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Kaieteur News
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL TEL:624-6456 Editor: SHARMAIN GRAINGER Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Crisis and Opportunity
The Novel Coronavirus has earned itself the title of a catastrophe of Biblical proportions, not only in how rapidly it spreads or how fatal it is but how devastating its consequences have been on the overall quality of life. The World Bank, for example, paints a dire picture of the virus’ impact on poverty in the future. According to its June report on the issue: “Poverty projections suggest that the social and economic impacts of the crisis are likely to be quite significant. Estimates based on growth projections from the June 2020 Global Economic Prospects report show that, when compared with precrisis forecasts, COVID-19 could push 71 million people into extreme poverty in 2020 under the baseline scenario and 100 million under the downside scenario.” The manifestations of this impact are, of course, myriad, perhaps nowhere more than in the public health sector. In this country, not only has the virus tested the limits of our public health system in terms of our epidemiological shortcomings, it has shone a spotlight on how inefficient, wasteful and unaccountable our public health financing system is in response to such a crisis. The beginning of the crisis started out with exposure of a scandal on the procurement of respirators, something that metastasized into the scandal of the $1.6 billion dollar COVID-19 hospital that we are told will cost three times the basic construction price when we still do not know what the money was spent on. We are told that the Auditor-General will be looking into COVID-19 spending, but considering how laissez-faire our political leadership across administrations has been in giving teeth to penalties for corruption in public financing, particularly with regards to public health, we are unsure whether the AG’s find will be of anything more than academic interest and intent, even under a new government. If nothing is done in fully examining how the current administration has treated public health financing in this crisis, then we will once again miss an opportunity, the best offered in decades, to bring some sense of accountability and integrity to the public health sector.Another area that the combined COVID19 and electoral crises has brought under the spotlight is that of public service efficiency. The lockdown in particular, in its restriction of public servant in-office hours, has of course put a strain on the delivery of basic public services, including access to the judicial system, the sole exception perhaps being politicians and their lawyers filing elections related cases. Education has been the hardest hit with the closure of schools cutting off teaching time to the country’s students in the lead up to definitive exams- the Grade Six Assessment, CXC and CAPE. To counter this, technology has played a critical role, whether in limited moves to increase digitized services, or in conducting trials by Zoom, or teachers sharing lesson with their students via WhatsApp and e-mail. That said, even when the solution of technology has made things easier for some people, it has exposed the critical gaps in our society when it comes to access to technology. The opportunity exists for the development of a comprehensive plan for integrating technology into the mechanics of our public service delivery in a far more committed and cost-efficient way than we have been attempting over the past 15 years, from the ICT4D strategy that petered out to the wasteful One Laptop Per Family, to the disastrous fibre optic cable project, to the current E-gov programme that is proving to be more smoke and mirrors than actual substance, particularly with regard to the sustainability of community ICT hubs. Finally, overall, this crisis has served as a litmus test of the limits of social vulnerability in this country. It has shown us that our health system has critical gaps that would have led to disaster were it not for committed and consistent frontline workers; it has shown that the State has zero plan in place to help the people who the crisis has pushed further into poverty, many of whom would have starved were it not for private initiatives; and it has shown that too many holes exist in our public expenditure infrastructure to allow the unscrupulous and corrupt in our political leadership to exploit a pandemic to spend public funds with zero oversight and accountability. It is clear that COVID-19 has brought the crisis – we need to decide whether we can transform it into opportunity.
Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Our Police Force continues to disappoint me as a citizen DEAR EDITOR, It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter about our police force, which I understand is mandated to serve and protect, regardless. Of course, it is expected that a murder or fatal accident will take precedence over a disturbance, but I have come to realise that unless a death is involved in a report the police patrol, at least the one (or ones) on the West Coast of Demerara never responds. Let me explain. I live in a neighbourhood called Crane Housing Scheme. In the very street where I live, there is a ‘drug yard’ where from time to time, a number of young men congregate. Sometimes during the day, they play football in the street. The football is tossed to and fro as the kickers dictate and often it comes crashing into people’s property with the potential of causing destruction. I have stood up against this activity even citing COVID-19 restrictions such as the need for social distancing. Once the ball even hit me when I stood up against this. I don’t know if that was
deliberate but I kept that ball in retaliation. On that day, I called the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station and a rank too advised me not to return the ball and that a patrol will visit. Prior to that though, I had made multiple reports at that police station and the advice given is always that a patrol will come. Unless these patrols are coming in spirit form, they have never arrived or are probably still en route; you never know given the sloth with which some things occur in this country. But I digress. Let’s fast forward to Friday night. The people from the ‘drug yard’, like nights before, held what appeared to be a party. Lots of noisy and I presumed “high” young men, from smoking weed, were present. Some felt they had the right to come sit on the outskirts of my property because of course, as they said in abusive language, “this is government reserve”. So there I was as a senior citizen, who served this country for over 50 years and lived at my current residence for 40 years, expected to accept the actions of some hooligans to disturb my peace and even toss garbage (Continued on page 7)
Sunday August 02, 2020
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
It is time for GECOM to end this election America’s president is behaving bizarrely DEAR EDITOR, COVID-19 virus. Houston, the images that come are not saga and move the country forward It is either a sign of the we have a problem and it’s of eagles but of carrions and DEAR EDITOR, The right to free speech is not necessarily the right to be taken seriously. The much vented views of persons like David Hinds, Lincoln Lewis, Vincent Alexander and a few others published in Guyana’s newsprint are all stirring the same pot with different spoons. Their discourse contains three similar ingredients. The first is the election results must be declared using the Chief Election Officer (CEO) Lowenfield’s figures even though those figures do not correspond with the recount figures. In other words, if the CEO concocted his own numbers, they must be used because according to the aforementioned names, Lowenfield is bound by the constitution and only he can determine who won the election even though the Caribbean Court of Justice and the Guyana Court of Appeal have ruled otherwise. The second
point as claimed by those individuals is that the PPP rigged the elections using deceased and duplicate votes of migrated persons even though Guyana has one of the strictest election processes, one which is manually operated. And three, the individuals have boldly and barefacedly suggested that the election impasse can be resolved by the President dissolving the elections and announced a date for new elections. The truth is that nowhere in the Constitution does it give the president the power to dissolve an election based on unproven claims by some. This has been the persistent call by Alexander, Lewis and Hinds. Not to mention the ridiculous, absurd and silly comment by former Prime Minister Hamilton Green who called on President Granger to get rid of the constitution and rule by decree. Although we are cognizant of his apology,
we do not believe it, because as the video showed, he was involved in a long diatribe, which could not be deemed a slip of the tongue as he claimed. The most overwhelming point is that Granger and the rigging cabal believed that it has been bequeathed to them by some unknown power, be it the Almighty or Satan, to be the rulers of Guyana. This point has been illustrated vividly in their narrative not to relinquish power under any circumstance. Hinds writes (July 26 KN) ‘...this would be a prolonged process. I arrived at that conclusion based on my study of elections in ethnically divided societies’. This is a baseless pronouncement by Hinds because no one knows which societies he studied but numerous such societies like fellow CARICOM countries, included the ethnically divided society of Trinidad (Continued on page 7)
Authentic Black consciousness is not, by definition, anti any other race or ethnicity DEAR EDITOR, On behalf of OVP, I salute those who painted the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” on the road in front of the monument honouring the great 1763 Revolution. It is a creative and profoundly symbolic way for Guyanese to join in the call of the already historic BLM Movement in a meaningful way, especially in the lead up to this Emancipation Day. More than two months after the murder of George Floyd, the BLM Movement continues to gain momentum. United across ethnicity, class and gender, under the clear and simple message couched in the hashtag, “BlackLivesMatter”, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in every corner of the globe. The power of this proclamation lies in the direct challenge it poses to the global system of White Supremacy and its offshoots - imperialism, capitalism, neo-colonialism and racism. This global revolt is part and parcel of the inevitable decline of the US/Euro Empire and the disintegration of its bogus liberal democratic arrangement. As Trump orders the army onto the streets of US cities, with teargas, rubber bullets and brutal force, the naked fascism of the Empire is there for all to see. The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed capitalism’s inherent flaws and fault lines as never before. We must remember that White Supremacy came into
the world as capitalism. As Malcolm X stated, “You can’t have capitalism without racism.” White Supremacy, Capitalism and Neo-Colonialism constitute a web of oppressions – each feeding off the other. To challenge one is to challenge all. The good news is that people everywhere have had enough and are resisting. We in Guyana must hold down our corner. If we want to be on the right side of history, we must understand these issues as they confront us and the ways in which they have prevented our progress. Obsolete and oppressive systems do not crumble of their own accord. Throughout history, it is the conscious and decisive action of the people that finally deals the death blow. Other Caribbean nations have expressed their support for the BLM Movement. On June 23, 2020, the Barbados House of Assembly passed a resolution expressing support for the principle that “Black Lives Matter” and endorsed the notion that “it will not be possible to unequivocally assert that, “all lives matter”, unless and until Black lives are, in theory and practice, treated with the respect and regard that is their due”. To the Guyanese detractors who are crying “all lives matter” on social media, we recognize this response for what it is, a convenient cover for the anti-Black racism that ex-
ists in Guyana and has a role in the divisions that have torn this country apart. Whenever we, Black people, speak for ourselves, assert ourselves and articulate our demands, we are almost always met with castigation and accused of excluding others. Interestingly, this does not occur when other ethnic groups organize around their concerns. Those who truly understand the origin, condition and suffering of Black people, know that when Black Lives Matter, then all lives will matter in Guyana and across the world. In the words of the great Caribbean writer, George Lamming, “The Black man and woman in their own self-emancipation, will emancipate all of oppressed humanity in the process.” As Black people, we must develop revolutionary consciousness and unity amongst ourselves before attempting to unite with others. However, authentic Black consciousness and the revolutionary African personality referred to by Kwame Nkrumah is not by definition anti any other race or ethnicity. On the contrary, an African-centered worldview does not permit discrimination against any other human person based on their ethnicity or colour. In 2020, Black Lives Must Matter in Guyana. The time has come when we can settle for nothing less. Yours truly, Gerald A. Perreira
times or a sign of the apocalypse. I start with the mighty United States, as I probe for any glimmer of sanity that is forthcoming amidst the strange new wisdoms of the hour. Unfortunately, I do not progress far in my quest for instead of sanity, I encounter more and more lunacy. Here it is that the world is under siege from a pandemic, people are out of work by the tens of millions, and the leader of the free world is more occupied with boasting about how many tweets (many tens of thousands) he has obtained on the matter of bases named after Confederate army officers. Who is leading whom, and how free is this free world of ours? For here is a man at the dawn of the 21st century touting men who fought to maintain the abominable institution of slavery. I must wonder that if the clock was turned back whether this leader may not have also been an owner of human chattel; he certainly does everything to measure up to any such stereotype, benevolent or otherwise. Also, and not unreasonably, I am thinking that a nuclear button is involved somewhere in those hands, and despite checks and balances and the rest, a shiver follows. There is some more shivering coming, for if Texasbased Dr. Stella Immanuel is to be believed demons do sleep with people. And as if that were not enough, I keep hearing from this leadershiptouted (yeah, the same US leader) physician that hydroxychloroquine heals the
with serious heart arrhythmia. In fact, I think we have more of a problem with too much of this Donald Duck driven expertise in politics and now medicine. I am sure that I also heard (I am beginning to fear my own shadow) that facemasks are “unnecessary.” I need them if only to scare off the many spirits that prowl around Guyana. The one positive I read coming from the clairvoyant Dr. Immanuel was that Jesus was going to destroy Facebook if something did not happen. Whatever it was that offended, I do not need to know, that is good enough for me. Just get rid of that Satanic presence called Facebook (and Twitter and Instagram and the rest) that is killing us over here down south. In terms of Guyana, everybody here is a high-flyer, including the ordinary man-inthe-street. By high-flyer, I mean a legal eagle with a keen eye for sophisticated interpretations of something called a constitution. New and callow legal men, who chase ambulances, fancy themselves stalwarts in the law. And old timers, who barely made the grade out of any school, and spent their whole professional life following funeral processions in the hope of picking up a client now wax authoritatively about the majesty of the law and its finer points. It is as if Madonna starts lecturing nuns about celibacy and virtue. When I think of Guyanese practitioners, men who almost never won a case on skill or merit, but on tricks,
crows. ‘Cannie-crow’, my people use to call them. Oh, and here is one more from the good ole USA. The same lovely folks who were/ are guiding this backward place and showing it the error of its ways on matters of elections, now have one of its own that just surfaced. No less than the free-thinking, free-swinging, and freedom loving headman over there (the president, he is called) has stepped forward to claim that he has the authority under Article II of the US Constitution to delay the November election. I must say it is a nice try and representative of innovative thinking. I must also leave this closing note: I always suspected that the American chief was a Guyanese in disguise. How else could he arrive at such a bizarre electoral conclusion? Go figure what the world is coming to, if not an end. I would hope not, since it is so much fun, with all these kinds of harebrained people running around free and creating much-needed entertainment. Yours truly, GHK Lall
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
The public deserves factual reporting and informed analysis DEAR EDITOR, Two of your Sunday columnists have ended their columns with KN citing interference with their viewpoints. Guyanese who I conversed with say the two columnists got away with more than what other media house would tolerate in terms of objectivity. They are viewed as cheerleaders of the coalition on the outcome of the election. Readers say KN was generous with its tolerance of their biased commentaries to excuse electoral fraud. People generally find KN to be fair, impartial, balanced, and objective in media operations. I have been writing for papers since 1977 and engaged the media in the stu-
dent dissension on the Corentyne in 1976. I also wrote for and helped edited student newspapers at City College; Dr. Baytoram Ramharack and I wrote pieces for student papers and we also wrote columns and edited newsletters and newspapers pertaining to Guyana. In my professional opinion, with some 44 years experience in the media, I find KN gave very balanced coverage in the 2020 election including on the struggle to respect the outcome of the recount. The paper allowed both sides to present their viewpoints on the recount, the court matter, and shared governance. My studies of the media reveal that writers are guided by management, which does
not want to land into trouble with the law; KN was the party to several frivolous lawsuits. Writers cannot write anything they wish and or allow their political affiliation to interfere with professionalism. Their writings must fall within some guidelines that do not violate editorial policy, is biased against a side, threaten peace and stability, and or violate the law, et al. One of the main complaints against the resigned columnists is objection to their defense of the APNUled coalition on the issue of electoral fraud to remain in office. Writers cannot and must not defend fraud and not expected to “be spoken to” or “corrected” by management. In any media, manage-
ment is accountable to public readership or “viewership” to disallow defense or excuse of fraud or some other negative attribute like racism, misogyny, etc. I travel extensively around the globe for research and tourism interest. I read KN and the other papers daily. Anyone overseas who follows issues on Guyana reads KN. Almost everyone I interacted with reads KN. It is also cited extensively in research including in doctoral studies I did in economics, politics, sociology, history and other subjects. KN is indisputably the most read newspaper in Guyana. Anyone who feels otherwise don’t really interact with people on the ground. And
in terms of readership, Freddie is the most read columnist in the country and in the diaspora and people consider him the most courageous writer, not afraid of government consequences for his viewpoint which are almost always spot on. And no one can justifiably accuse KN of bias or censorship. (At one time, my writings were not carried because of personality of a letter editor rather than on issue; the publisher fixed that problem and I have no reason to believe that he would censor anyone’s view that is within the ambit of the law and that does not attack people or spread falsehoods). I note that the two columnists have not claimed management terminated their columns; Chronicle terminated their columns for critiquing the government – the first time for Guyana since Burnham imposed press censorship in the early 1970s. As some with long years of experience in the media, writers generally tend to be free to have political association and to pen viewpoints even in support of a party, but bias in their outpourings must not be obvious. Writers must be fair and objective and support arguments with credible evidence. Out of self-respect and dignity, columnists should try to maintain some kind of impartiality and objectivity and respect management on issues of professionalism. One cannot blatantly defend fraud so that one’s party can remain in office. The two resigned columnists never once condemned the electoral fraud of Mingo or Lowenfield while the rest of the world did. As I understand from the readings of reports and editorials, the position of KN management is neutrality, which aims to protect the credibility of the publication. Columnists must adhere to this basic principle. In poring over the columns of the two resigned columnists, it would be a stretch of credibility to say that they were impartial, objective, and unbiased. In fact, they openly supported the ruling coalition and the Mingo and Lowenfield electoral fraud. The two columnists complained that KN seems to be taking a pro-PPP position on
electoral fraud. Exposing or condemning electoral fraud is not about being pro-PPP or anti-APNU. Fraud is wrong and is a violation of human and civil rights. It is expected that every media and columnist would condemn fraud. In fact, the three independent newspapers and other media practitioners in Guyana condemned the fraud. All credible commentators, and this writer, condemned the fraud and called for the respect of the will of the electorate. All the media around the Caribbean region and around the globe condemned the fraud. International and domestic observers condemned the fraud. So KN is not being biased or pro-PPP in reporting, exposing, and editorializing on the fraud. In fact, people around the globe praise KN for its reports on the election fraud. If one goes back to reports during the months-long election campaign, KN hardly gave coverage to it and readers were disappointed because they had expected more reportage. Unlike during the 2015 election campaign, when the paper appeared biased towards APNU, there was a turnaround in 2020 when KN was totally neutral and impartial in election reports, coverage, and editorializing. In fact, PPP supporters felt KN was giving more space to the coalition. As I detected in my analysis, KN’s interest in the election was piqued after the Mingo fraud of March 6. Democracy was at stake and readers expected that no media would be an uninterested observer or not take a side. The media had to take a position in defense of the ballot. It seems to me that the KN position was no different from the other two private owned newspapers and broadcasting media. All three papers exposed the fraud and reported on the views of people from around the globe. The public deserves factual reporting and informed analysis with unbiased, credible opinions, not propaganda. One’s personal bias should not influence commentary. Guyanese who I conversed with thank KN for impartiality and professionalism. Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram
Sunday August 02, 2020
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Both Granger and Ali have a limited opportunity to act in the best interest of Guyana DEAR EDITOR, As we emerge from this exhausting and debilitating few months, please allow me to describe ‘tomorrow’ as I see it. Now that it is clear that a new Government is likely to be sworn in shortly, what now? The past few months have laid bare the deep scars and deep pain among us as Guyanese. These scars are deep and have pained Guyanese hearts in different ways, for different reasons, and for many years, going back to slavery, indentureship, independence and all that happened since then.Over the past 19 months - starting with the No Confidence Motion in December 2018 and right up to the recent Court of Appeal decision on the recount, there was an unprecedented range of views, accusations, anger, ideas, proposals, etc. from an unprecedented range of Guyanese at home and in the Diaspora. These voices came from all corners, levels and segments of the Guyanese fab-
ric. There was also deafening silence from Guyanese who many expected to speak. I cannot recall a time before when there was such an outpouring, and with such passion and conviction. In all of this, scars became open wounds, and it left a trail of anger, sadness and hurt that will linger for a long time. It is clear that after elections, supporters for the 2 major parties are always left feeling vulnerable and afraid of what a Government of the opposite side means for them. The fears are real and manybeing marginalized, marked, victimized, discriminated against, excluded from Guyana’s great economic prospects ahead, etc. It appears that these fears in 2020 are much greater than ever before and may have contributed to what we saw in the past months. Yet, in the midst of shouting and the pain, it is clear that Guyanese at home and in the Diaspora want to be proud of our “Beautiful Guyana”. Guyanese were on edge over the past five plus
months. They engaged with head, heart, and soul because they believe what they say and feel. Watching things unravelling in Guyana was unbearable and heartbreaking. Everyone wanted the nightmare to end. More than anything, we want to be proud of our native land and proud to be Guyanese, so let us begin the journey to make ourselves proud of Guyana and being Guyanese. I have always been a strong believer in the mindset of abundance vs the mindset of scarcity. In simple terms, when the water level goes up, it raises all ships. Success for one person does not have to be at the expense of another. One does not have to cut down, cut out, or trample on others to be successful. In the mindset of abundance, there is enough for everyone. The focus needs to be on having as many people as possible being successful. This is how we raise the water level. We have it within our collective power to ‘show what Guyana’s sons and daughters can be’.
Our Police Force continues to disappoint ... From page 4 on the parameters of my property without saying a word. I said many words in retaliation and even called the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station again to inform them of the development. Of course, like many times before, they advised that a patrol was on the way. My daughter who placed several calls herself to the station decided to call and inform a junior rank who she knows of the situation. The rank in response informed her “the only way to get a patrol to respond fast, you have to
know a “big one”. So my daughter who works in the media decided to do just that via WhatsApp, since regular calls to a “big one” went unanswered. There was no response from that “big one” but a call did come to my daughter’s phone shortly after from the Leonora Police Station enquiring about the report my daughter made to the “big one”. By then the crowd had started to disperse since my daughter had taken photos and we kept monitoring their activities despite their constant abusive language
towards us, with one even saying “y’all deh too comfortable in deh”. Up to retiring to bed at around 1am Saturday morning, almost four hours after the ordeal started, we saw no patrol although the enquiring cop had advised a patrol would pass. Maybe they did, but I don’t know. My question though: is my family not worth it, to be served and protected by the Guyana Police Force or must someone be maimed or worse for an actual response to occur? Yours truly, J. Barry
It is time for GECOM to end this election... From page 5 and Tobago, have declared their election results in a day or two. It is now up to David Hinds to reveal to the public, which ethnically divided societies he has studied that have prolonged their election results for as long as Guyana’s APNU+AFC coalition government has done. Hinds’ clamour for dialogue is both pathetic and farfetched. When his Party, which he was a candidate in 2020 won in 2015 by a meager 0.3 percent of the votes cast, he did not see the need for such discourse. Today, however, he is calling for shared governance. I would remind Hinds of the famous proverb which states: “What is good for the Goose is also good for the Gander.” In addition, he should heed the famous words: “Do unto others as you would like them do unto
you.” The Prussian philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) defined reason as a ‘faculty of principles’ or the ‘faculty of the unity of the rules of understanding under principles.’ The problem with this kind of reasoning is how to justify these concepts and principles. Kant’s definition of reason is intriguing in that it often leads us into error and contradiction and into the realms of logic and illusion where duty compels one to flawed reasoning as they have amoral obligation only in pursuit of a predetermined goal. Now I must return to Hamilton Green, who I believed has spewed such thought process a week ago with his declaration that President Granger should set aside the Constitution, disregard the rule of law and sworn him-
self in as president of Guyana in order to safeguard the interest of future generations. This kind of reasoning and the narrative perpetuated by Hinds, Lewis and Alexander are ill conceived. They are divisive and could set Guyana back for decades. It is time for GECOM to end this election saga, declare the winner and move the country forward. Yours truly Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine
Mutual respect, collective success, and social equality have to become the national rallying cry, and these have to be everyone’s business. Starting right now, I am calling on the current and next President to lead the way. ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you’. To the outgoing President: Let your party and supporters know that country comes first and that you commit to help the new President and Government through a peaceful and successful transition, and that you are calling on them to do the same. To the incoming President: Acknowledge that people who support the outgoing Government would feel vulnerable and uncertain for various reasons. Recognize
that these feelings are real and valid, but that you commit yourself to be a champion for equal opportunity, for success for every Guyanese and other stakeholders. In addition, commit that you will work tirelessly to harness all of Guyana’s talent, goodwill and resources to benefit every citizen. Assure people that you will accept nothing less from your Government, party and supporters, and call on leaders in Business, Academia and Civil Society to be your partners. To both Dr. Ali and Mr. Granger, I feel you need to speak in clear language laying out what actions you take in the first 100 days and the next 1000 days to bring the Guyanese family together and harness their energy for
shared purpose, shared success and national pride. “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.” – Shakespeare, in ‘Julius Caesar’. Gentlemen, you both have a limited window of opportunity to gain a large dose of goodwill and shift the energy and focus of Guyanese at home and in the Diaspora towards what is possible when we work together, “One people, One nation, One destiny”. I wish you well. Yours truly, Oma Sewhdat
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Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur News
Realtor sues Top Cop, AG for wrongful detention, assault and battery A lawsuit has been brought against Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, and the Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams for $90M. The claimant, Miguel Angel Dino, a real estate agent, is suing James and Williams in their capacity as representatives of the State for the alleged wrongful detention, assault and battery perpetrated on him by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). According to legal documents drafted by attorney, Nirvan Singh, the
lawsuit stems from an incident involving a fraudulent cheque. The realtor had been informed that he was wanted for questioning in an incident related to the issued cheque. He visited the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Eve Leary, in the company of his lawyer, Leslie Sobers, on January 16, 2019. According to the document, the man claimed that he was made to wait hours with his lawyer, who subsequently left to conduct other business. Dino claimed said that it
was after his lawyer left that he met with the two investigating ranks officers Komal Pitama and Devon Lowe. In the statement of claim, the 25-year-old realtor claimed that the officers began to demand money from him to end the matter. Dino alleged that the ranks threatened to charge him and demanded $600,000. According to him, the ranks placed him in a holding cell as he waited on his relatives to bring the cash. During the time, the man claimed that he asked to speak
Suing for $90M: Miguel Dino
Top Cop: Leslie James
with a senior officer who instructed that the sum of $1,200,000 be lodged with CID as restitution. However, later that night after the money was lodged, Dino claimed that the officers returned to his cell. They told him that he had messed up and made the wrong move and they would see to it that he goes to jail. According to the document, Dino claimed that he was beaten by the officers and told to sign a statement but he refused. The man claimed that he was thrown into the Lusignan Prison and held in excess of 72 hours, which was unlawful and constituted a violation/ breach of his constitutional protection.
AG Basil Williams
Section 139 (4) of the Constitution states that a person should not be detained for more than 72 hours without being brought before a Court of Law. Further, he claimed from the inception of his detention, he was never told that he was under arrest; never told of the reasons for any purported arrest, which is also a breach of his rights under the Constitution. Detailing the claim of battery, the realtor said that he was severely beaten with electrical wires, slapped on his face and threatened with a gun to sign a statement. The man said that the beating was so bad that he had to seek medical attention
at the prison before he was eventually placed before the court and released on bail. Dino said the charges against him were later dropped after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew the matter. He said this was not, however, before he suffered embarrassment, intimidation, physical abuse, as well as psychological and emotional trauma. As such, he wants the court to award him $50M for damages committed on his person at the hands of the police, $30M for false imprisonment and $10M for aggravated damages, and any other such related areas or further order the court deems just.
Autopsy report reveals woman in lover’s home died from stomach bleeding A woman, who died in the home of her lover on the Essequibo Coast last Tuesday night, succumbed because of stomach bleeding. This is according to the autopsy report, which was done Friday by pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh. The woman, who was identified as Romona Inniss, 32, died while in the company of her lover, 47. Reports are that the woman lives at Goed Fortuin on the West Bank of Demerara, but was spending time with her male friend at Somerset on the Essequibo Coast. Based on reports reaching Kaieteur News,
the woman was seen last Tuesday drinking heavily at Charity. At around 23:30hrs, the woman was pronounced dead at the Oscar Joseph Hospital. The woman’s lover, who was in police custody, told reporters that while at his Somerset home, the woman fell and lost consciousness. He also said that when he observed blood oozing from her nostrils, he rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The autopsy examination was witnessed by the dead woman’s father, Damon Inniss, and the father of her child.
Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur News
17 more cases; COVID-19 moves to 430
The COVID-19 update table for August 1. Within a period of 24 hours, 17 more Guyanese have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus. In a release sent out by the Ministry of Public Health, it was noted that the total number of persons that tested positive for the virus, moved from 413 to 430. It is unclear whether these positive cases
emerged from Georgetown or from another location in Guyana. Guyana now has 225 active cases which are currently housed in various isolation and quarantine facilities across the country. Three of the cases still remain in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Dem boys seh...
De Waterfall paper not into spreading division Lincoln and David decide dat dem nah gon write no more in de Waterfall paper. Dem boys seh good riddance. Every newspaper does gat to follow de law or else dem could face libel suit and other charges. De law prohibits the publication of any material dat is libelous or intended to incite division or hatred based on race, religion gender or sexual orientation. De Waterfall paper gat its own rules. It already decide long now dat it nat going to allow any view which is aimed at inciting violence, hatred or division in we society. Dat is the longstanding position of de paper. De paper support diversity of opinions. Dat is why when Lincoln and David get kick out from de Kranicle, de boss man of de Waterfall paper tell dem dat dem can write fuh de Waterfall paper. Dem nah ask fuh come. De boss
man is de one who give dem free space fuh write. Dem boys surprise now fuh hear dem complain about censorship. Dem boys even more shock dat one of dem seh dat censorship began during the election campaign. Dem boys nah hear from de two of dem no complaints during the campaign. When people writing ting trying to provoke or promote division or expose the newspaper to legal action, then de newspaper gat a right fuh refuse fuh carry dem thing. All over de world, duh is de stance of all newspapers dat worth dem salt. Dem boys remember dat when one of dem attack de CARICOM Prime Ministers personally dat if de newspaper de carry dat, de Waterfall paper bossman and de editors would have been ordered to climb de court steps. Dat is not censorship. Dat is following de tenets of journalism.
When one of dem call fuh throw way de ballot boxes, dem boys feel dat this would promote division and incite problems. And de Waterfall paper is not about spreading division. Dat is not censorship. In fact, is de boss man himself who call both of dem and explain to dem de policy of de paper. Dem nah complain then about censorship. De Waves website trying fuh spin de issue into what it’s nat. It seh how certain people leffin de Waterfall paper. Dem boys wan de Waves man, De-Niece, fuh know dat the de only Indian in de pressroom is Gildarie. So if people decide fuh leave, who is it dat he expect gon leave? So nah play de race card pon de Waterfall paper. Talk half and tell de DeNiece man dat if he want to write facts, fuh call be Waterfall bossman.
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Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur News
Top Cop sent on pre-retirement leave
- Deputy Graham still on the job
C
ommissioner of Po lice, Leslie James has been asked to proceed on his pre-retirement leave, leading to his ultimate retirement. However, one of his deputies, Maxine Graham, who has leave due before her retirement, is still on the job. Kaieteur News understands that the Commissioner was handed his letter of instructions on Thursday. The duties of that Commissioner will be performed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Nigel Hoppie, until a replacement is selected. Both the Top Cop and Graham were expected to cease functions in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) months ago but were still on the job despite accumulating significant leave. Both James and Graham should have proceeded on their accumulated leave since early June.
Both, according to reports, have more than 16 months in accumulated leave. Kaieteur News also received copies of documents confirming that both the Top Cop and his Deputy should have been sent on leave. According to the documents, Commissioner James has accumulated 306 days of leave, and should have proceeded on leave on June 28 last. His retirement date, according to the documents seen, is May 5, 2021. With regards to Deputy Commissioner Graham, she has accumulated 172 days of leave and should have left her post since June 11… her retirement date is December 1, 2020. The issue was brought to fore after the de facto President David Granger gave approval for the Army Chief-ofStaff, Brigadier Patrick West, to proceed on accumulated
Deputy Commissioner, Nigel Hoppie
Deputy Commissioner, Maxine Graham pre-retirement leave effective from July 1. Colonel Godfrey Bess was selected to act as his successor. West’s leave is expected to end in March 2021 at which time his retirement will kick in. Back in 2015, when the Granger administration took office, all public servants were ordered to take their annual leave when due or forfeit same since it was recognized that taking payment in lieu of leave
was putting a financial strain on government’s coffers. Then State Minister, Joseph Harmon, in a message to those holding public offices stated: “We are saying, as a general statement, as from 2015 going forward, that when you are entitled to your leave, you have to take it in the year. If you don’t use it, you are going to lose it.” Traditionally, any public servant who attains the age
Top Cop, Leslie James
of 55 is required to retire from his or her post. Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, back in July was questioned as to why both top police officials were still on the job. He had stated: “Look, I don’t know why they are still on the job. I will have to check that out to see what exactly is happening over there. I am not aware of that…I know nothing about that.”
When contacted again, Ramjattan gave a different answer, claiming that James and Graham were “validly there”. It was President David, however, who provided the reason why the duo still held public office. Granger, during an interview, stated that they were asked to stay on the job to oversee a “special operation” (Continued on page 58)
Three in custody for Port Mourant Chinese Supermarket robbery Police on the Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six, have arrested three persons in connection with the alleged armed robbery committed at the Long Sheng Chinese Supermarket, at Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. Sources close to the investigation revealed that the three men were arrested during a cordon and search operation. Those being questioned are Denzil Thomas of Carpen Street, Rose Hall Town; Kelvin Bates of New Market Street, Corentyne and Nitesh Nandlal, a hire car driver of Portuguese Quarter, Port Mourant. Reports are that three masked men, all armed, invaded the supermarket Friday night demanding valuables and cash, shortly before 8pm. A sales representative of the supermarket, Saroja Ramdihal, disclosed that she was about to collect her cell phone from a shelf near the cashier booth when the men rushed in. Baosheng Zou, one of the proprietors, was sitting near the cashier. He was struck on the head with a gun and relieved of cash, cell phone and phone cards. Ramdihal’s phone was also taken while Qui Jing Zou,
another proprietor, was also pounced on by one of the men armed with a cutlass. Surveillance footage seen by this publication showed a masked individual wearing a blue hoodie and dark coloured jeans entering the supermarket and pointing the gun at the Chinese businessman in the cashier cubicle. The gunman then entered the cubicle where the sales representative was as well and he dealt a kick to the head of the Chinese man. It was not a gun butt to the head as the police report indicated. A few minutes later, a second man wearing a black hoodie and a cutlass in his hand entered. He leaned over the counter and appeared to be making demands from the sales representative and the Chinese man. After grabbing what they wanted, they exited the business and escaped. Zou, the 22-year-old businessman, was relieved of $1,400,000, a quantity of GTT and Digicel phone cards valued at $50,000 and one black Huawei cell phone valued at $144,000. The female Chinese proprietor, Qiu Jing Zou, 48, was relieved of $10,000 while Ramdihal had her Samsung Galaxy cellphone worth $35,000 stolen.
The bandits in action at the supermarket.
The Long Sheng Supermarket
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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
Mingo/Lowenfield Kafkaesque tragedy: Can a normal mind be silent?
I will never see some political icons, admirable scholars and other Guyanese personalities the same way again because of their attitude to the Kafkaesque descent of two GECOM election officials that may devastate the future of this country. I make both a practical and theoretical distinction between these groups of people and the politicians who have lost power by the result of the 2020 elections. Mose Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, and Desmond Trotman, the GECOM Commissioner, comes to mind. What they did was wrong but in philosophy, something can be wrong yet be logical. Trotman invoked Walter Rodney for his fiendish descent into the degradation of GECOM, an unforgivable act. But his position is understandable. Trotman will lose his political career and his employment when the new
government comes into being. The WPA and the AFC will be the first casualties as we enter 2021. Both parties will fade into nothingness as Guyana emerges into complete sunshine in 2021. The position of Trotman, Nagamootoo and Ramjattan is even scarier. Not only are their political careers over, but there are serious question marks on their legal careers. Big businesses in the atmosphere that the election crisis created, will not hire these three lawyers. The fear is that the power establishment may see these companies trying to rehabilitate these discredited Guyanese. Many rich Indian farmers who bankrolled Nagamootoo and Ramjattan when they were in law practice will not patronize them after 2020. It should be a surprise to all Guyanese home and abroad if tomorrow and the coming days, the leaders of
the PNC and AFC become more aggressive and shape their politics to bring down the country because they know that their future may be dead. But how do you explain the attitude of Guyanese with no connection to power and with absolutely nothing to lose by embracing the rule of law and free and fair elections? Eusi Kwayana is first in my thoughts. At 96 with a legacy that was intact, he literally threw it away by his barefaced and almost cynical embrace of the Mingo/ Lowenfield Kafkaesque masquerade. After four months of devilish designs to rig the elections, Kwayana insists that he still does not have the facts to come to conclusions. Which young Guyanese will accept his vast writings on all that went by in Guyana, the past 70 years? David Hinds lives and work in Guyana. He is not coming back. Prior to the
Mingo/Lowenfield Kafkaesque journey, Hinds had a good standing among all Guyanese. Today, this gentleman has become a young Sydney King who, like the older King, preached race incitement in the most inflammatory way. Each time this guy opens his mouth or put his hand on his pen, he spews a narrative of racial hegemony. WPA kings and queens, including Dr. Alissa Trotz, Dr. Nigel Westmaas, Moses Bhagwan, Karen de Souza and others, have written not one word about election rigging when they write about the 2020 election insanity. They avoid any mention whatsoever of the Mingo/ Lowenfield Kafkaesque theatre. You can forgive Trotz. She was a tiny tot when elections were rigged by the PNC from 1968 onwards. But Westmaas, Bhagwan and de Souza fought against fraudulent elections. None of the contents of the rigged polls of 1968, 1973, 1980, 1985 and the referendum of 1978,
contained the Draculean behaviour exhibited by Mingo and Lowenfield. All three of these named persons were arrested and victimized in the fight for the right of Guyanese to elect a government of their choice. Yet Bhagwan and Westmaas have refused to reply to Desmond Trotman who wrote that they would endorse the positions he has taken in GECOM. In other words, Desmond Trotman is telling the world that Westmaas and Bhagwan are supporters of rigged elections. Lincoln Lewis has destroyed himself. Which employer will sit down with this shameless trade unionist and discuss workers’ rights and the laws that underpin them when Lewis has monumental disrespect for Guyana’s law and its constitution. It has to be a mentally challenged employer who feels that in dialogue with Lewis, he can get him to understand the difference between a philanthropist and a common thief. Finally, I was both
Frederick Kissoon stunned and amused when I saw a WPA member of the government, Dr. Maurice Ogle, the head of NICIL, writing a letter in the newspapers in high praise of the late Barbadian Prime Minister, Owen Arthur. He wrote that he knew Arthur. But he disclaimed Arthur when his colleagues in the PNC and WPA said derogatory things about this Caribbean giant when this great Caribbean integrationist denounced Ogle’s colleagues for rigging the 2020 election. They still are and Ogle is still silent. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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History is made not by men alone but also by movements (A review of David Granger’s The Emancipation Movement: The pursuit of dignity and liberty.) Historical events are never the outcome of any single factor or circumstance. Rather, they could have their origins in incidents and movements which took place long before those events occurred. Understanding historical occurrences, therefore, requires examining these various movements and events. David Granger’s The Emancipation Movement: The pursuit of dignity and liberty examines the various events which culminated in 1838 in the Emancipation of enslaved Africans in the British West Indies. His scholarly publication is bound to reignite the debate over the importance which should be accorded to each of these events. Granger examines the Emancipation Movement in four chronological phases – resistance, rebellions and revolts; the industrial revolution and emergence of laissezfaire capitalism; the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Trade in Captive Africans in 1807; and the introduction of amelioration measures in the decade prior to Emancipation. The relative importance of each phase continues to be debated. Granger argues, from the outset, that the Emancipation Movement was a continuous struggle by enslaved Africans, aimed at dismantling the system of enslavement through acts of rebellion, resistance, runaways and marronage. This idea, however, does not enjoy universal acceptance. African resistance was not always aimed at dismantling the system of
human enslavement. It also involved attempts at escaping the system. Michael Craton (in the General History of the Caribbean), for example, makes a case for distinguishing between rebellions aimed at destroying and replacing the slave-plantation system; rejecting such a system without aiming for its destruction; and undermining the system from within. Winston McGowan, (in the Survey of Guyanese History), in turn, classifies resistance to enslavement as two basic types – passive and active. Passive resistance, he notes, involved deliberately misinterpreting orders, ridicule and satire and acts of sabotage such as malingering, doing sub-standard work, damage to property and absenteeism. Active resistance, on the other hand, made use of homicide, physical violence and open revolt. Guyana had several serious slave revolts, the most significant being in 1763 and the last, sixty years later in 1823. Both of these revolts were unsuccessful in their original objectives. Despite Granger’s reference to numerous other revolts – in Berbice in 1733-34, 1749, 1752, 1762 and 1763-64; in Essequibo in 1732, 1772 and 1834; and in Demerara in 1795; 1804, 1807 and 1823 –these, collectively, hardly constitute a pattern of impactful active resistance over the more than 200 years of African enslavement in the West Indies. They do highlight, however, the fact that the enslaved Africans did not passively accept their lot. This is not to suggest that African resistance had little influence on the eventual decision to
abolish African enslavement. The Demerara Revolt of 1823 definitely galvanized public attention inside and outside of the British Parliament and
of capitalism promoted the idea that Britain could attain greater wealth by buying cheaper sugar from other territories than propping up the
helped to revive the Abolitionist movement which had been in the forefront of demands for Emancipation. Granger’s The Emancipation Movement: The pursuit of dignity and liberty records the important economic role which the evolution from mercantilism to laissez-faire capitalism played in the demise of enslavement in the West Indies. The book argues that, by the end of the 18th century, a new form of capitalism that was based largely on manufacturing and commerce had emerged. This new form
high-cost, low-volume and inefficient, slave-grown sugar from the West Indies and the Guianas. The Industrial Revolution transformed British capitalism emphasizing the profitability of free trade over protectionism and free labour over mercantilism. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade, however, still continued and British West Indies sugar production remained profitable, despite the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. Granger recognizes, but de-emphasizes, the role of
abolitionists in the eventual decision to end African enslavement in the British West Indies and the Guianas. He chooses to situate these efforts within the broader public opinion in support of abolition in Western Europe. He traces this humanitarian movement to the ideas of the Enlightenment and the ideals of the Evangelism both of which triggered intolerance towards enslavement. The anti-slavery movement was a product of changing economic and political conditions and circumstances in Europe and was instrumental in the eventual dismantling of enslavement. Abolitionists were influential in the passage of legislation regulating the number of enslaved Africans that could be transported on ships as early as 1788. Yet, strangely, Granger devotes only a single paragraph to this movement which others have viewed as having a decisive role in the eventual decision to abolish human enslavement. Granger concludes by noting that the movement for African emancipation was “far from simple and straightforward. It arose out of the complex circumstances of the early 19th century, involved people on both sides of the Atlantic and was ramified with economic, humanitarian and political ideas.” The treatment of such complex circumstances, would normally require a more comprehensive examination than his book would allow. David Granger, however, has achieved a balanced and concise examination of the factors which contributed to the end of African enslavement. His book synthesizes and summarizes, authoritatively, the factors which led to the abolition of African enslavement in the British West Indies and the Guianas. David Granger has stayed clear of apportioning relative ranking to the various antecedents of Emancipation. The text disproportionately emphasises the importance of
African resistance above those of the other factors, however. This may be purely accidental or it may be subliminal. Granger has drawn on a rich body of sources in his research. These include Themes in African-Guyanese History which he co-edited along with Winston McGowan and James Rose; Walter Rodney’s A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905; and his own extensive publications on African-Guyanese history such as Crime Against Humanity: The Atlantic trade in captive Africans. This book is richly illustrated. It contains evocative depictions of the rebel assault on Dageraad during the course of the Berbice Revolt of 1763; the massacre at Bachelor’s Adventure during the Demerara Revolt of 1823; and the Essequibo Revolt of 1834 at La Belle Alliance. It is no coincidence that these revolts occurred in Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo, the country’s three colonies and, later, counties. The book is a reminder that the transformative events in history are often the product of both endogenous and exogenous factors. It is difficult to divorce the impact of slave resistance, revolts and rebellions from the humanitarian efforts of the abolitionists, just as it is inconceivable to assume that human enslavement would have been abolished had there not been compelling economic grounds for so doing. The book weaves these strands in a single narrative about the pursuit of freedom and human dignity. No one deconstructs history better than Granger. The Emancipation Movement: The pursuit of dignity and liberty is a work of great economy. It is a digest of the various movements in history which culminated in the landmark decision to abolish human enslavement. It is a rich examination of how history is made not by men alone but also by movements.
Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur News
Coronavirus: Early treatment and preparation can determine if you live or die By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Over the past few months, I have been focusing on preventative measures to help combat the COVID-19 spread. I still think that we can win this fight if we all adhere to prevention plans that myself and many others have been promoting. Unfortunately, we have not been doing such a good job in practising preventative measures and the cases keep increasing. With this in mind, I thought it would be wise to update you on what the recent evidence is saying about treatment options for COVID19. I will focus on early treatment as this is the key to preventing the progression of the disease. More studies are coming out associating the early use of the medications/ interventions I will discuss today with better outcomes. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) I’m sure that you’re aware of the heated debate going on worldwide about the use of hydroxychloroquine in the management of COVID-19. It was initially touted as the go to drug and then was pulled back because of possible
safety worries and some studies showing its ineffectiveness against the disease. HCQ is thought to prevent the virus from entering our cells and causing the destruction that leads to complications and even death. Majority of the studies that debunked its effectiveness were done in patients that were in hospital and when the disease had reached its later stages. HCQ is effective in the early phase of the disease when the virus has not entered our cells enough to overwhelm our bodies. Giving HCQ after enough of the virus has entered our body, and then to overwhelm it is pointless. More studies are now showing that if we use it early, we can prevent the virus from entering our cells and avoid the destruction that can occur once enough enters. In addition, HCQ has been around for more than 70 years and it has been used quite commonly for a few diseases over the years. I cannot find any data of a patient that died from using the correct dose of HCQ after so many years of its existence. Ivermectin Ivermectin is a medication
that has been around for over 40 years. It is used to fight many parasitic infections. Studies are showing that it has a similar effect against COVID-19 as HCQ. It also prevents the virus from entering our cells and wreaking havoc. It can therefore only benefit us if used early in the disease before we reach the stage where we need to go to the hospital. Some countries are now starting to combine it with HCQ to see maximal effect in patients that present early in the disease. A prepared immune system Our immune system is a key component in fighting off infections. The coronavirus seems to have an upper hand in patients with weaker immune systems. It overwhelms them faster and progress to destroy their body. If we prepare our immune system for the battle by “arming” it ahead of time and during the battle, the more likely we will be victorious. I had mentioned in a previous article on how we can prepare our immune system. I will therefore list the interventions below that science have proven to boost your immune system and studies are now confirm-
ing their importance in the battle against COVID-19. · Zinc · Vitamin C · Vitamin D · Avoid stress If you need more information on how to prepare your immune system against the COVID-19 infection, you can web search this link: https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2020/05/10/coronavirus-astrong-prepared-immunesystem-is-our-best-bet/. I did not highlight the much touted Remdesivir because it’s too expensive for us in Guyana and its benefit
was not as strong as these other medications/interventions. My decision to write on these medications/interventions is based on what the latest evidence is showing. This may change as we learn more about the disease. For now, the evidence is too strong to ignore these early interventions. There are other treatment options as the disease progresses but I think that it’s better that we focus on the early interventions that work to prevent the progression of the disease and help improve outcomes before it’s too late.
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Dr. Zulfikar Bux Be reminded, that prevention is better than cure; practice preventative measures against COVID-19 first and foremost. In the event that you end up with the disease, ask your doctor about these treatment options and begin using the non-prescription options ASAP.
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SUNDAY ARMY HAD SPENT ALMOST $700M FOR FOUR PLANES; ONLY TWO OPERATING In 2018, just about three years after it entered office, the Coalition Government moved to buy four planes for the army- the smaller Islanders and two Skyvans. The latter are capable of fetching soldiers. The two Britten-Norman Islanders arrived around August 2018 while the two Shorts Sc-7 Skyvans reportedly came in June last year. In excess of $700M, according to reports, was used to purchase the four planes. According to several sources, one of the Islanders remained stripped since it came in 2018 because of technical problems. Millions of dollars was spent on the other Islander to make it airworthy and cleared to take to skies. One of the Skyvans, since arriving in June last year, barely flew a few months before being grounded. Kaieteur News was told that it would cost as much as the purchase to bring the Skyvan up to be deemed airworthy. The situation with the planes, which were touted to increase the army’s capacity especially in manning the wide open borders of Guyana, would raise alarm bells as to the due process used in their procurement. It will be recalled that in May 2018, the Coalition was grilled in the National Assembly after an application
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Kaieteur News
was made for $484M in additional funding for the army for the purchases. The approval was granted for the additional sums representing final payment towards the purchase of four fixed-wing aircrafts – two Islanders and two Skyvans. Faced with numerous questions about the purchase from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C), the then Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who had responsibilities for the army, disclosed that the Islanders were first manufactured in 1976 while Skyvans were first manufactured in 1977. Both models are no longer being manufactured. The Minister disclosed that the Skyvans, which were being used for troop transport and parachuting were being brought from Belgium through Liberty Aviation, an American company that operates from North Carolina. The Islanders, according to Harmon, were being purchased from Brazil which utilized the planes for passenger and cargo services. “The Skyvans and Islanders are aircraft; people who have them don’t sell them. It’s like having a RollsRoyce,” Harmon stated to justify the purchase of the aircraft. PPP Parliamentarian, Clement Rohee, had pressed Harmon on the availability of spare parts for the aircraft given that they are out of production. Harmon pointed out that while they are not being produced; there are many countries around the world that operate these aircraft and therefore spares and training
are not an issue. “They are sought after aircraft because of the capability. They allow for short take off and landing. They allow for the use of the type of airstrips, which we have in Guyana; 90% of which are short type of airstrips. Therefore, these two types of aircraft are specifically suited for those circumstances,” Harmon had explained. Harmon had told the National Assembly that there are seven fully trained and certified engineers for the aircraft. He explained that while the aircraft will be assigned to the GDF, other joint services agencies will have access specifically on matters of aerial surveillance. According to Harmon, the decision for the purchase was
made at the level of the Defence Board, of which he was key decision maker. It had been disclosed an initial payment of $213M was made by the GDF to the companies. Some $73M was budgeted for the military’s transportation-related expenditure. Harmon had explained that to fill the gap to the initial payment, monies were diverted from capital projects, which saw government deciding to scale back on buildings and water supply projects. In August 2018, Harmon had commissioned the two Islanders. It was stated then that the Islanders were expected to be used in search and rescue operations, evacuations, troop transport and tactical
observation. They will also be used to conduct surveillance throughout Guyana including the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It was announced that the army was also seeking to buy four brand new helicopters and one unmanned aerial vehicle as part of its recapitalisation. MONDAY 100 COUNTRIES DEMAND RECOUNT FIGURES TO BE DECLARED One hundred countries are now represented in calls from governments and multilateral organizations for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to declare the results of the recount, and put an end to the
contentious and protracted saga that is Guyana’s 2020 general and regional elections. These countries are those which have historically espoused democratic values, and account for about half of the global population. The national recount was necessary because of two failed attempts to rig the elections through a fraudulent alteration of the Region Four results by Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo. It did not come without challenges, as the CARICOM Scrutineer Team which was given an elevated role in the observation of this recount, had its members treated to a campaign of misinformation to discredit the Election Day process. Despite the (Continued on page 23)
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From page 22 continuous onslaught of that campaign from the APNU+AFC coalition over the 33 days of the process, the CARICOM Team was not fooled. It rejected the public effort to discredit the polls, found the results o f t h e recount “completely acceptable” and posited that those results should form the basis of a final declaration. The APNU+AFC coalition nevertheless supported multiple attempts by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield to unlawfully usurp the exclusive authority of the High Court to determine the validity of the elections, and unilaterally disenfranchise thousands of voters. Even when the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that Lowenfield could not do such a thing, the coalition resorted to a different argument against the declaration of the recount results, and endorsed instead, the use o f M i n g o ’s f r a u d u l e n t numbers as part of the basis on which a final declaration is made. In spite of the foregoing, the statements of the international community have held one collective thrust: ‘Declare the results of the recount now’. CARICOM CARICOM comprises 15 member states. Each of them is bound by the Charter of Civil Society to defend and preserve democracy when it is threatened. The Community has played a pivotal role in ensuring that the international community is well informed of the occurrences of Guyana’s elections. Its former Chair who is also Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, was the first Head of State to realize and publicly address efforts to prevent the will of the people and the national recount when she noted that there were “forces that do not want to see the votes recounted”. At the time, a candidate of the APNU+AFC coalition, Ulita Moore had approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the legality of the process. When the recount was entrenched in law, Mottley sent a three-person team which later prepared a scathing report that not only pronounced on the elections, but scolded the agents of the APNU+AFC coalition for their “unacceptable” behaviour during the recount, and pointed to grave issues pervading the operations
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of the political Elections Commission. TROY RESOURCES RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATH OF GEOLOGIST – WRITES PRESIDENT PAINTINGA DIFFERENT PICTURE Last year October, the Ministry of Social Protection as well as the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) confirmed that geologist, Ryan Taylor, had died due to a mining pit that collapsed at the Region Seven operations of Troy Resources Guyana Inc. (TRGI). Both state agencies had said that a probe would be conducted into Taylor ’s death but the findings were never released. A leaked letter by the head of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, to the Managing Director of the Australian mining company, Ken Nilsson, has provided some insight in this regard. According to the EPA Head, the reports by the Ministry as well as GGMC state that the company is responsible for Taylor’s death. Dr. Adams’ June 16 letter containing this startling revelation was carbon copied to President, David Granger as well as other senior government officials such as GGMC Commissioner General, Newell Dennison and Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott. The Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally was also copied. The EPA Head felt it necessary to disclose this information as he felt Troy Resources’ Chief Executive Officer was painting an entirely different picture in a confidential correspondence to the President. Dr. Adams in his letter said, “As to the passing of Mr. Taylor and statements made by me about the state of affairs at the mine site, your level of dishonest cannot descend any lower when stating ‘This accident was investigated thoroughly by the two State agencies with jurisdiction…both informed the company that they do not regard it as being at fault.” The EPA Head told the President that both agencies “tell a starkly different story” following his independent checks with the said entities. In the case of the Ministry of Social Protection, Dr. Adams said that this agency’s report “unambiguously concluded” that Troy Resources Guyana Inc.(TRGI) is “entirely responsible” for the death of the geologist and highlighted several causes which were all attributed to TRGI. Dr. Adams also told President Granger as
he addressed Nilsson, that the report recommended charges against the mining company for “obstructing an officer in the execution of his official duties, refusal to permit the officer to visit the site, refusal to submit documents formally requested and; failing to report 12 Occupational Diseases.” As for GGMC’s report, Dr. Adams said that it “definitively ascribed fault to TRGI” for its “acts of negligence…and irresponsible behaviour.” TUESDAY OUR WORLD HAS LOST A STATESMAN – CARICOM CHAIR, RALPH GONSALVES ON DEATH OF OWENARTHUR Following the sudden death of former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Seymour Arthur, tributes have poured in praising the man described as one of the pantheon of Caribbean statesmen. Arthur, who served as PM for three consecutive terms from 1994 to 2008, passed away at the age of 70 on Monday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown. He was previously reported as having been admitted there the previous week for heart complications. He had most recently served as chief of the Commonwealth Observer Mission for Guyana’s General and Regional Elections. Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was one of the first to sing praises of Arthur Monday. “Our Caribbean” Gonsalves said, “our hemisphere, and our world have lost a statesman and intellect of the highest quality. We shall miss him. I shall miss my dear friend, Owen, a progressive soul who applied his heart to wisdom. I am personally enveloped in profound sadness, grief, and pain at his death, yet full of fond and uplifting memories of him.” Gonsalves reminded that Arthur was the chief architect, advocate, and intellectual guide of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). He shared that Arthur was deeply committed to making the union in the Caribbean more perfect, the best practicable institutional political and economic expression of Caribbean civilisation. Against this, the CARICOM Chair expressed that the region owes him an immense debt of gratitude.
Prior to his brief hospitalisation, Gonsalves disclosed, Arthur was deeply agitated about the imminent threat to democracy in Guyana. He went on to state that Arthur had reserved some of his finest and most biting barbs against those in that CARICOM member-state who, without right reason or principle, verbally abused current Barbadian PM, Mia Mottley and Gonsalves because of their stance in defence of free and fair elections. PM Mottley herself hailed him as a “man for the times”. She remembered how proud he was, to sign on to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the regional flagship programme for which Barbados holds responsibility in the CARICOM Quasi-Cabinet. In her statement, she shared that Arthur, from the early 1990s, molded a new class of politician in Barbados and changed in many ways how those representatives would serve their constituents for the better. “My friends,” Mottley said, “our country, Barbados, is the poorer for his passing. His intellect was larger than life, believe you me. His love for his country as constant as a northern star. The last title bestowed on him was the most fitting – Professor of Practice. For Owen was first
and foremost a teacher. Taking the most complex economic issues and stripping them down to be understood by the average man and average woman in the shop. His keen sense of history and of politics shared daily with an emerging class of politicians that he would claim responsibility for bringing to public life.” She added that Arthur was a man of his time and for the times in which he served, who discharged his duty as Prime Minister of Barbados and as a Caribbean leader with distinction. “He shall remain in that pantheon of Caribbean leaders,” Mottley said. President David Granger, in a brief statement Monday, had also extended his sympathy to Arthur’s wife Julie, daughters Sabrina and Leah, friends and the people of Barbados. Other Caribbean leaders such as T&T PM Keith Rowley; Jamaica’s PM Andrew Holness; St Lucia’s PM Allen Chastanet; PM of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne; CARICOM Secretary-General, Irwin LaRocque; Former CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Dr. Edward Greene, Sir Ronald Sanders of the Organization of American States; Guyana’s Sir Shridath Ramphal and many others have offered condolences to
the people of Barbados on the passing of Owen Arthur. In light of the passing of Arthur, the Barbados government has announced that there will be a period of national mourning for three days, which began Monday, and all flags will be flown at half-mast as Arthur’s remains are interred. THREE WEEKS LATER… AUDITOR GENERAL STILLAWAITS OCEAN VIEW $1B HOSPITAL CONTRACT Almost three weeks after requesting from the Ministry of Public Health a copy of the $1B Ocean View COVID-19 Hospital contract, the Auditor –General (AG) is yet to receive word from officials as the audit into the incumbent government’s novel coronavirus expenditure gets underway. AG Deodat Sharma in an invited comment relayed to Kaieteur News that the engineers from his office wrote the Health Ministry to get answers to several questions surrounding the COVID-19 Hospital, but up to press time, they were awaiting answers. “We are,” Sharma stated, “gathering information. We had written to the Permanent Secretary to give us information in terms of the (Continued on page 24)
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From page 23 expenditure and how the contracts were awarded and we are waiting a response on that.” According to the AG, they had met with the PS and were promised that they would be in receipt of the information “shortly.” “That’s what they said,” Sharma added. Back in May, the AG had announced that an audit would be conducted to probe government’s expenses on the fight against COVID-19, with special attention being paid to the flagship infrastructural project. Finance Minister, Winston Jordan had said that more than $1B will be spent on rehabilitating the property to make it a state of the art COVID-19 hospital. Additionally, an order was signed by Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence for compulsory acquisition of the property. Works are near completion at the hospital, but one question remains unanswered – where is the government sourcing the funds? Kaieteur News had previously reported that almost 65% of the large sum was paid to contractors for works said to be completed at the site. This publication is in receipt of the Memorandum to the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, from the Permanent Secretary of the Public Health Ministry, Collette Adams in correspondence to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham seeking approval to ‘single source’ bidders for the conversion of the old Ocean View International Hotel into a state-of-the-art Hospital for the incubation, isolation and quarantine of persons infected with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) along with the documents from the Finance Ministry giving approval. As spelt out in the
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Procurement Act of 2003 Chapter 73:05, Section 11(1), details of the Contract Award should have been forwarded to the NPTAB immediately so as to facilitate publishing on its website www.npta.gov.gy within five days of the signing. However, a quick search of the NPTAB website, under ‘Tender Awards’, turned up no results for this contract. Concerns have also been raised about the long term justification for the use of the hotel and the arrangements that government has entered with the owners. In recent years, spring tides have been causing overtopping causing flooding to areas nearby. Due to the hotel’s close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, back in 2013, the facility took a hit after high tides resulted in significant damage amounting to millions. URGENTMATTERS WILL BE HEARD – CCJ Despite proceeding on its two-month vacation in
August, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has disclosed that matters considered urgent will be heard by the court. “Please be advised that term 3 for the CCJ closes on 31 July 2020,” the Court stated on its Facebook page Monday. “Until the following term resumes on 5 October 2020, our e-Filing system remains open and any matter considered urgent by the Court will be heard.” The updated announcement came Monday. Kaieteur News had reported in our Sunday edition on the closure against the backdrop of potential litigation in the latest round of Guyana’s election drama. The CCJ had recently played a critical part in Guyana’s election saga after it made a historical ruling in the Irfaan Ali vs. Eslyn David’s election recount case. The CCJ’s ruling followed after the Appeal Court agreed with the position of the applicant David, in that “more votes cast” should be
interpreted as “more valid votes” in Article 177 (2) of Guyana’s constitution – an article which speaks to the election of a President. The Appeal Court had also ruled that this interpretation should form the basis of the elections report to be submitted by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield. This report had invalidated some 115,000 voters. Dissatisfied with the Appeal Court’s ruling, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) sought an appeal with the CCJ. After hearing submissions from multiple parties, the CCJ unanimously ruled that the majority decision handed down by the Court of Appeal was made without jurisdiction and should therefore be set aside along with Lowenfield’s report. The judgment was wrought by a five-member panel of judges inclusive of the Court’s President Justice Adrian Saunders, Justice Jacob Wit, Justice Maureen RajnauthLee, Justice Peter Jamadar and
Justice Denys Barrow. The CCJ vacation is set to begin just days after Guyana’s Court of Appeal (CoA) is expected to render a ruling in the Misenga Jones Appeal, the latest elections-related litigation, on Thursday, July 30. WEDNESDAY EIGHT MONTHS LATER… GOVT. FAILS TO ACT ON RECOMMENDED CHARGES AGAINST TROY RESOURCES The Ministry of Social Protection is yet to act on the charges, which it recommended against Troy Resources Guyana Inc. (TRGI) some eight months ago. The recommended charges were made after an investigation was launched at the company’s mining operations following the death of an employee in October 2019. In a telephone interview with Kaieteur News, Minister within the Ministry of Social
Protection, Keith Scott, noted that no further actions have been taken against the mining company since he strongly believes that there are other means of redressing the situation. However, the Minister failed to highlight what these other means are. Expounding further, Mr. Scott indicated that the Occupational Safety and Health (OS&H) Department has advised the company on the way forward in carrying out its operation to ensure the safety of its employees are met. In the Ministry’s report, it was recommended that charges be made against the company for failing to report 12 cases of occupational diseases at its Karouni mining operations. Additional charges were recommended against TRGI for obstructing an officer of its OS&H Department in the execution of his official duties. It was noted as well that the company had neglected to submit to the investigating officer documents formally requested during his visit to the mining site. The investigation, which was conducted following the death of Ryan Taylor – a geologist who died after a mining pit collapsed on him at the company’s Region Seven mining operations, also found Troy Resources entirely responsible for the death. It was revealed that the company had failed to provide a safe, sound, healthy and secure working environment for Taylor, which contributed significantly to his demise. The company has since refuted these claims noting that to date they have not been in receipt of the report. (Continued on page 33)
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From page 24 Responding to the company’s claims, Scott argued that the TRGI and “all other interested agencies” were sent copies of the report, which was completed in November 2019. The Minister further noted that he has since received a letter from the mining company dated July 28, 2020 requesting a copy of the Ministry’s report. Adding to this, the Minister noted that he will be complying with the company’s request to provide an additional copy of the report. NATION BIDS FAREWELLTO VETERAN TRADE UNIONIST, KOMAL CHAND Scores of persons turned up Tuesday at the home of a veteran trade unionist and Member of Parliament, the late Komal Chand, to pay their last respects and bid him farewell. Chand, 75, accompanied by his wife Rukhmin had travelled to Havana, Cuba in February to seek medical attention. In April while receiving treatment for pneumonia in one of the medical facilities there, he passed away. With approval from the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), Chand’s body returned to Guyana on Friday last. A memorial service was planned and held Tuesday at his La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home to celebrate and remember his life as a trade unionist, politician and father. In attendance were many trade unionists, party comrades, parliamentarians and the Cuban Ambassador to Guyana who all gave tributes, remembering his dedication to Guyana. Chand was remembered
for his simplicity and kindness by the Region Three Chairman, Julius Faerber. The Cuban Ambassador, His Excellency, Narcisco Reinaldo Armador Socorro, labelled him a loyal friend of Cuba. Socorro described him as a genuine Guyanese fighter who fought for justice and defended the rights of workers. Former President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Donald Ramotar, shared fond memories of his 50-year-old friendship with Chand and said that he was humble and very dedicated. Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, recalled how Chand had changed his view of politicians, in the sense that they can be “nice people”. He spoke of the motivational talks he had received from the late parliamentarian during difficult times. “I would remember times when I would be saddened from being bashed by the newspapers or when I find myself in trouble, Chand would say don’t take it on, let it pass,” said Isaacs. Isaacs also reminded the attendees of Chand’s 32 fiery debates and 25 years of tremendous contribution to the National Assembly of Guyana, which made him an outstanding Guyanese. Also paying tribute to the
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great son of the soil was the President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), Carvil Duncan, who reminded trade unionists to carry on Chand’s fight for unison between unions. General Secretary, of the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA), Dharam Kumar Seeraj, spoke of how Chand impacted the lives of thousands, especially those in the agriculture sector. ‘SMOKE AND MIRRORS’… HOW APNU+AFC FAILED TO FOOLTHE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY By Kemol King A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has lost its bid for re-election in the March 2 General and Regional Elections. This began to make itself evident very early on in March, after two attempts were made to rig the Region Four results to favour the coalition. However, a national recount was painstakingly convened to correct the fraud by the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. Some would wonder how the weight of 100 countries has been thrown behind calls for a declaration of the results
of the national vote recount, despite myriad claims of electoral fraud by APNU+AFC. After all, the Guyanese people had been treated to an online campaign of misinformation and false reports from the governing coalition - one that continues to proliferate itself today, in some regards. There were claims of stopped counts in several recount workstations, although GECOM’s live audio feed clearly indicated that work was proceeding smoothly, and so did other parties. There were claims of a secret meeting in the very public tabulation centre between agents of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and a GECOM staffer; a claim that GECOM dismissed summarily. The first claim of a ‘dead voter’ also surfaced in the first week, with a death certificate posted online, but no nexus drawn to prove that a vote was cast. Kaieteur News determined early on that the campaign of misinformation was concerted when the coalition had made a series of claims which turned out to be wildly
exaggerated or patently false. JJ&B On March 31, the Coalition sought the services of Washington based lobbying firm - JJ&B LLC in efforts to reverse what it referred to as the “false narrative” being peddled in the international community by the PPP/C. It claimed that the PPP/C was tarnishing its reputation through Mercury Public Affairs. A 147-page dossier was included with the federal documents seen by Kaieteur News, containing a watered down version of 2020 election events and glaring statements including listing both President David Granger and Joseph Harmon as US citizens. Allegations then surfaced that the party utilised public funds in its hire. However, according to its campaign manager, Joseph Harmon, it was “upset” Coalition supporters residing overseas who funded the hire. The coalition government then attempted to wash its hands of the hire after a statement emerged from the President’s office denying any involvement. The federal documents however, showed otherwise and clearly debunked the government’s denial. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, later revealed that he filed a complaint with the United States Department of Justice against the lobbying firm for what they termed a “fraudulent filing”. International Observers COVID-19 became a factor in the organisation of the recount from its onset. Some were so worried that the pandemic could be weaponised to inhibit the transparency of the process, especially when Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, said that international observers wanting to travel to Guyana would have to be quarantined for two weeks before being allowed to observe the recount. A later intervention by
President David Granger reversed that decision, but it turned out that that privilege was only granted to CARICOM Scrutineers. Any other international observer who wanted to observe the process would not be allowed in. It was actually the President who gave the order to block the Carter Center’s re-entry, and his refusal was repeated twice. In a letter addressed to US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch, Minister of Foreign Affairs Karen Cummings justified the Government’s refusal, by stating “The public health situation in Guyana has changed drastically since the Regional and General Elections held on March 2...” The President later took the opportunity to justify his refusal of the Carter Center’s re-entry, by saying that CARICOM is the “most legitimate interlocutor” on the Guyana situation. Other international observer groups did not indicate that they would return to observe the recount, except for the OAS, which sent a few members of its team who were already in Guyana. For the first week of the recount, observers were handed copies of the statements of the recount for the recounted ballot boxes the document is equivalent to a statement of poll. However, after noticing that this was happening, GECOM’s higherups made a decision to discontinue the process, describing it as an error. Government Commissioner Vincent Alexander argued that such a practice was not provided for in the recount order - Order No. 60 of 2020. In a subsequent interview, Alexander addressed the issue again, explaining that it is not an international norm for observers to be given such documents. Electoral Fraud? On May 10, the coalition’s campaign manager, Joseph Harmon, said that the campaign was called (Continued on page 34)
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From page 33 ‘Operation Eagle Eye’. However, he didn’t share the view that there was misinformation - just that it was meant to guarantee that the recount process is fully scrutinised and transparent. Harmon also said that the campaign was necessary, as the coalition’s Election Day agents may not have been as efficient as they should have been. Despite APNU+AFC officials hailing the credibility and fairness of the elections when Mingo’s false results had handed the coalition a victory, APNU+AFC Recount Supervisor, Leonard Craig, said that the party observed “anomalies” since the night of the elections, and that previous statements about the fairness of the process were just “general statements”. He also said that the party was preparing for the possibility of an election petition. Asked why it would challenge an election it believed it won, he said that the petition would show that it won by an even larger margin. On May 16, Attorney General Basil Williams told the press that the recount was illegal. In a subsequent interview, APNU+AFC candidate and attorney-at-law Roysdale Forde agreed with Williams’ legal opinion. Then on May 17, President David Granger told reporters that he will accept “any” declaration made by GECOM. President Granger also told reporters that he had never said the elections were free, fair and credible, but that he said they were free, fair and orderly. He said that GECOM would now have to determine whether the elections were credible. In a subsequent interview, PNCR executive, Aubrey Norton, elaborated on more of the party’s claims of electoral fraud, this is what he said: “What this is illustrating is that the process teems with irregularities. From the inception, I said it cannot be considered to be anomalies anymore. This is a clear case of electoral fraud and rigging.” The following, though not an exhaustive list, illustrates some of the major claims made by the coalition during the national recount of votes, and how they failed to hold weight. False claim about APNU+AFC’s Region One vote recount Region One was the first to be recounted in totality. On May 17, PNCR executive Norton told reporters that the recount of Region One
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showed that the coalition got 120 more votes in the general election than the District’s declaration had shown, and that the votes were misplaced during the initial Region One count. An examination of the documents in question would show that Norton’s claim was false. Kaieteur News informed Norton that the coalition’s vote count had not increased by 120 votes - that they had only increased by four. “When we did the calculation,” Norton said in response, “I don’t know where you get the Maths from, but when we did the calculation, our votes increased by 120.” Asked whether he looked at GECOM’s tabulation, Norton said “No. I haven’t.” Continuing, Norton said that the party would not sign off on any certificate for the Region, despite its agents already signing off on all of the statements of recount. Minutes after he left the media tent, Kaieteur News discovered that the coalition’s agent had already signed off on the Region One certificate. As AFC’s David Patterson passed by the media tent, Kaieteur News asked him for clarity and Patterson said that he didn’t know of any signing. The coalition decided not to sign off on any more of the Region certificates. However, they continued to sign off on the statements of recount. ‘Migrant Voters’ Craig had said in his interview with reporters that the coalition could provide evidence of ‘migrant voters’ by producing immigration records. However, Craig explained that the party did not want to release the information to the public, as some small parties were concerned over the publication of people’s private records. At some point later in the interview, Craig even backpedaled on his claim of access to immigration records when asked how the party could have personal immigration records, opting instead to say that the information was gleaned from party agents who did on-theground research in every village. Craig’s colleague, Ganesh Mahipaul, came one week later. On May 19, Mahipaul who was a counting agent for the coalition admitted that the party had no evidence to support its claims of ‘migrant voters’. The first apparent list the coalition submitted to GECOM was attached to Berbice ballot box #6007. Upon examination of this list of five voters claimed to be out of the jurisdiction, one
Kaieteur News reporter recognized two of the individuals named. They, a married couple, were the reporter’s neighbours. The couple, Aubrey and Shirley Nicholson told and proved to Kaieteur News, by showing their passports, that they were in the country on Election Day, and that they voted at Sisters Village Primary School before spending the rest of the day with their grandchildren. The couple even told Kaieteur News that they voted for APNU+AFC. On May 27, after weeks of claiming that the party would provide evidence to support all of its claims of fraud, Norton told reporters that it would only give GECOM a list. The list, he said, is “what we call evidence.” He said that it would be GECOM’s job to probe the claims. Subsequently, Kaieteur News found out that Harmon had sent a list of over 100 names to Justice Singh, and that she had written to the Police Commissioner, Leslie James, asking that he assist GECOM with the verification of the claims. GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward later confirmed that GECOM didn’t even check the list to ensure that the persons listed had actually had votes cast in their names. Nevertheless, the Top Cop, after having the Immigration Department process the list, returned a new list as a subset of the initial list, to the GECOM Chair, claiming that the
persons named were not in the country on Election Day. Soon after Kaieteur News received and published a copy of the list. Persons, whose names appeared on the list, began to come forward, proving that they were in the country on Election Day. When it was first reported, the Guyana Police Force responded in a statement, implying that it did not have the correct records because the persons who came forward may not have travelled back to Guyana legally. But some of them had not even left the country in the first place. It became apparent that the information provided by the Immigration Department was not reliable. Claims that Joint Services ranks were disenfranchised Norton, on May 22, told reporters “that there is a close correlation between unstamped ballots and APNU+AFC strongholds.” The PNCR Executive told the press that “We have seen that, wherever there is intermixing for the Joint Services, a large number of ballots have not been stamped.” His claim was also published on May 22 by the Department of Public Information (DPI) which outright stated in an article, that the “irregularities” discovered by the party are instances of “electoral fraud” which included “the more than 8,000 unstamped ballots of the disciplined forces.” A simple check found these statements to be false. Kaieteur News debunked the
false statements made by Norton and propagated by DPI, on June 1 and subsequently released the report on June 2 – 11, days after Norton made the statement. This newspaper reported GECOM’s Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward, following Norton’s claim, stating that only 1,536 ballots had been rejected as of June 1 in the National Recount. The claim was that over 8,000 disciplined services ballots were unstamped, even though all the ballot boxes were not yet opened. There was no way as of that date that it could have been known that over 8,000 disciplined services ballots were unstamped. Even then, when the National Recount ended, GECOM’s General Election tabulation showed that only 4,211 ballots were rejected. The unstamped total is not even that high, as ballots may be rejected for other reasons than lack of stamp. ‘Dead voters’ The coalition’s Amna Ally claimed, during the recount, that there were “countless” dead voters, and that proof would be forthcoming. The only death certificate put to the public during the recount was that of a woman who was identified as Chitnandani Ramdass. She died in June of 2015. Reporters at the State newspaper, Guyana Chronicle, published the death certificate in an article, and later told Kaieteur News that the document was given to them by Ganesh Mahipaul.
The coalition provided this as “proof” of a ‘dead voter’. Kaieteur News examined the May 20 article, and found that there was no statement that a vote had actually been cast in the woman’s name. GECOM officials have noted that the information it gets from the General Registrar’s Officer may not be completely reliable. Hence, there will be deceased persons whose names are still on the Official List of Electors (OLE). Kaieteur News was able to obtain a copy of the observation report linked to the polling station Ramdass would have voted in, had she been alive - Box #2107 from Mariah’s Hall Nursery School. The serial number for Ramdass was noted on the observation report as part of the coalition’s claims of electoral fraud. However, an official copy of the polling station’s OLE otherwise known as the Pink List, showed that the woman’s name was not ticked as voted, which meant that no vote was cast in her name. East Coast ballot boxes with ‘missing’ documents There was quite a commotion, coming down to the end of the recount over 29 East Coast ballot boxes which did not have certain statutory documents, amounting to nearly 7,000 votes in areas considered to be PPP/C strongholds. The coalition demanded that GECOM discard the ballot boxes. With the aim of providing (Continued on page 35)
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From page 34 clarity, however, Deputy Returning Officer (DRO), Paul Jaisingh, who was operating at the Chateau Margot Primary School, said that he was instructed not to include those statutory documents by the Clerk to the Returning Officer, Carolyn Duncan. “This was communicated to the respective Presiding Officers (PO) who complied,” Jaisingh wrote in an email to the GECOM Chair. He noted that those instructions were given on Election Day, only a few hours before the close of the poll. More importantly, he was keen to highlight that the instructions were imposed upon other DROs, who according to him, could confirm the same. Further, a PO who spoke to Kaieteur News on the condition of anonymity, explained that she was also instructed not to include the documents into the ballot box on the night of the elections. She explained that her DRO had also received instructions from Mingo’s clerk. The GECOM Secretariat was quick to respond to Jaisingh’s correspondence to the Chair. It claimed that “a group of DROs who was responsible for clusters of polling stations on the East Coast had submitted a signed statement to the Secretariat of GECOM refuting allegations that the clerk to the Region 4 Returning Officer, Ms. Carolyn Duncan instructed them to advise the Presiding Officers to not include the official documents in the ballot boxes at the close of poll.” That “signed statement” which was alleged to have been submitted to GECOM by the DROs has not been seen by the media, despite numerous inquiries made with Yard, the spokeswoman of GECOM, in the GECOM media WhatsApp group. One young man, Steve Anthony Datta, worked as a PO at Enmore Hope Primary School. Datta’s polling station was not among the 29 implicated in the aforementioned matter, but he had noticed a Facebook post by a Coalition spokesperson, Christopher Jones, implicating the station at which he worked. Datta said that the POs were instructed via a WhatsApp group created for the Election that the unused ballots should go into the bags, not the ballot box. To support his claims, Datta provided screenshots of the WhatsApp group, created on February 17, just weeks before the Election. Datta said that on Election Night, as the
screenshot shows, that at 18:04hrs, a Clerk to the DRO for that area forwarded three messages which stated “Unused ballot going into the bags”, “Not the ballot box” and “Please inform ur PO”. Int’l Community’s response As the recount came to a close, the coalition ramped up its claims of electoral fraud. It made thousands of claims and filled social media with graphics of numbers challenging the integrity of votes in hundreds of ballot boxes. EU Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando PonzCantó, joined the conversation and said that the processes he observed on Election Day were so impressive that it was impossible to cheat. Days before the recount came to a close, with the PPP/ C in a comfortable 13,000 vote lead, the coalition said that the recount results are not credible. In response, the OAS said that it had no doubt that the recount results would be credible, and reminded that the President and Opposition Leader committed to accepting the results. The diplomats representing America, Britain, Canada and the European Union also made statements shortly after, reminding Granger of his commitment. At the time, Kaieteur News had posed several questions to the President, who refused to respond with a commitment to accept the results of the recount. On June 7, the coalition released a statement telling GECOM that it cannot declare the results of the recount, claiming that there were too many “fraudulent votes”. On June 10, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who had made several statements over the course of the recount called for a swift conclusion of the recount. St. Vincent Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, who was getting ready to assume CARICOM Chairmanship said on June 11 that CARICOM would not allow anyone to steal an election. At the time, the recount had already shown that the Coalition lost the Election with a General Election total of 217,920 votes, behind the PPP/C’s total of 233,336 votes. The next day, Granger appeared on a radio programme and falsely stated that the recount was initiated - not because of Mingo’s fraud, which he refuses to acknowledge - but because of “irregularities” even though the claims of irregularities were only made after the recount started. In a radio interview with
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Kaieteur News, the late former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, who served as head of the Commonwealth Observer Team, warned that the results of the recount should be accepted, as “Guyana can’t withstand the fire of the entire global community”. Days later, the CARICOM Scrutineer report was released. The team rejected the public efforts to discredit the polls, declared that the elections were “reasonably credible”. It also said that the recount results are “completely acceptable” and urged that a declaration be made on that basis. All international observers, including the OAS, endorsed the findings of the CARICOM team, and now, 100 countries stand firmly behind the credible results of the national vote recount. (Additional Reporting by Mikaila Prince and Shikema Dey) THURSDAY THREE SEPARATE PRIVATE CRIMINAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST GECOM CHAIR The Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh, is expected to make her first appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, on August 5, 2020 after three private criminal charges were filed against her Wednesday morningalleging misconduct in public office. According to the court documents seen by this newspaper, the complainants – Lorraine Joseph of 16 Melanie Danishana, East Coast De merara; Onita Walcott of 25 Section B, Victoria Village East Coast Demerara; and Keith Ondaan of 2987 Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden – filed the three charges under the Common Law Act, alleging that the GECOM chair in the state of Guyana acted recklessly and unlawfully when she refused to accept the CEO’s report; disregarded the advice of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and breached the recount order in the Official Gazette. The first charge, filed by Walcott, states that Singh, being appointed and performing duties of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, at Lot 41 High and Cowan Streets, Kingston, Georgetown, between March 14, 2020, and June 23, 2020, acted recklessly and unlawfully when she refused to accept the CEO’s report on the March 2,
Regional and General Elections 2020. The second charge, filed by Ondaan, is that Singh, being appointed and performing duties of Chairman GECOM at Lot 41 High and Cowan Streets, Kingston, Georgetown, acted recklessly and unlawfully when she disregarded the advice of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Mr. Paul Fung-a-Fat SC, on May 17, 2020, that a Recount of the votes of the March 2, 2020 Regional and General Elections was unlawfulunconstitutional the defendant knowingly caused the Gazetting of Recount Order in the Official Gazette on May 4, 2020, and an Amended Recount Order on May 29, 2020. The last charge, filed by Joseph, is that Singh, being appointed and performing duties of Chairman of GECOM, acted recklessly and unlawfully between May 29, 2020 and June 23, 2020, when she breached the Recount Order gazetted in the Official Gazette on May 4, 2020, and Amended Recount Order on May 29, 2020. The charges against the GECOM Chair were filed days after the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, was released on a total of $450,000, bail by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty for three private criminal charges alleging fraud, misconduct in office, and breach of public’s trust. The charges were brought by Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) member Desmond Morian and The New Movement Party (TNM) executive Dr. Daniel Josh Kanhai. ARMY OFFICER PLEADS GUILTYTO KILLINGWIFE Two years after he initially denied killing his
reputed wife, ex – Army Captain, Orwain Sandy, has admitted to the crime. Sandy, 38, stood arraigned on a murder charge before High Court Justice, Sandil Kissoon, on Tuesday where he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. During the High Court hearing conducted via Zoom, Sandy was represented by attorney -at-law, Ravindra Mohabir while state prosecutor, Lisa Cave presented the case against him. The former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Captain of Lot 130 Section ‘C’ Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, nonetheless admitted to shooting his reputed wife, Reona Payne 14 times, killing her. Mohabir asked for a probation report to be conducted on his client before sentence is imposed. The judge obliged the request and deferred the sentence to August 4, pending the probation report. The killing occurred on March 31, 2018 at First Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, following a heated argument. Sandy surrendered to officers at the Ruimveldt Police Station, shortly after he shot Payne, a travel agent, at point blank range. According to the facts of the case, the couple was arguing with each other as they were approaching First Street, Alexander Village in a White Audi PWW71 63. Sandy reportedly pulled out his hand gun and shot her several times as she tried to escape. He reportedly drove himself to the police station where he reportedly told the police what had transpired. He also handed in his weapon and was placed in custody. Sandy, who was the aide-de-
camp to then Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Patrick West, was interdicted from duty shortly after. Payne was a mother of three and Sandy a father of two. The two were living together for about three years. FRIDAY APPEAL COURT THROWS OUT CASE TO STOP ELECTIONS DECLARATION… RECOUNT FIGURES MUST BE USED TO DECLARE WINNER – JUDGES The Court of Appeal Thursday threw out the appeal in the elections case filed on behalf of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC’)s Misenga Jones to stop the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from making a declaration of the elections results based on the recount figures. In a unanimous decision, High Court Justice, Priya Sewnarine- Beharry; Justices of Appeal, Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud agreed with the reasoning of the Acting Chief Justice (CJ), Roxane GeorgeWiltshire, that recount figures are the only data that can be used to determine the final result of the elections. The recount figures show a victory for the Opposition led – People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) over the incumbent APNU+AFC by over 15,000 votes. Jones inter alia wanted the Court to decide that Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, can submit the report derived from his own calculations in the process, rather than the recount figures despite a recent endorsement of the CARICOM- supervised (Continued on page 36)
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From page 35 recount process by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) – Guyana ‘s Apex Court. Given the ruling of the CCJ in a similar matter, Jones request was considered wholly ill-conceived and a waste of the Court‘s precious time by the CJ (ag) in her judgment the previous week. In similar fashion, the appeal filed by Jones and her legal team was turned down by all three Justices at the Appeal Court. In separate rulings, all three Judges dismissed Jones’ appeal, as well as a cross appeal filed by Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams, meant to stop the declaration based on the recount. POLITICS AND ABUSE In her judgment, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry spoke to the issue of politics and abuse. Noting that the appeal raised impermissible and duplicated litigation of issues already canvassed before the courts, Justice SewnarineBeharry asserted that the action was frivolous, vexatious and amounts to an abuse of the court’s process. In concurrence with the reasoning that the Court has a narrow jurisdiction to function in a supervisory role in the circumstance for the completion of the elections process, the judge held that on the question of the function of the CEO, he is a statutory officer of GECOM who is subject to the direction of the Commission and must therefore carry out his functions in accordance with its directives. Pursuant to Section 18 of the Elections Law Amendment Act (ELAA), which states that, “the CEO and the Commissioner of Registration shall, notwithstanding anything in any written law, be subject to the direction and control of the Commission,” Justice Sewnarine-Beharry emphasized that there was no provision in the Constitution or law that gives the CEO the power to direct GECOM. She noted the directions given to the CEO by GECOM Chair, Justice (Ret’d), Claudette Singh, must be treated as a valid and lawful directive which the CEO is to obey by virtue of Section 18 of the ELAA. US EXPANDS LIST OF PERSONS FACING VISA BAN – SAYS REGION REFUSES TO GO ALONG WITH GRANGER’S “FARCE” The United States Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, has announced that the American
Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur News
Government has expanded its pool of persons facing visa restrictions for undermining Guyana’s democracy, or for being complicit. He also called the David Granger coalition’s position on the elections a “farce” as it has been claiming that the results of the recount, which shows it lost, are not credible.In a press briefing Thursday, Kozak related that the US Government has taken steps to advance democracy in the Western Hemisphere, which he called “the hemisphere for freedom.” US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, had announced the first tranche of restrictions on July 15 “on individuals responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Guyana”, after which US Ambassador SarahAnn Lynch reiterated the support the US places behind the transparent and credible national vote recount. The recount results show that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has won the elections.”The Secretary’s been clear,” Kozak said, “The Granger administration and its allies continue to defy the will of the Guyanese people by refusing to accept the vote count. The count has been certified as valid by international observers OAS and CARICOM, Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s highest courts.” Kozak pointed to the Inter-American Democratic Charter as the document which binds the countries of
the Americas and the Caribbean to democracy. “We’ve been working with our partners and through the [Organization of American States] OAS,” Kozak said, “to stand up for democracy where it is under threat, and at the same time we’re trying to turn the tide in those countries where democracy is but a dream.” Kozak said that the US joins the rest of the region “refusing to go along with this farce.” “We will continue,” he added, “to act until the Granger administration accepts the will of Guyanese voters.” The announcement came on the same day that Guyana’s Appeal Court made a unanimous ruling which iterated, amongst other things, that the recount results must be used for a final declaration. Despite stating Thursday that he would accept any declaration made by the Chair, Granger’s coalition has signaled its intention to appeal the judgment of the Court, to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which could further frustrate a declaration of the final results of the elections. This is despite the electoral process going on for five months. On top of that, the central themes of the coalition’s arguments support getting rid of the recount figures, and making a declaration on the basis of the tainted district declarations, as several other
attempts to rig the elections results failed to hold ground. US$5M OCEAN VIEW HOSPITAL COST JUMPS TO US$8M – MEDIA NOT INVITED TO COMMISSIONING De facto President, David Granger, and de facto Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, Thursday commissioned the Ocean View COVID-19 Hospital where it was revealed that the cost to construct the facility jumped from US$5M (G$1B) to a whopping US$8M (G$1.6B). Private media entities, including Stabroek News, Newsroom and Kaieteur News were not offered an invitation to the event. However, this publication, upon learning of the commissioning plans, decided to send a representative to seek answers to several burning questions regarding the facility. Among the questions was the acquisition cost of the land; how the billiondollar contract was awarded; where government would source the funds needed and whether the contractors were paid in full. After the formal proceedings, President Granger was asked to respond to concerns about the magnitude of the expenditure for the sanatorium. To this, the President said, “Nothing has been done outside of the law.”
Granger added that “This matter was thoroughly ventilated at Cabinet.” It is unclear when this matter would have been dealt with at the level of Cabinet. It was de facto Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, who back in April made it known that the APNU+AFC government would have to find in excess of G$1 billion to transform the old Ocean View hotel at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara into a stateof-the-art facility for the incubation, isolation and quarantine of COVID-19 patients. That cost, however, did not include a possible purchase price. The President in his reply could not provide that detail but stated that the previous owners were “heavily indebted” to the bank. “My understanding,” he continued, “is that it’s in receivership.” “So in financial terms, we don’t have a bottom-line but the Minister of Public Health and the Minister of Finance are quite aware of the level of expenditure and Cabinet is convinced that the expenditure is justified given the health situation,” the President said. Lawrence was also asked pointed questions on the cost of the land and, in reply, she stated “We haven’t had any transfer or anything like that; all of those matters are in the Ministry of Legal Affairs.” “I know that the Ministry spoke to Mr. Jacob
Rambarran,” Lawrence said, “and I know that since his consent to help us in the situation to use the place and so on, that has now transferred to the Ministry of Legal Affairs and they are the ones who are talking with the receiver and Mr. Rambarran and making all the necessary arrangements.” Asked whether the building is owned by the government, Lawrence said “you’ll have to ask the Ministry of Legal Affairs. I don’t want to assume anything to you. I want you to go where the persons are dealing with the issue and get the information from them.” The Coalition, under the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purpose Act, acquired the Ocean View Hotel property through a compulsory order. The order dated April 29 was signed by Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams. “This notice is made pursuant to paragraph (2)(a) of the Direction by the President under the Public Health Ordinance, Cap.145, and published in the Gazette, Legal Supplement- B, 16TH March 2020,” the Order stated. Neither the cost for the acquisition of the building, nor the land, was stated in the order. Kaieteur News had reported on the document that spelt out government’s rental agreement with the receiver, Courtney Perry, entered into on April 1. Those (Continued on page 37)
Sunday August 02, 2020
From page 36 documents outlined that the Coalition would have to pay G$13M every month to lease the land. SATURDAY EQUIPPING US$8M OCEAN VIEW HOSPITAL WOULD COST ‘THREE TIMES’ MORE – PATIENTS BEING TRANSFERRED TO FACILITYWITHOUT CRITICAL EQUIPMENT AND STAFF IN PLACE It would cost the APNU+AFC government “three times” the whopping $1.6 billion construction cost to acquire the needed medical equipment to furnish the recently commissioned Ocean View Infectious Diseases Hospital, according to de fac t o M i n i s t e r o f P u b l i c H e a l t h , Vo l d a Lawrence. Lawrence was at the time responding to a question on whether the $1.6 billion construction cost for the facility, sitting on more than five acres of prime land at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, also accounted for equipment. To this, the Health Minister gave a short laugh then asked “No… $1.6 billion for equipment?” “Equipment for this f a c i l i t y, ” Lawrence continued “is going to cost
probably three times that.” Giving her reasons behind this, she stated that due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the same equipment they would need to source is in high demand all across the world. I n i t i a l l y, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had said that to transform the former hotel building into a state of the art facility would cost $1 billion, or US $5 million; however, at the ceremony, the Health Ministry Permanent S e c r e t a r y, Colette Adams revealed that construction amounted to $1.6 billion, or US $8 million. President Granger, who was also present at the commissioning, was questioned on the exuberant spending government undertook for the hospital he responded only that it was conducted within the ambit of the law. However, no information was revealed to account for the extra $600 million added to the initial construction cost. Questions relating to that issue, the purchase cost for the property and where government will source the funds to acquire the equipment from remain unanswered. Questions are also already beginning to mount
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regarding the absence of both critical equipment and medical professionals at the facility meant to tackle the high influx of COVID19 patients in Guyana. To date, Guyana has over 400 cases of the virus and that figure continues to climb daily. Inadequate equipment, inadequate staff One senior public health staffer lamented to Kaieteur News that COVID19 patients are still being sent to the hospital despite the fact the facility is illprepared to provide basic critical care those infected with the virus. “The hospital has no piped oxygen to the designated ICU much less the wards, yet this is the hospital to look after patients with respiratory illnesses,” the staffer said. The person pointed out that the construction of the billion-dollar building was highly flawed because it lacked the basic amenities needed for an Infectious Diseases Sanatorium. For example, he noted that the GPHC has refused to send patients there unless they have piped oxygen installed. He stated that their plan was to use 100lb cylinders for the patients but this would only supply a few hours of needed oxygen from each bottle “at most.”
“They are boasting of a 42-bed Intensive Care Unit so, I suppose their plan is to have trucks moving continuously between DOCOL and the hospital, all day and night. No HEPA filters, no negative pressure or nothing that an infectious disease hospital should have.” T h e s t a ff e r, w h o requested anonymity, told this publication that a site visit was done before the
opening and when the lack of equipment was revealed, it was decided that the GPHC would continue to house high risk patients in their Intensive Care Unit (ICU) despite the Ocean View Hospital being built for this purpose. Senior staffers were asked not to reveal that detail while the problem was being rectified. “They should have paid an architect with
experience building health facilities,” the source told Kaieteur News “, but they probably sat around a table with a few Guyanese experts’, maybe doctors who work at MOPH or the emergency room or something. They refuse to share the info or plans so we can attempt to help.” The person further explained that software can be easily found online to help visualize traffic flows, airflows in such hospitals, something, they opined, government did not appear to have done any research on. “Otherwise,” the source argued, “how would they design a hospital to treat respiratory diseases without oxygen?” Continuing, on the issue of medical personnel, the staffer stated that the Health Ministry had wanted to move doctors and nurses from Georgetown Public Health Corporation to staff the new facility despite knowing that GPHC is short staffed. “There is no infectious disease specialist,” they lamented “and we will still have to take the critically ill patients because their white elephant cannot.” The source told this publication that the Ministry has identified around three dozen Cubans and newly graduated medical students, but expressed concerns because none of those selected “has a clue on how to manage this crisis”.
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How Unhealthy Is Hookah? h t t p : / / health.usnews.com: Spend an hour smoking hookah, and you might as well have smoked a pack of cigarettes. That’s how much tar and nicotine you’ll be exposed to. “If you examine the stuff they’re inhaling, it’s potent – it’s a lot of bad stuff,” says Norman H. Edelman, senior medical adviser for the American Lung Association. “Many teens believe this is safe, and of course, we know it’s not safe.” On the surface, hookah – with flavors ranging from cherry to chocolate, and watermelon to mint – tastes more like fun than a serious health risk. Perhaps that’s why, as cigarette use declines among young people, hookah smoking is gaining popularity. One in 5 high school seniors in the United States has smoked hookah sometime in the past year, according to a study published in Pediatrics this month. And another new study, published in Nursing Research, found that the majority of young adults 18 to 30 who smoke hookah think it’s safe – a false assumption. Hookah, a type of water pipe that originated in the Middle East and India, facilitates charcoal-heated air through a tobacco mixture, then through a water-filled chamber and finally through a pipe that allows users to inhale the vapor. It’s typically smoked in groups – hookah bars and cafes are a mainstay in many cities – with the same mouthpiece passed from per-
son to person. It doesn’t taste or smell like cigarette smoke, but the common notion that the water used in a water pipe filters out harmful ingredients is false, research suggests. The new Pediatrics study sheds light on who is most likely to smoke hookah – or shisha, as it’s often called. Among the 5,540 students surveyed nationwide, the most frequent users were from families of higher socioeconomic status, white, male, already cigarette smokers and had previously used alcohol, marijuana or other illicit substances. Living in a big city, having more highly educated parents and a weekly income of $50 or more also increased the odds of hookah use. Joseph Palamar, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of population health at New York University, says it’s unclear why these teens are most likely to gravitate toward hookah use. “It might have to do with the stigma,” he says. “Cigarette smoking is a highly stigmatized behavior these days – but hookah doesn’t appear to have that stigma, so use generally isn’t frowned upon. In fact, it’s trendy, a lot of people are talking about it and it’s a social activity. People don’t view it as an unhealthy behavior.” Sarah Din, 31, echoes that sentiment – aside from the “fruity and flowery” flavors, hookah is distinct because of the way it brings people together, she says. She’s the founder of a hookah Meetup
group in San Francisco, and her interest traces back to the years she spent in the Middle East as a high school student. “In those countries, going to smoke hookah is like going to Starbucks,” she recalls. “People just gather, sit around and play games like backgammon or cards. There’s a hookah cafe on every corner, and they’re open really late – some until 5 a.m. It’s the ultimate pastime since people don’t drink alcohol for religious reasons and don’t go to bars.” Still, experts are quick to point out that while hookah is often mistakenly perceived as safer and less addictive than cigarettes, it can lead to short- and long-term health risks. For one thing, it appears to deliver more tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide than cigarettes. Consider that during an hourlong hookah session, it’s possible to inhale as much smoke as a cigarette smoker would consuming 100 or more cigarettes, according to a 2005 report from the World Health Organization. And in May, researchers found that just one evening of hookah smoking could make nicotine urine levels spike by more than 70 times. Findings were published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. In other words, don’t be fooled if tobacco contains fruit – it’s still tobacco, unhealthy and addicting. Those who need more convincing might consider research that suggests hookah is linked with lung and
bladder cancer, respiratory disease, heart disease and adverse effects during pregnancy like low birth weight. Not to mention, its tobacco juices irritate the mouth and spike the risk of developing oral cancers. Even bystanders, perhaps hanging out in hookah lounges as their friends indulge, aren’t immune. Secondhand smoke risks from hookah appear to be the same as from cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite such concerns, Din says the health effects don’t worry her. “People do a lot of other things that are way unhealthier, like eating habits and not working out,” she says. “So if I’m doing it once a week for an hour, it’s like drinking alcohol – you know it’s toxic for your body, but you’re not an alcoholic. It really depends on how you control it yourself.” Palamar, too, likens occasional hookah use to moderate drinking. “No matter what,
there’s going to be people who get drunk once in a while,” he says. “If you’re [smoking hookah] occasionally, it’s not as bad as doing it every day. We don’t want people to use at all, but if you’re going to, at least keep it infrequent.” And it’s interesting, he continues, to note how hookah compares to teen marijuana use. About 1 in 3 high school seniors have used
marijuana in the last year, and 45 percent have tried it at some other point, Palamar says. “It’s still nowhere near the rates of marijuana,” he says. “But I worry more about hookah – because as we all know, many of us have tried marijuana, and then you move on. This actually has nicotine, it’s socially accepted and if you start doing it more and more, it could really be classically addicting.”
White Lies: Is Brown Rice Really the Healthiest?
http://www.details.com: Somewhere along the line, a terrible rumor began: White rice is bad, and brown rice is good. We’re not sure who started it, but Ryan Andrews, R.D., director of education for Precision Nutrition, is here to explain the confusion. The claim: White foods are bad for you. The truth: “Many nutrition experts demonize white rice, potatoes, pasta, white bread, etc. because it’s an easy rule to remember and grasp, but these foods are really only a problem if you overeat them, which usually happens when you slather them in salty, fatty, sugary sauces—also making them a vehicle for salt, sugar, and fat.” The claim: Brown rice is higher in fiber (one cup of cooked brown rice packs about three grams of fiber, while white contains only .5 grams), so it will keep you feeling full longer. The truth: “If rice were the only thing being consumed at a meal, brown rice would likely take a bit longer to digest, and hence, someone would probably be more satiated after eating it. Satiety is governed by the components of an entire meal, though, so if someone was having curry lentils, veggies, and a side of
white rice instead of brown, it probably wouldn’t make much of a difference.” The claim: Brown rice is less processed than white and is therefore healthier. The truth: “Usually the more unprocessed a food, the better, because it contains more nutrients, but in this case the unprocessed component of the brown-rice grain contains both nutrients (good things for us to consume) and some antinutrients (maybe not a good thing for us to consume), which are what the plant uses as a defense system against pests.” The claim: White rice is packed with empty calories. The truth: “Rice has been a part of many healthy cultures for years, and since it’s what I call ‘calorie dilute’ (a low number of calories per unit of food), it’s tough to overconsume. To put it in perspective: 100 grams of cooked rice = 130 calories 100 grams of cooked ground beef = 260 calories 100 grams of Skittles = 410 calories” The bottom line:You can’t really go wrong either way. Andrews suggests alternating grains each time you dine.
Sunday August 02, 2020
Understanding Sustainable Fashion Fashion is one of the world’s largest industries, however, it is also one of the most polluting. Gitika Bhardwaj speaks to Sarah Ditty about why the fashion industry urgently needs to change. Fashion plays a major role in the global economy with annual revenues totalling over £1 trillion. However, it is also one of the most resource-intensive industries in the world. What is sustainable fashion and why is it important? Sustainable fashion is about meeting today’s needs while ensuring that the way we go about meeting those needs meet future needs as well. If you dig down a little deeper, sustainable fashion is also about benefitting the people involved throughout the fashion supply chain – from farmers to consumers to everyone working in end-oflife facilities such as recycling factories. Why is it so important? It literally is as simple as it’s a matter of life or death. I know that sounds intense but fashion has such a significant impact on communities around the world. It also has a huge climate change footprint, and if we’re going to tackle the existential threat of climate change, the fashion industry needs to urgently address its unsustainable practices. If we don’t start to address the negative impacts of the fashion industry soon, we’re not going to have an industry in the future. The fashion industry is one of the largest polluting in the world, however, some brands have recently announced that they are aiming to become 100 per cent ‘circular’ by 2030. Do you think it is possible to achieve a zerowaste fashion industry? It’s essential that we work towards a fashion industry that is working in a sustainable way. However, I don’t think zero-waste is going to be a panacea for all of the problems in the fashion industry. As an industry, and as a culture, that spans across the world we’re going to have to look at reducing our consumption alongside moving towards more circular models of production. But the circular economy is an extremely exciting area that we need to be exploring further. This year, London Fashion Week prohibited designers using animal fur on its catwalks following pledges by brands such as Burberry, Gucci and Versace to go furfree. Meanwhile, companies such as Adidas and G-Star RAW have developed apparel
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way of doing business. If you have to burn your product in order to dispose of it, that’s extremely inefficient, and it shows you’re not using your resources well. That desperately needs to change. We can’t keep filling up our landfills either, or sending our second-hand clothes to other countries, because there is eventually going to be no space left. Waste is our collective responsibility and it has to be addressed quickly. Water waste is particularly an important issue. One of the most striking examples of this is the Aral Sea which was once the world’s fourth largest lake but has essentially dried up largely because of cotton farming. Fortunately, there are now innovative ways to dye clothes without having to use water which is extremely fascinating. Some brands are doing simple things like accepting their old products in store which is great because it shows that these brands are taking more responsibility for the waste they are contributing to. There are also some new technologies being developed around recycling fibres although none of them are commercially viable yet but hopefully they will be soon. These technologies will be able to disrupt the way materials are used and eventually the way we buy clothing. For example, there are processes that are being trialled where fibres can be broken down to their original chemical components and then re-spun into different fibres to make a garment again at the same quality, meaning we don’t have to keep relying on virgin fibres. Some companies are also
developing new materials, like leather made from grape skins and orange skins, which means leather you can grow in a laboratory rather than relying on animals who are often subjected to horrible conditions. There are also lots of new business models too, for example, perhaps we don’t have to own every piece of clothing that we wear but we could rent it or swap it? This is interesting as there is a growing market for second-hand clothes in the developed world. There are lots of amazing things going on but we just need to move a lot faster. Over 300,000 tonnes of clothing were discarded in the UK(opens in new window) in 2016 and the UK Environmental Audit Committee has announced that it is going toinvestigate the rise of ‘fast fashion’ and its impact on the environment. With the global demand for clothing rising, how difficult is it to change consumer behaviour? It’s not easy. We, at Fashion Revolution, love fashion because fashion is our chosen skin. It’s fun, it’s how you celebrate your individuality, it’s the face you show to society and it says something about who you are as a person. We would never want to take that away from consumers. We want to continue to celebrate fashion in this way. The problem is that information about the impacts of our clothes is not readily available to us. We’ve had
Wine of the week... Antigal Estimulo Cabernet Sauvignon: Deliciously Red, Smooth to perfection
By Shikema Dey Season One of the REEL Guyana miniseries “Inside REEL” took viewers on an experience of a lifetime with producer and environmental enthusiast, Alex Arjoon showcasing a mixture of tropes about Guyana’s environment and the nation’s diverse culture. But now, he’s back with a full team, to take viewers on a new adventure, focusing on Guyana’s rich adventure tourism and giving you unfiltered and uncharted experiences while exploring the indigenous way of life. It is safe to say that Season Two will undoubtedly bring an adventure that would enhance your perception of what should characterize a paradise. Packed into four 8-12 minutes videos, S2 gives viewers an inside look at Inside REEL’s production and the many experiences of the team which includes Justin Lion DeFreitas , Captain & Human
made from ocean plastic, with Adidas selling over a million from its ‘Parley’ range in 2017. Why is sourcing sustainable materials important? As you’ve mentioned, large numbers of the materials that are commonly used today in the fashion industry are resource-intensive. Cotton, for example, requires a huge amount of water and synthetic materials like polyester are made from nonrenewable resources such as oil. Then there are other materials, like viscose, which on a massive scale is leading to deforestation and is therefore affecting the habitats of endangered species and ancient trees. So it’s crucial that we move towards researching and developing more sustainable materials because it’s critical to the future of the fashion industry as well as the planet. The truth is, we can’t keep using resources the way we are because we won’t have those resources left. It takes almost 3,000 litres of water to make one cotton t-shirt. How large is the problem of waste, particularly water waste, in the clothing sector and how can it be reduced? Waste is one of the most pressing problems in the fashion industry. 100 billion products are being pumped out of factories every year. We now buy more clothes then we have ever bought, before disposing of them in the bin. In North America alone, consumers throw out what is the equivalent of the Empire State building in weight every year. This waste is then either being burnt or going to landfills which is not a sustainable
This Antigal Estimulo Cabernet Sauvignon is a deliciously smooth and rich red wine that is perfect for any occasion. When you pour yourself a glass of this cabernet sauvignon, you will immediately smell the delectable fruitiness of this red wine. Pair it with a rich and decadent Italian pasta dish and you will take your meal to the next level. This Argentine masterpiece can be found at the Wine Vault located at the Marriott Hotel. It is being sold for $4800 VAT inclusive. You can also find it at the Hibiscus Restaurant, Nice Restaurant and Bar, Palm Court and other leading hotels and bars.
the organic food movement for such a long time but for clothes it’s a relatively new topic. We’re finding that most people just don’t know about the issues, but once they do, they are likely to change their behaviour. I’ve had lots of people tell me that they started to think about sustainability when shopping after seeing information I posted on social media and now they ask themselves why they are buying a product, whether they really need it, do they know who has made it and do they trust that the brand that has made it has done it the right way. Once informed, these questions start to bubble up inside of them every time they go shopping. It’s important to capture people’s attention in a way that doesn’t make them feel guilty because that’s not fun. But it’s hard because there’s a lot of noise out there but hopefully we can inform people in a way that’s digestible and visually compelling. If the growth of the fashion industry continues along its current trajectory, by 2050, it could account for around a quarter of the world’s total carbon emissions. How could water scarcity, land use challenges and climate change affect the future of the fashion industry? The fashion industry is one of the most globalized industries in the world in terms of the flow of goods, services and people but it’s only over the past couple of years that the social and environmental impacts have been taken seriously by decision-makers because fashion
always seems so frivolous. You see the catwalk shows thinking it’s not a serious industry, but it really is, because we all engage with fashion due to the simple fact that we all wear clothes. Whether you work in the government or you are a fashionista we’re all involved in the world of fashion. Climate change is here – and it’s accelerating. Over 100 billion products are being pumped out of factories every year and many of those products are made from synthetic materials that frankly take hundreds of years to biodegrade. But we don’t have hundreds of years to address climate change so we need to tackle unsustainability in the fashion industry now. We are starting to see sustainable fashion being discussed at the talking tables of decision-makers in many countries. There are a lot of leaders investing in innovation but there are also a lot of laggards. Unfortunately, I think the only thing that is going to get the laggards to act is to introduce regulation, although governments move a lot slower than businesses, which could prove a challenge. We also need more companies to put their heads above the parapet and start talking about these issues to their customers more. Yes it will open up your practices to scrutiny, but if you want to be a more sustainable business, you have got to bring your customers along with you. (https:// www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/understanding-sustainable-fashion)
Season Two of Inside REEL airs tonight - Producer promises an adventure like no other
GPS; Johnathan Antczak, Sunburnt Tourist & Snack Enthusiast along with Petar Veljacic, Cameraman & Method Actor; and of course, the brain behind it all, Alex. Complete with succinct anecdotes, it showcases how teamwork and a thirst for adventure overcome challenges like the blazing sun, treks through the wilderness, strong currents and blockages in rivers. These were just a few of the tests Arjoon and his crew faced as they traveled from Rupanau to the infamous Wichabi Ranch deep in Region Nine to get a taste
of Southern Rupununi culture which is vastly different from city life. Each episode promises to leave you begging for more while on the edge of your seat in anticipation of where the adventure leads next. Be sure to catch the first episode tonight at 8:00pm on the Reel Guyana Facebook, IGTV, and Youtube Pages. It will also be streamed on the Tourism Guyana Facebook Page. Join the crew as they take you on a daring adventure in the mythical outdoors and witness nature in its truest form with Inside REEL.
Kaieteur News
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Dick Whittington Once upon a time, there was a poor orphan boy called Dick Whittington. The people in his village believed that the streets of London were paved with gold. So Dick decided to travel there and become a rich man. Dick walked for many days, but when he arrived in London there were no streets of gold! Tired and hungry, he fell asleep on the steps of a great house. The house belonged to a rich businessman who found Dick and gave him a job cleaning the kitchen. Dick worked very hard and was happy. He had enough to eat and at night he could sleep by the fire. There was a problem though! At night, rats ran around the kitchen and kept him awake. So Dick went out and found the fastest rat-catching cat in London! The cat caught all the rats that came into the house and Dick could sleep at night. The businessman heard about the amazing cat and
Sunday August 02, 2020
Junior page Craft Materials Before starting this project, you’ll need the following materials: Paint, 8 x 10 Canvas, Buttons, Glue, Paint Brushes, Painter’s Tape
asked Dick if he could take it on his ship to catch rats on his next journey. Dick agreed, but was very sad to see the cat go. While the businessman was away, the other servants were very mean to Dick, so Dick decided to run away. But as he was leaving, one of the great church bells rang. It seemed to say, ‘Turn back, Dick Whittington, Mayor of London!’ So Dick came back to the house and soon the
businessman returned. He was very happy because Dick’s cat had caught all the rats on the ship. He gave Dick a reward and promoted him to his assistant. Dick worked hard for the businessman and learned everything he could. Eventually he married the businessman’s daughter and started a very successful business of his own. And, yes, he did become Mayor of London!
Fill in some of the dotted line segments to form a meandering path that forms a single loop. The path does not cross itself, branch, or touch itself at corners. The numbers indicate how many line segments surround each cell. Empty cells may be surrounded by any number of line segments. There is one unique solution, and you should be able to find it without guessing. You may find it helpful to mark segments that cannot be filled in.
Getting Started Step 1 – Paint Your Canvas - First, I painted my canvas white. Once the paint was dry, I taped off the stripes with regular painters’ tape. Once I painted the stripes, I pulled the tape off immediately. Step 2 – Create Your Button Heart (or any design you wish, flower maybe) - There were a couple button options.
Quick Tip: It helps laying out your buttons on the canvas first and create your heart free handed. Work until you’re satisfied with your heart shape. Step 3 – Finishing Touches - Once I had my heart shape, I just picked up each button and glued it down with craft glue. It took about total of 10 minutes. I was so excited/happy with my results!!
The best feeling I get I feel so nice when I eat Ice cream, cookies and fruit cake, Chocolate, candy and other sweets, As well as burgers, pizza and milk-shake. I also get very happy When I celebrate my birthday Go to the park, seawall and creek, And enjoy Christmas and other holidays. But the thing that makes me feel the best, And makes me proud indeed, Is when I try to help someone, Or give them something they need. I start by doing more work at home, Then try to make my family feel good; Next I am kinder to all my friends, And help my neighbours in any way I could.
by Uncle Roy
Kaieteur News
Sunday August 02, 2020
Develop Healthy Relationships at Home
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TEEN TIME
I
t is now more than ever uncertain when schools will be reopening in the present pandemic situation, and, because we have to spend so much time at home with our families, it is most important that we make extra efforts to live at peace and togetherness with them. This is the reason that we are encouraging you to make the extra effort in this. Here are some other pointers to facilitate this: Tell the truth always, and be honest in all your dealings. There are many times we feel that we can get away with some dishonest act or talk, but this will always rebound with something to our disadvantage later, most
often when we can least afford this. Try to be on the side of the truth always, and you will reap much benefit from this, especially with respect to our own satisfaction that you are on the right road to self-advancement. I expect that by now you have identified some of the principles on which to base your life, so as to make the most of it now and later, irrespective of what others may say or do. Living up to these will always keep you doing right, no matter if you may at times be tempted to do the contrary. An ancient philosopher once said: “The unexamined life is not worth living”. He meant above all that you
should always examine your actions and ensure that they conform to the right principles on which you have based your life. Keep your environment clean and comfortable and make this the joint responsibility of everyone. One of the ways by which the members of any family can feel connected is by joining together in any activity to keep their surroundings clean and orderly. Make this a regular timetabled event and that feeling will keep you in a peaceful mood all the time. Have periodical planning sessions – shortterm and long-term. This the probably the most effective way to keep
Krypto Inkies
your family together and moving in the same direction. Any programme you evolve to have this planning done regularly will reap immense benefits in keeping your family pursuing the same goals, and therefore keeping your relationships always healthy and moving in the right direction. I have personally found that a weekly session in which the actions of the past period are examined and plans for the future are worked out always result in the best for my family. Maintaining proper family relationships is surely the most important effort we can indulge in, so make sure that you keep working at this every day.
The Stick-together Family The family that sticks together is happier by far Than those who go their separate ways are; The gladdest people living are the folks who make A circle at home that no force but death can break. The finest of meetings ever held beneath the sun Are the little family gatherings when the busy day is done; These are better even than those who imagine they are wise, And don’t worry if they shatter all the little family ties. There are some who seem to fancy that for happiness they must roam, That for smiles that are the brightest they must wander far from home, That the strange friend is the true friend, and they travel far astray As they waste their lives in striving for a joy that’s far away. But the gladdest sort of people, when the busy day is done, Are the brothers and the sisters who together share their fun; It’s the stick-together family that wins the joys of earth, That hears the sweetest music and that finds the finest mirth. It’s the old home roof that shelters all the charm that life can give, There you find the happiest play-ground, there the grooviest spot to live. O weary, wandering brother, if contentment you would win, Come you back into your home and be friends with your kin.
Doing your best within your family situation will help you to maintain all other relationships.
Solutions to last week’s
Cryptograms Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other. There are many reluctant young readers who haven't yet found books that make them laugh. Only the consciousness of a purpose that is mightier than any man and worthy of all men can fortify and inspirit and compose the souls of men. Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a god.
Jigoku
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Eyelash Growing Hacks For Fuller, Longer Lashes 1. Use Olive Oil There’s a lot of lore out there that olive oil can improve the length and strength of your lashes. Natural olive oil is rich in essential fatty acids that act as emollients, moisturizing and softening your eyelashes. Pro-tip: The easiest way to apply these oils is to get disposable mascara brushes, and dip them into the oil, then brush the oil onto your lashes. 2. Try An Eyelash Growth Serum You’ve probably heard a lot about different eyelash serums that can boost the length of your lashes. While the market is flooded with a lot of different varieties (and not all of them great), you’ll want to be mindful of the ingredient list in order to find the best eyelash growth serums. 3. Apply Vitamin E Oil Beloved by both Kardashians and bloggers alike, vitamin E oil has long been used to promote stronger and more moisturized eyelashes. While science hasn’t definitively proven it promotes hair growth, you can’t argue with hundreds of Amazon reviewers. 4. Comb Your Eyelashes It may sound basic, but brushing out your eyelashes is a great way to make them appear longer and to promote growth. While there isn’t a ton of science to back this, plenty of professional make-up artists and experts extoll the virtues of brushing your lashes out. 5. Moisturize With Coconut Oil Not only is virgin coconut oil safe for use around your eyes, but it’s also a great moisturizer and strengthener for your eyelashes. In fact, one study showed that by applying coconut oil to your hair before and after washing it, you can prevent your hair from protein loss. 6. Consider Biotin If you’ve ever looked into hair growth of any kind, eyelash or otherwise, you’ve probably heard of biotin. Does biotin actually improve your hair growth? According to Dr. Shainhouse, “Specific nutritional, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies can ultimately affect hair growth. While taking vitamin and mineral supplements [will] not stimulate hair growth in and of themselves (sorry if you bought bottles of Biotin!), if you are deficient in certain ones (iron, vitamin B12, protein intake, vitamin D, or biotin — though this is very rare), your hair will not grow as well.” 7. Use A Lash-Boosting Mascara There are plenty of mascaras that not only boost the look of your eyelashes while you wear them, but also promote growth overtime. Look for fiber-lash mascaras and any designed to improve the length of short lashes. 8. Use Castor Oil While castor oil has been both lauded and debunked as an ingredient that promotes hair growth, one thing that’s clear is that it will help moisturize your eyelashes, causing them to appear fuller and more lush. Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the most common ingredients you’ll find in popular eyelash serums. 9. Apply Green Tea Green tea is packed with antioxidants to boost your overall health. But, one hack you may have not heard of? Putting a bit of cold green tea along your lash line to promote eyelash growth. What fans say: “I have yet to find a green tea that tastes as good as Bigelow, and is not over powering or bitter... I believe this is one of the most potent green teas on the market! I usually see an improvement in my skin and nails when I drink it regularly!” Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle’s editorial and sales departments.
Kaieteur News
Sunday August 02, 2020
TELEPHONY
Sunday August 02, 2020
CONSUMER CONCERNS
Reflections on Emancipation Day By Pat Dial Yesterday, all Guyana celebrated Emancipation Day. Emancipation Day, first celebrated on 1st August 1834, is among the oldest holidays in the Guyanese holiday calendar. Emancipation Day celebrates the ending of plantation slavery, which had been established by the Dutch in the 17th century and continued by the British when the Dutch Guiana colonies were ceded to the British Empire in 1815. The slaves who manned these plantations were forcibly taken from their homes in West Africa and transported over the Atlantic by slave ships. The conditions in these slave ships were as cruel and barbaric as could be imagined and as a result, a comparatively large percentage of the captives died before they could reach Guyana and the Caribbean. This terrible journey was known as “the Middle Passage”. Those who survived the Middle Passage were taken to the plantations and formally sold into conditions, which in many respects were even worse than those on the slave ships. They were worked from dawn to dusk, given little food, were whipped if the overseers felt that they were not working fast enough and if they became ill, there was no medical help except to give them some rum to drink. They were housed in logies or ranges, which were basic huts where there was no privacy, no floors and the thatched roofs always leaked. The death rate among the slaves was very high and new slaves had to be constantly bought to replace them. They were permitted no cultural or recreational time. Occasionally, a slave was manumitted or freed but the overwhelming majority died in hopeless bondage. Towards the last half of the 18th century, a group known as the ‘Humanitarians’ grew up in England who were deeply influenced by the ethical teachings of the Christian religion. This group came largely from the new industrial middle classes who were fast displacing the old landed classes in their influence in British life and control of Parliament. This group included such names as Clarkson,
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Kaieteur News
Wilberforce and Buxton. Among the first humanitarian challenge this group undertook was the abolition of the Slave Trade which they succeeded in achieving in 1807. The slave trade was largely controlled because the British navy controlled the seas. They next tried to have the amelioration of the harsh conditions of slavery by the adoption of a number of reforms but the plantation owners rejected most of them. They therefore decided to work for the abolition of slavery and the full emancipation of slaves in the British Empire. At this juncture, that is in the first quarter of the 19th century, the British Industrial Revolution had greatly advanced and Britain had become the workshop of the world. The new economic wisdom was that it was more profitable to sell the Africans manufactured goods and acquire from them agricultural products such as palm oil and also gold than to be engaged in a slave trade. The influential industrial classes and the Humanitarians became natural allies. At this time, sugar was becoming less and less profitable and the influence of the sugar interest on British politics declined. With the alliance between the industrial classes and the Humanitarians, the Emancipation Act freeing all slaves in the British Empire was passed in Parliament to take effect from 1st August 1834. In the West Indies and Guyana, the slaves were, however, not freed immediately but had to serve an additional four to six years before full freedom. In this period, known as the Apprenticeship, the conditions of the technically freed men were greatly improved and they were given a small wage. The Apprenticeship System was designed to allow the exslaves to adjust to freedom and more importantly, to allow the planters to locate new sources of labour for their plantations and this led to the Indenture System. The planters experimented with recruiting workers from various countries, finally settling for
India. The conditions under which the indentured workers served were little removed from slavery. The Apprenticeship System in Guyana ended in 1838 and immediately a number of the freedmen left the estates and settled in the towns or squatted on agricultural land near the estates. The majority, however, remained on the estates as wage labourers but soon felt they were underpaid. In the 1840s, there were two strikes, which failed and thereafter, the freedmen left the estates. On leaving the estates, the freed men were able to purchase a number of abandoned plantations in all three counties. They paid in cash from monies, which they had saved from wages received and from the sales of the Sunday markets. They then embarked upon creating villages on the abandoned estates, a process known as the Village Movement. The Village Movement is one of the proudest chapters in Guyanese History: These mostly illiterate ex-slaves established a system of local government; built thousands of houses; cleared and cultivated several thousand acres of land; created a commercial and economic life; saved and spent their money wisely; reestablished the family which had been destroyed by slavery; established the best system of primary education in the colony with the cooperation of the Christian Churches; and built up a new rural culture. In all of this achievement, they manifested great entrepreneurial skill and selfreliance and never looked for help from the State or anyone else. These virtues need to be recaptured by all Guyanese and particularly by our African descendants whose forefathers pioneered them. These virtues would include, we reiterate, greater involvement in agriculture, education of children and eschewing the debilitating socialist idea of dependence on the state for jobs and social welfare. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Unlicensed driver remanded for killing Mon Repos labourer
A driver was on Thursday last slapped with four traffic-related charges and remanded to prison for causing the death of a pedestrian. The incident happened five days ago at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Julius Knight appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate Court where the charges were read to him virtually by Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool. Knight pleaded guilty to three out of the four charges and was ordered to a pay a total fine of $80,000. He was fined $20,000 for breach of insurance, $40,000 for being an unlicensed driver and another $20,000 for driving an unlicensed vehicle. However, with regards to fourth charge, Knight was denied bail and remanded to prison until 14th August 2020. It is alleged that on July 26, Knight was operating a motorcar, PPP 5422, in a dangerous manner and struck down Vickram Budhram, 44, on the East Coast Public Road, killing him instantly.According to reports, Budhram, a labourer of Lot 24 First Street, Mon Repos, ECD, was attempting to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing when the speeding car hit him down.The fatal accident took place at around 14:00hrs that day while Budhram was
Dead: Vickram Budhram returning home from work. Eyewitnesses had detailed that the impact flung the labourer some 80 feet away. Persons, who saw what transpired, informed his daughter immediately who rushed out to the scene only to see her father lying motionless along the roadway. Police arrived at the scene shortly after as well and took the man to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where doctors pronounced him dead.
Exxon’s lackadaisical attitude... From page 3 Piper Alpha is an offshore oil and gas platform that suffered an explosion in July 1988. It is still regarded as the worst offshore oil disaster in the history of the UK as it killed 165 out of 226 crew members along with two crew members from a standby vessel. This newspaper understands that the primary cause of the accident was ruled to be human error. International news reports note that after the removal of one of the gas condensate pump pressure safety valves for mainte-
nance, the condensate pipe remained temporarily sealed with a blind flange as the work was not completed during the day shift. Unaware of the maintenance being carried out on one of the pumps, a night crew turned on the alternate pump. Following this, the blind flange, including firewalls, failed to handle the pressure, leading to several explosions. “So as you can see, the Piper Alpha incident was clear case of a failure to maintain high safety procedures. And it comes back to my point
about your operations mindset and in this case with ExxonMobil, it failed to follow the fundamentals for the safe and proper use of one of the parts on the vessel,” the EPA Head expressed. When he examines the opposition to paying the paltry fines as well as the company’s “lackadaisical attitude” on following the basics, Dr. Adams said he is left to wonder what ExxonMobil’s posture would be towards the country should there be a more catastrophic situation to deal with.
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Top Cop sent on...
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Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur News
From page 10 – that operation being the 2020 Elections. “We are in a very abnormal period of Guyanese history and the Commissioner of Police was required to supervise a special operation to ensure that there was no disturbance of the peace or disruptions during the elections,” Granger explained, citing the March 5 riots in ReWANTED gion 5 where one man lost his Body work Technician. life, while many others including law enforcement officers Contact #668-7033 Neil. and children were injured. Senior Diesel Mechanic to work in Georgetown. Tel# 227-1717 Violin tutor needed.Contact #222-2204 or 688-0867 1 Skilled Mason, 1 Skilled Carpenter to work. $8,000 per day. Call: #693-9999 Violin tutor needed.
VACANCY Labourers to work in Cabbage Office Assistant/Inventory and Tomatoes farm. Experience 3-4 Years. Tele: #695- Clerk.Mima Decor.Maths & English required, 6139, 679-7552, 638-7420 m i m a d e c o r 1 2 Urgently need one Land to @ g m a i l . c o m , Tel#227buy in Farm or Herstelling 0186. New Scheme. Direct from Cook/Baker and pitmen for Owner. Tele# 617-9930 interior location.Applicants must be experienced with verifiable references.Call 618FOR RENT 2020. 1 bedroom apartment for Domestic. Contact: #223working couple/single person 5274/227-5003 $35,000 monthly, light & water Nanny.Contact: included, 2 months #223-5274/227-5003. security.Tel#623-0076. Waitress/Waiter. Contact PLANNING AN EVENT? #223-5274/ 225-0328 or email: rtilak@ BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U A T I O N , adamantiumholdings.com W E D D I N G S , For Porter. Apply in person ANNIVERSARY, ETC. - to Alabama Trading, 65 CALL DIAMOND TENTS: Robb Street, Bourda. 216-1043; 677-6620 For Cleaner. Apply in person to Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street, Exotic furnished and unfur- Bourda. nished one two bedroom(s) apartments in a gated commu- One Male Janitor. Apply in person to Alabama Trading, nity or Farm E.B.D. 65 Robb Street, Bourda. Call #616-7635 Dragger operator. Contact 2 Bedroom Apartment for rent. 223-5273/223-5274 or 4633 Rasville Roxanne, email:rtilak@ FOR SALE Burnhamgarden. Call: #618- adamantiumholdings.com 5305/223-5050 Cook, must have restaurant and grilling Unfurnished two-bedroom e x p e r i e n c e . C o n t a c t apartment for small family in 223-5274/225-0328 Ducan Street,Kitty.$45,000.Tel Looking for a job & educa# 225-0168/226-3087. tional services? Contact The Mon-Fri 9am-2pm Job Centre 43 Croal & Apartment for single Alexander Street or call: 600males,(working/studing)/mar- 8457 ried couples in Atlanticville. Tel Manager to work in Bar/ #225-0168/226-3087.Mon-Fri R e s t a r u a n t . C o n t a c t : guyana.vacancies2020 9am-2pm @gmail.com TO LET LAND FOR SALE One spacious two bedroom apartment at Goedverwagting. Republic Gardens- Phase 1, Single Plot, Corner Lot G$28 Call#649-9876 Million. Gated Community. Tele : #660-0192, 688-5554 TAXI SERVICE Farm New Scheme $4M & $8M GR TAXI . CALL: (East Bank) Schoonord (100ft 219-5000, 227-2100 X 50ft with 20ft Reserve) $5M. 225-7878, 227-1982 Tele: #656-0701
Our frontline worker of the week is… From page 43 “I was very fearful, but as the months went by, you would have gotten more practice. You always have that fear that you will have a positive case,” he said. In fact, the doctor was the one who tended to the first and only COVID case in Berbice. That patient has since died after she developed respiratory complications. Sharing his experience when he and his team had to deal with that case, he revealed that a call was received a few days after the patient had returned from the United States and based on the symptoms she was experiencing and her travel history at that time, it was highly suspected that she had contracted the virus. “So, we organized a team and went over to the house and from the moment I saw her, my mind immediately went to that. As I started to question her and examine her using my medical expertise, I had a very strong belief that this was our first case. I subsequently got on to our Medical Superintendent at that time and explained to her my suspicions,” Dr. Carr shared. The patient was subsequently placed into quarantine and tested. When the test results returned, it confirmed what Dr. Carr had suspected – she was a positive case. The patient was then moved to the Georgetown Public Hospital after she began experiencing respiratory difficulties. Unfortunately, she died a few days later. However, despite not having any other positive cases since then, Dr. Carr is concerned that there may be a lot of asymptomatic cases existing in the Region and now that the curfew has been lifted in Regions Five and Six, he is even more fearful that a few cases might start manifesting symptoms. Explaining the criteria for a suspected case, Dr. Carr said, “What happens, when someone calls the hotline, we have a checklist of symptoms that we run through with them on the phone, so depending how many common symptoms of COVID they present, we may go out to check them or suggest remaining indoors and have their temperature checked daily.” He, however added, “It’s not to say if someone calls and has a fever alone they may not have COVID; that is the tricky part and we still do not have the capacity to do mass testing which for me should be something we should be looking into because the suspicion is that we have a lot of asymptomatic patients.” Dr. Carr is currently not in agreement with the curfew being lifted just yet given the fact that there has been an increase cases in the country. But at the same time, he does
understand that “we are trying to return to some amount of normalcy.” Nevertheless, from a medical perspective, “I believe it is prudent, especially considering how porous our border on the Corentyne is, I am not in agreement with it,” he said. Against this background, Dr. Carr is appealing to the public to act responsibly. CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD If you are finding it difficult to be at home right now or even making a simple trip to the supermarket or farmer’s market because of the fear of contracting the virus, then imagine how it would feel to walk in the shoes of a doctor or a nurse. Health care workers are not afforded the luxury of holing up in their homes as a shield from the virus. Moreover, exposing themselves to the risk is simply not a choice but rather a mandate. Dr. Carr disclosed that when they receive calls and eventually must go into the field to visit the homes of persons who have suspected that they, a family member or neighbour may have the virus, it is not necessarily a walk in the park. Many times, when they show up to the locations, people are reluctant to exit their homes and engage with them or some may exhibit hostility, hence the need for a police officer to accompany the team. He said too that there is a lot of stigma attached to possible COVID patients and towards health care workers too. He believes that it has a lot to do with the lack of education. He said that, “despite there is so much information out there about COVID, going through all that information and picking out what is prudent and what is false is sometimes a lot for some people. For me, it’s just about education. We try as much to educate the populace on our programme every Thursday, but I still think there is a lot more persons need to do for themselves apart from following the precautions.” “There is also the stigma that if persons call and we show up, that we are going to put them in quarantine and then their neighbours and family will think they have COVID. Also, I have not felt stigma and discrimination, but I know some nurses would have felt stigmatized, some that are on the team. Some people believe that they may be carrying it because they are in contact with these patients; so, they say ‘we don’t want you around us’ and that is quite unfortunate,” Dr. Carr added.He is therefore urging persons to be mindful and to stop the stigma and discrimination. “COVID-19 is a novel virus, it’s new, scientists are still learning day by day how the virus is behaving. Things change from time to time. What I would suggest to the
general populace is to continue to follow the protocols, no mass gatherings, wearing your mask when leaving to go out, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face,” said Dr. Carr. Most importantly, he added, “Do not stigmatize anyone; we are all in this fight. The faster we can continue to learn to follow the protocols, the faster we will be able to bring the curve down, but it’s hard. It’s partly to do with culture and it’s partly to do with ignorance and we can only combat that with education.” FINDINGTIME DESPITEA BUSY SCHEDULE If you ask health care workers when was the last time they had a vacation or the last time they had an extended period of relaxation with family and close friends, the answer might suggest they are on the verge of exhaustion. But Dr. Carr noted that when he began his career in medicine, he looked forward to his holidays and days off. As the years progressed, he simply looked forward to a day where he could just recharge for the following week. “After a while, it just becomes a part of you. Sometimes, I can’t tell the weekends from the other days of the week. It’s like that, but I do manage to get some time for myself,” he said. He stated too that initially, early on in his career, it was difficult separating work and family time, but he has since garnered the skills to manage both “pretty well”. PRESSING ON AMIDST DISAPPOINTMENTS At some point in all our lives, we may feel as though we want to give up and, for Dr. Carr, he has felt that before while he was pursuing studies in medical school but he pressed on to complete his journey. “I think the hardest part of being a doctor, well when you are in medical school, you have this false belief that once you do everything correctly then you should have a positive outcome (the patient survives). But practically, it doesn’t work like that and for me that would have been, and still is, the hardest aspect to get over. You know, you would have been with the patient sometimes days and weeks and the patient still dies; I think that is the hardest part of being a doctor,” he intimated. But Dr. Carr continues to dedicate his skills and time towards keeping the region and the nation at large safe and for that, the country is indebted to him. He is encouraging persons to continue to follow established protocols even though the curfew in Regions Five and Six have been lifted, while noting that “it is not a signal that you can go out and congregate, we still need to take precautions.”
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Arya Samaj condemns attacks on women leaders
In expressing great disappointment of the way in which women leaders, both past and present, are being treated, the Arya Samaj Movement Guyana yesterday condemned what it said are vile attacks meted out to women in authority. The attacks came from various social media platforms aligned to the incumbent Coalition which has lost the March 2 election, according to recount figures which has been ratified by a number of court decisions. “It is in shock and disappointment we observed that persons have been publicly denigrating and threatening women in public office, for the simple reason that these great women are doing their jobs upholding their oath of their office fearlessly – being fair, honest and transparent,” the statement said. The religious body added that, “the contributions of our women are not less than the
Canadian High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee. men folk and can even be considered greater than the contributions of some men.” It was pointed out that “social media has shown the various “rites” performed on effigies of the Chairperson of GECOM (Justice (Ret’d Claudette Singh), and there have been vile attacks on female members of the
Chairperson of GECOM, Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne Justice (Ret’d) Claudette George-Whiltshire judiciary among others…” To this, the body reiterated its condemnation and demanded the appropriate respect be given to females in authority, particularly the GECOM Chair; Chief Justice (ag), Roxanne George; Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry as well as attorney-at-law Kim Kyte-Thomas.
STANDARDS IN FOCUS
IS YOUR PROTECTIVE HELMET CONFORMING TO STANDARD REQUIREMENTS? Head injuries are a major cause of death and disability among users of motorized two-wheel vehicles. This is according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in a report on Road Traffic Injuries Prevention, which provides facts about the use of safety helmets by road users. The report states that the lack or inappropriate use of helmets has been shown to increase the risk of fatalities and injuries resulting from road crashes involving motorized two-wheelers. The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has facilitated the development of a national standard Specification for labelling of commodities – Part 17: Labelling of protective helmets for road users to assist consumers who are users in differentiating between helmets, which meet specific standards for impact (crash) protective, and retention system strength and those which do not. The standard also provides manufacturers, retailers and sellers with the necessary information to carry out their obligation to describe the commodity in a truthful, informative and non-descriptive manner so as not to create deception. According to the scope, the standard specifies requirements for the information to be provided on labels of protective helmets for road users, offered for sale in
Guyana. The requirements apply to protective helmets for use by pedal cyclists and motorcyclists. Notably however, the requirements do not apply to protective helmets for use in open motorized vehicles/ boat, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), non-motorised sports, automotive racing, karting, competitive skiing and equestrian activities.The standard firstly provides a list of general requirements for labels affixed to, or marked on a commodity or its external package. These requirements include that the label shall give a description of the commodity and shall provide adequate information to a potential purchaser enabling him or her to select the helmet best suited for his or her needs. The information shall include the mass, volume, measurement or size as applicable and shall give an accurate description of the components of the commodity as is necessary. For the detailed requirements, the standard requires that each helmet be permanently and legibly marked in such a manner that the marking can be easily read without removal of the padding or other permanent parts of the helmet. The information should include the name and address of manufacturer, country of origin, model designation, size, certification mark and instruction to users.
Meanwhile, where an outer package is supplied, it shall also be clearly and legibly marked with the manufacturer’s brand name, model designation, size, the nominal mass in grams of the helmet and the activity/activities for which the helmet is designed. Importantly, the standard requires that helmet for road users be accompanied by a brochure or swing-tag, which shall include information regarding the correct fit of the helmet, cleaning methods, and the manufacturer’s advice on the extent of protection.The standard clearly assigns the responsibility for labelling to the manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler or retailer of helmets in the course of trade or business. This is to ensure that helmets are labelled in accordance with the requirements of this standard. Manufacturers and distributors of helmets for road use are encouraged to acquire a copy of the standard to ensure those offered for sale meet the labelling specification, which guide users. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) For further information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-006466. Please visit our website: www.gnbsgy.org and like our Facebook page: gnbsgy
In addition, the religious body further condemned the attacks against former
Attorney-at-law Kim Kyte-Thomas CARICOM Chair, Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; US Ambassador,
US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch Sarah-Ann Lynch as well as High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee.
Cost of becoming U.S. citizen hiked - asylum is no longer free US (Miami Herald)- The Trump administration announced on Friday an exorbitant increase in fees for some of the most common immigration procedures, including an 81% increase in the cost of U.S. citizenship for naturalization. It will also now charge asylum-seekers, which is an unprecedented move. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published on Friday a final rule in the Federal Register that details the new cost for dozens of immigration and naturalization applications, a further change in immigration policy to curb legal immigration of low-income foreign nationals. The fees’ adjustment “to ensure U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recovers its costs of services,” they agency said in a press release, includes a $50 fee in the Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. That will make the United States one of only four countries around the world that charge a fee for humanitarian protection. The fee to apply for U.S. citizenship through naturalization will increase from $640 to $1,160 if filed online, or $ 1,170 in paper filing. Other increases will hit petitions for employment authorization — Form I-765, which will go up by 34% to $550 — and for removing conditions on permanent residence obtained through marriage (Form I-751), which will go up by 28%, from $595 to $760.The immigration agency cited the increase in operating costs and the decrease in its income to cover expenses as a reason to raise the fees. According to the statement, the Department of Homeland Security agency adjusted the rates by a weighted average increase of 20% to recover its operating costs and thus avoid a fund-
ing shortfall estimated at $1 billion annually. “USCIS is required to examine incoming and outgoing expenditures and make adjustments based on that analysis,” said Joseph Edlow, USCIS deputy director for policy, in a press release. “These overdue adjustments in fees are necessary to efficiently and fairly administer our nation’s lawful immigration system, secure the homeland and protect Americans.” USCIS is facing a crippling budget shortfall and has told Congress it urgently needs $1.2 billion in emergency funding due to a drastic decline in green card and other visa applications. Most services were halted on March 18 due to the
and eliminate most fee waivers, effectively putting a wealth test on immigrant and refugee communities who want to apply,” said Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans, in a press release.Some of the other immigration forms affected by the rate increase are: % I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation) Current fee: $575. Final Fee: $1,110. Percentage change: 76%. % I-881, Application for Suspension of Deportation Current fee: $285. Final Fee: $1,810. Percentage change: 535%. % I-539, Application To Extend/Change Nonimmi-
coronavirus pandemic and the agency resumed in-person services on June 4.As services have been restored, the DHS agency has reduced the number of appointments and interviews to ensure social distancing rules.The new fees announced Friday take effect Oct. 2.The most drastic rate increase affect work visas, citizenship, permanent legal residence and documents for families or crime victims.“Fee waivers are almost entirely eliminated, pricing out lower-income applicants for citizenship and various humanitarian protections,” wrote Doug Rand, cofounder of Boundless Immigration, in his Twitter feed. The regulation, “will increase fees across the board
grant Status Current fee: $370. Final Fee: $400 ($390 for online filing). Percentage change: 8% (5%). % I-929, Petition for Qualifying Family Member of a U1 Nonimmigrant (Victims of Criminal Activity) Current fee: $230. Final Fee: $1,485. Percentage change: 546%. % N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes Current fee: $355. Final Fee: $1,585. Percentage change: 346%. “This final rule also encourages online filing by providing a $10 reduction in the fee for applicants who submit forms online,” said USCIS.
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GECOM to meet today to discuss way forward
With the aim of discussing a way forward on Guyana’s protracted electoral process, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is anticipated to conduct a meeting today. This is according to opposition-nominated Commissioner, Sase Gunraj. Gunraj told Kaieteur News yesterday that the meeting is set to commence at 10am. He, however, could not share on what specific issues would be tackled today by the Commission, since that was not mentioned in the letter he received from the body. Recently, the Court of Appeal (CoA) unanimously threw out a case presented to them by coalition supporter,
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Misenga Jones, who sought to stop the election declaration based on the results from the national recount. These results show a clear victory of 15,000+ votes for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), over the incumbent David Granger-led Coalition. Following the historical ruling by the three-judge Appeal Court, a stay of 24 hours was granted. This expired on Friday. Attorney-at-Law, Mayo Robertson, for the applicant, Misenga Jones, had said that there have been no decision on whether his client will approach the Caribbean Court of Justice to challenge the decision of the Appeal Court.
Notably, today marks five months since Guyanese went to the polls for the March 2 General and Regional Elections. There has been a plethora of attempts by the governing Coalition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) to prolong the electoral process. This has led to more than 100 countries calling for the national recount figures to be used and the foisting of visa sanctions upon top executives of the Coalition by the United States.
Spotlight focused on procurement, maintenance... From page 45 American company that operates from North Carolina. The Islanders, according to Harmon, were purchased from Brazil which utilized the planes for passenger and cargo services. Both models are no longer being manufactured. According to persons familiar with the purchase of aircraft, it is very important that one takes into account the flying hours that would have been chalked up by a plane. “It is like a car,” one expert said, “the more mileage it has, the less you pay. So it is even if the plane looks new, the hours on the engine, in layman’s language, is what
you have to pay attention to. If we are facing problems that these planes were purchased and then you had to take out the engines and replace them, then clearly something is wrong.”According to several sources, one of the Islanders remained stripped since it came in 2018 because of technical problems. Millions of dollars was spent on the other Islander to make it airworthy and cleared to take to the skies. One of the Skyvans, since arriving in June last year, barely flew a few months before being grounded. Kaieteur News was told last week that it would cost as much as the original purchase to bring the Skyvan up to be deemed air-
worthy. In May 2018, the Coalition was grilled in the National Assembly after an application was made for $484M in additional funding for the army for the purchases. The approval was granted for the additional sums representing final payment towards the purchase of the four fixed-wing aircrafts. Faced with numerous questions about the purchase from the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Harmon, who had responsibilities for the Army, had insisted that: “The Skyvans and Islanders are aircraft [that] people who have them don’t sell them. It’s like having a Rolls-Royce.”
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MotoGP set to add Portimao to 2020 calendar Motorsport.com - The original 2020 season was set to be the longest in MotoGP’s history, with 20 rounds beginning in Qatar and ending in Valencia, with stops off in the Americas, and Asia bookending the campaign. However, the coronavirus pandemic forced the opening round in Qatar to be cancelled for the premier class (Moto2 and Moto3 still raced as all teams were already in Doha when travel restrictions kicked in) and a major reshuffle of the schedule. A provisional 13-round campaign was announced in June, beginning in July with two rounds at Jerez and ending in November with a
Valencia double-header. Space was left on the calendar for the four flyaway races that were yet to be officially canned for 2020 to take place no later than 11 December. This soon became three when the US Grand Prix was scrapped, with MotoGP promoters Dorna Sports now confirming the Malaysian, Thailand and Argentine GPs will not become additional races in 2020. However, Thailand has also been granted a contract extension until 2026. “It is with great sadness that we announce the cancellation of the Argentina, Thailand and Malaysian
Grands Prix this season, and they will be very much missed on the 2020 calendar,” said Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta. “The passion of the fans who often travel across continents to enjoy MotoGP with us in Termas de Rio Hondo, Buriram and Sepang is incredible, creating as they do such an incredible atmosphere and welcome for the sport. “However, we are delighted to add another Grand Prix in Europe to the 2020 calendar, and reveal our new agreement that will see MotoGP racing in Thailand and Buriram until at least 2026. “We are very much
Sunday August 02, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Sit back and observe others' behavior today, Aries. Take a look at the people around you and figure out what makes them tick. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Your love life might be a little fragile, and you'll find that your partner is more sensitive than usual. A more caring, emotional approach to a situation will help you form a better connection with your partner. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Things in the love and beauty department should be going rather well for you now, Gemini, so it's a good time to make a move toward the object of your desire. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Slow down and take a more reserved, sensitive, and calculated approach to things today, Cancer, especially when it comes to matters involving love and beauty. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may be at a rather climactic point now in the department of love and beauty, Leo. Your creative levels are peaking, and you might feel a strong urge to create something on a giant canvas. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may be at a rather climactic point now in the department of love and beauty. Your creative levels are peaking, and you might feel a strong urge to create something on a giant canvas.Take care of things now.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Cupid has fired his arrow into your heart today, Libra, so snuggle up with the object of your desire. You'll feel more sensual and romantic than usual. Gourmet foods and fine wines should grace your plate tonight. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may feel a bit of a creative block now, Scorpio, but don't view this as a signal to stop pursuing your artistic goals. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today is an important day in which you can breathe creative energy into a structured situation, Sagittarius. You'll find that bolstering the aesthetics of your surroundings will help inspire you to be more disciplined. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Be a bit more selective in terms of where you put your energy today, Capricorn. Don't waste your time with situations that aren't healthy or conducive to your aims. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Love and romance are coming your way today, but it's important to be practical, Aquarius. Don't take your relationships for granted. Realize that love doesn't necessarily mean that everything is perfect. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You probably should settle down a bit today in the love and romance department. Realize that your relationships with others aren't a show or stage act to perform.
looking forward to returning to Thailand, Argentina and Malaysia next year and as always, I would like to thank the fans for their patience and understanding However, an additional race is set to be announced by Dorna on 10 August, which Motorsport.com understands will be the return of the Portuguese GP at the Algarve circuit as the season finale. This will take the season through to 22 November, instead of the original 15 November end point. The Algarve circuit at Portimao is MotoGP’s official reserve circuit, and is expected to feature on future calendars, potentially alternating with Valencia as the season finale. Last week, Formula 1 announced it would be visiting the Portuguese venue later this season. MotoGP’s event will mark the first in the country since 2012, when the Portuguese GP was held at Estoril. This will be the first season since 1986 that no races will take place outside of Europe. Other races cancelled this year were the Australian, Japanese, British, German, Dutch, Finnish and Italian GPs. The delayed campaign kicked off on July 19 with the Spanish GP at Jerez, with the
MotoGP will add Portimao to their 2020 calendar. (Motorsport) Andalusian GP at the same venue the following week. Petronas Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo won both races, while reigning world champion Marc Marquez missed the latter after breaking his arm in a crash in the Spanish GP. Quartararo leads the
championship by 10 points from Yamaha factory team counterpart and future teammate Maverick Vinales. With the 2020 season now officially locked in at 14 rounds, just 12 races remain, beginning with the Czech GP at Brno next week followed by an Austrian double-header.
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NBA roundup: Harden, Rockets rally, top Mavs in OT James Harden scored 49 points, Russell Westbrook added 31 points and 11 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets erased a 14-point deficit and rallied for a 153149 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. The Rockets claimed the season series with Dallas two games to one by finally mustering some defensive might down the stretch of the fourth quarter. Trailing 139-137, Houston got a tip-in of a Harden missed free throw from Robert Covington with 3.3 seconds left to force overtime. Covington, following an 0for-8 start from behind the arc, added a 3-pointer with 1:22 left in overtime to extend the Houston lead to 150-146. Luka Doncic recorded his league-leading 15th tripledouble with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while Kristaps Porzingis paced the Mavericks with 39 points and 16 rebounds. Trey Burke added 31 points on 8of-10 3-point shooting off the bench while Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 24 points for Dallas. Portland Trail Blazers 140 - Memphis Grizzlies 135 (OT) CJ McCollum scored 33 points, Damian Lillard added 29, and Portland overwhelmed Memphis in overtime. The Trail Blazers built a first-half lead then surged ahead 75-62 in the third quarter before a 22-6 run pushed the Grizzlies ahead. The game was back-and-forth from there until the Blazers took control in the extra frame. Rookie Ja Morant, the Grizzlies’ leading scorer on the season at just under 18 points per game, finished with 22 points Friday. He had only two points on 1-of-5 shooting at halftime but came to life to lead the third-quarter run. Morant also handed out 11 assists. Orlando Magic 128 Brooklyn Nets 118 Orlando turned a close game into a rout by scoring nine consecutive points late in the second quarter en route
to a win over Brooklyn in what could be a key battle for playoff seeding. Evan Fournier had 24 points while Aaron Gordon posted a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) for the Magic (31-35), who moved past the Nets (30-35) into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The top seven teams are guaranteed a playoff spot. The eighth-place team advances to the postseason as the final seed if it is at least four games better than the ninth-place team at the end of the regular season. Otherwise, a play-in series will determine the eighth seed. Nikola Vucevic had 22 points for the Magic. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led the Nets with 24 points, and Caris LeVert had 17. Phoenix Suns 125 Washington Wizards 112 Cameron Johnson and Devin Booker combined for 18 first-quarter points, helping Phoenix build a big lead en route to a victory over Washington. Booker finished with a game-high 27 points and Deandre Ayton registered a 24-point, 12-rebound doubledouble for the Suns, who entered the resumption of play with the worst record among the 13 Western Conference teams still alive. Rui Hachimura paced the Wizards with 21 points. Milwaukee Bucks 119 Boston Celtics 112 Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points and 15 rebounds to lift Milwaukee past Boston in the teams’ first game of the NBA restart. A n t e t o k o u n m p o ’s double-double was his 19th straight, matching the longest streak in the NBA this season — set by the reigning league MVP himself from Oct. 24 to Nov. 29. Khris Middleton had 18 points and Brook Lopez added 14 points and six blocks for the Bucks, who bolted out to a 17-2 lead before requiring a late push to seal the win. Marcus Smart scored 23 points off the bench and Jaylen Brown added 22 for the Celtics.
Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies and CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers compete for the jump ball during the second half at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on July 31, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports) San Antonio Spurs 129 Sacramento Kings 120 DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points — all but two in the second half — and added 10 assists as San Antonio finished with a flurry to beat
Sacramento in the teams’ first game back in action after the league’s stoppage for COVID19. Derrick White added 26 points for San Antonio, with Rudy Gay scoring 19
off the bench, Lonnie Walker IV hitting for 16, and Dejounte Murray contributing 11. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 39 points. Bogdan
Bogdanovic hit for 24, Nemanja Bjelica added 12, and Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes contributed 10 points each for Sacramento. (Field Level Media)
Harden says ‘it’s not even about the points’ after dropping 49 in Rockets win SportsMax - James Harden scored 49 points in a 153-149 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks, but it was the Houston Rockets’ defensive effort that the former MVP wanted to highlight. Another fine offensive night from Harden saw him move past Calvin Murphy to become the player with the second-most points in the franchise’s history, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon. With Russell Westbrook adding 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists too, it was a fine outing for Houston’s leading duo, though Harden was quick to defer praise to the collective performance at the other end of the court. “It’s not even about the points,” Harden told ESPN on court after the game. “Our effort was there continuously throughout the course of the night against one of the best offenses in this league. “They were going to be tough from the beginning of the game and we had to stay with it, even when we were
James Harden scored 49 points for the Houston Rockets’. down by double digits. We kept fighting, especially on the defensive end and forced overtime. “We wanted to stay with it and give ourselves a chance at the end of the game. We did that. Our confidence defensively was building, especially in that fourth
quarter. We kept pushing the tempo, kept fighting.” Luka Doncic had a tripledouble for the Mavs - his NBA-leading 15th of the season - but went just onefor-nine from three-point range, while Trey Burke added 31 points from the bench having drained eight of
his 10 attempts from beyond the arc. “We are a young team. We have got a lot to learn,” Doncic said. “We will get better, for sure. I know we are going to get together when it matters most, so I’m not worried about that.”
Sunday August 02, 2020
Lewis Hamilton Storms to F1 Pole at Silverstone Autoweek - There was little doubt that a Mercedes would be on pole for the F1 British Grand Prix, but after struggling in the final free practice and spinning out during Q2, few expected that at the end of the day yesterday that Mercedes driver would be Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton won his seventh British GP pole position at Silverstone just .313 of a second ahead of his Mercedes F1 teammate Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton overcame a rare mistake in Q2 to get a leg up on Bottas who had been quicker in the opening two sessions of qualifying. The six-time world champion posted two laps which would have been good enough for pole, however he claimed his third consecutive pole – and the 91st of his career - with a final flying lap 1:24.303 to end Q3 ahead of Bottas and set a new track record. “There’s a relatively big gap, obviously, between us and third place, but it doesn’t matter,” Hamilton said. “Valtteri’s pushing me right to the end, to the limit and he’d been doing such a fantastic job all weekend. I made some
changes going into qualifying and it was worse, so it was a real struggle out there.” In a nod to the domination of the Mercedes duo, third place started Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was a full second off the pace. “They were just way to fast. We just have to accept that, do the best we can which is P3 for us,” Verstappen said. “I’m going to fight, at least we have a fighting chance starting third.” Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari, while Briton’s Lando Norris grabbed a top five starting position for his home race in his McLaren. Racing Point’s Lance Stroll was sixth-fastest as he split the McLaren duo, with Carlos Sainz just a tenth quicker of the Renault pair led by Daniel Ricciardo. Sebastian Vettel’s struggles continued as he was unable to match the pace of his Ferrari teammate and could only post the 10th-best time after his final flying lap was thrown out after his last lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits. He was two seconds off Hamilton’s pole time. Despite setting an
identical time to Stroll, Pierre Gasly only missed out on a spot in Q3 because the Racing Point driver was the first to complete his lap. Red Bull’s Alex Albon was the surprise elimination in Q2 after he could only manage the 12th-fastest time, after an electrical issue kept him in the garage much of the final free practice session. Albon was will able to finish ahead of returning Nico Hulkenberg, who was unable to make it two Racing Point cars inside the top 10. Daniil Kvyat posted the 14th-quickest time but is carrying a grid penalty for a gearbox change and will drop five positions for Sunday’s race. George Russell registered his third consecutive Q2 appearance in P15, but the Williams driver is at risk of picking up a penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags in the first session of qualifying. Also eliminated in Q2 were Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat. Hamilton spun in Q2 when he got on the throttle too early through Luffield and spun off into the gravel, which he brought back on track forcing a red flag for s short time. There was no damage to
his car, and he was able to later set a flying lap that put him in second behind Bottas. “This track is just awesome because, with a gust of wind, you have a head wind, a tail wind and a cross wind in different parts of the circuit,” Hamilton said. “So it’s like juggling balls whilst you’re on a moving plate at high speed. “Obviously we had that spin - qualifying’s a lot about confidence building - and damn I had that spin and I was already down, I was struggling through the first sector on every lap and I don’t know how - some deep breaths - managed to compose myself. “Q3, started off the right way, still wasn’t perfect the first lap but still a really clean lap. And the second one even better. It never gets old, that’s for sure.” Kevin Magnussen Kimi Raikkonen, Antonio Giovinazzi, Romain Grosjean and Nicholas Latifi were out in Q1 and will start at the back of the grid. Sunday’s race will be the first of a doubleheader weekend at Silverstone as Formula 1 catches up on his delayed season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former National Champion Drayton plotting comeback By Calvin Chapman It has been nine years to date since former 800m champion, Philip Drayton, has competed but he is confident that he has what it takes to regain his middle distance crown and usurp current champion, Devaun ‘Scobby’ Barrington. The 30-year-old explained that the reason for his comeback was simply because his love for Track & Field is endless. However, he knew that it was not going to be an easy task to compete with Guyana’s best so he devised a three-year plan in 2018 to train and make his way back to the track in the 2021 season. He posited that further motivation came from, “Seeing athletes here performing at the highest level and running international qualifying times. My physical and psychological states along with my availability to make such a rigorous commitment have given me the motivation to step back into the battlefield. My dedication and discipline are what have helped me through the intense workouts and pains since the latter half of 2018 in an effort for an
awesome season come 2021.” The Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) athlete shared that he is not too fazed by the competition because almost a decade ago his personal best was 1m 55s and the top athletes of today have only shaved off a few seconds off that time. In terms of the challenges of training due to the ongoing pandemic, Drayton related that, “Covid-19 has forced all international and local competition to be postponed and training has been altered to be in keeping with the safety guidelines set out by World Athletics and the local safety officials.” “However, our certified coaches at the police progressive youth Club (PPYC) successfully adjusted and are executing the necessary programmes to keep us on track throughout our training cycles, with the highest priority being on safety.” Reigning 800m champion; Barrington’s best time of 1m 50s will make him a very formidable opponent for Drayton, plus the likes of Anfernee Headecker and Daniel Melville should make for an exciting race whenever
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Philip Drayton the four get to compete again. But Drayton is backing himself to the end, “My experiences as a national athlete are profound. I know what is required to be #1. I’m aware of the sacrifices needed along with the psychosocial adjustments required to be the best. My experience is a major help in coming back, it’s never easy, but it’s worth it.” Drayton’s Coach, Anson Ambrose, explained that currently his athlete is in preparation mode, getting his conditioning right. Ambrose
expressed sadness with the Covid-19 pandemic and highlighted that the crisis has allowed the pair to focus more on conditioning without looking to get back into competition too quickly. Ambrose hailed his athlete’s adaptation as being good and he is very pleased with what he has seen so far. He decreed that with God all things are possible and with the new season he is optimistic that fans can see wonderful performances from Drayton.
Golden Jaguars SMNT Head Coach recognises dedicated work of support staff
Maximo and Coach Wilson Toledo. With Guyana set to make its second successive trip to the pinnacle of men’s competition in Concacaf, the Concacaf Gold Cup in July 2021, Head Coach of the Guyana Football Federation SMNT, Márcio Máximo is expressing gratitude to his support staff for their tremendous work in the lead up. Guyana is one of 12 nations that would be contesting the Concacaf Gold Cup preliminary round the week before the 2021 Gold Cup round of 16 kicks off. The 12 preliminary round qualifiers are Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Montserrat, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. These nations would have all competed and done well in the Concacaf Nations League to earn their respective berths to next year ’s flagship competition. The chief tactician of the Guyana team has noted that their performances in the
Nations League would have been as a result of their collective and open approach as a team, noting that their motto is, ‘One Team One Dream’. “I would like to give a special tribute and say thanks to my staff because they are very, very special. Day in and day out they have shown tremendous dedication in being there to set up for the players to ensure they are comfortable during and after practice. They {staff} have to be disciplined also and it is that level of discipline and commitment that is passed on to the players and we are able to make ourselves and the nation of Guyana proud.” Some of the staff members include Manager - Rawle Adams, Coach - Wilson Toledo, Assistant Coach Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, Development Coach - Levi Braithwaite, Physio Denzel Hernandez, Equipment Manager – Trevor Burnett, Goalkeeper Coach - Ian De Vera.
Liam Gordon: Bolton Wanderers sign Dagenham & Redbridge, Golden Jags defender BBC Sport - Bolton Wanderers have signed Dagenham & Redbridge and Golden Jaguars defender Liam Gordon on a two-year contract. The 21-year-old, who has won five international caps for Guyana, scored three goals in 50 league appearances for the Daggers having been a youth player
with Championship side Fulham. “We are delighted to have brought in Liam, who is a player I kept an eye on last season in the National League,” said Bolton boss Ian Evatt. “He is extremely quick.” Gordon made his first appearance for the Golden Jaguars in the 2019 Gold Cup.
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Sunday August 02, 2020
Kaieteur News
Expectations were too lofty for struggling Windies: Ragoonath BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Former Test batsman Suruj Ragoonath believes there were inflated expectations of the West Indies on their recent England tour, and has argued that the Caribbean side’s batting on which so much depended, always lacked the skill and temperament to survive in seamer-friendly English conditions. The 52-year-old Trinidadian said nothing in the West Indies team’s batting averages prior to the series suggested any other performance than what was eventually produced, and contended that the poor batting effort was merely a reflection of what was taking place at first class level in the Caribbean. “I’m very realistic about expectations. The result of the series is not surprising to me. It is actually what I anticipated. In fact, they probably exceeded my expectations in winning one of the Test matches,” Ragoonath, whose only two Tests came on Australia’s 1999 tour of the Caribbean, told the Mason and Guests radio cricket show here. “Once the ball is doing
anything [in English conditions] our batsmen will struggle and that is exactly what happened and poor techniques were exposed. I don’t think this is a case of a coach correcting this overnight, these are ingrained batting deficiencies in our regional players. This is not something that is new. “Look at the careers of these players and their modes of dismissal and you will realise that our batsmen have a deficiency that results in a lot of them being lbw and bowled and the English bowlers exploited that quite expertly. It was nothing surprising really.” West Indies won the first Test at Southampton by four wickets but then were awful with the bat in the next two Tests to lose heavily, and concede the three-match series while surrendering the coveted Wisden Trophy. Jermaine Blackwood, returning to the Test side for the first time in nearly three years, and rookie Shamarh Brooks, were the only two to get their averages above 30. However, the likes of seasoned opener Kraigg Brathwaite could only average 29 while Roston Chase averaged 26.
Shai Hope, with two hundreds at Leeds in his last tour of England in 2017, averaged 17 while left-handed opener John Campbell returned an average of 16. Ragoonath argued West Indies’ batsmen had not excelled prior to the England tour and once they encountered difficult conditions, they had been guaranteed to further struggle. “Even before they had gone to England, look at the averages of the batsmen and they have never really lit the world on fire,” said the former chief executive of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board. “They have had good moments and while I understand the optimism that the team would’ve done well, realistically when you look at those statistics … most of them hadn’t done well in England before except Shai Hope having one good Test match in England in 2017 when he scored those two centuries. “The conditions were always going to be against us once the ball was moving around and you look at our batsmen and look at their records in regional cricket, not many of them average even 40 where the
pitches are flat [and] the ball doesn’t do much.” He continued: “It is a work in progress. They’re basically learning their trade on the job and to ask them to conquer the English in English conditions over a three-match period was asking, in my mind, too much. “One would’ve expected a Test match here and there where they do well, where things click but that was absolutely dependent on dismissing the English team for a very low score and hoping that our batsmen showed up and they did that in the first Test in the first innings, the one occasion we scored more than 300 runs in the series. “Three of the six totals were just below 200 – that is a reflection of what we’re capable of. To ask our batsmen to score 350 and 400 runs in English conditions on a consistent basis in a series to win matches is being unrealistic and I think that goes back to what is happening in our regional cricket.” However, Ragoonath cautioned against any drastic changes, stressing the players needed the support of everyone. “I don’t see this as
West Indies batsman Shai Hope averaged a mere 17 from six innings on tour. something to be making any knee jerk reactions and looking for changes because what are you going to replace them with?” he queried. “And the technical team, you’ve got to give the guys some time as well – you can
only work with what you have and in the circumstances there was limited time to work on these guys so we need to give everybody a chance. And we have to back them and stick with them.”
Aubameyang double helps Arsenal beat Chelsea for 14th FA Cup trophy
Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores their second goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Pool via REUTERS/Adam Davy) (Reuters) - Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to help his side secure a 2-1 win over 10-man Chelsea in the FA Cup final yesterday for a record-extending 14th crown in the competition - and a spot in next season’s Europa League.
Victory at an empty Wembley Stadium earned Mikel Arteta his first trophy as Arsenal manager, after he left his role as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City to replace Unai Emery in December. With the contest locked at 1-1, Gunners striker
Arsenal celebrate their triumph in the final. (Getty Images) Aubameyang danced past the opposition defenders before finishing with his left foot in the 67th minute to ensure that Arsenal salvage European action from a difficult domestic season after finishing eighth in the Premier
League. Chelsea had struck in the fifth minute when Christian Pulisic collected Olivier Giroud’s fine flick-on inside the penalty area and tucked the ball past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from close range.
Arsenal drew level from the penalty spot through Aubameyang in the 28th minute after Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta was booked for bringing down the Gabonese moments earlier. Chelsea, who were forced
to take off Azpilicueta and Pulisic due to serio u s looking injuries, were reduced to 10 men after going 2-1 down when Mateo Kovacic collected his second yellow card of the game for a very soft foul on Granit Xhaka.
Kaieteur News
Sunday August 02, 2020
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South Africa’s tours of West Indies and Sri Lanka postponed indefinitely With more bilateral series postponed, South African players will have to wait longer for international cricket. (BCCI)
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SPNcricinfo South Africa men’s tours of the West Indies and Sri Lanka have been postponed indefinitely, CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith has confirmed. The tour of Caribbean was originally slated for July-August comprising two Tests and five T20Is, and the one of Sri Lanka had three ODIs and as many T20Is scheduled for June, but both were postponed earlier because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave had recently said they were looking at September to host South Africa for either five T20Is or two Tests, but there is a slim gap between the CPL, that ends on September 10 in Trinidad, and the IPL, which is set to start on September 19 in the UAE. Smith said in a press conference on Saturday their players “will be needed” at the IPL which ended the possibilities of the bilateral series happening soon. “West Indies has been postponed indefinitely. We are struggling to find a time
with the IPL being fitted in,” Smith said. “It looks like our players are going to be needed from the beginning of September, governmentpermitting, and travel permitting. Sri Lanka also [postponed]. I expect that once things get up and
running, our team, on the men’s side, I would say from November onwards, if all goes well, it will be a really busy period for South African cricket, probably playing in times that we haven’t played before and trying to cram in a lot of the
missed tours.” Even though Covid-19 cases aren’t as high in Sri Lanka and the West Indies compared to other parts of the world, the rising threat in South Africa has shut their international borders. It meant five South Africans
couldn’t make it to the Caribbean for the CPL starting August 18 and the participation of all South African players, barring Imran Tahir, in the IPL also remains uncertain. Tahir had been in Pakistan for the PSL in March when many
international borders started closing and is the only South African set to play in the CPL. Whether it’s the men for the IPL or the women for the tour of England, they will all need government permission to get out of South Africa.
GBA to hold Boxing seminar for ‘Pybus was excellent’ - former batting coach has high praises Referee and Judges August 8 and 9 for sacked interim coach SportsMax - Former West Indies batting coach Toby Radford has spoken glowingly of sacked interim coach Richard Pybus, insisting that he was a fan of the Englishman’s methods. Pybus, a former Director of Cricket, served in the post from January to April of last year before being replaced by Floyd Reifer, a few weeks ahead of the 2019 World Cup. Although his tenure was brief, Pybus is credited with orchestrating an outstanding performance from the West Indies cricket team that hosted England last year. The Test team went on to reclaim the Wisden Trophy with a 2-1 series win over England and also matched up to the highly ranked tourists in the One Day International format where they secured a 2-2 draw. For some critics, the performances had nothing to do with Pybus but was merely a case of the team beginning to discover its full potential. Radford, who served as a member of Pybus’ staff, however, disagrees. “I thought he was exceptional. Where Richard Pybus was very good was setting the agenda of where he believed the team could go, and getting the players to buy into ‘this is where we were headed’ Cameron told the Mason and Guest radio programme. “I remember the way he drew up on a flip chart, ‘what does a world’s number one look like?’ ‘If you took the world’s best team what
Richard Pybus
is it that they do in Test match cricket?’ He got the players to write down what they needed to deliver. ‘We have to bat for 120 overs. We have to get 350 plus.’ He had all these things and the players were coming up with it, so it gave the players ownership. The players bought into this vision of what we were trying to deliver. So there were clear targets,” he added. ‘Another thing he brilliantly did he put the list of 11 players up, he put the England 11 up and he started to do match-ups. He would say ‘Shannon you have to take more wickets than Anderson’ and it was great there was competition for players with the opposition number. He had all these kinds of things. I think he was excellent as a manager and motivator.”
President of the Guyana Boxing Association and Vice President of the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC), Steve Ninvalle, has organised a two-day virtual seminar for Referee/Judges of the English speaking Caribbean along with Haiti, Suriname and Curacao. The seminar will be conducted by Chairman of the AIBA Referee/Judges Commission Ray Silvas of the USA and will run from August 8 to 9. So far 149 participants from 17 countries have registered for the seminar. Guyana’s will be represented by eight officials. The local team will be led by ABIA One stars Richard Braithwaite and Lawrence Assanah, and the country’s first and only AIBA certified International Technical Officer (ITO) Elton Chase along with Jermaine Craig, Colin Rodney, Nicola Yhap, Shanice Agard and Denola Bristol. The RJ seminar follows close on the heels of a coach’s seminar run by AMBC a few weeks ago.
Ray Silvas Guyana was represented by Terrence Poole MS, Sebert Blake, Clive Atwell, Joseph Murray and Orlan Rogers. Ninvalle said that the upcoming seminar was discussed with Silvas while the two were in Panama in January. “Mr. Silvas was very eager to have this happen and we would have had cogent discussions in Panama. However, the advent of Covid19 has forced us to make it a virtual one,”
Steve Ninvalle Ninvalle said. Ninvalle, also the Chairman of the Caribbean Steering Committee, added that a seminar to update coaches on the technical aspects associated with scoring of fights will be conducted soon after. “If we are to train our fighters to win then it is important that our coaches understand what the referees and judges are looking for. A lot has changed from the 80s and 90s.”
Head Coach Maximo and some of his support staff.
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Liam Gordon: Bolton Wanderers sign Dagenham & Redbridge, Golden Jags defender
Golden Jaguars SMNT Head Coach recognises dedicated work of support staff Lewis Hamilton won his seventh British GP pole position at Silverstone just .313 of a second ahead of his Mercedes F1 teammate Valtteri Bottas. (Ben Stansall - Getty Images)
Golden Jaguar Left Back Liam Gordon signs 2 year deal @ Bolton Wanderers FC. Philip Drayton during one of his training exercises at Durban Park.
Lewis Hamilton Storms to F1 Pole at Silverstone Aubameyang double helps Arsenal beat Chelsea for 14th FA Cup trophy
Former National Champion Drayton plotting comeback
Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the FA Cup, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Pool via REUTERS/Catherine Ivill)
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