.

It’s still too early to know which of the venues will

See story on page 20

Boxer Canelo Alvarez

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See page 21 SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020