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AIETEUR

Elections 2020 - Day 50... Wednesday Edition

Recount start date depends on CARICOM team’s arrival

April 22, 2020 - Vol. 15 No. 16

NEWS

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

p.8

Online readership yesterday 182,834

Investigate all World p.12

Bank funded projects

- Int’l Lawyer, Melinda Janki

Bauxite shipping 34 companies bid to company calls it a day market Guyana’s crude p.16

p.17

Some bars still operational despite COVID-19 orders p.14

Police to ensure strict compliance - Ramjattan This popular bar in the city was closed when Kaieteur News visited yesterday)

Prison brawl leaves one dead Farmer missing after Coast Guard vessel slams into his boat p.

7

Wife dead, husband p.2 critical after road accident

p.

3

Local documentary highlights danger of sea level rise p.

13

“End the kabuki dance with – Nigel Hinds to maximum speed!”Claudette Singh p.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday April 22, 2020

KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: SHARMAIN GRAINGER Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Grim inter-related oil and virus realities More and more the deepening gloom of the collision (in some sense, it may be the combination) of oil and coronavirus brings overwhelming fear and great psychological consternations. This applies when the two are contemplated at both the personal and national levels, with the economic fallouts sensibly weighed. Part of what follows is based on, “Guyana would be lucky if it gets anything around US$60 million for next three oil lifts Finance Minister” (KN April 21).First, the US$55 million reported deposited in the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) held overseas can only be accessed under certain extreme conditions, among which are wars and pandemics. To be precise that would be for some slice of the amount held in escrow currently, and not all of it. Any slice would make a difference for the many expensive circumstances crying out for much-needed financial assistance. Guyana should qualify to be functioning under pandemic conditions, even though the full force of such battering has not yet been unleashed nor experienced.

Second, on that sensitive matter of “anything around US$60 million for next three oil lifts,” the Hon. Minister was wise enough to further qualify “anything around US$60 million” with “lucky.” Indeed, this country will be more than lucky if it gets anything at all from our oil, which has caused so much cursing and so much anger. For, as should be known by now, the US$55 million was paid to Guyana’s SWF when oil was hovering in the high 40s and low 50s, which was a while back. In recent times, prices have been a far cry from that encouraging number.

Third, and to draw closer to the reality of current prices, the West Texas Intermediate futures are in negative territory, which means that sellers (Exxon and Guyana at the top end) would have to PAY willing buyers should those oil futures for other months stay in negative territory. If it were to stay marginally above zero, then continuing future lifts are no longer a meaningful economic proposition. We say willing buyer because, those so interested have no place to store the oil, and if and when they do locate such spare storage capacity, the price is at steep premiums. In ordinary terms, they are sky high.

In effect, this could translate to what the Finance Minister went to great pains to point out in very careful language. That is, we would be lucky to get something.

There were reports and sentiments that Exxon would be continuing production in the blocks where pumping was taking place. That would be suicidal, given current market pricing conditions.

We wish to return to that US$55 million already in Guyana’s account. Even if 25% of that could be approved for release, it would mean around almost three billion Guyana dollars that would be made available for Guyana to utilize in hard pressed areas. For certainty, this should include primarily medical supplies, assistance for laid off and cash strapped workers, and small businesses forced to close, and all of which are in dire need of an early helping hand.But for this to happen would require a move to parliament and the necessary clearance to be put in place to meet the contingency at hand. Returning to parliament means that both the caretaker coalition government (deemed illegal in some quarters) and the opposition have to fill the aisles of the National Assembly to conduct the business of the stricken Guyanese people in this their hour of desperate need.Rather regrettably, such concerted thinking, combined movement, and unified action do not look anywhere near close to be even on the outline of the drawing boards of both groups of squabbling and furious politicians. There is little indication or encouraging evidence of hard and determined decision-making in the works, which could lead to some optimism that they will get there quickly and do the right things still more quickly.

The real severe pains of the peoples of this country are still to come. In the interim, our political behemoths are locked in a death struggle for ascendancy. As they do so, the oil diminishes in price and its value to us, while thinking citizens wonder what their fate will be.

Can any of those who perpetuate these damaging acts honestly claim to love Guyana?

DEAR EDITOR, Many officials in our country are on record, at one time or the other, in proclaiming their “love” for Guyana.

Some even beat their chest so vigourously that they sound very convincing. These phenomena are not just confined to the political sphere, in which the PNC and AFC’s top leaders are the most vocal in this breast-beating display of nationalism, but could be found in many constitutional bodies – most important being the Judiciary and in the Elections Commission.

Indeed, the Chairperson of GECOM is on record as stating that all the oil in Guyana cannot buy her integrity, lofty noises indeed. We also see this same kind of “nationalism” in some Trade Unionists and among many columnists in our media who express similar sentiments.

One would expect that such persons would be willing to sacrifice greatly to protect and promote this country. That means doing whatever they can to assist the economic and social advancement of Guyana.

One would expect that those “nationalists” would try to promote the good name and reputation of our republic. Unfortunately, in examining their practice, we see how far their words diverge from

their actions/behaviour. This small group has done more to harm the welfare of our people and our country and has set us back by decades.

The cabal that took power in 2015, PNC and AFC leaders, did nothing to promote the all-round development of Guyana. Their first order of priority was to raid the treasury, by many means, to enrich themselves.

While they were in opposition, this same group did everything to sabotage many developmental projects including the Specialty Hospital, which now would have been a great asset in fighting the coronavirus, and the Hydropower station, which would have allowed us to end blackouts and to industrialise our country.

In government, they continued the vindictiveness and abandoned these ventures completely. They destroyed jobs in sugar and forestry massively. The contracts they were involved in raised great suspicions, locally and internationally, as being tainted with corruption. However, the “nationalist” garments fell off after December 21, 2018, when the No-Confidence motion was passed in the National Assembly.

The cabal began treating the Constitution as a piece of rag that could be so easily

discarded. The oath taken to uphold the Constitution without fear or favour means nothing to these “nationalists”.

That little cabal then began to pursue a course that has done untold damage to the integrity of this country and has tarnished the good name of our people greatly.

The first blow was the “dispute” they engineered about what the majority of sixty-five was.

That was so laughable that no right-thinking person believed that it could stand any scrutiny. Yet we saw that our Court of Appeal upheld that nonsense. This decision undermined the confidence of ordinary people in such an important institution.

It was really rather embarrassing to see the contempt with which the Caribbean Court of Justice overturned that decision.

The Elections petition brought by the PPP/Civic contesting the results of the 2015 elections has not seen light.

No explanation has ever been given to this day. Many other cases have been lying in the courts for years, one of which I am involved in that has been in the court since 2015. It is a Constitutional case. It was completed, but no decision given to date.

By contrast, Anil Nandlall and Irfaan Ali, who had

trumped-up charges against them, have been dragged before the courts and appeals against decisions in their favour have been expedited.

Fairness and equality before the law as it relates to cases that can have political consequences or that the regime has an interest, do not seem to exist anymore. All of these have had damaging impacts on our country’s reputation. How can anyone believe that Guyanese who have any love for our country would inflict such harm to its reputation? Clearly, they love themselves more than Guyana.

As if the above actions have not done enough damage to our country’s reputation; then came GECOM. In full view of the whole world, an attempt was made to steal the March 2, 2020 elections.

Elections Observers, both local and foreign, and Diplomats were all disgusted.

Yet the CEO, unashamedly and who seems to have given up all pretence of any professional integrity and decency, has announced that he needs one hundred and fifty-six (156) days to count less than a million votes. This is after holding up the counting for almost 50 days.

Compare that with South (Continued on page 5)

Oil futures are below zero, but do Guyanese below zero a barrel. present the whole truth. I say could be the longest days yet really care?tumbling We Guyanese have a bigger this because the reports are that are ahead.

DEAR EDITOR, Oil prices, the futures to be precise, went into negative territory for the first time in their volatile stormy history.

For many, it is like the end of the world. Yet, here are Guyanese lost in the impenetrable hazes of their own little world, who couldn’t care less.

The bounty bestowed on us is now worth nothing, at least temporarily, and still we remain unfazed in our interests, undeterred in our foolishness, and unmoved in our priorities.

For those watching us and our antics and follies, this does not come as any surprise. I am not surprised that we remain so blissfully ignorant, so committed to the retardations that reduce us to less than men of stature and convert us to craven creatures condemned to eternal blankness.

This is what we love and are proud to be. For if a virus that has succeeded in forcing the world to its knees and to a standstill did not instill any kind of sense into us, then why should or could anything else, such as the mundane irrelevance of oil

fish to fry, the same one that has afflicted with acute food poisoning for almost fifty days now.

I must confess that though I pay close attention to such things, I was caught napping; and I was not in any way distracted by elections nonsense and elections machinations.

I gave myself a slap on the head for that, since some overseas moves are now too late, and for which I must pay a steep price. But the point of my writing today is that over which we battle so endlessly, so furiously, so possibly fatally, is now not worth as much as a vial (or supertanker) of urine.

The very thing over which we fight, over which we drool and dream, and over which we make beautiful calculations is virtually worthless. And though it promises to rebound, as it will do eventually, the jarring reality of this moment should not be lost on anyone, who still possesses some thinking prowess in this society.

Exxon and the rest that went public to say that it is business at undiminished speed in Guyana did not

of not so subtle scaling back of some operations; a limited basis, yes; but scaling back definitely.

That was when oil was hovering back and forth in the mid to low twenties.

I am not Goldman Sachs by any measure, but I had serious concerns - problems, really -with first it’s below $15 a barrel and then yearend thinking of $10 a barrel. Well, those oil watchers and sages have to be cursing themselves for the extreme accuracy of their forecasts.In fact, Monday broke into uncharted waters; it made the river run dry.

All the leading news authorities, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and their lesser brethren, were compelled to use such words as “unprecedented” and “historic” and so forth.

Now, though it would be lost on most locals, what has skidded here are the futures, which are the contracts on delivery in future months and further, and not current prices.

Storage capacity is the chief reason. But unless demand, which has fallen precipitously because of COVID-19, returns to some semblance of strength in the near future, it

The virus appears to be finally easing up (my words) in the global epicentre of the scourge, which is New York City, where the death toll for a day fell below 500 for the first time this week.

Nevertheless, New York’s Governor Cuomo is already sounding the guarded warning that it would take years to bounce back to anywhere close to where things were prior to the presence of the virus. Like any patient, who came so perilously close to death’s bed, recovery is a slow and shaky process, with stops and starts, and sometimes relapsing back into intensive care. Let us hope that that is not the case, even when a vaccine is still over a year away, by the most optimistic of calculations.

So where does this leave us Guyanese? I regret to say but we’ll be in the same benighted and bleak place.

That is, consumed by elections, pretending at games over something called democracy, and thinking that we are wiser and slicker than everybody else.

Regarding that bit about democracy, we are sick (Continued on page 6)

Wednesday April 22, 2020

Freddie, KN and volunteers applauded for Coronavirus assistance DEAR EDITOR, As KN, Freddie Kissoon, and others have indicated, those on the front lines in the health sector to keep Guyanese safe deserve additional compensation than their regular salaries. In the US, they are slated for bonus pay.

I thank Freddie, Glenn Lall, and others who have advocated this cause and made commitment to contribute financial and material assistance to medical staff.

Other (in particular big) businesses and individuals must join this effort as an expression of appreciation.

As others pointed out, some businesses are not generous in corporate social responsibility to help the poor or even health workers who put their health at risk to save others. As Ms Sandra Khan (KN Apr 20) stated, (some in) the private sector help the poor; recipients and those of us who have empathy for the working class are most grateful. (I applaud Ms. Khan for championing worthwhile causes and for her invaluable service among the dispossessed as well as promoting culture and ethnic harmony).

I applaud those in the private sector who plow some of their profits into community projects. But some big businesses have not given generously (of their huge profits) to ameliorate disasters like the pandemic.

Kaieteur News and some other private media outlets as well as other small businesses generously help during crises.

Big business can take a lead from them.

If one were to conduct a survey, one would find that the smaller and medium sized businesses provide the most help in response to the pandemic.

Those volunteering to make facemasks and Personal Protective Equipment are from the working class.

Those volunteering to distribute masks and food are from the poor, working class.

Few among the big businesses and the wealthy class rise to the occasion. My queries reveal that a few big businesses help the less fortunate or support NGOs or sponsor the arts, but such assistance is far and between.

As Ms. Khan pointed out, private sector is the engine of growth in Guyana and the country needs businesses to grow. Anyone who studies economics would know that the private sector is largely responsible for initiatives and growth, not only in Guyana but worldwide; communism or socialism restricts growth.

And in every country, including the US, small and medium sized businesses and cottage

industries play the lead role in growth and generate the most revenues (some 70%).

Profit is indeed the leitmotif of business, including farming. But there is a big difference between the farmer (as well as working class) and big business. While both labour to eat, big businesses tend to eat greedily, leaving little for small business and the workers, especially during crises.

Big businesses can offer more assistance to charities or spiritual needs during this pandemic. Farmers tend to be generous. I remember as a child, after the rice harvest and milling, my father would send sacks of rice to share with relatives and the poor in the neighbourhood who did not grow rice. Other rice farmers did the same; it was a tradition in the farming communities.

Ditto after the harvest of vegetables, fruits and production of coconut oil and other homemade goods. Farmers in the village would perform a Jhandi or Katha or Koran Sharief, and feed the village, or farmers pooled resources together to perform same thanking the Lord for the produce. The (small) farmers also made generous contributions to the mandir, Masjid and church. So the farmers shared their earnings.

Ms. Khan is right in assailing the political class as greedy and selfish, but the political class is nourished and sustained by the corrupt (big) business class. Some businesses offer large bribes to the political class in exchange for various concessions. The concessions dwarf the bribes (investment) – a handsome return of profits of hundreds of percent.

Very little, if any, of these profits are shared with the

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poor. And politicians never share loot with anyone. The poor or middle class or professionals are not offered the same terms and incentives by the politicians for investments. And I don’t know of any case where the poor or working class or middle classes are encouraged to get into business or to pool their resources and purchase property.

I am aware that sugar workers offered to pool their resources and purchased the closed estates. They were rebuffed. And recommendations and advice to the previous administration to distribute land to sugar workers to go into business was also turned down.

As Ms. Khan stated, the resources of the nation are viewed as ownership of some in the political class. But not all in the political class benefit from corruption. Some politicians are decent, honest, compassionate, and caring.

Regrettably, the poor and working class don’t always support politicians who stand for integrity.

I applaud Freddie for starting a fund for medical workers. Big business should join the list of contributors to help health workers and the dispossessed. I remember and applaud the lead role of CN Sharma during the massive flooding around 2005 and so many other calamities; others should emulate him and the likes of Glenn Lall, Freddie, and others for championing worthwhile causes.

I also laud the media for highlighting the contributions of volunteers and I salute those who give generously of time and service to help others during this pandemic.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

GECOM SOPs are public documents; failure to publish same reeks of collusion DEAR EDITOR, The dismissal of the Ulita Moore case by the Appeal Court made one relatively unknown fact to be fully understood by the entire Guyanese populace. It was made known that the GECOM Chair, under Article 162(1) has the power to” issue such instructions and take such action as appear, if necessary and expedient, to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with” the election process.

The above now understood, looking back, the GECOM Chair’s silence when Returning Officer (RO) Mingo derailed the electoral declaration process is now viewed as negligence.

When RO Mingo, after verifying almost 300 SOPs, chose to obfuscate from the SOP verification to his spreadsheet, amidst cries of foul from observers and party agents, the Gecom Chair and CEO having their SOPs, out of curiosity, would have done their own tabulation and known that the PPP had won and that Mingo’s spread-

cal tool to harass those that are opposed to the lawlessness of the PNC/APNU/AFC cabal. It is a compromised and corrupt body.

It cannot hope to combat the other forms of corruption in its ranks. It has to turn a blind eye to the daily shaking down of motorists on the road, mainly at the roadblocks erected since May 2015. If you drive along the Coast, you will see motorists being stopped for no reason and most have bribes extracted from them. The moral authority to halt this does not exist in the leadership of the police.

All those actions that are threatening democracy in Guyana, preventing us from living in a normal society and soiling the reputation of our people, find robust support

monster by instilling false hope to the supporters of the losing party.

All election results since 1992 were declared by verification of SOPs, given the sweeping powers vested in GECOM Chair, had she been acting as she should, she would have published GECOM’s SOPs for all regions, and challenged any complainant to produce their SOPs showing anomalies to get a recount in that particular ballot box or boxes.

GECOM’s SOPs published would establish a fact that the chair knows. Withholding that fact from the public is criminal in the context of elections in Guyana and erodes her claim to integrity.

The results for 9 regions were verified by SOPs without any party requesting a recount in the mandated 24 hours as stipulated by the Constitution. In my opinion, any bending backwards to facilitate the procrastination of APNU/AFC by consenting to a recount in all regions can be seen as an act of collusion.

Rudolph Singh

Between a Rock and a Hard Place DEAR EDITOR, I have been following the 2020 Guyana election saga and concluded that we need to be following our Constitution. The Appeal Court gave their ruling on what the Supreme Law states. We, the people of Guyana, crafted and approved of the Constitution in keeping with the customs and mores as a people. The very people who are telling us to obey the laws are in fact asking us to break the laws.

The electoral predicament was recently taken to the Appeal Court and the Judges spelled out the relevant laws for us. And here we are sev-

Can any of those who perpetuate ...

From page 4 Korea, a country of over fifty million (50,000,000) people, which held their elections on April 15, 2020, and in less than 24 hours, the counting was finished and the results made known to the world. The offices of GECOM, the Secretariat, the Commissioners appointed by the PNC/APNU have damaged GECOM’s reputation; they have almost destroyed it.

The other public institution that appears to have surrendered its professionalism to the corrupt cabal, which is now a virtual dictatorship, is the Guyana Police Force. This body has been transformed once again into a tool of the ruling elite.

SOCU, which was set-up as a body to fight money laundering, has become a politi-

sheet was fraudulent.

Yet CEO Lowenfield was prepared to move forward with Mingo’s fraudulent results to the Chairman to declare APNU/AFC as the winner - saved by an injunction by the PPP. This is not catered for by the framers of the Constitution - the framers must have shared the belief that chair and CEO, having sworn to non-allegiance to any political parties and to perform their duties without “fear and favour” would have made them incapable of that which was exhibited after March 2nd.

I figure the framers could not have envisaged persons stooping so low to derail the democratic will of the people - the ultimate reason they were asked to serve.

The fact that the process was allowed to drift into the grey areas of the court and recount, with the CEO and Chair seemingly in pretence of not knowing which party won the elections, put both of them as indifferent to the will of the electorate. These two individuals are creating a

from many of the columnists in our newspapers.

One has gone so far to suggest that the votes be destroyed and we should maintain the corrupt cabal in power. These people have revealed themselves as the worst anti-nationals and promoters of undemocratic governance. How can this be love of country?

Finally, all this is occurring while the de facto President, who campaigned on honesty and integrity, is doing nothing to put an end to this charade. Can any of those who perpetuate these damaging acts to our economy, our social sector, our politics and our image honestly claim to love Guyana? That clearly cannot be so!!

Former President Donald Ramotar

eral days later unable to get anywhere, because what the Appeal Court spelled out is different to what is not only demanded by the PPP, but also the International players who have decided that they are entitled to intervene in our electoral matters in contravention of our Supreme Law. (Note that Donald Trump was recently impeached for soliciting Russian assistance in the 2016 US general elections in contravention of the US Constitution). The Chair of GECOM has been unable to give definitive solutions to the impasse. I cannot read her mind, but I would guess: (a) The Chair is probably afraid of and trying to appease the PPP (and I read that she has received death threats). We must not forget that she locked herself in her office while the tabulation (and the melee which made the workspace untenable), for Region 4 was taking place. (b) Being a former Judge who presided over an Election Petition, she knows the laws that pertain to the electoral procedures – and the Appeal

Court spelled them out for her.

No party has appealed or questioned the Appeal Court’s decision. (c) The Chair probably fears that if the situation gets out of hand, the buck will fall in her lap, hence, in my opinion, her dithering over issues.

The Chair is caught between a rock and a hard place – either pleasing the PPP and the International community and throwing our Supreme Law aside, or going with her gut instincts and knowledge, and abiding with the Supreme Law which is our glue. Once we throw out the Supreme Law, law and order in Guyana will be seriously compromised.

If we abide with the Supreme Law, there will still be something holding us together and which we can argue about, although it may be tenuous.

But some glue is better than nothing at all. However, we look at the situation, as the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and some local commentators have stated: “It is not going to end well”.

Yours faithfully Professor Kean Gibson

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A THOUSAND MASKS DEAR EDITOR, In the ’70s, there was a famous Mexican professional wrestler known as Mil Máscaras, the man of a thousand faces, in Guyana we have David Granger.

The supposed emasculation of Moses Nagamootoo’s pronouncements that the curfew would apply to the GECOM recount and Observers would be incarcerated/ quarantined for two weeks upon arrival is just another chapter in the Granger playbook.

I do not doubt that Granger was behind Nagamootoo’s initial statement and was also involved in the preparation and dissemination of the infamous dossier. It is a pattern of deceptive behaviour and use of simpleton surrogates that stretches back well before Granger’s Presidency.

We can begin where the mask slipped for the first time, during the PNC congress on the 27th July 2014; after a count of votes for the three candidates for the position of Leader of t h e p a r t y, G r a n g e r h a d the plurality but not a majority as required by t h e PNC Constitution, there should have been a run-off round of voting between Granger and the second-highest vote-getter, Carl Greenidge; instead, a ‘Mingo’-like declaration was made and the process de-

clared closed.

In the ensuing mêlée, a gunshot rang out, mass panic ensued and Granger emerged with his Leadership intact to declare that a PPP agent provocateur had fired his weapon and escaped Congress Place.

Later images appeared that showed the shots were fired by someone among those present, including Granger, knew. In the ensuing years, we have witnessed this duplicity repeated ad nauseam.

Granger is often quoted as saying he will be guided by the Constitution, provisions of which “require no gloss’ however often need multiple layers of judicial interpretation. Granger claims to be awaiting advice from the Courts, but when the advice does not match his needs, he will inform all that “the Chief Justice has her opinion and I have mine” as in the instance when he (Granger) was advised that his appointment of James Patterson was in breach of the Constitution.

Similarly, Granger abrogated his responsibility to set an election date to GECOM. It is a dance, with willing partners taking turns to wear one of Granger’s masks; to play his patsy; to be the foolish foil for his saving wisdom.

Joe Harmon spoke extensively about the ‘dossier’ and the government hiring of a lobbying firm; when the dos-

sier was exposed as an APNU/AFC party diatribe, Granger stepped in to disavow knowledge. And yet, three days after the very public disavowal, Harmon is on the job, his ‘clean-slate’ letter still in process.

Contrast this to the treatment meted out to Carl Greenidge, who made his objections to the China-financing of the Guyana team at the United Nations Group 77 pellucid and loud.

Greenidge was ostracized and shunted out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without ceremony. Ironically, it was Joe Harmon who confirmed Greenidge had been given his walking papers, but all the other letters were delayed due to electoral circumstances.

As we are dragged through the longest election in the history of the world, we can only guess as to what we will face tomorrow, what fresh mask will be used to frustrate the will of the people. At least our tormentor is partially unmasked.

Mil Máscaras was never unmasked in the ring, but his identity was known; the similarity to the man who served as our President for five years is uncanny, we know his identity but we may never truly know the true face hidden under those thousands of masks.

Respectfully Robin Singh

Wednesday April 22, 2020

An open letter to Khemraj and Moses DEAR GENTLEMEN, It is with great sadness that I choose to write to you this letter regarding the delay of the publishing the election results.

I along with many others have fought too hard for democracy and for fair and free elections in Guyana for me to remain silent.

As the nation waited with bated breath for the votes to be counted, the time has come for me to indicate to both of you that you have betrayed your democratic principles and have traded them for political power which in my opinion is very dishonest.

My admiration for both of you took a nosedive in 2019 in the milieu of the No Confidence Motion when, after acquiescing to the fall of the Coalition, your government performed a back somersault to challenge the motion in court.

From savvy politics to peculiar math, the nation witnessed a concocted and unheard of formula consisting of 32½ men rounded to a full man = 33; to a majority is 33+1 =34 needed to pass the motion in a 65-seat capacity National Assembly.

One year later, after spending millions of Guyanese taxpayers’ money on legal fees, the Caribbean Court of Justice ruled that 33 and not 34 votes were needed to pass the motion.

The deceit was glaring.

Your actions as part of the government have embarrassed the nation abroad, and made Guyana a laughing stock among other

CARICOM states.

In 2011, many of us became very frustrated with the PPP government which had been in office for 20 years.

Therefore, we felt compelled to align with the AFC, touted by both of you as a new political movement, the so-called third force.

At the time, I was told that the AFC would relegate racial voting to the sidelines, expose corruption, fight illegal drug lords, prevent highhandedness and abuse of power, and uplift Guyana to prominence from Third World to First World status.

With this in mind, I joined the AFC at the behest of both of you, only to have deep regrets four years later when your party decided to coalesce with APNU. And even though I was vexed, I remain with the AFC hoping they would defeat the PPP. I was soothed by the words of Mr. Ramjattan, who said the main reason for joining with APNU was to defeat the PPP. He further stated that they would hold APNU’s feet to the fire, because in his words “dem can’t run Guyana as dem please, because the AFC will keep dem in their place!”

I envisaged that with Mr. Granger as the presidential candidate, and the experienced Mr. Nagamootoo by his side as Prime Minister, Guyana would have developed and achieved first world status. I was wrong.

Today I feel ashamed and a sense of abandonment, as the party I placed all my confidence in has drifted away,

thus leaving me standing alone and no party to turn to.

Upon reflection, I did not heed the advice of my mother and several close friends who told me not to join the AFC, because the two of you would forever remain PPP no matter what.

They said that you cannot change the stripes of a tiger. My response was, ‘this is a different time and people can change’.

Again, I was wrong, because there was no change in the lust for power by both of you Seeing your actions during the no confidence motion and the stalling of the 2020 election results, I firmly believe that there can be no compromise between good and evil. You have presided over a government with little or no transparency, and there is no evidence of the underlying principles of integrity, morals, fairness, truth and honour espoused by both of you, and on which the AFC was founded on.

In closing, I would like both of you to remember the immortal words of Ralph Waldo Emerson ‘we do not inherit this world from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children’.

I also would ask both of you if political power and the titles of Honourable Prime Minister and Minister are more meaningful than the quality of being humane and men of honour.

I want you to know that in this election, the ship has set sail, but with neither of you on board. May God bless you, as your political careers have come to an end.

Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine

Oil futures...

From page 4 (maybe terminally) and we can’t even recognize that; but we dare to claim expertise and awareness of what it takes to be a democracy and of things democratic.

Oil prices are not democratic; they are of the tyrannies inflicted upon the hubristic and the careless, the sometimes too smart for their own good. That would be the Russians for a start, with Guyanese coming in a close second.

If a life-threatening virus that is here does not wake us up, means nothing to many of us, then I am unable and unwilling to see how negative oil futures could register on our consciousness, given the denseness that is the national mentality, the national psyche. Oil futures are below zero; which Guyanese cares?

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Wednesday April 22, 2020

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Farmer missing after Coast Measures in place to assist Guard vessel slams into his boat frontline workers - DCMO

By Romario Blair A 32-year-old man is missing and feared dead, after a coast guard vessel collided with his boat Monday night in the Pomeroon River.

The missing man has been identified as Ryan Khayum, a farmer who lives in the Lower Pomeroon River. According to information reaching Kaieteur News, the accident occurred sometime around 21:00hrs.

Based on reports, Khayum was returning from Charity after delivering produce Monday afternoon. Also in the aluminum boat, which was powered by a 15hp outboard engine, was Khayum’s wife and his two uncles.

At the said time, a Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard vessel was heading in the same direction, just a few meters behind. The vessel was at the time returning to the Coast Guard base at the mouth of the Pomeroon River.

Without any warning, the Coast Guard vessel slammed into the farmer’s boat, immediately causing it to capsize. Relatives, who were trapped beneath the capsized boat, said that the last thing they saw was Khayum’s hands, before he finally went down.

The man’s wife and his two uncles were later rescued by a neighbour. They were taken to Charity where they were treated at the Oscar Joseph District Hospital. The Coast Guard ranks on the other hand were taken to the Charity Police Station, where, according to reports, they were tested and found to be way over the prescribed alcohol limit.

Mother of the missing man, Debby Khayum, said that her son previously worked in the mining sector and started a farming business recently. According to the bereaved woman, “My son leave (home) yesterday [Monday] afternoon about four to carry produce to sell… I didn’t see him come back

By Shivanie Rampersaud

Missing: Ryan Khayum but I got the message that he was involved in an accident and they can’t find him...”

The woman said that she decided to travel to Charity and upon reaching there, she learnt that her son’s wife was hospitalized and one of her two cousins (her son’s uncles who were in the boat) sustained a blow to his feet as result of the accident.

“These Coast Guards were drunk; is not the first time they doing it. People in the water (were) asking them to throw the life jacket and long after they throw one life jacket and (they) see all them people in the water,” said the distraught woman.

The man’s family has since commenced a search for his body. According to a statement issued by the GDF, Coast Guard ranks have (Continued on page 9)

In wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), frontline workers within the local health care system have been put to the test.

Being required to work under such pressure has caused several of these healthcare providers to suffer mental and physical exhaustion. This has been compounded by the discrimination many of them have been facing by virtue of them caring for some person inflicted with the contagious disease.

There have been reports that some healthcare workers are faced with difficulties when accessing public transportation.

To this end, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle, told Kaieteur News that measures are being put in place to transport these essential workers to and from their places of work.

She said “Ministry buses are providing transportation for healthcare workers and I

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr. Karen Boyle (DCMO)

know we are planning on having the bigger buses be made available on the major routes to pick up health care providers... So we are putting things in place for the healthcare workers at the hospitals.”

She added that “I want to urge the public not to treat our healthcare workers bad...or discriminate against our healthcare workers because

it’s the same people they have to depend on to be at work, to take care of them and their families if and when they fall sick. So if they leave them on the roadside because they don’t want to have them in their buses… I don’t know how they are expecting them to get to work, so I would urge them to stop being (Cotninued on page 15)

PAGE 8

Kaieteur News

Wednesday April 22, 2020

Recount start date depends on CARICOM team’s arrival

Elections 2020 - Day 50 The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is expected to announce a start date for the national recount soon, which will depend on the arrival of the CARICOM high level team. The team will be granted a special role in validating the credibility of the recount. This has been deemed to be necessary, since the controversial tabulation processes for Region Four by Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, caused a considerable breakdown of public trust in GECOM. GECOM confirmed reports yesterday that state-imposed quarantine of the officials of the team will not be necessary once they subject themselves to testing, either in their home country or when they arrive in Guyana.

They have to undergo World Health Organisation (WHO) approved PCR (polymerase chain reaction) COVID-19. If they are tested in Guyana, they will be required to self-quarantine for 48 hours while the results are being ascertained.

According to GECOM, the President, who intervened to lift the requirement for a state-imposed quarantined, insisted that “nothing should be done, or appears to be done, that could delay the start of the recount process”.

The GECOM Chair, (ret’d) Jus-

tice Claudette Singh SC, said on Monday that the recount could start in a matter of days. Responding to criticisms, the Chair said that she is the one who made the commitment to have the recount, and that she is committed to ensuring its swift execution.

Commissioner Vincent Alexander had said that there will be drafted an order for the recount, likely to indicate that it will begin by the CARICOM team’s arrival.

GECOM is set to work with 10 counting stations, after technical experts from the Ministry of Public Health examined the spaces at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre and determined that number would be in-keeping with the pandemic guidelines.

The Commission had decided that the stations will be separated in two teams, with one starting a count of Region Four and the other counting the remaining Regions in numerical order. GECOM expects to work for 10 hours every day from 8am to 6pm. The average time to be taken per ballot box has not been ascertained. GECOM is expected to use the first day as a litmus test to determine how long each ballot box will take to examine, Until then, it will be difficult to predict just how long the recount will take.

CARICOM’s high level delegation (from left): Angela Taylor, Chief Electoral Officer, Barbados; Anthony Boatswain, former Finance Minister, Grenada; Francine Baron, Chair of the Team and former Attorney General and Foreign Minister, Dominica; Fern Nacis-Scope, Chief Elections Officer, Trinidad and Tobago; Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer, Department of Government, UWI. (Photo Credit: CARICOM)

Wednesday April 22, 2020

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

THE OLD BAG OF TRICKS

T

he problems with the 1997 elections were linked to the results of District Four.

There has never been an investigation into why some of the ‘runners’ for District Four ran off with the results to Congress Place instead to the GECOM Headquarters.

GECOM had employed a system, then, in which the results would have been called into to GECOM via radio and telephone. Interestingly, for District Four, the region in which GECOM headquarters are located, there was a system of ‘runners’ who were used to bring the results in to GECOM headquarters.

It was discovered, amazingly, that not a single report from District Four had been received at Command Headquarters on election night and that by the next afternoon a mere trickle of results had been received from that District.

The disappearing act of some of the ‘runners’ was never investigated. It would have exposed where the missing runners went and who were the actors, both within and outside of GECOM, who were behind their disappearance.

The PNC used that breakdown in the transmission of the results to sow suspicions about the conduct of elections even though it would have had its own statements of polls which would have indicated that the party had lost the elections. The Caricom Audit Team subsequently confirmed this fact.

A poor man, who eked out a living selling empty and discarded drinks bottles, was accused of storing ballot boxes in his home in Albouystown.

He was kidnapped and taken to Congress Place where he was interrogated by none other than Desmond Hoyte. To date, no one has ever been charged with the kidnapping of that poor man.

GECOM undertook a verification exercise in light of the suspicions which had been generated. It was halted and then resumed afterwards. During the course of that resumption, the then Chairman made an accurate but ill-advised comment to the effect that the verification will not change anything.

The PNC used that statement to walk away from the verification process. They were just waiting for an excuse since they would have walked in any event, knowing that they had lost.

The failure of GECOM to conduct an internal probe into its operations during the 1997 elections was one of two major errors on its part.

The other error was the Commission’s failure to appeal Justice Claudette Singh’s decision in the elections petition case.

The outgoing Chairman, Doodnauth Singh, had indicated that he wished to see an appeal for each of the grounds of Justice Singh’s decision. He was never afforded the right to do so.

History has an uncanny way of repeating itself. The

Farmer missing after Coast...

From page 7 joined the search for the missing man.

It was also pointed out that initial investigations reveal that the Coast Guard vessel, a GDFS HAWK 1028, had four ranks on board and was returning from Charity to its Floating Base when the incident occurred. The other vessel, the statement

confirmed, was carrying four occupants and “following the incident, three of them were recovered alive and transported to the Charity Hospital.

One of the men is currently unaccounted for.”

The GDF has since commenced a Board of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

problems this time around revolve around the baldfaced rigging during the tabulation of District Four’s results.

And strangely, despite this rigging is being done in ‘broad daylight’ and in the presence of international and local observers, there are elements within the APNU+AFC who are attempting to deceive their supporters into believing that the recount will give the Coalition a victory.

People are being fooled and conned. The votes were counted at the places of poll in all 10 districts.

This count took place in the presence of the party agents. They would have countersigned the Statements of Polls and would have been provided with a copy. Their parties would have those statements of poll.

The Statements of Polls would have been submitted to the respective Returning Officers and copied to the Chief Elections Officers who should have been able to use an adding machine and determine the outcome of the elections but that is another story.

The Returning Officers in nine of the 10 Districts would have undertaken a tabulation process, again in the presence of observers and polling agents. They would have gone through each Statement of Poll. In nine of the 10 Districts, this process went smoothly and the results were declared without controversy.

In District Four, half of the Statements of Polls were smoothly tabulated. It was only after it became clear that a certain result was in the making that the process was paused and then Mingo ‘did his thing’.

The APNU+AFC must not fool its supporters into believing that the recount will end in its favour. These supporters must not be led astray.One of the risks of the recount is that a desperate APNU+AFC will find an ex-

DEM BOYS SEH

Mingo used to bring fuss in Maths A father died and in his will he lef 5 cows to be equally divided between he two sons.

De eldest son tun to de youngest and say, “me guh tek four cows and you guh tek one.”

De youngest son said, “dat is nah haff and haff.”

De eldest son turned to he and say: “Wah is haff of 5?”

De youngest son say “2 and ½.”

De eldest den say: “You

can’t tek haff of a cow so we gat to make de 2 and ½ into 3, and den add one which mek it 4.”

De youngest son turn to he elder brother and ask: “Who teach you Maths?”

De eldest son said, “Mingo!”

Dem boys hear anada story. A man ask he gyal fuh send he $5,000. He call she later and tell she: “I ask yuh fuh send $5,000 and yuh send me $500. Is who learn yuh fuh count?”

She replied: “Mingo!”

Mingo seh he is genius.

He seh he fix a puzzle in 3 months. Lolofield seh: “Dah is ah lang time.”

Mingo replied: “Nah, look here on the box. It say 4 to 6 years.”Dem boys seh Mingo gat everybody confused. Even the Queen of England confused. She ain’t even know how much grandchildren she gat now.

Talk half and wait for more ‘fuffuckle’ during the recount!

cuse to walk away from it, like the PNC did to the verification process during the 1997 elections.

The other danger is that there will be an attempt to rig the recount. This is why the presence of the observers is so vital.

The PPPC has produced its Statements of Polls which show that it won the elections by more than 17,000 votes. This is not a

lead which can be overturned by the recount. The small parties did well in District Four also. This too cannot be overturned in any recount.

The supporters of the APNU+AFC must begin to ask themselves why the Coalition lost the elections.

The results - as signaled by the showing of the small parties – point to the failure of the AFC to bring in its quota

of votes. The Coalition members must ask themselves why?

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

PAGE 10

Wednesday April 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Guerrilla warfare inside the PNC intensifies

I

am not going to allow autocrats in the PNC and AFC to sue me. I am familiar with the saying of the older folks whom I grew up in front of in Wortmanville.

It goes like this; “I am too old to climb court step.”

There are internecine factional energies bursting out inside the PNC. One cabal is led by “the

Bai Shanlin maan” hereafter refer to as LHT. The other faction consists of David Granger and a group loyal to him. Interestingly, these two compartments have no use for

the AFC except for a strong AFC man, who has a violent, conspiratorial side to him. I know this from my sensitive, risky research into the “Buxton Troubles.”

The AFC mandarins are not consulted on the intrigues that are taking place to continue the rigging of the 2020 elections.

They have been reduced to the role of sycophants as witnessed by AFC’s column in the Kaieteur News last Sunday.

From now until the rigging stops and the world sees that the APNU+AFC lost the elections, the AFC will confine itself to parroting the sermons of the PNC and its insane fanatics that the APNU+AFC won the election.

There is sufficient evidence to point the analyst in the direction of a power struggle inside the PNC. Granger openly defied Harmon and told the world that his government did not enter into a contract with a PR firm in the US. My sources told me Granger did not know about the arrangement with the LLB people and was not even told about it and did not even see the dossier.

I trust my source, who is very high up the PNC ladder, and it is through our conversation I was asked to make reference to Granger not knowing about LLB. In my column yesterday, I criticized Granger for his attitude to the LLB thing. I still hold to my assessment. If he did not know, he should have levelled with the nation and admit that he did not know.

He would have saved his credibility.

Secondly, I have been reliably informed that Mr. Granger is in a mood where he has become implacable.

This relates to the identification of him as a US citizen.

From the time those words in reference to him being a US citizen hit the airwaves, Granger’s anger has boiled over.

It is this issue that has led to the intensification of the guerrilla warfare that has broken out inside the PNC since Granger contacted the Barbadian PM to witness the recounting of the ballots. My sources tell me that Granger is becoming a lonely man inside the corridor of power because his chagrin is running deeply and there isn’t a group of strong PNC mandarins backing him.

Before we move on to the actual guerrilla tactics playing out, there is the second piece of evidence that Granger is fighting back. The president told his subordinates that he was embarrassed that his government wanted the CARICOM team and foreign observers to be quarantined.

I was told that CARICOM officials and some envoys based in Guyana contacted the president and said that such an edict was personally insulting.

Mr. Granger was understanding and agreed to remove that silly instruction from Moses Nagamootoo.

So what is going to happen now?

There is a whistle-blower or whistle-blowers inside the PNC that are feeding information to the media about high and brazen corruption in the gang led by the LHT faction fighting Granger.” There is an

Frederick Kissoon operation taking place up far up the East Coast where one of Granger’s detractors in the PNC is the owner.

The front man is a close relative with a Portuguese last name. This is corruption on a huge scale.

I was on the Naim Chan morning show on channel 6 just before the March 2 poll when someone called, informed me about the operation and asked me to visit the site. I did. That is an investment that involves hundreds of millions of dollars. So I knew about this thing before I was contacted yesterday about it. I think Naim Chan too knows about it. But I cannot speak for him. We in the media know about it. We in the media know about the mansion in Florida.

From all that I am seeing and hearing I believe Mr. Granger wants the election mess over and done with. I do not know if he will cave in to the LHT faction that is fighting him, meaning if they choose not to accept election defeat, he will go along with them when this whole damn nightmare comes to an end.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday April 22, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Mommy’s Corner gives support to GPHC Janitors As Guyanese adjust to the changes due to the novel Coronavirus (Covid19) outbreak, Mommy’s Corner, a charitable organisation, has helped to make things less complicated for a number of families.

The organisation recently

distributed hampers to families across Guyana with special emphasis on the Janitors of Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), who are also on the front-line, ensuring that the wards and its environs stay clean and safe.

One of the founders of the

Madonna Ghanie (left) presents a hamper to one of the beneficiaries

One of the recipients accepts a hamper from Treasurer of Mommy’s Corner, Zenisha Mohamed (left)

Measures in place to...

From page 7 discriminatory towards healthcare workers.”

As she emphasized that the entire country is dependent on these frontline workers during the prevailing public health crisis, the DCMO said, “We have to put two and two together and recognize that these are the people we are depending on. One to keep them safe and two to actually care for them...if they don’t reach to work, they can’t care for you,” she asserted.

The DCMO added that “in the interim, while the public is still acting the way they are, the Ministry is stepping up and putting measures in place to make sure that workers who need to get to the hospital and office do so safely and on time.”

When asked if these mea-

sures will be implemented in all Regions, Dr. Boyle said, “This will be in the regions where necessary; not all the regions are behaving like Region Four, most of the other regions are being supported.

Not all but most.”

On the topic of psychological support, the DCMO noted that the Mental Health Unit is open to providing support and counseling to everyone, including the medical staff, who should be aware of this. “So it’s left to the healthcare workers to reach out if they need the support.

It is a service that they know is available (so) it’s entirely up to them to reach if they feel they need it. So it is a service that is readily available so I would be happy if they would make use of it if they need it,” she added.

organisation, Madonna Ghanie, said that members of the organisation thought it best to render assistance to families in the wake of this virus. She added that they are happy with the venture and

will continue to do what they can to assist Guyanese. She expressed gratitude to their sponsors including: Diptya Persaud, Navin Shiwpal and Luxury Auto Customs.

Mommy’s Corner is a

group of mothers from different geographic locations in Guyana. The group was founded in 2019 by two mothers, Ghanie and Zamena Khan, who felt that mothers go through various chal-

lenges and need that extra support at times, even if it is just to talk with or lend a listening ear .The organisation has also held various charitable activities in different communities.

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Wednesday April 22, 2020

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Oldendorff says 132 workers will lose their jobs after it lost its bauxite shipping contract with Rusal/BCGI.

Since 2005, Oldendorff Carriers Guyana Inc. (OCGI) has been performing a TO LET barging and transshipment Rooms in Albertown, 2 operation for bauxite exports bedroom apartment in Eccles. on the Berbice River.

However, the decade and Call#225-3234 a half service is ending.

WANTED The Germanheadquartered company has 1 Maid.Call#225-3234 announced the wrapping up of operations.

“Unfortunately, OCGI’s customer in Guyana has decided to suspend and mothball its operation in Guyana and thus not to extend the operational contract with OCGI. Consequently, OCGI is forced VACANCY to wind down operations in Experienced Male Sales Guyana. OCGI currently Attendant, Stocktaking employs 132 Guyanese in the knowledge, computer literate, Berbice region,” a statement Excellent service attitude, said yesterday.

Able-bodied.

Keyfood OCGI said that on McDoom Village Monday, it delivered the Letters of Notice to the office Driver must be able to assist of the Chief Labour Officer, in workshop at Eccles.Age 25- Charles Ogle, and to the 45.Car/Van Licence 642-9823. workers’ union.

“The company will work Experienced sales girl.Apply closely with the Chief Labour in person to Alabama Trading Officer to ensure that the 65 Robb Street Bourda. wind-down is done in Female Cleaner office and accordance with Guyanese home.Call 642-9823. law. The company will also work together with the Experienced Accounts Ministry of Social Protection Clerk.Apply in person to and the Department of Alabama Trading 65 Robb Labour to ensure that all Street Bourda. employees receive their due

compensation under Guyanese law.”

According to the company, wherever possible, OCGI will work with its employees, the government and other stakeholders to redeploy the workers affected by the wind-down.

“It is with the deepest regret that OCGI must close its operations in Guyana.

Over the past 15 years, OCGI has developed a very dedicated and loyal workforce who have performed very well, often under difficult conditions.”

OCGI said it is very proud of what it has achieved together with its employees in Guyana.

OCGI has developed wonderful working relationships with the people of Guyana, particularly in New Amsterdam and up the Berbice River, and the company is truly sad to leave this beautiful country.

In 2005, Oldendorff Carriers signed a long term contract with the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI), owned by Rusal, for a bauxite transshipment operation on the Berbice River in Guyana.

Bauxite is the primary raw material for the production of aluminum.

Rusal is one of the largest

bauxite company in the world but has been facing major problems in Guyana. It has been clashing with workers over its treatment of them, work conditions and other issues.

The Coalition Government has also been questioning their tax payments after the company consistently declared no profits since coming here.

BCGI halted operations early this year, over a claim it is not getting duty free fuel.

Since then, the operations at Kurubuka and Aroaima, Upper Berbice River has been at a standstill with angry workers, who have been fired, blocking the Berbice River in protest.

The loss of Oldendorff workers now would be tough on the Coalition, which is also battling the fallouts from

Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle Elections 2020 and COVID19. The latter has resulted in a partial lockdown of the country.

N/A man charged with possession of 13,000 grams of ganja A man who was arrested on Saturday last with a quantity of marijuana (ganja) in a car he was driving has since been charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Allowie Angel, 40, a taxi driver of Lot 226 Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice was arrested on Saturday April 18, 2020. He appeared on Monday at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Alex Moore via a conference call. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and bail was granted in the sum of $100,000.

The case for the prosecution is that on the day in question, a police patrol, acting on information, intercepted a motorcar on the No. 59 Village Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice.

A search of the vehicle revealed 15 parcels of the illegal substance. The amount

Charged: Allowie Angel when weighed amounted to 13,607 grams.

Consequently, Angel, who was the lone occupant of the vehicle, was arrested and charged.

Wednesday April 22, 2020

34 oil companies bid to market Guyana’s crude The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday opened ——-67 bids for three major governmental projects at their Ministry of Finance office situated at Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown.

One notable project included the —-opening of bids for the marketing of Guyana’s crude.

A total of 34 oil majors such as ExxonMobil and Aramco Trading Company, the Saudi Arabian multinational petroleum and natural gas company, and a few trading companies, took the long awaited opportunity to send their bids in to secure the contract for the marketing and sale of Guyana’s sweet oil.

The Department of Energy (DoE) noted that the applicant must demonstrate that it has at least five years of experience in Crude Oil marketing and trading and provide copies of its Certificate of Incorporation. It must also provide details of its capabilities and the volume of crude oil trading and marketing it did by geography, over the last five years.

The Energy Department also wants to see details of previous experience in introducing a new grade into the market as well as the applicant’s Code of Conduct Statement.

Significantly, the bidder has to make provisions to allow the Department of Energy to verify all claims made in submission, and also, to verify that the bidder’s organization is not in receivership, or the subject of any form of insolvency of bankruptcy proceedings or the subject of any form of winding up petition or proceedings.

A written statement confirming that the bidder does not have any Director who has been convicted in any country for a criminal offence relating to fraud or any financial impropriety or criminal misrepresentation or falsification of facts relating to any matter also has to be provided.

Accompanying that statement should be details of any pending litigation the bidder may or may not have.

Kaieteur News understands that the successful candidate will be required to provide support to the Energy Department in all operating and back office responsibilities of managing crude sales and for each individual lift from the Liza Destiny, Guyana’s first Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel.

The successful Crude Marketing Agent will also have to support the Energy Department in the first year of introduction of the Liza

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

grade in multiple geographies mentals, and more specifically, and refinery systems, and those relevant to the Liza work closely with the De- grade pricing. partment in understanding Kaieteur News underthe behaviour and yields of stands that the Crude Marketthe Liza Blend and how these ing Agent would have to use affect pricing differentials. all reasonable efforts to proOf note is the fact that it vide relevant information, will have to conduct training documentation and/or trainsessions for personnel at- ing in a timely manner for Entached to the department in ergy Department personnel. matters relating to Crude oil The contract is expected Supply and Trading funda- to last for 12 months.

Ministry of the Presidency (MotP) - Department of Energy (DoE) Provision of Marketing Services for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana’s Oil Entitlement from the Lisa Destiny FPSO Vessel

Guyana records 67th COVID-19 case The Ministry of Public Health announced yesterday that Guyana has recorded its 67th case of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Up to press time yesterday, the deaths remained at seven. These cases have been spread across Regions One, Three, Four, Six, Seven and Ten. The surveillance report by the Health Ministry revealed that 348 individuals have been tested thus far for the disease, of which 281 came back negative.

The number of persons in the Health Ministry’s institutional isolation facilities continues to increase, as a total of 51 persons were recorded yesterday. However, the numbers in the quarantine facility decreased yesterday from 21 on Sunday to 17 yesterday.

Five have developed worsened conditions and are seeking further treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Pub-

lic Hospital.

Region Four still accounts for more than 80 percent of cases in the country.There have been 2,202 calls made to the COVID-19 hotline.Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recorded 2,241,359 confirmed cases with 152,551 deaths. While in the Region of the Americas, there are 821,860 confirmed cases with 38,258 deaths.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus is spread primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” WHO has advised.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 200-new curfew hours announced KINGSTON, Jamaica - CMC – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Jamaica increased by 27 on Monday, bringing the tally to 223.This was announced by Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton during a press briefing at Jamaica House late Monday. Of the new 27 cases, 19 are female and eight are male and 26 of those are linked the Alorica – a business process outsourcing (BPO) entity in the central parish of St Catherine.The Ministry of Health says 34 cases were imported; six are local transmissions with no epidemiological link, 47 are contacts of confirmed cases and 136 are under investigation.Of the 136 cases under investigation 120 are associated with

Ministry of Communities Procurement of security services

Ministry of Business Procurement of security services

Alorica.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has tightened curfew hours island-wide as the country tackles the pandemic.Holness said the new daily curfew hours will run from 6:00pm (local time) each day until 6:00am the following day.The new 12-hour daily curfew will commence today, at 6:00 pm and run for 14 days.The prime minister also ordered that work hours be restricted to 8:00am to 4:00pm.Supermarkets, pharmacies and corner shops will be allowed to close at 5:00 pm, while markets will operate from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm except on Sundays when they will be closed.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday April 22, 2020

“End the kabuki dance with maximum...

From page 12 Opposition Leader stating on the same date, what needs to be done by GECOM; – Judgment of Harmon: “That the chairman of GECOM – that they will release all of the Statement of Polls that they have, they will release it this evening.”

The Logic of Trotman was also espoused at the same press briefing: “We believe that the request for recounts, though they have started, were done in error and that the Commission should not continue beyond those few

that have started, because if not, we could have a ridiculous situation of boxes being opened throughout the country, and I don’t think that the country and the people of Guyana deserve that.”

Madam Singh should fulfill the exhortations made by Granger, Harmon, and Trotman, as the statements are reasonable and sensible; and also applicable to the March 2, 2020 – General Elections. The requests by these gentlemen were made two days after the May 2015 General Elections. Now, 50 days

after the March 2, 2020 Elections, we are still in Lowenfield’s wonderland, instead of having concluded a democratic transition.

The time is beyond overdue for Justice Singh to use the Constitutional Powers bestowed on her and end the kabuki dance with maximum speed, by formalizing and finalizing the simple Region Four tabulation process using the Statements of Polls and not indulge in further diddle and delay by dancing to the grisly cries of Vincent and his two acolytes.

Wednesday April 22, 2020

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Wednesday April 22, 2020

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Players joining exhibition events must be vigilant: authorities MUMBAI (Reuters) Players are free to participate in exhibition events while the professional tennis season remains shut due to the novel coronavirus but they must prioritise their health and remain vigilant against corrupt approaches, authorities have said.

Professional tennis came to a halt in March after countries started closing borders and imposed lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, and all events are currently suspended till at least July 13.

The tennis shutdown has left players in the lower tiers who depend solely on tournament winnings without the chance to earn a living.

“Players are selfemployed independent

contractors and, as such, are free to make decisions concerning their own activities during the time the Tour is suspended,” an ATP spokesman told Reuters yesterday.

Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou said his tennis academy in south of France will host a five-week tournament starting in May that will give players the chance to get back on court during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The German state of Rhineland-Palatinate is also set to host an exhibition event without the presence of fans from May 1, according to The Telegraph newspaper.

Both events said they will comply with local physical distancing requirements and

health protocols to ensure the safety of players, coaches and staff onsite.

“We understand that some privately organised exhibition matches may start to take place where and when local government restrictions allow, and these are attractive opportunities for our players to play some competitive matches and earn some income,” the ATP added.

“We also remind players of the need to prioritize health and safety and to follow any applicable governmental and health agency guidelines at this time as well as the applicable provisions of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).”

While Australian Alexei Popyrin will take on world number 10 David Goffin in the

Wednesday April 22, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A meeting may take place today that you don't want to attend. It could be long and boring, but you should still make the effort to listen.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A project could be successfully completed today, Taurus. Discussions may already be taking place about the next one, but you aren't inclined to think about that, at least not right away.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) If you're involved in the study of a particular subject, today you might want to bury yourself in your books and learn as much as you can.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) This isn't the day to make investments. You may read in the paper or online about some hot new stocks, but be very careful. If you're interested, consult a professional before investing money.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your natural urge to innovate may seem to have vanished today, Libra. You may not feel like doing anything outside of routine tasks that you can do automatically.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The urge to stay in and rearrange your furniture might hit you today, Scorpio. You may want to clean out the shelves in your kitchen, add some new knickknacks, or rearrange your books into specific classifications.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Are you expecting an important communication, perhaps business related? If it comes today, it will probably come late.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) A check you've been expecting to receive by mail will probably be delayed, Capricorn. It's nothing to worry about. Chances are it got hung up at the post office and will arrive soon.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Does a love partner appear to be moody today? One moment your friend may be enthusiastic and optimistic about the future, and the next moment overcome with gloom

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may not be your usual cheery self today. Gloom may have come over you.

You may doubt everything that happens in your life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Are you working two jobs, Virgo? Today one could demand a lot of you, probably at the expense of the other.

You tend to be very conscientious and responsible, so this might bother you, but don't let it get to you.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Happy memories of a beloved grandparent may float to the surface today, and you may wonder why. Something or someone you've encountered in the past few days may have reminded you of this person.

opening match at Mouratoglou’s academy, the event at the Base Tennis Academy near the small town of Hoehr-Grenzhausen will have no players currently ranked in top 100.

The Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain’s Mallorca is also considering turning its campus into a place where elite players can stay, train and compete in matches among themselves that will be televised around the world.

A 2018 International Review Panel report commissioned to address betting and integrity issues said that players in the lowest tiers were susceptible to corruption because of the difficulty in making a living.

The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) reminded the players that they will still be expected to uphold the anti-corruption principles despite the events being not recognised by any governing body.

“We understand that

A locked gate with a sign warns residents that the tennis courts are closed due to coronavirus health safety measures in Bluemont Park, Arlington, Virginia, U.S., March 25, 2020.

(REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque) these will be attractive opportunities to many of you eager to play and to earn an income,” the TIU, which is tasked with tackling corruption in the game, said in a statement on its website.

“While the playing opportunities created are welcomed, we must advise you that there may be an elevated risk of corruption and corrupt approaches in some of these environments.”

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TTFA lawyers warn bank regarding control of association accounts PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – As the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) continues its fight against FIFA taking over administration of the organization, its ousted president William Wallace has warned First Citizens Bank against changing the signatories on the association’s accounts there.

Wallace, through lawyers representing the TTFA in its challenge to FIFA appointing a normalization committee to replace the association’s Board, has reportedly written to the bank warning that legal action would be taken if it was discovered that signatories or any other information was changed without the required authorization.

“Since the elections held in November 2019, following which Mr William Wallace was duly elected president of the TTFA and subsequent thereto added as a signatory to the accounts, there has been no further change,” the lawyers wrote in an April 17 letter, according to Sports Max. “Any attempts to change the signatories on the account which may have

already been made in March or April 2020 or attempts which may be made hereafter without the express approval of Mr William Wallace and/or the duly elected executives is unauthorized.

“Should it come to light that the bank has provided any confidential information to, or acted to make any changes in respect to the TTFA accounts…my clients shall without delay approach the High Court or urgent assistance in preventing or stopping any breach or unlawful interference,” it added.

A normalization headed by a local businessman was appointed by FIFA to take charge of TTFA’s operations late last month, after an assessment by football’s world governing body and continental body CONCACAF found that “extremely low overall financial management methods, combined with a massive debt” had left the local body “facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity”.

The committee, which will have up to two years to carry out its work, has to create a debt repayment plan for the

embattled TTFA, review the local governing body’s statutes and ensure their adherence to FIFA regulations, and oversee new elections.

But the TTFA is challenging FIFA’s takeover at the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland.

In the correspondence to First Citizens Bank, the TTFA’s lawyers made it clear that as far as they were concerned, FIFA had no standing to touch the association’s bank accounts.

“My client would like to believe that in the modern banking context which is set against a backdrop of robust due diligence, no mere letter from a body with no legal standing in Trinidad and Tobago, could usurp the due authority of the TTFA Board of Directors and/or induce the bank to breach its contract with the TTFA,” they wrote.

Last week, FIFA insisted that its normalization committee remains the sole authority for football governance here, after Wallace sent a letter to the Trinidad government stating that he and his executive remained the constitutionally elected leaders of the TTFA.

Decision on Windies tour set for next month JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, CMC – Cricket South Africa is expected to make a decision on the future of the tour of West Indies next month, after Monday announcing the cancellation of the limited overs series against Sri Lanka.

South Africa are scheduled to face West Indies in two Tests and five Twenty20 Internationals from July 15 to August 16 but that tour now seems likely to fall victim to the novel coronavirus pandemic which has already resulted in 2.4 million infections and 166 000 deaths globally.

Media reports here said CSA officials would decide on the Windies series in “midMay”.

Cricket West Indies has already scrapped some of its domestic tournaments but said recently it was continuing to monitor developments, and would liaise with the partner boards before making any

Wednesday April 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

determination on upcoming series.

In announcing the cancellation of the tour of Sri Lanka set for June, CSA’s acting chief executive Jacques Faul said decisions regarding tours would be made in the players’ best interests.

“It is very sad that we have been forced to take this step and we will reschedule the tour as soon as cricket returns to a sense of normality and our international fixture list allows,” Faul said.

“Our Proteas would not have been able to prepare properly taking our own lockdown situation into account and, more importantly, health considerations for our players, which are always paramount, were the overriding factor.”

The English-speaking Caribbean has recorded over 800 infections from the virus known as COVID-19, with 49 deaths reported.

Nearly all Caribbean nations have instituted curfews, with some also

shutting down ports of entry, in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus.

South Africa have recorded 3 300 infections and 58 deaths and are in the midst of a stringent five-week lockdown scheduled to end May 1.

The impact of the virus on both regions has significantly reduced the likelihood the tour will proceed.

If the tour is called off, it will be a huge blow to both sides, with the five T20Is expected to serve as crucial preparation for the T20 World Cup scheduled for Australia from October 18 to November 15. Like all international sides, West Indies are also facing a severe disruption to their schedule with the three-Test tour of England planned for June expected to be called off later this week.

West Indies are also scheduled to host New Zealand in a limited overs series from July 8-19 but New Zealand Cricket officials have already said the tour is “highly unlikely” to take place.

La Liga clubs pledge 200 million euros to other sports, lower leagues

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique celebrate victory as Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos walks off. (REUTERS/Sergio Perez/File Photo) MADRID (Reuters) - Clubs in Spain’s top two divisions have agreed to give an additional 200 million euros (£176.4 million) over the next four years to boost Spanish sports and lower league football, the league’s organising body La Liga said in a statement yesterday.

Since signing a collective broadcasting rights deal in 2015, La Liga has donated 1% of its revenue to Spain’s sports ministry.

It has increased this to 2.5% as part of a new agreement, while it has doubled its contribution to the national soccer federation (RFEF) from 1% to 2%. The agreement comes after an eight-hour meeting between La Liga’s president Javier Tebas and RFEF chief Luis Rubiales, who have had a long-running dispute over how Spanish soccer should be run, and the sports minister Irene Lozano.

“This agreement looks to help sport not just in these moments of crisis provoked by COVID-19 but forever,” said the statement.

“This is a structural measure with no time limit which will strengthen the commitment of the professional clubs and La Liga with Spanish sport.”

Many La Liga clubs have been damaged financially by the pause in football due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have enacted wage cuts, although other sports and nonprofessional clubs have also been hit during the national state of emergency.

The virus has so far infected more than 200,000 people in Spain, claiming 21,282 lives.

La Liga’s statement added that it would be contributing a total of 51 million euros per year to the sports ministry as a result of the new agreement, which would go towards “creating a fund to help boost organised sport, Olympic and Paralympic sports and internationalisation of sport”.

The 1% increase to the RFEF would mean an increase of 17 million euros, taking its total contribution to the federation to 58.7 million euros, which would go towards “improving infrastructure and improving the competitiveness of non-professional leagues.

The statement also said La Liga had agreed to contribute 3.3 million euros per season for the next three seasons to an emergency fund to help non-professional players.

Lara breaks Sir Garry’s record...

From page 23 McGrath whose wife Jean had recently completed cancer treatment. “If you ever f———g mention my wife again I will rip your f——— —g throat out” McGrath reportedly shouted at Sarwan.

Both parties apologized later and although McGrath had started the verbal fight, Prime Minister of Australia John Howard defended the Australian cricketer by reportedly saying that ‘it was an Australian thing to do’.

Another feature of that pulsating match was the fact that Chanderpaul batted with a broken finger (and a bat). Very few people (even those in the West Indies team) knew Chanderpaul’s finger was broken before his innings began. This was to prevent the tourists from getting any psychological advantage in the match and was one of the best kept cricketing secrets in recent times.

West Indies had lost 35 of their 46 ‘away’ matches between 1997 (including losing both tests and five ODI’s against New Zealand in 1999 in New Zealand) and 2003.

They were in danger of losing two home series in the same year for the first time if

they had lost the second and final test to Sri Lanka in the 2003 home series.

West Indies eventually won that game in Jamaica by seven wickets with Fidel Edwards (a short but powerful Barbadian who produced hostile pace from a slinging action and who was picked by Lara after he saw him bowl in a ‘net’ session) bagging 5-36 on debut.

After their 1-nil win at home against Sri Lanka, West Indies traveled to Zimbabwe and beat the home team 1-nil in the two test series after just holding on for a draw in the first test despite another 5wicket haul from the Bajan Edwards. Lara’s splendid 191 then gave his team a 128-run victory in the second and final test.

West Indies ended 2003 with big defeats in the first two tests of their four-test series in South Africa despite a double century (202) from Lara in the first which they lost by 189 runs.

In the second test, Gibbs, Kallis and Kirsten all registered tons in the same innings as the West Indies were crushed by an innings and 65 runs on the penultimate day of 2003.

2004 began much better

for the Caribbean side as Lara (115) and Chris Gayle (116) in the first innings and an explosive unbeaten 105 from 105 balls with 15 fours and two sixes from debutant Dwayne Smith in the second innings ensured the match finished in a draw as Lara (86) and Sarwan (69) chipped in with the bat.

The fourth and final test was played from January 1620 and once again the West Indies were back to their losing ways, going down by 10 wickets to lose the series 3nil. Gibbs, Graham Smith and Kallis smashed centuries as South Africa piled up 604-4 declared. Gayle (107) and Sarwan (119) scored tons in the second innings when their team was asked to follow on, to end another dismal ‘away series’ for the Windies.

The West Indies returned to home soil for the four test series against England and were soundly beaten in every test until Lara, on another batting paradise in Antigua, broke the world record (for the 2nd time) which was held briefly

by Matthew Hayden of Australia who had broken Lara’s 1994 record with his 380.

(Sean Devers)

Wednesday April 22, 2020

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Cricket Australia mulls five India Tests behind closed doors ESPNcricinfo - A five-Test series played exclusively at Adelaide Oval with players housed in the ground’s new hotel is far from an outlandish suggestion as Cricket Australia contemplates all possible ways of ensuring that India’s scheduled tour takes place next summer in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

CA’s chief executive Kevin Roberts stressed that the governing body was being as “creative” as possible to try to ensure the tour goes ahead at the end of the year. Its success rests hand in hand with ensuring that the game in Australia can

maximise its revenue next summer so that they could offer players, the states and community cricket and its own staff a flow of cash somewhere near the torrent that has rushed through over the past decade.

Player pay could veer wildly depending on whether the India tour is able to go ahead. Certainly more so than the scheduled T20 World Cup that is still slated to precede it amid growing doubts about staging an event of far greater complexity than housing just one touring team.

“At this point, we won’t rule anything out in terms of the Indian series,” Roberts

Daren Sammy to Captain St. Lucia Zouks in 2020 Daren Sammy will return as captain of the St. Lucia Zouks for the 2020 season.

Sammy has just finished a coaching stint in Pakistan and he will be back in his playing shirt this season. He will be captaining his home franchise once again! He has been part of the St. Lucia Zouks franchise since the inception of CPL in 2013.

Coach Andy Flower weighed in on Sammy’s appointment saying: “I can’t wait to work closely with Daren and for the island of St. Lucia.

I worked with Daren five years ago when he captained the Peshawar team in the Pakistan Super League and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. I know how passionate he is about his island and its cricket and we will do everything within our

power to bring fun, entertainment, and success to St. Lucia.”

Sammy is excited to be retained by the Zouks and to be captaining this year. He said: “The franchise is dear to my heart and this year I am honored to lead the franchise one more time. Playing at home with passionate fans and the calibre of players I anticipate will be retained; I expect to bring silverware to St. Lucia. St. Lucia Zouks is well on its way in securing its team of players and looks forward to a successful year of cricket in St. Lucia.”

The CPL is scheduled to take place between 19 August and 26 September but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID19 closely and are liaising with medical advisors and governments.

Sweet Dream, Jordan 1992 Olympic jersey sells for $216,000 (Reuters) - Michael Jordan’s U.S. Basketball “Dream Team” jersey from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics sold for $216,000, Robert Edwards Auctions said on Monday.

The winning bid was the second-highest ever for a Jordan jersey, after the $274,000 paid for his 1984 Olympic singlet.

Jordan inscribed the white mesh jersey on the right breast with “Best Wishes/ Michael Jordan.”

The jersey was first purchased for $17,500 in September 1992 at a gala charity auction.

The gold medal winning 1992 U.S. men’s Olympic

basketball team, nicknamed “The Dream Team,” included, along with Jordan, Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, John Stockton, David Robinson and Chris Mullin.

“Michael Jordan is arguably the most iconic athlete of all-time, winning six NBA titles and two Olympic Gold medals,” Robert Edward Auctions President Brian Dwyer said in a statement.

“Collectors relished a rare opportunity to own Jordan’s jersey from the 1992 Dream Team - the greatest basketball team ever assembled.”

said. “Along with the BCCI, the Indian players and their support staff, we want to stage a series that inspires the cricket world, whether or not there are people at the venue or not sitting in the stands.

So we’ll explore all viable options, many of which wouldn’t have been contemplated until now. We are in a different world where all of a sudden we’re being grateful for what we have rather than lament about things that we don’t.

“What we are working on is our partnership with the BCCI. Whether that be about the pursuit of five-Test series in the future or whether it be about finding the most creative ways to ensure that together we can deliver an international Test series that inspires the cricket world through out next summer.

That’s our focus. And we are planning for that and trying everything we can to make that happen.”

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood believed multiple Tests at one venue would be possible.

“It’s obviously a last resort I guess,” he said on

Monday. “But I think if anywhere could do it, it’s probably Adelaide. It gives a bit to both batting and bowling. It’s not ideal. We want to get around to all parts of Australia and challenge ourselves on all those different conditions, but if it had to happen, that’s probably one of the best spots for it.”

Having been central to the rancour of the most recent pay dispute between CA and the ACA as the board’s lead negotiator, Roberts was understandably eager to talk about maintaining trust with the ACA and the players.

This, Roberts said, would be done largely by not allowing discussions of player pay to be exposed in public view, as had happened in 2017.

“We are working with the ACA and communicating with the players and all parties have rightly acknowledged that we work through that privately,” Roberts said.

“We respect the player payment model that is in place now and we intend to continue respecting that.

Everyone acknowledges that in the interim we all need some

creative solutions whatever that means. It doesn’t mean disrespecting the current model at all, it means we need creative solutions like every other organisation in society to manage through this situation.

“What we need to do is maintain that trust. And this is an unprecedented and very challenging situation, for society as a whole isn’t it?

And so cricket is not immune from that. And of course there’s challenging conversations along the way and when we’re sharing information and confronting decisions that no one would want to make. Who wants to be in lockdown at this point in time? Nobody. But we respect the need to be in lockdown. As an example, that’s a decision that’s far beyond cricket.”

Pronouncements that CA had lost an enormous amount of money in their investments portfolio had driven much uncertainty about the organisation over the past week, something Roberts clarified alongside an explanation of how its cash reserves had depreciated.

Nevertheless, Roberts’ elucidation of an apparently robust set of finances for the game did little to explain why the governing body’s own staff had been hit first and hardest by stand downs on 80% pay cuts until July.

“It’s incumbent on me as the leader of CA to share with the leaders of our national cricket teams, our captains our vice-captains anything that is significant and communicate with them openly,” he said.

“So just as I’ve shared with you that we’re estimating an impact of A$20 million on CA thus far and we have to anticipate a likelihood of much greater impact going forward, it was only right to share that information with the players.

“Great credit to the high quality of people we have as leaders of Australia’s men’s and women’s cricket teams, they responded with a sense of responsibility and compassion for the cricket community that we’ve all come to expect, that it’s only fair that the pain of this situation is shared across the cricket family.”

Farah ‘heartbroken’ by death of former UK Athletics chief Black AFP - Mo Farah said he was heartbroken after UK Athletics announced yesterday the death of former performance director Neil Black, who defended the British distance great’s involvement with nowbanned coach Alberto Salazar.

Black, 60, left his role last year after US authorities handed down a four-year doping ban to Salazar, who ran the Nike-backed Oregon Project training group in Portland.

“I have lost a good friend...! Known him since I was 14 years old... Neil supported me all the way in my career since I was a kid..!!,” said Farah.

“My heart is broken.. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Neil Black.. no one knew me like he did..!!

We lost a great man.”

Salazar worked closely with Farah, who has won four Olympic gold medals on the track, two at London 2012 and two more at Rio four years later.

Black was in charge when UK Athletics appointed Salazar, whom he once described as a “genius”, as a consultant to its endurance programme in 2013.

The United States Anti-

Doping Agency (USADA) began investigating Salazar in 2015 but UK Athletics reviewed his link with Farah at the time and concluded there was “no reason to be concerned”.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing from Black or Farah, who also has six world championship golds at 5,000 metres and 10,000m.

Earlier, a UK Athletics statement confirmed Black’s death by saying: “British Athletics is shocked and saddened to confirm the loss of our friend and former colleague Neil Black, who passed away suddenly at the weekend.

“Neil loved the sport of athletics and dedicated his life to supporting athletes — as a world-class physiotherapist, as head of sport science, and then in recent years as performance director for British Athletics.”

Black was a physiotherapist at UK Athletics before moving up the ranks to take the top job.

He took up the UK Athletics performance director role in 2012 after Charles van Commenee left his position as Olympic head coach.

Black stood down shortly after last year’s World Championships in Doha,

Former UK Athletics performance director Neil Black. (AFP/File / Charly Triballeau) where Great Britain won just five medals, their worst performance since 2005.

Former Olympic heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton, who worked with Black, tweeted: “He came everywhere with me and made sure I was held together physically and mentally. So many things I want to say...

I’ll miss you forever Neil Black.”

Former sprinter Katharine Merry, who won bronze in the

400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, tweeted: “The passing of Neil Black is truly a shock to the world of athletics.” A tweet on the official Team GB account read: “Everyone at the British Olympic Association is shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the loss of Neil Black.

“Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this extremely difficult time.”

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Barcelona sells Camp Nou title to raise money to fight virus BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona will sell the title rights to its storied stadium for one year in an effort to raise money for the fight against the coronavirus.

The Spanish club’s executive board said yesterday it will donate the entire fee raised by selling the title rights to the Camp Nou to fighting the global pandemic.

The Camp Nou is the biggest stadium in Europe with more than 99,000 seats.

It has never had a sponsor since it opened in 1957.

“We want to send a universal message: For the first time someone will have the opportunity to put their name on Camp Nou and the revenues will go to all of humanity, not just Barca,” club vice president Jordi Cardoner told The Associated Press.

“The initiative arose in an emergency situation. We think that we have to have a very quick response, putting our crown jewel at the service (of the fight).”

The club had planned to wait to sell the stadium’s title

rights for the first time in the 2023-24 season. At that time, the club hopes to bring in 300 million euros ($326 million) paid up front for a 25-year contract to pay for renovations to the stadium and other facilities.

Cardoner, who has recovered after contracting the virus, said the board conceived of this new charity sale independent of the longterm deal of 25 years. But, he said that if there emerges a sponsor who wanted to include it in the long-term deal, then the club would consider it.

Cardoner said Barcelona wants to listen to offers from companies and private foundations and will consider opening it up to a group of interested sponsors who could team up and hopefully provide even more funds to help battle the new virus.

He would not give any estimate on how much the foundation hopes to earn from this “one-shot” sale. But given the greatness of Lionel Messi and the millions of spectators who tune in each week to watch Barcelona’s

games, Camp Nou is one of the most coveted venues in sports.

“Camp Nou is sending out an S.O.S.,” Cardoner said.

“We are open to everything.

We want to maximize the economic participation and to ensure that the partners share our same social values.”

The stadium will maintain the name “Camp Nou” in addition to including the sponsor, the club said.

Barcelona’s foundation for social charities, which is overseen by Cardoner, will manage the investment of the money in fighting the virus.

The foundation runs programs in Spain and in 58 other countries, largely focused on at-risk youth and refugees.

The club said it hopes to close a deal “in the coming weeks.” The decision will then have to be approved by a general assembly of club members, which number 140,000, likely to be held in October, if conditions permit.

How the money is used will be determined by the club’s foundation and the sponsor, with each party

Coaching changes coming as preparations made for post-COVID-19 PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Volleyball administrators here are working on a plan for the sport, including improving coaching staff and methods, to be ready to resume play once the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Sports across the globe have been brought to a standstill as social distancing and stay-at-home orders take effect in several countries to stem the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 2.5 million people worldwide and caused in excess of 174,000 deaths.

Chairperson of the National Technical Commission of the Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation, Dr. Trevor Theroulde told CNC3 Sport on Monday that the downtime was being used to prepare for post-COVID-19.

“We’re trying to put our national coaches in place, we’re trying to select elite athletes at all levels – from the youth programme, junior programmes, all the way up to seniors – so as soon as we are in a situation where we could commence the programme, we could just hit the ground running,” he said.

“So, right now, COVID-19 has created a situation where we’re trying to be very creative and innovative with our training methods and

modules. But still, at one point in time we’ll have to get back to some sort of normalcy, so we have to be prepared, and this is what we’re trying to do right now, together with other members of the Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation.”

Dr. Theroulde, who is also Regional Coordinator with volleyball’s world governing body FIVB, said there would be changes to how athletes are trained, as he stressed the need for coaches that “can relate to players effectively and efficiently”.

He noted that, in the past, while volleyballers were playing professionally, many coaches were functioning in part-time roles because they had other jobs.

“It did not work well because we need our coaches to be at a high level, so when the players return to Trinidad and Tobago the standard of training would be almost the same as the international professional clubs,” he said.

“So, one of the things we are looking at is really analyzing the type of coaches we have and looking at ways that we could really train those coaches to be more effective in dissemination information to our national team programmes.”

Dr. Theroulde contended that there was a lot of talent in the twin-island republic,

and made particular mention of the current women’s team which he said was more talented than the squad that qualified for the 2017 FIVB Women’s World Championship.

“So, we just need to put the proper structures and coaches in place, so we’ll be able to achieve a lot more than just qualify for the World Championships once every 20 years. It needs to be more consistent, so we’re looking for a more sustainable model and a more effective approach to getting out coaches ready and our national team selectees ready to participate at a high level,” he said.

T&T qualified for the North, Central America and the Caribbean (NORCECA) Women’s Final Four Qualification Tournament although that competition has been pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The round-robin tournament was originally scheduled for Puerto Rico in mid-May, but has been rescheduled for the end of July. T&T’s women finished last year ranked seventh in NORCECA, but advanced to the Final Four competition because United States, Dominican Republic and Canada ended the season ranked in the top 22 in the world and qualified automatically.

A general view of the Camp Nou stadium prior of a Spanish Copa del Rey soccer match between Barcelona and Leganes at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort, File) proposing how to distribute half of the funds, Cardoner said. Barcelona said it wants to propose using part of the money in Spain, especially in Catalonia, and in countries where the club has current charities. Cardoner said specific projects have not been chosen, but he would like some money to go to helping the elderly, especially in the devastated nursing home sector.

Cardoner said that he took some inspiration from the club’s decision in 2006 to put UNICEF on its shirt, which had never carried a sponsor before.

The club moved the UNICEF logo to the back of the shirt in 2011 and sold the front to a corporate sponsor.

It has continued to donate 2 million euros ($2.14 million) to

UNICEF annually.

The main impetus, however, hit Cardoner while he was confined to his bed waging his own fight against an infection from the virus. He never needed hospitalization and fully recovered after a couple of weeks, but he said that the experience prompted him “think big.”

“I spent a long time in bed and had time to think,” he said. “We do a lot through our foundation, and it occurred to me that we had to think big, think big like we did with the shirt and UNICEF.” Spain has been one of the hardest-hit countries by the COVID-19 virus, which causes respiratory failure especially in the elderly and the sick. More than 20,000 people have died in Spain, a death toll second only to the

United States. The city of Barcelona and the surrounding areas in northeast Catalonia have been hotspots.

The suspension of the Spanish soccer amid the pandemic has put a large hole in the expected revenues of Barcelona, forcing its players to take a pay cut. Still, Cardoner said the club was not tempted to use the title rights revenue now to help plug the holes.

The decision comes during a rocky season for Barcelona and president Josep Bartomeu, who has weathered a mid-season coaching switch, internal tiffs between club officials and players, and the resignation of six board members. Even so, Barcelona leads the league that is now in limbo.

Amnesty warns Premier League over Newcastle takeover AFP - Amnesty International has warned the Premier League that it “risks becoming a patsy” unless it takes a serious look at Saudi Arabia’s human rights record in connection with the proposed takeover of Newcastle.

The Magpies are on the verge of being sold to a Saudi-backed consortium that involves Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for around £300 million ($368 million).

It was reported yesterday that a nonrefundable deposit of £17 million has already been paid to current owner Mike Ashley as part of the deal.

The Premier League must decide if the new owners meet the criteria in its owners and directors test.

Amnesty, a global non-governmental organisation that seeks to prevent abuses of human rights, said that unless the league provides thorough justification for its decision to approve the takeover, it risks damaging its own reputation.

Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen has sent a letter to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters spelling out the

concerns of the organisation.

“So long as these questions (concerning Saudi Arabia’s human rights record) remain unaddressed, the Premier League is putting itself at risk of becoming a patsy of those who want to use the glamour and prestige of Premier League football to cover up actions that are deeply immoral,” she said in the letter.

Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of “sports washing”, saying the government uses sport as a way of distracting attention from its human rights record.

In a statement separate from the letter sent to Masters, Allen said: “All businesses need to safeguard against any possible links to human rights violations, and English football is no different. “This is more than just a financial transaction — it’s an imagebuilding exercise that draws on the prestige of the Premier League and the passion of Newcastle United’s fanbase.”

Amnesty have also previously criticised the UAE’s investment into defending English champions Manchester City as an attempt to sports wash the state’s image.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday April 22, 2020

PAGE 23

What cricket means to West Indians (Part 9)

Lara breaks Sir Garry’s record at ARG Lara, who later that year scored the highest individual score in a first class-match (501*) for Warwickshire vs Durham in England) broke Sobers’ 59-year-old record of 365 with a sensational innings of 375 in the final test of the 1994 series against England at the ARG after Shivnarine Chanderpaul (19yrs, 219 days) had become the youngest Guyanese and sixth youngest West Indian test player in the second test of that series in Guyana. Walsh also became the first specialist bowler to captain the West Indies in the final test of that series.

Lara’s first century in the West Indies was scored in the second test in Guyana, while Chanderpaul finished his debut series with four half centuries including his unbeaten 75 when he helped Lara to his world record score in the final test.

The next year saw the West Indies lose their first series in 15 years when Australia won 2-1 at home to start a downhill journey for the once invincible team.

FALL FROM GRACE: From the 1995 home series defeat to Australia, Ian Bradshaw, at age 31, became the 55th player (2006 vs New Zealand) to debut for the regional team. Five debutants played in the 2003 series against Australia, two in the 2003 Sri Lanka series, while 10 other players were

given their first test cap in 2004/05 alone. Lara became the first captain to lose three consecutive test matches at home when Australia won the series 3-1 in 2004.

Captains Richardson, Walsh, Lara (twice), Adams, Hooper, Jacobs, Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Ganga, Gayle, Dwayne B r a v o , F l o y d R e i f e r, Sammy, Dinesh Ramdin, Jason Holder (twice) and Kraigg Braithwaite in addition to eight WICB Presidents (Peter Short, Pat Rousseau, Wes Hall, Teddy Griffith, Ken Gordon, Julian Hunte, Dave Cameron and Ricky Skerritt has been appointed since 1995.

Hall did not seek reelection due to health reasons and Chetram Singh was elected WICB President in July 2003. He was later forced to relinquish the post due to the ICC’s stipulation that no one connected with any form of public gambling would be allowed to attend ICC meetings. Singh, who held the post of Guyana Cricket Board President since 1992, owned a Horse Racing betting shop in Georgetown Guyana. His time as GCB head ended in 2010.

Richardson (suffering from acute fatigue syndrome) resigned during the 1996 World Cup after four years in the job.

Walsh was dismissed after the 3-0 defeat in

Carl Hooper enjoyed his best days when he was Windies Skipper.

Pakistan and Lara given the job he had been groomed for since his days at the youth level. After two years of what he called “moderate success and devastating failure” Lara quit before the 2000 series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan and took a break from the game.

Adams was next and although he won at home he became the first captain to lose a series in England in 31 years before being hammered 5-nill in Australia. Loss of form and failure as skipper resulted in the end of Adams’ career prior to the 2001 home series against South Africa.

Adams was at the helm when England beat West Indies by an innings and 39 runs in two days at Leeds in the fourth test of the 2000 series. The only other time the Caribbean side had lost a test in two days was 69 years before in Australia.

Sarwan hit an unbeaten 59 as West Indies made 172 to which England replied with 272 as Ambrose and Walsh took four wickets each.

England, with a lead of 100, then sent the West Indies reeling for 61 as five

Sarwan & Chanderpaul scored tons to help West Indies to the highest successful run-chase against Australia. batsmen made ducks and only three managed double figures. Andy Caddick (514) and Daren Gough (4-30) were the architects of destruction for England.

Hooper, the fifth captain in six years, was appointed in 2001 but after the 2003 World Cup Hooper was replaced by Lara. Hooper, hurt by the WICB’s manner in sacking him as skipper, pulled out of the squad for the 2003 home series against Australia days before the start of the first test in his homeland Guyana.

West Indies register record 418-7 to prevent

Australia’s clean sweep After losing the first three tests in the 2003 home s e r i e s , We s t I n d i e s spearheaded by centuries from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, scored a world record 418-7 (the highest successful fourth innings score to win) to beat Australia on the final day of a nerve raking test at the ARG. Sarwan scored 105 and Chanderpaul 104 after Lara had made 60 but it was Vasbert Drakes (27*) and Omari Banks (47*) who guided West Indies home in mounting pressure on the morning session of the final

day which the home team began with 47 needed for the sensational win.

The match was marred by poor umpiring from David Sheppard and an ugly confrontation between Glen McGrath and Sarwan.

With the West Indies gaining the upper hand and the battle becoming more and more intense, a frustrated McGrath reportedly asked Sarwan “What does Brian Lara’s c—k taste like?”

Sarwan replied “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask your wife?” This angered (Continued on page 20)

Lara kisses the ARG pitch after his record breaking innings.

rt o p S

Daren Sammy to Captain St. Lucia Zouks in 2020

Decision on Windies tour set for next month

West Indies are expected to host South Africa in a limited overs series in July.

Sweet Dream, Jordan 1992 Olympic jersey sells for $216,000

Daren Sammy

La Liga clubs pledge 200 million euros TTFA lawyers to other sports, warn bank lower leagues Amnesty warns Premier League over Newcastle takeover

regarding control of association accounts

U.S. basketball player Michael Jordan (2nd R) flashes a victory sign as he stands with team mates Larry Bird (L), Scottie Pippen and Clyde Drexler (R), nicknamed the ‘Dream Team’ after winning the Olympic gold in Barcelona, Spain August 8, 1992. (REUTERS /Ray Stubblebine/File Photo)

Ousted TTFA president William Wallace

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