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AIETEUR NEWS
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Sunday Edition Granger Govt. appoints 44 members across 5 state boards after elections July 05, 2020
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Ghana sees success with Local Content Policy done by TT expert
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Guyana rejected
Immense potential for Guyana leaders to reconcile Cops impound motorcycles despite documents presented Santa Rosa starts 14-day lockdown from today
Woman arrested after keeping friend’s baby four months
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- was given child to take to the hospital
- 86% of upstream jobs held by Ghanaian citizens
- British High Commissioner p.13
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1,750 vouchers ARRESTED: Beverly Gomes
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distributed to COVID-19-hit families - 5,101 hampers to be sent to hinterland
Shuman’s party requests removal of Lowenfield p.9
- cites 12 reasons in letters sent to GECOM Chair
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KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL TEL:624-6456 Editor: SHARMAIN GRAINGER Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Get on with it, get it done
T
Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
he words were carefully chosen for the messages that they sent to Guyanese leaders, meaning exclusively those of the coalition, and they could not have been sharper and clearer. Whether from the latest impatient blast that came compliments of United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, or as can be drawn out of the nuanced but unmistakable questions asked by the listening panel of judges of the CCJ, the thrusts are the same: get this thing right, get this bothersome elections matter done, get it over now. Get going, move on! We are not going to speak at length on how the CCJ is going about its business, or where it is heading. Since this is all sub judice, it is better and wiser to leave the CCJ alone, other than for a few broader contemplations, which we will share later in this presentation. Today, we focus first on the position of the US, as articulated by Mr. Pompeo on Wednesday last in no uncertain terms. His words speak for themselves and loudly. The lead frontpage caption from KN, which was repeated on page 3 conveyed where America’s most powerful political movers and shakers, and hemispheric influencers, are currently: “US Govt. instructs State Dept. to take action against persons undermining Guyana’s democracy” (KN July 2). Though delivered in the sparsest and tersest of diplomatic verbiage, nothing could be clearer than that, and to which a couple of specific phrases speak in the starkest terms for those Guyanese “persons”, who could be on the receiving end of whatever “action” is meted out. In fact, it could be more than Guyanese persons alone, and of this the judges of the CCJ, who do not exist in unknowing disconnect on some remote desert island, are most cognizant. “They should get on with it,” Pompeo said. And further, “I’ve instructed my department to ensure those who undermine Guyana’s democracy are held accountable” (KN July 2). Now we invite our fellow Guyanese to work along with us, as we go through this, in an effort to glean as much as possible as to what is the position of the increasingly impatient and irritated Americans, and what that could mean here. The first thing that struck was that Secretary Pompeo saw it fit to utter a congratulatory message to neighbouring Suriname, and then deliberately call out Guyana in the very next breath. This is most unhealthy for this republic, since it is so pivotally positioned, with so much involved; and it is taking up too much attention. The Guyana situation, especially given our location in this hemisphere, and our discovery of sizable oil deposits, has to have made the rounds of intra-State departmental conversations and positions, with a view to larger strategic calculations and long-term considerations. From there, it would have had enjoyed a few considerations in cabinet meetings, and then direct discussions between the Secretary of State and the Chief Executive. To put differently, Secretary Pompeo is not going out on a limb nor acting on his own with regard to where things are in Guyana and its elections. Instead, the Guyana controversy has gone through the mill and this is where America officially stands before the world: “get on with it.” Move on over there and allow us to move on to issues that are of real substance and concern for the United States. It is where America has been for a while now, and in increasingly more ominous tones which shine through the usual diplomatic speak. Diplomatic speak or not, what we heard distils to this hardness: enough of the nonsense, no more of this endless foolishness, stop dissembling and pussyfooting. And without pointing to or mentioning the coalition specifically, (Continued on page 7)
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An Open Letter to President Granger from the London Islamic Cultural Society DEAR EDITOR, We write to raise concerns about the situation in Guyana, our homeland regarding the failure in declaration of a fair and transparent General and Regional Elections result. It has been an exceptionally long four months and we believe that the people of Guyana should be credited for the patience and tolerance, which they have displayed. The London Islamic Cultural Society is a charity formed, supported, and managed by people from Guyana and we take pride in our awareness of how Guyana is progressing and developing. We consider it as our precious homeland, place of our birth and so we take an interest in what is happening with our people. In addition, many of our UK Guyanese have family living there. The International CARICOM observers and ABCE diplomats have all vouched and concluded that the Guyana 2020 elections were fair, free, and credible including the validity of votes cast. Many worldwide are disturbed by the inability of you and your government to concede defeat despite there
being a recount. We on behalf of our Guyanese people urge you to accept the results and arrange for a peaceful transfer of government. We are extremely disappointed to observe during this whole process that the government is deliberately acting in an undemocratic manner when it is clear that the people of Guyana have spoken and exercised their democratic right in deciding who they want to govern them. Our country is a special one and it is time that our political parties work in partnership for the benefit of our country and more importantly the people of Guyana. There are so much wealth and outstanding landmarks, the people deserve to improve their lives and they have voted for the government that they believe will help them to achieve this. We write and we represent many of our Guyanese patriots living in the United Kingdom – do the right thing Mr. Granger. Yours truly, Bibi Khan and the Board Trustees London Islamic Cultural Society
Sunday July 05, 2020
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The management of The CCJ’s ruling in the Guyana case can cement the Court’s Georgetown City’s affairs reputation for impartiality has fallen from halcyon days DEAR EDITOR, direction of the court whose Many in Guyana and the Diaspora are thankful that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is the final court of appeal for Guyana, replacing the Court of Appeal (CoA) in 2005. They say if there were no CCJ, then appeal of the No Confidence Vote or the current electoral matter would not have been possible – both judicial matters and so many others would have finished at the CoA) and become law. Democracy would have been hijacked. Not surprisingly, Jagdeo, who was President in 2004, has come in for praise for having the foresight to sign on to the CCJ as one of the founding members of its Charter. Guyana’s final court of appeal during the colonial period and thru February 1970 was the Privy Council (PC) located in London. The PC comprises of judges of erudition and nonpolitical affiliation; they are not influenced by or take instructions from politicians. They are people of integrity with independence of mind. Their decisions are not guided by ethnicity. Their promotion doesn’t depend on any favorable government ruling. Most of the judges are Lords who cannot be bought and five of them usually hear an appeal, similar to a hearing in front of the CCJ. It is almost impossible to bribe or threaten a PC judge on how to rule as compared with say a judge in a local court. The PC as Guyana’s final court was abolished in 1970 when Guyana became a Republic. Burnham used his magic majority of the 1968 electoral rigging to abolish all appeals to the PC. The act served his interest as matters pertaining to the 1968 election rigging could not be appealed. In private, Jagan opposed the abolition of the PC fearing consequences of a politically directed court. As the years wore on, nothing could be done to change the
rulings (particularly on government related cases) were directed by Burnham. The judiciary was compromised and the effects are felt until this day. Jagan saw the significance of an independent outside court. In private conversations, he theorized about a return to the PC, which could only have happened if he returned to office. But Jagan was always wary of being branded as friendly to imperialists were he to publicly advocate a return to the PC for impartial justice. At a forum in 1986, Llewelyn John proposed the idea of a West Indian Court of Appeal; Dr. Nand K. Gopaul, Paul Nehru Tennassee, Jagan, among others, spoke at that forum. It would come to fruition in the form of the CCJ. In discussions in New York between 1989 and 1992, where I was present, including at a GOPIO meet, Jagan embraced the idea of PC replacing the CoA since no other West Indian territory was thinking of a regional court of appeal. When the World Union of Guyanese was formed in NY around 1991 with Dr. Fenton Ramsahoye as International Coordinator, he and a group of us held discussions on the PC replacing the CoA. Fenton was passionate about judicial integrity and independence and felt an outside court was needed to shield judges from political influence and bribery. He agreed to be our emissary to meet Jagan on the matter. They met in Georgetown and Jagan committed to revisit the issue once the PPP returns to government. After the PPP won the October 1992 elections, Jagan reneged on the commitment of the PC being the final court of appeal. Fenton told me that when he met Jagan, the President sternly stated that “he not returning to the White man’s court”.
I met President Jagan at Freedom House in December 1992 and raised the issue with him. He said, “People have nothing to fear as his administration would not interfere in court matters or influence judges. I would not be a dictator. You can trust me”. Jagan lacked a vision to foresee the possibility of judicial compromise after he was gone. Later on, Fenton informed me that he broached the subject again with Jagan using a different strategy. He advised Jagan again of a backdoor to get the PC as Guyana’s final court of appeal. He proposed that through trade and commercial treaties with Trinidad, PC could serve as final court in appeals. Jagan would have none of it. Fortunately, in the interest of some kind of judicial independence in the region, an opportunity availed itself in 2004 with the proposal for the creation of CCJ . Jagdeo saw it as ‘a no brainer’ and signed on. Jagdeo displayed a foresight not shown by Jagan on protecting judicial integrity by having an outside independent court. Fenton credited Jagdeo for accepting CCJ’s jurisdiction as Guyana’s final court of appeal but opposes it as the final court for other territories. Fenton died preferring PC as indeed almost all lawyers (including the late judicial icon Karl Hudson Phillips) in the West Indies as the region’s final court. Sir Fenton said Guyana did not have a choice but to sign on to the CCJ since it did not wish to subscribe to the jurisdiction of the PC. However, he felt that impartial justice in other West Indian territories would be better served by having the PC as its final court to protect against political bias. The ruling in the Guyana election matter may well cement the reputation of the CCJ as being protected from political directives. Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram
DEAR MR. EDITOR I was fortunate prior to retirement from the Public Service, to have worked under the stewardship of a number of individuals who insisted on excellence. First among these was Mr. Rafiq Khan, then Programme Director and Broadcaster par excellence of Radio Demerara, in my first job as an assistant librarian. Subsequently, I had as Permanent Secretaries Messieurs ‘Barry’ Vigilance, Martin De Abreu and Charwin Burnham. They insisted that a high standard of work and not mediocrity be performed by their subordinates. Another individual, Mr. Hutton Griffith would tell his subordinates that you are being paid a certain sum to do a job and you must perform to an expected standard, or else leave the job. It was a recent reflection on a delay of one year in the processing of an application for an extension and renovation to the City Council, which has caused me to compare the times when Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) were the basis for awards to public servants of that then meagre monthly incremental pay increase. When I was in the state of Georgia, USA last year, I contacted the office of the City of Stonecrest, Dekalb County which municipality was twinned with the City of Georgetown in 2018. I questioned an employee thereof about the time it took that office to process and approve an application for the construction or renovation of a residential house. I was informed that procedure could take about two weeks and if there was a query, it could extend to about three weeks. My application is lingering at City Hall since May/June 2019 and I was informed on 2nd June 2020 that two named individuals Messieurs Bancroft and Gladd would be visiting the site Thursday 4 of June to take some measurements. No one turned up and I was not afforded the courtesy of a call to explain the reason for
their failing to keep the appointment. Any excuse about COVID-19 would be utter balderdash. As a senior citizen in his early eighties, who has contributed in great measure to the development of this country and my community, I consider this and other irritants grossly reprehensible. I continue to ask what benefits did the City of Georgetown receive from the twinning exercise with a small first world city named Stonecrest. It is far from satisfactory to call the Public Relations Officer at City Hall and to be answered just ‘hello’. The matter which I was raising with that person was a matter which the City Council has neglected to address for a number of decades and it doesn’t call for the intervention of Mr. Jean Drepeau former mayor of Montreal, whose management style mayors worldwide should strive to emulate. For years on end, a majority of residents citywide have blatantly refused to dispose of their garbage in a responsible manner. The sad thing about this shortcoming is that City Hall and the garbage collectors have refused to do anything constructive about it. When one observes a householder emptying the remains from a cooking utensil and eating wares directly into their garbage bins, one wonders what sort of upbringing they were exposed to when growing up. Furthermore, what sort of logic would they bring to the fore about such remains being exposed to the elements for a week when their bins do not have
holes in their bottoms. I had years ago called into a programme called ‘Georgetown on the Move’ and queried of the host if she had ever been caught in traffic behind a garbage truck in the city. She was at a loss to appreciate the reference. But then the drudge being let out from a compacted garbage truck does not amaze anyone in a community with the attendant stench. These resounding shortcomings of the City’s offices are not confined to the foregoing. I often wonder when and where is the forum for citizens to express their concerns about other issues which need rapt attention by City Hall. I refer to a letter dated 22nd November, 2017 written to the Mayor concerning an injury, which I received due to the roughness of the approach to the bridge leading to the crèche from Croal Street to South Road. The letter alluded to an elevated right diaphragm which resulted and a reply from City Hall was received June 19, 2019 to the effect that the matter was being addressed. The condition of the pavement on the northern side of Regent Street right across from City Hall is in a similar decrepit condition just waiting for a senior citizen like me to stumble and fall flat. I ask again where is the medium for these issues to be put to the Council and be urgently addressed by the City. How can the City Hall not address the extension to the left extreme seat of the second row in minibuses which are lengthened to (Continued on page 6)
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Sunday July 05, 2020
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We must always consider that life can be beautiful
President Granger should concede for the good of our fragile democracy
DEAR EDITOR, As I ponder on all of the different strains converging on our nation’s landscape, two statements come to mind - ‘Life can be beautiful’ and ‘Life is what you make it’. We all know the competing scenarios – COVID-19 and the, for some, ‘lock-down’; election results and, for some, ‘lick-down’; ICJ, CCJ and, for some, luck down! We can still laugh, right?). May God Almighty look down on us all and have mercy! I long for the day when, as a Nation, we can put aside our differences and work together for the good of all and for the future of our children and our children’s children. My family has been living in Bel Air Village for over 22 years. There is understanding and togetherness in our com-
munity of mixed races. We rejoice with each other (e.g. at weddings and thanksgivings), mourn with each other (at funerals) and celebrate each other’s successes! We share with each other the fruits from our yards, and look out for each other when there may be impending danger. We ‘lime’ in the streets, hail out to passers-by, and even looked out for the recently deceased neighbourhood vagrant. Would to God that our community could be a microscopic reflection of our society. Describe for me a beautiful garden and you will be describing a well cultivated patch of earth with plants of different hues and flowers of various colours - red, yellow, white, blue, purple. Beautiful Guyana, blessed with the
beauty of blended races and cultures, when will we stop destroying each other and instead work together to fulfill our national destiny? May it not be said of us: “...every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25) , but rather, as was said of the people of old, working together to build a tower. “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” (Genesis 11:6 NIV) That sounds like the realisation of our national motto: one people, one nation, one destiny! Yours truly, Claudia Heywood
Prime Minister Nagamootoo has failed in several areas Nagamootoo that claimed Nagamootoo that conceded
DEAR EDITOR, I write in respond to the claims made by Guyana’s current “Caretaker” Prime Minister on an online broadcast condemning the international community and accusing them of using Guyana as a pawn in a political game of chess aimed at toppling the Nicolas Maduro government in neighbouring Venezuela. It is the very same Moses Nagamootoo and the APNU+AFC who publicly, back before the 2015 General and Regional Elections, used the very same international community to put pressure on the then Chair of GECOM and GECOM itself. Nagamootoo didn’t, back then, condemn any of the actions taken by the international community. This is the very same
Guyana was a “donkey cart economy” under the governing of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) and yet when he took power as Prime Minister he did nothing but made the economy the exact “donkey cart economy” that he claimed it was back then. The man took office along with the rest of coalition cabinet members and in the first 100 days raised their salaries by 50% and passed bills that allowed him and his cabal to buy 20-40 million dollar vehicles for their transportation. All of that money for doing absolutely nothing at that point in time, only for being sworn in as Prime Minister and Ministers back then. Is that making the economy any better? It’s
the
very
same
defeat, after the very historic night of December 21, 2018 when the No Confidence Motion (NCM) was passed by the Parliament of Guyana, and I quote the Prime Minister “The outcome has to be accepted.” And then he Nagamootoo miraculously endorsed a formula about “absolute and simple majority” saying the NCM wasn’t “properly passed”. In his hometown of Whim Village, residents didn’t even cast 50% of their votes in his favour in the last Local Government Election, with an even worse performance in the 2020 General Elections. Nagamootoo has deceived his very own Region Six by shutting down the sugar estates. Yours truly, Randy Da Silva
DEAR EDITOR, This writing is for President Granger, the appeal of a humble citizen – me. As I look at this Guyana of ours today, at where it is trapped, at how it hurts, I reach out to you, President David Granger, my leader, my fellow citizen and, above all, my brother. Help us heal, sir, to begin again; it starts with you, Mr. President. Excellency, I did something rare in this country. I identified with you publicly, and what I thought you represented deep down inside. I still do, but less so now. When I stood for you, I did so without ambition, with zero expectation. So, today, I can cry out to you, for the sake of this cherished land and nothing else. I have the highest anticipation that you will respond by taking that painful step of doing what is right for Guyana and for all of us. When I associated with what I believed was the embodiment of you, the promise of something nobler and more ideal, for this society, I did so not as an Indian, but as a child of this scorched, yet fruitful, soil of our shared Guyanese world. As an Indian, I was and am reviled for it. It is a small price to pay, for such was the strength of my convictions. I stand by them. Standing against the tide has made a better man of me, I am glad I did. Today, I continue to look at our Guyana, this abode of my memory, history, and endeavours at fidelity. And all I sense are the frustrations with the self-inflicted frailties
that cause so much wounding, so many pains. I could say with solid justification, Mr. President, for that you are responsible, but that would be part of the endless looking back at yesterday, and the ceaseless recriminations that flow so powerfully today, which lead nowhere. For my part, I think it much better to examine and understand the state in which we are today. As a nation we are plagued by uncertainty; as a people we are consumed by bigotry; and as for the future, we are wracked by a wretched anxiety of the spirit. I look at today, and I still care enough to look ahead at our vast and much vaunted possibilities. And it is because of this, that I dare to speak directly to you, to use the gifts of my mind and my pen to write publicly to you. I do so openly. Our fellow citizens are in agony over the ongoing instability, the discontinuities. I am. I believe, sir, that you are too. It is why I look to you. For you, Mr. President, can and should do it. You – my leader and my brother – should do it, this gracious and godly thing; this step that is right and about honor, duty, country. Like me, you are a believer; you are so named. Like me, you have been well named; those names tell stories of a different time, and of men of a different kind. You, Mr. President, were named after kings: one of sacred scripture and the other from literature’s timeless legends. Men that have awed
generations and brought a glow to more. You, and I dare in all humility and respect, to call on you, David Arthur in the belief that you can still be so and do so today. It is testimony to the esteem held for you that those who disagree and oppose still hold you well. That is a special grace for any man, a leader especially, to own. Do not diminish it, do not profane it. Do not disinherit this precious bequest. It is time to step down with honor. I say to you today, Mr. President, be different today. I share the pained words of Al Gore in 2000: “I accept the finality of the outcome…tonight, for the sake of our unity as a people…I offer my concession.” Twenty years later, I do not think of what could have been, but what is present. I say too, Mr. President, that as difficult and bitter it is to do: concede. Concede, please. For the sake of Guyana, please concede. The legacy will be not of a leader with the stubbornness of steel but of a man who did what was right. I will regard you higher if this is done. All Guyana would, because a new standard would be set. The world will applaud for a battle well fought, and everything left on the field of struggle and engagement. Concede, for the greater good – for the future of our fragile democracy. Sincerely, GHK Lall
The management of Georgetown City’s affairs has fallen ... From page 5 accommodate an extra passenger and results in one having to perform a dog leg when exiting or boarding a bus. The falling away of the parapet at bus stops greatly exacerbates the possibility of one stumbling before getting both feet firmly onto the parapet. There is no consideration about the noise nuisance emanating from motorcycles with their silencers adjusted to create pandemonium at a time when one should be enjoying some quietude. This nuisance is committed by a generation of youths who would not take the time to listen to the Jeopardy nightly programme where their limited general knowledge could be widened. Rank hooliganism like that recently exhibited on Homestretch Avenue is the name of the game.
Some of these same individuals who are engaged in the hire car business cannot determine a particular house address if they observe two sequenced lot numbers on either side of a street. Is it not time for the public transportation routes to be revisited? The death of entities like the Police Male Voice Choir Assembly Rooms, Militia Band, Maranatha Choir, and Princessville Orchestra has had a debilitating effect on what a number of our citizens then regarded as elegance or sophistication. One just has to observe the paucity in the attendance of leading figures in the society at concerts at St. George’s Cathedral or the National Cultural Centre. Then, the fora for such activities outside of the capital city is nonexistent. Until we have individuals
at the helm of our affairs who appreciate the promotion of the performing arts and would have been told by their parents of appearances by Mr. Rudolph Dunbar et al, our society would continue to be steeped in the ‘bum bum’ culture. Are there individuals from the City Council who are identified to look in the welfare of sections of the city and when do they carry out visits to these areas? How many years has the Groyne jetty given opportunities for anglers to throw a line and why is the jetty at Kitty coated with moss heightening the possibility of a fatal accident by drowning? On the 10th June 2020, yours truly had to undertake the removal of para-grass which growth had encroached on the parapet on Lamaha Street between Waterloo and Camp Streets, (see photo-
graphs). Who cares about the environment when members of the diplomatic corps have to volunteer to clean our seawall frontage of garbage thrown there by some uncaring set of citizens? Just take a peek at Manget Place behind St. Stanislaus College bordering the Police Compound and observe the vermin in the gutter. This is a stone’s throw from the Ministry of Public Security. Those same people enjoy dumping discarded old gas stoves and cardboard barrels in alleyways and then complain about flooding. Many young people would not have known of the halcyon days of Major ‘Snakehips’ Henwood and Harry Mayers, when Georgetown was so clean, we could have boasted about it. I have not heard from any city father of a clarion call
for a Georgetown Symphony Orchestra or a call for suggestions for attractions to be installed in the Promenade and Botanic Gardens for the entertainment of visitors - why not? And there are so many which can be made. I thank the heavens that I am now enjoying after a number of decades, a consistent quality of electrical power supply with the minimum of short-lived blackouts. As a senior citizen and retired public servant and Afro-Guyanese, I look forward to the implementation of subsidized medication for illnesses which my race is known to suffer from. I recently observed the Public Phannacy in Georgia publicizing the dispensing of such medication free of charge. Yours truly Aubrey Alexander
Sunday July 05, 2020
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It is now patently obvious that Granger is not worried about sanctions
DEAR EDITOR, We must read the signs. Read them carefully. Out of the blue, after savage, APNU-linked, anti-West inflammatory rhetoric in the past few months and after APNU figures openly rebuked the US by endorsing Maduro, de facto David spoke. David Granger that is. He affirmed commitment to the US strategic values in the western hemisphere. What has clearly happened is Granger has been warned directly by the US. This explains Mike Pompeo’s subsequent statement that sanctions will un-
fold for those trying to steal the election, seemingly even if they concede. It explains why this saga is now with the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Once it is there, it is within the sphere of the White House and the Pentagon. APNU and Granger know that. What is also clear is that Granger is not fazed by the warning and these grave developments. He subsequently endorsed Lowenfield’s fraudulent and criminal erasure of 115,000 votes to set the table for his swearing in, likely be-
fore the CCJ delivers its ruling. Granger also made moves with recent military appointments and failed to change the top two positions of the police force, knowing it is time for a change. These officers are very loyal to APNU. It is now patently obvious that Granger is not worried about sanctions – this brings us to the key issue here. In order for APNU to recognize America’s strategic interests in the hemisphere yet continue this egregious defiance, insult and mocking of the US and don’t-give-a-damnabout-sanctions attitude
Get on with it, get it done From page 4 no one here should need the aid of English subtitles to see and read the writing on the wall. Get it over, get a move on and get going now. Ingrained in the secretary’s message are the irritations and impatience for having to address yet again, the continuing stalemates that plague Guyana’s electoral process. After all, there are Syria and Libya and mainland Chinese agitations in Hong Kong to worry and expend precious time over; a resurgent pandemic at the domestic level that has to be concerning; and an economy that is in dire need of getting back on track. These things are only made to happen when given the kind of intense attention that they demand to break out of the rut enforced by the pandemic. When these contexts are weighed, backwater Guyana (oil and all) amounts to nothing more than a blip on the radar of big power considerations, and a place that is best left to its own artifices and devices. But not when it has the potential to threaten the stability of the entire hemisphere and contribute to a reordering of presences and powers that could tip the whole scale of strategic considerations in a totally different direction. This is what alarms Mr. Pompeo and his colleagues at the State Department. This is what has to trouble the wise jurists of the CCJ, when they think of the Guyana situation, and its implications for the future of CARICOM and possibly the integrity of the region’s leading judicial entity itself. Though Secretary Pompeo spoke primarily to leading Guyanese political figures and, as we read this,
to none more than the coalition’s leadership, the words of the secretary should not be limited to the narrowness of such interpretation that it is believed to be about Guyanese coalition leaders alone. The people at the CCJ hearing and adjudicating what was brought before them have to be mindful, to not be seen as aiding and abetting in any way that which is clearly blatant and shrinks dismally before any probing light. No one among the wise should desire to be in the net being cast by Mr. Pompeo on behalf of the Americans. And this is what we are asking of ourselves, when we consider a surprising, but welcomed, development from none other than President David Granger himself on Wednesday. This is what our sitting president put before the public on Wednesday, “I cannot claim victory, which I have not done, and I cannot concede defeat, which I have not done unless I am notified formally by the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission what the results of the elections of the 2nd March have been” (KN July 2). We hope that we are not hearing what we want to hear, or grasping at straws, but this is the first occasion in which the leader of this country embroiled in ceaseless elections claims and counterclaims has actually provided any opening, no matter how microscopic, that conceding is not out of the question and, thus, off the table of consideration altogether. But that, at the appropriate time, if that is what he has to do, then it will be done. To be sure, he did state, closer to the inception of
these disputes about process, count, and recount, that he was waiting on and ready to accept “whatever” declaration is made by the chairwoman of GECOM. Despite some missteps leading to national uncertainty in between, his position of accepting “whatever” declaration was comforting back then when first uttered, and it is comforting now to hear the president include anything in his most recent statement related to conceding on the elections. It tells us that he is listening and not missing anything, which means that he heard Secretary Pompeo, and knows fully well what that could mean at a granular and personal level. It tells us and the rest of Guyana that President Granger is drawing closer and closer to facing first the tenuousness of his group’s electoral contentions, and next the strengths of the potentially punishing realities that are arrayed against him and his comrades. In spite of the public blustering of some of his senior people over the patented calculated actionsat the core, criminal ones- of the CEO of GECOM, the walls are closing in on the ruling coalition and it has little to no room left to manoeuvre. In addition, it has fewer and fewer friends, if any, left to carry the baton for it, or ready to take a stand for what are clearly undemocratic actions and positions completely lacking in credibility, any reliability, or residual individual integrity. With all of this carefully considered, we say for the final time: get on with it. Let it be done with and there be moving on and learning from it. Get it over. Concede! And let Guyana live again.
strongly suggests APNU has secured or feels it will inevitably secure anti-US superpower support (likely from Russia and China with Venezuela, Iran and Cuba in tow) that emboldens it to continue this escapade. These are the countries that underpin Maduro’s resistance to the US. This kind of superpower support renders sanctions meaningless. Maduro is a prime example. Granger and APNU know it too, which is why the banditry continues even when the US warning is delivered. The key issue is this is no longer about sanctions. It is about American military force. The US knows sanctions will not work if there is suspicion of superpower buttressing or the potential for such buttressing of the APNU regime. This is about billions of US dollars of American investments in Guyana’s oil industry suddenly open to seizure, nationalization and the expulsion of US oil players akin to what happened in Venezuela. If APNU succeeds, Guyana becomes an extension of Venezuela because it cannot survive without foreign superpower support and China and Russia will not aid it unless it aligns itself with and surrenders sovereignty in some manner to Venezuela where Russia, China, Iran and Cuba have already built a formidable base to challenge the US in the region. We are talking nuclear bombers and long range missiles that now have the entire US in Venezuela’s reach. As the only Russian and Chinese superpower base in the western hemisphere, Maduro’s
Venezuela will insist on that condition before any aid is granted to an APNU regime. So, the talk of sovereignty at the ICJ is useless and empty if APNU goes on to declare itself in power and wants to try to cling to power in confrontation with the US. APNU has already surrendered Guyana by its actions and will give certainty to that action if it swears Granger in. There is no way the US will allow this catastrophic threat to its economic and geopolitical interests. It will not tolerate the geopolitical loss of such a strategic chunk of the northern Atlantic-facing part of South America to foreign superpowers. Nor will it entertain another despotic regime and another Venezuela in the hemisphere. And it knows 75% of the Guyanese populace will support use of force if it means salvation from eternal dictatorship. There are no powerful Latin America voices telling the US to avoid war as is happening with Venezuela. This is inconsequential backwater Guyana that has no powerful voices speaking for it. Its only voice, CARICOM, has essentially abandoned it as a pariah. Unlike Venezuela, it has no medium range missiles capable of hitting the US and again, unlike Venezuela, it has no superpower with missiles that put the entire US in range. This might as well be a country of barefoot soldiers in canoes. The US is not going let APNU get there to hold power to bring in foreign superpower forces to install that kind of military technology
that puts America in its crosshairs. The US has learned its lesson well from Venezuela. The tragedy here is that US force will likely be the abrupt end to this farce. It will be short and quick. And it will be the most sickening tragedy the PNC has heaped upon this country and upon itself and its supporters. But how can you blame the US? It has everything in its favour right now and it has to protect its interests and defend its backyard from what is growing interference. Plus, Trump gets to wag the dog and likely gets a lift in the polls before November’s election for setting straight a bunch of third world despots who engaged in the most nefarious attempt in recent modern history to steal an election. So, the US is likely awaiting Granger’s swearing in to bring an end to APNU’s last supper of self-destruction. You cannot wrongfully defy, taunt, mock and lie to the most powerful nation on earth and not face dire consequences. APNU is about to face the direst of consequences. This outright, outlandish and unbridled criminality that is taking place with this election banditry is going to end badly as PM Rowley said, very badly. Sincerely, M. Maxwell
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Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
Ghana sees success with local content policy done by TT expert Guyana rejected - 86% of upstream jobs held by Ghanaian citizens By Kiana Wilburg As a result of utilizing experts like Trinidadian local content and energy strategist, Anthony Paul, the Government of Ghana is now reaping the rewards of a robust policy that ensured its citizens to have first preference in their oil industry. Today, Ghanaians represent 86 percent of the oil and gas workforce. This was disclosed in the government’s 2019 Reconciliation Report on Ghana’s Petroleum Holding Fund. According to the 126page report, the number of employees holding management positions in the oil industry was 721 out of which 602 are Ghanaians and 119 expatriates. Total number of employees holding Technical Core Positions was 2,714 of which 75.9 percent (2,059) were Gha-
naians and 24.1 percent (655) expatriates. Other relevant roles totaled 2,515 of which 97.9 percent (2,463) were Ghanaians and 2.1 percent (52) were expatriates. The Government of Ghana was also pleased to report that the effective implementation of its Petroleum (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations 2013 which was built on the strength of its Local Content Policy, produced commendable results. In this regard, the government said it saw a significant increase of domestic companies that registered to participate in the upstream petroleum industry. As at the end December 2019, about 800 indigenous Ghanaian companies had registered with the Commission to supply goods and services to companies in the oil and gas industry. The total value of con-
ExxonMobil affiliate, Dr. Michael Warner tracts awarded to those indigenous companies amounted to approximately USD$72.70 million and for the joint ventures (JV) between foreign companies and locals, those amounted to approximately
Local Content Expert, Anthony Paul
US$360.50 million in 2019. Another success for the Government of Ghana relates to the establishment and activation of its Local Content Fund. The Fund which provides resources to support local content initiatives accrued US$2.77M from oil companies. The foregoing achievements were due to the foundation that was set in Ghana’s Local Content Policy by Trinidadian Expert, Anthony Paul. He ensured that the policy contained provisions which demanded that oil companies give priority to the purchase of local products even if they are 10 percent more expensive. The policy also ensured that oil companies have an annual recruitment and train-
ing programme that would ensure : (a) at least 50 percent of the management staff are Ghanaians from the start of petroleum activities of the licensee with the percentage increasing to at least 80 percent within five years after the start of the petroleum activities; (b) at least 30 percent of the technical staff are Ghanaians from the start of petroleum activities of the licensee with the percentage ramping up to at least 80 percent within five years after the start of petroleum activities and 90 percent within 10 years; and (c) Other staff, are 100 percent are Ghanaians. Expatriates would only be allowed in the other staff category if Ghanaians are not available with the necessary skills to fill the position. The Ghanaians would,
however, be trained in the meantime to assume the post soon. Back in 2016, Paul was hired by Guyana to produce the nation’s Local Content Policy. He had inserted, into his first two drafts, similar provisions, which would have paved the way for a similar trend of success for Guyana. Instead of allowing Paul to complete the final document, the Coalition Government hired UK Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner, to complete the job. Kaieteur News had reported that Dr. Warner is an employee of DAI, the contractor engaged with ExxonMobil to manage the oil giant’s Local Content Centre for Development located on South Road, Georgetown. When Dr. Warner reviewed the draft, not only did he remove key provisions Paul inserted to protect the interest of Guyanese, but he also included clauses that would benefit ExxonMobil and its affiliates. One of these clauses relates to a confidentiality provision, which prevents the public from scrutinizing the full local content reports of oil companies. In doing so, Guyanese would not be able to properly assess the performance of these companies in using local goods and services, training Guyanese, and transferring the relevant technologies.
Anyhow: This photo of a city street with a speed bump was making its rounds on social media yesterday…the painter(s) apparently was more concerned in ensuring drivers see the bump. (Dustanni Barrow photo)
Sunday July 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Shuman’s party requests removal of Lowenfield - cites 12 reasons why in letter sent to GECOM Chair LJP Presidential Candidate, Lennox Shuman
T
he Liberty and Jus tice Party (LJP) has written to the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d), Claudette Singh, requesting the immediate dismissal of Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield. The letter cited 12 occasions where the CEO conducted himself in a manner that demonstrated no respect for the will of the electorate. In the letter penned by Presidential Candidate and leader of the party, Lennox Shuman, he stated “Over the last four (4) months, Mr. Lowenfield has conducted himself in a manner that does not command the confidence of the public and continues to demonstrate no degree of respect f o r t h e e l e c t orate, the Guyanese people nor the structures and institutions that were meant to protect and safeguard the will of the people.” “That the CEO,” they stated, “clearly demonstrates a bias, we are resolute in our view that the CEO, Mr. Keith Lowenfield, has completely and absolutely lost the confi-
dence of the Guyanese electorate, and we believe the above as laid out provide undisputable grounds for Mr. Lowenfield’s immediate removal/termination from his post as CEO and for his expeditious replacement with a candidate more amicable to the terms and operations of law abiding statutory officers in democratic institutions.” Making his argument, Shuman listed the various acts of the CEO that “contributed to the complete and ab-
solute loss of confidence in him.” The party accused Lowenfield of “Gross negligence with regards to the safeguarding of elections documents”; the very documents used as the basis of fraud allegations by the incumbent Coalition. During the National Recount, the Coalition had demanded that GECOM discard 29 ballot boxes, threatening more than 7,000 votes cast by electors from the East Coast of Demerara. Critical statutory documents such as the counterfoils, Official List of Electors (OLE), poll books, folios, spoilt ballots, damaged ballots, and proxies were found to be missing upon examination of the boxes during the recount. It was later reported that instructions were handed down to the Deputy Returning Officers and Presiding Officers at varying polling stations on the East Coast to exclude those documents from the ballot boxes; a directive passed by Lowenfield’s clerk, Carlyn Duncan. That incident led to the LJP’s second accusation that
GECOM CEO, Keith Lowenfield
Dem boys seh...
Mistake and beefsteak are different steaks De HAP-New+HAY-Eff-See nah good at Maths. De Lolo man tek it upon heself to invalidate 115,000 votes. If you don’t understand wha dat mean, it is simple. Is quarter of the people who vote on March 2nd dat Lolo wipe out. When some people ask if is only PeePee-Pee-Cee votes get tek away, de HAPNew+HAY-Eff-See claim how dem lose 58,000 and the Pee-Pee-Pee-Cee lose 49,000. Dem boys nah know wha school dem HAP-NEW been to learn addition and subtraction. But if you add up 58,000 and 49,000, yuh nah gan get 115,000. Dat is nat a mistake; dat is a beefsteak. De HAP-New+HAY-Eff-See get 217,920 votes in de election. So if dem lose 58,000 votes because of de invalidation, it mean dis is how the sums had to work out: 217,920 58,000 = 159,920 votes.
De Pee-Pee-Pee get 233,336 votes in de recount. If dem lose 49,000 in de recount, it mean dem get 233,336- 49,000 = 184,336. It mean dat de Pee-Pee-Pee still win de elections. Dat is why yuh gat to be careful when you doing yuh 1-2-3 to avoid mistake. Yuh also gat to be careful with yuh A-BC. A man write a book. Its title was: “HOW TO CHANGE YOUR WIFE IN 30 DAYS”. De book was an instant bestseller. It sell 50 million copies in one week before de man realize dat he title gat a mistake. He went to de publisher and dem correct de name of de book to read. “HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE IN 30 DAYS.” After de correction, only two copies sell. Talk half and remember nah mek mistake when yuh writing or counting…yuh can get jail.
Lowenfield “Failed to provide clear written instructions to the Presiding Officers on Polling Day with regards to safeguarding documents and which documents to seal
within the poll boxes” along with “Deliberately declining to disclose the Statement of Polls (SOP’s) to the Commission, the Parties, the Court and the Public.”
The LJP also noted that Lowenfield knowingly providing an elections report on March 5 “based on and containing false, inaccurate and (Continued on page 51)
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Granger govt. illegally appoints 44 members across five state boards after elections The Coalition, headed by President David Granger, has illegally appointed 44 members across five state boards, an order posted in the Official Gazette has disclosed. According to the order, which was signed by de facto Minister of State, Dawn Hastings on June 22nd, five were appointed to the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB); seven to the Wildlife Scientific Committee (WSC); nine to the Protected Areas Commission (PAC); 11 to the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) and another 11 to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The order states that these appointments under the presidential sector are set come into “immediate effect” and are expected to last for the duration of one year. Meanwhile, former Attorney General and executive of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Anil Nandlall, posited that these appointments were “wholly illegal”. He gave a breakdown of the laws and events that lead to such. The Attorney-at-Law pointed back to the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion (NCM) in which the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) had deemed to be validly passed and which placed the government into a caretaker status—a status which the President admitted to. “A caretaker government,” Nandlall said, “is bound in law to behave as a caretaker. The caretaker of a property, for example, is not the owner… and therefore can’t make fundamental changes of any type; decisions of any type, or enter into new contract, or make new appointments.”
Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
PPP/C Executive, Anil Nandlall
It is against this that Nandlall said that the government is to only perform routine functions and making new appointments would be illegal since it is not routine. “Its behaviour was further compounded,” he said, “when Parliament was officially dissolved and a date was set for the elections. Certainly, after the elections the situation became worse, especially after the results of the elections are known and the Coalition has lost the government. Clearly, they can’t make appointments to boards.” Nandlall noted that at the “appropriate time”, those appointments will have to revisited and reviewed “with a view of rescinding them,” he said.
Teams dispatched to mining areas to assess COVID-19 situation
A
special team com prising personnel from the Public Health Ministry, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Regional Democratic Councils and Health Emergency Committees of Regions One and Seven, are expected to
visit mining areas in the regions to engage miners in a discussion about the current crisis facing Aranka and Moruca. The National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat Operations Director, Mark Archer, during a virtual press conference yesterday, related that this team will speak to the miners about the current pandemic facing the communities and decide on the way forward.
He explained that, based on this discussion, the team will make recommendations to the Task Force, following which a decision will be made with regards to mining operations and the way forward will be made. When asked about measures in place to ensure that miners adhere to the current halt on mining activities in Aranka and Moruca area, the director explained that it is very difficult to manage small scale miners but the larger mining operators are currently being engaged and based on the recommendations received, measures to deal with miners and mining operations especially as it relates to observing safety measures will be put in place. Medical personnel will also be accompanying the visiting team to conduct large scale screening in these areas. The team is expected to leave for these areas today.
Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Sunday July 05, 2020
Landlord’s son released Investigators were forced to release the landlord’s son after he was detained for three days as a suspect responsible for deliberately setting a fire which left a two-storey apartment building in rubbles and claimed the life of a couple and their 14-year-old son.The man was reportedly seen leaving in hurry minutes before the nine-room apartment building went up in flames more than a week ago. Police said that the case is not over and they are currently waiting on the Guyana Fire Service to wrap their side of the investigation before proceeding. While the landlord’s son was still in custody, investigators had revealed that they had received new information pointing them towards a suspect who might have had a hand in the blaze. Kaieteur News had also learnt that fire officials had concluded that a flammable liquid was used to ignite the deadly blaze.
… as probe into Cummings Lodge fatal fire continues The remains of the property
Moreover, these officials are currently awaiting test results from the rubbles to determine what was the flammable liquid used.
On June 27, just after 17:00 hrs, the apartment building located at E-Half Sixth Street, Cummings Lodge, went up in flames.
A 46-year-old shopkeeper, Marvin Lewis, his wife Beverly Miller, 40 and their teenage son, Duwhaul Ifill, all perished in the fire.
The landlord’s son (centre) who was released.
Sunday July 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Cops impound motorcycles despite documents presented
The impounded motorcycles in the station’s compound.
The Turkeyen Police Station Traffic ranks attached to the Turkeyen Police Station yesterday impounded more than 30 motorcycles despite the owners presenting legal documents. The motorcyclists were intercepted by police between 07:00Hrs and 9:00Hrs, at separate road blocks along the Railway
Embankment, Liliendaal and Dennis Street, South Sophia. The riders claimed that ranks had demanded to see their legal documents, including a valid motorcycle license, which they immediately presented without any form of resistance. However, instead of
handing back the documents and allowing them continue their journey, the ranks instructed that they ride their motorcycles to the Turkeyen Police Station. A number of the motorcyclist requested an explanation as to why they must ride to the station, but received none.
In fact, the ranks threatened that if they did not comply with the order then they would be forced to do so. Left with no choice, they obeyed and rode to the station. At the station, they were even more shocked when the officers instructed them
further to park their bikes in the compound, lodge their keys and go home. This move agitated the riders so much that they began to raise their voices demanding a valid reason from the officers for impounding their motorcycles. Once again, the ranks
Health Ministry continues to support babies born with Microcephaly The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) this week gifted cash vouchers to 22 mothers with children born with microcephaly to help brace them during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Each mother received at least $20,000 for her child. Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Officer, Dr. Oneka Scott, said that the vouchers can be en-chased at any of the Bounty Supermarkets countrywide. The beneficiaries are those mothers with children born with microcephaly between 2016 and 2018. Microcephaly is a rare neurological condition in which the circumference of a child’s head is smaller than normal. Specialists have explained that the condition can occur because a baby’s brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth. The Zikavirus is blamed for the spread of microcephaly. The virus that causes the disease is transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes Egypti mosquitoes. “We realise that these children will not meet normal developmental milestones,” Dr. Scott said during a recent handing-over formality for
the mothers. Scott said most of the local children were born with “severe microcephaly, meaning the head circumference is unusually small affecting brain development. These children do not speak; they do not move and turn normally, and they do not respond to vision signals.” The MCH official said caring for children with microcephaly can be quite draining on mothers, forcing some to quit their jobs and remain housewives. “Feeding themselves is not an option, bathing is not an option, indicating to their parents when they wanted to fulfil a physiological need like using the bathroom or eating is not a n o p t ion, hence these children require (constant) special care and special attention” she noted. Scott reminded that the MOPH has also been providing financial assistance for mothersespecially for those living outside the capital city - to have their regular medical check-ups. “Every three months, they are required to go to the ophthalmologist, they need to go to audiology and they need to see the neurologist maybe twice a year. They are also required to do
Davie Hussein with her three-year-old daughter Veena Kushera. physiotherapy weekly depending on the severity of their condition”, she detailed. MOPH has been collaborating with the Ministry of Social Protection more than 18 months to help provide a special financial package (through the MOSP’s Social Assistance
Programme) to help the families. Each family is given $18,000 ($9,000 for the child and $9,000 for the mother). The children also benefitted from tumble-form chairs through collaborations with the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF); monthly pampers through the
Ministry of Education (MOE) Support Programme and a milk-hamper and other supplies from the MOPH’s monthly milk-feeding programme. Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries of this week’s voucher, Ms. Davie Hussein, mother of three years old, Veena Kushera, lauded the Ministry’s continued financial support initiative, which supplements the earnings of her husband, now the sole breadwinner in the family since she was forced to quit her job to take care of her daughter. “I am very thankful for it and whenever I pray, I always thank God for them because it ease me of the having to buy milk every month...and to buy her pampers” Hussein said. Permanent Secretary (PS) of the MOPH, Ms. Collette Adams, who handed out two of the vouchers emphasised that the Ministry is always eager to provide quality health care especially to children with special needs. “As I always say, the health of the people is the business of the Ministry of Public Health. And so it’s always our honour and pleasure to ensure that every Guyanese is being treated equally and have equal access to health care” Adams reiterated.
refused to give an explanation and instructed them to return on Tuesday to uplift the bikes. This forced the riders to plead with officers for mercy and consideration but to no avail. When Kaieteur News arrived, a number of the motorcyclists had given up and left but they were at least 10 persons who had remained, hoping that the officers would consider them and release their bikes. One motorcyclist said that he was on his way to an exam at the University of Guyana when he was stopped. He said he pleaded and pleaded with the ranks to let him go but his pleas went in vain. Others said that they were on their way to work and scheduled appointments. They also claimed that should their motorcycles be impounded for so long, it would be a major setback for them because it is their only mode of transport. A senior rank at the station was pressed for answers by this newspaper. The rank responded that the roadblocks and the impounding of the motorcycles is a collaborative campaign between the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Traffic Department. He claimed that bikes were impounded so that investigators can determine whether the motorcycles were stolen or not. The police officer detailed that the only way investigators can do this is by verifying the serial or engine numbers on the bikes. He added that he cannot say how long it will take for the motorcycles to be verified since it’s a lengthy process. When asked to explain on the lengthy process a little further, he said that the engine numbers will have to be noted and then taken to Continued on page 14
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Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
Regulator gets tough on health certificates for imported food and drugs
1,750 vouchers distributed to COVID-19-hit families - 5,101 HAMPERS TO BE SENT TO HINTERLAND
Director of the GA-FDD, Dr. Marlan Cole The Government Analyst Food & Drug Department (GA-FDD) says it is clamping down on importers to ensure that the origin of goods are verified to be safe before being cleared to enter. The regulator announced, in a statement over the weekend, that the department is giving some legroom and if after October 30 persons fail to produce the required FreeSale/health certificates during the application process, it will stall that process. Importers were ordered to take note and ensure their products are accompanied by the relevant documents, the department urged.
It was explained that directives are for importers of cosmetics, medical devices and over-the-counter medicines. According to the statement by Dr. Marlan Cole, Director of the GA-FDD) the requirements will be an original copy of the Free Sale or Health Certificate The certificates must be issued by the National Regulatory Authority of the country of origin of the product. This mandate is said to be
placed in order to protect consumers from unsafe or substandard products. The certificate ensures that the products being imported are produced and manufactured under sanitary and safe conditions as well as being placed under an array of regulatory oversights. According to the GAFDD, the mandate was made in keeping with Chapter 34:03 of the Food and Drugs Act which states, “Except as provided by the regulations,
no article of cosmetic, overthe-counter drug and medical device shall be imported into Guyana unless the article wholly conforms to the laws of the country in which it was manufactured or produced and is accompanied by a certificate in the prescribed form and manner that the article does not contravene any known requirement of the law of that country and that its sale therein would not constitute a contravention of the law thereof.”
CDC lends support to Santa Rosa ahead of lockdown
The National COVID-19 Ta s k F o r c e S e c r e t a r i a t Operations Director, Mark Archer, during a virtual press conference yesterday pointed out that “ o n F r i d a y, J u n e 2 6 t h , 1,750 Pandemic Assistance vouchers were delivered by the Ministry of Social Protection to post offices in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10.” He added that vouchers for Regions 1, 4, 7, 8 and 9 were delivered to the Guyana Post Office Corporation head office for distribution on Monday, June 29. This would have come after more than two months of halting the Civil Defence C o m m i s s i o n ’s (CDC) hamper distribution after complaints rose that the assistance was not being done in an even-handed way. The idea, according to the Task Force, was to facilitate a long-term strategic approach to relief efforts. It was explained that this distribution forms part of the long-term relief efforts decided upon by government. According to Archer, it was decided that persons living along the coast will receive vouchers to visit selected supermarkets while those in hinterland communities will benefit from hamper distributions. The vouchers range from $2,000 to $32,000 worth of necessities. Meanwhile, the CDC is working with the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs to transport 5,101 hampers to hinterland
households. Responding to the media, Archer yesterday pointed out that the hampers are being funded t h r o u g h C D C ’s b u d g e t , while the verification aspect of the project is funded by Central Government through the Ministry of Finance. The programme targets single-parent households, households in which one or more persons suffered a loss of income due to COVID-19 and households that are managed by elderly persons or persons living with disabilities all across the nation. The beneficiaries were required to apply online or by calling the Ministry of Social Protection to register for the Public Assistance Programme. Following a verification exercise by the Ministry of Communities, during Phase One of the programme, approximately 1,700 persons were deemed eligible to receive the vouchers on the coastland. Eligible hinterland residents will receive packaged hampers, which cater to their Indigenous diets. Over 12,000 applications are currently being processed electronically, it has been disclosed. Archer noted that the second phase of this project is expected to be announced soon. The application form can be downloaded from the Ministry of Social Protection’s website at https:/ /mosp.gov.gy/ or https:// government.gy/eform/241.
Cops impound motorcycles...
Major Loring Benno handing over the hampers to Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Friday donated a large number of food hampers to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs to support relief efforts to the residents of Santa Rosa, Region One. Major Loring Benno handed over the hampers to Minister
within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe in a simple ceremony at the National Gymnasium where she indicated that this initiative will benefit the community that is set to undergo a lockdown to help contain the rapid spread of the Coronavirus there.
From page 13 GRA to verify if the motorcycles are legally registered. An hour later, the traffic rank in charge of the operation entered the compound and said that he will verify the bikes one after the other. The reporter was present when four motorcycles were verified and handed back to their respective owners. The officer then stopped the process and told the remaining bike owners that he will be going on lunch and if they desire they can wait or return at 15:00hrs. This publication then proceeded to ask the traffic rank if indeed they were looking for stolen motorcycles. To this, he responded that he know nothing about looking for stolen bikes rather he was just carrying out normal traffic routines. The bike owners who had not yet received their bikes waited until 15:00hrs to uplift their motorcycles. They were disappointed when the said officer told them to go home and return on Tuesday because the process could not be completed. Attempts were made to contact the Traffic Chief, Linden Isles, for some clarity on the matter but his phone rang out.
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Kaieteur News
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
The Secretary General isn’t going to let Granger dirty CARICOM
T
he hot question at this moment is what type of attacks we will see on the Secretary-General (SG) of CARICOM, Mr. Irwin La Rocque. His adumbration on Friday was a diplomatic response to the crude distortion of David Granger on the CARICOM recount team. Let us look at the sequence. Granger said he accepts Lowenfield’s submission. He explained his endorsement of the numbers Lowenfield cited by referring to several observations of the CARICOM recount team about fraudulent occurrences on voting day. This was a deliberate act of misleading by Granger. The CARICOM recount team using pellucid language and unambiguous pronouncements concluded that the 2020 election voting was a valid process that reflected the desire and will of the Guyanese people. You have to be an immoral creature to use the recount team’s report to reject the results of the 2020 election. That is not scientifically possible. The equivalent example is saying that the Black Lives Matter movement began in Russia and not the US. But Granger, in what can only be term ignorance or dishonesty or barefacedness is accepting the frightening ghoulishness of Lowenfield and using the recount team’s submission to justify as his reason for embarking on ugly autocratic bullyism. In steps
the GS of CARICOM. As a high-level prestigious international public servant, diplomacy is all you can expect and will receive from Mr. La Rocque. Using simple language devoid of any direct references to anyone, without identification of specific persons, he modestly told the world that he has confidence in the CARICOM recount team’s work. Here are his words, “I have EVERY (emphasis mine) confidence in the work they produced.” The key word here is EVERY. It has multi-dimensional overtones and is filled with clarity. By using the word “every” it means that he has placed emphatic value on what the team has concluded. Contrast his statement with this one: “I have confidence in the work they produced.” This latter statement contains a weak acceptance and lacks expansive and definitive assertion. It can carry a loose interpretation. My contestation is that the SG determined that by the use of the word, “every” he has accepted with psychological surety the report the team has submitted to him. But there is another angle involved in the La Rocque position. It involves professional ethics and professional dignity. La Rocque was just not a participant-observer to the Mottley/Granger/Jagdeo rendezvous. He was not just a witness. He was not just a bureaucrat standing behind
the signatories like a security rank. He is the Secretary General of CARICOM, thereby he is the legal guardian of the confabulatory covenants that CARICOM embarks on. His legal knowledge has to be imprinted on the decisions CARICOM made. So when the Mottley/ Granger/Jagdeo “détente” meeting was being shaped, he was the crucial factor in that he had to tell the CARICOM chairwoman whether she had legal coverage to engage in such a process. In turn, the chairwoman would have asked him to use his office to legalize the process and determine the shape of the team’s work. There isn’t need for a doctorate to educate you into the reason why the SG endorsed the work of the recount group. Because it was his recount group. He was responsible for their conduct and was their guardian in a hostile environment. Logically, they submitted the final document to him. Now put yourself in La Rocque’s shoes when he heard Granger accepting the Frankenstein edifice of Lowenfield and cited CARICOM team as justification. La Rocque had no option but to protect the credibility of himself, the recount group and CARICOM itself. Granger was telling the world that Lowenfield’s tabulation is a valid one because it was determined by the contents of the recount team’s work.
La Rocque knew this was distortion because the tabulation of the recount team and Lowenfield’s numbers are as opposite as negative and positive neutrons. Granger had dug himself deeper in the hole the devil engineered for him. How is he going to get out of the La Rocque picture? Through La Rocque’s emanation, CARICOM is of the belief that APNU+AFC was not the winner of the election. Enter Joe Harmon. As
APNU+AFC’s campaign manager he has been lashing out wildly at every prominent global personality who accused him of rigging. Nicknamed “Joe Shanlin” and “Lil Joe” by the satirical column “Dem Boys Seh” in KN and by me as “jalebe” after the Hindu sweet cake for his employment of the American PR firm, JJ&B, Harmon will have to invent another scatological vocabulary to paint La Rocque with. Of course, only
Frederick Kissoon to make himself a clown for the umpteen time. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
The sacrificial murders By Michael Jordan Who would strangle a five-year-old girl after having a dream about ‘Dutch gold’ buried in their backyard? Or stab a nine-year-old boy to death and dump his corpse in a latrine? And who would squeeze the life out of a new-born baby on the orders of a socalled ‘spiritualist’ in the hope of getting a visa to the United States? The answer: people right here in good old Guyana. People who believe that sacrificing a child to various spirits will bring them wealth, or good fortune, or cure an incurable illness. We friendly, hospitable Guyanese may not like to admit it, but cases like these have been with us for as long as we have had a police force. Perhaps the most infamous case occurred in the fifties. It has become known as the Lilawattie murder. It happened in the quiet little community of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam. It all started when a woman, Kathleen Fullerton, dreamed that a demon-like man told her that there was Dutch gold buried in her backyard. The man in the dream told Fullerton that she could get her hands on the gold if she sacrificed a child. The dream had come at a time when Fullerton and her husband, Edward, were going
through very hard times. She consulted her brother, Eric Benfield, who also lived in Stanleytown with his reputed wife, Dorothy Brutus. Eric, known as ‘Shave Ice man’, had a deep interest in the occult and often held ‘spiritual’ sessions in his a p a r t m e n t . He immediately hatched a diabolical plan.
Kathleen and her husband Edward, Eric killed the child and hid her in his apartment. However, the landlady soon realised that her daughter was missing and a search was launched for the missing child. One woman, who remembered the case, said that the culprits hid the dead child under their mattress when the
ered the body. For that crime, Eric Benfield, Edward Fullerton and his wife, Kathleen, were all hanged. But strange as it may seem, in these enlightened times of computers and the internet, there are still some people who practice ritual murder for gain. One such man was Michael De Noon.
Eric and his spouse lived in a back apartment in the same building with their landlady, who had a five-year-old daughter named Lilawattie. He decided that his landlady’s little daughter, Lilawattie, would be the perfect sacrifice. With the help of his sister,
child’s mother came to their apartment to see if Lilawattie was here. When they thought that the coast was clear, they dumped the body in a nearby latrine. However, suspicion fell on them and police eventually searched the larine and recov-
In 1993, according to police, Michael de Noon, a young father, somehow got it into his head that he could acquire a US visa if he sacrificed his new-born baby daughter, Mary, to the ‘spirits’. Reportedly acting on the advice of a female ‘spiritual-
ist’, De Noon forced his wife to take their baby in the dead of night to a desolate spot at the Lamaha Canal. He then muttered an incantation, threw some money in the still black water, and then strangled his baby daughter. De Noon then dumped the corpse into the water. He then forced his wife to accompany him to a city hotel. But while he slept, the woman sneaked out of the hotel and went to the police. She then took detectives to the spot where Michael De Noon had disposed of his daughter’s body. De Noon was arrested and charged. However, the coldblooded killer died in the Georgetown Prisons without facing a high court trial. Believe it or not, the most recent known child sacrifice occurred some years ago. This time the victim was nineyear-old Daniel Netram. Daniel, nicknamed ‘Jackie Chan’, disappeared from his home at Brickery, East Bank Demerara on September 21, 2003. According to police reports, Daniel was last seen alive at around 18:00 hrs, when he and a brother went to fetch water a short distance from their home. But instead of returning
home, Daniel reportedly told his brother that he was going to visit a man known to the family, who lived in Brickery. The lad’s mutilated body was found four days later in a latrine aback of an abandoned property. The corpse bore three stab wounds to the chest and one behind the neck. His left arm was severed at the wrist and his head was shaven. Detectives believe that the boy was murdered by an East Bank, Demerara, couple on the orders of an ‘obeah man’, who said that offering the lad as a sacrifice would rid them of an incurable disease. Police reportedly acquired a statement from a woman who claimed that she witnessed her husband and another man killing the nine-year-old and dumping him in a pit latrine at Brickery, East Bank, Demerara. Indications were that the prime suspect made unsuccessful attempts on an older boy in the community. However, that child had reportedly managed to escape. Detectives believed that Daniel unwittingly sealed his fate when he went to visit the home of one of the suspects after he was sent to fetch water. The suspect’s wife reportedly said she saw when the lad was killed, mutilated and placed in a bag. Acting on this information, detectives arrested a woman, her husband and a so-called ‘spiritual healer’ from Greater Georgetown. Two people were charged with Daniel’s murder, but the case against them was dismissed. Will there be other sacrificial murders in Guyana? Only time will tell. If you have any further information on this case or any other, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office or by telephone.We can be reached on telephone numbers 592-225-8458, 592225-8465, 592-225-8482 or 592-225-8491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : kamarangnight@gmail.com.
Sunday July 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
The price of political violence can become a prison for future generations (A Review of David Granger’s Five-thousand Day war: the struggle for Haiti’s Independence, 1798 - 1804. ISBN 976-8178-12.) David Granger’s FiveThousand Day War: The Struggle for Haiti’s Independence, 1798-1804 recounts and deconstructs the Haitian Revolution. The book is a tale of the struggle for political supremacy by different strata – caste and colour– and different slave-owning states including England, France, Spain which occurred over a long, bloody period within the French colony of Saint Domingue on the island of Hispaniola. Haiti celebrated its 200th Independence anniversary in 2004. The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed 2004 as the ‘International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition.’ It did this to commemorate the bicentenary of the Haitian Revolution of 1804 which it said symbolized “the triumph of the principles of liberty, equality, dignity and the rights of the individual, and that it marked the history of the liberation of the peoples and the emergence of the States of the Americas and the Caribbean.” David Granger’s FiveThousand Day War: The Struggle for Haiti’s Independence, 1798-1804, first published in 2004, also marks the bicentenary of the Haitian Revolution,the first successful revolt by enslaved Africans. It is the third book of a trilogy of the African experience in the New World, written by the author, the others being Crime against humanity: the trans-Atlantic trade in captive Africans and Crime without punishment: the Caribbean case for reparative justice. The Haitian Revolution was a watershed in human history. It created the first Black Republic and was the largest and most successful slave revolt in the western world. The Revolution’s significance has been celebrated by Abahlali baseMjondolo, a South African grassroots organization, as one of the three great revolutions of the 18th century but the only one which forced the unconditional application of the inalienable right of all human beings. It was celebrated, also, by David Geggus, a professor of Caribbean history, as an event of global significance partly because it took place in a country which was then considered the apogee of European colonization; by Robert Falton, a professor of government and foreign af-
fairs at the University of Virginia, as representing a serious rupture of the then supremacist order and which fired egalitarian hopes of “abolishing race as a marker of oppression”; and by Jérôme Duval, author, as a “unique case in the history of a revolt of slaves that gave birth to a State”. David Granger’s FiveThousand Day War: The Struggle for Haiti’s Independence, 1798-1804 is an absorbing account of the Haitian Revolution. Granger unravels the complexcaste, class, demographic, economic, geographic, strategic, ideological and political factors which converged and exploded into a sequence of revolts. Granger enriches our understanding of the Revolution in a way which few others have been able to do. Some writers have presented the Haitian Revolution as a single event but Granger treats it as a series of ten revolts, characterizing the Revolution as: …a series of revolts occurring one after the other, the consequence of the one being the cause of the next. It constituted an almost continuous pattern of insurrection, invasion and warfare which, taken as a whole, lasted over fourteen years, or over five thousand days, of ceaseless conflict. The book is divided into five sections; . Roots of the Revolution examines the factors which influenced and shaped the revolution. It deconstructs the colony’s social stratification and identifies its principal division into three main groups, each with its own sub-divisions. These collectively became sources of tensions and conflicts which eventually provided the combustion for revolts; . Roads to Revolution traces the external influences on the Revolution showing how the ideals of the Enlightenment and the ideas of the Abolition Movement in Europe, impacted on the
Revolution; . Revolutions in the Revolutions provides an account of how the Revolution unfolded, sequentially, as a series of successive revolts rather than a singular up-
The book’s most insightful aspect is its dissection of Haiti’s social stratification and how this engendered animosities, tensions and divisions which congealed into revolts and eventual War of
rising; . Triumph of the Revolution relates the revolts from the outbreak of the Civil War, to the repelling of external European armies and the launch of the final War of Independence; and . Consequences of the Revolution assesses the significance of Revolution highlighting Haiti’s place in revolutionary history; its impact on human enslavement, nationalism and the emergence of a despotic political culture; the new state’s ostracisation by American and the European powers and the Revolution’s influence on the Independence struggles in the Caribbean. Granger mines an extensive range of books and articles, including publications by Patrick Bryan, Crouse Nellis, Mitchell Bennett Garrett, David Patrick Geggus, Elsa Goveia, Richard Hart, Christopher Hibbert and the indefatigable C.L.R James, in researching this complex Revolution.
Independence. This sociological aspect is often underemphasized in texts and discourses on the Haitian Revolution.
The reprinting of this book, at this time, will lend itself to a better appreciation of the roots of Haiti’s contemporary challenges which have been exacerbated by chronic economic crises, unstable politics and recurring natural hazards. The Revolution inflicted a huge human death toll and extensive economic damage. It left the country’s economy in tatters and a loss of its comparative advantage in sugar production; it triggered the migration of the planter class and wiped out half of the population. Ethnic conflict erupted and resulted in a bitter harvest of famine, starvation and social dislocation. These disastrous effects of the revolutionary struggles and post-revolutionary outcomes have taken the gloss off of one of history’s most heroic uprisings. Independence for Haiti had a bitter after-taste. While claiming Independence from France, successive Haitian governments lived in perpetual fear of foreign invasion. So great the trepidation, that France was able to extract compensation for losses suffered by owners of plantations dispossessed and dislocated by the Revolution. Jérôme Duval in a column
entitled “Haiti: from Slavery to Debt” observed that Haiti, in exchange for recognition from France, was forced to pay a 150 million gold francs as compensation for the loss of ownership of coffee and sugar plantations. Describing this as a ‘ransom’, Duval notes that Haiti was forced into the agreement by the threat of gunboats anchored in the bay of Port-au-Prince. The country has never recovered fully, economically, from having to pay this debt. These direct consequences of the Revolution, were strangely overlooked by the author. It however is germane to better understanding the problems which have bedeviled Haiti more than 200 years after its Revolution. David Granger’s FiveThousand Day War: The Struggle for Haiti’s Independence, 1798-1804 should be mandatory reading for those interested in understanding the pearls and perils of Haiti’s violent revolution. There is always a price to be paid for political violence and, often, this price becomes a prison for future generations. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Caribbean Public Health Day: In a time of COVID-19 Over the years, the Caribbean region has faced a series of public health chal-
Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
lenges. The persistence of diseases such as dengue, and the emergence of new ones
the likes of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has
emerged as the biggest threat to the Caribbean region in recent times and has presented a clear and present danger to the health of the Region’s residents, and economies. “This virus has been in the forefront of the minds of everyone. We have all been concerned about the safety and health of our loved ones, our ability to provide for them should they become ill, and access to health care services. It has also underscored the importance of public health in the Region,” stated Dr. Joy St John, Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). Her remarks were forthcoming in observance of Caribbean Public Health Day 2020. Public health is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. It is also about protecting the health of entire communities. The celebration of Caribbean Public Health Day on July 2 coincides with the anniversary of the legal establishment of CARPHA, which makes it an appropriate time to highlight the work of the Agency, the contribution public health can make to the socio-economic development of the Region, and to sensitize Caribbean people about the importance of public health, CARPHA said in a statement. The day, it noted, is an opportune time to highlight
Dr Joy St John, CARPHA Executive Director.
the role public health plays in the midst of a challenging crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has demonstrated that public health interventions such as closure of borders and stay at home policies were necessary to reduce health and socioeconomic losses. Additionally, it also showcas ed the critical roles of providers of public health services who continue to work tirelessly to protect, and better the health of the Region’s people. The work of CARPHA, it was noted, advances the public health of the Region in several ways, including monitoring health and disease spread and responding to emergencies, laboratory services, nutrition and food security, health research, environmental health and pharmaceutical quality. CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory (CMML) has been actively involved in the regional response to COVID-19. As the regional reference laboratory, the CMML conducts tests for suspected COVID-19 cases for Member States using the World Health Organization (WHO)
recommended testing protocol. The Agency continues to work closely with its Member States (CMS) and Caribbean coordinating partners and mechanisms to respond to the threat. The pandemic has increased the burden on health care systems in countries. In response to further improve public health capacities in the Region, CARPHA in collaboration with other Caribbean coordinating partners and international public health partners, have been working to further strengthen and enhance the public health systems and institutional capacity in CARPHA Member States. On the observance of Caribbean Public Health Day, CARPHA in a Caribbeanwide release said, “On this day... we urge you take a moment to reflect and acknowledge the importance of public health and those employed in that area. Beyond COVID19, public health is not only about the control of infectious diseases. The Region continues to be plagued with non-communicable diseases such diabetes, hypertension, and the second leading cause of death – cancer.”
Sunday July 05, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Coronavirus: Life in the ER is getting tougher; help us to help you By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine “Doc its becoming very difficult for us”. Those were the words of a member of my team earlier this week while taking care of patients in the Emergency Room (ER) at GPHC. While I had noticed the surge in patient numbers over the past few weeks, it’s never easy hearing the toll it is taking on the ER staff. The ER at GPHC is the place that never sleeps. No matter what’s the obstacle (believe me there are many), my ER team is always ready to practice ‘MacGyver’ tactics to ensure we can continue to deliver for our patients. It is a thankless job that has become even more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now seeing an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases in Guyana and if it continues to surge, it will take a toll on us in the ER and the healthcare system in Guyana. THE UNPRECEDENTED RISE IN COVID-19 CASES
Over the past six weeks, we have doubled the number of COVID-19 cases. This is a sharp rise when compared to the slow rise in the initial numbers. My biggest worry, is that we haven’t reached our peak and if we do not improve on our preventative measures, it will overwhelm Guyana. We need to learn from other countries and not make the same mistakes that have cost so many lives and have left so many incapacitated. We have also seen the increase in COVID-19 cases at the ER. While we are managing to keep the ship afloat, I am beginning to see the possibility of kinks that can overwhelm us if our COVID-19 cases continue to climb at unprecedented rates. THERE IS EVENARISE IN NON COVID19 CASES In the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Guyana when persons were more adherent to restriction guidelines, the number of patients coming to the ER had dropped significantly. This gave us the time to adapt and
also manage with the smaller number of COVID-19 cases that was coming. It does take more time and effort to manage COVID-19 patients than non COVID-19 patients because of factors too numerous to mention. Unfortunately, as persons have become more tolerant to the situation and less adherent to guidelines, we are seeing a rise in non COVID-19 patients presenting for care. What is distasteful, is the fact that many of these non COVID-19 emergencies are avoidable. There are many trauma cases presenting during the curfew hours; quite a few of them are intoxicated with alcohol. Injuries from interpersonal violence are also prevalent. These are all avoidable conditions that adds to our already stretched lists of patients. HOW IS THE ER S TAFF COPING? No one can ever say they are fully prepared and are doing well during a pandemic. This is a first time experience for us all. Working in the ER
or the “fast lane” as its sometimes called, you have to be resilient and cope with abnormal amounts of stress on a daily basis. In a pandemic, stress levels can go through the roof and overwhelm any system including hospitals and their ERs. For now, we are coping; but there are signs of things getting out of hand. There is only so much that our system was designed to handle. If this surge continues, we may become overwhelmed and it will not be good for us and our patients. Every day we continue to strive and find the balance between concurrently caring for COVID-19 and non COVID-19 patients while pushing our safety levels to the brink. I am fearful of the day that we will not be able to find that BALANCE.
HOW CAN YOU HELP US TO HELP YOU? Every week I write and ask for us all to practice preventative measures. It’s the only way for us to safely maneuver and be successful against this pandemic. Today, I’m pleading for the sake of my ER team and all the health workers in Guyana to: · Stay at home and social distance if you have to go out · Always wear a mask when you are out · Practice good hand and general hygiene · Adhere to restriction guidelines · Spread the word about preventative measures to everyone you know If all of us do these five things well, I’m confident that we will flatten this surge and win the fight against this pan-
Dr. Zulfikar Bux demic. With COVID-19, the health workers need you more than you need them. I wish to thank my ER team at GPHC for their unfaltering will to strive for their patients during this time; what we do matters, let’s keep doing it. To my fellow health workers in Guyana, keep up the will to battle and soldier on. To my fellow Guyanese, be responsible; please help us so that we can help you.
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SUNDAY EXXONMOBIL HIRED SCIENTISTS TO SPREAD CONFUSION, DOUBT AFTER LEARNINGABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE WASHINGTON DC LAWSUIT REVEALS… More than five decades ago, ExxonMobil and three other major oil companiesChevron, Shell and British Petroleum (BP)- were told by their in-house scientists that climate change is an indisputable fact. Importantly, they were told that their products would play a key role in heightening the catastrophic consequences of this phenomenon. But revealing to its consumers the environmental dangers associated with its products meant sacrificing billions of dollars in profits. So what did these fossil fuel polluters do next? They invested in a lean, mean confusion machine. According to the details of a lawsuit that was brought last week Wednesday against the fossil fuel polluters by the Attorney General of Washington D.C, it was noted that these oil giants funded and controlled a special group of scientists whose purpose were to create doubt and sow seeds of confusion about the science of climate change. The class action, that is 101 pages long, exposed that those scientists who were part of the oil companies’ campaign of deception, obtained part or their entire research budget directly or indirectly from companies like the American Petroleum Institute (API) which defended the interests of the defendants for decades.
The lawsuit stated that in the 1990s for example, both Exxon and API funded and promoted the work of two physicists, Fred Seitz and Fred Singer, as well as Singer ’s Science and Environmental Policy Project (“SEPP”). The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) contended that neither Seitz nor Singer was trained in climate science. This publication understands that both had previously been hired by tobacco companies to create doubt in the public mind by questioning mainstream scientific conclusions. JAGDEO PUTS OIL TRADERS ON NOTICE – SAYS SANCTIONS LOOM FOR THOSE ENGAGING WITH ILLEGALGOVT. Leader of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/
C), Bharrat Jagdeo, is sounding a warning to all of the oil traders who are vying to market Guyana’s crude. The Opposition Leader was keen to highlight that sanctions loom for those oil companies and/or traders who are forming ties with an “illegal” government. Jagdeo was alluding to the 19 shortlisted oil traders who have been selected by the Department of Energy (DoE) to market Guyana’s oil from the Liza One Destiny Floating Production and Storing (FPSO) vessel, the first oil production ship offshore of Guyana. Kaieteur News, in a previous report, had disclosed that 15 out of the 19 shortlisted companies have been linked to scandals, bribery and widespread corruption.. These well-documented malpractices, which have resulted in convictions and
fines, have ensnared senior executives of these oil companies and traders, while others are still under investigation. Public documents show for example that three of the world’s largest commodities trading firms – Vitol SA, Glencore PLC and Mercuria Energy Group – have used intermediaries to funnel over US$31 million in bribes to corrupt Petrobras employees. This was done in order to win massive contracts, along with acquiring other benefits, and resulted in one of the largest corruption scandals in recent history. Dubbed ‘Operation Car Wash’ affair, the fallouts saw hundreds of indictments, and over a hundred corruption convictions including that of former President of Brazil, Luis Inacio ‘Lula’ Da Silva. Sharing his perspective on the matter, Jagdeo told this publication on Friday: “They (oil traders) should avoid forming ties with any government that is attempting to steal an election, and that could very well mean sanctions, should they persist.” BOY 14, MOM AND DAD DIE IN BLAZE CLINGING TO EACH OTHER It was tragedy last night after the charred remains of a couple and their 14-year-old son were removed from the rubbles of a two-storey apartment building at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.Police and fire officials believed that the building was torched over a dispute. They have detained a cousin of the property’s owner who was reportedly seen in the top flat of the apartment where the fire is believed to have started. The man was taken into custody after he re-visited the scene to investigate the blaze
later that evening. The apartment building located at E-Half Sixth Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), reportedly caught fire at around 17:45hrs. A tenant, who is also a sister to Lewis, claimed that she was outside having a chat when she heard screams. She ran into the building only to realize that it was on fire. The woman claimed that she rushed to a nearby pipe with a container to draw some water to extinguish the blaze.However, the fire was spreading quickly and parts of the building started to collapse.The woman was left with no choice but help rescue her children. She told reporters that the building was collapsing so fast that she was forced to “pass some of her younger kids through a hole in the fence located at the back”. Eyewitnesses claimed that when the fire started another tenant said to be an elderly man tried to save his belongings. The man brought out a “small center table, a television set” and returned to retrieve something else but was nearly trapped. He barely managed to escape through a back gate.On the other hand, the family which perished was trapped in an apartment located on the bottom flat which was said to be heavily grilled. Attempts were made by relatives and neighbours to rescue them but the fire proved too much. They were also hampered by the grills. MONDAY HARMON SAYS GRANGER WILL NOT CONCEDE – GRANGER YET TO COMMENT “For those persons who are calling for Mr. Granger to concede, that is not going to happen!” Those are the words of
APNU+AFC campaign manager, Joseph Harmon, from an interview on the Linden radio station 104.3 Power FM. Kaieteur News understands that the interview was broadcast across several stations in Guyana and across the region. Harmon’s comments are the first response from an executive of the Coalition to the numerous calls which have been made for President David Granger, the Coalition’s presidential candidate, to admit his loss. Despite Harmon’s comments, Granger is yet to address the public on what decision he will take. The results of the recount show that the PPP/C got 233,336 valid votes, ahead of the Coalition’s 217,920 valid votes. Questions about conceding have been pointed to Granger since the CARICOM Scrutineer Team stated in their report that the recount results are completely acceptable and should form the basis of a declaration. Granger had touted the CARICOM team’s competence and ability on multiple occasions before the publication of the report, stating that CARICOM is the “most legitimate interlocutor” on the Guyana situation. However, since the report revealed CARICOM’s rejection of the Coalition’s efforts to discredit the March 2 polls, Granger has been absent from the media space, and has refused to respond to questions about whether he will admit defeat. Meanwhile, calls for a declaration to be made on the results of the recount continue to mount. Four influential senators on the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee just days ago called on Granger to concede. In support of the (Continued on page 27)
Sunday July 05, 2020
From page 26 CARICOM team’s findings, calls for a declaration to be made on the results of the recount came in a joint statement from the diplomats representing America, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. HARMON CONTRADICTS LOWENFIELD, COALITION IN CCJ FILING – SAYS THAT THE COURT OFAPPEAL DID NOT GIVE DIRECTION TO DEFINE ‘VALID VOTES’ After a week of the David Granger Coalition arguing that last Court of Appeal (COA) decision was the basis for GECOM Chief-ElectionOfficer’s Keith Lowenfield’s submission of a report that discarded 115,000 national recount valid votes to hand it a victory, Joseph Harmon, the Coalition campaign co-chair, has made a filing to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) arguing the opposite. This change of direction was captured in Harmon’s intervention in the current CCJ appeal made by Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo against the COA decision in the Eslyn David case. In the filing, Trinidadian attorney Raphael Ajodhia argued, on behalf of Harmon, that “the Court of Appeal made no determination as to whether the votes cast were valid or not, and, imposed no criteria by which the
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validity of votes would be determined. The Court of Appeal simply exercised its jurisdiction in a limited manner to interpret Article 177(2)(b) of the Constitution to mean ‘more valid votes are cast…’. It is difficult to see, with respect, what the objection to this finding is when divorced from the partisan perspectives.” This is in stark contrast to Lowenfield’s claims earlier this week when he on Tuesday, in defiance of a Court of Appeal stay of its Monday order, submitted a report to Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission, Claudette Singh, arguing: “I have taken note of the guidance of the Court of Appeal in Eslyn David v Chief Elections Officer et al in the preparation of my Report under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act and providing advice as required by Article 177(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Cooperative RepublicofGuyana.” Two days later, on June 25, the Coalition released a lengthy statement in support of Lowenfield and his claim that he was being guided in his actions by the COA ruling. WASHINGTON LAWSUIT REVEALS…EXXONMOBIL ADMITS CLIMATE CHANGE EXISTS, BUT CONTINUES TO LIE ABOUT ITS EFFORTS TO ADDRESS PHENOMENON From 2010 to 2018, Exxon spent only 0.2% of its
capital expenditures on lowcarbon energy systems, with nearly the totality of its spending (99.8%) focused on maintaining and expanding fossil fuel production. When they were told by in-house scientists in the 1950s that their hydro-carbon products would heighten the catastrophic consequences of climate change, ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and British Petroleum (BP), employed numerous deceptive tactics to hide what they had learnt. They hired scientists to sow seeds of confusion about the validity of climate change and even funded organizations to create false narratives about the existence of the phenomenon. These oil giants feared that if consumers knew the dangers associated with their products, they would run to other alternative sources of energy, resulting in billions of dollars in losses. Despite their best efforts—some of which were successful for nearly five decades—the world has come to grips with the reality that climate change is an undisputable phenomenon which all must seek to address. In the midst of this global awareness, ExxonMobil in particular has engaged in an advertising campaign to convince all and sundry that it has accepted that climate change is real and
it is reducing its carbon footprint. But a recent lawsuit that was brought against it and other majors by the Attorney General of Washington D.C, Karl A. Racine, indicates that the oil giant continues to deceive the masses. According to Racine, Exxon is currently running a series of full-page advertisements in print editions and posts in the electronic edition of the New York Times, and in other publications with wide circulation to DC consumers, such as The Economist, as
well as on Exxon’s YouTube channel. TUESDAY GRANGERAGREES WITH LOWENFIELD’S REPORT – HOPES FOR DECLARATION THIS WEEKEND – RESENTS ALL THREATS OF SANCTIONS Arguing that he resents the threats of sanctions from external actors and commentators, de facto President David Granger says that he expects a declaration of the elections results by this weekend, based on Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield’s latest report showing a Coalition win. Granger in an interview on Benschop Radio last evening claimed that he fully supported the report submitted by Lowenfield, citing that the CEO’s report, took into account the “possibility of the contaminations” of the votes due to “anomalies and irregularities” in the March 2 electoral process. Following the ruling handed down by the Appellate Court in the Eslyn David et al case that “more votes cast” must mean “more valid votes”, the CEO handed in a report to the Commission, disregarding the directive given by Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chair, Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh to use the figures accumulated at the end of the National Recount. Instead, Lowenfield used alternate figures, taking the win from the Opposition and handing it to the governing Coalition while also dumping 115,844 valid votes. Granger reiterated his four-stage ‘breakdown’ of the recount process, stating that the next stage would be for
the GECOM Commission to deliberate and then proceed to a declaration. “The fourth and final stage which we all hope is gonna be soon is that the Chairman will make a declaration based on the report submitted by the CEO… hopefully, by this weekend, we can announce to the Guyanese has been brought to an end and a President will be declared,” the President said. He claimed that the report prepared by the CEO, was not only based on “tabulation” but consideration was also given to the “anomalies” alluded to in the report done by the three-member CARICOM Scrutineering Team, who overlooked the National Recount process. “GO ON THE SIDE OF DEMOCRACYAND CONCEDE” – FORMER PRES. RAMOTAR TELLS PRES. GRANGER Former President Donald Ramotar is calling for de facto President David Granger to concede to losing of the March 2, General and Regional Elections, and to pave the way for the wellbeing and success of the entire nation. During an interview with Kaieteur Radio’s Room 592 programme last Friday, Ramotar – who lost a second term bid to Granger in 2015 – lamented over the electoral impasse which the country has been caught in for over 100 days, along with the grave impact that that has imposed its citizens. “Our country is suffering tremendously,” Ramotar said, “and people are hurting, businesses are hurting. He (President Granger) has a direct link to the current political state of the country and he can play a role by (Continued on page 28)
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From page 27 conceding that the APNU+AFC have lost the elections for us to have a civilized and peaceful transition.” Calls for a declaration to be made on the results of the recount continue to mount. Last week, four influential senators on the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee just days ago called on Granger to concede. In support of the CARICOM team’s findings, calls for a declaration to be made on the results of the recount have also come in a joint statement from the diplomats representing America, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. These were followed closely by similar statements from the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, the Kingdom of Norway, and Nelson Mandela’s Elders Group. Locally, calls for Granger to concede came from several religious organizations, including the Arya Samaj community and the Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue. OCEAN VIEW RETROFIT WALK THROUGH… MEDIA NOT INVITED TO SEE HOW, WHERE AND WHAT $1 BILLION BEING SPENT ON Monday, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) released a series of photos of the facility via social media, but no media was invited to what the officials say was a “walkthrough” conducted by health officials and other stakeholders, The photographs released on the Ministry’s Facebook page show several interior and exterior spaces of the newly r e f u r b i s h e d hospital facility. Public Relations Officer, Terrence Esseboom told Kaieteur News that health officials and other relevant stakeholders were given a firsthand view to examine the work done so far with the project to ensure that it is on par with standards for operating a sanatorium for infectious diseases. When asked why the media was excluded from the event, Esseboom offered that the media could not be facilitated at the initial stage of examining the $1B project. The PRO also could not give the specifics of the works conducted, so far. He said that only the technical persons could provide adequate responses to questions, only saying that the project is 80 percent completed and is slated for full completion by August of this year. Questions were also raised about what appears to be a centralized air conditioning
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system, a feature which is reportedly not suited for an infectious diseases building, but again the PRO said that those questions must be directed to the technical medical personnel. In addition, Esseboom declined to say too how much money was expended to retrofit the facility, so far directing this paper to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Collete Adams. When contacted, Ms. Adams said that she too did not have the figures at her disposal, but committed to providing an update today. WEDNESDAY PRIVATE CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR KEITH LOWENFIELD Private criminal charges were filed Tuesday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts against Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield by two private citizens, for his conduct during the electoral process. Both charges revolve around Lowenfield’s presentation of false results to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). One informant, Daniel Josh Kanhai has accused Lowenfield of the offence of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act. The crime is punishable with imprisonment for seven years. Kanhai is a candidate of The New Movement (TNM), a political party which contested the March elections. The particulars of the offence state, “The accused between the 5th day of March and 23rd day of June, 2020, at Georgetown, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, County of Demerara, State of Guyana, conspired with person(s) unknown to commit the common law offence of fraud, to wit, by representing to the Guyana Elections Commission, that tables attached to his Election Report dated 23rd June, 2020, accurately reflected the true results of the said election, in order to materially alter the results of the said election, with intent to defraud, knowing the said tabulation to be false.” Another informant, Desmond Morian has accused Lowenfield of the offence of Misconduct in Public Office contrary to the common law. Morian is a member of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), a political party which contested the March elections.
TOP COP, DEPUTY SHOULD HAVE GONE; STILL ON THE JOB – RAMJATTAN SAYS THEYARE “VALIDLY THERE” De Facto President David Granger, on Monday gave approval for Army Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West, to proceed on accumulated pre-retirement leave effective from today. His leave is expected to end in March 2021 at which time his retirement will kick in. Colonel Godfrey Bess has been selected as his successor and will be presented with his instrument of appointment today. Back in 2015, when the Granger administration took office, all public servants were ordered to take their annual
leave when due or forfeit same since it was recognized that taking payment in lieu of leave was putting a financial strain on government’s coffers. Then State Minister, Joseph Harmon, in a message to those holding public offices stated “We are saying, as a general statement, as from 2015 going forward, that when you are entitled to your leave, you have to take it in the year. If you don’t use it, you are going to lose it.” But it would appear that the Coalition government has selectively reneged on its order. This is in light of the fact that two top ranking police officers, despite having months of accumulated leave and slated to retire in the near future, are yet to proceed on pre-retirement leave. The
police officers in question are the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, DSS, DSM, and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Maxine Graham. It was reported on the online news site Big Smith News Watch that when questioned on the matter, Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, was unable to provide an explanation. Ramjattan stated “Look, I don’t know why they are still on the job, I will have to check that out to see what exactly is happening over there, I am not aware of that…I know nothing about that.” But when Kaieteur News made contact with the Minister Tuesday, he stated that both the Commissioner and his Deputy are “validly there”.
GRANGER’S STATEMENTS ON LOWENFIELD, CARICOM’S REPORT ARE “DOWNRIGHT MISLEADING”- JAGDEO Leader of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/ C), Bharrat Jagdeo has denounced the recent statements issued by de facto President David Granger regarding the country’s electoral impasse and its slow progress. During a virtual press conference conducted Tuesday, Jagdeo labelled Granger ’s utterances as “actually wrong and in many cases, downright misleading”. Monday evening, Granger was the guest on a radio programme hosted by Mark Benschop (Continued on page 37)
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From page 28 where he stated that he was in full support of the report submitted by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, in which 115,844 votes were discarded due to “anomalies and irregularities” in the March 2 electoral process. The President further stated that the Commission, headed by Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, was bound to make a final declaration on Lowenfield’s “fraudulent report”—as Jagdeo labelled it. It was during his press conference that the Opposition Leader was keen to highlight that the President neglected to acknowledge the key bodies that have made efforts to derail, discredit and prolong the March 2020 election proceedings. To give credit to his statements, Jagdeo referenced Region Four Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo; the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, and others as the stakeholders in the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), as those responsible for the delay. CARIBBEAN SCHOLARS CALL ON GRANGER TO CONCEDE – say “complaints of irregularities, fraudulent votes came after Coalition realized they lost” With Guyana’s electoral process still incomplete after 121 days, nine Caribbean Scholars have added their voice to calls for de facto President David Granger to concede to his lost at the March 2, 2020 Elections, demit office and allow the smooth transition of the next government. By virtue of gaining more votes, based on a national recount, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) with Dr. Irfaan Ali as its
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Presidential Candidate is poised for victory. That lost, according to the nine Scholars, is what led the incumbent APNU+AFC Coalition to form baseless allegations of “irregularities” and “fraudulent votes” in an attempt to discredit the March 2 polls and undermine Guyana’s democratic process. The Caribbean Scholars: Dr. W. Andy Knight of University of Alberta; Dr. Faeis Jafar, of University of West Indies; Dr. E. J. Persaud of State University of New York; Dr. Horace Bartilow of University of Kentucky; Mr. Winston Dookeran, Author/ former Deputy Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago; Dr. Prem Podar of Roskilde University, Denmark; Dr. Percy Hintzen of Florida International University; Dr. Tarron Khemraj of University of South Florida and Dr. Clarence Lusane of Howard University, said in their statement that “Guyana’s March 2 polls was one of the most outstanding, credible and well-run elections ever witnessed by most of the election observers.” “The election process was a cumbersome one,” they pointed out “but commendably thorough, and every election observer, including those from the two main political parties, were impressed by the calibre and commitment of the polling stations’ staff, and by the relatively smooth way in which the entire election was handled.” THURSDAY US GOVT. INSTRUCTS STATE DEPARTMENT TO TAKEACTION AGAINST PERSONS UNDERMINING GUYANA’S DEMOCRACY The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has instructed the Department of State to take action against individuals who undermine Guyana’s
democracy. This was revealed by Pompeo Wednesday in a press briefing. As the Secretary of State congratulated Guyana’s neighbour, Suriname for the culmination of their elections and a peaceful transition of power to a new national assembly, he stated “In contrast, it’s now been four months since Guyana’s election, long past due for a peaceful transition of power.” He noted that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of American States (OAS) have certified the recount results. Those results show that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) has won the general election with 233,336 valid votes, while A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) trails behind with 217,920 valid votes. “They should get on with it,” Pompeo said, as the tabulation of the recount results was completed since early June. “I’ve instructed my department,” he added, “to ensure those who undermine Guyana’s democracy are held accountable.” Kaieteur News recently interviewed a Washingtonbased political consultant, José Cárdenas who said that the US is likely to impose sanctions on specific persons who are complicit in thwarting the will of the Guyanese people. Government and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials are likely subjects of such sanctions. Cárdenas had said that if the situation gets worse, and the conspiracy is discovered to be government-wide, then sanctions are likely to be sectoral and far-reaching. No declaration can be made at this juncture, as the recount case is in Court. It was heard Wednesday by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and ruling(s) are expected on Wednesday.
I CANNOT CONCEDE WITHOUTA DECLARATION – PRESIDENT GRANGER Following calls, internationally and regionally, for de facto President David Granger to concede defeat in the March 2 Elections and demit office, the President has said that he cannot do so until an official declaration is made by the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh. “I cannot claim victory, which I have not done, and I cannot concede defeat, which I have not done unless I am notified formally by the Chairman of the Elections Commission what the results
of the elections of 2nd March, 121 days ago I think, over 17 weeks…” the incumbent told media operatives following an event at State House. Granger’s comments emerge days after Campaign Manager, Joseph Harmon said during a radio interview “For those persons who are calling for Mr. Granger to concede, that is not going to happen!” While his refusal to concede align with the pronouncements made by Harmon, Granger said that he has never claimed victory in the elections, in the absence of a declaration from GECOM using figures from the National Recount which show that the Opposition People’s Progressive Party
(PPP) won the March 2 Elections. However, this contrasts with the statement the APNU+AFC Coalition released on May 16, congratulating President David Granger on both the fifth anniversary of his swearing in to office as well as what it referred to as his re-election to office, while the recount was still ongoing. “The people of Guyana,” the statement said, “in 2015, elected President Granger for the honesty, decency and integrity which he embodies. And it is evident that after a successful first term as President, the electorate of Guyana reposed confidence in his leadership and reelected him for a second term. The government looks forward, with optimism and anticipation, to President Granger’s second term in office and wish him greater success in the next five years as he leads the delivery of the good life for all Guyanese.” CCJ DECISION IN GUYANAELECTIONS RECOUNT CASE SET FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY After a single marathon session of oral submissions, Wednesday, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has scheduled its decision in the Guyana recount case for next Wednesday. Opening the arguments, Trinidadian (Continued on page 38)
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From page 37 Senior Counsel, Douglas Mendes, in his representation of the People Progressive Party Civic, (PPP/C ), asked the Court to reject every contention that the decision rendered by the Court of Appeal in the Guyana election recount case is final. Mendes sought to convince a five-member bench at the Regional Court inclusive of President of the Court Justice Adrian Saunders, Justice Jacob Wit, Justice Maureen RajnauthLee, Justice Peter Jamadar and Justice Denys Barrow, of their inherent jurisdiction to hear and determine the issues outlined in the election recount appeal. The matter which concerns the outcome of Guyana’s closely watched Regional and General Election is derived from a complaint by a Sophia, Georgetown resident Elsyn David. David had approached the Court of Appeal in a Notice of Motion (NoM) questioning the credibility of the CARICOMsupervised GECOM recount which placed the PPP/C Opposition 15,000 votes ahead of the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition. She sought the Court ‘s interpretation on a number issues , chief of which was whether the words “more votes cast” in Article 177(2)(b) of the Constitution, when taking Order Number 60 of 2020 (establishing the Recount) should be interpreted to mean “more valid votes”. The Appeal Court had rendered a decision answering a single question posed by the applicant. The decision under Article 177(4) which purports the Court of Appeal‘s judgment is final. The question of the Court’s exclusive and final jurisdiction as it regards David’s application has been put to the CCJ in an appeal filed by the PPP/C and several adjoining small political parties who participated in the March 2, polls. TOP COP, DEPUTY STILL ON THE JOB SUPERVISING SPECIAL OPERATION – GRANGER President David Granger Wednesday said that Commissioner of Police Leslie James and Deputy Police Commissioner Maxine Graham have been asked to stay on the job to oversee “a special operation.” That special operation is Guyana’s four month long electoral impasse. Granger was responding to queries as to why the Top
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Cop and his Deputy were still holding public office when they should have been on accumulated leave, “We are in a very abnormal period of Guyanese history, and the Commissioner of Police was required to supervise a special operation to ensure that there was no disturbance of the peace or disruptions during the elections,” Granger told the press. He made reference to the February riots in Region Five where one man lost his life, while many others including law enforcement officers and children were injured. President Granger said: “That is why he is still at this post. As you know, on Friday, 6th of March, there was violence in Region 5 and the police had to be deployed, so there was a specific operation which had been started to tackle this.” According to the President, when the period is over, and the system returned to normalcy, the Commissioner and Deputy would proceed on leave. The issue came to the fore, after it was FRIDAY DESPITE DEVELOPER’S REFUSAL, GOVT. ISSUED HIM 30 ACRES OF PRIME OGLE LAND – TRANSACTION GAZETTED BEFORE NOTICE OF PAY LETTER WAS RECEIVED Despite refusing an offer on three separate occasions, housing developer, Navigant Builders, was gifted 30 acres of prime land in Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) by the National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). The highly questionable transactions covering the transfer of the lands, which are located near a major planned highway that would link the East Coast to the East Bank transportation network, were conducted days before the developer was even sent a notice to pay for the lands by NICIL. It meant that the lands were transferred without NICIL collecting their monies and the developer, renowned for building the i c o n i c Wi n d s o r E s t a t e s gated community, not even knowing that it has lands in its name. It would now raise questions about several other transactions in the same area and whether there was a rush to complete them ahead of the upcoming elections declarations, which is widely expected to see a change in the
administration. This collective area forms part of almost 1,000 acres of prime lands, which have been opened by NICIL for commercial development, and is said to be worth billions of dollars. It was formerly under the control of the stateowned Guyana Sugar Corporation before being vested in NICIL for divestment.On June 16, in furtherance of the transaction for the 30 acres initiated earlier this year, NICIL dispatched a letter to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Windsor Estates/ Navigant Builders Incorporated, in which they notified him that he owed a balance of some $925M for the 30 acres, being portions of land at P l a n t a t i o n s Goedverwagting and Sparendaam. The letter stated that in order for the lands to be transferred in the name of the title of the developer, all outstanding balances must be settled, after which the Order to transfer the title would be sent for publication in the Official Gazette, and title to the property would be in effect. Kaieteur News subsequently published a detailed article on June 21, which revealed that Minister of Finance, Wi n s t o n J o r d a n , h a d moved to sign away massive portions of former sugar lands on the ECD, and that several prospective buyers, including Navigant Builders, were contacted by government officials with offers to finalise the transfer of the valuable state lands.Windsor Estates/ Navigant Builders, however, was quick to address the
issue following reports in the media, announcing that it was suspending the transaction. VOTER IMPERSONATION “JUST NOT POSSIBLE” – LOWENFIELD IN 2015 Guyana’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, shared the view in 2015 that electoral fraud by voter impersonation is “just not possible”. His comments were made as he sat beside then Chairman of GECOM, Dr. Steve Surubally, as seen in a video published Thursday by the online news outfit, News Room. In the footage, Lowenfield gave a play-by-play breakdown of the multiple safeguards established at the place of poll on Election Day to prevent electoral fraud. 2015 In a pre-amble to his explanation, Lowenfield said, “The issue with this concept, it has to be a rumour that you can vote at more than one location. Well, I don’t know. The reality is, for you to vote at a polling station, you have to be listed to vote there. In that polling station, our presiding officer and the party agents will have a list that is specific to that polling station.” As he begins to explain, he is interrupted by Dr. Surujbally, who says “The folio…” “I ain’t even meet the folio yet,” Lowenfield responds, then begins his explanation. “So when you come into the polling station,” he can be heard saying, “my list says that there’s Keith Lowenfield to vote, Keith Lowenfield is announced.” The two major parties were able to place field agents at just about every single
polling station in the country for the March 2 polls. Kaieteur News had asked PNCR executive, Aubrey Norton, during the national recount, whether the coalition’s agents were able to have field agents at all 2,339 stations, and he affirmed that they did. Some of the other political parties had agents scattered across a handful of polling stations, depending on their capacity and reach. Party agents are there to protect their party’s interests and to ensure no untoward occurrence gets pass GECOM’s polling day staff. “The agents for their respective parties say, yeah, Keith Lowenfield,” the CEO explains, “and they draw a line across Lowenfield’s name, and then you go through the process and you collect your ballot.” Lowenfield explains that at this juncture, the polling day officials show the ballots to the agents, so they can see that it is stamped on the regional section and on the general section. After that, he explains, “you go into your booth and you vote.” Now, if you go to another polling station, then Keith Lowenfield name would not be there,” he said. “So you’re not even having access to polling station two or three, or you say how many times. There is no accessibility because your name is not there.” Some persons have managed to diminish or prevent the stain of the electoral ink on their finger after they vote, with the use of Vaseline. But even this, Lowenfield explained, will not be enough for one to successfully cast a fraudulent vote.
“Even if you impersonate, you are Lowenfield,” he explained, “your Vaseline has worked and you removed the ink, when you go there, say you go there in another name, but you don’t have an ID card.” In cases where the voter doesn’t have an ID card, they will still be allowed to vote as long as they swear or affirm an oath of identity. “Then the folio that the Chairman has referenced comes into play,” Lowenfield says. This document allows the polling day officials to question the prospective voter to ensure they are who they say they are. “Our staff…” Lowenfield continues, “GECOM PO (Presiding Officer) and APO (Assistant Presiding Officer), they have all the folio for all the persons listed at that specific polling station. So you come, somebody give you a name. You know Troy lives ‘round the corner. So you come, you seh “I’m Troy Johnson” and you don’t have an ID card. Yuh have to pass through the process of probably having the features of Troy. And our presiding officer will be asking you, since you don’t have an ID card, as the Chairman mentioned earlier, ‘what’s your name? And your date of birth is? And your mother middle name is?’” “So there are questions we have for you, you who are coming to impersonate some Troy,” Lowenfield emphasizes. “So I think we need to put to rest the concept that a man could leave polling station A in Cummingsburg and go across to Alberttown or Queenstown, and hop around to vote. It’s just not (Continued on page 39)
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From page 38 possible.” The Chief Elections Officer’s comments, made five years ago, stand in stark contrast to his views expressed in 2020, after incorporating a campaign by APNU+AFC to discredit the elections, into his reports to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The recount results show that the PPP/C has won 233,336 valid General Election votes over APNU+AFC’s 217,920. However, Lowenfield has since produced two reports, which do not reflect those results. Both of Lowenfield’s reports seek to remove thousands of valid votes on the condition that they are tainted by voter impersonation and procedural irregularities. The first, his preliminary report, suggested that GECOM discard 269,619 valid General Election votes, a majority of those, which were cast on March 2. The remainder of that would have given the coalition a lead of more than 68,000 votes over PPP/C. However, the Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, instructed him to produce a report on the results of the recount and nothing else. In response, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal on a contentious case on what constitutes a valid vote; Lowenfield produced a second report, which now seeks to discard 115,844 valid General Election votes, with no explanation. His revision of the results, like the preliminary report, would also give the coalition a lead. The PPP/C has moved to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) appealing the Court of Appeal’s ruling, in a move the party hopes would convince the Caribbean Court to provide definitive instructions on the way forward. The Chief Elections Officer, due to his actions, now faces charges of criminal conspiracy to commit fraud, and misconduct in public office. The US Government has also instructed its State Department to hold accountable those who are undermining Guyana’s democracy. As the US is in support of a declaration on the basis of the recount results, Lowenfield is seen as a likely target. WINSTON JORDAN LEAVESGUYANAIN US$1.3B DEBT FOR 2019 According to the Ministry of Finance, Guyana ended 2019 with US$1.3B in external debt. While this is a considerable amount, the Ministry was keen to note in its End of Year Outcome Statement that the debt is actually 4.7 percent below the projected amount of approximately US$1.4.B. The Ministry said this difference was mainly due to a US$50.7 million debt reduction
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granted by Kuwait, after the finalization and signing of a bilateral debt settlement agreement in March 2019. Kaieteur News understands that this agreement culminated extensive bilateral debt negotiations between the two parties. In addition to this, the debt relief received from Kuwait reduced Guyana’s outstanding debt to Non-Paris Club Creditors in arrears, significantly, by approximately 34 percent. The Ministry was keen to note that efforts are currently in progress to negotiate and finalize mutually acceptable debt settlement agreements with the remaining Non-Paris Club bilateral creditors in arrears. Overall, external public debt accounted for 77.3 percent of the total public debt stock as at December 31, 2019. Turning its attention to the domestic public debt stock, the Ministry noted that this stood at US$383.6 million, which is 7.1 percent below the US$412.8 million projected at Budget 2019. This variance was primarily attributable to principal repayments on some fiscal Treasury bills, which matured but were not reissued. The share of domestic public debt was 22.7 percent of the total public debt stock, as at the end of 2019, 0.4 percentage points below the Budget 2019 projection. SATURDAY NICIL FAILS TO ADDRESS KEY CONCERNS IN RELATION TO OGLE LAND DEALS – FALSELY CLAIMS THAT DEVELOPER HAD EFFECTED PAYMENT Not only did the National Industrial Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), in a response Friday to a Kaieteur News article, fail to address key concerns on 30 prime acres of Ogle lands, but the agency claimed that payments made by the developer, Navigant Builders Incorporated, as having been effected when they were not.
In an article published Friday, Kaieteur News had exposed how NICIL issued 30 acres of prime Ogle lands to housing developer Navigant Builders- which built the East Bank-located gated community, Windsor Estatesdespite the company suspending the project on three separate occasions. The highly questionable transactions covering the transfer of the lands which are located near a major planned highway that would link the East Coast to the East Bank transportation network were conducted even though Navigant Builders made no payments to NICIL for the land. NICIL, in a statement to the press Friday afternoon, said that Navigant Builders had responded to an Expression of Interest (EOI) put out by NICIL in 2018 and submitted a proposal for 80 acres of vacant lands at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, to build a residential housing community including a bank, shopping plazas, restaurants and medical facilities. “NICIL,” the statement said, “after conducting its due diligence accepted the proposal and offered Navigant a 30-acre plot within the Ogle development. Navigant accepted all the terms and conditions of this offer on February 3rd, 2020.” The agency claimed that on March 13th, 11 days after the March 2, General and Regional Elections, Navigant paid the initial fees required, causing the agency to complete the other phases of the transaction including having the vesting orders signed by the Minister of Finance and gazetted. The agency said: “To date, NICIL has not received any official retraction of the acceptance of the offer from Navigant”, while adding that should Navigant communicate its retraction in writing, they are prepared to take all the necessary steps to undo the transaction in the best interest of both parties. In addition, NICIL released what were purported to be three cheques issued by Navigant
Builders for initial fees. One cheque showed a payment of $912,000 (February 27, 2020); another cheque showed a payment of $180M (February 27, 2020), while the third $912,000 (March 13, 2020). When the housing developer was contacted Friday by this publication, a senior officer reiterated Navigant Builders paid no monies to NICIL. While the company had in fact issued the cheques toward NICIL for the land deal, it emphasized that it had stopped payments made on all three cheques. NICIL also failed to address other key issues in Kaieteur News’ article, most notably the fact that in a letter dated on June 16, NICIL wrote to the estate developer that Navigant needed to complete its payment of some $924M for the 30 acres of lands before the lands could be transferred and subsequently gazetted. “The following account summary,” the letter had noted, “reflects the total balance due on your account as regards the aforementioned transaction… On settlement of the abovementioned balances, the Order to transfer title in the name of Navigant Builders Inc., will then be sent for publication in the Official Gazette and Title to the property will be effected.” The Navigant Builders’ senior officer was adamant that not only had the company stopped payment on the three cheques, but the balance payment requested as a prerequisite to finalise the transaction had not been made.Despite this, a vesting order dated June 11 was gazetted on June 30, awarding the prime lands to the company. The company was not aware that it had the lands transferred already since on June 11, because as far as it was concerned, it had suspended the transaction. It meant that NICIL would have likely breached a number of regulations by transferring the lands without the transaction not being completed and payments
being made. The vesting order, which was signed by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, also stated that 123 acres of lands were given to eight other developers. These companies include Supergraphics (5.058 acres); GUYOIL (1.500 acres); the Residences at Earl’s Court Incorporated (10.281 acres); Navigant Builders Incorporated (30.000 acres); Premier Sales and Services Incorporated (5.015 acres); Trinuyana Investments Incorporated (19.678 acres), Caribbean Marketing Enterprise Incorporated (21.096 acres), American Marine Services Incorporated (20.000 acres) and Cardiology Incorporated (8.000 acres). A number of the developers above had indicated plans to build hotels, with sod-turning days before the March 2 elections. PRINCIPALMAGISTRATE SUMMONS LOWENFIELD AFTER ‘NO SHOW’AT COURT – MARSHALS PREVENTED FROM SERVING COURT NOTICE – NEW FRAUD CHARGE FILED – CHARGES BEING DRAFTED FOR OTHER GECOM OFFICIALS – LAWYER A summons was Friday issued by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty for the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Keith Lowenfield to appear in court on July 24 to answer to private criminal charges that were filed against him for allegedly providing false results from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections to the Chair of GECOM Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) member Desmond Morian and The New Movement Party (TNM) executive Dr. Daniel Josh Kanhai are the ones who filed the private criminal charges against Lowenfield. The charges are Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, and Misconduct in Public Office. Morian is being represented by attorney-at-law Glenn Hanoman, while attorneys-at-law Mark Conway and George Thomas are representing Kanhai. Both Morian and Kanhai were present in court when the matter was called. According to the particulars of the first charge, Lowenfield between the 5th day of March and 23rd day of June, 2020, at Georgetown, he conspired with person(s) unknown to commit the common law offence of fraud, to wit, by representing to the Guyana Elections Commission, that tables attached to his Election Report dated 23rd June, 2020, accurately reflected the true results of the said election, in order to materially alter the
results of the said election, with intent to defraud, knowing the said tabulation to be false. And the latter charge particulars alleged that, Lowenfield between the 5thday of March and 23rd day of June, 2020, while performing his duty as The Chief Elections Officer of The Guyana Elections Commission, without lawful excuse or justification, willfully misconducted himself at Georgetown, by ascertaining results of the 2nd March, 2020 General and Regional Elections for Guyana knowing the said results to be false, the said willful misconduct amounting to a breach of the public’s trust in the Office of the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission. After Lowenfield failed to make his appearance, Hanoman explained to the Magistrate that the court bailiff made several attempts to serve him with the private criminal charges, all of which ended in vain since the GECOM CEO kept evading the notice. Two attempts were made to serve him at his office at GECOM Headquarters in Kingston and twice at his home address in South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. According to Hanoman, “The Magistrate agreed that the court will now summons Mr. Lowenfield because all diligent attempts to serve him have failed.” Hanoman added that it appears as though some of the security personnel that are guarding the CEO’s office and home(s) are complicit in him avoiding being served. “We are going to try again using the police to serve Mr. Lowenfield and hopefully the police that are protecting Lowenfield will facilitate that process because that is the role of the police and, as we speak, charges are being drafted for other GECOM officials,” Hanoman stated. Morian Friday filed an additional charge against Lowenfield. The charge alleges that Lowenfield accepted falsified figures from the District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, knowing that the said figures do not match the results from the National Recount. The particulars of that charge alleges that Lowenfield, between the 5th day of March and 23rd day of June, 2020, at Georgetown, conspired with person(s) unknown to commit the common law fraud, to wit, by representing to the Guyana Elections Commission, that tables attached to his Election Report dated 14th day of March, 2020 accurately reflected the true results of the said election, in order to materially alter the results of the said election, with intent to defraud, knowing the said tabulation to be false.
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Grapefruit: Health Benefits & Nutrition Facts Grapefruit is a popular citrus fruit that is a terrific source of vitamins, fiber and other nutrients. Grapefruit is known for its antioxidant- and immunity-boosting capabilities as well as its digestive and cholesterol-lowering benefits.Grapefruit provides vitamins A and C, folate (B9), fiber, choline, limonins and lycopene, according to Alissa Rumsey, a New York Citybased registered dietitian, certified strength and conditioning specialist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Grapefruit has been hailed as a popular diet food for many years because it is widely believed to boost weight loss,” said Rumsey. “While a grapefruit diet is far too extreme, the fruit can be added to one’s diet for a healthy weight loss plan.” - See more at: http:// www.livescience.com/54746g r a p e f r u i t nutrition.html#sthash.u3vvZAmc.dpufGrapefruit gets its name from the way it
grows. Grapefruits grow on tree branches in grape-like clusters, according to the Library of Congress. Puzzling history Grapefruit is an accidental hybrid between the orange and the pomelo, but no one is sure when it was first grown. It was first documented in 1750 by a Welshman in Barbados who described it as a “forbidden fruit,” according to the Purdue University horticulture department. Until the 19th century, it was also called the shaddock, named after a sea captain who is said to have brought the seeds of a pomelo to Jamaica. It has also been called paradise fruit. It was given the scientific name, Citrus paradisi, but in the 1940s when research confirmed that it was hybrid, the name was changed to Citrus x paradisi — the x indicates that it is a hybrid. Grapefruit grows in warm climates; Florida and southern areas of China are the world’s top producers. There
are several varieties of grapefruit, including white, ruby red and pink, which have varying levels of sourness and sweetness. “Try topping it with savory seasonings, like cilantro or chili powder, to offset the tangy flavor,” Rumsey suggested. She noted that grapefruits go well with seafood dishes, too. According to the George Mateljan Foundation’s World’s Healthiest Foods website, half a medium-size grapefruit provides 59 percent of your daily vitamin C needs. “Vitamin C is plays a role in immunity and helps neutralize free radicals in our body,” said Rumsey. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood cells and may protect the integrity of immune cells. Vitamin C helps also protect leukocytes, which produces antiviral substances. Heart health Vitamin C is linked to a re-
What Teen Girls Should Eat to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Fruits and vegetables are staples in a healthy diet, and that includes one aimed at preventing cancer. Many studies have documented the lower risk of various cancers among people who eat more fresh produce, and avoid things like red and processed meat. But the majority of those studies have focused on adults, and it’s becoming clear that many of cancer’s drivers start early in life, with genes and even with childhood exposures to potential carcinogens. To investigate this further, Maryam Farvid, a research associate at Massachusetts General Hospital and a visiting scientist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and her colleagues decided to study how diet during adolescence might affect cancer risk. In a study reported in the BMJ, they plumbed the Nurses’ Health Study, a massive survey of nurses who filled out questionnaires on their diet and were followed for various health outcomes, including cancer. About half of the 90,000 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study also answered questions about their typical diet while they were teens. Those who reported eating nearly three servings of fruit a day on average had a 25 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who ate half a serving of fruit.
Certain fruits seemed to confer the biggest protection against breast cancer — apples, bananas and grapes were associated with the greatest reduction in risk while kale and oranges in adulthood also contributed to reduced breast cancer risk. Farvid says that apples, bananas and grapes contain fiber, which could help to lower cancer risk; they are also high in flavonoids, which act as antioxidants to combat damage to cells that can trigger abnormal growth. Kale and oranges are high in vitamin C, another antioxidant.“This study underscores the importance of what a young girl eats for her future health,” says Farvid. “This study also has an important message for schools and the need to provide students with the opportunity to consume more fruits and vegetables as part of the school meal program.” Farvid wasn’t able to document a strong relationship between vegetables and lower breast cancer risk, but says that may be because the study wasn’t powered enough to detect an effect. The findings are among the first to look at how diet during adolescence can affect health later, and highlights the importance of establishing healthy habits from a young age, especially since many of the chronic diseases occur over many years and get rooted early in life. The results also
underscore the importance of eating whole fruit, rather than fruit juice. In the study, Farvid and her team could not find any significant relationship between fruit juice and breast cancer risk; that may be because fruit’s anti-cancer effects may have to do with the fiber found in the whole fruit, which is stripped out of juice. In the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, however, government nutritionists equated servings of whole fruit with fruit juice. “We recommend whole fruit and not fruit juice,” says Farvid, “because maybe one of the most important ways that fruit decreases risk of breast cancer is through fiber, and even natural fruit juice often has no fiber in it.” In another study also published in the BMJ, a separate group of researchers found that among 22,000 Danish women, those who added two alcoholic drinks a day on average increased their risk of developing breast cancer by 30 percent over five years. The added risk of cancer, however, was counterbalanced by a lower risk of heart disease. Taken together, the results show how critical diet can be in modulating risk of breast cancer. While challenging, changing diet can be a relatively easy way to alter a woman’s breast cancer risk equation, beginning even at a young age.
duced risk of cardiovascular disease, said Rumsey. A 2015 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at more than 100,000 people and found that those who ate the most fruits and vegetables had a 15 percent lower risk of developing heart disease. Those with the highest vitamin C levels in their plasma had even more reduced rates of heart disease. Kidney stones According to University of Wisconsin Health, citric acid, which is found in grapefruit, may deter stone formation and also break up small stones that are forming. The more citric acid in your urine, the more protected you may be from forming new kidney stones. A study published in theBritish Journal of Nutrition found that women who drank one-half to one liter of grapefruit, orange or apple juice each day saw their urinary pH value and citric acid excretion increase, which significantly lowered their risk of forming kidney stones. Cancer According to Rumsey, vitamin C and beta-carotene may lead to a reduced risk of esophageal cancer. A study published in the Journal of Chemotherapy found that vitamin C supplementation exerted a chemotherapy-like effect on esophageal cancer cells. The researchers suggested that vitamin C might improve the efficacy of chemotherapy. According to the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, red and pink grapefruit is one of the best sources for lycopene after tomatoes.”Lycopene has been linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer,” said Rumsey. A large-scale study of nearly 50,000 men published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found an inverse relationship between lycopene (in this study, the lycopene was from tomatoes) and prostate cancer risk. Men with the highest levels of lycopene were 21 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those with the lowest lycopene levels. The lycopene in grapefruits may also contribute to reducing risk of stomach cancer, according to a review in the Journal of Cancer Prevention. Researchers looked primarily at participants who smoked, suffered from chronic inflammation or had elevated levels of stomach bacteria Helicobacter pylori, though they noted that poor diet and family history could also be risk factors lessened by lycopene. Animal studies have suggested that grapefruit may have a reduction ef-
fect on colon cancer cells. A study published in the journal Carcinogensis found that grapefruit increased the death of cancer cells in rats whose colons had been injected with carcinogens. “There are numerous studies being conducted to understand the role folate plays in cancer reduction,” Rumsey said. A 2007 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition noted that folate’s possible cancerreducing properties are likely linked to its role in the production of substances that silence cancer DNA. Limonins have also been linked to a decrease in cancer risk, said Rumsey. A 2012 article in the Journal of Nurtigenetics and Nutrigenomics looked at limonins in breast cancer cells and found that they could be a helpful aid to chemotherapy. Pregnancy health “Folate is essential for pregnant women in order to prevent neural tube defects,” said Rumsey. While folate is present in prenatal vitamins, consuming it through whole foods is an excellent way to make sure the body absorbs it. Antioxidants An article in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry evaluated the phenolic compounds in 13 fruit juices. Grapefruit juice ranked among the best juices. Phenolic compounds act as antioxidants, which are molecules that safely interact with free radicals to stop the condition of oxidative stress, according to an article in Pharmacognosy Review. Free radicals cause cell damage and disruption that can contribute to diseases. Vitamin C is also a potent antioxidant. Hydration “Grapefruit is 91 percent water, so can help with hydration,” said Rumsey. Digestion The fiber and water in grapefruit can aid digestion and help relieve or prevent constipation, according to the Mayo Clinic. Weight loss “Grapefruit is naturally high in fiber, which contributes to feelings of satiation which can prevent overeating,” said Rumsey. “Fiber also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing spikes that
contribute to hunger.” A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food looked at 91 obese patients who took either grapefruit capsules, grapefruit juice, half of a fresh grapefruit or placebo capsules. All grapefruit-taking patients lost more weight than the placebo group, with those eating fresh grapefruit losing the most and those drinking grapefruit juice losing nearly as much. The grapefruit groups also saw improved insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Cholesterol “Grapefruit contains pectin, a fiber that is can reduce LDL cholesterol levels and decrease triglycerides,” said Rumsey. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry looked at 57 hyperlipidemic patients after coronary bypass surgery and found that supplementing their diets with either white or red grapefruit every day for 30 days lowered LDL cholesterol levels. Eating red grapefruit lowered LDL cholesterol levels more, and also lowered triglycerides. Skin, hair and wound healing According to a study published in the British Journal of Community Nursing, vitamin C is essential throughout the wound-healing process, largely because it contributes toward collagen synthesis and development. Collagen is also essential for healthy skin and hair. Furthermore, vitamin A is known to promote healthy tissue growth, including in skin, and the high water content in cantaloupes helps keep skin moisturized and supple. Eyesight Vitamin A, of which grapefruit is a good source, is essential for good vision. Through a complicated process in the eye, vitamin A (also called retinol) triggers an electrical signal in the optic nerve, causing the perception of colors and vision in dim light, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Vitamin A (acquired through phytonutrient beta-carotene, also found in grapefruit) is associated with a reduced risk of macular degeneration.
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Kaieteur News
The Apothic Dark Wine: California’s most intriguing and aromatic blend The name Apothic was inspired by “Apotheca,” an enigmatic place in the 13th century Europe where wine was blended and stored. Only the most distinctive California grapes are used to craft the wines which create bold flavors, tasting notes, and intense aromas. The winemaker strives to tell a story with the grapes and unique flavour, anything from drama, to intrigue, to romance any wine lover will appreciate. Apothic wines demonstrate the creativity and innovation which is found in every bottle of Apothic Wines. Let’s explore Apothic Dark and you can decide if it’s the right wine for you between all their unique flavors! Apothic Wines has a range of wines that are produced by E.J. Gallo, California’s largest wine exporter. From the first Apothic Red wine release in 2010 to the six varieties they currently produce, Apothic Wines has become known for their full-bodied, fruit-forward wines with some residual sugar. Apothic Wines Apothic has an interesting website with a virtual tour – through the Shazam app – of their wine cellar. There is also an interactive Tasting Challenge that Apothic describes as a “night of bold tastes and intriguing moments.” The Challenge uses either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to guide you through your tasting. Wine consumers loved the easydrinking style and Apothic now has six varieties of blended wines: · The red blend is made with Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, and
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It has notes of black cherry, vanilla, and mocha; · The white blend is made with Chardonnay, Riesling, and Moscato grapes. It has notes of peach, honey, pineapple, and vanilla spice. · Inferno is red wine that has been aged in charred, white-oak whiskey barrels for 60 days. It has a variety of notes and strong whiskey characteristics including maple, spice, red fruits, caramel, cedar, and black tea. · Crush is made with Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Pinot Noir, Teroldego, Petit Verdot, and other grape varieties. It has notes of ripe berries, cherry, rhubarb, caramel, and milk chocolate. · The brew is made with Petite Syrah, Teroldego, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and other grape varieties and infused with cold-brewed coffee. It has notes of coffee, red fruit, and toasted oak and less caffeine than a standard cup of decaf. · Dark is made with Petite Syrah, Teroldego, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Tannat.
Wine producers start with a red wine base and add other grape varietals for spice, richness, depth, and to enhance acidity. If they want to soften the tannins in a Cabernet
What Does “Red Blend” Wine Mean? In the United States, a red blend wine is any red wine that is not produced from one single grape, but a mixture of grapes. Red blends sell more by volume than Pinot Noir or Merlot. Wine producers make blended wines because it allows them to design the taste and flavor profile of a wine.
Sauvignon, they can add Merlot. Syrah grapes can add more flavor to a watery Pinot Noir. A problem with classifying red blend as a type of wine is that there
Charlize Theron Says Homeschooling Her Two Daughters Has Been ‘Incredibly Stressful’ amid Pandemic Charlize Theron Says Homeschooling Her Two Daughters Has Been ‘Incredibly Stressful’ amid Pandemic Charlize Theron is opening up about how she’s been homeschooling her two daughters amid the coronavirus pandemic. © Lisa O’Connor/AFP/ Getty Charlize Theron said her “biggest challenge” during the coronavirus pandemic has been homeschooling During an interview with Today’s Willie Geist, the actress, 44, joked that filming her signature action movies is easier than homeschooling her girls, Jackson, 8, and August, who turns 5 later this month. “I’d say the biggest challenge for me is just homeschooling,” she said, to which Geist, a dad of two himself, answered, “Amen!”
“It was an incredibly stressful time for me, and I will make any action movie over and over and over again before I homeschool again,” Theron added. In May, Theron shared a rare picture of Jackson on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road,
which recently marked its five-year anniversary.https:// www.msn.com/en-us/movies/ celebrity/charlize-theronsays-homeschooling-hertwo-daughters-has-been-incredibly-stressful-amid-pandemic/ar-BB16kWyK
is no specification as to which grapes must be contained in the wine. Any red wine grape could be used, from Merlot to Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah – and every other red wine grape that is grown. Basically, whereas most Cabernet Sauvignon wines within the same region will have similar taste profiles, you cannot expect all red blends to have similar taste profiles. While red blends are generally medium- to full-bodied with a rich, juicy flavor and relatively easy on the wallet, it does not necessarily have to possess that flavor profile. It is a matter of trial and error and tasting the red blends to see which one suits you best. In Spain, Rioja wine has customarily been produced with Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano grapes. The most important reason that wine producers blend wines is that the wine will appeal to more wine drinkers when it contains dark, fruit flavors and low acidity. In fact, Wine Enthusiast lists red blend varietal wines from around the world and they all taste significantly different. Wine Enthusiast states the following about Red Blends:[i] “Wines under the red blend category vary in color, aroma, flavor, structure, and ageability. Red blends from cool climates tend to be light and bright, while those from warm climates tend to be bold and dark. The varieties used, the region where they were grown, the season, as well as winemaker decisions, all play an essential role in how a red blend will taste.” How Are Red Blends Actually
Made? Making a Red Blend is a laborintensive project. Each grape varietal is individually crushed and fermented. When the juice has been extracted, the wine producer creates the blend through blending trials. There is a lot of tasting and trial and error before the blend is considered complete. At times, white wine grape juice is added to provide further tones and balance. Apothic Dark The Apothic Dark, a limited-release wine, is a fuller, more savory, red blend and uses the Shiraz/Syrah, Merlot, Zinfandel, and other grapes. It is a very dry wine with dark berry flavors of plum, blackberry, and blueberry combined with luxurious notes of chocolate and coffee. It is often described as rich, bold, and intense with a 14 percent alcohol content. Apothic Dark has a dark purple color, medium tannins, and a smooth finish. Apothic Dark has won a number of awards, including a Silver medal in the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, a Bronze medal in the 2017 Dan Berger’s International Wine Competition, a Gold medal in the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and a Bronze medal in the 2016 TEXSIM International Wine Awards. The average price for a bottle of Apothic Dark is nine dollars and it has an aggregated critic score of 86 out of 100. Enjoy Apothic Dark at room temperature. It pairs well with beef, lamb, poultry, veal, pot roast, strong cheeses, and wild mushroom risotto.
Enetworks airs 2020 Austrian Grand Prix today at 9AM Today at 9AM the Enetworks team will be broadcasting one of the most anticipated events of the year—The 2020 Austrian Grand Prix. For those who may not be familiar with what this is all about, allow Kaieteur Entertainment to get you up to speed. The 2020 Austrian Grand Prix (officially known as Formula 1 Rolex Großer Preis von Österreich 2020) is a Formula One motor race that is scheduled to be held at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg,
Austria. The race is due to be the opening round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship, and the first of two consecutive races to be held at the Red Bull Ring. Lewis Hamilton entered the round as the defending World Drivers’ Champion and his team, Mercedes, are the defending World Constructors’ Champions. Max Verstappen is the defending race winner, having won the 2018 and 2019 Austrian Grands Prix. Do enjoy!
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The Cloud O ne hot summer morning a little Cloud rose out of the sea and floated lightly and happily across the blue sky. Far below lay the earth, brown, dry, and desolate, from drought. The little Cloud could see the poor people of the earth working and suffering in the hot fields, while she herself floated on the morning breeze, hither and thither, without a care. “Oh, if I could only help the poor people down there!” she thought. “If I could but make their work easier, or give the hungry ones food, or the thirsty a drink!” And as the day passed, and the Cloud became larger, this wish to do something for the people of earth was ever greater in her heart. On earth it grew hotter and hotter; the sun burned down so fiercely that the people were fainting in its rays; it seemed as if they must die of heat, and yet they were obliged to go on with their work, for they were very poor. Sometimes they stood and looked up at the Cloud, as if they were praying, and saying, “Ah, if you could help us!” “I will help you; I will!” said the Cloud. And she began to sink softly down toward the earth. But suddenly, as she floated down, she remembered something which had been told her when she was a tiny Cloud child, in the lap of Mother Ocean: it had been whispered that if the Clouds go too near the earth they die. When she remembered this she held herself from sinking, and swayed here and there on the breeze, thinking, thinking. But at last she stood quite still, and spoke boldly and proudly. She said, “Men of earth, I will help you, come what may!” The thought made her suddenly marvelously big and strong and powerful. Never had she dreamed that she could be so
Sunday July 05, 2020
Junior page Yarn Painting For Kids (Huichol Style Yarn Art)
big. Like a mighty angel of blessing she stood above the earth, and lifted her head and spread her wings far over the fields and woods. She was so great, so majestic, that men and animals were awestruck at the sight; the trees and the grasses bowed before her; yet all the earth creatures felt that she meant them well. “Yes, I will help you,” cried the Cloud once more. “Take me to yourselves; I will give my life for you!” As she said the words a wonderful light glowed from her heart, the sound of thunder rolled through the sky, and a love greater than words can tell filled the Cloud; down, down, close to the earth she swept, and gave up her life in a blessed, healing shower of rain. That rain was the Cloud’s great deed; it was her death, too; but it was also her glory. Over the whole countryside, as far as the rain fell, a lovely rainbow sprang its arch, and all the brightest rays of heaven made its colors; it was the last greeting of a love so great that it sacrificed itself. Soon that, too, was gone, but long, long afterward the men and animals who were saved by the Cloud kept her blessing in their hearts.
SUPPLIES: · canvas · pencil ·scraps of yarn · glue · toothpick (or wooden skewer or popsicle stick) · damp cloth (for wiping glue off fingers) INSTRUCTIONS: · STEP 1: With a pencil, draw a picture on your canvas. Note: The larger and more detailed your drawing is, the longer it will take to fill it in with yarn. A simple drawing may be best for your first attempt. · STEP 2: Starting with one section of your drawing (i.e. flower petal or leaf) squeeze a thin line of glue along your pencil line. · STEP 3: Cut a length of yarn and press it into the glue with your fingers or toothpick or popsicle stick. · TIP: Your fingers may get glue on them.
Frequently wipe them with on the damp cloth to keep the yarn from sticking to them. Keep a damp cloth nearby to wipe them on . This will prevent the yarn from sticking to your fingers. · STEP 4: Once you have your yarn outline, fill in the area with a thin layer of glue. · STEP 5: Select a new colour of yarn and fill
in the section, working from the outer-most part of the section to the center. Use your toothpick to push the yarn into any tight corners or spaces. Feel free to switch to a new colour whenever you wish. ·Continue working in this fashion, outlining and filling in the sections of your drawing until your yarn painting is complete!
Futoshiki Fill in the squares so that each digit from 1 to 4 occurs exactly once in each row and column. Greaterthan and lessthan signs indicate the relationship of the two adjacent squares. There is only one solution, and you can find it without guessing.
Share your feelings There are often times in our lives When some things don’t feel so good, Because either we did not do what’s right, Or others did not act as they should. At these times when we become sad, And life does not seem right, We must see that the thing to do Is to share what we feel inside. The people who can help with your feelings Are your parents first of all; Then, too, your elder brother or sister Should be able to answer your call. So try not to keep things inside, Be open to those you can trust; Making them understand how you feel Will keep your life happy and precious.
by Uncle Roy
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 05, 2020
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Take care to maintain good relationships with everyone TEEN TIME
During this time when the situation demands that we are at home most of the time and closely interacting with our family members, it is very important that we make a special effort to keep up good relationships with them. This is especially so when we find that we can come into conflict because of frustration caused by not being able to go out and do what we normally enjoy and find necessary to keep things going. One of the instances when this conflict occurs is when we differ about something someone has
done that others feel is wrong. It is a fact that most people do not like to admit when they are wrong over some incident with another individual. Somehow they feel that it would lower their prestige if they apologised, although they have realised that what they had done was wrong. But the fact is that the opposite is true. When we admit that we have been in the wrong, we usually increase the confidence that other persons have in us, and our whole prestige as well as self-worth is elevated. It shows that we are not
pigheaded and are willing to let the truth prevail. Unfortunately, much of the friction which disturbs family relationships is c a u s e d i n t h i s w a y. Friendships also are eroded because of this silly habit of holding on to a position even though it is realised afterwards that it was not based on what is right. In these, as in all instances of dealing with other people, we should demonstrate a willingness to set things right and have faith in the desire to do the right things. Always remember that, if you are
willing to get off your high horse, the chances are that other persons with whom you interact closely will be equally ready to do the same and come to a compromise acceptable to both of you. When you are willing to behave in this way with your family members at home, you will be going a long way towards maintaining proper relationships with them. This is the same way we recommend that you deal with your friends, as this would guarantee the same result in your relations with them.
by Uncle Roy (This poem is from the book “Shape up Your Personality” soon to be published in Guyana”.) While each person living on this earth Owes some commitment to all humanity, It remains an individual’s foremost obligation To give priority to his own family. So that all members fulfil this sacred duty, Each need have respect, trust and patience, Being also open-minded, loving and kind, Willing to appreciate what others experience. They must together strive to create a community of support, In all aspects of their development, Each being sensitive to what the others feel and need, Providing for their special flaws as well as talents. They should have fun, eat and pray together, Love one another and express this regularly, Celebrate the significant occasions each hold dear, Building memories to sustain them through difficulty. They will need to share the responsibilities In building a home of solace and happiness, Never hesitating to go the extra mile, In making up for any member’s weakness. Relationships must take a leading place In all aspects of our family affairs, Ensuring we nurture and maintain our bonds, Creating a harmonious haven against all fears. Most imperative is the need for formation of goals, Both for each and the whole, Planning together for the short and long term, Working together to achieve these for all.
Developing and maintaining Proper Relationships with our Family Members is one of the foremost obligations of every human being. Solutions to last week’s
Logicross AN HOUR WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN CAN MAKE YOU FEEL YOUNG AGAIN. ANYTHING LONGER THAN THAT, AND YOU START TO AGE QUICKLY.
Colour $31,000 the $70,000 $78,000 picture $87,000
Logic Puzzles Annabelle Kathryn Raymond
South Southeast Northeast
Almond Gingerbread Peanut butter
Curtis
Southwest
Oatmeal raisin
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Beauty Tips to Improve Your Face, Skin and Hair https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/makeup/g2584/best-beauty-tips-makeup-hair/
1 Use Vaseline for a smudge-free manicure. To keep your at-home manicure on your nails (and not the skin surrounding your nails), apply a little Vaseline around the boundary where your nails end and your skin begins. Wait for your manicure to dry, then wash your hands — any polish that’s landed on top of the Vaseline will wash right off. To keep your at-home manicure on your nails (and not the skin surrounding your nails), apply a little Vaseline around the boundary where your nails end and your skin begins. Wait for your manicure to dry, then wash your hands — any polish that’s landed on top of the Vaseline will wash right off. 2 Apply dry shampoo before bed. Dry shampoo is a last-minute life-saver when you have to be somewhere, but you don’t have time to wash your hair. But you may actually get more out of your bottle of dry shampoo if you apply it before going to bed. “I like using it before bed,” says Good Housekeeping’s Beauty Director, April Franzino. “Hair will absorb it as you sleep and you’ll look refreshed in the morning.” 3 Tap — don’t rub — perfume on your wrists. This simple tip will make your perfume last much longer: Don’t rub wrists together to apply perfume (it makes it wear off faster). Instead, press together. 4 Go easy on the concealer for a natural look. Contrary to popular belief, loading up your under eyes with concealer won’t erase those dark circles — in fact, using a ton of cover up looks really unnatural and can make you look older. Instead, use a thin layer of a sheer concealer that evens out your skin tone without covering up your complexion completely. 5 Flick your liner downward for a rounder eye. A cat eye will always be cool, but this “puppy eye liner” Korean makeup trend has got us hooked. Rather than flicking your eyeliner up at the end, drag it downwards towards your cheekbone for a rounder, wider-looking eye. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 6 Use this map for your makeup. Knowing what each part of your eye is called is half the battle when it comes to following along with beauty tutorials. Be sure to add this handy guide to your Pinterest beauty board so you can master your makeup. 7 Set your lipstick with powder through a tissue. Tired of your lipstick smearing, smudging, or fading throughout the day? Set it with translucent powder — but don’t put it directly on your lips. Instead, blot through a tissue so just the right amount of powder accesses your pout. And follow the rest of this easy lipstick how-to so your color will stay gorgeous as long as possible. 8 Use multiple face masks to maximize your results. Skincare is not one-size-fits-all, so customizing your routine can help get you the best results for your complexion. “Multimasking is when multiple facial masks are used or layered simultaneously on the skin to combat different skin concerns at one time,” explains New York City aesthetician Cecilia Wong. If you have an oily T-zone but dry cheeks, for example, you can use a hydrating mask on the sides of your face and a charcoal one on your forehead, nose, and chin. It’s just like you’re at a spa! 9 Stamp your lashes to make them look fuller. A quick way to add depth to your eyes without using eyeliner: mascara stamping. Gently pressing your mascara against the underside of your lashes gives them a fuller, darker look — almost like eyeliner, but more natural. 10 Choose a blush formula based on your needs. Understanding which type of blush you need can help you get the perfect results for your face. Powder formulas work great on folks with larger pores, while creams offer a dewy finish and last longer. Gels are great for a nice healthy glow but don’t typically have high staying power, whereas stains are perfect for those who tend to sweat a lot. Here’s our guide on the four main types! 11 Pick a blush hue that flatters your skin tone. Kathryn Wirsing/Designed by Dana Tepper Blush can make your skin look radiant, but if you’re using the wrong color, it can actually clash with your complexion. Check out our handy guide to picking the best shade for your skin tone so you can get glowing. 12 Pick an under eye concealer for your needs. Got dark circles? Puffiness? Fine lines? Everyone’s under eye issues are different, so be sure to take your skin concerns into consideration and pick the best concealer for the job.
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Our front line worker of the week is…Dr. Coleen Adams
Fully garbed in PPEs.
From page 47 no book stores, so you couldn’t easily get the books the school library didn’t have. Relatives had to send the books you needed via airplane from Georgetown.” Despite the challenges, Dr. Adams was able to ace the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and gained a scholarship to attend the Central High School in Georgetown. Her grades were good enough to allow her to later transfer to Queen’s College. It was there she developed a passion for Mathematics and Human and Social Bi-
ology, which propelled her into the field of medicine. Reflecting on her educational journey, Dr. Adams said that the transition from the hinterland to the “big city”, was “absolutely abrupt”, and came with challenges of its own. “Initially, it was challenging because I was just eleven years old at that time. I missed my parents, my region, and my siblings… but on the bright side, my relatives were loving to me. They took me in as one of their own, and they had access to all of the technology and study aids so I
managed to excel at school,” Dr. Adams recalled. She graduated high school with 13 CSEC subjects, and applied for a Cuban scholarship in 2010. In the year 2017, she graduated with a golden award, having achieved an outstanding grade point average. She officially commenced her career in the medical field at the Suddie Public Hospital in 2017, after completing a one-year internship at the New Amsterdam Hospital in 2016. MUSTERED COURAGE Like so many other doctors around the world, Dr. Adams had least expected to deal with a disease that would circle the globe within just a few months. She explained, “Before Corona, my main focus was improving women’s health and empowering women through education and access to better health care. I have a special place for empowering women; as a matter of fact, it’s one of my main reasons for being in OBGYN,” she quipped. But being on the frontline did take some getting used to, Dr. Adams admitted. “Initially, when I heard about coronavirus, like every other human, I had my fear because the disease is highly contagious and spreading so rapidly. I was scared for my family and friends and colleagues,” she said. It was however with the help of her colleagues at the Suddie Hospital that her fear of the disease eventually dwindled. ”I got the courage to deal with it because I realized it is here. And instead of being afraid, I thought to myself we need to be prepared to prevent the virus from spreading to our community… We knew we had to put measures in place… And I’m happy to say that we are managing it well,”
she said with pride. BATTLE PLAN Dr. Adams explained that in an effort to control and even prevent the spread of the virus, quite a number of measures had to be implemented by the Region’s public health system. Since Region Two sits between two infected Administrative Regions (One and Seven), screening measures were implemented at all ports of entries on the Essequibo Coast. When it comes to handling patients from the Moruca Region, Dr. Adams said, the safety of staff, and even that of the entire hospital, is of paramount importance. “As soon as we bring in pregnant mothers from Moruca, they are placed in Isolation. We then take samples from them and we send it for testing in Georgetown. Based on the results that return, we’d know whether to place the pregnant mother in quarantine.” An isolation unit has also been set up in the Region and, according to Dr. Adams, it contains “all of the necessities that we need for deliveries.” EDIFYING THE REGION When the COVID-19 epi-
demic was first confirmed in Guyana more than three months ago, many were horrified and even went into ‘panic shopping’. Dr. Adams opined that many had little knowledge on COVID-19, and based their understanding on the reports that were being featured in the international press. Overtime, she said, edifying the local population proved to be quite beneficial. Dr. Adams explained that “One of the advantages now is that persons are more educated than ever before. I myself was even nervous about coronavirus because three months ago, we hadn’t much information. When I heard about coronavirus, I was nervous, because we didn’t have much information then.” She went on to say, “now our population is even more aware of how the virus is being transmitted, they know how they can protect themselves against it, and even more importantly, they know being infected doesn’t necessarily mean death.” INFECTED PATIENTS Anyone who’s a doctor will most likely agree that a patient’s recovery depends not only on medication, but
emotional and physiological support plays a significant role in treating them. Dr. Adams said that as a doctor, it is important that she views a person seeking care not merely as a patient, but “as a fellow human being whose life depends on you giving them your best.” “We need to take into consideration the physiological and emotional wellbeing… COVID-19 isn’t the end of the line because infection is rated on a scale of mild, medium and severe. A patient may be positive but yet exhibits no symptoms while others may exhibit mild symptoms. When it comes to dealing with patients with severe cases, it’s even more important that emotional and physiological support be given to that person,” said Dr. Adams.There are no confirmed cases of the Novel Coronavirus in the Pomeroon/Supenaam region where she works. Quite fittingly, this is owed to the heroes like Dr. Adams, whose selfless efforts, has significantly suppressed the spread of the invisible enemy, and will, eventually reduce its threat to the nation.
Shuman’s party requests removal... From page 9 fraudulent information declared by Region Four, Returning Officer, Mr. Clairmont Mingo.” Additionally, the party in their letter to the Chair accused the CEO of “Lack of Impartiality and demonstrating an APNU bias and his attempt at invalidating votes “After the Statements of Recount and Official Certificates of Tabulation for the 10 Administrative Regions have been issued.” They also pointed to Lowenfield’s most recent final elections report, and
stated that he “Willfully attempted to disenfranchise 115,000+ voters by wanting to invalidate said number of votes, exercising authority that is not vested in him and beyond his remit in interpreting the Appeal’s Court Ruling and acting contrary to said court orders.” Further, Lowenfield, they pointed out “Provided a report of the March 2, 2020 Elections recount contrary to the directions of the Commission” and displayed “Gross insubordination, acting contrary to the directions of the Chairwoman and the Commission.”
The CEO, they noted, is also facing three separate criminal High Court charges for electoral fraud and also obstructed officers of the court from service and their duties by evading lawful service of court documents and showed complete disregard for same. To close, the party asked that the commission revisit the actions of the CEO up to this point of the electoral process, and “act in accordance with the will of the people that have been reaffirmed through the recount process of the 2nd March, 2020 Elections.”
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CONSUMER CONCERNS
CARICOM AND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION By Pat Dial Tomorrow, Monday, July 6, CARICOM Day will be celebrated throughout the Caribbean Community to mark the coming into being of CARICOM. The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) was the result of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was signed on July 4, 1973. The signing date of July 4 was chosen in honour of the birth anniversary of the great Jamaican statesman and Caribbean integrationist, Norman Washington Manley. CARICOM was the result of a historical process of which we will give a brief survey. After World War II, Britain, the colonial power of the Commonwealth Caribbean, had become exhausted and felt she could no longer bear the financial burdens of keeping her West Indian colonies. After India had got its Independence in 1947, she decided to withdraw from the West Indies as soon
as possible and in this process began to give the territories Constitutions leading to self-government. The Colonial Office felt that the process could be shortened by the formation of a West Indian Federation, which was established in 1958. Unfortunately, the Federation collapsed after four years in 1962. Into the reasons for its collapse we shall not go but during its existence, the Federation established the nucleus of a Federal Civil Service which developed into the CARIFTA and CARICOM civil services; the West Indies Shipping service; and began negotiations for the acquisition of British West Indian Airways, a subsidiary of BOAC; brought under its aegis the University College of the West Indies (UCWI) which had been founded in 1948 and in 1960 established another campus of the College in Trinidad. The collapse of the Federation brought home to the Caribbean leaders the
Old Age Pension distribution to commence on Tuesday
The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) has announced that due to CARICOM Day tomorrow, a national holiday, the payment of Old Age Pensions will commence on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, at post offices countrywide. Using its alphabetised system at the Guyana Post Office Corporation, pensioners will be paid as using the first letter of their last names; staring from A – D on Tuesday, July 7; E – J on Wednesday, July 8; K-R on Thursday, July 9, and S-Z on Friday, July 10. The NIS said it is also reminding pensioners to visit their head office at Brickdam, only if they are uplifting books between 7 am and 3 pm. The scheme is also reminding the public that their cashiers at the Brickdam office will be open and encashing vouchers during the pension week from 7 am to 2 pm. “Persons who already have their pension books and are only encashing vouchers are asked to visit the Camp Street office or the NIS office nearest to them between the hours of 8 am -2 pm. Pensioners are also reminded that books can be uplifted at their local offices.” NIS said it is reminding pensioners to observe all COVID19 protocols when collecting their payments.
necessity of collaboration and unity and they called a Common Services conference where it was decided that the Caribbean Meteorological Service, the Regional Shipping Council and the UCWI became the core of Caribbean cooperation. In the meantime, the various colonies were granted Independence, mostly in the 1960s. The next step towards CARICOM was CARIFTA the Caribbean Free Trade Association, when, in July 1965, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda signed an agreement at Dickenson Bay establishing it. CARIFTA was designed to be a Customs union and in a few years, all of the Commonwealth Caribbean had acceded to it. One notable arrangement was that CARIFTA was divided into ‘more developed countries’ (MDC) and ‘lesser developed countries’ (LDC) to give protection to the smaller, less developed islands. In its time, CARIFTA did a great deal to strengthen the Integration Movement: the
Caribbean Development Bank was established under its watch as well as a number of functional cooperation bodies which included the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU); the Council of Legal Education (CLE); the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC); and a number of other bodies involved in Health, Shipping, Air Services, Information Services, Tourism, Technical Assistance, Standards and Industrial Research. It was the internal pressures in CARIFTA and the need to strengthen existing areas of cooperation and expand into new ones that led to the establishment of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). As pointed out above, the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973 established CARICOM. All Commonwealth Caribbean states became members and membership was open to any other Caribbean state. Suriname joined in 1995 and Haiti in 2002. Bermuda, though strictly not in the Caribbean, was admitted as
an Associate Member. The CARIFTA Secretariat which was in Georgetown, Guyana quickly evolved into a more elaborate organization with a Secretary-General, a Deputy Secretary-General and three Directors responsible for the segments of activities of CARICOM. The Secretary-Generals have all been distinguished West Indians of the highest caliber. The staffers are drawn from the member and associate states and are not representatives of their home territories but officials of the Secretariat. The work of the Secretariat has been divided into four large areas under which fall a number of activities. The first area is Human and Social Development. It included fighting the illegal drug trade; Culture; Gender and Development; Health; Human Resource Development; and Youth and Community Development. The second area is Regional Trade and Economic Integration. Under this area falls
Agriculture; CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); Industry; Sustainable Development including Environment; Tourism; Transportation; Finance and Planning. The third broad area would include Foreign and Community Relations including sourcing of technical assistance for member states; External Economic and Trade Relations; and Foreign Policy Coordination. The fourth broad area is Services. Under this falls Conference Support; Archives; Information and Communication Support; Legal Advice, Opinions and Legal Drafting; and Statistical Support. In addition to the abovementioned areas of activity, Guyana has been privileged to have had CARICOM observers at its national elections and CARICOM helping it to solve its election impasses. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
WHO ending hydroxycholorquine trial for COVID(Associated Press) BERLIN — The World Health Organization says it is ending a trial into whether anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine helps patients hospitalized with COVID-19. WHO said yesterday it has “accepted the recommendation” from the committee overseeing the trial to discon-
tinue testing of hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir, a drug combination used to treat HIV/AIDS. The drugs were being compared with standard care for hospitalized patients. WHO says a review of the interim results showed hydroxychloroquine and
lopinavir/ritonavir “produce little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients when compared to standard of care.” The agency adds that while there was no “solid evidence” of increased mortality for hospitalized patients given the drugs, there were
DISLODGED:
Around 22:00 hrs last evening, the driver of this trailer truck appeared to have mis-calculated the angle of this turn at the corner of Saffon and Broad Streets. It caused the container to dislodge from the truck. Fortunately, no one was harmed.
“some associated safety signals in the clinical laboratory findings” of an associated trial. WHO says the decision won’t affect possible trials on patients who aren’t hospitalized, or on those receiving the drugs before potential exposure to the coronavirus or shortly afterward.
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Kaieteur News
STANDARDS IN FOCUS STANDARDISATION AT THE LEVEL OF THE CARICOM REGION Guyana joins other CARICOM Member states to observe CARICOM Day as a national holiday tomorrow, July 06. Developing, promoting, and implementing standards are crucial to member states, individually and collectively. National Standards Bodies (NSBs) across the region, such as the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) and the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) develop and promote standards at the national level. This ensures that there are established requirements for products and services offered to citizens, domestically, or across borders. Respective governments support many of these bureaus, while they rely on the cooperation of the private sector. Also, through regional projects, NSBs are supported to implement the components of internationally-recognized quality infrastructure (QI) for Standardisation- Conformity Assessment (including Accreditation) and Metrology, to meet requirements and satisfy global demands. These components of QI, which are necessary for bilateral and multilateral trade, are particularly important for developing countries like those in the Caribbean that need to build and grow their production sectors. QI services also provide a vital competitive advantage to local businesses and firms. Regionally, Standards and Technical Regulations fall under Chapter Four of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, specifically, Part Three, which addresses Common Supportive Measures. Article 67 requires that the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), in collaboration with competent agencies, develop a standardization programme consistent with the international obligations of the Member States. The programme objec-
tives include trade facilitation, enhanced efficiency in the production and delivery of goods and services; improved quality of goods and services traded within the Community and with third states; and consumer and environmental protection. Additionally, CARICOM Member States established the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) under Article 67 that was signed by the Heads of Government of CARICOM on 5th July 2001. CROSQ, as the Regional Standards body, was established to facilitate the implementation of the Standardisation programme and assist the Member States in understanding and fulfilling their obligations under this Treaty of Chaguaramas and other international agreements. CROSQ also promotes the development of national standards bodies in the Member States; facilitate access to technical assistance available in the Member States and outside the region. To date, GNBS, as an NSB, has supported the development and adoption of more than 40 regional standards. These standards primarily relate to agriculture and consumer products. These regional standards are adopted nationally and are being used in industry to improve the products manufactured, making these products readily acceptable on the regional market. The GNBS wishes all of Guyana a Happy CARICOM DAY! For further information on this subject, call the GNBS on Telephone numbers: 219-0064 or 219-0065, or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgyorg (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Haiti records significant increase in COVID-19 cases LEGALNOTICE
WANTED Cook, Georgetown. Boys & Girls for the interior. Tel#6609093 SERVICES
VACANCY
Visa Forms Preparer. Tel#626-7040, Publish your Death Annoucements & In Memoriams online. Email: dthmemo@gmail.com
Excavator Operators, Cooks, Miners, GM. Contact#6002455 Handyman needed. Contact #223-5274/227-5003.
ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Affordable construction and renovation services Telephone#603-5124. Appliance repairs, spares & Service to refrigerator, washing machine / d r y e r, t r e a d m i l l , s t o v e , d i s h w a s h e r, d e e p f r y e r. Call#694-9733. Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS & SUV’S CALL :656-0087/643- 5122 E M A I L : P R O A U T O R E N TA L @YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL & TOW TRUCK SERVICE: PICKUP, 9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE # 698-7807.
Bus Drivers,Taxi Driver. Call#225-3234. Experienced Baker,Junior B a k e r , B a k e r s assistant,Bettencourt’s Diner 38 Durban Street,W/Ville. Tel#231-1368/223-1938. Air Conditioning Technician. Contact#223-5274/227-5003. Tutor.Contact#223-5274/2275003. Vacancy exists for one Manager to work @ Hotel & Club,located at Charity Essequibo Coast. Contact #502-8587.
Parfaite Harmonie $1.6M, $3.2M,Schoonard $5M,Providence,Herstelling $4M Call#666-2326.
One handyman.Must be able to paint,carpentry,masonry etc.Tel#694-7817. One Bodywork spray painter to work in Georgetown. Call#227-1717. Bodywork Guy.Tel#668-7033. Wanted: Land to Buy:Schoonard,Tuschen, Providence, Herstelling, Parfaite Harmonie, Uitvlugt. Best Price Pay Cash Call #6993357. HEALTH Herbal Remedies- Diabetes, Hypertension, Hyplori, Gall & Kidney Stones, Respitory illness, PCOS etc. Contact Sparman# 676-5924
2 Kitchen Assistants,2 Sales Clerks @ People’s Choice Kitchen.Tel#689-9426/6143895. One Live-in/Night Babysitter. Interested persons kindly contact tel# 600-6887 Between 9:00am-5:00pm location East Bank Demerara.
GR TAXI SERVICE.24 HRS CALL: 219-5000; 2272100,225-7878 or 227-1982
FOR RENT
TO LET
Apartments for rent in Peters Hall.Call#648-1391/698-5800.
Lodge Apartments (Durban) Unfurnished $40,000-$60,000 P/m, Furnished (for Visitors) $600/1000 USD.Contact#6338514/697-6421.
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Newlybuild bottom flat, two bedroom, 166 Collagen E.C.D.Tel#676-5742/685-5154 Preferably Christian Couple
TAXI SERVICE
1-2 Bedroom Apartment. Call#225-0033. Lodge Apartments (Durban) Unfurnished $40,000-$60,000 P/m.Furnished (for visitorship) $600/$1000 US P/ m.Call#633-8514/697-6421.
155/39 Freeman St East La Penitance, Georgetown.$10M Neg.Tel#677-9610 or 2314326. 1 bedroom apartment for working couple/single person $32,000 & $35,000 monthly,light & water included, 2 months security.Tel#623-0076. 2 bedroom downstairs apt for rent.Providence New scheme.Price $50,000.Tel#6194490.
LAND FOR SALE
One housekeeper.Must be able to speak Spanish and English.Age 45.Tel#624-8591.
One Apartment for rent at Mon Repos ECD, Market Street. Tel# 614-0005/6024105. 1 Single room. Lot 11 charles street,Tel#223-4060.
FOR SALE For sale Deer Brand Camphor. Call#628-0016. 6x6 Army General Truck & Log Trailer-$6M,JCB 410 4X4 Leader $5M.Call#665-3676/ 673-4002. VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Suzuki Escudo.Excellent condition, Low Mileage (50,000Km).$3.4M Neg.Call #649-0956.
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti - CMC – Haiti recorded a significance spike in the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) after having kept the figure below 100 for several days. The Ministry of Health said that the 129 new cases had pushed the total to 6,230 since the first case was detected in March. The Ministry said that while there were no deaths over the past 24 hours, the number of persons who have died so far is 110, with 4,834 active. It said that the number of
suspected cases investigated since March 19, stood at 13,047 cases an increase of 132 over last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Education has announced that schools and university activities will resume on August 10.in order to complete the 2019-2020 academic year. The Ministry said that it would soon announce the health protocols and educational instructions to be followed by the public and private schools across the country in order to facilitate the resumption of school activi-
ties and protect students and teaching and administrative staff against the virus. It said that a revised school calendar will also be published as soon as possible and will include specific information about the organization of official exams. In the meantime, the Ministry said it was encouraging students to continue their education utilising the Internet Platform for Educational Resources and Learning (PRACTIC) where courses and programmes are available.
Bar Association plans legal action to stay open after 8 pm NEWSDAY - The Barkeepers & Operators Association Trinidad & Tobago (BOATT) says it has consulted former attorney general Anand Ramlogan and will issue a pre action-protocol to the Attorney General seeking to return to regular operating hours. In a statement yesterday, the association’s president, Teron Mohan, said the bar industry employs over 20,000 people. “(And) the reality of limiting the operating hours has tremendous implications for persons employed in our industry as this will result in more continued unemployment,” said Mohan. “BOATT has been left with no option other than legal action because attempts to engage the government in consultation have been met with no response.” Mohan said after seeking
A policeman walks past men drinking at a bar on Western Main Road, St James. Bars owners plan to sue to stay open after 8 pm. - Angelo Marcelle a legal opinion from Ramlogan, they were advised they can challenge the covid19 regulations which currently restricts opening hours from 8 am-8 pm. Bar owners can be charged for continuing to operate past 8 pm. Bars were previously allowed to open until 10 pm, however, reports of crowding and no social distancing at establishments moved the Prime Minister to first warn operators to make changes or
face shutdown. Last Monday, Government announced revised the closing hour to 8 pm. The claim is being made on the ground that “the proper legal procedure was not followed because the regulations were neither approved (nor) passed by parliament and they have eroded the sacred fundamental rights of citizens in a disproportionate manner will be stronger and more acceptable.”
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Austrian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton under GSCL express grief at the investigation for two different rule breaches passing of Anil Persaud The Independent - Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for ignoring yellow flags during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, with the reigning world champion at risk of a grid penalty if he is found to have broken the rules. The 35-year-old was summoned to the stewards following yesterday afternoon’s session at the Red Bull Ring, having had to make do with second place after being beaten to pole position by Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. However, Bottas went off on his final run in front of Hamilton, causing yellow flags to be deployed
at Turn Four of the Spielberg circuit, and despite drivers being urged to show caution due to the F i n n ’s o ff , H a m i l t o n managed to improve his time. An announcement was made two hours after the end of qualifying that Hamilton was under investigation for two potential rule breaches, one for failing to slow for yellow flags and the other for track limits at Turn 10 of his final lap - which proved to be his fastest. Hamilton asked his team on the radio “did they show a yellow flag, I couldn’t see one through
the dust”, to which the response confirmed that t h e y w e r e o n d i s p l a y. Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo also said at the time that he was the caution being shown, having been the next car behind Hamilton. But asked afterwards whether he saw them, Hamilton said: “Not that I saw, no. “I came round the corner, I got on the power and I thought that Valtteri perhaps had just gone wide and come back on the track further up the road. “I was looking out for the gravel on the track and for a car on the track, but
Sunday July 05, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Mix your reality with a bit of fantasy today. Allow your feet to come off the ground for a little while. Give yourself a rest. Take some time to meditate and clear your mind of your daily worries. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Let yourself go into high creative mode and drift into a whole other world. Escape your present reality and explore your fantasies through any sort of artistic endeavor. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You'll find that things are slipping nicely into place for you today. Your persuasive manner and gentle nudges are just enough to get people where you want them. CANCER (June 21–July 22) When faced with ten entrees on the menu, it might be hard for you to choose just one. Feel free to order two or more, Cancer. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your dreams won't come true unless you believe in and act on them. No one else is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you need to take matters into your own hands. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If people hassle you or give you a hard time about your appearance today, pay them no mind. You have the right to live your life any way you want to. If that means you want to go around the house in a grubby T-shirt then so be it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Reach for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, Libra. It's closer than you think. Indeed, your dreams are completely within your reach, and there are huge forces at work helping you achieve your goals. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today is your day to dream and dream big, Scorpio. Think about what it is that you want most out of life. Aim your arrow to the stars and pull back your bow as far as possible. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today. There's an incredible opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your mind may seem rather cloudy today, Capricorn, but don't let this hinder you. In fact, you'll find that you can use this feeling of fantasy to your advantage. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today is an excellent day for you, one in which you'll find a great deal of strength in your emotions, Aquarius. Trust that your instincts are serving you well. You have nothing to lose by following your heart. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Things might get a bit confusing for you today, Pisces. Don't feel like you need to make sense of it all. In fact, this task may be impossible. Just be yourself.
there was nothing there so I continued. “Then I saw as I was going into, I think it was to Turn Six that Valtteri was much further to the left. It happened pretty quick and pretty big puff dust.” If Hamilton is found to have exceeded track limits, he could have his fastest time deleted - which would still leave him in second place behind Bottas. But if he is sanctioned for the yellow flag offence, he could face a three-place grid penalty - similar to w h a t M a x Ve r s t a p p e n received at the Mexico G r a n d P r i x l a s t y e a r. Hamilton could yet escape action if he is able to prove that the yellow flags came out too late for him to see them, that his view was obscured by the cloud of dust, or that he sufficiently lifted before making up time through the rest of the lap. Should Hamilton receive a three-place penalty, he would not only fall behind Verstappen for today’s Grand Prix, but would also be demoted behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and the second Red Bull of Alexander Albon.
Windies has tough... From page 60 second most by a West Indian. Ramdin and Sammy scored hundreds, while pacer Tino Best made 95 in his only innings. Kemar Roach was the leading wicket-taker with 8 wickets, while Sammy had 6. In their last tour in 2017 West Indies lost 2-1 after the tourists won the second Test by five wickets when Shai Hope made 147 and an unbeaten 118. England made 258 as Ben Stokes made an even 100 and Roach and Shannon Gabriel had four wickets each. Windies replied with 427 as Hope’s ton was supported by Kraigg Braithwaite’s 134 as Anderson took 5-76. England, in their second innings amassed 490-8 declared as five batsmen got half-centuries as Roston Chase had 3-86 and Holder and Gabriel two each. West Indies, set 322 to win, reached 322-5 with Hope’s second ton of the match leading the fight. Braithwaite missed a second hundred by five runs. West Indies head into this with a record against England of 157 Tests between 1928 to 2019 with 57 wins, 49 losses and 51 draws and only need to draw the series to retain the Wisden Trophy.
Executives and members of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Incorporated (GSCL) express their grief at the sudden passing of a true cricket all-rounder Anil Persaud. At the time of his sudden passing on Wednesday July 1, Persaud was the Assistant Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board but also served cricket in other capacities including coaching, selection, organizing and playing at various levels. The former resident of Enmore East Coast Demerara was an active softball player where he showcased his skills
in the GSCL organized annual Prime Minister’s T20 Softball Cup. In 2018, Persaud turned out for the Enterprise Legends while in 2019 he suited up for the visiting Tropical Springs Masters. Cricket has lost a fighter, he did it all for cricket, for the love of the sport. He was a true all-rounder, a champion. He will be missed. The GSCL take this opportunity to express sincere condolences to his immediate family and the wider cricket fraternity throughout Guyana. May his humble soul be granted eternal peace.
GCC bids Farewell to... From page 62 recognise Anil for his commitment to the development of cricket in Guyana and his passion for the game. He made significant contributions in various aspects of cricket, as a player, coach and especially in various administrative roles. His much-appreciated input spanned all levels of cricket— associate, county, and national— and his impact on the sport in Guyana was positive and lasting. Many young players will remember Anil for the assistance he gave to them
in the development of their careers. Cricket clubs in various parts of Guyana have also benefitted from Anil’s expertise and input. There is no doubt that he will be sadly missed by the local cricketing community. The GCC extends its deepest sympathy to the families and friends of Sir Everton Weekes and Anil Persaud whose contributions and devotion to cricket have brought immense honour to the sport at local, regional and international levels, and boundless joy to cricket lovers everywhere. May they rest in peace.
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Ronaldo scores from free kick, Buffon breaks record in Juve win
Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon during the warm up before the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (REUTERS/Massimo Pinca) TURIN, Italy (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored from a free kick for Juventus and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made a record 648th Serie A appearance as the league leaders beat their smaller neighbours Torino 4-1 in the Derby della Mole yesterday. Ronaldo curled his shot over the wall and into the
corner to put Torino 3-1 ahead in the 61st minute, his first goal in 43 free kick attempts during just under two seasons with Juventus. The win left Juventus with 75 points from 30 games, seven ahead of secondplaced Lazio who were at home to AC Milan later yesterday. Torino, who have failed to beat Juventus in
their last 12 attempts, are 15th with 31 points. Buffon, 42, overtook Paolo Maldini’s Serie A appearance record when he was picked for his first league game this year. Paulo Dybala put Juventus ahead with a trademark goal as the Argentine skipped past two defenders and clipped a deflected shot past
Thai boxing matches resume after lockdown, but audiences stay home BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai boxing matches resumed yesterday after more than three months as the nation eases its coronavirus lockdown, but fans of the popular sport will have to make do with watching on television for now. Leaders of the sport hailed the return to the ring after the shutdown, which left hundreds of boxers and referees without work, and said they hoped spectators would be allowed to attend matches again soon. “I’m very happy and excited to get back to the ring ... But I feel a bit strange. I was used to the sounds of crowds cheering, but there’s no audience,” said Khathawut Tumthong, a 21-year-old boxer. Thailand’s government has eased most curbs to try to revive an economy badly hit by the pandemic, with sports competitions
among the latest activities to resume. No local transmissions of the virus have been reported for 40 days. However, authorities have yet to issue rules on when and how audiences will be allowed at sports venues. In March, a spike in virus cases was linked to a boxing match in Bangkok. “Today is a good start for the boxing industry,” said Viboon Jampa-nguern, head of Thailand’s boxing committee. “Boxers are in jeopardy, they don’t have alternative jobs. The same goes for those who work as boxing referees, they don’t have second jobs to support them,” he said. Thailand’s tourism-driven economy could contract a record 8.1% this year, with the number of foreign tourists expected to tumble 80%, the central bank has forecast.
Muaythai boxers fight in front of empty spectator seats behind closed doors due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Siam Boxing Stadium in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand, June 4, 2020. (REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha)
Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their third goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (REUTERS/Massimo Pinca) Salvatore Sirigu in the third minute. Torino responded well and forced a flurry of corners only to be caught out on the counter in the 29th minute when Ronaldo burst forward and slipped the ball to Juan Cuadrado. The Colombian outfoxed his marker and scored with a low shot into the far corner.
The visitors replied from penalty given for handball against Matthijs De Ligt after a long VAR review in first-half stoppage time and Andrea Belotti beat Buffon to score for the fourth successive game. Torino had a goal ruled out for offside after the restart and Simone Verdi tested Buffon with a long-range shot
but Torino’s hopes of a fightback were ended by Ronaldo’s 25th league goal of the season. Hapless To r i n o substitute Koffi Djidji turned a Douglas Costa cross into his own net under no pressure to complete Torino’s misery only two minutes after coming on.
Stewards reject Red Bull protest against Mercedes (Reuters) - Formula One stewards rejected on Friday a Red Bull protest against a new steering system used by champions Mercedes in practice for the seasonopening Austrian Grand Prix. The action concerned the cars of six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton and Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas, with Red Bull questioning the legality of the Dual Axis Steering (DAS) system. Mercedes, who dominated practice with Hamilton fastest in both sessions, were running the system for the first time at a race weekend. The governing FIA has already banned DAS for 2021, despite the cars remaining the same due to new rules being postponed to 2022. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said it was a ‘grey area’ of the rules and asked why it should remain legal this season. DAS allows a driver to change the ‘toe angle’ of the front wheels by pushing and pulling on the steering wheel, rather than just moving it sideways. The stewards, after hours of deliberation in a decision
Mercedes’ steering system is under investigation (Joe Klamar/Pool via AP) published after midnight in Austria, decided the protest was “not founded”. “The Stewards believe DAS is part of the steering system, albeit not a conventional one,” they ruled. “The key challenges to the legality of DAS rely on it not being part of the steering system. “The stewards decide that DAS is not in breach of the suspension related regulations.” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had earlier welcomed a clarification. “We think we are on the right side. There was a lot of talking and exchange with the
FIA, that is the reason why we have it on the car,” he added before the verdict. “Controversy and different judgement on engineering innovation has always been part of Formula One. This is what’s to be expected in a way. It’s part of the racing.” The stewards reminded Red Bull of their right to appeal certain decisions within time limits. Mercedes are chasing a seventh successive title double this season. Red Bull were third overall last year but could be the German manufacturer ’s biggest challengers in 2020.
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Greenwood shines as five-star Man United crush Bournemouth MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Manchester United’s three-pronged attack combined to devastating effect as they crushed Bournemouth 5-2 in the Premier League yesterday to move into the top four and stretch their unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions. Mason Greenwood shone with two superb goals while Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and playmaker Bruno Fernandes added one each for United, who climbed into fourth place on 55 points from 33 games. They are one point ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea who were hosting Watford in the 1900 GMT kickoff. Bournemouth, who have now lost 17 of their last 22 league games, stayed 19th on 27 points and face a mountain to climb if they are to avoid relegation from the top flight. Rashford, who scored his
20th goal of the season in all competitions and the first since the league resumed on June 17 following a threemonth break due to the coronavirus pandemic, was delighted. “The lads enjoyed it today,” Rashford told BT Sport. “Definitely exciting times. It doesn’t matter who scores as long as we are scoring and picking up points in the table. He also praised 18-year old Greenwood, who gave his markers a torrid time. “Left foot, right foot he can finish. I don’t want to put too much emphasis on him, just let him play his football and that he is what he does,” Rashford said. “It is a big bonus to have him in the squad.” Junior Stanislas fired the visitors into a 16th-minute lead but United hit back through Greenwood before
Rashford converted a penalty and Martial rifled a screamer into the top corner to give the home side a 3-1 halftime lead. Josh King pulled one back for the visitors with a penalty shortly after the break but United came storming back again as Greenwood made it 4-2 with another clinical finish and Fernandes curled in a free kick on the hour. Rashford and Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke had efforts disallowed for marginal offside and visiting goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale made several fine saves in a rip-roaring clash at Old Trafford. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also praised Greenwood. “He is a fantastic goalscorer. The moment he chose the goal, they were very important moments for
Sir Everton Weekes one of our greatest champions By Rudi V. Webster Sir Everton Weekes, the last surviving member of the legendary “Three Ws” Worrell, Walcott and Weekes - died on Wednesday, July 1st at his home in Barbados at the age of 95. People in the Caribbean are mourning his loss with sad and heavy hearts. Sir Donald Bradman who first saw him in Australia in the early Nineteen Fifties thought that he was the best of the Three Ws. Sir Everton who played in 48 Tests, finished his Test career with an average of 58.6, scoring 15 centuries, five of them in consecutive innings, a record that still stands. He was denied a sixth century in Madras when he was unfortunately run out on 90. He never believed in hitting the ball in the air and throughout his distinguished Test career only hit one six! Former Australian captain Richie Benaud once said that Weekes was a “butcher” of fast and slow bowling and was similar to Bradman in his stroke play and his attitude to batting. Sir Everton holds the distinction of scoring his first 1000 Test runs in 12 innings, beating Sir Donald who did so in 13 innings – to date an unbroken Test record. Sir Everton was loved, admired and respected by cricket lovers around the world who had the pleasure of watching him and meeting him. A humble man from modest beginnings, he became one of cricket’s and
West Indies’ best known and most distinguished ambassadors. A wise and wonderful human being, he had the unique capacity to see situations and challenges from different perspectives without distorting or magnifying them in any way. That was a measure of his wisdom and greatness. As someone once said, “The true measure of wisdom is the capacity to see and understand things from many different perspectives.” Years ago, I had the privilege of talking to him about cricket, particularly about the mental aspects of the game. When I asked him how he coped with pressure he said, “I always looked at pressure as a chance to show everyone how good a player I was. It gave me an opportunity to become a star for my team and country. I often got a high from pressure.” A few years ago, MS Dhoni, successful captain of Team India, echoed similar comments when he told me: “Lots of negative things are said about pressure. Pressure to me is just added responsibility. How can it be pressure when God gives you an opportunity to be a hero for your team and your country? That is exhilaration.” As a young boy, Sir Everton often batted on unprepared wickets without the protection of batting pads. He told me that was excellent training because it
helped him to develop effective footwork, and that it taught him to watch the ball closely and carefully from the bowler’s hand on to the bat. Sometimes he batted for days without losing his wicket. That was excellent training for keeping his wicket intact later on. About two decades ago, the West Indies team was travelling to Jamaica by air and one of the Test players was seated next to Sir Everton. At the end of the flight the player, who was very impressed with Sir Everton’s knowledge, allegedly asked a team member if he knew the old man who was sitting next to him. His friend told him that he was Sir Everton Weekes! It would be interesting to learn how much our current Test players know about the great man and his enormous achievements. One must wonder if in our current system enough is being done to educate our players about West Indies’ cricket history and about West Indies’ champion teams and players. There is nothing in this life that we can have for very long. People come into our lives and then leave us, sad and aching because of our attachment. In the Caribbean, we tend to belittle the achievements and stature of our own people, but in the case of Sir Everton, I don’t think that will happen. Sir Everton will be missed but never forgotten. He was one of our greatest champions!
Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood celebrates scoring their fourth goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Peter Powell/Pool via REUTERS) us,” said the Norwegian. “He is a very, very talented boy and we will nurture him and manage him as best we can. “One of the positive
things about the forwards is that they are good friends and keep challenging each other.” Saturday 4th July 2020 Results: Norwich 0 – Brighton 1
Leicester 3 - Crystal Palace 0 Man Utd 5 – Bournemouth 2 Wolves 0 – Arsenal 2 Chelsea 3 – Watford 0
Special prosecutor to examine allegations against FIFA boss, Swiss Attorney General ZURICH (Reuters) Switzerland named a special prosecutor to review criminal complaints against FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and Attorney General Michael Lauber after the men held undocumented meetings, while Lauber’s office was investigating suspected graft surrounding the global soccer body. Lauber last month became the subject of an impeachment process relating to his handling of the soccer inquiry. The watchdog overseeing Swiss federal prosecutors - Lauber’s office - placed him under investigation last year after he held three closed-door meetings with FIFA President Infantino regarding the status of the corruption inquiry. Lauber and Infantino both previously denied any wrongdoing. Yesterday, the watchdog announced that lawmakers conducting the impeachment process had asked it to review Infantino’s conduct too in the investigation after three criminal complaints were filed against both men and other unnamed persons with prosecutors in the capital Bern. Stefan Keller, a presiding judge at a Swiss cantonal court, had been appointed as
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks at the UEFA Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 3, 2020. (REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo) “extraordinary prosecutor” on June 29 to review the complaints and determine whether criminal charges should be brought against Lauber. FIFA said it welcomed the appointment and was cooperating fully. Previous complaints against Infantino had been dismissed by various authorities, it said. “There was a mountain of questions,” Infantino said in a statement provided by FIFA, referring to the investigations in which world soccer was involved at the time of the meetings. “So it’s legitimate to offer to contribute to the Swiss Attorney General about the clarification of these events, hoping that those who have done criminal acts and damaged FIFA will be held to account for that,” he said.
Lauber’s office said it had taken note of the special prosecutor’s appointment, declining further comment. A Swiss court last year ordered Lauber to recuse himself from world soccer investigations, ruling that his meetings with Infantino raised the appearance of bias. Other federal prosecutors are now running the investigations. The investigations against Swiss-based FIFA involve allegations of breach of trust, fraud, embezzlement and money laundering. Lauber’s office is conducting around 25 criminal investigations alongside 15 foreign law enforcement agencies. A fourth criminal complaint has been filed, the watchdog said. No details of the complaints have been released.
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Windies has tough task beating host England - Since last series win in 1988 has lost 6 out of 7 series By Sean Devers The three Test series against England will be played behind closed doors in a bio-secure environment at the Ageas Bowl in Lancashire and Old Trafford where there are hotels at both venues. The first Test starts on Wednesday from 6AM at Ageas Bowl, while the other two are scheduled for Old Trafford from July 16-20 and July 24-28 respectively. West Indies have won just two Tests in England in 25 years and have not won a series there in 32-years since beating England 4-0 in 1988 after the rain-affected first Test was drawn. The Regional team is in Quarantine at Old Trafford where the team train and had two practice matches among the 25-man squad before moving to Ageas Bowl for the opening Test. In their last series against England last year in the Caribbean, West Indies won the Three-Test series 2-1 as Holder (202), Shane Dowrich (116) and Chase (102) got centuries, while Roach finished with 18 scalps, Alzarri Joseph (10), Shannon Gabriel (9) and Jason Holder (7). West Indies, without Daren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer will depend on Shai Hope, Kraigg Braithwaite, Roston Chase and Skipper Jason Holder with the bat if West Indies are expected to compete. The bowling attack is West Indies’ strength as they aim for an unlikely series win for the first time in over three decades.
A confident Jason Holder has a ‘double’ against England & will hope to with bat & ball. England were West 3-1. Indies’ whipping boys Jeffery Stollmeyer and throughout three decades John Goddard insisted that (1970s, 80s & 90) and had Ramadhin and Valentine, with never beaten them in a series virtually no First-Class since 1969. experience, be selected. However, West Indies’ 31 The spin twins year winning series streak mesmerized the English over their former Colonial batsmen while Alan Rae and Masters ended in the fifth and Stollmeyer, rated only behind final Test of the 2000 tour to Gordon Greenidge and England. Desmond Haynes (who In 1928, West Indies shared 16 century achieved Test status, 51 years partnerships between them) after Australia faced England as outstanding West Indian in the first official test match opening pairs, give their team in 1877. solid starts for the three W’s But Carl Nunes, the first (Weeks, Worrell and Walcott) of 37 West Indies Test to build on as the West Indies Captains, lost the three Test enjoyed their finest hour, series 3-0 before West Indies winning their first match in won the Third Test of the England…at Lords. 1929-30 tour at Bourda in It was the coming of age British Guiana which was their for West Indies cricket and first ever Test win. West Indians residing in After the fourth Test in England celebrated the Jamaica, which lasted 10 days National achievement as a (Apr 3-12, 1930) ended in a way of demonstrating that draw by agreement, the Four- West Indians were the equals Test series ended 1-1. of white Englishmen. However, they had to wait In 1988, West Indies, who for another 20 years to win had not lost a Test series their first series against host since 1980, hammered England on the historic 1950 England 4-0 in the Five-Test series which the Windies won series which was to be the last Brian Lara loved batting against England.
The experienced Kemar Roach will lead the Windies pace pack. time they beat England in England in a series. Fifteen years of World dominance and glory ended with a 2-1 loss in the four Test Series to Australia in May 1995. West Indies then travelled to England a month later for a Six-Test series which they drew 2-2. The West Indies Squad was led by 33-year-old Richie Richardson and included Sherwin Campbell, Stuart Williams, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Jimmy Adams, Keith Arthurton, a 20 year-old Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Junior Murray, Courtney Browne, Otis Gibson, Winston Benjamin, Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Kenny Benjamin, Ian Bishop and the lone spinner leggie Rajendra Dhanraj. Winston Benjamin had been sent home after the second Test for disciplinary reasons and was replaced by Vasbert Drakes. Lara scored three tons and three fifties from six Tests with a highest score of 179 and an Average of 85.00 but Hooper, who played as an opening batsman, made a century and a half-century and was the only other West Indian to score a century after missing the fifth Test due to finger injury. Bishop (27), Walsh (26), K. Benjamin (23) and Ambrose (21) were the leading bowlers for West Indies who won the opening Test by nine wickets. West Indies lost the second Test by 73 runs but rebounded to win the third Test by an innings and 64 runs as England were bowled out in 30 overs for 89. West Indies lost the fourth Test by six wickets in four days despite Lara’s 89 and 145. Pacer Dominic Cork (4111) took a hat-trick in the first over of the third day; when he removed Richardson,
Junior Murray (0) and Hooper (0) who batted at number seven due to injury. The fifth Test was drawn as England made 440 with tons from Graham Hick 118* and Skipper Mike Atherton 113, K. Benjamin had 5-105. Windies replied with 417 as Lara registered his second ton of the series with a masterful 152. England made 269-9, while West Indies reached 42-2 when the game ended. In the sixth Test, England made 454 as Graham Hick made 96 and when Wilkinson was caught behind by Browne it was Walsh’s 300th wicket. Windies reached 692-8 declared as Lara made 179 (3rd ton) and Hooper getting 127 after missing the 5th test due to injury. Campbell got 89, while Chanderpaul scored 80. England reached 223-4 with Atherton leading the way with 95 as West Indies retained the Wisden Trophy by virtue of the drawn series. After this, West Indies toured England six times and managed to win just two Tests matches while losing all six series. The tour to England in June 2000 was the breakthrough tour for the hosts as England won the Five-Test series 3-1 and celebrated an end to 31 years without a series win against West Indies. It was in 1969 when England had last won a series over West Indies. The fifth and last Test began on September 4 with the visitors needing a win to the draw the series and retain the Wisden trophy. England made 281 as Walsh 3-68, Nixon McLean 380, Ambrose and Nagamootoo had two each. Windies were 75-8 before McLean 29 and Ridley Jacobs 26 not out added 44 for the 9th wicket to see them to 125 as Craig White had 5-32.
England made 217 with Atherton 108 and Marcus Trescothick added 159 for the first wicket before Walsh captured 4-73. Set 374 to win Windies fell for 215 as nobody reached 50 as England won by 158 runs. Darren Gough finished as England’s top wicket taker with 25 scalps which included five dismissals of Lara. Walsh was the top wicket-taker for the series with 34 wickets. The 2004 tour saw England win the four Test series 4-nil although Chanderpaul scored a century and two fifties in his 437 runs at an average of 72.83 including 128 not out and an unbeaten 97 in the same match. Chris Gayle who made a ton and three fifties, scored 400 runs but Ramnaresh Sarwan who scored a hundred and a fifty, was the only other West Indian to reach three figures. Dwayne Bravo had 16 scalps, while Pedro Collins had 10 wickets. In 2007, England won the Four-Test series 3-0 after the opening Test was drawn. Chanderpaul was again among the runs with 446 with two centuries and three fifties at an Average of 148.66, while Corey Collymore took 11 wickets, Darren Sammy and Daren Powell took nine wickets each. In May 2009 England swept Windies 2-nil in the two Test series as Sarwan scored the only century but still ended with 136 runs from his four innings, while Fidel Edwards was the most successful bowler with seven wickets. In 2012 West Indies lost 2-0 after the first Test was drawn. Marlon Samuels scored 386 runs with a century and three fifties, while the consistent Chanderpaul, who scored two fifties, made 225 runs which was the (Continued on page 57)
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England stick with Joe Denly, no room for Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali in Test squad ESPNcricinfo - England have opted for continuity ahead of the first Test against West Indies, with every member of their 13-man squad having featured on the tour of South Africa earlier this year. That means Joe Denly is set to retain his place in the batting line-up, while the main decisions will revolve around the make-up of the pace attack. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, both of whom impressed during England’s warm-up game this week, may be vying for one place, while Chris Woakes is the allrounder option in support of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Sam Curran, who tested negative for Covid-19 after feeling unwell during the match, is among the nine reserves who will remain with the squad at the Ageas Bowl. Most noteworthy among those missing out were Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali, senior members of England’s white-ball squads but overlooked for the Tests. Bairstow had been a contender to come into the side in the absence of Joe Root, England’s Test captain who is missing the game in
order to attend the birth of his child, but only managed scores of 11 and 39 in the three-day warm-up; James Bracey and Dan Lawrence, who both caught the eye with half-centuries, have been retained as the back-up batsmen. Dom Bess remains at the head of the pack among England’s spinners, keeping out Jack Leach, who is among the reserves, and Moeen. Bess claimed 3 for 72 in his outings for Team Buttler, while Leach and Moeen went wicketless for Team Stokes in the first innings and then conceded runs at six an over in the second. With Root having already left the camp, and Ben Stokes in line to become England’s 81st Test captain, the selectors have stuck with familiar names for the first of three matches in three weeks against West Indies. Rory Burns returns, having suffered ankleligament damage while playing football in South Africa, and seems set to open alongside Dom Sibley, with Denly and Zak Crawley the options to cover for Root’s absence at No. 4. Ollie Pope and Stokes will complete the batting line-up,
while Jos Buttler retains the gloves, as head coach Chris Silverwood hinted during the week, with Ben Foakes retained as back-up keeper. In the fast-bowling department, England have Archer and Wood available to provide extra pace - but while there may be a temptation to deploy them together in Test cricket for the first time, Silverwood has previously hinted that they will likely be rotated in order to protect both from wear and tear. Archer has only recently recovered from an elbow stress fracture, having missed three Tests in South Africa and been omitted from the touring party for Sri Lanka in March. Although Broad went wicketless in the Ageas Bowl warm-up, he has been the automatic pick to partner Anderson with the new ball currently on a run of 51 consecutive Test appearances at home - but Woakes will also have the chance to press his case. With the likelihood that England will have to rotate their seamers in order to keep them fresh - there are only three-day gaps between the Tests - the reserves include two uncapped quicks in Saqib Mahmood and Ollie
England’s 81st Test captain Ben Stokes. (Getty Images) Robinson, alongside Craig Overton and Olly Stone, who stays on despite not being fit enough to bowl in the warmup game because of hamstring trouble. England squad for first Test: Ben Stokes (capt), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad,
Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Joe Denly, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood Reserves: James Bracey, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Ollie Robinson, Olly Stone #raisethebat Three-
match Test Series: 1st Test: England v West Indies, July 8-12, Ageas Bowl, Southampton 2nd Test: England v West Indies, July 16-20, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester 3rd Test: England v West Indies, July 24-28, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Bottas pips Hamilton to start F1 season on pole in Austria SPIELBERG, Austria (Reuters) - Finland’s Valtteri Bottas will start the Formula One season on pole position after denying Mercedes team mate and six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton t h e t o p s l o t i n A u s tria yesterday. The front-row lockout by Mercedes equalled Ferrari’s record of 65, and the “Black Arrows” — their new livery a statement against racism were in a private duel at the scenic Red Bull Ring. Hamilton had started as favourite after dominating all three practice sessions but Bottas shifted up a gear just when it mattered. “It feels really good, I’ve missed this feeling,” said the Finn of a third career Austrian GP pole after 2017 and 2018, and one secured despite tracking across gravel and grass on his final flying lap. “Our team have done an amazing job, we seem to be in our own league.” Hamilton was a mere 0.012 slower than the Finn’s time of one minute 02.939 seconds, set on his first run, after lapping fastest on Friday and Saturday’s final practice at the scenic Red Bull Ring. “The car was great, I just
didn’t manage to put the greatest laps together,” said the Briton. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, winner of the past two races at his team’s home circuit, qualified third — half a second slower than Hamilton — but as the sole driver in the top 10 on the medium tyres. McLaren’s Lando Norris, at 20 the youngest man in the race, will line up an impressive fourth. NIGHTMARE AFTERNOON Ferrari, championship runners-up last season, had a nightmare afternoon. Four-times champion Sebastian Vettel failed to reach the top 10 shootout, starting 11th, while Charles Leclerc qualified seventh after taking pole last year. “Of course, it’s a surprise, we thought we had a little bit more in hand but it seems the others were probably running a little bit more fuel or were more conservative in practice,” Vettel said. “I wasn’t so happy with the car, more oversteer in entry than I would like. But we will see, I think tomorrow is a different picture.” Red Bull’s Alexander
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton wearing protective face masks during the press conference after qualifying, as F1 resumes following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Mario Renzi/Pool via REUTERS) Albon qualified fifth with Mexican Sergio Perez sixth for Racing Point, whose pinkliveried car is a lookalike of the title-winning 2019 Mercedes. Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who is taking Vettel’s place at Ferrari next year, qualified eighth for McLaren with
Racing Point’s Lance Stroll ninth and Australian Daniel Ricciardo 10th for Renault. At the slower end of the grid, there was cheer for former champions Williams, last overall in 2019, with George Russell qualifying 17th and ahead of both Ferraripowered Alfa Romeos as well
as rookie team mate Nicholas Latifi. “Today has exceeded my expectations, I knew we had made a step forward, but I didn’t think we would be in this position,” said the Briton, who was just 0.003 slower than Haas’s Kevin Magnussen.
“We have made a big step forward, and this is the closest we have been on pure pace.” Sunday’s race is the first major global sporting event since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the 10 teams working in isolation and closely-controlled conditions for health and safety.
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Sunday July 05, 2020
Kaieteur News
England players to sport Black Lives Matter logo in solidarity with West Indies MANCHESTER, England, CMC – England’s cricketers will follow the lead of their West Indies opponents and wear the Black Lives Matter logo on their shirt collars in the three-Test series starting next week. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it took the decision with the full support of the England players led by Test captain Joe Root and stand-in captain for the first Test Ben Stokes. “In a mark of solidarity, the team will join the West Indies and carry an identical logo on their playing shirts,” it said in a statement on Thursday, three days after Cricket West Indies (CWI) made its announcement that the logo would be brandished on the left side of the shirt collars of the regional players. The ECB’s chief executive officer, Tom Harrison stressed the decision was not intended as a political statement, adding that “this moment is about unity”. “We are proud that our
The Black Lives Matter logo seen here on the West Indies Test team’s shirts will also be on the playing shirts of the England squad. players will stand alongside those from the West Indies and wear a logo that embodies that philosophy. It is fitting that they do so in solidarity with athletes from the football world who wore it first,” he said. “We have a responsibility to ensure that cricket is truly
a game for everyone. We will shortly set out further steps that build on the work we have already done to make cricket more inclusive and diverse in order to address some of the barriers which still exist for some communities.” Insisting that there can be no place for racism in society
or the sport of cricket “and we must do more to tackle it”, Harrison reiterated the ECB’s full support of the Black Lives Matter message. “It has become a message of solidarity and a drive for progress and societal change…. Our support of that message is not an endorsement, tacit or otherwise, of any political organisation, nor the backing of any group that calls for violence or condones illegal activity. We are aware of certain aspects of the movement that promote their own political views, and their actions are not supported in any way by the ECB and our players,” he said. Root added that it was important to show solidarity to the black community and to raise much needed awareness around the topics of equality and justice. “The England players and management are unified in this approach and will use the platform of international cricket to fully support the objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists,”
the England captain said. “There has to be equal opportunity and equal rights for all. We hope by making this stance we can play our part in standing shoulder-toshoulder as a team and we hope that by continuing to raise awareness we can move towards a society in which the colour of your skin and your background has no bearing on your opportunities. “It is very simple, we believe there is no room for racism or any form of discrimination, anywhere,” Root added. The Black Lives Matter emblem was designed by Alisha Hosannah, the partner of Troy Deeney, professional footballer and captain of Premier League side Watford Football Club. He was contacted by ECB and CWI and permission was granted for the logo to be displayed on the collar according to ICC regulations. “Alisha and I are immensely proud to be asked and take part in a monumental moment in world sport, this amazing decision by the England and West Indies
cricket teams to show their support for Black Lives Matter,” Deeney said. “When I got the call, I didn’t hesitate to respond, because I know as sportspersons in the spotlight, how important our efforts are to bring about change and the role we play in moving towards change in our society. Watching cricket with my grandad shaped my childhood, so it’s great to be able to help England and West Indies Cricket to show their support in such a meaningful way.” The England team are currently preparing for the first Test, scheduled to start next Wednesday, in a biosecure environment at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. All players and management live, train and play on-venue and is part of comprehensive medical and operational protocol to ensure all players and staff can play safely due to the impact of COVID-19. The two sides will face each other in second and third Tests at Old Trafford here on July 16-20 and 24-28.
GCC bids Farewell to No support from TTCB boss for Cameron’s international and local ICC bid Cricket Giants GEORGETOWN, Guyana— The Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) is saddened at the loss of two stalwarts in the Regional cricketing fraternity—former great West Indian batsman Sir Everton Weekes, and dynamic Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Assistant Secretary and Selector, Anil Persaud. Sir Everton: A righthanded batsman from Barbados, Sir Everton is widely regarded as one of the hardest hitters of a cricket ball the world has ever seen. Along with Sir Frank Worrell and Sir Clyde Walcott, he formed ‘The Three Ws’ who were the cornerstone of West Indies’ batting in the late 1940s and 1950s. The trio enabled the Regional team to have three world-class batsmen in its team for the first time in history, and Weekes was arguably the best of the three. Sir Everton finished his Test career with the exceptional batting average of 58.61, which is the second highest among all West Indians and eighth-best of all time for players who have completed their careers. He also holds one of the most enduring world records in all forms of cricket for scoring
Test centuries in five consecutive innings in 194849, a record that still stands after more than 70 years. The Barbadian batting maestro was an inspiration and mentor to many up-andcoming cricketers in the Caribbean. His outstanding personal contribution as a batsman and as a role model helped to make the West Indies cricket team a force to be reckoned with, and provided the momentum for its ascendancy as the undisputed premier team in the world for 15 successive years. Anil Persaud: Outstanding performance on the cricket field is often the end result of exceptional work beyond the boundary and, in this area, Guyanese Anil Persaud excelled. He wore many hats as a player and cricket administrator. He was a highly-regarded softball cricketer and dedicated coach who later made a name for himself as one of the leading lights for the GCB. He also found the time to provide loyal and diligent service as an executive member of the East Coast Cricket Committee and the Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club. We (Continued on page 57)
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Another Cricket West Indies (CWI) director has made it clear he will not support former president Dave Cameron in his bid to become the next chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and he does not expect the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) that he leads will either. In fact, Azim Bassarath has suggested that Cameron’s bid is laughable. “I don’t know how to react to this but the fact that Mr Cameron is seeking nomination for ICC chairman. I don’t think anybody in the Caribbean will take that serious,” he said on Isports on i95.5FM here. His comment came in response to a question from host Andre Baptiste, who said others in the studio were laughing at the idea of Cameron seeking to l e a d c r i c k e t ’s w o r l d governing body. “I am also laughing,” Bassarath said as he expressed surprise at the efforts of the former CWI boss who found himself at the centre of controversy at several points during his two terms at the helm of the cricketing organisation. Cameron confirmed a
week ago, on Nationwide Sports radio show in his native Jamaica, that he would be asking for CWI’s nomination, as he seeks the support of at least two full members of the ICC in his bid to succeed Shashank Manohar. Speaking on the same radio show on Monday, CWI vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow made it clear that Cameron would not be getting his support. But two days later, on the Mason and Guest sports talk show, Barbados Cricket Association president Conde Riley urged CWI to support Cameron’s effort, saying that the governing body of cricket in the region needed to support its own. Bassarath said he was not surprised that Riley, a longtime supporter of Cameron who lost the presidency of what was t h e n t h e We s t I n d i e s C r i c k e t B o a r d t o Ricky Skerrit in the March 2019 elections, would be batting for the Jamaican in this matter. “Maybe he will ask Cricket West Indies to support Mr Cameron but I have my views also – that I will not support it – and I don’t think the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board will support Mr Cameron, even in his nomination in moving forward,” the TTCB president said.
Bassarath also suggested that Riley, whom he referred to as his friend and a man who was passionate about cricket, was still stuck in the past and “has not as yet gotten over the fact that Dave Cameron is not president of Cricket West Indies anymore”. That comment was in relation to Riley’s call for West Indies coach Phil Simmons to be sacked for leaving isolation at Old Trafford in Manchester, where the regional squad is preparing for their three-Test series against England, to attend his father-in-law’s funeral last Friday. The BCA boss had written to letter to board members, quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, in which he called for the Trinidadian’s “immediate removal as head coach”. Skerrit has since defended Simmons, who had received permission to leave the bio-secure environment, saying that he still has the full backing of CWI, “no matter what has been said”. The CWI president also contended that the matter of coach Simmons’ exiting and returning to Old Trafford “should never have been controversial in any way”. Bassarath said Riley’s letter was “a bit harsh”. “I think he should have waited until he received more information before he sent the letter…. I don’t think that
Conde would have done a letter like that calling for the firing of Phil Simmons had he known the medical team had given him the necessary approval to attend the funeral,” he said. He added that Riley had to realize that “the election is over and we must work together as a team for the benefit of West Indies cricket”. “I hope that Conde is going to realize that the bickering and the fighting among directors will cease and let us move on with the cricket. The cricket is more important than any one of us and we have to do whatever has to be done for the benefit of the young men and women in the Caribbean who are involved and who are playing cricket professionally, and try to take the cricket across the Caribbean on an upward mobility,” he added. However, Bassarath said Riley’s misstep was not enough for him to step down, adding that the Barbadian cricket administrator still had a lot to offer cricket in his country and in the region. “I will maybe have a word with him for us to get t o g e t h e r, l e t u s w o r k towards the cricket and focus on the cricket alone and leave the politics out at this stage,” he said.
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 05, 2020
PAGE 67
Guyana preparing for 12-Team O-45 “Big Man Cricket” Tournament
Zamin Amin
Sudesh Dhaniram
Kenny Girdharry
T h e C o r o n a Vi r u s pandemic has put a halt to cricket in Guyana and around the world but as the players on the international scene prepare to take the field again some countries are already enjoying the beautiful game under strict health guidelines. In Guyana, however, team sports and similar recreational events are not yet given the green light to resume but, in the meantime, a new cricket tournament is in the planning stage.
The Guyana Masters Cricket Association (GMCA) operates under the auspices of Cricket West Indies Masters Association (CWIMA). The new and exciting ‘Big Man Cricket’ Tournament will be played among local teams once permission to resume the beautiful game in the land of many waters is given. The tournament will be for players 45-years and older who will play 45 oversa-side contests using pink hard balls in the domestic
tournament. Players 45 and over are being considered at the domestic level to create a pool of quality cricketers and to get them accustomed to the format so that they are ready if selected at the Over50s level. However, ONLY players who will have attained 50 years of age on March 1st, 2022 will be eligible for selection at the national and regional levels. “Ideally, we are looking to attract four teams from each of the counties to give
Krishna Harricharan as many players as possible the opportunity to turn back the clock. Interested persons, teams, clubs and/or sponsors are encouraged to enquire and sign up by contacting John Ramsingh of the GMCA, the local Organizing Committee via e m a i l johnoramsingh@gmail.com , whatsapp or telephone 6643999 or Raj Singh via email rsinsurance63@gmail.com; Whatsapp +1239-699-7047. Also, potential sponsors will be sought but interested
Rajendra Sadeo organizations are also encouraged to contact the committee for details,” a release from the organisers indicated. This tournament will be used to select a Guyana representative side to compete in the CWIMA Regional Over-50s Tournament scheduled to be held in 2021. Additionally, the Regional tournament will be used to select players for the West Indies Over-50s side to play against other international teams and in
Balwant Roy Singh the next Over-50s Cricket World Cup. The first ever West Indies Over-50s Cricket team, which was recently formed, took part in the Over-50s Cricket World Cup in Cape Town South Africa in March 2020. Unfortunately, after 2 and a half matches, the tournament was called off due to the threat of the Corona Virus. The next Over-50s Cricket World Cup is set to return to Cape Town in 2022 once given the go ahead.
West Indies batsmen need to ‘stand up and make difference’, says Shamarh Brooks
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SPNcricinfo Shamarh Brooks has backed the preparations of West Indies’ batsmen as being good enough to “bring success” in the series against England, despite assistant coach Roddy Estwick admitting to concern about the form of the top order going into the Tests. A likely top five of Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Brooks, Shai Hope and Roston Chase managed just 29 runs between them in West Indies’ second intra-squad warm-up match, a rainaffected four-day game at Emirates Old Trafford earlier this week, prompting Estwick to describe their lack of time in the middle as one of his “biggest worries”. While Brathwaite, Hope and Brooks did manage fifties in the first tour game, they were unable to build on that, as West Indies’ firstchoice pace foursome of Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph combined to reduce the Brathwaite XI to 49 for 5 in their only innings. But Brooks remained confident that the building blocks were being put in place for West Indies to be competitive with the bat.
“Clearly our bowling will be our strength, and has been for the past couple of years,” he said. “If you look at our batting, when we do get it right as a unit we have won games. That’s why I’m stressing on the point that we need to bat well, especially against a team like England at home, who are going to be very challenging. “The coach, I guess he would feel that way because of what he saw in the last game, where the bowlers really raised the intensity and we fell down. But I still don’t feel that, when we come to the Test series, it will go that way. We need to apply ourselves, stick to the basics and stick to our gameplans. “Some of us got the opportunity to bat and spend time at the crease. It’s still a batsman or bowlers game [and] our bowlers bowled well, especially in the second game, our Test bowlers really came with a different intensity. It’s good to get out there and have a practice game but I think we are backing our preparation to bring success in this series.” While both teams will have suffered from a lack of preparation time, due to disruption caused by the Covid-19, West Indies have
the added challenge of trying to get used to unfamiliar conditions ahead of a challenging schedule of three Tests in as many weeks. There have also been concerns over the form and fitness of captain Jason Holder, while wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich sat out this week’s warm-up match after suffering a side strain. Additionally, a CWI board dispute over the decision to allow coach Phil Simmons to leave the team’s bio-secure bubble in order to attend a funeral has provided an unwanted distraction in the build-up to the Tests. After three negative Covid19 tests, Simmons is now back in charge of the squad, which has relocated to Southampton ahead of the first Test, starting on Wednesday. “The guys have been working very, very hard,” Brooks said. “We know the English bowling attack is a good one, [but] once we bat well, I think we have a very good chance. Spending time at the crease will be key and as long as we apply ourselves, spend some time out there, it will get easier. We need as a batting unit to stand up in this series and make the difference. “I think we’ve had
Shamarh Brooks and Shane Dowrich both posted half-centuries. (Getty Images) enough time to prepare. We’ve been here three-four weeks now, we’ve had two practice games, and I think the intensity in those practice games was decent. But having said that, we just came off a first-class season as well, so it’s not like we are out of the woods in terms of not being in cricket form. I know three months [without cricket] might seem like a while, but I think the four weeks we have had here would be enough time to get
ourselves back in shape and ready for this Test series.” Brooks, one of the large Bajan contingent in the squad, also paid tribute to Everton Weekes, who died this week at the age of 95. Brooks made his maiden hundred, in only his third Test, against Afghanistan in Lucknow last year, and touched on the influence Weekes had on him as a youngster in the Barbados set-up. “When I scored my first Test hundred in India, I
spoke about Sir Everton. Even in first-class cricket, whenever cricket is being played at Kensington [Oval], he would always be in the president’s suite watching. You were always able to go up there, whether it be during the game or after the game, and have a word with him about what he would have seen, what you can do differently. Now that great man has gone but he has left a legacy and hopefully the guys in the team now can carry on that legacy.”
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Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action during qualifying, as F1 resumes following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Joe Klamar/Pool via REUTERS)
No support from TTCB boss for Cameron’s ICC bid
TTCB president Azim Bassarath. Joe Denly nudges one past short leg. (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Bottas pips Hamilton to start F1 season on pole in Austria
England stick with Joe Denly, no room for Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali in Test squad
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