Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday July 15, 2020

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL TEL:624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Fires or attempts at something?

F

ires, or intents towards great conflagrations, speak for themselves. Instead of making a pronounce ment first, we begin by asking a few searching questions of our audience to stir some reasoned thinking. Since these fires are not of the run of the mill variety - that is, crimes of passion as in domestic disputes, or bitter personal disagreements - we urge the most careful degree of circumspection. Why these actions and results and on the heels of each other in the span of a few short days? Why of such conclusive and attempted felonies as aimed at what are state operated institutions only? And why such flurry of fires (incomplete at this early time, as we believe) at this particular tense and controversial juncture of our governance difficulties? What kind of atmosphere is being cultivated and for what purposes? What kinds of messages are intended to be delivered, and as based on what kind of leadership and governance visions? We know nothing and we point no finger at anyone. We lift not a sinew at anyone as being directly or indirectly responsible. But, the other side of this coin, is that we are nowhere as stupid or disconnected as some would like to believe or may have already concluded. We may be, but Guyanese thinkers are not. The Guyanese may be, but the rest of the region and the universe of the involved international community are not. So where does this leave us, if in nothing else and nowhere but a bad place, the worst and darkest of places. We may have decided, at a political level in our underground political backrooms that if there is no yielding, then there has to be moving to and travelling along a different road. It is a road, if so chosen that would lead only to a terminal of tragedy. We pause to take a close look. First, there was the attempt at the Suddie Court on the Essequibo that, thankfully, was stopped before it really started. Second, it was almost a replica of the same story that unfolded at the Umana Yana. Vandals and accidents look out of the question, and even to be ludicrous in the contemplation. Third, the unsteady tranquility of Sunday afternoon was burnt to the ground, which is to what and where the Lusignan holding facility (a jail by another name) was reduced. We have heard from the lips of officials that it was due to the prisoner spillage that resulted from search for and seizure of contraband. But before that somewhat troubling, somewhat comforting, development, which is good as any (or better than most), the rumours ran riot. They were of orchestration with sinister agendas in mind, such as intimidation and worse. It is the Pandora’s Box, the powder keg that is Guyana’s unrelenting and ruthless politics. And surging sharply among the waves of eyewitness, second-hand, and double vision reports was one of numerous prisoners, as much as in the hundreds, who made good their escape. This is the kind of sharp and piercing tenterhook, the psychologically punishing circumstances, on which Guyanese are suspended, and under which they huddle. And as if all of those preceding three incidents involving flames were not enough, in the early hours of Tuesday morning the Guyana Police Force, Criminal Investigation Department office at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast was set alight. This was one of two acts of arson on the Essequibo Coast with an earlier fire destroying an abandoned Guyana Defence Force base at Maria’s Lodge. Then there was the alarming confirmation of the government building that went up in flames. It was not any ordinary government building, but at this crucial time, a most sensitive one in a GECOM office. And then it was not in any old place, but in Wismar, of all locations. With this particular fire, this unusual office, this special place, and at this irregular time, the word was spread-

GHK Lall’s position on the current electoral rigging is contradictory DEAR EDITOR, Please permit me space to comment on GHK Lall’s letter which appeared in your newspaper on July 14th. It continues to baffle me that so many of my fellow Guyanese have lost their moral compass and are willing to attempt to justify the actions and statements of the rigging cabal for self-serving purposes. It is ironic to say that you “put Guyana First” and then offer support to Trotman who is in favour of the rigging cabal. If Lall really loved and cared so much about Guyana, he should denounce Trotman

and others pushing electoral fraud and don’t hide behind curtains and become an enabler. Lall should not allow his relationship with Trotman and his “man-to-man dealings “to dissuade him from standing up to electoral fraud and should add his voice in urging Trotman and others in government to do the right thing and accept the will of the people. Lall states that we have a “Guyanese problem that requires Guyanese solutions” and is attempting to support Trotman’s call for regional players to stay out of Guyana’s business. Lall

seems to have conveniently forgotten that Guyana signed regional and international treaties and enjoy the benefits of those relationships. I wonder if Lall lived on another planet during the decades of electoral fraud that the PNC committed on Guyanese by disenfranchising voters and practising non-democratic principles. As Lall might know, back then the “Guyanese problem” was not solved by Guyanese. Fortunately, Guyana was freed of electoral fraud and the skullduggery of the PNC with help from foreigners including

former US President Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center who finally held the PNC accountable and stood firm for free and fair elections. I remember during that dark time of PNC rigging, many wanted to see more proactive voices from any small or big country and went as far as criticising CARICOM for remaining silent when most Guyanese felt helpless to the rigging of the unprincipled cabal that was forced upon them. Democratic minded Guyanese were extremely thankful then for the intervention of (Continued on page 5)

Costs from the CCJ case should be paid to the Consolidated Fund

DEAR EDITOR, As a Guyanese citizen, I would like to express our disgust at the now world-record time between voting and a declaration of the consequential results. I am informed that in the case of Eslyn David vs all other Guyanese, the CCJ will be considering costs after the 22nd of July submission deadline.

I would like all lawyers including those submitting to consider the following costs to be included, these costs payable into the Consolidated Fund. These costs are necessary so that frivolous matters are not litigated so as to create delay causing innocent parties to suffer material loss and emotional stress; they are paramount in preventing the law from becoming a tool of the unlawful. Some costs to consider in the recent issue are: 1. The cost of keeping the full machinery of GECOM

running from the 6th of March to date. 2. The cost incurred due to the recount. 3. The cost due to the lack of growth in business, and the decrease in some. 4. The loss in tax revenue due to #3. 5. The increase cost the state and its citizens bore due to the increase in stress related health issues. I am not schooled in these matters but there may be many more to be added to that list. I seem to recall Sirs Jonas and Crawford saying the law provides remedy. I am calling for our conscientious lawyers to file a class action lawsuit or whatever the remedy is. We the Guyanese are hurting from the law, even APNU+AFC diehards though they know not. Yours truly, Mohamed Fazadh Khan

GECOM Chair must stop carrying the burden of politicians and remain impartial DEAR EDITOR, There is a clear conflict between the Chairman of GECOM and the Chief Elections Officer who are supposed to work together and have been doing so until recently. The departure from cooperation in an otherwise harmonious relationship stems from the type of respect that each is displaying towards the Constitution of Guyana. What is good is that the tension in the relationship is not driven by a personality conflict. This means that the problem between the two can be resolved easily and their working relationship effectively rebuilt. The tension between the two interlocutors has intensified with the

ruling issued by the CCJ last Wednesday. The CCJ noted in its judgment that Order 60, which produced results that the Chairman seems wedded to, was in tension with the Constitution of Guyana. It further noted that any Order issued by GECOM in any particular context can never determine how the Constitution should be interpreted. Yet, the Chairman of GECOM insists on this breach in the request that she is making of the CEO for the advice that he must give her. The CEO is defending the Constitution in a clear embrace of the Pledge of Allegiance while to the horror of many, the Chairman is not. The CEO, a former military officer, has taken the defence

ing, the tensions intensifying, and the messages inciting. Amidst a false electoral calm, a storm was brewing, and it has been a long time coming. The first reflexive call was for vigilance, as if anybody is asleep. The second was more of a pointed allegation, a political one: others are bent on mischief and are undermining. Now who is fooling whom, with smokescreens intended to place responsibility at the feet of opponents. Vileness is afoot. Guyana is on trial (by fire).

of the Constitution seriously and is seeking to remain obedient to the laws of Guyana as he understands he must from his responsibilities circumscribed in the Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance. His most recent conduct in advising the Chairman as he is doing are reinforced by the words of the CCJ in the judgment that it issued on July 8, 2020 about the jurisdiction of the Court. Germaine to the dispute is the personality given to Order 60 by the CCJ. The CCJ made clear that an Order issued by GECOM “in any particular context can never determine how the Constitution is to be interpreted”. The words “in any particular context” might have slipped by the Chairman of GECOM since it must be understood that while the CCJ was speaking about Order 60 governing the recount, those remarks apply to any order from any part of GECOM, including from the Chairman, that contradicts the Constitution. The CCJ reminded everyone in the judgment that it was

only information furnished by Returning Officers that can be used to declare a winner. The Chairman is willfully ignoring this fact to the detriment to the rule of law in this dear land. The CCJ also took the time to point out that even if the result to declare a winner was gotten as a result of any “unlawful act”, it was unaffected by Order 60. In making that observation, the CCJ also made it obvious that the only way to undo any unpleasant or unacceptable result of the election is by an election petition. Unfortunately, the Chairman of GECOM is seeking to take matters into her own hands in violation of the Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance. By insisting on what she knows is wrong, the Chairman is thumbing her nose at the rule of law and digging herself a hole. She needs to stop digging and let good reason prevail. She must stop carrying the burden of politicians and remain impartial. Yours truly, Aubrey C. Norton

Wednesday July 15, 2020

GHK Lall’s position on the... From page 4 President Carter and are thankful now for the US, Canada, UK, EU, small and big countries in CARICOM and other places who are standing up for democracy in Guyana. I agree with Freddie Kissoon that Guyana should erect a bust of the faces of Bruce Golding, Owen Arthur, the US Ambassador, Canadian High Commissioner, British High Commissioner, and the EU Ambassador for their efforts in keeping alive Guyanese freedom to vote and have that vote counted. We promote Guyana as a friendly welcoming country. It is well known around the world that you can go to a Guyanese home unannounced and within minutes, you will most likely be fed cook-up rice, curry and roti... etc. then I read Lall’s comments about “how we (Guyanese) behave and how we are deep down inside”... these things are not compatible and I suggest to Lall that Guyanese are a friendly, inclusive and welcoming people and unfortunately, it is persons like Lall, Trotman and others affiliated to the losing party who have been fanning the flames of hatred and division since it is convenient for their purpose at this time... our regional and international friends are the ones trying to intervene to prevent chaos as

friends and family should do even if they are not legally bound to assist. Bottom-line is that Guyana is not ready for totally Guyana’s solutions. Why else would you have a need for elections monitors? I imagine that Lall and others will say we don’t need observers. Let the rigging continue! It is disappointing to see Lall write “To the White man we go”? Has Lall and others had a close look at the voices, both domestic and foreign, and who these voices belong to. I will just mention one that has been lambasted by cohorts of Lall and Trotman - Mia Motley. Is this Lall’s definition of the White man to whom we are running. These enablers are not making sense. I wrote previously about how all of a sudden the PNC supporters are talking about a more amicable way forward when they see the writing on the wall and their trickery and lies are being exposed and eventually they will all suffer consequences of their illconceived actions from the international community. They now conveniently want to start a conversation about power sharing and I imagine that Lall is part of that push for his own personal ambitions. We are being reminded once again that so many are not committed to principled values that put

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country and democracy first. The masks of those not standing for democratic principles at this challenging time in Guyana are being removed slowly. I am shocked and appalled that so many who were perceived as reasonable minded and principled people have become so unprincipled for what seems to be self-serving purposes. It is truly sad. To the foreigners from both big and small countries calling for the will of the people to be respected, many Guyanese would like to say “Thank You” and ask that you don’t be distracted by the unprincipled motives of the minority of those Guyanese protecting their self-interest. Yours truly, C. De Barros

Guyana cannot sustain itself, isolated from the rest of the world DEAR EDITOR, The political crisis in Guyana stemmed from the successful passage of the No Confidence Motion (NCM) against the Government in December 2018, wherein a national election should have been held within three months therefrom as stipulated by the Guyana Constitution. This did not happen until more than a year after and we are now four months and counting after the elections was held on March 2, 2020, with no declaration of the result. The political crisis, compounded by the global pandemic of COVID-19 have imposed severe adverse economic consequences on Guyana, as business and commercial activities are sig-

nificantly down by over 70 percent in the productive sectors and unemployment rates are climbing with no proper relief efforts on the part of the Government. In fact, a national task force was set up but it has hardly delivered on its mandate to deal with the pandemic. It is in view of these that, going forward, Guyana needs to swiftly conclude the elections and declare the result originating from the National Recount which would lead to the installation of a Government that has been democratically elected and recognized by the region and the international community as a legitimate government. While many have advocated that more needs to be done to see some sort of ac-

tion on the part of the international community and the U.S in particular to force the ruling Administration to concede defeat and allow for a peaceful transition of power, the U.S or no one can activate any form of serious action until an official declaration of the result is made by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the swearing in of a President. When this is done and if the incumbent refuses to demit office and concede to the elections, then other actions can then be explored. I am sure these will be taken into serious consideration by the international players and more so the United Nations. This is especially the case since what we need to (Continued on page 6)

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Wednesday July 15, 2020

The PNC has its knee firmly on the neck of democracy DEAR EDITOR, Congratulations on your coverage of events leading up to, and particularly after our 2020 General and Regional Elections of 2nd March. Although it deserves an entire book, and since I am not intellectually endowed, I’ll stick to a few concise points (also taking space into account) in this, my first and hopefully last, political missive. For starters, what now masquerades as APNU+AFC is what it has always been – PNC. Even Stanley Ming recently put himself on public display as to how ‘reformed’ he and the PNC have always been. Ditto for the PPP – never mind that Civic business. A few concerned commentators and writers have posited that mischief was afoot since President Granger unilaterally appointed his Chairman of GECOM. I beg to differ, since their mantra upon accession to office in 2015 was de jure divino (the divine right to rule) which is centuries old and of which the likes of Thomas Hobbes and Freddie Kissoon know much more than I do. With that mindset, a Ministry of Births, Registration, Deaths etc. was established to service GECOM as appropriate, the Prime Minister became the PNC Minister of PNC Propaganda (Goebbels if you wish) and the Home Affairs Minister became Minister of Prisons and Fire Service, notwithstanding their lofty designations. Polish that off with up to 50% salary increases before some could settle into a proper office desk and chair, and with other consequential benefits (pensions etc.), the stage was set. And besides why settle for a dozen when

two dozen will do? King David or King Arthur was then set to rule forever. I will not dwell on the elections figures – the world knows since March 3 that the PPP won by more than 15000 valid votes (as per SOPs), only those 458 ballot boxes for Region 4 were not officially declared by GECOM. Not being decisive then led to more than four months of shenanigans engineered by the Divine Right Dream Team aka the Core Rigging Cabal, which I understand consists of four GDF personnel headed by the highest ranking one, four lawyers and four sycophants who all call themselves political strategists and scientists. Did the much touted ‘Iron’ disappear from the Lady then? Be that as it may, we have presently come full circle and can no longer pretend Article 161 (a) and Article 162(1) (b) do not exist. While character assassination is at full throttle (the Cabal is working on the CCJ now), the GECOM Chair should know she has a long list of supporters of democracy and the free will of the people from local, national, regional, hemispheric governments and a wide array of organisations too numerous to mention. I may have missed the Caribbean Council of Churches but I’m sure someone like Bishop Edghill can throw some light on this. Please permit me Editor, to just note the contribution of the Secretary General of the United Nations in support and as we all know Guyana is a U.N member as so is almost every country on this planet, sparsely populated or not. As for the honesty, decency, integrity, and some say religiosity with which the

PNC has clothed and cloaked itself, they should know that every such raiment has been torn to shreds. How is it that eventually they will have any moral standing before a legitimate government or international body tattered or naked to represent those who voted for them and still support them, now far less than 217,000, is a question I ponder but cannot answer? A practical definition of those qualities, however, can be found in no other than Madam Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and until recently CARICOM Chair. Exactly one month before the Elections, she was bestowed Guyana’s highest National Honour (OR). What was not publicly stated was by the Sanctimonious One was “this is to ensure your support for my continuation in office.” Ms. Mottley has since shown him that he chose the wrong partner for criminal wrong-doing and let her actions show what constitutes honesty, decency and integrity. As a beacon of democracy, a statue in her honour should be erected in her front yard in Barbados (for there is where the Secretariat is likely to be relocated). The three CARICOM Scrutineers should similarly be accorded ‘Hall of Fame’ status for their ‘Forty Days and Forty Nights’ sacrifice to help us get out of this PNC – manufactured quagmire. Not forgetting our own Dominic Gaskin, who I assume is tying up his last days with what is left of the AFC, as well as the Assistant Commissioner of Police for professional conduct at Ashmin’s building for which he has had to pay a heavy price. Justice Adrian Saunders has always stood tall in the brief history of the

CCJ but was made, even taller when after last Wednesday’s decision, Granger came out of State House to rile up a few supporters about dead people voting but was dangerously pathetic that he would have to be coerced to accept losing. In my view, Justice Saunders doesn’t see the need to coerce a Head-ofState who proclaims belief in and adherence to the Constitution, Laws, and Democratic Values, etc. Sadly Granger has proved otherwise, so Bob Marley comes to mind. The other perversity from an overseas acolyte is to burn the ballot boxes and install the loser as President and the winner as Prime Minister. Well, even jokes have limits and as Eddie Layne recently pointed out, all you do is summon an acolyte every five years, hand him your figures to show whether you ‘won’ by 2/3 or ½ of what you think

as total valid votes, and presto! But the CCJ has made it very clear – the PNC flag will not fly there! The current two-pronged strategy: (1) ‘Heads I win, tails you lose’ is translated as ‘If I’m the winner, the Election is fraud-free; if I’m the loser, its fraudulent and would either permit me to remain in power or we have new Elections! This should cause enough obfuscation in dealing with GECOM and other legal technicalities to be manufactured while (2) Death threat allegations would paint them as victims being hounded as arson and other criminalities increase along with prison breakouts to cull a new band of ‘Freedom Fighters’. Whether this is a ‘scorched earth’ tactic, we shall have to wait to see, but Joe Hamilton was clear the other evening to point out the supporters of the PNC have

never been as asset-rich before and that should engender respect for the property of others. Finally the PNC’s re-born moralist recently reminded that ‘…a leopard never changes its spots’ and that’s exactly why I refer to the PNC as…well, the PNC. It however sinks to depths of depravity when he invokes Slavery, the two World Wars, and yes, even George Floyd’s murder in the U.S. as some kind of cover for what’s now taking place here. Everyone knows the PNC has its knee firmly on the neck of democracy. This has to end. Now. The perpetrators, facilitators, and beneficiaries must be dealt with condignly – both here and abroad. Dr. Gonsalves and CARICOM should by now also be working on a Sanctions List. Yours truly, Jagdat Persaud

Lowenfield must be replaced by a fair-minded, objective person

DEAR EDITOR, Although a matter has been filed on what numbers to use for a declaration, there is no injunction preventing a declaration. The CCJ has already addressed this matter and decided on what numbers must be used to bring closure to the process. People I spoke with are very disappointed and puzzled at the behaviour of the Chair in not making a declaration of the election results on Monday or Tuesday when an opportunity availed itself. While praising her decision to set aside (nullify) the March 13 count that was kept in abeyance, many are asking what is preventing her from acting expeditiously in declaring the result. They cannot comprehend her inaction on the long delayed process. There are no more obstacles as the highest court instructed GECOM to proceed with a declaration. And opportunities are provided for further court action even before a declaration is made. A declaration is long overdue and once it is done aggrieved parties can proceed with an election petition as ruled by the CCJ.Guyanese say the Chair should not have given the CEO Lowenfield another opportunity to prepare the declaration of final results. He had three opportunities and he failed to comply with them. ‘Three strikes’ and you are out. GECOM is empowered to discipline him (terminate him for insubordination) and assign another person to prepare the final declaration. Someone who is not partisan should be appointed in his place to carry out the task; lawyers feel GECOM is em-

powered to replace a defiant Lowenfield.Guyanese also said that since the Chair set aside the March 13 fraudulent count and she instructed the CEO to use the recount votes to prepare the declaration, there was no need to adjourn the meeting on Monday giving him 24 hours for a simple task that would hardly take an hour with oversight. The CEO should have been given a reasonable amount of time, say two hours, to prepare the declaration and it could have been completed by the evening on Monday. Many Guyanese felt a twelve year old could have done the math within an hour. At any rate, Lowenfield failed to comply with the instruction to prepare the report even after being given 24 hours. He is defying the Chair’s authority and he is undermining democracy. He must be disciplined and replaced by a fair-minded, objective, neutral person to carry out the act. The Chair should take cognizance of what is being

said about her for a non-declaration on social media and among Guyanese I conversed within the Diaspora as well as in the country. People are losing respect and admiration of the woman they once called the Iron Lady and as the person who would courageously stand up for principle and an accurate vote count. Guyanese are very tired and frustrated of the stalemate. They urgently want an end to the process. Madame Chair, the court has not blocked a declaration. There is no injunction. The CCJ has already ruled on this issue. You have already announced the numbers a month ago right after the recount. The CEO again failed to comply with your order on Tuesday. Guyanese feel you can proceed with the declaration through another person if the CEO refuses to comply with the order on Wednesday. And the High Court is not stopping you from making a declaration. Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Guyana cannot sustain...

From page 5 be cognizant about is that this is not only about Guyana’s domestic politics, but there are global politics and geopolitics at play as well. That is to say, Guyana and this region, Latin America and the Caribbean and South America are geopolitically important for the Global powers and cannot or would not allow a single small fragile state like Guyana to destabilize an entire region. I am of the firm conviction that Guyana would not go down that road and there will be appropriate intervention by international authorities in such circumstances. Guyana is one of the easiest countries to avert any political player with intention to transition into any form of illegal dictatorial regime simply because we have one of the weakest militaries in the world and Guyana cannot sustain itself if isolated from the rest of the world. Guyana is simply not Venezuela in this case. Yours truly, JC Bhagwandin

Wednesday July 15, 2020

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President’s office denies attempts to remove Claudette Singh - condemns Nandlall’s ‘sanctimonious gangster’ comment

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

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he President’s of fice yesterday con demned comments made by former Attorney General under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Anil Nandlall, in which he referred to the incumbent as a “sanctimonious gangster” and insinuated that a plan was being hatched to remove the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, from her post. In a statement it was note that, “The Ministry of the Presidency rejects out rightly the wicked and highly outrageous statement issued to the media by Mr. Anil Nandlall captioned, ‘The sanctimonious gangster on the prowl… and the clinical insanity continues…’ and which accuses President David Granger of hatching a plan to remove Chairman of the Elections

Commission, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh from the helm of the Commission.” The Former Attorney General in a statement posted to his Facebook page claimed that word was being circulated that Granger was planning to remove the GECOM Chair from her position. “It is clear,” Nandlall posited “that this latest initiative is being explored because of the Chairperson’s obdurate refusal to use fraudulent and fictitious numbers presented by the Chief Elections Officer as the basis for the declaration of the Elections Results, which would illegally gift to Granger and his Rigging Cabal, another term of the Presidency and government, respectively.” Nevertheless, the former Attorney General assured that if such plans are afoot, they would fail, as the GECOM

De facto President David Granger Chair can only be removed from office by way of resignation because of the Price/ Carter formula. Explaining, Nandlall said that the formula, from its conception, never addressed the “disappointment of” and the removal from office of a Chairperson, once appointed. He added that those who participated in the constitutionalisation of the Price/Carter formula included members of the People’s National Congress who failed to address that issue. “In the result, there is currently no provision in the Constitution of Guyana which speaks to the removal of a Chairperson of GECOM, unlike the other Constitutional Commissions,” Nandlall added. The statement from the MoTP however, referred to Nandlall’s accusations as dis-

honest, malevolent, dangerous and based on “spurious and unsubstantiated fiction.” “This statement,” it noted too “is clearly aimed at creating panic and confusion amongst the citizenry. The Ministry, therefore, calls on every right-thinking Guyanese to reject this statement and to condemn Mr.

GECOM Chair, Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh Nandlall for his attempt to instigate fear and confusion in the country.” A demand was moreover made for Nandlall to retract his post which has been described as “baseless and irresponsible” by the President’s office. The former Attorney General, in a reply to the condem-

nation, challenged President Granger to “direct his underlings” to withdraw the legal proceedings filed by Misenga Jones, through her attorney Mayo Roberston and to permit the Constitutional electoral process to run its course. That move, he claimed, was played after it was (Continued on page 22)

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Wednesday July 15, 2020

US squeezes Venezuela oil by pressuring maritime companies

Crude oil tankers docked at Isla Oil Refinery PDVSA terminal in Willemstad on the island of Curacao- (File: Henry Romero/Reuters)

V

enezuela (Al Jazeera) - Several companies that certify vessels are seaworthy and ship insurers have withdrawn services to tankers involved in the Venezuelan oil trade as the United States targets the maritime industry to tighten sanctions on the Latin American country. US sanctions have driven Venezuela’s oil exports to their lowest levels in nearly 80 years, starving President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government of its main source of revenue and leaving authorities short of cash for essential imports such as food and medicine. The sanctions are part of US efforts to weaken Maduro’s grip on power after Washington and other Western democracies accused him of rigging a 2018 re-election vote. Despite the country’s economic collapse, Maduro has held on and frustrated the administration of US President Donald Trump. Maduro’s government says the US is trying to seize

Venezuela’s oil and calls the US measures illegal persecution that heap suffering on the Venezuelan people. Washington has honed in on the maritime industry in recent months in efforts to better enforce sanctions on the oil trade and isolate Caracas, Washington’s special envoy on Venezuela Elliott Abrams told Reuters. “What you will see is most shipowners and insurance and captains are simply going to turn away from Venezuela,” Abrams told Reuters news agency. “It’s just not worth the hassle or the risk for them.” The US is pressuring shipping companies, insurers, certifiers and flag states that register vessels, he said. Ship classification societies, which certify safety and environmental standards for vessels, are feeling the heat for the first time. The US is pressuring classifiers to establish whether vessels have violated sanctions regulations and if so, to withdraw certification as a way to tighten sanctions further, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Without certification, a vessel and its cargo become uninsured. Shipowners would also be in breach of commercial contracts which require certificates to be maintained. Also, port authorities can refuse entry or detain a ship. London-headquartered Lloyd’s Register (LR), one of the world’s leading ship classifiers, said it had withdrawn services from eight tankers that were involved in trade

with Venezuela. “In accordance with our programme for complying with sanctions’ laws, where we become aware of vessels operating in breach of relevant sanctions laws, LR classification has been withdrawn,” a Lloyd’s Register spokeswoman said. Abrams said the pressure on the maritime industry was working. “We have had a number of shippers that come to us and say, ‘We just had our insurance company withdraw the insurance, and the ship is on the high seas and we’ve got to get to port. Could you give us a licence for one week?’,” Abrams said. In June, the United States designated six shipping companies - two of them based in Greece - and six tankers they owned for participating in proscribed Venezuelan trade. Another leading ship classifier, Hamburg-headquartered DNV GL Maritime, said it had suspended services for three of those vessels in June. The company resumed services when the US removed those vessels from the list of sanctioned entities after the shipping companies that own and operate the vessels agreed to cease trade with Venezuela. The US has threatened sanctions on any company involved in the oil trade with Venezuela, and that has had a chilling effect even on trade permitted under sanctions. Some oil companies are refusing to charter vessels that have called at Venezuelan ports in the past year, even if (Continued on page 22)

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Kaieteur News

Guyana is heading into a perfect storm One of the most infuriating things to view each day is the Daily COVID-19 Bulletin. Despite there being appeals for more information to be provided so as to win the public confidence, the bulletins have remained the same. No data is provided daily about the origins of the cases. While it is understood that the government may be circumspect in providing the names and addresses of the newly infected, the least that can be done is to provide, daily, the new and active cases per region and subregion.This is not being done. Yet the Ministry officials continue to lecture the public about taking greater precautions and the need for greater personal responsibility. But they have failed to condemn the gross mismanagement of the pandemic by the government and the need to bring an end to the circus over the elections results so that funds can be released and international support sought to bring the local epidemic under control.Guyana has regressed rather than progressed in addressing the epidemic. Instead of the country fully opening up after weeks of ineffective social distancing, the recent rise in cases points to a possible reintroduction of some of the very regulations, which should have been lifted by now. In two months – and ironically in the heart of the social restrictions – the total number of cases have tripled. In one month, the number of active cases has moved from just over 50 to more than 150. In just two weeks, the total number of deaths has increased by more than 50%. Guyana has the second highest number of cases in the English-speaking Caribbean. Jamaica has more than twice the number of cases in Guyana. However, Guyana has a far higher per capita infection rate than Jamaica. This

is not attributable to Guyana’s testing rate because Jamaica has a higher testing rate – 9,607 per every one million persons as compared to a mere 3,330 per every million persons. Despite the higher number of cases, 759, Jamaica has recorded only 10 deaths. Guyana has recorded 17 from 300 cases. Guyana, therefore, is the undisputed epicenter of the Coronavirus in the Englishspeaking Caribbean. This is attributable to the poor implementation and poor planning for the coronavirus epidemic. The proven way to suppress this spread of the virus is through lockdowns. China has shown the effectiveness of this strategy. But Guyana failed to implement either a strict lockdown or to implement properly the response measures. The government a few weeks ago spoke about a sixphase reopening. The people have long stopped listening to the government. They have been away from work for far too long. Non-essential businesses have been opening even though this is not permitted by the government regulations.The city has been back to almost normal for weeks now. People are going about their business oblivious to the government’s regulations. They have no choice. People are suffering. Most of them have not been working for months. They are struggling to make ends meet and they have to put food on the table. It took months for government relief vouchers to be distributed. When the distribution began, the vouchers ranged from $2,000 to $30,000. What sort of relief is $2,000? It is believed that it is costing the government more to pay the salaries of the COVID-19 Secretariat than the value of the recent vouchers distributed. In the meantime, while the

government is fiddling, the infection rate is getting worse. The virus has now penetrated the gold mining and Indigenous areas. Some people are wearing their masks as a fashion statement, rather than for safety. Others are improperly wearing their masks below their nose and others are having it hanging from their chins.Political assemblies are taking place daily; the situation is not going to improve. Protests are super-spreaders and one should always anticipate a spike in cases after protests.People are not practising social distancing - not at work, not at school, not in the markets, not in the store and not in the streets. A most disturbing scene was relayed on social media recently. It showed APNU+AFC protestors outside of State House on the afternoon of the decision of the Caribbean Court of Justice. One of the protestors took a baby with her. Now this is the height of irresponsibility. But you cannot blame the public alone. It is ridiculous to make voluntary, the compliance with social restrictions. Restrictions have to be rigidly enforced as they were in China, the Cayman Islands and New Zealand. But it is obvious that because government was not in a position to offer relief to those affected by the restrictions, they did not impose strict enforcement. As a result of government’s incompetence, the country is in a worse state today than in April. The country is heading into a perfect storm, and while this is happening, no one is manning the ship’s wheel. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Dem boys seh ...

Rigadier mask fall off and show he mind Dem boys seh Jaggy would like dat man wha dem gat in de Fine-Ants Ministry. De man send round wan circular warning de staff dat dem should nat give out information. He threaten fuh discipline dem wha talk wha dem know. De man nah gat fuh frighten when de PPP/ C tek over. Jaggy like a man wha does like keep ting secret. He and Jaggy gon get along just fine. Dem two no different than a six of one and a half of a dozen. A minister tek he eyes and pass dem small island people. But is dem same small island wha nuff a we does run to when de pressure brace we. Is dem same small island people we used to run fuh wuk and fuh buy food. And is dem same small island wha responsible fuh de Pee-Hen-Cee being able to have Janet agree to cut she presidency by

two years. Some people biting de hand dat used to feed dem. A lot of gums gon get bite today. A man turning three–quarter century. Dem boys hope is nat Mingo or de Lolo man wha gat fuh count he age. Dem boys nah sending no birthday greeting fuh de Rigadier. Dem nah gon play no song fuh he either. He mek dem boys hand fall.Dem boys hear how Joe Shan Lin and Vulga de Low-Rent advise he fuh hold on lil mo. Dem tell he dat he nah know whether he gon gat another birthday as President. Dem boys de like de Rigadier when he use to come across as good Soulja Bai. Dem had nuff respect fuh he. But he mask fall off he face and show he mind. He get expose fuh wha he truly is. Talk half and ask yourself if Christmas gon come before de elections results.

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Wednesday July 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The crass ignorance of Raphael Trotman

R

aphael Trotman’s ignorance is the latest addition to a runaway train of miasma the PNC and AFC have been driving since Mingo’s fraudulent manipulation of the Region 4 votes. Each time, these leaders open their mouths, they alienate the entire world. Mr. Trotman insultingly refer to the small populations of the CARICOM islands and advised their leaders that they have no strength because of their tiny populations to speak on the election issues in Guyana. This is not

only ignorance, it is the insane ramblings of a politician that knows nothing about the realities of the world. Guyanese should denounce this asininity of Trotman because it plays into the hands of the Venezuelans who want to take two/thirds of the territory of Guyana. If the Venezuelans use the sick logic of Trotman, then imagine what happens to the world. Venezuela has 29 million people with a size of 354, 000 square miles. It has an army, navy and air force whose numbers are almost half the size of Guyana’s

population. Think of the consequences if the leaders in Venezuela adopt the mentality of Trotman and should say, who and what the hell is Guyana compared to Venezuela with an army of 2000 persons and a population of 700,000. Trotman’s dismissal of the small population size of countries is sickening ignorance. India has over a billion people and has the same one vote in the UN as Guyana. In the federal republic of the United States of America, the two senators from Rhode Island with a population of

one million have the same voting rights as the two senators from California and New York whose combined population is 60 million. In the EU, a country like Ireland with a population of 5 million could hold up any major decision in an integration system where the total population as almost half a billion. Look who is talking about tiny population. In the contest of global nations, Guyana has one of the small populations and one of the smallest economies. We are ranked very low on the scale of GDP and GNP and occupy zero on the scale of world trade. In the midst of these glaring realities, this ignorant politician from Guyana can insult the CARICOM islands by referring to the smallness of their population. Guyana now, and in the foreseeable future, will never achieve the fame and respect Jamaica and Barbados have in the world. Let us examine more miasma from Trotman. He observed that there is no law, no person in Guyana that can change the report of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO). This is ugly public masturbation from a politician whose career in both politics and law may be over. If the CEO in Guyana can submit a report and the body

that administers the election system has to accept it, then we are talking about the most omnipotent person in Guyana. This gentleman then determines all by himself who becomes president. If after the ballots are counted, someone tells the CEO that the election winner, John Jones, once molested the CEO’s sister, then the CEO can say; “Okay, I will deal with him, I will adjust my numbers so that he will not be the winner and since no one is above me, I have stopped him from becoming the head of government.” According to Trotman, it is as simple as that. So the questions then are: (1) Why people vote when the CEO can throw away their vote? (2) What are the powers of GECOM since no one in that commission can overturn the skullduggery and criminality of the CEO? (3) What happens if after the election, the CEO gets drunk, and while in that state submits a figure of 50,000 national votes instead of 500,000? Who then can correct the figures? (4) What happens if after the election, the CEO says he needs four months to submit his declaration? Who in GECOM can say then you have to take leave and we will get a new CEO? (5) Suppose someone

Frederick Kissoon with billions bribe the CEO and tells him, no matter what critics say, he must submit a declaration with our guy as the winner. So the country can do nothing about that? How does one describe the macabre mind of Trotman? The answer is simple. Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, Trotman has been seeing too many sci-fi movies. Secondly, because of the mental state the APNU+AFC leaders find themselves in, Trotman may not be all there. Trotman will regain rationality when the US tells him that Guyana is a non-entity and the US is a superpower that will not tolerate rigged election in Guyana. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday July 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday July 15, 2020

CARPHA lab achieves 100% turnaround time for diagnostic tests

I

n June 2020, the CARPHA Medical Mi crobiology Laboratory (CMML) pro cessed the largest number of samples – an unprecedented achievement in the history of the organisation. In a statement, CARPHA, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, announced that a total of 3,250 samples were received, representing an average of more than 150 samples per business day. As the regional reference laboratory, the CMML continues to conduct tests for suspected COVID-19 cases for 18 of its 26 Member States and remains committed to providing science-based testing protocol recommended by the World Health Organization

(WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). CARPHA’s COVID-19 response, particularly in the area of diagnostic testing, is currently being supported by its International Development Partners (IDPs) including the European Union (EU), World Bank (WB), InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and PAHO. “In addition to our laboratory’s accurate and reliable testing methods, we know that timely reporting of laboratory results is critical as it can make a difference to Member States. In the case of the COVID-19 labora-

tory emergency response, once a sample is received from a designated national public health laboratory, we issue the result within 24-48 hours,” explained Dr. Gabriel M. Gonzalez-Escobar, Head, Laboratory Services and Networks at CARPHA. “Moreover, understanding that the CMML is committed to delivering prompt COVID19 results to the Region, this diligence has resulted in consistent turnaround time of less than 24 hours for test results for all Member States.” Turnaround time is key to a decision being made at the right time and that depends on the test reports reaching Member States at the earliest.

Dr. Gonzalez-Escobar added, “We are pleased to announce that the CMML met the turnaround time with 100 percent compliance for all tests for all Member States, for the months of May and June.” CARPHA is a regional public health agency headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, which was established by CARICOM leaders in July 2011 and began operation in 2013.

Wednesday July 15, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Coalition deliberately misrepresenting clear judgment of the CCJ – Jagdeo

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said that the APNU+AFC Coalition is deliberately misrepresenting the clear judgment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the recount case. “We’re all very clear that this is a falsehood,” he said. “APNU has a way of misinterpreting, deliberately so, every judgment of the Court and anything that comes out in the public domain to suit their narrative.” “They expect the Court in Guyana to say ‘Yes! You can use that report, although it has fraudulent numbers…” “This is what they expect the Court to endorse… electoral fraud.” He made these and other comments during a Facebook live video yesterday, hosted to discuss the elections situation. The Coalition has thrown its support behind a filing in the High Court by a voter named Misenga Jones. The motion seeks to force the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to use the 10 district declarations as the basis for a final declaration of the results of the March 2 polls. Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield had submitted a report to the Commission, which largely reflected the numbers in those declarations, despite the fact that those declarations have been

overtaken and corrected by the CARICOM scrutinized national recount. Following the CEO’s submission of that report, the Chair made a decision to invalidate those district declarations. In a statement sent out last night, the Coalition sought to support Jones, claiming that the CCJ’s ruling meant that the recount order was not in keeping with the Constitution of Guyana. The CCJ in its ruling stated, as pointed out by APNU+AFC, “It is a matter of elementary constitutional law that if ordinary legislation is in tension with the Constitution, then the Court must give precedence to the words of the Constitution and not the other way around. With respect, the notion that Order 60 [the recount order] could either impact the interpretation of the Constitution or create a new election regime at variance with the plain words of the Constitution is constitutionally unacceptable.” When the Court made this statement, it was said in the context of the ruling of the Appeal Court, which had sought to redefine a valid vote and give the Chief Elections Officer legal cover to unilaterally invalidate 115,844 votes counted and tabulated during the national recount. In his bid to invalidate

those votes, Lowenfield had pointed to “guidance” from the Appeal Court, to say that the recount order, a subsidiary legislation, had laid out a mechanism by which GECOM may determine what a valid vote is, and in so doing, determine the “final credible count”. However, the Caribbean Court held that the Representation of the People Act already stipulate what a valid is, that is a vote that is valid on the face of it, and not rejected or spoilt. The CCJ did not invalidate the recount order. However, APNU+AFC’s claim is that since the CCJ found the recount order’s determination of the “final credible count” not to be in-keeping with the Constitution, it meant that votes tabulated during the recount cannot be used to declare the results of the General and Regional Elections. The Coalition has now endorsed the use of the results of the 10 declarations, on the grounds that such a basis would be the constitutional way to go. The recount found the PPP/C to have gained 233,336 votes against the Coalition’s 217,920 votes. However, Lowenfield’s numbers seek to give the Coalition 236,777 votes against the PPP/C’s 229,330 votes. Most notable is the fact that among the declarations Lowenfield based his report

on, is one made by Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo on March 13, which has widely been accepted as fraudulently doctored to hand a false national victory to the APNU+AFC. The results of the recount show that Lowenfield’s numbers are incorrect, but the AFC’s Raphael Trotman had said that GECOM cannot direct the CEO on what results he should produce, even if he is wrong. Jagdeo yesterday condemned the Coalition, and said that it seems as though President David Granger is now endorsing Mingo’s fraudulent numbers. He continued “You misled the entire CARICOM team when you brought them here… you had no intention of respecting the recount that they certified.” President Granger had praised the CARICOM team before it produced its report. However, during his most recent interview on a radio programme, the President misrepresented the statements of the CARICOM team to give the impression that the team elevated the irregularities of

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

the election to a point that they could not ascertain that the elections were credible. However, CARICOM stated that the elections were credible and, even noting the irregularities, held that a declaration on the basis of its results would be “completely acceptable”. The Opposition Leader said that he hopes the Chair will bring a swift end to the matter, though he noted that she has been lenient. To Granger, Jagdeo said that he should know not to continue down this path, as

the international community is now more resolved to take action against the offenders.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday July 15, 2020

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Wednesday July 15, 2020

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Kaieteur News

COVID-19 cases increase to 308 Dominica PM calls for an end to political situation in Guyana

The Ministry of Public Health in its COVID-19 update yesterday stated that there have been eight new cases, bringing the country’s total to 308. There have been 156 recoveries, with 17 deaths to date. Further, there are currently 135 persons in institutional isolation, 20 persons in institutional quarantine, and five in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Moruca in Region One and Aranka/Arangoy Landing in Region Seven remain the areas with the largest number of infections. A travel restriction was

recently imposed on these communities. The order put out by the Ministry stated, “No person shall travel into or out of the areas listed in the schedule during the period 3rd July,

2020 to the 16th July, 2020 without the authorisation of the Minister of Public Health.” Region One remains the country’s COVID-19 epicenter.

Miner stabbed to death by ex-girlfriend’s lover

A miner was stabbed to death by his exgirlfriend’s lover on Monday last at a mining camp in Black Water Backdam, Cuyuni, Region Seven. The miner, Teo James of 37 West La Penitence Housing Scheme, Georgetown was killed at around 19:40hrs Monday. Investigations revealed that James had a confrontation with his ex-girlfriend at the mining camp, which got out of control. James, according to reports, was beating the woman. The screams of the woman, as a result of the beating, aggravated her lover who was nearby.

The lover, reports suggest, then ran to defend the woman and a fight started between the two men. During the altercation, the woman’s lover who was armed with a knife stabbed James multiple times about his body. James collapsed and reportedly passed away moments later while the lover ran away. The matter was reported to the police and James’ body was transported to the Bartica Regional Hospital where it was examined by a doctor before being sent to the hospital’s mortuary.

ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) — The Dominica Government yesterday described as “untenable” the ongoing political situation in Guyana where the country is still awaiting the results of the disputed March 2 regional and general elections. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who was among five Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders who had visited Guyana in a bid to resolve the dispute, said that it was important for the people of the country to know which government had been elected to chart the way forward. “Guyana’s elections were held in March of this year and up to this day they have not yet been able to declare officially a winner of the elections,” said Skerrit. He said the Caricom delegation that was headed by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who was then Caricom chairman, thought the matter had been solved after its visit and talks with the various stakeholders. “But certainly it has not been solved there. They have gone to court many times, the CCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice) has ruled on this matter

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit

and my understanding is that there are members of the Electoral Commission who are refusing to attend meetings and the chief elections officer is refusing to follow the law and the court order. “Our hope and prayer is that everyone in Guyana will do what is correct, what is right and to bring to an end, the announcement of the long awaited results,” said Skerrit. He added: “The situation is untenable. I do not want to get involved in any country’s domestic issues but just to say that it is important that this election comes to an end and the Guyanese people can go

about their business knowing who their legitimate government is and that the efforts to contain COVID and to grow the economy can continue with the government of the people’s choosing”. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was due to meet yesterday to receive the official results of the elections from Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield. In his last report, which was rejected by the GECOM chairman, retired Justice Claudette Singh, Lowenfield said that the ruling coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had defeated the main opposition People’s Progressive Party /Civic.

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Wednesday July 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Lowenfield refuses to submit report again; walks out with Govt. Commissioners By Mikaila Prince

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hief Elections Of ficer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, has yet again refused to submit his report of the recount results, thereby disregarding what was touted as a final opportunity given to him by the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, to do so. On Monday, the Chairman had ruled that failure to effectively execute this instruction would result in Lowenfield’s deputy, Roxanne Myers, being tasked with submitting the report instead. Lowenfield’s deadline for submission was 2pm yesterday to be considered before a GECOM meeting that was scheduled for 2:30pm. Yesterday, however, Lowenfield walked out of the meeting without submitting the report. The three government- nominated commissioners – Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman – also walked out of the meeting. Speaking to the media on the outskirts of the GECOM Kingston office yesterday, the three Commissioners had given the impression that the meeting had been suspended as a consequence of an application being filed against GECOM in the High Court by a Coalition supporter. This application seeks to force GECOM to rely on nothing but the ten (administrative regions) March 13 district

declarations, which were on Monday deemed invalid by the GECOM Chair along with the reports submitted by Lowenfield which contained figures used from those struck-out declarations. “We were advised, informed…In my instance when I arrived here [was] that a matter had been filed in court. We brought it to the attention of the Chairperson. She has established a pattern, a practice, when matters are filed [that] she does not proceed with the business of the meeting at that particular time. And so against that background, we have not proceeded into any of the substantive issues that were before the meeting today,” said Alexander. Opposition-nominated commissioner, Sase Gunraj, on the other hand, shared a different view as to why the meeting had not proceeded as planned. According to Gunraj, at 2:30pm yesterday, when the meeting convened, Lowenfield was asked if he had prepared his report. According to Gunraj, this enquiry was objected to by one of the government commissioners who stood up and said that the CEO did not have to answer to the Commission. This, Gunraj said, was “speedily” followed by government-nominated commissioners opting to walk out of the meeting. The Gunraj went on to say

that when the question was posed for a second time to Lowenfield, he refused to answer, and subsequently walked out of the meeting as well. The opposition-nominated Commissioner was however of the firm belief that no impediment was imposed upon the Elections Commission, its Chairman or its members since no injunction was granted against the proceeding. The application filed yesterday is scheduled to be heard in the High Court before Chief Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire today. However, another meeting of the Commission is not likely until after the hearing and judgment of the matter now in the High Court.

From left: GECOM Chairman, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh and CEO Keith Lowenfield

Health sector spends $34.7 billion in 2019- report

A sum of $34.7 billion (of the $35.9 billion budgeted) was expended in the public health sector, in 2019. This was due largely to the under-utilisation of the $2.6 billion allocated to the capital expenditure programme. According to the end of year outcome report released by the Ministry of Finance, approximately $7.3 billion – 21 percent of spending in the health sector – was expended for drugs and medical supplies across the sector, of

which about 32 percent related to the national referral hospital – Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The report stipulated that due to the expenditure, the new services in haematology and radiology are now offered by GPHC, including contrast CT and CT angiogram, mammograms, and ultrasound guided biopsies. Additionally, the Force Triad Machine was purchased and operationalised, facilitating the use of LigaSure technology during laparoscopic surgery. There was also an increase in the number of doctors within several regions: 14 in Region 4; six in Region 10; two in Region 5; and one in Region 8. The introduction of new services has resulted in ultrasounds being provided at the Buxton Health Centre; EKG at CC Nicholson Hospital as well as at Plaisance, Mocha, and Long Creek health centres; a dental clinic at President’s College; dialysis in Region 6; ophthalmology in Region 7; VIA cryotherapy in Region 8; and, urology in Region 10. The report went on to state that in 2019, a total of $2.5 billion was expended on the maintenance and construction of buildings in the health sector. The new, state-of-the-art, drug storage bond for the Central Supplies Unit at Kingston, according to the document, costing almost $540 million, was commissioned, while the extension of the bond for the Material Management Unit at Diamond was completed at a cost of

Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence $116 million. These facilities have increased the floor space for storage by over 1,900 square feet and will be central to the improvement of the distribution network for End of Year Outcome 2019, drugs and medical supplies. The sum of $149.5 million was spent on the completion of the Port Kaituma Hospital and another $31 million was used to commence the design of a new laboratory for the Food and Drug Analyst Department. In 2019, Government expended $26.6 million for the deployment of the Geographic Health Information System (GHIS) to 15 health facilities, in order to improve data collection and allow for the coordination and harmonisation of the various aspects of patient care delivery. Government also expended $687 million (of the budgeted $760.7 million) to-

wards the procurement of medical equipment across the country, including incubators, laser therapy machines, foetal dopplers, dental x-ray machines, infant warmers and anaesthetic machines. Additionally, health posts in Baramita, Jawala, Imbaimadai, and Kako were upgraded to health centres, and more than 50 persons were trained as Community Health Workers (CHW) within the hinterland regions, bringing the countrywide total number of CHWs to 430, as Government continued its effort to improve access and quality of health services provided to persons in the remotest areas of the country. Seven living quarters were constructed at Kamarang, Kaikan, Lethem, Wiruni, Mabaruma, Leguan and Mabura, expected to house additional medical personnel for servicing those communities.

Wednesday July 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday July 15, 2020

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From page 8 the voyage was exempt from sanctions. “The shipping sector has been at the receiving end of US action on Venezuela and it has caused much uncertainty as no one knows who will be next,” one shipping industry source said. Insurers are also in a bind. They have been conservative in their interpretation of US sanctions to avoid any potential violations, said Mike Salthouse, chairman of the sanctions sub-committee with the International Group association. The group represents companies that insure about 90 percent of the world’s commercial shipping. “If there is ambiguity as to what is lawful and what is unlawful it makes it almost impossible for an insurer to say whether someone has cover or not,” he said. Even after ships and companies are removed from the sanctions list, they may face difficulties, Salthouse said. “The stigma associated with a designation may last some time,” he said. Oil majors, for example, may review relationships with companies that own or manage vessels that the US had designated and then removed to avoid any possible prob-

lems with other vessels, he said. Venezuela is on the list of high-risk areas set by officials from London’s insurance market. “If a vessel sails to Venezuela they have to notify the underwriter and it may be that the underwriter will not be able to cover them,” said Neil Roberts, head of marine underwriting at Lloyd’s Market Association, which represents the interests of all underwriting businesses in London’s Lloyd’s market. The industry faces “the direct and real threat of having its trade stopped by a watchful US administration because of an inadvertent infringement,” he said. “This risk alone is enough to fuel the multiplication of compliance checks.” Some of the biggest global flag registries including Panama and Liberia are also looking more closely at ships that were involved in Venezuela trading as they come under US pressure to withdraw registration for ships violating sanctions. Maritime lawyers in Panama said its registry is fining vessels that do not comply with the US maritime guidance issued in May. The registry is mostly deflagging ves-

sels targeted by multilateral sanctions rather than unilateral US sanctions, the lawyers said. Officials at Liberia’s registry did not respond to requests for comment. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, a former investor in shipping, helped craft the strategy targeting the maritime sector, sources said. A Commerce Department spokesperson acknowledged Ross had worked with other government agencies “to determine how to best hold accountable those who are evading US sanctions” on Venezuela. Abrams vowed to keep up the pressure. “There are people who don’t cooperate ...We’ll go after the ship, the shipowner, the ship captain.”

President’s office ... From page 7 discovered that the Chair could not be removed because of the Price/Carter formula. While in the statement, it was pointed out that the President always abided by the Constitution, Nandlall sought to highlight 10 instances where he failed to do so. Among those Nandlall stated were President Granger’s unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson as the Chairman of GECOM, in violation of the Constitution; his willful refusal to resign, disband cabinet, and call an elections within three months after the successful passage of a noconfidence motion in December 2018 as mandated by the Constitution and his continuous and repeated attempts, through his Commissioners and acolytes, to interfere with the operations of GECOM, an independent constitutional body. According to Nandlall, “Rather than issuing a statement of sanctimonious platitudes and rhetoric, President Granger can easily prove me wrong by directing his underlings to withdraw the legal proceedings filed today (yesterday) and to permit the Constitutional Electoral Process to run its course, paving the way for GECOM to declare the true results of the March 2, 2020 Elections, reflective of the franchise of the electorate.”

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Gabriel success no surprise, says delighted Holder MANCHESTER, England, CMC – West Indies captain Jason Holder has praised Shannon Gabriel’s “massive heart” and said the speedster’s excellent showing in his first Test back following injury had not come as a surprise. Gabriel bowled with pace and aggression to rock England during the opening Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, finishing with match figures of nine for 137 to help propel West Indies to a four-wicket victory and a crucial 1-0 lead in the threeTest series. The Trinidadian missed the Test against Afghanistan in India last November, undergoing ankle surgery the following month. He subsequently underwent rehabili-

tation but was unable to play a competitive game in the Caribbean after the COVID19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the final two rounds of the first class championship. “What Shannon has done in this game is nothing surprising,” Holder told reporters following Sunday’s win in Southampton. “Shannon is one of those guys who just keeps doing it because he has a big heart. He has a massive, massive heart and he’s been through a lot and wants success so badly. “His body hasn’t held up I guess the way he would’ve liked in the past but to see him out there fit and running in and bowling fast for West Indies is always a pleasing

sight, and he deserves every bit of success he’s had so far in this game.” He continued: “For us, it’s just more or less to keep managing Shannon in the best way we can. He is a rhythm bowler as well so he needs to get some miles on his legs and some rhythm in his legs too. “I’m really, really happy for Shannon, I know what he’s been through. We kept in contact while he was doing rehab. At some stages he was very frustrated with how things were going but he stuck it through. “He had a good team behind him in Trinidad; he’s done a lot of work with Ronald Rogers (West Indies strength and conditioning coach) as well, prior to coming over here and he’s reaped the success

Wednesday July 15, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Relations with those you care about continue to be warm and supportive. Friends may want to pitch in and help you with a project, Aries, or you could lend a hand to someone else. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A strong sense of inspiration that seems to come from the higher planes could boost your natural artistic abilities, Taurus. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Although you might feel a bit inclined toward solitude today, Gemini, don't indulge it. This is a great day to get out with friends and meet new people, if possible, particularly women. CANCER (June 21–July 22) An appealing new face could appear on the scene today, Cancer. This might lead to a new friendship, although this person could be charming enough to bring out your insecurities. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A male friend could put you in touch with people from foreign countries or people who have traveled a lot. They might have valuable information that you could use later. VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) You're probably feeling especially sexy, Virgo, and you might want to take a lover out for a romantic dinner, if possible. You would especially enjoy going all out.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Romance and marriage are very much on your mind today, Libra. A special conversation with a possible love partner could have you hankering for happily ever after. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You're feeling especially healthy, energetic, and attractive today, Scorpio, and some friends may suddenly see you in a new light. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your natural warmth and loving nature should be more apparent than usual today, Sagittarius. You're likely to attract new people, both men and women, into your aura. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Friction with family members, particularly women, could prove irritating, especially since you're torn between their quirks and the love you have for them. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today should bring pleasant and profitable communications with women, possibly some new friends. A lot of people will want talk to you, although perhaps more than you can realistically handle. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) New opportunities may give you a chance to increase your financial standing and expand yourself professionally. Innovations that you've produced in the past have attracted the attention of those in positions of authority, Pisces, and the fruits of your labor .

that all of us presumed he would’ve gotten, just based on the calibre bowler he is. “We all know that once Shannon is fit and healthy, he’s a handful and he proved difficult in this game.” In England’s first innings, Gabriel snatched four for 62 as the hosts crumbled for 204 after being 154 for four at one stage. Holder spearheaded the attack with a career-best six for 42. With England gaining a stranglehold at 249 for three in their second innings on the fourth day, Man-of-theMatch Gabriel snared five for 75 to engineer a collapse that saw the last six wickets tumble for 64 runs. Holder conceded England’s batting had been made weaker by the absence of captain Joe Root, allowing the Windies bowlers to target untried players. “I think England missing Root was obviously a big miss [because] he’s a high-quality player. We saw that as an opportunity I guess to get into their inexperienced batting line-up,” he pointed out. “I think there was a lot of

pressure on (Ben) Stokes to score and to come big … and the top order relies so much on Rory Burns as well because he’s pretty solid, soaks up a lot of balls and he makes bowlers fight really hard for his wicket. “I think to start the series well is a really pleasing feeling but again, there are 10 tough days of cricket left in the series.” While Gabriel earned match honours, batsman Jermaine Blackwood proved the star of the final day, stroking a superb 95 as West Indies chased down 200 for victory.He entered with the innings in ruins on 27 for three before lunch and anchored half-century stands with Roston Chase (37) and Shane Dowrich (20) to put West Indies in a winning position. Holder, who was at the crease to help see his side over the line, admitted the day had been a nerve-wracking one. “Actually [Sunday] morning I woke up and I just wanted to fast-forward to the end of the day with us winning,” Holder said.

“At the start there were a few nerves going through the dressing room but Roston and Jermaine really settled the nerves down and really got us in a position to lay a foundation. We knew once we got a partnership the English bowlers would go flat. “Credit to England, they threw a lot at us – Stokes, (Jimmy) Anderson, Jofra (Archer), Mark (Wood) – they all put in a hell of an effort and were all challenging. “We knew it wouldn’t have been easy and we weren’t quite sure how the wicket would’ve held up but the heavy roller quite worked for us.” West Indies face England in the second Test starting at Old Trafford here tomorrow.

No roars as Tiger makes return... From page 31 was better to stay at home and be safe,” said Woods. “I’m used to playing with lots of people around me and that puts not only myself in danger but my friends and family.“That’s something that I looked at and said, ‘Well, I’m really not quite comfortable with that, that whole idea. Let’s see how it plays out first’.”Woods has watched the PGA Tour restart on his computer and said he was immediately struck by what he saw.“It was more watching golf to see how it is now, see what our near future, our reality is and our foreseeable future is going to be,” said Woods, who has won the Memorial a record five times. “To have no one yelling, no one screaming, no energy, the social distancing, no handshakes.“There’s nothing to feed off of energywise. There’s no one there. “I think this is going to set up for not just in the shortterm but for the foreseeable future for sure.”

Joseph wins... From page 32 last but remained not more than five lengths off the pace-setter, with the field starting to bunch. Blue Mistress left the final turn with the lead but Yesterdayoncemore blew by on the outside to pick up the running and open up a twolength advantage in the stretch.However, Zayas brought Tournesol with a thundering run down the middle of the track to head Yesterdayoncemore in the final sixteenth.Joseph is the current leader at Gulfstream with 33 wins, four clear of Todd Pletcher with Antonio Sano one back in third on 28.

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Pools shut? No worries. Argentinian Blackwood heroics brought paralympic swimmer builds DIY pool mixed feeling for ‘proud’ Russell Sebastian Galleguillo, a paralympic swimwith plastic bag mer who suffers from hearing loss, trains in the swimming pool his family built for him, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Florencio Varela, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina July 13, 2020. (REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian)

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Sebastián Galleguillo, 18, an Argentine paralympic swimmer, has found an unusual way to train during an almost four-month lockdown in and around capital Buenos Aires due to the coronavirus pandemic that saw his local pool close its doors. With the help of his bricklayer dad, Galleguillo has made a makeshift “pool” in his back yard located in a poor neighborhood of the city, using plastic sheets, logs, an old tank and two metal drums, and filling it with 400 liters of water.“We made do with what we had here and we started building,” his father Edmundo Hernandez, 47, told Reuters. “The first day was nailing logs on the floor, the second was putting sheets and plastics so that the water does not drain. Later, we bought a 15-meter-long by 4-meter wide plastic that forms a bag and that is what holds the water.”

Galleguillo, who is part of the Argentine team of deaf swimmers and training to participate in the 2021 Deaflympics in Brazil, said his time out of the water had been tough. “I said to my mom: I want to train again because I am becoming rigid, I am losing mobility in my body... It’s not the same to train outside as being in the water.” Argentina’s government imposed a mandatory lockdown on March 20, which has been extended around Buenos Aires until at least July 17 due to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases that now number over 100,000, with nearly 2,000 fatalities. Despite the Southern Hemisphere winter, Galleguillo trains daily in his DIY pool, with heat from wood burned in a metal drum. “With swimming I am one, I am completely me: in there, I do not depend on my hearing, I am in the water and I only need my body to train,” he said.

Jermaine Blackwood revealed his friend and mentor Andre Russell (inset) had mixed feeling about his heroic performance. SportsMax - West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood has revealed his friend and mentor Andre Russell had mixed feeling about his heroic performance against England, as the Caribbean team went up 1-0, at Southampton, in the ongoing Test series. Blackwood crafted a crucial 95 from 154 to provide the backbone of the team’s second innings, in a four-wicket win over England. Despite the player herculean effort, there was a ting of disappointment as he was caught by James Anderson, off Ben Stokes, just five runs short of what would have been a second Test century. “He (Russell) was very proud but he said he had mixed feelings. He was happy and

sad at the same time because he really wanted me to score the hundred but happy that I scored some runs and eventually the team won,” Blackwood told members of the media during a Zoom press conference yesterday. The batsman also credited his improvement to a newly acquired fierce work ethic, which has seen himself and compatriot Russell putting in the required hours. “Over the past year or so I have been working hard with Andre. Andre Russell is like my mentor, so we work every single day, seven days a week. So, I am just pleased now to come and score some runs. It shows that once you put in the work you will get the runs,” he added.

Wednesday July 15, 2020

‘Rusty’ Thompson-Herah happy to be back competing again SportsMax - After not competing for nine months, 2016 Olympic double gold medallist, Elaine Thompson Herah, said she felt rusty after finishing second at the Velocity Fest track meet held at Jamaica College in Kingston on Saturday.Thompson, 28, led down the home stretch in the 200m before World Championship 400-metre bronze medallist Shericka Jackson overhauled her late to cross the finish line in 22.89.Thompson clocked 22.98 for second while Sprintec’s Shashalee Forbes was third in 23.45.Though she may have been disappointed at losing, Thompson seemed quite content if her Instagram is anything to go by.“Back on the track after 9 months is a good feeling,” the 2015 World Championship silver medallist said.

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‘Things headed in right direction’ - Blackwood rejects criticism of regional cricket Windies batsman Jermaine Blackwood

Elaine Thompson Herah “I am a little rusty but a girl is to take on any obstacles in her way.”The 200m race was also her first race since she married track coach Deron Herah on November 2, 2019. “Am racing as a wife for the first time am so happy,” she said.“Lord you are worthy. I hope for nothing but health and healing.”Illness and injury have blighted the career of the 2019 Pan Am Games 100 champion. Along with MVP teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser, Thompson was among the favourites to win a medal in

the 100m finals in Doha. This was especially true after she stormed to victory at the Jamaican National Championships in June.Her winning time of 10.73 was the fastest in the world and was only surpassed by Fraser-Pryce on her way to an unprecedented fourth world title in Doha. Thompson, meanwhile, aggravated a long-running Achilles-related injury and finished fourth in 10.93.She will be hoping that she will find better fortune at the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for July 2021.

SportsMax - Windies batsman Jermaine Blackwood has leapt to the defence of Caribbean regional cricket, strongly dis-

With weekend sprint-double in the bag, Natalliah Whyte’s eyes remain firmly fixed on the Olympics

Natalliah Whyte SportsMax - Competing at the American Track League meeting on Saturday was a release for Natalliah Whyte, the 2019 sprint relay gold medallist. The 22-year-old Whyte, who ran a blistering leadoff leg to set up Jamaica’s impressive win in the sprint relay team in Doha last October, secured a sprint double at the meet held in Marietta, Georgia.In what was her first race in months Whyte clocked a solid 11.57s to win the 100m while running into a stiff headwind of -1.8m/s. She completed the double when she also won the 200m in 23.59. She told Sportsmax.TV that

she was happy to be competing again after months of quarantine lockdown. “It felt great being able to compete for the first time. I was eager to see where I am at competition-wise since I haven’t been able to train as I would want to but I am pretty pleased,” she said. “Hopefully there will be more meets and I can take it one race at a time and finish the season on a positive note.” Under circumstances where she was unable to train for some time because of the Covid19 pandemic, Whyte said she was satisfied with the times.“The times were not bad being that I was unable to use any training facility for about three months. I had to improvise and get smart with what I had available. So things were challenging but the time was okay for the first race under the circumstances of the lockdown,” she said.The pandemic might have crippled the world for the past few months but it has not shifted Whyte’s focus on achieving her goals, especially after her inspiring performance in Doha that has whetted her appetite for more high-quality global competition. “Training started out great after Doha. I was working on my weak points and I was really looking forward to the 2020 Olympics but we can’t change the things we can’t control. However, I am still excited about the upcoming Olympics. My goals haven’t changed,” she said.“I am just eager to get competing and to see where I am and to improve and take what I have learnt into the next season to come.”

There must be no relenting of pressure by Windies after... From page 33 him by Coach Phil Simmons and the other tour selectors. The victory, unexpected by most cricket pundits, was due to team work, self-belief, commitment, dedication and consistent cricket throughout the match. Maybe the 14-day quarantine and not being allowed to leave the ‘bubble’ after the day’s play inadvertently worked to the West Indies advantage. The team had a longer time to get acclimatised to the English conditions and ‘Gel’ as a team resulting in the players being well rested and ready to go without the ad-

verse effects of‘night dew’ from clubbing which would have been normal for many players if the Pandemic was not a threat. West Indies will head into the next match with just three days to replenish themselves but very high in confidence of winning their first series in England in 32 years and retaining the Wisden Trophy. They will know that the only way that coveted Trophy, which was first contested for in the 1963 series, will remain in England is if the host win both of the remaining matches which will be hard but certainly not impossible. There are still a few areas of concern for the West

Indies’ batting, especially the top four and the form of Shai Hope who scored twin hundreds when West Indies won their only Test in 2017. They would also hope for a better conversion rate from good starts of 20s and 30s into big fifties and at least two batsmen going on the score centuries. The catching will also be a minor worry but not getting complacent, remaining consistent, not taking their foot off the gas and how Holder manages his pacers in the three back-to-back Tests, will be keys to a rare overseas series win. The Pitch at Old Trafford where the remaining matches

will be played should offer a bit more help to the spinners at this time of the year and it will be interesting to see if Campbell is not fully recovered, whether Cornwall or a specialist batman will replace him. Whatever is the outcome of this series, once the West Indies continues to show the type of fight and passion they did in the opening Test, West Indians, in and outside of the Region should be satisfied. Photos: - Shannon Gabriel successfully appeals for the wicket of Dom Sibley, England v West Indies, 1st Test, 4th day, Southampton, July 11, 2020 © Getty Images

agreeing with those who disparage the competition. For some, the West Indies’ recent and consistent failure on the international stage, in recent years, is in large part due to regional players being unable to attain the competitive standard required for international cricket, after taking part in a substandard regional competition. In several instances, players that have dominated the regional season have gone on to struggle against international opponents, once called up for the West Indies. Blackwood, who heaped up 768 runs in 15 innings for Jamaica, including a double hundred against the Leeward Islands in the tournament’s last match, however, has gone

on to register a dominant performance against England. He believes things are changing. “To be honest I don’t pay too much attention to who is taking this or that, everyone has their opinion,” Blackwood told members of the media via a Zoom press conference yesterday. “For me, personally, things are heading in the right direction in the Caribbean. I think I put in a lot of work to score some runs in the regional 4-dayers and definitely you can see it in my body language and approach to Test cricket now. So, it has helped me to become the player I am now, and you can see the growth in my batting.”

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Woodroffe optimistic about Junior Did Bolt quit prematurely? Pan Am C/Ship being played Former Coach Mills: ‘It was Woodroffe challenges

not I who told him to retire’

Devin Munroe (left) of Hikers during the GHB 2nd division outdoor developmental league last season.

I

t is no surprise that 18year-old Samuel Woodroffe has a deep passion for hockey after being grown into the sport with his father Damon and sisters, Dacia and Trisha all having represented the Golden Arrowhead in the game, while his sister, Dominique outfits for Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) hockey team. Samuel began playing at the tender age of five-years and like his family, he has been a member of just one club; GCC, winning almost everything there is to win with the Bourda based team. In the last two years, Samuel has picked up a number of trophies with GCC including the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) Outdoor Developmental under-19 league (2018), Junior Indoor Championship (October 2019), National Indoor second division championship, and the Farfan & Mendes 1st division outdoor league. The young Woodroffe,

who described himself as a good all-round player, is mainly deployed in defence during competitive matches and the teen has played for every GCC men’s side except the veterans. His success and youth had earned him a call-up to the senior men’s training squad who were preparing for the Pam Am Challenge Cup. However, the coronavirus pandemic has since forced the postponement of the National Training, while the Pan Am Challenge which was initially scheduled to begin on June 27 and conclude last week in Peru has been postponed, indefinitely. Samuel shared with this publication that it is really disappointing to not be able to train with the squad and fight for a spot in that international tournament (Pan Am Challenge) but he declared that he must do whatever he can to stay mentally and physically fit. To this end, the defender

maintains a strict exercise regime in the confines of his home so at least he can have some stamina when National Coach Robert Fernandes resumes training with the squad. Despite the alarming covid-19 infection rates in South America, the former Mae’s Secondary student is rightfully optimistic about the running off of the Pan Am Junior (under-21) championship that is scheduled for April 12-25, 2021 in Santiago, Chile. He posited that, “I’m confident that Guyana and the world will overcome this deadly virus soon. And, it is very likely that the youth championship will be able to be contested. After of just over three months, we have seen many major sport leagues and competitions returning to play, so in nine months, everything should be back to normal, hopefully.” (Calvin Chapman)

Mashrafe Mortaza recovers from Covid-19

Glen Mills... former coach of Usain Bolt. Jamaica Observer - USAIN Bolt’s return to competitive track and field could be closer than ever after his former coach, Glen Mills gave an indication that the double sprint world record holder might have walked away from the sport prematurely. Bolt ignited a storm of anticipation on Thursday when he told an American magazine in a virtual interview he would return to the track, but only if Mills gave him a call. The 33-year-old Bolt limped away from the sport three years ago, hobbling off the track at London Stadium after he pulled up on the anchor leg of the men’s 4x100m final at the World Athletics World Championships. And his departure left a gap in Jamaica’s men’s sprinting on the global level. In the interview with Variety magazine on Thursday for a series called Greatness Code, and in which he was featured among a number of others who had left a big impression on their sport, Bolt said: “The only person that I told was my coach. And if he came back and told me ‘Listen, let’s do this,’ I will, because I believe so much in my coach so I know if he says we are going to do this then I know it’s possible. So, give Glen Mills a call and I will be back.” In a typically terse response to questions posed by the Jamaica Observer on Friday, Mills said: “It was not I who told him to retire.” Bolt, who holds the world records in the 100m (9.58 seconds) and 200m (19.19 seconds), both set at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany, in 2009, said while he did not miss the training, he missed the fans. When asked if he missed the competition

Bolt replied: “No, I miss the crowd. When I watch football and hear the cheers I miss that, not the training.” The only man to win three straight sprint doubles at the Olympic Games — Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 — said he does not visit the Racers training ground at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus too often. “I stay away from the track [as] my coach gets too excited when I come to the track, so I stay away from the track,” said the new father of daughter Olympia Lightning. In the decade between 2007 and 2017 Jamaican men won 23 medals — 13 gold by Bolt alone at the World Championships and Olympic Games — but managed only a fifth place by Yohan Blake in the World Championships 100m final in Doha, Qatar, last year. Bolt refused to get into naming anyone who he thought would be the next super star, admitting he did not have any luck in predictions. “I just watch; I have bad luck in choosing people. I just observe and appreciate the talent and hope my records never go,” he said.

Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt. (China Daily August 24, 2008)

FIFA welcomes CAS decision to uphold life ban on former Afghan soccer president Mashrafe Mortaza celebrates a wicket. (Associated Press) ESPNcricinfo - Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza confirmed yesterday that he is Covid-19 negative. His wife Sumona Haque, however, continues to test positive. Mortaza, who is also a Member of Parliament representing the ruling Awami League party, was diagnosed with the virus three weeks ago, on June 20. “I heard the results of the test this evening, which is negative,” Mortaza wrote on his Facebook page. “I am thankful to ev-

eryone who prayed for me, was beside us and showed concern during this time. But my wife is still Covid-19 positive after two weeks of being diagnosed. She is doing well. Keep her in your prayers.“I got treatment at home. To those who are affected, stay positive. Keep faith in Allah and abide by the rules. Together we will keep fighting the virus.”Nafees Iqbal and Nazmul Islam, who also tested positive three weeks ago, have also recovered after undergoing treatment at home.

(Reuters) - FIFA has welcomed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejecting an appeal against the life ban imposed on the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF). Keramuudin Karim was banned from soccer for life last June and fined 1 million Swiss francs ($1.07 million) after FIFA’s ethics committee found him guilty of abusing his position and sexually abusing female players between 2013-18. CAS yesterday confirmed the decision taken by FIFA and said that Karim’s offences violated basic human rights and damaged the mental and physical integrity of young female players, destroying their careers and

lives.“In a case of unprecedented gravity, CAS has confirmed the importance of FIFA’s zero tolerance policy against physical, mental and sexual abuses at all levels of football, as well as the adequacy of the strongest sanctions in such cases,” FIFA said in a statement yesterday.“FIFA commends the bravery of those victims who, under dreadful personal circumstances in their home country, have come forward and allowed for justice to be served. “We trust that their example will encourage other victims and survivors of such terrible circumstances to report them in the future, knowing that they can count on FIFA’s support at all times.”

Wednesday July 15, 2020

Win over England gives Windies first points on Test Championships table Jason Holder and John Campbell celebrate the Windies victory.

SportsMax - Amidst all the excitement and celebration surrounding the West Indies’ four-wicket win over England on Sunday, fans of the Caribbean side might have missed out on something else to celebrate. The hard-fought victory spearheaded by the efforts of Jermaine Blackwood, who scored a match-winning 95, Jason Holder’s seven wickets and Shannon Gabriel’s ninewicket haul, earned the West Indies their first points on the ICC World Test Championship table for 2019/2021. Under the rules of the championship, each team plays six series, with each series counting for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series. A twomatch series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match. A tie will be 50 per cent of the points available, whilst a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio. When the West Indies beat England in their threematch #Raisethebat series, the Caribbean side picked up its first 40 points, which sees the side sitting seventh on the table, 16 points ahead of South Africa that has 24 points from seven matches played. Bangladesh has not yet scored after three matches. However, the West Indies, who have only played three matches in the championship so far, have a long way to go if they are to get into the top levels of the standings that are being led by India with 360 points from nine matches played. They have seven wins and two losses. Australia, who have played 10 matches have seven wins, two losses and a draw for 296 points. New Zealand are third with 180 points from their seven matches – the points coming from the three matches won. They have lost four. England are not having a good time of it in fourth with

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146 points. Their recent loss to the West Indies means they lost four Tests of the 10 played so far. They also have five wins and a draw. Pakistan 140 and Sri Lanka 80 are fifth and sixth respectively. If the West Indies wins their next match against England they will move into a tie on points with Sri Lanka and draw that much closer to Pakistan.The ICC World Test Championship is a league competition for Test cricket run by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which started on August 1, 2019. It is intended to be the premier championship for Test cricket

in line with the ICC’s goal of having one pinnacle tournament for each of the three formats of international cricket. In October 2017, the ICC announced that a Test league had been agreed by its members, which would involve the top nine teams playing series over two years with the top two teams qualifying for a World Test League Championship Final. The first ICC World Test Championship started after the 2019 Cricket World Cup from August 1, 2019, with the Ashes series. The second ICC World Test Championship will run from July 2021 to June 2023.

No roars as Tiger makes return to sounds of silence (Reuters) - Tiger Woods makes his long-awaited return to competitive golf at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio this week and no golfer will feel the impact of the strange new spectatorless world created by COVID-19 than the 15-time major winner. For his whole career Woods, one of sport’s most recognisable personalities, has been the focus of the golfing world. He is followed by massive galleries and battal-

ions of reporters, photographers and television cameras wherever he plays. But when he steps onto the first tee at Muirfield Village Golf Club tomorrow for his first competitive round in five months the only sound is likely to be chirping birds, with the PGA Tour having banned spectators for all events this season. “I’ve had cameras on me since I turned pro, so it’s been over 20-some-odd years that

Tiger Woods tees off the 9th hole during the final round of the Zozo Championship, a PGA Tour event, at Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, Japan October 27, 2019. (Kyodo/via REUTERS)

virtually almost every one of my shots that I’ve hit on the Tour has been documented,” Woods told reporters. “That is something that I’ve been accustomed to. That’s something I’ve known for decades. “But this is a different world and one we’re going to have to get used to. It’s just a silent and different world.” Woods last competed on the PGA Tour in mid-February when he laboured through a final-round 77 at the Genesis Invitational where he finished last among players who made the cut. The 44-year-old reigning Masters champion then skipped a number of events with back issues prior to the PGA Tour ’s three-month COVID-19 hiatus that began in mid-March and opted to sit out the circuit’s first five events since the break. Woods, who is one win shy of a record 83 PGA Tour victories, did play a May 24 charity match with Phil Mickelson and Super Bowlwinning quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Saying he was unwilling to risk a return to the Tour until he saw how safety protocols would work, Woods made his decision to play only when he felt comfortable enough to do so.“I just felt it (Continued on page 27)

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Wednesday July 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

RHTYSC, BCB launch Basil Butcher Trust Project in tribute to West Indies legend -shares out 500 hampers and assist

T

he ten cricket teams of Guyana leading youth and sports club, the Rose Hall town Youth and Sports Club, MS in conjunction with the Berbice Cricket Board has launched another project to make a positive difference in the lives of the less fortunate in Berbice. Teams-Poonai Pharmacy Under 12, under13, Farfan and Mendes under15, Bakewell under 17 and Second Division, Pepsi under 19 and Intermediate, Metro Females and Namilco Under 21 and First Division with the blessings of the family of the late West Indies batting legend has launched the Basil Butcher Trust Project. With the cooperation of the pro active BCB, The teams has to date shared out over 500 food hampers in the West Berbice, New Amsterdam Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne and has assisted the family of Ms Roopranie Latchminarine of No 67 village, whose house felled down during a recent storm. Secretary/CEO of the RHTYSC and President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster stated that the late Basil Butcher was a very close friend of the club and played a major role in the development of its cricket section and charity outreach programme. The management sought and was granted the permission by the Butcher Family to honour the veteran of 44 test matches for the West Indies.

family whose house fell down

The late Basil Butcher at a BCBC presentation

Ms Latchminarine with the donated items. Butcher scored 3104 runs at an average of 43.10 with seven centuries and 16 half centuries. His highest test score was a brilliant 209 not out versus England, while he scored 11,628 runs at the first class level with 31 centuries and 54 half centuries at an amazing average of 49.90. After his retirement at the age of thirty six years in 1969, Butcher served Guyana and West Indies cricket as an administrator with great success. The teams and the BCB intends to assist dozens of less fortunate players with cricket gears under the

project, such as batting gloves, batting pads and wicketkeeping gloves, while bicycles would also be given to less fortunate students in an effort to get them to attend school regularly when it reopens after the corona virus crisis. The RHTYSC with the support of Blossom Butcher has opened a Go Fund Me account in the United States to raise funds for the project. Foster led an eight man delegation to distribute the hampers and also handed over a special donation of food items, clothing, footwear, household and kitchen utili-

Joseph wins Portofino with Tournesol ahead of big weekend

Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida, CMC – Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr warmed up for a big upcoming weekend when he sent out 5-1 choice Tournesol to win Sunday’s feature US$60,000 Portofino Bay Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Edgard Zayas, the three-year-old chestnut filly produced a turn of pace

late in the stretch to catch 2-1 bet Yesterdayoncemore on the wire, to win by a neck in one minute, 43.30 seconds. The victory was the perfect precursor for the 33-yearold Joseph who is preparing to turn out Ny Traffic in next Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, as well as saddling Tonalist’s Shape in

the $350 000 Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga in New York, also on Saturday. “At the top of the stretch, when Yesterdayoncemore opened up, I said, ‘we’re going to finish a good second,’” Joseph said afterwards. “I told Edgard that the distance was really going to help her. She really has a turn of foot, but I didn’t think she was going to get her. She really had to kick in and she did.” Going a mile and sixteenth for three-year-old fillies, Tournesol raced sixth in the seven-horse field as 6-1 bet Mijet opened up a threelength lead through the quarter run in 24.23 seconds, with Freret and Blue Mistress duelling for second. At the half-mile, Mijet’s lead had closed to a length while Tournesol dropped to (Continued on page 27)

ties to the Latchminarine family. Foster also committed the club and the board to assisting the family in the future and wished them well as they try to carry on with their lives after the family house felled down during a storm. He

urged them to remain strong in their faith of God. The team also shared out food hampers in the No 65 Squatting Area, where dozens of families lives in poor conditions. The RHTYSC and BCB over the last four months have shared out twenty one thousand pounds of chicken products, cleaning supplies and hundreds of face masks as

part of the Corona Virus response programme. Foster has stated that as long as he remains head of both organisations, they would be involved in activities to make positive differences. The cricket teams would like to express gratitude to all the donors to the effort including NAMILCO, Bounty Farm, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Bakewell among others.

Dovizioso passed fit for MotoGP season-opener (Reuters) - Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso is fit for the opening race of the 2020 MotoGP season in Jerez on July 19 just weeks after having surgery on a damaged left collarbone, his team said yesterday. The 34-year-old sustained the injury in a crash last month while competing in a motocross race at Faenza in northern Italy after which he underwent an operation in Modena. “Fit! After undergoing medical checks with Doctor Angel Charte this morning, Andrea Dovizioso has been declared fit and ready to race this weekend,” Ducati said on Twitter. Dovizioso, runner-up behind Spaniard

Marc Marquez of Honda in 2019, said he was eager to get back on the race track. “After the collarbone operation, I continued to work hard to try to get as ready as possible for the Spanish GP,” the Italian told the team’s website. “I feel pretty good but until I get in the saddle of the Desmosedici GP, I don’t know what my real conditions are. We will have to get used to the heat of Jerez and, given the short schedule, it will be even more important to make no mistakes.” MotoGP will begin the 2020 season delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic with backto-back races in Jerez on July 19 and 26.

Mission Winnow Ducati Corse’s Andrea Dovizioso during qualifying for the Valencia Grand Prix at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Cheste. (REUTERS/Heino Kalis/File Photo)

Wednesday July 15, 2020

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Kaieteur News

There must be no relenting of pressure by Windies after win W

By Sean Devers i t h t h e stressful Covid-19 Virus present in the West Indian Islands and Guyana, where the frustrating ‘never ending’ Elections’ declaration process is ongoing, the West Indies’ 4wicket win over England in the opening Test match in England on Sunday have brought back smiles to the faces of many West Indians. Such is the power of sports to lift people’s spirits in times of gloom, especially cricket for West Indians. This was the first time since 2007 when they won the opening Test in South Africa, has the West Indies beaten a team ranked higher than them in the first Test of a series. It was only the third time since then that they had won an overseas Test Match against a team ranked higher than them after victories over Pakistan and England in the second Test of their 2017 tour of England. They played excellent ‘team cricket’ which everyone chipping in with useful contributions to outplay their former

Colonial Masters. Jason Holder showed why he is ranked ICC’s number one All-Rounder in Test Cricket with calm and level-headed leadership taking 6-42 in England’s first innings, while eventual Man-of-the-Match Shannon Gabriel took the other four scalps and followed up with 5-75 in the second innings. Alzarri Joseph bowled with plenty of pace and Kemar Roach, who operated w i t h o u t l u c k , o ff e r e d refreshing support as the Windies four-prang pace attack; although not as menacing as the 1980s counterparts, looked threatening on a track which was generally good for batting. Kraigg Braithwaite scored 65 and along with John Campbell the only lefthander in the side, build a fairly solid 43-run foundation, while Shamarh Brooks (39), Shane Dowrich (61) and Joseph (18) were able to rally the tourists to 318 and a lead of 115. In their second innings, set 200 for only their third win in England in 25 years, West Indies wobbled to 27-3 (with Campbell retired hurt

Consistency is key as 2nd Test starts tomorrow West Indies opening batsman, Kraigg Brathwaite in action.

after being struck on his toe from Bajan born Archer) as none of the four top order batsmen reaching double figures. Royston Chase (37), Dowrich (20) and Holder (14*) supported Jermaine Blackwood who made a fantastic 95 from close to four hours at the crease before, like in the first innings, his uppish off drive

Shane Dowrich hits out © Getty Images

was taken at mid-off. But although he fell with victory 11 runs away, his job was almost completed and will know that his place in the next Test is assured. There were discussions regarding the selection of Blackwood, who had scored

a double century in his last innings against the Leewards in the West Indies First-Class tournament where the standard is not that high. The other canidate was the only specialist spinner in the 15-man squad, Rakeem Cornwall, who would have

also given the batting depth. But Blackwood was chosen and despite him giving his wicket away with a poor shot in the first innings, his match winning second innings knock justified the faith shown in (Continued on page 29)

There must be no relenting of pressure by Windies after win Consistency is key as 2nd Test starts tomorrow

Jermaine Blackwood and Jason Holder chat in the middle, England v West Indies, 1st Test, 5th day, Southampton, July 12, 2020 Š AFP via Getty Images

t r o Sp

Woodroffe optimistic about Junior Pan Am C/Ship being played

Gabriel success no surprise, says delighted Holder

Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel celebrates another wicket on Sunday’s final day of the opening Test at Southampton.

Samuel Woodroffe controls the ball for GCC during the GHB outdoor developmental 2nd division league last year.

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