APNU+AFC accuses K NEWS int’l community of - PPP/C says coalition's partisanship statement ridiculous
Monday Edition
AIETEUR
July 27, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 31
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demand recount
figures to be declared Port Mourant Market Vendors complain…
COVID-19 pandemic leads to waste in vegetables, fruits sub sector
“Reddi,”a vendor from Black Bush Polder
Lolita Basit, a Port Mourant vendor
Guyana’s situation infectious; sanctions necessary - Chris Ram p. 7
p. 7
Four days after CoA decision...
CCJ goes on two month vacation Coalition pays NCN to spread propaganda
p.15
p. 15
IAST poised to launch p. 14
“Jaggy the Jaguar
Cereal” next month In light of ExxonMobil’s flaring… Environmental
Group calls for Protected Areas Commission to place p.8
remaining mangroves under legal protection
Troy Resources responsible for death of geologist p.3
- Writes President painting a different picture
Monday July 27, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Troy Resources responsible for death of geologist - Writes President painting a different picture
Managing Director of Troy Resources Guyana Inc. Ken Nilsson
Head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams
Last year October, the Ministry of Social Protection as well as the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) confirmed that geologist, Ryan Taylor, had died due to a mining pit that collapsed at the Region Seven operations of Troy Resources Guyana Inc. (TRGI). Both state agencies had said that a probe would be conducted into Taylor’s death but the findings were never released. A leaked
The deceased Ryan Taylor
letter by the head of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, to the Managing Director of the Australian mining company, Ken Nilsson, has provided some insight in this regard. According to the EPA Head, the reports by the Ministry as well as GGMC state that the company is responsible for Taylor’s death. Dr. Adams’ June 16 letter containing this Continued on page 16
A letter that was sent to TRGI’s CEO, Ken Nilsson by Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally. No part of this letter says that the company was not at fault for Taylor’s death.
Copies of the leaked letter by EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams where he exposes that Troy Resources, according to the reports of two State agencies, was responsible for the death of the geologist.
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Monday July 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL TEL:624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
The Yarns of Keith Lowenfield
Of all the prodigious work put out by English man of letters, W.S. Gilbert – half of the famed comic opera duo, Gilbert and Sullivan – there is a small poem, a sort of parody on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, called ‘The Yarn of the Nancy Bell’. The poem begins with the narrator encountering a bedraggled old man sitting at the side of road, who we learn quickly was once a sailor: “His hair was weedy, his beard was long, And weedy and long was he, And I heard this wight on the shore recite, In a singular minor key: “Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy brig, And a bo’sun tight, and a midshipmite, And the crew of the captain’s gig.” The poem goes on to solve the riddle of the old mariner’s rhyme – the ship as well as the crew which he was part was stranded and so the crew turned to cannibalism until only the mad old sailor was left. The insane gentleman, having consumed his shipmates, in a sense now believes that he has become all of them, and explains how so when spinning his yarn to passers-by. The “yarn” in this sense means a story, a tale so absurd in its fundamental premise as to be not believable by reasonable people. In the past four months, we in Guyana have had our fair share of yarns coming out of the stranding of our electoral process. We have heard tales of dead people voting in their thousands, and migrant voters in equal numbers, none of which has been accompanied by a shred of credible evidence and dozens of cases of which have been completely disproven. We have heard of international conspiracies and Russian spies who were mysteriously let go while supposedly being a threat to national security. There have however been no yarns more consequential, or more absurd, than the ones being spun by Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield. The CEO’s statutory duties are very simple. He is to oversee the general running of the Secretariat, and during elections ensure that his junior officers adhere to the law and their mandate in accurately reflecting the will of the people. He has a specific role in the administrative hierarchy of the Commission and is subject to the direction of the Commission proper, meaning the six Commissioners and the Chair. As has been carried in this paper extensively, what Lowenfield has done instead is spin his own fictions in the place of a proper and accurate report. The first such fiction was a collaborative effort between himself and Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, when he sought to submit an original report based on Mingo’s corrupt figures way in back in March. As CEO, not only did Lowenfield have the power to question Mingo’s inflations on behalf of the APNU+AFC administration, he had a prima facie cause to, considering that Mingo’s figures would have deviated consistently and substantially from the Statements Of Poll (SOPs) in his possession. His original attempt at this was not once but twice, first on March 7 and then roughly a week later, just before the recount started. The second yarn Lowenfield attempted was in his original post recount report wherein he rightfully included the recount figures, but also bizarrely included an alternate set of figures that showed the Coalition winning by arbitrarily knocking off over 275,000 votes. He claimed that over 55 percent of the votes cast as certified by the recount could not be validated, when they were in fact, validated and certified during the recount itself by the machinery under his command. The third yarn spun by Lowenfield was after the Court of Appeal decision in the Eslyn David case, when he ‘corrected’ his gross original recount report error by only discarding 115,000 votes from the recount, of course, once again, handing the Coalition a victory. The fourth and final yarn by Keith Lowenfield sees him
Delusional notions and sheer falsehoods DEAR EDITOR, If it were not obvious before, it should now be obvious to all that the APNU+AFC Coalition resides in an alternative universe – one where the national recount, court decisions and various reports from Elections Observation Missions, among others, are warped to suit their deluded reality. The APNU+AFC Coalition issued a press statement replete with, to put nicely, delusional notions and sheer falsehoods. Out of these falsehoods, they have come to the ridiculous conclusion that they have won the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, and attempts are being made to deny them this victory. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it is the Coalition that has made a series of nefarious attempts to steal the elections and deny the true will of the Guyanese people.In their statement, they have once again repeat the often-debunked claims of fraud discovered during the recount and are asking GECOM to investigate these claims before making a final declaration. Both GECOM and Guyana’s apex court, the Caribbean Court of Justice, have made it quite clear that
the only avenue to deal with these unfounded allegations is the High Court, through an election petition, after a final declaration elections has been made. However, the APNU+AFC Coalition would have GECOM exceed its authority and invalidate votes in order to give them a victory. It would be instructive for the APNU+AFC Coalition to read the ruling of the CCJ in its judgment on July 8, 2020 where it was clearly stated that: “The Chairperson of GECOM was therefore perfectly entitled and right to take the position that these allegations if pursued, should be addressed by an election petition filed in the High Court as contemplated by Article 163.” Also, the High Court in its ruling of July 20, 2020 reemphasized this and further stated that the only data that could be used for the declaration of the results of the elections would have to be the recount results or data. It should also be noted that the claims of fraud was dismissed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) team report – the same team that the Coalition leader, President David Granger, called the “legitimate interlocutors” in the national recount process.
This was made quite clear in their report, where they basically called out the Coalition for engaging in a fishing expedition. For avoidance of doubt, the CARICOM team’s report said: “The Team did not view the objections raised by the APNU/AFC as materially relevant to the recount of the ballots…we simply have no evidence as to who were the ultimate beneficiaries of the alleged “ghost voting” and v o t e r impersonation…nothing that we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 02, 2020 elections. Any aggrieved political party has been afforded the right to seek redress before the courts in the form of an election petition…we are, however, of the unshakable belief that the people of Guyana expressed their will at the ballot box, and as a result, the three-person CARICOM Observer Team concludes that the recount results are completely acceptable.” However, as they are wont to do, the members of the Coalition are selective in their reading of reports and court decisions.
For those of us attempting to derive logic from the illogicality coming from the APNU+AFC Coalition camp, we remember that it was none other than David Granger who admitted that the ‘socalled’ evidence of irregularities in the elections was in Joseph Harmon’s possession – evidence that he is yet to address publicly. On June 14, 2020, Granger had said, “Evidence (of irregularities) has been compiled…that evidence is available from our Election Agent, Colonel Harmon.” Also, it was David Granger who admitted that he had not even seen a single Statement of Poll from the March 2, 2020 Elections. In the same interview of June 14, 2020, Granger had said: “What I can say is that the spreadsheet that I was presented with of the SOPs indicated quite clearly – I haven’t seen the individual SOPs myself – they indicated quite clearly that the numerical advantage was in favour of the APNU+AFC. I never saw the SOPs myself. I saw the spreadsheet and I am satisfied that the spreadsheet was accurate.” The logical action that Guyanese would expect from the Coalition, if it persists with the unfounded (Continued on page 5)
Condemn attacks on GECOM Chair and Judges DEAR EDITOR, Judges Roxane GeorgeWiltshire, Claudette Singh and Priya Sewnarine Beharry and the lawyer for GECOM Chair have come under attacks by supporters of the ruling coalition for their independence. Those attacks must be condemned in unison. In the Court of Appeal matter, the coalition has asked for the recount of votes be set aside and not used in the declaration of the March 2 elections. Instead, it asked the
court to instruct GECOM to use the fraudulent Mingo count for a declaration. It is the first for any country for lawyers to ask a court to use a court to reject a credible count and to use bogus numbers as the basis for a declaration. Mingo’s March 4, 6, and 13 fraudulent counts were all set aside by the High Court and the CCJ. Mingo was ordered by the court to redo the March 6 count according to established practices. He de-
returning to figures that are in tune with the two original declarations by Clairmont Mingo, but not quite, since there is a disparity between the latest report and the March report, across the 10 regional declarations. It is critical to note two things. The first is that in every post-March figure presented by the GECOM CEO – with the exception of the certified, validated recount figures – Lowenfield has in effect given powers to himself that he does not have, whether statutorily or constitutionally. Unless he has, like the lone survivor of Gilbert’s the Nancy Bell, consumed all his shipmates on the stranded, leaky vessel that GECOM has proven itself to be, and assumed all their roles, those reports are illegitimate nonsense. For him to present any of those figures, he would have given himself the combined individual and categorical powers of polling clerk, party agent, observer, district officer, regional returning officer, GECOM commissioner and GECOM Chair. It is therefore not, as the Chief Justice, alluded to, that he has acted like the Lone Ranger; he has, in oxymoronic effect, acted like an entire army of Lone Rangers. It should be made clear that, in the exercise of his duties at this stage, or any other stage, Keith Lowenfield is not given the authority under any circumstance, to change any number of votes, whether 275,000 or 200 or one. The second thing to note of course, is that not only does each of his yarns result in the Coalition winning an election it has clearly and convincingly lost, it is that the Coalition itself has supported every single configuration of Lowenfield’s
fied the court and produced fraudulent numbers on March 13. Mingo committed double felony on March 6 and 13. He was charged for contempt and saved by GECOM Chair who committed to the court that there would be a recount that would replace the count. The fact that the fraudulent count was kept in abeyance was meaningless because the Chair swore in an affidavit that the recount replaces the count. It was formally discarded in early July after CEO,
Keith Lowenfield, insisted on using the fraudulent count to prepare the final result. He disrespected the High Court, CCJ and GECOM and must not only be brought on criminal charges but court contempt also for insisting on use of a bogus count. The coalition’s argument that the count was still valid is without merit. A recount is generally undertaken when there is doubt about a count and a recount automatically (Continued on page 6)
fraudulent report – it is almost as if the administration had ghost-written the CEO’s fictions. It is no surprise therefore that during his appearance to answer private criminal charges on Friday, APNU+AFC supporters appeared in numbers referring to him as their “Mandela”. We could have been spared all of Keith Lowenfield’s absurd yarns months ago. One early critical error made by GECOM Chairwoman Claudette Singh is not demanding that the CEO produce the SOPs in his care. The mere fact that it is a requirement by law that polling stations display their individual SOPs in a manner that the public can see them is an indication that they are meant to be public documents. In his position of Chief-Elections-Officer, Lowenfield – contrary to how he has acted – is therefore not a proprietor of this public information, merely a steward of it. That the CEO has been allowed to keep these public documents entrusted to him in hiding is one of the most macabre incidents of this bizarre circus that we have been both entertained and horrified by in an otherwise horrific enough year. Moving forward, the Commission needs to terminate the services of Mr. Lowenfield for gross and repeated dereliction of duty, and demand that he hand over the SOPs in his possession. Those SOPs should then be made public in order to begin unraveling the sordid yarns that he and his cheerleaders, if not collaborators, in the David Granger Coalition, have spun with impunity, and without shame, before us over the past four and a half months.
Monday July 27, 2020
The wild men and the road to perdition DEAR EDITOR, There is a bunch of extremists within the fringes of the PNC who are exploiting a very weakened, egotistical and vulnerable David Granger and are pushing him in a dangerous direction. In the past, both Desmond Hoyte and Robert Corbin successfully managed to neutralize them; some even expelled, others disciplined and sidelined. In one instance, Corbin was forced to publicly label them “wild men” and as a result, the PNC survived. They even managed to win government in 2015. This group is at it again. Hamilton Green who must be about 90 years old, receiving a comfortable Prime Ministerial pension and who may not be around to see the consequences of his reckless follies, has called upon President David Granger to toss aside the Constitution and the laws and to remain in Government. In other words, he is urging Granger to govern by tyranny and not through the will of the people, to commit a coup and rule by executive edict, not by law and the constitution. Such rule will necessarily see a suspension of the Constitution, including the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizenry and a highjack of the rule of law. In a word, there will be anarchy in this land! Rickford Burke is regularly on the airwaves and in the social media preaching similarly ominous asininities. A
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small but vociferous contingent in the diaspora, safely in their homes, physically thousands of miles from Guyana, who pay no taxes in this land, are also on this suicidal bandwagon, expressing their racist and seditious rankings daily. It is suspected that a ‘strongman’ within the Ministry of the Presidency, is goading them on, for he feels that Granger is under the greater influence of his family and that is preventing him from fully boarding this malevolent political train, destined for national destruction. I am already on public record calling for the United States State Department to sanction these despots living in the US. I hereby renew this call. They are actively inciting politically and racially inspired violence in this land from the safe haven of the United States. A part of the strategy of this group is to stroke Mr. Granger’s fragile ego. In so doing, they build up in his head, that the path which they are encouraging him to traverse will achieve for him, not only self-greatness but will also “deliver his people to the promise land”. The sanctimonious persona that he is, Granger is imbibing the kool-aid, hence his current intransigence. What Mr. Granger needs to understand is that it is he who is on national and international trial, not them. History may not even footnote the existence of these radical elements, let alone record their diabolical schemes. As a historian, Mr. Granger
should understand that his legacy will be the only footprint by which he will be judged by future generations. Perhaps not him, but certainly his grandchildren will feel the anguish and humiliation of his misdeeds. They do not deserve this. At least, their father spoke out against it. But the human being is a cruel species. They will simply forget those few public statements and will judge base upon their own sufferings. What I know Mr. Granger may personally endure, would be the ignominy of international alienation and the punitive regime of sanctions which he will attract for his family and his people. Those very ones who are encouraging him now, will avoid him like a plague then, as they will not wish what he will have to suffer, upon their worst enemy. The other fundamental truth is that the one in the Ministry of the Presidency who is sponsoring these radical acolytes is driven by selfinterest more than anything else. The reality is Mr. Granger is precariously poised at the juncture of two roads: one that can lead to possible personal redemption and a future for this country, and one that can lead to complete perdition. Whichever one he chooses, he must be assured that the world will know that he made that choice with eyes wide open. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law
Delusional notions and sheer falsehoods
From page 4 claims being made, is to made public the ‘evidence’ of irregularities and, more importantly, make public its Statements of Poll. One can only conclude that the APNU+AFC Coalition knows fully well that their allegations are only red herring being put out there to comfort their base. Instead of responsible action, the APNU+AFC Coalition prefers to see our image on the global stage be dragged through the mud, whilst our citizens continue to suffer. The stability and well-being of this coun-
try depends on the democratic will of the people being recognized. The time has reached for the APNU+AFC to stop all these shenanigans and allow the government of the people to be sworn in. They can still salvage whatever credibility they have left and concede. Our people are suffering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn in the country. They Coalition can bring relief to us all by doing the decent and honest thing. Concede! Yours truly, Sherwyn Greaves
Many partisan and prejudiced actions or inactions are being played out without corrective measures
DEAR EDITOR, It is troubling and worrisome as to what is happening in the dear land of Guyana regarding, the incomplete election process, COVID-19 repercussions, the escalating crime situation, the economic stagnation, the unlimited health problems, unemployment, starvation and other political and social depravities. In addition, there is great concern also pertaining to the breakdown of law and order in the country. We are sadly privileged to witness many partisan and prejudiced actions or inactions being played out in the streets without corrective measures applied by the relevant authorities. Many illegal demonstrations and gatherings are conducted by one political party in the presence of the security force and the law is not enforced, in some cases, by the protectors of this country. Such favours will not be accommodated to other stakeholders. COVID-19 restrictions prohibit these activities and they pose dual dangers, health and physical, to the rest of the nation. It is heartening to note that the Bar Council of the Guyana Bar Association said, “The Bar Association once again condemns the recent inflammatory, malicious and racially charged statements, made over the past two days, through various forms of media, targeted again at the Court of Appeal in yet another pending election matter.” Further, it is commendable that the Bar Council also said, “For the third time this month, we are moved to once again speak, as w e h a v e p r e v i o u s l y done condemning attacks on the judiciary, attorneys-atlaw and generally, persons in the lawful exercise of their profession and duties.” While this speaks well of the Guyana Bar Association, the peace loving Guyanese wish
that they would not apply the brakes there but, venture further and also review their members who are guilty of possible flagrant disregards for questionable professional code of ethics. The grass root opinion from the man in the street, in a limited layman’s terms, the oversight, disregard, delay or refusal to take any visible or verbal action that would reflect condemnation and not condonation of such attitude, behaviour and duty of some of the irresponsible attorneys, may have possibly contributed to the election process being dragged out at a snail’s pace. The gross speculation is food for thought whether this is directly or indirectly a deliberate incident or, simply a coincident and whether consideration is meritorious. But, the loud sound of silence speaks volumes and can persuade an influence that may negate areas of doubts, confusion and ignorance. Again, there is no insinuation for accusation in any shape or form but, the perpetual frivolous and vexatious litigations presented by only one set of Councils over the very repetitive issues with similar results do raise eyebrows and frustrate the patience of the public. Of course, the legal luminaries from the Bar Association would be the better judges for this assumption and their point-of-view will be well respected and accepted. Any clarification and or guidance would certainly be most wel-
come from the learned Bar Council. The other sore point is the transparent lies and deceits that are fed and foisted to the public and tongue twisted at the highest level to misrepresent facts and disguised for the convenience of probable illegitimate and illegal activities by certain councils. This has been almost a daily and disgusting practice for too long and Guyanese feel the Bar Association should publicly denounce this exercise and disassociate itself. This is highly unprincipled and does not represent the teachings and expectations of the Bar Council in no uncertain terms. This is of great concern and a dangerous precedent is allowed to become a norm. Editor, Guyanese still remain in the dark and are unaware of what goes on behind the scene inside closed doors. That is why, many things come as a surprise and they are ill equipped and unprepared to handle many issues and circumstances and are not properly advised and/or lack the necessary knowledge in many situations. Respectfully, Jai Lall
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Monday July 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
So much for changes DEAR EDITOR, Going into the Guyoil gas station recently to purchase gas, I was surprised to see all the pump attendants urging me to go to them even though they are tending to other vehicles. After making my purchase, I decided to look on at this strange behaviour, where I witness they happily working and being very courteous to the customers. Following my curiosity, I decided to ask one of the attendants the reason for such courteous service, and was told that a commission is being paid on each sale. I’m not certain how many gas stations are doing this, but whosoever came up with such a brilliant idea, is a genius, because I see good
communication and happiness there and I do hope it continues and that spreads elsewhere. Editor, consistency and proper management/monitoring seem to be lacking and as a result, it is causing us dearly or endangering us. The Maritime advises that commuters traversing the rivers by the speedboats should use facemask. Monitors could be seen informing you to wear mask and testing you. They are being paid to do a service but apparently, because of the temporary authority they hold, they display some serious attitude problem that urgently needs to be address. Sometimes, they are in deep conversations with the taxi
drivers and boat operators and don’t even bother to test people. Then at times, they talk to commuters as if they are criminals. Other times, they are not around. The best part of this operation is that after all the procedure you go through, when you board the boat, you would see the bowman and captain without facemask or either the mask on but in various fashion, conveniently failing to cover their mouth and nose. Some passengers would take their mask off after being properly seated. Guyanese have a tendency to ‘jump down your throat’ when you point out issues. So much for changes! Sahadeo Bates
Condemn attacks on GECOM Chair... From page 4 replaces a count. To not use the recount is to waste the effort of the interlocutors. It would also be an assault on GECOM that has the power to determine what numbers to use in declaring an election unless directed otherwise by a court. The recount was completed and naturally replaces the count. The CEO’s submissions were rightfully rejected by GECOM and the courts. Lowenfield was wrong. To erase doubts that the recount replaces the count, GECOM (Chair) formally discarded the count that was kept in abeyance. Earlier, the CCJ ruled that the recount replaced the count and recount must be the basis for the preparation and declaration of the results. The count was fraudulent and condemned by the international community. The President, David Granger, moved Caricom on March 13 to undertake a recount under its monitoring. The opposition agreed and GECOM assented. The recount was spearheaded by Caricom High Level Team under the circumspect watch of international observers. The coalition never objected to the recount or stated it was illegal. An agreement was reached on April 4 and after further delays, the recount began on May 6. When GECOM took the decision for recount, government election commissioners were on board. From 6th May to 8th June, all government commissioners participated at all levels and never questioned the recount or the order of May 29 to extend the days. The coalition partook in the recount exercises to its completion and never objected to it. The Caricom team and GECOM announced the results ending of May and said they are a credible basis for the declaration of the results. GECOM commissioners never objected or went to court to challenge it. GECOM embraced its results in a majority vote announcing the numbers to the world. In June, the coalition did not challenge the recount order in court. They only sought a definition of the term more votes cast and the court added the word valid which was struck down by the CCJ. The Representation of the People Act already defined a valid vote just to belabor the point. It is the height of stupidity to ask a court to disregard a recount.In no country is a recount rejected. A count can never replace a recount that is superior to a count. No politician anywhere ever asked that a recount be rejected and be replaced by the count as the basis for declaration of an election outcome; they fear they would be the subjects of ridicule. Guyanese (coalition) politicians and their lawyers are amongst the first to make such an embarrassing request. Separately, Guyanese in NY join the chorus of condemnation of unwarranted attacks by government supporters and commission-
ers on a judge on account of her ethnicity and on lawyer Kim Kyte and GECOM Chair, Justice Singh, for following the law on declaration of election results. Judge Roxane George-Wiltshire also came in for attacks for dismissing the petition to have the count be used as a basis for the declaration. The attacks on these key judicial figures are dangerous in the extreme. It is an attack on judicial independence and a contempt of court by some. Critiques against judicial figures are fine but there must be zero tolerance on personal attacks and threats against judicial figures. The attacks on Judge Sewnarine Beharry are also indecent, disrespectful, and racial. Racial slurs against Judge Beharry or against anyone must be condemned. The general feel amongst Guyanese is that the kind of personal attacks on any judge or the Chair or Ms. Kyte is unwarranted and does not help lawful authority. Also, it does not help to build jurisprudence, and it contributes to tensions.It is wrong to impugn the well-established reputation of Judge Sewnarine Beharry.The attack on the judge is meant to exert undue influence on the judiciary, which in itself would undermine the rule of law and disrupt the system of checks and balances on the executive and legislative branches. It would be a return to the darkest days of Burnhamism when judges ruled as per the instruction of the kabaka. Judges could not dissent from his dictates or else the consequences were severe. Anyone who dared to oppose Burnhamism was an enemy of the state to be dealt with severely. So many of us were victims.In conversation I had with lawyers who appeared before her, Judge Priya Sewnarine Beharry is not the kind who compromises integrity. Judge Sewnarine Beharry has a reputation of impartiality and fairness and toughness. Guyanese are confident she knows that 33 is a majority of 65 and that only valid votes are counted in an election. She would not make embarrassing judgments that would be struck down by the CCJ. Guyanese lawyers and the diaspora believe she writes her own judgments and not lawyers who are party to a dispute. Judge Wiltshire-George is also praised for her recent judicial independence since the CCJ struck down her judgment in the Granger’s unilateral appointment of Patterson as GECOM Chair. I note Justice Singh is also unjustly attacked. She is a respected former judge of the High Court of adjudicature. She has maintained decorum, integrity, and transparency that comes with the job. She complies with the law and the constitution. Attacks on her must stop and condemned by all right thinking people. Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
APNU+AFC now considering a coup as their number 1 option to stay in power DEAR EDITOR, Mr. Paul Tennesee stated Guyana has been in a dictatorship since March 2019. He is right. I fully agree with him. David Granger and APNU+AFC have utilized the judiciary and constitutional bodies such as GECOM to extend their time in office. But now Guyana is on the verge of an attempted coup d’état to consolidate the dictatorship. Having exhausted every attempt to thief the March 2 elections, APNU+AFC is now actively considering an oldfashioned coup d’état. In the last several days, there are clear, ominous, sinister signals a coup d’état is now their number 1 option. APNU+AFC has given unambiguous signals, they have no intention of demitting office. Even as the US has already imposed visa restrictions for persons engaged in thieving the March 2 elections, even as CARICOM, the OAS, the Commonwealth, PROSUR, the ABCE countries, the UN have stepped up pressure, David Granger’s sycophants are emboldened in messaging that APNU+AFC must no longer dither, but proceed with an old-fashioned coup d’état. Anil Nandlall calls this option, “The Road to Perdition” and he deemed those proposing such an option a “bunch of wild men”. Ralph Ramkarran this week warned APNU+AFC is firmly on this road. Bharrat Jagdeo warned APNU+AFC several weeks ago, this is a non-viable option. But APNU+AFC is recklessly careening onto this pathway. The clearest signal came on Saturday Hamilton Green, on Mark Benschop Radio, urged Granger as Commander in Chief to seize power. He demanded Granger must dis-
miss GECOM, discard the election, ignore the judiciary, cast aside local civil society and international stakeholders. He incited Granger to use the army for an old-fashioned coup d’état. He is one of the people Anil Nandlall calls “wild men”. Hamilton Green is blunt, demanding Granger cast aside the constitution and the laws - just use the army and thief the government. While Nandlall called him a wild man, make no mistake, this was carefullyplanned messaging, testing the waters, checking to see the response from civil society and the international community. But Jagdeo, the PPP’s General Secretary, anticipating this option already warned the PPP will fiercely reject any APNU+AFC coup to thief the government. The international community already also clearly issued warnings; a coup will not be tolerated. While Green did not disguise his coup proposal, others have also pursued the coup option. Vincent Alexander, a GECOM commissioner, another one of the “wild men”, on several occasions, demanded the elections be voided, Granger stays in power, reorganizes GECOM, prepares a new national registration system and then hold new elections in time for 2025. Alexander even published a 16-page document calling for new the elections. This might not be an old-fashioned coup, using the army to seize power, as Green has recommended, but it is still a coup. They have “Lampy and Pampy”, James Bond and a set of US-based PNC riggers, using social media to spread the message that Granger must forget the elections, just seize power. After the Chief Justice rejected their request to legiti-
EMPTY OIL DRUM IN DE DOLDRUMS By Tulsi Dyal De oil money is in a bank, somewhere in New York At least some of it, while people here ah suffer. Ninety-eight thousand barrels a day, gone forever. Yet we are an empty oil drum, floating in de doldrums. When Covid’s done, I’m going to Hawaii I gon rent a boat, dey call dem an outrigger For crew mates, I will get them from Guyana. While I’m paddling forwards, backwards, they gon paddle Going nowhere; empty oil drum floating in de doldrums. Fifty-four years now, we been doing this, we’re experts At mangling every opportunity to make dis country better. Gold and diamonds, rice and sugar, timber and bauxite, Looks like oil gon join dem to never reach potential. We rather go to court to wriggle in rigmarole; and rig In a battered empty oil drum sinking in de doldrums.
mize their fraud at GECOM last week, they recognized the judiciary pathway towards thieving the election is evaporating. Joe Harmon issued a statement that APNU+AFC will not accept any GECOM declaration unless it uses the Mingo/Lowenfield fraudulent results, something GECOM and both the CJ and the CCJ already rejected. The statement threatened if the PPP and the other political parties support peace and stability, they will accept the Mingo/Lowenfield declaration. Outside of the blunt threat for violence, the statement is clearly signalling a coup. It might not be an oldfashioned coup d’état, but a coup is a coup. Everyone in APNU+AFC is aware they lost the elections. Even ordinary supporters know APNU+AFC lost the elections. Besides the vast majority of Guyanese, the whole world knows that APNU+AFC has been trying to thief the elections. APNU+AFC now realize their plan to use GECOM to thief the March 2 elections has failed. They now also recognize they miscalculated with the assumption Justice Claudette Singh will willingly serve as part of the rigging cabal within GECOM. Further, APNU+AFC has discovered the judiciary will not help them to thief the elections. The judiciary has demonstrated it is not easily intimidated, refusing to become a willing instrument to thief the elections on APNU+AFC’s behalf. This is why APNU+AFC is now on the Road to Perdition, as Nandlall has described.The vast majority of the Guyanese people, not just the PPP and the new political parties, but also civil society, and the whole world have already forcibly signalled that they will not stand idly by and allow this bunch of “wild men” and “wild women” in APNU+AFC to take the Road to Perdition. No coup will succeed in Guyana. But amidst the threat of a military coup, Granger has yet another opportunity to show that he has an ounce of decency and honesty by denouncing all the “wild men and women” in APNU+AFC and rejecting all calls for a coup d’état. The PPP won the March 2 elections and while APNU+AFC continues to huff and puff, continues with their jiggerypokery, sooner than later, Dr. Irfaan Ali will be sworn in as Guyana’s 9th President. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
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APNU+AFC accuses int’l community of partisanship The A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), has accused the international community of partisan behaviour since it failed to join the administration in condemning voter irregularity. These irregularities were claimed to have been unearthed by the coalition during the national recount process. To date, there has not been a shred of evidence in support of such claims. The coalition, in a statement to the press yesterday, indicated that it found the alleged fraud that was found in some 1,261 ballot boxes “in the presence of local and international observers, members of the diplomatic community and election agents from all of the political parties” to be “unconscionable”. It is against this that the coalition lamented over the fact that the international community has remained silent. The coalition said, “These groups with their continued silence on this fraud have displayed their absence of fairness and impartiality which has spawned suspicion and lack of trust amongst the more
- PPP/C SAYS COALITION’S STATEMENT RIDICULOUS
Leader of the APNU+AFC and incumbent President David Granger than 236,000 plus APNU+AFC supporters who voted in these elections.” It is important to note that the voters the coalition claimed voted for the party include the ghost voters added by infamous Region Four Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo. The national recount of votes had proven that Mingo rigged his district’s tabulation process and, in doing so, conjured more than 15,000 ghost voters in his
unsuccessful bid to secure the APNU+AFC coalition a fraudulent victory in this year’s elections. Mingo’s General Election declaration of Friday, March 13, 2020 gave the Coalition 136,057 votes, while the recount showed the correct figure to be 116,941 votes, indicating that the RO fraudulently inflated the coalition’s Region Four total by 19,116 votes. His declaration also gave the PPP/C 77,231 votes when the party’s rightful total – according to recount figures – is 80,920 votes. This indicates that Mingo exacted a deflation of 3,689 votes on the party. The votes taken from the PPP/C were not enough to offset the votes given to the coalition, hence, about 15,427 ghost votes were added by Mingo to the total number of valid votes cast. While the recount showed that 202,077 valid votes were cast in the Region Four General Election, Mingo’s declaration had taken the total up to 217, 425. However, the results of the national recount
Guyana’s situation infectious; sanctions necessary – Chris Ram Attorney-at-Law and anticorruption advocate, Christopher Ram supports sanctions on offenders of Guyana’s democracy as he believes it is in the interest of the international community not to allow the theft of elections to infect the global community. The United States has announced visa restrictions for those persons undermining Guyana’s democracy, and those complicit in such undermining. The United Kingdom and Canada had signaled that they intend to use the tools available to them as well, to remedy the situation that threatens Guyana’s democracy. “For more reasons than one, I do not celebrate sanctions,” Ram said in a letter published in the local newspaper. Expounding further, the transparency advocate added, “(I) do believe that problems concerning Guyana should be solved in Guyana. But I do not accept that the theft of an election is a purely domestic matter since it infects and infests all with whom it comes into contact. It is for that reason and that reason alone that I support sanctions. Bullies, cheats and thieves must realise that evil does not pay.” The fear, once considered
Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram scaremongering, that APNU would not give up power seems validated now, Ram said. This is evident, in his view, by the many court cases which followed the no confidence motion, and which continue to frustrate the declaration of the results of the elections. Chief Justice (Acting), Roxane George-Wiltshire had said in her ruling in the case of Misenga Jones vs GECOM et al that persons cannot be allowed to waste the Court’s precious time and resources on matters already adjudicated. The Coalition has claimed that its sustained challenges in the Court are about ensuring adherence to the
Constitution and the law, even as it endorses a fraudulent declaration produced by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo as part of the basis on which a final declaration is made. Ram is adamant however that the coalition’s legal games are about lawlessness, not the law. “It is not about the fairness of elections,” he continued, “it is about the rigging of elections. It is not about conceding to whom or conceding to what. It is a power grab, an electoral coup, the attempted entrenchment of a dictatorship where one group considers itself superior and another inferior.” Ram noted that the international community is not fooled by APNU+AFC tactics as some sections of the Guyanese populace may be, nor are they as patient. For one, the Organization of American States (OAS) has had discussions about the Guyana situation, and has adjourned its most recent meeting to an undetermined date. It has warned Guyana that a declaration of the recount results is the only acceptable option. Guyana could find itself, Ram worried, more isolated than Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Zimbabwe or any other Continued on page 15
tabulation show that the PPP/ C has won the recount with a grand total of 233,336 votes against the APNU+AFC Coalition’s 217,920 votes. Another important point to note is that many of the baseless claims of voter impersonation and irregularity claimed to have been unearthed during the national recount have been debunked by many
Guyanese—as shown in a series of extensive and verifiable articles published by Kaieteur News. While the international community has not condemned the misinformation campaign, which APNU+AFC has engaged in during and after the recount, the statements of the international community have held one
collective thrust: ‘Declare the results of the recount now’. Meanwhile, the PPP/C said in a statement yesterday called the APNU+AFC release an “inane and incredulous” one, which rehashes a set of issues that has long been overtaken by events and judicial pronouncements from both the High Court and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
Four days after CoA decision…
CCJ goes on twomonth vacation Four days after the Court of Appeal (CoA) is set to rule on the matters pertaining to the March elections, Guyana’s apex court, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is anticipated to proceed on its second vacation. This vacation is set to last for a period of two months, beginning on August 3 and ending on October 2, 2020. The CCJ had recently played a part in Guyana’s election saga after it made a historical ruling in the Irfaan Ali vs. Eslyn David’s election recount case. The CCJ’s ruling followed after the Appeal Court agreed with the position of the
applicant David, in that “more votes cast” should be interpreted as “more valid votes”. The court had also ruled that this interpretation should form the basis of the elections report to be submitted by Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield. This report had invalidated some 115,000 voters. Dissatisfied with the Appeal Court’s ruling, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) sought an appeal with the CCJ. After hearing submissions from multiple parties, the CCJ had unanimously ruled that the majority decision handed
down by the Court of Appeal was made without jurisdiction and should therefore be set aside along with Lowenfield’s report that was based on it. The judgment was wrought by a five-member panel of judges inclusive of the Court’s President Justice Adrian Saunders, Justice Jacob Wit, Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, Justice Peter Jamadar and Justice Denys Barrow.
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IN LIGHT OF EXXONMOBIL’S FLARING…
Environmental Group calls for Protected Areas Commission to place remaining mangroves under legal protection A Fair Deal for Guyana, a movement which seeks to protect the environment for present and future generations, is calling on the Protected Areas Commission to place the nation’s remaining mangroves under legal protection immediately. The call by this locally and internationally respected campaign comes on the heels of International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystems
which was officially commemorated on Sunday. The Group was keen to note that mangroves are a critical element in Guyana’s sea defences. It noted however that when they are cut down, thinned, or damaged by garbage and fire, the coastal communities immediately suffer from rising sea-levels while adding that vital farmlands and crops that are
essential to the nation’s food security are affected. Now that Guyana has a new sector on stream, that is to say the oil and gas industry, local and international stakeholders posit that the role of mangroves will be even more important since they serve as carbon sinks by absorbing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Extensive research by a
Fair Deal for Guyana shows that mangroves are among the most carbon-rich tropical forests and can store twice as much carbon per-area than other forests. With this in mind, the movement which seeks to protect the environment is concerned that these carbon sink benefits for Guyana are being wiped out by fossil fuel emissions by ExxonMobil. In this regard, one of the members for A Fair Deal for Guyana, International Lawyer Melinda Janki, was keen to remind ExxonMobil has flared or burnt approximately 10 billion cubic feet of gas via the Liza Destiny oil vessel. This news agency would have reported as well that from last year Christmas to now, ExxonMobil has been flaring gas due to mechanical issues being experienced with the Liza Destiny’s gas compressor system. It has since been sent to Germany to be fixed. Importantly, Guyana does
not have enough acres of mangroves to offset the greenhouse gas emissions being released by ExxonMobil. To do so, the nation would need an additional 460,000 acres of mangroves. This was noted most recently by Conservationist, Annette Arjoon-Martins. (SEE LINK FOR FULL STORY: https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2020/07/26/guyana-requiresadditional-460000-acres-ofmangroves-to-offsetemissions-from-exxonmobilsflaring-conservationist/) In an invited comment, Janki stated, “It is madness to contribute to rising sealevels, to ocean acidification and to the death of mangroves. Yet, that is precisely what Guyana is doing by allowing ExxonMobil to produce oil and flare billions of cubic feet of natural gas.” The international lawyer unequivocally stated that the lives of t h e G u y a n e s e people and the ecosystems
International Lawyer, Melinda Janki that they depend on are more important than ExxonMobil’s attempts to survive in a dying industry. Taking these and other critical points into consideration, Janki and the other members of the movement strongly posited that efforts be made to put an immediate halt to activities that are damaging Guyana’s mangroves and to save what remains.
GCAA imposes strict COVID-19 regulations
- Passengers can be fined up to $3M, jailed for 5 years The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has issued an updated set of safety and public health guidelines for passengers, airports and aircraft operators as it relates to COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone in breach of the rules such as the failure to wear a mask or acting in a manner to endanger the health of others can result in a fine totalling $3M as well as jail time. With the incoming repatriation flights and the airports set to open on August 28, Director General of the GCAA, Egbert Field, indicated that these measures are absolutely necessary while noting that he sees the penalties as the only way to ensure compliance. According to the GCAA, a person who refuses to wear a mask will be denied boarding on any aircraft. In addition, passengers who do not adhere to the safety requirements and preventive measures on the aircraft shall be removed prior to departure. That person can also face a fine of $50,000.
Furthermore, any individual who acts out in a manner that endangers an aircraft or any person in it is liable to a fine of $3,000,000 and five years imprisonment. If a person fails to comply with commands directly given the by the pilot or a crew member, that person is liable to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for three months. A person can also be charged $1,000,000 for using threatening words and actions in an airport or aircraft. Kaieteur News understands that passengers must also wear appropriate facemasks which include medical facemasks as well as the N95, KN95 and FFP2 approved masks. The facemasks may be replaced after four hours on the aircraft or after it becomes soiled or wet. The regulations also stipulate that aircraft operators are required to provide to the Ministry of Public Health with passenger identification information, their travel details and contact details for contact tracing
Director General of the GCAA, Egbert Field purposes. Failure to adhere to this regulation can result in an aircraft operator being liable to a fine of up to $500,000. Passengers coming on these flights are required to produce a negative testing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test. However, children under 12 whose parents have produced negative tests will not be required to produce one as well. The GCCA is urging that passengers exercise full compliance to aid in a healthy aviation environment and smooth running of services once the airports reopen.
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A national pro-democracy platform should be established
T
he Opposition po litical forces in Guyana are making a fatal error. They are presently enjoying a windfall of regional and international solidarity in the face of the APNU+AFC’s brazen attempt to steal the elections. But they must not assume that regional and international pressure alone would be sufficient to deter and overcome the political forces that are threatening to revert the country, once again, to a backward and anachronistic political culture. International and regional pressure must be backed by local efforts. International sanctions must be backed by robust local efforts to defend democracy. This will demonstrate to the world that majority of the people of Guyana do not accept dictatorship. The Opposition political parties must not find themselves being overly dependent on international ostracism and sanctions. They must begin to organize in order to strengthen the local pro-democracy movement. The APNU+AFC having pushed Guyana into the political backwaters can no longer be entrusted with navigating the country into a bright economic future. If history teaches us anything, it is that progress cannot emerge from backward politics. The APNU+AFC has now come to embody political backwardness. To believe that in the 21st century, they can rig an election in front of the entire international community is evidence that the APNU+AFC is living in a time capsule from a bygone age. The APNU+AFC is attempting to murder electoral democracy. If it succeeds in this diabolical plot, free and
fair elections will be a thing of the past. The Guyanese people will never again enjoy the right to choose a government of their choice. The country would have fallen into the hands of electoral bandits who will deliver ruination. It is for this reason that local pro-democracy forces should unite under a single platform to defend the right of people to choose a government of their choice. Without this right, all freedoms will be subject to the caprices of the dictatorship-in-the making.The Guyanese people have demonstrated that they are prepared to defend their democracy. A non-partisan group called Guardians of Democracy guarded the ballot boxes for months, prior to and during the recount exercise. Activists, drawn from the Opposition political parties, at great risk, worked around the clock during the pandemic, to ensure the integrity of the recount. Lawyers, not associated with any of the Opposition political parties, have come forward to defend the right to free and fair elections. The independent media houses have been fearless in exposing the APNU+AFC’s undemocratic conduct. Civil society has also been involved in the defence of democracy. The Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUG), the largest block of unionized workers in the country, along with the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Inter-religious Organization of Guyana, are among the groupings which have taken a stance in defence of democracy. A number of individuals, including Christopher Ram, Selywn Peters, Paul Nehru Tennessee and Dominic
Gaskin, have been outspoken in condemning the shenanigans to rig the elections. Then there is the silent majority who do not appreciate what the APNU+AFC has been attempting to do. The smaller political parties - Change Guyana, The New Movement, A New and United Guyana and the Liberty and Justice Party – have stood tall in defending the ballot. These parties collectively represent almost 10,000 of the electorate. But the symbolism of them coming together to defend democracy will be far more powerful than their electoral record. Guyana cannot depend on international sanctions alone to ensure that the APNU+AFC respect the democratic will of the people. The international sanctions must be backed by strong broad-based action to ensure electoral democracy and to lay the foundation for electoral reform so that never again would Guyana be subject to electoral banditry. Private criminal charges have been leveled to prosecute electoral malpractice. These cases are of such importance to the deterrence of future electoral fraud that it must not be allowed to segue into political theater. The best legal resources must be mobilized to ensure a successful prosecution. The APNU+AFC seems determined to thwart the democratic will of the people. They must not be allowed to succeed. A broad-based prodemocracy movement will ensure that this movement is not divided along ethnic lines. Persons are attempting to stoke the flame of ethnic conflict by falsely projecting the electoral crisis as an ethnic crisis. A small band of brigands is holding this country to ran-
Dem boys seh ...
Thief man wan share de loot with de victim De Pee- Pee-Pee and the Pee- N-Cee are two peas in de same pod. Dem no different from each other. So dem boys seh. Jug-deo do he thing when he went in power and the Pee-N-Cee come in and dem put steroids pun de same thing wha Jug-deo bin do. Dem do de same thing but wuss. When dem boys bin think was change dem get, it was really an exchange. De Hay-Eff-See come and tell dem boys how dem gan hold de Pee-N-Cee foot to de fire. But dem boys know dat dem was no different from dem two parties. Dem was just de rejects from de Pee-N-Cee and de Pee-PeePee. De Hay-Eff-See was de the abuse children of dem two big parties. So when de Hay-Eff-See go in, all dem do was practice vindictive politics. Dem tun around and start abusing de people. Dem too belong in de same pod with dem abusers. De Public Rigging Outcast (PRO) seh how
he get abuse. He seh he accustomed to sanctions from lang. So is no big thing with he. De Pee-N-Cee, de Pee-Pee-Pee and de Hay-Eff-See are ganga eggs. Dem boys seh ganga egg nah good fuh nuttin except pelting people. Good nah gan come out of de Pee-N-See and de Pee-Pee-Pee. Wah dis country need is new leaders with, fresh ideas and vision and who nah connected with dem two peas in de pod. Imagine de Coal-a-Shun calling fuh dialogue about power sharing. Dem get ketch trying fuh thief elections and now dem wan talk. Dat is like if you ketch a thief man in yuh house carrying away yuh things. And he tun to you and tell you, let we talk about how you two can divide up de loot. Talk half and pray fuh fresh leadership in de country!
som. Pro-democracy forces and individuals must come together under a single platform to confront the monster that is bent on crushing democracy. International sanction alone is not enough. The APNU+AFC and all those
who undermine democracy must be exposed, condemned and ostracized, locally as well. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Monday July 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
2020 Elections: Scintilla of memoir When you are involved in journalism and social activism, there are dimensions to the human mind that you encounter that are positively amazing and negatively bewildering. People will tell you things that are incredibly stupid and you wonder how any mind can become so warped. If I were to write about my media career, readers would not believe the kind of stupidities living, walking humans are capable of. Just two examples. Do you know how many people told me about the evidence they had of Charrandass Persaud’s plan to vote for the no confidence motion (NCM) and the persons that arranged the bribe for him? I was in the kitchen with my wife when a nationally well-known proPNC activist called me from New York. He said he had all the details of all the players involved weeks before the NCM.
Secondly, a talk show host on channel 9 devoted his entire programme assigning dead seriousness to a satirical column I did poking fun at the stupid mentality of the collective leadership of APNU+AFC. I jokingly referred to artificial skin masks the Russians made for 35,000 dead people and created the images of the artificial faces using huge television screens that were left on the Linden highway for people to collect freely. These are just two of thousands of crazy communications from weird souls in my 32 years of media activities and more than 50 years of social activism. But there is a simultaneous current that flows in the opposite direction. From the time the PPP government abandoned the politics of Jaganite essentialism, and I became a critic of such betrayal by Jagdeo and Ramotar, I have
had a rich exposure that has been a profound learning experience. East Indians from every class stratum - rich, poor, educated, semieducated, unemployed, middle class - would engage me in conversations that had touches of sad irony. They would express genuine understanding for my emotional revulsion of the immoral directions the PPP had gone into. Without exception, they would applaud my courage, agree with my sentiments, wished the PPP was not doing what it was, but there was the inevitable caveat. You had to be inside the moment of revelation to understand the East Indian mind as that mind rambled over how they conceive of the PNC. The caveat came from all of the class strata I named above. But it was a moving experience to hear the labourer, fish vendor, carpenter echo the same warning.
I will summarize their reaction in a quote that, though is not the exact words, captured the depth of their feeling. It went like this; “but Freddy, you know what you are doing, you know if the PPP loses, them PNC people coming back and will never come out.” I swear on my parents’ grave that refrain was always present when Indians approached me to talk about what I said on television or wrote in my columns about the PPP government or what I did in the picket line that they saw in the newspapers. Above I offered two examples of the negative vibes I got. Here are two examples of that caveat. On the first day of the Jagdeo libel writ against me, the PPP packed the courtroom with dozens of supporters. I will never forget the image of that lady who spoke to me on the road afterwards. She wore a
black shirt with a baby pink, transparent blouse. She told me she reads what I write, likes me but she didn’t want the PNC to come back and people like me and Kaieteur News will bring back the PNC and then you can’t move them. The second example was when the PPP government terminated my contract at UG. The next day, I got a phone call from an Indian lecturer who offered sympathy and expressed deep regrets because he said I was a good lecturer but he ended the conversation with the happiness that the PPP had won the 2011 election the month before my termination so the PNC cannot control UG as it used to do. The warning or the trepidation never penetrated my mind. I was driven to speak out against the PPP’s autocracy, and I felt that the bad old days of the PNC were
Frederick Kissoon long gone. Now look at 2020. What is one of the lessons to be learnt? We middle class educated, urban Georgetowners continue to fail to see that the ordinary man and woman know their politics. These ordinary souls were fearful that people like me and Kaieteur News would bring back the PNC and knowing the PNC, it will never come out of power. Look how right they were. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
COVID-19 cases jump to 370 The Ministry of Public Health confirmed yesterday another 10 positive cases of the novel coronavirus bringing the country’s total to 370. The Ministry through its COVID-19 dashboard reported that the number of persons in institutional quarantine remains 33 while the number of persons in institutional
isolation has increased to 169. Additionally, four persons remain in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) while 181 persons have so far recovered from the virus. To date, there have been 20 fatalities. It is recommended that individuals adhere to all the necessary precautions in order to stop the spread of the virus.
Monday July 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Monday July 27, 2020
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Coalition pays NCN to Port Mourant Market Vendors complain… COVID-19 pandemic leads to waste spread propaganda
Leader of the APNU+AFC and incumbent President David Granger In its bid to further disseminate misinformation centered on Guyana’s electoral impasse, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has decided to pay the National Communication’s Network (NCN) to advance the party’s spread of propaganda. Kaieteur News confirmed this after concerns were raised regarding how much coverage the coalition was receiving from NCN and on what basis. With this in mind, contact was made with Chairman of NCN, Enrico Woolford, who informed this
publication that all of the airtime given to the APNU+AFC was fully paid for. Woolford said that at the end of each of the Coalition’s News Network’s (CNN) broadcastings, it is indicated that the programme is a ‘Paid political broadcasting’. He noted that “anyone can get a political broadcast on NCN,” as it is a very common thing practised throughout the world. The bigger issue at hand however, is that the CNN’s false reporting is being made available for consumption via a statebroadcasting network that has thousands of local and international subscribers. Hosted by coalition supporters, Christopher Jones and Sherod Duncan, the CNN came into being after the national recount process and is aimed at providing false narratives about the electoral process. Many of CNN’s concoctions are centered claims of voter impersonation and irregularities alleged to have been unearthed during the national recount process as well as proceedings in the nation’s courts. De facto Ministers, lawyers and other government officials are often invited as guests to play a role in the campaign of misinformation. Like the Guyana Chronicle and the Department of Public Information (DPI), the coalition’s network has placed the ruling party’s view over the public’s interest. This was highlighted in a report by the European Union’s observer mission. Notably, the EU Observer Mission’s report pointed out that there was unequal coverage of the major political parties by NCN during the elections campaign.
IAST poised to launch “Jaggy the... From page 14 nation’s shelves. According to the Director of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), Professor Suresh Narine, this new cereal is formulated to appeal to the young and the young at heart. Staying true to its brand as a uniquely Guyanese product, the new cereal is branded “Jaggy the Jaguar Rice Krunch.” Rather than using the plethora of cartoon characters available, Narine said that the evocative Guyanese Jaguar was chosen because of its role in representing the majesty of the country’s biodiversity. Narine and well-known Guyanese Cartoonist, Paul Harris, are collaborating on the publishing of a children’s book featuring Jaggy the Jaguar and a group of animal friends. The book will focus on uniquely Guyanese places in the hinterland and will seek to educate about Guyana’s geography and biodiversity in a fun and colourful series. The new cereal, available in August 2020, also features new, environmentally friendly packaging and will be available at extremely competitive prices. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, EFFICIENT PACKAGING The company has also taken the opportunity during this period to retool its packaging. It is completely eradicating the use of paper/ cardboard packaging.
Although plastic packaging will still be utilized, the company is also actively focusing on even further reducing its environmental footprint. The environmental impact of the new packaging, which will now be used for both the original cereal and Jaggy the Jaguar has been significantly reduced. It also allows more mechanization of the process, resulting in less waste, increased efficiencies and ultimately big wins for the Company’s customers via reduced costs and environment benefits. Additionally, both Jaggy the Jaguar and the original Morning Glory Cereal will now be available in both 225g packs as well as 500g economy sizes, providing more economical choices to Guyanese. AGGRESSIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGN In keeping with the IAST/ Morning Glory task force recommendations, the Company is also launching a massive advertising campaign to further familiarize Guyanese with its products at the end of July and for the remainder of the year. Morning Glory has set its sights on becoming the iconic, immediate and always choice cereal of Guyanese. It is aiming to do so through technology, branding, staying local, being environmentally responsible and ensuring it leaves no
Guyanese behind in its pricing. Most of all, the company feels it will be able to attract and retain loyal customers through the superior nutrition of its product compared to any other cereal offered for sale in Guyana. In order to further bring the products into everyone’s kitchen, Narine appears every Wednesday at 9:30 am on 89.5 FM and every Thursday at 9:15 am on 93.1 FM, where matters relating to Science, Technology, Development, Guyanese Identity, Guyanese Potential and Local Products manufactured by IAST, including Morning Glory, are discussed. The Company shall be erecting multiple billboards, increasing its radio, television and social media presence and shall continue to use this disruptive period as an opportunity for expansion and branding. The Company will also continue to attempt to penetrate the Caribbean marketplace; it has all the right elements to do so; it can be cost competitive and flexible; it is a Caribbean product attracting Caribbean tariff entablements and it does not need to be shipped from thousands of miles away. And it is produced right here in the bread basket of the Caribbean. After all, Narine reminds, it is “We Own”.
in vegetables, fruits subsector
A young lad selling cherries freshly picked from his cherry tree at home. The effects of the COVID19 pandemic are being felt in almost every local industry. In fact, recent reports from the Port Mourant Market reveal that the fruits and vegetables subsector is reeling from the pressures of the novel coronavirus. During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, many of the Port Mourant vendors stressed that consumer purchases are declining at a troubling pace which leaves them on many occasions, with no choice but to discard of good produce or sell them at a loss. Omawattie Reddi from Black Bush Polder shared, “Things very slow. We have to throw away three quarter of what we suppose to sell but we still have to keep going with the business. The COVID and this political thing contributing to all of this, everybody waiting to hear who is the president because when you na get a president nothing good can’t run.” Lilowttie Harrinarine, another vendor who has been selling her peppers, cabbages and other vegetables at the Port Mourant Market for 32 years said that business “has been bad” since the beginning of the year but as time elapsed, it has gotten worse. “This is the first time it slow down so bad but if people get work, they will come out and buy but people na get the money so dem na come out and buy. They suffering and we suffering too because people not buying like before. When dem use to buy like one bag ochro
Vegetables on sale.
or pepper now dem buying like a 20 lb because the market slow, business slow,” she said. A young woman who helps her mother to sell her produce, Lolita Basit, stated that as a result of the coronavirus, consumers are not buying like they usually would. In light of this, Basit said that they have taken the decision to sell their produce at a reduced price. While this has slashed their profits considerably, the young woman is hoping that business will pick up again. A walk through the Port Mourant Market also saw very few buyers with many vendors just hoping someone would make a purchase. APPEAL TO AUTHORITIES
As a result of the decline in sales and profit margins, many of the vendors related to this news agency that they have been pleading with the authorities to pay a reduced stall holder’s fee. Kaieteur News understands that the vendors are expected to pay $300 a day. This is providing that they are selling on a daily basis. But even this seemingly small sum is now costly for some vendors. Overall, the atmosphere at the market on Friday last was far from the usual. Additionally, the fruits and vegetables subsector is not the only one that has been taking a beating in Berbice. The fishing industry has also been feeling the proverbial squeeze along with the rice and sugar sectors.
Guyana’s situation infectious; sanctions... From page 7 country in the world. In addition to explaining his position on the said sanctions, Ram examined the tainted image of President, David Granger, explaining that it has become littered with ‘constitutional violations, corruption, cynicism, ethnic preferences, waste and extravagance, arrogance and delusion.” He is of the view that Granger seems determined to take the country down a “black hole”. He also condemned APNU+AFC’s campaign manager, Joseph Harmon who has condemned current and former CARICOM leaders for speaking in support of a democratic resolution to Guyana’s electoral process.
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Monday July 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
Carpenter dies following road accident on Essequibo road VACANCY Office Assistant/Inventory Clerk.Mima Decor.Maths & English required,mimadecor12 @gmail.com.Tel#227-0186. SERVICES
WANTED
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A
carpenter lost his life yesterday morning after a tragic road accident on the Essequibo Coast. The deceased has been identified as 28year-old Jagdesh Singh of Pomona Housing Scheme on the Essequibo Coast. Based on information reaching Kaieteur News, the accident occurred sometime around 07:00 hrs yesterday morning, on the Zorg Public Road. Reports are that Singh was proceeding north on the public road on motorcycle CE 2037 at a reportedly fast rate. This news agency was informed that a canter truck which bore licence plate number GNN 3846, was approaching in the opposite direction of the Public Road. Witnesses related that Singh lost control of his motorcycle and collided with a cow before slamming into the right side of the canter. The man was subsequently rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead sometime around 11:00hrs. The driver of the canter has been detained by police and is assisting with the investigation.
The deceased Jagdesh Singh
Troy Resources responsible for... From page 3 startling revelation was carbon copied to President, David Granger as well as other senior government officials such as GGMC Commissioner General, Newell Dennison and Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott. The Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally was also copied. The EPA Head felt it necessary to disclose this information as he felt Troy Resources’ Chief Executive Officer was painting an entirely different picture in a confidential correspondence to the President. Dr. Adams in his letter said, “As to the passing of Mr. Taylor and statements made by me about the state of affairs at the mine site, your level of dishonest cannot descend any lower when stating ‘This accident was investigated thoroughly by the two State agencies with jurisdiction…both informed the company that they do not
regard it as being at fault.” The EPA Head told the President that both agencies “tell a starkly different story” following his independent checks with the said entities. In the case of the Ministry of Social Protection, Dr. Adams said that this agency’s report “unambiguously concluded” that Troy Resources Guyana Inc.(TRGI) is “entirely responsible” for the death of the geologist and highlighted several causes which were all attributed to TRGI. Dr. Adams also told President Granger as he addressed Nilsson, that the report recommended charges against the mining company for “obstructing an officer in the execution of his official duties, refusal to permit the officer to visit the site, refusal to submit documents formally requested and; failing to report 12 Occupational Diseases.” As for GGMC’s report, Dr. Adams said that it “definitively ascribed fault to
Owen Arthur dies
Former Barbados Prime Minister, Owen Arthur has passed away at the age of 70. He was pronounced dead just after midnight at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, after being admitted there last week for heart complications. The news was confirmed by CBC News Barbados early this morning. Arthur recently headed the Commonwealth Observer Mission to Guyana’s General and Regional Elections.
TRGI” for its “acts of negligence…and irresponsible behaviour.” With the foregoing in mind, Dr. Adams wrote, “It is beyond belief that you would so barefacedly declare to His Excellency, that TRGI was deemed faultless by two State agencies; thus, bringing into question, your claim to be a company of high repute.” Kaieteur news reached out to the Public Relation Officer of TRGI, Mr. Ajay Baksh for a comment in regards to the statements made by Dr. Adams in his letter to the President and Nilsson. The PRO indicated that the allegations being made against the company were entirely false since the “leaked letter by Dr. Adams has no basis and proof.” “We at Troy Resources have not seen any report. We do not know of any report. We have received a letter and two certificates in which the Ministry has absolved us from these claims,” the PRO said. Kaieteur News did receive from the PRO, a copy of the letter from Minister Ally dated November 8, 2019 to Nilsson. That letter however, does not state in any sentence or paragraph that the company is not at fault. It only thanked Nilsson for sending a “Situation Report at Troy Resources Guyana Inc.” Kaieteur News has attached the said letter in the interest of public scrutiny. Furthermore, the two certificates to which the PRO referred, were both received by the company for occupational health and safety before Taylor’s death which occurred in October 2019. One certificate was awarded to Troy on May 15, 2019 while the other is dated April 2018.
Monday July 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
Arya’s Fresh Cut: Delivering high quality farm produce at affordable prices By Renay Sambach After emerging on the local market five years ago, Arya’s Fresh Cut has proven to consumers that it is one of the nation’s most reliable sources of high quality vegetables. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the company has neither waivered in its ability to offer well-packaged crops at an affordable price nor its love for offering moms and dads, innovative assortments to make their everyday cooking plans easier. During an interview with Kaieteur News, the owner and
manager of Arya’s Fresh Cut, Diana Persaud, shared that the business is 90% driven by the enthusiasm of hardworking young women. In fact, Persaud intimated that the processing, management and operating processes are all
Some of Arya’s Fresh Cut products on the shelves of one of Guyana’s supermarkets
done by women. She did acknowledge that her husband, Aditya Persaud, and a few other male employees, do make valuable contributions. As a result of the care and attention to every aspect of its operations, Persaud was proud to share that her company has received great feedback over the years and has even seen a continuous climb in consumer demand. Persaud also noted that quite often, she is questioned about the financial success of the company to date. But when faced with such comments, the mother of two said she is always keen to note that her joy is rooted in being able to see her passion for agriculture flourish. She said, “Many persons have asked if we make (a lot) of money in this business. (But) it’s not about the money. It’s a feeling of satisfaction that you get from giving to others, something that you are trained to do and you’re proud of doing it…You will have losses, but don’t you let that dissuade you.” For the uninitiated, Arya’s line of produce includes pump-
Photos from Arya’s farm at Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara.
kins, tomatoes, cabbage (chopped), corilla that is cut and cleaned, bell peppers, sweet peppers, wiri-wiri peppers, ochro, boulanger or egg plant and passion fruit. To complement its line of local produce, Arya’s also offers mint leaves, ginger, basil, oregano and cilantro, all of which are imported. “Some of our biggest hits on the market are our mixed veggie packages like the chowmein mix which contains bora, carrot and cabbage; the fried rice mix that has bora and carrot; and our seasoning mix which is packed with celery, parsley, oregano and basil,” the business woman noted. Another exciting addition to the Arya brand is grated coconut, which Persaud said has been in great demand. In this regard she said, “We have them available in chipped or choka coconut packages and we also have coconut water available in three different sizes...” Kaieteur News understands that the company has a website that is user friendly and able to facilitate online shopping for the foregoing
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Diana and her husband Aditya Persaud products. Elaborating on this front, the mother of two said, “Our customers can go online, sign up and shop from the comfort of their home… We created this new platform to connect with persons and give them the opportunity to select what they want and when they want it and they pay when it’s delivered.”Persaud said customers can expect delivery within 48 hours after the order is placed. She said that the timeline allows her company to harvest the vegetables, wash and clean them, then prepare for packaging so that it can be delivered the following day. SURVIVING THE PANDEMIC Persaud was keen to note that during the first two weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a noticeable drop in sales. She said that the company was quick to adapt in this regard by offering home delivery services. The mother of two shared, “As a businesswoman, I
couldn’t allow the pandemic to affect me. My team and I worked out a way to conquer it by using different strategies... So as it is, our business is not being affected by the Coronavirus.” Arya’s home delivery service is available from Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara to Diamond, East Bank Demerara. Persaud shared that their services is not extended to other regions as yet since their farm is located at Section D, Non Pariel, ECD. Arya’s products can be found at all Bounty Supermarkets, Survival Supermarket locations at Sheriff Street and Vlissengen Road, DSL Supermarkets, Massy Stores Providence, and Rahim/Seeta Store at Mon Repos. Persons can visit Arya’s website by using this link: h t t p s : / / www.aryasfreshcut.com/ , visit their Facebook page at Arya’s Fresh Cut or contact them on telephone numbers, 592-610-0528 or 625-6903 for more information.
One of the latest additions to the Ayra brand—freshly grated coconut
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Kaieteur News
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Motorcycling: Quartararo wins Andalusian MotoGP as Yamahas dominate in Jerez General view of Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo and Monster Energy MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi with other riders at the start of the Andalucia Grand Prix at Circuito de Jerez, Jerez, Spain. (REUTERS/Jon Nazca)
Monday July 27, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you should work to tune into the larger, slowermoving trends in your life, Aries. Consider making some long-term monetary and emotional investments. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Let your artistic nature loose today, Taurus. Add a touch of creativity to whatever project, situation, or person you encounter. Let your fantasy world extend to every aspect of your being and keep an open mind for new ideas and methods. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Don't gamble away your resources, Gemini. Take the safest route. There's a great deal of energy out there encouraging you to act, but beware of adopting too stubborn of an attitude. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Get things out in the open today, Cancer. If someone seems to insult you, call them on it. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Stick to the tried and true today, Leo. Don't be afraid to make any last-minute changes of plan. Compliment others when they do something well, and show appreciation for their positive qualities. VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) Reap all the riches that a new day has to offer, Virgo. Every day brings new opportunities and the chance for rapid advancement.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may need to adjust today in order to relate well to people and situations, Libra. Things are a bit off kilter, and you may find that the harder you try to fit in, the more liable you are to feel like an oddball. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Be yourself today - 100 percent you, Scorpio. The world needs more individuality. Revel in your unique qualities and be generous about sharing them with the world. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today is a very expansive day in which you can make great progress in all of your endeavors, Sagittarius. Be careful of deception by others. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Tune into your dreams today, Capricorn. Do you often feel intensely jealous thinking the people around you are living amazing lives while you're stuck in a dull, boring routine? AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) There are extremely slowmoving, subtle energies coming into play today that may not be so easily felt, Aquarius. What they provide is a key to manifesting your wildest dreams. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There may be a great deal of conflict in your life today, Pisces. Different people and situations seem to be pulling you in all directions.
JEREZ, Spain (Reuters) Fabio Quartararo of Petronas Yamaha led from start to finish in the scorching heat of Jerez to win an incidentpacked Andalusian MotoGP y e s t e r d a y. F r e n c h m a n Quartararo, who also won the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix last weekend, cruised to victory from pole position while factory Yamaha duo of Spaniard Maverick Vinales and former champion Valentino Rossi finished second and third.“That one was tough,” Quartararo said after a race in which eight riders crashed or retired due to technical problems.“What an amazing feeling, it feels so good to make back-to-back wins.“Strange conditions today, but I think it was one of the hardest races of my life.” Victory moved Quartararo to 50 points in the world championship standings, 10 points ahead of Vinales.Vinales clinched runners-up spot after an overtake on the penultimate lap and 41-yearold Italian Rossi took a podium place for the 199th time in his premier class career and first since the Grand Prix of the Americas last year. Rossi, who started fourth on the grid, made a good start and quickly moved up to second ahead of Vinales with the two Pramac Ducatis of Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia looking to reel them in. Bagnaia, who had never finished on the podium, capitalised on mistakes from Miller and Vinales to move up to third and he eased past Rossi whose tyres were struggling for grip in the heat before Miller slid off at turn nine. Petronas Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli looked set to challenge for a podium place before technical problems forced him to retire.Bagnaia was cruelly denied a podium when his bike began trailing smoke and the visibly upset Italian had to retire from the race.Defending champion Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda did not take part as he continues to recover from surgery on a broken arm sustained in the season-opening race last weekend.The next race is in the Czech Republic on Aug. 9.
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Monday July 27, 2020
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Stuart Broad puts hosts on verge of victory
BBC Sport - Stuart Broad’s six wickets left England on the verge of a series victory over West Indies on the third day of the deciding Test at Emirates Old Trafford. Broad took all of the West Indies wickets to fall across two innings, starting with four in four overs for 6-31 in the first. The tourists were all out for 197, 172 behind. Late in the day, with Jason Holder’s side set a nominal 399 to win, the brilliant Broad struck twice more, leaving West Indies 10-2. He is poised on 499 Test wickets, one away from becoming only the fourth pace bowler to reach 500. England’s lead had been extended first by an opening stand of 114 between Rory Burns and Dom Sibley, who made 56. The arrival of captain Joe Root was the signal to accelerate, with the hosts mindful of a forecast predicting rain will heavily disrupt Monday’s play. The second-wicket pair added 112 at 6.5 an over, Root skating to 68 not out from 56 balls. When Burns top-edged a sweep to fall 10 runs short of his third Test century, it was the signal for England to de-
Rory Burns reaches out to reverse-sweep, England v West Indies, 3rd Test, Emirates Old Trafford, 3rd day, July 26, 2020 © Getty Images
clare on 226-2. England in charge at last This is a been a competitive series, both teams making light of the bio-secure, behind-closed-doors environment to serve up a compelling contest. Only now, midway through the final Test, have England asserted their dominance, grinding down the visitors in the Sunday sunshine. For as good as England have been, there is the feeling West Indies ran out of steam at the end of a chal-
lenging trip that has seen them spend all but one week living, training and playing at Emirates Old Trafford. Little went right for them after the first spell of Broadinduced carnage. Captain Holder took a painful blow to the thumb while fielding at second slip, while weary opening bowler Shannon Gabriel could only manage five overs. In that time, he hit struggling wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich in the face, forcing him from the field. Shai Hope
Dowrich replaced by Da Silva after taking blow to the face Shane Dowrich being attended to after receiving a blow to the face.
SportsMax - West Indies wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich was replaced by Joshua Da Silva after taking a blow to the face on day three as England strengthened their grip on the decisive third Test. Jason Holder (46) and Dowrich (47) ensured the Windies avoided the follow-on, but Stuart Broad (6-31) took all four wickets in the morning session to dismiss them for 197. There was more pain for the tourists after England started their second innings with a lead of 162 at Old Trafford, Holder the first to be in pain after being struck on the thumb.
The captain was able to continue, but Dowrich went off the field after a short delivery from Shannon Gabriel went through his gloves and appeared to hit him in the face. Shai Hope initially took the gloves before the uncapped Da Silva, who will not be able to bat in the second innings, came on to take his place and soon missed a chance to stump Rory Burns. England were 50 without loss in the afternoon session, leading by 222 runs as they bid to regain the Wisden Trophy, knowing rain is likely to wipe out day four.
took the gloves, then reserve Joshua da Silva was summoned from the nets, meaning the Windies had three keepers in the space of 45 minutes. When they failed to review Rahkeem Cornwall’s lbw shout against Burns that would have seen him fall for 75, it summed up their miserable day. Broad does it again Since Broad publicly voiced his displeasure at being left out of the first Test, he has taken 14 wickets at 10.50 and averaged 73 with the bat. His morning burst was his third destructive spell in as many innings, begging the question as to why England ignored him for almost the entire first hour of the day. By that point, Holder and Dowrich had moved West Indies from their overnight 137-6 past the follow-on mark of 170 with relative ease, albeit if Holder was held by a flying Ollie Pope off a marginal Chris Woakes no-ball. Broad’s intervention changed all that. With a full length and some nip in to the right-handers, he returned a spell of 4-14 for his best figures in a home Test since his famous 8-15 against Australia five years ago. Holder was stuck on the crease to be lbw, Cornwall played across the line to fall in the same manner, Kemar Roach edged his third ball to first slip and Dowrich miscued a pull to mid-on. In the evening sunshine, there was still time for John Campbell to be caught at first slip and nightwatchman Roach to nick off again, leaving Broad with figures in the day of 6-22. Batsmen pile on the pain England’s comfortable position and the patient styles of Burns and Sibley led to a meandering passage of play in the afternoon.
There was the curiosity of West Indies’ wicketkeeping situation, with Da Silva losing his footing when given the chance to stump Burns off Roston Chase when the lefthander had 12. Sibley accumulated through the leg side and Burns nudged and pushed square of the wicket for England’s first century opening stand in a home Test since 2016. After Sibley was lbw to
Holder, Root arrived and immediately signalled England’s intention to push for the declaration. He danced to play down the ground and through midwicket, with Burns sliding into the slipstream with sweeps and reverse-sweeps. Root reached his halfcentury from 49 balls and was perhaps only delaying the declaration for a Burns hundred that ultimately never came.
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Kaieteur News
Fernandes, Lingard score as Man United sink Leicester to seal third place
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes scores their first goal from the penalty spot, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Pool via REUTERS/Carl Recine)
Winston Benjamin chastises Holder over use of Joseph Alzarri SportsMax - West Indies captain, Jason Holder, has earned the ire of former fast bowler, Winston Benjamin, who has not liked the way he has treated paceman Alzarri Joseph. According to Benjamin, Joseph has been underutilized by the skipper, making it difficult for him to develop a rhythm and perform at his best. “It’s not because I’ve worked with this young man, but I think Alzarri has been handled poorly by the captain from day one, not just this series, and just look at how he is being used. Here it is that you have a youngster with raw talent and we don’t have a lot of bowlers with raw talent, but how do you get experience, isn’t it by doing what you have to do?” said Benjamin during an airing of the ‘Good Morning Jojo Sports Show’. Benjamin also suggested Holder has an issue with Joseph and may not think he is as good as people are purporting. “If you’re not happy with an individual and you think there is too much talk about this individual and don’t think he’s as good and you want to prove a point, then you give him short spells, bowl him with the old ball when things are tight and critical so he never has a break,” said Benjamin Benjamin went on to point out that Holder has a responsibility that comes with being captain that, if not managed properly, could be harmful. “The captain has the ability to make or break a bowler. The time that you give him the ball to bowl, the confidence that you place in him will determine the frame of mind and if you are going to give me two overs and take me off every minute, the first thing I am going to say is that you don’t have any confidence in me so my whole demeanour is now going to change,” said Benjamin. Benjamin, the mentor of Joseph, was speaking after the first two Tests in the threematch #raisethebat Series currently ongoing in England. In that first Test, Joseph bowled a total of 31 overs to end with match figures of 2-98, while in the second Test he bowled even less, accounting for 25.1 overs for a match-haul of 1-84. Joseph was dropped in favour of spinner Rahkeem Cornwall for the Third Test which
Joseph
heads into day three yesterday. According to Benjamin, there is a certain selfishness in the way Holder rotates his bowlers. “Now, what I have observed with our captain is that he doesn’t bowl unless things are happening and once things are happening the ball belongs to him and he’s not relinquishing that but as soon as you hit a little rough patch, you go and work this ball for me and as soon as things start happening he comes back in and cleans up. I have seen those things, I’ve been part of those situations many times. I’ve gone through that myself,” he said. What Joseph needs now, more than anything else, Benjamin went on to explain, is experience. According to the former fast bowler, who took 61 wickets in 21 Tests for the West Indies, that experience can only be had if the captain allows it. “You can’t learn experience; you learn skill, you develop skill, but experience is you participating in whatever it is in order to gain the experience.” The West Indies and England are locked at a game apiece in their three-Test series with England dominating the third. England, sent into bat scored 369 and after two days of cricket, have the West Indies in a spot of bother, six wickets down for 137.
LEICESTER, England (Reuters) - Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard scored as Manchester United beat Leicester City 2-0 yesterday to finish third in the Premier League and clinch a place in next season’s Champions League at the home side’s expense. Leicester, who needed a win to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition, must settle for a Europa League berth after a poor late run in which they won only two of their last nine league games. Manchester United finished on 66 points, ahead of Chelsea on goal difference and four points clear of Leicester, who missed several chances before they were undone late on by sloppy errors. Fernandes fired United ahead with a 71stminute penalty and substitute Lingard sealed the win deep into stoppage time after a bad mistake by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Leicester dominated the opening half as Youri Tielemans went close with a clever firsttime shot which trickled inches wide before Schmeichel kept out a Marcus Rashford vol-
ley on the stroke of halftime. Jamie Vardy hit the top of the woodwork for Leicester on the hour from an audacious header with his back facing goal before the home side collapsed in the last 20 minutes. Fernandes released Anthony Martial with a defence-splitting pass after Hamza Choudhry lost possession in midfield and the Frenchman was tripped by Jonny Evans as he raced clear. The Portugal playmaker coolly converted the spot-kick, given after a VAR check, sending Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schemichel the wrong way. Evans was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for a rash tackle on substitute Scott McTominay and Schemichel gifted United a second goal moments later, as Lingard robbed him of the ball and slotted it into an empty net. United were rewarded for a strong finish to the season, winning six of their last nine games and drawing the other three after the league restarted following a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Halep withdraws from Palermo, organisers ‘profoundly disappointed’ (Reuters) - World number two Simona Halep has withdrawn from next month’s Palermo Ladies Open following Italy’s decision to impose a mandatory quarantine for people coming from Romania and Bulgaria amid the coronavirus pandemic, organisers said yesterday. Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday people who have been in Romania and Bulgaria in the past 14 days will be quarantined upon arrival in Italy, a move aimed at preventing the importation of COVID-19 cases. “We found out with great bitterness the decision of the world number two to cancel her participation,” the tournament’s director Oliviero Palma said in a statement. Palermo will be the first professional tennis event across the WTA and men’s ATP Tours after a five-month break, with action scheduled to get underway on the clay courts of the Sicilian capital from Aug. 3. “Given the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in Romania and my anxieties around international air travel at this time, I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Palermo,” Halep said on Twitter. “I want to thank the tournament director and the Italian ministry of health for all their efforts on my behalf and I wish the tournament a successful week.” Halep, the reigning Wimbledon champion and 2018 French Open winner, has also committed to the Prague Open, scheduled to start on Aug. 10. Italy was the first European country to be hit hard by the novel coronavirus but the amount of daily new infections being reported is a fraction of the numbers in late March. The country has recorded over 35,000 deaths from the virus. Palma said the organisers had written an urgent letter to Italy’s health minister, asking for exemption for tennis players taking part in the event. “Yesterday we were optimistic, and we had informed Halep’s staff about the fact that pro-
Romania’s Simona Halep reacts during her semi final match against Jennifer Brady of the U.S. at the Dubai Tennis Championships. (REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah)
fessional players are not obliged to quarantine,” Palma said. “We are embittered and profoundly disappointed.” Palermo will have strict health precautions and all players will undergo COVID-19 tests before they come, on arrival and every four days subsequently.
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Kaieteur News
IPL 2020: ‘Will be slightly easier to monitor ACU activity in the UAE,’ says Ajit Singh A part of the 2014 IPL was played in the UAE because of the general elections in India. (BCCI)
ESPNcricinfo - Taking the IPL to the UAE would be quite a task logistically for the tournament organisers, but for BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit head Ajit Singh, the move will make monitoring the event “slightly easier” as it would be restricted to just three venues.IPL 2020 is set to start in the UAE on September 19 and the final will be held on November 8 or November 10, with three venues - Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi hosting the 60 games over 51 days. “In the UAE, it will be slightly easier doing [monitoring ACU activity] as there are only three grounds compared to eight venues in India,” Singh told PTI.”That’s not an issue at all. Once the schedule comes, we will decide the workforce.” In 2014, the UAE hosted a part of the IPL because of general elections in India. Singh said currently there are
“eight ACU officers who are on BCCI payrolls”.So, will that be enough for managing the work through 60 matches as well as keeping a tab on hotels? “It’s too early to comment on measures as we need to first check what kind of biosecurity measures will be created,” Singh said. “We first need to see how things are taking shape there and we will deploy our men accordingly. In case, we need men, we will hire them.”With the ICC headquartered in Dubai, the BCCI, if need be, can take help of the global body, which has a huge team of ACU officials, according to senior a BCCI official. “If it is a private league that approaches ICC for hiring ACU officers and they agree to cover the event, then the league organisers bear the costs,” the official said. The BCCI might need ex-
tra workforce considering that each team will have one dedicated Integrity Officer as per rules. “It is the BCCI that will designate one Integrity Officer per team during the course of the IPL,” a senior franchise official said.” Now whether they will be a part of the bio-bubble (if created), we don’t know, but the Integrity Officer is completely their domain.”Matches held in the UAE have previously been vulnerable to the impact of bookies and fixers, but the ACU head is quite confident that they can prevent wrongdoing.“Whoever is involved (bookies/fixers) they are all inter-connected,” he said. “If we have our sources here, they also know how these bookies operate. If they get an information of this place, they will get an information of that place also. It’s not so much of an issue.”
Man United and Chelsea get Champions League spots, Bournemouth and Watford down MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) Manchester United and Chelsea secured places in the Champions League with wins on the final day of the Premier League season while Watford and Bournemouth were relegated along with bottom club Norwich City. Aston Villa survived thanks to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United which moved them to 35 points, one more than Bournemouth, who go down despite a 3-1 win at Everton and Watford who lost 3-2 at Arsenal.A penalty from Bruno Fernandes and late goal from Jesse Lingard gave United the three points with a 2-0 win at
Leicester City, who missed out on the Champions League by finishing fifth.Chelsea ended in fourth spot after a 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Results from Sunday 26th July 2020 Arsenal 3 – Watford 2 Burnley 1 – Brighton 2 Chelsea 2 – Wolves 0 Crystal Palace 1 – Tottenham 1 Everton 1 – Bournemouth 3 Leicester 0 - Man Utd 2 Man City 5 – Norwich 0 Newcastle 1 – Liverpool 3
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Raul Jimenez in action with Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Pool via REUTERS/Mike Hewitt)
Keevin Allicock is lone Guyanese Boxer in AIBA’s latest ranking at 19th By Sean Devers Twenty-one-year-old Boxing sensation Keevin Allicock is the only Guyanese in the latest world rankings released by world governing body AIBA. Allicock is rated 19th in the Bantamweight division and joins his elder brother Dillion Allicock who was the last Guyanese to hold an AIBA world ranking over a decade ago. World Bantamweight Champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan is the number one-ranked Boxer in the Bantamweight division but Allicock is well ahead of several boxers from China, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Ukraine and Peru. The immensely talented Allicock said his brother’s ranking has inspired him since he knew of it when he was little. “It’s a real blessing for me to be so high up among the best in the World in my division. I am happy to be recognised for my hard work by AIBA, especially after a
Inspired by his brother, the last ranked Guyanese Pugilist tough few months in Cuba due to COVID-19. I knew about Dillion’s ranking when I was little and it has inspired me to achieve bigger things since he has stepped back. I want say I am happy to be home and I can’t wait for Friday to reach,” said Allicock from his home in Albouystown.Allicock has won six of his bouts since making his debut on March 12, 2018 and the two defeats include the controversial loss in the Pan Am Games qualifiers when his semi-final spot was taken away and given to Alexy Cruz, on contentious ruling of ‘inappropriate attire’. The gifted Bantamweight pugilist who returned home from Cuba last Friday along with fellow Olympic hopefuls, Middleweight Desmond Amsterdam, light Heavyweight Dennis Thomas and Light Welterweight Colin Lewis, is currently observing
a seven-day quarantine period in his home. President of the Guyana Boxing Association Steve Ninvalle congratulated Allicock and promised that it is only a matter of time before more local boxers emulate the current Caribbean bantamweight champion. “We are proud of his achievement and our plan and expectation is that others will follow in his footsteps when the doors of boxing are opened again,” said Ninvalle who played a pivotal role in getting the stranded foursome back home. After travelling to Cuba in January to prepare for the AMBC Olympic Qualifiers and hopefully the 2020 Olympics, which has been pushed back to next year because of the Global spread of COVID19 pandemic, Allicock along with three others, were stranded in the Spanish speaking Caribbean Island for 126 days.
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Monday July 27, 2020
Former national youth player Ramnauth commits to youth cricket in Region 2 ITTF level III instructor Sydney Christophe
GTTA hosts online coaches’ forum
T
he Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), as part of its ‘COVID-19 and Beyond’ initiative, hosted a ‘Coaches and Administrators’ forum on Friday last, utilising the virtual Zoom meeting platform. The session was facilitated by 14-time national champion Sydney Christophe who is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Coach Certification Coordinator. In addition, the former Caribbean Champion is also a Level III instructor. Friday’s meeting featured a SWOT analysis of coaching in Guyana, ITTF coaching pathway/roadmap, key elements of coaching ethics and protocols, coaching collaboration avenues for earning promotion, post COVID-19 trends/examples in other countries; policy creation & review along with Guyana & the next steps, among other agenda items. Head of the GTTA, Godfrey Munroe, noted that, “We (GTTA) believe that coaching is central and critical to development of the sport in Guyana. Our sport is technical in nature so it requires long hours of intervention. At the heart of coaching is dedication, sacrifice and complexities.” “However, we know that in order to truly advance the sport, coaching has to be the foundation or key pillar in which we choose to build. We have invested a lot into training coaches over the years with a total of 120 instructors being trained but
we have not been able to fully maximize the value of that investment.” “It is critical that we devise a strategy that will allow us to maximise the investment, develop our sport and to have coaching at the center of our developmental pillars.”
Head of the GTTA Godfrey Munroe
F
ormer Guyana Under-15 and 19 cricketer Devon Ramnauth has committed to sponsor a limited-over youth tournament on an annual basis in Region two. Ramnauth, who hails from Hust Diren also on the Essequibo Coast, Pomeroon-Supernaam, is currently residing in Canada. According to the right-handed batsman, he is anxious to make this a reality and will get the ball bowling as soon as the game can return. Notably, all outdoor activities have been put on hold owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic. “The idea is to get the youths involved and more; we have seen tremendous talents in the region and I am more than delighted to sponsor a T20 round-robin competition yearly to expose these players who can go on to great heights,” Ramnauth declared.Since the devastation of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ramnauth was involved in the distribution of Food Hampers Projects on the Coast as well. Ramnauth, a teacher by profession, also helped form the Suicidal Prevention Campaign a few years ago. “I feel compelled to give back to my society in any way; this is a challenging time and whatever I can
Devon Ramnauth
do I will try and obviously my focus is to see the youths get an opportunity to showcase their talents,” Ramnauth related. The competition which is named Ramnauth Region two Development Youth League will be run by a Committee. Several organizers Trevis Simon, Atto Christiani, Andy Ramnarine and Rohan Budram will act in various capacities.
Stuart Broad puts hosts on verge of victory
Stuart Broad holds the ball aloft after taking a six-wicket haul © Getty Images
Motorcycling: Quartararo
t r wins Andalusian MotoGP o p S Keevin Allicock is lone Guyanese Boxer in AIBA’s latest ranking at 19th
as Yamahas dominate in Jerez
Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo in action during the Andalucia Grand Prix at Circuito de Jerez, Jerez, Spain. (REUTERS/Jon Nazca)
Inspired by his brother, the last ranked Guyanese Pugilist Keevin Allicock accepts an award from GBA President Steve Ninvalle during a previous event.
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