K
Granger confident Tuesday Edition NEWS of swift and peaceful resolution to political impasse AIETEUR
March 10, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 10
p. Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online 8 Price $80
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
readership yesterday 173,658
Crisis in oil market puts significant dent in Guyana’s first year of - Charles revenues from Liza 1 project Ramson Jr. Amid post-election tensions, Guyanese celebrate Phagwah p. 3
See story and pictures on pgs. 13, 16 & 17
US, Canada discuss democracy in Guyana 2015 C’wealth Observer Political activists GPA calls on political election petition… Mission expresses parties to cease call for govt. of concern over Court’s delay attacking the media national unity in dealing with matter
p. 11
p. 2
p. 7
p. 20
Oil companies will have to engage in brutal cost-cutting if prices remain at dramatic low - Wood Mackenzie p. 13
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Tuesday March 10, 2020
Political instability putting Coronavirus, oil collapse erase $5 trillion from U.S. stocks damper on business - PSC
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ith the current political situation in Guyana, the flow of business has been adversely affected, with the possibility of having long term consequences. This is the view of Private Sector Commission Chairman, Capt. Gerry Gouveia. Gouveia told Kaieteur News that from a development perspective, the climate of uncertainty does not do well for investors' confidence, both local and foreign. Noting the shutdown of businesses in many parts of the capital city and in other parts of the country, he stressed that the standstill is worrying, and if the current state of political uncertainty continues, it can result in further decline in economic activity. “It really is driving a lot of fear in people, in workers themselves, and there is a lot of apprehension in the business community.” Since Guyanese went to the polls on March 2, to date
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Capt. Gerry Gouveia there has been a trickle of businesses reopening, but still business is said to be slow. “For businesses to grow, we need to have an environment where political stability, general public safety and security are paramount.” Further, he made a call to business owners to move on and get back to normal programming.
“Businesses should start reopening. I believe that people should take precautions, but we need to get on with our lives.” Gouveia mentioned the ongoing court battle on whether the verification of elections results is required by law, and stated that he hopes the main political leaders call on their supporters to respect the court of law.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fears about the rapidly spreading coronavirus and its impact on the global economy, which deepened yesterday with the collapse of oil prices, have evaporated over $5 trillion of the S&P 500's market value in recent weeks. The U.S. stock benchmark's 7.6% drop yesterday, which triggered a temporary trading halt in its biggest one-day decline since 2011, came after Saudi Arabia and Russia began a price war that threatens to overwhelm global oil markets with supply, causing crude prices to tumble 20% in their deepest daily rout since the 1991 Gulf War. That price war broke out after major oil producing countries failed to reach an agreement to cut output to make up for lower demand related to the coronavirus. “It's a perfect storm. Yo u ' v e g o t a l o t o f uncertainty in terms of how far the virus will spread in
the U.S. You layer onto this the oil price cut. The third thing is financial instability, in the sense that with yields falling as far and as fast as they're falling,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisors Alliance. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of shares hitting 52-week lows reached more than 3,500 yesterday, the biggest number of new lows since 2008. Since hitting a record high on S&P 500, the index has lost over $5 trillion in
value. The S&P 500's largest 10 companies by market capitalization have seen their combined values drop by more than $1.4 trillion. About $250 billion has been erased from the stock market value of Microsoft since Feb. 19, more than any other U.S. company. Apple and Alphabet have seen their values shrink by over $200 billion each, while Amazon has lost $170 billion in market capitalization. The S&P 500 energy .SPNY index yesterday plunged 20% to its lowest (continued on page 19)
2020 elections...
GPA calls on political parties to cease attacking the media
T
he Guyana Press Association ( G PA ) i n a strongly-worded missive has noted the degree to which media operatives are increasingly becoming the targets of attacks related to the ongoing post- elections situation. Against this backdrop, the Association is calling for political parties and their supporters to cease and desist from creating conditions for the perpetuation of media harassment and the dampening of press freedom. In the statement issued last evening, the GPA was keen to highlight that it has received several reports of threats of violence against journalists on social media and attempts to interfere with
the work of media operatives covering events that have followed the March 2 General and Regional Elections. In light of this, the GPA said that, “There is a stringent process of media accreditation to determine the bona fides of local journalists and other media workers and we would expect that all due regard be paid and courtesies extended to these professionals in the execution of their duties.” The GPA also calls on the leadership of all political parties, state authorities and interest groups to openly discourage actions that can have the impact of undermining the work of journalists and their media enterprises. “We urge all political leaders to cease and desist from creating conditions for the perpetuation of media harassment and the dampening of press freedom. An alert on the dangers being posed by these practices is being developed by the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) for onward transmission to its international partners,” the statement concluded.
Kaieteur News
Tuesday March 10, 2020
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Crisis in oil market puts significant dent in Guyana's first year of revenues from Liza 1 project - Charles Ramson Jr. By Kiana Wilburg
G
uyana has only been an oil producer for a little over two months, and already, it is getting a brutal taste of just how volatile the industry is. As a result of a crisis in the oil market, Guyana will see a significant cut to the US$300M it was projected to collect this year from the Stabroek Block's Liza Phase One Project. During an exclusive
interview with Kaieteur News yesterday, Attorneyat-Law Charles Ramson Jr. said that the crisis in the oil market could see Guyana's first year of revenues being reduced by more than US$200M. The crisis in the oil market is due to two interrelated factors—fears over the coronavirus and a brewing oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. (See related story on page 15)
Yesterday, oil prices saw the most dramatic decline since the financial crisis in 2008. As a result, it was deemed by some international analysts as “Black Monday.” Because of the coronavirus, oil prices which were as high as US$69 a barrel in early January declined to about US$50-US$45 a barrel. That state of affairs would only get worse following a row that could become an ugly oil price war between Russia
and Saudi Arabia. According to CNN Business, Russia refused a proposal that was made last Friday at a meeting in Vienna by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut back on the production of oil supply in an attempt to support prices which have been declining due to fears over the coronavirus. In response to Russia's refusal, Saudi Arabia over the weekend slashed its
Wall Street clobbered as crude plummets, virus crisis deepens NEW YORK (Reuters) Wall Street suffered its biggest one-day loss since the 2008 financial crisis yesterday and recession worries loomed large as tumbling oil prices and ongoing coronavirus fears prompted investor panic on the anniversary of the U.S. stock market's longest-ever bull run. All three major U.S. stock averages plunged sharply at the opening bell, triggering trading halts put in place in the wake of 1987's “Black Monday” crash. The Dow plummeted a record 2,000 points out of the starting gate on the day marking the current bull market's 11th year. During the session, the Dow came about a 10th of a percent from confirming a bear market, or 20% below its record peak. The S&P 500 closed about 19% below its all-time high set on Feb. 19. “It's certainly one for the history books,” said Matthew Keator, managing partner in the Keator Group, a wealth management firm in Lenox, Massachusetts. “The markets are now pricing in a high probability of recession.” Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities in New York, agreed. “There's a lot of fear in the market and if the price of oil continues to move lower it's an indication that a global recession is not far away,” Cardillo said. The CBOE Volatility index , a gauge of investor anxiety, touched its highest level since December 2008. Benchmark 10-year U.S.
Treasury yields briefly sank to 0.318%, a record low. The sell-off began over the weekend when an oil supply pact between Saudi Arabia and Russia collapsed and both countries vowed to hike production amid weakening global demand due to the coronavirus and signs of an economic slowdown. Oil prices registered their biggest one-day fall since the 1991 Gulf war, with Brent crude futures LCOc1 closing down 23.88% and frontmonth WTI falling 25.1%. That sent the S&P Energy index .SPNY sliding 20.1%, its largest one-day drop on record. Global markets were already on edge as worldwide confirmed cases of COVID-19 surged past 110,000, causing widespread supply disruption and large-
scale quarantine measures as governments scramble to contain the outbreak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2,013.76 points, or 7.79%, to 23,851.02, the S&P 500 lost 225.81 points, or 7.60%, to 2,746.56 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 624.94 points, or 7.29%, to 7,950.68. All 11 major sectors of S&P 500 ended the session deep in red territory, with energy and interest ratesensitive financial .SPSY stocks suffering the largest percentage losses. Boeing Co was the biggest drag on the Dow, tumbling 13.4% following t h e F e d e r a l Av i a t i o n Administration's (FAA) rejection of the planemaker's proposal regarding wiring systems in place on its grounded 737 MAX aircraft. Apple Inc shares fell
7.9% after data showed the company sold fewer than 500,000 smartphones in China in February amid the coronavirus crisis. Chipmakers registered their largest drop since October 2008, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index .SOX falling 8.3%. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 17.86-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 19.11-to-1 ratio favored decliners. The S&P 500 posted one new 52-week high and 229 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded nine new highs and 1,049 new lows. Vo l u m e o n U . S . exchanges was 17.22 billion shares, compared with the 11.05 billion average over the last 20 trading days.
selling price for crude by US$6 to US$8 in an effort to retake market share and heap pressure on Russia. Upon review of the foregoing, international analysts commented that Saudi Arabia is “rolling up its sleeves for a price war.” The net effect of Saudi's actions led to prices dropping to US$34 a barrel up to yesterday. (See link for m o r e d e t a i l s : https://edition.cnn.com/202 0/03/08/investing/oilprices-crash-opec-russiasaudi-arabia/index.html). With a possible oil war unraveling before the world, US Investment Bank and Financial Services Company, Goldman Sachs yesterday said that oil prices dropping by 43 percent to US$20 a barrel is a real possibility that the market should brace itself for. So what does all of this mean for Guyana? Ramson in his interview pointed out that when Guyana calculated its take from the Liza project, calculations were done using the US$55 a barrel oil price. He noted, however, that the fiscal take which includes a two percent royalty and a 50 percent take of the profit oil changes drastically, given the global circumstances. Ramson said, “...If you were to do any kind of calculations now about what Guyana should expect for its oil for year one and year two etc., it shifts dramatically downwards, so instead of receiving US$300M, we will only receive US$9M to
Attorney-at-Law Charles Ramson Jr. US$11M, which means that the first shipment of oil we were able to sell, whatever we were able to get as a result of that we were quite lucky, as it was a high price at the time but Guyana will not get that US$300M it expected...” Further to this, Ramson said that even if one were to ramp up production to 120,000 barrel of oil per day, based on his calculations, it would take Guyana five years to rake in the estimated US$300M. And even then, he said it would not be guaranteed if the price continues to shift downwards. Additionally, Ramson noted that the oil market crisis will also affect the pace of cost recovery. In this regard, he said that the estimated revenue from the Stabroek Block project would be significantly less, thereby increasing the timeframe for which ExxonMobil has to recover its investments, which is estimated to be over US$3.5B for the Liza Phase One Project.
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Tuesday March 10, 2020
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 Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
This cannot be what we want They tell the sad, savaging story of Guyana once again. There are those pictures and faces of anger, those victims and exhibits of the deep political polarization that went to sharp extremes late last week. Those pictures and faces and stories cannot be argued with nor minimized, nor can they be pretended to not exist as if nothing of the sort had happened. Because they did happen and it was bad, it is unacceptable, and the far implications should not be papered over or rushed past in feeble attempts to brush away what we are faced with, and that which has taken a stranglehold on our consciousness and our sense of right and wrong. Children on the way to another day of youthful innocence, of that time of life when the carefree should prevail and usually do. The escapades and disputes are usually over schoolyard friendships ebbing and flowing quixotically, of homework avoided and not delivered again, and of hormones raging and trouble with managing to bring under control. It is the way it should be on the way to and from school. But by now, we know of the bricks and missiles and whatever else that got out of hand and in the path of those schoolchildren. In a lightning streak, they went from travelling companions and citizens to fearful targets and injured victims. This is the story, the wash and part of the long dark underbelly of our venomous and vicious politics, the vehemence of protests taken too far, too many bricks hurled in too much anger. It is the story of a young man now a lifeless silhouette on a slab of something in a mortuary. The emerging and contradictory narratives will sort themselves out in some partisan fashion, but this fact is unassailable: that dead young man is not going home, to listen to and absorb the developments on the day of denouncement that dealt him death. The dirges of loss and mourning will rise from family and community, as he is laid to rest as the latest martyr, regardless of the source of that sure-to-come creation, the incontestable truth is that he is no more. He is the first fatal casualty of this latest war for control, for ascendancy, and for supremacy. It has only just begun, according to any sober and sensible measure. What other prices are in store to be paid by this nation, a nation that lives on its knees and elbows, and allowing itself the space for only the cloudiest of limited visions? It is a depressing time for a sergeant, corporal, and other members of the Guyana Police Force. Whether in the hospital nursing the pains and traumas of wounds, or in the barracks recounting what rained upon them, those ranks who were in the melees did obtain a closeup that no camera, no coverage, could capture of the raw wrath and the paralyzing perils that suddenly became an inseparable part of police presence and practice late last week. We travel a bad road, one that would only deteriorate, if the greatest of restraints are not employed. There were the bricks, chops, and gunfire, then the reported sexual menaces and sporadic terrorizing, which cumulatively form the alphabet soup of politics and protest in Guyana, as well as the piercings that accompany both. This cannot be what we want, nor what we are about, no matter the justification for the assemblies and dangerous energies marshaled and unleashed. For if that is the road that we decide upon and insist upon traversing, then that journey has no return, other than that of one littered with the wreckages of soul and soil that will grace the errors of our ways, our calculations and choices, our coming confrontations and cataclysms. Last week, from protestors to places to police to passersby provided a stark picture, a miniature of what could be in store if we are not capable of the necessary restraints and discipline. For if it is chaos that is committed to, then that it will be. The forces are arrayed on social media, the not-so-veiled battle cries grow more strident. Think Guyana! Step back Guyana! Start over Guyana! Be wise, be patient, be constructive.
We can support different parties and still be friends DEAR EDITOR, It is with a heavy heart that I am penning this letter. We have, over our entire lifetime in Guyana, co-existed with our brothers and sisters of all races. None of us, no one race have more rights to Guyana than the other. When we fight each other over decisions made by political leaders from any party, we are only creating more division in Guyana and some political leaders use that division as leverage to garner votes….votes, that is all they care about. I understand the hurt felt, I know what it feels like, in the end, though we the people must still co-exist with each other and when your neighbour, your friend, your villager is struggling, help them.
Our leaders have security details, secured healthcare, better education opportunities for their kids and the list goes on and on. So let’s remember that whenever we take action to show solidarity with our chosen leaders, let us do so with calm and respect, for Guyana belongs to all of us. To the staff at GECOM, after all your training and preparation this is the grand finale. I know your work must be stressful with the eyes of every Guyanese and indeed, many in the world at large on you. Do not be swayed by any persuasions, remember the people of Guyana depends on you to deliver free and fair elections by having every vote counted and verified and it is still not too late. Verification worked for the
nine other regions, it can and will work for Region Four as well and for sure it would greatly reduce the tension being projected in our country and in the end whoever emerges as the winner, their victory will be a fair and credible victory. To the smaller political parties and the foreign and local observers and businesses who are making a stand, I applaud you because if we allow ourselves and our country to be branded by the international community, as having an undemocratic process for choosing our leaders it will greatly harm us as a country, not to mention further division with our own people in Guyana. To the leaders of the two major political parties, let us put Guyana first, put democracy first, and above all, respect the staff and
workers at GECOM and whenever a verified tally is released we accept the results and respect the winner. The only way or the best way forward is for us to work together with respect as leaders and over time that will transform to the populace and we will have a country that we can all be proud of. Guyanese are wonderful people and they live together regardless of race or creed for the majority of times but at elections time racism and other divisions surface and some politicians will exploit that for votes...let us not allow that! Just remember we can support different parties and still be friends, still do sports together, be good neighbours because we have been doing it for all the years between elections. Concerned Citizen
World Watching as CJ applauded for impartiality DEAR EDITOR, The public in Guyana and Guyanese in the diaspora applaud the Chief Judge’s decision on the GECOM matter pertaining to injunction and verification of election results. The ordinary person in the street knows the court has jurisdiction over GECOM. I am not a lawyer but I studied and taught American constitutional law. In the US, where over half a million Guyanese reside, every institution is subjected to the laws (written and unwritten or traditional) of the country; it is no different in any other democratic nation. The court must have jurisdiction to order GECOM or any other statutory body to carry out the laws. If a body (agency or institution) can defy the law and feels it can do whatever it wants and then declares that the court has no authority over it, then lawlessness follows. GECOM is an independent body meaning government cannot instruct it what to do,
but its behaviour falls under the jurisdiction of the court. The court must have supervisory power to order it to follow the law. In any democratic society, a court must have (and indeed has) the power to interpret the laws and to correct its misapplication as happened last Thursday when biased GECOM officials allegedly defied the laws and proceeded to perpetrate fraud on the nation. Even in apartheid South Africa or racist Rhodesia, the court interpreted the laws fearlessly and the authorities abided by the laws with the security forces enforcing the court orders. In Guyana, regrettably, laws are boldfacedly defied. A former Chief Justice who chairs GECOM and election officials publicly declared they would carry out the laws but did the exact opposite last Thursday. Then before the court on Saturday, a divided GECOM (PPP Commissioners had no lawyer in court)
argued that a court has no jurisdiction to interfere in its illegal activities and defiance of laws. Such behaviour is not only contrary to the laws of Guyana but also to natural justice. The court must intervene to force GECOM officials to carry out law. The learned Chief Justice cited relevant precedence where the court exercised jurisdiction on electoral matters. The CJ ruled wisely. She was impartial. The international observers and the whole world were watching the antics of some GECOM officials. Any other judicial ruling (that a court has no jurisdiction over the fairness of a process) would have brought the wrath of the observers and the global community. They would have seen Guyana as a banana republic. The next stage in the judicial process is the hearing that begins on Tuesday afternoon before the same judge. The issue is whether the statements of polls (SOPs) must be verified in
public for Region 4 in the presence of polling agents and observers before a declaration is made on the results. The process of verifying the SOPs of Region Four began Wednesday and various efforts were made to stymie it by GECOM staff. Almost half of the SOPs were verified on Thursday afternoon in Region 4 before it was abruptly discontinued with what observers called a fraudulent declaration. The observers, three of the six GECOM Commissioners, countless governments around the globe, international organizations, Guyanese at home and in the diaspora, among others have called on GECOM (Madame Chair) to resume the process of verifying all of Region 4 SOPS and then order the declaration of results. The world will be watching the CJ in action and her ruling. Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram (political analyst and pollster)
I will wait for history NOT to repeat itself DEAR EDITOR, This March started on the eve of our general elections. It was preceded by intense and heated debates by my chat group of comrades for months as to why or not individuals should cast their vote for the PPP/C. I had voted for the coalition in 2015 and shortly after became disenchanted by the government’s performance. On March 2 I voted for the PPP/C. I had reservations but I was going to give them another chance. The results started coming in favour of the PPP. I resolved to keep the new PPP-led Ali government to be
all it could be. Following the Jagans’ creed and hold it accountable. For it not to be business as usual. I thought these goals achievable. I thought we would have a new administration by March 5 just in time to celebrate the long Phagwah weekend. To say I’m stunned by what has played out is a gross understatement. Calling a spade a spade has been done by all the players. And still the APNU/AFC continues on its merry course thumbing its nose to HONESTY, INTEGRITY and DECENCY. Empty but lofty words gracing the banner of Mr.
David Granger during the campaign. My disappointment isn’t with the fiddling of the elections or the violence that erupted. I strongly condemn both and I understand the nature of the beast. My biggest disappointment and anger is the lack of DECENCY, HONESTY and INTEGRITY from family, friends, colleagues and associates. Where is our decency in ourselves, regardless of race, to say to APNU/AFC: Do the decent thing and abide by the rules? All I see are condescending statements
and platitudes. I’m yet to see an APNU/AFC supporter step up to the plate. It would be the decent thing to do. It would be the right and ethical thing to do. It would be the new GUYANESE thing to do. We would then start the healing this country so desperately needs. It would be our first baby step to maturity as a nation. I will not be jaded. I will wait to exhale. I will wait for all Guyanese to find an iota of DECENCY and call out the APNU/AFC to do the right thing. I will wait for history NOT to repeat itself. Sadie Amin
Tuesday March 10, 2020
A snafu recount should not prevent a govt. that includes both the PPP/C and the Coalition DEAR EDITOR, Guyana has suffered its first 2020 elections death because our leaders failed us. Some may choose to debate this statement and cast blame, but the fact remains — one of our sons died because restraint and refusal to follow the rules were not encouraged. Instead of continuing down this road, we must put the elections in perspective. The main parties (PPP/C and the Coalition) have won the majority of the votes, and they will be the government of Guyana. Regardless of who gets the presidency, Ali or Granger, we must have only one government for all of Guyana. We will have a parliament, and all the members will all be from the
PPP/C and the Coalition. This snafu recount should not prevent us from seeing our future with a single government that includes both the PPP/C and the Coalition. During the United States’ 2000 elections, the court resolved the question of Florida’s votes (one of its states/regions), and Gore graciously accepted the court’s ruling that gave Bush the presidency. Hilary Clinton, in 2016, received the popular vote (majority votes), but Trump received the needed electoral votes and became president. The rules must be followed even though they go contrary to our desires and expectations. The business of government is awaiting these
two winning parties — the PPP/C and the Coalition. It is time each of these parties adjusts its vision of being the opposition and focus on being one government of Guyana for our entire nation. If they choose to be opponents and divisive in their governance, how will we properly negotiate, monitor and utilize the dividends from Foreign Direct Investments? We must not be rabid animals that fight each other for the morsel or millions that truly belongs to Guyana and its people. We, for the sake of our country, people and future generations, must work together by embracing the better angels of our nature. Sincerely, Stanley Niamatali
A formula for long lasting peace and stability in our country DEAR EDITOR, I firmly believe that the time has come for a massive overhaul of our political system because the current one is not fit for purpose. However the first thing that needs to happen is for the PPP/C and the APNU/AFC to have immediate dialogue with no pre conditions attached because what is playing out before our eyes will only serve to bring our country down. Guyana demands that this
happens now. The president should pick up the phone and call the opposition leader and arrange a summit to bring a swift end to the current crisis. I have a few suggestions for a power sharing agreement: (1) Give the presidency and nine ministries to the PPP/C and APNU /AFC, the prime minister position and nine ministries for two and a half years each then the other way around for the same period of
time; (2) Begin serious constitutional changes we need to end the cycle of winner takes all, one party rule and dominance. This, I think, is the best way for long lasting peace and stability in our country because at the end of the day we still have to play together, live together work together, support and encourage each other, after all, we are one people, one nation and one destiny. Kind regards, V. Persaud
A despicable act DEAR EDITOR, In what is now a viral video, I watched in dismay as one o f o u r h e a l t h c a r e providers was attacked by a mob of opposition supporters while on her way home. The nurse and her colleagues were visibly traumatised by the action of the mob. This heinous act could have resulted in more than just a damaged windscreen. What if that projectile had struck the driver of the vehicle? Just the thought of the horrifying scenarios that could have occurred if that were the case, gives me chills. It is truly sad when our health care providers become targets during
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political disputes. Those attackers in their ignorance and vitriol failed to realise that by harming that young lady, it could have resulted in the loss of a precious life and invaluable human resource that they rely on, when in their infirmity. The attack on that young lady should be seen as an attack on all health care providers in Guyana, as it could have been perpetrated against any member of the health care fraternity. I have worked with and learned much from many nurses while working in the health sector and to see such a dastardly act being carried out against one of these pillars of health care,
hurts. I stand in solidarity with that young nurse and her colleagues. What galls me is the silence of the various local and international bodies condemning this act. Where is the apology by the Opposition over the conduct of their supporters? Their conduct could have resulted in the young lady and her colleagues being severely hurt or worse. We k e e p h e a r i n g comments being made by political and social activists about the elections but I have yet to hear anyone comment on this despicable act. Yours faithfully, Ryan Carryl
We need a more inclusive system of governance DEAR EDITOR, It is clear that our current PR system of governance is not working. In fact, it has failed us and so should be thrown out in a garbage bag. The current system is very toxic and is only tearing us apart as a people. It brings out the worst in us as it puts one ethnic group against the other. I see and hear people say things, which I never expected from my fellow brothers and sisters. Yet I forgive them as I believe that the system is to be blamed. We are all in this together and we can only move forward as a nation if we are united as a people. We depend on each other now, and we need each other to build a better, brighter Guyana tomorrow. Our current winner-takeall system of governance is highly untenable. It generates a lot of hate and distrust and we need to arrest this situation before it reaches a point of no return. It is naive to think that because one ethnic group slightly outnumber the other(s) that they have total authority to rule over the other(s). We cannot have a system of governance that makes one ethnic group the winner and the other the loser and expect it to be business as usual. No one wants to feel like a second-class citizen in their own country or subservient to their fellow Guyanese with whom they do not share the same ethnicity. We all have our dignity and pride we need to recognize and respect that. They say when a man would have lost his dignity and pride, he has nothing to live for. We need a new system of governance that allows us to fully utilize the skills and talents of all Guyanese regardless of ethnicity. I strongly believe that we need to pursue a first-pastthe-post system, where the party that wins a region forms the Government for that region. We do not necessarily have to have 10 regions it can be less – maybe 6 or so. Each region will have its own budget and government. The regions will manage their own affairs – health care, education, utilities, infrastructure, tender boards, judiciary, etc. Each region will be responsible for its
own development and have the power to engage foreign investors and grant tax holidays as they deem necessary. There should also be a federal government that will be responsible for things like national security, foreign affairs, federal laws, federal taxes, etc. This way although one party wins the Federal Government all is not lost for the other parties. This system would provide the platform for us to utilize the talents of all Guyanese irrespective of their ethnicity. It will also help to bring us closer together as we move forward in love and unity. I think for the next five years we should have a Government of National Unity, comprising of all political parties. We should use this period to work together to set up this new
system of governance under which we will have new elections in 2025. Each Province in Canada has its own Provincial Government, and each state in the US has its own State Government. This system has worked well for both of these countries and I think it will work miracles for Guyana. I am sure that we can seek help from the international community to help us in this process. I do not speak here for the PNCR as I have no authority to so do. I speak in my personal capacity as a Guyanese citizen who wants what is best for Guyana, and all my fellow Guyanese brothers and sisters. I pray that our leaders will put their differences aside and put Guyana first. Yours truly, Artie Ricknauth, MSc, MBA
Similarities between Guyana and Bolivia DEAR EDITOR, There are similarities between the Guyana and Bolivia vote count/ verification process. In Bolivia the count was stopped for a period of time and when it was resumed it showed a massive increase in favour
of the incumbent president. In Guyana the verification was suspended when the RO took ill. When it resumed foreign material was allegedly introduced in favour of the incumbent party. Shamshun Mohamed
The constitutional rights of others need to be respected DEAR EDITOR, I strongly believe in the right to protest. However, I do not subscribe to protesters blocking thoroughfares, damaging private/public property and/or harming others. As grave as the situation may be, the constitutional
rights of others need to be respected. I therefore make an appeal to persons engaging in protests/demonstrations to do so responsibly and within the confines of the law. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Valmikki Singh
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Kaieteur News
No one can say that there were no warnings DEAR EDITOR, I wrote elsewhere that the March 2, 2020 elections would have been the eleventh post independence elections I have participated in. Though the popular challenges to win free and fair elections have been long and hard the experiences gained have been many, but rich, if not rewarding politically. Make no mistake about it, let it be known, particularly by the younger generation, that all hitherto elections held with the PNC in office have been rigged. I refer to elections held in 1968, 1973, 1978, 1980 and 1985. In 1968, it was through control of the Elections Commission and its machinery, with the use of the overseas vote, the postal vote, the proxy vote and a padded list that the PNC was able to hold on to power. In 1980, it was through
control of the Elections Commission and it’s machinery, deletion of names from the voters list, abuse of postal and proxy voting, fraudulent double voting, voters given wrong ID numbers only to be told that their names are not on the voters list and living persons being told they were dead. In both cases, they were denied the right to vote and turned away. In 1985, again it was control of the elections commission and its machinery, the recycling of PNC supporters from one polling to another, seizure of ballot boxes by security forces and taken to unknown destinations where ballots were switched and physical eviction of polling agents from polling places. Those elections were condemned as “Crooked as barbed wire.”
In 1990, the Elections Commission produced a flawed and bloated voters list, which was rejected by all the political parties contesting the elections. The election was postponed for two years in the course of which significant reforms were implemented resulting in the first free and fair elections being held in 1992. What we are witnessing today in the aftermath of the March 2, elections is reminiscent of what we experienced in previous. Take the 1973 elections for example. Ranks of the Guyana Defence Force hijacked the electoral process and seized the ballot boxes. The Elections Commission could not account for the location of the boxes though everyone knew the boxes were at Camp Ayangana. When the boxes
eventually arrived many days later at Queens College, one of the three central counting places, (there was no counting of votes at the place of poll in those days) it was clear that the boxes were tampered with as well as the ballots in the boxes. In that elections, the PNC claimed it’s electoral fortunes had jumped from fifty five to seventy one percent of the votes ‘because it had made a breakthrough in PPP strongholds’. And because they were monitoring the movement of the ballot boxes, a practice that has become acceptable today, two young men were shot and killed outside a polling place at Number 63 village on the Corentyne. Claiming rigged elections and denouncing the fraudulent results of the ‘73 elections the PPP embarked on a campaign of Civil
Resistance and NonCooperation. To this day, Mr Granger, who was a commander of the GDF at that time has had to fend off persistent allegations of his involvement with the role of the army in those elections. As a result of the brazen and illegal seizure of power, the elections were branded ‘Fairy tale’ elections. The general belief that emerged from those elections was that change, or, power, could no longer be secured through the ballot box and that the alternative was dictatorship. That alternative came to pass, lasting for twenty eighty long years. We come now to the sordid occurrences of the March 2, 2020 elections. Unable to supply his weekly column in another newspaper, Ian McDonald put the occurrences more succinctly; “The affront to democracy is contemptible. In future “My vote counts” will mean nothing - “Accept what is imposed.” He wrote. Writing in that other newspaper on January 5, 2020 Henry Jeffery had this to say; “Even stalwart PNC members would now not seriously deny that their party blatantly manipulated national elections between 1968 and 1992. And if the PPP is correct about the 2015 elections the PNC is still in the business.” And Tacuma Ogunseye in a letter to the editor in yet another newspaper published on June 21, 2018, warned the APNU+AFC that to win the 2020 elections the coalition “Has to craft a message that elections rigging is not an alternative. This message (to coalition supporters) must be clear, concise and consistent.” Bibi Shadick in the June
13, 2018 edition of the Kaieteur declared that “GECOM is setting the stage for a result that would be very unpalatable.” David Hinds writing in KN on June 17, 2018 said; “The PNC leadership in government cannot defend itself against charges of rigging.” And Kaieteur News on June 16, 2018, reported Bharrat Jagdeo, at one of his weekly press conferences declaring, “There will be no peace if the 2020 elections is rigged. There will be consequences if they think they will rig and have the kind of peace we have now, they are wrong.” GECOM stands exposed and condemned in its efforts to thwart the will of the electorate. Since 247,479 votes cast were verified between Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th March, it would be safe to say it would take less than two days to verify the remaining 215,854 votes cast. In 1964, the 247,604 valid votes cast across the whole country were verified and declared the next day after the elections. Compare this to 215,844 just for Region 4. And in the elections held in 1985, a total 119,858 votes cast in Demerara alone was verified and declared in twenty four hours. Compare this with the 215,844 votes cast in Region 4, in 2020 with which could not be verified in seventy two hours after the elections. In the end, no one can say that there were no warnings nor suggestions, there were, but they were not heeded rather, they fell on the deaf ears belonging to those encamped within the hierarchy of the APNU+AFC coalition. Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee
Kaieteur News
Tuesday March 10, 2020
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Political activists call for govt. of national unity “We call on the two major political leaders and parties to put the interest of Guyana on the table, to surrender their narrow goals, and to use the division of spoils as the basis of an immediate agreement of a joint government, based on the verified results of the 2020 elections.” That is the essence of a joint statement by political activists, Moses Bhagwan and Eusi Kwayana, as they called for the formation of a government of national unity out of the chaos that has followed the March 2, 2020 general and regional
to GECOM, and violent clashes between protestors and police. “Until the system changes, whoever wins, Guyana loses,” the activists warned. “We simply cannot continue to kick the can down the road for yet another five years. Postponing the problem will not make it disappear… It is a system that guarantees that most Guyanese, starting with those most vulnerable among us, will always be shut out.” They noted that this is a
“
We call on the two major political leaders and parties to put the interest of Guyana on the table, to surrender their narrow goals, and to use the division of spoils as the basis of an immediate agreement of a joint government, based on the verified results of the 2020 elections.
elections. They said that though the situation has so far escalated, it remains possible for the country's leaders to find a mutually agreeable solution, no matter the outcome in the courts, the final declaration of results by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), or the signing off by the local, regional and international observers on the credibility of the electoral process. “If nothing else, the events of the past week have underlined forcefully that regardless of who wins under this current winner take all system, Guyana as a whole loses. A seat one way or the other, a margin of victory one way or the other, will not solve this dilemma.” After the close of polls, a series of events transpired across the country, including messages of condemnation
”
proposal that is not original, but that has been espoused by political leaders of old, including leaders of both the People's Progressive Party (PPP), and the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), a major partner in the governing coalition. They said that, “Following the breakdown of constitutional talks in London in the early 1960s, the leader of the PNC responded to the suggestion proposed by the United Nations anti-colonial committee for a PPP-PNC coalition to resolve the conflict, indicating that he would only agree on the condition of parity. It was a position that was not initially favoured by the PPP but members would later agree, with no less than the leader of the PPP becoming one of the foremost advocates of this position.”
Moses Bhagwan Though this had not materialized, Bhagwan and Kwayana said that Guyana's current leaders can show integrity and humility, and enter into talks to establish a national government on the principle of parity. They said that the negotiations must be consistent with the Constitution. Furthermore, it is a suggestion of the two that the winner of the election takes the presidency, while the prime ministerial candidate comes from the other major party, and a collective cabinet be appointed. The activists said that such a compromise will allow MPs the benefit of voting against the government, thereby fostering greater opportunities for accountability and resisting herd mentality. “This breathing space can be an opportunity to take a collective breath, and importantly provide an opportunity for our political leaders to work together on common issues. We do not anticipate that this will be easy. We call for it because it is precisely under such conditions of extreme political polarisation and mistrust that the hard but urgent and necessary work of
Eusi Kwayana healing for nation building is called for.” They said that they have been following the events with “deep sadness and alarm”. The statement notes how many lives have been disrupted, causing a sense of fear and mistrust to creep into the population. Adding to the already flooded field of statements of concern about the
finalization of the electoral process, Bhagwan and Kwayana called for the major political leaders to put Guyana's interest at the forefront, and to jointly call for peace and an end to violence or threat of violence and intimidation. In commenting directly on the electoral process, the two activists registered the need for the spirit of the
Representation of the People Act to be respected. They said it is fortunate that the international observers are here, as they “evaluate any claims of evidence of illegality in the elections process”. They maintain that illegalities in elections must be condemned by “umpires”. However, they also condemn any attempts to use disruptive tactics to enforce their will. “All these actions, as well as alleged misconduct by authorized officials, contribute to divisions and chaos in the society.” The topic of shared or inclusive governance coming out of Constitutional reform had briefly entered public discourse in 2019, in the period leading up to the March elections, and was espoused by leaders of the PPP as well as the governing coalition. However, the proposals did not take precedence in the manifestos of those parties.
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Tuesday March 10, 2020
Granger confident of swift and peaceful resolution to political impasse
P
resident David Granger is confident that there will be a peaceful, lawful resolution to the current political standstill in a short period of time. In one of his few statements to the public since the general and regional elections of March 2, 2020, Granger, who is Leader of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change ( A P N U + A F C ) , acknowledged that there has been uncertainty and unease
since the declaration of the region four results. But he maintained that there is clear Constitutional independence for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). As such, he stated categorically that he cannot, did not, and will not interfere in the work of GECOM. He said that he, at all times, acted in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of Guyana. Continuing, the President urged that calm
and peace be maintained, and that the people must join him in allowing the Elections Commission to execute its legal and procedural mandate to deliver credible elections. He said that the Opposition had intimidated t h e r e t u r n i n g o ff i c e r, Clairmont Mingo, causing an interruption of his work. F u r t h e r , i n acknowledging that the Opposition has asked the Supreme Court to prevent GECOM from making a
declaration of the final results, Granger said that though it is right to wait on the Court – as GECOM C h a i r, J u s t i c e ( r e t ' d ) Claudette Singh has urged – he is sure that the Opposition has been disseminating a false narrative. This, he added, is reflected in the tabulation it has published of its statements of poll for region four. The President gave a stern condemnation of the violence that has occurred
recently, and assured that security forces have been working tirelessly to bring back order and justice. “It is my sworn duty, as President, to uphold the Constitution and keep our citizens safe. I intend to do so. I will not allow political malefactors to hijack our democracy and compromise public order and human safety. Law and order will be maintained.” “Guyanese will continue to live with each other. We must not allow ourselves to
President David Granger be provoked into taking any action which will engender hate or disharmony.”
PPP calls Granger's latest statement “unsurprisingly typical” “The statement made by the APNU+AFC Coalition's David Granger is unsurprisingly typical of what Guyanese have come to expect from him – claims about upholding the rule of law, when the Judiciary has found him in violation of the Constitution and laws more times than any other President in the history of Guyana; and attempts to cast blame on the People's Progressive Party (PPP).” This was the assertion of the PPP issued late last evening in relation to a
statement released by Granger earlier yesterday. The remainder of the PPP's statement reads as follows: “The PPP wishes to stress that this is one time Mr. Granger will not be able to escape accountability. The events of last week occurred in full view of Guyanese; members of the diplomatic community; and international observers from the European Union, the Commonwealth, Organization of American States, CARICOM and the
Carter Center. It was Mr. Granger who embraced a fraudulent declaration from the Region 4 Returning Officer. It was Mr. Granger who claimed victory even before the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) made a final declaration. It was Mr. Granger who was in a haste to have himself sworn in as President. T h a n k f u l l y, s o c i a l media, the vigilance of political parties and the presence of local and international observers, as
well as members of the local diplomatic corps, made clear the facts of what took place at the GECOM Command C e n t e r, o n H i g h a n d Hadfield Streets. No attempt by Mr. Granger to whitewash what occurred will succeed. While Mr. Granger tries to cast blame on the PPP for what he calls an “interruption” of GECOM's work, the fact of the matter is that the verification process was running smoothly and hundreds of Statements of Poll were verified, before a spreadsheet, with substantial
variations in favour of the Coalition, was introduced into the process. What Mr. Granger calls an interruption of the work of GECOM was, in fact, vociferous protests by all the political parties - all of which called for the use of the spreadsheet to be discontinued and for there to be a return to verification of results for Region 4 using the Statements of Poll, as is required by law. It is public knowledge that the Chief Elections Officer, only after vocal protests, assured all the political parties – in the presence of the international
observers and members of the diplomatic corps – that the verification process would recommence and be completed, in accordance with the law, using the Statements of Poll. T h e p r o c e s s recommenced and was going well, until the Chair of GECOM stopped it on the basis of 'compassionate' grounds for GECOM staffers. It is also public knowledge that within hours thereafter, without resuming the verification process, a fraudulent declaration was made by the Region 4 Returning Officer. The only party guilty of a falsification of reality is the one Mr. Granger leads. Why should we the people of Guyana, believe Granger and his cronies when the world – the international election observers, individual countries, all the political parties, among other stakeholders – has said that the declaration of results for Region 4 is fraudulent? Why are Mr. Granger and his cronies the only ones standing on the other side? Who should be believed? The People's Progressive Party maintains that there be must a return to the process of verifying the results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections for Region 4, using the Statements of Polls, as required by law, and/or a recount of the ballots cast. This is the only process that will deliver free and fair elections and ensure that the will of the Guyanese people is not subverted.
Kaieteur News
Tuesday March 10, 2020
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Guyana stands on a precipice G
uyana stands on a precipice; below is the murky depths of dictatorship. The majority of Guyanese have never experienced dictatorship. They are either too young or not yet born to have experienced living under a dictatorial regime. For many of them, dictatorship is just a term referring to unelected or illegitimate government. But for those who have lived through such systems, it was a harrowing experienced which affected every aspect of a person's lives. Between 30th September and 5th October 1990, the Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC) mounted a fact-finding mission to Guyana. Its objective was to assess and share credible information concerning various aspects of life in Guyana so as to present a balanced and accurate picture of life in the country. In other words, the mission came to undertake an objective assessment of conditions in Guyana and its impact on the lives of citizens. Guyana was then a dictatorship. The findings of the mission were startling. They represented proof that political dictatorship affects the lives of everyone and impacts on a country's psychological mood, human rights, security, the economy and social life.
The mission found that the doctrine of party paramountcy was entrenched. Racial cleavages and fear were widespread and economic decay and collapse was the order of the day. The report noted that the country's physical infrastructure was in disrepair. Guyanese who lived through that period would recall it could have taken almost two hours to drive from Timehri to Georgetown, at a time when there were not that many vehicles on the road. And the main reason for this was that every twenty metres there was a large pothole. The CCC mission found that electricity and water supply were unreliable. Those who lived through that period would recall almost daily 8 to 12 hourlong blackouts with the national symbol becoming the candle. The colour of the water coming through the taps was like 'swank'. The telephone system was described as obsolete. Less than 10% of the population, as I recall, had landlines. The mission described the social infrastructure as being in a state of crisis. Schools were badly in need of repairs, and there was a mass exodus of teachers. The best teachers left for the Caribbean islands, most never to return. Guyana's education system has never recovered from this brain
drain. The medical system was similarly afflicted. Who can forget doctors performing surgical procedures with the aid of lamps? Dictatorship has political origins, but it contaminates all aspects of life. People suffered human rights abuses, food shortages, discrimination and repressions. Political opponents of the government were hounded and victimized. Some, like Wa l t e r R o d n e y, w e r e assassinated. Dictatorship is not a nice thing. It can be terribly harrowing. Rodney, just prior to his death, summarized the situation in the country. He said: “The economy is at a lower ebb than ever. The national balance is at a negative figure. There is inflation beyond all acceptable proportions. Unemployment spirals. Social violence increases. The moral fiber of the society begins to collapse in a most all-encompassing manner. One of the biggest issues in Guyana today among the population is how to get out. It is a society that is fast losing confidence even in its own ability to continue to persist, and a large proportion of people are seeking to escape from the society.� That is the legacy of dictatorship. Dictatorship thrives where there is a lack of
Dem boys seh...
People sporting while some dodging
A
ll de people who was counting de money that Guyana gun get from oil now talking bout how de money ain't gun even do to buy anything. Exxon announce how much oil it find and right away everybody start to come to Guyana. De people who live here start to talk how de government sell out de country and how de government mek Guyana lose US$55 billion. Now de price of oil drop till it can't drop no more. People now forget bout de oil and dem concentrating pun de elections result. Dem boys know why all this confusion going on bout de elections. De people who want to lead de country was counting de oil money all de
time. Some of dem done plan how dem gun spend money. All of dem want to be president of a rich country just like how Donald Trump is de president of a rich country. That is why some of de leaders organize people to protest. De only thing people didn't have to organise was de Phagwah celebration. Every year de Guyanese people does show that when it come to celebrate national holidays dem don't have race or religion. Phagwah is a holiday that only Hindus use to celebrate. Now when de celebration time come around de people who celebrating is just looking fuh a chance to sport. Dem boys see people
who lef dem home just fuh sport. De holiday is to welcome de spring. In Guyana de holiday was to drink like likker going out of style. People get up and cook to sell. Instead of cooking Phagwah food dem cook chicken curry. De Phagwah celebration is about eating no meat. And dem boys seh some people playing a dodging game. One set of people looking fuh de GECOM people and de GECOM people looking fuh sympathy. This waiting game begin a long time ago. People was even looking fuh some presidential candidates and never see dem till de elections done. Now people stop dodging and dem waiting.
accountability. Elections are the means through which people can hold their governments accountable. But when governments feel that they can do as they please and not be accountable to the people, then that is when the seeds of dictatorship are sown. Just after more than 900 persons committed mass suicide at Jonestown in Guyana, Rodney linked this tragedy to the lack of political accountability. He argued that it was this lack of accountability which
allowed for the creation of a state within a state, the suppression of news and the absence of an inquiry into the tragedy, immunity from the law and political interference in the judiciary. Guyana is in danger of once again going down a slippery slope, if an illegitimate government is given license to administer the affairs of the state. I will not be around twenty years from now to learn about the consequences of another dictatorship, if that
eventually occurs. But I can predict what is going to happen. Governments which place themselves beyond political accountability end up becoming destructive and repressive. (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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Tuesday March 10, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
I firmly and consciously believe the PPP won the election
T
he following words appeared at the end of my column yesterday suggesting that the PPP should ask itself; “What if the party never won?� That came about either because of an editorial mistake or otherwise, but I did not pen those words. I believe from all that I
have seen and information that I was privy to information shared with me from professionally driven persons who are both Guyanese and foreigners, and who have not the slightest relationship with the PPP or care to have one that when the tabulations were completed, the results showed a PPP victory.
I hereby reject any other decision, and will only accept a different outcome if those very credible people, on the basis of proof, offer a different result. A few days ago, in the National Park, a well known restaurant owner chatted with me over the election results. He said that he accepts the flawed process, because he does not
want Jagdeo back in power. My reaction is that what went on last Wednesday evening in the GECOM command centre was not about Jagdeo, it was about the deep, priceless value of freedom. It was unrelated to Jagdeo. It was about living in a country where you enjoy the right to vote. The recognition of that right by society then ushers in a process of thinking and instincts that lead to the concretization of freedom. Here is what I know, and I make a distinction here between what I know and what I believe. On Wednesday, the verification of the statements of poll (SOPs) for Region 4 was stopped. Just stopped and never resumed. GECOM on Thursday declared APNU+AFC the winner of the poll. I have not seen any c r e d i b l e o rg a n i z a t i o n , except the winners, that has contradicted that occurrence. There is no other word to describe what went on there, except the description of descent into election insanity. How can any civilized society accept such an election process and the result that emerged from it? The caricature that accompanied Wednesday's stoppage of the verification of the SOPs has absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Jagdeo. It was about democracy, which has as one of its fulcrums free and fair elections. Free and fair election is a priceless value.
If it brought Jagdeo's party to power, then in rejecting the election because you did not like the winner, what do you replace it with? The restaurant owner in the park kept shouting that Guyana must take the sanctions coming, because Jagdeo must never return. The most dangerous mistake in that thinking is who do you replace Jagdeo with? More importantly, who has the right to take away the votes the citizens gave Jagdeo? Which arbiter decides that he/she does not want Jagdeo and therefore citizens' votes are derecognized? If you accept the corrugation and corruption of free and fair elections, then why must the winner accept to be tossed aside? And even if the winner, through some weird psychological contortion does decide to become sheepish, why would anyone think his/her supporters will accept the rejection of their victory? My politics is an open book. I have been a newspaper columnist for 31 years in which I have penned literally thousands and thousands of columns, and interspersed in those pages are the countless times I have stated how I voted. From 18 years onwards I never voted for the PPP or the PNC. On my parents' grave that is the truth. I voted for APNU+AFC in 2015. Legally and morally that was not a vote for the PNC.
Frederick Kissoon By the time I was 18, I became suspicious of what my country's politics was about. After entering university and becoming educated, my mind was now cast in cement. The PPP and the PNC would continue to polarize Guyana, and I embraced the WPA. In 2006, I endorsed the AFC, because I saw them as the rebirth of the third way that the WPA brought in the 1970s. For me, the AFC died after 2015 through power intoxication, and I became a critic of the government since then. I kept yearning for the return of the third way that the WPA and the AFC brought. It happened in 2020 with the birth of many small parties. I chose Lenox Shuman, because I think Amerindians need to expand their political presence in Guyana. The point I am making is that politics is about Guyana's freedom. It is not about specific personalities. Free and fair election is about freedom and democracy. It is not about keeping out a particular individual. I didn't vote for the PPP, but I believe and know it won the election. Guyana must recognize that. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Tuesday March 10, 2020
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Oil companies will have to Amid post-election tensions, engage in brutal cost-cutting Guyanese celebrate Phagwah if prices remain at dramatic A low - Wood Mackenzie
W
o o d Mackenzie's Senior Vice President for Corporate Research, Tom Ellacott is of the firm view that the worrying oil price crash could be the trigger for a new phase of deep industry restructuring—one that rivals the changes seen in the late-1990s. In a statement to the press, Ellacott reminded of the current oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia while stating that this is not the first time such has happened. He noted, however, that this time, oil demand is weak because of the coronavirus outbreak. For those who may not be aware, China is the world's largest oil and gas importer, and due to the outbreak, there is an oversupply in the market, which has led to oil prices declining since mid-January. The price war between Russia and Saudi stems from the former's refusal to join OPEC in the cut back of production supply so as to stabilize prices on the world market which have plummeted to a worrying US$34 a barrel. Ellacott said that the macro-economic backdrop is completely uncharted waters for oil and gas
companies. But he noted, however, that the oil and gas industry's financials are in much better shape, thanks to the actions taken following the last price collapse. “At current activity levels, we estimate that many companies need an average Brent price of US$53/bbl to break even in 2020, including dividends at expected current levels and announced buybacks,” he said. Fraser McKay, Head of Upstream Analysis, used Wood Mackenzie's Lens platform to calculate that up to US$380 billion of cash flow would vanish from forecasts if Brent prices average US$35/bbl for the remainder of the year. This represents an 80% drop relative to a continuation of the
US$60/bbl it has averaged year-to-date. McKay said, “Sustained prices below US$40/bbl would trigger a new wave of brutal cost-cutting. Discretionary spending would be slashed, including buybacks and exploration. But given the lack of excess in the system, the cuts to development activity will be necessarily fast and brutal...Unsanctioned conventional projects will also be delayed, and in-fill, maintenance and other spend categories scaled-back.” Adding to his point, Ellacott said, “More highly leveraged players will be forced to make the deepest cuts to stave off bankruptcy... In addition, many companies have already made the most of the obvious asset sales.”
mid postelection tensions and major Hindu organizations cancelling their annual Phagwah celebrations, Guyanese still came out in their numbers to celebrate the religious holiday, yesterday. Known also as Holi, Phagwah is an ancient religious Hindu festival which originated in India in the month of Phagoon on the Hindu calendar, several hundred years before the birth of Christ. It is the festival of colours in honour of the Hindu God, Vishnu. It is also a festival of love of Radha, the perceived adulterous lover of Lord Krishna, the most widely revered and most popular of all Indian divinities. The festival is sacred to the Hindu religion. Holi celebrations start on Basant Panchmi which is the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month ÔMaghÕ. On this day, in keeping with tradition, homage is done to Saraswati Devi the goddess of knowledge and a castor oil tree is planted as a symbolic act. During a period of 40 days from Basant Panchmi to Holika Dahan, melodies of chowtaal ÔdhamaarÕ and jati renditions can be heard across the country at Hindu
temples and homes. Holika Dahan or burning of the Holika (castor oil tree) takes place on Phalgun Purnima or the full moon day of the Hindu month Phalgun. It is the last day of the Hindu Calendar year and forty days after Basant Panchmi. On this day, a pyre is built around the castor oil tree which is ignited at the appropriate time as a symbolic act recalling the day when the sister of the tyrannical King Hiranyakashyapu, who had a boon which made her immune to the effect of fire, sought to have her own nephew Prahalad consumed in fire at the command of her evil brother, the King Hiranyakashyapu. Prahalad however, escaped unscathed and Holika was reduced to ashes instead. This event symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The festivities officially usher in the arrival of spring and are the spiritual influence over the environment to aid in successful crops. They are the thanksgiving of a good harvest. The festival date varies from year to year on the Hindu calendar. Typically the festival which lasts for two days is celebrated on the day of the full moon which falls
somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March. It is an occasion for people to enjoy the changing seasons and make new friends. For many Hindus, the festival also marks the beginning of the New Year when people renew relationships with old acquaintances. In Guyana, Phagwah celebrations are not limited to just Hindus. In fact, all six races partake in the colourful festivities. Celebrations start from early in the mornings; persons come out in their numbers shout “Happy Holi” greetings. The men from the Hindu communities walk around their villages singing chowtaal while the women are usually at home preparing Indian delicacies such as gulaab jamoon, gojha, gul-gula, pholourie, etc In the afternoons, the colours come out to play. Everyone is dressed in white and carries around with them containers or bags filled with abrak, powder, perfumes and water guns filled with abeer. Yesterday, persons were in relatively high spirits, despite the cloud of uncertainty created by the contentious election issues. (See photos on centre)
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Tuesday March 10, 2020
Latest on the spread of coronavirus around the world (Reuters) - The number of people infected with the coronavirus topped 111,000 across the world as the outbreak spread to more countries, causing greater economic damage. DEATHS/INFECTIONS **More than 111,600 people have been infected by the coronavirus globally and over 3,800 have died, according to a Reuters tally o f g o v e r n m e n t announcements. **Mainland China, outside Hubei province, reported no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases for the second day on Monday, but an official warned people against dropping their guard. EUROPE **Italy, with 7,375 cases and 366 deaths, sealed off much of its industrial north, where six prisoners were killed in a riot over curbs on visits. The government also ordered cinemas, theaters and museums to close, canceled sporting events and told shops and restaurants to ensure patrons remained at least a meter apart. **Spain, with 1,204 cases and 28 deaths, will close schools and universities in Madrid and the Basque capital Vitoria. **Germany on Monday reported 210 new cases, taking its total to 1,112. **Britain, which has 319 cases and three deaths, said
anyone returning from areas in northern Italy placed under lockdown must selfisolate. **New infections in the Netherlands rose to 321 on Monday, up from 264 a day earlier, said h e a l t h authorities. **Albania and Bulgaria reported their first cases. AMERICAS **Argentina marked Latin America's first death on Saturday, after Paraguay, Colombia, Chile and Peru announced their first cases. **Costa Rica reported nine infections on Sunday, up from five a day earlier. **Canada recorded its first death - a resident at a British Columbia's long-term care facility. **Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a 60-day state of emergency on Sunday as cases in the state doubled to 14. **The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to firms selling products that claim to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19. **Americans, especially those who are vulnerable, may have to stop attending big gatherings as the virus spreads through U.S. communities, a health official said on Sunday, not ruling out large-scale quarantines. ASIA
**Foreigners in Beijing should refrain from unnecessary travel during the outbreak, a local government official said on Monday. **South Korea reported 165 new cases, bringing the total to 7,478, while the death toll rose to 51. **Japan is set to revise a law allowing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare emergency, if needed, as infections reached 1,190. **Singapore will allow cruise ship Costa Fortuna to dock on Tuesday, after it was turned away from ports in Malaysia and Thailand. **Vietnam on Monday decided to suspend visa-free travel from eight European countries: Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain. **North Korea flew dozens of diplomats out of the country to Russia on Monday, including the staff of the German, French and Swiss missions. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA **Iran, with 7,161 cases and 237 deaths, the third highest after China and Italy, temporarily released around 70,000 prisoners. **Israel, with 42 cases, will require anyone arriving from overseas to selfquarantine for 14 days **Burkina Faso on Monday reported its first two
cases, the health minister said, becoming the sixth country in sub-Saharan Africa to be affected by the virus. **Tunisia will suspend all flights and shipping to Italy except to Rome and bring forward a scheduled school holiday to Thursday from next Monday. **Qatar said on Monday it was suspending schools and universities to control the outbreak. **Nigeria has a second confirmed case, its health minister said on Twitter on Monday. **A 60-year-old German tourist has died in Egypt, becoming its first fatality from the coronavirus. **Saudi Arabia's health ministry said on Monday it has detected five new cases, bringing the total to 20. On Sunday, it imposed a temporary lockdown on its eastern Qatif province, home to a large Shi'ite Muslim population. **Thirteen Americans quarantined in a West Bank hotel tested negative and will leave soon. AUSTRALIA **Australia reported its third death on Sunday. ECONOMIC FALLOUT **China announced more measures to support airlines, reducing airport and air control fees, as well as postponing the upcoming
summer season flight plan. **Europe needs to come up with a “massive� economic stimulus to cope with the outbreak, France's finance minister said on Monday. **The cost of insuring exposure to debt issued by governments and banks rose sharply on Monday with those at the center of the outbreak and oil exporters seeing levels spike to multimonth highs. **The epidemic will cause global FDI to shrink by 5%-15% from previous forecasts, resulting in only marginal growth in 2020-21, with automotive, airlines and energy industries likely to take a big hit, a U.N. report said. **Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government will create a special program to offer zerointerest loans to companies. **British finance minister Rishi Sunak, under pressure to fund the fight against the virus and meet election promises in this week's budget, has said he is looking at possible changes to rules which could allow him to spend more. **Global luxury brands including Gucci and Louis Vuitton are scaling back orders with Italian suppliers,
as the spread of the coronavirus from key market China to Italy hits business, industry sources said. MARKETS **Global stocks plunged on Monday and prices for crude oil tumbled as much as 33% after Saudi Arabia launched a price war with Russia, sending investors already worried by the coronavirus fleeing for the safety of bonds and the yen. [MKTS/GLOB] EVENT CANCELLED, POSTPONED, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS **The European Parliament considers calling off this week's plenary session, two officials said. **The Boao Forum, which China is trying to promote as Asia's answer to Davos, has been postponed. **Japan's travel restrictions on South Koreans have spurred cancellations of a string of K-pop concerts. **Ireland canceled all St. Patrick's Day parades due next week and the government set aside 3 billion euros to tackle the infection. **All French top flight soccer matches will be played behind closed doors or with a maximum attendance of 1,000 people until April 15. **Madonna canceled shows in Paris today and tomorrow, promoter Live Nation said yesterday.
U.N. aviation agency says concerned about economic impact of coronavirus (Reuters) - The U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said yesterday it was concerned about the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak on air transport and civil aviation. Airlines worldwide have been suspending flights or modifying services in response to the epidemic, which has now claimed more than 3,800 lives and infected more than 113,000 people globally.
Kaieteur News
Tuesday March 10, 2020
PAGE 15
Oil plunges 25%, hit by erupting Saudi-Russia oil price war NEW YORK (Reuters) Crude prices suffered their biggest daily rout since the 1991 Gulf War yesterday as top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia began a price war that threatens to overwhelm global oil markets with supply. A nearly 25% slump in oil prices triggered panic selling and heavy losses on Wall Street's main stock indexes as the rapid spread of coronavirus amplified fears of a global recession. Saudi Arabia and Russia both said they would raise production at the weekend after a three-year pact between them and other major oil producers to limit supply fell apart on Friday. Moscow had refused to support the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in making a deeper oil cut to cope with the substantial fall in demand caused by the impact of coronavirus on travel and economic activity. Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell $10.91, or 24.1%, to settle at $34.36 a barrel. The contract fell by as much as 31% earlier in the day to $31.02, its lowest since Feb. 12, 2016. U . S . We s t Te x a s Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 fell $10.15, or 24.6%, to settle at $31.13 a barrel. WTI earlier dropped 33% to $27.34, also the lowest since Feb. 12, 2016. Yesterday marked the biggest one-day percentage decline for both benchmarks since Jan. 17, 1991, when oil prices fell a third at the outset of the U.S. Gulf War. Trading volumes in the front-month for both contracts hit record highs. Energy stock prices have also fallen sharply, and shale producers began cutting spending in anticipation of lower revenues. Exxon
shares lost more than 12%, the largest one-day percentage loss since Oct. 15, 2008, the height of the financial crisis. Chevron's shares fell more than 15%, the biggest loss since the October 1987 “Black Monday” market crash. “Over the weekend every company redid their numbers and basically shale goes into survival mode in terms of capital expenditure and activity,” said Dan Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit. Saudi Arabia plans to boost its crude output above 10 million barrels per day (bpd) in April from 9.7 million bpd in recent months, two sources told Reuters on Sunday. The kingdom slashed its export prices at the weekend to encourage refiners to buy more. Russia, one of the world's top producers alongside Saudi Arabia and the United States, also said it could lift output and that it could cope with low oil prices for six to 10 years. OPEC, Russia and other producers had cooperated for three years to restrain supply in a group known as OPEC+. Other countries in that group are likely to raise supply and cut prices to compete, adding to a market already awash with crude. “The prognosis for the oil market is even more dire than in November 2014, when such a price war last started, as it comes to a head with the significant collapse in oil demand due to the coronavirus,” Goldman Sachs said. Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major producers last battled for market share in 2014 in a bid to put a squeeze on production from the United States, which has not joined any output limiting
pacts and is now the world's biggest producer of crude thanks to a rapid rise in output from the shale sector. The global outbreak of the coronavirus prompted de facto OPEC leader Saudi Arabia to seek additional output cuts from the OPEC+ group. More than 110,000 people have been infected in 105 countries and territories and 3,800 have died, the vast majority in mainland China, according to a Reuters tally. China's efforts to curb the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted the world's second-largest economy and cut shipments to the biggest oil importer. The International Energy Agency said oil demand was set to contract in 2020 for the (continued on page 19)
Kaieteur News
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Coronavirus threatens China's belt and road plans
X
i Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative has long been seen as a way to project China's influence around the world. Now, the coronavirus is showing how the trade and infrastructure program can help export the country's troubles. The deadly outbreak is p r o mp tin g d elay s an d disruptions to China's construction and investment
Tuesday March 10, 2020
Many Chinese nationals have been banned from entering countries where they work in construction sites, due to the spread of the coronavirus [File: Roman Pilipey/EPA]
plans overseas, risking years of planning and hundreds of billions of dollars in economic diplomacy. Quarantine measures are preventing Chinese workers from making it to foreign building sites, domestic firms supplying overseas projects face acute labor shortages and fears are mounting that workers will inadvertently spread the virus to new locales. Projects that have been affected since the virus emerged in December include a $5.5 billion highspeed rail line in Indonesia. There's also a separate railway initiative in neighboring Malaysia, construction projects in Sri Lanka and corporate expansion plans in Pakistan. The disruption has exposed another pitfall of the region's growing dependence on China's backing for major infrastructure projects. Even as the pace of new coronavirus cases slows in China, host countries remain wary of avoiding future outbreaks, with deadly infection surges in places like Iran, Italy and South Korea serving as a warning about how quickly a small cluster can spin out of control. “While there are risks of delays and cancellation of projects, there are also risks in early resumption,” said Bonnie Glaser, who has advised the U.S. government and directs the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "Xi seems determined to demonstrate that life is returning to normal and he wants to get the economy churning again,” Glaser said. “Resuming BRI projects is probably among his goals, not only for economic reasons, but also because BRI activities are a lever to enhance Chinese political influence.” Even before the outbreak, Xi had been seeking to rebrand and scale back his Belt and Road ambitions amid an economic slowdown at home and backlash from some partner nations concerned about the costs. The U.S. has led a global campaign against the program, arguing that China's reliance on loans locked poorer countries in “debt traps” while advancing
its own strategic aims. The virus has thrown up another hurdle, as countries bar or quarantine Chinese v i s i t o r s . O n e o ff i c i a l involved in BRI planning in Beijing said last week that a failure to stop the virus spreading outside of China would inevitably take a toll on projects. Still, another Chinese official in Beijing said that the impact to key projects remained limited and that significant disruptions were likely to remain an issue only in the short term. That optimistic assessment was echoed Thursday by Vice Chinese Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu at a briefing on international support for coronavirus actions. “The impact of the outbreak on the construction of BRI is only temporary,” Ma told reporters in Beijing. “We are willing to work with all parties to continue to promote the high-quality construction of BRI. We have full confidence in this.” The same day, however, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan acknowledged that the multibillion dollar JakartaBandung high-speed railway -- a flagship BRI project -was likely to face delays. More than 300 workers remain stuck in China. In neighboring Malaysia, a dozen of the roughly 200 Chinese workers building the $10.4 billion East Coast Rail Link hail from Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak. They're not allowed back to the Southeast Asian nation, while other workers can return after a 14-day quarantine process. In Pakistan, which hosts numerous BRI projects spanning power and construction, two companies -- Engro Polymer & Chemicals Ltd. and Pakistan (continued on page 22)
Kaieteur News
Tuesday March 10, 2020
PAGE 19
Even mask-wearers can be ID'd, China facial recognition firm says B
E I J I N G (Reuters) - A C h i n e s e company says it has developed the country's first facial recognition technology that can identify people when they are wearing a mask, as most are these days because of the coronavirus, and help in the fight against the disease. China employs some of the world's most sophisticated systems of electronic surveillance, including facial recognition. But the coronavirus, which emerged in Hubei province late last year, has resulted in almost everyone wearing a surgical mask outdoors in the hope of warding off the virus posing a particular problem for surveillance. Now Hanwang Technology Ltd, which also goes by the English name Hanvon, said it has come up technology that can successfully recognize people even when they are wearing masks. “If connected to a temperature sensor, it can m e a s u r e b o d y temperature while identifying the person's name, and then the system would process the result, say, if it detects a temperature over 38 degrees,” Hanwang Vice President Huang Lei told Reuters in an interview. The Beijing-based firm said a team of 20 staff used core technology developed over the past 10 years, a sample database of about 6 million unmasked faces and a much smaller database of masked faces, to develop the technology, The team began work on the system in January, as the coronavirus outbreak gathered pace, and began rolling it out to the market after just a month. It sells two main types of products that use the
technology. One performs “single channel” recognition that is best used at, for example, entrances to office buildings. The other, more powerful, product is a “multi-channel” recognition system that uses “multiple surveillance cameras”. It can identify everyone in a crowd of up to 30 people “within a second”, Huang says. “When wearing a mask, the recognition rate can reach about 95%, which can ensure that most people can be identified,” Huang said, adding the success rate for people without mask is about 99.5%.
LOSING FACIAL INFORMATION A big customer, not surprisingly, is the Ministry of Public Security, which runs the police. Using Hanwang's technology, the ministry can cross-reference images with its own database of names and other information and then identify and track people as they move about, Huang said. “It can detect crime suspects, terrorists or make reports or warnings,” he said. But the system struggles to identify people with both a mask and
A software engineer works on a facial recognition program that identifies people when they wear a face mask at the development lab of the Chinese electronics manufacturer Hanwang (Hanvon) Technology in Beijing. REUTERS/Thomas Peter sunglasses, he said. “In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost. In such cases recognition is tough,” Huang said. The company has about 200 clients in Beijing using the technology, including the police, and expect scores more across 20 provinces to start installing it soon, Huang said. It is not immediately clear how Chinese citizens are reacting to this new
Oil plunges 25%, hit by erupting Saudi-Russia... From page 15 first time since 2009. The agency cut its annual forecast and said that demand would contract by 90,000 bpd in 2020 from 2019. Major banks also have cut their demand growth forecasts. Morgan Stanley predicted China would have zero demand growth in 2020, while Goldman Sachs sees a contraction of 150,000 bpd in global demand.
Bank of America reduced its Brent crude price forecast to $45 a barrel in 2020 from $54 a barrel. “The radical shift in policy suggests that Saudi will allow inventories to build sharply over the next three quarters,” said a Bank of America Global Research report. “As a result, we now expect Brent oil prices to temporarily dip into the $20s range over the coming weeks.”
Coronavirus, oil collapse... From page 2 level since August 2004 as investors reacted to the slump in oil prices. That left the energy index down 50% from its 52-week high, far worse than any other sector. With the yield on the 10year U.S. Treasury US10YT=RR declining to another record low yesterday, the S&P 500 financials index .SPSY
tumbled 11%, leaving it down 27% from its record high last month. “The lower oil price is going to decimate oil stocks, the oil industry, the shale producers, and the record low interest rates are going to decimate the banks. Those are the stocks posting the biggest declines today,” said Donald Selkin, chief marketing strategist
at Newbridge Securities in New York. Wall Street's meltdown has also hurt shares of companies that made highly anticipated debuts on Wall Street last year, adding to losses for companies including Peloton Interactive and Uber Technologies, while cutting into the gains of investor favorites, including Beyond Meat.
technology. When it comes to other surveillance tools being used in the fight against the coronavirus, there has been some grumbling on social media but most people seem to be accepting extra
intrusion, or even embracing it, as a means to deal with the health emergency. Although domestic customers have been driving Hanwang's business, Huang also said he expected more foreign interest, as the virus
spreads around the world and more people wear face masks. “It not only benefits Chinese people, but also, when the technology is applied globally, it can benefit the world,” he said.
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Tuesday March 10, 2020
2015 elections petition…
Commonwealth Observer Mission expresses concern over Court's delay in dealing with matter
T
he Commonwealth observer team has expressed concern at the delays of Guyana's High Court in dealing with the 2015 elections petition. In a preliminary report following the March 2020 Regional and General Elections, Head of the Commonwealth Observer Mission and Former Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur told the media that his team has heard grave concerns about the delays in the determination of the election petition. The observer team noted that the law permits an election petition case to be filed in the High Court within 28 days after the elections are held. However “We were informed for example that an elections petition filed by the PPP /C following the 2015 elections is still pending before the High Court,”
government are questioning the validity of the May 11 polls which declared the APNU+AFC Government winners. Persaud named the Chief E l e c t i o n s O ff i c e r, K e i t h Lowenfield, and leaders of the eight political parties, which contested in the last elections as respondents, in the matter. In the petition, Persaud, who was appointed Election Agent of the List of Candidates for the PPP/C, claimed that the elections were “unlawfully conducted” and the result of the elections was affected or might have been Head of the Commonwealth affected by unlawful acts or Observer Mission, Owen Arthur omissions. He underscored that the Arthur said. The 2015 elections petition has elections were not held in been at a standstill since it was filed conformity with the Constitution of in the High Court on behalf of Guyana and the Representation of PPP/C member, Ganga Persaud. the People Act, Chapter 1:03. As such, opposition essentially Persaud and members of the former
requested a recount of all ballot boxes for the last elections and fresh elections were also called for. However, in a summons filed on behalf of Chief Elections Officer, last month, Attorney-atlaw Roysdale Forde requested that the elections petition be struck out, on the grounds that sections of the petition failed to disclose reasonable cause of action and are frivolous and vexatious. The summons followed a request by Attorneys representing respondents in the matter, for further and better particulars specified in paragraphs 8 subparagraphs 1- 15, of the petition. According to the document, those paragraphs must be struck out, as they are in breach of sections 140 (2) of the Representation of the People Act Cap: 1:03. The summons also outlined that
the claims in paragraphs 8 subparagraphs 1- 15, of the petition failed to provide facts to support the claims that the elections was rigged. The PPP/C had claimed that the entire electoral process was flawed. It contained many procedural errors and instances of fraudulent and/or suspicious actions. “Unrest, fake statements of polls (SOPs) and multiple voting were among several causes cited when the PPP/C filed its elections petition.” The presence of “huge mobs” at several polling stations and other strategic places, particularly in Region Four, were also cited by the party as another cause for intimidation and fear which in turn “rendered it impossible for polling and counting agents, duly appointed candidates, to carry out their duties and functions properly.
Amazon launches business selling automated checkout to retailers (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has launched a new business line selling the technology behind its
cashier-less convenience stores to other retailers, the company told Reuters. The world's biggest web
retailer said it has “several” signed deals with customers it would not name. A new website is inviting others to
inquire about the service, dubbed Just Walk Out technology by Amazon. The highly anticipated business reflects Amazon's strategy of building out internal capabilities - such as warehouses to help with package delivery and cloud technology to support its website - and then turning those into lucrative services it offers others. Its chain Amazon Go has brought shopping without checkout lines into the mainstream, and the market for retail without cashiers one of the most common vocations in the United States - could grow to $50 billion, U.S. venture firm L o u p Ve n t u r e s h a s estimated. Dilip Kumar, Amazon's vice president of physical retail and technology, had no market forecast to share but said shoppers' preferences will determine how big the business becomes. “Do customers like standing in lines?” he asked. “This has pretty broad applicability across store sizes, across industries, because it fundamentally tackles a problem of how do you get convenience in physical locations, especially when people are hard-pressed for time.” Unlike Amazon Go stores, shoppers will insert a credit card into a gated
turnstile to enter, rather than scan an app. The turnstiles will display the logo “Just Walk Out technology by Amazon,” but all other branding and store aspects will be controlled by the retailer using the service. Items picked up by a customer and any guests who enter with them will be added to the shopper's virtual cart. The store will then bill the credit card once the person or group leaves the store - no bar code scans or checkout lines necessary. Kumar said Amazon will install the technology including ceiling cameras and shelf weight sensors at retailers' stores, whether they are new locations or retrofits, and it will have a 24-7 support line. COURTING RIVALS? A by-product of demand for the offering would be increased usage of Amazon Web Services, the company's cloud that underpins its checkout-free systems. Still, high demand is by no means certain. Other vendors including Grabango and AiFi are offering automated checkout to retailers, which in the past have been loath to hand deals to their rival Amazon that has been the biggest disruptor of their brick-andmortar businesses. Media reports have said
Amazon was in talks to bring its technology to airport stores, for instance, rather than to Walmart Inc or Target Corp. Kumar said Amazon “potentially” could sell the service to big box rivals but would not speculate. He declined to comment on the service's business model or pricing, saying, “a lot of those are bespoke deals.” One issue that may arise is who owns the shopper data, something that businesses typically want in order to tailor marketing offers and build their customer base. Shoppers who desire a receipt will be able to type their email into a kiosk at any store. Amazon will send receipts to that address each subsequent time the credit card is used at a Just Walk Out location, no matter the retailer. Kumar said Amazon saves the email address and ties that to the credit card information, solely for the purpose of charging the customer. Kumar would not discuss whether or how Amazon would integrate this into retailers' loyalty programs but said, “These are the retailers' customers.” “We prohibit the use of Just Walk Out technology data for anything other than supporting Just Walk Out retailers,” he said.
Kaieteur News
Tuesday March 10, 2020
PAGE 21
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un US, Canada discuss democracy in Guyana oversaw latest missile launch: KCNA SEOUL (Reuters) - Kim Jong Un personally oversaw yesterday's “firepower strike drill,” North Korea state media reported today, including the launch of what appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles for the second time in a week. North Korea launched multiple projectiles into the sea yesterday as part of firing drills, according to South Korea's military, drawing U.S. and Chinese appeals for Pyongyang to return to talks on ending its
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo
T
he Governments of the Canada and the United States have been in talks about supporting the democratic transition in Guyana. This was revealed in a tweet by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, after a meeting he had with the Canadian deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland. The discussion also included, according to Pompeo, the importance of the strength of the Organisation of American States (OAS). The OAS has fielded an observer mission for Guyana's 2020 elections, and is one of the international observer groups who were threatened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karen
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland Cummings with a revocation of accreditation. The OAS has called for the tabulation of the election result to be conducted in accordance with all necessary legal, procedural requirements. Pompeo's tweet follows public statements by several governments and regional organizations, stating their concern for the integrity of the electoral process in Guyana. Statements have come from Norway, France, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, CARICOM and others. The matter of whether the verification of the region four general and regional elections results is a legal necessity is in the Court and will be examined today.
nuclear and missile programs. Kim was joined by the commanders of the Korean People's Army and expressed “great satisfaction with the result,” North Korean state news agency KCNA reported. “The purpose of the firepower strike drill was to inspect the sudden military counterattack capability of the long-range artillery units on the front,” KCNA said. Photos released by KCNA showed troops firing
a number of artillery guns, as well as missiles from a multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) with four launching tubes. The missiles flew up to 200 km (124 miles) and reached 50 km in altitude, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. B r i t a i n , G e r m a n y, France, Estonia and Belgium raised North Korea's recent launches at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, calling them provocative actions that
violated U.N. resolutions. But North Korea's foreign ministry criticized the European stand as “U.S.instigated reckless behavior” and Kim's sister said the drills were not meant to threaten anyone.
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Tuesday March 10, 2020
Kaieteur News
Biden, not Sanders, gains in popularity after Warren drops out: Reuters/Ipsos poll
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YORK (Reuters) - Elizabeth Warren's departure from the Democratic presidential race appears to have benefited front-runner Joe Biden more than Bernie Sanders, her liberal ally on many issues, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll released yesterday. The poll conducted from Friday to yesterday showed that 47% of registered Democrats and independents said they would vote for Biden if their state's nominating contests were held today, up 7 points from a similar poll that ran just before Warren suspended her campaign last Thursday. Thirty percent said they would vote for Sanders, a senator from Vermont, unchanged from the previous poll. The results suggested that Warren's supporters, rather than gravitating toward Sanders, have fallen in line with Biden, who shifted the dynamics of the race with a commanding victory in the South Carolina primary, followed by wins in most of the Super Tuesday nominating contests last week. Six more states, including Michigan and Washington, hold nominating contests today. Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, has not endorsed a candidate. More
moderate former rivals, including Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Michael Bloomberg and Kamala Harris, have rallied behind Biden, the former vice president. The poll also found that about six in 10 Sanders supporters said they would vote for Biden if he ended up winning the party's nomination to take on Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election. Three in 10 said they either would not vote, vote for a third-party candidate or did not yet know what they would do. One in 10 Sanders supporters would vote for Trump
if Biden is nominated. That is similar to the proportion of Sanders supporters who political scientists believe voted for Trump in 2016, although academics disagree over how much of an impact that had on Trump's upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 1,114 American adults, including 541 who identified as registered Democrats or independents. It had a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 5 percentage points.
Coronavirus threatens China's belt and road plans From page 18 Oxygen Ltd. -- have said their projects face slowdowns because their Chinese contractors alerted them to delays stemming from hampered mainland facilities. There has been widespread disruption to efforts in Sri Lanka, where Chinese investment is building the massive Port City Colombo, an expansion of the capital city via land reclamation. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently reported that about half of 100 firms surveyed said that business
was affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Government road and apartment construction projects involving Chinese contractors have slowed down, said Nissanka Wijeratne, secretary general of the Chamber of Construction Industry of Sri Lanka. Chinese workers returning to Port City Colombo have self-quarantined and there have so far been no major delays at the country's biggest construction site, said Thulci Aluvihare, head of strategy and business development for the project.
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Robert Helenius stuns Adam Kownacki to earn shot at Joshua’s WBA title The Guardian - It’s back to the drawing board for heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki after he was handed his first career defeat in shocking fashion on Saturday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Kownacki came up short in a WBA title eliminator for an eventual shot one of Anthony Joshua’s three championship belts, suffering a fourth-round technical knockout loss to Finland’s Robert Helenius, who went off as a 10-1 underdog. Many of the 8,811 in attendance presumed Helenius wouldn’t survive more than three rounds with Kownacki, a rising star in boxing’s showcase division who emigrated to Brooklyn from Poland when he was a child.
And for three rounds they were right as the busier Kownacki outhrew and outlanded the 6ft 6in, 239lb underdog, who made it clear he would box from the outside and avoid toe-to-toe exchanges. A one-sided third saw the 36-year-old Helenius left to hold on for dear life under a barrage of Kownacki’s best shots. Helenius (30-3, 19 KOs), 36, appeared gassed entering the fourth as the 6ft 3in, 265lb Kownacki fired away with stiff jabs to the solar plexus, appearing to tenderize his prey for a knockout. But after the taller man appeared to floor Kownacki with a right hand, which referee David Fields ruled a slip, he began to let his hands go, landing a crunching right-left combination that dropped
Adam Kownacki absorbs a left jab from Finland’s Robert Helenius during their WBA title eliminator fight at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Kownacki and silenced the partisan crowd.
Tuesday March 10, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You're sailing along and suddenly see a big ramp in front of you, Aries. Your choice: avoid the ramp, stay on the ground where you know it's safe, and be content with a limited worldview. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A great sense of duty toward your fellow humans is likely to drive your actions, Taurus. Think of yourself as an important role model for young people. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) There is a negative intensity about the day that is only going to get worse if you continue this stubbornness about every issue that comes your way, Gemini. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Whether or not you willingly participate, you'll certainly play a key role in the action. At times you'll feel like the pivotal player whose actions decide the fate of the game.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) There is a burning restlessness inside you that is activated because you don't feel as if you're fulfilling your life's destiny, Libra. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) There is a strong wave of power coming your way, so be careful how you handle it, Scorpio. You're extra prone to injuries and accidents of an explosive nature. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your energy is likely to operate in extreme bursts, Sagittarius. One minute you may be lethargic and the next you're ready to run a marathon. Engage in activities that nurture your fluctuating moods. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your energy is likely to operate in extreme bursts. One minute you may be lethargic and the next you're ready to run a marathon. Engage in activities that nurture your fluctuating moods.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The time for planning and calculating is over, Leo. The time for taking aggressive action has arrived. If you don't have your armor ready, too bad.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Debates over philosophy, religion, and education are likely to turn into all-out war. Feel free to add your two cents, Aquarius.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A large force is gathering now to make a bold statement and important pledge. This kind of movement brings together generations and unites people in a revolution. Put away the petty issues and think globally.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There is a tremendous amount of physical energy building within you, Pisces. Be careful that you don't let this incredible force come out in the form of a heated argument against someone you really care about.
“I knew that I hit him hard and I knew I just had to continue,” Helenius said. “I knew he was still hurt after that punch.” Kownacki (20-1, 15 KOs) beat the count, but Helenius backed his wounded opponent up with a hail of punches until Fields intervened at the 1:08 mark. “He hit me with a good shot,” said Kownacki, who landed 84 of 224 punches (38%) compared to just 49 of 228 shots (22%) for his opponent. “I knew what was going on, but I’m just upset
with myself. It is what it is.” The 30-year-old Kownacki, who was leading 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 on the scorecards of the time of the stoppage, was downcast but gracious in the wake of the shocking outcome. “It wasn’t my night,” he said. “It’s boxing. It’s a tough sport and
things just didn’t go my way tonight. It was a learning experience and I’m going to go back to the drawing board and get back to work.” Now Helenius, a Stockholm native based in Finland who was once regarded as one of the division’s brightest prospects before dropping to gatekeeper status after onesided losses to Johann Duhaupas, Dillian Whyte and Gerald Washington, finds himself back in the title mix after winning the eliminator, though it remains to be seen when the shot for Joshua’s WBA title will happen: the Briton is scheduled to fight Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur ’s 62,000-seat stadium on 20 June and expected to handle another mandatory defense against Oleksandr Usyk before the end of the year. “I want to thank everyone who gave me this opportunity,” Helenius said. “Kownacki is a tough fighter. I worked hard in training camp and it paid off”.
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk hospitalised after brutal facial injuries in war with Weili Zhang at UFC 248 The Independent - Joanna Jedrzejczyk was left with a badly disfigured face after a brutal war against Weili Zhang in their strawweight title bout at UFC 248. The Polish fighter dropped a split decision against the Chinese champion but was left with an enormous haematoma on her face following the fight. Both fighters were taken to hospital after the slug-fest, but despite absorbing a great deal of punishment, Jedrzejczyk would not allow her injuries or pride prevent her from congratulating her opponent on the win. “It doesn’t matter, I carry myself as a champ with the belt or without,” she said. “I was very proud of her, congrats Weili.” Zhang (now 21-1) traded brutal punches and kicks with Jedrzejczyk (now 16-4) throughout a frenetic five rounds to thrill the crowd, in stark contrast to the dull main event as Israel Adesanya defended his middleweight title over Yoel Romero. Zhang who was given the nod 48-47 on two judges’ cards, while Jedrzejczyk won 48-47 on the third, could not
hide her delight at the decision. “I had a long way to get here,” said Zhang, who had to move her training camp out of China due to the coronavirus outbreak. “It was very serious, but we made it. I’m so happy now.” After Zhang and Jedrzejczyk put on one of the most viscerally entertaining bouts in recent UFC history, Romero and Adesanya staged a snoozer that had fans booing and chanting obscenities. Adesanya (19-0) still defended his belt for the first time, winning 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 on the judges’ scorecards. Romero (13-5) fought an extraordinarily passive fight. Adesanya appeared unable to figure out a way through the 42-year-old Brazilian’s defences, but his efforts mattered more to the judges. “I did what I had to do to win this fight,” Adesanya said. “He’s out there trying to lure me into a false sense of security. I needed 25 minutes of focus. You can’t (fight) with somebody who doesn’t want to dance.” The Vegas crowd still got
its money’s worth from Zhang and Jedrzejczyk, whose prefight animosity carried straight into an uncommonly brutal bout in which the fighters traded big punches to the face from the opening round. Zhang’s superior punching power appeared to make the difference early, and Jedrzejczyk’s face showed every ounce of it late. But Jedrzejczyk gathered herself late in the second round and had an outstanding third, switching to a southpaw stance and battering Zhang. The fourth round was more of the same brute punishment for both fighters. Jedrzejczyk’s forehead and eyes began to swell badly in the fifth round, while Zhang bled from cuts on her face. The fighters embraced in the cage afterward. “She did great,” Jedrzejczyk said. “We both put on one hell of a performance. I’m proud of myself and my team.” Zhang became the UFC’s first Chinese champion last year, and she is a key to the promotion’s hopes of growing in the world’s most populous nation. The
personable brawler jumped at the chance to take on Jedrzejczyk, who defended the strawweight belt five times. Jedrzejczyk was the UFC’s strawweight champion from March 2015 until November 2017, when she took the first of two straight losses to Rose Namajunas. After a failed attempt to move up to bantamweight, she returned to 115 pounds and quickly earned another title shot. In the main event, Adesanya’s fearsome counterpunching skills were useless largely because Romero barely threw a punch in the first two rounds. Adesanya appeared unable to figure out how to penetrate Romero’s defences, and Romero did well on the few occasions that he tried fighting offensively in the first four rounds. Adesanya only joined the UFC in February 2018, but the Nigeria-born, New Zealandraised fighter has been among the UFC’s fastestrising stars since the moment he hit the cage. He won his first seven UFC fights while displaying his incredible athleticism and all-around
Joanna Jedrzejczyk was taken to hospital after the fight. (Getty) skills, steamrolling the middleweight division once ruled by pound-for-pound legend Anderson Silva. Zhang has similar potential to be part of the UFC’s desire for global growth. She is wildly popular in China, where MMA is rising in significance. Before the title fights, lightweight Beneil Dariush knocked out Drakkar Klose in the second round with one perfect left hand at the end of a spectacular back-and-forth sequence. Dariush (18-4-1)
was staggered by Klose before he responded by stalking Klose across the canvas and landing the left hand that dislodged Klose’s mouthpiece and rendered him unconscious on his feet. On the preliminary card, elite bantamweight prospect Sugar Sean O’Malley went to 11-0 with a dramatic firstround stoppage of Jose Alberto Quinonez. The bout was O’Malley’s first since March 2018, thanks to injuries and multiple positive doping tests.
Olympics: No spectators at Tokyo 2020 Games torch lighting ceremony - organizers ATHENS (Reuters) - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia will be the first in more 35 years to be held without spectators after organizers yesterday introduced tighter measures to protect against the coronavirus. Greece’s Olympic Committee said spectators would be excluded from both the dress rehearsal at the ancient site tomorrow and the widely broadcast ceremony on Thursday. This is the first time since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics that the ceremony will be held without any spectators lounging on the grassy slopes of the ancient stadium in the tiny Peloponesian hamlet. The ceremony — held both for summer and winter Games — usually attracts several thousand spectators, including Greeks and foreign visitors. “The lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame will be done without the presence of spectators and only 100 invited and accredited guests,” the Greek Olympic Committee said in a
A general view of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games inside the ancient Olympic Stadium on the site of ancient Olympia, Greece, April 21, 2016. (REUTERS/Valerie Gache/File Photo) statement. “The dress rehearsal on March 11 will be closed to spectators and media.” The Olympic torch will be lit in Olympia at a scaleddown ceremony on March 12 before a seven-day relay that culminates with a handover ceremony in Greece on March 19. The number of people inside the ancient stadium will also be reduced with
only a few dozen representatives of the Tokyo Games from a group of about 150 allowed access to the ceremony. Organizers will also shut the press center following the ceremony to avoid the gathering of many people in an indoor area and will stage Wednesday’s dress rehearsal without the presence of media. Tokyo had already stopped 340 children from
attending. Greece on Sunday announced a two-week ban on sporting events with spectators and on school field trips, as its number of coronavirus cases rose by seven to 73. The prefecture of Ilia, of which Olympia is part, is among areas of the country hardest hit by the coronavirus. The Mayor of Olympia has written to International Olympic Committee
President Thomas Bach, proposing the postponement of the ceremony until May. “The danger of staging the torch lighting with only a handful of spectators, limited number of officials and delegations, and under a cloud of fear and concern will damage the greatness and prestige of this event,” Olympia mayor Giorgos
Georgiopoulos said in his letter. “With a sense of responsibility, the municipal authority, all parties of the city council of Ancient Olympia, in order to secure the global radiance of the event asks the IOC which has the exclusive responsibility of organizing it to consider the possibility of moving the torch lighting ceremony to May of this year.”
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Indian Wells tennis postponed after coronavirus confirmed Associated Press - The BNP Paribas Open, the nearmajor tennis tournament set to begin this week in the California desert, won’t be played as scheduled after a case of coronavirus was confirmed in the Coachella Valley. It’s the largest U.S. sporting event to be called off over concerns about the spread of the disease. The South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, was canceled Friday. The announcement came Sunday night after many players were already in the desert practicing. Qualifying matches were to begin Monday with women’s main draw matches starting Wednesday and the men’s draw beginning Thursday. “We’re here and still deciding what’s next,” tweeted Rafael Nadal, the world’s second-ranked player. “So sad for all that is happening around the world with this situation. Hopefully soon solutions from the authorities. Stay all well and safe.” The Riverside County Public Health Department declared a public health emergency for the desert cities 110 miles east of Los Angeles, including Indian Wells where the ATP and WTA tours were to play the two-week tournament. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency. California has reported 114 cases of the virus. “There is too great a risk, at this time, to the public health of the Riverside
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, walks off the court during a rain break in his match against Philipp Kohlschreiber, of Germany, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) County area in holding a large gathering of this size,” Dr. David Agus, professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California, said Sunday. “It is not in the public interest of fans, players and neighboring areas for this tournament to proceed. We all have to join together to protect the community from the coronavirus outbreak.” The event typically draws upwards of 450,000 fans. It is commonly referred to as the “fifth slam” because of its popularity among the players and its stature, ranking points
and over $17 million in prize money that place it one rung below tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments. This year’s field includel Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. Kim Clijsters was set to continue her comeback at the event. “So sad to hear the news about the postponing of @BNPPARIASOPEN,” Gauff tweeted. “I was so excited to make my debut in IW, but safety is always the no. 1 priority. Stay safe.” Tournament director Tommy Haas said organizers
are prepared to play the event on different dates and will explore options. However, the pro tennis calendar is tightly scheduled and the summer months in the desert are notoriously hot. “We are very disappointed that the tournament will not take place, but the health and safety of the local community, fans, players, volunteers, sponsors, employees, vendors, and everyone involved with the event is of paramount importance,” Haas said in a statement. Already some smaller tennis events in China and Italy — the two countries hardest hit by the virus — had been affected. The Miami Open, which follows Indian Wells later this month, could be jeopardy. The Ultra music festival in that city has already been canceled. The year’s second Grand Slam tournament, the French Open, is set to be played in Paris in May. The decision to postpone Indian Wells was based on the guidance of medical professionals, the Centers for Disease Control and state of California officials, tournament officials said. “We understand the decision which has been made in the interest of public health and safety which is the top priority at this time,” WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in a statement. “It is too soon to speculate about what will happen to other tournaments that follow. We will continue
French minister confirms postponement of France v Ireland Six Nations match PA R I S ( R e u t e r s ) French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu confirmed yesterday that France’s final Six Nations rugby international game against Ireland had been postponed. Maracineanu did not specify the new date for the game, nor whether the other final Six Nations matches had also been postponed. French media had earlier reported yesterday that all games on the final day of rugby’s Six Nations Championship on Saturday had been postponed amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak. France on Sunday banned gathering of more than 1,000 people as the death toll and number of coronavirus infections continued to rise.
French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu leaves the Elysee Palace following the weekly cabinet meeting in Paris, France December 18, 2019. (REUTERS/ Benoit Tessier)
to closely monitor the situation. Health and safety will always come first.” Refunds for this year’s event or a credit toward next year’s tournament are being offered. Riverside County health officials said the individual with the first case of locally acquired coronavirus is being treated at Eisenhower Health in nearby Rancho Mirage after testing positive. The person is not being identified because of confidentiality rules. Heath officials are following up on people who may have been exposed and an investigation is underway to find out how the person contracted the disease. It’s the second case recorded in Riverside County. A cruise ship passenger from Riverside County was diagnosed with COVID-19 recently and is recovering at a Northern California medical facility. That person hasn’t returned home since leaving the Diamond Princess ship. “We have always known this was a possibility,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer, said of the first case. “We have been planning for weeks and are prepared to take the necessary steps to protect the health of our local community.” A charity event featuring Nadal set for Tuesday night at Indian Wells Tennis Garden has been canceled, tournament spokesman Matt
Van Tuinen said. Nadal was set to be joined by defending BNP Paribas Open champion Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Matteo Berrettini, Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic and American Taylor Fritz for the Eisenhower Cup, a $150,000 winner-take-all event. Earlier in the week, officials had announced several measures to protect players, fans and staff at the tennis tournament. Ball kids were going to have to wear gloves and not touch the towels of players on the court. Organized player and fan interaction was also going to be limited at the tournament. Besides ball kids, restaurant and food supply workers were going to wear gloves as well as volunteers taking tickets at entrances. Over 250 hand sanitizing stations were set up throughout the venue. Other major sports and entertainment events in the desert are scheduled for next month. The LPGA Tour is to play the first women’s golf major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, on April 2-5 in Rancho Mirage. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in nearby Indio is set for April 10-12 and April 17-19. It typically draws 250,000 people over two weekends. The Stagecoach Festival, featuring country music, is scheduled for April 24-26 at the same Indio venue.
Japanese rugby matches suspended over alleged drug use TOKYO (Reuters) - The alleged illegal drug use by a Hino Red Dolphins player has forced Japan’s Top League to suspend all matches in the rugby union competition until April, officials said yesterday. The latest suspension follows the postponement of the last two rounds of the competition due to the coronavirus outbreak. Hino’s New Zealandborn forward Joel Everson was arrested last week for cocaine use, leading the club to cancel all their remaining matches for the rest of the season. “We think an indepth measure is needed,” read a statement from Top League. “Rugby consists of five core values; dignity, passion, unity, discipline and respect. “If any of these is
missing, then it’s not rugby. And this incident violates most of the core values.” The Top League apologised to its fans in the statement and said it would be looking to ‘restore trust’ in the wake of the incident. Last year, two players from Top League side Toyota Verblitz were convicted of illegal drug possession. The coronavirus outbreak has also seen the start of Japan’s professional baseball league pushed back and the country’s domestic soccer matches postponed. More than 110,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 3,800 have died from it, according to a Reuters tally. Fourteen deaths have been reported in Japan from 1,190 cases.
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NBA roundup: Suns drop Antetokounmpo-less Bucks
LA Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell (5) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) in the second half at Staples Center. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Devin Booker scored 20 of his team-high 36 points in a 47-point first quarter for Phoenix on Sunday as the host Suns took advantage of the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo to thump the Milwaukee Bucks 140131. The Bucks announced before the game that an MRI exam taken on Antetokounmpo’s left knee, injured in Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, showed no significant damage, but that the Most Valuable Player candidate would be held out of at least two games nonetheless. The Bucks (53-11) have lost two in a row for the first time this season and three of their past four. Milwaukee, which had gone 9-0 after its previous nine losses — winning by an average of 17.0 points —
completed a three-game trip with a visit to Denver yesterday. The absence was Antetokounmpo’s seventh of the season. Milwaukee fell to 5-2 in those games after winning their first five without last year’s MVP. Los Angeles Lakers 112 Los Angeles Clippers 103 Anthony Davis had 30 points and eight rebounds, and the Lakers snapped the host Clippers’ six-game winning streak. LeBron James added 28 points, nine assists and seven boards for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight and 11th in 12 games. Avery Bradley scored a season-high 24 points, connecting on six 3-pointers. Kyle Kuzma finished with a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with eight points. Paul George led the
Clippers with 31 points and Kawhi Leonard had 27. Montrezl Harrell added 20 points for the Clippers, who lost for the first time to the Lakers in three contests this season. Indiana Pacers 112 - Dallas Mavericks 109 Victor Oladipo sank a goahead jumper with 38.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lift visiting Indiana past Dallas, depriving the Mavericks of their first three-game winning streak since mid-January. Domantas Sabonis collected 20 points and 17 rebounds to record his 50th double-double, surpassing Troy Murphy (2008-09) for the franchise single-season record. Sabonis actually accomplished the feat prior to halftime, as his left-handed dunk in transition with 39
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) seconds remaining gave him 11 points at the time. Dallas’ Luka Doncic, whose last-second 3-point attempt didn’t go, finished with 36 points and 10 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis endured a horrific night, making just 3 of 17 shots from the floor and misfired on all five attempts from 3-point range to finish with nine points. Brooklyn Nets 110 Chicago Bulls 107 Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points as Brooklyn overcame a season-high 29 turnovers and held on to beat visiting Chicago in the debut of interim coach Jacque Vaughn. The Nets won consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 10-12 and posted their third win in four
games a day after mutually parting ways with coach Kenny Atkinson, who was 118-190 in three-plus seasons at the helm. LeVert and Harris scored 23 points apiece as Brooklyn finished with its most turnovers since moving from New Jersey following the 2011-12 season. DeAndre Jordan moved into the starting lineup and contributed a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds. New Orleans Pelicans 120 Minnesota Timberwolves 107 Jrue Holiday had a season-high 37 points as visiting New Orleans defeated Minnesota in Minneapolis. Holiday added nine rebounds and eight assists, Zion Williamson scored 23
points while Brandon Ingram had 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Lonzo Ball also scored 18 points with eight assists and Nicolo Melli had 11. Malik Beasley scored 21, D’Angelo Russell had 19, James Johnson had 15, Josh Okogie had 12, Jake Layman 11 as Naz Reid and Jarrett Culver notched 10 each. In other results: Oklahoma City Thunder 105 - Boston Celtics 104 Cleveland Cavaliers 132 San Antonio Spurs 129 (OT) Orlando Magic 126 Houston Rockets 106 Miami Heat 100 Washington Wizards 89 Toronto Raptors 118 Sacramento Kings 113 New York Knicks 96 Detroit Pistons 84 (Field Level Media)
Haitian takes Golden Boot honours in Women’s U20 Championship SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, CMC – Despite her team failing to emerge victorious from the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship, Haitian midfielder Melchie Dumornay on Sunday walked away with the Golden Boot as the best goal scorer in the competition. The 16-year-old took home the honour for the 14 goals she scored, including goals in all six of Haiti’s matches.
She registered two hattricks and also had a four-goal performance in Haiti’s 12-nil Round of 16 win against Barbados. Haiti lost out on a finals spot in the championship after going down in one of the two semifinals to Mexico, which triumphed in a penalty shootout 4-2. Mexico’s goalkeeper Wendy Toledo, who registered two clean sheets during the tournament, was the winner of the Golden
Glove Award. The winner of Sunday’s final match was the United States who secured their fifth title with a 4-1 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez here. USA forward Mia Fishel was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s most valuable player. She finished as the second-leading scorer, behind Dumornay, with 13 goals, including a brace in the final which fell on International Women’s Day.
Haitian midfielder Melchie Dumornay scored the most goals in the tournament.
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Australian Grand Prix: ‘Fans will not be excluded because of coronavirus,’ says race chief BBC Sport - Formula 1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne will go ahead as planned next weekend with fans in attendance, race chief Andrew Westacott has said. There will be no crowds at the Bahrain Grand Prix on 20 March because of the coronavirus outbreak. Westacott, who cited the big crowd at the T20 World Cup final, said: “We’ve got to go around things sensibly. “We have to keep moving on through life while taking precautions.” Many F1 teams are based in England, but Ferrari and Honda-powered Alpha Tauri are located in Italy where there has been a recent surge in coronavirus cases. “The interesting thing is the Italian freight,” the Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief added. “The Alpha Tauri cars and the Ferrari cars are on
their way from [the airport] as we speak, so it’s really good. The key personnel are on their planes. We’re expecting them in the next 12 to 24 hours.” Italy has placed up to 16 million people under quarantine as it battles to contain the spread of the virus. Anyone living in Lombardy and 14 other central and northern provinces - including Modena, where Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters is situated - will need special permission to travel. Professor Brendan Murphy, the chief medical officer for the Australian government, said that holding Sunday’s race would not pose a risk to public health. “I’m not feeling at all concerned going to mass gatherings or walking down the streets in Victoria,” he said.
About 300,000 people are expected to turn up at Albert Park for the four days of action. (EPA) “So I don’t think that there’s a risk at the Grand Prix.” ‘Safety has to remain our utmost priority’
Ronaldinho adapting to jail with usual smile, prison warden says ASUNCION (Reuters) Former Brazil and Barcelona player Ronaldinho Gaucho is adapting quickly to life in a Paraguayan jail, the head of the facility told Reuters yesterday, but his lawyers are hopeful he may soon be released into house arrest while the investigation continues. “In broad terms he is doing very well,” prison warden Blas Vera told Reuters in a telephone interview. ”I see he is in good spirits, just like you see him on television, always smiling.” Vera said that Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto Assis, who were arrested on Friday for using a false Paraguayan passport, would present their case to a judge today. Their lawyer Sergio Queiroz told Reuters they had asked a court to release them into house arrest and offered guarantees they were not a flight risk. Vera said the 39-year old former AC Milan and Paris StGermain forward and his brother had beds, a television and a fan in their cell at the prison on the outskirts of the capital Asuncion. The brothers use a communal bathroom and have the right to use the outdoor patio on a regular basis. The pair’s lawyers have provided them with meals and they have not eaten the food
Ronaldinho leaves Paraguay’s Supreme Court after testifying in Asuncion, Paraguay, March 6, 2020. (REUTERS/Jorge Adorno) offered by the jail. COMFORTABLE STAY The maximum security facility has around 195 detainees, including politicians and police officers accused of corruption as well as major drug traffickers. The more dangerous prisoners are housed in a different wing to Ronaldinho, Vera said, adding that he was working to ensure the pair’s stay is “as comfortable as possible”. Carlos Gamarra, the former captain of Paraguay’s national team who also played for several Brazilian clubs, visited Ronaldinho with a group of ex-players in jail on Sunday. Vera said others who were at the regular Sunday visiting time befriended the Brazilian. “There was also a group of boys and girls and he
welcomed them, gave them hugs and chatted with them,” he said. Ronaldinho, who was last year named a tourist ambassador by Brazil’s farright government, arrived in Paraguay on Wednesday, invited to the landlocked South American nation by a local casino owner. 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 and advertisers. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006. He was also named FIFA world player of the year in 2004 and 2005.
The Bahrain race takes place a week after the season opener, the country having implemented special measures to ensure the race is able to go ahead. Immigration and health authorities have requested the names and flight details of all F1 personnel who work for teams, administrators, broadcasters or media who have been to, or transited through, China (including Hong Kong), Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, Lebanon or Thailand in the 14 days before their arrival in Bahrain. They have also asked for
the names and flight details of all passengers planning to arrive in Bahrain via the United Arab Emirates. These passengers are expected to be screened at Manama airport on arrival and, if they do not have coronavirus, will be allowed to enter the country. “We know how disappointed many will be by this news, especially for those planning to travel to the event, which has become a cornerstone event of the international F1 calendar, but safety has to remain our utmost priority,” read a statement from the Bahrain
International Circuit. “Bahrain’s own early actions to prevent, identify and isolate cases of individuals with Covid-19 has been extremely successful to date. “Aggressive social distancing measures have further increased the effectiveness of preventing the virus’ spread, something that would clearly be near impossible to maintain were the race to have proceeded as originally planned.” The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, which was scheduled for 19 April, remains the only race to have been postponed.
CAS clears American Lawson of doping, quashes ban (Reuters) - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday annulled the fouryear ban imposed on Jarrion Lawson by the sport’s governing body World Athletics, following an appeal by the American long jumper and sprinter. The 25-year-old, who was suspended last year after testing positive for the banned substance epitrenbolone, had denied any wrongdoing, saying the substance could have entered his body through the consumption of contaminated beef in June 2018. Lawson said that he ate the tainted meat at a restaurant in Fayetteville, Arkansas. An out-ofcompetition doping control test the next day indicated the presence of the exogenous anabolic androgenic steroid. “The CAS Panel found it
Jarrion Lawson of the U.S. in action during the Men’s Long Jump Final at the IAAF World Indoor Championships 2018 at Arena Birmingham. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay) more likely than not that the origin of the prohibited substance was contaminated beef consumed in a restaurant the day before the test,” sport’s highest court said in a statement. “Following a careful review and examination of the evidence and expert testimony... the panel was
unanimously of the view that Lawson had established that he bore no fault or negligence for his positive finding. “As a consequence of such finding, the period of ineligibility was eliminated.” Lawson captured the long jump silver medal at the world championships in London three years ago.
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Tuesday March 10, 2020
Kaieteur News
West Indies beat India in exciting warm-up match CAPE TOWN – West Indies Over-50s (WI O-50s) backed up a credible bowling performance with resolute batting to register a confidence-boosting 2wicket victory over India Over-50s in their second warm-up match ahead of the Over 50s Cricket World Cup (O-50sCWC) which begins tomorrow in Cape Town, South Africa. India Over-50s won the toss and opted to bat in sunny and windy conditions at Groot Drakenstein Oval and were not allowed to get away. The opening batsmen looked comfortable to right arm medium pacers Kenny Girdharry and Sudesh Dhaniram who shared the new ball on a pitch with good bounce and carry with a fast outfield in the valley of the Groot Drakenstein mountains which stood out prominently in the background. However, as they were beginning to threaten Girdharry got the breakthrough when Verinder Boombla was adjudged LBW for 7. The rest of the top order showed fight with some crucial partnerships and also exposed the cream of their batting in the warm-up for the big dance. After 45 overs, the O-50s CWC debutants were 194-5 with Tushar Zaveri top scoring with 42 (49 balls; 5x4) before retiring. Other useful contributions came from Iqbal Khan 39, Sanjay Beri 34
Roy Singh helped the West Indies get over the line with his knock. and PG Sunder with 20. Off-spinner, Azad Mohammed was the pick of the WI O-50s bowler with 2/ 16 and was supported nicely by Girdharry with 1/22 and captain Zamin Amin 1/24 with his left-arm spin. Asked to score at a rate of under 4.5 runs per over to win, West Indies were reduced to 74-4 then 113-6 to give India a glimmer of hope. However, the lower order showed tremendous fighting spirit to reach 1978 from 44.2 overs to seal victory by two wickets with 4 balls to spare. Sudesh Dhaniram, who looked set to see his team home, then ran down the wicket and missed after a
shot-filled 43 (54 balls; 8x4). At 108-5 the game was thrown wide open. But then Roy Singh and the lower order had other ideas. With captain Zamin Amin, Singh added 24 for the 7th wicket after joining forces at 113-6 to put the run chase back on track even though India were still hunting. After Amin was dismissed for 14, Girdharry and Singh played smartly to put on the partnership of the run chase. Their 35 run-stand all but sealed the deal before another twist. When Girdharry was caught at the wicket for 11, WI O-50s still needed 24 runs from 6 overs with two wickets in hand.
Out came Hafiz Mohamed who was cool as a cucumber with Singh as they easily got
the required runs for the moral boosting win. Singh ended on 39 not out from 66 balls and 2 fours while Hafiz Mohamed 10 not out. Earlier, opener Ishwar Maraj blasted 4 fours from 29 balls in his cameo of 24. For India, Iqbal Khan came back with the ball to end with 2/22, while Mayank Khandwala supported with 2/ 22. India are in group B and will begin their campaign also tomorrow against England at Green Point Cricket Club. West Indies Squad with shirt numbers: Zamin Amin (captain) 5 Ishwar Maraj (vicecaptain) 50 Imtiaz Rick Ali 23 Mark Audain 44 Narine Bidhesi 19 Julian Charles 82 Sudesh Dhaniram 14 Kenny Girdharry 21 Krishna Harricharan 12
Fareed Hosein 54 Howard Jodhan 6 Hafiz Mohamed 62 Azad Mohammed 9 Rajendra Sadeo 69 Balwant Roy Singh 11 Allison Johnson (Player/ Coach) 22 Raj Singh (Manager) Dave Narine (AssistantManager) John Ramsingh (Media Manager). West Indies O-50s Itinerary at Over 50s Cricket World Cup 2020 Wednesday March 11 vs New Zealand Friday March 13 vs Australia Sunday March 15 vs Canada Monday March 16 vs Zimbabwe Wednesday March 18 vs Sri Lanka Friday March 20 Semifinal Tuesday March 24 Final
Archer cops two medals at NJCAA Nationals
McCurdy named USTFCCCA athlete of the year Guyana Defence Force (GDF) athlete Lloyd McCurdy, who is a second year student-athlete at Monroe College, was named recently as the 2020 Atlantic Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA). McCurdy, whose pet event is the triple jump, also received this award last year after a strong showing in his junior year. McCurdy ranks No. 1 in the Atlantic Region in the triple jump (15.14 meters), the event which he won at the national championship last year. Currently, he is fourth in the event in the NJCAA so far this season. The Sophomore, who is a Computer Information Systems major, leapt 15.91m to take the Indoor Nationals men’s triple jump event before recording his
Joanna Archer (second right) and her team that retained the 4x800m women’s title at the NJCAA Indoor Nationals.
Lloyd McCurdy. personal best distance of 16.06m at 2019 Penn Relays. The 22-year-old, has also became the latest Guyanese to get on the NCAA scene after being accepted into division one school; Auburn University that he is set to join in the next academic year.
Speaking with Kaieteur Sport via social medial, the youngster explained that he wants to make a big impact during the outdoor season with one eye on Tokyo 2020 qualification; a difficult feat with the 17.14 qualifying distance being some way ahead of his personal best.
Guyana’s Golden girl, Joanna Archer, who is a student-athlete at Monroe College in the United States, continues to make the nation proud on the track while maintaining academic excellence. Archer’s latest exploits came during last weekend’s National Junior Colleges Athletics Association (NJCAA) Indoor Nationals where she copped two medals; silver in the women’s 800m and Gold in the 4x800m race that she helped her team win. In an invited comment with Kaieteur Sport, Archer explained that she was happy
to perform so well in the NJCAA Division one races since she has been struggling with a knee-injury that is rehabilitating. The 2019 CARIFTA games silver medalist clocked a time of 2 minutes 13 seconds during her second place finish during the NJCAA Nationals that was competed at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex in Virginia. The gold medal run in the 4x800m race was a repeat of what the team did in 2019. The Monroe ‘Mustangs’ women’s team in the race consisted of Thobile Amon who ran the first leg, Archer in the second, Thulisile Amon
third, while Faten Laribi was the anchor. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport, Archer dedicated her successes last weekend to her coach Shirvon Greene who has been doing a lot of work with her along with all her supporters back home including her grandmother, who all help to keep her motivated. In addition, she explained that making the Tokyo Games this year may not be a realistic goal but she vowed to keep working and progressing so she can be the best version of herself and one day make the Summer Olympics. (Calvin Chapman)
Kaieteur News
Tuesday March 10, 2020
PAGE 31
Mohamed’s XI overcome Roberts’ XI to take Khan’s Trading Enterprise U-15 softball title
Members of the victorious Feaud XI and runner up Roberts XI with their prizes.
Sharlyn La Rose accepts her prize from Chief Executive Officer of Khan’s Trading Enterprise Patrick Khan.
F
eaud Mohamed XI defeated Asif Roberts XI by 10 runs to win the Khan’s Trading Enterprise U15 softball title on Sunday last at Farm, East Bank Demerara. Played in front of a large crowd, Feaud Mohamed XI managed 72-1 off their allocation of six overs, batting first. Khalid Haniff and Owen Harvey put on 41 to give Mohamed XI a decent start before Harvey was removed for 14. Haniff then shared in another useful partnership with Navindra Hicks to give their team a challenging total. Haniff made 39 while Hicks scored 20. Roberts XI lost a few early wickets, but the skipper kept his team in hunt with a fine 36, however his efforts
were not enough to give his team victory as they finished on 62-3. Khalid Haniff took two wickets while Owen Harvey had one. Haniff received the best batsman and best bowler prizes, while Prem Boodhoo took home the best fielder accolade and Navindra Hicks pocketed the trophy for taking the best catch. Mohamed XI pocketed a trophy and $15,000 while Roberts XI received a trophy and $12,000. Other activities held as part of the day-of-sports saw Lisa Kissoon and Czanna Reid winning the novelty events. Kissoon won her event ahead of Joyana Bethune and Nafeeza Kaleem in that order, while Reid triumphed over Sharlyn La Rose and Ashmini Ram respectively. Vikash Kissoon won the
Sharlyn La Rose (C), Czanne Reid (L) and Joy La Rose with their prizes. boys novelty event; Shameer Baksh placed second and Desh Bankay finished in third position. Dexroy Wharton carted off the male
novelty title. Deonarine Mathura won the male 80m race, while Sharlyn La Rose took the top podium spot in the female
Dexroy Wharton collects his prize from Fazila Khan of Khan’s Trading Enterprise. 80m event; Czanne Reid took the runner up spot and Joy La Rose was third. Deonarine Mathura triumphed in the male 80m
while Brandon Boodhoo won male 100m; Steve Deosarran placed second and Asif Roberts finished third. (Zaheer Mohamed)
Andy Flower named St Lucia Zouks head coach after Kings XI Punjab tie-up E
Andy Flower is the new St Lucia Zouks head coach. (PA Images via Getty Images)
SPNcricinfo Andy Flower has been named as St Lucia Zouks’ new head coach for the 2020 CPL season. The Zouks were sold to KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, the owners of Kings XI Punjab, last month, and Flower was named as Kings XI’s new assistant coach on Saturday. The appointment mirrors the one made by Red Chillies Entertainment in 2019, who named Brendon McCullum as Trinbago Knight Riders’ head coach and Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach. McCullum was later
announced as KKR’s head coach, after the franchise decided he merited the top job. Flower coached England from 2009 until 2014, and stayed at the ECB until October last year as ‘technical director of elite cricket’. He stepped down from that position in 2019, and coached Maratha Arabians to the Abu Dhabi T10 title in his first role since his departure. He is currently coaching Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League, who are top of the table with five wins from seven games. James Foster coached St Lucia last season, and Brad
Hodge held the role in 2018. The franchise last reach the knockout stages of the CPL in 2016. “I am excited to lead and coach this team,” Flower said, according to a press release. “I am a fan of the Caribbean Premier League and would love to be the coach to be associated with the team to bring victory home to the fans in St. Lucia.” Satish Menon, Kings XI Punjab’s CEO, said: “I am delighted to have some one of the caliber and eminence of Andy Flower; we sure look forward to a great season ahead. [sic]”
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Joanna Archer leading the pack during the 4x800m race last weekend at the NJCAA Nationals where her team won.
West Indies beat India in exciting Archer cops two medals warm-up at NJCAA Nationals match
Azad Mohammed bowls for the West Indies.
Sudesh Dhaniram during his important innings.
McCurdy named USTFCCCA athlete of the year
Lloyd McCurdy in triple jump action for Monroe College during the indoor season.
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