CJ to rule today on K NEWS jurisdiction to hear elections results case
Sunday Edition
AIETEUR
March 08, 2020 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com
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Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Lowenfield prepares to announce elections - Opposition commissioners results refuse invitation to meet p. 10
Any Govt. sworn in with flawed tabulation would be illegitimate p. 13
- US State Department
Opposition parties request for recount rejected p. 8
Norway, France, St. Vincent & the Grenadines gravely concerned about electoral process Former elections chief calls for consensus healing talks now between political parties p. 55
p. 11
Assistant Police Commissioner Thomas 'busted' from Divisional p. Commander to Patrol Officer 11
“Every vote must count” p.
- CARICOM Chair tells political parties 8 - urges completion of electoral process
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Democracy under serious threat
T
he international observers –including the Caribbean Community, Carter Centre, Commonwealth and the Organization of American States – have denounced the controversial declaration made by the Returning Officer for District 4. They have all urged a return to the verification and tabulation process which was done for all the other 9 districts and which would take only a few hours to be completed for the few hundred unverified statements of poll for District 4. In light of the aborted verification process and the controversial District 4 declaration, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union have expressed concern about credible allegations of electoral fraud which could influence the results of the elections. As such, they have unambiguously called on President Granger to avoid a transition of government based on a tabulation which lacks credibility. The United Nations Resident Representative, the Assistant Secretary for the United States Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Norway have all weighed in on the need for credible results. Six opposition parties have also denounced the controversial District 4 declaration. They too are urging a return to the verification and tabulation process. It is beyond comprehension that in the face of all of these charges which impugn the integrity of the declaration of the results of District 4, the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission have remained reclusive. They bear primary responsibility for the present predicament. History will judge them harshly if they allow an illegal government to be foisted on the country. Former United States First Lady Michelle Obama once said that the Presidency does not change you; it reveals who you are. President Granger is a stakeholder in the electoral process. He is not aloof from it, since he is the Presidential candidate of the APNU+AFC coalition. Yet, he too has not faced the media or addressed the nation. Other top officials of APNU and the AFC have been frugal and selective in their public statements. Winners do not run and hide. If you are the winner, as you believe, why worry. Why not verify? This will only enhance your victory and allow you to garner greater support from the international community. A real winner would be happy to demonstrate to the whole world that he or she is a winner. No court decision will make the District 4 declaration credible. We urge a return to electoral transparency, so that the will of the people will prevail and be respected. Those who believe that electoral malpractice will be tolerated in the 21st century are woefully misguided.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 08, 2020
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Kaieteur News
CJ to rule today on jurisdiction to hear elections results case I
n an emergency sitting held at the Georgetown High Court on Saturday, Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, heard preliminary arguments in the case filed against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) over a failure to verify the vote count for Region Four. The People Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is seeking orders to prevent incumbent David Granger from being sworn as President on the grounds of electoral fraud. The PPP/C had previously secured an injunction which restrained officials of GECOM from declaring the results of the 2020 elections, unless the electoral process as prescribed by law in section 84 of the Representation of the People Act is compiled with. Section 84 of the Act sets out, inter alia, the procedure for tabulation of the elections results. According to the injunction, the PPP/C is seeking orders against GECOM that no declaration must be made until and unless the Returning Officer (R.O) Clairmont Mingo, Election District Number Four in Guyana, and GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith
Attorney for GECOM, Neil Boston S.C
Lowenfield, comply with and ensure the compliance of the process set out by the provision letter and spirit of section 84 of the Act. O n T h u r s d a y, t h e applicant, Reaz Holladar, made an oral application at the High Court for judicial review. The move came after Region Four R.O. to declare the results for Region Four, against an agreement between the PPP/C and GECOM for a further verification. Yesterday, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire committed that she will try to work assiduously to address the matter even as Senior Counsel, Neil Boston and Douglas Mendes, addressed the court on preliminary issue of jurisdiction. Justice George-Wiltshire appealed to the lawyers for their cooperation even as she noted that the “nation is waiting” on the outcome of
Attorneys- at -law for the opposition, Anil Nandlall and Trinidad –based Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes
the matter. The High Court is set to sit again today from 13:30 hours for the CJ to rule on the preliminary point of whether she has jurisdiction to hear the matter. At the initial stage of the hearing, Boston raised the objection to the manner in which the application was filed. He contended that there is specific illegality, which addresses the result or
the outcome of the elections. The lawyer stressed that such issues are to be raised in an election petition and not by way of judicial review. Boston continued that an elections petition has to be filed within 28 days after the results of the elections have been declared by GECOM. Citing related-case laws, Boston argued that the process could not be challenged before
completion of the elections. “The election is still in process so if the election is in process, you can't come with an intermediate action to challenge it. “This is not a two-step stage; it's only one and that stage is only after the results have been declared. The issue of an election petition follows,” said Boston He argued too that the
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Kaieteur News
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS A. A. Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
Sunday March 08, 2020
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Mature leadership across the political divide must seek to achieve a degree of consensus in the decision-making process so that no one feels excluded
Leaders and supporters must do more
DEAR EDITOR I thank you for publishing my letter last Friday and I do appreciate the feedback I received from many citizens and friends from here and abroad, who, like all of us, only wish the best for our beloved country Guyana, as we navigate through some perilous waters to arrive at a safe harbor.
As I indicated in that letter, I hold no Brief for any political party but am interested in working, like many others, towards achieving an outcome from the current 2020 Elections challenges, that may not satisfy everyone but which at the very least, complies with the Rule of Law and the Guyana (Continued on page 6)
Our political leaders and our political parties need to do much more than what they have limited themselves and contented themselves to doing at present. The calls for calm and to stay off the streets are a start. Much more has to be done and in the tangible ways needed right now. Our political leaders should not satisfy themselves with leading from a distance, from the out of reach places of microphones and television studios. Political leaders and senior comrades need to come out and fan out and limit themselves to encouraging supporters to go home and stay home. It is the height of irresponsibility and senselessness to arrange these gatherings at this time, to marshal for whatever purpose, of which there could be none that is positive at this hour. All that is achieved is the thickest concentration of anger and seething resentments, with innocent and involved placed in harm’s way Party seniors should be physically present to lend energies to dispersing assembled angry throngs. The greatest of care should be taken to ensure that appeals for calm and reason and sense to prevail not be misused as cover to insert some quick, convenient politicking for party while at it. Those who know better must do better: stay away, stay indoors, and let the processes being pursued along different tracks be finalized. This is a time that calls for the soberest and wisest and mildest of minds and voices. Nothing is proved, nothing is solved by being out in the street and attracting dangers or inciting and distributing them. We warn that mobs do not have minds, only the sweeping madness that takes firm hold and propel to all manner of mayhem. And this brings us to that simple word named respect, the phrase respect for process, and it is not unrelated accompaniment, respect for neighbours and contemporaries. They all have to mean something beyond the shallow and empty. They must not be easy figures of speech that roll off the tongue and the pen without meaning anything. It must not be still one more platitude that is merely about just that (a platitude), and which leads to all the calamities that weigh upon us heavily, and double us over mercilessly. At present, we have dedicated energies towards mauling each mentally and psychologically on social media through a combination fact and rumour, menace and reciprocal raging. The videos and audios serve as swords and shields, be they from Berbice, Demerara, or Georgetown. A viable, progressive nation cannot be built upon such bedrocks. Look closely and this is how our days are wasted away, through those utterances that are of some of the usual deceiving (and self-serving) verbal fare that lash at each other. We say we are quarreling and clashing about process, but that is not all. There is much more at stake, as in who gets to rule whom. If we cannot commit to those ingredients that are about building together, then all we succeed in doing is destroying together. Quite candidly, the odds of building a progressive, respected, modern society have all but disappeared now. And this despite the fact that now we are a petroleum people, and just cannot be the regular crude folks of old, but people with world class discoveries and world class potentials. So, when we struggle ferociously to perpetuate the old divisive and devastating ways of racial supremacy, then we get only to the places where we are now helplessly fastened. Look at us: we are busy pouring acids and poisons on our festering sores, when we keep harbouring the grudges that have accumulated. We have just had-indeed, enduredyet another bruising, wounding elections season, that is still not fully over. It cannot be, not when the virus rages uncontrolled within the breasts and leeches at our daily waking existence, as is now evident in our streets, and which leaves us in a worst state than before. We wake and crawl out to a world that lies at our feet.
And all we are interested in doing is kicking at each other. It is said that to those to whom much has been granted, much expected. It is a restatement of the obvious to say that we have been given more than most other places. Thus, it goes without saying, also, that much more has to originate from us. Much that is of the constructive as we strive to create consensus on a single people with a single destiny; much of the inspiring and up building as leaders and citizens reexamine selves and rededicate selves to delivering on our promise, by joining together to overcome what has haunted us, to conquer what has cursed us, and to master our time and space in a more authoritative and compelling manner. We could make a serious start for the hard journeys that stretch in front of us, but only if genuine respect is inculcated
within and amplified externally before all. Respect for institutions, respect for rules and procedures, respect for authorities, and respect and regard for all of our fellow citizens that is practiced on a reciprocal basis. We do so and we give ourselves a chance. We are not doing so currently, when we bicker and blast each other over the way forward. As we do so, we condemn ourselves to the severely disruptive situations that menace. When we proceed to the streets and roadways, we are not respecting anyone, but preparing to trample upon those who happen to be in our way, as we keep seeing and hearing. No matter how well-intentioned we are, when we rush to and rail (or celebrate) in the streets, then we are signaling that whatever comes from whatever process had better be in our favor, or lese‌ And then what?
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
The future of our Republic will be determined by Justice Singh’s decision to honour and comply with the process
GECOM didn’t deny credible and transparent process- it was interrupted in completing same
DEAR EDITOR, The descent into sporadic but geographically widespread violence following last Monday’s general and regional elections is a most regrettable and dangerous development in this country. Our political leaders must elevate the national interest above that of their party. This requires empathy, understanding and courage in order to protect our country’s hard won but still developing democracy. Those participating in such violence, no matter the cause of their actions or the depth of their emotions must realise the violence begets violence. Our society and communities are too integrated for such violence not to have catastrophic consequences for themselves and the country. It is widely acknowledged that the voting process across the country, including Region 4, was efficiently executed, fair and near flawless. In all but Region 4, the accounting, recording, tabula-
tion and transmission of the results was timely and proper. It is hard to understand why the Region, which includes our capital city, the National Assembly and the headquarters of the Elections Commission could be the subject of such confusion. I have spoken individually with a number of colleagues from the legal, accounting and business communities who took an active part in the incomplete verification process. Arising from those conversations, I strongly believe that there is a clear winner in these elections. It should not be difficult to establish whether this is so or not by following the statutory process. That should be done without delay and ought not to have brought the Courts into the matter. Whoever emerges as the winner from this election will only enjoy credibility and confidence if so verified and determined according to the Constitution and other laws of the country. To the winner, the result
Consensus politics no longer possible DEAR EDITOR There was a time that I thought and hoped that the PPP and PNC could work together through CONSENSUS politics. This is no longer possible due to the blatant rigging of Guyana 2nd March 2020 General election by the PNC led APNU+AFC. CONSENSUS politics only work when we share the same Democratic values as it requires TRUST, mutual understanding and mutual re-
spect. Today, Guyanese need to stand up for their rights which are being trampled on by the PNC led APNU+AFC. What a sad disappointment the APNU+AFC have turned out to be: there are a bunch of HUSTLERS. When you give a monster milk he will want cookies. We have given this monster PNC led APNU+AFC too much goodwill. Time to oust them from power. Yours Faithfully Sean Ori
should signal the sharpness of our division and the need to act decisively to ameliorate this. To the loser, they simply cannot ignore the reality of the results or get a makeover. For Guyana to change Governments twice in ten years should be welcome as democracy in operation and confirmation that democracy is taking root in Guyana. It did in 2015 and if protected will do so again in 2025 In my view both President Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo could and should have acted more responsibly following the elections. Had they done so, the escalating problems could have been avoided. But it is not too late and they must show statesmanship, maturity and leadership to avoid further loss of life, limb and property. They both must control their supporters, not encourage and mislead them. As important in this process is the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The Constitution imposes on GECOM a power and a duty to exercise general direction and supervision over the conduct of elections, and to issue such instructions and take such action as necessary to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the Constitution. In a highly partisan and evenly divided GECOM, Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh must conduct herself with courage and wisdom not only to protect and comply with the Constitution but also the interest and future of this country. She, probably more than the major political parties, must recognise the danger of a (Continued on page 7)
DEAR EDITOR, Evidently, GECOM did not seek to deny a credible and transparent process. It was violently interrupted in its effort to complete same. Guyana is a country governed by laws which empower GECOM to conduct electoral proceedings without interference by internal and /or external forces (invited or uninvited) disrupting the smooth flow and conclusion of this process. The Laws of Guyana, Representation of the People Act (Cap 1:03), Section 84 (1) ‘Counting of votes polled’ expressly states: “As soon as practicable after the receipt of all ballot boxes and the envelopes and packets delivered to him in presence of section 83(10), the Returning Officer shall, in the presence of such persons entailed under section 86(1) to be present as attend, ascertain the total votes cast in favour of each list in the district by adding up the votes recorded in favour of the list in accordance with the Statements of Poll, and thereupon publicly declare the votes recorded for each list of candidates.” 86(1) ‘Attendance at count’ expressly states, “No person shall be present at the counting of the votes except(a) The returning officer and such other election officers as he may appoint to assist him in the counting; (b) members of the Commission; (c) duly appointed candidates; (d) counting agents; (e) such other person as, in the opinion of the returning officer, have good reason to be present.”
Claims by members of the Opposition that they want Statements of Poll (SoP) to be counted in their presence at the national tabulation process is not in keeping with the extant Act which has been in effect under the PPP government since 25th September 1964 and has had amendments over the years. They are asking the Returning Officer (RO) to do what the Act has not asked of him and are seemingly supported by an international observer group whom they have been able to convince that they have a just claim of attempts by GECOM to thwart the will of the people. What has transpired over the past days with an invasion of GECOM, acts of violence, physical attack on law enforcement, damage to property, a most heinous assault on school buses transporting young children to and from schools, and followed by erroneous statements made by sections of the international observer group is cause for serious concerns and deserving of widespread condemnation. When combined, these behaviours (responses and non-responses) overshadow the goodwill expected from the international community to not only be impartial and professional, but not to be suckered in by misinformation peddled by some disinterested in upholding the law as its stands. The result of this is a vengeful effort to sway public opinion to undermine the credibility of GECOM, sow public terror and confusion to effectively derail the process from reaching a credible con-
clusion and announcement of which party will form the next government of Guyana. It is clear an attack has been unleashed on our democratic process and our national sovereignty is being compromised by foreigners seeking to dictate our responses outside of the law even as attempts are made to confuse the electoral process for public consumption. This is a serious violation of our sovereignty supported by persons Guyana has invited here to observe and freely comment on the process at completion, not rewrite our law as part of the process. Any concern could be noted in the report as recommendation(s) to be best addressed through legal amendments of the Act for future elections. The intent to disrupt became evident after the Opposition condemned the spreadsheet tabulation of SoPs for Region 4, citing transcription irregularities. To ensure credibility GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield suggested an administrative mechanism where all can bring their statements and do the verification, and “If, at the end of the day, that doesn’t work, the CEO will be involved with his statement to have a resolution to the issue” (Demerara Waves, March 4, 2020- GECOM resolves vote padding concerns, resume verification on Region 4). The suggested (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox Mature leadership across the political divide must... From page 4 Constitution, and one which is respectful of basic human rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The scenes from across the coastal regions of Guyana, captured on video and displayed over the last seventy-two hours on television and social media, showed groups of citizens either celebrating or protesting, depending with which side of the political divide they are aligned. The sight of young men pelting bricks and bottles at ‘the other side’s’ supporters, the logs and obstacles deployed and set alight in order to block roads and other access routes, are all examples of the divisiveness in our society that seems to manifest itself after elections, and reflective of whether or not the electoral process and/or the results, are to the liking of one or other political camp. Such scenes are compelling as they are worrying, and more especially, when innocent children are in the crosshairs of acts of violence. The leadership cadres of our political parties have a responsibility to manage the expectations of their supporters and while legitimate protest is a sine qua non of our human rights, this needs to be respectful of the sanctity of human life and of public and private property. There is little doubt that the delay and challenges encountered in bringing the 2020 National & Regional Elections process to a credible conclusion, is a major contributory factor to the build up of tensions and manifes-
tations of aggressive behavior in certain constituencies. People must not be used as pawns or cannon fodder to be manipulated in street protests while some of their leaders are comfortable in their cloistered surroundings or pontificate on television. Leadership cadres must identify on the ground with their supporters, who have been led to believe in the causes for which they are expressing either their happiness or their disgust. Meanwhile, the security forces have a responsibility to manage such legitimate protests in keeping with their mandate to preserve law and order and to do so with decisiveness, yet with tolerance and restraint as circumscribed by their Standard Operational Procedures. They cannot act outside of their Constitutional role and must certainly not be distracted or swayed by any other agenda or they open themselves to national and international condemnation and litigation. In our pre-Independence history, many of our political, trade union and moral leaders were imprisoned by the colonial power for their role in mobilising, educating and motivating their supporters for causes in which they believed and for which they were engaged in peaceful protest against the colonial administration. Those protests emphasised the unity and solidarity of the Working Class against the injustices of the colonial administration and in pursuit of their basic human rights. Fifty-four years
after Independence on May 26, 1966, instead of harnessing the collective diversity, skills and talents of our population, we are now fighting each other for political power, dominance and control. Whatever the outcome of the decision of GECOM and whether the elections are deemed to be credible, it will not solve the extent of mistrust, fear and concerns that stalk the land and generate disunity in our plural society. Mature leadership reaching across the political divide must be prepared to achieve a degree of consensus in the decisionmaking process so that no one feels excluded because his or her party did not win the elections or is not represented in Parliament. That reaching-out process must commence NOW and be sustained by leadership, both
political and civil society, committed to a process that alleviates the negative feelings, concerns and fears that pervade our society. Our children need to see in us adults, those qualities that they should aspire to emulate in later life. They should draw strength and confidence from our social, economic and cultural relationships and from our political relationships in pursuit of the well-being of all Guyanese, and act in the best interests of Guyana as a Nation and as a member State of the global community. Yours faithfully Joseph G Singh Major General (retd) Former Chief of Staff (1990-2000) of the Guyana Defence Force Former Chairman (2002001) of the Guyana Elections Commission
GECOM didn’t deny credible and transparent process- it was... From page 5 corrective administrative process (i.e. counting of the SoPs) was however not allowed to be implemented due to an environment which was volatile deteriorated to the extent that GECOM could no longer continue the process of verification. It was in this environment the RO declared preliminary results consistent with Section 84(1) as per “votes recorded for each list of candidates.” The international community was present to observe but later failed to pronounce on the disruption as a threat to GECOM and the democratic process. Specific international observers and others, fully armed with Opposition ‘facts,’ chose to publicly pronounce on what GECOM’s/Guyana Government’s next move ought to be whilst remaining silent on the Opposition behaviour which sought to stymie the process through intimidation and disruptions. That the pronouncements made by these observers was used to further the Opposition agenda has not gone unnoticed by G u y a n e s e seeking clear and credible results of their voting efforts. All sections of Guyana, all groups are entitled to have this process conducted by GECOM and GECOM only without interference. Any dissatisfied party has the means of peaceful resolution using the judicial system which allows any and all parties to seek recourse to the highest Caribbean Court of Appeal.
Notably, the Government has also requested a recount of Region 3 votes which that RO admitted denying, saying that the request did not come from the counting agent, a charge denied by the Government (Guyana Chronicle, March 7, 2020 ‘RO denies Coalition’s request for recount on Region 3') Those who seek to derail this process through public opinion must know that democracy is not merely about the right to freedom of speech but the responsibility of speech; the right of all, that includes GECOM to carry out duties unhindered, and the right of all to due process in a court of law. The process must be continued consistent with the extant Act, regardless of who likes the law or not and let the chips fall where they may. We are witnessing the effect of a misinformation campaign on the nation’s political fabric. The international community must seek not to further reward such disruption but must instead encourage peaceful resolution guided by the Laws of Guyana. Regional and international law-abiding community are being called on to stand with Guyana at this point in time when our democracy is under threat and our sovereignty at risk as GECOM seeks to operate within the confine of the Representation of People Act. No more and no less is requested of you. Lincoln Lewis General Secretary Guyana Trades Union Congress
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Both the PNC and the PPP have betrayed the people DEAR EDITOR, As we said in an earlier press release, we in OVP are truth warriors and can never join with those who are spreading inaccurate information and lies. We fight for truth, justice and human dignity, not wealth and power. We are leaders not followers. The truth can be a bitter pill, but perhaps this is the moment when we the people will finally be inspired to face the tragic truth of our reality both African and Indian alike. That truth is that both the PPP/C and the PNCR have lied to us for years. They are no longer the parties of Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham. Both have promoted racial division in order to manipulate their constituencies. The truth is that the political elites from both parties socialize and engage in business to the tune of millions of dollars together, while they keep the people divided. It’s an age old trick. In fact, the so-called democratic arrangement that
we have been saddled with in Guyana was put in place by our colonial masters, who were then, and remain today, the experts when it comes to divide and rule and divide and ruin tactics. We are all deeply troubled by the events that are unfolding. However, it is clear for all those with eyes to see that both of these parties have employed dirty tricks, both have betrayed the people and the people of Guyana must reject both of them. This is the bitter pill that supporters on both sides of the divide must swallow if we are to ever achieve justice for all in this beautiful land that we are blessed with. Perhaps this is the moment when Guyanese of all races, and the large percentage of mixed race Guyanese, will finally see through this racial division that has been used against us for so long. While we fight each other, the white folk laugh as they steal and plunder our land and resources. Land and resources
The future of our Republic... From page 5 return to communal strife, the prospects of sanctions by the international community, and the squandering of the windfall from petroleum revenues. She is wise enough to know that the premature announcement of the results of the elections can lead to Guyana being isolated and ostracized by the international community even as it faces an existential threat from neighbouring Venezuela. Justice Singh must ensure that the remainder of the declaration of results leading to the swearing in of the President is strictly complied with. This is without doubt the most important judicious decision she would have ever had to make. The future of our Republic will be determined by Justice Singh’s decision to honour and comply with the process. Christopher Ram March 7, 2020
that belong to all Guyanese. Land and resources that our Indigenous, African and Indian ancestors shed blood to build and defend. We are finally hearing the ruling Coalition talking about Guyana’s sovereignty. We never heard them speak about the importance of our sovereignty during the last five years, as they allowed agencies and entities of white supremacy to call the shots in Guyana, and gave away our oil and gas. The country is at a very dangerous crossroads and we need to remember that it was the spreading of false information and rumours that sparked the genocide in Rwanda and the many riots that have resulted in the deaths of Hindus and Muslims in India. We owe it to our people - all Guyanese of all races - to act responsibly and take sense out of nonsense. None of us wants a return of a Jagdeo led PPP - we can never forget the horror of those days. This is what pushed even OVP, despite our serious ideological disagreements with the coalition, into a position of critical support for APNU+AFC. However, the recent turn of events has exposed the political and moral bankruptcy of these two leviathans in such a way that we pray that the Guyanese people will realize that we cannot go back to this arrangement - we need a new beginning. This is not an impossibility. There are many options and ideas that we can explore collectively. Let us ask ourselves why we were put in the position of
having to even face a return of a Jagdeo-led PPP in the first place. Everything is contextual. To understand the present situation, we must understand the desperation and very real fear that many stakeholders, and in particular the African population, feel about the prospect of a return to a Jagdeo-led PPP regime. It is fact, not opinion, that during their 23 years in power, the PPP turned Guyana into a narco-state, plagued with nepotism and corruption, extra-judicial killings, death squads and political assassinations. . When the Coalition came to power they promised that those who perpetrated these crimes against our humanity would be prosecuted and jailed. They failed to bring any of them to justice. Our only hope is that there are Guyanese with the integrity and courage to stand
up and say that enough is enough. Leaders who will call on the people to stop rioting, killing and dying for these political elites on both sides, who are using the people as pawns in their game to control and plunder the resources and wealth of this country. Both the PPP/C and the ruling Coalition have used State power to enrich themselves, while the majority of Guyanese of all races continue to live in miserable poverty. Are we willing to fight and die for a continuation of our own oppression and exploitation? Let us use this historical opportunity to liberate ourselves from the absurd dialectic that we find ourselves in. As a revolutionary PanAfrican organization, OVP can never promote race hate, despite the fact that folks on both sides of the divide are doing just that and calling on us to do so. It is a division that is used to obscure the real
struggle that confronts us and can only destroy us in the end. Innocent people on both sides will get hurt. We have a moral duty to protect the youth of all races from the spread of fake news and rumours that are being used to manipulate them into a situation that will bring about riots, chaos and race war. It is poor youths who will die if such a situation eventuates, and believe me when I tell you that both parties will be willing to sacrifice the poor in their insatiable lust for power and wealth. There is nothing to be gained from riots and war and much to lose. The youths of this nation had this nonsense thrust upon them - they do not deserve to become the victims of this falsehood. Gerald A. Perreira L e a d e r Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP)
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Kaieteur News
“Every vote must count”- says CARICOM Chair to political parties - urges completion of electoral process “Every vote must be made to count; and transparently so,” said Chairman of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM], Ms. Mia Mottley. Speaking in this very capacity, Mottley issued a call for the electoral officials in Guyana and the representative political parties to work together to achieve a peaceful and lawful completion of the electoral process. The electoral process, she said, must be adhered to by ensuring the tabulation of the results in all Regions using the Statement of Polls in a transparent manner in the presence of the representatives of the political parties and the electoral observers. Elections here in Guyana were held on Monday March 2, 2020 and six days later the nation, amidst some frustra-
tions that have evolved into instances of violence in some sections of the country, still awaits an official declaration of the results. CARICOM, on Thursday night, issued a statement. Another was issued Friday from the Chief of the independent Caricom Electoral observation team. Both statements, Mottley said, called on GECOM to complete the electoral process. Commenting on the postelections state of affairs prevailing in this South American nation, Mottley said, “We have noted that all sides have been making serious allegations against each other” but added that “it is critical that good sense prevails.”The preservation of law and order, the CARICOM Chairman added, is paramount and all parties must
work hard to ensure that there is peace on the roads and in the communities across Guyana. “There has already been one death reported overnight. That is one death too many,” the official quipped.Moreover, she added, “In simple language, we ask the parties to recognise that the primary consideration must not only be who will be President but, more so, who will be alive come next week or next month, for there cannot be a tolerance for any further loss of life.”Already Mottley, the Barbadian Head of State, said that she has had discussions with both the President and the Leader of the Opposition in order to inform them that CARICOM stands ready to be able to be there to facili-
tate further dialogue and any actions that are necessary. “We have done this on many occasions in the past, including in Guyana, when elections have been highly contentious and when social order and the rule of law has been threatened across the region. We are family and this is what happens when there are disputes in families.” As such Mottley, assured, “We will work together to create the space for dialogue and resolution once there is an acceptance on the part of all parties that there is a higher interest beyond simply the result in this election”.
CARICOM Chairman, Mia Mottley
Catholic Church urges completion of verification process
Opposition parties request for recount rejected A request to have a total recount done for the Region Four general and regional elections results has been rejected by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This comes after days of commotion over the procedure used to tabulate those results, and a declaration by returning officer, Clairmont Mingo, which was later rendered not credible by several international observers. Speaking with Kaieteur News yesterday, leader and presidential candidate of the Liberty & Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman, said that the rejection was because of a technicality. It was supposed to have been served by a chief counting agent. But it was served by Shuman, who is not
Liberty & Justice Party (LJP)’s leader and presidential candidate, Lenox Shuman
one. Six political parties had, following the declaration by Mingo, held a joint press conference where they denounced it as not credible.
They have called for a verification of the results. Unfortunately for them, the statutory period for a recount to be requested has passed..
“People are dying; people are being wounded, children are being traumatized, property is being destroyed, the nation is gripped in fear. This is much too high a cost for a national election and for a nation at any time. “There are no words strong enough to express the gravity of the situation and the urgency for it to end.” This was the observations yesterday of the Catholic Church in Guyana on the developing post-election situation in Guyana. More than five days have passed since voting on Monday with no announcement of a party in the lead by the Guyana Elections Commission. There have been pockets of violence on Friday across the coastlands and injured and a teen dead from gunshot wounds allegedly at the hands of police. Several local and international organisations have lent their voices to the situation calling for credible tabulation of the elections process. “To all accounts the way
Catholic Bishop Francis Alleyne
forward for the restoration of peace and hope rests with a small group of persons who have been tasked with managing the whole election process. According to Bishop Francis Alleyne, he is adding his voice to the many others in making strong appeal to the Guyana Elections Commission to expeditiously complete the verification process towards the transparent, formal and lawful
declaration of results. “Meanwhile, let us keep our heads above the fray and not let the words of our national pledge fall empty “… to be loyal to m y c o u n t r y, t o b e obedient to the laws of Guyana, to love my fellow citizens and to d e d i c a t e my energies towards the happiness and prosperity of Guyana.” “This is something that we can all do.”
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Passengers attacked, businesses looted on the West Coast Berbice
Pics showing the perpetrators in the Homeline Furnishing store.
D
uring a massive protest action staged by supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic in Regions Five and Six on Friday, many persons and businesses were targeted by persons donning political pieces of cloth tied to their faces and armed with cutlasses and improvised weapons. Kaieteur News has since confirmed that at least three businesses were looted at Rosignol Village, West Berbice during the period of protests that went on into the evening. One of the proprietors who asked not to be named, stated that when her store was broken into, she was watching the incident live from her surveillance system but could not do anything but contact the police and wait for them to respond. Surveillance footage seen by this publication showed men with yellow and green pieces of cloth tied around their mouths entering the Homeline Furnishing Rosignol Branch by smashing through the glass. They trampled and jumped on gas stove tops and ransacked the entire store before grabbing a quantity of cellular phones, flat screen televi-
sions, cell phone accessories and music boxes. According to one of the owners, “They vandalized the entire store and broke up a lot of stuff. The entire cell phone department they stole and broke up. They walked on top all the stoves and break dem up. I was on the live feed watching the break in and could not do anything. We had to wait on the police”. The traumatized owner said that it was “horrible” to watch all their hard work being snatched within minutes by the perpetrators. This publication understands that the police arrived shortly after the incident took place since the “road was heavily blocked, and fires were being lit no one could have got into the area”. Millions of dollars have been reported in losses. In addition, reports have indicated that shortly after the perpetrators looted the Homeline Furnishing Store they pounced on another (Lenny’s) located in the said village. The extent of the damage is unclear because an inventory has not yet been conducted. Yesterday morning a DIGICEL store was also bro-
ken into, vandalized and robbed just around 10:00 am. An eyewitness posted on his Facebook page his call for help while the robbery was in progress. “I need help with law enforcement urgently. We called but no sign of the police. Moments ago, in Rosignol West Coast Berbice some men just jump our front gate and broke into DIGICEL right in front our house,” the post read from an eyewitness. Efforts to contact the Commander to ascertain if the police are investigating the incidents were unsuccessful. Attack on passing vehicles Meanwhile, in addition to the reports of looting, several persons made reports publicly and posted videos of incidents in No.5 Village, West Coast Berbice. A family who was traveling back to Berbice with other passengers in the car was reportedly attacked by angry persons who were also brandishing pieces of yellow and green flags and armed with guns, scissors and cutlasses. One of the victims, Melissa Singh, who was attacked, said that her husband was driving and she was in the back seat of their car with her son and daughter who are
Dem boys seh...
Claudette ain’t talking bout nutten Is one thing when you do and is anodda thing when you don’t. Is now dem boys realize that people like get you to push you mouth in things that don’t concern you. This whole question of de elections got people asking for all kind of things when it comes to the Guyana Elections Commission. Every officer got he own duty and nobody can tek over he duty. Dem even get de law to spell out wha people must do. Lo and behold dem boys want Judge Claudette to open she mouth because odda people got problems wid some of de things in de elections. One man run out and declare some results. De next thing dem boys know is that people start to call pun de chairman like when a li’l boy running to he mudda because a marabunta bite him. Claudette ain’t seh nutten. Then Lolo Field continue to wuk like if nutten ain’t happen. People recounting de ballot in some boxes fuh one party and de
man trying to declare final results. People start to bawl fuh Claudette but de lady ain’t even answering. De man go ahead and declare de results and start all kind of problems. Yet Claudette ain’t seh nutten. That is when somebody seh that she so transparent that she disappear. But de lady seh that she ain’t got business wid none of dem things. She is like de chairman of de Board of Directors. De company got a general manager who doing de wuk wid he staff. He mekking all de decisions. De Board Chairman is just to mek sure de manager don’t spread he wings too far. So Claudette ain’t saying nutten. De odda night people hear she sick and when dem tun up expecting that she gun dead de lady just get up and walk out. But fuh peace sake dem boys hope that she seh something , if only to tell dem that she ain’t got de power to do anything.
below the ages of 10. With them were two other passengers when their vehicle was stopped by dozens of men and women with weapons in their hands and others stuck in their waist. According to the victim, “They were pulling on the door handle to open the door and showing us their guns on their waist and scissors so that we can open the car door. After we didn’t open the door, a lady that had a cutlass in her hand lash in the back window of we car and the glass and shattered pieces pitch in my mouth and the passenger’s hair, eye and
clothes. “My hands have some scratches too. My children got some scratches on their arms too from the pieces of glass. After she smash the window and they see the children they tell we carry on”, the still traumatised woman recounted. Singh added that if it were not for her children being in the car “they would have robbed us and chop we. The kids save everyone”. The woman explained that the attackers were careful to conceal their identities by tying their faces with white vests.
There were no police in sight at that location, the mother of two said. In addition, Kaieteur News understands that many other persons reported that there were similar incidents that took place in No. 5 Village with no police presence to handle the situation. There were, however, heavy police presence at protest locations in West Coast Berbice. Meanwhile, the students who were injured after the bus was attacked by raging protestors were discharged from the public hospital Friday after seeking medical attention.
Verification of results required by process. Section 85 notes that the law – Datadin election agent for each group Attorney-at-law and People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) candidate, Sanjeev Datadin, said yesterday, that the verification of the tabulation of votes as requested by the political parties, observers and the international community, is required by law. This is after his fellow Attorney-at-Law, Roysdale Forde, said contrary in a previous report by this newspaper. Datadin said that the utterance by Forde, who is a candidate of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), is pure fantasy. Datadin pointed to sections 84-86 of the Representation of the People Act. Those provisions, he said, are where the requirement is rooted. Section 84 states “… Returning Officer shall, in the presence of such of the persons entitled … to be present as attend, ascertain the total votes cast in favour of each list in the district by adding up the votes recorded in favour of each list in the district by adding up the votes recorded in favour of the list in accordance with the Statements of poll, and thereupon publicly declare the votes recorded for each list of candidates.” Datadin stressed that the word ‘ascertain’ which is synonymous with ‘confirm’, registers the need for verification
Attorney-at-Law and PPP/C candidate, Sanjeev Datadin of the results. Furthermore, he pointed that the remaining two sections set out the list of persons who are to witness the verification
of candidates may appoint a candidate to attend the counting of the votes in a district. Then, Section 86 states a list of persons eligible to be present at the count: the returning officer and the election officers he appoints, members of the Commission, duly appointed candidates, counting agents, and other persons who the returning officer determines has good reason to be present. The returning officer is expected to furnish the counting agents with the necessary facilities to oversee the proceedings. “The only way he could do the tabulation is in the presence of people,” Datadin said.
Scare Them brothers, accomplice plead guilty Two Samaroo brothers who are known as “Scare Them” and are well known to the authorities, and an accomplice have pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery under arms. The men Ravindra Samaroo, 29;Parmanand Samaroo, 25; of Lot 16 Ogleton Dam, Angoy’s Avenue and Leon Bhagwandin, 19, also of Angoys Avenue, New Amsterdam. They appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. They are accused of on August 14, 2019 about 04:25 hrs while armed with guns, broke into the dwelling house of Debbie Madramootoo of Lot 2 Angoy’s Avenue. In the process they robbed the woman and John and Amesha Samaroo, called “Tarzan”, of one Blu Cell Phone, one Samsung Phone and an Amazon Tablet. The men pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 18 months.
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Assistant Police Commissioner Thomas ‘busted’ from Divisional Commander to Patrol Officer From Divisional Commander to patrol officer. That’s the fate of Assistant Police Commissioner, Edgar Thomas. A day after he refused an order to put a Guyana Elections Commissioner (GECOM) out of the GECOM Centre, Thomas was officially notified that he was being transferred to Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. Kaieteur News understands that late Friday, Thomas received his transfer letter from the Administrative Department of the Force. Sources said that the brief letter stated that Thomas had been transferred “with immediate effect” from his post as Commander of Division Four A, to Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. The letter reportedly informed Thomas that his new position was ‘Patrol Officer.’ Kaieteur News was unable to ascertain what the portfolio of
-a day after refusing order to put Elections Commissioner, others out of GECOM Centre Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas
‘Patrol Officer’ entails. However, individuals in the Force suggested that this is a demotion. An official from the Force’s Administrative Department declined to comment on the situation.
On Friday, Thomas was reportedly told he was being transferred because he had refused an order to remove GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, and others from the High Street media centre on Thursday night.
NBTS ‘Ambassador’, Rabindra Chan, makes 100th blood donation
F
or Rabindra Chan donating blood is “an act of love” for humanity. And Chan loves humanity regardless of the superficial markers imposed to identify and separate one from the other. His commitment for almost 50 years to the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) was sparked by a memorable, life-saving donation he made for someone. “Ever since I had an encounter with (that) one recipient, I vowed to commit to blood donation without care of ethnicity, gender or identity,” Chan shared It was a woman’s life Chan helped save, and she is still alive today to tell the tale of his noble gesture. Towards the end of February, the 65-year-old Chan made his 100th donation to the NBTS. As he recalled, “I began to donate blood through Dr. Clement McEwan who was then Director of the NBTS. Dr Mc Ewan encouraged me to become a voluntary blood donor and shared that it’s a healthy practice.” The NBTS this month celebrated the sterling contributions of Chan over the decades to its all-year-round blood donation drive. Chan can point to revolutionary changes undergone by the NBTS over the years. He lauded the work of current Director, Dr Pedro Lewis, who praised the donor’s contributions for his success. “The National Blood Transfusion Services is grateful to have blood donors like
Mr. Chan to help share and save lives. Persons who become voluntary blood donors from a young age are likely to continue as a lifestyle practice,” Dr. Lewis explained. According to the NBTS Director, Chan serves as an “ambassador” for voluntary blood donation in Guyana. He said Chan helps conduct sensitisation sessions in the education sector and other local organisations to keep the donation drive alive. The record blood donor is one of several committed individuals eagerly spreading knowledge on blood donation and always encouraging others to follow suit. Reports out of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that blood and its components help save millions of lives annually and are vital for both planned treatments and emergency interventions. Blood and blood components prove particularly essential in the management of women suffering from pregnancy-related bleeding and childbirth. The essential fluid also helps children suffering from severe anaemia due to malaria and patients with blood disorders. It is vital to help save victims of trauma and other medical emergencies and patients who must undergo medical and life-saving surgical procedures. The NBTS Director lauded the support of the PAHO/ WHO Guyana office headed by Dr William Adu-Krow and
his dedicated staff who provide significant technical and other key support needed by the NBTS. PAHO/WHO braces the NBTS, too, in areas of policy development and sponsors capacity-building programmes for staff members. Dr Adu-Krow has consistently pledged the twin health agencies support to help achieve the NBTS and by extension, the government’s annual goals for the local sector. With all-round support from PAHO/WHO, the NBTS secured some 13,000 units of blood for 2019, surpassing the national target of 10,000 units. “The technical support that we receive from these organisations has made massive contributions to the vast number of new and continuous voluntary blood donors like Mr. Chan, who we would often take time to single out for appreciation and recognition for their selfless contributions to the local healthcare system,” Dr Lewis said. He added that over the years, the work of the NBTS has been bolstered by increased productivity of blood components; heightened sensitisation and awareness programmes as well as technical support and capacity building initiatives. These have resulted in an improved quality of service to NBTS customers, better phlebotomy techniques and excellent laboratory standards and practices, Dr Lewis said.
Kaieteur News understands that Thomas has said his decision to not remove Gunraj and others was “a judgment call.” The junior rank who said he had been ordered to clear the building had reportedly not approached Thomas. PPP-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj told Kaieteur News that he was with other GECOM staffers around 19:00 hrs on Thursday, when Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers, indicated that she wanted everyone to vacate the building. Gunraj said that he was speaking to Commander Thomas at the time. According to Gunraj, he told Myers that he and Com-
mander Thomas were discussing how to secure the room in which crucial documents related to the General and Regional Elections were stored. He said that shortly after, four Tactical Services Unit (TSU) ranks approached. One rank said that they had received orders for everyone to “clear the building.” Commander Thomas reportedly told the rank, who is a Deputy Superintendent, that he was speaking with Gunraj regarding securing the building. He alleged that the ranks left, but returned some ten minutes later. The same Deputy Superintendent again said, without
going to Commander Thomas, that he had received orders to “clear the building.” Thomas reportedly informed the Deputy Superintendent that the rank was being disrespectful. The junior rank was reportedly told that he had failed to report to Thomas, who was in charge of the area. Gunraj and others left the premises shortly after. Assistant Police Commissioner Thomas is an Information Technology specialist. He was appointed Divisional Commander of Division Four A in November 2019. This area extends to Agricola, East Bank Demerara and to Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.
Former elections chief calls for consensus healing talks now between political parties
F
ormer chairman of the Guyana Elec tions Commission (GECOM), Major General (Ret’d), Joseph Singh, is calling for consensus to help heal Guyana. “Mature leadership reaching across the political divide must be prepared to achieve a degree of consensus in the decision-making process so that no one feels excluded because his or her party did not win the elections or is not represented in Parliament. That reaching-out process must commence now and be sustained by leadership, both political and civil society, committed to a process that alleviates the negative feelings, concerns and fears that pervade our society,” the official said in a letter to the editor yesterday of Kaieteur News. “Our children need to see in us adults, those qualities that they should aspire to emulate in later life. They should draw strength and confidence from our social, economic and cultural relationships and from our political relationships in pursuit of the well-being of all Guyanese, and act in the best interests of Guyana as a Nation and as a member State of the global community,” Singh said. His comments have been made as Guyana continues to wait for an announcement of the party that is leading Monday’s voting for the general and regional elections. The matter has ended up in the courts now with a critical ruling on jurisdiction today. The elections have been
Former GECOM chairman, Brigadier (Ret’d) Joseph Singh
characterized by protests with one teen dead and school children injured. Singh, a former army chief, made it clear that he holds no brief for any political party but is interested in working, like many others, towards achieving an outcome from the current 2020
elections challenges, that may not satisfy everyone but “which at the very least, complies with the Rule of Law and the Guyana Constitution, and one which is respectful of basic human rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” According to the (Continued on page 53 )
Adelphi man gets three years on break charge Hardat Dyal, 26, a cane harvester of Adelphi Village, East Canje, Berbice appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh in the Reliance Magistrate’s Court on a charge of break and enter and larceny. He is accused of on Sunday April 23, last, at Adelphi Village, East Canje, Berbice he broke and entered the premises of Dhanlachmie Dhani, 62, and stole a quantity of groceries worth $200,000. The prosecution’s case is that the woman is a shop
keeper. She secured her premises and went out. Upon her return she noticed the place broken into and the items missing. A report was made and Dyal along with two others was arrest and charged. He was found guilty and jailed for three years. Two other men, Nigel Persaud, 23, of Adelphi pleaded guilty earlier and were sentenced to six months in jail while David Karran of the same village opted to pay compensation.
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GECOM releases unverified results…
Has there been a breakdown in democracy? Here’s what the people think. By Mikaila Prince Grounds became fertile for chaos on Thursday and the days that followed when the Returning Officer (RO) for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Clairmont Mingo, announced results which lacked credibility and verification. International observer groups, foreign diplomats and Heads of Missions, were quick to highlight that the results were not verified using the process of the Statement of Polls (SOP). These results that were declared revealed that the APNU + AFC coalition won by an enormous margin and had triumphed in the March 2 General and Regional Elections. In the aim of transparency, foreign ambassadors, the observer missions, CARICOM Member States, contesting political parties, local and foreign stakeholders, were quick to call for the verification of the tabulation. Further, these bodies made an appeal for the Leader of the Coalition and incumbent President, Mr. David Granger not be sworn in until that has concluded. On Friday, Guyana and the international community witnessed what the lack of transparency can do to a society,
after protests broke out in West and East Berbice, and West Demerara. These violent and unnecessary events claimed the life of one young man. Police officers, women and children were harmed during the procedure. Considering the overwhelming events of the past week, Kaieteur News felt the need to reach out to the people in the streets to ask a critical question; Has there been a breakdown in Guyana’s democracy? Below are their remarks. Note: To ensure the safety of the interviewees, Kaieteur News withheld the names of the interviewees. Bruce F.: “What we have here is a case of there being blatant attempts at undermining what should otherwise be a free and fair democratic process. For nine of the 10 regions you followed one process before making your declarations. However for the final region, you stop the count before even reaching 50% of the SOPs and take it upon yourself to declare a winner. Thousands of people, Guyanese people, have therefore been robbed of their democratic right to choose a party of their liking to lead their nation. You do this and declare one party the winner. Persons
are requesting a recount and you are suddenly unable to be found, unreachable, and unavailable to the public to which you are accountable. So, now we have thousands being robbed of their democratic right and their representatives being robbed of their legal right to challenge results that were announced without verification. Should these unverified results (results that all local and international observers have deemed questionable and not credible) be accepted as the results for the 2020 General and Regional Elections, then what we have is not only a breakdown of democracy, but a spit in the face of all Guyanese. It is at this point that we can no longer call ourselves a democratic nation, as the powers that be, have lost sight of what it means to be not only democratic, but lawful! If you’re so certain that you have won, why do you so earnestly fight against having the votes counted? If these occurrences do not cement into the minds of every Guyanese just how little they are respected, then I do not know what will.” Robindra R.: “First, let me say that I am not a member nor have an allegiance to any political party. I consider my-
Any Govt. sworn in with flawed tabulation would be illegitimate The US State Department has come forward with a damning statement for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), following the declaration of unverified results of the region four general and regional elections. Acting Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, tweeted yesterday that “vote tabulation irregularities marred Guyana’s March 2 elections”. “Irrespective of today’s legal proceedings,” Kozak said, referring to the injunction proceedings in the High Court, “any Government sworn in on the basis of that result would not be legitimate.” This follows a report by APNU+AFC frontbencher Joseph Harmon that steps were already in motion to have David Granger sworn in, on the basis of the unverified,
-US State Department
Acting Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak Region Four results. The US State Department’s comment adds to an already crowded field of condemnation by local and international observers, and several of Guyana’s diplomatic partners, of the decla-
ration by Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo,. In another tweet, Kozak stated “The people of Guyana deserve a credible election and transfer of power that reflects their will.”
self a thinking voter and focus on policies and plans for a better Guyana. What I have seen over the last few days is indeed a breakdown and death of our fragile democracy. As a matter of fact, this has been the trend over the last two years with the unilateral appointment of a GECOM Chair, failure to honor the No-Confidence Motion, court rulings, and trampling of our constitution, all being the modus operandi for a fraudulent election. If the Government is so confident that they won the election free and fair why not allowed due process to follow and verify the Statement of Polls (SOP)? The entire fiasco at the Returning Office at the Region Four office can only be concluded as circumstantial evidence of a rigged election. These things I see unfolding are those I heard from my grandparents and parents
and never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have experienced them, and would have to tell my kids and grandkids as well. I stand for my country and democracy.” Rehana A.: “It is disappointing that the youths of Guyana had to witness, on live television, as the APNUAFC re-enacted the stories we heard from our parents and grandparents who support the PPP/C. Today, a fight for democracy has become a fight against humanity - a fight between the afro and indo communities.It is a pity that a large percentage of the Guyanese populace is unable to examine the situation intellectually and fairly. Party politics and the greed for power will set us up for doom. I fear we end up like our neighbours in Venezuela.” Ken S.:”I am very uncomfortable moving forward, provided there were many hiccups coming down to the
last bit, where the declaration of the Region Four results are concerned. It seemed as though everything was going smoothly up to that point. GECOM clearly didn’t handle this election properly at all. It’s very obvious that they need to put their foot down on this and verify the numbers correctly. I feel that if we continue with what we have now we are in fact straying away from a democracy and leading into a dictatorship era for Guyana. You can be a party loyalist, but the law comes first.” Today, Chief Justice Roxanne George will rule on whether she can properly hear and determine the case brought before her to block the declaration of the votes from Monday’s polls until the Returning Officer of Region Four, Mr. Clairmont Mingo complies with the legal provisions for the verification of Statements of Poll from his district.
CJ to rule today on jurisdiction... From page 3 method provides that the Chief Elections Officer will have to produce certain elections documents in accordance with the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act. In short, Boston held that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain such an application. Senior Counsel Mendes countered Boston's arguments noting the points raised by Boston are not relevant to the reliefs sought by the PPP/C. “The arguments do not apply since the process of the elections has not yet been completed. The final declaration has not been made by GECOM.” According to Mendes, the Opposition party is only seeking transparency and fairness in the electoral procedure irrespective of which Party is declared the winner. The lawyer told the court that the vote verification process for Region Four was stopped and delayed on several occasions. According to
Mendes only 421 of the 879 ballots were completed when the R.O took a decision to declare Region Four results. He said that the PPP/C agents objected to the declaration. He pointed, too, that there is a deviation from the verifying procedure using figures from a spreadsheet, instead, and in place of Statements of Polls (SoP). He said that process disclosed major discrepancies when compared to the SoP in possession of the various political parties as well as international and local elections observers. The Trinidad-based lawyer cited Section 86 (1) of the Representation of the People Act and the procedures which it sets out. Mendes also cited the case of Joseph Hamilton v Guyana Elections Commission & Others--- a matter which was heard by Justice Desiree Bernard at the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ.
Mendes held that the case is geared towards a proper election and that the court has a responsibility to guard against fraud. As such, he noted that reliefs being sought by the PPP include a decree that the Returning Officer declaration was in breach of the Representation of the People Act, and is unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, null, void and of no effect. Outside the courtroom, PPP executive and attorney at law Anil Nandlall expressed similar views. In response to questions posed Nandlall retorted ,“Why should the law allow or the judiciary allow an entire government to be stolen and then grant redress? That's the counter to that argument. “Is the law so asinine that it will stand idly by and allow a clear illegality to take place and allow a completely illegal government to be installed and then step in to remove that government?”
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Sunday March 08, 2020
A versatile and phenomenal woman…
Nurse Penelope Layne-Lewis By Sharmain Grainger
T
here are many facets of the health sector that are crucial to keeping a nation healthy, and Penelope Layne-Lewis has proven herself versatile enough to play not one but multiple roles within this realm. But just who is Mrs. Layne-Lewis, you may ask? Well, to describe her p r e c i s e l y, s h e i s a phenomenal woman with a heart of gold, whose passion for whatever she does is unmatched, having been forged by years of never giving up and forever enduring in the quest to improve the delivery of health care. Her qualities are not only d e m o n s t r a t e d professionally, but they transcend her personal life as well, making her a giant of a woman by any standard. In addition to being a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a friend, she is a nurse, a counsellor, an educator, and by virtue of her being the Registrar of the Cancer Registry, she plays a key role in helping this country understand its cancer situation, with the aim of channeling measures that can effectively help to combat this scourge. To many, she is just Nurse Layne, but she certainly wears her many hats like a crown, and never once does she let it slip, for she knows not just a few, but rather, many are depending on her to remain a woman made of resilient substance, who must take the lead in
is a 'Special Person' helping to change the world for the better. It should therefore come as no surprise that we here at Kaieteur News have decided to name her our 'Special Person' of the week, on a day dedicated to celebrate women across the globe.
law. Her foundation in education was at the Ursuline Convent, now St Agnes Primary, and from there she moved on to complete her secondary studies at the North Georgetown Secondary
“
I want to see this profession regain the respectability it has lost. I want nurses to understand that they have to respect themselves first before anyone can respect them. I want nurses to understand that they have to love and genuinely care for people. I am working very hard to raise the standard of nursing in Guyana.
Designated by the United Nations, March 8, annually, is International Women's Day, and this year it is being celebrated under the theme: I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women's Rights, a notion that Nurse Layne easily subscribes to. FORMATIVE YEARS Born Sunday, October 27, 1957, Nurse Layne is daughter to now retired Judge, Mr. James Patterson, and Mrs Jean Harding, a retired media professional. She is the eldest and only girl among four siblings and remembers quite vividly g r o w i n g u p i n Campbellville, Georgetown, where she also met and married her husband, Leroy Lewis, mothered and raised her two wonderful sons – Ryan, a pharmacy technician and Richard, an attorney-at-
”
School. “We were the very first intake of students at N o r t h Georgetown…actually we celebrated 50 years last August,” said Nurse Layne, of the batch of students she was a part of during her secondary school days. Reflecting on her young days, Nurse Layne said reading and listening to good music were among her favourite pastimes, and she was happy to divulge that, “I still find a lot of pleasure in reading when time permits, but music remains my alltime favourite. Of course, as I grew older, dancing joined the list. My husband and I do quite a bit of that whenever time permits,” she intimated. FOCUS ON HEALTHCARE When asked why she ventured into health care, Nurse Layne thoughtfully recalled that it wasn't her first choice, but noted that it nevertheless turned out to be her destined forte. “You know, when God has a plan for your life, it happens at the right time. My first choice of a career was to teach domestic science, so I applied to the Carnegie School of Home Economics. I'm not too sure why I did that then…I am still awaiting a reply to that application,” she mused, adding “after being miserable and upsetting the entire household and definitely not wanting to be a secretary or
typist clerk, the suggestion came for me to perhaps apply to be a nurse.” “I speak about this all the time whenever anyone asks me about it. I was never one of the little girls who always wanted to become a nurse, it was never in my thought, but you know what, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I simply love my job,” said the career nurse. Her nursing profession was kicked into motion at the Georgetown Public Hospital back in October of 1976 as a Nursing Assistant. As Nurse
Nurse Penelope Layne-Lewis is a 'Special Person’ Layne recalls, “it was not an easy road, but with lots of encouragement from my family, especially my m o t h e r, w h o a l w a y s encouraged all of my endeavours, I was able to climb the ladder to success.” On September 17, 1984,
as part of batch 94, she joined the Professional Nursing programme, and Nurse Layne has many fond memories of that phase of her life. Among them was the 100 percent passes she and her batch mates claimed at (continued on page 50) Flanked by her loving sons
In the company of some of her students
Aliya Wong
Sunday March 08, 2020
Meet the stunning Aliya Wong. This 18-year-old damsel is one of the semi-finalists for the Miss World Guyana 2020 Pageant. Her photograph was taken from the Missosology Guyana webpage.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Sunday March 08, 2020
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TELL ME LIES, TELL ME SWEET LITTLE LIES!
I
have a girlfriend. She supports one of the country's two main political parties. She is not a member or an activist; she simply votes for that party and supports its policies. I wish she could love me, the way she loves that party. I wish she could show me the same blind loyalty which she shows to her party. I wish she would overlook some of the mistakes I make, the way she excuses the actions of her party. I wish she would forgive me for cheating, the way she defends her party for their dishonesty. Sometimes, I would tell her small, 'white' lies – like I am late because I had a punctured tyre, when the truth is that I was having a drink with the 'boys'. I never get away with such tales. She would give me a mouthful, lock me out of the bedroom, deprive me of food, and refuse to speak to me for days. But when the political party which she supports
send her bouquets of big lies, she accepts them with a smile and passionately defends these lies. In fact, she eggs them to continue to send her their lies. I end up getting the worst of it, because when I refuse to accept these lies, I am also given a sound mouthwhipping, am thrown out of the bedroom, and told to make my own tea. She is no different from the majority of the supporters of the country's two main political parties. They know when they are being fed lies. They are not stupid. They know when they are begin fed lies, regardless of whether these lies are big or small. But they want to hear the lies, because it is not the truth which they are seeking, but the things they want to hear. This country would be such a beautiful place if everyone could love and be loyal to their partners the way the supporters are loyal to the country's two main political parties. They would
all treat their partners with love and concern, and be willing to forgive more easily. The majority of the supporters of both of the main political parties do not want to learn the truth about who won the elections. They are not only interested in their party winning, and so they will readily accept the lies which are fed to them about the polls, and they defend those lies better than the liar. The majority of the supporters of the country's two main political parties only want to hear that their party has won. And so they accept whatever they are told. This is how it is, sad as it may seem. The majority of supporters of each of the political parties are only interested in one side of any argument – their side. They are not going to be convinced of any argument to the contrary, regardless of its merits. It does not matter to them
whether their party has won fairly. Winning by any means necessary is the name of the game. And yet many of them would like us to believe that it is wrong to cheat in order to win. When it comes to elections, the majority of supporters of each political party would condone cheating and find glory in winning by dishonest means. My primary school teacher once told me that you
will always be a loser if you have to cheat to win. There is no victory in winning dishonestly. Right now I have come home. The bedroom door is locked. My girlfriend is in there listening to the lies on social media which are being peddled to her by her political party and their devout supporters. I still love her though. Nothing can change that. I did not arrive home late.
It is just that the lies which her party is telling her are more important tonight than me. I have to sleep on the couch. Wish me luck! Hope I am served breakfast tomorrow! (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Sunday March 08, 2020
Masquerade by Venezuelan Academics to avoid rule of law By Sir Ronald Sanders
M
y less than 1,000 words commentary, on the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) between Guyana and Venezuela, provoked a response of 2,069 words from two academics of Universidad Central de Venezuela. The response merits reply, if only because the authors, Kenneth Ramírez and Mirna Yonis, have attempted to masquerade their political position as an objective academic analysis.
In their lengthy response, the two authors devoted 688 words to the internal politics of Guyana and its general elections. This is a complete irrelevance to Venezuela's claim to two-thirds of Guyana, and to the question of whether the ICJ has jurisdiction to arbitrate the contention between the two countries. Their demeaning narrative of Guyana's domestic politics highlights their intent to delegitimize the country. Suffice to say that Guyana's internal political discourse has been conducted within the
framework of law. Further, it has been firmly established, by scholarship and demonstrated positions, that the political parties and the people of Guyana are united in their resistance to territorial claims by any group in Venezuela. The bias of the authors was revealed in two further statements in their response. The first was their assertion that Nicolás Maduro, the de facto Venezuela President, has a “well earned, bad reputation”. This placed them in the camp of the opposition parties in
Venezuela which have been even more strident than the C h a v e z / M a d u r o governments, in aggressively laying claim to Guyanese territory. The second was their pronouncement that there are a few Caribbean diplomats at the Organization of American States (OAS) that support Maduro “in the name of the principle of nonintervention”. They are right that non-intervention in the internal affairs of states is a settled principle in the OAS, reflected in its binding Charter, and in the United Nations, and that Caribbean diplomats uphold the rule of law. The authors would evidently prefer Caribbean diplomats to discard principle and law in favour of the agenda of opposition forces in Venezuela. That will not happen; not because of any bias to one or other political group in Venezuela, but because Caribbean
countries have consistently adumbrated the position that Venezuela's internal political impasse must be settled by Venezuelans, and, further, that the rules and norms of international institutions should not be twisted to the advantage of one side or the other, nor for the benefit of any external interests. As for the actual case before the ICJ, remarkably the authors boldly state that UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in referring the contention to the ICJ, “misunderstand and exceeded his authority” given under a 1966 agreement signed in Geneva by the parties. They impugn the integrity of the Secretary-General and the considerable capacity of the U N l e g a l m a c h i n e r y, suggesting that, despite every other determination made on international matters, this one is wrong, simply because it does not
Sir Ronald Sanders accord with their preferences. The UN Charter recognizes that “legal disputes should as a general rule be referred by the parties to the ICJ in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Court”. The Statute of the Court, which is an integral part of the UN Charter, clearly states that: “The jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases which the parties refer to it and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force”. The authors claim that, by going to the ICJ, Guyana broke the spirit of the 1966 agreement to negotiate bilaterally. But they conveniently ignore the (continued on page 46)
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Kaieteur News
---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---
Our Racial Hypocrisy: Those post-election protests Today’s column comes from a place of despair about my country. There is a sense of helplessness that one feels as one looks at Guyana unravelling right before your eyes. To say that I am surprised would be the height of dishonesty. One knows it was there, always waiting to unfold. Yet, the rational, hypocritical side of our Guyaneseness surrenders to the aspiration rather than the reality. But once again a general election exposes that cruel reality—Guyana is a highly racially volatile place. We are further away from the racial harmony we often boast about than we like to admit. The race-hate should not surprise us, but we would, as we are accustomed to do, pretend to be surprised. Guyana voted on Mon-
day, March 2. I am writing this column on Saturday morning—the morning after protests erupted in several PPPcontrolled communities. The rare sight of Indian-Guyanese protesting and in the process being aggressive towards the mainly African-Guyanese police would have stunned the consciousness of observers who are accustomed to seeing African-Guyanese in that role. Georgetown was quiet. This city has in the past been the epicentre of such violent protests, but on Friday the drama unfolded in the rural areas. I have over the last year tried to call attention to the over-simplistic analysis of Guyana’s politics that flows from our pens and mouths. I challenged those of us who comment on our politics to go
beneath the surface of our race-politics to try to discover a more complex dynamic. On Tuesday March 3, I appeared on a Globespan24 web-TV program and had cause to draw my co-panelists’ attention to flawed narrative that anticipated postelection violence from the African-Guyanese-dominated Georgetown. I objected to that mindset, and observed that post-election violence could come from any of our ethnic communities. Now, three days later, my observation proved correct. African-Guyanese are “peacefully celebrating “ as Indian-Guyanese are “violently protesting.” A few hours ago, I had to defend the Indian-Guyanese right to protest, including blocking roads, against the anger of two of
The Baccoo Speaks The tension will see further violence. So far there has been no clash between villages, but some protesters are ensuring that their turf is hostile to anyone from outside. So far some sections of the society are exercising restraint, but there will be isolated incidents of attack on each other. The police are going to be hard pressed to maintain order, forcing the authorities to turn to the army.
** The slowdown in business will have a serious impact on the economy. Suddenly there will be an
increase in unemployment. This will change, but not before two weeks have elapsed. ** In these times nothing can be worse than losing one’s home. A fire will destroy a home, forcing the occupants to seek alternative accommodation. The police would be called to escort these people to a shelter provided by the state.
my close friends who sought to convince me that those protests were evil and should be countered by fierce police action. My reminder that African-Guyanese protested in the same way when they sensed their side was losing, fell on deaf ears. Why should IndianGuyanese block the roads and prevent them from going about their normal business, they screamed at me. You see, I have always defended the right of citizens to protest – it is a form of resistance that I think is vital to human survival. Without resistance, a society dies. It is up to the protestors in the public space to strike the balance between fierce protest and violence against others. Therefore, unlike most AfricanGuyanese, I do not have any anger against the IndianGuyanese protests. What do we expect them to do? They feel that the elections were stolen from them. It is not a question of whether
they are correct or not. In politics we often construct our own truths. African-Guyanese who denounce the protests are hypocritical. I am very sure that had the elections results gone the other way, African-Guyanese would have been on the streets burning tyres and blocking traffic. And my two good friends would have been encouraging them to keep up the fight. Indian-Guyanese are also hypocritical. Those very protestors at Lusignan, Better Hope, Bath, and other areas, were only yesterday calling African-Guyanese hooligans for what they themselves are now doing. And some media houses which are now holding up these protests as “defending democracy” were back then projecting AfricanGuyanese protests as unnecessary violence. The coming period would be an interesting one. If it is not managed properly, it would tear Guyana apart. No
Dr David Hinds side would allow the other to govern Guyana. We always knew this, but we persist with the winner-loser paradigm. In the end, nobody wins an election in Guyana. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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Kaieteur News
The kidnapping and killing of Roy Bell By Michael Jordan n Saturday, April 12, 2003, 16-yearold School of the Nations student Roy Bell and a brother entered a car outside the family’s Lot 178 Sunflower Circle, South Ruimveldt home. They then headed to a city school, where they picked up Roy’s girlfriend. Afterwards, the brother dropped off Roy and his friend at a fast food outlet on Vlissengen Road. At around 13:30 hrs, Roy Bell and the female friend caught a Route 40 bus and headed to the East Bank Demerara bus park, where the girl joined another bus. Roy reportedly told his girlfriend that he was heading home. He never turned up. Later that day, the phone rang in the Bells’ South Ruimveldt home. When a family member picked up the phone, the unknown caller stated that he had kidnapped Roy Bell, and demanded $10M for his release.
O
The ‘kidnapper’ gave the family 48 hours to deliver the ransom. The family also received detailed instructions as to how the cash was to be delivered. It is believed that Roy Bell had identified himself to his kidnappers as Roy Joseph, since the kidnappers had reportedly asked to speak with the boy’s mother, whose maiden name was Joseph. Roy’s uncle, the then Region Eight Chairman Senor Bell, said that the lad’s father, who ran a mining concession, came out of the interior shortly after learning of his son’s abduction. Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman notified the thenHome Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj and a senior member of the Opposition of his nephew’s abduction. Approached by the press, Bell’s relatives declined comment, saying that they feared that newspaper reports of the abduction would further endanger the teen. By Monday, April 14, the Bells had accumulated the ransom money. That night, a
Roy Bell family friend, who was chosen to deliver the money, left home in a white Toyota Corolla. Persons purporting to be the kidnappers kept in telephone contact with the family friend. The kidnappers instructed the man to first drive around the city. The friend claimed that someone drove behind him constantly. He was then ordered to leave his car, with keys in the ignition,
in Craig Street, Campbellville. On Tuesday, April 15, Senor Bell came to the Kaieteur News Saffon Street office and spoke with me. Just as the interview ended, I got a call that a body had been found on the northern parapet of the Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara public road. There was nothing unusual about that call. It was the period of the ‘crime wave’, as we still call it, when seldom a day went by without an execution or a mass killing. I went to the scene and saw a slightly-built figure in short pants on the parapet. The face and upper body were covered with a suitcase. I took the photograph and went home. It was not until the following day that I learnt that the victim was Roy Bell. I was shaken by that revelation. I had never dreamed that the kidnappers would kill a schoolboy, and in such a cruel fashion. They had gagged him with a piece of cloth, believed to have been torn from his jersey. There were bruises on his body that suggested that he had been beaten. His shoulder blades had been broken. His neck also appeared to have been broken. An autopsy would later
show that he died from suffocation. Detectives recovered the white Toyota Corolla that was used to drop off the ransom in Prashad Nagar. The vehicle was checked for fingerprints and other clues. They found nothing to indicate who the kidnappers were. In hindsight, Senor Bell felt that an effort should have been made to trap the kidnappers when the ransom was being dropped off. No attempt was reportedly made to trail the kidnappers, because the family had feared that this would have further endangered the abducted teen. Mr. Bell suggested that his nephew was killed because he could have identified his kidnappers. “They felt that they had to kill him because they had kidnapped him in the day and he saw their faces.” He ruled out any suggestion that his nephew had been slain by someone with a grievance against the family.
He described the Bells as lawabiding individuals. “We don’t do or carry drugs; my nephew didn’t drink or smoke or do drugs. We handed over the ransom in good faith. Those people have no heart.” At the time, Mr. Bell repeatedly vowed that the deed would not go unpunished. God…how time flies. That was almost 17 years ago, and we still don’t have a clue who killed 16-year-old Roy Bell, and why they did that pitiless deed, in that period of unprecedented cruelty. If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 2258458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or 225-8473. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address: kamarangnight@gmail.com
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Kaieteur News
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
An appeal to the protestors; do not beat innocent people I
will never forget that day. My wife cooked boulanger choka and
roti. I was eating that dish and looking at Ronald Waddell on channel 9. The occasion was the post-election violence of 1997. He literally advocated violence to be perpetrated on East Indians who voted for the PPP. He said Indians who voted for the PNC would be protected. I was one of those Indians that did not vote for the PNC. I never did, and never did vote for the PPP either. Last Monday I voted for an Amerindian presidential candidate, Lenox Shuman. Violent crowds in an ethnically bifurcated society tend to hurt innocent people. The politicians who incite such mayhem never get touched. I do not like the Indian Prime Minister Modi. I never liked him and detested him for his deliberate action when as First Minister of Gujarat, he allowed days of riots to continue where Muslims were massacred before he sent in troops. For this dastardly act, the US suspended his visa. Innocent people died in Gujarat. Today Modi is Prime Minister of India. From the clips I have seen
where Indians were protesting the electoral irregularities that denied the PPP a victory, I saw unpleasant things. Innocent people were being attacked. The police killed a protestor. I saw clips of a nurse crying. Protestors up the West Coast attacked her and damaged her car. I appeal to Indian protestors – please do not hurt innocent Guyanese who just want to live and get on with their lives and simply exercised their right to vote. I advise Indian protestors to recognize the fact that they do not know who that nurse voted for. Africans voted for the PPP. More than 3000 of them voted for the PPP in Linden. More than 300 voted for the PPP in Buxton. This columnist has Black friends who voted for the PPP. If you read this, I will keep appealing to you – do not behave the way the mobs did in 1997 and 2001 in the aftermath of election violence and physically brutalized innocent Indians on the streets of Georgetown. You have a right to protest over what GECOM did. I was on the panel of Kaieteur Radio on Friday afternoon, and Timothy Jonas lamented the fact that all the condemnations of what GECOM did was just paperwork. I dis-
agreed with him, and told him people will protest and they should protest. I did make the point that in France, as we spoke, people may be protesting President Macron’s pension reforms. People will not sit down and remain passive if they feel a national election cheated their leaders from holding office. My deeply held belief that at this moment permeates my head, heart, mind, soul and body, is that the PPP won the 2020 elections. It is my inflexible opinion that GECOM corrupted the tabulations of the returns for Region 4. I do believe it will be disastrous to swear in President Granger. His party did not win the election. Having said all of that, I can understand the anger in people. I believe they have a right to protest. I am in my late sixties and throughout my life I have been in protests that were so many that I believe they run into the thousands. But demonstrators cannot and should not hurt innocent people. The current street activities should not take the shape of ethnic attacks. I have seen things in those street activities in video clips on Friday that are crude and ugly. I appeal for the third
time to the Indian people who are in the streets in the rural areas – please do not attack members that are not from your ethnicity. It is wrong, it is sick, it is irrational. I feel strongly inclined to come among you and give you my support. I may very well do that as we see how the days unfold. But I urge you to demonstrate peacefully. Guyana is on the brink of something we do not want to
see. Here is my appeal again, and again, and again – leave innocent people alone. I know how my kid felt when I came home twice after nearly losing my life in political protest. I know how the child of that nurse felt when her mother came home with a damaged car. I stress again, you have every right to confront GECOM on what it did, but do it peacefully. I beseech you. I beg you. Please don’t
Frederick Kissoon do crazy things. (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
Why International Women’s Day Is Celebrated on March 8 By Selena Barrientos and Hannah Jeon (Republished from www.goodhousekeeping.com) Celebrated on March 8 gressing in specific areas. It’s every year, International also an important tool for Women’s Day is a day dedi- policymakers striving tocated to honoring the wards gender equality. Of course, the global celachievements of women throughout history and all ebration of International across the globe, and is typi- Women’s Day is a time for recally a day for women from all different backgrounds and cultures to band together to fight for gender parity and women’s rights This year, International Women’s Day will be celebrated with the special 2020 theme, #EachforEqual. But before you start celebrating all the influential female figures in your own life, take a look back at the fascinating history behind this special day — including why International Women’s Day is celebrated, when the holiday was first established, and how exactly you can join in on the celebration this year. What is International Women’s Day? International Women’s Day (IWD) is dedicated to flection of how far women celebrating women’s achieve- have come, advocacy for ments in the social, economic, what is still needed, and accultural, and political tion to continue breaking spheres. The day, collectively down barriers. With over a founded by women, also century of history, IWD is a brings attention to gender growing movement centered around unity and strength. parity and women’s rights. Why is International Gender parity is a statistiWomen’s Day c cal measure that compares elebrated on March 8? women and men through their International Women’s income, education, and work hours, among other points. Day has a rich history dating This sociological metric helps back 108 years — the first researchers understand how glimpse of it was in 1909 when society is progressing or re- the Socialist Party of America
celebrated 15,000 women who protested long work hours, low pay, and the lack of voting rights in New York City. Originally called National Woman’s Day, the monumental annual celebration spread across the world (officially celebrated in 1911), but it was Russia who unknowingly set
the way for Russian women to be granted voting rights soon after. What is the theme for International Women’s Day 2020? In 1975, the United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day, and, in 1996, began to adopt
iors, and mindsets can all have an impact on larger society. How can I participate in International Women’s Day? There are many ways you can participate in the celebration for International Women’s Day, including join-
the March 8 trend. Although International Women’s Day became an official holiday in Russia in 1913, women still experienced difficulties caused by WWI. While men were off at war, women dealt with food shortages and a government who wouldn’t listen to them. On March 8, 1917 (February 23 in the former Russian calendar), tens of thousands of Russian women took to the streets demanding change. The unified cry for help paved
an annual theme for every year. The first theme was “Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future.” This year’s theme #EachforEqual is meant to be a shared goal throughout 2020. “We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations, and celebrate women’s achievements,” states the organization’s site. “Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world. Let’s all be #EachforEqual.” The IWD 2020 campaign theme draws on the notion of “collective individualism,” which refers to the idea that every individual is a part of a whole, and that an individual’s actions, behav-
ing in on the numerous events that will be held worldwide. These special events will span from global gatherings and informative conferences to powerful art exhibitions and festivals, and will be held by women’s networks, charities, political parties, corporations, and other communities. You can easily search for an IWD event happening near you before the big day. Even if you can’t attend an IWD event, though, you can still join millions of participants by wearing purple on March 8. Signifying justice and dignity, the color purple has become an international symbol for women since the origination of purple, green, and white as a
symbol of women’s equality from the Women’s Social and Political Union in the UK in 1908. To celebrate this year’s specific theme for International Women’s Day, you can also strike the #EachforEqual pose — and if you want to help spread the word about this important celebration, don’t forget to share your pledges and messages on social media using the hashtag #IWD2020. How is International Women’s Day celebrated around the world? International Women’s Day is an official holiday in at least 20 countries, including: Afghanistan, Cuba, Laos, Russia, and Vietnam. In many of these countries, tradition holds that men honor their mothers, wives, girlfriends, and colleagues with flowers and small presents. In other nations, the day is much like the holiday of Mother’s Day, in which children give gifts to their mothers and grandmothers. In other countries, however, like Nepal and China, IWD is a holiday only for women. As for the United States, International Women’s Day isn’t recognized as an official holiday, although it’s been proposed. This doesn’t stop the flurry of lively celebrations from taking place across the U.S., though, as numerous political rallies, business conferences, and government and corporate events happen all across the country to honor the special day and bring together women of all different backgrounds and cultures. (The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Kaieteur News
My column
Another round of seasonal madness Madness; sheer madness. Every time there are elections people become riled because they set store on the results favouring their political party. There have never been protests since the 1997 elections, when some untoward things happened. This time there is a focus on the declaration. Back then, there was no declaration until weeks after the president was sworn in. I do not recall the comments of the international observers, but those elections were certified until a ruling by the court. At the centre of the court challenge was the use of identification cards. The law did not stipulate the use of identification cards, so the decision to reject voters who did not possess them was deemed illegal. Back then, as is happening today, there were street protests. Properties were damaged, just as is happening today and people died. The same thing is happening today.I suppose one can understand, since people carry their political support buried in their psyche. This support bubbles or erupts to the surface when it is time for elections.For past elections there was a media code of conduct. This time the media were not required to sign such a code, although the political parties were and did. But this time was vastly different from back then. The preponderance of cell phones and the rapidity with which people are able to post video images of what is occurring. There is no restraint or consideration for what damage such postings can cause. In fact, Guyana simply cannot control the social media. People have gravitated to that source for their news and information. The 2020 elections were touted as the Mother of all Elections, if only because of the oil that is coming up offshore. The election campaign was hectic. Of course there was the rhetoric, but at least in the public eye, the politicians refrained from inciting anything. After the polls, the Guyana Elections Commission set about releasing the results. Right up to Wednesday there was no confusion, until the two major parties began to celebrate victory. There was some concern until the international community began to urge restraint. The call was to let GECOM have the final say. This call was heeded, although the celebrations, though muted, continued. But GECOM did not have the final say. Results released earlier placed the People’s Progressive Party ahead in the vote count.It came down to
the Region Four vote count. This region has the largest volume of voters and traditionally, it favoured the incumbent, which was known by many names up until 2015. GECOM released what purported to be the figures for Region Four and all hell broke loose. The various parties contended that their statements of poll did not support those figures. The international community joined in the clamour. First, there was a call for a verification of the count. There were queries about the manner in which the final count was done. Claims that the final figure was a figment of the imagination began to surface and to spread. Of interest was the role of the observers. They actually became active participants in the elections, going beyond the scope of observing. But one may argue that this is all well and good, since their actions actually cleared the way for claims of transparency. And the observers are expected to pronounce on the conduct and transparency of the elections. There has to be a recount of the Region Four votes in full view of all concerned. Again, what GECOM declares should be the be all and end all of the process. But I fear that this will not end the discontent of one group or the other. It is here one will be able to test the control the political leaders have over their supporters. There were ugly incidents in various parts of the country. Police ranks were attacked, as was a bus transporting schoolchildren. This
is most unusual. It brings back days when political violence all but wrecked the country and people died. I am afraid that while one group is on the rampage the other group is seething. Something must be done to lower the tension. Parents declined to send their children to school for fear of violence befalling them. And even a national holiday’s celebrations are muted if not cancelled altogether. This happened once before when the Christmas holidays were a far cry from what they were supposed to be. Again this was in 1997. And the businessmen complained bitterly. To his credit, President David Granger refused to be rushed into a swearing in ceremony, a far cry from what happened in 1997 when a court marshal was assaulted and the nation learnt of the swearing in, even as the GECOM commissioners were working on the declaration of the polls. But then again, these are different times. For the past few months the eyes of the world have been on Guyana. People who never heard of this country now know it as never before. It is such that the world expected a declaration of the elections results almost immediately. The fastest results have ever been declared in this country was five days. That was in 2015. This time people expected the results in two days. They chaffed at the delay in the declaration. They became critical of GECOM, without recognizing the laws that
govern the elections. It is therefore time for Guyana to look at electoral reform. For starters, the composition of the elections commission needs to be changed. It is a partisan commission with both sides of the commission favouring a political interest. The declaration of the polls also needs to be changed. With the extensive electronic coverage that the country enjoys, results on statements of poll can be photographed and dispatched to the centre and to the respective political par-
ties almost instantaneously. To a large extent this happened and allowed the political parties to determine their standing. And above all, the registration process must really be continuous. This time around the final voters’ list was not sanitized, so it was a bloated as a beached whale. These are things that could make any election as credible as can be, and the elections commission truly independent. As of now, the nation is using what has become known as the Carter formula. This formula is out-
Adam Harris dated. It has outlived its usefulness. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Sunday March 08, 2020
Kaieteur News
The President glimpses at social life
D
avid Granger ’s four-book collec tion recounts important elements of Guyana’s cultural heritage, specifically the history of its coinage, its capital city, periodicals and Independence struggles. The collection contributes to the ongoing preservation of the nation’s collective memory in no small measure. Guyana’s Coinage: A Brief Survey of Coinage, 1808-2008 is an unrivalled publication. The book is a rare chronicle of Guyanese coinage dating back to the era of Dutch occupation in the early 19th century. Coins are not simply instruments of economic exchange; they tell, also, a much larger story about the peculiar political and economic circumstances in given historical periods. The book is of value to understanding the country’s political economy especially during the 19th century and the first six decades of the 20th century. David Granger approached the task of writing this book with the keen eye
(A review of David Granger’s – Guyana’s Coinage: A Brief Survey of Coinage, 1808-2008; Guyana’s Independence 1966; Guyana’s Periodicals: A Brief Survey of the Periodical Press 1796-2008; and, The City of Georgetown, Guyana’s cosmopolitan capital.) of a student of history and the mind of a numismatist. The book’s mainly descriptive format, however, deprives the reader of a richer understanding of the country’s commercial exchanges, particularly in the pre-Independence period. Inflation has since rendered coins obsolete. The President’s book will ensure, however, that their role in the country’s economic evolution is not forgotten. *** Guyana’s Independence, 1966 is an enlightening excursion into a complex and confusing period of this country’s political history. Granger, now the country’s President, has demonstrated academic integrity in writing this book by providing a most balanced treatment of the country’s path to political Independence. It is a commendable achievement by a man who has refused to be either partisan or revisionist in treating with Guyana’s Independence
struggle. ……………. Granger explains the meaning of Independence and its legal instrument. He details the main protagonists in the country’s Independence struggle, offering a fair treatment to all sides of the political divide. The book provides an account, replete with illustrations, of the last night of colonization, including the historic moment when the newlyIndependent state of Guyana hoisted its national flag. Symbols of statehood – including the country’s national emblems and songs – are included in the book. The book is written with the young reader in mind. It is hoped that the country’s fractured politics one day, will allow for this excellent and richly-illustrated book to become required reading in the country’s primary schools. Teaching school children about the country’s history is a challenging task for educators. The country’s political
divisions inevitably boil over towards misrepresentations and bias in presenting aspects of its history. Independence, for example, has always presented a dilemma. Many texts and articles on this subject tend to reflect the biases and emphases of the dominant narratives – the roles ascribed to either Cheddi Jagan, the country’s first Premier or Forbes Burnham, the country’s first Prime Minister. David Granger, better than most persons, would appreciate that history is not simply an escape from the past but a compass towards the future. Guyana’s path towards a common future will depend on its people embodying a shared understanding and acceptance of the country’s diverse cultural heritage. *** Guyana’s Periodicals: A Brief Survey of the Periodical Press, 1798-2006, is a delightful publication that lifts the lid off of the rich history of the press that started with the publication of the Courant en Essequibo en Demerary in 1793. Guyana once enjoyed a rich trove of periodicals which, invariably, have had short shelf lives. Their emergence and development have been plagued by setbacks. Political authorities have contributed, in no small measure, to the absence of longevity of most local periodicals,
through censorship and other forms of suppression. The chief cause of the demise of the country’s periodicals, however, has been the lack of financial support so vital in a country in which there is a limited market for the circulation of journals, magazines and newspapers. David Granger preserves an important aspect of the country’s written heritage with this well-researched publication which takes the reader on a fast, fascinating journey into the past. It examines the rise and, apparently inevitable, decline of Guyana’s periodicals. The book is a most precious resource about the country’s literary history, one that is likely to endure much longer than the publications which it takes as its subjects. *** The City of Georgetown: Guyana’s cosmopolitan capital, is timely reminder of the City’s demography, geography, origins, development, and architectural heritage. The names of the City’s wards recall its emergence from a simple, solitary signal station – a brandwacht – on the bank of the eastern estuary of the Demerara River to its expansion to incorporate parts of cluster of sugar plantations and, eventually, to the capital’s cosmopolitan character. The book is a most concise history of Guyana’s capi-
tal city. It offers a simple and readable guide to the essential elements of city’s development. It may help to stem, hopefully, the tendency to neglect the capital’s rich architectural heritage. That heritage has to be passed on from generation to generation. It can survive only if it is transmitted to present and future generations. The architectural heritage of Georgetown, the country’s capital city, was once renowned for its profusion of architectural styles – ranging from the Gothic to the semiTudor, Romanesque to Italian Renaissance” – most edifices of styles were erected exclusively with local timbers. Many of its once magnificent buildings have deteriorated to the point of having to be demolished. Others have been replaced by more modern concrete and glass structures. It was once observed by Mahatma Gandhi that “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and souls of its peoples.” A nation’s culture, however, must be refreshed, continuously, lest important aspects fade into oblivion due to misunderstanding and misuse. This four-book collection, on aspects of the country’s social life, will keep the flame of this hope alight. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Facts you need to know about fainting By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Today we will discuss fainting, as it is a common occurrence that can sometimes be serious.The correct medical term for fainting is “Syncope,” but we will refer to fainting today in the article, as it is the more commonly known name of the two.After fainting, a person quickly recovers and is often okay again. Fainting is very common. About 1 out of every 3 people experiences it at some point in life. In many cases, fainting is nothing to worry about. WHAT CAUSES FAINTING? Fainting happens when the brain temporarily doesn’t get enough blood. One of the most common reasons this happens is called “vasovagal syncope.” If you have vasovagal syncope, your body has a reaction in which your heart beats too slowly or your blood vessels expand (or both). This can happen for lots of different kinds of reasons. People can have vasovagal syncope if they: •Have stress from fear or pain (for example, because they are injured or have blood taken for tests) •Stand for too long or are over-tired or overheated •Have an unusual reaction to urinating, coughing, or other body functionsSometimes vasovagal syncope happens with no clear cause. People can also have fainting that is not vasovagal. This can happen due to the following problems: •The heart beats too quickly or too slowly because of problems with the heart’s electrical system or because of side effects from some medicines. •Something blocks the flow of blood in the heart. This can happen in people who have conditions called “aortic stenosis” (a valve disease) or “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy” (a heart muscle disease). •Your blood pressure
drops when you stand or sit up. That can happen if you: •Are having a heart attack •Do not drink enough water •Take certain medicines that cause your blood pressure to drop •Drink alcohol •Lose a lot of blood (for example, if you get hurt) •Have a medical condition that affects your blood pressure IS FAINTING DANGEROUS? In many cases it is not dangerous. But it can be dangerous if you fall and hurt yourself when you faint. It can also be dangerous if you faint while driving. To be safe, check with your doctor before you start driving again after you faint. Anyone who faints should see a doctor. Most cases of syncope are not serious. But people can get hurt when they faint. Plus, in some cases syncope is caused by a serious medical condition that should be treated. Knowing what caused you to faint can help you prevent it from happening again. WILL I NEED TESTS? Yes. Your doctor will do a test called an electrocardiogram (also called an “ECG” or “EKG”). For this test, the doctor will put sticky pads on your chest, belly, arms, and legs. Long, thin wires connect the pads to a machine. The device records the electrical activity in your heart. This can show if the pattern of your heartbeats is abnormal.You might get other tests, too; it depends on your doctor’s findings when he/ she talks to you and examines you.
CAN FAINTING BE PREVENTED? You might be able to reduce your chances of fainting again if you: •Learn what causes your fainting: •If an activity or condition causes your fainting, you can try to avoid it. •If a medicine causes your fainting, your doctor can help you find an alternative. •If a heart condition is causing your syncope, your doctor can suggest a treatment. •Lay down with your feet up when you feel like you might faint.
HOW IS FAINTING TREATED? That depends on what is causing your fainting. In many cases, the main treatment is to avoid the situations that cause fainting. In less common cases, other treatment might be needed. For example, you might need a pacemaker if your heart beats too slowly and this causes fainting. A pacemaker is a device that is put under your skin. Thin wires attach them to your heart. They help the heart beat at a normal speed or in a regular pattern. WHAT IF MY CHILD FAINTS?
If your child faints, you should take him or her to see a doctor. Most cases of fainting in children are not serious. Often they are caused by vasovagal syncope. Fainting can also happen in children if: •They hold their breath for too long •Their blood pressure drops when they stand or sit up •They swallow medicines, drugs, or alcohol •They have carbon monoxide poisoning In less common cases, fainting in children can be caused by a life-threatening condition, such as a serious
Dr. Zulfikar Bux heart condition, overheating, or a severe allergic reaction (called anaphylaxis). If you or someone you know faints, go and get checked out. While fainting is not often dangerous, the times when it is dangerous, can be lifethreatening.
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SUNDAY TROTMAN IGNORED EXPERTS’ADVICE OF 1015% ROYALTY – WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORT A Wall Street Journal report on Guyana’s oil industry has revealed that Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, refused to heed the advice of experts who advocated for 1015 percent royalty for Guyana from the Stabroek licence granted to ExxonMobil in 2016. The business-oriented US newspaper noted that Trotman was tasked with negotiating the fiscal terms of the 2016 agreement, and had gotten advice from two experts on what royalty Guyana should demand. The journal wrote that Trotman had written to a consultant on June 23, 2016 who government hired to advise on oil and gas issues, telling the individual that ExxonMobil asked for an extension of some drilling leases. This was even after the contract was set to expire two years later, and was not legally entitled to a renewal. Seeing it as an opportunity for Trotman to advocate for a steep betterment of the fiscal terms, the consultant wrote to Trotman on June 27, suggesting that Government should get no less than what it could have gotten if it allowed the contract to expire and opened the field to bidding, the Journal stated. WSJ said that the consultant proposed a royalty of 10 percent as appropriate for the right to produce Guyana’s crude. This is not the only advice on royalty that Trotman ignored. The newspaper wrote that another advisor hired by Trotman had counseled Guyana to ask for a 15 percent royalty, according to two people familiar with the matter. It said that the advisor also suggested Trotman work with a team of 10 or 20 experts on the negotiation. “The Ministry had only one.” The Journal went on to state “Unknown to either advisor, Mr. Trotman signed a new deal with Exxon four days later on June 27, 2016, the same day the consultant sent back his suggestions.” GUYANAMORE THAN CAPABLE OF PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES ON OIL DEALS BEFORE SIGNING – UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON INSTRUCTOR When the ExxonMobil
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Kaieteur News
Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block was revised in 2016, industry experts were adamant that certain fiscal terms, such as the meager two percent royalty and the payment of the Operator’s taxes out of the nation’s share of profit oil, were not in Guyana’s best interest. In addition, industry stakeholders contended that the lack of transparency about who was negotiating on the nation’s behalf contributed to the nation being saddled with a deal that sees ExxonMobil walking away with the lion’s share of Guyana’s resources. To ensure that these mistakes are not repeated, University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro, said he would recommend public debates are conducted before signing agreements. During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur Radio on its show, Guyana’s Oil and You, Mitro firmly asserted, “Have a discussion within Parliament (on these deals). There are several countries where this happens and I am sure Guyana is more than capable of doing this. “I look at these agreements as being no different from a tax law or customs law, and I don’t believe that any country would enact laws without making them public and having them publically debated.” The University of Houston Instructor said that, indeed, there could be challenges in bringing these agreements before the table for a national discussion. He said that it is a critical exercise while noting his belief that Exxon, and other companies would want to have confidence that the public understands the issues and supports what is being agreed to. Further to the point of parliamentary debates, Mitro noted the importance of Guyana having the right experts to provide guidance on oil deals. In this regard, the industry expert said, “Oil companies spend a lot of money on getting the international expertise and any that is in the country tends to go to the company too. It is just a natural thing that happens. The government therefore really needs to ensure it has the expertise for these discussions so that they too can be informed about what should and should not enter the deal.” FORESTRY COMMISSION DEFENDS 164,000 ACRES APPROVAL The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has defended its approval for a
large tract of forest lands in Upper Berbice area. There is absolutely nothing sinister about the transaction which would have followed the necessary checks and balances, says outgoing chair of the Board of Directors, Jocelyn Dow. In recent days, there were media reports that the Commission has allocated the lands to Lloyd Singh, principal of International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA), who is also said to be a close supporter of the Coalition Government. However, Dow on Saturday said that nothing is formalised as yet, as a new board will have to inform the new concessionaire officially. In fact, there were no approvals for a concession for any “Lloyd Singh”. The transaction had raised the ire of the Opposition who noted the nearness of general elections, scheduled to be held tomorrow. It was reported that forest associations in Region Ten were also upset at not having an opportunity. Dow explained that the Forest Act 2009 stipulated that prior to the issuance and or award of a State Forest Exploration Permit (SFEP), the Commission is mandated to advertise these areas and so inform the general public and invite interested persons to apply. The SFEP in question was one of several concessions revoked from BaiShanLin, a locally registered company owned by Chinese, for various infractions under the Forests Act 2009. BaiShanLin had secured this concession and a number of others, and had been
harvesting logs and shipping them out by the containers without building a processing plant in Linden as it had committed to. It ended up owing the government millions of dollars for taxes despite billions granted in tax breaks and duty free concessions. The Coalition Government had moved in amid growing concerns over BaiShanLin. According to Dow, since the revocation, this and other similar areas have been held in abeyance by the Commission until a comprehensive plan was prepared and recommended by the then Commissioner of Forests, James Singh. MONDAY EXXONMOBIL EXPECTS TO MORE THAN DOUBLE ITS INVESTMENT RETURNS FROM STABROEK DEAL – WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORT ExxonMobil’s prospects in Guyana are so favourable that the company expects at least a 30 percent return on its investments in Guyana’s Stabroek Block. That amounts to double the 15 percent return the petroleum industry determines to be the lowest necessary to justify investment. That is according to a recent report on Guyana’s oil sector by US business newspaper, the Wall Street Journal. “The deal comes at a good time for Exxon, which has been struggling to maintain its leading status among global oil companies in recent years,” the Journal stated. Just recently, Exxon’s partner in the block, Hess,
announced that the investment cost for the contractors for the Liza-1 project has been revised downward by a total of US$900M. Hess had also said that the breakeven price for Guyana’s oil is among the lowest in the world at US$30 per barrel, and that it is set to fall even further. These are some of the many disclosures by Exxon and its partners about how much their Guyana operations will benefit them. But even as ExxonMobil and its partners continue to sing the praises of the returns the deal would give them, and the favourability of the Guyana basin, Guyana struggles with heated discourse about whether the deal is fair to the people. The headline on the WSJ publication describes the Guyana situation in a similar manner as many international publications have. It states “World’s Biggest New Oil Find Turns Guyana Upside Down”. While the unfairness of the deal to Guyana has been hotly discussed, ExxonMobil refused to comment when the newspaper brought to its attention information from a Cabinet commissioned report by British law firm, Clyde and Co, which states that it pressured the government into signing the deal as soon as possible. EXXONMOBIL TO RECOVER MILLIONS IN DECOMMISSIONING COSTS 20 YEARS IN ADVANCE -MODIFYALL PRODUCTION SHARING AGREEMENTS QUICKLY – INDUSTRY EXPERT When oil projects are
nearing the end of their lifecycle, an exercise called decommissioning is activated. This allows for the safe removal of all pipes and other infrastructure that were put in place for the extraction of the resource. Since this exercise runs into millions of dollars, oil producing countries establish a fund so that the operator can make deposits to handle those expenses when the time comes. This is standard industry practice. But Guyana’s Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) with ExxonMobil and other operators do not require any advanced funding for this expensive exercise. What it does allow however, is for the company to begin recovering costs for the decommissioning more than 20 years before it is required to fund the said exercise During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur Radio on its programme, Guyana’s Oil and You, University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro said this arrangement Guyana has in place is quite unusual. The industry expert said, “Decommissioning is an exercise that costs millions of dollars. It is a large amount of money the companies are required to spend in a time when the oil is no longer pumping and therefore, no money is being generated. And there is a risk in that period.” Mitro said that often times, when oil fields are in their last days, big companies are known for selling out the projects to smaller companies which do not have a strong financial backing as they do. And it happens all over the (Continued on page 29)
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From page 28 world he said. Mitro noted that in many instances, the smaller company files for bankruptcy and the country is left with the bill. The industry expert said, “As a result of this, most agreements and regulations in the world ensure there is an advanced funding mechanism in place because they don’t want to rely on companies that will look to take short cuts or file for bankruptcy.” He added, “But in Guyana, you do not require any pre-funding for decommissioning. You allow the companies to take oil to recover future costs, so they take the oil in advance, 20 or 30 years in advance without having to put out the cash. This is pretty unique. I have not seen this anywhere else.”
Global Witness
GLOBAL WITNESS EXPOSES… CONGO OIL PROJECT THREATENS SWAMPLANDS CRITICAL TO GLOBALCLIMATE STABILITY A project awarded to a private company to drill for oil in the Ngoki Block of the Republic of Congo threatens some swamplands that are of grave environmental importance to the stability of the world’s climate. This is just one of a series of revelations from the most recent report done by Global Witness, an international anticorruption watchdog which seeks to expose exploitation in extractive industries around the world. The report titled ‘What Lies Beneath’ demonstrates how the destruction of wetlands in the much sought after Congolese oil block could result in the release of billions of tonnes of carbon into the environment. The sequestration or storage of carbon in vegetation is vital to maintaining temperatures that are habitable for humanity. That’s why there is a global rush to fight deforestation. For the Republic of Congo, the Cuvette Centrale is a region of global importance. Years ago, scientists discovered the existence of the world’s largest tropical peatlands (a type of wetlands) in the area, according to Global Witness. The peatlands are estimated to be storing 30 billion tonnes of carbon, “equivalent to three years’ worth of global fossil fuel emissions”. This is why Global Witness describes the Cuvette area as one of the biggest carbon time bombs on the planet. Global Witness said that the full exploitation of the
region would mean much of the peatlands will be drained to build roads and infrastructure. If it were to be destroyed, that would mean a worrying increase in the pace of global warming. “The Congo Basin peatlands are crucial to the global effort to combat climate change… It is critical in terms of biodiversity and the global climate, forming part of the world’s second largest tropical rainforest.” Global Witness stated. TUESDAY GECOM CHAIR SAYS… IT WAS A GRAND DAY! … MINOR HICCUPS RESOLVED THROUGHOUTTHE DAY Polls for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections were off to a smooth start as reported by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) with Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh (ret’d) looking forward to having an “incident free” day. She voted early in the morning, then made several visits to polling places to ensure operations were running smoothly. She had days ago announced that GECOM was ready to produce free, fair and
credible elections. And so were the people. They started to wake up hours before the polls opened, much to the dismay of late sleepers, beckoning to their neighbours, family and friends, in some areas, to get out and vote. In some parts, persons banged pots, pans, while others blew horns. Some even spoke of persons walking the streets calling out to sleepers, “Wake up and vote!” News coverage touched parts of the East and West Coast Demerara, East Berbice, the Essequibo Coast and Georgetown, Bartica and Linden. If the turnout and enthusiasm in these areas were a fair portrayal of the entire country, then it meant Monday’s election lived up to its reputation as the ‘mother of all elections’. Kaieteur News reporters said that some polling places drew crowds even before the polls opened; eager to get it done. Several observer missions set out to provide coverage for all ten administrative regions. Kaieteur News met with representatives of the Carter Centre, the European Union (EU), the Commonwealth Group, and the Organisation of American States (OAS), who all relayed that they were
pleased with how the process was going. GECOM, at its first press conference held at 10:00 hours at the media centre on Hadfield and High Streets, reported that so far, there were no major issues experienced countrywide. Several minor issues were highlighted but these were quickly sorted out and did not adversely affect the smooth voting process. According to Justice Claudette Singh, the Chairperson, there were two minor hiccups during on her examinations of the polling places. MINISTER GIVEN TOTAL POWER OVER OVERSIGHT BODY – LOCAL CONTENT POLICY According to Guyana’s Local Content Policy, the Minister of Petroleum has the sole authority to administer the policy, including the review and approval of the Local Content Plans and Reports of oil companies and their subcontractors. The policy notes that in due course, this power “may” be bestowed upon a regulatory body. But in the meantime, the Minister shall establish a Guyana Local Content Oversight Committee, whose purpose is
to review his progress in the implementation of the policy; and make recommendations on how to improve same. The policy also places the oversight committee on the Minister’s leash since the final composition, terms of reference and even the modus operandi of the Guyana Content Oversight Committee shall be determined by the Minister. The Local Content Policy goes on to state that the Committee shall have the authority to request from the Ministry to view in confidence, the approved Operator Local Content Plans, Minister-designated Primary Contractor Local Content Sub-Plans and Operator half yearly and endof-year Local Content Reports, for the explicit and sole purpose of carrying out its function of policy implementation oversight. It was noted that the modus operandi of the Oversight Committee shall include a Code of Conduct for participants to assure, in part, that viewing these documents remains confidential. The policy explicitly states that the role of the Guyana Local Content Oversight Committee is “advisory”. Furthermore, the policy states that the Minister who holds total control over the committee is only answerable
to Cabinet. Of significance is the fact that the Guyana Local Content Oversight Committee shall comprise the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry; representatives of Ministry of the Presidency, Ministry of Business, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ministry of Finance and the Guyana Office for Investment; Representatives of established Guyanese supplier and professional associations; Representative of Operators in Guyana; Representative of Primary Contractors in Guyana; and Representatives of established Guyanese training/ academic institutions. GECOM WILL PROVIDE ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE VIA OFFICIAL WEBSITE The Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM) will provide real time updates on the elections results via its official website. During an Elections’ Day press briefing Monday evening, GECOM officials urged members of the media not to indulge in sensationalism of any stories as the voting tabulation continues. “At this time, I would (Continued on page 36)
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Sunday March 08, 2020
I am Generation Equality: Working together to achieve a gender-equal world
Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on International Women's Day
This International Women's Day, we celebrate the icons who blazed the trail
towards gender equality. We now look to today's generation of activists,
women who are shaping a vision of a better tomorrow for people of all genders.
Glimmers of progress – to end violence, to call out bias and discrimination, to ensure bodily autonomy and integrity, to secure equality – remind us that the path to a gender-equal future need not b e l o n g . Wo m e n a r e demanding that we prioritize their rights and choices and pick up the pace. It is urgent that we do so. One in three women will face physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. One in five girls is married before age 18, and 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone some form of female genital mutilation. These numbers are shocking, yet they only scratch the surface of our unequal world. Every year, nearly 300,000 women and girls die while giving life; the vast majority of these maternal deaths could be prevented. Hundreds of millions of women and girls want to avoid pregnancy, yet are not using reliable, modern methods of family planning. Think for a moment about the conditions – the p o v e r t y, d e n i a l o f information, unequal power relations, lack of access – that conspire to prevent millions of women from exercising their fundamental rights and making choices over their own bodies and futures. We have the power to change this. By refusing to tolerate the normalization of violence and discrimination against women and girls, we can end it. UNFPA is working with our partners, including young activists and changemakers, to dismantle the barriers standing between women and girls and their rights and choices. To achieve a gender-equal world, all women and girls must be empowered to realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights. We aim to achieve
Dr. Natalia Kanem “three zeros” by 2030: zero unmet need for family planning; zero preventable maternal deaths; and zero gender-based
three zeros were made last November at the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25. This year, the international women's movement marks a quarter-
violence and harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation. Our efforts are based on high-quality data and evidence to ensure that no one is left behind. Achieving these three zeros will require decisionmakers to put their political and financial might behind fulfilling the promises made at the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 25 years ago. In 1994, governments agreed that the dignity and rights of individuals, including their reproductive rights, are the cornerstone of global development. Further commitments to realize the
century since the Beijing Platform for Action laid out an ambitious blueprint for achieving gender equality. It is now incumbent upon us to eliminate the remaining obstacles that stand in the way of women's voices, choices, consent and equality. It's high time to deliver on our collective commitments to ensure the bodily integrity and agency of women and girls in all spheres of their lives. Let's carry forward the goals of the feminists who came before us in partnership with those who uphold feminist ideals today. We are all Generation Equality. It is up to us to secure gender equality once and for all.
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Int'l Observers are not arbiters to the electoral process in Guyana
T
he invited presence of the international community to observe and report their findings in our General and Regional Elections is not an invitation for them to become embroiled in or dictate our electoral processes during elections. It is not an invitation to disrespect our leaders, our people and our institutions ability to resolve our conflicts using legal and legitimate means at resolution. All of which the observers are welcomed to report on and which can form evidential material in event of any election petition in a court of law. Events to the contrary suggests that the time has come in our dear land of Guyana when we must ask ourselves whether some observers are over reaching their mandate, taking us for granted and/or acting perhaps unintentionally inimical to the interests of all Guyanese. We must ask whether these behaviours are not in effect a transgression of our sovereignty under the guise of "observation and reporting.� This is even more concerning given that some ignore, are blinded to, and are unable to fix the many electoral disputes within their own country. Some are witnessing their laws upturned and violated daily even as efforts to preserve same are ongoing with various degrees of failure. The social and political challenges that confront this nation are not new to the international community. But as they surface at election time it seems clear that this community is just prepared to flex its muscle to make sure that the electoral process is and in this particular electoral year the numbers are to their satisfaction. Seemingly they appear willing to compromise other important occurrences surrounding the electoral experience which speaks to
free, fair and credible elections. We remind them that every single activity affecting the electoral environment is important. In this regard the opposition invasion of GECOM; intimidation and disruption of election staff. Threats to workers and police officers peacefully conducting their duties were not seen as cause for immediate condemnation by the international community. The lives and safety of innocent school children were placed in jeopardy by opposition supporters and was ignored by the international community. The selective concerns surrounding the elections atmosphere are of concern. At the time of writing this article there was no attempt to address this volatile environment. This is troubling. It is not that the international community is unaware of the ethnic tension and division in our society, particularly at this time. Thus, we not only expect of them to play a role in observing our elections but also not to do anything that could be construed that they are only driven by numerical outcome. Note is also taken of Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo's efforts at undermining the integrity of the process. If he had a concern he could have raised same with GECOM as done before and where they were addressed. But he seems more interested in destabilising the process by creating mistrust with reckless pronouncements at his press briefings and interaction with supporters. Where he claims the PPP gave the international observers a tally of the results and they are purportedly using same as the authentic statements and demanding GECOM do a number of things based on said reference point is unacceptable. It is GECOM, the state agency responsible for
conducting the election, whose results are supposed to be used following a specific process. It is a shame to hear the observers are pursuing GECOM and making initial statements to the public based on a document given to them by a contesting party. U n d e r s u c h circumstances it was there responsibility if they needed
clarification to sit with GECOM in search of same. Instead, they sought to behave like arbiters and not observers of the process. I am sure had they done this in an amicable way the two sides would have met and sorted out differences. As observers they have failed the process by making public statements that have incensed both sides of the
political divide. They have failed us by immersing themselves as active participants to the chaos and confusion. Guyana has never witnessed this type of behaviour by observers of the international community. As an independent sovereign nation, it is time we develop the capacity and maturity to resolve our problems among ourselves.
It is time Messrs. David Granger and Irfaan Ali, the two major presidential candidates, start the process by sitting down to address the way forward using administrative and legal procedures as necessary. (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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ILM
F / T R
A
The pathology of
racism
o n free will and determinism, and moves us to contemplate Award-Wining Documentary the possibility of a life fated by tribalism? Movie: Skin Nattiv deftly uses imagery, Director: Guy Nattiv Critic: Glenville Ashby. PhD sound and colour to set the tone for unbridled mayhem, irector Guy Nattiv but not before presenting the p a i n t s a fatherly affection that Fred tenebrous world 'Hammer' Krager, a white marked by hatred. Still, he supremacist, shares with his l e a v e s t h e d o o r o f son Troy. Interestingly, redemption ajar. With a mere Troy's fascination with 18 minutes to deliver a snakes is portentous. His intrepid handling and message steeped in s y m b o l i c a l h y p e r b o l e , detailed understanding of the Nattiv leaves little to the s l i t h e r i n g c r e a t u r e foreshadows his impressive imagination. The opening scene of gun- marksmanship in front of his t o t i n g , b e e r- g u z z l i n g , father's band of Neo-Nazis tattooed dissidents spewing friends who also hone their expletives at the world is the militaristic craft. Cupped from the real life perfect McGuffin for a provocative drama soaked in story of erstwhile Neo-Nazi r a c i a l b r i n k s m a n s h i p . Bryon Weidner, Skin, a Nattiv's Skin is as mind- s t a n d - a l o n e s p i n - o f f , bending and provocative as exhaustively drills to the it gets. It conjures questions c o r e o f h a t r e d w h i l e
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searching for answers. Set in rural America, in parts that still bleed from the country's checkered past, the drama unfolds after an innocuously playful encounter between Krager's son and a black man in a supermarket. The encounter never misses the jaundiced eye of the boy's white supremacist father. Words are exchanged and a phone call is made to fellow 'supremacists.' The unsuspecting black man exits the store only to be blindsided, mercilessly pummeled and left for dead as his terrified wife and son look on helplessly in their locked vehicle. But the protagonist – the arch villain gets his comeuppance. In a case of poetic justice, his son looks on as his father is abducted and whisked away by menacing looking black men. A heart-stopping, staggering twist follows. Surely, Krager is now at the receiving end but hardly in a retributive, vengeful manner one might have predicted.
Indeed, what transpires is symbolically instructive and a glimpse into the human potential for meeting out painful justice without spite. Skin careens to an unexpected ending that leaves us aghast. Clearly, Nattiv's work signals a disturbing racial zeitgeist, a toxicity of hate that is infecting countries from South America to Europe and the Far East. As reason and intolerance gasp for relevance, humanity bleeds. It is against this backdrop that Skin must be gauged. Throughout, Nattiv's work nudges our conscience. Skin does not render a solution for racism. No one movie or director can; but Nativv's radical genius burrows deep into the human condition as his granular insights into socialization prove paramount to understanding and possibly stemming the cancer of hate. A r g u a b l y, N a t t i v ' s message is articulated through his young actors;
mere boys, both scarred, one almost irreparably – both witnesses to the vile excess of racism. Maybe, they are Nattiv's representations of innocence's last hope. Maybe, the violence witnessed will indelibly stir their humanity and that of generations to follow. (The views expressed in
this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) SKIN 2019 Guy Nattiv Director: Guy Nattiv Screenplay: Guy Nattiv and Sharon Maymon Story: Sharon Maymon Ratings: Essential
THE
Sunday March 08, 2020
Kaieteur News
STORY WITHIN THE
Guyana is crying By Leonard Gildarie
I
am not sure what to write. At this time, a teenager is dead after reportedly being shot by police in West Berbice protests. Right in Region 5, a school bus was pelted and students injured. Videos surfacing indicated shockingly that medical personnel in Region 5 were reluctant and abusive in relation to treating the injured. There were scenes of police ranks being stoned and reports of looting in Rosignol. At Lusignan, police and Oppositionaligned supporters, angered by the developments at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), clashed with tear gas and blocked roads characterizing a shocking Friday. Today, Guyana is crying, and I am profoundly conflicted and pained at the deep divisions that have rendered our country to a standstill. Rice millers have reportedly halted shipments out of Guyana for fear of what is happening. Giftland Mall is threatening closure if the rule of law is not adhered to and a gated community developer has delayed his project pending the outcome of the political situation. In the city, stores are closed and at least one bank has boarded its windows in anticipation of possible mob invasion. At the time of writing, lawyers for the Coalition are in the High Court, battling to have the judge dismiss injunctions granted last week
to halt any announcements for Region 4, which will pave the way for a president to be sworn in. Perhaps, the hardest thing for me is to know our politicians are safely ensconced while on the frontlines are decent Guyanese. We have the right to protest. However, there are several things happening here. It will be recalled that we headed to the polls and voting went relatively smoothly Monday. The international and local observers are the ones who said so. However, it went all downhill after. Both the Coalition and the Opposition claimed victory. It will be remiss of me not slam both sides for their premature posture that raised the tension temperature to alarming levels. Can we blame the supporters of the Coalition who camped out in front of the GECOM's operations centre on High and Hadfield Streets? They were told that the Coalition won. Can we blame the protestors, largely Opposition persons, for blocking the roads? They were told that their party won. I saw scenes of the Opposition and others storming past police ranks and attempting to enter the office of the Chair of the GECOM, Justice (Ret'd) Claudette Singh. There was controversy over the “announcement� of the results of Region 4 by Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. It was deemed a deviation from established
Leonard Gildarie procedures of verifying the statement of polls with party officials and observers. However, lawyers for the Coalition are arguing that Mingo is only obligated to ascertaining the numbers and announcing, a claim that is hotly contested by the Opposition. As of today, at the time of writing, 112 hours (more than four days or nights) have passed since the voting. The country is heavily polarized. Accusations are flying back and forth and we have wasted millions. It is clear as day that the people of Guyana have been played. Billions of dollars have been given to GECOM to manage an election. Reporters were called in preparation and told to apply for accreditation. They were told that a special place was prepared at the GECOM centre and they would be briefed. Since Tuesday, GECOM has not briefed reporters. In fact, the reporters were not allowed in since Tuesday. They were camped out in front. On Friday, barriers were erected, and reporters and politicians pushed behind. I am not here to tell you that the Coalition won or the Opposition won. I am here to tell you the people of Guyana are being held hostage. I will stop here. I just cannot think anymore. (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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From page 29 urge members of the media not to sensationalise any of their stories because at this time, we’re in a charged atmosphere, and so we have to be careful how we go about spreading stories. “We must always verify our stories before we publish them. These things can escalate into mistrust, and even violence,” GECOM‘s Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield said. Lowenfield noted that polling has concluded and counting is taking place. “Our hope that it will conclude in good time to allow for statement of polls to be placed at conspicuous locations outside of polling stations across the spectrum across the country. “Whether it’s concluded or not this evening, statements would be received by returning officers who will all commence a public verification process which includes public display of each statement in every district. “That process will continue until all the statements for those particular districts are concluded.” The CEO explained, “Once that is completed, Returning Officers will declare results in the respective districts. And the Deputy Returning Officers would have ensured that statements for CEOs are forwarded to his office. “That is the process that will continue throughout the evening.” The tabulation process was likely to commence at about 22:00 hours Monday evening. By noon Tuesday, all the Returning Officers should have their results for the respective districts. WEDNESDAY DECLARATION OF ELECTIONS RESULTS… PAY NO ATTENTION TO ANYONE BUT GECOM – CEO LOWENFIELD Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Keith Lowenfield has made it clear that the official results of the elections must be declared by the GECOM, and that persons should not look for that information in any other place. Lowenfield was at the time responding to questions about rumours of the election results circulating social media. The question was raised by Trinidadian journalist Andy Johnson at GECOM‘s midday postelections press briefing Tuesday.
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Johnson spoke of claims heard by some in Trinidad that the PPP/C had won the elections. According to the reporter, some Trinidadians are already in celebratory mode on the basis of information circulated on social media that the PPP had secured victory. “They are already celebrating and sending congratulatory messages. There are numbers that have circulated saying that the PPP/ C has won the elections and people are heralding the new President. How do you respond to that?” In response, Lowenfield iterated that GECOM is the only entity authorized to declare the results. According to the CEO, GECOM is not even at the stage where declarations are made from districts to the Returning Officers (ROs). “I think I was very pellucid before that we aren’t even at that stage where we have the declarations by districts by the respective ROs. Therefore, there is no declaration by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the results of the elections for 2020.” “Even if a media house has gone through the process of obtaining results by polling stations and does their own calculation, they would arrive at unofficially who would have won and who would have lost. But as far as GECOM is concerned, we have not yet arrived at that stage at this moment.” GLOBAL WITNESS EXPOSES… COMPANYAWARDED CONGO OIL PROJECT HAS LINKS TO LEADER’S FAMILY The award of an oil block, Ngoki, by the government of the Republic of Congo to a company called Petroleum Exploration and Production Africa (PEPA) has caused Global Witness to ring the alarm on the project, showing the world a series of risks the project could cause. Kaieteur News’ previous coverage on this matter explored how the project poses a serious environmental risk, not just to the African country, but to the world (http://tiny.cc/f2ntkz). This article explores the serious corruption risks of the project, as Global Witness has exposed links between the family of the President of the country, Denis Sassou Nguesso. The named director general of the PEPA is a man, Cyr Nguesso. The sources of Global Witness tell it that he is the nephew of President Sassou-Nguesso. Despite what appears to be a clear
conflict of interest, PEPA’s owner wrote to Global Witness claiming that the director general was appointed after a “rigorous selection” and from his “rich experience” in the industry. Meanwhile, the head of the board of PEPA’s name is Claude Wilfrid “Willy” Etoka. The high profile businessman, also its major shareholder, boasts a series of companies in several countries which form what appears to be his very own empire. He is one of the richest men in Francophone Africa, the Global Witness said. Etoka’s connection to this project has raised heads for multiple reasons. Firstly, the anti-corruption watchdog said that he is a close associate of President Sassou-Nguesso, and that he is often seen with Denis Christel Sassou-Nguesso, the president’s son. The President’s son has been embroiled in several corruption scandals. Global Witness said that the closeness between Etoka and the family could form a serious conflict of interest, as Etoka could get a major advantage when it comes to vying for state contracts. CITYATA STANDSTILL AS NATION AWAITS OUTCOME OF POLLS – OTHER TOWNS TRY TO MAINTAIN ROUTINE ACTIVITIES The March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections began with a flurry of excitement and emotions. Guyanese were up and about early, banging pots and pans, blowing horns, blasting slogans; alerting the masses to come out in their numbers and exercise their constitutional right. And that they did. From as early as 5:30 am, the polling stations were filled to the brim with the young and old, and all others who
came out to vote in the “mother of all” elections. Throughout the day, voters trickled in and by the close of polls, the town became a ghost zone – deserted – with many persons locked up in their homes awaiting the announcement of the results. This scarcity of movement carried over to Tuesday, the day after the elections. The usual “hustle and bustle” of the capital was at a minimum. Scores of stores, especially on Regent Street were shut tight and the ones that were open were seen with shutters halfway down. Traffic movement was visible, but it seemed as if it were a National holiday. Most of the city schools were open, but the attendance was not as it would be on a normal day. It was as if the entire city was put on “pause” as the wait continues for declaration of the winner. Amid the aftermath of elections in Berbice, persons were going about their business Tuesday. Businesses in Rose Hall Town and other areas on the lower and upper Corentyne were opened as usual with shoppers bustling through and a steady flow of vehicles. Elections night saw persons from various villages having a “celebration drink” with the hopes that the party they voted for turns out victorious. Many persons were seen congregating in groups or just meeting up with acquaintances Tuesday as they headed to and from work and shopping. The elections were the “talk of the town” as persons seemed eager to hear the final results. THURSDAY REGION FOUR COUNT TO DECIDE ELECTIONS RESULTS The results for the
regional elections have been declared by the returning officers of nine regions, save for Region Four. These results show that the election has become a two-party race between the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). The other parties have recorded mostly dismal performances for the regions in which they contested. For those nine regions, the PPP/C has taken a commanding lead. What is now necessary is for APNU+AFC to outperform its 2015 performance in Region Four if it is to overtake the PPP/C. In 2015, the coalition secured 43,000 votes more that the PPPC in Region Four. Kaieteur News has observed stark differences in these two parties’ performances in certain regions in this year, from their 2015 performances. Some of those regions have also registered considerable turnout increases. Those increases may be attributed to the growth of the Official List of Electors (OLE). In 2015, the OLE held 570,786 voters. Now, the OLE stands at 661,378. That’s a startling net increase of 90,592 voters. For nine regions, leaving out Region Four, the PPP/C leads by 51,439 votes. In the regional vote, PPP/C won Region One with a margin of victory of 4,157. In 2015, that margin was 3,565. PPP/C won Region Two with a margin of victory of 11,459 votes. In 2015, that margin was 8,809. PPP/C won Region Three with a margin of victory of 24,066 votes. In 2015, that margin was 19,641. PPP/C won Region Five with a margin of victory of 3,788 votes. In 2015, that margin was 3,270. PPP/C won Region Six
with a margin of victory of 22,870 votes. In 2015, that margin was 17,570. PPP/C won Region Nine with a margin of victory of 2,239 votes. In 2015, that margin was 2,211. The PPP/C expanded its margins of victory in all of those regions. As for APNU+AFC, it won three out of the nine regions. APNU+AFC won Region Seven with a margin of victory of 1,144 votes. In 2015, that margin was 1,560. APNU+AFC won Region Eight by a margin of victory of 45 votes. In 2015, the margin of victory was one vote. APNU+AFC won Region Ten by a margin of victory of 15,951 votes. In 2015, that margin was 13,908. To sum up the nine regions, the PPP/C took an almost decisive margin of victory of 51,439 votes. In 2015, that margin stood at 39,644. DISCREPANCIES DELAY ELECTIONS RESULTS – REGION FOUR VOTE BEINGTABULATED STATEMENT BY STATEMENT – CHIEF ELECTIONS OFFICER With anxiety high in Guyana as every citizen sits on edge awaiting the announcement of the March 2, 2020 results, Guyanese will be forced to wait a bit longer after the Guyana Elections Commission Wednesday discovered a number of discrepancies during the tabulation process of the results for Region Four. The issue emerged after the Returning Officer for that region; Mr. Clairmont Mingo fell ill earlier in the day. Mingo was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after he complained of feeling unwell. This halted tabulations temporarily. But according to reports, (Continued on page 37)
Sunday March 08, 2020
From page 36 shortly after, he was up and back at the GECOM Media Centre to resume verifying the election count. Kaieteur News was reliably informed that in Mingo’s absence, an unverified spreadsheet system was introduced to continue tabulations but this process was stopped after it was discovered that the numbers on the spreadsheet and the ones on the approved SOPs did not match. Party Candidates and officials from the various Observer Missions called an emergency meeting with GECOM and this resulted in the spreadsheet method being scrapped. Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, explained that the RO’s clerk was told to resume the halted tabulations. He said, “The process of verification commenced in earnest at around 2:00pm and during the process, some errors were found.” “We would have completed some eight statements and there were some errors contained in six of them. The representatives from the parties and the observers spoke with me and we stopped the process.” According to Lowenfield, the tabulation process will be reverted to its initial method; using just the SOP’s. ELECTORAL PROCESS FREE AND FAIR; RESULTS MUST BE RESPECTED – ERC The Ethnic Relations Commission, (ERC), has said that having observed the electoral process in some polling stations in parts of Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten, it has found that, despite some minor hiccups in a few instances, the elections to be free, fair and transparent. “Overall, voters were able to cast their ballots in an atmosphere of peace while few instances which necessitated the intervention of law enforcement, were timely resolved. “The Commission commends the collective efforts of all involved for ensuring that democracy was safeguarded and prevailed during the electoral process. This is heartening and vital to the promotion of harmony and good relations.” According to the Commission, as the country awaits the final results, the Commission remains mindful of prevailing anxieties. “It fervently hopes that the results will be announced within the shortest possible time and that it will be respected. “The Commission is also
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mindful of racially inciting exchanges on social media. Such posts are extremely harmful to the process of building harmony and tolerance which are crucial during this sensitive period.” ERC urged all to act in a responsible manner and to be reminded of consequences that can be brought to bear through the Racial Hostility and The Representation of the People Acts. “The rejection of hatred and intolerance take the collective efforts of all. The Commission encourages all, especially during this period, to do the best we can to ensure that peace and harmony prevail. A more detailed report will be provided after the completion of the entire process.”
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 have not had 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.
FRIDAY
INJUNCTION GRANTED TO STOP DECLARATION OF UNVERIFIED ELECTION RESULTS
US, UK, COMMONWEALTH, CANADA, EU, SAYS REGION 4 RESULTS NOT CREDIBLE – URGE GECOM, POLITICAL PARTIES TO OBEY THE LAW The Region Four results declared Thursday 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 Thursday after the Returning Officer (RO) for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, allegedly declared that the APNU+AFC coalition had won Region Four by an enormous margin and essentially had triumphed in the March 2 General and Regional Elections. However, the 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 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
People’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) Thursday, 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
Stores closed and gas station boarded up on Regent St.
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 set out by the provision letter and spirit of section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03, Laws of Guyana. PPP, FIVE OTHER PARTIES CALL FOR RECOUNT OF REGION FOUR RESULTS Six 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 Thursday 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 Thursday 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. SATURDAY DON’T SWEAR IN A NEW PRESIDENT UNDER THE PRESENT VOTE COUNT – US, UK, CANADA, EU HEADS The Heads of Mission of
the Embassy of the United States of America, Sarah-Ann Lynch, the British High Commission, Greg Quinn, the Canadian High Commission, Lilian Chatterjee, and the Delegation of the European Union, Fernando Ponz-Canto, have expressed deep concern over credible allegations of electoral fraud which may influence the results of this election. In a statement released to the press, the four diplomats called on all to ensure proper procedures are in place to yield a credible election result. “A fair and free process is vital for the maintenance and reinforcement of democracy in Guyana. The ABCE diplomats therefore called on President David Granger to “avoid a transition of Government, which we believe would be unconstitutional as it would be based on a vote tabulation process that lacked credibility and transparency”. Meanwhile the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka, issued a statement, which concerns the latest developments in Guyana. Tanaka said that UN takes note of the statements issued by international observers and Ambassadors accredited in Georgetown raising concerns regarding lack of compliance with national legal procedures and the need to resume the tabulation of results for Region Four. “We encourage the relevant Guyanese authorities to finalise the process in a (Continued on page 38)
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and political agents signaling their opposition. Harmon said that the situation should be handled swiftly, as public security depends on the swearing in of the new government, so that it could ensure order. He added that the PPP/C is the intellectual author of the unrest witnessed Friday, and that calm must prevail. He called upon the PPP/C leadership to exercise integrity, and not to let the country degenerate into physical strife.
From page 37 manner which leaves no doubts as to the credibility of the results that reflect the will of the Guyanese people.” Further the United Nations calls upon all sides to act with calm, patience and in full respect of human rights, the rule of law and Guyana’s constitutional order. ELECTIONS OFFICIALS SERVED WITH REQUEST FOR TOTALRECOUNT Attorney-at-Law, Sanjeev Datadin, informed members of the media on Friday that multiple Deputy Returning Officers have been served with official letters for a recount of the ballots for Region Four. Kaieteur News understands that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had up to 12:00pm Friday to make the request. Datadin told members of the media that the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, was supposed to be issued, initially, with the request, but since he could not be found, they were left with no choice but to serve several Deputy Returning Officers with the said letters for recount. He was keen to note as well that the law provides for this. The candidate for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said, “As it stands now, the order is public and everyone has it. Now there is a lot of misconception as to whether personal service is required on the Commission. If we wanted to bring contempt proceedings, personal service is required…” He added, “But for an Order of court to be obeyed, personal service is not required, only knowledge of it is required. And it is widely circulated. Newspapers carried it, so clearly there is a fair inference that the order is known. Therefore, disobedience of the order is civil contempt.” Datadin told Kaieteur News that the PPP is not surprised that Mingo could not be found so that the request could be issued to him, but the Party believes he is being kept away and is influenced. Now that the request for a recount has been issued, Datadin said that the law says GECOM must put all the administrative systems in place for this to occur. “These have been unusual times. We have seen a declaration without verification and we have an order of the court compelling compliance with the Representation of the People Act that has not been obeyed as far as we are aware. “The contingency plan is more orders. Whether they will suffer the same fate, we don’t know.” STEPS WERE BEING PUT IN PLACE TO SWEAR IN GRANGER – HARMON The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), according to Joseph Harmon, was putting steps in place to swear in incumbent President David Granger, to the post once again, using the not completely verified results from the 2020 General
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Kaieteur News
MAN SHOT DEAD DURING PROTESTS, RIOTING – COPS, WOMENAND CHILDREN INJURED, VEHICLES DAMAGED
and Regional Elections. In a video statement to the public, Harmon, who currently serves as Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, said that the results released by GECOM, place A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) in the lead. Kaieteur News had reported nine statements by Returning Officers, save for Region Four’s Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. Those figures had put the PPP/C in a comfortable lead. Now, Harmon has said that all regions’ results are in. GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, later released results for both the General and Regional Elections of Region Four, which altogether indicate that APNU+AFC is comfortably in the lead. The caveat is that the Region Four results have not been verified. The other contesting political parties and the international and local observers have called for a verification of the figures. The parties have since approached the Guyana Elections Commission for a recount of the District Four votes. At the same time, the PPP/C has secured an injunction halting the process leading to the swearing in of David Granger as president. Nevertheless, Harmon said that he had expected that Chief Elections O ff i c e r, Keith Lowenfield, would have been the next to declare the results. Then, he said, GECOM would have been holding a meeting to decide on the confirmation of the results.
After that, Harmon said that the statement would be sent to the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who would preside at the swearing in of the new President. Harmon explained that the Commission should have met to discuss the swearing in of the President, as decided by the electorate, and the necessary processes to predate that. However, the PPP/C filed an injunction in the court to block that and any declaration of unverified results. The next step should have been a declaration by Lowenfield of the final result. But the declaration is going to be delayed. Until the discharge of the injunction, GECOM will not confirm the results. But when it does, then the Chairman will send a statement to the Chancellor of the Judiciary to act to have the President sworn in. Harmon had expected the Commission to meet to conclude those processes. Harmon said that the coalition’s attorneys believe that the filing has a few defects. N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h e C h a i r, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, decided to follow the court order on the injunction. She decided that the procedure for the swearing in of the President would be put on hold until the parties go to Court to handle the injunction. The Coalition hopes that after this, the Commission would issue a statement to clear the way for Granger to be sworn in, despite the international community, observers
It was absolute chaos in several parts of Region Five and Region Six as supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic descended onto the streets to protest for a verification of Region Four Statements of Poll (SOPs) and a recount of the region as well. Hundreds of visibly angry and frustrated persons lit wooden pallets, tyres, old abandoned cars and buses throughout the public road from Experiment Village and throughout several other villages on the West Coast Berbice. The protestors also blocked the roads with agriculture machinery parts, an old guard hut and tree branches while chanting “Granger must go”. “Everybody ah suffer, abay na want Granger, he is a crass”, a protestor told reporters. Another protestor said, “This is too much advantage that is why we are doing. He is a shameless president, abay na get money fuh pay bill and all kind of ting dem ah do to we”. Protestors were adamant that their party won the elections and that the APNU/AFC have not, “they lose the election and they must go”, an angry woman standing along the roadside said. Another woman, Sandra questioned why GECOM took so long to release results from Region 4 and reasoned that, “Guyanese people are not stupid, Region 4 took too long to come out, why they took out these people from GECOM office that night and then after that they want to swear in Granger secretly. That is unfair, Granger don’t work and put money in anybody’s pocket, what is fair is fair”. The riot police who showed up at Bath Settlement and Experiment Village when the situation was beginning to escalate were met with bottles, bricks and other objects hurled towards them. One man was shot and killed at Cotton Tree, West Berbice. He was identified as Devon Subhan. According to reports, Subhan was shot by police and succumbed at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. He reportedly had eleven pellet shots dispersed about his body. And a teenage girl, Annuradha Sukra, of Bush Lot,
West Coast Berbice, was shot and is now a patient at the Fort Wellington Hospital. The scene was chaotic as Region Five Candidate for the PPP/ C Harry Gill tried to calm his party supporters by telling them to “go home”. Those pleas were ignored, as the people refused to leave the public roads. Many were brandishing placards that demanded a recount of Region Four and the verification of the SOPs in that region. Others including young men, women and elders angrily ran through the streets armed with objects that were hurled at policemen and women. Tw o u n a r m e d c o n s t a b l e s were saved by reporters driving back to Region Six after the protestors were chasing and pelting them with large bricks. They were taken to a safe location some villages away where other senior ranks were present. Kaieteur News was informed that five ranks, including a female and a senior officer, were injured by the raging protestors who refused to leave the streets. They are reportedly seeking medical attention at the Fort Wellington Hospital, a police source said. Up to around 19:00 hrs, protestors were still on roads burning tyres and other objects to stop the flow of traffic. Bricks were hurled at passing vehicles, even those with children inside. A David Granger school bus from Region Five had the back windscreen smashed in by the protestors armed with bricks, reportedly injuring children in the process. A police vehicle was also damaged by the bricks tossed from one end of the public road to the other. By late into the afternoon, supporters of the APNU/AFC from Belladrum and other areas in Region Five had armed themselves with cutlasses and were boarding vehicles to confront the hundreds of protestors. There were confrontations, Kaieteur News understands, but the extent of injuries could not be confirmed. Persons were also arrested, a police source said. Meanwhile, over in Region Six, protests erupted in East Canje, Black Bush Polder, Number 19 Village and Tain Village, with reports and videos surfacing of ranks of the Guyana Police Force forming a human barricade with their shields to block the protestors. Roads, tyres and old machinery were also set alight in Black Bush Polder while Number 1 9 Vi l l a g e b u r n t t y r e s a n d branches across the public road, halting traffic for some time until the police managed to get things under control. A policeman was injured at Tain Village after an object was tossed at him while he was in the tray of the police vehicle. He is said to be nursing minor injuries and seeking medical attention at the Port Mourant Hospital.
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Kaieteur News
Health Benefits of Biotin Biotin plays a major role in helping the human body convert food into usable energy (also referred to as vitamin H and B7). This B complex vitamin is plentiful in a wide range of foods including nuts, legumes, cauliflower, whole grains, mushrooms, eggs, oysters, and organ meats.Though biotin is present in a number of foods, not everyone can consume enough of them on a regular basis. When this happens, taking a biotin supplement is a smart way to take advantage of these 12 impressive benefits of biotin. 1. Thickens Hair One of the biggest benefits of biotin is that it helps stimulate hair growth, causing hair to thicken and appear more lustrous. Biotin can also help hair look healthier while growing more quickly and sustainably. This is good news for healthy people who want their hair to look its best, as well as those with health issues that lead to lackluster hair.While people with healthy digestive systems can absorb some biotin simply by eating a healthy diet every day,
those who suffer from digestive disorders struggle to absorb adequate vitamins and nutrients. Those diagnosed with malabsorption problems like leaky gut syndrome, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease often require elevated nutrient levels in order to receive the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy. Along with giving healthy people an extra boost, biotin supplements can help people who struggle with nutrient deficiencies to improve their unhealthy hair loss and dry, brittle hair. 2. Improves Skin For many people, a Vitamin H deficiency can also lead to significant problems with their skin’s inner health and outer appearance. Dry, itchy skin is one of the most common issues, although more serious conditions like acne and psoriasis can also arise. Keep in mind that if you don’t nourish your skin from the inside out, resulting hormonal issues can result in serious skin problems. In most cases, a biotin supplement can correct the issue, improving skin and
helping to create a youthful glow. To address biotin deficiencies, it’s important to access the vitamin in the most effective way. While many topical skin and hair products include added biotin, you can’t usually absorb this B complex vitamin through skin or hair cells. Instead, you must ingest a biotin supplement to receive all of the vitamin’s benefits. 3. Strengthens Nails Along with improving hair and skin, biotin is known for its ability to strengthen nails. In fact, higher doses of biotin have resulted in significant nail health improvement. Studies have shown that those who take a biotin supplement can thicken their nails by up to 25 percent and decrease the amount of nail splitting and breakage they endure. Trial studies also have shown that an impressive 91 percent of participants experience improved nail strength when taking a biotin supplement. 4. Rebuilds Tissues Neither muscle nor tissue lasts forever, and your body relies on B vitamins to help rebuild after tissues break
WHAT IS VITAMIN A GOOD FOR ? Vitamin A (retinol, retinoic acid) is a nutrient important to vision, growth, cell division, reproduction and immunity. Vitamin A also has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that might protect your cells against the effects of free radicals — molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals might play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Vitamin A is found in many foods, such as spinach, dairy products and liver. Other sources are foods rich in beta-carotene, such as green leafy vegetables, carrots and cantaloupe. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A. As an oral supplement, vitamin A mainly benefits people who have a poor or limited diet or who have a condition that increases the need for vitamin A, such as pancreatic disease, eye disease or measles. If you take vitamin A for its antioxidant properties, keep in mind that the supplement might not offer the same benefits as naturally occurring antioxidants in food. The recommended daily amount of vitamin A is 900 micrograms (mcg) for adult men and 700 mcg for adult women. Evidence
Research on oral vitamin A for specific conditions shows: · Acne. Large doses of oral vitamin A supplements don’t appear to affect acne. · Age-related macular degeneration. A large clinical trial showed that people at high risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration reduced their risk of developing the condition by 25 percent by taking a specific combination of vitamins that included beta-carotene. It’s not entirely clear what role betacarotene played. · Cancer. The association between use of vitamin A supplements and reduced risk of lung, prostate and other types of cancer is unclear. · Measles. Vitamin A supplements are recommended for children with measles who are at an increased risk of vitamin A deficiency. Research suggests that supplementation might reduce death due to measles. · Vitamin A deficiency. People who have low levels of vitamin A appear to benefit most from vitamin A supplements. This kind of deficiency isn’t common in the United States. Vitamin A deficiency causes anemia and dry eyes. Beyond use as an oral supplement, vitamin A is used in topical creams to reduce fine wrinkles, splotches and roughness and treat acne.
Our take Caution A healthy and varied diet will provide most people with enough vitamin A. If you’re interested in the antioxidant properties of vitamin A, food sources are best. It’s not clear if vitamin A supplements offer the same benefits as naturally occurring antioxidants in food. Too much vitamin A can be harmful and excess vitamin A during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects. Safety and side effects Too much vitamin A can be harmful. Even a single large dose — over 200,000 mcg — can cause: · Nausea · Vomiting · Vertigo · Blurry vision Taking more than 10,000 mcg a day of oral vitamin A supplements long term can cause: · Bone thinning · Liver damage · Headache · Diarrhea · Nausea · Skin irritation · Pain in the joints and bone · Birth defects If you are or might become pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin A. Excess use of vitamin A during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects. (https:// www.mayoclinic.org/drugssupplements-vitamin-a/art20365945)
down or muscles sustain damage. Biotin is one of the components necessary for rebuilding muscle strength and helping tissues grow. This vitamin also has a key role in alleviating muscle and joint inflammation, aches, and pains. If you continually experience joint pain or struggle with muscle strength, a biotin supplement might be just what you need to help your tissues rebuild. 5. Assists With Cell Growth In addition to making you look great, biotin also helps with some of your body’s most essential functions. One of vitamin H’s primary roles is to regulate the formation of DNA. 6. Promotes Fetal and Child Development Since biotin is necessary for many bodily functions, it’s especially important for pregnant women supporting a new life. In fact, a recent study shows that many pregnant women don’t receive enough biotin naturally on a daily basis. Since this has led to serious birth defects, many doctors recommend that pregnant women supplement their regular healthy diets with additional biotin. For many pregnant women, taking additional biotin is as important as taking folic acid for ensuring baby health, encouraging fetal development, and minimizing pregnancy complications.In some cases, new mothers don’t provide enough biotin in their breast milk, leading to a biotin deficiency in their babies. Young children with allergies to or a distaste for foods high in biotin are also at risk of developing a deficiency. A biotin supplement can easily remedy low levels of biotin in new mothers, babies, and children. Expecting and new mothers should talk with a physician before taking a biotin supplement while pregnant or nursing or before giving biotin to babies and children. 7. Protects Your Brain Along with the other B complex vitamins, biotin keeps your nervous system in working order by assisting
with neurotransmitter activity and helping with nerve signals. Together, B vitamins also protect your brain, improve your memory, and help form a defense against cognitive issues and neurodegenerative disorders. Along with preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, biotin and the other B vitamins can help you better your concentration and keep a positive outlook. 8. Stabilizes Blood Sugar One of the most beneficial ways b i o t i n c a n a f f e c t people is by stabilizing blood sugar. For diabetics or those who struggle with maintaining a healthy blood sugar level, biotin can be particularly helpful. Studies have shown that this B complex vitamin has the power to lower blood glucose levels in people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes by stimulating the secretion of insulin.Some diabetics also suffer from nerve damage due to enzyme buildup. Since biotin is necessary for certain enzyme activity, low levels of this vitamin can lead to dangerous levels of buildup. A biotin supplement can get enzyme activity back on track and help some diabetics prevent additional nerve damage. 9. Boosts Energy and Mood One of biotin’s primary functions is its ability to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. This vitamin also functions as a coenzyme and aids in synthesizing fatty acids and certain amino acids. Without the B complex vitamins, your body can’t use the energy that your body consumes.Since biotin and the other B vitamins play a big part in converting nutrients into fuel that your body can access, a lack of biotin can cause you to feel a serious slump in energy. In fact, it can also lead to feelings of fatigue, mood swings, and even digestive issues. If you don’t receive a steady supply of biotin from your daily diet, a supplement can help you harness the energy you’re missing and help you get your mood back on a positive track.
10. Supports Thyroid Function In addition to your nervous system, your body relies on key glands to normalize functions and keep you going. Biotin is necessary for maintaining appropriate thyroid activity and regulating sleep, hunger, energy, and even pain. If your body has trouble controlling these basic functions or if you experience weight gain, trouble sleeping, or constant fatigue, additional biotin can help with thyroid regulation. 9. Lowers Cholesterol High cholesterol is much more than just a large number on a chart. High levels of lowdensity lipoprotein, better known as the bad cholesterol, can actually lead to heart disease. This in turn can increase your chances of having a stroke or a heart attack. If you struggle to maintain healthy LDL levels, biotin may be able to help get them within a reasonable range.Research has shown that this vitamin can help lower LDL levels while increasing levels of highdensity lipoprotein, otherwise known as the good cholesterol. Since B complex vitamins are also important in reducing inflammation and plaque buildup in arteries, biotin can also help lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Diabetics and others who are particularly susceptible to heart disease will find this benefit particularly helpful. 12. Aids in Weight Loss Along with boosting metabolism, biotin can also aid in weight loss. Essentially, consuming or ingesting biotin elevates your resting rate of metabolism. As this vitamin increases your metabolism, it can help accelerate weight loss, especially when paired with chromium. If you have any questions or comments about biotin, feel free to leave a comment below! Or, you can reach out to us directly at (800) 9401972 or via email at Support@ZenwiseHealth.com. ( h t t p s : / / www.zenwisehealth.com/ blogs/news/76605253-12-impressive-benefits-of-biotin)
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Sunday March 08, 2020
Kaieteur News
MUA Devindra Mohanlall is on a mission to leave women feeling empowered and fiercely beautiful Beauty is a passion for makeup artist Devindra Mohanlall who has made it his business to make every woman whose face he touches walks away feeling empowered and fierce. This drives his ambition to be an internationally known beauty guru. For this 22-year-old who now resides in Queens, New York, he is achieving his goal and plans on further elevation in the field of hairstylist and make artist as he continues to make a name for himself in the Queens, New York area. “Mikey” as he is popularly known by many , migrated to the United States in 2013 from Albion Corentyne with his mom, dad and sister and he is capitalizing on every opportunity that presents itself to him to improve his skills and knowledge. He recently completed a course with Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist Mario where he
received in-depth training on the art of being a professional makeup artist. He plans on studying more to understand and elevate himself as a makeup artist to be reckoned with. It was at the age of 13 while in Guyana that Mikey found a passion for all things beauty and started doing nails but when he arrived in the US he decided to finally use his talent in a more serious way and started to build his clientele. He said it is amazing the height that this field is taking him and noted that he plans to go all the way. “Who would have thought I would have been here where I’m being booked and I continue to reach higher heights,” the upcoming star stated. He no longer does nails but still has a passion for it and plans to pass his knowledge along when he opens his own business. In the meantime he is building his brand
Devindra Mohanlall and clientele. His dream is to collaborate with major beauty brands and eventually own a line for makeup items. Mikey’s business is called Gloface and the name
Models showcasing the stunning work of Devindra Mohanlall was inspired by his love for highlighters and the glow it gives to his clients’ face. He said, “I love doing this because it enhances the
beauty of women and it brings out their confidence more.” He plans on having classes in the near future in
Guyana and the United States to teach this art. Be sure to follow Mikey on Facebook and Instagram @gloface
Popcult ‘Birds Of Prey’ Review: The Good, The Bad And The Harley Quinn Birds Of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) lands in theaters this weekend and you should definitely go see it if you enjoy DC Comics and Harley Quinn in particular. The movie doesn’t bring out any of the big guns—no Batman and, remarkably, no Joker for that matter—but it has a smart script, terrific performances and plenty of fun action. Let’s take a look at what works and what doesn’t in the new film from director Cathy Yan, writer Christina Hodson and star Margot Robbie. The Good Without spoiling the story beyond the premise, Birds of Prey follows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) after her painful (and ultimately quite dangerous) break-up with the Joker. She and “Puddin’” are through for good and it’s time for Harley Quinn to stand on her own two feet—something that proves to be a lot more difficult than she expected. Without Joker’s protection, she finds she has a rather large target on her back. The other titular Birds of Prey are Dinah Lance / Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Helena Bertinelli / Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and young pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). The top bad guy is Roman Sionis / Black Mask (Ewan
McGregor) and his henchman Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina). All these characters come together in the end for the final conflict, though mostly they’re on different sides throughout the movie. Mostly the movie works because it’s funny, exciting and has great characters. I liked all the female leads, but Robbie’s Harley Quinn really steals the show. She’s just fantastic. Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress is also a very funny character with a great backstory. And I really liked Black Canary in this as well, though I think she should have busted out her super-power a bit earlier. The movie isn’t as funny as Deadpool, but the humor works. Every time Harley Quinn is on-screen something funny happens. She reminds me a bit of an even more eccentric Holly Golightly. With a bat and a mallet and a penchant for violence. There’s a whole scene dedicated to her buying the perfect breakfast sandwich and then getting chased through the Gotham streets with it tucked into her shirt. She plays roller derby with a vengeance (something my roller derby-playing girlfriend was very excited about) and drinks like there’s no tomorrow. She has all her best ideas when she’s drunk, after all. So the humor works, and so does the weird disjointed way that Harley tells the story. She narrates, first in an animated opening segment,
and then throughout, but she’s not very good at keeping things in order, so the movie bounces around a little bit with timelines. She has to back up more than once to fill in some details. It’s clever and there’s never any confusion about timelines. A lot of the stuff I enjoyed
be as drug-addled as she is; she doesn’t need to curse so much more than she did in Suicide Squad (which is an odd tonal shift to say the least). There doesn’t need to be the sexual assault stuff which is basically the line I draw for showing this one to my kids.
were trying to abscond with a very drunk Harley Quinn. Huntress is a stone cold assassin out for revenge. And Harley Quinn takes down all sorts of bad guys and cops (usually non-lethally) with style and pizaz. Each of these women is established as a serious fighter, and that’s great.
about this film would spoil it, so I’ll just say it’s a very fun movie with lots of laughs and some almost cartoony fight scenes that are a lot of fun. And Black Mask, while not the most compelling DC villain, was pretty fun thanks to McGregor’s excellent performance. (Though I do agree with Paul Tassi that he feels like an odd sit-in for the Joker). So what doesn’t work? The Bad First off, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, this movie did not need to be R-rated. Most of the R-rated stuff is completely unnecessary. Harley Quinn doesn’t need to
Birds of Prey should have been PG-13. It would have been a better movie with a less edgy tone and it would perform better at the box office if families could go see it. I also like how it really emphasizes tough female characters and think it’s sort of a shame that it isn’t more appropriate for younger girls. My other big gripe is with the final fight scene, so this is a bit spoilery. Throughout the movie we see the various tough female protagonists deliver some pain to the various thugs and goons. Black Canary beats up two guys outside Roman’s club who
But I’m still not sure that such a small group could take down dozens and dozens of armed opponents with essentially just their fists. Other than Black Canary, none of these characters has any real super powers. Huntress, Montoya and Harley Quinn are all great fighters, but we’re talking about a group of four adults and one young teenager outnumbered maybe 5 to 1 by a bunch of armed thugs. Those aren’t great odds when you only rely on fists instead of wits. Honestly, it’s not even that they were able to win it’s that they were able to win
without doing anything very clever. The final showdown should have taken some cues from Home Alone. Booby traps, clever defenses, using the location to their advantage, taking out thugs oneby-one. A big brawl just feels like a wasted opportunity. Besides, simply going bigger doesn’t make a fight scene better. That’s something Warner Bros. still needs to learn.The chase scene and final confrontation between Quinn and Black Mask, on the other hand, was great. Verdict Ultimately, I really enjoyed Birds of Prey even though I agree it would have been stronger if the Joker had been the primary antagonist instead of Black Mask. It’s a shame they went for an R rating on this one (unlike Joker, it didn’t need to be) and I think the final fight scene could have been a lot more interesting.But the humor and zany action throughout the film were on point, and Robbie is clearly having a great time as Harley Quinn, a role she was born to play. It’s great to see the DCEU continue its winning streak here and hopefully that continues with Wonder Woman 1984. I think I basically agree with the consensus on this one. It’s not as good as Wonder Woman or Shazam! but better than Aquaman and the earlier DCEU entries. Not perfect, but a lot of fun and definitely one to see on the big screen. (www.forbes.com)
Kaieteur News
Sunday March 08, 2020
Improve your Study habits and get the best results
T
his term being the last in the school year, most students will be working towards their yearly examinations for promotion to a higher form, while those in their final year will have started thinking seriously about doing well at their certificate examinations. It is important then that all students should be trying to ensure that they do not waste time and energy in preparation for these. Some people do not plan well on how and when to study and so, although they may work hard at it, most times do not seem to be making much progress. Others who plan well to avoid distractions, and use various methods in helping them to absorb and remember what they need to learn, always do much better, even though they may not be working as hard.
To help in this allimportant effort, we give some tips below on how to organise yourself to be most
first, second, third, etc., and adhere to it. 2. Study in a quiet room, sitting up straight at a desk or
efficient in your studies. Plan ahead and work to your plan, and you will discover how much more pleasant and productive your study periods can be. 1. Get started when your schedule says so, and do not put it off, except for emergencies. Plan your study time - what you will do
table. Avoid an area where you can be distracted by others. 3. Be sure to have enough light. The whole room should be lighted so that there is no glare on your study material, which can make your eyes tired and even hurting. 4. Open a window, as you
can study better when the air is fresh. This can keep you energised and even in a cheerful mood. 5. Concentrate on the work at hand. Force your attention back whenever you get distracted or daydream. The effort you put into focusing on the work at hand will be well rewarded by achieving much more. 6. Take a break at regular intervals, say ten minutes every hour. A few minutes to stretch and walk around will help you to relax and concentrate better. 7. Ask yourself questions as you read. Summarise what you are studying in your own words. This will improve your understanding of your text and what you are expected to do. Try to remember these tips as you go through the school term.
CENTER-DOT SUDOKU Each digit from 1-9 occurs once within each row, column, 3×3 block and shaded center cell. There is only one solution.
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Waste not the Precious Hours I am rich, I have twenty-four hours to spend, like golden coins they shine for me; Let me not waste them, neither let me spend them in hectic, nerve-shattering activity. I would have thought before using them: Let me spend a good portion of them for my daily work and some form of creative activity; Let me save some for friendliness and helpfulness to others; Let me spend at least one in looking up for guidance, with moments for quiet enjoyment of the wonderful worlds of nature, books, art and music; A little I must save for fun, and then a number of the coins for a well-earned rest; And if, at the day’s close, I find that some have been spent other than the way I had planned, let me not despair, for when I wake up tomorrow, my purse will be filled with twenty-four more coins, shining and new! And I shall be twenty-four hours richer, and older and wiser than I was today. (by Edgar Guest)
Working wisely will always produce better results that working hard without a plan. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Solutions to last week’s
Holi word search
Killer Sudoku
Goodluck!
Kaieteur News
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Story of HOLI Holi, like all other Indian festivals, also has it’s fair share of mythological significance. And what is most amazing is people from different parts of India have their own favorite names for this festival and their own mythological tale for the significance of Holi. There was once a demon king by the name of Hiranyakashyap who won over the kingdom of earth. He was so egoistic that he commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. B u t t o h i s g r e a t disappointment, his son, Prahlad became a true devotee of Lord Naarayan and refused to worship his father. Knowing that the gods responded to all prayers, no matter if they came from good or bad men, Hiranyakaship began to pray. After many years of prayer, Lord Brahma was willing to grant Hiranyakaship a boon. He wanted to be made invincible, and asked first that he could not be killed by man or beast. Second, he demanded that he could not die while the sun was up or set. Third, he was promised that he would not be harmed inside or outside his home.Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill his son Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved him every time. Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with
Sunday March 08, 2020
Junior page HOLI paint splatter cards How To make these Colorful Paint Splatter cards for Holi, you will need:
Prahlad in her lap. For, Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a boon, that she could not be burnt by flame. Under Hiranyakaship’s demands, Holika was to take Prahlad into a bonfire. That way he would be burned, and no longer a thorn in the king’s side. Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Naarayan all this while, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his extreme devotion. Thus, Holi derives its name from Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil. Not slowed by the death of Holika, Hiranyakaship was sure that his most recent trial would see his son meet his end. He demanded that Prahlad hug an fire-hot iron pillar. Once again, Prahlad prayed to Lord Vishnu. For this trial, Vishnu in person answered Prahlad’s prayer. Taking the form of a half-lion, half-man named Narasimha, he exploded from the center of the pillar before Hiranyakaship and Prahlad.
·Liquid Watercolors or glass colors ·White card stock paper – A4 or Letter In one leap, Narasimha was ·Scissors on top of the demon king. In ·Happy Holi – Template the middle of the palace’s ·Straws to blow ( optional) doorway, he swiftly tore Hiranyakaship apart. The demon king who was so sure that he could not die, never accounted for Narasimha. Since he was neither man nor beast, he could attack Hiranyakaship (1st boon). Since he appeared while the sun was setting, the · sun was neither up nor set, but Start off by printing our in between (2nd boon). Te m p l a t e o n t o w h i t e Finally, since Hiranyakaship cardstock. It makes 2 cards was in the middle of the approximately 5×7 in size palace doorway, he was from one A4 sheet. Cut neither wholly inside or outside his home (3rd boon). In his arrogance, Hiranyakaship left himself vulnerable to attack. Narasimha’s victory, and the faith Prahlad held through all of his trials, is the triumph of good over evil, and the reason that Indian all over the along the gray border and world celebrate Holi. I wish you all a very fold to make your blank happy, colorful and safe Holi. cards with text – “Happy May the festival of colors Holi”. You could alternately bring more cheerful colors in your life!!
just write your own message with a black marker or even use a stamp. Now comes the fun part. Make sure you line your workplace with a plastic sheet or newspapers. It helps to sit in the middle of the room or outdoors so that furniture or walls don’t get splashed by accident. We used liquid glass paints that came in tiny plastic bottles with a nozzle. It was easy to hold and splatter directly with it. Using vibrant watercolors and a paint brush would yield equally stunning results. Start off my randomly splashing a pattern in pink. We used Pink, yellow & red. But you c o u l d u s e a n y complimentary color set of 3. I was fascinated by the free flowing patterns that emerged when different colors mixed with each other. We used a brush to splatter and so we got smaller dots and smear lines. We used a straw to blow some color splats. The best part about these cards is that each one turned out unique. Aren’t they gorgeous? And so simple to m a k e . Feel free to pin the below image onto Pinterest for your future reference. It’s
the perfect size too.
Holi Boggler Puzzle How many words of 3 letters or more can you find using the letters below? Words are formed from adjoining letters. Letters must join in the proper sequence to spell a word and may join horizontally, vertically or diagonally to the right, left, or up-and-down. No letter square, however, may be used more than once in a single word. You may use plurals if available. Score 1 point for each 3 letter word. 2 points for each 4 letter words , 3 points for 5 letter words and so on. Score an extra 2 points for every HOLI themed word you make.
s p r e
r i f f
g n l b
f e o h
W FUN
IT
ET H PO
RY
I love my school Of all the things I have to do, I love to go to school; I learn so many things each day That make me happy and cool. I have so many good friends there, They always make me glad; We laugh and play at break time, I never can be sad. My teachers are so nice to me, They make learning so much fun; I cannot wait for each new day, When off to school I run.
by Uncle Roy
Sunday March 08, 2020
1. How did the blonde die ice fishing? She was hit by the zamboni. 2. How Long is a Chinese man’s name. No, it actually is. 3. How does NASA organize a party? They planet. 4. Knock Knock. Who’s There? To. To Who? It’s To Whom. 5. What’s a pirates favorite letter? You think it’s R but it be the C. 6. Have you heard about corduroy pillows? They’re making headlines. 7. What did the green grape say to the purple grape? OMG!!!!!!! BREATHE!! BREATHEEEEE!!!!! 8. Never criticize someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’ll be a mile away, and you’ll have their shoes. 9. What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common? Same middle name. 10. I couldn’t believe that the highway department called my dad a thief. But when I got home, all the signs were there. 11. My grandfather died peacefully, in his sleep… …not screaming like the passengers in his car. 12. What did the left eye say to the right eye? Between you and me, something smells. 13. What do Cannon Balls do when they’re in love? Make bbs. 14. Why did the cowboy get a wiener dog? He wanted to get a long little doggie. 15. If you want to find out who loves you more, stick your wife and dog in the trunk of your car for an hour. When you open the trunk, who is happy to see you? 16. Sometimes I tuck my knees into my chest and lean forward. That’s just how I roll. 17. Cole’s Law: Thinly Sliced Cabbage 18. I intend to live forever. 19What’s the best thing about Switzerland? I don’t know, but the flag is a big plus. 20.“I’d like to start with the chimney jokes – I’ve got a stack of them. The first one is on the house.” - Tim Vine 21.As a scarecrow, people say I’m outstanding in my field. But hay - it’s in my jeans. 22.“The best time to add insult to injury is when you’re signing somebody’s cast.” – Demetri Martin 23.“Years ago I used to supply Filofaxes for the mafia. I was involved in very organised crime.” - Milton Jones 24.“I had a dream last night that I was cutting carrots with the Grim Reaper – dicing with death.” - Tim Vine 25.I told my girlfriend she drew her eyebrows too high. She seemed surprised. 26.“I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day, but I couldn’t find any.” - Tommy Cooper 27.I waited and stayed up all night and tried to figure out where the sun was. Then it dawned on me. 28“I saw this bloke chatting-up a cheetah. I thought: ‘He’s trying to pull a fast one.’” - Tim Vine 29“I have kleptomania. But when it gets bad, I take something for it.” - Ken Dodd 30.Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. 31.“This bloke said to me: ‘I’m going to attack you with the neck of a guitar.’ I said: ‘Is that a fret?’” - Tim Vine 32.“This policeman came up to me with a pencil and a piece of very thin paper. He said, ‘I want you to trace someone for me.’” - Tim Vine 33.“Somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note, it said ‘Parking Fine.’” - Tim Vine 34.I told my friend 10 jokes to get him to laugh. No pun in 10 did. 35.I bought some shoes from a drug dealer. I don’t know what he laced them with, but I’ve been tripping all day. 36.I’ve decided to sell my Hoover – it was just collecting dust. 37.“I usually meet my girlfriend at 12:59 because I like that one-to-one time.” - Tom Ward 38How does NASA organise a party? They planet. 39.Did you hear about the actor who fell through the floorboards? He was just going through a stage.
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How to Get Rid of a Pimple Fast: Dos & Don’ts of Fighting Acne We asked derms to break down all the Dos and Don’ts of fighting breakouts. 1. Do ice the zit. If you’ve got a swollen pimple on your face that’s causing pain, reach for an ice cube. Wrap it in a thin cloth and set it on the offending spot for three to four minutes. Repeat throughout the day to relieve pain and temporarily reduce swelling. 2. Do apply a paste made of crushed aspirin. Aspirin contains salicylic acid, which is a top-shelf acne fighter by all accounts. Applying a paste made of aspirin immediately removes excess oil and dead skin. 3. Don’t pick your face. We know you’ve heard this, and we also know you’re dying to do it. But according to Josh Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, picking tends to cause more harm than good. 4. Don’t overdry the affected area. It’s not the chemical you use; it’s the amount you use, says Neal Schultz, M.D., a Manhattan derm. “People think if a little salicylic or glycolic acid is good, more is better,” he says. “It gets to the point that the active ingredient irritates the skin, making it scaly and flaky and red.” 5. Do tone down on toner. When you have a, shall we say, disturbance in the force, any astringents can “disrupt the skin barrier and cause inflammation and irritation,” says Dr. Zeichner. 6. Do use makeup with salicylic acid. Slathering makeup over a breakout seems like a necessary evil: You want to hide the offender in question, obviously, but it can feel like you’re also suffocating it. 7. Don’t wear makeup with pore-clogging ingredients. For all the salicylic acid out there, there are certain ingredients to steer clear of. complexion products don’t contain either. 8. Do layer your beauty products properly. No surprise if your instinct is to simply cover your pimple with as much concealer as you can get your hands on. 9. Don’t lose track of your trigger foods. Is chocolate your enemy? Are late-night McDonald’s runs getting the better of your skin? 10. Do resist the urge to squeeze. 11. Don’t believe every DIY hack you see. While it’s tempting to mix up a cure-all witch’s brew of whatever drying agents you have in the house, Dr. Tanzi says she sees a lot of irritation from DIY skin care products. Even toothpaste isn’t the remedy it was when we were teens. 12. Don’t opt for a stronger cleanser. Swapping your usual face wash for something harsher seems like an obvious fix. https://www.glamour.com/story/how-to-get-rid-of-a-pimple
SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH
Kaieteur News
Sunday March 08, 2020
Opposites
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Sunday March 08, 2020
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Sunday March 08, 2020
Masquerade by Venezuelan Academics... From page 20 reality that Venezuela verbalized negotiation while executing aggression. Numerous examples lay bare that story, among them: Venezuela's invasion and occupation of Ankoko Island in 1966 and its illegal occupation ever since; President Raul Leoni in July 1 9 6 8 , c l a i m i n g
“sovereignty” over a twelvemile strip of Guyana's continental shelf; a decree by President Nicolás Maduro in May 2015, creating the “Atlantic coast of Venezuela” which included Guyana's territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo region; and by other well recorded acts of aggression.
As a basis for discarding international arbitration, the Authors claim that “Venezuela has an inveterate doctrine of foreign policy that consists in not submitting issues related with its territorial integrity to adjudicative methods that involve the settlement of these disputes by international tribunals”.
In other words, unlike every other country in the world – large ones like the United States and small ones like the Marshall Islands – Venezuela prefers the use of its superior military and economic power to impose its will on a militarily weaker and, up until recently, a poor state. And to the authors, this big stick approach, away
from the watchful eye of the world's legal machinery, is perfectly right. S t a g g e r i n g l y, t h e s e authors who claim academic credentials – and presumably, therefore, scholastic objectivity – state that the Arbitral Award of 1899, which settled the boundaries between Venezuela and Guyana,
“was decided behind its (Venezuela's) backs and enforced under the threat of coercion of the great powers”. It is little wonder that with Professors such as these, Venezuelan students imbibe, as fact, the myth of a legitimate claim to twothirds of Guyana. Documentary evidence shows that the Arbitration Panel that produced the 1899 boundary settlement included the Chief Justice of the United States of America, Weston Fuller, who was nominated by no less a person than the President of Venezuela. Far from “behind Venezuela's back”, the Venezuelan President was frontal in the composition of the Panel. Further, the arbitration gave to Venezuela “the mouth of the Orinoco and control of the Oronoco basin”. So delighted was the Venezuelan government with the award, that the Venezuelan Ambassador to London, Jose Andrade, the brother of President, Ignacio Andrade, declared: “Greatly indeed did justice shine through when in spite of all, in the determining of the frontier, the exclusive dominion of the Orinoco was granted to us, which is the principal aim we set ourselves to obtain through arbitration”. Successive Venezuelan governments jealously protected their acquisition of more territory and the new border until 1962, when political ambition r e s u r r e c t e d a n unsubstantiated claim, attributed to one of its long dead lawyers from the 1899 arbitral process, that the US Chief Justice – Venezuela's own appointed arbitrator – had been bribed. But, since the award gave Venezuela what it proclaimed was its desire, for what purpose was the US Chief Justice bribed? If the authors are so certain of the rightness of the Venezuela contention, then there should be no fear of the ICJ – after all, as the saying goes, “truth will out”. (The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Sunday March 08, 2020
Immigration watching you on Facebook and Social Media... By Attorney Gail S. Seeram
T
hrough this “Question & Answer�, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, p l e a s e e m a i l : Gail@GailLaw.com.
Question #1: Can my daughter who is age 16 and a U.S. citizen file for me? Answer #1: No. A U.S. citizen can file or petition for his/her parent, however the U.S. citizen child must be age 21 or older. This type of petition, where a U.S. citizen files for a parent is considered an immediate relative petition and a visa is available immediately (meaning there is no
backlog). Question #2: During my interview for U.S. citizenship, I lied to the officer and was denied because of the lie. When can I re-file for U.S. citizenship? Answer #2: Lying to an immigration officer is a serious offense. I do not recommend anyone to lie to a federal officer. You were denied because the officer
found you to lack good moral character. One of the requirements for U.S. citizenship is that you must possess good moral character. My advice is to wait five (5) years from the interview date before reapplying for U.S. citizenship. Question #3: Can I marry while the immigrant petition filed by my parent is pending? Answer #3: It depends on whether the petitioner is a permanent resident or a U.S. citizen. If the petitioner (person who filed the petition) is a permanent resident then you cannot
marry because marriage would void the petition. A permanent resident can only file for an unmarried child. If the petitioner (person who filed the petition) is a U.S. citizen then you can marry. Once you marry then the petitioner can change the preference category of the petition from first preference to third preference. Note, the wait time for the visa may increase once you are married, but then you and your spouse will be able to emigrate to the U.S. Question #4: I have a holiday or tourist visa for the U.S. but I have a permanent resident petition pending
Gail S. Seeram that was filed by my family. Can I still travel on my holiday visa? Answer#4: Yes, you can travel; however, if the U.S. immigration officer at the port of entry determines you have immigrant intents because they discover the pending immigrant petition then you can be denied entry into the U.S. or your holiday visa can be revoked. Also, when you holiday visa is up for renewal, the U.S. Embassy may deny renewal once they see you have a pending immigrant petition. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) Attorney Gail Seeram, LL.M., J.D., BBA call | text 407-292-7730 whatsApp 407-353-1363 e m a i l : Gail@GailLaw.com. live chat: www.GailLaw.com Download FREE App: Gail Law
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Kaieteur News
Irfaan Ali calls on Guyana Guyana calm after Friday disturbances to remain calm
P
residential Candidate of the P e o p l e ' s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Irfaan Ali, is urging his supporters and by extension, Guyana, to remain calm, and to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner during this tension-filled period. Below is his full statement to the press. “I wish to commend the people of Guyana for their unrelenting commitment to maintain respect for our democracy and the inalienable right of Guyanese to elect a government of their choice. To our supporters, I wish to urge you to remain calm and
respectful for the established processes. As a law-abiding party, we have activated legal recourses to halt the attempted efforts by David Granger and some operatives of GECOM to manipulate the elections results for Region 4 and to illegally seize power. The statutory procedures were followed in nine regions to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, yet it was varied in Region Four. There is no other conclusion than an attempt to rig the elections is in play. We urge patience from the people of Guyana, our supporters to be calm, alert
F
Presidential Candidate of the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Mr. Irfaan Ali and await guidance from your party. Our democracy is in peril, but I have confidence that our judicial process will put it back on course with the statutory tabulation of the Region Four SOPs. I believe this is not a time for divisiveness or rhetoric
which can harm the fabric of our democracy. I urge restraint. The people of Guyana, particularly our supporters, are not alone in the defence of our electoral process. The international community and persons of all backgrounds at home are making their voices heard resoundingly in support of our collective desire for free and fair elections. We are together in this struggle and I commit to you that we will not rest or waiver until your rights and votes in these elections are counted and represent your true will.�
ive days after Guyanese took to the polls to vote on March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, all eyes were on Guyana. Supporters of the Opposition People's Progressive Party (PPP) took to the streets in some areas, causing chaos and carnage. Democracy was the cry of the supporters who took to the streets; all this stemming from the Guyana Elections Commission's announcements of the Region Four unverified results. It was a dark day for the country; thousands of persons crowded the streets in Mon Repos, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara while chaos reigned in Bath Settlement on West Coast Berbice. Thick clouds of black smoke were seen for miles as the supporters burnt tyres and old vehicles, blocking the main roads for miles. Broken glass was strewn about, missiles were hurled and sadly, blood was shed. The Guyana Police were out in their numbers attempting to quell the riot. The supporters refused to let up and at the sight of riot police, the rage seemed to triple and they launched an attack on the officers, resulting in one female rank being
seriously injured. Later, police had no choice but to open fire on the rowdy crowd and several persons sustained injuries about their bodies. One protestor was killed. Police said that the 18-yearold brandished a cutlass and chopped two officers before being subdued. While police focused their attention on the riot, others used it as an opportunity to loot several businesses on the West Coast. But things seemed to have quieted, bringing to the country to standstill as Guyanese wait, anxious to see what the new day unfolds. Usually abuzz with activity, the capital city was a ghost zone; businesses were shut and tightly boarded up while the schools remained empty. The congestion of the city streets seemed to be a thing of the past as not many vehicles were there. It was as if the entire country was put on pause, waiting to be replayed. The two major political players in Guyana, the APNU/ AFC and the PPP/C along with other small parties and international observer and stakeholders issued a nationwide call for supporters to remain calm and keep the peace.
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Sunday March 08, 2020
Nurse Penelope Layne-Lewis... From page 16 the State final examinations. “We were all first-timers sitting the examination, so it was quite a feat. I remember Sister Radika Shaw, who was our principal tutor, was walking on cloud nine, along with our other tutors. A few that come to mind are sister Gwen Tross, who is my mentor, Sister Beaton, Sister Watson, and all the other stalwarts who were so very nurturing but firm…those were people you wanted to emulate,” Nurse Layne recalled. Not one to remain stagnant, she commenced her midwifery training in May of 1989. In addition to practicing nursing in every department of the Georgetown Hospital, with the exception of the Psychiatric Unit, Nurse Layne worked at the Suddie Hospital in Region Two and the Best Sanatorium [now the West Demerara Regional Hospital] in Region Three. She decided to quit being a fulltime nurse in 1990. Reminiscing on the past, Nurse Layne said, “My best time was working in the Maternity Unit. It was my last place of work before leaving and I truly miss doing deliveries and the camaraderie my colleagues and I shared”. NEW HORIZONS In February of 1990, Nurse Layne joined the staff of the then Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation [GPC] at Farm, East Bank Demerara, where many drugs were manufactured, both for local use and export. For five years she had responsibility for the operation of the medical facility, during which time she completed a diploma programme in Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Guyana. To Nurse Layne, “GPC was a great learning experience; it also served as
a good training ground in middle management”. By 1999, when yet another opportunity knocked, Nurse Layne willingly answered and accepted responsibility as a Dispensary Nurse for the local arm of the United Nations Development Programme. “I worked alongside Dr. Begum who was from Pakistan and came to Guyana through the UN volunteer service. We worked well together, taking care of all staffers and their relatives who came under the UN umbrella [in Guyana]. That also was a great learning experience, as you were in close contact with so many different nationalities at all levels,” Nurse Layne recalled. However, by the year 2000 that career opportunity came to an end, and before long, Nurse Layne had gravitated to the Cancer Registry where she remains grounded 20 years later. For her this was truly a new and different work experience. The Registry, she disclosed, was the brainchild of the now departed Dr. Walter Chin. Speaking of her integration in this area of health care, Nurse Layne recalled that it was with help from the Guyana office of the Pan American Health O rg a n i s a t i o n [ PA H O ] , which continues to be a great support to the Registry, and the National Cancer Institute in Washington DC, that she was accepted to be trained in cancer registration at the International Association of Cancer Registries in France. She later interned at the Thames Cancer Registry in London. Over the years she was exposed to other training programmes, and has even been recognized by PAHO for exceptional work. Although it was easy to let her passion be her guide, Nurse Layne candidly revealed, “cancer registration can be emotionally draining,
Her husband is one of her biggest supporters
A loving daughter to her parents
Receiving a nursing education certificate from the University of Miami
The recipient of a prestigious PAHO award because we here at the Registry are exposed to the back side of what is truly happening in our country regarding cancer. It is far from a pretty picture.” Nevertheless, she admitted her job at the Registry, which she truly embraces, has allowed her to develop a love for research. “I am a part of a research group, the AC3 research group that spans Africa, the Caribbean and North America; a group that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 12 years of its existence. Guyana has made quite a few worthwhile presentations,” Nurse Layne shared. Additionally, Nurse Layne currently heads the Kingston, Georgetown Annex of the Georgetown School of Nursing, where she spends many hours of days. She has been actively involved in nursing education since 2010. FOREVER COMMITTED She has no regrets with the path life has taken her thus far. But in retrospect, Nurse
Layne's focus could have been easily thwarted had she not stayed true to herself and recognized early on, the importance of her existence in the land of her birth, thus enabling her to unleash her full potential. “I had the opportunity to leave Guyana, but my sons were very young [at the time] and I could not think of leaving them here to work abroad. A thousand disturbing scenarios played around in my mind, and I did not want to take the chance. Life was exceedingly hard back then, but today I do not regret a nanosecond of making the decision to remain at home,” said Nurse Layne. In fact our heartened 'Special Person' revealed that “it is so satisfying when people meet me on the road and say how nice I was during a delivery, or how good I was to them during some terrible experience. I am always amused when a mother would hail out to me and ask 'nursie yuh still deh hay? Look dis is yuh baby', and I have to stretch my neck to look up at some tall young
man or a young woman with a child or two of her own. It's a humbling feeling…” But according to Nurse Layne, one of her most satisfying experiences of her life is currently unfolding. “One of my deliveries, from so long ago, is now a final year student of mine, and as fate would have it, her dad was my very first nursing supervisor when I was assigned to my first area as a young staff nurse. Now tell me, what can be more satisfying than that?” Nurse Layne asked, as she professed her undying love for the nursing profession which has helped her to truly evolve as a human being. She however asserted that being a nursing educator is no walk in the park. But she will remain committed to this task since, according to her, “I want to see this profession regain the respectability it has lost. I want nurses to understand that they have to respect themselves first before anyone can respect them. I want nurses to understand that they have to love and genuinely care for people. I am working very hard to raise the standard of nursing in Guyana.” Through her role at the Cancer Registry, Nurse Layne said that she is aiming to evoke some major changes as well. “I would like to see more use being made of the data we work so hard to produce. I try to encourage university students to do more research using our data. I would also like to see more attention being placed on cancer awareness, and not only on cancer awareness month,” said Nurse Layne. This is important since, according to her, “cancer is not going anywhere anytime soon, so we need to meet our people at the health centres and other health facilities; we need our cancer survivors to see their doctors on a day dedicated to them, so we can have more interaction with
them; talk about their diet, try to get them to join a support group…these things would be so beneficial to them.” But sometimes, just sometimes, it can be quite a challenge to remain a versatile and successful woman. It is days like these that Nurse Layne is able to lean on the ever-dependable shoulders of her husband who, she revealed, is “always extremely supportive”. These days she makes full use of his supportive ways as she pursues her Master's in Advanced Nursing Education at the University of the West Indies. “Everyone is so very supportive, and my staff and fellow tutors are my greatest cheerleaders,” Nurse Layne confided. She is compelled daily to continue to be the best version of herself, especially when she recounts the many days her students say, “Sister, I would love to be like you”. “It is a nice compliment, but I tell them they have to be prepared to put in the hard work it takes to become a successful person, and this means you always, always, have to keep learning,” Nurse Layne asserted. Amidst her too many responsibilities, Nurse Layne, who is also a professional counsellor, somehow finds time to counsel cancer survivors and their relatives, an undertaking she believes is lacking and very much needed in our society. She also avails herself to as many young people as possible, since parenting is another area that she believes is sorely deficient and has caused many youths to suffer. For being a woman for all seasons, who never takes a day off from being her very best, we at Kaieteur News today say hats off to Nurse Penelope Layne, a truly 'Special Person' indeed.
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Country profile
H
eir to the ancient Khmer Empire, modern-day Cambodia is benefiting from two decades of relative stability, having endured civil war and the murderous rule of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.
Cambodia
o v e r s e a s investment to replace aid. Corruption is deeprooted and Cambodia is still one of the world’s poorest countries, with most of the workforce still employed in subsistence farming. LEADERS
Painful memories still endure of the radical communist Khmer Rouge’s time in power under the leadership of Pol Pot between 1975 and 1978, when two million people died in the regime’s brutal pursuit of a rural utopia.
T h e c o u n t r y ’s o n l y significant opposition party was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 2017. MEDIA Many Cambodian newspapers and private broadcasters depend on support from political parties. Prime Minister Hun Sen and his allies control several outlets.
Prime minister: Hun Sen
The economy is dominated by garmentmaking, but tourism is
expanding, and Cambodia hopes to tap into offshore oil and gas reserves and draw in
Sunday February 02, 2020
Head of state: King Norodom Sihamoni King Sihamoni - a trained ballet dancer - was sworn in as monarch on 29 October 2004, after his father, the widely venerated and long-serving King Sihanouk, abdicated because of poor health. I m a g e copyrightGETTY IMAGES Cambodia’s kings once enjoyed a semi-divine status; today, the monarch’s role is mainly ceremonial.
Image copyrightAFP Hun Sen, one of the world’s longest-serving prime ministers, has been in power in various coalitions since 1985. A former communist and - briefly - a member of the Khmer Rouge - he was last reappointed by parliament in September 2013 for a further five-year term, in the face of mass demonstrations and opposition allegations of fraud in the July elections. Since seizing power from his then co-prime minister, Prince Ranariddh, brother of the then king, Sihanouk, in 1997, critics believe Hun Sen has become increasingly authoritarian, using a mixture of electoral fraud, corruption and intimidation to maintain quasi-dictatorial rule.
Cambodians regard their ancient temples as a key part of their identity
A crackdown on independent media in 2018 means that Cambodians “only have access to news provided by major media groups directly linked to Hun Sen”, says media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. Angkor Wat is one of the main temples in the ancient capital of Angkor
Sunday March 08, 2020
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The parents of teenager, Devon Hansraj, who was shot dead by police ranks at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, during a chaotic protest are calling for justice to be served for the death of their son. Hemchand is calling for an inquiry into the death of his son who he claimed was innocently “murdered” by ranks of the Guyana Police Force on Friday. The police, however, in a recent release have since alleged that Hansraj attacked the officers while they were executing their duties on the Cotton Tree Public Road. According to the police Hansraj allegedly launched an attack on the ranks, injuring several in the process before he was shot dead. “Shortly before the attack, a Gazetted Officer and ranks cleared the said road of protesters and debris, leaving Sergeant Ibaran with several ranks to maintain free passage along the corridor. The ranks were then attacked by a group of men armed with cutlasses, pieces of wood and iron. They were forced to discharge their weapons into the air to disperse the very hostile and aggressive crowd and after expending their ammunition the ranks including Sergeant Ibaran, Corporal Williams, Constable Grant, and Constable Fraser were forced to seek refuge in nearby yards. During that process, it
- says he has not been allowed to see his son’s body
Devon Hansraj was alleged that one of the protesters who was later identified as Sewdat’ Devon’ Hansraj ,18, of Back Street Cotton Tree Village, WCB, chopped Sgt Ibaran and Constable Fraser,” the police said. The police disclosed that it was while Hansraj was allegedly attempting to deal Fraser another chop that he was “shot by one of the two ranks who arrived at the scene”. Hansraj and the injured ranks (Sergeant Ibaran and Constable Fraser) along with Constable Grant who was reportedly assaulted by protest-
day morning but ended up in an argument with a police rank. He stated that his teen son left the protest and returned home but later that day ventured out back “watching on at the protest” when he was reportedly shot by the police. He further explained that he has not been allowed to view his son’s body at the New Amsterdam Hospital although he visited the night when he was taken there and yesterday. Hansraj was pumped with a single gunshot to his body, a senior police source said.
Hansraj; devon’s parents
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ers were rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where Hansraj was pronounced dead on arrival. The police ranks were subsequently admitted to the medical institution. Sergeant Ibaran sustained two fractured arms, lacerations to his head and abrasions to his back. Meanwhile, the father of the dead teen, Hemraj Hansraj, has since denied that his son was among those protesting on the public road. He has also denied that his son attacked the police. According to the man, his son left to join the protest Fri-
Hansraj said that he wants justice for his son and is calling on the authorities to have an inquiry into his death since he believes that his son was murdered by the police. Another teen was also injured during the heated protest on Friday. Anuradha Sukra was admitted to the Fort Wellington Hospital with injuries after police also opened fire on her while she was walking through a street at Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice. Another protest was held yesterday for the death of Hansraj. A candle light vigil is also expected to take place this evening.
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GUYANA MUST TRANSFORM ITS INSTITUTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN OIL ERA
CONSUMER CONCERNS
PAT DIAL Since Guyana became an “Oil Country”, there have been a great number of prescriptions put forward mostly by persons involved in politics as to what to do with the oil revenues. The consumers feel that they should now make public what they had been discussing in their committees and their position on oil revenues. In approaching this issue, we have a number of basic assumptions: (1) Oil is a national resource and as such should not be controlled by any political party but should be controlled by the whole nation. The mechanism for achieving this will be discussed below. (2) Oil is not a self-generating resource as Agriculture but is a finite one that will come to an end. More than one country has experienced the trauma of diminishing oil reserves and the beginnings of a reversion to a struggling economy. Trinidad is an example. (3) Oil is a commodity where its prices are determined by market forces. Sometimes oil prices could fall
so low that producers could be selling almost at a loss. This means that Guyana should be prepared for times when it would be receiving little or no oil revenues. (4) Oil wealth should not be consumed in a heady splurge as some are advocating. Rather, it should be used to generate wealth for present and generational security. The formula we are suggesting is that two-thirds of the revenues should be invested in developmental projects, some of which have been crying out for capital infusions for nearly a century now; and the other one-third would be used for consumption. We will touch on this in greater detail below. (5) As the oil industry develops, there would be a large number of immigrants from different parts of the world attempting to settle here. There would be so many that they would overwhelm the present small Guyanese population subsuming its cultural life and assumptions, and its legal and political institutions. Measures, including quick revision of the citizenship laws, will have to be taken to confront this danger.
(6) The Guyanese Diaspora including their children should be welcomed back to their motherland and in this regard, the citizenship laws will be amended to give them the status of all Guyanese by birth. Further, people of Guyanese background who are employed in the Oil and Gas industries in other parts of the world and are desirous of working in the Guyana industry, should be welcomed and the oil companies must know that they have to employ such personnel, once suitable. (7) In the media there is talk of jobs being available for thousands in the oil industry but yet young people and others do not see or know where such jobs are or how to apply for them. All jobs available in the oil industry should be published by the State or Oil Authority and the methodology of applying. This should be in collaboration with the oil companies and their contractors. People of Guyanese ancestry should be given precedence, even if they have to be trained. We will now briefly discuss how the above-mentioned points could be
IN OBSERVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY From the Guyana Women’s Today is International Women’s Day under the theme: “GENERATION EQUALITY: REALIZING WOMEN’S RIGHTS”, and the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers lauds all women in Guyana and our wider community. “Women’s rights are human rights” and we all agreed that human rights ought to be observed for and by all. Generation Equality therefore means that for this generation and all those to come; “equality” must be a common thread in all actions and words. In every respect, women must be treated in equal manner to men. Their status and stature are of no less importance than those for men. Their roles and contributions to all spheres of society’s functioning and life in general, ought not to in any way be diminished. In terms of the law, and the provisions in Guyana’s Constitution and laws, the term “equality” should be naturally and seamlessly applied. There is a number of constitutional provisions and domestic laws that guarantee equality (Article 149E – Equality of Status and 149F – Equality for women), which are intended to ensure women’s rights. We are also reminded of provisions of the Equal Rights Act 1990. We must also
Lawyers Association be informed about Article 29 of the Constitution which provides for women’s participation in decision – making and section 11B (5) of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03 which was zealously fought for to ensure that a minimum of one – third (1/3) of the composition of representative lists for political parties comprise women, with a similar formula expected to be applied for representation in the National Assembly (Parliament). Additionally, through constitutional amendment, there is the establishment and thereafter functioning of the Women and Gender Equality Commission (W&GEC) which is part of several human rights commissions intended to oversee the realization of women’s rights. At the same time, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was made a part of Guyana’s Constitution, thus solidifying this country’s obligations to realize the rights of women. Previous generations fought for formal recognition of the principle that “women’s rights are human rights” and therefore equality for women and men. This generation MUST insist on tangible adherence
to these principles and not accept tokenism. Therefore, women’s rights must be realized in all spheres: fair access to jobs and job opportunities; salaries and wages commensurate with duties and responsibilities only i.e. equal pay for work of equal value, membership on boards of directors in the public and private sector; and training opportunities in all areas of endeavour at the professional, technical or vocational levels, among others. In ensuring equality, there must not be any gender discrimination. This is the time for women to “step up” even more, support and champion each other, be consistent in forthrightly and confidently saying that “WE are capable of doing and we must be allowed to do”. Importantly, we must ensure that girls are equally equipped to be “Generation Equality’. It is time for a full realization of our rights. GAWL will do its part to ensure this. We urge the W&GEC and all women’s organizations to continue to do their part. Generation Equality is NOW! Let us, as women, challenge ourselves to realize our rights. Happy International Women’s Day!
achieved: The oil revenues would be much more than the national budgets. The present governmental structures and even institutions were not designed to deal with such large sums of money. Accordingly, a special Corporation will have to be established for the oil industry which will be responsible for collection of revenues and the allocation of funds, the formula of twothirds to development and one-third for consumption being adhered to. The controlling Board or Council of this Corporation must be truly national. It shall consist of nominees (not representatives) of the Parliamentary political parties, the Private Sector, the Trade Unions, and a few relevant NGO’s. No group shall have more than one nominee so that the board would not become too large or dysfunctional. The mechanism of this Board will have to be worked out in much greater detail. Under the Board will be an Administrative Structure with a Chief Executive Officer within whose province will fall such matters as engineering, marketing, OPEC, negotiating with foreign counterparts and so on. The Board and its CEO will also be responsible for receiving and allocating funds to Government and the
Sovereign Wealth Fund so that there would be greater transparency. As suggested above, twothirds of the funds will be allocated to Economic Development and one-third for Consumption. The third for Consumption would be used by Government for things such as increasing pensions, and upgrading Educational and Health Services among others. This will include the founding of Specialty Hospitals in each of the three counties. There are a number of industries awaiting capital infusions such as the Sugar and Rice Industries and Agriculture in general. With the modernization of Agriculture, there would be cheaper local food and the growth of a profitable export market. In the Caribbean alone, for example, there is a US$6 billion market awaiting Guyana’s food exports. The solar and hydropower industries could be resuscitated as well as other industries for import substitution and export.The stimulation of and investment in Industry would require the establishment of a Development Bank which would make funds available and ensure that they are well used There are other facets and activities of this Oil Corporation which could not be dealt with owing to the limita-
tion of space. We will therefore now only touch on the large number of immigrants who will be coming into the country. This influx of immigrants could overwhelm our small population subsuming or even eliminating the Guyanese cultural norms which we developed over the last two centuries, our legal and political institutions and even our way of life as we know it today. Accordingly, if any immigrant is given long-term residence or naturalized, he/she should be able to speak and write English, should have a knowledge of the culture and history of the country and be willing to integrate. We could also use a formula once used in the United States where quotas of immigrants are given to the ancestral homelands of the present population of Guyana. Our Diaspora and their children should be accorded a special status and should be allowed to enter and leave the country like any other native born Guyanese. All of this demands that our Immigration and Citizenship Laws must be urgently revised and modernized. Guyana has very little time to transform its Law, Administration and even Constitution to successfully survive in this new Era of Oil which has suddenly come upon us.
Former elections chief calls for consensus... From page 11 former GECOM chair, the scenes from across the coastal regions of Guyana, captured on video and displayed over the recent days on television and social media, showed groups of citizens either celebrating or protesting, depending with which side of the political divide they are aligned. “The sight of young men pelting bricks and bottles at ‘the other side’s’ supporters, the logs and obstacles deployed and set alight in order to block roads and other access routes, are all examples of the divisiveness in
our society that seems to manifest itself after elections, and reflective of whether or not the electoral process and/ or the results, are to the liking of one or other political camp. Such scenes are compelling as they are worrying, and more especially, when innocent children are in the crosshairs of acts of violence.” Singh insisted that the leadership cadres of political parties have a responsibility to manage the expectations of their supporters and while legitimate protest is a sine qua non of human rights, this needs to be respectful of the
sanctity of human life and of public and private property. Singh said that 54 years after Independence on May 26, 1966, instead of harnessing the collective diversity, skills and talents of the population, the people of Guyana are now fighting each other for political power, dominance and control. “Whatever the outcome of the decision of GECOM and whether the elections are deemed to be credible, it will not solve the extent of mistrust, fear and concerns that stalk the land and generate disunity in our plural society.”
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NGO reaches out to bedridden couple The Centre for Guyanese Progress a recently formed NGO reached out to a young couple who has been bedridden as a result of an accident. Founders of the NFO, brothers Gavin and Gary Alleyne, said that after hearing about the situation they immediately sought to reach out to the couple, Naresh Chunilall and his wife Prya Mangra. A quantity of food items among other things were donated to the couple. Receiving the donation on behalf of the couple was mother of the husband, Arondhatee Lall, who evidently was happy with the assistance. Gavin and Gary stated that situations like these the NGO will be seeking to lend valuable assistance to, noting that there are a number of persons encountering major challenges and difficulties and they are hoping that the NGO bring needed relief and assistance. “Gavin and I were made aware of the situation after reading about it via two newspapers and were emotionally moved. “These are two young persons who suffered such an unfortunate faith and is now at the mercy of everyone as it is the mother of the son along with love ones forced to play a meaningful part in continuing their lives despite this major change,” Gary sad. He said that while he is not preview to the facts, he is daunted that there continues to be several road accidents adding that he is thankful that they didn’t die. He issued an appeal to road users to be more responsible stating that when accidents occur there are rippling effects.
The smiles says it all – Prya and husband, Naresh, smile in the presence of Arondhatee, Gavin and Gary with little Mahendra Chunilall in hands and NGO Official Roxwanicia Kennedy. “I see the manner of driving by some drivers in Guyana and it is why we have so many accidents. I hope that the relevant authorities will toughen up on laws and actions being taken against irresponsible drivers as our country continues to lose our human resources through accidents that could have been prevented. “We cannot continue like this as too many lives, too many families, too many children are affected and hurting because of the accidents,” he stressed. Gavin said that he was very happy to join Gary, noting that they were so moved to contribute that despite the fear by some that making the donation now would not have been an ideal time, they were determined and is pleasantly surprised by the response of the family and residents in the
community. “When we got there the couple and the neighbours were happy, not only for what we had to give but because we took time to visit them to have a conversation. It is stressful being in such a situation, dependant on others for almost everything that you must do. “However, having visitors to encourage you does a lot and we saw the happy expressions on their faces,” he said. He said that he was impressed with the outpouring of community spirit in lending moral and other valuable support to the family. He noted that the residents of Pigeon Island have shown that they can come together and support one another in terms of difficulties. “The residents were happy to welcome us and even shared their thoughts on
Teen accidentally shot at during Berbice protests was left stranded
A teenager who was mistaken for a protestor on Friday was admitted at the Fort Wellington Hospital with injuries to her head and stomach. She was shot by police on West Coast Berbice. Anurada Sukra, 19, was in need of a transfer to the New Amsterdam Hospital but is being prevented to do so because of the unrest in that region on Friday. With roads scattered with debris from burning tires along with abandoned vehicle shells and parts, it has made Sukra’s transfer impossible. Medical staff at the Fort Wellington Hospital has only agreed to have her moved to NAH unless the roadways are cleared. Meanwhile, reports reaching Kaieteur News revealed that Sukra was taking pictures of the protestors clashing with police on the public road at West Coast Berbice. However, the police who unleashed measures to keep the people from further escalating the protest were enforced. It was during the time when the pellets were dispersed that Sukra was accidentally struck about her body. A school bus was damaged and a protestor of the Opposition was killed in a day of unrest on the coastlands. Elections were held last Monday with the
Injured on Friday: Anurada Sukra results delayed because of controversy over the tabulation.
the situation. We were happy that we took the time to go as we were able to interact with the residents and understood their views on a number of community issues. “We hope that the police would seriously follow up this matter to ensure that justice is served,” he said. The Centre for Guyanese Progress founders promised to continue lending support to the young couple in their efforts to full recovery. They also promised to assist the couple’s young son as it was stressed that the father being the sole breadwinner, is unable to do so as a result of his injuries.
‘Thank you very much’ - this is what Arondhatee Lall is telling Gavin and Gary Alleyne after the donation to her son and daughter-in-law “It is sad that this young boy is suffering. His parents cannot do a lot for him and is unsure if or when they would be able to. We made a commitment to help as we are cognizant that Arondhatee was forced to cease working because she has to care for them, it’s a sad situation,” Gary noted. Meanwhile, Arondhatee expressed sincere thanks and gratitude to the NGO stressing that the assistance is timely as she has been encountering increased challenges. She expressed a desire that the police will take appropriate action against the driver. She is saddened by the
driver’s lack of care and concern and the police slowness in taking action. “I am really grateful for this assistance as we really need it. It’s very hard on me as I had to leave my job to be able to take care of them all day.“With this help it will assist in making things a little better. I would like to appeal to the police to take action in this matter as my son and daughter in law could have died like animals. The driver has not sought to reach out to them or me in anyway despite the fact that he has left them bed ridden,” an emotional Arondhatee said.
STANDARDS IN FOCUS NEW STANDARD FOR CONSUMER WARRANTIES KEEPS EVERYONE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN ON THE SAME PAGE As we prepare to commemorate Word Consumer Rights on March 15, under the Theme: ‘The Sustainable Consumer’, we must underscore the importance of Consumer warranties, which offer guidelines for redress if the purchase or products becomes questionable. To ensure that these warranties are clearly outlined, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has developed an international standard. The following article was written by Clare Naden of ISO. The rise in e-commerce and globalization has revolutionized retail trade – for both the good and otherwise of the consumer. However, more choice doesn’t always equate to better quality. A new International Standard for consumer warranties will help to protect every player in the supply chain. With an estimated US$20 trillion worth of merchandise exported around the world
each year, there is no denying we live in a globalized economy. But while digitalization and globalization bring with it an unending choice for consumers, not all buyers get a good deal. Faulty goods or the unsatisfactory performance of products are the risks one takes.Now, a new International Standard aims to reduce the likelihood of bad surprises for consumers and protect manufacturers and suppliers at the same time, enhancing confidence in all aspects of the deal.ISO 22059 Guidelines on consumer warranties/guarantees, specifies what is required for a sound warranty or guarantee that will meet the reasonable expectations of consumers. It includes stating exactly what is covered and not covered, the time frame of coverage and the manufacturer or supplier’s expectations of consumers. It also features the inclusion of remedial action should the product fail. Dr. Rahmah Ismail, Chair
of the ISO committee of experts that developed the standard, said consumer protection levels vary greatly across the world, but this standard ensures an acceptable minimum for all. “Being developed and internationally agreed by experts involved in both consumer and manufacturer rights, ISO 22059 will help both buyer and supplier understand their role in a successful transaction. “It captures best practices from around the world, underlining both the consumers’ and manufacturers’ roles and responsibilities,” she said. “This will, in turn, increase consumer confidence – a winwin deal for all.” ISO 22059 was developed by ISO project committee ISO/ PC 303, Guidelines on consumer warranties and guarantees, the secretariat of which is held by DSM, ISO’s member for Malaysia. It is available for purchase from your national ISO member or through the ISO Store.
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Norway, France, St. Vincent & the Grenadines gravely concerned about electoral process Three of Guyana’s diplomatic partners have expressed grave concern for the credibility of Guyana’s electoral process. They are namely France, Norway and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The Norwegian Ambassador, Nils Martin Gunneng, said, “Norway shares concerns expressed regarding recent electoral developments in Guyana.” He stated that the final election result needs to be credible and transparent. The French Ambassador, Antoine Joly, is reported to have expressed France’s deep concern at the Guyana situation. He said that the results had taken place in good conditions until the declaration of the Region Four results without completion of the tabulation process. Joly stated that France
“calls, on behalf of excellent bilateral relations, for a spirit of conciliation and a sense of general interest in favor of all Guyanese.” It said, in unity with the electoral observer missions, that the verification process should be resumed. “Only this procedure will ensure a legitimate, democratically acceptable process and avoid the clashes which unfortunately have already started in different places in Guyana,” he said, referring to the unrest that has plagued several parts of the country. “France warns against any hasty initiative aiming for the president to be sworn in until this verified count has been completed.” The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines also joined with the electoral observer missions from the
Ambassador of France, Antoine Joly Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the hemisphere and internationally to express its concern about the processes leading to the declaration made by Region Four
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, Nils Martin Gunneng
Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. It also indicated its support for the statement made by Barbados prime minister and CARICOM chair, Mia
Mottley. “It is imperative that the election authorities in Guyana count every vote in accordance with the established law, procedure and best prac-
tices so as to lend credibility to the results. It has been a hallmark of our democratic CARICOM that each vote be counted and that such counting be done transparently and in the presence of all competing political parties and accredited independent observers. Anything short of this will inevitably cast doubt on the results.” The statement from Guyana’s CARICOM sister state recognizes Guyana as vital to Caribbean civilization, “as a founding member of CARICOM”. “We urge peace and calm and call on all political leaders in Guyana to use their best effort to maintain peace and calm, to avoid violence and any consequential loss of life and property. This is a time for statesmanship.”
Acting PM: Govt. did not send 13,000 masks to China
Barbados - All passengers from Italy to be quarantined
NEWSDAY - Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert said Government did not send 13,000 N95 masks to China. He was responding to prime minister’s questions in the House Friday from Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial, who asked why Government sent 13,000 masks to China, given a shortage of the masks – the type recommended for health officials interacting with people possibly infected with the coronavirus. Imbert replied that the question was based on a false premise, as it was not Government that sent the masks, but the private sector. He added that the Health Minister had advised that there was no shortage of N95 masks in the public sector. Ramdial said Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses had told the media the 13,600 masks were sent to China to assist the country. She continued to speak after asking the question.Imbert said: “I don’t know why the member wants to ask and answer the question.there is no statement by any government minister that the Government sent masks to China. The fact is, masks were sent,
Daily Nation - The Barbados Government yesterday expanded its quarantine protocol to apply to passengers arriving in Barbados from all of Italy. Previously, only persons arriving from three districts in northern Italy were impacted by the 14-day quarantine requirement related to the coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak. Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, revealed yesterday morning that based on the latest available information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the decision was taken to require all arrivals from Italy to report to Port Health at the ports of entry and be sent to immediate quarantine. The type of quarantine in which a person is placed is determined by the level of risk of exposure. Low risk individuals will be sent to
Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert and they were sent by the private sector.”Ramdial then named the newspaper and the date (February 12) when the article appeared. Imbert said the comment referred to a newspaper article which might or might not be accurate and, even if it was accurate, did not indicate that Government sent the masks.
ECCB Governor pleased with stability of EC currency ROSEAU, Dominica CMC – The Governor of the St. Kitts-based Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Timothy Antoine, says the Eastern Caribbean dollar underscores the “remarkable” achievement of small island states to survive in a changing global environment. He said that as of last Friday, the dollar, which trades at EC$0.37 cents to the United States dollar, was one hundred per cent backed, adding “in layman’s term that simply means for every one EC dollar in circulation there is one dollar in foreign exchange or foreign reserves”. The EC dollar is used by the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada,
St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat and Anguilla. Antoine said that the stability of the EC currency is “impressive, notwithstanding the vagaries of the global economy, the ups and downs, the currency has been stable. “That is a model of resilience, especially having regard for the fact that we are very small states. What we have been able to do together as small states in this regard is nothing short of remarkable.“It is a testimony of what we can do when we come together to work for common cause,” Antoine said.Early last week, the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) says notwithstanding the improved economic growth performance and public debt reduction in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) the growth is expected to be “moderate going forward”. The Washington-based financial institution commended the ECCB for advancing essential regional financial sector reforms and called for accelerating the progress to address financial system vulnerabilities within a wellsequenced plan. It also welcomed the pursuit for more financial innovation, recommending that the ECCB’s digital currency pilot project should proceed with caution.
Dr Kenneth George
home quarantine while moderate to high risk individuals will be sent to mandatory quarantine. Additionally, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has advised residents of Barbados against all non-essential travel to Italy with immediate effect. (BGIS)
Brazil recalls ‘all’ diplomats, officials Guaido made the proclamainBrasília Venezuela tion early last year following the opposition-controlled - (AFP) - Brazil recalled its entire corps of diplomats and foreign service officials from Venezuela while ordering the government of Nicolas Maduro to pull out its representatives in Brazil, a government source told AFP last week, further hardening ties between the two. Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro had already branded the government of radical leftist Maduro a “dictatorship” and he, in return, has called Bolsonaro a “fascist.” “No-one will remain in all of Venezuela,” said the source after the Official Journal revealed on Thursday that four diplomats and 10 officials were ordered home from the Brazilian embassy and consulates in Venezuela. The Official Journal cited the foreign ministry in saying that staff would be withdrawn from the embassy and the
President Jair Bolsonaro consulate in Caracas, the consulate in Ciudad Guayana and the vice consulate in Santa Elena de Uairen, on the Brazilian border. The withdrawn diplomats include Rodolfo Braga, the head of the embassy, and Elza Moreira Marcelino de Castro, the consul general in Caracas. Brazil is one of the more than 50 countries to have recognized the claim of Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido to be his country’s acting president.
parliament’s branding of Maduro as a usurper over his 2018 re-election in a poll widely derided as rigged. Brasilia has also recognized the ambassador to Brazil appointed by Guaido, Maria Teresa Belandria. The last Maduro-appointed ambassador to Brazil was withdrawn in 2016. The government source who spoke to AFP didn’t say when the recall would be completed but Brazilian media said it will be done within two months. However, the measure does not mean the embassy will be closed, the source said. There are an estimated 10,000 Brazilians living in Venezuela who could be affected by the measure. “The Brazilian government is considering how assistance will be provided,” the source said.
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Min. Broomes visits school children, police officers injured in Bath protests
Minister Broomes interacts with Reon Mobb who suffered a severe head injury Minister Simona Broomes visited the four school children and two police officers who were injured yesterday, during protests at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice. The Minister of Youth Affairs stopped at several homes along the West Coast Berbice where the children and their parents reside. Among them was 14-year-old, Orissa Noble. Noble was among several students returning from school on a David ‘G’ School
bus plying the route along the West Coast Berbice Public Road when disgruntled protestors pelted bottles and other objects at the bus. The Fort Wellington Secondary School student told the minister she never expected the bus to come under attack. She was traumatised. “I don’t want to remember what happened yesterday,” Orissa said.Moriah Jaque, another student in the bus, remembered hiding under the
Orissa Noble shows Minister Broomes a minor injury she suffered seat and fainting. “We are innocent. No child in Guyana should go through this.” Reon Mobb, also of Fort Wellington Secondary School, sustained a gash to his head after a shard of glass or a bottle, he believed, struck his head. By the time he sought to secure himself, he realised he was already bleeding.He recounted, “I looked at my colleagues running under the seat to hide. If they did not get under the seat to hide, so many things
would have happened.” Christopher Srikishun of Blairmont, Jaguar Philander of Ithaca Village and Beyoncé Noble of Belladrum were also students on board who received visits from Minister Broomes. After visiting the children at their homes, the minister noted that the actions of the protesters have been condemned. “You have children ... Why would you attack a bus carrying children? They should be ashamed,” she
Sergeant Punit Nauth Ibaran currently an inpatient at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital, receives a visit from Simona Broomes and Yonnett Stephen, Police Commander, Region Five. said Sergeant Punit Nauth Ibaran of the Blairmont Police Station was one of the policemen injured when the ranks attempted to quell the protests. He was visited by the minister at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital where he is currently recovering. Ibaran said he was doing his job, which is to provide service and protection. Instead, he was met with a slew of insults and was then attacked. “I am a police officer
to serve and protect. But they felt that I am against them,” he said. Region Five Commander, Yonnett Stephen, who accompanied the minister granted Sergeant Ibaran’s request to be transferred. Also visited by Minister Broomes was Tissie Wallerson, a Riot Unit officer on Number 30 village, West Coast Berbice. Wallerson is recovering from a severe injury to her foot while she was fleeing from the crowd.
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Lowenfield prepares to announce elections results -Opposition commissioners refuse invitation to meet
Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield pposition-nomi nated commis sioners have refused to meet as a Commission. They refused an invitation by Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, to a meeting which suggested that he is prepared to announce the results of the general elections. Last evening, Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Robeson Benn and Bibi Shadick, made it clear that they are not meeting as there is a current matter before the courts. And in any case, it would constitute contempt. “…We will not respond to any such or further invitations from the Chief Elections
O
Officer, Keith Lowenfield or Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh, while the court proceedings are still extant.”The meeting of the commission will be among the last steps before a notice is sent by the Commission to the Chancellor (ag) of the Judiciary, Yonette CummingsEdwards, to swear in as President, David Granger who is leading the Coalition and which has been given the controversial lead in the voting. According to the three commissioners, they received an e-mail last evening from Lowenfield, which was addressed to the Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and copied to all Commissioners of GECOM. It indicated he is ready with the results from the Returning Officers for General and Regional Elections 2020 from Districts 1–10. “In accordance with Cap 1: 03 Section 99, I have prepared the final report for submission to the Commission. In this regard, a request is made for a meeting of the Commission at your earliest convenience.” However, the Opposition commissioners made it clear that they will not be party to the invitation as there are mat-
ters involving the results before the court. In fact, there is a critical decision involving jurisdiction in which the Chief Justice, Roxane GeorgeWiltshire, is expected to rule on today. ”We consider this invitation to meet as a flagrant attempt to breach the Order of Court and a naked attempt by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, to suborn us to breach an Order of Court and exposing us to liability for contempt of court. As holders of a constitu-
tional office, we are at all times obligated to obey the Constitution and other laws of Guyana and we consider this invitation to meet as not only a violation of our duty to uphold the Constitution but also an invitation to subvert the course of justice.” The commissioners said that they wish to reiterate that their unconditional position is that Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03 of the Laws of Guyana was not complied with by the Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont
Mingo, last week after he abandoned a number of critical verification processes, sparking protests by the international communities and local observers. “…and therefore the purported declaration of the votes recorded for each list of candidates is invalid, null, void and of no effect,” the three Opposition commissioners said last evening in their statement. The commissioners also point out that they were served with court orders halting any announcements.
The elections have been married with violence with one dead and school children injured. The results, which are being contested, are being loudly condemned by international community, observers and local bodies which are questioning the tabulation process. The elections have been described as one of the biggest with the future of the two political giants hanging in balance and with control of the oil industry for the next five years at stake.
We are not going: Commissioners Bibi Shadick, Robeson Benn, Sase Gunraj
Armoured vehicle to be deployed for disorder – Guyana Police Force Guyanese and those looking in were on Friday subjected to violent riots and chaotic protests by supporters of the opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C). This chaos and the after effects resulted in millions of dollars in destruction and in blood being shed. One protester, 18-year-old Devon Subhan, succumbed to gunshot wounds after he reportedly injured two police officers who were trying to keep the peace. Tyres were burned, roads were blocked and innocent children and bystanders were injured. This stemmed from anger at the Guyana Elections Commission’s declaration of the unverified District Four results. The Guyana Police Force, in a statement issued yesterday, stated that they have “been examining a piece of recently acquired Public Or-
der Equipment” and are considering deploying it. That piece of equipment is a heavily amoured vehicle, which, according to research is only employed for reconnaissance, internal security,
armed escort, and other subordinate battle tasks. The GPF cited the “situations across the Administrative Divisions which resulted in the death of a civilian, injuries to several Police ranks
An image of the Armoured vehicle acquired by the Guyana Police Force
and infrastructural damages” as the underlying reason. Further, the police sought to remind the general public of their mission statement which says that “the Guyana Police Force and its auxilia-
ries are to serve all the citizens and communities of Guyana in a professional, proactive and accountable manner.” “To achieve this, we will work in partnership with communities, public agencies
and private bodies to enhance and support an environment where all people are preventing crime and building a safer and secure Guyana,” the GPF mission statement said.
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Sunday March 08, 2020
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Mohammed turns tables on Pride with unbeaten hundred TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Jason Mohammed’s 11th first class hundred put Barbados Pride’s five-game winning streak under threat as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force took command of their seventh round encounter here yesterday. Trailing by 21 runs on first innings after Pride were dismissed for 260 early on yesterday’s penultimate day, Red Force produced one of their best batting efforts of the Regional Four-Day campaign to pile up 343 for nine in their second innings, with Mohammed hammering a classy unbeaten 113. Barbadian Kyle Hope chipped in with 67 at the top
Jason Mohammed … struck an unbeaten hundred. (file photo) of the order and Akeal Hosein stroked a better than run-a-
ball 55, as the hosts pressed home their advantage to take
Sunday March 08, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) An evening at home with your sweetheart could seem very appealing today, Aries. Sex and romance are very much on your mind, and you might surprise yourself with how Earthy you feel. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Communication with a significant other might hit a brick wall, and you may not be able to get through. Money could be coming in the mail, but probably won't arrive today. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You are passionate by nature, Gemini, but the strength of your desires might surprise even you today. You're feeling especially romantic and even sexier than usual. CANCER (June 21–July 22) ommunications with family members and others should be clear, honest, and loving. Although your physical passions may be surging beneath the surface today, they're still very much present.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're a born romantic by nature, Libra, but today you're likely to think more in terms of physical passion than idealized romance. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Even if you aren't romantically involved, you're likely to feel especially passionate today and anxious to schedule an intimate evening with someone who's caught your eye. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) While you are Earthy by nature and enjoy physical passion, Sagittarius, this might seem even more pronounced today. Racy novels and movies could be especially appealing. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your mind isn't likely to be on the job today. That could cause a number of problems. You might be feeling especially romantic.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A phone call from your sweetheart might bring out your passionate, romantic side today, Leo. You'll probably have a lot to do, and therefore not be able to meet with him or her until late.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) A renewed sense of physical vigor could have you plunging with determination into whatever projects you need to do today. However, your mind won't really be on them, Aquarius, as you could be feeling especially passionate now.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) As someone who tends to operate through your intellect, Virgo, you might be surprised by the surge of romantic passion that comes your way at this time. For today at least, your values might shift from the intellectual to the physical.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're in a romantic mood today, Pisces. You're more likely to notice attractive strangers you pass on the street, and attract admiring glances from t hem! Racy novels and movies could seem more appealing than usual.
a 322-run lead into Sunday’s final day at the Brian Lara Stadium. Red Force have not won in the championship since they beat Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the second round, suffering two defeats and stalemates in the last four fixtures. Seeking to break that poor run of form, they needed just 10 balls to wrap up the Pride innings as the visitors added only six runs to their overnight 254 for nine. Fast bowler Anderson Phillip added the wicket to fall to his tally to end with six for 59. Hope then provided the early impetus for Red Force in an innings requiring 126 balls in just over 2-½ hours and including 11 fours. He put on 45 for the first wicket with debutant Cephas Cooper (14) and then added a further 34 for the second with Isaiah Rajah who spent nearly 50 minutes over three, as Red Force reached lunch on 88 for two. Cooper fell softly after facing 37 balls in an hour at the crease, clipping an ordinary full length delivery from medium pacer Kyle Mayers to short mid-wicket while the left-handed Rajah played down the wrong line to off-spinner Ashley Nurse
England beat Wales... From page 59 but England quickly regained control of the ball, territory and scoreboard, with two more penalties for a 10-point lead. That was stretched to a decisive 17 when patient and sustained attacking allowed Tuilagi to walk in the third try. ‘TOO LITTLE TOO LATE’ England said this week that they were annoyed not to have found a way to get a bonus point when they had Ireland under the pump two weeks ago and the same thing happened yesterday as they spent most of the last 20 minutes defending their line. Genge’s yellow, followed by the red for Tuilagi, eventually opened the door for Wales to make the scoreboard close with a try for Dan Biggar and a second for Tipuric, but they go into their final game against Scotland in Cardiff next week on the back of a hugely disappointing title defence. “Unfortunately they capitalised on a couple of bits of indiscipline and kept the scoreboard moving,” said Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones. “It shows what we can do with those two tries. It was too little too late in the end.”
(4-70) and was trapped lbw. After the break, Hope extended his third wicket stand with Mohmmed to 45 before finally perishing in the seventh over following the resumption, bowled by one from left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-69) that spun past his defensive prod and rocked off-stump. Unbeaten on nine at lunch Mohammed, took charge for Red Force, punching 15 fours off 221 balls in 4-½ hours at the crease. He posted significant partnerships of 46 for the fifth wicket with Jyd Goolie (16) and 86 for the seventh with Hosein, who belted seven fours in a 52-ball cameo. On 62 at tea with Red Force on 200 for five, Mohammed reached his landmark in the final hour when he drove fast bowler Chemar Holder crisply to the straight boundary. Scores: RED FORCE 239 (Joshua DaSilva 77, Kyle Hope 40, Isaiah Rajah 33; Chemar Holder 4-68, Kevin Stoute 330, Kyle Mayers 3-39) and
343 for nine (Jason Mohammed 113 not out, Kyle Hope 67, Akeal Hosein 55; Ashley Nurse 4-70). PRIDE 260 (Shane Dowrich 96, Ashley Nurse 81; Anderson Phillip 6-59). In the other match: Scorpions (381 & 60) vs Volcanoes (217) & 51-3 – 3rd day, 7th round ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Windward Islands Volcanoes, set 225 for victory by Jamaica Scorpions, reached 51 for three in their second innings on the third day of their seventh round match in the Regional FourDay Championship at the National Stadium here yesterday. S c o r e s : SCORPIONS 381 (Nkrumah Bonner 135, Paul Palmer 114 not out, Jermaine Blackwood 68, Paul Palmer 65 not out; Preston McSween 6-64) and 60 (Ryan John 4-26, Kenneth Dember 3-9, Preston McSween 3-23). VOLCANOES 217 (Devon Smith 72, Keron Cottoy 48, Andre Fletcher 33; Marquino Mindley 4-48, Jamie Merchant 3-46) and 51 for three (Patrick Harty 2-7).
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GCB Superbet Female Inter County
Prahalad five for hands Berbice huge win; Thompson, Mohamed, Schultz shine in Demerara victory By Zaheer Mohamed Dian Prahalad grabbed her maiden five-wicket haul at this level to lead Berbice to a 10-wicket victory over Essequibo, while Demerara, led by a fine half century from Akaze Thompson and incisive spells from Haseena Mohamed and Kaysia Schultz, beat the Select U19 team by 242 runs when play in the Guyana Cricket Board Superbet Senior Female Inter County 50-over tournament continued yesterday. Essequibo opted to bat at Enmore and were sent packing for 35 in 18 overs.
Varuni Pitamber and Shazana Majeed put on 18 for the opening stand before they both fell with the score on 18. Pitamber was run out for six, while Majeed was bowled by Prahalad for two. Skipper Kumarie Persaud was caught off Plaffiana Millington for four before Khemwattie Tulshi fell lbw to Millington without scoring as Essequibo were reduced to 26-4. Rhona James became Prahalad second victim when she was bowled for three, while Kerisa Christian was run out without scoring as
Women CWC Brathwaite to act as TV umpire in T20 final ST JOHN’s, Antigua, CMC – Barbadian umpire Gregory Brathwaite has been named among the match officials for today’s final of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia. The 50-year-old will act as television umpire for the match between defending champions Australia and unbeaten India, which will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday night (3 am this morning Eastern Caribbean time). One of the most experienced match officials i n t h e We s t I n d i e s , Brathwaite is officiating in his sixth global event, after having been involved at the regional level for over a decade. “On behalf of Cricket West Indies we want to congratulate Gregory on his appointment as television umpire for the final of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” said Roland Holder, Cricket
West Indies’ senior operations manager. “He is a dedicated and committed umpire who has made progress on the international stage. We are confident that he will equip himself very well. “This tournament is a major event on the global cricket stage. To have one of our umpires participating in the final along with the fact that we just had Jacqueline Williams as the first female umpire in a men’s T20I are signs of the improving standards.” Brathwaite made his international breakthrough in 2011 in an One-Day International between Canada and Afghanistan and has so far stood in 44 ODI and 28 T20 Internationals. In today’s final, Hasan Raza of Pakistan and Kim Cotton of New Zealand will serve as the standing umpires while the fourth official will be Langton Rusere of Zimbabwe.
Barcelona marathon postponed due to coronavirus BARCELONA (Reuters) The Barcelona marathon scheduled for next weekend has been postponed until October to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Barcelona’s city hall said in a statement yesterday. The race was due to take place on March 15 but has been rescheduled for Oct. 25
following a meeting between the city hall’s sport department and local and regional health authorities. Spain’s health ministry has reported 441 cases of the virus, leading to eight deaths. One hundred and seventy four cases have been reported in Madrid, with 24 in Catalonia.
Essequibo continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Prahalad and Millington then wrapped up the rest of the batting with Prahalad finishing with 5-7 from six overs and Millington 3-11 from six overs. Berbice wasted little time in knocking off the total as they finished on 39 without loss in 5.1 overs. Katana Mentore struck two fours in an unbeaten 20, while Marina Samaroo made six. Prahalad was voted player of the match. At Bourda, Demerara beat the Select U19 by 242 runs to set up an exciting finish to the competition today. Demerara batted first and posted 326-6. M a n d y Mangru and Lashuna Toussaint handed them a solid start as they added 104 for the first wicket before Mangru was caught off Naomi Barkoye for 43 which included six fours, while Toussaint was caught off Lisa Charles for 34. Latoya Smith hit a run-aball 33, while Kavita Yadram was dismissed for three, however Akaze Thompson and Heema Singh frustrated their opponents with a fifth wicket stand of 105.
Akaze Thompson accepts her player of the match trophy from Marketing Assistant of Superbet Nickoli Primo. Thompson struck five fours in a top score of 87 before she was run out while Singh remained not out on 36. In reply, Lisa Charles and Vinita Balkishun put on 29 for the opening stand before the Select U19 lost Balkishun for two. Tilleye Madramootoo was run out for three, while
Barkoye was lbw to Haseena Mohamed for seven as the Select U19 were restricted to 36-3. Apart from Charles who stroked three fours in a top score of 23, no other batters managed double figures as Mohamed and Kaysia Schultz combined to bowl their team to victory, sharing eight wickets between them. The
Select U19 fell for 84 in 26 overs. Mohamed claimed 4-2 from two overs, while Schultz captured 4-26 from 10. Thompson was named player of the match. The competition concludes today with Berbice facing Demerara at Bourda and The Select U19 playing Essequibo at Enmore.
Australia eye fifth T20 world title in front of huge crowd AFP - Australian captain Meg Lanning says her team are “pumped” for their defence of the women’s Twenty20 World Cup against India today with hopes high that more than 90,000 fans will cram the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground. They go into the final as favourites, courtesy of being the s p o r t ’s dominant side, winning four of the six tournaments s o f a r, i n c o n trast to Harmanpreet Kaur’s India, who are in their first decider. But with large numbers of Indian fans expected in the 100,000-capacity arena, there will be little in the way of home advantage. Organisers have set their sights on beating the official world attendance record for a women’s sporting fixture today, to coincide with International Women’s Day. That was set at the 1999 football World Cup final, when 90,185
watched the United States beat China at the Rose Bowl in California. While widely accepted as the benchmark, an estimated 110,000 are said to have attended the Mexico-Denmark women’s World Cup Championships final in 1971, but it was not a sanctioned event. Pop superstar Katy P e r r y, w h o t h i s w e e k revealed she is pregnant, has been recruited to help get punters through the turnstiles, performing before and after the game. As of Friday, more than 75,000 tickets had been sold for a match that marks the culmination of a 17day, 10-team, tournament that has proved both entertaining and competitive. “It seems like it has sort of fallen into place a little bit, and Sunday (today) is going to be massive,” said Lanning ahead of Australia playing their sixth successive final. “So hopefully there is 90,000 people there. Everything’s been done that could possibly be
done, and we’re just really pumped we get to be out in the middle and play in front of everyone.” The final will be a repeat of the tournament opener, when India upset Australia by 17 runs after leg-spinner Poonam Yadav ran riot. It made every game afterwards a virtual mustwin for Lanning’s team, and they rose to the task despite tournament-ending injuries to Tayla Vlaeminck and Ellyse Perry. After beating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, they edged New Zealand before overcoming South Africa in a nerve-shredding and rain-affected semi-final. “It’s been a hard road, certainly not smooth, but we’ve given ourselves a chance,” said Lanning, who is wary of the threat posed by India. “They’re a class side, they’ve been playing excellent cricket through the tournament.” - A lot of love India went through the group phase as the only unbeaten side, on the back of
quality spin bowling and the exploits of teenage batting prodigy Shafali Verma. After upsetting Australia, they beat Bangladesh, New Zealand and then Sri Lanka before automatically making the final as Group A winners after their semi-final against England was washed out. “Rather than thinking about what is going to trouble us, it’s only about being there, enjoying the moment and giving our best,” said Kaur. “One thing we have to keep in mind, Sunday is a fresh day, a fresh start. We have to start from ball one.” Like Lanning, she is relishing the chance to be part of a match that has the potential to take w o m e n ’s c r i c k e t t o another level. “We were hoping we’d get there because everybody’s feeling very positive about women’s cricket at the moment,” she said. “We will try to give our best. If we win, definitely we’ll get a lot of attention and a lot of love from back home.”
Sunday March 08, 2020
Kieron Pollard sidelined from PSL 2020 with niggle ESPNcricinfo - Kieron Pollard, the most experienced player in T20 cricket, has been ruled out of his PSL stint with Peshawar Zalmi due to a niggle in his right thigh. The West Indies captain, who recently reached 10,000 runs in his 500th game in the shortest format, was initially slated to join the Peshawar squad after his international commitments. However, he has now been sidelined, having experienced “tightness” in his right quad. Fellow West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite had been named as Pollard’s temporary replacement, and has already played two matches this season. In the wake of Pollard’s injury, Brathwaite will now stay with Peshawar’s squad for the rest of the PSL. “I’m sorry I can’t be there in person this year but the team has some inspirational characters leading the charge and I’m sure can give Daren [Sammy] his first trophy as a head coach,” Pollard said in a statement released by the PSL. England allrounder Lewis Gregory can also be a like-forlike replacement for Pollard in
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Kieron Pollard smashes one into the leg side. (PCB/PSL) the XI. He had made a splash on his PSL debut, taking 4 for 24 in a Man-of-the-Match performance against Lahore Qalandars. In all, Pollard has featured in 13 matches for Peshawar, scoring 284 runs and taking five wickets. Earlier this week, Daren
Sammy had stepped down from captaincy and took over a new role as head coach-cum-player for Peshawar. Peshawar are currently placed second on the points table, behind table-toppers Multan, with four wins in eight games.
England beat Wales despite Tuilagi red card to stay in Six Nations hunt LONDON (Reuters) Tries by Anthony Watson, Elliot Daly and Manu Tuilagi drove England to a more convincing victory over Wales than the 33-30 scoreline suggested yesterday, but what the result means for the coronavirus-hit Six Nations championship remains to be seen. England led 20-9 at the break and looked to be running away with the game by extending the score to 3316 after an hour but, down to 13 men after a yellow card for prop Ellis Genge and a red for centre Tuilagi for a dangerous tackle, they were cut open by the defending champions for two late tries. England’s third successive victory takes them to 13 points, level with unbeaten France, who play in Scotland today. Ireland are on nine points, also with two games remaining. For Wales, it was a third successive defeat, a year after winning the Grand Slam. England will now have to wait for a rearranged date for their final game in Italy, hoping that France slip up in one of their last two games to open the door to the title. Ireland are also in limbo over their home game against Italy, originally scheduled for earlier yesterrday.
It was Wales’ highestever score at Twickenham but furious England coach Eddie Jones said they were only allowed to reach it because it ended up as “13 against 16”. Asked to elaborate, he told journalists: “Work it out yourselves. “I find it bizarre, I usually don’t comment but I don’t see how you can tackle a guy, how else are you supposed to tackle him? This bit about where your arms are - what a load of rubbish,” he said. Tuilagi’s no-arms hit on a falling George North resembled the sort of offence that was penalised relentlessly during last year’s World Cup after a World Rugby directive but Jones remained unconvinced. “I think there’s no common sense applied in that situation. It’s absolute rubbish. Clearly the guy’s falling, there’s a good chop tackle, Manu’s coming over the top to kill the tackle and doing everything he’s supposed to be doing – come on. “When you have a threeman advantage it’s going to do some damage, so I thought we were exceptional. It was a good, tough win.” The late rush of Welsh points brought a strange feel to a game that England
controlled for more than an hour. They struck early, just as they did against Ireland, with a brilliant try as Ben Youngs fired a superb reverse pass to Watson, to jink his way over the line. Wales stayed in the game with two Leigh Halfpenny penalties but they were short of ideas when they had the ball, routinely kicking away possession. It felt as if England were comfortably on top and they eventually got the points to reflect it when razor-sharp passing by Owen Farrell and George Ford sent Daly over in the left corner. Farrell converted both tries and added two penalties to make it 20-9 at halftime. A year ago they led 10-3 at the break in Cardiff but Wales stormed back to win 21-13 and within a minute of the restart yesterday they were back within four points after England’s defence fell apart from their own kickoff, allowing Wales to pour through at pace and send flanker Justin Tipuric under the posts. Twickenham was stunned, with half the crowd still returning to their seats via the hastily-installed hand sanitizers around the ground, (Continued on page 57)
Injured Halep and Kerber pull out of Indian Wells Norton applauds U20 footballers (Reuters) - Former world number ones Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber have pulled out of next week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells after failing to recover from injuries. The tournament is the season’s first Premier Mandatory event and Romanian Halep, the reigning Wimbledon champion, has not shaken off a foot problem. “I’m incredibly disappointed to have to withdraw from the 2020 BNP Paribas Open,” Halep, the world number two, said in a statement on the tournament’s Twitter handle. “Unfortunately, the foot injury that I picked up before Dubai is still causing me trouble and I will be unable to recover in time
Romania’s Simona Halep in action during the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina. (REUTERS/ Ahmed Jadallah/file photo)
to travel to Indian Wells.” Halep, who won the Dubai title last month, was champion at Indian Wells in 2015. Three-times Grand Slam champion Kerber has not recovered from a leg injury and the 32-year-old is also set to miss this month’s Miami Open. “My patience is being tested these days as I’m still recovering from a left leg injury,” the German, last year’s runner-up at Indian Wells, wrote on Instagram. “I was hoping to be ready in time for the upcoming tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, but my medical team advised me to give it a little bit more rest.”
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton wishes to extend heartiest congratulations to both the Guyana National U20 Men’s and Women’s Teams for their historic performances in the 2 0 2 0 C o n c a c a f Championships, a release noted. The U-20 Women’s reached the quarter-finals stage of their Concacaf qualifier and have proven to the football world that they can compete and challenge the powerhouse nations within the Confederation at this level. Qualifying in 2019 for the group stage, these young women won six consecutive games - an unprecedented achievement in the history of the Guyana Women’s U20 football. The U20 Men’s squad have also represented
Dr. George Norton themselves and their country with great pride, having won three of their four Qualifier matches, only conceding one goal in the process. The recent performances of the Guyana Football
Federation Youth National Teams are another defining moment moment for the country, signalling to the powerhouses of Concacaf that Guyana has arrived. We must acknowledge that these achievements are no accident. Rather, it is a clear indication that the Guyana Football F e d e r a t i o n ’s National Football Development Philosophy’s and robust Youth Development Strategy are producing top class performers and coaches. Not to mention, the continued support and commitment from the Coalition Government. As the Minister responsible for Culture, Youth and Sport, I commend these young, vibrant footballers and wish them every success in their future endeavours, the release concluded.
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NBA roundup: James, Lakers get best of Bucks LeBron James had 37 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 113-103 on Friday in a matchup of clubs with the NBA’s best records. Anthony Davis scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half for the Lakers, who won their third in a row and 10th in the past 11 contests. Davis also had nine rebounds. Kyle Kuzma added 11 points and eight rebounds. James hit 12 of 21 shots from the floor but missed six of his seven 3-point attempts. He also had three steals. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who lost for the second time in three games. Donte DiVincenzo scored 17 off the bench while Brook Lopez contributed 13 points before fouling out with 1:11 left. Khris Middleton had an off night, scoring 12 points on 5for-19 shooting. Eric Bledsoe finished with 11 points. Phoenix Suns 127 Portland Trail Blazers 117 Short-handed Phoenix rode the hot hand of backup center Aron Baynes to end a
four-game losing streak with a win over visiting Portland. Baynes, starting in place of Deandre Ayton (ankle), made a career high nine 3pointers — five in first quarter — and scored a career-high 37 points with 16 rebounds. Baynes’ previous career bests were 26 points and four 3-pointers. CJ McCollum’s 25 points led the Blazers, who got 23 points and 20 rebounds from Hassan Whiteside. Damian Lillard added 24 points for Portland. Oklahoma City Thunder 126 - New York Knicks 103 Danilo Gallinari scored a game-high 22 points to lead six Oklahoma City players in double figures during a win at New York. Chris Paul had 21 points and 12 assists for the Thunder, who won for the seventh time in nine games. Steven Adams finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points. Elfrid Payton (18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) flirted with a triple-double for the Knicks, who have lost eight of 10. RJ Barrett had 17 points while Julius Randle
finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Utah Jazz 99 - Boston Celtics 94 Mike Conley scored 25 points on a hot 3-point shooting night as visiting Utah overcame a poor performance from Donovan Mitchell to beat banged-up Boston. Jordan Clarkson added 17 points off the bench as the Jazz won their fourth straight despite Mitchell scoring just 11 on 3-of-15 shooting. Mitchell had torched the Celtics for 37 points in a 114103 loss at Utah last week. Marcus Smart had 29 points on his 26th birthday, and Jayson Tatum added 18 as the Celtics lost for the third time in four games and for the third straight time at home. Gordon Hayward (knee) and Jaylen Brown (hamstring) sat out for Boston. New Orleans Pelicans 110 Miami Heat 104 Josh Hart had a doubledouble and Brandon Ingram made two clutch jumpers in an otherwise poor shooting night as host New Orleans ended a three-game losing streak by defeating Miami. Hart came off the bench
Judge rules Ronaldinho must remain in Paraguayan jail ASUNCION (Reuters) - Former Brazilian international Ronaldinho Gaucho was ordered to remain in jail in Paraguay yesterday after a judge ruled him a flight risk. The ex-Barcelona forward was arrested on Friday for attempting to enter Paraguay with a false passport two days earlier and spent Friday night in a police cell along with his brother and business manager Roberto Assis. The pair asked to be released into house arrest but that was rejected by the judge, who also dismissed Assis’s claims to have a heart problem because he showed no proof. Judge Clara Ruiz Diaz said their alleged offence was a “serious one against the interests of the Paraguayan state”. Because the pair posed a flight risk they must remain in custody, she added. Under Paraguayan law, officials now have six months to complete their investigation but Ronaldinho’s lawyers, who called the decision “incredible,” are expected to present an appeal in the coming days. “He (Ronaldinho) doesn’t understand what’s going on,” Tarek Tuma told reporters. Saturday’s courtroom drama came after an astonishing four days that began on Wednesday when the duo attempted to enter Paraguay with doctored passports. They were detained but a prosecutor who believed they were tricked into taking the fake documents recommended they be released after receiving an alternative punishment such as paying a fine to charity. A judge, though, rejected that idea late on Friday and shortly afterwards the pair were arrested. A police official told local media the pair had been placed in a cell with one other inmate. They were given soap, cushions and repellent to protect against mosquitoes. Although workers at the facility took
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) grabs a rebound against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Alex Caruso (4) during the second half at Staples Center. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports) to score 19 points and grab 12 rebounds for the Pelicans. Jrue Holiday led the way with 20 points, and rookie Zion Williamson scored 17, breaking his string of 13 straight games with at least 20 points. Lonzo Ball added 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Jimmy Butler scored 28 for Miami, Duncan Robinson scored 24 on 8-for-14 3-point shooting, Goran Dragic scored 15 and Andre Iguodala had 10 for the Heat, whose four-game winning streak ended. In other results: Orlando Magic 132 Minnesota
Timberwolves 118 Washington Wizards 118 Atlanta Hawks 112 Brooklyn Nets 139 - San Antonio Spurs 120 Indiana Pacers 108 Chicago Bulls 102 Dallas Mavericks 121 Memphis Grizzlies 96 (Field Level Media)
Archer named USTFCCCA women’s athlete of the year
Ronaldinho handcuffed and escorted by police at the Supreme Court of Paraguay. (REUTERS/Jorge Adorno) selfies with the famous detainee, officials said the Brazilians did not receive any preferential treatment. Paraguayan television showed the two men arriving in court in handcuffs at around noon local time yesterday. The brothers were invited to Paraguay by a local casino owner and had arrived on Wednesday to take part in a soccer clinic for children and a book launch. Although he last played professionally in 2015, Ronaldinho, who also represented Brazilian clubs Atletico Mineiro, Flamengo and Fluminense, is still hugely popular with global football fans for his skills and showmanship. The 39-year-old was named FIFA world player of the year in 2004 and 2005 and won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006.
United Stated (U.S.) based student-athlete Joanna Archer continues to make headlines in the athletics arena and last week it was announced that the Monroe College second year student has been selected as the 2020 Atlantic Region Women’s Track Athlete by the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA). Archer, who speacialises in middle-distance races, came into the National Junior Colleges Athletic Association (NJCAA) Championships
with the top individual time in the 400-meter dash (55.72), 600-meter run (1:33.51) and 800-meter run (2:11.06) among Atlantic Region athletes. Her times in those events ranked second, first and second, respectively, in the entire NJCAA. Archer is also part of the U.S. nationally topranked 4x800 relay, and the nationally No. 2-ranked distance medley relay. In January, Archer became the third female athlete from Monroe-New Rochelle to be named NJCAA National
Athlete of the week during the indoor season – and the first since 2017. The South American Youth Games medalist; Joanna Archer, is the latest Guyanese athlete to make it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) circuit after being accepted to Texas Tech in January on a full scholarship in the coming academic year following her outstanding stint with Monroe College both academically and athletically. (Calvin Chapman)
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Time for Gayle to go - Philo Wallace
CWI’s Regional First-Class tourney
now in the team that they can move forward without a Chris Gayle,” said Wallace while speaking on the Calvin Alkins Delivery of the Day post-match show. “The point is that the opening spots are sealed and the young men are performing, so he [Gayle] finds himself pretty hard to get into the side to be honest,” Wallace said. Gayle is still one of the most successful batsmen in T20 cricket with two centuries, an average of 32.54, a strike rate of 142.84 for the West Indies and overall, only current Captain Kieron Pollard has played more matches than him in franchise cricket. The West Indies still have T20s against New Zealand,
Hodge, Jangoo fall short of tons as Jaguar chase leather all day
There is no longer a need for Chris Gayle in the West Indies T20 setup. So says former West Indies and Barbados player Philo Wallace, who thinks Gayle’s days are numbered after seeing the regional side coast to victory in their series against Sri Lanka on Friday. The opening batsman, Gayle, has not played a T20 match for the West Indies since March 8, 2019 versus England, but since then the return of Lendl Simmons, the consistency of Evin Lewis and the emergence of Brandon King have worked for the Windies. “Gayle is 40 years old now, he doesn’t move around as swiftly as he use to and I think there is enough depth
South Africa and Australia plus the Caribbean Premier League season before the World Cup, but Wallace believes that a decision should be made now. “I respect Chris’ record but if you are preparing as a defending champion to win a World Cup, then you should be part of the process leading up to the production. Chris hasn’t played for whatever reason, so look, I would stick with this team, add (Sunil) Narine and the Windies look really strong,” he said after yesterday’s series victory. The West Indies will open with a pair of tough matches against New Zealand and hosts Australia in their schedule at the World Cup in November.
Chris Gayle (Photo: Observer file)
UCCA Price Is Right T20 Cricket competition continues on Upper Corentyne Play in the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA), Price Is Right Supermarket T20 cricket Knock Out cricket Competition for teams in the Upper Corentyne and Black Bush Areas continued last Sunday with seven matches. Results of matches played saw Crabwood Creek Sports Club edging out No.73 Young Warriors by 1 run after making 143-6 in their 20 overs with B. Sukhan 51 and L. Seegobin 32. Bowling for No 73 YW E. Mohammed took 2 wickets as they replied with 142 with O. Singh 25, C. Pooran 20. Bowling for CWC SC Q. Khan 3 and J. Singh took 2 wickets. No70 A Spartans made 122-8 to beat No 64 Fighting Marines with 58 all out by 64 runs. Top scorers for No 70 A were M. Deochand 38 and A. Persaud 28. Bowling for Fighting Marines there were 3 wickets for R. Subhan and 2 for S. Khan. Leonard Sandy made 35 in their reply. Omesha Mathura picked up 4 wickets, N. Yakoob took 3 and O. Khemraj 2 wickets
for the winners. No 72 Cut and Load defeated No72 All Stars by 29 runs. Cut and Load 158-9 V Persaud 47, O. Persaud 31and M. Bhoj 30; P. Gobin, S. Singh and A. Harripersaud took 2 wickets each for No 72 All Stars who in reply made 129 with O. Harripersaud scored 42. Bowling for Cut and Load N. Alli took 3 wickets, Davenand and Davendra Chatterpaul and R. Persaud 2 each. No 69 Red Rose won from No 43 Scorpions by 11 runs after making 80 with R. Ramsingh 21. Bowling for Scorpions C. Drepaul and P. Phaghoo took 3 wickets each, A. Honsenkas 2. No 43 Red Scorpions made 69. Dukeston Warriors with 73, K. Beresford 26 edged Skeldon Titans 70 by 3 runs. Bowling for Skeldon H. Hosssein took 3, M. Bacchus and C. Felix 2 each. They in reply made 70. Clevland Beresford took 3 wickets, while Sherwin Murray and Wayne Garnett 2 each
bowling for Dukestown. No 68 Turn Team 110-3, G. Persaud 50 to edge No 69 Vikings 106-8; S. Pasram 24, V. Gooniah 21 by 4 runs. Bowling for 68 Turn Team there were 2 wickets each for H. Ramroop and T. Persaud. Scottsburg United defeated No 73 Mandir by 66 runs. Scottsburg made 133 with Nocolai Ceres 30 and S. Khan 28. Bowling for No 73 Mandir K. Drup 2 wickets, they were bowled out for 67. S. Khan picked up 5 and S. Rasheed 2 wickets bowling for Scottsburg. The competition is expected to continue today with three more matches at the quarter final stage. Prizes will be awarded to the top two teams as well as outstanding individual performers. The UCCA is being led by businessman Dennis D’Andrade. The competition is being coordinated by the UCCA competitions committee which is being led former National wicketkeeper batsman Sydney Jackman. (Samuel Whyte)
By Sean Devers Guyana Jaguars chased leather all day yesterday in sweltering heat at Providence as the Leew a r d s H u r r i c a n e s batted out the entire penultimate day of their CWI’s Regional First-Class seventh round encounter with Monchin Hodge and Amit Jangoo just missing out on centuries, while Jahmar Hamilton made 68. Hodge, who fell for 98 from 373 ball and 419 minutes with nine fours and Jangoo, who faced 250 balls and for 300 minutes in 90 which was decorated with 10 fours a six, added 171 for the third wicket after Ross Powell was dismissed at 40-2 on Friday. Jahmar Hamilton faced 75 balls and batted from 115 minutes. He hit 10 fours and a six in his 68 and put together 80 with Terrence Ward (21) for the seventh wickets as the Hurricanes reached 355-7 by the end of the penultimate day enjoying a lead of 94 runs. Left-arm spinner Veerasammy Persaud had 391 to move to 48 scalps for the tournament and Leftarm seamer Raymon Reifer, who had 2-67 were the fivetimes defending Champions’ best bowlers yesterday. The Jaguars, led by 90 from Vishaul Singh had made 261 all out in 107 overs in their first innings. On a day blessed with glorious sunshine and clear blue skies, a small gathering saw the Hurricanes overnight pair of Hodge and Trinidadian Jangoo bat out the entire first session with little worry on a slow, flat track to score 88 runs in two and half hours.
The 32-year-old Hodge reached his half-century first; his 30th fifty at this level came from 280 balls, 275 minutes with six boundaries as he and Jangoo had no real problems against an unpentrative attack. The 22-year-old lefthanded Jangoo swept 20year-old off spinner Kevin Sinclair for four to post his seventh first-class fifty from 178 balls, 186 minutes with six boundaries as the pair continued to bat in positive fashion. Jangoo took a liking to Sinclair, who bowled in limited overs mode and rarely looked threatening. Insisting on bowling from around the wicket to the left-hander and plagued by no-ball issues, Sinclair was hit over his head and lofted over mid-four for a four and a six by Jangoo, while Hodge was the more watchful of the two as they batted to Lunch with the Hurricanes on 161-2. After the interval, Jangoo danced into Sinclair and thumped him over mid-off for four and when the second new ball was taken, flicked Christopher Barnwell for f o u r, w h i l e A n g u i l l a n Hodge stroked a bullet-like drive back past Smith’s ankles for four. Hodge was let off on 68 with the score on 189-2 when wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble dropped a difficult leg-side offering off Smith, diving full length to his left. The partnership was finally broken when Permaul trapped Jangoo LBW 10 short of his
maiden ton. Keacy Carty deposited Permaul for a straight six before he was taken at slip off of Reifer for a cameo 22 from 20 balls with three fours and a six to leave the visitors on 251-4 at Tea. After Tea, Hodge and Jahmar Hamilton resumed and Hodge smashed Reifer past cover and edged him to third-man for consecutive boundaries. The pair give their team a first innings lead, but with the score on 266-4 with a slim five runs lead, Hodge played a loose shot with not much movement of the left foot across and nicked a catch to Bramble to fall just two short of what would have been his fifth First-Class hundred to leave the Hurricanes on 266-5. Hamilton and Terrence Wa r d a d d e d a n o t h e r frustrating partnership in the last season as Hamilton, who dominated the stand, scored freely and reached his 24th 50 and fourth for the season from 68 balls, 107 minutes with nine fours before he missed a big swipe at Permaul and was bowled at 348-6. Motie removed ward at 348 before Rahkeem Cornwall (1) and Jerimiah Louis (6) saw their team to the close. Today is the final day and play is scheduled to commence at 09:30 hrs. Scores: JAGUARS 261 (Vishaul Singh 90, Raymon Reifer 43, Leon Johnson 35; Jeremiah Louis 4-49, Rahkeem Cornwall 4-95). HURRICANES 355 for seven (Montcin Hodge 98, Amir Jangoo 90, Jahmar Hamilton 67 not out; Veerasammy Permaul 3-91, Raymon Reifer 2-67).
Players banned from handing towels to ball-kids in Indian Wells LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Players will be banned from handing their towels to ballkids at next week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, organisers said on Friday. The exchange of sweaty towels between players and ball-kids between points has long been a source of contention in the sport due to hygiene reasons. Tournament officials said players will have to place and fetch towels themselves - a
chair will be placed at the back of the court for their use. Ball-kids will also wear gloves. Player and fan interaction will also be limited and all common areas at the facility in the Southern California desert will be cleaned daily with an antiviral application, the tournament said. Restaurant and food supply workers will wear gloves, N95 masks will be available if needed for first aid and health personnel. The tournament is coordinating
with local hospitals and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to approve testing for individuals with symptoms. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency following the death of an elderly person - the first fatality in the region from the virus. The virus has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide, killed more than 3,400 people and spread across more than 90 nations.
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Kaieteur News
Liverpool get back on track as Wolves top-four bid stalls LONDON (Reuters) Liverpool emerged from their recent mini-slump slump to get their Premier League title procession back on track with a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield yesterday. Their 22nd successive top-flight win at home, breaking the English record set by Bill Shankly’s side in 1972, was sealed by goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane after Callum Wilson had given Bournemouth a shock lead. It restored their 25-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table, and three more wins are all that are now required to rubber-stamp Liverpool’s first title for 30 years. Goals were in short supply elsewhere, especially at Molineux where Wolverhampton Wanderers spurned a golden chance to move above Chelsea and into the top four as they were held 0-0 at home by relegation scrappers Brighton and Hove Albion. Brighton’s point was all the more precious as the other sides in the relegation mire lost. They have 29 points in 15th place, two points ahead of a trio of sides immediately below them. Alexandre Lacazette’s late goal gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over West Ham United, putting them level on 40 points with Tottenham
Hotspur who were away at Burnley later yesterday. West Ham remain above 18th-placed Bournemouth on goal difference. Watford, like West Ham and Bournemouth, have 27 points after they came back to earth with a bump following their 3-0 win over Liverpool last weekend — Jordan Ayew scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win for Crystal Palace. Bottom club Norwich City’s hopes of survival took another hit as they lost 1-0 at Sheffield United who moved up to sixth place, level on 43 points with Wolves. Norwich are still only six points from the safety zone but time is running out. Newcastle United’s relegation fears look all but over, though, after a 1-0 win secured at Southampton by Allan Saint-Maximin’s late goal. Southampton played a large chunk of the match with 10 men after Moussa Djenepo was sent off after via a VAR review for a stamp on Isaac Hayden. Liverpool were far from their best but midfielder James Milner said it was important to respond from three defeats in their last four games in all competitions, especially as they face Atletico Madrid next week seeking to overturn a 10 deficit in the Champions League last 16. “It was important that the boys showed great attitude to come back after some iffy results,” Milner said.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scores their first goal versus AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. (Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine) “It’s impossible to go through a season without an iffy spell, but it’s about how you are going to come through that and the boys are working hard.” They made the worst possible start when, after nine minutes, Wilson slotted home for Bournemouth although he appeared to get away with a
shove on Joe Gomez in the build-up. Juergen Klopp was furious and celebrated like a man possessed when his side were gifted a 25th-minute equaliser when Jack Simpson lost possession just outside his penalty area and Mane played in Salah to finish lethally for his 70th goal in his
100th Premier League start. Mane then fired Liverpool ahead after racing on to Virgil van Dijk’s through ball. Mane also hit the woodwork in the second half and although the hosts laboured at times they stretched their un b e a t e n league run at Anfield to 55. Results from Saturday
7th March 2020: Liverpool 2 – Bournemouth 1 Arsenal 1 - West Ham 0 Crystal Palace1 – Watford 0 Sheff Utd 1 - Norwich 0 Southampton 0 – Newcastle 1 Wolves 0 – Brighton 0 Burnley 1 – Tottenham 1
NBA fines Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $500,000 for public criticism of officials Yahoo Sports - NBA commissioner Adam Silver denied Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s protest of a Feb. 22 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, and then handed the billionaire a 12th six-figure fine for good measure. Cuban’s latest public criticism of NBA officials will cost him $500,000. “It is a recognized part of sports for fans and the media at times to criticize officiating, but team executives must be held to a higher standard,” the league office said in a statement. “A team owner’s effort to influence refereeing decisions during and after a game creates the perception
of an unfair competitive advantage and thereby undermines the integrity of the game. Demeaning league employees also creates an intimidating workplace environment. With an increased focus on respectful conduct by coaches, players and fans during games, the actions of team executives should set an example and not lower expectations for appropriate behavior in our arenas.” The call in question came with 8.4 seconds remaining in a game Atlanta led by two. Mavericks wing Dorian Finney-Smith blocked Hawks star Trae Young’s layup attempt, but officials whistled him for a goaltend. The call
was reversed by replay review, but the officials counted a John Collins putback. Officials determined that Collins was in the act of shooting at the time the whistle was blown, so by rule the basket must count, and the NBA backed them on the protest. It is obviously an absurd rule. Cuban did not help himself by walking onto the court immediately after the game and questioning the officials. He then told Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, “This is a training issue. Is it as bad as back in Dairy Queen? It literally could be worse.” He was referring to an incident in January 2002, when he said he would not hire NBA director of officials Ed Rush to manage a Dairy Queen. Cuban was also fined $500,000 for those comments and managed a Dairy Queen for a day. After his critical
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban received another hefty fine from the NBA. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) comments in the media following last month’s 111107 loss to the Hawks, Cuban continued blasting the officials over the next several
days, including an extended Twitter rant that the NBA called “highly critical, personal and demeaning to the league and its officiating
staff.” “Refs have bad games,” Cuban added via Twitter. “Crews have bad games. But this isn’t a single game issue. This is the same s— that has been going on for 20 years. Hire former refs who think they know how to hire, train and manage. Realize two years later they can’t. Repeat. “In the past 12 years it’s been Ronnie Nunn, Don Vaden, Bob Delaney, and now Monty McCutchen. What do they all have in common? You know the definition of insanity?” The fine brings Cuban’s career total to more than $3 million since assuming ownership in 2000, mostly the result of criticizing officials. That does not include the $10 million Cuban agreed to donate to charity in 2018 following allegations of widespread sexual harassment and workplace misconduct in the organization. Cuban has also been fined for tampering and admitting to tanking.
Kaieteur News
Sunday March 08, 2020
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Labuschagne hits century but South Africa sweep series
Australia’s batsman Marnus Labuschagne hit a century. (AFP/Barco Greeff) Jon-Jon Smuts made his maiden international fifty. (AFP) AFP - Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne hit a maiden one-day international century on returning to his South African roots – but could not prevent South Africa from completing a series clean sweep in the third and final one-day clash at Senwes Park yesterday. Applauded by a large group of his South African family, Labuschagne made 108 in an Australian total of 254 for seven after they were sent in to bat. South Africa were always ahead of the required
rate and coasted to a sixwicket win with 4.3 overs to spare. Man of the match JonJon Smuts (84), Kyle Verreynne (50) and man of the series Heinrich Klaasen (68 not out) made halfcenturies. Klaasen hit 242 runs in the series and was only dismissed once. “It’s been a fantastic couple of weeks for me,” he said. It was South Africa’s third successive one-day series win against Australia and their 11th win in 12 matches against them, going
back to September 2016. “It’s been disappointing but credit to South Africa, they put us under pressure with bat and ball,” said Australian captain Aaron Finch. It was a bitter-sweet day for Labuschagne, who was born in Klerksdorp, 50km away, and started school in Potchefstroom before his family moved to Australia when he was nine years old. He said it was “very special” to score a century so close to the town where he was born. “I carried on like a
bit of a goose,” he said on SuperSport television of his emotional celebration on reaching his hundred, “but it was amazing. I have 50 of my family members out there from all over South Africa.” But he was quick to add there were no divided loyalties. “I left so young, I love Australia, it’s my country,” he said. “Although I was born in South Africa and there’s a little spot in my heart for the country, I’m Australian through and through.”
Labuschagne, with help from D’Arcy Short (36), Mitchell Marsh (32) and Jhye Richardson (24 not out) had to rebuild the innings after the South African bowlers took advantage of early life in the pitch and reduced Australia to 55 for three after 15 overs. By contrast, Janneman Malan and Quinton de Kock gave South Africa a fast start, putting on 47 for the first wicket off 49 balls before both were dismissed in quick succession by Josh Hazlewood, one of three
changes among the Australian bowling attack. Smuts and Verreynne steadied the innings with a third wicket partnership of 96 off 103 balls before Klaasen helped Smuts add 79 for the fourth wicket. Smuts was caught in the deep but Klaasen finished the series in style by hitting Mitchell Marsh for two fours and a six off successive balls. Scores: South Africa 258 for 4 (Smuts 84, Klaasen 68*) beat Australia 254 for 7 (Labuschagne 108, Nortje 235) by six wickets.
‘I ain’t playing’ with no fans, says James (Reuters) - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has said he will not take to the court if the NBA bars fans from attending games to limit the spread of the coronavirus. American media reported that the NBA had sent a memo to teams on Friday detailing the need for contingency plans in case it becomes necessary to play games with only essential staff present. Italy, one of the worst-hit countries after China where the outbreak began, is
staging matches across different sports without spectators in attendance. “Play games without the fans? No, that’s impossible. I ain’t playing,” James told reporters after the Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-103 on Friday to clinch a playoff berth. “That’s who I play for. I play for my team mates, I play for the fans, that’s what it’s all about. If I show up to an arena and there are no fans in there, I ain’t playing. They can do what they Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Staples Center. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports/ file photo)
want to do,” added the 35year-old James, who is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time.
In a memo sent to the league’s 30 teams this week, the NBA said it was closely monitoring the situation and had advised players to fist-
bump with fans instead of high-fiving them and avoid taking items to autograph. About 102,000 people have been infected by the
coronavirus across the world and more than 3,480 have died from it. The United States has 301 confirmed cases with 14 deaths.
Australia eye fifth T20 world title in front of huge crowd
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Meg Lanning and Harmanpreet Kaur pose with the Women’s T20 World Cup trophy © AFP
GCB Superbet Female Inter County
Prahalad five for hands Berbice huge win; Thompson, Mohamed, Schultz shine in Demerara victory Joanna Archer (second left) pose for a photo with her team and Coach Shirvon Greene (seated) following the team’s record breaking run last February.
Archer named USTFCCCA women’s athlete of the year CWI’s Regional First-Class tourney
Hodge, Jangoo fall short of tons as Jaguar chase leather all day
Dian Prahalad collects her player of the match prize from Anil Persaud, Assistant Secretary at the Guyana Cricket Board.
Monticin Hodge, player portrait © Stanford 20/20
Amir Jangoo © Craig Cozier
Liverpool get back on track as Wolves top-four bid stalls Mohammed turns tables on Pride with unbeaten hundred
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