Kaieteur News

Injunction granted K NEWS to stop declaration of unverified election results

Friday Edition

AIETEUR

March 06, 2020 - Vol. 22 No. 10

p. Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online 3 Price $80

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

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US, UK, Commonwealth, Canada, EU, say Region 4 results NOT credible p.

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- urge GECOM, political parties to obey the law PPP, five other parties Foreign Affairs Minister threatens to revoke call for recount of accreditation of Int'l Region 4 ‘results’ - But APNU+AFC says it's Observers a misunderstanding PSC calls on Pres. Granger to ensure lawful completion of electoral process p.

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Foreigners arrested, deported for alleged election-related p.7 conspiracy - AFC p.

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Media prohibited from entering GECOM Command Centre Returning Officers 11p. not legally obligated to verify results in front of observers, party officials - GECOM Commissioner Alexander

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

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US, UK, Commonwealth, Canada, EU, say Region 4 results NOT credible - urge GECOM, political parties to obey the law

By Mikaila Prince

T

he Region Four results declared yesterday lack credibility and verification.

This was the strong statement put forward by international observer groups such as the Carter Centre, Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) and the Heads of Missions of the United States of America, Britain, Canada and the European Union Delegation to Guyana.

Chaos erupted yesterday after the Returning Officer (RO) for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, allegedly declared that the APNU+AFC coalition had won Region Four by an e n o r m o u s m a rg i n a n d essentially had triumphed in the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

H o w e v e r, t h e international observer groups, foreign Heads of Missions and contesting parties were quick to question the credibility of the results after they highlighted that the final results were not verified using the process of the Statement of Polls.

Head of the Carter Centre, Jason Carter, said to the press that transparency ceased at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Command Office

Chairman of the COG, Owen Arthur

Chairman of the Carter Centre, Jason Carter

and the procedures for the verification of the results could not have been identified.

Carter stated that, “Nobody knows if these results are verified or not.

There is still an opportunity for this to be transparent and for the elections to gain credibility and we urge all, including GECOM, to abide by the provisions that are available for the verification of the results.”

He added that both of the major parties claimed victory, but they should want to do so in a credible way. “ We h a v e n o t h a d transparency and we maintain that the Region Four results lack credibility,” the Carter Centre Head maintained.

Further to this, Carter said that these sentiments were communicated to GECOM Head, Justice (retired) Claudette Singh. In addition to this, the official said he is not of the view that the observers are there to babysit the process, but they do see a lack of credibility, and as observers, they will make their findings known at all times.

Carter said that he and his officials will remain in Guyana to oversee the entire process. As for the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG), another one of the international missions who monitored Guyana's General and Regional Elections, its members shared the concerns of the Carter Centre.

From left: British High Commissioner, H.E. Greg Quinn, U.S. Ambassador, H.E. Sarah-Ann Lynch and EU Ambassador, H.E. Fernando Ponz Canto In a statement to the press last night, the COG disclosed that it had a consistent presence at the Office of the Returning Officer in Region Four.

Owen Arthur, the Former Prime Minister Barbados and Head of the Observer Group, was keen to note that he personally visited the office to ensure that there was transparency in the process.

“It is the clear view of the Group that the tabulation of the final election results has not yet been completed and verified according to the established procedures and relevant legal and statutory provisions.”

Arthur further added that, “We strongly urge the Guyana Elections Commission and all parties involved to ensure the process properly follows the legal steps dictated by the laws of Guyana, and is in line with the country's international commitments.”

With regard to the international heads of missions - British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn; C a n a d i a n H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e r, L i l i a n Chatterjee; Ambassador of the European Union, Fernando Ponz Canto; and Ambassador of the United States of America, SarahAnn Lynch -they observed

GECOM's proceedings at the Region Four Office and noted that in fact, the full count was not completed.

The ABC-EU missions emphatically stated that, “We question the credibility of the Region Four results published by GECOM today.”

They went on to say that, “We urge the Guyana Elections Commission, and all relevant actors, to expeditiously complete the tabulation on the basis of the statement of polls.”

All of the parties have called on Guyanese to remain calm and patient, and for all leaders to exercise responsibility and restraint.

Injunction granted to stop declaration of unverified results

P

e o p l e ' s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Executive Anil Nandlall has secured an injunction in the High Court to restrain officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from declaring the results of the 2020 elections, unless the electoral process as prescribed by law is compiled with. The law in question provides for among other things, a verification of the election results.

The injunction granted

by Justice Navindra Singh in the civil jurisdiction of the High Court was to be served on officials at the GECOM

Command Centre, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

According to the document, failure to comply with the Court order could result in the parties being held in contempt of court.

The parties may also be liable to a term of imprisonment and have their assets confiscated.

Nandlall arrived at the centre around 15:00hrs (3:00 pm) yesterday, in the company of two court marshals. He was however unable to serve the writ, since the officials to receive them were nowhere to be found. The injunction issued in accordance with Section 84 of the Representation of

the People Act restrains GECOM either by itself, its servants and/or agents, and each and every one of them, from in any manner whatsoever, declaring the total number of valid votes of electors for each list of Candidates recorded in the Guyana National and Regional Elections 2020.

It stated further that no declaration by GECOM must be made until and unless the Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo, Election District Number Four in Guyana and the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, comply with and ensure the compliance of the process

Returning Officer (RO) of District Four, Clairmont Mingo set out by the provision letter and spirit of section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03, Laws of Guyana.

According to the documents seen by Kaieteur

GECOM's CEO Keith Lowenfield

PPP/C Executive Anil Nandlall

News, the applicant, Reaz Holladar made an oral application at the High Court for judicial review.

The move came after apparent attempts earlier by Mingo to declare the results

for Region Four, even though there had been an agreement between the PPP/C and GECOM for a further verification, following a dispute over the authenticity of data.

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

A continuum of the disturbing Today the rowing is about the time it is taking to make public the final elections result. Tomorrow holds forth the promise to be about the usual squabbling over the result itself. It could be about its accuracy, its veracity, and its credibility. It could be about what is imagined and concocted for purposes of interfering with process and what results as its final product.

How can it not be this way when consideration is given to what is at stake? How can matters - emotions and expectations - be otherwise when so much is promised?

How can the positions of the calculating and the unthinking, the reckless and the endangering, be different when all have a predetermined and pre-settled outcome, one only, uppermost in their limited scheme of contemplations?

The political situation in social Guyana is of one where there is no room left for reason, no space allowed for weighing anything that does not meet with what has been preset and embedded immovably in individual and group visions. It has to be this way, my way. It cannot be any other way allowed to grip, gather wing, and then take flight.

Hence, there are only the stubborn rejections of anything and everything that clashes, no matter how mildly, with what overwhelms sight and sound and good sense.

The reports are muted, as most of the mainstream media is being commendably careful and responsible. But matters cannot be managed that tightly or that totally, as there are trickles of information that seep out and indicate that some mischief is afoot.

Things are on a slow, impatient boil right now with the tenseness growing by the hour and air thickening to the point where it is so palpable that it can be touched. The usual two political groups left standing from the still ongoing contest for ascendancy and power are due a significant amount of responsibility for their failure to manage themselves better. Both groups have pitched messages that can only be described as not too bright and definitely unhelpful to the maintenance of decorum and sobriety.

When the clashing assertions and positions are that victory has been achieved and is firmly in the bag, then it is but a short step to release the pent-up anxieties and let open the floodgates of celebration.

When political seniors throw caution and discretion to the Fates and are in the vanguard of such unwise developments, then the thin restraints of discipline and temperateness quickly fall apart and the lesser angels within, rise to the fore to take command of judgment and the actions that follow in short order.

As the nation hovers precariously on the edge of official delay, it is being stretched to a fever pitch and beyond the tolerable. As the expectant peoples of this group or the other one are bounced around by unofficial and - let it be said, irresponsible and immature - maybe even dangerous postures, there is no way that matters could lead to anywhere that is positive and wholesome to the wellbeing of this further torn, now more deeply suspicious, and increasingly angrier nation.

We are not only sowing confusion; we are fertilizing the soil with more discontent and disarray, and in a place that can ill-afford these ingredients. All that is cultivated and harvested are the poisoned fruits of sharp agitations and greater readiness to disregard whatever comes that does not match up with settled anticipations and conclusions. It is imperiling, and there is no minimizing that frankness.

For agents and followers are given message, incentive, and cover to run with the news and harden resolves that matters can only crystallize to one acceptable result only.

When both sides remaining engage in tit for tat - not to be left behind, not to be silenced - exercises that perpetuate the same gross dereliction of duty and civility, then many rivers that cannot be re-forded are traversed. It leaves all in a bad place in the worst of times.

Which country could go forward like this?

DEAR EDITOR, Every sharp succeeding hour, every new searing development, on Thursday brought the anxious suspicious peoples of this paralyzed nation to a darker, more sinister place.

As I looked on and listened, I could not help thinking that we were already in a terrible place, which now might be one from which we cannot recover at any time.

We cannot extricate ourselves as one people and proceed forward with one purpose.

That much is crafted out of steel. Neither inclination is there; if it were by some miracle on Wednesday, it had totally evaporated by Thursday afternoon.

We were already at the point of exhaustion from the tactics and antics; they are born of strategies which have propelled us to the edge of self-destruction. So far, the exchanges and interfaces have been limited to heated words and spiraling temperatures. But such is the climate

and terrain from which either certain dangerous interpretations of postures and messages are made, or matters taken in hand (or out of hand) deliberately for redirection towards nefarious ends.

We exist from moment to moment with the delicacy and vulnerability of life knowingly balanced on a hairtrigger’s edge. It is during such times that mistakes are made. Lethal mistakes.

Mistakes from which respite and return are neither likely nor possible.

Surely, this cannot be what we want. Surely, not what we want for ourselves, for this society, for our future.

I regret that I find it necessary and timely to introduce the mundane at this point: What does the oil wealth mean now?

What could it mean when we are digging out each other’s eyes and tearing out what is left of our credibility and our soul?

I wanted a result yesterday just like everybody else.

But I want a result that stands

up before any scrutiny, any criticism, any and all comers from anywhere.

Well, we have a result that is sure to find delirious acceptance by approximately half of this country.

But as the miracle of a result reverberates across Guyana, the other half of it grits its teeth, lashes its head against any steel or concrete pillar it can find, and screams into the winds. The cries are: no! It is wrong. No! It is fraudulent. No! It is unacceptable and damned from now to kingdom come.

The coalition may have won, according to some unprecedented brilliance at GECOM. But at what price? What price when a whole country loses, when credibility and trust and partnership are all in tatters. Nobody, no group, could think itself a winner in such circumstances. To where now, but the tribunals of the courts, the justice of the unpeaceful streets.

Try as I may, and I do so mightily, I am at a loss as to

how any form of constructive or significant governance could gain root, emerge into even half a flower, and shed some brightness and some fragrance upon the funereal atmosphere that casts the pall of a thick impenetrable blanket across the length and breadth of Guyana and over every Guyanese. We have entered the unreturnable territory of the impossible.

I do not think that we can progress much with what is now before us: not in a straight line, not in any positive direction, not with any semblance of strength. I regret this immensely.

I believe that the unfolding events of Thursday, now settled, have set us back, way deeper, past the lowest point to which we have ever fallen before.

This is not even a pyrrhic victory, but one of countless and incalculable injury. It is too late to reverse course now. It is simply too late in the day for anything. Period.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

To deviate from a smooth process and dismiss genuine concerns is to court disaster DEAR EDITOR, After viewing the events on Thursday, March 5th, 2020 as reported by the media houses covering the verification process of Electoral District No 4 (Region 4) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Centre , High and Hadfield Sts, Georgetown, I am respectfully appealing to the Chair and Commissioners of GECOM and to the leadership of the contesting political parties to ensure that verification of the Statements of Poll and the Declaration of the Results by the Returning Officer District 4, and the Official Declaration of Results of the 2020 National and Regional Elec-

tions by the Chief Elections Officer, be in compliance with the relevant Act and the Constitution of Guyana.

To deviate in District 4, from a process that was reportedly applied relatively smoothly in the nine other Districts, and to treat apparently dismissively with the genuine concerns raised by the contesting parties, as well as those raised by local and international accredited Observers, is to court disaster.

I hold no Brief for any political party, but I am an advocate for the right of every citizen to have his or her vote accurately attributed to the political party of choice and for the accurate tabula-

tion, verification and declaration of the results. To do otherwise is to taint the democratic process with allegations of fraud, to insult the intelligence of Guyanese, and to incur the criticism and sanctions of the international community.

Such a scenario will exacerbate the lack of confidence in national institutions, betray the inviolability of the Constitution and set a poor example to the younger generations of Guyanese.

More immediately, it will fuel tensions among supporters of the political parties whose expectations have been raised and those who will feel cheated.

Arbitrary decisions that

are based on self-interest and which are patently inconsistent with the Constitution, will take us down a slippery slope of confusion and chaos that will have far reaching consequences for our plural society and for Guyana’s future.

I appeal to all for good sense to prevail, to pull back from the precipice and in a mature, responsible and patriotic manner seek to urgently resolve the current crisis facing our democracy.

Yours sincerely Joseph G Singh Major General (retd) Former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (1990-2000) and former Chairman GECOM (20002001)

THE UNFAIRNESS OF IT ALL DEAR EDITOR, I would like to draw your attention along with Guyana Sanitation Sector to a fast food outlet on the West Coast of Demerara.

I am the owner of Lot 8 New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, WCD and waste from the raw chicken from that outlet cannot drain through the parapet in front of my residence. The waste has blocked the drain on the parapet.

There are two big holes that anyone can see through and it is blocked with chicken

waste and it is filthy stink.

The foul stench is worst in front of my residence and in front of that outlet. I spoke twice with the supervisor of that outlet and nothing is being done about it.

The smell is so bad that anyone who walks pass or exit their vehicle in front of my residence or that outlet can see and smell it. The two holes are very big and can easily be captured photographically, and I have done so many times.

On 4 March, 2020 I also

spoke with someone there concerning the smell and blocking of my entrance. In January 2020 I again spoke with the supervisor, this time, concerning their customers blocking my entrance. I will not park elsewhere and walk to my residence.

Customers are not supposed to be blocking my entrance at no time. I am fed up talking to these people. What I had to do, whenever my entrance is not clear when I go there, the only place for me to park is in front of the outlet

and block it and they have to wait whenever I exit my home to move my vehicle.

I also had another problem with the outlet concerning their customers eating and drinking and disposing of their cups and boxes in front of my yard. I spoke with the supervisor and that was addressed. The front of my yard now is free of the boxes and cups. The drainage situation continues to be one of the biggest bother.

Dian Balram Frustrated Resident

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

WINNERS AND LOSERS OF OUR FUTURE DEAR EDITOR, It is all so familiar. One party wins and is overjoyed.

The other loses and is in a state of despair. Both have repeated respective experiences – of celebration and mourning – over the past fifty years.

Neither of them, however, has ever bothered about the perpetual gloom through which each in turn has led the nation. Neither of them has ever shown remorse for repeating the mistakes of the past, simply because they do not acknowledge their chronic indisposition.

Voters are beguiled by the votees who rise to power then ignore, and even abuse the former.

As they have talked to

their supporters during their campaigns, but empowered they persist in talking down to citizens who are hopeful of old promises to be fulfilled.

In the process citizens are first of all in a state of wonder, then of questioning, waiting, increasingly anxious about manifestoed deliverables.

Those of us, insecure in Berbice chairs, are resigned to the familiar unhealthy experience of discrimination, divisiveness, uselessness, of defensive and even abusive rejoinders, the pattern of misbehaviours which set such glaringly bad examples for the young in particular to emulate.

Sitting in our Berbice chairs, it is difficult not to

reach back to a historical environment of meanness – the gross indulgence in self, the determination not to agree, not to forge partnership, not to play as a team, while derisibly expecting such attributes of their public servants.

Observers must wonder how such profound dismemberment could obtain in a village of 700,000 people. How, they would ask, is it possible that in such a small village there could be so much differentiation – no common language of body and spirit to embrace – albeit in the face of so many churches, temples and mosques. Who was it that said that if we do not learn from our past mistakes we are condemned to repeat

them? This is exactly what the nation fears; and regardless of differences would offer prayers for rehabilitation.

For the election results speak to a hollow victory for one part, while the whole of a nation (of 700,000 villagers) loses.Why should we all be condemned to a guarantee of

continued losing in the future? Is this some peculiar vi-

rus?

E.B. John

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Friday March 06, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

Don’t take flu-like symptoms Foreigners arrested, deported for granted – CMO warns for alleged election – related

S

ymptoms that are consistent with the flu should not be taken for granted.

This is according to Chief Medical Officer [CMO], Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, who has urged that “anyone who has flu-like symptoms should check with a doctor.”

Taking this action is being recommended as part of the local response to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 which surfaced in Wuhan, China during the latter part of last year, and has since expanded its reach to some 88 other countries.

Speaking on the matter recently, the CMO said, “even if you are in the employ of a company or the government or whoever pays your salary, you need to probably not be at the workplace, even if you have a regular flu.”

Symptoms of the virus can range from a cough to pneumonia.

Emphasising the importance of seeking medical attention swiftly, Dr. Persaud disclosed that the law that governs the operation of the National Insurance Scheme provides for persons to remain at home for three days, but on the third day they must visit a doctor.

Visiting the doctor is in order for the ailing person to obtain a sick leave certificate, which in the first instance could be up to seven days and, according to Dr. Persaud, “if your condition is a little more serious, they can give you a further 14 days.”

“I am saying to persons, if you feel that you need to check something out, please

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud do,” said Dr. Persaud, who revealed that “we have a network of health centres, health posts, district hospitals, plus regional hospitals and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC].”

Added to this, Dr. Persaud said that persons can access the services of private hospitals, private practitioners and clinics across the country.

“Whichever facility you feel comfortable with, please go...most of our health centres, especially along the coast, there are at least a medical doctor placed at those; if not, a Medex or some very well experienced nurses can also respond.

So if you have concerns about your health, not only if it is for flu symptoms, but any concerns, please come in to one of our facilities,” said Dr. Persaud.He further noted that persons who have travelled recently and have developed symptoms of the flu, should especially seek to be examined

at their nearest health facility.

According to the CMO, too, persons can also call just about any of the Ministry of Public Health’s numbers during working hours if they are in need of information about the coronavirus.

“If you have travelled and you have experienced any flu-like symptoms, I would say get to your nearest health facility... you can also call the Health Ministry...and we would route you to the relevant units within close proximity to their home,” said Dr. Persaud.

The COVID-19 virus, according to Dr. Persaud, “is almost a brand new germ; our bodies have not encountered this before” thus the daunting impact it has had on many persons it has infected.

More than 98,000 persons have been infected of which 3,385 have died. Referring to outbreaks of other viruses here such as Chikungunya and Zika, the CMO noted that they too had daunting impacts on those infected by them for the first time.

“Those t w o a r e v e c tor-borne and they are transmitted by mosquitoes, but you notice we d o n ’ t h e a r m u c h about them...I think what has happened is that a large number of persons who were exposed, they eventually developed some natural immunity, so most of those infections, you get them once and you won’t get them again once you remain healthy,” said Dr. Persaud, who expects the same of the coronarvirus.

conspiracy – AFC Amid tension and high emotions around the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has emerged with a damning allegation that the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has attempted to tamper with the integrity of the Elections results with the help of foreigners.

These allegations were put forward by the Prime Ministerial hopeful and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan and Executive Member of the AFC, Cathy Hughes yesterday at APNU+AFC Campaign Headquarters on Lamaha Street.

Ramjattan said that the allegations were only being publicly released because it was leaked to the media, and according to him, the foreign nationals were sent back to their respective countries on elections day.

“This is an extremely important development. I don’t know how the press got wind of it, but it is killing me to know what is happening.”

He disclosed that they are still “hazy” on the situation.

Ramjattan reported that on E-Day, the Guyana Police Force arrested three foreign nationals who were allegedly meeting with leading members of the opposition at the Marriott Hotel.

The three individuals were identified as Libyan National Marwan Al-Ayed, US National Brent Kartcher and Russian National Vadim Kyrillov.

Khemraj Ramjattan and Cathy Hughes at yesterday’s press briefing A fourth National, said to be Russian-American, is reportedly still on the run.

Police reportedly seized a number of flash drives, computers, tablets, and other electronic items from the men.

Those items have been lodged.

Ramjattan relayed that they were forced to deport the foreign nationals after their “intelligence realized that there was some conspiracy to tap into GECOM’s computer system”.

“We can only say that far,” he stated, but he did not stop there.

He pointed fingers directly to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo who, according to him, from intelligence received, was speaking directly with the Russians.

“The connections are straight to the PPP, because even from our intelligence, Bharrat Jagdeo was talking to them via phone…He was talking to them in Russian…We know he is very fluent in Russian.”

When asked what this “in-

telligence” was, Minister Ramjattan replied “Intelligence means intelligence.”

“There is a certain wall that we can’t…you want a photograph or the listening device and all that? You have to trust your security agencies.”

Fingers were also pointed to a member (name given) of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) who reportedly met with the opposition and the foreign nationals at the hotel.

Further, he noted that when the men were taken into police custody, they told investigators that they were employed by oil giant ExxonMobil.

But the party debunked this claim, since no ExxonMobil lawyers contacted the police for their release.

According to Ramjattan, “known PPP lawyers were the ones making the calls.”

“The minute we sent them and deported them on what we got, and I wouldn’t tell you (Continued on page 21)

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Harmon criticises PPP/C for “intimidating presence” at GECOM facility Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Joseph Harmon, has criticised the conduct and behaviour of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), after his party received “credible reports and views recordings of various incidents” which took place at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Command Centre, on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

In a statement to the press, Harmon said that he noted that a large number of PPP/C leaders, led by their Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali and associated persons, along with known characters, who converged on GECOM during the night. Harmon highlighted their behaviour and conduct in general, and specifically towards the GECOM staff, including the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield.

Against this backdrop, Harmon argued that, “The behaviour and conduct of the PPP leaders and their enforcers is totally and wholly unacceptable, and is to be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and I do so unequivocally.

I am appalled that PPP leaders would seek to intimidate and bully the GECOM staff that they would storm into offices at GECOM which they are not authorized to enter, that they would abuse staff, attempt to seize GECOM property and handle and seemingly tamper with GECOM records.”

He added that the PPP/C’s conduct is grave and dangerous, which he claims, is designed to compromise the electoral process and injure Guyana’s democracy.

“I call on the PPP leadership to exercise restraint and not to further contribute to an atmosphere of fear, intimidation and hostility

PNCR Executive Member, Joseph Harmon which they have created at the GECOM office. There are reports of GECOM staff being fearful for their lives and safety as a result of the conduct of the PPP and their associates,” Harmon said.

He went on to commend GECOM and its officers for standing their ground. In addition, he posits that GECOM is an autonomous agency which must be allowed to execute its mandate of the delivery of free, fair and credible elections to the people of Guyana.

“It is in the process of doing so, and the PPP must desist from derailing their work as they are about to conclude their final tabulations before making a declaration. I call on all Guyanese to continue to exercise restraint and patience, and await the official declaration of results by GECOM,” he concluded.

Friday March 06, 2020

CARPHA upgrades COVID-19 risk from low to moderate-high MIAMI (CMC) – The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has upgraded the region’s risk of the COVID-19 virus from “low” to “moderate-high” in light of the increased of the importation of the virus to the region.

According to CARPHA’s executive director, Dr. Joy St. John, health authorities of Member States must shift their mindset from preparedness to readiness and rapid response and continue to do all that is necessary to strengthen their capacity to respond to possible importation of cases.

Based on this upgrade – stakeholders in the regional tourism and health sectors are in the process of implementing readiness and response measures to prevent an contain the virus.

The recently established COVID-19 Caribbean Tourism Task Force, in a statement issued by the leaders of member organizations, indicated that a Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed upon by the organizations to foster closer collaboration.

“Recognizing the essential need to safeguard the health and safety of residents and visitors to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 threat to the Caribbean; and further recognizing the importance of building upon the collaborative efforts which are already underway, and the need to pool organizational resources to do so; we have agreed to formalize our efforts and messaging through the establishment of the COVID19 Caribbean Tourism Task Force (CCTTF),” the MOU reads.

The organizations acknowledged concerns about the high level of misunderstanding about the virus which has elevated the panic at the global level and resulted in the dissemination of

a high level of misinformation.

The CCTTF will focus on raising awareness and sharing accurate information; strengthening monitoring at airports, seaports, and hotels and accommodations; improving coordination among stakeholder organizations and locally between tourism and health officials; sharing best practices; training, education and capacity building; and conducting tourism impact research.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of the Caribbean so we’ve come together as organizations already engaged in readiness programs to pool resources so we can ensure the people of our region, and our visitors, remain safe from this viral threat,” read the task force’s statement, which adds “our ability to quickly contain any outbreak will be determined by how efficiently we can pool information and capacities – this agreement allows us to plan for an emergency and move our resources rapidly.”

Dr. Lisa Indar, CARPHA’s Assistant Director for the Surveillance, Disease Prevention & Control Division, explained that the organizations

already collaborate, but in view of the spread of the virus in other regions, CARPHA and other task force organizations wanted to proactively solidify cooperation and ensure the task force had what it needed to keep COVID-19 from threatening the health of residents and visitors and the economies of the Caribbean.

The establishment of the Caribbean COVID-19 Tourism Task Force follows a Special Emergency Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government with health and tourism officials and cruise associations in Barbados last weekend, where they agreed to set up a regional protocol with the cruise industry.

As an immediate proactive measure to help fight the importation and spread of this novel viral i l l n e s s , t h e CCTTF is urging hotel and tourism accommodation providers to register for CARPHA’s Tourism Health Information System (THiS), which was developed several years ago to provide support information, and to help identify and confidentially manage early warning symptoms by employees and guests in a rapid manner.

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Friday March 06, 2020

THE MORAL CRISIS FACING GUYANA

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he political predica ment which has now emerged following yesterday’s developments has its roots in a moral dilemma which has historically faced the nation.

The shameless and barefaced actions which took place yesterday are symptomatic of this moral crisis facing the nation.

Guyana now faces its worst political crisis.

Unless the actions of yesterday are overturned or reviewed, we will end up with an illegitimate government.

The country is likely to be expelled as a member of the Commonwealth and the Organization of American States.

What Burnham got away with in 1968, 1973 and 1980 is not going to repeat itself in the post-Cold War era. Governments have to emerge from a legitimate process. What took place yesterday was far from legitimate.

But the reason why, historically, governments and GECOM have gotten away with electoral malpractices, is because of the entrenched moral crisis in the country.

When it comes to cricket and other sports, there is always unanimous support for ensuring that persons and teams play by rules.

But when it comes to politics, fair play and honesty are thrown out of the window.

What matters is winning at all costs.

The supporters of both political camps want to win and they condone wrongdoing just so as their camp wins.

So it matters not whether there are rules which require verification, so long as the result is in favour of one or the other side, there is going to be support from the supporters of the winning side.

In the present instance, one side has produced statements of poll to validate its numbers in Region Four. It has made this known to the public.

The other side has not produced anything to show that what it was awarded was valid. It does not have to, of course, but the wider issue is that what matters for its supporters is winning and not how you win.

Winning at all costs is

what matters when it comes to politics. Yet in sport, it is expected that people should play by the rules.

Political parties, especially, have had great difficulty in accepting their defeats in elections.

Yet when a sporting team loses we expect them to accept their loss.

This is the example which is being witnessed by our children.

They are witnessing political dishonesty being treated as acceptable. It is acceptable to cheat to win an election, but it is unacceptable to cheat in the home or in school.

When it comes to elections, one has to ask where is the honesty and integrity which is to be expected.

Where is the example which would disabuse our children of the notion that politics make us all hypocrites?

We profess one set of values to our children.

We try to urge them to be honest, but yet, when the party which we support is losing, we are prepared to condone dishonest actions so that they can win?

These are the confusing signals which are being sent to our children.

They want to see honesty as a principle not a convenience.

How can it be wrong to cheat another man of what he owns, but right to cheat another party of its votes?

How can it be a sin to steal from another person, but not be a sin to steal an election?

When I was growing up my parents taught me that right is right and wrong is wrong.

They taught me that I should be honest in all my dealings, even at the price of

me having to lose.

I am sure many parents today still teach their children these values. But how many of them live by that example?

Until we fix this moral crisis which faces our nation, we will continue to move backwards.

No amount of oil will be able to help develop a nation which is knee-deep in the marshes of dishonesty and unprincipled behaviour.

Guyana will once again become a pariah state in this region.

For many years Guyanese have had to bear the stain and shame associated with the rigging of elections.

After 28 years of democratic elections, Guyana has returned to its sordid past of a country which elects its government through fraudulent means. And still we expect our children to walk the straight and narrow path?

(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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Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Mysterious statements from people who claimed they won Maybe I am not deeply intelligent to understand when people make complex statements, but I confess that I am at a complete loss to comprehend even in a small way, something Ms. Amna Ally said to me on Wednesday.

I was on the panel of Kaieteur Radio on Wednesday when it made contact with Amna Ally. On giving my questions to Ms. Ally, this is what she said to me; first, APNU+AFC will be asking for a recount in most of the Regions, and secondly, the elections had dead people voting. Unlike all the candidates from the other parties that contested the elections that we have interviewed, Ms. Ally cut herself off.

Ms. Ally’s first words when I questioned her were that APNU+AFC won. Surely,

if you win an election, get on with urging the national election body to declare the results so you can swear in your president. Why delay your return to office by asking for recounts?

Secondly, every major stakeholder, external and internal, has assessed the 2020 balloting as free and fair. You do not expect the winner to make claims of skullduggery.

That is an exercise that always resides in the opposition, who has good reason for wanting to delay the results.

If dead people did in fact vote, then it contradicts the pellucid announcement of all internal and external observers, that the 2020 election was a smooth process that was free and fair.

Finally, in relation to Ms. Ally, all over the world at election time, candidates seek

whole day media coverage. If you interview them, they do not want to stop talking. It makes sense, they want to be heard. Ms. Ally was an exception. She just put down the phone from her end.

I come now to the counting of the statements of poll (SOPs) for Region Four. From Tuesday, until the time of penning this column (Thursday 8 pm), I have not seen one utterance in front of the television cameras of any candidate of APNU+AFC urging the speedy counting of the SOPs. From Tuesday until now, it is the candidates and leaders from the ten other contesting parties that are calling for quick verification.

Isn’t this mysterious? If APNU+AFC has won, why not keep a vigil from Tuesday urging GECOM to verify the results so you can get on with

the swearing in of your president. Why are the “losers” so emotional about getting the verification done? What good will it do them when the SOPs will show that they have lost. And it will do the winner a whole lot of good, because the quicker the count the earlier you can get on with swearing in your president.

At the time of writing, I have not heard that GECOM has completed the verification. These are some of the mysterious dimensions I have encountered with the results of the 2020 poll. The PPP has produced their SOPs yesterday.

Khemraj Ramjattan had held a press conference yesterday and announced that his outfit won. He said his coalition team won by a small margin. Surely, APNU+AFC’s credibility would have been enhanced if he had spread out his SOPs on the table where he was seated.

It would have meant we, the Guyanese people, and we,

in the media would now been able to juxtapose the two documents – that of the PPP and that of APNU+AFC. It would have helped his credibility if he had done what the PPP did – produce his party’s SOPs. Not doing so up to Thursday evening doesn’t seem right Where Guyana goes from here no one knows. From all that I have seen inside GECOM since Tuesday, Guyana is again the focus of Caribbean people, who will continue to see us as the perennial pariah of the Caribbean. The ABC/EU envoys and the Commonwealth Observers have issued a statement in which they said that the results of the Region Four tallies is still to be done, and is urging GECOM that it be done according to the law.

Here is what APNUI+AFC and all the opposition parties must understand and comprehend it quickly – late last Monday night into the morning of Tuesday, international

Frederick Kissoon and local observers were witnesses to GECOM’s verification of the 2020 elections results. They know the results.

They know who is lying.

One thing I know for sure, if the international observers deem the results of the elections were tampered with and did not reflect the will of the people, then, the new government will not be able to govern effectively.

That government will be seen as a fraudulent one. Until tomorrow, stay safe.

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

Dem boys seh...

Every election is confusion Dem never had one election in this country that didn’t have confusion. If is not something bout de counting, is about de declaration. And depending on who doing de looking or as dem seh, observing, de criticism can be really loud or just a whimper.

De Returning Officer fuh Region Four is now de man some people hate, because he tek de elections from under Irfaat foot and give it to Granger. Whole week people was celebrating now dem crying. And people who was asking wha happen, now asking if it really happen.

Region Four is de biggest voting bloc. It got more people and it got more seats fuh de National Assembly.

At de same time Guyana got de biggest stakes—oil. Who wouldn’t want to rule a country that got oil?

De thing was going good.

People wait fuh de final count and while dem waiting, dem shops in de city shut down.

People staying home, but dem got headache, because when is time to buy ration dem gun find that dem wouldn’t get paid.

But is de election that got de confusion. De returning officers count de vote fuh all dem region. De Region Four man see de trend, so he wait till de end to count he votes.

But this was de same man who people seh tek a bribe from de opposition fuh rig de elections. People mouth now swing all of a sudden when he declare de Region Four

vote.

Now de big story start. De opposition questioning de final count. And all dem observers claim how de declaration is not transparent.

Dem boys want to know what got to happen. De people who protesting know that dem can go for a recount.

De truth is if dem want a recount.

And dem boys find out that de Returning Officer only have to ascertain de results.

He don’t have to verify nutten. So all de talk about verification don’t have no legal basis.

And people suddenly remember 1997. Dem start a rumour that Soulja Bai get sworn in.

Talk half and watch how we destroying weself.

Friday March 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Friday March 06, 2020

Foreign Affairs Minister threatens to revoke accreditation of Int’l Observers - But APNU+AFC says it’s a misunderstanding

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Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Karen Cummings speaking to members of the International Observer Missions

oreign Affairs Minis ter Dr. Karen Cummings was sternly rejected yesterday by members of the International Observer Missions (IOMs) after she paid them an early visit at the Command Centre for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and threatened to revoke their accreditation.

In video recordings that were uploaded by several persons on Facebook, Dr. Cummings was seen telling members of the IOMs and the Diplomatic Community that while she was advised to inform them of the foregoing, she was not in agreement with that course of action.

If this was the case, members of the IOMs challenged Dr. Cummings to say why she would even make such an utterance.

After the evidently offended observers listened to her comments, and subsequent attempts to backpedal, they asked Minister Cummings to leave the premises. But before doing so, she sought to end on the note that the government is thankful for the work that they are doing, while adding that she merely wanted to congratulate them on a job well done.

The observers noted,

nonetheless, that her congratulatory remark does not negate the fact that she tried to intimidate them.

A member of the Commonwealth Observer Mission and Former Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur was keen to note that he would not allow the body he represents to be disrespected. He was willing to give up his accreditation.

Minister Cummings then issued an apology while reiterating to the members of the mission that she was not in agreement with what she was advised to do.

The government subsequently issued a statement to the effect that the issue between the Minister and the observers was a misunderstanding.

Its statement said, “We wish to make it clear that the Government of Guyana welcomes the presence of all Observer Missions and are open to their recommendations. We regret any misunderstanding the comments of the Foreign Affairs Minister may have caused.”

The Government added, “At this time, we are all committed to allowing the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to do its work without any interference.”

PSC calls on Pres. Granger to ensure lawful completion of electoral process The Private Sector Commission (PSC) is appalled at what it has described as “the blatant and deliberate attempts by GECOM to destroy our democracy by derailing the tabulation process of the 2020 elections results and attempts to subvert the will of the people”.

According to the PSC, it is clear to all that the Chairman of GECOM is allowing, without objection, the attempts to perpetuate election fraud under her watch. The tabulation process, it said, has certainly raised doubts about the integrity of the GECOM Chair, the Chief Elections Officer, and some of their staffers.

Added to this, the body said, “The threats to withdraw accreditation from the International Observers further erode confidence in the process.”

Moreover, the PSC said that it is calling on GECOM to recommence the verification of the remaining Statement of Polls for District 4 that will lead to a credible declaration of the results.

Alluding to the implications of not having a Democratically Elected Government, the PSC said, “We cannot allow our country at this time to be isolated and sanctioned by the international community. We call upon President Granger to ensure that the electoral process is completed in accordance with the law.”

Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

PPP, five other parties call for recount of Region Four ‘results’

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ix political parties have called for a recount of the results for the general and regional elections of region four, the most populous region. This call came after a series of chaotic events led to a declaration of the results yesterday by the region four returning officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo.

The parties are concerned that the integrity of the count is questionable, given that the results have not been verified.

The parties held a press conference last night at the Sleep-In Hotel on Church Street, calling for a swift resolution to the deadlock emanating from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) media and command centre.

The persons present were Lenox Shuman, presidential candidate of the Liberty & Justice Party (LJP); Raul Aaron, representing leader and presidential candidate of the United Republican Party (URP), Dr. Vishnu Bandhu; Nigel Hinds, who is the Chairman of Change Guyana, representing the party's presidential candidate, Robert Badal; Irfaan Ali, presidential candidate of the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C); Bharrat Jagdeo, PPP/C general secretary; Mark Phillips, PPP/C prime ministerial candidate; Timothy Jonas, chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG); Kian Jabour, assistant secretary of ANUG; and Asha Kissoon, presidential candidate and chairperson of The New Movement (TNM).

Shuman said that the numbers he saw presented, which formed the total in the RO's declaration, were

numbers that were “far, far, far removed” from what the observers and political parties had on their statements of poll. He said that he has no confidence in any declaration that has emanated from Mingo, because “all of that information has not been confirmed.

No one sat there and scrutinized it.”

Aaron said that the URP believes the processes GECOM was supposed to have carried out were hijacked, and that what followed does not align with the protocol.

“We believe that all of the results that have been declared should not be validated, and should not be carried, and the process should go back from where it starts, and then we should continue with a true presentation of the results,” Aaron told the press.

H i n d s s a i d “APNU+AFC are tonight celebrating a farcical, fraudulent victory. They have committed an abomination against Guyanese and our fledgling democracy. What I have seen today, as a Guyanese, I'm embarrassed. I felt we've been insulted. Gross disrespect has been shown to the local stakeholders, to our media, to the international observers.”

He said that Guyanese must stand up and resist what appears to be a violation of the rights of the citizens.

Kissoon, on behalf of her youth party, said that the events that transpired appear not to be indicative of free and fair elections. “ We c a l l f o r t h e verification to continue….

We would like it to be free and fair… All day, they have

hidden from us,” she said.

She added that the joinder of TNM, ANUG and LJP, according to her party's tabulation of the statements of poll, secured one seat in the National Assembly.

Jonas said that the list that was produced shows a complete act of desperation, and he took the opportunity to advocate for a shift from the winner-take-all system that allows the party with a plurality of votes to assume the executive government.

Phillips called for the vote to be recounted in accordance with the same practice employed for the other nine regions. “ T h i s i s a n embarrassment… [that Guyana is] on the brink of a dictatorship,” Jabour said.

Jagdeo, who entered during the press conference, told the press that there is a plot to steal the election, and that “it's unfolding before our very eyes.”

The PPP/C, according to Jagdeo, was attempting to serve the RO's office with a notice of request for a recount, but that it was unable to find Mingo. He is concerned that there may be an attempt to outrun the statutory period in which a petition for a recount could be accepted.

The PPP/C had released its own tabulation of the statements of poll, which show that it maintained the lead, even after region four was included.

Several representatives from other parties emerged from the media centre at GECOM yesterday to make similar statements to the press.

The dissonance between their tabulations and that of the RO has further incensed those parties.

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Friday March 06, 2020

Commotion at GECOM Command Centre ...as GECOM releases unverified results for Region Four

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he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM), through its public relations officer Yolanda Ward, yesterday released unverified results for the general and regional elections conducted in Region Four. The international observer community has said that the process used to tabulate the results is not above board.

The Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo reportedly made a declaration of the unverified results which are reflected in the two Form 24 documents set out by protocol as necessary to so do.

Kaieteur News had previously reported that, for the nine already declared regions, the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) leads A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) in the regional election by 51,439 votes.

The unverified figures for the regional election for Region Four in the Form 24 place APNU+AFC at 136,335 votes and PPP/C at 77,258 votes. This would represent a margin of victory

of 59,077 votes – well above the 51,440 votes the incumbent coalition would require to win overall.

Kaieteur News is not in possession of the figures for the general elections in the nine other regions. However, marginal differences that tend to exist between those which indicate that the regional election figures give a fair idea of the parties' general election performance.

The unverified figures for the general election for Region Four in the Form 24 place APNU+AFC at 136,458 votes and PPP/C at 77,329 votes. This would represent a margin of victory of 59,129 votes. This would also be likely to have placed APNU+AFC in a comfortable lead over the PPP/C in the general election. In 2015, APNU+AFC led PPP/C in region four by about 43,000 votes in both the general and regional elections.

Commotion at GECOM media centre Meanwhile, a commotion broke out between officials of the PPP/C and APNU+AFC moments after Mingo announced that he was about

GECOM’s PRO, Yolanda Ward to declare the results for the votes counted in that region.

Amidst the ruckus, leader of the PPP/C Bharrat Jagdeo told the media that his party objected to the declaration, since there was no adequate verification conducted prior.

Jagdeo said that moments before the announcement was made, he was informed by the Commonwealth Secretary General that the process was not complete. Hence, no declaration should have been declared, according to the former President.

Representatives of the (continued on page 20)

General Election Declaration for Region Four

Media prohibited from entering GECOM Command Centre

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he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM)'s Command Centre for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections was deemed a “Media Centre” with the various establishments in Guyana, and those from abroad, receiving accreditation to ensure the ease of access.

This has proven to be a very beneficial method as media houses have been able to access credible and accurate information as well as be able to seek relevant clarifications from the Chair, Justice (ret'd) Claudette Singh, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, and other key stakeholders that would be stationed there.

Media personnel were allowed to access the Command Centre housed at the Ashmin's Building on Hadfield and High Streets on

Local media operatives standing outside of the GECOM Command Centre

Elections Day and the day after.

But on Wednesday, the tack seemed to have changed, as journalists were barred from entering the building, with no proper explanations given as to why this was so.

To add insult to injury, overseas media establishments who were also given accreditation were allowed full access to the building, while the local reporters were forced to stand outside and approach officials as they entered and exited to get comments.

Yesterday, amid the confusion and conflict regarding the declaration of results for region four, media personnel flocked the building and attempted to enter, seeing that all the action came from indoors.

But as soon as they attempted to approach the entrance, they were stopped

by police officers who formed a human barricade and began pushing them outwards.

Forced to stand in the pouring rain with no shelter nearby, the journalists protested and demanded

reasons as to why they were barred access. But up to press time, no reason had been provided.

One journalist took to his Facebook page to express his displeasure.

According to him, “It is

very insulting that overseas journalists are being given access to the media building and journalists who are Guyanese and who this (elections) process has a direct connection with, cannot get into the building.”

A Kaieteur News reporter said the fact that GECOM allowed international media operatives to have privileged access to its command centre that local media did not, sets a worrying precedent.

Friday March 06, 2020

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Mexican firm takes millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude in oil-for-food swap

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EXICO CITY (Reuters) Venezuela has swapped millions of barrels of crude for supplies of corn and water trucks under an oil-for-food deal struck with a Mexican firm, in an effort to secure imports amid tightening U.S. sanctions, according to the company and export schedules.

The privately-owned Mexican firm, Libre Abordo SA, which has no previous experience in the oil sector, has emerged as a major lifter of Venezuela's crude as the state-run oil company PDVSA has seen its portfolio of customers dwindle due to sanctions aimed at ousting socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Libre Abordo has so far taken 6.2 million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude for resale in international markets and has two more cargoes of oil and fuel due to be loaded this month, according to PDVSA export programs reviewed by Reuters.

In a statement sent to Reuters, Libre Abordo said it had signed a contract last year to export Mexican corn and water trucks to Venezuela in return for supplies of oil and that the

contract was still in effect.

The company said it had consulted lawyers concerning the transaction and had been advised that there was no violation of the U.S. sanctions as there were no cash payments involved because the oil was received to offset food aid.

Sunken in years of hyperinflation, economic recession and hunger, Venezuela has struggled to afford imports of everything from food to medical supplies. Millions of Venezuelans have emigrated amidst widespread shortages.

Libre Abordo declined to disclose the name of the legal firm that provided the advice but it furnished a copy of the text for Reuters to review.

“Based on the information we have received, it appears that Libre's acquisition of title to PDVSA cargo in satisfaction of the pre-existing debt obligations occurred entirely outside of U.S. primary sanctions jurisdiction,” the lawyers said in their analysis.

T h e U . S . Tr e a s u r y department, PDVSA and the Venezuelan government did not immediately reply to

requests for comment.

CORN AND TRUCKS The contract between Libre Abordo's Mexican owners - Olga Zepeda and Veronica Esparza - and the Venezuelan government came into effect last year and no intermediaries were used for negotiations, the company said.

“These are not buy-sell contracts,” the company said. “Libre Abordo has been very cautious. The contract is considered humanitarian aid.”

The company said it expects to complete delivery of 210,000 tonnes of white corn and 1,000 water trucks in the coming months, while receiving oil in exchange.

The contract does not have a deadline so new products to be exchanged could be agreed between the parties, Libre Abordo said.

Oil cargoes received under the deal are being immediately resold and the buyers are taking possession of them at PDVSA's ports with no information provided to Libre Abordo on the final destination or use, the company said.

A check of Mexican registries by Reuters showed it was formed about a decade ago and its trade activities

Oil slips amid demand concern, fears over OPEC+ deal for deeper output cuts

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INGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil slid nearly 1% today as worries about global oil demand and economic growth slowdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak were heightened by concern over non-OPEC crude producers not yet having agreed to cut output further to support prices.

Brent crude fell 48 cents, or 0.96%, to $49.51 per barrel by 0337 GMT, while U . S . We s t Te x a s Intermediate (WTI) was down 38 cents, or 0.83%, at $45.52 per barrel.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) yesterday pushed for crude output by OPEC and associated producers - a group known as OPEC+ - to be cut by an extra 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in total until the end of 2020.

The call came ahead of

an OPEC+ meeting scheduled for today in Vienna.

Non-OPEC states were expected to contribute 500,000 bpd to the overall extra cut, OPEC ministers said.

But Russia and Kazakhstan, both members of OPEC+, said they had not yet agreed to the deeper cut, raising the risk of a collapse in cooperation that has propped up crude prices since 2016.

Some analysts expected Moscow to ultimately endorse the agreement.

“If it says no, the entire union could collapse — and with it any new bilateral trade and investment deals in the pipeline as well as the strategic influence Moscow has secured by participating in the production agreement,” RBC Capital Markets said in a research note.

“There will be a flurry of high level calls between Moscow, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to get the deal done.”

Even with the deep cut, Goldman Sachs said the OPEC+ deal will not be able to prevent a global oil market surplus in the second quarter, or sequentially lower prices in the coming weeks. The bank maintained its Brent price forecast at $45 a barrel in April.

“Ultimately a rebound in demand, not supply cuts, will be the necessary catalyst for a sustainable rebound in prices,” the bank said.

Meanwhile ANZ said global oil consumption could fall by 1.6 million bpd in the first half of 2020 and contract by around 300,000 bpd for the full year.

“Growth may return in H2 (second half of 2020), but is unlikely to be enough to offset the losses,” the bank said.

registered a sudden increase last year. Its webpage was created in 2019.

As the United States increases pressure on Maduro, it has backed an interim government led by the congress head, opposition leader Juan

Guaido.

Many governments have called on Washington to ensure that sanctions avoid deepening Venezuela's humanitarian crisis.

Several food suppliers to Venezuela were sanctioned

by Mexican authorities in

2018 over allegations of over-pricing and poor quality of the products sold.

The companies were fined and ordered to suspend exports to Venezuela.

Libre Abordo is not related to these firms, the company said.

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Friday March 06, 2020

Commotion at GECOM Command Centre From page 14 PPP/C shouted in anger when Mingo set out to make the declaration, accusing APNU/AFC of blatant thievery.

“Thief, Thief!” shouted members of the PPP/C camp, as representatives of APNU+AFC led by party f r o n t b e n c h e r Vo l d a Lawrence, responded in kind.

Members of the diplomatic community, foreign observer teams, staff of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and the media looked on.

In the midst of the shouting, Jagdeo told the press that the alarm raised by the PPP/C might have just overturned plans to hijack the elections “We heard there are secret plans to swear him (David Granger) in as President. They are not going to succeed, because once they do, the entire

international community will come down on them.

Guyana will be sanctioned… all of them.

We will see personal sanctions because of attempts to tamper with the results of the elections.”

“This is a stealing of the elections in the presence of international observers…I am sure that they are in touch with their government. So now the entire world is seeing this.”

Jagdeo reiterated that there would be personal sanctions against the government or any APNU+AFC member for participating in any suspicious exercise.

“There will be sanctions, international sanctions, as well as freezing of their accounts.”

Jagdeo also accused GECOM's staff of working in tandem with those involved in a ploy to tamper with the electoral process.

“There is a cabal at GECOM that is involved.

This is an attempt to hijack the process.”

Meanwhile, Lawrence brushed aside any concerns over the attempts to derail the elections process. She said that her understanding of the incident was that Mingo was about to make the declaration, but that he was not allowed to do so.

“This is GECOM's command centre. These people should be allowed to do their jobs without interference from anyone.

They are being prevented from doing so.”

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, who arrived moments later, shared similar sentiments.

Jagdeo met with the media in the afternoon as well, indicating that the party would be seeking a recount of the votes for that region.

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Friday March 06, 2020

Returning Officers not legally Suspect held for bomb threat obligated to verify results in front at GECOM media centre of observers, party officials - GECOM Commissioner Alexander

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ours after a controversial declaration of Region Four ’s results, a Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Vincent Alexander, made it clear last evening that there are no legal obligations to verify the results in front of observers and party officials.

The decision of Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, to abandon what was expected to be a participatory process with political parties, and monitored by observers, sparked an injunction, and has resulted in the Opposition now asking for a recount.

Appearing on Kaieteur Radio’s ‘Elections Watch’ on 99.1 and 99.5fm, Alexander, an A Partnership For National

Unity (APNU)-appointed commissioner, was asked about the legality of the announcement.

Mingo was in a balcony area, at the Ashmin’s building, High Street, where the operations office of the GECOM is located, when he was seen on video yesterday reading from a piece of paper.

He was supposed to have been present earlier in the day and in front of local and international observers, to verify publicly the results of the 800-plus polling stations in Region Four. However, he appeared later and made the announcement.

The announcement is a critical part of the tabulation process from Monday’s general and regional elections.

Nine of the 10 voting

regions of Guyana would have been announced already, with Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) needing over 52,000 for the Coalition to be returned to the presidency.

The announcement by Mingo would give the Coalition a healthy 7,600 lead.

It also raised the ire of the international observers who raised concerns over the tabulation process.

Questioned whether he should be worried that as a commissioner he would not be responsible for possible sanctions for Guyana, Alexander made it clear that the decisions of GECOM is a “collective” one.

The elections are being seen as the biggest in the country’s history, with control of the oil and gas industry at stake.

ELIZABETH WARREN ENDS PRESIDENTIAL BID (BBC) Senator Elizabeth Warren has ended her presidential campaign following disappointing Super Tuesday results.

A favourite of the liberal left, the Massachusetts senator, 70, had been a front-runner in the Democratic field.

The Democratic contest to take on President Donald Trump in November is now seen as a two-horse race between former Vice-President Joe Biden, 77, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 78.

Ms Warren said she needed some time to decide who to support.

Her departure may clear the path for Mr Sanders in particular - the sole progressive candidate left in the race.

Despite early momentum for her campaign, she failed to convert enthusiasm into votes in the first primary contests of 2020, not winning a single state.

With Ms Warren’s departure, a Democratic race that began with a record high of female candidates is now effectively left to two male front-runners, who praised her and her campaign.

“One of the hardest parts of this,” Ms Warren said on Thursday, “is all those little girls who are going to have to wait four more years. That’s going to be hard.”

Asked how she had made the decision to drop out, Ms Warren said she returned to the issues that had anchored

her campaign - the vast costs of student loan debt, health care, and child care that plague millions of Americans.

“I had to think about where is the best place for me to go to keep fighting those fights,” she said. “My job is to keep fighting and to fight this as smartly and effectively as I can.”

Now that she has dropped out, post-mortems on Elizabeth Warren’s campaign have begun. Many point to her shifting message on universal government-run healthcare, a topic that was never a top priority for her. It caused liberals to stick with Bernie Sanders and centrists to have their doubts about her.

Ranks at CID Headquarters are questioning a man who allegedly sent a bomb threat to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s High Street media centre.

The threat was made at around 10.45 hrs yesterday.

A senior police official revealed that the man is said to be a welder.

In his call, the suspect is said to have alleged that a bomb had been planted at the

location. However, police said that the occupants of the building did not take the threat seriously and opted to stay.

Investigators managed to trace the call and the suspect was arrested about an hour later.The bomb hoax comes at a time of escalating controversy over the results of Guyana’s General Elections, which are still to be announced, three days after voters went to the polls.

Foreigners arrested, deported for alleged...

From page 7 what we got, it was PPP lawyers and not Exxon lawyers that were calling for them.”

Ramjattan explained that neither the Russian Embassy nor the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) was made aware of the allegations.

Ramjattan stated that he

took an “executive decision” to keep this from the public’s eye, with the knowledge that such heavy allegations could be explosive at such a tense time in Guyana. Executive Member of the AFC, Cathy Hughes fully supported Ramjattan’s decision to not disclose the allegations, cit-

ing that such reports could have been explosive on elections day. “Can you imagine the chaos that would have ensued if this was available on Monday? We can assure you that Minister Ramjattan and the requisite agencies were all notified, all sprung into gear, and all active.”

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

‘I was influenced by my friend’ -Thief tells court

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Shaquille Mentore making his way down the stairs at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts then ran into a yard, jump the fence and we run straight into the alleyway.”

Mentore added that Bowen then went into another yard while he (Mentore) was still in the alleyway where he was stoned by residents. “I then surrendered myself to them and they pull me into the yard.”

“I see a person, who I can identify, look into the drum where my friend [Bowen] was hiding and then he shoot it up and throw he [Bowen] out and said watch he is here…they then took me to the front of the yard and then he shot me too.”After the defendant’s explanation Chief Magistrate McLennan asked the defendant why he robbed the woman, and Mentore said, “I was influenced by my friend.”

The Magistrate then fined the defendant $70,000 or in default, eight weeks’ imprisonment.

The Chief Magistrate also ordered that Mentore be under a probation officer’s supervision for 12 months in order for him to receive counseling.

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Twenty-year-old Shaquille Mentore was yesterday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he was made to answer FOR RENT to a simple larceny charge.

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Causing death charge for Chinese national who struck down pensioner

The Chinese National who fatally struck down 81-year-old Parvidi Ramcharran on a pedestrian crossing two months ago will finally face charges.

Sources say that the Director of Public Prosecutions has recommended that Ying Guomin be charged with causing death by dangerous driving. He is likely to appear in court next week. Police said that he has a Robb Street address.

The report was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) about two weeks ago.

Traffic Chief Linden Isles had told Kaieteur News that he had ordered his ranks to expedite their investigation following concerns from the victim’s family that the probe was stalled.

Parvidi Ramcharran, of Albion Front, Corentyne, was struck down on January 7, 2020, by Ying Guomin, who was driving a car bearing licence plate number PPP 1008.

The accident occurred while Mrs. Ramcharran, who had just uplifted her pension, was heading home, via a pedestrian crossing near the Nigg, Corentyne, Post Off i c e .

She succumbed three days later.

Surveillance footage showed the elderly

Pravidi ‘Marina’ Ramcharran woman making her way across the pedestrian crossing when the vehicle struck her.

The driver was detained at the Albion Police Station. He was subsequently released on $100,000 station bail after 72 hours.

Fire in the vicinity of Region 5 Model farm

Fire at Fort Wellington in the RDC Model farm location (Picture by Sandie Ross) Just around 21:00 hrs yesterday a fire of unknown origin blazed through vegetation located near the Regional Democratic Council Region 5 Model farm.While Kaieteur News is unsure of the origin of the fire and what may have started it, firefighters were summoned

to the scene to quell the blaze.

Additionally, there were reports of Cane fields located in the Canje area also on fire.

However, it is understood that the farmers would normally “burn cane” in that area. It is unclear if that was the case last evening.

Miner killed after fight at bar in Mahdia

A

24-year-old resi dent of Wismar, Linden, Region 10, was on Wednesday shot and killed at a popular drinking spot at Blackwater Backdam, Konawaruk, Mahdia.

The victim, who has been identified as Akeem Caesar was killed around 23:30hrs.

Kaieteur News understands that prior to the incident, Caesar, along with some of his friends, was at a shop imbibing, when an argument ensued between Caesar and another male known as “Selwyn” who was also imbibing.

The argument quickly escalated into a scuffle between the two men. Public-spirited

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Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

persons then separated them.

According to information, an hour after the fight, Caesar and a friend were standing on the road when he [Caesar] was confronted by a male who subsequently shot him in his left leg with a shotgun.

The suspect then proceeded to assault Caesar with the shotgun. After committing the act, he fled the scene on foot.

The injured man was taken to Mahdia District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Initial investigations into the matter revealed that the suspect, who works with a security firm, is a licensed fire-

Dead: Akeem Caesar arm holder and is known as “Tallman.” He is currently being sought by police. The matter is being investigated.

“We are prepared for any trouble”- Divisional Commander

A

s election tensions continue to grip Georgetown, Commander of Division Four A, Assistant Commissioner of Police Edgar Thomas is assuring that his ranks “are prepared for any eventuality.”

For what he described as “security reasons,” Thomas declined to disclose how many ranks are patrolling the city and other potential trouble spots under his command.

“There are armed and unarmed ranks on the road at all central points,” the Commander told Kaieteur News.

“We are fully prepared and we will also be supported by ranks from Headquarters.”

“We also have a Public Order Unit, which uses nonlethal force, and the Riot Unit, which may use lethal force.”

Police, including ranks with riot gear, were on high

Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas alert at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) command centre, at Hadfield and High Streets.

There were a few arrests in the vicinity of the facility

during the evening.

Many Georgetown businesses remained closed yesterday. Others, including a number of fast food outlets, sent their staff home early.

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NBA roundup: Porzingis, Doncic lead Mavs to OT win Field Level Media Kristaps Porzingis scored 34 points, and Luka Doncic added a 30-point tripledouble as the host Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 127-123 in overtime on Wednesday.

Seth Curry added 21 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 18 and Delon Wright had 10 for the Mavericks.

Doncic added 17 rebounds and 10 assists, and Porzingis had 12 boards and five blocked shots. Dallas improved to 6-3 in the past nine games.

In just his 122nd career game, Doncic set the Mavericks’ franchise record

for triple-doubles with 22.

Brandon Ingram scored 27 before fouling out, Lonzo Bell had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Zion Williamson scored 21 for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight. Nicolo Melli hit a 3pointer over the 7-foot-3 Porzingis to tie the score with 7.9 seconds left and force overtime.

Portland Trail Blazers 125 - Washington Wizards 104 - Star guard Damian Lillard returned from a groin injury to contribute 22 points and five assists, helping Portland post a blowout home victory over Washington.

Carmelo Anthony scored a team-high 25 points as four Trail Blazers topped 20 points. Hassan Whiteside registered 24 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots, and CJ McCollum added 22 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Bradley Beal recorded 29 points, six rebounds and six assists but couldn’t prevent Washington from losing for the sixth time in eight games.

Beal stretched his franchiserecord streak of consecutive 25-point outings to 20. He fell one point shy of scoring 30 or more points in a 10th straight road game.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Friday March 06, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You could find the hardest person to face is you, Aries.

You tend toward introspection, and you may find yourself shrinking into self-recrimination.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Take advantage of the creative energy in the air today, Taurus. Keep your hands moving and your imagination flowing toward something fun and artistic.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your sixth sense is right on target,so trust your instincts today. You're likely to connect with someone in a wonderful partnership that will help you foster the very plan you want to develop now.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Take a break from your routine, Cancer. You might feel like you're leading an army into battle as you strive for new adventures and conquer new realms.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The key for you is to minimize your daily drama as much as possible. You may not realize how much you cripple yourself by the way you exaggerate every aspect of your life. Try not to give so much of your attention to things that really don't matter much.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Be careful of advertising yourself as someone who is so strong and mentally competent that you're capable of handling everything, Virgo. Take note that the strongest mule on the trail usually ends up carrying the most weight.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Things should flow well for you today with very little effort on your part. Take note that if any quarrel arises, it's an indication that the person you're arguing with isn't necessarily the right person to deal with or confide in.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) This is meant to be a nice, relaxing day, so treat it as such, Scorpio. There's no need for you to plan any great strategy at this time. Try to take it easy and not indulge in any unnecessary stress.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Your sensual nature is heightened, Sagittarius, and you'll find yourself engaged in tender moments and languid peacefulness in the company of others.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Allow your eager and restless nature to express itself in ways other than through the spoken word.

Show someone that you care through your gentle touch or a big bear hug.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) This is a terrific day for you, Aquarius. You should find that your relationships, especially with men, go exceptionally well. Your tender and extremely sensitive nature is finally being recognized as the treasure chest it is.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A selfish attitude on your part won't be tolerated today, regardless of the circumstances, Pisces. Don't make it worse for yourself by pretending that you don't notice others' hurt feelings.

114 - Detroit Pistons 107 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 points, Dennis Schroder supplied 23 points and nine assists, and visiting Oklahoma City downed lowly Detroit. Danilo Gallinari tossed in 19 points with seven rebounds and four steals while Chris Paul added 16 points and six assists for the Thunder.

Christian Wood scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Detroit, which has lost nine of its last 10. Brandon Knight had 18 points and seven assists while Jordan McRae, claimed off waivers earlier in the day, contributed 15 points in his Pistons debut.

Miami Heat 116 - Orlando Magic 113 - Duncan Robinson scored 27 points and Goran Dragic added 25 points as host Miami topped Orlando on a historic shooting night for the Heat.

Robinson went 9-for-12 from 3-point range to account for all of his scoring as Miami hit a franchise-record 22 3pointers. Dragic added nine assists on a big night for the Miami bench, as the reserves accounted for 10 of the Heat’s other 13 3-pointers.

Terrence Ross scored a game-high 35 points for Orlando. Nikola Vucevic added 22 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 9 of 16 from the floor.

Boston Celtics 112 -

Early Season Classic...

From page 31 in the 100m & 200m sprints.

National men’s Javelin record holder; Leslain Baird, who has fully recovered from a recent injury, will take center stage as aims to shatter his own record to make the 85m Tokyo Olympics qualifying mark.

Huston posited that, “We are taking a more serious approach with Track & Field this year with much more events packed into our calendar as you can see for yourself already this year. This Early Season Classic will be used primarily by the CARIFTA hopefuls to get a harder push in making the last cut for the games next month in Bermuda while the seniors will be gauging their fitness levels and chances of making the Olympic Standards.”

Currently, 12 Guyanese have qualified for CARIFTA 2020 namely, Kenisha Phillips, Anisha Gibbons, Attoya Harvey, Seon Booker, Okenoko Pascal, Wesley Tyndall, Randy Hamilton, Adriel Austin, Keliza Smith, Annalisa Barclay, Princess Browne and Trevon Hamer.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) celebrate during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports Cleveland Cavaliers 106 Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, Semi Ojeleye added a career-high 22 and injurydepleted Boston outlasted host Cleveland.

Boston started a makeshift lineup with Brad Wanamaker and Grant Williams joining Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart. Tatum returned from illness, however, and powered the Celtics with 5-of-10 shooting from the 3-point arc, nine

rebounds and six assists.

Cleveland kept pace with Boston all night behind a career-high 41 points from Collin Sexton, marking the third time this week that Sexton set a career scoring mark.

Elsewhere: Milwaukee Bucks 119 - Indiana Pacers 100, Utah Jazz 112 - New York Knicks 104, Memphis Grizzlies 118 - Brooklyn Nets 79, Minnesota Timberwolves 115 - Chicago Bulls 108.

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Kaieteur News

Everest Premier League postponed due to coronavirus fears

Chris Gayle was due to play in the Everest Premier League (Getty Images).

ESPNcricinfo - The Everest Premier League (EPL), Nepal’s foremost franchise T20 tournament, has been postponed f o l l o w i n g a government directive to refrain from mass

gatherings amid fears about the transmission of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

The tournament, initially scheduled to start on March 14, was set to feature Chris Gayle,

Concacaf Under-20 Women’s Championship

Dominican Republic, U.S., Haiti and Mexico into CU20W final four Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Just four teams remain in the 2020 Concacaf Under-20 Women’s Championship following the results of Wednesday’s quarterfinals in which the Dominican Republic, United States, Haiti and Mexico earned victories.

The day started at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal where hosts Dominican Republic enjoyed a history-making 21 win over Jamaica.

It marks the first time that the Dominican Republic have reached the semifinals of any Concacaf tournament in either men’s or women’s football.

Kristian Garcia gave the Dominican Republic a 1-0 lead in the 35’, but Jody Brown would notch her ninth goal of the tournament and brought Jamaica level 11 in the 37’.

In the end though, the winning go a l w o u l d belong to the Dominican Republic, as Mia Asenjo scored in the 74’ to deliver the 2-1 final.

The second match of the day in San Cristobal saw another dominating performance from Haiti MF Melchie Durmonay. The 16year-old came into the day as the 2020 CU20W’s leading scorer and she added to that margin with a

hat trick as Haiti rolled past Guyana 3-0.

Dumornay scored in the 18’, 54’ and 60’, giving her 13 goals in the tournament and putting Haiti one victory away from a second straight FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup berth.

The Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo was the site of the day’s other two matches, starting with the U.S. downing Canada 4-0.

Mia Fishel scored her ninth and 10th goals in the tournament in the 35’ and 67’, sandwiching scores from Brianna Pinto in the 41’ and Kennedy Wesley in the 54’ for the four-time CU20W champions.

The day was then rounded out by Mexico topping Trinidad and Tobago 4-0. Anette Vazquez scored right before halftime in the 45+1’ to give the reigning CUW20 champions a big momentum boost, laying the groundwork for goals from Gabriela Juarez in the 56’, Alison Gonzalez in the 68’ and capped in the 71’ through Destinee Manzo.

The semifinals will be contested at Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo today. The USA will take on the home team, Dominican Republic from 15:00hrs followed by a clash between Mexico and Haiti, three hours later.

Sandeep Lamichhane and Mohammad Shahzad. The tournament’s organisers said in a statement that it would be rescheduled for “the closest possible time whenever the situation is favourable”.

The has only been one confirmed case of coronavirus in Nepal to date, but given the c o u n t r y ’s p r o x i m i t y t o China, the health ministry requested that the public suspend all major gatherings to reduce the risk of community spread.

Growing concerns about the spread of coronavirus has forced sporting events across the globe to review their position including the Tokyo

Olympics. Cricket has not been immune, too. The EPL is the second tournament to fall victim to concerns over the outbreak, following a women’s quadrangular T20I series in Thailand that was scheduled to feature Netherlands, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

The EPL postponement comes even as cricket is being played in Nepal’s neighbouring countries: India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. On Wednesday, the Sindh provincial government ruled out moving PSL games away from Karachi. The BCCI, too, is yet to issue a directive on the measures it is taking even as the IPL

is scheduled to start on March 29.

The EPL organisers, though, have decided it is best to be proactive as cases of people being affected by coronavirus escalates rapidly across the globe. “We are naturally all sad at t o d a y ’s announcement of having to temporarily postpone the 2020 EPL, but we simply have to put the health and wellbeing of all Nepalis and our overseas players before everything else,” Aamir A k h t a r, the competition’s managing director, said.

“It was crucial that we announced this decision now at the earliest possible

juncture to ensure the minimum possible disruption to all of our stakeholders, who are integral parts of the ongoing success and growth of the league. “ We w o u l d l i k e t o thank the government of Nepal for their support and counsel through this challenging period, and we support entirely the professional advice throughout.

I would like to assure that as soon as we are able to go ahead with the 2020 season, we will be working to ensure that it will be the spectacular event the likes of which Nepal has never seen before.”

Darren Sammy becomes Peshawar Zalmi head coach, steps down from captaincy ESPNcricinfo - Darren Sammy will no longer captain Peshawar Zalmi effective immediately, and will instead move upstairs to take over as head coach instead. In a major mid-season reshuffle, last year ’s finalists also announced Wahab Riaz is to take over as full-time captain, while Mohammad Akram, who was the head coach until now, will continue as director of cricket, as well as serving as the franchise’s bowling coach.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the tremendously popular Sammy has played his last game for Peshawar Zalmi, however. Peshawar said he would serve as head coach-cum-player for the next two years, suggesting he may still have a role to play on the field. However, Mohammad Akram, who made the announcement, was clear that his role with Peshawar was primarily as head coach, now.

“Daren is very close to my heart, and the Zalmi family’s heart,” Akram said.

“It took a little persuading to come to this decision. Daren will be the new head coach of Peshawar Zalmi starting today for the next two years.

His contract is already as a playing coach, so if the committee feels he’s in form to play, he can take the field as well. But from today, he is head coach first.”

For his part, Sammy’s remarks suggested the decision to make the move had not been a completely harmonious one. Calling the decision “difficult” and insisting he was fully fit this season, he accepted he needed to do what the team required, and had ultimately agreed moving to a nonplaying role was the best

option.

“As a player, it’s always difficult to make the transition,” he said. “Like Akram said, we are a family, and throughout the years of playing and leading this franchise, we have shown it’s not just a cricket team but a family. The truth is the last two years I’ve played not fully fit.

This year, I feel I’m ready to go, but if there’s one thing that made Peshawar Zalmi what it is, my message is to do what’s necessary, what’s best for the team. As a leader, I feel I’ve demonstrated that.

“This year, my preparation and form has not been exactly what I wanted it to perform in the best way possible. So we came to this decision to do what was best for the team.

If I’m asking my players to do what’s best for the team, then I must practice what I preach. I still have the option to select myself, but I think for this tournament right now, looking at the young players we have, it’s time for me to lead the team in a different role.”

Suggestions of some disagreements brewed when Sammy posted a cryptic tweet hours before the side’s game against Karachi Kings on Monday, saying “I’ve learnt you are important until you’ve completed your role”.

When the game began, it was Wahab instead of Sammy who led the side, the fast bowler saying Sammy was “resting”.

Sammy has been a mainstay of the Peshawar Zalmi side since its inception.

Named vice-captain of the franchise in 2016, he has only missed three of the 53 games the team has played, the last one coming on Monday. He

Darren Sammy has become Peshawar Zalmi’s head coach Pakistan Super League. took over as captain in 2017 after Shahid Afridi stepped down, and his popularity in Pakistan soared when Peshawar ’s overseas contingent all travelled to Pakistan for the 2017 PSL final in Lahore, when Quetta Gladiators, who were playing them in the final, had to play

without their overseas players, who pulled out due to security reasons. On March 23, the day after the final on what is Pakistan Day, Sammy will be made an honorary citizen of Pakistan by the country’s government in recognition of his “invaluable contribution to cricket in Pakistan”.

Financial prudence...

From page 29 Antigua, formerly the Stanford Cricket Ground.

The Englishman said CWI was poised to undertake long term financing on the venue in order to underwrite “ambitious” redevelopment plans which would ultimately lead to increased revenue.

“We’re certainly going to do long term financing for the Coolidge Cricket Ground,” Grave explained.

“At the moment we’ve

effectively bought the venue out of our operating cash flow and we need to turn that into a long term financing and replace some of that operating cash in the business.”

He added: “It (venue) has been making revenue but in terms of our plans to redevelop the entire 16-acre site, they’re much more ambitious and we would be looking to significantly increase the revenues from [those plans].”

Friday March 06, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Coronavirus: Premier League ditches pre-match fair-play handshakes BBCSport - The Premier League has announced that the pre-match handshakes between both teams and officials will not take place until further notice because of fears over the spread of coronavirus.

The measure comes the day after the government asked the league “to step up its contingency planning”.

The teams will still line up as usual but the home team will walk past the away side without shaking hands. There have been more than 90,000 cases of the virus in 87 countries.

A statement on the Premier League’s website said: “The Premier League fair-play handshake will not take place between players and match officials from this weekend until further notice based on medical advice.

“Coronavirus is spread via droplets from the nose and mouth and can be transmitted on to the hands and passed

on via a handshake.” Premier League leaders Liverpool announced on Thursday that they would not be having mascots at Anfield.

They have also cancelled staff travelling to any highrisk countries and “reminded everyone of good hygiene practices”. The club also said there will be “hand sanitisers and/or antibacterial handwash in all the washrooms at Anfield” as well as hygiene information posters.

Last week Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said the club had stopped their morning handshake ritual while West Ham boss David Moyes said the players would be fist bumping instead of shaking hands.

Southampton also banned players from signing autographs or taking selfies with fans. League One club Sunderland have also told their players to not go abroad during their upcoming break.

Both teams will still line up and walk past each other without shaking hands.(Getty Images)

Cycling hit hard by coronavirus as Japan to quarantine visitors from China, Olympics on track races canceled and teams pull out South Korea; insists People wearing face masks, following an Paris (Reuters) - The coronavirus outbreak continued to take its toll on cycling as teams withdrew from racing and organizers started to cancel events yesterday.

Race organizers in Italy, the European country most affected by the outbreak, said on Thursday they were cancelling Saturday’s Strade Bianche one-day race after Rome decided to hold events without fans.

“RCS Sport will request the UCI (International Cycling Union), vi a t h e Italian Cycling Federation, to allocate a new date on the international cycling calendar for Strade Bianche and Strade Bianche Women E lite,” RCS said in a statement.

RCS has not yet said whether the Milan-Sanremo major classic and the TirrenoAdriatico stage race - both scheduled for this month - will go ahead but some teams have already pulled out.

“We have chosen to protect the health of our riders and staff and to take our responsibility for the society in not further spreading the virus,” said Astana manager Alexandre Vinokourov, whose team has withdrawn from racing until March 20.

Team UAE Emirates also said they would not take part in Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan Sanremo and Paris-Nice while French team AG2R-La Mondiale said they would not participate in Italian races in March.

Australia’s MitcheltonScott, Dutch outfit JumboVisma, France’s GroupamaFDJ and Britain’s Ineos had already pulled out of at least the Strade Bianche race in the Siena province.

Ineos, also citing the death of sports director Nicolas Portal as a reason, will not take part in any race until March 23, so defending champion Egan Bernal, last year’s Tour de France winner,

will be absent from the ParisNice stage race starting on Sunday. Mitchelton-Scott will not race at all until March 22.

The European Cycling Union (UEC) said on Thursday that the BMX European Cup rounds in Verona on March 28 and 29 would be postponed.

Paris-Nice organizers ASO have invited two teams, B&B Vital Concept and Circus Wanty Gobert, to make up for the withdrawals, also allowing eight riders per team instead of seven.

With a peloton forming a 180-rider pack, riders sharing rooms and team buses, drinking from bottles prepared by team staff and often being close to fans, cycling is considered to be a sport in which the virus can spread easily.

Most of the top races in March are being held in Italy, where more than 3,000 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus and over 100 have died.

Paris marathon postponed due to coronavirus Paris (Reuters) - The Paris marathon has been postponed from April 5 to Oct. 18 due to the coronavirus outbreak, organizers said yesterday.

“In order to avoid a late cancellation that

would penalize the participants, we have, in agreement with the Paris mayor’s office, decided to postpone the Paris marathon to Oct. 18,” Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) said in

a statement.

About 423 coronavirus cases have been reported and seven people have died in France, the European country second most affected by coronavirus after Italy.

outbreak of the coronavirus, ride their bicycles past an under-construction site of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics villages in Tokyo, Japan, March 5, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Tokyo (Reuters) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered a twoweek quarantine for visitors from China and South Korea on Thursday and delayed a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping originally planned for April in response to a widening coronavirus crisis.

Abe’s measures, announced in a briefing with reporters, came after weeks of criticism he was failing to tackle the outbreak head-on and coincided with the country’s biggest one-day increase in new infections.

The government also insisted the outbreak will not disrupt the Tokyo Olympics which begin in late July.

Public broadcaster NHK confirmed cases had risen to

at least 1,056 nationwide by early Friday morning, 20 more than the previous day, with new infections reported across the country, including seven in Nagoya in central Japan and the first in the western prefecture of Shiga.

Twelve people have died from the disease in Japan, according to the health ministry. Abe said it was “essential” to take “flexible protection measures” at ports and airports. Under the new measures, most of which will start on March 9 and last until the end of the month, people arriving from China and South Korea will be quarantined for two weeks at designated sites.

The government will also suspend existing visas and

limit arrivals from those countries to Tokyo’s Narita airport and Kansai, which serves Osaka in western Japan. From March 7, the government will also bar entry to people who have been to areas with high infection rates in South Korea or Iran.

Visitors from areas affected by the new travel restrictions will also be asked not to use public transport.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Japan and China would arrange a better time for Xi to visit as both countries had agreed to prioritize the fight against coronavirus.

Earlier in the day, Abe’s Olympics minister, Seiko Hashimoto, said the 2020 Tokyo Games would go ahead as planned.

PAGE 30

Friday March 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

Six matches in the Milo Schools’ Football Tournament on this weekend Secondary Schools will be battling tomorrow and Sunday when the Milo Under-18 football tournament organised by the Petra Organisation continues at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground, Carifesta Avenue.

Tomorrow’s first clash from 12:00hrs will pit Cummings Lodge against Vergenoegen while Uitvlugt will match skills with defending champions Christianburg/Wismar at 13:45hrs. The feature match from 15:45hrs is a fixture between Friendship and Anns’s Grove.

Sunday will mark day four of the round-robin group matches which began last Saturday. St. Stanislaus College (Saints) will play Christ Church at 12:00hrs followed by Marian Academy against the boys from Canje in Berbice. Queenstown from the City will then square off with New Central High

in the feature match from 15:45hrs.

Fans will be hoping that this weekend’s play is as exciting as last week when the East Coast lads; Annandale, thumped East Ruimveldt 10-2, led by a hat-trick from Skipper Omari Glasgow; fresh from duties with the National Under-20 football side in Nicaragua where the junior lads performed creditably.

Other results last Saturday saw St. Joseph’s High picking up a valuable three points following a 21 win over South Ruimveldt while the feature match of the day saw 2019 losing finalists Lodge come back from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with Caramel.

Other matches last week saw Golden Grove edged St. John’s College 3-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Calvin Richmond while Tucville blanked Bishops’ High 3-0.

Another hat-trick from

Play between Lodge and Carmel Secondary Schools during their exciting 2-2 draw last Saturday at the MOE ground.

Garfield Caesar helped New Central High to a 3-1 win over Queenstown.

This year’s tournament is sponsored by Beepats and the competing schools are Bishops’ High, South

Ruimveldt, New Central, Cummings Lodge, Carmel, Golden Grove, St. Stanislaus College, Christ Church, St. John’s College, Marian A c a d e m y, Charlestown, East

Ruimveldt, St. Joseph, Canje, Christianburg/Wismar, Annandale, President’s College, Golden Grove, Ann’s Grove, Uitvlugt, Vergenoegen and Friendship.

The first prize of $400,000

will go towards a school project, while the second, third and fourth-placed schools will collect $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively, also towards a school project.

Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia into final after beating South Africa BBCsport - Australia defied the rain to beat South Africa by five runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method and set up a Women’s T20 World Cup final against India. Defending champions Australia were able to post 134-5 from their 20 overs after a delayed start, with captain Meg Lanning top-scoring with 49.

South Africa, who were chasing a rain-revised 98 from 13 overs, crumbled to 24-3 and were always behind the rate at the Sydney Cricket Ground despite Laura Wolvaardt’s unbeaten 41 from just 27 balls.

However, Australia will take heart from a superb bowling performance that left South Africa’s captain, Dane van Niekerk, close to tears at the end of the match as her side once again missed out on a first global final.

Australia have featured in every T20 World Cup final since 2010, and have claimed the title four times. India, who reached the final as Group A winners after their semi-final against England was rained off, were the only team to beat Australia during the group stages but it is the first time they have reached the T20

final.

At one point, Australia were nine minutes from elimination, with heavy rain falling as the cut-off time approached, knowing that if the game was abandoned without a result, South Africa would advance to the final because they were Group B winners.

However, the rain cleared and their bowlers excelled.

Megan Schutt took 2-17 from her three overs and Australia’s spinners cashed in as South Africa tried to hit them out of the ground.

With the persistent rain slowing down the outfield, and South Africa consistently finding the fielders, Australia were able to pile on the pressure.

Australia will know they have got to the final without playing their best cricket - but it is their will to win, and the way they have fought through difficult positions with the bat, that has propelled them to Sunday’s final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

And with Australia in the final, organisers will be hopeful of breaking the record for the highest attendance at a women’s sporting event.

South Africa come agonisingly close once again - South Africa had a long huddle before they took to the field but they were left in tears after once again missing out on the final. In the 50-over World Cup three years ago they narrowly lost to eventual champions England in the last four, and they once again came close here.

They capitalised on Australia’s unusually shaky batting line-up, having Alyssa Healy caught at midwicket before fellow opener Beth Mooney was bowled by the excellent Nadine de Klerk.

It was only Lanning who looked comfortable for Australia. She was able to rotate the strike before hitting out with four fours and one six.

De Klerk, recalled in Marizanne Kapp’s absence, was superb, mixing up her pace well to take 3-19, and her performance will be one positive on a heartbreaking night for Van Niekerk’s team.

Australia 134-5 (20 overs): Lanning 49*, Mooney 28, De Klerk 3-19.

South Africa 92-5 (13 overs): Wolvaardt 41*, Luus 21, Schutt 2-17. Australia won by five runs (DLS method).

Friday March 06, 2020

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

CWI’s Regional First-Class Tourney

GCB Superbet Senior Female Inter County Tourney

Singh’s 50 and Cornwall’s 4-41 Mangru five for hands Demerara easy win over Essequibo; rain ruins highlight rain affected day

By Sean Devers On a cold and windy rainaffected day, a 73-run third wicket stand between Guyana Jaguars’ left-handers Vishaul Singh and Leon Johnson helped the Jaguars to 115-4 as Rahkeem Cornwall captured all four wickets for the Leewards Hurricanes on the opening day of their seventh round Regional Four-Day Championship match at Providence yesterday.

Singh was there at the close of a day in which 54 overs were bowled due to four stoppages caused by rain.

Cornwall in his fifth match for the season, captured 4-41 from 21 overs to take his wicket tally to 27.

The 31-year-old Singh faced 133 balls, batted for 154 minutes and reached the boundary four times while Johnson made 35 from 89 balls and 128 minutes with five fours to move to three short of 400 runs for the season. With Singh at the close was Raymond Reifer on 4.

Earlier, the Jaguars won the toss and batted on a slow track in overcast conditions and with post-elections activities taking place in the City, 10 minutes away from Providence, a handful of spectators watched the burly Cornwall strike twice in the space of a run.

Cornwall first bowled Tevin Imlach for two from 28 balls with a beautifully flighted delivery at 13-1 before an arm-ball trapped lefthander Tagenarine Chanderpaul LBW one run later. Chanderpaul struggled to find the gaps as he hit a four in his nine runs which took 40 balls.

Johnson, with 362 runs this season was joined by fellow Test batsman Singh and the pair saw their team to 30-2 before rain stopped play and an early lunch was taken.

When play resumed with the

Rakeem Cornwall sun and clouds engaging in battle for supremacy overhead, Singh and his captain batted solidly on the slow outfield with both batsmen finding the ropes on both sides of the wicket with well calculated shots.

The pair posted the 50 in the 25th over before another shower halted play in the 32nd over with the score on 64-2 but after a delay of 15 minutes the action resumed.

However, with dark clouds threateningly over the Providence sward, four runs were added in 2.4 overs before the contest was stopped for the third time, this time due to a much harder downpour.

Singh was on 25 and four runs short of 300 runs for the season while his GCC club mate Johnson was unbeaten on 28 and their partnership worth 54 runs. After a break of one hour, play resumed and Johnson cut Jerimiah Louis for four before Singh pushed Louis to cover for a single to reach 300 runs for the season.

With the score 82-2 in 39.3

overs, a fourth shower stopped play and Tea was taken with Johnson on 34 and Singh on 33. Another two hours and 16 minutes were lost after Tea, the final session commenced at 16:40 hrs.

Johnson tried to pull a short ball that hurried onto to him from Cornwall and was bowled off the under edge off the third ball after Tea at 87-3.

Singh slashed pacer Kian Pemberton for four while Christopher Barnwell hit Cornwall for a boundary before he was removed by the off-spinner in the same over for eight at 99-4 as the Jaguars lost three wickets for 12 runs.

Reifer joined the diminutive Singh, who reached his 18th first class fifty from 147 minutes, 123 balls with four boundaries just before the close and the lefthanded pair saw their team to the close. Today is the second day and play starts at 09:30 hrs.

Scores from elsewhere: St George’s, Grenada, CMC: Jamaica Scorpions, opting to bat first, reached 285 for three at the close on the opening day of their seventh round match in the Regional FourDay Championship against Windward Islands Volcanoes at the National Stadium here Thursday.

Scores: Scorpions 285 for three (Nkrumah Bonner 131 not out, Jermaine Blackwood 68, Paul Palmer 65 not out; Preston McSween 248) vs Volcanoes.

Tarouba, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, choosing to bat first against Barbados Pride, were 192 for five at the close on the opening day of the seventh round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship at the Brian Lara Stadium here Thursday.

Scores: Red Force 192 for five (Joshua DaSilva 67 not out, Kyle Hope 40, Isaiah Rajah 33; Kyle Mayers 3-39, Chemar Holder 2-49) vs Pride.

NSC pumps 2M into Chess Federation for CARIFTA Junior Programme to be hosted here The National Sports Commission (NSC) continues to support sports and the efforts of National Federations and Associations in our country.

On Wednesday last, the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) received a cheque to the value of Two Million Dollars towards the hosting of the CARIFTA Junior Chess programme, set for the Easter weekend.

Attending the simple but significant presentation were Team Leader and Head of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Mr. John Lee and Chess in Schools Coordinator Mr. Anand Raghunauth who apart from thanking the NSC are appealing to general public to come out and support Guyana’s preparation for the tournament and share in the competition experience over

the Easter Weekend at the Princess Ramada Hotel.

Persons wishing to partner with the GCF can contact President, Mr. Frankie Farley (670-3839), Mr. John Lee (623-0896) or Mr. Anand Raghunauth (681-8771) to aid the growth of the sport not only for this tournament but especially for the development of players and clubs at the level of schools.

play at Everest

By Zaheer Mohamed Off-spinner Mandy Mangru grabbed five wickets to hand Demerara a comprehensive win over Essequibo while rain had the final say in the fixture between Berbice and The Select U19 Team when the Guyana Cricket Board/Superbet Senior Female Inter County 50 overs tournament commenced yesterday.

Essequibo’s decision to bat at Enmore didn’t do them justice as they never recovered from a poor start and were skittled for 18 in 13.3 overs. Skipper Kumarie Persaud was bowled by Heema Singh for one while fellow opener Kerisa Christian was trapped lbw by Akaze Thompson without scoring as Essequibo slipped to 7-2.

Thompson then bowled Rhona James for two before left arm spinner Kaysia Schultz sent back Khemwattie Tulshi for three while the steady Thompson uprooted the stumps of Nathaly Chaitram (00) as Essequibo, which seemed an ill-prepared team found themselves into further trouble at 11-5.

Mangru then destroyed the rest of the batting to finish with 5-2 from 3.3 overs while Thompson had 3-9 from five overs. In reply, Demerara lost Lashanna Toussaint who was caught off Kumaire Persaud for three with the score on 11, but Mangru (06*) and Latoya Smith (07*) saw their team to victory as they finished on 21-1 in 3.2 overs. Persaud had 1-9.

At Everest Cricket Club, play between Berbice and The Select U19 team was abandoned due to rain. Batting first after winning the toss, the Berbicians reached 4123 after facing 37.4 overs when the game was halted.

Shabika Gajnabi West Indies player Shabika Gajnabi led the batting with an unbeaten 215. She added 176 for the fourth wicket with Tremaine Smartt who made 64 with 10 fours. Gajnabi hammered 25 fours and five sixes in her innings and was also involved in a 141 third-wicket stand with Sherika Campbelle who made 39, and 57 for the second wicket with Katana Mentore (25).

Jamie Campbell took 2-76. The competition will continue tomorrow.

Financial prudence remains critical, says CEO Grave Bridgetown, Barbados, CMC – Cricket West Indies chief executive, Johnny Grave, has cautioned that the governing body needs to continue “living within its means” as it seeks to further consolidate its finances in the face of challenging global conditions.

CWI has been hit by bleak finances in recent years and lost an estimated US$20 million in 2018, a year which Grave described in an interview last year as “fi-nan-cial-ly hor-ri-ble”.

And while lucrative 2019 home series tour against England and India had been expected to be a huge boost to CWI’s coffers, Grave said this week that with international media companies experiencing “enormous pressure and strain, it was critical CWI continued to exercise prudence in managing its financial affairs.

“One of the things we are going to have to do in a far better way than ever before in our history is live within our means,” Grave told Starcom Radio’s Mason and Guest

Johnny Graves cricket show here.

“The international landscape isn’t necessarily the way it’s been [before] where for the most part in professional cricket, and in professional sport, revenues have been increasing year on year.

“We’re now into a challenging few years where traditional media companies which have been the bread and butter of most organisations in professional sport, their business is under significant pressure as everyone who watches sport, and tv and live entertainment changes their habits significantly and fewer an

fewer of us are watching any sort of live entertainment and particularly sport through TV. “Therefore the business plans of tv companies are under enormous pressure and strain and many nations in the world including ourselves are facing a drop in revenue and therefore we’re going to have to be very agile in terms of how we manoeuvre that everchanging landscape.”

Apart from broadcast rights revenue, Grave indicated that key to CWI’s finances will be the redevelopment of the Coolidge Cricket Ground in (Continued on page 26)

PAGE 32

Friday March 06, 2020

Kaieteur News

Lady Jags did excellent against well oiled Haiti; Head Coach Joseph proud Taking on a well trained and confident Haiti side in their quarter-final of the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship at the Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic on Wednesday afternoon last was certainly not going to be easy.

It brought with it some nervous moments at the beginning of the clash for a team that is ranked 23 in Concacaf against the #4 but the ‘Lady Jags’ on their history making journey at the championship, made themselves, coaching staff and country proud by putting in another fighting performance despite losing 03.

Prior to this championship, the name Guyana was non-existent at this level but their first journey at the Under-20 would always be a memorable one as they proved that they belonged by turning in some fantastic performances which began last year here at the Leonora Track and Field Centre, Leonora, West Coast Demerara when they won Group A of the Qualifiers.

Then, Guyana swept past

Suriname 3-1 after securing respective 2-0 wins against Bermuda, Antigua & Barbuda and Saint Lucia.

Fast forward to the Dominican Republic in February 2020, the Lady Jags continued their winnings ways after being promoted to the Concacaf Women’s Under 20 Group Stage as a result of Concacaf earning the rights to host the FIFA Women’s Under 20 World Cup 2020; two slots becoming available and filled

by Guyana and St. Kitts and Nevis, which won Group B. Competing in Group D in the Dominican Republic, Guyana took care of Nicaragua 3-1, Puerto Rico 21, lost to Mexico 0-3 in group play. They qualified for the round-of-16 where they beat the Cayman Islands 2-0 but lost their quarter final clash with Haiti, 0-3.

A proud Head Coach, Ivan Joseph expressed delight for the way his charges performed at these championships for the first time. Joseph, who worked hard with his Technical Staff ever since qualifying to ensure the girls were fully prepared with training here in Guyana

Head Coach Ivan Joseph (right) with his Technical Staff who guided the U-20 ‘Lady Jags’ on their historic journey. and Canada is confident that the best is yet to come.

He summed up the Haiti match: “Haiti was physical, they were fast, they were technical, they were tactically sound, they were well organised, they were well disciplined; we were overmatched.

Having said that, I am proud of the way the girls played; they fought with heart, they hustled to the end.

They were committed, they worked hard, I’m proud of the effort and how they portrayed themselves in this tournament.”

Joseph also shared his thoughts on what can be accomplished with the support of the relevant stakeholders, referencing to Haiti.

“You see what the investment of the government, the federation

and fifa can do.

They have their own academy; their own school system, they’re training 11 ½ months a year, they are training five hours a day, they’ve got a fulltime staff of three and for us to even be able to be on the same field with them is testament to how well this team has played.”

The support of the fans and all others were felt and appreciated by the players

and staff, Joseph stated.

“I want to say thank you to all our fans and all our supporters back home in Guyana who’ve been following along and cheering us on, the ladies have felt your support and love and we appreciate the support of all.

We look forward to what’s to come, the future is bright; as we like to say, the best is yet to come.”

Kaieteur News

Friday March 06, 2020

PAGE 33

Kenisha Phillips (right) is one of the 12 athletes who have qualified so far for the 49th CARIFTA Games, next month.

Akeem Stewart (winner) will be participating in next weekend’s meet.

Early Season Classic Athletics Meet on next weekend

By Calvin Chapman The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is in full preparation mode for next weekend’s Early Season Classic Athletics Meet which is slated to run off at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

President of the AAG, Aubrey Hutson, during an invited comment with Kaieteur Sport, explained that an action packed event is highly anticipated. The lead administrator further explained that although operations seem to slow down during the General Elections period, preparations are coming along smoothly and fans can expect to be highly entertained on March 14th and 15th.

Hutson shared that this event will be a real treat since it will also serve as the final local Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) trials for the 49th edition of the junior athletic competition, scheduled for Bermuda on Easter weekend (April 10th -13th).

Junior athletes the likes of Loneil Marks who is vying to qualify for 200m Under-20 Boys’ event will be pitted against top senior athletes including Davin Fraser and Akeem Stewart who have both been confirmed by the AAG to compete in next weekend’s

competition.

More fireworks are expected with Jamaica based student-athlete, Emmanuel Archibald who reset the national men’s long jump record twice last year also set

to return to participate.

Archibald, who also has wins against Jamaican Olympian Yohan Blake under his belt in the 100m dash, will pose a major threat (Continued on page 25)

Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie ( C ), TDO Colin Stuart (left) and Nickoli Primo Marketing Assistant of Superbet with the Berbice and The Select U19 teams.

GCB Superbet Senior Female Inter County Tourney

rt

S po

Mandy Mangru accepts the player of the match prize from Anil Persaud.

Vishaul Singh was unbeaten on 51 as Jaguars reached 115-4 yesterday at Providence.

Mangru five for hands Demerara easy win over Essequibo; rain ruins play at Everest NSC pumps 2M into Chess Federation for CARIFTA Junior Programme to be hosted here

NSC’s Technical Development Officer, Mr. Seon Erskine (center) presents cheque to Mr. John Lee. At left is Mr. Anand Raghunauth.

CWI’s Regional First-Class Tourney

Singh’s 50 and Cornwall’s 4-41 highlight rain affected day

Ivan Joseph

Lady Jags did excellent against well oiled Haiti; Head Coach Joseph proud

Meg Lanning made an unbeaten 49. (Getty Images)

Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia into final after beating South Africa

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