Kaieteur News

CJ extends K NEWS Mingo‘s time in police custody AIETEUR

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Saturday Edition August 29, 2020 - Vol. 14 No. 34

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $80

Online readership yesterday 147,986

APNU+AFC approved Liza Phase One permit same day it received Exxon’s 1,500-page p.

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environmental impact assessment Guyana will not EPA sued for tolerate Exxons breaking law to grant arrogance and permits to Exxon - issued 24-year permit disrespect -Ram when law only allows for five p.

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US$1.4B Mahaica oceanfront golf club development unveiled p.

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Guyana records Rice farmer, others three COVID-19 remanded for allegedly deaths, 40 new cases killing Canadian citizen p.

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AFC rocked by resignation of Berbice stalwart, Gobin Harbhajan p.

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Trotman silent as Ramjattan challenges PPP’s management of oil sector p.

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Trotman

Ramjattan

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Saturday August 29, 2020

US$1.4B Mahaica oceanfront golf club development unveiled C

onstruction and Investment Management Group (CIMGRO) – headed by two of the nation's leading businessmen, Ragindra Persaud, of Nand Persaud and Company, and Sudama Ramalingum- New Trend Auto – yesterday launched a major golf club project for the Mahaica area.

The first phase of the initiative includes 1,000plus acres and would cost US$1.4B. CIMGRO said that the oceanfront megaproject, called Maraiko Bay Golf & Country Club, is the first of two Championship PGAstandard golf courses that would start construction.

“The luxurious estate homes,” the developer said in a release, “of Maraiko Bay Golf & Country Club will be set amidst the backdrop of a spectacular David Hemstock Signature golf course and is designed to be an up-scale community of tree lined streets, fine homes and modern amenities, just a short drive from the heart of the historic capital city of Georgetown via the newly renovated highway or using

Artist's impression of the planned gold club project at Mahaica the conveniently located onsite heliport.”

The area, according to the developer, is located along two miles of “fabulous” beach on the Atlantic Ocean and bordered by the Mahaica River. The course will be designed by the world renowned David

Hemstock, a member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.

It “will offer magnificent vistas of waterways, canals, and of course, challenging Atlantic Ocean finishing holes.

The addition of ex-Ryder Cup Captain Mark James scheduled to establish his National Golf Academy there will only enhance the quality of the facility.”

According to the developer, the oil

discoveries and now production, has led to an influx of major industry players such as Schlumberger, Haliburton, Repsol, Saipem and Baker Hughes.

According to CIMGRO, the newly installed President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips have both “wished the developers every success”.

The project, CIMGRO said, also has the blessings of the Region Five

administration.

“And with GDP growth pegged by the IDB at 54% (reduced due to the Covid outbreak), this is the perfect time for the launch of the country's first mega real estate project since Guyana is set to explode with demand for secure housing, recreation, leisure, medical and education facilities, all of which are located on-site at Maraiko Bay.” According to CIMGRO's Chairman, Ragindra

Persaud, “this is the realization of a dream that will put Guyana on the map as a top investment, tourist and second home destination.

I am proud of our entire team that has been working for more than four years to create a masterpiece that will showcase our country's natural beauty.

This allows for creation of thousands of construction, tourism and sports related (continued on page 18)

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 29, 2020

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Guyana has the power to ease knees off our necks I

President Irfaan Ali

Prime Minister Mark Phillips

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

magine Exxon get all our oil in the Stabroek block fuh free due to the contract signed by these morons. And because we ask them to respect our laws and the environment, them threaten to take them investment elsewhere.

We ain't even ask yet for a renegotiation to get more than the crumbs they throw at us via the oil deal, and they are already threatening us.

Can you believe that Guyana? You better believe it! It isn't just about the messed-up contract that our leaders signed away, they have also given a 20-year permit for Liza One despite the law stipulates no more than

ďŹ ve years.

ExxonMobil sold out many of its oil operations all over the world. And the only reason they did this is because they got Guyana's oil for next to nothing (free).

With this one-sided, lopsided deal and the 20year permit granted to them which overrides the laws, ExxonMobil's people can only conclude that Guyana is a free-for-all where they can walk all over the government, the people, and our environment.

Can you imagine the Liza One Permit was issued the same day ExxonMobil submitted a 1500-page project document to be reviewed? Who can

study a 1500-page document in one day to issue a permit in a country that has no one with experience in the oil industry?

Do you understand?

Are you beginning to feel it in your belly? That is what oil companies look at and conclude: that this country called Guyana is made up of a set of hungry morons.

Anyone can conclude that Exxon had to grease a few hands for Guyana to be sold out like this.

Meanwhile, the poor and vulnerable are suering from this deadly COVID-19 pandemic, stretching them hands out for a daily meal, while our government is begging for one more COVID-19 testing machine. This is beautiful Guyana.

Guyanese, you would have been living like the Saudis right now if only you had gotten half of what they gave Norway and many other countries. We would have been living better than Saudis, had we been given what we are truly blessed with.

Guyana, God Almighty has blessed us with enormous wealth.

We believe that if we don't demand what is rightly ours, the Creator will be upset with us.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday August 29, 2020

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: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Avoiding the Coastal Public Infrastructure Sinkhole

O

ver the next few months, hopefully Guyana’s political leadership is going to find the courage and consistency to review and renegotiate the disastrous contract with Exxon.

The pushback the company has faced in the wake of its bluff that it would take its investment elsewhere is encouraging.

The Guyanese people seem to be, at last, becoming aware of the arrogance and disrespect with which this multinational sees this country and its people. As we awake from our slumber, the sort of anger that has emerged is a fitting first response, and should not be reserved for Exxon alone but for all the multinational companies here to exploit our patrimony with the willing complicity of our political ‘leaders’.

Beyond the reactive anger, however, we have to move towards ensuring that any additional benefits that come from increased revenue are put towards credible, longterm strategic use.

When it comes to the allocation of expenditure, necessarily the lion’s share is going to go towards public infrastructure.

Unfortunately, our national record on infrastructure has not been the most stellar, particular over the past thirty years.

Floating wharves, roads to nowhere, overpriced, shadily conceived and executed projects from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to the COVID-19 hospital. Public corruption has been inextricably linked to public infrastructure and there has to be vigilance going forward considering the sheer level of monies involved.

That said, equally important is to ensure that the projects that we embark on are not pulled out of thin air, but are carefully considered, emerging out of a public policy on public infrastructure that can catapult Guyana into a future that has long evaded us.

As things currently stand, there is no cohesive vision of how public infrastructure is intended to develop over the next ten years.

We have ad hoc, sporadic projects but nothing that has been truly transformative, particularly with regard to sustainability. Indeed, we seem to be heading in the opposite direction, as evidenced by a set of concurrent occurrences.

Within the last few months of its artificially extended tenure, the former government saw it fit to give away thousands of acres of what we can call prime land on the East Coast of Demerara.

According to the Granger government, the vision that was being fulfilled was that of the City of Ogle.

Further up the coast, in Region 5, we are hearing of a US billion-dollar infrastructural investment, less than a month into the new administration.

Not unrelated to this are the reports of breaches in the sea defences, with the Atlantic pouring into multiple breaches at Mahaicony.

Taken together, what we are seeing in essence is an unfortunate public infrastructure scenario for the future.

What we will have will be private development on a coastal belt increasingly prone to the impact of climate change being given increasingly costly protection via public works, at the expense of more sustainable public infrastructure initiatives, the justification being that the coastal developments are too big to fail.

This paper has described how much public infrastructure money has been wasted on, for example, filling potholes.

Unless something meaningful is done in terms of sensible, sustainable long-term development on the coast, what we are heading for is a cycle of seeking to fill a widening sinkhole of public infrastructure funds.

THE HEAD OF GUYANA’S EPA

DEAR EDITOR, I was hoping against hope that it would not happen, but it is now official. I would hope, also, that a public servant of the caliber and pedigree of Dr. Vincent Adams, head of the local EPA, was astute enough to sense it coming and, thus, was prepared to roll with the blow of being sent on leave. What follows on this development involving Dr. Adams is more of a reminder and a recommendation; for, as I have given my word, the caustic and critical are muzzled for now.

To be sent on forced leave in Guyana is the equivalent of what the English used to do when the obnoxious and objectionable were dispatched to the Tower. It was just a matter of time before the execution took place. It is why I detect that Dr. Adams’ leave development is the beginning to the inevitable political final solution favoured by all (for emphasis: all) Guyanese politicians where public servants target loses their heads without justification. They have a recurring political pandemic sickness.

In Dr. Adams instance, it was of the contamination of coalition consideration and company. The two are usually inseparable, with the guillotine employed to be rid of who are believed to stand in the way of plans and programmes.

This is most unfortunate and misplaced in the person of Dr. Adams. A Guyanese stalwart with an outstanding record, I remind His Excellency. A diaspora member, who left the fleshpots of Washington-the rank, the prestige, the exposure, the recognition, and the influence - to give back to the place of his birth. I remind the president of those truths also, as they relate to and are embedded in a son of this soil, who seeks to serve and nothing else. If that is his sin, there is no pardon needed, no truncation of tenure should be contemplated, for he or anyone. But for those other sins - of association, of strength, of independence - I think those are unforgivable. As I pen this, I recognize that this may be beyond the borders of the new president’s range

of thinking. And that, too, is regrettable.

But I mention all of this in public, if only to deliver humbly a couple of timely reminders to our well -esteemed Excellency of that which he also took great pride to present in flaring streaks before the public during his inaugural address. Dr. Ali spoke of inclusion of all Guyanese.

He must have a different definition and understanding of those telling words ‘all’ and ‘inclusion’ than those that I embrace.

And I respectfully remind the most honourable leader of this land, drained for dreary decades of its best and brightest, of his stirring thoughts, as articulated at the National Cultural Center on that Inaugural Saturday, as they related to and highlighted the reaching to the diaspora for the many roles to be fulfilled here by skilled and wise Guyanese. It seems that Dr. Ali has already forgotten, or dismissed, the genuine application of that which he pronounced so fervently on during that witching hour. It is why I give the shortest of

thrifts to inaugural addresses and post-elections dazzlements as representative of so much fluff from flimsy people who make them.

For the moment, the new youthful president is given space and opportunity to make good on his words, to manifest the magnificence of his truthfulness.

I would like to think he is up to the moment, that he may have some radical cell within that rebels and whispers: don’t go down that regular old road. Remember those promises made.

Remember presidents are held to the highest standards.

And, today, this is the sum of what I remind His Excellency, Dr. Irfaan Ali, as to the contentiousness between what he said and what he and his people are doing. He is sure to be too busy to read. But I am just as sure his people and machinery will not let this get past without notice. Regarding whether there will be any listening and acting, I remind myself that this is Guyana in all of its beautiful deformities.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

A balanced public service that reflects Guyana is the first step towards professionalizing it DEAR EDITOR, The Peeping Tom article on Priya touched on a few salient points. One of the points included whether the PPP has the will to remove political appointees in the ministry thus ensuring a new vision and successful strategies are employed. The view by many persons is that the PPP simply doesn’t want to do this in the public service.

There are many instances where the PPP embraced the PNC supporters in the public service hoping that this will project the PPP as being neutral. Priya is no exception to this PPP action. One hopes

that the lost of government in 2015 and the five months of post election nightmare for this nation will change this view. An evolving modern intelligent nation will not simply leave this to hope during election cycles.

The PPP government cannot be successful if 90% of the public service is supportive of the PNC. How can it successfully execute its agenda. Having a few high placed officials who are PNC supporters will not assist the PPP. The PNC has no difficulty with packing the public service with its supporters with no regard to how this

looks.

PNC supporters were in top positions in the public service during the PPP 23 years’ reign.

These persons ensured that persons who may be PPP supporters were not employed. These high placed PNC supporters frustrated one group by denying them promotion. Appeals to the PPP fell mostly on deaf ears.

The PPP lost the 2011 and 2015 elections. They held on to the executive in 2011. They won the 2020 elections by 1 seat in parliament. One hopes that the PPP has gotten the message. It cannot be suc-

cessful unless the public service, the largest employer in Guyana is balanced and reflects the composition of Guyana. This is more likely to increase the PPP majority in parliament in future elections.

A balanced public service that reflects Guyana is the first step towards professionalizing it and ensuring it is an objective organization that can step up and serve whichever government in office. The composition of GECOM is a clear indication of how things can and will go horribly wrong.

Sincerely, Harrish Singh

Parties’ MPs heavily tilted in favour of Region 4

DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to Mr Freddie Kissoon’s column (August18) in which he lambasted the AFC for choosing six or two thirds of its nine members of parliament from Region 4. An examination of the selection of MPs for the other two parties would also reveal bias towards Region 4.

For the PNC or APNU, 68% of its MPs come from Region 4. For the PPP, 75% (highest percentage of all parties) of its MPs come from Region 4.

The PPP is supposed to be a working class, rural centered party with most of its support, some 62%, coming from rural areas.

Instead it sends three quarters of its MPs from town.

It has become an elitist town

centered party that draws its support from the rural and hinterland areas. Dr. Cheddi and Mrs Jagan must be turning in their graves.

For the record, Region 4 accounts for less than 40% of the voters yet sends three quarter of the MPs to the assembly.

The rural areas account for over 60% of the voters but only some 25% of the MPs are chosen from those rural areas.

The rest of the MPs are Georgetown centric or elitist oriented.

For the PPP, Region 3 accounts for six of its MPs, but only three come from the region. Region 6 accounts for seven of the PPP’s MPs, but the PPP only chose four MPs from Region 6 to send to the assembly with the other three

from town. Region 4 accounts for some 12 MPs for the PPP but the party chose to send 22. The PNC is more rural oriented than PPP and AFC in its MP selection.

All of the PNC’s MPs from regions 2, 3, 5, 6 are from the rural areas. Only three of the AFC’s MPs are from the rural areas. The LJP is the only party with 100% rural representation from where it got the bulk of its vote.

It is the only party with a true rural representation. The other three are fakes.

Clearly, all three parties heavily lean towards or favour Region 4 (Georgetown centered) at the expense of the other nine regions.

The PPP selected MPs who are not from the region they reside.

Priya

Manickchand, for example, lives in Region 4 (town) but she represents Region 3 (West Coast and West Bank).

She never campaigned in or champion development in Region 3. She was in charge of monitoring voting in Regions 4 and 5. But she is chosen to represent Region 3.

Others are also selected to represent areas where they don’t live or campaign in the election.

Is that not a conflict?

Why isn’t Freddie and other writers also condemning this practice in the PPP and APNU? The voters in the other regions should rebel against their marginalization in selection of MPs. Region 4 account for a maximum in terms of (Continued on page 5)

Saturday August 29, 2020

Misplaced Local Content Appointment and Conflict of Interest DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to your report on President Ali’s appointment of a local content advisory board (KN Aug 28).

I applaud the Ali government for finally putting in place this advisory board that was long requested from the Granger led administration. It took almost a month to remove political appointees that should have been gone the first week of Ali’s swearing in. But I wish to point out some misplacement of appointees and possible conflict of interest. KN and Jan Mangal have been on the forefront championing local content and renegotiation of the oil contract, but neither they nor the public were consulted on local content appointments. So much for consultation!

Shyam Nokta has been given the Chair of the Local Content Board. Shyam is son of Harrypersaud Nokta, who is uncle of BK Tiwari and a long time central committee member of PPP and a Minister under Jagan. Shyam is also a life member of PPP. There is nothing illegal of political appointees, but what is happening now is similar to what Granger (2015 and 2020) did and what the PPP (between 2000 and 2015) and Burnham and Hoyte did (between 1965 and 1992). Shyam traveled around with Jagdeo and was in charge of PPP manifesto. Nothing has changed.

Shyam has no experience in local content or in oil. He was involved in environmental matters and rainforest arrangement with Norway. He was advisor to Jagdeo on environmental matters. Shyam obtained a Bachelors degree at UG unlike some (like Robert Persaud) who did not get an undergraduate degree and yet obtained Executive Master’s degree. Shyam studied for MS at Oxford Brookes – a third tier polytechnic college with no link to the prestigious Oxford University where some Guyanese scholars studied. Oxford Brookes profile describes it as a basic

skills institution that is not academic but work skills related. One goes to that college for practical skills not to become a scholar like Freddie Kissoon or Nigel Hinds or some of the other writers.

Shyam is proprietor (owner) of an environmental firm. He obtained contracts from Exxon reportedly in millions of US dollars. His company gave the approval for the FDPs of the Stabroek blocks. His company stands to get all future contracts on environmental impacts of Payara and future FDPs. He is now in charge of local content on oil. Is that not a conflict of interest? Shyam said he studied the environment, not oil, and he certainly did not study economics to understand the significance of involving small companies in the oil industry. He never championed local content or spoke out against the excesses or unfairness of the Exxon contract or of the clause that holds Guyana accountable for any disaster relating to oil exploration of production. He gets rewarded for his silence. Those who spoke out against the contract are victimized.

Carl Greenidge is no expert on oil or on related local content. His knowledge on local content is restricted to replacing imported flour with cassava and yams. Greenidge is touted as an economist but the country’s economy grew negatively under his watch.

Anthony Paul specializes in local content and with KN a few others have championed the cause. But his native Trinidad rejected his skills, and he found work in Africa.

Kevin Ramnarine has experience in oil industry as a Minister for four years though not in the technical aspects. He knows the management aspect of the development of the industry but did not handle matters pertaining to local content. After his party lost power, his country rejected him as an oil specialist.

The others on the commission

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are accountant Floyd Hayes and trade unionist Carvil Duncan, neither of who have experience in local content or on oil. Those who fought for greater local content have been excluded from the board, and those who didn’t have been rewarded. KN has approached to make recommendations for appointments.

And Mangal’s skills have been rejected.I welcome the Payara review being done by Alison Redford and her team.

She and her team have legal expertise in reviewing the Exxon FDP in much the same kind of legal expertise in oil of Charles Ramson. Although Ramson did not study the technical and managerial or economic aspects of oil, his diploma in legal aspects of oil from Aberdeen University gives him the skill to oversee the oil Ministry.Separately, I make reference to the report (Aug 28) on the fake certificate of Althea Padmore who headed SOCU. She got a “Masters” degree from Ashworth College, an online college that is not accredited as a traditional university and whose diploma or transcript is recognized by traditional colleges like UG or UWI. Imagine a person who was charged with investigation of fraud was involved in committing fraud herself. What kind of a society are we building?

What kind of government was Mr. Granger running?

What is this about our country accepting fake degrees?

Yours truly, Nigel Philadelphia

SHARING HOPE WITH ANUG

DEAR EDITOR, In Stabroek News of Friday 21st June, 2019, the new political party ‘A New and United Guyana (ANUG)’ was reported to have set out its vision for the future governance of the country at a press conference held the day before.

As understood then the following were some of ANUG’s prospective: *a Presidential System and Government in which all the major political parties will serve.’ *the complete separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislative.’ *a constituency system with a mechanism for proportionality.’

*a complete makeover of the political system which Guyana deserves.’ *ethnic insecurity, discrimination and marginalisation will be eliminated.’ *ANUG’s offer is not to challenge or defy the ethnopolitical will of the people of Guyana, but to create a system where both parties share the Government.’ *ANUG has entered the political arena to win the elections….if we obtain a majority or plurality of votes, we will invite the other parties in a national unity government and will immediately embark on constitutional reform.’ *If we are unable to persuade the Guyanese people

Parties’ MPs heavily tilted in favour of ...

From page 4 votes for some 12 MPs of PPP and 16 for PNC for a total of 28 MPs. Yet both parties selected 44 MPs from Region 4. Clearly the voters of the other regions are being exploited and denied their fair share. Naturally, they would also get a

smaller share of resources.

With two thirds of MPs coming from town, they won’t champion the interests of the rural areas. The voters must demand that the right number of MPs be chosen from their Regions.

Yours truly, Shawn Simmons

to give us an absolute majority or plurality, we hope to obtain enough seats in the National Assembly to ensure that neither party (PPP/C, APNU+AFC) obtain an absolute majority.’

One must now appreciate ANUG’s disappointment with the subsequent election results.

At the same time, however reluctantly, it does not appear unfair to seek clarification from ANUG of how it sees its very laudable objectives being achieved, now that it is substantively ostracised from Parliament.

There are those of us who had held more than a little optimism of ANUG’s now exploring other processes to yet stimulate positive consideration of its aspirations by the major parties.

May we be allowed to look forward to some consolatory response?

E.B. John

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Kaieteur News

Saturday August 29, 2020

I know nothing of the particulars of the allegations forming the case against the former Minister of Housing DEAR EDITOR, I refer to the news published everywhere that His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, has been adjudged to be immune from the prosecution of certain charges levied against him in or around November, 2018.

Since it has been widely affirmed that democracy has prevailed in Guyana after attempts to subvert it, I trust that I can be permitted this attempt to clarify exactly which provision or provisions of the Constitution were evoked to his benefit in the case of President Ali. I trust that my efforts to find the precise provisions will be assisted by persons well versed in the law and especially in constitutional law.

Since the keeper of the Constitution, the Attorney General, has proclaimed the PPP’s victory as the triumph of “Good over Evil”, it is fitting in a matter of public morality to identify, if possible, a difference in behaviour between these two camps.

When a Constitutional Commission was at last established after the PPP’s victory in 1992 and the much hailed “returned to democracy”, it may surprise today’s readers to learn that the Good (PPP) and the Evil (PNC) joined forces to retain the most opposed provision of the 1980 Burnham Constitution. Appearing in Article 182, it rightly bars court proceedings against the President during the term of office. It also goes beyond reason and protects the President after the term of office is ended. It does worse.

The provision protects an incoming President from prosecution for offences al-

leged against the President “in his private capacity”, before arriving at the presidency. The Good and the Evil close ranks to defend these provisions, against efforts of the civic and WPA members to abolish them.

In my own limited understanding, Article 182 of the Guyana Constitution provides the following immunities: 1. A President of Guyana, while President, is not answerable to any court for actions taken by him or her while exercising the duties and functions of the office of President.

Because of this, no criminal or civil proceedings can be laid against a President in his or her personal capacity during the term of office or even after the term of office.

2. No person or authority can lawfully introduce or begin criminal proceedings against a President, or continue a case previously filed, if that case refers to anything done by the President in his or her private capacity.

3. The President is also protected from civil suits seeking to obtain from the President any form of relief, such as compensation or damages.

These are the immunities that I, as a layman, can detect in the constitutional provisions, as detailed in Article 182.

In my opinion, the immunity at No. 1 above is not the one evoked or relied on, since there is no allegation on record of proceedings against the new President relating to his presidential functions.

Since the allegations known to be made by SOCU

against the person who is now President were of a criminal nature, we must look to the immunity listed as No. 2 in this letter. Specifically, the President’s accusers were not allowed to “continue” criminal proceedings against him on the strength of this provision.

Up to this point, all seems to be in order, except that the provision evoked to the benefit of the President seems on the surface to apply to “anything done in his private capacity”.

This is just where legal scholars and experts may be able to assist, because from my own point of view, the actions alleged against Dr. Irfaan Ali, as Minister of Housing, were not alleged against Dr. Irfaan Ali in his private capacity as citizen, husband and father.

I had paused my dictation here and soon had the good luck to stumble on a programme on Global Span 24 x 7 Live, moderated by Dr. Asha Kissoon, a presidential candidate in the recent elections and featuring two Guyanese Attorneys at Law. Although the discussion did not include the issue of Dr. Ali’s “private capacity”, it was an eye-opener for me in other ways. Attorney at Law, Mr. Timothy Jonas, with his usual clarity, argued that the provision in 182, preventing the institution and the continuation of proceedings against a person in President Ali’s situation, did not mean that the charges had to be withdrawn. He argued what would be plain to any lawyer at first readings that the proceedings could have been “stayed” under the same provision. Attorney Sanjeev

Datadin expressed the opinion that, in the first place, the charges may have been politically motivated.

His colleague did not rule out similar motivation in the withdrawal of the charges. I learned in this discussion and the public should be aware that even the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, although written in absolute terms in the constitu-

tion, are subject to judicial review. In fact, one of the encouraging features of the series of trials following the March 2, 2020 General Elections has been the seriousness with which the attorneys concerned, distinguished cases from one another, causing the sitting judges, whether they agreed or disagreed, to draw deeply on their own resources.

Although I have a deep interest in the political and administrative processes that made Pradoville 1 and Pradoville 2 possible, I know nothing of the particulars of the allegations forming the case against the former Minister of Housing, Dr. Ali. What cannot be denied or obscured in both schemes is the huge conflict of interests so (Continued on page 22)

Does Exxon have the decency to play fair and square?

Good day to ExxonMobil’s Country Manager, Alistair Routledge, As you wake up to the land of many waters, enriched with a colourful multi-culture that reflects the flamboyancy of diversified but cheerful and beautiful people, do accept the humility and hospitality of a nation that wants to provide for her children and protect them from any form or shape of aggressive abomination. Welcome to the freshness of the cool sea breeze from the shores of the muddy water that embraces the Atlantic Ocean. Do smell the strong scent of Guyana’s ground coffee, planted with the hard working hands of Guyanese, tasting the sweetness of her brown/ white sugar manufactured with the enticing smile of a proud, sweaty people, and creamed with the scalding milk from the land’s pure-bred country cows, pastured from the breaking backs of happy farmers. As you enjoy the toasted bread made from flour originated from your land, do indulge your sandwich accompanied with tasty eggs hatched from creoles fowls, fondly cradled by pleasant peasants. The sumptuous fruits you cannot resist, all grow from the fertile land of Guyana and picked with the eager hands of labourers who struggle to live on a week to week pay packet.

Lunching and munching on fresh fish caught from the dark waters of the back damn is just as tasty (or tastier) as the unscaled fish coming in from the sea, caught by jovial fishermen, plying a trade entrusted with danger lurking in the dark night. Wining and dining is a special kind of fun and frolic in the evening, day or night that affords a unique exquisiteness only Guyana can replicate with its palatable plates and its gyrating rhythms.

Guyana finally got rid of a mob that was green with greed, greasy hands that filled their bulging pockets, lustful eyes that knew no limit for wants and needs, insatiable

appetites that were always desirous of over sumptuous palates and corrupted and convoluted minds that were eager for collusions, readily.

Mr. Routledge, you are no longer dealing with the unscrupulous, Machiavellian APNU+AFC Party who assiduously compromised integrity with dishonesty, fermented an obnoxiousness of abhorrence and discreetly kept the nation in abeyance with secrecy. You are now dealing with a reformed PPP/ C Party that pervades a refinement for transparency, effuse an ambience of fragrant incense and committed to the translucency of accountability. What you were unfortunately accustomed to in the dark past is no longer applicable and possible with this youthful regime that prides itself with a new chain of command. As per your comment, “Guyana is one of the better opportunities for us in the ExxonMobil portfolio (but) it is not the only one.

And indeed, if we don’t get the agreement as we are looking for on Payara (the company’s third Field Development Plan), the investment money will go elsewhere in ExxonMobil’s portfolio,” it undermines the foresight of peaceful coexistence and the issuance of a conspicuous threat. Sir, your boastful words lack integrity and sincerity of any distinguished company that proliferates the continuity of mutual harmony and friendship. They bemoan the disrespect for an impoverished nation that is attempting to build a future for its children from its own blood, sweat and tears and the blessings of its natural resources, rather than seeking alms and charity from the generosity of sympathetic donors. Your harsh and rash statement embarrasses and devalues the golden opportunity that Guyana wants to further help herself and her people with economic development rather than,

allow a timely circumstance to derail its sociological enhancement and impede progress.

Guyana has nothing to lose by not signing the Payara deal and insists that, it is fully transparent, void of ambiguity, it reflects equitable fairness, it is profitably beneficial towards Guyana’s interest and it justifies the immediate development of the oil industry. Guyana can afford to wait, we are less than a million people with enough resources to survive any waiting period, now that the cheats are out of office.

We did it so far without a penny from any oil money and now this oil revenue is a surplus. Exxon has a lot to lose from deviating investing in the third phase but also, Exxon has nothing to gain if they do not comply with our requirements. Can Exxon afford to miss this opportunity and allow another competitor to pursue the spoils of the Payara project?

Does Exxon have the decency to play fair and square or are they an outfit of a “sanctimonious gangster” also? Are they brave and honest to accept the fact that their “offerings” are not the best? Can they equate any other contract in any other part of the world that is similar? Does Exxon believe that they can hold us under duress and demand that their conditions be accepted as ransom? The oil industry may be a new ball game to us to play, like baseball, but, we know how to play hard ball in cricket and learning a new ball game is well within our scope! So Mr. Routledge, your curve ball and fast ball do not scare us.

We know how to score home runs too. Guyana has an eager crowd and its sporting audience can cheer for both sides when a run is scored, or, a batter is out! We appreciate a good player, so, let’s play ball, but, let’s play fair, Exxon.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 29, 2020

PAGE 07

EPA sued for breaking law to grant permits to T

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been sued over a decision to issue environmental permits to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd authorizing offshore drilling for 24 years.

The lawsuit filed in the Constitutional and Administrative Division of the High Court was brought

by Dr. Troy Thomas, a scientist and the former President of Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI).

The matter which lists Esso Exploration as an interested party is expected to be heard on September 21, 2020, before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow.

In the lawsuit, Dr. Thomas claims that the permits issued to Esso v i o l a t e t h e E PA ' s regulations. He noted the E PA ' s R e g u l a t i o n 1 9 , specifically cites the limits the issuance of permits to five years.

However, the permit for Liza Phase 1 was granted to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd on 1st June 2017 and says that it continues until 31st December 2040 – 23 years and seven months later. The permit for Liza Phase 2 was also granted for 24 years.

As such, Dr. Thomas is requesting that the Court cancels the environmental permits that were issued to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd and instruct the EPA to issue corrected permits ending within the five-year period set by the regulations.

Further, the former TIGI head wants the Court to prohibit the issuance of permits for longer than five years.

In his affidavit, Dr. Thomas warns that the breach of Regulation 19, “…exposes Guyana and the rest of the world to serious, if not irreparable, harm and adverse consequences from

- issued 24-year permit when law only allows for five

Attorney-at-Law: Melinda Janki climate change” as evidenced by rising temperature extremes, more intense and dangerous storms, massive floods, and extended droughts. Dr. Thomas also warns that the oceans are becoming more acidic as they continue to absorb greenhouse gases, leading to the death of corals and a direct impact on Guyana's rich fisheries.

At present, Exxon's Liza 1 operation has flared an estimated 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas since oil lifting operations began in December 2019.

The company and EPA officials have attributed the flaring to a faulty component in the gas reinjection system.

Despite promises by Exxon that the problem would be remedied and the flaring ceased by August 15, the company has recently acknowledged the mechanical issues persist and that flaring is ongoing.

Dr. Thomas said that, in filing the lawsuit, “I am bringing this case in the public interest, but especially for children and young people who will have to live with the long-term consequences of oil extraction long after ExxonMobil has left Guyana.”

Additionally, Attorneyat-Law Melinda Janki who is representing Dr. Thomas along with Attorneys Seenath Jairam SC, and Pratesh Satram, noted that

the approval of the permit duration is in clear contravention of applicable law reflects a larger pattern of procedural failures, according to.

“The law clearly states that an environmental impact assessment must describe the direct and indirect effects of a project on the climate and on marine

areas. Esso's environmental impact assessments did not do that. The EIA for Liza 1 was seriously data deficient and based on assumptions that go largely unexplained and unexamined.” Janki said.

Kaieteur News understands that the Fixed Date Application (FDA) brought against the EPA was ready for filing in late March

but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic which resulted in the courts and registry handling only urgent matters.

The application was eventually accepted for filing on June 4, 2020, and papers have been served on the EPA as the respondent as well as on Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd.

Former TIGI President: Dr. Troy Thomas

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Trotman silent as Ramjattan challenges PPP's management of oil sector The AFC virtual press conference yesterday

Catherine Hughes

David Patterson

Raphael Trotman

By Kemol King

A

fter years of silence in public office on the controversies surrounding ExxonMobil's operations, Alliance for Change (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan has finally broken his silence, criticizing ExxonMobil's latest revealed infractions and the new administration's management of the oil sector.

This, he did, during a virtual press conference of the AFC, while former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, who infamously signed the widely condemned 2016 Stabroek Block agreement, remained tightlipped on these issues.

The AFC leaders had been asked to comment on the recent decision by the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government to send Dr. Vincent Adams on leave, replacing him as Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a director of the EPA, Sharifah Razack.

His removal comes at a critical time, in the review of

Juretha Fernandes

Khemraj Ramjattan the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP).

Ramjattan said that his removal should be condemned by all those who are concerned, as it is a “most egregious development”.

Ramjattan noted only now, his discontentment with Exxon's flaring of gas which is supposed to be reinjected at the Liza Phase One project, despite the matter of the company's flaring being well ventilated in the press, all year long.

“Now, flaring was not supposed to be done,” Ramjattan noted. “They were supposed to have on the FPSO [Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Vessel], a certain piece of equipment that is going to inject back into the well, that

amount of natural gas. But we have wasted so much and it has created pollution because everything burning up there is pollution…”

Exxon has blamed its flaring on a defective gas compressor, which it claims is undergoing repairs in Germany.

The AFC Leader also noted the matter of thousands of barrels of toxic, produced water being dumped into the ocean every day by ExxonMobil.

“That is another pollution into the ocean.,” Ramjattan stated.

The former Prime Ministerial hopeful said that that he is not impressed with ExxonMobil, and that though he is happy that Guyana managed to begin producing oil, ExxonMobil

will have to spend more money to ensure the natural environment is safeguarded from the company's operations offshore.

He even alluded to a recent threat by Exxon's Country Manager, Alistair Routledge to take the company's money elsewhere, and said that if Exxon “is trying to bluff us”, Guyana should still hold out to ensure the best environmental standards are attained.

With Dr. Adams gone, Ramjattan does not believe that that will be the case.

Adams was pivotal in advocating for the removal of several loopholes in the Payara FDP, which allowed ExxonMobil to commit grave environmental infractions at its Liza

Destiny operations. He also notably had intended to take ExxonMobil to Court over ExxonMobil's refusal to pay fines imposed by the EPA for small hydraulic fluid spills at its Liza Phase One operations.

Ramjattan noted that Dr. Adams was not a political appointee, but attained the post on the basis of the sound, remarkable academic record and experience he brought to the table.

“He comes with tremendous experience and expertise,” Ramjattan opined, “and he is the only one that we feel could deal with Exxon at this stage.”

On the other hand, Ramjattan worries that the PPP/C Government may instruct the new EPA Head to sign off on the Payara

contract, what he described as the “control freakism” of the governing party. He opined that it is a grave day for the environment and all issues surrounding oil & gas, and called on the Guyanese people to take action in the interest of Guyana's natural environment.

In addition to the removal of Dr. Adams, Ramjattan criticized the appointment of, Alison Redford to spearhead the review of the Payara FDP, noting grave ethical considerations.

Redford formerly served as Premier of Alberta, a Canadian province. She was forced to resign from office in 2014 due to a scandal over her misuse of public funds for partisan and personal purposes.

The provincial auditor general had found that Redford used taxpayer money “inappropriately.”

Ramjattan noted that the AFC is “troubled” by Redford's appointment, despite the party's silence when the former APNU+AFC government replaced Trinidadian Local Content Expert, Anthony (continued on page 20)

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

The attempt at elections' rigging must not go unpunished

T

he PNC/R is politically bent and broken. It did irreparable damage to its political credibility and will find it next to impossible to rebound from the attempts to rig an election in the 21st century.

The PNC tried to stay in power despite knowing that it had lost the elections. It was determined not to concede and was prepared to remain in office against the democratic will of the people. And today some of its leaders have the temerity to be speaking about the incumbent government being illegitimate.

Such a narrative will not pass muster. The PNC/R is now a discredited and disreputable political entity whose supporters should demand that it be reconstituted because it will never win an election, with or without Coalition partners, if those who were complicit in electoral manipulation remain within the party.

Elements within and outside of the PNC/R continue to peddle the fictitious and woefully discredited narrative that the PNC/R was thrown out of power by foreign interference and local manipulation. The only manipulation during the elections was the PNC/R's own brazen and shameless attempt to rig the elections.

The PNC/R stands little

chance of doing well in the 2025 elections. The torture to which it subjected the country will hurt any possibility of its returning to office in 2025. It therefore has to look at 2030 but it will get nowhere if it attempts to regroup on the basis of falsehoods and denials.

If the PNC/R is to regroup and be ready for 2030 it has to do so from an honest appraisal of why the combined opposition gained almost 25,000 votes more than the APNU+AFC. The PNC/R cannot hope to have a comeback in 2025. Any such chances were destroyed by the party's conspiratorial actions in the days and months which followed the elections. It cannot do so on the basis of lying to its supporters who know that they are being lied to.

The PNC/R has lost the respect of its decent-minded supporters. These proud and loyal supporters were forced to endure embarrassment as a result of the party's attempts to rig the elections and to force them to accept a narrative of lies and concoctions. They will now break ranks with their party even if they do not support any other.

The PNC/R leadership disgraced itself in front of the eyes of the international community. No leader of any country in the world will want to be seen within a mile of electoral brigands.

The Coalition is now

ostracized locally and internationally. It therefore could not mobilize the resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, there was undertesting and the virus is now rampant in the country because greater priority was given to electoral rigging than controlling the pandemic.

Lives have been lost that should not have been lost.

The new government inherited a calamity and this can be traced right back to the blatant dishonesty of those who wanted to rig the elections and absolute mismanagement of the pandemic which this column has been consistently highlighting since March.

Peoples' lives were put at greater risk in order for a small cabal to remain in power. How more irresponsible could a government become than to try to rig an election in the midst of a pandemic, knowing that its actions impeded accessing resources to bring the pandemic under control?

Look at the outcome.

Exponential community spread of the COVID-19 virus is taking place. And all because there was limited testing based on symptoms displayed which meant that for months the virus was b e i n g s p r e a d asymptomatically. Politics trumped the pandemic and now people are dying and economic cost is

Dem boys seh...

Tabby is wan independent woman

D

e m b o y s remember de time when a certain man was selected fuh represent de Pee N- Cee in parliament. De man was from a Pee Pee Pee stronghold and when he name appear in de gazette, dem villagers start to taunt him about being a sellout.

In order to defend himself, he tell them how even though he deh pun de Pee-N- Cee list, he is wan ' i n d e p e n d e n t ' parliamentarian.

One day Burnham and Jagan been gaffing in de lobby when the 'independent' pass dem.

Jagan tun to he and ask “So you are an independent parliamentarian?”

The man looked at

Burnham and Burnham nodded. De man answer, “Yes, I am.”

Deh gat people feel dat to be 'independent' mean dem should not ask anybody fuh help. Dem should do everything fuh themselves.

One time three disabled men get lost in the desert.

Wan ah dem was deaf, the other one bin blind and de third one was an amputee in a wheel chair.

Suddenly dem spot a pond with clear water. De man wah bin blind bin pushing de amputee. So de deaf man jump in de water fuss and when he come out, he hold he ears and began to shout dat he can hear.

This get de other two men excited. De blind man tell de amputee in de wheel

chair dat he will push him in.

The amputee protest and said, “No I will wheel myself in. I want to be independent.

You go first my blind friend.

The blind man entered the pond and emerged shouting, “I can see! I can see!”

Dis got de amputee more excited and he used his hand to wheel himself into the pond emerging on the other side. With brand new wheels.”

Dem boys hear Tabby talk how she going into to parliament as an “independent”.

Dem boys wan tell she dat she might end up with she own wheels.

Talk half and wait fuh see if 'independent' Tabby gan vote along party lines.

multiplying.

What the PNC/R did to this country must never be forgotten. It must never be repeated. The attempt to thwart democracy must not go unpunished. Those who were complicit in the rigging of elections must face the consequences of their actions.

It is imperative that no effort be spared to bring those who were complicit in electoral fraud to justice. The best resources, including the hiring of international

investigators, if needs be, should be considered.

Some of those complicit in undermining democracy will never see a plane door again. The sanctions which have been imposed will not be lifted, never ever. Those who aided and abetted, who condoned and who tried to create twisted narratives, including on social media, should equally face the consequences of their actions. Criminal charges should be prepared.

This is not an issue which

should be taken lightly. It would be a travesty of the highest proportions if those who were complicit and those who aided and abetted the rigging are allowed to walk free because of poor investigations of weak prosecutions.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Saturday August 29, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Election 2020: The remains of the day

D

uring the past five months of unprecedented social uncertainties that threatened the very future of this country, my columns were devoted to exposing election rigging, praising those who were helping to save Guyana, condemning those who were encouraging election rigging, and calling upon my fellow Guyanese to stop the death of Guyana.

So much went on in that period that needs to be written on. Decades from now, younger folks will read about the March 2020 election horror show that lasted for five months, an exceptional negative event in the 20th century world and at the beginning of the 21st century.

During those five months, I ignored the vilifications that were written about me in the Nagamootoo-controlled

Chronicle. Those things don't bother me.

Three commentaries on my election 2020 analyses slipped by and that was because I was preoccupied (and still so because I will write about election 2020 in the weeks and months to come).

I know from my 50 years of social activism and 32 years in media work, people from all types of age groups want answers to some of the things said about my work.

Here now is my reaction to four letters whose replies I didn't find time and space for.

The first one is by Mr. Rohit Kanhai, a long standing executive of the soc a l l e d W PA O v e r s e a s Group. The second one is from a group of students who claimed they are graduates from a school that Eusi Kwayana founded. The third pronouncement was from

former AFC minister, Cathy Hughes. The fourth missive is from Vincent Alexander which space constraint will dictate a separate reply in a forthcoming article.

I will collapse my attitude to Kanhai (KN June 12) and Kwayana's former students (KN August 18) into one reply since both correspondences expressed the same sentiment – I have attacked Kwayana unfairly.

Kanhai wants me to apologize to Kwayana but he does not identify specific items of fictions I have attributed to Kwayana that w a r r a n t a n a p o l o g y.

Kwayana's former students get into some strange expressions. They argue that such an iconic figure is deserving of respect from Guyanese and I have been abusive.

The vexations of these people centre on my criticism of Kwayana's

writings on the election impasse in the letters he sent to the newspapers. I have no intention of withdrawing any words of castigation or condemnation I wrote against Kwayana. I believe those assertions are based on serious faults of Kwayana.

There is no need for an elongated critique. He repeated several times that he cannot arrive at definite conclusions on the rigged poll because he was/is not in possession of the facts. In a barefaced twist of irony, he offers his comments based on other facts. What Kwayana did was inexcusable and exposed his innate character that maybe he hid for over 70 years.

He could not pronounced on what Mingo, Lowenfield, Singh, the three PNC GECOM commissioners, and the APNU+AFC leaders were doing (despite an AFC leader exposing the fraud – the president's son-in-law, Dominic Gaskin) but he could freely state that the US was using its incessant interference in Guyana's election imbroglio to distract attention from nation-wide

street protests. He also knew that CARICOM chairman, Ralph Gonsalves, made a comment on the election results while the case was before the courts. This man was simply incredibly barefaced.

I have lost respect for him.

Cathy Hughes (KN, August 19) wrote to correct me on two things; AFC parliamentarian Juretha Fernandes has Indigenous genes and secondly, she Hughes, entered parliament in 2011 not 2006.

I have written literally dozens and dozens of critiques over the five years that the AFC was in power exposing excessive political depravities and power degeneracy of the AFC and never saw a response from Ms. Hughes that Guyanese wherever they live would have wanted to know about and still do.

So I will solicit answers from Ms. Hughes on these AFC political sarcomas I have often touched upon.

She was part of a group of AFC leaders that in May 2015, in indentifying the AFC's ministries, called a

Frederick Kissoon woman who was not an AFC activist or campaigner and offered her the Ministry of the Environment. Secondly, why did the AFC sign a renewed Cummingsburg Accord with the PNC and parts of that covenant had to remain secret even to the executive members who should have made that decision in the first place?

Thirdly, was the PNC justified in reducing AFC's share of power from the 40 percent agreed in 2015 to 30 percent in 2020? Finally, where is the AFC's proof as M s . H u g h e s a n d M r.

Ramjattan claimed in a press conference that the Russians attempted to interfere in the 2020 elections?

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

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

CJ extends Mingo's time in police custody to tomorrow - Lawyer withdraws case for his release

C

hief Justice (ag) Rishi Persaud has granted an extension for the Guyana Police Force to further hold District Four Returning, Clairmont Mingo, who was arrested on Tuesday in relation to allegations of electoral fraud related to the March 02, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

The matter was heard yesterday via Zoom videoconference. According to the Court Order secured by lawyer for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Teriq Mohammed, Mingo will remain in Police Custody for 24 hours more until today, Saturday, August 29, 2020, at 14:20 hours.

It was further ordered that Mingo report to Police Officers Mitchell Caesar, Nigel Stephens and/or Rodwell Sarrabo or the next senior officer at the CID Headquarters Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown at 9:00 am daily with effect from August 30, 2020.

He was also ordered to

lodge his passport with the CID headquarters, and to report any change of residence to one of the officers mentioned.

The Chief Justice (CJ)'s order came to further detain the embattled Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officer moments after his Attorney Darren Wade withdrew habeas corpus proceedings to have him released from custody.

Wade conceded to the Court's finding that the habeas corpus proceeding was useless this point since his client was not held in custody in excess of 72 hours. He conceded too that the matter would soon become academic given that the 72 hours period in which the police is lawfully allowed to hold his client would expire at 14:20hrs.

The attorney reported to the Court too that he was having access readily to his client.

Wade had, by way of a Writ of Habeas Corpus, petitioned the Court claiming that his client's

constitutional rights were being violated as there was no lawful ground for his continued detention. The lawyer who is also a candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition nonetheless remains adamant that his client has committed no fraud. He instead contends that his arrest and detention are politically motivated.

Meanwhile, Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall contended that the Fixed Date Application (FDA) was wholly misconceived and wrong from the start.

Nandlall appeared in person together with Nigel Hawke, Solicitor General, Deborah Kumar, Deputy Solicitor General and Mrs. Beverley Bishop-Cheddie, Assistant Solicitor General, representing the Commissioner of Police.

Nandlall noted that Courts do not sit in academic matters and relied upon the C C J C a s e o f Ya ' a c h e

Detained: District Four Returning, Clairmont Mingo C o n s e r v a t i o n Tr u s t v Attorney General of Belize (Appellate jurisdiction).

He explained further that habeas corpus applications address issues of unlawful arrest and or detention. The Attorney General further underscored that detention was not unlawful since Article 139 (4) of the

Constitution permits the Police to detain a citizen for a period of 72 hours before being released and taken before a Court. He stressed that the period of Mingo's detention for 72 hours has not yet expired.

Nandlall further argued that Mingo's case is also misconceived in that any allegations of breach of a person's or suspect's Constitutional rights ought properly to be canvassed in an application for Constitutional relief made under Part 56.01 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

On this aspect, the AG contended that the FDA filed was fundamentally flawed as the provision relied on was Article 144 of the Constitution which addresses the right to a fair hearing which bore no relevance to the application filed on behalf of Mingo.

In this regard, AG cited the case of Attorney General of Guyana v Keshwar Ramlall (2015) 86 WIR 347 in which the Judgment of

Attorney, Darren Wade Justice Carl Singh, which stated that when invoking constitutional provisions it is incumbent to identify the specific provision(s) which is/ are alleged to have been breached and for the matrix of the evidence supporting that violation to be specifically pleaded.

In the final analysis, Wa d e c o n c e d e d a n d withdrew his application filed on behalf of Mingo. As such, the Court ordered no costs to any of the parties concerned.

Guyana will not tolerate ExxonMobil's arrogance and disrespect - Ram

By Kiana Wilburg

C

h a r t e r e d accountant, attorney and anticorruption advocate, Christopher Ram, is of the firm conviction that the President of ExxonMobil, Alistair Routledge, was

totally out of place when he recently threatened Guyana, a sovereign state, by asserting that the oil giant will take its investments elsewhere if it does not get its way with the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP).

Ram said it was improper for him to go public with

what essentially constitutes a threat while adding that such arrogance and disrespect would not be tolerated by Guyanese.

He explained, “It is disrespectful for a company to treat a sovereign country like this. I don't think that kind of approach is going to

succeed with Guyana. Also, I really don't think it is in Exxon's interest, and its partners, to behave as arrogant as the President of ExxonMobil did.”

The Chartered Accountant said it is clear that ExxonMobil wants Guyana in the same position it had the APNU+AFC in 2016 where it got what it wanted in the Stabroek deal and more, on a platter. He said that some of the things it got were also illegal, “but it can't be the same, Guyana won't tolerate that nonsense anymore.”

The attorney-at-law believes that the PPP/C administration should write Routledge and express its displeasure with his “not so cleverly disguised threat to a sovereign country.” Ram stressed the new government cannot allow itself to be bullied on the first possible occasion by Exxon.

Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram “Guyanese will not accept that,” he added.

It seems that the approval by the government for the FDP is being held up over concern for two key environmental issues.

The first matter relates to flaring. ExxonMobil wants to keep the loopholes it got in its Liza One and Two permits which allowed for flaring while the other matter

pertains to the dumping of toxic water in the ocean from the company's operations.

Guyana's Environmental Protection Agency has been opposed to allowing the multi-national to have its way on these critical issues.

Since these matters have been exposed in the media, ExxonMobil declared that it could take its investments elsewhere.

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 29, 2020

PAGE 13

APNU+AFC approved Liza Phase One permit same day it received Exxon's 1,500-page environmental impact assessment O

By Kiana Wilburg

ne year after rushing to sign the lopsided Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil, the APNU+AFC administration allowed the company's Liza Phase One permit to be approved on the same day the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project.

Exposing this revelation yesterday was international lawyer, Melinda Janki.

In a statement to the press, Janki said she is one of the lawyers representing former Transparency International Guyana Inc (TIGI) Head, Dr. Troy Thomas in a lawsuit against the EPA. The regulatory body is being sued for giving ExxonMobil a 20-year permit when the law only allows for five-year permits to be issued. During her compilation of evidence for the case, Janki found that the permit issued for Liza Phase One was issued on June 1, 2017, the same day the regulatory body received the EIA which contains around 1500 pages.

Taking this into account, Janki said, “The environmental permit for Liza Phase One, states that it was granted on the basis of the Environmental Impact Assessment dated 1st June 2017.

But the environmental permit is also dated June 1, 2017.

When did the agency review the 1,500 pages EIA? And what else did they miss?

Guyana's people deserve a candid assessment of this project because they are the ones who will live with its consequences.”

EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams The lawyer added, “The law clearly states that an environmental impact assessment must describe the direct and indirect effects of a project on the climate and on marine areas. Exxon's environmental impact assessments did not do that.”Janki stressed that the EIA for Liza One was seriously data deficient and based on assumptions that go largely unexplained and unexamined.

With this in mind, she alluded to the fact that Guyana is now facing a number of environmental issues with ExxonMobil's operations offshore. In this regard, she reminded that ExxonMobil had commenced operations in December 2019, but since doing so, it has flared an estimated 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

E x x o n M o b i l a n d E PA officials have attributed the flaring to a faulty component in the gas reinjection system.

Despite several promises

by Exxon that the problem would be remedied and the flaring would cease by August 15, the company has

recently acknowledged the mechanical issues persist and that flaring is ongoing. (https://www.nytimes.com/r euters/2020/08/21/business/ 21reuters-guyana-oilexxonmobil.html?searchRes ultPosition=2) Just a few days ago, Head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams who has since been sent on leave with immediate effect, noted that there were a number of issues that slipped through the cracks when the first permit was issued.

In this respect, Dr. Adams was keen to note that the matter of flaring is one which the EIA did not address. He told Kaieteur News that while the EIA does note that flaring can happen during a start-up or in the case of emergencies, there is very little information on worstcase scenarios and what impact that would have on the environment. Another critical matter the EIA is silent on relates to the disposal of produced water.

When oil companies drill the seafloor to extract oil, it is not only oil that comes up with it. Water is part of the mixture too. As a result of it not being needed, it is separated and disposed of.

The critical issue is how that disposal is being done.

International best practices dictate that this produced water should be re-injected into the earth's surface.

Research conducted by Kaieteur News notes that in some cases, the produced water is discharged into oceans and other offshore water channels. Because no two geographic regions are alike, studies are done to assess the environmental risks of the produced water's toxicity on marine life before

granting approval for the disposal of it into the ocean.

In Guyana's case, not a single study was done for the Liza Phase One. Yet, the APNU+AFC administration went full steam ahead with approving the permit for the project on the same day it received the EIA. Dr. Adams told Kaieteur News that he is not a

proponent for the dumping of produced water into the ocean. He said that the Liza Destiny vessel is already depositing 4,000 barrels of produced water into the ocean and in about six years, it will get to about 300,000 barrels.

Dr. Adams said: “I have worked in the oil fields as a Production and Reservoir engineer and we injected

every single drop of water.

If you are onshore, the water would obviously have to be re-injected. Also, the World Bank has made it clear that you should only dispose of produced water into the ocean when it is not technically feasible.” In ExxonMobil's case, the EPA Head said that this is more than feasible.

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Cabinet approves $29M for emergency works to access dams in Regions 2, 3, 5 & 6 - over 1800 rice and other crops farmers set to benefit

F

ollowing a decision taken by cabinet on Thursday last, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will soon receive in excess of $29M to commence rehabilitation works to several access dams

in Regions Two, Three, Five and Six. This is according to A g r i c u l t u r e M i n i s t e r, Zulfikar Mustapha, who said that the works are considered urgent, as some 91,580 acres of rice field are currently under threat due to inaccessible dams.

“Farmers have been complaining about the current state of these dams.

Due to the severity of the last rainy season, the NDIA and the various regional administrations were unable to carry out much-needed repairs and maintenance to over 227,000 rods of access dams. Farmers will suffer millions in losses if we do not carry out these works immediately for them to be able to harvest their rice for

the upcoming autumn crop,” Minister Mustapha said.

The funds will also facilitate repair to an additional 101,942 rods of dams that were damaged due to continuous use by farmers who made efforts to save their crops and recover expenses from what they could have harvested.

With fields yielding an average of 40 bags per acre, farmers are expected to harvest over 3,663,000 bags of paddy with an estimated

value of $10.2B. Rice remains one of Guyana's largest export earners, grossing over US $222M in 2019.

Government is currently in the process of preparing for a four-month budget that will see the Ministry of Agriculture carrying out additional emergency works to a number of drainage and irrigation structures and access dams across the country.

(Ministry of Agriculture)

NIS resumes service at Lethem office

T

he National Insurance Scheme (NIS) yesterday announced that it is pleased to announce that the services at the Lethem Local Office will resume on Monday, August 31, 2020.

“NIS wishes to thank our pensioners and other stakeholders for their patience and understanding during the closure of the office.

Employers and self-employed persons

who were unable to pay their July 2020 contributions which were due and payable as at August 15, 2020, have until September 30, 2020 to make those contribution payments.”

NIS reassured that the building and compound were properly sanitized: “Additionally, all measures are in place to ensure that business is conducted in a safe and healthy environment.”

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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US$1.4B Mahaica...

From page 2 jobs that we desperately need as the country grows.

We have put together a team that we feel has the ability to deliver a project of this magnitude."

Persaud stated that an agreement had already been signed with the Petroleum Club, headed by John Moore, Chairman of Agraria Inc. for a 75-unit luxury housing complex including a clubhouse, restaurant and leisure facilities.

“In addition, Phase I will encompass 150 condos, 200 luxury homes and 50 executive homes, commercial center and other amenities all set for completion within 14 months.”

It was disclosed that the project management team comprises knowledgeable persons including Michael Dodds, CEO of the IEA Group, which has been at the forefront of development of large-scale projects in the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, Kuwait, Dubai, US and UK. It will also include Dr. Ollie Hemstock, Strategic Design Consultant who has years of architectural experience with HCD

Architects, whose clients include retail giants such as Westfield, IKEA, Murcia Sports Park, Brentwood Hospital and David Lloyd Sports, etc.

“They will head CIMGRO's Executive Design and Construction Team who are in charge of the implementation of the project…”

According to Rudy Ramalingum, COO of CIMGRO: "The project is one with many firsts in the developing country- first 18hole golf course, first marina, first all-inclusive secure community and first mega real estate development project that is almost 30% of the size of the capital city Georgetown.”

The developer said that the championship golf course will be a part of a US$1.4B development that will eventually provide top notch medical facilities, internationally rated schools, fine hotels, worldclass shopping and fine dining: “Maraiko Bay definitely will be the gold standard of living for the thousands of expats and remigrants who are set to call Guyana home for the next 50+ years.”

Saturday August 29, 2020

Artist's impression of the planned gold club project at Mahaica

CIMGRO has also engaged Dallas Thomas of Praetorian Executive Protection Services Inc., a USA-Guyana based security firm to handle its security implementation.

The company said it plans to immediately engage several local and regional contractors to ensure that they can meet the tight delivery schedule for infrastructure and construction due to the demand for quality housingstarting under US$150,000) in a country that is struggling to keep up with the influx of expats and re-migrants.

Nand Persaud's chairman, Ragindra Persaud, Prime Minister, Mark Phillips and Sudama Ramalingum, of New Trend Auto, during a recent meeting. .

UN, Human Services Ministry to partner on gender based programmes

Ms. Tanaka and Mr. Bynoe met with Hon. Persaud at her Lamaha Street office

U

Saturday August 29, 2020

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PAGE 20

N Resident C o o r d i n a t o r, Mikiko Tanaka and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liaison Officer, Adler Bynoe yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud to discuss their continued partnership in helping to implement a series of programmes aimed

at eliminating Gender Based Violence in Guyana.

Curtailing teenage pregnancy, poverty reduction among vulnerable groups and creating initiative s t o empower women were also among some of the other areas discussed at the meeting.

Tanaka informed the Minister that the United Nations is eager to launch and c o m m e n c e t h e

implementation of the “Spotlight Initiative” – a European Union/United Nations global partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

Guyana, she said, has been selected as one of six Caribbean countries to benefit from this initiative The Guyana Spotlight programme will provide a unique opportunity for the

Human Services Ministry and its international partners to address family violence as a major public health and development issue with significant ramifications at the individual, community and national levels.

Five priority areas of intervention of the Spotlight programme will be (i) Sexual and Gender-Based Violence; (ii) School based GenderB a s e d Vi o l e n c e ; ( i i i ) Intimate Partner Violence; (iv) Incest/ early sexual initiation/ teen and pre-teen pregnancies; (iv) forced sex by a family member or relative.

Guyana records three COVID-19 deaths, 40 new cases

T

hree new COVID-19 deaths were added to the Ministry of Health's daily COVID-19 dashboard but no details were provided in regards to who they are and where they are from. Forty new COVID-19 cases were also recorded.

The three latest deaths bring the total amount of deaths to 35. It is also Guyana's 15th death within August, making it the deadliest month in terms of recorded deaths.

The 40 new cases bring the total number of confirmed cases to 1,180.

Nine persons are currently in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while 96 are in institutional

isolation, 407 are in home isolation and 112 are in institutional quarantine.

There have been 633 recoveries with 503 cases being active.

As for the regional distribution of confirmed cases, Region One has had 158 confirmed cases; Region Two -12 cases; Region Three- 63 cases; Region Four-403 cases; Region Five- four cases; Region Six- 14 cases; Region Seven – 208 cases; Region Eight- 15 cases; Region Nine- 229 cases and Region Ten - 75 cases.

Of all confirmed cases 581 are male and 599 are female. So far, 7,811 tests have been conducted nationally with 6,631 persons testing negative.

Trotman silent as Ramjattan challenges PPP's management...

From page 8 Paul with UK Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner, a man whose prior business relationship with ExxonMobil saw his appointment flagged as a clear conflict of interest.

Despite this newspaper's extensive ventilation of this matter, the former Government, in which Ramjattan served, allowed Warner to remove safeguards Paul had included in earlier

drafts of the local content policy meant to provide the utmost scrutiny of oil companies' local content commitments.

Dr. Warner went on to replace those safeguards with confidentiality provisions, described by several experts Kaieteur News interviewed, as “highly unusual”.

Those confidentiality provisions were later approved in the final policy.

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

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PAGE 22

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

Brazilian governor suspended in corruption probe over pandemic response

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Brazil (Washington Post)RIO DE JANEIRO — The governor of Rio de Janeiro state was suspended from office Friday by a Brazilian court as part of a corruption probe into alleged kickbacks amid the state’s disastrously chaotic response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The accusations against Wilson Witzel, a critic of President Jair Bolsonaro, was another blow to Brazil’s leadership as it struggles with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic amid mounting suspicion that some officials have used it to line their own pockets.It also illustrated how the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil, a country with a lengthy and notorious history of corruption, has been a bonanza for grifters and fraudsters. As states emptied their coffers to combat the gravest health crisis in national history, which has killed more than 118,000 Brazilians, officials across the country saw an opportunity to get rich, prosecutors allege.

Prosecutors charge that Witzel was at the “top of the pyramid” of a corrupt scheme of bribes and kickbacks for government contracts that included projects aimed at combating the coronavirus in Brazil, which has the world’s

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second-highest number of confirmed cases at nearly 3.8 million.

In the global struggle against the coronavirus, corruption has grown into one of the most nettlesome obstacles. Officials from South Africa to Colombia have been accused of stealing money as their countries swelled health care budgets to meet the crisis.The corruption allegations have been particularly stark in Rio, where the pandemic has left nearly 16,000 people dead. Prosecutors allege officials maintained what they described as a “little bribe box,” where organizations could channel illicit funds.One of the suspected schemes involved the construction of field hospitals intended to meet the surge in coronavirus patients. The former Rio state health minister, Edmar Santos, was arrested in July and is now reported to be cooperating with

authorities.

“Politicians and public servants at the state health ministry were illicitly paid monthly by a criminal organization,” prosecutors said in a statement.Witzel, who denies the charges, was initially suspended for six months under an order signed by the Superior Court of Justice minister, Benedito Gonçalves. Witzel also faces impeachment proceedings.

unhelpful to our small population.

When a few of us challenged the first Pradoville on the Ogle driving road, HPS Dr. Luncheon, defended the arrangement on the ground that “the comrades had sacrificed much for many years”.

After this early triumph of the Good over Evil, the comrades were reaping their rewards here on earth and did not have to wait until they got to heaven. Soon after 1992 and the return of the PPP to office, it copied almost wordfor-word the Canadian Revenue Act and applied it in Guyana, thus gaining control of Customs and other key

departments. I say “almost” because the Canadian Act allowed existing officials the right to choose whether they wished to serve in the new Authority. In Guyana’s version of the Act, it was the Minister who decided which officers were absorbed in the new Authority or sent home.

A study of current Governmental issues in Canada will point the Guyana Government, if it is interested, to a few ways in which Canadian Government is at this moment dealing with cases of conflict of interests, resulting in apparent benefits to elected officials.

Yours Respectfully, Eusi Kwayana

Removed: Rio’s Governor, Wilson Witzel

IFrom know nothing of... page 6

Saturday August 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

AFC rocked by resignation of Berbice stalwart, Gobin Harbhajan

One of Berbice’s most well known faces of the Alliance For Change (AFC), the smaller faction of the Coalition, which was defeated in the recent elections, has resigned.

Yesterday, Gobin Harbhajan, the former Prime Minister’s Representative in Region Six during the APNU+AFC administration, made it clear that the party, in which he was a member for 15 years, has strayed from the values that were professed in the beginning.

“As a long standing member for the Alliance for Change since 2005,” wrote Harbhajan in his resignation letter, “I am grateful to the party for giving me the opportunity to serve the citizens of this country. Having served over the past five years, I am proud to have contributed my efforts to the growth and development especially in the administrative district of Region Six.” Harbhajan, in the correspondence addressed to

AFC’s General Secretary, David Patterson, pointed out that when the party successfully took office in 2015, he diligently served and supported the winning multi-ethnic coalition government to the best of his abilities. The letter was copied to Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman but not Moses Nagamootoo.

“From the inception,” he wrote, “the goals, values and standards were very much appreciated, and for that I would cherish my experiences. I regret to say, however, that as time went by I no longer share the sentiments and views of the AFC.” The official, whose name was suggested for the post of Region Six Chairman, said he was of the belief that the party was formed to serve the needs of the people.

However, “those things which were once valued by the members of the party no longer exists. Thus, with this formal letter of resignation, I bid farewell to Alliance For

Guyana's first drug treatment vention/ court ... infection of the viFrom page 11 for children and youth - especially during COVID-19.

To this end, through a partnership with the Regional Democratic Council, Region 4, and the Regional Health Officer (Region 4), Community Health Workers continue to be placed at key access points within the compounds of the courts to help with pre-

rus.

Additionally, the Judiciary continues to build the capacity of the Sexual Offences Courts (in Georgetown, New Amsterdam and Suddie) and the Family Courts through support to training and essential supplies to ensure that there is continued access to justice.

Change with immediate effect and wish the party the best in the future.”

He said that the party started to break its promises and there were differences of opinion: “Although we keep saying that the party was for the people, this all changed after 2015.”

According to Harbhajan, the poor showing at the Local Government Elections in 2018 in Berbice for the AFC was a clear indication that the party was not listening. The party received one seat in New Amsterdam and another at the Whim area.

There was a bitter fight between two of the party’s leader, Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo.

However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was at party’s conference in 2019, where Harbhajan contested to be re-elected to the party’s

national executive.

He told reporters that he decided to leave when, “What I witnessed firsthand and how politics runs – it was strange to me.”

However, he held off as he was still serving as the PM’s representative. The official was critical of the nine parliamentary seats for the AFC, making it clear that it was “fortunate” that the party ended with that much.

Harbhajan said he had not yet considered his next move but insisted that he wanted to continue to serve the Berbice area.

“I have clashed with the executives of the party over the years,” he said, “because of the way things were being done. It is hard for new people to be welcomed into the leadership. The leaders only looked after themselves. I respect a few of the members.”

Resigned: Gobin Harbhajan

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 29, 2020

Saturday August 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

IOC, IPC thank “Super-Mario” Abe for Tokyo vision LONDON (Reuters) Olympic officials thanked outgoing Japanese premier Shinzo Abe yesterday for his commitment to bringing the Games to Tokyo and said they would work closely with his successor as Japan bids to overcome the coronavirus pandemic to hold the event next year.

Abe, 65, announced his resignation due to poor health yesterday three weeks after the what should have been his crowning glory - the closing ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Games have been postponed for a year and whoever succeeds Abe is expected to maintain the government’s commitment to hosting in 2021, albeit with possibly a slimmed-down version.

The new leader will be at the forefront of discussions with the IOC in regard to dealing with the logistical challenge of putting on the event featuring a monumental influx of athletes, officials and fans if worldwide travel restrictions are still in place.

The government had already tied hosting the games with finding a COVID-19 vaccine, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga telling Reuters this week: “Japan will do whatever it takes to host the Olympic Games next year.”

Abe threw everything he had behind the Games right back to the bidding process and developed a strong relationship with IOC President Thomas Bach.

“First of all, I would like to wish Prime Minister Abe all

the very best in his fight against this disease with all the strength we know him to have,” Bach said in a statement.

He also thanked Abe for his leadership in bringing the Olympic Games back to Japan after the Tokyo 1964 Games.

His engagement was crucial, he said.“Throughout these years, Prime Minister Abe was a strong partner who always stood up for the interests of Japan, and who at the same time could always be trusted.”“In this way, we were able to find solutions, even in the most difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, which allow his vision for Japan to still come true, even if with one year’s delay.”

Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)

Saturday August 29 , 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) It you’re able to attend a social event today, Aries, you won't feel like talking.

You could be content just to listen to what everyone else says, feel at peace, and enjoy the warmth, music, and company.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Someone, perhaps a close friend or partner, could present you with a small gift today, Taurus, possibly a book. There might not be any special occasion other than your friend thought you'd enjoy it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're probably good at applying your spiritual principles to the way you live, Libra. You're especially good at it today, particularly when it comes to understanding others deeply.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Scorpio, you're usually more outwardly directed, but today you might break that pattern. You could be in a contemplative mood and wondering about everything from metaphysics to philosophy to money to your future.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your intuition should be keener than usual today, Gemini, but right now you're apt to be more interested in historical figures, perhaps people associated with spiritual disciplines.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today you might crave the companionship of friends and lovers alike, Sagittarius.

You're probably in the mood for some good food, good music, and great conversation, and that's just what you'll get if it’s possible in any way.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Happiness reigns in the home, Cancer, as everyone seems to have reached a new understanding of one another.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You're feeling pretty strong now, Capricorn. You're probably in fairly good health and your mind is sharp.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you might attend a virtual group event of some kind involving your neighborhood, Leo, possibly with a partner.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) Circumstances are changing regarding your professional goals, Virgo. You may have been thinking about a change for a long time, but someone you meet today.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Are you getting along better than ever with a significant other, Aquarius? If so, it's probably because you're more attuned to what your partner thinks, feels, needs, and wants.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Peace reigns in the home today.

Members of your household could communicate with each other almost telepathically, Pisces.

also wished Abe all the best for his recovery.

“Few will forget his involvement at the Rio 2016 Olympic Closing Ceremony when he appeared dressed as Super Mario,” he said.

“What has impressed me the most during his tenure is his desire to use the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as a catalyst to drive social inclusion in Japan.”

Parsons paid tribute to Abe’s commitment to the Paralympic Movement, saying that thanks to him “millions of persons with disabilities can pursue their dreams as active members of Japanese society, fully harnessing their potential and capabilities”.“There can be no better legacy than transforming the lives of millions of people for the better.”

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes part in the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov/File Photo)

Biggest test for riders in...

From page 30 masks on at the start but it is still a big experiment,” said LeMond. “It is certainly harder than isolating a football or baseball game for sure.

“I think the biggest dangers are going to be at the start and finish. If the riders are isolated and they stay out of contact with people, make sure the hotels are clean, where they are getting their meals from that will be positive.”“None of the riders want to get sick.“You read about COVID and it is just not getting sick like a cold, they are showing permanent damage like inflammation of the heart, the vascular system as a cyclist you don’t want that.”

NBA to resume ...

From page 20 NBA campus at Disney World in Orlando, a group that includes the defending champion Toronto Raptors and LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers, are practicing on Friday.

The return-to-play agreement was announced a day after players, coaches and team governors had a candid discussion regarding the next steps to further collective efforts and actions in support of social justice and racial equality.As part of the agreement, teams who own and control their stadiums will work with local elections officials to convert their facilities into a voting location to allow for a safe in-person voting option for areas vulnerable to COVID-19.

The novel coronavirus outbreak has pushed a number states to expand mail-in voting.U.S. President Donald Trump has been railing against mail-in ballots for months as a possible source of fraud, although millions of Americans - including much of the military - have cast absentee ballots by mail for years without such problems.

The NBA also said it will work to include advertising spots in each playoff game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity.

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

WI Women tour of England great way to ‘kick start’ programme insists CWI CEO Grave

SportsMax - Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave has hailed the upcoming women’s England tour as a good way for the region to ‘kick start’ the women’s programme.

The men’s programme restarted under similar circumstances when the team became one of the first to resume playing international cricket, with its tour against England last month. With the women’s inactive for the entire period, concerns were raised regarding a need to keep them engaged and active.

With South Africa pulling out of the tour, due to prevailing concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the regional team was invited to fill the spot.

“It’s similar to the men in as much as the ECB has said they understand the financial position that we are in and they have agreed to pick up the cost. So, this provides us with the best opportunity to restart our women’s

Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave programme,” Grave told the Mason and Guest radio show.

“With the Guyana and Trinidad borders shut, getting the women together has been impossible. They haven’t been training since March, since they returned from the World T20 in Australia. This provides us with the opportunity to have three weeks of training camp prior to a couple of weeks’ worth of games. We are playing five international T20s. So, it really has kickstarted our women’s programme, which we have been trying to do.”

Fedex Express returns as the official courier of the Hero Caribbean Premier League

Port of Spain, Trinidad The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is delighted to announce that FedEx Express has returned as the Official Courier and Express Delivery service of its cricket tournament.

For the second consecutive year, the world’s largest express transportation company is working with Hero CPL to ensure the movement of the tournament equipment during these trying times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jamie Stewart, Hero CPL’s Commercial Director, said: “We’ve been faced with many challenges in staging the tournament this year, not the least

logistical ones. We’d like to thank FedEx Express for being with us every step of the way and helping to make Hero CPL 2020 a reality.”

“At FedEx Express safety is our priority, and we support this tournament which has gone to extraordinary lengths to make this event safe for the topflight players and teams representing the West Indies,” said Rakesh Shalia, VP of Marketing and Communications for FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean.

“We are very proud to sponsor the Hero CPL, which will deliver welcome entertainment to the millions of cricket fans in our region and around the world.”

Saturday August 29, 2020

NBA to resume games after player protest, turn stadiums into voting sites (Reuters) - NBA players who boycotted games as part of a protest against racial injustice have agreed to resume the playoffs on Saturday in a deal that includes increased access to voting in the U.S. presidential election, the league and players association (NBPA) said yesterday.

The decision ends a threeday halt to the action as part of a player-led protest that was sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and led to game cancellations in other sports as well.

As part of the agreement, the NBA and its players will establish a coalition that will focus on access to voting for the Nov. 3 general election, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.“These commitments follow months of close collaboration around designing a safe and healthy environment to restart the NBA season, providing a platform to

promote social justice, as well as creating an NBA Foundation focused on economic empowerment in the Black community,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts said in a joint statement.

“We look forward to the resumption of the playoffs and continuing to work together in Orlando and in all NBA team markets - to push for meaningful and sustainable change.”The players’ protest began when the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for Game Five of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Bucks players said they were unable to focus on basketball due to demonstrations and violence in Kenosha, which is about 40 miles (60 km) south of Milwaukee.

After the Bucks’ boycott, the NBA postponed all three games on that day’s schedule as well as three on Thursday.

All 13 teams still on the (Continued on page 19)

Orlando Magic assistant coach Mike Batiste looks on before Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round was boycotted by the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 26, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

(Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports)

India player among at least ten CSK contingent members to test positive for Covid-19 ESPNcricinfo - An India player is among at least ten members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent who have tested positive for Covid-19 in Dubai.

ESPNcricinfo understands there is only one player among those who tested positive, with the rest of them comprising support staff members and a few net bowlers.

One of those found positive is the wife of a senior Super Kings official, though the official himself has tested negative.

The infected persons are understood to have been moved to a different hotel from the team hotel, and are being monitored by medical personnel behind closed doors.

As a result of this development, Super Kings have been forced to postpone the start of their training in Dubai to September 1. According to the IPL’s Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs), all those who tested positive will now need to undergo at least two weeks of further quarantine and clear two more tests before they can rejoin the group.

ESPNcricinfo understands the positive test results are from the final round of testing in the UAE, which is part of IPL’s Covid-19 protocols comprising three tests that are mandatory for every

person who is part of the tournament. As per the protocol, every person would get tested at the airport upon landing in the UAE, followed by two tests at the hotel on days 3 and 6.

The protocol also makes it mandatory for everyone to undergo a six-day quarantine after landing, when they are not supposed to even mingle with team members or colleagues. Only once the squad members clear all the mandatory tests can teams start their training.

As per the original schedule, Super Kings would have started their training on Friday. However, their preparations are now in disarray. So far neither the franchise nor the IPL has made any public comment.

The IPL is to start on September 19, but the schedule is yet to be finalised. The development is bound to put the IPL on alert simply because Super Kings, who finished runners-up in 2019, are expected to play defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener.

Super Kings landed in Dubai on August 21 after part of their Indian contingent underwent a six-day conditioning camp in Chennai. That group included most of the senior Indian players in the squad including captain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati

Rayudu, Deepak Chahar and Piyush Chawla.

What happens now?

According to tournament’s SOPs, those who test positive have to be “immediately isolated from rest of the squad”, and it is understood this has been done with the infected persons having been moved out of the team hotel. The SOPs also say “contact tracing” should “commence immediately”.

If the person is “asymptomatic or has mild symptoms”, then he/she would need to be isolated outside the biosecure bubble for two weeks from the “first day of symptoms or a positive PCR test report whichever is later”.

The individual cannot also train during the 14-day isolation period and is advised complete rest. If the symptoms worsen then he/ she would be shifted to a tournament-accredited hospital.

“After the 2 weeks isolation, the individual must return 2 negative PCR test reports done 24 hours apart before being permitted to reenter the BioSecure Environment. After recovery, players must undergo a cardiac screening before resuming any team activities,” is what the IPL said while distributing the SOPs to franchise recently.

Had “reservations” about Chennai camp - Super Kings CEO Incidentally, Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed he was skeptical about organising the camp in Chennai and that it was Dhoni who convinced him that the camp was necessary.

“When we announced that the tournament [IPL] is going to happen, I had reservations about conducting the camp here because of the biobubble which we will have to observe,” Viswanathan said in a Super Kings video published on YouTube on August 26. “In fact, I even sent a message to him whether it will be worthwhile having a camp of five days before we leave for Dubai. But captain [Dhoni] was crystal clear in his thoughts.”

Dhoni reasoned that the Chennai experience would also help players understand the basics of what being in a bubble meant. “He said: ‘No, Sir, we have not played for nearly 4-5 months. All of us need to get together. We should be in Chennai, in a biobubble, so that we get used to that when we land in Dubai. And also will help the boys getting in shape.’ This camp, though we had some reservations, has really helped. And I am very happy we were able to host the camp.”

Saturday August 29, 2020

Osaka digs deep to set up final with Azarenka NEW YORK (Reuters) - Naomi Osaka beat Belgian Elise Mertens to reach the Western & Southern Open final yesterday after playing in a semi-final she had originally withdrawn from in a call for racial justice.

Japan’s Osaka, who walked onto the Grandstand court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in New York wearing a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt, sealed a 6-2 7-6(5) win on her second match point when Mertens put a backhand return wide.

The world number 10 said on court after the two-hour match that it had been a stressful 48 hours and she was not able to sleep much last night.

“I’m really glad I was able to play at a pretty good level,” said fourth seed Osaka. “I’m really glad I didn’t mentally collapse. I was down a break in the second and I was really tight in the tiebreak too.”

Osaka broke Mertens three times to race through the opening set but was forced to dig deep after the 14thseeded Belgian won four straight games to go 4-2 up in the second set.

But Osaka, 22, settled down and

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Kaieteur News

broke to level at 4-4 and then brilliantly saved eight break points to pull ahead 5-4 before displaying exceptional power in the tiebreak.

On Wednesday, hours after booking her place in the last four at the U.S. Open tune-up event, the Japanese joined the athlete-led protest over the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin last week and said she wold not play her Thursday semi-final.

But Osaka, who has a Japanese mother and Haitian father and has been a vocal supporter of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, changed her mind after organisers subsequently announced a pause in play and postponed all semi-final action by a day.

In the final Osaka will face Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who beat British eighth seed Johanna Konta 4-6 6-4 6-1.

The tournament, normally held in Cincinnati, is being played this year at the home of the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows in a bid to limit travel and help stem the spread of COVID-19.

The Grand Slam tournament begins on Monday.

Naomi Osaka (JPN) hits the ball against Elise Mertens (BEL) during the Western & Southern Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert DeutschUSA TODAY Sports)

Chelsea sign former PSG centre back Thiago Silva (Reuters) - Chelsea have bolstered their defence by bringing in Thiago Silva, with the former Paris St Germain centre back signing a oneyear contract plus an option of a further 12 months, the English Premier League club announced yesterday.

The 35-year-old Brazilian de-

Paris St Germain’s Thiago Silva during training. (Pool via REUTERS/Miguel A. Lopes)

Australia implement stricter protocols around use of sweat for England tour

ESPNcricinfo - Australia will implement stricter protocols around the use of sweat to shine the ball during their England tour than has so far been seen during international cricket’s return.

Early in the pandemic the ICC ruled that no saliva would be allowed to be used to shine the ball but that sweat was permitted due to the lower risk of carrying Covid-19.

That has been the protocol following by both sides during England’s series against West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland but Australia’s bowlers will not be allowed to use sweat from any part of the face, neck or head during the T20I and ODI series next month.

“There’s slightly altered guidelines from what people may have seen from the previous England series here,” fast bowler Mitchell Starc said after Australia had arrived at the Ageas Bowl. “You can’t use sweat from around the face, neck or head and you obviously can’t use saliva.”

Back sweat became England’s go-to option during the Test matches but bowlers during those matches would also frequently be seen applying in from their forehead.

In training prior to leaving Australia the players have not been allowed to use any form of sweat on the ball so Starc said that had already become ingrained while he did not see shining the ball playing as big a factor in limited-overs cricket with the white ball as it does with

Mitchell Starc examines the new ball © Getty Images the red one in Tests.

“It might look a bit interesting if bowlers are using sweat off their back, can’t use it off your arms either I don’t think, so it makes for a bit of an interesting one,” he said.

“Probably not something that’s too relevant in white-ball cricket, once that new ball starts to go you are trying to keep it dry anyway so probably more a question for red-ball cricket.

“No doubt we’ll find out what it’s like in the practice games and whether we need to revisit any plan-

ning around it. We haven’t been able to use sweat or saliva back in Australia so that was pretty simple.

Slightly more lenient here with the bowler allowed to use sweat from certain places. It’s not a huge issue in white-ball cricket, I don’t think.”

Starc, who is also in Australia’s first-choice Test side, expects similar restrictions to still be in place by the time the home season comes around and that it will be more relevant for the Test team.

“If the world stays as is for a little while those restrictions will be there, that saliva one will probably be there a lot longer...it’s probably more of a relevant question to red-ball cricket and wanting to look after that ball a lot longer and hopefully swinging it around. One for the red-ball team to talk about when we get to that point.”

Australia will play their first intersquad warm-up match on Friday with the 21 players having been split between an Aaron Finch XI and a Pat Cummins XI with a local player making up the numbers.

Finch XI: Aaron Finch (capt), David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Philippe (wk), Daniel Sams, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Riley Meredith, Nathan Lyon, TBC local player(s) Cummins XI: Matthew Wade, Marcus Stoinis, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Agar, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins (capt), Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

fender joins the west London club, coached by Frank Lampard, after eight seasons at PSG where he won seven Ligue 1 titles and five French Cups, making more than 300 appearances in all competitions.

Silva arrives on a free transfer after leaving PSG following the club’s defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

“I am so happy to be joining Chelsea. I am delighted to be a part of Lampard’s exciting squad for next season and I’m here to challenge for honours. See you soon Chelsea fans, I look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge very soon,” he said.

Silva previously spent four seasons at Italian side AC Milan, winning the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season.

Capped 89 times by Brazil, he

was part of the squad which won the Copa America tournament last year and the Confederations Cup in 2013.“We are delighted to be able to add a player of Thiago Silva’s proven world-class credentials to our squad,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said.

“Having performed at the highest level for many years, we have no doubt his experience and quality will complement the many exciting talents we already have here.”

Silva is Chelsea’s fifth major signing for the new season following the arrivals of Malang Sarr, Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.

They have also been linked with Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz as Lampard bids to improve his squad to challenge for the Premier League title.

U.S. Open heartbreak for India’s...

From page 28 maybe some sort of a miracle could happen, but unfortunately it didn’t.”

There could still be more U.S. Open withdrawals before it begins on Monday but the USTA’s COVID19 protocols mean that vacant spots will be filled from the doubles draw.

In a year when professional tennis players earned nothing for over five months due to the pandemic, Gunneswaran spent thousands of

dollars to be at the Open and will now have to plan his travel ahead to the European claycourt events.

“I am disappointed but I also have to accept the fact that I’m in this position based on my ranking,” said Gunneswaran, who reached a career-high 75 last year but has slipped to 136.

“I have to get better if I want to guarantee myself positions in the main draws.”

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Saturday August 29, 2020

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U.S. Open heartbreak for India’s With no Nishikori, Asia brings few Gunneswaran despite long New York trip threats in men’s U.S. Open draw MUMBAI (Reuters) India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran flew halfway across the world in the hope of sneaking into the U.S. Open’s main draw but suffered an expensive let-down when he missed out by a single spot.

The tournament’s organisers (USTA) did not hold qualifiers this year in a bid to reduce the number of people in their bio-secure bubble in New York and Gunneswaran’s compatriot Sumit Nagal was the last man to get a direct entry in the initial list.

Yet with many players deciding against travelling to New York due to the pandemic, the Chennai-based Gunneswaran, who was ranked five spots behind Nagal at 132 when the initial entries were announced, felt he still had a chance.

“I wanted to give myself the opportunity to play another slam, I wanted to make the effort to come here and see what happens,” the 30year-old told Reuters in an interview.

Prajnesh Gunneswaran

Reaching the singles main draw at a tennis Grand Slam is considered a success in itself in cricket-mad India and Gunneswaran has previous experience of disappointment.

He was on the cusp of his Grand Slam debut as a lucky loser at Roland Garros in 2018 when Australian Nick Kyrgios withdrew late due to an injury.

Yet the Indian had already left Paris to travel to Italy for an ATP Challenger event following his loss in the third and final round of qualifying for the French Open.

He went on to qualify for his first main draw appearance at last year’s Australian

Open, where he lost to American Frances Tiafoe in the first round, and has played in all Grand Slams since Melbourne.

Gunneswaran arrived in New York the night before Thursday’s U.S. Open draw and watched Egypt’s Mohamed Safwat, placed just ahead of him in the list of alternates, sneak in.“When I was three out when I left (India), I felt I had no chance or very low chance. And then all of a sudden a couple of guys pulled out and I was one out,” he said from the United States by phone.“I was hoping that (Continued on page 27)

MELBOURNE (Reuters) The chances of Asia producing a U.S. Open men’s champion have plummeted with the withdrawal of former finalist Kei Nishikori, and even with a weak field at Flushing Meadows few of the region’s best can even hope to reach the second week.

While the women’s side boasts Japanese former champion Naomi Osaka and a slew of Chinese talents that could make the quarter-finals, the men’s seeds lack a single Asian name.

Japan’s Nishikori was the first man representing an Asian country to break through to a Grand Slam final at the 2014 tournament before Marin Cilic stopped him in the title match.

The 30-year-old said on Wednesday he had tested negative for COVID-19 after testing positive twice this month but had decided to skip the U.S. Open anyway.

Neither Nishikori nor any other Asian male has scaled such heights since, with the continent’s emerging threats having suffered injury set-

Japan’s Kei Nishikori in action during his quarter final match against Switzerland’s Roger Federer.

(REUTERS/Tony O’Brien)

backs or failed to push on.

The ATP’s former ‘Next Gen’ champion Chung Hyeon came closest when he bulldozed through to the Australian Open semi-finals in 2018, only to pull-out mid-match against Roger Federer due to painful foot blisters.

Once hailed as a future Grand Slam champion, the bespectacled South Korean has barely been seen since, with a litany of injuries dropping the 24-year-old well out of the top 100.

TOUGH ASK With former world number four Nishikori out of the picture, 48th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka is the only top 50 player from Asia in the men’s draw.

First up, Nishioka faces Andy Murray, a tough ask for the Japanese up-and-comer, but he will have some hope of knocking off the threetimes Grand Slam champion whose rebuilt hip will be tested in a best-of-five sets format.

There will be no respite if the lefthander gets past Murray, however, with a likely second round match against Canadian 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem a potential opponent in the fourth round.

Russia-born Kazak Alexander Bublik, ranked 51, will be one to watch in the men’s draw, with the 6’-6" 23year-old bringing an entertaining game laden with Nick Kyrgios-style trickshots.

But Bublik, who reached finals at Newport and Chengdu last year, is unlikely to see beyond the second round with Novak Djokovic on the horizon.

Mikhail Kukushkin, another Russia-born Kazakh, is about 40 places lower in the rankings but might have a better shot at breaking into the second week.

The world number 90 made the fourth round at Wimbledon last year and the last 16 at Melbourne Park in 2012.

Kukushkin trained in empty swimming pools and on wooden courts at an active prison in Volgograd to save money during his junior days so the surreal atmosphere of a locked-down Flushing Meadows without fans may not faze the rugged 32-year-old.

Kukushkin faces a kind draw until a possible fourth round encounter against Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Saturday August 29, 2020

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NBA star LeBron James emerges as potent political force ahead of November U.S. election (Reuters) - Two years after a conservative commentator told LeBron James to “shut up and dribble,” the NBA star has become an increasingly influential political force as issues of racial justice and voter suppression move to the forefront in the November presidential election.

James, an outspoken activist and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, helped form a group that will spend millions of dollars to battle voter disenfranchisement in predominantly Black communities ahead of the Nov. 3 election between the Republican Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.

He also has helped push the NBA to recognize racial justice issues and the Black Lives Matter movement, including the decision to postpone playoff games this week after a player boycott to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Wisconsin.

That prompted Trump to denounce the league on Thursday, saying it was “like a political organization.”

James, who campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, has promised to campaign for Biden this year. His influence could be critical in 2020, strategists and activists said, given the party’s need to bolster Black voter turnout, which saw its first drop in 20 years in 2016.

“LeBron is likely to have a huge impact,” said Karen Finney, a Democratic political strategist and aide on Clinton’s 2016 campaign. “He has the respect and the credibility with the Black community, so he’s a tremendous asset.”

James’ longtime activism on racial justice issues and criticism of Trump prompted white Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham in 2018 to tell him and fellow Black NBA star Kevin Durant to “shut up and dribble.”

This week, James, 35, a 16time NBA All Star who is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, reacted angrily to the shooting on Sunday of Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which sparked days of civil unrest.

The incident recalled the police killing of another Black man, George Floyd, in Minnesota in May that sparked antiracism demonstrations in many U.S. cities. Blake’s shooting reverberated through U.S. professional sports, with leagues postponing games and practices.

“WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT,” tweeted James, whose Los Angeles Lakers are vying for the National Basketball Association title.

James’ leadership on the issue got the attention of the White House, with adviser Jared Kushner, Trump’s sonin-law, saying in a televised interview on Thursday that he would reach out to James to see what both sides could work on together.

Biden said on Thursday he was arranging a call with the NBA after it reached out to discuss the boycotts. He did not elaborate, and a spokesman for his campaign declined to do so as well.

TRUSTED VOICES James formed the voting rights group More Than a Vote earlier this year along

Asif Ali breaches code of conduct with bat swing in direction of Kemo Paul Action continues today

CPL - Jamaica Tallawahs batsman Asif Ali has been found guilty of breaching the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Code of Conduct. During the Tallawahs’ match against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on 25th August at Queen’s Park Oval, Ali swung his bat in the direction of opposition bowler Keemo Paul when he was dismissed in the eighth over of his team’s batting innings.

Ali was charged with being in breach of section 2.18 of the Code of Conduct, act-

ing contrary to the spirit of the game. Ali admitted the offence and has been fined 20% of his match fee.

The action in the tournament continues today and tomorrow with another four schedule games at the Queen’s Park Oval. While today’s opening encounter will see the Trinbago Knight Riders looking to maintain their stranglehold at the top of the standings.The Guyana Amazon Warriors will be in action tomorrow and will hope to stop their miserable run of

Points Table 2020 Position Team PLD 1.

Trinbago Knight Riders 0.768 2.

St Lucia Zouks 0.590 3.

Barbados Tridents 0.091 4.

Guyana Amazon Warriors 0.085 5.

Jamaica Tallawahs -0.361 6.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 0.818

Won Lost Tied 5 5 0 6

6

5

NR

defeats against the Patriots in the evening encounter.

Fixtures: Saturday Barbados Tridents V Trinbago Knight Riders Queen’s Park Oval 10:00am St Kitts & Nevis Patriots V Jamaica Tallawahs Queen’s Park Oval 02:15pm Sunday Barbados Tridents V St Lucia Zouks Queen’s Park Oval 10:00am St Kitts & Nevis Patriots V Guyana Amazon Warriors Queen’s Park Oval 02:15 pm

0

PTS NRR 0

10

4

2

0

0

8

5

2

3

0

0

4

2

4

0

0

4

-

5

2

3

0

0

4

1

4

0

0

2

-

NBA basketball player LeBron James introduces U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during a campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., November 6, 2016. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo) with other prominent athletes to counter misinformation and fight what he said was voter suppression in Black communities.

“LeBron recognized that these athletes are the most trusted members of their communities,” said a person familiar with his thinking. “It is entirely about the Black community and protecting and strengthening their right to vote.”

The group will collaborate with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on a multimillion-dollar initiative to recruit young poll workers in Black communities in a dozen states, including battlegrounds such as Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin and Georgia.

A shortage of poll workers to staff in-person voting sites amid worries about the coronavirus pandemic led to

dramatically fewer polling locations in some states that held primaries earlier this year, including Georgia and Wisconsin.

That led to long lines, hours-long waits and widespread confusion, particularly in hard-hit African-American communities that felt the brunt of the cutbacks.

The group previously partnered with teams in Los Angeles and Atlanta to turn stadiums into polling places, and worked on an effort to help the formerly incarcerated restore their voting rights in Florida.

Amy Koch, a Republican strategist who lives in Minneapolis, where Floyd’s death sparked the first wave of protests, said James’ voice would have an impact but carried some risk of alienating suburban voters who have grown frustrated and are not

differentiating between peaceful protests and violent ones.

“If he can get some of that extra vote out, he will make a difference,” she said. “The difference between him and some other celebrities is he doesn’t wade into everything, so he has credibility and he’s disciplined.”

Donna Brazile, a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman and the campaign manager for presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000, said James and other athletes were using their celebrity to draw attention to the inequities of the justice system.

“What they’re saying to their fan base is if you want change, you’re going to have to vote for change,” she said.

“If you want to fix the problem, you’re going to have to put people in office who can change the policies.”

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Kaieteur News

Tom Banton wages lone battle against Pakistan before rain wins ESPNcricinfo - Tom Banton’s maiden T20I halfcentury was the highlight of another soggy evening at Emirates Old Trafford, but the weather had the defining word as the opening match of the series against Pakistan was abandoned due to rain.

Banton, seizing his chance to impress as opening batsman in the absence of Jos Buttler and Jason Roy, made an increasingly fluent 71. But rain, surely the most consistent performer of what is laughingly passing for summer in England, intervened about 80 minutes into the match and, while it relented around 40 minutes before the final restart time, the umpires concluded conditions were unfit for a resumption.

Pakistan will surely feel the more aggrieved of the sides. After weathering Banton’s storm, they had reduced England to 131 for 6 in the 17th over and would have been the more confident of the teams having made decent use of winning an important toss.

It would have been even better, however, had Iftikhar Ahmed been able to cling on to a relatively simple chance offered by Banton on 5. The batsman had fiddled at one angled across him from Shaheen Shah Afridi but Iftikhar, at slip, put down the chance.

It looked, for a while, as if it would be a costly miss. For if Banton took a little while to adjust to a surface which had

been under cover for much of the day due to rain - his first 20 runs occupied 19 deliveries - he soon found his stride.

At one point, the 21-year-old thrashed 38 from 13 balls, demonstrating a powerful slog-sweep off the spinners and an audacious ability to scoop the seamers.

Shadab Khan bore the brunt of his assault. After conceding a slog-swept six to his first delivery, Khan bowled ever wider of off stump only to see Banton responding with ever more ferocious slog-sweeps. At one stage, he thrashed two successive sixes over midwicket and England plundered 58 in four overs.

But Banton’s dismissal, top-edging another attempted heave across the line off the persevering Khan, precipitated a collapse from England.

Four wickets fell for the addition of 14 runs in 19 deliveries as England lost their way against Pakistan’s spinners.

Earlier Jonny Bairstow had fallen in the first over of the match, victim of a sharp return catch from Imad Wasim, before Dawid Malan ended up at the same end as Banton having set off for a sharp single in which his partner had no interest. In making just 34-1 from the first six overs, England registered their least productive powerplay since the World T20 final of 2016.

Eoin Morgan reverseswept his first ball for four and thrashed his third for six but, when he missed a sweep,

Tom Banton cracks a six over long-on.

(Getty Images)

Moeen Ali edged an attempted cut and Lewis Gregory was stumped as he charged Imad, it meant England had lost four wickets in as many overs only two men had been able to reach 15.

Mohammad Rizwan impressed again in clinging on to the chance which dismissed Moeen, while the three spinners utilised by Pakistan combined to claim five wickets for the cost of 71 runs in nine overs.

Pakistan had sprung something of a surprise by not being able to find a place for Haider Ali in their side.

Instead they included five spinning allrounders, including the veterans Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, who made their debut in this format together in Pakistan’s first T20I 14 years ago to the

Bailey set for late Bundesliga return following enforced quarantine

SportsMax - Jamaica international Leon Bailey is set to miss the start of pre-season training for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, after being faced with self-isolation orders due to possible exposure to the coronavirus.

The 23-year-old winger was among several prominent Jamaican sports stars in attendance at a birthday part for track and field legend Usain Bolt.

In short clips of the event posted to various social media outlets none of the athletes seemed to be practicing social distancing or donning masks.

Questions were also raised as to whether several of the players in attendance were not in violation of the two-week mandatory quarantine regulation required for those entering the country.

Jamaica has had a recent

Jamaica international Leon Bailey.

surge in COVID cases.

On Monday, Bolt tested positive for the coronavirus forcing others at the party to isolate this week. On Thursday Leverkusen announced that the player was stopped from leaving the island by local authorities, who insisted the player observe the quarantine period.

The club is expected to

begin testing players for preseason camp on Friday, with players requiring two negative tests before joining up with the squad.

Bailey will now not return to Germany until before their first competitive match of the season in a German Cup clash against minor league club Eintracht Norderstedt on September 13.

day against the same opposition.

England, meanwhile, preferred Gregory to David Willey in the allrounder’s position. But it all came to nothing as the rain that ravaged the final two Tests between these sides returned to spoil this match, too.

Banton, at least, could feel he had advanced his cause.

So tight is the competition for places at the top of the order,

even Joe Root - who, but for a late miracle, might have been player of the match in the last World T20 final - is uncertain of a place.But Banton, who has also won an opportunity to impress in the IPL as a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, has ensured his name will be part of the conversation. He admits the role of opener is his preferred option.“I find [batting in] the middle quite tricky as I’ve not

done it really at all,” he said.

“So I’d like to open if possible. But the white-ball team, at full strength, is so good.

I’ll keep trying to put guys under pressure. I’m just trying to score as many runs as possible and make it difficult for the selectors not to pick me.”

Scores: England 131 for 6 (Banton 71, Imad 2-31) v Pakistan - Match abandoned.

Biggest test for riders in Tour de France is COVID-19 (Reuters) - The Tour de France gives riders many tests from gruelling climbs to furious sprints but it is the one for COVID-19 that could hold the key to victory when the world’s greatest cycling race starts today, says threetime champion Greg LeMond.

Twenty-two teams and 176 riders will set out from Nice and if they are to reach the Champs Elysees finish line on Sept. 20 they must first navigate 3,484 km (2,165 mi) COVID19 free.With the number of new daily coronavirus cases on the rise in France there is little room for error with the International Cycling Union (UCI) enforcing strict rules to protect riders.

One of those rules would see entire teams excluded from the Tour if two riders from the same outfit test positive for the novel coronavirus within a seven-day period.

Exclusions, however, will not be automatic and the decision will be made by race organisers and the sport’s governing body, leaving LeMond worried that it opens the door to interpretation.

“If they are going to apply it, they have to apply it straight through and can’t make any exception for the yellow jersey,” LeMond told Reuters.While other sports have operated in a quarantine bubble, the Tour will spend three weeks crisscrossing France, where the routes are routinely lined with thousands of spectators.

NIGHTMARE SITUATIONS The Tour will attempt to enforce social distancing and limit attendance but the riders could still be open to everything from COVID19 sabotage to accidental exposure.

“You can’t control the public,” said 59year-old American Le Mond. “But unless someone tries to sabotage the Tour by spit-

Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond poses for Reuters.

(REUTERS/Christian Hartmann) ting on the riders, and that has happened in the past, the risks will be low.

“But what if a team has a positive? You have to isolate all the other riders so those are nightmare situations.

“If a team has a positive what happens?

Does it mean the whole team goes out. That might not only change a team but change the entire race.”

LeMond, whois looking to get back into cycling with the relaunch of LeMond Bicycles and the goal of sponsoring a team in 2022 partly financed by a new line of carbon-fiber eBikes coming out in September, knows there is only so much officials can do from riders wearing masks when not on bikes to regular testing.

“I’ve watched the riders they all have (Continued on page 25)

Saturday August 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 31

Belgian GP: Max Verstappen fastest in Belgian

P

A Sport - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen raised the hope of a competitive Belgian Grand Prix by finishing fastest in second practice yesterday.

Verstappen, the closest challenger to Lewis Hamilton in the championship, took top spot at Spa-Francorchamps ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, with Hamilton third.

Alexander Albon finished fourth ahead of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in sixth.

On yet another poor day for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc finished way down the order in 15th, while team-mate Sebastian Vettel was even further back in 17th, nearly two seconds off the pace.

Mercedes have dominated the new campaign, taking pole position at all six rounds and winning every race bar the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Hamilton cruised to victory at the last round in Spain, beating Verstappen to the chequered flag by a crushing 24 seconds, while lapping the entire field up to third.

Bottas led Hamilton in a Mercedes one-two in the opening running of the

weekend in Belgium, but Verstappen’s pace later in the day suggests the allblack machines might not have it all their own way this weekend. Verstappen is 37 points adrift of Hamilton in the championship.

Verstappen’s former Red Bull team-mate Ricciardo also impressed on his way to second, but the Australian’s afternoon arrived at a premature end when he was forced to park his Renault on the Kemmel Straight following a loss of hydraulic pressure.

The one-and-a-half-hour session was then red-flagged after debris from an advertising hoarding at the exit of Turn 1 was removed.

Next weekend’s race at Monza will be the first of three grands prix in Italy this season – but Ferrari look set to head to their home track off the back of another troubling weekend.

The Scuderia are fifth in the constructors’ standings and their lead driver on Friday, Leclerc, who won his maiden race at this venue last year, was 1.7secs off Verstappen’s pace.

Elsewhere, Lando Norris finished seventh for McLaren, two places ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz, with Williams driver George Russell splitting the Ferrari cars in 16th.

World Cup winner Rapinoe opts out of NWSL fall series (Reuters) - Two-times World Cup winner and OL Reign midfielder Megan Rapinoe is opting out of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) fall series starting next month, the Washington-based franchise said in a statement yesterday.

U.S. international Rapinoe is among 10 Reign players who are not available for the tournament, which is scheduled to start on Sept. 5.

No reason was given for her decision but Rapinoe, 35, also skipped the NWSL

Challenge Cup tournament in June, which was played in empty stadiums due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The fall series features nine teams divided into three r e g i o n a l p o d s , We s t , Northeast and South, and playing four games each over seven weeks. Its format has yet to be announced.

The NWSL scheduled the Challenge Cup and fall series as a replacement for its regular league season, which was cancelled this year due to the epidemic.

Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. celebrates scoring their first goal during the France v United States game during the Women’s World Cup Quarter Final at Parc des Princes, Paris, France June 28, 2019. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo)

Grand Prix second practice

Red Bull's Max Verstappen raised the hope of a competitive Belgian Grand Prix in the second practice.

Asif Ali swung his bat in the direction of bowler Keemo Paul when he was dismissed. (CPL)

Asif Ali breaches code of conduct with bat swing in direction of Kemo Paul p.29

Members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent en route Dubai. (Twitter/Chennai Super Kings)

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India player among at least ten CSK contingent members to test positive for Covid-19 Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8452, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.