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Kaieteur News
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS A. A. Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210
Editorial
The dictatorship of division
The word from all around, every powerful and influential source is this: don’t think of it! Don’t dare do it! Do not engage in any type of material electoral fraud. The outsiders mean business; they are serious, and they will not hesitate to deliver on hints and promises (they are no longer veiled warnings, but borderline threats) that they will look most critically and negatively on attempts to cheat in this year’s elections. Our leaders and their frenzied supporters from both sides of the divide and from wherever else should straighten up and take notice. It would appear that our leaders are listening, but only as they can manoeuvre through the thicket. There they are, the only ones of significance left standing, who are saying all the right things, striking the right notes, before the right people, and with hand over their hearts. There they are striving to convey the right attitudes in this time that has been characterised by anything and everything, other than what is right and uplifting and sustaining for the many peoples of the ruptured, animated society. The media coverage is laced with postures of the men and groups that matter, who speak of respect for process and what is lawful in the public forums before those who come to stabilise us and restore us to some level of sanity, some degree of self-respect and dignity. We at this paper hope and insist that the words that they hone and perfect are not merely for public consumption purposes, as having gone down in the record in saying the right things. There has to be more: it is in the doing that the proof is delivered. That has not been forthcoming cleanly. It is in the delivering that there is final and irrefutable confirmation that the words were not of shallow postures intended to mislead, but that they are of serious intents, and unswerving commitment, to do what is unsullied before all and unchallengeable by any. We are not getting there at all. This is our hope, but we are sensible enough and realistic enough to recognise that this does not stand on the firmest of grounds, but that this hope and demand of ours run into the realities that now saturate the political, racial, social, and electoral environment. The four are as indivisible and untouchable as the most sacred of teachings and beliefs. They are inseparable as they are unapproachable in that they stand impenetrably against any hopes and appeals that come for something, anything, that is different, and which may offer a way out of the warped road traveled to bring us here. And this is the sum of what prevails here and dominates man and mind, attitudes and atmosphere, and child and country. A snapshot of story headlines from the Kaieteur News edition of Friday, March 13 (a superstitious and feared day still for many) tells the sorry story, the sordid saga, of what this society is and where this country stands immovably. First, “Granger tells Caricom, OAS that elections were lawful.” Then, there was the opposition throwing down the gauntlet: “PPP want Region 4 ballot boxes opened.” And third, “Coalition accuses Jagdeo of racial incitement, submits videos to ERC.” There are firm assertions on one side, settled doubt on the other and, finally, the matter about incitements and videos fill the last remaining gaps, the public gaps. We make this point unambiguously and responsibly: the incitements and racial hates and racial shudders can be traced quickly, and quite easily, to both sides in the turbulent divide. The evidence is in the streets and villages, and the chain is long and strong and clangs with its own sinister promises and terrors. This is what has taken firm hold in our communities and proliferates all over, while leaving few spots untouched by the barbarities amidst all the sweet talk and noble postures. This is what is out there among our peoples, our brethren,
Sunday March 15, 2020
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
A STEP TOWARDS DEMOCRACY DEAR EDITOR, I must applaud both His Excellency President Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for their step towards a peaceful resolution of the current electoral controversy. By taking this step, they have both shown their interest in putting all Guyanese and Guyana first. It is our hope that this
action will lead to a renewed effort towards the cooperation and joint development of both our democratic process and the future development of “Our Beautiful Guyana”. Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee The Co-operative Republicans of Guyana
as looked upon once upon a time that is now forever lost to the memory. There are no brothers now, no neighbours now, only competitors to the death and adversaries to live with in some manner for many a lifetime to come. It is amidst these individual anxieties and societal tempests and national torments that we pontificate about democracy and process and the wisdom in (or lack of) of court decisions and tabulations. It is obvious, and inarguably so, that democracy cannot hold in such a raging milieu that predominates here. Words and postures, intended to project visions of democracy are, when peered at and probed thoroughly through, about the triumph and dictatorship of the divide, the tribal and racial mindsets that overpower at the personal, communal, and national levels. Our voting patterns of yore did confirm this, and this still unfinished and unsolvable elections season of 2020 now
furnish the final and fateful proof as to the way we are, and the way we want things to be. But still we talk about process and democracy. Still, we are comforted by the helping presence of outsiders from the region and continuing pointed and sharper cautions from those farther beyond who are not people and places whose wrath should be incurred, whose blessings are to be rejected. Let us get real: when we succeed in finalising this hardest of business about process and methodology and count, then to where and what? The pains of democracy, for which we are unready and unfamiliar and unwelcoming? Or for the delivery of the dictatorship that drives the divide even deeper and more dangerously? Only the peoples of this nation can decide to sober up and own up to what we are today. Only the leaders can deliver on what it is that we really desire for government and rulership going forward.
Sunday March 15, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
The International Community is afraid of Guyana’s rising economic and geopolitical power
A recount, as the final keeper of God’s truth, must be flawless
DEAR EDITOR, May I remind all of us that slavery and indentured servitude ended as within the past 186 years ago in Guyana. Our people were brought to the shores of this country, we now call Guyana by the ancestors of the very international observers who are now trying their best to foster instability by meddling in our electoral process using partisan postures and language. It is said that the governments of former colonial powers have no friends, just interests. If we stopped to consider the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Grenada, the colonisation of Africa, India, Central, South and Latin America and other places where the European
and North American governments supported a political regime and regime change, only to subvert and overthrow said regime. This is after working with the regime to fuel instability, widening the gap between the rich and impoverished, and fueling discord among social groups much like they are attempting to do right now in Guyana. These said powers then used the instability they helped to create as the basis for their governments to say we need to stop this, let us intervene. My Guyanese people, Guyana is a powerful nation. More powerful than we have ever been in the entire history
of this country. Our petroleum wealth not only means improved living standards for our people, it also means that we are now one of the most powerful and influential nations anywhere in the world. Because of the vast wealth associated with our petroleum resources, we can significantly influence the international financial markets, geopolitical decision-making, the global economy and the international petroleum industry. We can easily influence the price for crude oil for example. Regardless of the political party you support, I call on you to support ONE GUYANA! Andrew Small
The word ‘sanction’ is a threat to the as they shall smilingly usurp Guyanese people our oil without any returns, DEAR EDITOR, I must express my concern on the recent chain of events. On the March 2, 2020, Guyanese flocked into the polling stations to take pride in their democracy. Many believe these elections are the most sensitive turning point of Guyana’s history, considering that which is at stake. Consequently, results of 10-1 districts were published with full credibility and without any flaws. The deciding district, District number 4, naturally has been the most controversial and questionable yet. If we were to dive at this moment into what happened and what should have taken place, inks shall dry and papers may be torn apart without us reaching to a common ground. What caught my atten-
tion, however, was the use of the word “sanctions”. I do not think many of my fellow brothers and sisters understand what this means. Flocks of helpless Venezuelans have whispered to us the horrific tales of their worst nightmares coming to life; a country with such military power and abundance of resources has been brought down to its knees. It is sadly factual that almost all of Guyana’s consumptions are imported and if Guyana was to be sanctioned, then, it will be the darkest spot in the history of Guyana, regardless of which political party happily takes the heavy burden of governance. Moreover, the petty benefits of our oil that were promised to us, which, for some reason, are not as apparent as we had expected, will go to the ABCE countries
based on SANCTIONS. They will eventually leave us wandering in a blame-game, as to who has brought such woe (Continue on page 6)
DEAR EDITOR, I have no doubt that the results as declared reflect the will of the people. GECOM’s messy post-E-day performance in Region 4, however, has marred the Coalition’s victory. As such, there should be no resistance to the calls for a recount. The Coalition, I would advise, should even insist on one. It has nothing to lose and all to gain. But in the coming days, expect to see more and more attempts to discredit these ballot boxes. Allegations that the boxes have been tampered with will now be tossed around with reckless disregard. In this political highstakes game, any lapse by GECOM during any recount would be jumped on as evidence of fraud. A recount, therefore, has to be absolutely flawless, a tightrope act. While the law allows either a partial or a total recount, the situation demands no less than a total recount. For a recount to withstand the desperate attacks on its credibility, however, GECOM must, at minimum, take the following actions: (i) it will have to re-
move RO Mingo and any other controversial staff from any supervisory or operational role in the recounting process, (ii) it must ensure, through consultations with contesting parties, that all aspects of the recounting process are agreed on before any ballot box is touched, and (iii) before a full recount, GECOM should conduct a statistically-valid partial recount of 50 or so randomly-selected ballot boxes. In this, each contesting party should be allowed to pull from a bag the numbers of five polling stations. The counts from these stations should be compared with their SOPs. Using such a partial recount to verify the SOPs is critical for several reasons. It provides a dry run allowing kinks to be ironed out before a full recount. Also, the handling of a smaller number of boxes minimises operational lapses and thus the opportunities for unfounded accusations. Lastly, this initial step allows the truth to steadily and irresistibly unfold. These three suggestions can do much to increase the acceptance, even grudgingly
for some, of the 2020 election results. From here on, GECOM must appreciate that mere compliance with the law would not be enough to restore maximum public confidence in its operations. It must take purposeful steps urgently to increase transparency and accountability. GECOM must, for example, publish all its SOPs now. In addition, it must speak, through the media, more often with the public. As for the Coalition, whose victory has been marred by the untidiness of it all, it can no longer afford a posture of “quiet obedience to the dictates of GECOM”, to quote its Thursday media release. Its deliberate aloofness has little strategic value and only leads to loss of political ground and to negative perceptions. It too must publicly express its expectations of GECOM. It too must demand a recount. It too must demand that GECOM get its act together. Yours faithfully, Sherwood Lowe
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox Representation of the People Act was violated by the Region 4 Returning Officer DEAR EDITOR, I’m not a lawyer. I’m not a politician. I am a 22-year-old Commerce Graduate interested in ‘Sustainability and Innovation’. I care about my fellow Guyanese youths and our future. We need to live a fair and just world. It has been heart-breaking, to see educated people – people with whom I do not share the same political ideology, but we have been able to have intellectual debates – so blinded by their biases that they are unable to see past the APNU+AFC Coalition’s rhetoric. I have also seen people not comprehending the fact that on Wednesday, March 11th, 2020, the Chief Justice ruled, among other things, that any declaration of election results in Region 4 must be done in accordance with the Representation of the People Act – meaning a veri-
fication of the votes cast by going through Statement of Poll by Statement of Poll in the presence of stakeholders in the electoral process. I am not going to get into the legal specifics, but multiple sections of the Representation of the People Act were violated by the Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. On March 13, 2020, a SECOND declaration was made for District 4 – with the Region 4 Returning Officer persisting with a process that lacked transparency and credibility. On this, I have a few questions: 1.How is using scanned or photocopied Statement of Polls (SOPs) – as opposed to using actual SOPs that have security features, which can be reviewed – expected to be something that the Guyanese people can accept? 2.How is it that SOPs photographed by Guyanese and
shared on Election night now show different numbers by GECOM’s count? 3.How is it that the number of votes in some areas of Region 4 are allegedly more that the number of registered voters? 4.How can it be said that there was compliance with the Chief Justice’s ruling? How has democracy prevailed? 5.How could anyone with common sense think “democracy and rule of law has prevailed” as stated in the Coalition’s press release dated March 14, 2020? 6.I voted in Region 4. Most of my friends and family members voted in Region 4. Why is the will of the people being ignored? My fellow youths, this my plea to you, please, do your own research, do not let personal biases against political parties – because of childhood impressions or other factors – cloud your view. What is happening in our country is wrong, plain and simple. Just look at the facts. When democracy dies, the freedoms and rights of all of us are placed at risk, regardless of whom you voted for. If we do not take a stand against this injustice now, we will sadly end up wanting to tell our future children and grandchild those stories told to us by our grandparents and parents. Please, stay woke to see that democracy and rule of law prevails. Nutana Singh
Kaieteur M@ilbox Price gouging and for essential hygiene, sanitary and medical supplies is selfish and inhumane DEAR EDITOR, It is with much sadness and disappointment that I read about price gouging or inflated prices by pharmacies, supermarkets and general stores for essential hygiene, sanitation and some medical supplies. This response by supermarkets, pharmacies and general stores is selfish and would only bring shortterm gain. This is an opportunity for supermarkets and pharmacies, as well as manufacturers of these essential supplies and medication, to contribute towards efforts to help the people of the country to remain healthy. The short-term gain of inflating these prices is also short-term thinking. If persons must use their savings or extra monies to purchase these items; it means that they would have less money to pay bills, purchase food items to ensure a healthy immune system for themselves and their family members, etc. If persons cannot afford to purchase these essential hygiene, sanitation and medical supplies, it means that enough people would not be able to take the necessary precautionary measures; the result of which could be, possible increase in the number of cases of persons becoming infected with the coronavirus. This would negatively impact the workforce, the insurance industry, the financial industry, the education sec-
tor, among others. It is important to note that the children and family members of persons who own these supermarkets, pharmacies and general stores are sharing the same environment, breathing the same air, as every other citizen. They send their children to the same schools, their families go to the same restaurants, malls, etc. and will therefore be exposed. From an economic standpoint, as the demand for these supplies increase, one approach could be to inflate prices; however, the coronavirus has become a serious health pandemic, therefore another response ought to be, that Manufacturers, increase production of anti-bacterial products, essential medical supplies such as Vitamin C products. This will translate into higher profits also but by applying a more humane response. Prevention must be of paramount importance. The response from supermarkets and pharmacies in some developed countries is to increase not merely the availability but accessibility of items such as, hand sanitisers and face masks.
These items are placed in the area by the cashiers. Ten face masks are sold in a packet for $2.99 and a hand sanitiser cost $1.99. One of the reasons why developed countries manage health challenges better, is not merely because they have better health care facilities but also necessary supplies are available and accessible to the people who need them the most; whereas in developing countries, the poorest of the poor are often the ones who suffer the most because in situations such as these, they are exploited. Developed countries also have better systems for price control. According to some medical doctors, the price for a 19 oz can of Lysol increasing from G$1200 to G$ 6,000 in a day, as reported in the one of the newspapers; is downright ‘criminal’ behaviour. Finally, I would call on all supermarkets, pharmacies and other stores where prices for these products have been increased, to do the morally and humane thing, and reduce these inflated prices by Friday, 20th March, 2020. Yours faithfully, Audreyanna Thomas
The word ‘sanction’ is ... From page 5 upon us. The only silver lining then, would be a late unity among the political parties and boasting pressure on the presently pre-mature local industries. I see us far from that. A simple enough solution to this entire notion of sanctions is to not utter a word on that, let alone campaign or scaremonger others about it! It will incur an irreparable hole in the ship, its mere existence in the media is a threat to the Guyanese people as a whole will cause all to sink, regardless of who’s steering.Lastly, I must commend the International Observers for taking a strong stand on their observations and to not take any sides, but to disclose for us publicly, that which the mainstream parties would have suppressed. Let’s keep this “Guyana-World” relationship to this extent and this extent only, not any further. Not doing so shall result in a major breach in the sovereignty of Guyana, as it has in Venezuela, Syria, Iran, etc. Thank you for your consideration. Yours sincerely, Ameed Aabi
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Chief Justice freezes PPP injunction against elections declaration, pending recount of Region Four ballots The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has made moves to prevent Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, from making a final declaration of the 2020 General and Regional Elections results. It has filed motions for a series of injunctions with the Chief Justice, Roxane GeorgeWiltshire. But the matter was adjourned pending a recount of the Region Four ballot. Attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall speaking to the media after the hearing at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court, which substituted for the High Court, said that the party sought to preserve the status quo. The requests were mainly filed on the premise that an election result should not be declared because Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, did not comply with Section 84(1) of the Representation of the People Act. However, during the hearing, a statement was released
by the CARICOM Chair and Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley that President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo mutually agreed to invite a high level CARICOM delegation to oversee a recount of the Region Four ballots. Nandlall said that the matters discussed in that statement, if facilitated, would render the requests of his injunction moot. GECOM is expected to facilitate that recount, according to Nandlall, which has been requested by several parties. Nandlall said that the GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, told the Chief Justice that there would be a meeting after the hearing to facilitate the recount. He said it is incumbent on GECOM to facilitate a consensus arrangement between the political leaders. GECOM Attorney-at-law Neil Boston said that the matter was adjourned for Monday.Commissioner Sase Gunraj said that the recount
Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall
news outlets.” There are now more than 142,000 coronavirus cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and at least 5,388 deaths.As of Saturday, all of the company’s stores in China have reopened.“As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers,” Cook said. Employees in all other parts of the world who are able to work remotely should do so, Cook said, and “those whose work requires them to
Commissioner Sase Gunraj
would be a good opportunity for GECOM to salvage its credibility. On the side of the government commissioners who held a press brief following the hearing, it was communicated to the press mainly by Commissioner Vincent Alexander that no papers were served at the hearing and that an important respondent, Mingo, was nowhere to be found.
Apple temporarily shuts stores outside Greater China (CNN) Apple will close all stores outside of Greater China until March 27 to help stop the spread of coronavirus, Apple CEO Tim Cook said yesterday. The company will also commit $15 million to help with the worldwide recovery from coronavirus, he said, “both to help treat those who are sick and to help lessen the economic and community impacts of the pandemic.” The company has also launched a new section in Apple News for the virus, where Cook said users can find updates from “trusted
Attorney-at-Law Neil Boston
be on site should follow guidance to maximise interpersonal space.” There will be “deep cleaning” at all sites, Cook said, and they are rolling out health screenings and temperature checks at all offices. Hourly workers will continue to be paid, he said. And the company has also expanded leave policies for those who are impacted by the virus “including recovering from an illness, caring for a sick loved one, mandatory quarantining, or childcare challenges due to school closures.”
Government nominated Commissioner, Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin
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Kaieteur News
Oil price war forces Hess to make significant budget cuts to preserve “great investment opportunity” in Guyana By Kiana Wilburg
H
ess Corporation has announced that it will be making significant cuts to its budget, all in an effort to preserve its “great investment opportunity” in the Stabroek Block. Its decision comes on the heels of implications from the oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia as well as the declining demand for crude as the coronavirus continues to spread. Specifically making these and other declarations was the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Hess during an interview on CNBC. There, Hess was fielding questions on the oil price war and the hit some American oil companies have taken on their share prices as a result. The CEO was keen to note that his company is in a very strong position to weather the storm as more than 80 percent of its oil is hedged for this year at US$55 dollars WTI and US$60 dollars Brent. WHAT IS WTI AND BRENT?When it comes to physical oil, there are different grades. The most popular traded grades are Brent
North Sea Crude (commonly known as Brent Crude) and West Texas Intermediate (commonly known as WTI). Brent refers to oil that is produced in the Brent oil fields and other sites in the North Sea. Brent Crude’s price is the benchmark for African, European, and Middle Eastern crude oil. The pricing mechanism for Brent dictates the value of roughly two-thirds of the world’s crude oil production. WTI is the benchmark crude for North America. Since both types of oil are used as benchmarks, different countries will use them in different manners. Asian countries tend to use a mixture of Brent and WTI benchmark prices to value their crude oil. (https:// www.thebalance.com/crudeoil-brent-versus-wti808872) He revealed that the company would be making an announcement soon, to the effect that it has a major CapEx (Capital Expenditure) reduction planned. The CEO said, “It doesn’t make sense for any shale producer to drill at US$30 a barrel right now. We will have a major decrease in our Bakken
rel.
Hess Corporation CEO, John Hess
programme in the USA) and in other programmes across the company because right now, every oil company should just hunker down and run for cash.” Hess added, “...What makes us different than most shale companies in the US is the fact that we have a diversified portfolio. We actually have cash generators in our portfolio, the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico and Malaysia and with the capital budget reductions that we are going to be having in the Bakken, even that becomes a cash generator.”
The CEO said that the goal right now for his company is to “basically to preserve cash, live to fight another day and protect the great investment opportunity we have in Guyana.” OIL CRISIS 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. Just a few days ago, oil prices saw the most dramatic decline since the financial crisis in 2008. 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 bar-
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 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 Arabia’s actions led to prices dropping to US$34 a barrel. CNN Business also reported that the shock to oil also rattled stock markets, which were already in a panic because of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The news agency noted that markets in Asia plunged during Monday’s trading,
while US stocks recorded massive declines. In Europe, stocks plunged by 8.5%, while Germany’s was down 7.4% and Italy’s by 7%. It was also noted that energy stocks were clobbered. ExxonMobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) plunged more than 9% apiece, and BP (BP) tumbled 20%. Exploration and production companies suffered even steeper losses: Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) plummeted more than 30%, while Occidental Petroleum (OXY) lost 40%. (See link for more details: https:// edition.cnn.com/2020/03/08/ investing/oil-prices-crashopec-russia-saudi-arabia/ index.html). With the oil price war unraveling before the world, US Investment Bank and Financial Services Company, Goldman Sachs said that oil prices dropping by 43 percent to US$20 a barrel is a real possibility that the market should brace itself for. S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of benchmark prices and analytics for the energy and commodities markets for over 100 years, also noted that oil majors will be under considerable pressure to slash their investment plans and cut shareholder payouts this year in light of tumbling prices.
In wake of elections controversy…
National award recipient seeks to return medal
“I cannot wear this medal with pride.” In wake of the controversy surrounding the credibility of the March, 2 2020 elections, Head of the Guyana Foundation Charity, Supriya Singh–Bodden has announced that she will be giving up her Cacique’s Crown of Honour, (C.C.H) medal — the national award conferred on her by President David Granger. Mrs. Supriya SinghBodden, a native of Guyana and the Founder/Trustee of the Guyana Foundation made the announcement via a post on social media yesterday. Mrs. Singh-Bodden has a Bachelor of Arts from York University, Canada and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of London, UK. Mrs. Singh-Bodden is a Director of Demerara Design Ltd. and is a major donor of the Rotary Foundation. She speaks English and Italian, and is married to Mr. Robert Bodden, Caymanian, Entrepreneur and Past District Governor of Rotary. In 2015, she was con-
Mrs. Supriya Singh-Bodden ferred with the Medal for Service of an exceptionally high quality beyond the normal call of duty in the public service, social and voluntary services, industry or trade unions, or in any other area of public service, or achieved excellence of national or international standing and recognition in the arts, professions, sciences or sport or in only other area of activity. Her work with the Guyana Foundation is part of efforts to empower local and international volunteers to transform the lives of individuals, fami-
lies, and entire communities in need.In the statement yesterday, Singh-Bodden said that she joined the rest of the world in watching the events that have unfolded over the past few days, as doubt hangs in the air about the transparency of Guyana’s elections results. According to the charity’s founder, many feel that the will of the people has not been heard. “I have no bias as to who should win these elections but the process must be fair and transparent. I have allowed my sentiments to be heard. You have all read them. I will say no more. I cannot wear this medal with pride.” Singh-Bodden said that she will as soon as it is possible, be making “an official handing over of the Cacique’s Crown of Honour Medal I was given.”She stressed that the rule of law and the protection of democracy is paramount at this critical juncture. “I have nothing but a voice; hear it if you will,” she added.
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CARICOM intervention brings great relief for by Granger and Jagdeo Guyana -Gaskin - Says agreement for resolution is a sign of maturity By Kiana Wilburg If it takes an extra hour or even a day to ensure the electoral process is transparent, then so be it, says Executive Member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Dominic Gaskin. For this politician, no effort must be spared to assure Guyanese that what took place with the counting of the votes and subsequent tabulation was fair and acceptable in the eyes of everyone entitled to witness it. In this vein, Gaskin said he was pleased to note that a high level CARICOM team will be in Guyana shortly to oversee the recounting of the votes for all electoral districts. CARICOM’s Chairman and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley said yesterday that the request for a team to oversee the recount was made by President David Granger and agreed to by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. Upon noting this, Gaskin told Kaieteur News that this brings some level of relief for Guyana as the previous situation of impasse on the integrity of the declared results for Region Four was doing more harm than good. Gaskin said, “I was relieved to see that the leaders have agreed to this CARICOM-led team coming to oversee the recount. It is a relief for Guyana and I think it shows a level of concern for what took place. It is a sign of maturity and genuine desire to bring about a resolution to this situation.” The AFC Executive Mem-
AFC Executive Member, Dominic Gaskin ber also stated that the agreement between the two, Granger and Jagdeo, is a positive sign and it gives him a great deal of hope. “I want to commend both of them on agreeing to this extension or addition to the process as well as the effort to restore confidence. This is important,” Gaskin added. Further to this, Gaskin said that he is happy that it is CARICOM leading the intervention and not a team from far away. In this regard he said, “This is our problem to resolve and no one from outside who doesn’t understand our culture and our people and ethnic relations, could really adjudicate responsibly at this time. “We agreed to have observers present and they have their methods and modus operandi and I respect that. (But) we have a country to live in and they have to respect that...” While he refrained from
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo casting aspersions on preliminary comments he has seen from some quarters, Gaskin sought to note that statements about international sanctions on Guyana and those which state Guyana must not do anything that would place it in isolation, are not helpful. Gaskin said, “I think people should understand that Guyanese on the whole are the victims of, I think, a cycle, a political cycle with ethnic undertones that is not healthy and that is not of their own making...” The former Business Minister also called for Guyanese to remain calm during this time. He said, “We just have to guard against getting overly emotional and allowing ourselves to be misled by information that appeals our own prejudices which all of us as human beings have.” At the end of the day, the AFC Member stressed, “This is our problem to resolve.”
Dem boys seh...
Somebody want plugging and pick pon de wrong person When people like to peep odda people bad things does happen to dem. Of course when people jealous, dem does walk around and look at people who mekking it in life. Sometimes dem does even go so far as to peep in people bedroom. Dat is why some of dem got one eye and some can’t even find something profitable to do. Two women get a stiff jail sentence yesterday because dem join wid a man to set up a woman to embarrass she. De man had to tell dem which room he woulda be in de hotel so dem go wid dem phone to de room and video de man having sex wid de woman. Dem send de video all over de place to embarrass de woman and de magistrate
send dem to jail fuh not only peeping but also fuh getting into people business. Somebody decide to peep at a diplomat and dem create all kind of false information bout de man. Dis is a man who don’t mess wid anybody. He live he life and go about he diplomatic duty. But Guyana got people who got to create a scandal. Dem is people who either want de man or mek a try to get de man and he ignore dem. Is only a certain kind of man does behave like dat. He is de man who got to get plug up.Dat is why he probably follow de diplomat and tek out de man photograph wid de first woman dem see he talk to. Even if wha dem do and seh is true no man should do dat to anybody who just liv-
ing dem life. Some people do dat to nuff Guyanese. If dem ain’t video, dem talk. And dis country got people stupid enough to believe dem.Dis time dem ain’t even think bout de man family. Dem just want destroy. Otisha could give dem wha dem want unless dem like farriners. Dem boys got people who can fix dem up because de diplomat would not stoop so low. In fact, he don’t even have time fuh some of dem. Dem boys prepare to even pay fuh de service dem want. Is obvious dem didn’t think twice about what dem do to de diplomat and dem boys wouldn’t think twice to do dem—and dem mudda. Talk half and dem boys waiting fuh de phone call.
President, David Granger
CARICOM Chairman and Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley
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Sunday March 15, 2020
Kaieteur News
NO COVID-19 patient in Bartica Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr. Edward Sagala early Saturday debunked rumours that the second case of COVID -19 in Guyana has surfaced in the mining town of Bartica. Dr. Sagala said an employee of Aruwai Resort complained of flu-like symptoms this week and after medical checks, self-quarantined. “Her condition is improving,” Sagala said in a telephone interview early Saturday. The Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) RHO said contrary to local Social Media posts, the Aruwai worker was never hospitalised because “she never displayed any of the classical signs” of COVID-19 after examination by Bartica Hospital medical officials. COVID-19 signs and symptoms include fever,
cough, and shortness of breath. As a consequence, health authorities advise avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections; practice frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment and avoid unprotected contact with farm or wild animals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) also counsel that people with symptoms of acute respiratory infection practice cough etiquette, that is, maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands.“We are fighting for our lives,” Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence told members of the recently-activated Health Emergency Operating Centre (HEOC) Friday. Lawrence counselled
- Region Seven RHO Dr. Edward Sagala HEOC member and the nation not to “put yourselves in harm’s way (since) these are not normal circumstances”. The Public Health Minister expressed confidence that Guyana is “going to win this battle if we are all on the same page”.“I am in it to win it,” Lawrence emphasised. The Minister praised Port Health workers, calling them “our champions” who must be well rested so they can continue giving the nation “their best”. “We don’t want another COVID-19 case in Guyana,” Minister Lawrence emphasised. Region Seven RHO, Dr. Sagala, assured Barticians, including businesses, Saturday that “there is no need to panic”.
The COVID –19 outbreaks started in city of Wuhan in Hubei Providence, China in December 2019. Currently, there is a worldwide effort by scientists to develop a vaccine to treat the virus. Meanwhile, the InterAmerican Development Bank
(IDB) has promised $80M (US$400,000) to help in the Guyana COVID-19 fight, PAHO/WHO Guyana Representative, Ghanaian Dr. William Adu-Krow, announced at Friday’s HEOC meeting in the capital.Dr. Adu-Krow told HEOC members that (Continued on page 56)
Region Seven Health Officer Dr. Edward Sagala
Travel cards explain symptoms and treatment for COVID-19
Political parties, police force and GECOM will be held responsible for harm to media workers- Press Assoc. Leaders of the major political parties, the Police Commissioner and members of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be held responsible for any harm brought to media professionals as they conduct their duties. This was the statement made by the Guyana Press Association (GPA). The GPA’s warning follows numerous reports of threats, verbal assault and physical attacks on media workers over the past two weeks, but especially on March 12 and March 13, as they gathered around the GECOM tabulation centre and the GECOM Secretariat at High and Lamaha Streets, Georgetown, to inform and update the nation about the March 2 General and Regional Elections. During last week, media workers were verbally assaulted outside the tabulation centre. This assault rose to an alarming level Friday afternoon and into the night when party supporters gathered outside of the GECOM Secretariat and prevented the Press from accessing interviews in full view and presence of police officers and party representatives. The GPA further stated that media workers were
verbally abused based on the media outlet they represented and their ethnicity. Members of the crowd attempted to even check packages that included the media workers’ equipment and food in their possession. They even prevented them from accessing their colleagues to obtain their
dinner or to rotate. Late Friday night, as the declaration for District Four was to be made, there was an outright blockade of the media by the crowd in full view of police and party representatives of the Coalition. One media worker reported that she was nearly physically assaulted. Three reporters were chased and threatened by angry APNU + AFC supporters who acted as if they were in charge when they arrived at the Secretariat. Police officers who were stationed there watched on as the Kaieteur News reporters were threatened, chased and assaulted by the
angry mob and did not intervene. According to the GPA from the start of results tabulation, GECOM and the Guyana Police Force have played dodge ball with the safety and security of media workers. Requests for a secure spot outside of the tabulation centre have been met with refusal based on which agency has responsibility for security on the ground. As such, media workers were prevented from conducting interviews of persons leaving the centre about the situation, which arose after Friday night’s declaration. “The political leaders through speech and silence continue to bait and incite supporters to act against opposing groups and the media. “During several opposition protest actions last week, media workers were followed, taunted and insulted while doing their jobs. “Some political leaders even attempted to direct journalists on how to write their stories,” the GPA stated. The Press Association added, “Based on what we have seen, the safety of media workers continues to be treated with a lack of interest by all those concerned with elections.”
Sunday March 15, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Coronavirus: UK deaths Coronavirus: US to extend double in 24 hours travel ban to UK and Ireland
(BBC) Ten more people in the UK have died in the last 24 hours after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 21. The UK government's Chief Medical Adviser said the patients were all in "atrisk" groups from across England. The total number of confirmed cases in the UK has reached 1,140 while 37,746 people have been tested. It comes as the government revealed plans to boost the number of NHS beds and ventilators to treat people. British manufacturing companies are to be tasked with increasing the production of ventilators and other medical equipment, while the NHS could also buy up beds in private
hospitals. In a conference call with manufacturers on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge them to join a "national effort" to tackle the virus. Downing Street says it has already been working with suppliers in the UK and abroad to increase the nation's supply of ventilators. Earlier, the Labour Party and GMB union called for the government to use empty beds in "plush private hospitals" to ease the pressure on the NHS. It comes as Prof Chris Whitty, the UK government's Chief Medical Adviser, warned that facilities for people needing oxygen and critical care beds would be the parts of the NHS that will come under pressure first as
the scale of the outbreak increases. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump decided to suspend all travel between the US and the UK and Ireland. A No. 10 Spokesman said Mr. Johnson had since spoken to Mr. Trump, and set out the "science-led approach" the UK is taking. D u r i n g t h e i r conversation, the two leaders also agreed on the "importance" of international collaboration to fast-track the development of a vaccine. It comes as France ordered non-essential locations used by the public to close, and asked citizens to go out as little as possible. Several European countries have closed their borders or shut their airports.
Teen stole $300,000 from employer
S
havanie Sugrim, 18, of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was yesterday ordered to repay her ex-employer $300,000 that she reportedly stole from him. The defendant appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday where she pleaded guilty to the fraud charge. The fact of the charge stated that between October 16, and October 17, 2019 while being employed at the business place of Zaheed Hussein as a financial clerk, Sugrim stole $300,000 by virtual of Citizen Bank cheques. Hussein also stated that after being employed to work in his organisation, he found out that the defendant provided a
Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) certificate that was not her own, an act that gained the attention of officials working at the Ministry of Education (MoPH). According the prosecutor, the matter was previously sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for advice and the DPP stated that the defendant should repay the virtual complainant. The prosecutor then told the court that the investigators have recovered a total of $218,000. The rest of the money will be paid by the defendant’s grandmother who offered to do so. Hussein then told the court that he does not wish to have the defendant locked up for the charge but that she should be
Shavanie Sugrim warned because committing such act is not good for her tender age. Magistrate Daly stated that she will dismiss the case against the defendant when the full sum of the money has been paid back to Hussein. The matter was adjourned until March 20, 2020.
(BBC) The US is to extend its European coronavirus travel ban to include the UK and Republic of Ireland. The ban will begin at midnight EST on Monday (04:00 GMT Tuesday), VicePresident Mike Pence announced. President Trump's travel ban on 26 European countries - members of the Schengen free movement zone - came into force on Saturday. Mr. Pence also announced that free coronavirus testing would be provided for every American. "Now it's all systems go," said National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci on efforts to expand testing. Speaking at the same news conference, President Trump said he had been tested himself. The White
House later said that the test was negative. The US has confirmed 51 deaths linked to the pandemic and 2,488 infections. In the first six weeks of vetting for the virus at US, 17 travellers were placed under quarantine at medical facilities, a senior official at the US Department of Homeland Security told R e u t e r s n e w s a g e n c y. During that period, more than 30,000 travellers were also asked to self-quarantine at home. More than 132,500 people have now been diagnosed in 123 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It says Europe is now the epicentre for the virus, which originated in China. Following Italy's lead, Spain is poised to declare a 15-day national lockdown
on Monday to battle the virus. As of Saturday morning, the US had already suspended travel for 30 days from 26 Schengen countries - 22 European Union members and four non-EU. he travel ban was met with anger and confusion in the EU, with leaders accusing President Trump of making the decision "without consultation". The UK and Ireland had been exempt but Mr. Trump said on Saturday: "They've had a little bit of activity, unfortunately." The total number of confirmed cases in the UK has reached 1,140, with 21 deaths - up from 11 on Friday. Mr. Pence explained that American citizens and legal residents could still return. Such people would be "funnelled through specific airports and processed,” he said.
Sunday March 15, 2020
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---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---
Calling one side riggers and the other side angels is not a recipe for reconciliation Last week’s column ended with the conclusion that when all is said and done, no party wins an election in Guyana. As I write today’s column, GECOM has just declared the Coalition the winner of Region 4 by a wide enough margin to in effect make them the statistical winner of the overall election. I say statistical winner, because I am very certain that that victory will not be accepted by the PPP, which speaks for half of the electorate, which for the most part consists of Indian-Guyanese. If I had my way, I would avoid comment today on the election. I would instead write about some aspect of Guyanese and Caribbean life that avoids comment on politics. Many persons have asked why I am so silent on the events unfolding around us. Others have called on me to join the chorus of condemnation of the Coalition and GECOM for what is seen by some as a naked stealing of
the election. The question is this—what is there to say about this election that has not already been said? Two of my political elders, Moses Bhagwan and Eusi Kwayana, have penned an appeal to the leaderships of the two political sides to consider a political solution in the form of a joint government. I fully support that call. Kwayana first introduced that political solution as far back as 1961—six decades ago. It was rejected then and alas, if one is to go by what one hears from some pro-PPP voices, it would be rejected now. It is the kind of reasonable solution that one would think that reasonable people would welcome. But over the last sixty years, we have found ways to be unreasonable and kick it out of play for one reason or the other. Kwayana and Bhagwan have instead been questioned about their “silence” over the last five years. Others have suggested that the issue of power shar-
ing only arises when the PPP wins. One respected commentator and friend went as far as calling on the two veteran politicians to acknowledge the PPP as winners of the election before proceeding with their solution. When I hear and read the above, I know that we have reached the point of almost no return. I supported the Coalition at these elections, and I have explained my reason for doing so. But my political outlook allows me to reach beyond whom I voted for and embrace a solution that would give Guyana a chance to live. I shared a panel with Henry Jeffrey and Clem Seecharan on a radio program on Demerara Waves Radio this past week. We all agreed that there must be a political solution along the lines advocated by Bhagwan and Kwayana. I opined that if we are serious about National Reconciliation, it cannot be premised
The Baccoo Speaks There is a calm before another storm. The media would be caught in the storm. There will be comments on the just concluded elections. There will also be some calls for violent activities which will be investigated. Attempts at prosecution will be deemed political victimization and further fuel the storm. ** A murder would be
blamed on political events. The reality would be a case of settling old scores. Needless to say there would be inflamed passions.
It would take consistent warnings and threats of condign action by law enforcers. ** Word would be coming from the oil sector that production would be slowed. The news would spark comments from people who were consumed with the elections.Again, there would renewed calls for a renegotiation of the contract with ExxonMobil.
on the declaration of a winner at these elections. I argued that once a winner is declared, they would see that as a mandate to govern, and not to reconcile with the loser. Against that background, Jeffrey and I floated at the idea of an interim power sharing government that preempts the results of the election, with the expressed task of constructing a political and constitutional architecture that removes winner-takes-all from our landscape. In effect, we were suggesting the possibility of scrapping the elections as a prerequisite for unity, peace and a joint existence. The trouble is that nobody is listening. Those, like some of my friends, who wrap themselves with the flag of reasonableness and neutrality have sidelined people like myself who they view as part of the problem, simply because we are associated with one of the sides.
Allies who would normally consult you on progressive issues now bypass you. They alone are the faces of neutrality and commonsense. Then there are those who have declared the PPP the winner and the Coalition the rigger and loser. They call on persons like me to join their crusade or be buried with the so-called riggers. For them, the solution lies in “democracy and the rule of law” which can only be manifested by a declaration of the PPP as the winner. There can be no other solution. There is a lot I have to say about this election that will be said in the fullness of time. But for now, I have concluded that my voice must not be a barrier to reconciliation. I have kept myself away from the back and forth since election day. I will not contribute to a ganging up on one side. That kind of reaction has far-reaching consequences that go beyond politicians.
Dr David Hinds Calling one side riggers and the other side angels in an environment of competition and conflict of historical dimensions and sociological underpinnings will never be a recipe reconciliation. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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Taxi driver Colin Clarke’s murder: Carjacking or execution? By Michael Jordan From what his friends and family told me, taxi driver Colin Clarke made quite a few fatal errors on Friday, November 27, 2015. First, he picked up a tall, dreadlocked man near a bar at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling, even though he had felt uneasy about this passenger, who had hired him earlier that day. Second, as had happened on the earlier trip, Clarke allowed his passenger, who had a strange accent, to sit in the back seat of the shiny Toyota Allion he was driving. But that passenger had given Clarke $5,000 for that first trip to the East Bank of Essequibo. Perhaps it was the thought of making another $5,000 that made the 57-yearold Clarke less cautious than he should have been. Clarke, known as ‘Ole Boy’, lived at his sister’s home in Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara. He had worked as a mini-bus driver for several years, but in the latter part of 2015, a woman, with whom
Wanted: Sheldon Colin Abrams
Clubbed to death and dumped in a canal: Taxi driver Shurland Dalloo
Clarke had a previous relationship, hired him to drive her silver-grey Toyota Allion, HC 4993. From reports, he would return the car every night at 7.00 p.m. But on the night of Friday, November 27, 2015, the woman contacted Clarke’s sister to enquire about Clarke’s whereabouts, since he not returned the vehicle. Clarke’s relatives were unable to contact him, since he had no cell phone.
The following day, one of Clarke’s sisters contacted a close friend of Clarke’s and informed the friend that her brother was missing. The friend became alarmed. The previous day, Clarke had told the friend that he was soliciting passengers near the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling when a tall man with dreadlocks attempted to hire him. Because the man had “a funny accent”, Clarke had said that he found it difficult to make out
Strangled and dumped in a canal: Taxi driver Colin Clarke, called “Ole Boy’ what the man was saying, and asked a female taxi driver to take the passenger. The woman reportedly took the man to Crane, West Coast Demerara, and the man is said to have paid her $1,000. Later that day, the same man approached Clarke and asked to be taken to Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. Clarke agreed, and told the friend that the man sat in the back seat. Since he felt uneasy, the taxi driver suggested that the passenger sit next to him. “I like sit in the back seat,” the passenger retorted. On arriving at their destination, Clarke took the passenger to a back street in another community. The man exited and spoke on his cell phone, while flashing several five thousand-dollar notes. Clarke became even more suspicious, and exited his car and began to converse with some men who were working nearby, to give the passenger the impression that he knew the men. Later, the passenger stopped near a house and engaged in a heated conversation with a woman. He then returned to the car and Clarke took him back to Vreed-enHoop, where the passenger gave Clarke $5,000. At around 3.00 p.m. that same day, the same passenger approached Clarke and requested to be taken back to
Tuschen. Clarke reportedly picked him up…then disappeared.On December 3, six days after Colin Clarke’s disappearance, residents of Uitvlugt, on an early morning stroll detected a foul smell in the vicinity of a bridge. The villagers alerted the police, and soon after, a man’s decomposed body was pulled from beneath the bridge. The victim was Colin Clarke…and he had suffered a cruel death. The murder weapon was a strip of barbed wire, with sticks tied at both ends. The killer had drawn this improvised weapon so tightly around his victim’s throat that flesh was left embedded in it. But where was the victim’s car? That mystery was solved a week later, when the Toyota Allion was discovered under a house at Perth, Mahaicony, East Bank Demerara. While the licence plates were missing, the vehicle was intact. The house was occupied by an elderly couple. The elderly male occupant told investigators that a man had brought the car to the house and had asked the resident to keep it, until he returned from Suriname. Because the man was an acquaintance of his son, who was out of the country, the home-owner agreed. But after weeks passed and the man failed to return to collect the car, the homeowner became suspicious and contacted the police. Detectives also found Clarke’s driver’s licence in the vehicle. They also reportedly observed bloodstains in the back seat, and this led them to believe that Clarke had wounded his attacker. Clarke is said to have always carried a sharp ‘chopper’ in his vehicle in the event of being attacked. Meanwhile, some of Clarke’s relatives have suggested that he was not a victim of a carjacking. There are some
hints that jealousy over a woman could have led someone to hire the individual who killed Clarke. “This killing is a ‘set-up,’ this is no robbery,” one relative told me. “The people (owners) get back their car intact.” One sister even suggested that the individual who killed her brother may also have murdered Shurland Dalloo, a taxi driver who was killed a month prior to Clarke being slain. Dalloo’s decomposed body was found on November 1, 2015 – one week after he went missing – in a canal at Onverwagt, Number 27, West Coast Berbice, a few miles from where Clarke’s car was recovered. Dalloo also operated on the West Coast Demerara, but was based at Parika. His car, a silver-grey Toyota Carina, has not been recovered. In May 2018, police issued a wanted bulletin for 47-yearold Sheldon Colin Abrams, of Lot 6 Supply, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara. The bulletin stated that Abrams was being sought in relation to Colin Clarke’s murder. “Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Sheldon Colin Abrams is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 2262870, 229-2655, 229-2289, 2271149, 226-7065, 911 or the nearest police station. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence,” the police said. If you have any further information on this case or any other, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office or by telephone.We can be reached on telephone numbers 22 58491 or 22 58473. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s e s : mjdragon@hotmail.com; or kamarangnight@gmail.com
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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
How does Granger hope to rule? This query above was the last question put to me by Leonard Gildarie of Kaieteur Radio before I left the studio last Friday afternoon. I repeat my answer here. It is obvious that Granger knows that his raw power will be circumscribed by two types of dynamics – one internal, the other external. Let us get the domestic factor out of the way, because Granger will hope to endure that, and believe that over time the acidity of the domestic anger will lessen. The domestic scenario has two dimensions. One is the business community. Even if some of the bigger entrepreneurs for reasons of profits continue to function and entertain relationships with the government, the totality of business attitudes will affect the economy. The second dimension is more worrying. It is virtually impossible to expect any opposition party that won a manifest victory, yet suffered a coup-like ousting, not to retaliate. The forms of this attitude we can only speculate on, but it is bound to happen. More definitely, the PPP will not participate in parliament and the regional democratic structure. The virtual life of the PPP is at stake at this time. You don’t need a university education to tell you that right at this moment in time, the PPP is facing its demise. If the APNU+AFC rigged the 2020 election while it was in power, the PPP has to know that it faces the nightmarish question – why are they not going to rig subsequent elections, thereby preserving power for themselves way into the fu-
ture. The other side of this question is whether the PPP can remain a viable entity if it accepts the Granger presidency and remains in opposition. Why would young leaders want to continue in the PPP only to give blood, sweat and tears, and to see their political careers stagnated forever in the opposition benches? By what rational thinking would a young politician want to stay in the PPP’s leadership after March 2020? It is for this compelling reason, the PPP is not going to accept even the most remote relationship with the government, and will fight it, hoping to topple it. I cannot see any other pathway for the PPP after what happened with the 2020 poll. The incentive of the PPP to confront the Granger presidency lies in the reaction the international community has expressed on the 2020 general elections. All the strategic partners of Guyana the past seventy years will not recognize the Granger regime as legal. We come now to the external actors. I will briefly repeat a part of my column on the implications of a fraudulent election of Monday, March 9, 2020 with the title, “Granger’s second term: Citing Machiavelli.” I noted the following; “Guyana is a quintessential western hemisphere country whose economy is virtually inseparable from the west. Guyana’s trade and its financial nerve centre are located in the West.” I come now to the essence of my answer to Gildarie. The leadership of APNU+AFC knows it will not have the lati-
tude to govern effectively. It knows it will not have space to manoeuvre. It knows it will have to make consistent and extensive concessions as the international pressure bites. But it believes that it was better to rig the elections and get into power, because that was the only way it could survive in politics. Let me elaborate. In the upcoming negotiations for a settlement, the party in power has an advantage, simply because it is in power. It knows it will not be asked to give up power immediately. So while tripartite
confabulations between APNU, PPP and the international actors take place, APNU enjoys power by being the government. It can use state power to offer resources to leaders whose career would come to an end in the resulting settlement. I end with what I believe will be on the agenda in the negotiations. To reform GECOM and the constitution, the ABC/EU countries will ask the PPP to return to parliament. The PPP in turn will ask for one of two things. An interim government, be-
fore negotiations begin or alternatively, a specific time log of two years for conclusion of constitutional reform, then immediate fresh elections. By the time you read this column on Sunday, Granger may be sworn in. But I honestly believe he has lost all credibility in Guyana and the world. His time in office will be a huge psychological burden. I cannot see APNU+AFC governing until 2025. One thing for sure, he will leave absolutely no legacy. He will go down in the history books with far lesser flair than his
Frederick Kissoon hero, Forbes Burnham. (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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Coronavirus: What can you do? By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine As you should be aware, Guyana had its first case from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a few days ago. Given the history of this disease in other countries, there is a real risk of it also spreading here. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the facts of this disease. Today, I will focus on measures that can be taken to decrease your risk of acquiring and/or spreading it. Most of the information for today’s article was gathered from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website which gives updated information about the coronavirus. HOW CAN THE VIRUS SPREAD? The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus, which spreads mainly from personto-person in the following ways: · Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). · Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can live on some surfaces up to 24 hours. Contact with them during this time can lead to transmission. · These droplets can land in the mouths, noses, or eyes
of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF? You can help decrease your risk of acquiring the virus by following these steps: ·Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. ·If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. ·Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. ·Avoid close contact with people who are sick ·Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick. HOW TO PREVENT SPREAD TO OTHERS? ·Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care. You should isolate yourself in a room away from everyone else if you are sick and do not need hospital care. Call the Ministry of Public Health hotline numbers for further advice (227-4986 or 624-3067) ·Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you
cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. ·Throw used tissues in the trash. ·If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then you should do your best to cover your coughs and sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a facemask if they enter your room. HOW TO CLEAN AND DISINFECT SURFACES TO PREVENT SPREAD? Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. If surfaces are dirty, clean them: Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection. Most common EPA-registered household disinfectants will work. A safe option is using a household bleach solution. To make a bleach solution, mix: ·5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water OR ·4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water Follow manufacturer’s in-
structions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted. You can also spray surfaces with alcohol solutions that have more than 70% alcohol.
We all have an important role in ensuring we combat this disease. Take steps to prevent spread without harming or discriminating others. Avoid spreading false or unconfirmed information as it will only lead to panic. Let’s be responsible, do not participate in negativity on social media. In times like these, we all need to be positive and work together. Working
Dr. Zulfikar Bux against each other will only worsen our outcome.
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SUNDAY LOWENFIELD PREPARES TO ANNOUNCE ELECTIONS RESULTS – OPPOSITION COMMISSIONERS REFUSE INVITATION TO MEET Opposition-nominated commissioners have refused to meet as a Commission. They refused an invitation by Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, to a meeting which suggested that he is prepared to announce the results of the general elections. Last evening, Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Robeson Benn and Bibi Shadick, made it clear that they are not meeting as there is a current matter before the courts. And in any case, it would constitute contempt. ”…We will not respond to any such or further invitations from the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield or Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh, while the court proceedings are still extant.” The meeting of the commission will be among the last steps before a notice is sent by the Commission to the Chancellor (ag) of the Judiciary, Yonette CummingsEdwards, to swear in as President, David Granger who is leading the Coalition and which has been given the controversial lead in the voting. According to the three commissioners, they received an e-mail last evening from Lowenfield, which was addressed to the Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and copied to all Commissioners of GECOM. It indicated he is ready with the results from the Returning Officers for General and Regional Elections 2020 from Districts 1–10. ”In accordance with Cap 1: 03 Section 99, I have prepared the final report for submission to the Commission. In this regard, a request is made for a meeting of the Commission at your earliest convenience.” However, the Opposition commissioners made it clear that they will not be party to the invitation as there are matters involving the results before the court. In fact, there is a critical decision involving jurisdiction in which the Chief Justice, Roxane GeorgeWiltshire, is expected to rule on today. ”We consider this invitation to meet as a flagrant attempt to breach the Order of Court and a naked attempt by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, to suborn us to breach an Order of Court and exposing us to liability for contempt of court.
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From left: PPP/C lawyer’s Trinidad based Attorney, Douglas Mendes S.C and Anil Nandlall. “EVERY VOTE MUST COUNT” – CARICOM CHAIR TELLS POLITICAL PARTIES – URGES COMPLETION OF ELECTORAL PROCESS “Every vote must be made to count; and transparently so,” said Chairman of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM], Ms. Mia Mottley. Speaking in this very capacity, Mottley issued a call for the electoral officials in Guyana and the representative political parties to work together to achieve a peaceful and lawful completion of the electoral process. The electoral process, she said, must be adhered to by ensuring the tabulation of the results in all Regions using the Statement of Polls in a transparent manner in the presence of the representatives of the political parties and the electoral observers. Elections here in Guyana were held on Monday March 2, 2020 and six days later the nation, amidst some frustrations that have evolved into instances of violence in some sections of the country, still awaits an official declaration of the results. CARICOM, on Thursday night, issued a statement. Another was issued Friday from the Chief of the independent Caricom Electoral observation team. Both statements, Mottley said, called on GECOM to complete the electoral process. Commenting on the postelections state of affairs prevailing in this South American nation, Mottley said, “We have noted that all sides have been making serious allegations against each other” but added that “it is critical that good sense prevails.” The preservation of law and order, the CARICOM Chairman added, is paramount and all parties must work hard to ensure that there is peace on the roads and in
From left GECOM lawyers: Neil Boston S.C and Attorney-at -Law, Roysdale Forde
the communities across Guyana. ”There has already been one death reported overnight. That is one death too many,” the official quipped. Moreover, she added, “In simple language, we ask the parties to recognise that the primary consideration must not only be who will be President but, more so, who will be alive come next week or next month, for there cannot be a tolerance for any further loss of life.” CJ TO RULE TODAY ON JURISDICTION TO HEAR ELECTIONS RESULTS CASE In an emergency sitting held at the Georgetown High Court on Saturday, Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane GeorgeWiltshire, heard preliminary arguments in the case filed against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) over a failure to verify the vote count for Region Four. The People Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is seeking orders to prevent incumbent David Granger from being sworn as President on the grounds of electoral fraud. The PPP/C had previously secured an injunction which restrained officials of GECOM from declaring the results of the 2020 elections, unless the electoral process as prescribed by law in section 84 of the Representation of the People Act is compiled with. Section 84 of the Act sets out, inter alia, the procedure for tabulation of the elections results. According to the injunction, the PPP/C is seeking orders against GECOM that no declaration must be made until and unless the Returning Officer (R.O) Clairmont Mingo, Election District Number Four in Guyana, and GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, comply with and ensure the compliance of the process set
Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire out by the provision letter and spirit of section 84 of the Act. On Thursday, the applicant, Reaz Holladar, made an oral application at the High Court for judicial review. The move came after Region Four R.O. to declare the results for Region Four, against an agreement between the PPP/C and GECOM for a further verification. Saturday, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire committed that she will try to work assiduously to address the matter even as Senior Counsel, Neil Boston and Douglas Mendes, addressed the court on preliminary issue of jurisdiction. Justice George-Wiltshire appealed to the lawyers for their cooperation even as she noted that the “nation is waiting” on the outcome of the matter. MONDAY HIGH COURT TO HEAR CASE AGAINST GECOM OVER UNVERIFIED ELECTION RESULTS The High Court is scheduled to sit on Tuesday to hear arguments in the case filed against Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) over the verification of vote counts for Region Four. Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire ruled Sun-
day that the High Court has jurisdiction to hear the case, thus rejecting any attempts by GECOM‘s legal team to have the case tossed out at a preliminary stage. Ruling on the point of jurisdiction, the Chief Justice took into consideration the issues raised by attorneys representing both GECOM and Reaz Holladar, the applicant in the matter. The preliminary points were raised during emergency sittings of the High Court over the weekend. At the initial stage of the hearings, GECOM’s Attorney Neil Boston.SC raised an objection to the manner in which the application was filed. He contended that there is specific illegality, which addresses the result or the outcome of the elections. According to Boston, such issues are to be raised in an election petition and not by way of judicial review. But in her ruling, Sunday Justice George-Wiltshire said that the court can exercise supervisory jurisdiction outside the election petition. Given her ruling, the Chief Justice will now delve into hearing the details of the case, which involves several absolute orders against GECOM. The Chief Justice will begin hearing the case on Tuesday, March 10. She will thereafter have to decide whether to direct the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, to go back to the verification process he started in the presence of international and local observers. Orders were granted earlier last week by Justice Navindra Singh, after an application for injunctions to block GECOM from finalising the elections process under the current circumstances, was successfully made by Reaz Holladar, a citizen. Holladar’s application is, among other things, seeking orders to prevent incumbent
David Granger from being sworn as President for a second term on the grounds of electoral fraud. The injunction sought restrains officials of GECOM from declaring the results of the 2020 elections, unless the electoral process as prescribed by law in Section 84 of the Representation of the Peoples Act is compiled with. I WILL WAIT ON COURT RULING, SAYS GECOM CHAIR … AS CHIEF JUSTICE ISSUES STERN WARNING TO COMMISSION The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will wait on the ruling of the Court on whether verification of election results is required by law, before it makes any decision. This is according to GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, in a letter of response to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo. The Opposition leader had sought to make demands of GECOM, for the verification of the elections results, or for a final recount as was requested by the PPP. Jagdeo also demanded in his letter that Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield refrain from delivering any report to the Commission, and from publicly declaring the results of the election. Jagdeo has stated that he made these requests without attempting to prejudice the ongoing court proceedings. In response, Singh informed Jagdeo of her decision to wait, as the matter is now sub judice. Additionally, GECOM sought to make it known that it will not flout the law or act in contempt of the judiciary. The Election agency had cause to make such a statement after news circulated of Lowenfield notifying the Commission that he was (continued on page 29)
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From page 28 prepared to submit his final report on the 2020 General and Regional Elections, despite the matter of the lack of verification of the Region Four results rearing its head in the ongoing High Court case. In the High Court Sunday, lawyer for the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes raised concerns over alleged attempts by Lowenfield to flout the court orders. The Trinidadian Attorney produced a letter by Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, which suggested that he is prepared to announce the results of the General E,lections even in the face of the ongoing High Court proceedings. Mendes stated that Lowenfield on his own could be liable for contempt of court. Additionally, the lawyer made a request for the Court to put measures in place to prevent the production of the final report on the election by Lowenfield, before the electoral commission. US FIRM HIRED TO REVISE GUYANA’S PETROLEUM LAWS HAS 40-YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH EXXONMOBIL – WORLD BANK CRITICISED FOR FINANCING ROLE Well-known British newspaper, The Guardian, reported Sunday that US Law firm, Hunton Andrew Kurth, which Guyana will use to revise its archaic petroleum legislation, has a solid relationship with ExxonMobil, which spans 40 years. The Guardian noted that the US$1.2M bill will be financed by the World Bank, the same financial institution which pledged not to fund activities related to the fossil fuel industry. The daily newspaper noted that Hunton Andrews Kurth has acted for ExxonMobil for 40 years, while noting that it has worked on multiple cases for the oil giant, some of which were in relation to climate impacts, such as an action by native Americans in the Alaskan village of Kivalina who argued that the climate crisis was threatening their way of life. Heike Mainhardt, a Senior Advisor on Multilateral Financial Institutions at Urgewald who spoke with The Guardian noted that the World Bank claims its loan is part of efforts to help Guyana in the good governance of its resources. The Senior Advisor at the highly respected non-profit environmental and human rights organisation based in Germany said, “…This is ‘good governance’ for the oil
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companies, not for the people of Guyana or the global climate. The World Bank is causing a conflict of interest, in effect undermining good governance.” It was also noted by The Guardian that the World Bank has already faced criticism over its involvement in the oil sector. The news agency said that the World Bank garnered praise from environmental campaign groups in 2017 when it pledged to stop investment in “upstream oil and gas”. However, the Guardian previously reported it had earmarked millions of dollars to improve governance in the oil and gas sector in Guyana. The Guardian said that Hunton Andrews Kurth declined to comment, citing client confidentiality concerns. It also noted that Guyana’s Department of Public Information did not respond to requests for comment. TUESDAY CRISIS IN OIL MARKET PUTS SIGNIFICANT DENT IN GUYANA’S FIRST YEAR OF REVENUES FROM LIZA 1 PROJECT – CHARLES RAMSON JR. Guyana 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 Monday, Attorney-at-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) Monday, 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 two Fridays ago 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 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 Monday. (See link for more details: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/ 03/08/investing/oil-pricescrash-opec-russia-saudiarabia/index.html). With a possible oil war unraveling before the world, US Investment Bank and Financial Services Company, Goldman Sachs Monday 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.
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.”
OIL COMPANIES WILL HAVE TO ENGAGE IN BRUTALCOST-CUTTING IF PRICES REMAIN AT DRAMATIC LOW – WOOD MACKENZIE Wood 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
GRANGER CONFIDENT OF SWIFT AND PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO POLITICAL IMPASSE President 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 (APNU+AFC), 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 the returning officer, Clairmont Mingo, causing an interruption of his work. Further, in 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 Chair, Justice (ret’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.” WEDNESDAY 80-PLUS GLOBAL ORGANISATIONS TELL OILCOMPANIES AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS – DON’T CONDUCT BUSINESS WITH UNLAWFULGOVT. More than 80 global orga-
nizations have released a joint statement calling on ExxonMobil and other oil companies, as well as financial institutions contributing to the development of Guyana’s petroleum sector, to publicly and unequivocally declare that they will only conduct business with a lawfully installed government. The organizations include Global Witness, International Federation for Human Rights, and Amazon Watch. They worry that it could also risk rewarding corruption and repression being “the too recognizable hallmarks of the oil curse”. The statement opines that against the backdrop of global concern for the legitimacy of the electoral process, the silence of the oil industry “provides stark evidence that oil companies are more concerned about the future of Guyana’s oil than the future of the nation and the people who own that oil.” In clear support for the statements of the international community, which has called for the electoral process to be handled in a fair and credible manner, the signatories said that oil companies should take a stand. It said that as the silence of oil companies extends to the financial institutions that are financing the development of the local oil sector – such as the World Bank and the Inter American Development Bank. It is very disconcerting that those institutions have not taken a stand on the political (continued on page 37)
Shuman being prevented from moving further on the court corridors.
Sunday March 15, 2020
From page 29 unrest that the extraction of oil appears to have exacerbated, the organisations said. ”We call on the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and all other financial bodies to join the international community in calling for a fair and transparent tabulation of the votes and the installation of the legitimately and democratically elected government.” The 80-plus organizations are a group of human rights, environmental and democratic organizations who have expressed their intention to stand in solidarity with the people of Guyana, on the need to maintain the integrity of the electoral process. UK GOVT. CALLS ON PRESIDENT GRANGER TO ENSURE FREEAND FAIR ELECTORAL PROCESS Guyana’s former colonial master has weighed in on the political situation, through its foreign secretary, Dominic Raab. The United Kingdom, in a statement from Raab, Tuesday, expressed deep concern about the events, which followed the March 2 elections. It called upon President David Granger to “preserve the principle of free, fair and credible elections” by ensuring that proper procedures are followed before embarking on a transition of government. ”Allegations of electoral fraud and premature declarations of victory prior to the completion of a credible process pose a grave threat to the democratic principles of Guyana,” Raab said. The UK foreign secretary said that it stands ready to offer assistance to ensure a credible election is produced. SHUMAN APPEARS IN COURT WITH TRADITIONAL WEAR Presidential Candidate of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Lennox Shuman, created quite a stir Tuesday at the Georgetown High Court. He turned up dressed in what he called his traditional Indigenous wear to listen to the arguments in the ongoing elections case. Upon entry, Shuman was prohibited from mounting the stairs as he was told by court officers that he was not permitted in the courtroom. They claimed that his dress did not coincide with the code of dress for the court. When Kaieteur News arrived at the court, the Presidential Candidate was standing at the bottom of the stairs, with officers blocking his every attempt at going further. He explained that he was waiting for more than 20 minutes;
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well after the court proceedings had started. A crowd of onlookers had gathered and could be heard heckling and laughing but Shuman was unfazed and persisted. He told the media that such an act by the officers constitutes to discrimination. “My rights are being violated. My constitutional rights are being violated.” Shuman stated, “I came in my traditional wear because it is my constitutional right to do that.” He further said, “Under Article 149 of the constitution, I have a right as every other ethnicity in this country to enter into the court traditionally attired. ”People don’t stop people when they walk in with a dhoti; they don’t stop you when you walk in with traditional African or Chinese attire. ”But yet, here we have an Indigenous person dressed traditionally and I am being stopped.” The former Vice Chairman for the National Toshaos Council was questioned whether his attire of a traditional headdress, wooden staff and cloth was akin to indecent exposure. In reply, Shuman stated “You can’t see my butt; you can only see my cheeks.” Shuman stressed that the constitution talks about one’s right to live in a society that is free from discrimination but yet he is being prevented. ”You don’t see anyone else being stopped from coming in and I am the only Indigenous person that has a stake in this, yet I am not being allowed to go in.” THURSDAY GUYANARECORDS FIRST CORONAVIRUS CASE – VICTIM DIED WEDNESDAYAFTER ARRIVINGRECENTLY FROM NY Even as elections tension continues to grip the land, the local Ministry of Public Health has confirmed Guyana’s first case of the novel coronarvirus [COVID19]. The victim, Ratna Baboolall said to be in her 50s and suffering from underlying conditions, was pronounced dead Wednesday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The woman this publication understands was rushed from a Good Hope, East Coast Demerara residence to the hospital with pneumonia-like symptom consistent with an advanced phase of the virus, on a weakened immune system. When contacted Wednesday evening, an individual close to the family
of the now dead woman said that after she started developing worrying symptoms, she was rushed to a private doctor’s clinic in Lusignan, but the practitioner was not available at the time. The woman was subsequently taken to a private hospital where her condition was assessed and a decision was made to refer her to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the country’s lone tertiary health facility. This publication understands that the Ministry has since been in contact with the private hospital to provide globally accepted sanitation measures. Although the individual confirmed that health officials have since reached out to the family, this publication was unable to ascertain the number of persons the woman might have been in contact
between Saudi Arabia and Russia, American oil giant ExxonMobil, which has sold off some of its global assets to focus on operations in Guyana, will now have to determine if still wants to aggressively pursue development projects says Attorneyat-Law, Charles Ramson Jr. During an interview with Kaieteur News, Ramson reminded that oil prices have plummeted by more than 20 percent due to the war between two of the world’s largest oil producers, and compounding the crisis is the fact that the Coronavirus has been deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Further to this, Ramson reminded that ExxonMobil has the Liza Phase One Project which is producing since December 20, last. Then there is the Liza Phase Two project which it is working on while awaiting
with since being infected. This publication however understands that the woman came in from the United States recently. The first local case comes even as St Vincent records its first and Jamaica records its second. It is moreover being viewed as an imported case. While preliminary tests for the virus are conducted at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, confirmatory tests are done at the Caribbean Public Health Agency and other laboratories that the local health sector has aligned itself with.
approval to go ahead with the development of the Payara project which is expected to produce 220,000 barrels of oil at peak. In addition to this, ExxonMobil has issued an application for approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a fourth project called Hammerhead. If approval is granted in the timeframe the Operator is hopeful for, Exxon can start producing close to 190,000 barrels of heavy oil from the Stabroek Block. Ramson said that when one considers the magnitude of the projects, if the price of oil continues to remain low, then ExxonMobil would have to reassess how quickly it would want to move forward in such an environment.
OIL PRICE WAR COULD SLOW EXXONMOBIL’S PROJECTS – CHARLES RAMSON JR. In light of the oil price war
Ramson’s views would also be in line with those raised by Wood Mackenzie analysts. They had said that if the oil price continues to average below US$40 a barrel, then oil majors would have to do significant budget cuts, while noting that the industry would be forced to do deep restructuring. ”But they will be paying attention to this because you live and die by the prices…,” the Consultant added. REGION FOUR DECLARATION UNLAWFUL – CJ ORDERS RETURN TO VOTE TABULATION PROCESS Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George Wednesday issued an order for the Returning Officer (RO) for District Four, Clairmont Mingo, to return to the legally prescribed procedure for tabulating the votes for the Region, after she deemed the previously declared results unlawful. The Chief Justice (CJ) ordered Mingo to return to the process by 11:00 hours today. The ruling follows proceedings filed by Reaz Holladar, a private citizen who challenged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on the grounds that the RO failed to comply with the electoral procedure prescribed by Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act. The Act in question outlines a process whereby the tabulation of the votes is done in the presence of certain persons required to be there. The applicant’s case led by Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, backed by a team of People Progressive Party/Civic lawyers, asked the Court to examine the fact that Mingo’s declaration for District Four relates to the tabulation of 421 of the 879 Statements of Poll (SoPs). The arguments proffered to the Court is that based on the affidavits provided, the declaration made was based on calculations of an elections clerk and not the RO himself. Mendes noted that “The votes were processed in Mr. Mingo’s absence after he took ill and was rushed to the hospital. When he returned, all the data had been inputted into a computer by Ms. Miller and other clerks who assisted her. Ms. Miller had supervised the data entry process.” He said that Section 86 (1) of the aforesaid Act states that the Returning Officer can decide which elections officer can assist him. However, the lawyer qualified that Ms. Miller did not fall into that category and as such could not be designated to perform such duties by the Returning Officer.
FRIDAY CARICOM CHAIR SAYS… FUTURE OF GUYANAIS IN MINGO’S HAND Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has stated that the future of Guyana’s cohesion and economic stability lays in the hands of the Returning Officer (RO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Mr. Clairmont Mingo. Mottley made these statements during a press engagement Thursday morning with Prime Ministers Dr. Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago; Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica; Keith Mitchell of Grenada; and Ralph Gonsalves of St.Vincent and the Grenadines. They all travelled to Guyana to resolve post-elections tensions. The team of CARICOM Heads met with representatives of all of the political parties contesting the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and Commissioners of GECOM with the aim of charting a way forward. During that press conference, Chairperson Motley specifically stated that, “…even though a statute puts power in the hands of a Returning Officer, that Returning Officer will understand that he holds in his hands the future and stability of Guyana as we go forward, because every vote must be made to count.” She continued, “There is no doubt in our minds that there is at stake far more than who will be the President of Guyana. What is at stake are the lives and the stability of the people of Guyana.” She added that the country is on the cusp of turning the corner economically, but it must also be on the cusp of making every Guyanese a winner and not a loser. “Our fear is that if the process is not transparent that we put at risk too much. I therefore hope that the people of Guyana will work together to ensure that there is calm; there is peace. ”One life lost, as I said last week is one life too many. Let us not have any other person affected at this point,” she asserted. Prime Minister Mottley was also keen to highlight the ruling made Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George-Wiltshire, regarding election declarations made by Mingo—which were deemed unlawful. She emphasized that the ruling made by the CJ was absolutely clear and as a result, she hopes that there will be an adherence to, not just the (continued on page 38)
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From page 37 judgment, but to the spirit of the judgment. GECOMCHAIR INTERVENESTO REGULARISEREGION FOURDECLARATION Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, Thursday suspended the tabulation of votes from the Region 4 district. According to reports, the suspension had occurred in an effort to clarify the ruling handed down by Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire. It was stated that the Chair was waiting to peruse the written judgment that was made by the CJ. Thursday evening, the Guyana Elections Commission announced that the tabulation would restart today at 09:00 hours. On Wednesday, the Chief Justice issued an order for the Returning Officer (RO) for District Four, Clairmont Mingo, to return to the legally prescribed procedure for tabulating the votes for Region Four after she deemed the previously declaration to be unlawful on the grounds that the tabulation used to arrive at it was in breach of the law. However, when the process restarted on Thursday morning, the RO sought out to use a spreadsheet, which was objected to by all political parties, except the APNU+AFC Coalition. Opposition-appointed Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, said, “The RO, Mingo, is refusing to use or present Statements of Poll to ascertain the total number of votes cast in favour of each contesting party. ”He is instead attempting to use a spreadsheet, which is a clear breach of the tenets of Sec 84(1) of the Representation of the People’s Act, Cap 3:01.” The CJ handed down a consequential order that is in the best interest of transparency, but taking into consideration the need for urgency, the RO is to decide whether the process of ascertaining the total number of votes cast in favour of each list in the district by adding up the votes recorded in favour of the list in accordance with the Statement of Polls delivered, should be restarted or continued. US WARNS GUYANA OF CONSEQUENCES – SAYS ‘DE FACTO’ REGIMESWILLNOTRECEIVE SAME TREATMENT AS D E M O C R AT I C A L LY ELECTEDONES The US is taking a tough stance on the elections developments in Guyana. Thursday it hinted at sanctions. “Under U.S. law and practice, those who participate and benefit from electoral fraud, undermine democratic institutions and impede a peaceful transition of power can be sub-
Sunday March 15, 2020
Kaieteur News
ject to a variety of consequences,” says Assistant Secretary (ag) for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, in Twitter posts. The warnings came after a landmark court ruling on Wednesday following a challenge to the Region Four results in the recent general and regional elections held on March 2 by a citizen. The Opposition, local and international community, and several countries, have been calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to follow procedures as outlined in the laws. The issue of “consequences” has been a real fear with the US in the past revoking visas for officials in other countries, among other actions. Thursday, Kozak made it clear that the US is paying close attention to the electoral tabulation process for Region Four. ”We join the Guyanese people and the international community in calling for Guyanese election authorities to follow accepted procedures and allow international election observers to verify the results.” SATURDAY 11 DAYSAFTER ELECTIONS…LATE-NIGHT REGIONFOURDECLARATIONPUTSCOALITION AHEAD Returning officer, Clairmont Mingo made a declaration of the region four general and regional election results shortly before midnight last night at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s Kingston office. The media had been invited to witness the declaration, but upon arrival at the location, Kaieteur News reporters were almost assaulted, then chased away from the centre by a crowd screaming “No media!” Reporters from other publications also said that they were prevented from entering. After a few moments of waiting afar from the centre in a locked vehicle, Kaieteur News’ reporters heard loud cheering, then saw a Facebook post from The Citizenship Initiative (TCI)’s presidential candidate, RhondaAnn Lam, that a declaration had been made and that Mingo had been surrounded by police officers and quickly escorted from the premises in a vehicle. Photos of the declarations were sent to the media after the declaration. The regional election result showed that A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) gained 130,289 votes, while the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) gained 74,877 votes. Votes gained by other parties were all less than a thousand. In the general election, APNU+AFC got 136,057 votes and PPP/C got 77,231 votes. The general election results
for all of the regions, including the national total are displayed in the table attached. APNU+AFC has a lead of 7,457 votes. The tabulation process for the region four general and regional elections results has been marred by a lack of transparency, accusations of fraud and international condemnation. Several parties had indicated that they will request a recount. OAS OBSERVER MISSION WITHDRAWS – SAYS REQUIRED STANDARD OFFAIRNESSAND TRANSPARENCYNOTMET BY REGION 4 RO As it was carrying out its duties Friday at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s Command Centre at High and Hadfield Streets, the Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral Observation Mission found that a less than transparent process was being used by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo to ascertain the results for Region Four. In light of this, it took the decision to relinquish its role in the electoral process. The OAS made these and other statements in a missive it issued to the media Friday. The Observer team reminded that the ruling of Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George on March 11, last, stated that the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer must determine the best method of tabulating the Statements of Poll and included the expectation “that the Returning Officer would act reasonably in ensuring a process that allows persons to observe what is being tabulated and how.” Based on its observations, however, the OAS said that this did not occur. The Observer Mission said that instead, and without any plausible explanation, the Returning Officer continued to ascertain the votes cast for each party list without affording the duly authorized candidates and counting agents an opportunity to see the Statements of Poll, so that they could compare them with the copies in their possession. It said that such a process could have been easily facilitated using the same technology which allows the tabulation to be displayed. Further to this, the OAS Observer Mission stated that the Returning Officer’s defiance of the Chief Justice’s orders and expectations, as well as his refusal to allow the Statements of Poll to be exhibited, gives credence to the allegations that the numbers being tabulated do not correspond with the numbers appearing on the Statements of Poll prepared following the March 2 elections. Also of significance for the Mission was the fact that that images of the Statements of Poll published by the PPP/Civic, on its website, which it claims were
given to its polling agents after the ballots were counted at each polling station on the night of the elections, produce a result that is vastly different from that being declared by the Returning Officer, and would therefore have a decisive effect on the outcome of the national election. WESTERNDIPLOMATS WALKOUT,TELLALL PARTIES… ‘DON’TDOANYTHING THATCOULDLEADTO GUYANA’SISOLATION’ Pressure continued to mount Friday as western diplomats walked out of the election tabulation process for Region Four, subsequently warning via a strongly worded missive that “all parties” should not do anything that could lead to Guyana’s isolation. Shortly after the start of the court-ordered tabulation of the Statements of Poll (SoPs), there were objections and angry words being hurled. At that point, Ambassador of the United States of America, Sarah-Ann Lynch, British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, Canadian High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee, and the Ambassador of the European Union, Fernando Ponz-Canto, all decided to leave the Region 4 tabulation process at the Ashmin’s building, High and Hadfield Streets. In a joint statement issued by the four missions shortly after, it was clear to the envoys that a transparent and credible process was not put in place by the responsible officials. In fact, it was noted that some party officials seemed to have
been intimidated. ”Further, we are concerned about intimidation tactics we observed against those seeking to ensure that a credible process is followed. We must be clear that in the absence of a credible process, as directed by the Honorable Chief Justice, it is our view that any results for Region 4 which will impact the overall results of the 2 March elections will not be credible and a President sworn in on the basis of those results will not be considered legitimate.” In recent days, statements from the observers and the international community have been increasingly strong in its words. AIRANDWATERTRAVEL HALTEDASSURINAME RECORDS FIRST CORONAVIRUSCASE Days after Guyana confirmed its first imported COVID-19 [coronavirus] case, Suriname has followed suit. The victim recorded by the Suriname health authority, this publication has learnt, is a 19-year-old person who recently travelled from Amsterdam, Netherlands. The confirmed case is, moreover, being viewed as an imported one. Evidenced by its actions, Suriname is not taking this development lightly. Already there have been announcements of closure to the country’s airspace, thereby restricting flights inward and outward bound. All other ports of entry, including one it shares with Guyana, have also been closed. Moreover, the Canawaima Ferry Service is currently inaccessible. In a statement, the local Ministry of Public Infrastructure in-
formed of this, pointing out that “The Management of the Guyana/Suriname Ferry Service wishes to advise the general public that its services will be suspended from Saturday, 14th March, 2020 until further notice”. The decision, it was noted, was made by the Surinamese authorities to close all ports of entry after the country recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus Friday. Given the development, the management of the Guyana/ Suriname Ferry Service has apologized for any inconvenience caused and has advised that persons seek further information by calling 339-2744. Meanwhile, Guyana continues to put measures in place to deal with any additional case. The first case recorded here, like Suriname’s, was imported. Fifty-two-year-old Ratna Baboolall, who reportedly arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport from New York on Saturday, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation on Tuesday from a Good Hope, East Coast Demerara residence with pneumonia-like symptoms. Pneumonia or difficulty breathing is one of the symptoms associated with the coronavirus. The virus can also manifest with symptoms including: a runny nose, sore throat, cough and fever. More than a dozen family members of the local victim have been identified for quarantine and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle, confirmed Friday that 41 Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC] health workers have been quarantined.
The UK, EU, US and Canadian envoys walking away from the GECOM Command Centre Friday, amid concerns about the tabulation process. (Don Singh photo)
Sunday March 15, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Understanding Urinary Tract Infections Guyana is one of those tropical countries that are always blessed by warm sunlight or lush rains. However the climate makes for bacteria and other pathogens to efficiently thrive. As such we must always be wary and cautious when it comes to sanitation and hygiene. If you’re a woman, your chance of getting a urinary tract infection, or UTI, is high; some experts rank your lifetime risk of getting one as high as 1 in 2 — with many women having repeat infections, sometimes for years on end. Here’s how to handle UTIs, whether you’re experiencing your first or fifth infection, and how to make it less likely you’ll get one in the first place. What Causes UTIs in Women UTIs are a key reason we’re often told to wipe from front to back after using the bathroom. That’s because the urethra — the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body — is located close to the anus. Bacteria from the large intestine, such as E. coli, are in the
perfect position to escape the anus and invade the urethra. From there, they can travel up to the bladder, and if the infection isn’t treated, continue on to infect the kidneys. Women may be especially prone to UTIs because they have shorter urethras, which allow bacteria quick access to the bladder. Having sex can introduce bacteria into the urinary tract, too. Symptoms of UTIs To identify a UTI, keep an eye out for the following symptoms: ·A burning feeling when you urinate ·A frequent or intense urge to urinate, even though little comes out when you do ·Pain or pressure in your back or lower abdomen ·Cloudy, dark, bloody, or strange-smelling urine ·Feeling tired or shaky ·Fever or chills (a sign the infection may have reached your kidneys) Tests and Treatments for UTIs If you suspect you have a urinary tract infection, head to the doctor. You’ll be asked
to give a urine sample, which will be tested for the presence of UTI-causing bacteria. The treatment? Antibiotics to kill the intruders. As always, be sure to finish off the prescribed cycle of medicine completely, even after you start to feel better. And drink lots of water to help flush the bacteria from your system. Your doctor may prescribe a medication to soothe the pain, and a heating pad may also be helpful. Studies on the effectiveness of cranberry juice for preventing or treating UTIs have produced mixed results. The red berry contains a tannin that prevents E. coli bacteria - the most common cause of urinary tract infections - from sticking to the walls of the bladder, where they can cause infection. However, a 2012 review of 24 studies looking into the effectiveness of cranberry juice/ extract on UTIs found they did not significantly reduce the incidence of UTIs. Chronic UTIs About 1 in 5 women experience a second urinary tract
Facts on Liver Cirrhosis
B
efore we take a look at this rapidly on the rise disease, we must first understand why the liver is so important in the first place. The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body, weighing in at approximately three pounds. It performs a myriad of important functions, these include: ·Production of bloodproteins that aid in clotting, oxygen transport, and immune system function ·Storing of excess nutrients and returning some of the nutrients into the bloodstream ·Manufacturing bile, a substance needed to help digest food ·Helping the body store sugar (glucose) in the form of glycogen ·Ridding the body of harmful substances in the bloodstream, including drugs and alcohol ·Breaking down saturated fat and producing cholesterol Now what is cirrhosis? Cirrhosis is a slowly progressing disease in which the normally healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This eventually prevents the liver from carrying out its functions properly. What the scar tissue does is that it prevents the flow of blood through the liver and thus slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs, and all naturally produced toxins.
It also causes the sloth in the production of proteins and other substances made by the liver. What specifically causes cirrhosis of the liver? Most persons would be au fait with the fact that alcohol abuse over a prolonged period of time can lead to liver cirrhosis but it is not the only cause. Liver cirrhosis can also be caused by a host of other factors, including Hepatitis C and fatty liver disease. Basically anything that causes damage to the liver can cause cirrhosis. These could include one or more of the following: ·Fatty liver associated with chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes ·Chronic viral infections of the liver e.g. Hepatitis types B, C, and D although D is very rare) ·Blockage of the bile duct, which allows for the passage of bile formed in the liver to the intestines, where it helps in the digestion of fats; in babies, this is usually caused by biliary atresia in which bile ducts are absent or damaged, causing bile to back up in the liver. In adults, bile ducts may become inflamed, blocked, or scarred, due to another liver disease called primary biliary cholangitis. ·Repeated heart failure with fluid backing up into the liver. ·Certain inherited diseases such as: -Cystic fibrosis
-Glycogen storage diseases, in which the body is unable to process glycogen, a form of sugar that is converted to glucose and serves as a source of energy for the body -Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, the absence of a specific enzyme in the liver ·Diseases caused by abnormal liver function, such as hemochromatosis ·Reactions to prescription drugs, prolonged exposure to environmental toxins, or parasitic infections. Is it possible that all alcoholics can get liver cirrhosis? While it is true that alcoholics can harm their liver in more ways than one with constant drinking, not all of them usually get liver cirrhosis. Coincidentally female alcoholics are at a higher risk for developing cirrhosis than men and people who have either hepatitis B or C are more likely to suffer liver damage from alcohol consumption. What can you look for in terms of symptoms? The symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver differ with each stage of the disease. In the earlier stages, it might by asymptomatic or present with no symptoms. However as the illness progresses, symptoms may include: ·Loss of appetite ·Lack of energy (fatigue) ·Weight loss or sudden unexplained weight gain
infection, while some are plagued incessantly. In most cases, the culprit is a different type or strain of bacteria. But some types can invade the body’s cells and form a community safe both from antibiotics and the immune system. A group of these renegades can travel out of the cells, and then re-invade, ultimately establishing a colony of antibiotic-resistant bacteria primed to attack again and again. Some women are genetically predisposed to UTIs, while others have abnormalities in the structure of their urinary tract that make them more susceptible to infection. Women with diabetes may be at higher risk, as well, because their compromised immune systems make them less able to fight off infections like UTIs. Other conditions that increase risk include pregnancy, multiple sclerosis, and anything that affects urine flow, such as kidney stones, stroke, and spinal cord injury. UTI Treatment Options If you have 3 or more UTIs a year, ask your doctor
to recommend a special treatment plan. Some treatment options include: ·Taking a low dose of an antibiotic over a longer period to help prevent repeat infections ·Taking a single dose of an antibiotic after sex, which is a common infection trigger ·Taking antibiotics for 1 or 2 days every time symptoms appear ·Using an at-home urine test kit when symptoms start The tests, which are available without a prescription, can help you determine whether you need to call your doctor. If you’re on antibiotics, you can test to see if they’ve cured the infection (although you still need to finish your prescription). Contact your doctor if the test is positive, or if your symptoms continue, despite a negative test result. How to Prevent UTI Re-infection You can prevent getting another UTI with the following tips: ·Empty your bladder frequently as soon as you feel
the need to go; don’t rush, and be sure you’ve emptied your bladder completely. ·Wipe from front to back. ·Drink lots of water. ·Choose showers over baths. ·Stay away from feminine hygiene sprays, scented douches, and scented bath products — they’ll only increase irritation. ·Cleanse your genital area before sex. ·Urinate after sex to flush away any bacteria that may have entered your urethra. If you use a diaphragm, unlubricated condoms, or spermicidal jelly for birth control, consider switching to another method. Diaphragms can increase bacteria growth, while unlubricated condoms and spermicides can cause irritation. All can make UTI symptoms more likely. Keep your genital area dry by wearing cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes. Avoid tight jeans and nylon underwear — they can trap moisture, creating the perfect environment for bacteria growth.
·Unexplained Bruises ·Jaundice and Itchy skin ·Fluid retention which leads to and swelling in the ankles, legs, and abdomen ·Darkening urine colour ·Light colored stools ·Confusion, disorientation, personality changes ·Blood in the stool ·Fever How can this disease be diagnosed? Cirrhosis of the liver is diagnosed through several methods including: ·History and Physical exam- This is the mainstay of all diagnoses as 90 per cent of the time the doctor can tell what disease you are suffering from based on your history and physical examination. During a physical exam, the doctor can observe changes in how your liver feels or how large it is (a cirrhotic liver is bumpy and irregular instead of smooth). ·Blood tests- If cirrhosis is suspected, blood tests can be done to find out if liver disease is present. ·Other tests- Sometimes images of the liver are needed to make a definitive diagnosis. As such a computerized tomography (CT scan), ultrasound, or another specialized procedure called a radioisotope liver/spleen scan may be recommended. ·Biopsy- Diagnosis can be confirmed by taking a sample of tissue from the liver and looking at it both macroscopically and microscopically. Are there any complica-
tions associated with liver cirrhosis? In fact, there are quite a few. Some of the complications associated with cirrhosis of the liver include: ·Variceal bleeding- which is caused by portal hypertension. With portal hypertension, the This is an increase in the pressure within the portal vein (the large vessel that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver). This increase in pressure is caused by a blockage of blood flow through the liver as a result of cirrhosis. Increased pressure in the portal vein causes other veins in the body to enlarge (varices), such as those in the esophagus and stomach, to bypass the blockage. These varices become fragile and can bleed easily, causing severe hemorrhaging and fluid in the abdomen. ·Altered Mental Status which includes confused thinking and other mental changes brought about by hepatic encephalopathy. This occurs after prolonged cirrhosis and the liver cannot break down toxins, which gets into the bloodstream and then affects the brain. ·Kidney failure ·Reduced oxygen in the blood ·Diabetes ·Changes in blood counts ·Increased risk of infections ·Excessive bleeding and bruising ·Breast enlargement in men ·Premature menopause
·Loss of muscle mass Is there any treatment? It must be noted that there is no cure for cirrhosis of the liver. However there are treatments that can help to stop or delay its progression, minimize liver cell damage and reduce complications. Treatment all depends on the underlying cause. For example, when the cirrhosis is caused by alcohol abuse, stopping the consumption of alcohol would help to stop the progression. If a person has hepatitis, steroids or antiviral drugs may be prescribed to reduce liver cell injury. For those with cirrhosis caused by autoimmune diseases, Wilson’s disease, or hemochromatosis, the treatment varies.Symptomatic management is also key to survival so medications may be given to help with symptoms. Edema and ascites are treated through the reduction of salt in the diet and drugs called diuretics are used to remove excess fluid and to prevent edema from recurring. Liver transplantation may be necessary for some people with the advanced form of the disease. Remember that prevention is always better than cure so it would be better to safeguard yourself. Do not abuse alcohol and if you do drink alcohol limit the quantity and frequency with which you drink. Abstain or keep away from having casual unprotected sex with multiple partners
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Katy Keene is your ideal Friday night series A few days ago, Enetworks aired HBO’s highly anticipated show called Katy Keene and the American comedy-drama series was full of all the colour and pizzazz you would have expected. In the series, Katy designs clothes for anyone she can, including her friend and roommate Josie, whose singing talent catches the attention of Alexander Cabot, a CEO who hopes to reboot the record label division of his father’s corporate empire. But Alexander’s dream of signing Josie to a recording contract meets resistance from Cabot Media’s powerful senior vice president Alexandra, who also happens to be his twin sister. Josie and Katy’s roommate, Jorge, works at his family’s bodega and has his eye on Broadway, but after a series of rejections, he hopes
Sunday March 15, 2020
Kaieteur News
Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts is Road March Queen 2020 -MOTP outshines Digicel in large bands category
to take his drag performance career as Ginger to the next level. The mysterious Pepper Smith plans to open her own version of Andy Warhol’s Factory. She has the connections, but no one seems to know where she got her money or if she really has any at all. As these aspiring art-
ists take on the runway, the recording studio, Broadway and the New York social scene, they find more than just a career in the big city — they find long-lasting friendship.Be sure to continue following this enthralling story line this and every Friday.
The talented Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts is the Road March Queen forGuyana’s Golden Republic Jubilee 2020. This incredibly energetic songbird has managed to cop the much coveted Road March crown for the eighth time, with her latest song, ‘I am 592’. The piece, which ignited patriotism along the route of the grand Republic Jubilee Costume and Float Parade,
found much favour with the judges and participants alike. Roberts’ song managed to outshine her colleagues, Kishana ‘Kady Kish’ Ferguson and Jumo ‘Rubber Waist’ Primo, both of whom secured 14 points, respectively. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Presidency managed to cop first position in the Full Costume Large Band category of the costume and float parade, followed by Digicel Guyana. In the Full Costume medium band category, the Guyana Water Incorporated outshone its competitors – the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Education which secured the second and third positions, respectively. The Full Costume Small Band category of the parade saw the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA)being captured in the limelight, followed by the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs and the Heritage Band in second and third place respectively. The Semi Costume Small Band aspect of the parade was won by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications,
followed by Regional Democratic Council #Four. For non-commercial floats the Ministry of the Presidency secured the top position followed by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The night of Kings and Queens was stage to some of the most intricately vibrantdesigns from some of Guyana’s leading designers. After the scores were tallied, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs was adjudged the band bearing the best King, and QueenCostumes as well as the best male and female individual costumes. As the Republic Golden Jubilee Calendar of Activities come to an end, the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport is still encouraging all Guyanese to continue their jubilation in the spirit of our 50th Republic Anniversary, a momentous occasion that deserves continued recognition throughout the year. A detailed list of winners for the Golden Republic Jubilee Costume and Float Parade 2020 can be found on the Guyana Republic Jubilee 2020 page on Facebook.
Magnum Tonic Wine & Hits and Jams Entertainment present Magnum Xplosion 2020 To ignite the Easter weekend, Magnum Xplosion is set for April 12 and will feature some of the most trending Guyanese and Jamaican Artistes. Confirmed on the list is the ‘King of Dancehall’ Beenie Man. The National Park will come alive as gates open at 8pm sharp with bucket deals all night General tickets cost $2000 and stage front tickets $15,000. They can be purchased at Exclusive Styles, That Look Boutique, White Castle Fish Shop, Sweet Point and the Hits and Jams Entertainment Box Office. Look out for road shows in Linden, Berbice, West Coast Demerara and Georgetown where new artistes will be revealed. This event is sponsored by Magnum Tonic Wine.
Beenie Man, ‘King of Dancehall’ confirmed to perform
Guyana Carnival team to meet with Ministry officials on Coronavirus concerns before making further decisions The Guyana Carnival team has noted that on March 11, 2020, the Ministry of Health confirmed Guyana’s first case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The patient was in her 50’s with uncontrolled Diabetes and Hypertension and had recently returned from New York. Unfortunately, she subsequently died at the Georgetown Public Hospital at 8:00am on March 11. In light of this, the Guyana Carnival team said it is very
concerned about the impact and risk factors of COVID-19. In a statement to the press it said, “We are committed to doing our part to minimize the spread of the virus. At this time, we will continue to monitor the situation on the ground and will be meeting with the relevant authorities to discuss the necessary steps and precautions to be adapted over the next few months.” It added, “Our Guyana
Carnival family, you can trust that we will remain vigilant and consistently on top of this situation as we continue to work diligently to achieve a big, better, and safer Carnival experience...” Kaieteur Entertainment also understands that the team will wait a few more days in conjunction with holding several meetings with Ministry officials before making any permanent or temporary changes to its schedule.
Kaieteur News
Sunday March 15, 2020
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TEEN TIME
Try not to be too affected by what is transpiring in the political situation Wise up, Guyana All of us in Guyana cannot help but be disturbed by what is playing out around us in the aftermath of the national elections. This means that you students have to make a special effort to not get yourselves into any controversy that may come into your way. It is true that whatever happens will have an impact on the future of out country, and it is hard not to become involved in one way or the other. But we have to appreciate that we will only divert our energy away from what we need to focus on at this period leading up to the end-of-year examinations, and in some cases, more importantly to our finals, which will partly decide on our future progress.
Even if we were to stray from this path and get involved somehow, there is nothing we can do to solve the impasse that is unfolding, so it is only wise for us students to carry on with our work and just hope that the situation will be resolved to the good of all our citizens.
You will also have to make a special effort to keep on the safe side, as there have been many instances when some radicals have resorted to violence and lawlessness. There may be some times when you will have to make a special effort to change your direction so as to move around safely.
If you really want to do something to help, you can set an example of being peaceful and impartial in what is going on. As you may know, much of the controversy in our country is caused by the racism between our two main ethnic groups, and you should try not to show any bias in your dealings with others. You can also make a difference by praying about the situation, and asking God to help us Guyanese to move forward peacefully and working for the good of all Guyanese. Uncle Roy is praying that each of you keeps safe and focused on your work at home and school, and that the political problems will not affect you adversely.
7 Principles of Government
Forty-six years ago, After decades of suffering and sorrow, God looked down on our poor country, And helped us to restore justice and democracy; Now, my people, in humility, Stop all this stupidity! End all racial strife and hate, For our dear children’s sake. To our leaders I say: Get on the wagon, don’t delay! Put your hearts and minds together, To foster peace and economic power; Forget the fight for party paramountcy, And we will all benefit tremendously; Guyana can be the Caribbean model, If we can just set this one example; Together we are destined to mould The greatest nation the world can behold; Oh, Guyanese sisters and brothers, Now, more than ever, we need each other. by Oswald Gunraj
Do your best at all times, and pray that others follow this in their own situations. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Put a (-) between each word.
Solutions to last week’s
a government in which the people rule, a broad range of people shared in the power to govern themselves(2 words)
10 the power of government to intervene in the exercise of civil liberties is restricted by law(2 words) 11 a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed 11 a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed
!
9
ck
a system of government in which the power is divided between a central government and smaller political units such as states
dlu
8
DOWN 1 A particular section or item of a series in a written document 2 The type of government that commands the United States of 4 How many articles does the constitution have? 6 a preliminary or preparatory statement; an introduction
oo
ACROSS 3 the division of basic government roles into three branches(3 words) 5 a form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws 7 personal liberties or privileges(2 words)
CENTER-DOT SUDOKU
Kaieteur News
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The Needle Tree
Junior page
There were once two brothers who lived at the edge of a forest. The elder brother was very mean to the younger brother – he would eat up all the food and steal his good clothes. One day, the elder brother went into the forest to find some firewood to sell in the market. As he went around, chopping tree after tree, he stumbled upon a magical tree. The tree said to him, “Oh kind sir, please do not cut my branches. If you spare me, I will give you golden apples”. The elder brother agreed at first, but was left disappointed with the number of apples the tree gave him. Greed overcame him, and he threatened to cut the entire trunk if the tree didn’t give him more apples. The magical tree, instead,
Sunday March 15, 2020
FLUTTERY BUTTERFLY CRAFT
showered upon the elder b r o t h e r, h u n d r e d s u p o n hundreds of tiny needles. The elder brother lay on the ground, crying in pain, as the sun began to lower down the horizon. The younger brother grew worried and went in search of his elder brother. He found him lying in pain near the tree, with hundreds of needles on his body. He rushed to his
brother and removed each needle, lovingly and gently. After he finished, the elder brother apologised for treating him badly and promised to be better. The tree saw the change in the elder brother’s heart and gave them all the golden apples they could ever need.Moral of the StoryIt is important to be kind and gracious, as it will always be rewarded.
Follow the steps to produce a wonderful butterfly paper craft WHAT YOU’LL NEED: -Construction paper -Furry craft wires -Scissors
FUN
WIT
ET O P H
RY
Be careful on the road The road is such a dangerous place, Where many people get knocked down; With cars and trucks taking their lives, We have to be afraid for our own.
We hear of accidents every day, Where people suffer death or injury; The only way we can prevent this ourselves Is to think about our own safety. So take good care when moving around, And follow the rules of the road; Always remember the motto: “Safety First”, And walk in the way you should.
by Uncle Roy
Sunday March 15, 2020
*I asked my North Korean friend how it was there, he said he couldn’t complain. One liner tags: attitude, communication, life, political, sarcastic *On a scale of North Korea to America, how free are you tonight? *Talking to a liberal is like trying to explain social media to a 70 years old. *A liberal is just a conservative that hasn’t been mugged yet. *They should build the wall with Hillary’s emails because nobody can get over them. *I think we should get rid of democracy. All in favor raise your hand. *I don’t approve of political jokes...I’ve seen too many of them get elected. *America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won’t cross the street to vote. *Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason. *The consensus after the election is that 100% of Americans think 50% of Americans have lost their minds. What’s the difference between baseball and politics? In baseball you’re out if you’re caught stealing. *My favorite mythical creature? The honest politician. One liner tags: political *Republicans & Democrats are like divorced parents who care more about getting the kids to hate the other one than they are their well-being. *The worst part about working for the department of unemployment is when you get fired you still have to show up the next day. *Stop repeat offenders. Don’t re-elect them! *Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it and then misapplying the wrong remedies. *A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well. *They say St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. I wonder if he could do that for Congress. *My love is like communism; everyone gets a share, and it’s only good in theory. *Don’t steal. That’s the government’s job. I remember when Halloween was the scariest night of the year. Now, it’s Election night. *Trump should not have said “shit-hole countries”. The correct term is “turd-world countries”. One liner tags: communication, mistake, political, rude *I once meet an honest, caring, politician that listened when I spoke and tried to help the country. Then I woke up. *The EU now has 1 GB of free space. *The media’s relationship with Hillary is just like Bill’s relationship with Hillary. The relationship is unwanted and forced, and they’ll move on to the next person any chance they get. *What do you call a Russian procrastinator? Putinoff. *If you are not part of the solution, you’re probably running for President *If Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a boat and it capsizes. Who survives? America. *You must be from Pearl Harbor, ‘cause baby, you’re the bomb. *A liberal is a conservative who’s been arrested. A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged. Is yur name Atilla cuz you can be my hun anytime! *People who want to share their religious or political views with you almost never want you to share yours with them. *I got into an argument with a mime once, then I had to silence him. *A woman’s age is harder to get than the President’s phone number. *An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought. *What’s the difference between a politician and a flying pig? The letter F. *In politics, absurdity is not a handicap. *Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America? *Why do Republicans spend so much money on bathroom fixtures? They really love the Grand Old Potty! *A long time ago we had Empires run by Emperors. Then we had Kingdoms run by Kings. Now we have Countries ..
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The Best Routines for Getting Rid of Dark Circles and Under Eye Bags 1. Cold Compress In the morning or evening – or better yet, in the morning AND the evening – apply a cold compress for about 10 minutes. If you have a mask you can keep in your fridge and pull out twice a day, that’s the easiest way to try this dark circle reducing method. Just make sure to keep it clean and give it a good soapy scrub a few times a week! 2. Cucumbers We’ve all seen cucumbers used as cold compresses on television and in films – but do they really work? In fact, cucumbers have skin-lightening and mild astringent properties, so you can use cucumber slices to fix raccoon eyes naturally. To try this method twice a day, chop a fresh cucumber into thick slices and then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then, leave the slices on your eyes for 10 minutes. Rinse your eye area with warm (but not hot) water after using. 3. Cucumber Juice + Lemon Juice If cucumber slices don’t work for you, try mixing equal parts cucumber and lemon juice and then use a cotton ball to apply to your under-eye circles. (DO NOT get lemon juice in your eye!) Leave the solution on your skin for 15 minutes and then rinse with warm water. 4. Rose Water Rose water doesn’t just smell fantastic – it can also soothe and rejuvenate tired skin. Like cucumber, it’s a mild astringent, so it can work as a skin toner. Just soak cotton makeup remover pads in rose water for a few minutes, and then let the soaked makeup pads sit on your CLOSED eyelids. Leave them for about 15 minutes twice daily. 5. Tomatoes Tomatoes are high in lycopene, a substance that’s excellent for your cardiovascular health, vision and your skin. Lycopene can help create softer, more supple skin, as well as decrease the appearance of dark under eye circles.
6. Cold tea bags If you don’t have a cold compress or mask to use, substitute with tea bags. Many teas like green tea have the added benefit of antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe strained capillaries in your under eye area. 7. Potatoes Potatoes are a surprising source of lots of vitamin C, which among other things is great for the synthesis of collagen to promote healthier, younger-looking skin. 8. Cold Milk Dairy products like milk are a great source of vitamin A, which contains retinoids that are great for keeping skin looking bright and young. 9. Orange Juice Since orange juice is high in both vitamin A and C content, it can help remove dark circles from under your eyes. Add a few drops of glycerin to orange juice and then soak a cotton makeup remover pad to apply to your under-eye skin. You’ll reap the benefits of orange’s vitamins as well as the natural glow glycerin gives to your skin. 10. Vitamin E Oil (Continued on Vitamin E helps fight the effect of free radicals next Edition)
SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH
Kaieteur News
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Rosignol businessman shot dead on birthday; two others injured -one in custody A brazen attack by armed bandits at Stelling Road, Rosignol Village, West Coast Berbice on a businessman who was celebrating his birthday with family and friends has left him dead and two others injured during a robbery. The incident which took place at a Snackette owned by the businessman’s wife reportedly took place Friday night.Dead is Tony Bishnauth called “Uncle Tony” and “England man”, 78, a businessman of Cotton Tree Village, WCB. The injured have been identified as Nateram Bridgelall and Mahendra Nagamootoo. Reports from the police state that three masked men, two armed with handguns and the third with a cutlass, invaded the snackette while Bishnauth and his friends were having a social engagement in celebration of his 78th birthday, Friday night. The gunmen reportedly demanded cash and valuables, but the victims refused, and a scuffle ensued, during which the suspects discharged several rounds causing Bishnauth, Bridgelall and Nagamootoo to sustain gunshot injuries.
Meanwhile, Mahendra Nagamootoo, one of the victims who was shot and is currently hospitalised at the New Amsterdam Hospital with three gunshot wounds (to his arm, torso and back) told reporters that the deceased was his godfather. He had gone over to the snackette “and deh out at the front playing domino” when two men, one armed with a gun and another with a gun and cutlass ran in the shop. Nagamootoo recalled the men running in and “pushing down my wife and adopted sister” before discharging rounds on the premises. “My wife grabbed we two children and run go inside. Then dem run and go and shoot the big man. Then dem run to go and shoot my sister so me run and go and scramble she. Then me lash one of dem with a bottle and them end up and start fire shot about eight, nine shot and three catch me. “My uncle was shot in his belly as well. They run in and shoot first and then dem rob,” Nagamootoo said. According to Nagamootoo from his hospital bed, there were approximately ten persons gathered
at the snackette and they had all congregated there since it was the birthday of the now dead Bishnauth. Sunita Kanhai, wife of the dead businessman, reportedly told police that they were celebrating her husband’s birthday in front of the snackette when the suspects pounced on them with weapons. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen from Bishnauth. A pair of gold coloured earrings, a gold coloured chain with a pendant and a cellular phone was stolen from Kanhai, a cellular phone was stolen from Bridgelall and another cell phone was stolen from Nagamootoo. Police have since indicated that Bishnauth sustained a gunshot wound to his right ear while Bridgelall sustained a gunshot injury to his abdomen. They were all taken to Fort Wellington Hospital where Bishnauth was pronounced dead on arrival. Bridgelall was treated and sent away and Nagamootoo was treated and transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. His condition is regarded as stable.Kaieteur News was informed that police have ar-
Tony Bishnauth rested one person thus far. In addition to the latest robbery/murder, business persons from Rosignol have expressed concern over the situation which they have dubbed “worrying and scary”. One businesswoman from that area stated that “Rosignol has been in fear over robberies and break-ins. Businesses are operating from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon and after that it is a ghost town. People are not coming out. There is a gang of young
Mahendra Nagamootoo guys with cutlasses but now it is a shock they have guns now. There has been no police presence despite all that is going on in Rosignol, everyone is scared for their businesses and now their lives,” she said. Just recently during the aftermath of rioting and protests by opposition supporters, several persons were caught on surveillance footage vandalising and robbing the Homeline Furnishing Rosignol Branch.
The men whose faces were tied with a yellow and green material reflecting a particular political party were seen jumping on brand new stovetops, breaking showcase cabinets and stealing several cell phones and other gadgets. It is unclear if anyone was arrested or charged in that matter since efforts to contact the Commander of that region have been unsuccessful. There were at least two other robberies that took place the very next day.
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>>>> STANDARDS IN FOCUS <<<<
World Consumer Rights Day 2020 - A focus on Sustainable Consumption As we celebrate World Consumer Rights 2020 today, March 15, under the theme: ‘The Sustainable Consumer’, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) joins with the other consumer bodies, both nationally and internationally, to encourage all consumers to adopt sustainable consumption habits. Sustainable consumers utilise products and available resources in a manner that ensures their availability to future generations. According to an article published by Cargill Incorporated in 2019, “Sustainability is a broad, overarching term that means many things to many people, from locally sourced or label-friendly ingredients, to organically grown and environmentally friendly products…or potentially all of the above.” The concept of sustainability has become so common that research predicts we are entering the decade of the sustainable shopper. The consumer shift to sustainable practices today shows that nearly three in four consumers now say they would change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact. Consumers are now increasingly making product choices based on these attitudes and values. Further, the Cargill article
indicates that statistics is showing that consumers are looking more closely at what they eat, where it comes from, and how it’s produced. As a result, about 22% of products in the store now claim some sustainable attributes, and this number is expected to rise. Sustainable consumption and sustainable production are two sides of the same coin. Both of these notions are aligned with promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Practising sustainable consumption and sustainable production help to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty. Since sustainable consumption and production aim at “doing more and better with less,” net welfare gains from economic activities can increase by reducing resource use, degradation and pollution along the whole life cycle, while increasing quality of life. There also needs to be a significant focus on operating on the supply chain, involving everyone from pro-
ducer to the final consumer. This includes educating consumers on sustainable consumption and lifestyles, providing them with adequate information through standards and labels and engaging in sustainable public procurement, among others. The consumer movement marks March 15 with World Consumer Rights Day every year, as a means of raising global awareness about consumer rights and needs. Celebrating the day is a chance to demand that the rights of all consumers are respected and protected, and to protest against market abuses and social injustices, which undermine those rights. As the National Standards body, the GNBS helps to ensure that consumers are protected through the development and implementation of a wide range of consumer product standards, which offer guidance on manufacturing, labelling, testing, and inspection of products. Also, the GNBS as the custodian of the National Measurement Standards ensures the accuracy in trade and consumer protection. For further information on this subject, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065 or 219-0064 or visit its website: www.gnbsgy.org
Bus operators, taxi drivers should take precautions in face of Coronavirus
“After making three trips, I recommend that every minibus operator and taxi drivers disinfect their vehicles using anti-bacterial products.” This statement was made by United Minibus Union (UMU) President, Eon Andrew. In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Mr. Andrews stated that it is the duty of the drivers to protect themselves and their passengers. Since Guyana recorded its first case of the deadly Coronavirus, persons are being urged to take all precautions to protect themselves, and their family members from the deadly virus. Kaieteur News understands that while some drivers are taking the necessary
United Minibus Union (UMU) President Eon Andrew precautions, other drivers refuse to do so. According to Mr.
Andrews, “The operators need to arrange themselves in such a way that they will be able to take the necessary precautions because they themselves are in the open most of the time.” Mr. Andrews is pleading with drivers to have dialogue with their passengers so that everyone will be aware of what will be new steps in containing the virus. Andrews is adamant that all members of the Minibus Union should pay attention to safety measures being put in place. Last Wednesday, Guyana confirmed its first case of the deadly Coronavirus after the remains of a woman who returned from Queens, New York tested positive for the virus. (Anastacya Peters)
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CONSUMER CONCERNS
CURBING MINIBUS MALPRACTICES FOR RENT
SERVICES
FOR SALE
Visa Forms Preparer. Tel#626-7040, Publish your Death Annoucements & In Memoriams online. Email: dthmemo@gmail.com
1- 8 cu-yds Mack Mixer Truck, 1 CAT 428 Back-Hoe, 1- 1200 gls Spray-kettle, CAT 215 Excavator Spares. Call # 2750367/683-7225
ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.
Corrugated Steel Rods- 1/2" (12mm)- $850, 5/8 (16mm)$1,499 at Alabama Trading, Lombard St. #231-3345
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Thinking of buying, selling or renting your property? Let’s connect you to clients. Call Demerara Realty Inc. on 2235555 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIR CONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINE, FREEZER, SALE OF AC’S. TEL#629-4946,225-4822
LAND FOR SALE Transported land for sale in Rose Hall Town.Call#6031441 1-5 Acre fruit bearing & coconut plantation for sale/ lease@WBD Oppos Timehri W h a r f . E m a i l : gzplayter@aol.com/ whatsapp#4074912026.
WANTED
5 acre to lease, Coconout & other fruit trees on Demerara river. Whatsapp #4074912026
Wanted able body nanny, live in and out, 44 Barima Ave. #684-4508/690-9811
1 Welder to work in the interior interested persons can make contact on cell # 6255136
New Volkswagen Jetta. Tel# 629-2619
HIGHER LEVEL AUTO RENTAL, BUSINESS E S TA B L I S H M E N T. CONTACT #698-4315 24 hrs AUTO RENTAL HEALTH For Doctoring ERD problems, Fits, Asthma, Burns & Stroke. Tel# 633-3353
FEMALE DRIVEN REAR CAMERA, NEW BATTERY, NEW TIRES, ALARM $2.3M NISSAN JUKE 2010. #6006395 2 Fielder Wagon, unregistered, low mileage 10,000m excellent condition $2.8M each, credit available. Pete’s Auto Sales. Call: 2269951/226-5546/623-7805/6490329 TO LET Decent working couples, One bedroom apartment in Georgetown, Parking & Telephone $45,000. Tel# 6238759/675-7842
R A Soda Factory, Rosignol Berbice #330-2399/656-7456/ 692-2981. Manager, Supervisor, Checkers Male & Female workers, Drivers for truck Professional Tilers to work on the East Coast Demerara. Contact #624-4633 Leading Pest Control Company requires 1.Salesperson, 2.Certified Pest Control Operators. Forward resume to shailaya@yahoo.com Maid to cook and clean for East Bank area call 615-9132. Fish Processing- Experienced Cutters. Tel# 223-5180/ Handy man- Preferably ages 40 and above. Tel#625-2573 Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call: 600-8457 One Male Janitor. Apply in Person to Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda.
Minibus Driver for route #42. #640-0626
1 Suzuki Escudo.Excellent condition, Low Mileage (50,000Km).$3.4M Neg.Call #649-0956.
DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL CALL: 225-7126 & 2263693 -DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL @ YAHOO.COM/ W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM
For Rent, One 3 bedroom house situated at Diamond H/ Scheme. Tel# 699-9005
One Apartment for rent at Mon Repos ECD, Market Street. Tel# 220-7330/614-0005
VEHICLE FOR SALE
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS & SUV'SCALL:643-5122./ 656-0087 WEB: WWW .PROGRESSIVEAUTORENTA L.COM
Business space & living quarter available for rent located @ 76 First Avenue Bartica (From 1500sq ft 8000sq ft) Contact:650-0402/ 603-1402
Two bedroom apartment, parking & overhead tank. $45,000. Tel#626-5846
Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezer-Call: 610-5846 or 661-8158
CAR RENTAL
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
VACANCY
Labourers for wood concession $5,000 per day. Call: 630-1831 Men to burn charcoals. Call: 630-1831 Part time Office Cleaner, Monday-Saturday 07:30 hrs 9:00hrs to work in Meadow Bank EBD. Call: 226-0772/2259304 (1) Male Experience Cook. Tel# Charlie 623-4242 Call from 8am-5pm Wanted 1 Male Chicken farmer to work in the interior. Must have experience. Please Contact #680-2702 High & Low Driver for Georgetown. Tel# 227-1717 VACANCY Experienced Female Accounts Clerk. Apply in person at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda
Experience Sales Girl. Apply LEARN TO DRIVE in Person to Alabama Trading N.Outar Driving School, 65 Robb Street Bourda Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square.Affordable Vacancies for Porters. Apply Package.Call#644-5166/691- in person at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street 2561/681-2808.
PAT DIAL There was a recent media report that commuters who had traveled by minibus to attend the recent Mashramani celebrations were overcharged for their homeward journey. The steepest overcharge was levied on those who lived outside of Georgetown in places such as West Coast and West Bank Demerara. It was easier to exploit these commuters since it was at night and they feared they could be marooned in the City. The same pattern of commuter exploitation occurs at other holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The minibus fares were arrived at after discussions between the Minibus Association and the Ministry of Business. These discussions take into account such factors as the cost of gasolene and spare parts and other rising costs. Fares are reviewed every few years at the call of the Minibus Association or even by groups of minibus owners. These fares are displayed in the minibuses and over-
charges occur when these fares are whimsically increased. Minibuses, as compared with buses run by large bus companies, offer two great advantages - they pick up and off load passengers anywhere along their route and this saves passengers walking some distances as would happen when passengers embark or disembark at bus stops. Passengers also save time since minibuses do not have schedules so there is no waiting time. Putting aside these advantages, they have many disadvantages and abuses which make traveling with them uncomfortable and even dangerous and it is these which have to be addressed and changed. One of the major complaints of the commuters is the loud and raucous music the minibuses play continuously. Every minibus is equipped with players and the music they play is often extremely loud and could impair one’s hearing since it is far above 80 decibels. They may sometimes go beyond 120 decibels. Not only are the commuters inconvenienced but also the conductors and drivers.
Sunday March 15, 2020
Several Americans were ... From page 16 member were killed and around a dozen others injured in an attack on the same base on Wednesday. The US said Thursday it had assessed that an Iranianbacked group was responsible for the rocket attack. The two Americans were the first to die in Iraq since December when a US contractor was killed in a rocket attack on a base near Kirkuk. The December attack prompted retaliatory US airstrikes against militia targets in Iraq and Syria. Trump administration officials pointed to the contractor’s death as their justification for air strikes that killed Iran’s second most powerful leader, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and spiked tensions around the world.
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Teen set on fire by 27-year-old boyfriend Fifteen-year-old Cristal DeAbreu of Lot 70 Timehri Circuit Area, East Bank Demerara (EBD) is battling for her life at the Burn Care Unit (BCU) attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). She was reportedly set on fire by her 27-year-old boyfriend. The incident occurred last Sunday around 22:30hrs. The suspect who is at present in police custody has been identified as Shawn Smith, also of Timehri Circuit Area, EBD. Due to the incident, Miss DeAbreu suffered third degree burns to over 70 percent of her body. Kaieteur News understands that the victim dropped out of school to start a relationship with the suspect without the consent of her parents. According to the victim’s mother, Joy DeAbreu, her daughter’s relationship with the suspect started early January 2020 and it was abusive from the start. “Since the relationship started, he used to beat her
but she was not telling me anything. Is till when I went into her [daughter] bedroom and saw a set of marks on her skin. But when I ask her who did it to her and she did not answer me.” The distraught mother further stated that on the night of the incident, her daughter was at home watching television with her other siblings when she received a call from the suspect, who then told her to come to his workplace to collect something from him. “The call came through like 19:30hrs. When she was walking out the door, I ask her where she was going and she told me that she going and see him [suspect].” According to Ms. DeAbreu, around 22:45hrs the said night, her daughter returned home covered in flour with the suspect leading her, because she was unable to see on her own. The suspect then told the teen’s family that she tried to commit suicide by burning herself. Upon close inspection, it was found that the victim’s flesh was peeling from her skin and her hair dropping off. After realising what had
happened, the victim’s mother along with the suspect quickly placed the teen in a taxi and transported her to the city hospital where she remains hospitalised. According to sources, it was only after she was given pain medicine that she told her mother that it was her boyfriend who set her on fire minutes after she arrived at his work place. “She [daughter] told me that after she went to his work place, he accused or of cheating on him. He then started to beat her until she became semi-conscious.” According to Ms. DeAbreu, the suspect threw kerosene on her daughter and then set her on fire, using matches. After setting her on fire, the suspect then threw several packs of flour on the teen with the aim of hiding the burns. A police source stated that initial investigations have revealed that the suspect was premeditated to burn the victim. The police source also stated that the suspect went to work with the flour, match and kerosene in his backpack.
Bus conductor gets 3 years for burning spouse with hot water Forty-seven-year-old Rawle Thomas, a bus conductor of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was yesterday sentenced to three years imprisonment after he admitted to throwing a pot of hot water on his reputed wife. Thomas was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday when the sentencing was handed down. The charge stated that on December 8, 2019, at North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he unlawfully and maliciously assaulted Akeela Rogers so
NO COVID19 patient ... From page 10 Georgetown “needs to look at all the funding streams” available globally to help boost local interventions in the government’s ongoing COVID-19 fight. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Shamdeo Persaud is reminding Guyanese that the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) is the only body “authorised and has the capacity to test for COVID -19”. If there is a suspected coronavirus case, samples will be taken and sent to the NPHRL and “we will test and issue definitive results as COVID-19 detected or not detected” Dr. Cyril Gittens, Director of the local laboratory said Saturday.
Sunday March 15, 2020
Kaieteur News
as to cause her grievous bodily harm. Thomas made his first court appearance on December 12, 2019, before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer an attempted murder charge. However, based on advice from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), the attempted murder charge was reduced to felonious wounding. The police prosecutor told the court that Thomas and Rogers once shared a relationship. On the day in
question about 20:00hrs, the defendant confronted Rogers about an alleged affair and an argument ensued. The court heard that the defendant then approached Rogers with a pot of hot water and threw it on her body, before putting an ice-pick to her neck and stabbing her with a knife. Rogers then ran outside and her neighbours rushed to her rescue. She was then taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital. The matter was reported, an investigation was launched and the defendant was later arrested and charged.
New kidney likely for Sophia teen “Since making our situation public, we have been receiving financial assistance from local and overseas donors.” This is according to an ailing teen’s sister, Keisha Curry. The teen is Jamaicy Broomes. According to Ms. Curry, someone has even contacted the family and offered to donate a kidney. As a result of this gesture, the family members of the teen along with the donor will be visiting the renal surgeon next Wednesday to complete several important tests. Ms. Curry further stated that although someone has come forward to donate a kidney to the sick teen, she does not believe it is a ‘done deal’ because for the past week persons have been offering to donate the kidney but failed to show up at the doctor’s appointment. Jamaicy Broomes, 17, who resides at ‘B’ Field Sophia, was diagnosed with endstage renal failure in February 2019. This diagnosis drastically changed the teen’s life, especially at a time when she was preparing to sit the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Due to her illness, both of the teen’s kidneys are unable to function. As a result, Miss Broomes is has been undergoing dialysis. Dialysis is the process of removing excess water, solutes, and toxins from the blood in people whose kidneys can no longer perform these functions naturally. Before her diagnosis, Miss Broomes was a student of the St. John’s College and full of life like a typical teenager. A recent health check-up on the teen showed that the illness has damaged over 85% of her heart; it has also affected her respiratory system. This diagnosis has left the
Photo of Jamaicy Broomes teen in constant pain. Several doctors have already advised the family that a kidney transplant is the only solution. According to Ms. Curry, since her diagnosis, Jamaicy was hospitalised on multiple occasions at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). She was discharged from the medical facility last Saturday. “The Georgetown Public Hospital does only give patients dialysis treatment once a week and she [Jamaicy] needs dialysis treatment three times a week. So last week, the doctor told us that since we are receiving financial assistance, we should carry her
home and take her and pay for her treatment. We did exactly that,” Ms. Curry explained. Ms. Curry stated that although the family is receiving assistance, it is not enough since one session of the dialysis treatment costs $12,000. Jamaicy has been receiving her additional treatment at the Doobay Medical Center for over one year. “I recently did a blood test to see if I was a match, to be a possible donor but my blood type does not match that of my sister. Jamaicy is 0+ while I am B+.” Anyone who is willing to assist the family financially can call telephone number (592) 687-0197.
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CWI suspends NBA stars, owners pledge donations for workers furloughed by coronavirus shutdown domestic tournaments NEW YORK (Reuters) As the bright lights of professional sports go dark across the United States this week, some top names from the NBA were pitching in to ease the burden for arena and stadium staff facing the grim possibility of weeks without pay in the coronavirus shutdown. The basketball league a n n o u n c e d We d n e s d a y that it was indefinitely suspending its season in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, upending daily life for thousands of
concession employees, ushers and custodians who rely on games for a paycheck. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love announced he was donating $100,000 to his team’s arena support staff and called on others to make similar gestures. “I’m concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling,” Love wrote in an Instagram post. Pistons forward Blake Griffin followed up, writing on Twitter that he was “just
following suit.” He did not elaborate but media outlets reported that he would donate $100,000 to staff at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena. New Orleans Pelicans star rookie Zion Williamson said on Instagram that he would cover salaries for all workers at the Smoothie King Center for 30 days. “This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me,” Williamson wrote. Milwaukee Bucks’
Sunday March 15, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A project that you've worked on for a long time could bring some money your way, Aries. Don't be too disappointed if you don't have it in your hands today.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Strain within a group that you're associated with could be traced to money problems. Perhaps people are disagreeing over what needs to be done regarding fundraising or budgetary limitations.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Relationships with others are important to you, Taurus. As a result, you've learned to be polite and congenial. Social engagements today could give you a chance to use your people skills.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may get a chance to make some extra money today, perhaps by working overtime. However, this might interfere with a social event that you've committed to.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A powerful sense of inspiration could come from within today. You might want to write down your thoughts or draw the pictures that pop into your head.
SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Although it looks as if the next few months should shape up to be a great time for your career, Sagittarius, unfortunately, today it might appear hopeless.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Group activities could take up a lot of your time and energy today, perhaps too much. Your career concerns are very much on your mind, and you don't like being distracted from them.
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your heart is longing for a romantic encounter tonight, Capricorn, and the partner in your life is more than willing to accommodate you. Nonetheless, circumstances beyond your control could interfere with your plans.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Work could be a real drag today, Leo. You might be expected to put in more hours than normal. Your heart isn't in it right now. You have interests of your own that you'd rather pursue. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Body and soul might seem out of balance today. A part of you may long to break from society and live a more spiritual life, but worldly responsibilities and a n a t t a c h m e n t t o y our current lifestyle could get in your way.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Conflict between your responsibilities at home and career obligations, particularly those involving partners, could pose a problem today. The problem isn't insurmountable, but does call for honest, open communication PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Communication problems might arise on the job. Perhaps a co-worker is in a bad mood and unreceptive to anything you say. Or perhaps the phones are out or the computers down.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the top scorers in the league, said on Friday that he and his family planned to donate $100,000 to staff members at the Fiserv Forum. “It’s bigger than basketball!” Antetokounmpo wrote on Twitter. “I want to help the people that make my life, my family’s lives and my teammates lives easier.” Team owners have begun their own gestures as well. The Cleveland Cavaliers said on Twitter that they would pay hourly and event staff members at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, while Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN that he would make sure hourly workers would be compensated. Alibaba co-founder and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai wrote on Twitter that he was also working on a plan regarding non-salaried employees.
Japan still preparing... From page 58 while the has killed 28 people in Japan. The total infections included 697 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 returnees on chartered flights from China, according to NHK. Japan’s fatalities included those from the ship.
COVID-19 stymies... From page 63 Federation (GABF), Patrick Haynes, who revealed that, “As per direction of FIBA, all basketball related activities has been suspended for 30 days. Upon 30 days and based on evaluations on different medical committees, we will either reevaluate and lift the suspension or we will extend the suspension.” Haynes further shared that Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been nominated to host the men’s and women’s championship respectively. However, neither of the two hosts have been confirmed since they need confirmation in writing from their Government and Olympic Associations before any dates can be released to the various participating nations. Up to press time, a total of 15 men’s team and eight women’s teams have signaled their interest in participating in this year’s tournament, according to Haynes.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cricket West Indies will suspend its domestic tournaments for 30 days from tomorrow, in light of the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the region. The board announced yesterday that it would halt the Regional Four-Day Championship following the ongoing eighth round, and would also scrap the Women’s Super50 Cup, the Under-15 Boy’s
Championship in Antigua and the inaugural Under-19 Girl’s Championship in Trinidad. All face-to-face meetings have been also suspended and will be replaced by teleconferences. There have already been several reported cases of the coronavirus in the region with Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, St Vincent and St Lucia all affected.
Softball action set for Success today Pulsating action is set for Success cricket ground, East Coast Demerara today with some 40 teams battling for supremacy in the Davindra Deosarran (Kalash) and Gary Singh (Gary) 7-a-side four overs softball cricket competition. The winning team will take home trophies and medals, while the runner up team will be given trophies. Entrance fee is $7,000 and teams can contact Deosarran on 669-6818 or 645-4012 for registration. Among the players set to
be on show are; Shame Boodram, Hakim Majeed, Leo Singh, Raymond Karim, Tanu Baljit, Suraj Boodhoo, Ravindra Ramnauth, Gary Singh, Brian Sarran, Suraj Sadaram and Seekumar Budram. Friends, Fix Up 7, Rick Ross and Side Pitch are some of the teams set to take part. Among the sponsors are Speedy Family, Full Bloom Sound, Tony Auto Spares, Side Pitch Crew, Peach out of New York and Sheldon and Cliff.
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Report: Liverpool to be named New Zealand abandon Australia Premier League champions cricket tour after new travel measures
The series in Australia was already being played without fans to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has forced a swathe of sporting events behind closed doors. (AFP/Saeed Khan) It seems likely that Liverpool will be named Premier League champions without officially winning the title. NBC Sports - It seems likely that Liverpool will be named Premier League champions without officially winning the title. A report from the Daily Telegraph says that Liverpool will be crowned Premier League champs even if the 2019-20 season is canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Premier League has called an emergency meeting of its 20 clubs this coming Thursday to decide what will happen to the rest of the season and per the report there is “little ¬opposition to awarding Jurgen Klopp’s men their first English title for 30 years.” Liverpool currently sit 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League table with nine games to go, as Man City in second place can only get a maximum of 30 points if they win their remaining 10 games. Right now the plan is to resume games on April 4 but there is serious doubt that games could continue as the virus is set to hit its peak in the UK in May. Even though West Ham’s vice-chairman Karren Brady has called for the current
season to be ‘null and void’ there are plenty of other options on the table. The league could be extended until the end of June or canceled altogether but if the decision isn’t unanimous then a vote between PL clubs would need 14 out of 20 clubs to agree on a plan for it to come into place. What happens over relegation from the Premier League and promotion to it remains to be decided too but I think we can all agree that Liverpool deserve to be crowned champions. More coronavirus connections to soccer: • The Premier League has postponed play through at least April 3. Aston Villa’s chief executive called it “a very good decision” while Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said we must “protect each other.” • CONCACAF has suspended play for a month, while UEFA postponed all fixtures next week ahead of a meeting to discuss plans for both club and international European competitions. • Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi is the first Premier League player to test
positive for coronavirus. • Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested posted for coronavirus and the players and staff at the club are selfisolating. • MLS announced its 2020 season is suspended for at least 30 days. • Three Leicester City players are in self-isolation after displaying symptoms of coronavirus. • Real Madrid players in isolation and La Liga games suspended for the next two weeks after Real basketball player tests positive for coronavirus. • Serie A is considering alternative ways to conclude its scudetto and relegation races, including playoffs or the non-awarding of a champion. • Juventus confirm that their defender Daniele Rugani has tested positive for coronavirus. • Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis being diagnosed with coronavirus. Olympiacos and Forest have since confirmed all of their staff and players have been tested and their tests have come back as negative.
Serbian FA chief contracts coronavirus BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian Football Association (FSS) president Slavisa Kokeza has contracted the coronavirus, the Balkan nation’s soccer governing body said
yesterday. “Slavisa Kokeza has tested positive for COVID-19, he is under medical supervision and is feeling well,” the FSS said on its official website (www.fss.rs). “We wish him a speedy recovery and we hereby also appeal on all sports clubs and athletes to act responsibly in order to minimise the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.” The Serbian soccer league is one of the few in Europe not to have postponed or cancelled matches, although yesterday’s fixtures will kick off in empty stadiums after the government declared a crowd ban on Friday.
AFP - New Zealand abandoned their oneday cricket tour of Australia yesterday after Wellington tightened border restrictions to combat the spread of coronavirus. The Blacks Caps lost the opening game of the three-match series by 71 runs and were due to play the second in Sydney today. But they will fly home immediately after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced everyone entering the country from midnight today would have to self-isolate for 14 days. “In response to the New Zealand government’s latest travel restrictions, Cricket Australia has been advised the New Zealand team will be returning home immediately,” Cricket Australia said. The two remaining matches, along with three upcoming Twenty20 clashes between the two countries in New Zealand, were postponed.
“Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket will work together to identify a future opportunity to play both series,” it added. Ardern said the self-quarantine order would be reviewed after 16 days. New Zealand so far only has six confirmed cases of the virus and has recorded no fatalities. The series in Australia was already being played without fans to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has forced a swathe of sporting events behind closed doors. After the opening match on Friday, New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson was tested for the virus and placed in isolation after complaining of a sore throat. The scare followed Australian paceman Kane Richardson being isolated and tested for COVID-19 after suffering a sore throat on Thursday. He missed the opening ODI, but was cleared of the virus late Friday.
Japan still preparing for Olympics, prime minister says as virus concerns rise TOKYO (Reuters) Japan is still preparing to host the Olympics, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday, despite rising global concern about the viability of the summer Games due to the coronavirus outbreak. Abe and his government have been adamant the Olympics will go ahead, even as other global sporting events have been put on hold. Speculation about a delay from the July start date has grown since U.S. President Donald Trump said organizers should consider a one-year postponement. Abe and Trump held a call after those comments, prompting the U.S. president to say on Twitter that the Olympic venue was magnificent. But this may not be enough to assuage sponsors of the Games, who are increasingly nervous about how the impact of the outbreak on the competition. The Olympic Torch relay, in which the Olympic flame
typically starts a tour around the host nation, is due to start in the Japanese prefecture of Fukushima in less than two weeks. The tour of the torch through Greece has already been cut short. “We will overcome the spread of the infection and host the Olympics without problem, as planned,” Abe told a news conference in Tokyo, adding that delaying or cancelling the Olympics was “not a subject at all” in his call with Trump. He said Japan working closely with the International Olympic Committee, which will have the final decision whether the Games go ahead, and the U.N. World Health Organization, suggesting he accepted that Tokyo would not ultimately decide on the event. He said Japan had a relatively low infection rate and had not seen an explosion in cases as seen in South Korea, China, Italy, Iran and elsewhere. He said delaying the peak of infections was vital to ensure
treatment of those in critical condition. TORCH RELAY Abe said Japan did not need to declare a national emergency, although parliament on Friday approved a bill to give him emergency powers and allow him to close schools, halt large gatherings and requisition medical supplies. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike promised thorough measures against the coronavirus outbreak and said preparations for a “safe and secure” Games were progressing, TV Asahi reported. Greece’s Olympic Committee canceled on Friday the remainder of the Olympic Torch relay through Greece to avoid attracting crowds, while the relay through Japan is scheduled to start on March 26. Japan had 21 new coronavirus cases as of yesterday evening, bringing the total 1,443, public broadcaster NHK reported, (Continued on page 57)
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As world grapples with pandemic, Tokyo 2020’s Twitter account puts on a happy face TOKYO (Reuters) - The official Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics Games Twitter account offers no inkling that the novel coronavirus pandemic has threatened the Games - and the account’s cheery tone is prompting sarcastic online replies. Japanese officials insist the Olympics will go on as planned, and the Tokyo 2020 tweets reflect this. Italy is under a total lockdown amid more than 12,000 infections, but a post showcases the Games’ official mascots, Miraitowa and Someity, conducting a jaunty video tour of Europe. The day Japan ordered schools closed for weeks, the account tweeted rhapsodic praises of spring flowers. Early in March, as the mascots danced in front of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, “NatsuOtaku” wrote: “Are
they going from country to country announcing a postponement?” Andrew Zimbalist, an economist at Smith College specializing in sports economics, said the planning committee’s Twitter game fell short for two big reasons. “First, the IOC and the Tokyo organizing committee are in denial. They have never had to cancel an Olympics for anything but a world war,” he said. “Second, they want to control the spin. By pretending that there will be business as usual, they are hoping to keep Olympians in training and Olympic fans in preparation for traveling to Tokyo. If by some good fortune the virus abates and the Olympics are held, they want to make sure the athletes are present and prepared.” Tokyo 2020’s social media is run by an in-house team. Staff on the international side
is a mixture of Japanese and foreigners. Tokyo 2020 organizers said they were making every effort to respond to changing conditions as quickly as possible. “Tokyo 2020 is actively engaged in updating the public with the latest information regarding its response to Covid-19 via briefings and press releases to the media, as well as through various owned and operated digital media,” the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee said in a statement. Experts said the medium could be an issue. “I think they have a certain responsibility to issue correct information, but whether that should be on Twitter or on a different media is the issue,” said Daichi Oshimi, an assistant professor at Tokai University’s Department of Sport and Leisure Management.
A man wearing a protective face mask, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), walks past Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games mascot Miraitowa and Paralympic mascot Someity plushies at a building in Tokyo, Japan March 13, 2020. (REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha) Experts agreed that tone aside, clear communication was key to broadcasting an effective message on social media.
“I think that what’s important is to always tell the truth,” said David Wagner, president of David Wagner & Company, a media and crisis
management specialist. “As long as they’re telling the truth, there’s nothing wrong with wishful thinking,” he added.
IPL cricket season will be shortened, India suspends domestic soccer and cricket over says Ganguly AFP - India’s cricket board chief Sourav Ganguly said yesterday the Indian Premier League will be truncated with the Twenty20 tournament pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. The world’s richest cricket league was postponed Friday, meaning instead of starting on March 29, it will begin on April 15 at the earliest after the Indian government ordered measures against travel and public gatherings. Top officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met franchise owners of the eight IPL teams in Mumbai to assess the situation. “Safety is most important for the players and at the moment (with) what’s going around in the world and India with the government directives this is all we can do. We have postponed remaining domestic matches,” Ganguly told reporters. “If it (IPL) is (postponed till) April 15, then, in any case 15 days are gone, it has to be a truncated one. How truncated, how many games, I can’t say at the moment.” While the country of 1.3 billion has reported just two deaths from coronavirus and more than 80 confirmed cases, all sporting activities have been suspended. India has stopped all domestic soccer and cricket
coronavirus outbreak
Australia’s David Warner, batting here for Sunrisers Hyderabad last year, is one of the foreign stars in the lucrative IPL. (AFP/File/Noah Seelam) events after two remaining one-day cricket internationals against a visiting South Africa side were called off on Friday. But postponing the cashrich IPL, which draws the world’s top players from Australia, England and South Africa, and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues each year, has dominated Indian headlines. Ganguly, one of India’s most successful India
captains who became BCCI president last year, said everyone was forced to wait and see. “We met with the owners, to tell them how it can happen and where do we stand at the moment. At the moment, it is just postponed. We will assess the situation,” said Ganguly. “It will be re-assessed every week. I can’t say at the moment (about any deadline). It has to be worked around.
As much as we want to host the IPL, we also need to be careful about the security.” IPL is estimated to generate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy and involves cricket’s top international stars including England’s Ben Stokes, David Warner of Australia and Indian captain Virat Kohli. Chinese mobile-maker Vivo paid $330 million to be the league’s top sponsor for 2018-2022.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) India suspended domestic soccer until the end of this month while domestic cricket was put on hold indefinitely due to the coronavirus yesterday. The All India Football Federation said in a statement that, following Ministry of Health and state government-level advice, “all footballing activities under the aegis of AIFF stay suspended till March 31”. “The AIFF will take a stock of the situation in the last week of March, and take a decision abiding by directives from relevant authorities at that juncture,” it added. All I-League matches have also been suspended but the final of the franchise-based Indian Super League was due to go ahead without spectators in Goa later yesterday. The outbreak has already cost India its only European Tour golf event, a shooting World Cup and a BWF Super 500 badminton tournament. India’s ongoing home ODI series against South Africa has been called off by the cricket board which has also postponed the
start of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 until April 15. In a statement y e s t e r d a y, B o a r d o f Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended all domestic matches as well “till further notice.” Some 145,594 people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 5,419 have died, according to a Reuters tally of government announcements. Efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic have widely disrupted the global sports calendar. BCCI representatives also met IPL franchise owners in Mumbai where safety and well-being of the fans and players were identified as the priority. “As much as we all want IPL to happen the health and safety of the public, players, staff and all others is of paramount importance,” Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal tweeted after the meeting.
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Boxing - Dubois wins Tokyo 2020 qualifier to launch senior career LONDON (Reuters) British lightweight Caroline Dubois, who made her start in boxing pretending to be a boy called Colin, won the first fight of her senior career in a Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifier yesterday. The 19-year-old Londoner, an unbeaten junior world and Olympic champion, outpointed Ala Staradub of Belarus in the opening bout at the Copper Box near London’s 2012 Olympic
stadium. The event, involving 342 male and female boxers from 43 countries with 77 Olympic spots available, remains on despite most other sport in Europe being cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Boxers from countries like Italy, the worst affected by the outbreak in Europe, have been in Britain for several weeks. Dubois, whose 10 siblings include unbeaten
professional heavyweight Daniel Dubois, has a tougher next fight against 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and top seed Mira Potkonen. The Finn, who sparred with Dubois at a training camp in Colorado in January and is a 39-year-old mother of two, had a bye to the second round. “It was an alright fight, I’ll give it a C, I could have done a lot better but obviously there was a lot of pressure
Boxing Gyms advised to halt activities as a precaution to current coronavirus outbreak The Guyana Boxing Association yesterday advised gyms under its affiliation to halt all nonessential activity for the next two weeks. This is to assist in curbing the spread of the Corona Virus. GBA president Steve Ninvalle dispatched a letter to all head of gyms calling for the immediate halt to sparring and nonessential activity.
“With the threat of the Corona Virus the executive of the Guyana Boxing Association has put on hold all competitions until further notice. We ask that there be an immediate halt to sparring and non essential training. The executive wishes to thank all parties for their expected compliance,” the letter to the gym heads stated. In addition, the GBA is forced to postpone the
hosting of the Carifta Tournament which was scheduled for April 11 to 13 in Guyana. Several Caribbean countries had already signaled their intention of participating. Just recently, the spread of the Carona Virus forced the International Olympic Committee to cancel the AMBC Olympic Boxing Qualifier billed for Argentina from March 26 to April 3.
that was built up,” said Dubois of her debut. “Even though Mira is number one seed, she has only got two hands, two legs and one brain. If I can’t beat her, I can’t ever say I will be the best.” Dubois started boxing at nine, but had to hide her gender. “I followed my brother into the sport and back then most boxing clubs in England didn’t really approve of female boxing,” she told Reuters earlier in the week. “My brother was at Repton amateur boxing club and I joined there. Repton at the time didn’t allow female boxers so I had to say I was Colin.” The subterfuge lasted for months until she had to get a medical for her first real bout. “It was funny because whenever my dad used to call me, he wasn’t very good at it and would always say ‘Caroline’ and nobody else picked up on it,” added the 2019 BBC young sports
British lightweight Caroline Dubois. (Getty Images) personality of the year. “Some people did actually say ‘that boy, he looks like a girl’ but everyone else just turned a blind eye.” The highlight of the evening programme will be the super-heavyweight clash between Italian Clemente Russo and Britain’s Frazer Clarke. Russo, still battling on at 37, is a double world champion and 2008 and 2012 Olympic silver medallist,
beating future American heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder at the Beijing Games. Clarke, 28, is a former sparring partner of professional heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. The Briton is making his third attempt to qualify for a Games after losing out to eventual gold medallist Joshua in 2012 and Joe Joyce in 2016.
WCC Badri Prashad Memorial T20 starts today The Wakenaam Cricket Committee (WCC) Badri Prashad Memorial T20 competition will commence today at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground in Good Success. In the opening fixture at 09:00hrs, Good Success will take in G Square Cavaliers of Belle Plaine while Sans Souci will play Maria’s Pleasure from 13:00hrs. Secretary of the WCC Nazeer Mohamed said the teams are being divided into two zones with the top two teams from each zone going through to the semi finals. He added that the best batsman and best bowler in the competition as well as man of the match in the final will be rewarded along with the runner up and winning teams. Zone A is comprised of Good Success, G Square Cavaliers and Sans Souci Jaguars while Zone B includes Zeelandia, Sans Souci, Maria’s Pleasure and Noitgedact SC. Mohamed expressed gratitude to the sponsors. Keval Persaud, a representative of the sponsors, said they are happy to be
onboard for this tournament once again and wished the teams well. Teams; Good Success- Imran Khan, Wazir Khan, Nazeer Mohamed, Alex Hill, Mahase Ramnarine, Tushall Surujpaul, Devendra Hansraj, Vickram Ramnarine, Ejaz Mohamed, Shoaib Namaz, Tulsieram Ramadeen and Shorab Ali. G Square Cavaliers; Satnarine Sahadeo, Mohan Ali, Sachin Chulai, Marlon Dindyal, Ajay Dindyal, Tekeshwar Nankoo, Beesham Bhagpattie, Devon Hansraj, Lokram Narine, Romario Stephen, Comesh Sudin, Andy Dindyal and Wayne Gookool. Sans Souci- Oyono Sampson, Seon Venture, Cleon Venture, Devon Rambaran, Jaggernauth Manbodh, Heera Sukram, Kieran Kumar, Kamal Khan, Aarav Sukram, Jeetendra Persaud, Varounie Sasepaul and Omal Bacon. Maria’s Pleasure; Kennard Lewis, Bernard Lewis, Marsh Singh, Leonard Lewis, Samuel Narine, Leorayan Ramlakhan, Mahadeo Ramdeo, Kevin Persaud, Emmanuel Lewis, Lionel Baker, Bhawanie Persaud and Kurt Headley. Badri Prashad was a prominent businessman on the Island.
Nazeer Mohamed (left) accepts the cheque from Keval Persaud.
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Seebarran shifts into Barbados halt Jaguars title streak to Radical action today win 22nd title with two rounds to go CWI Regional four-day cricket
By Sean Devers An incisive spell of highclass fast bowling from Manof-the-Match and West Indies pacer Kemar Roach sent five-times defending Champions Guyana Jaguars crashing for their second double digit total in their eight-round CWI Regional four-day cricket tournament as Barbados Pride romped to an emphatic 235-run win at Providence yesterday with five sessions to spare. The win halted the Jaguars five-year winning streak and provided the Pride with their 22nd Regional First-Class title and first since 2014. The win was also the first for them over Guyana at Providence in six years and took them to an unassailable lead with two rounds remaining. Guyana began the penultimate day needing 330 for an unlikely win and catapulted to 94 all out at the end of the first session in the day-night encounter as the home team followed up in the same vein as their first innings 55, their lowest total against Barbados. Despite a 51-run seventh wicket stand between West Indies fast bowling allrounder Keemo Paul who smashed 36 from 22 balls with six fours and a six and Wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble, who made 22 from 36 balls with four boundaries, the rest of the scorecard read like an international telephone number as only opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul (11) of the other batsmen, reached double figures. Roach had 4-36 for Match figures of 9-56 and took his wicket-tally to 30. He got support from the tournament’s leading fast bowler, 22-year-old Chemar Holder (2-32) who took his tally to 36, while Jonathan Carter cleaned up the tail with
3-13. In a situation tailor-made for Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s approach to batting, the Jaguars began the day needing 330 win to in six sessions. In overcast conditions, on a track with some bounce and movement, Roach, with 193 wickets from 56 Tests and 26 from just five matches, made the pink ball ‘talk’ but it was Chemar Holder, who struck first. Just after the pugnacious Shimron Hetmyer had eased Chemar Holder confidently past mid-off for the day’s first boundary in the s e c o n d o v e r, t h e We s t Indies left-hander edged one that left him off the seam to give replacement Keeper Tevyn Walcott his first catch off the next ball. Hetymer’s demise left the hosts on 6-1 and when Skipper Leon Johnson (3), who is having and up and down season, edged Chemar Holder to second slip, the Jaguars were in a precarious position on 19-2. Chanderpaul got his first boundary when he edged Roach fortuitously to third man but never suggested permanence. The experienced Roach charged in with a strong breeze on his back with four slips and a gully in place and the son of Shiv Chanderpaul, got one that came back and was trapped LBW at 23-3. Chris Barnwell, Guyana best batsman this season, joined the diminutive Vishaul Singh who edged a catch to Walcott off Roach. Roach also removed his countryman Raymon Reifer, LBW for a first ball duck as the Jaguars collapsed like a stack of cards against the Bajan new ball attack and were 24-5 in the 11th over. Watched by a handful of fans in the stands, Bramble averted Roach’s hat-trick but
Kemar Roach celebrates a wicket © Associated Press Barnwell was soon LBW to Roach who was on a rampage as the wounded Jaguars limped to 33-6. But Paul and Bramble were not going down without a fight and counter-attacked the fast bowlers who began to tire in hot sun that had come out in all its splendour and negated some of the early exaggerated side-ways moment. Bramble edged Chemar Holder for his first boundary before pulling him for consecutive fours when he bowled short. Paul wacked Roach like a bullet to the mid-wicket boundary, top edged a hook over the keeper’s head, cover drove him and finished off the over with the fourth boundary; a brutal straight drive as 16 runs came off the over. When Jason Holder replaced his unrelated name sake, he beat Bramble twice with prodigious lateral movement away from the right-hander before the Jaguars Keeper whipped him disdainfully for four.
Paul clipped Carter to fine-leg and cover-drove him majestically for boundaries as the partnership prospered before Bramble edged Carter to second slip to break the partnership and leave the score 84-7. Paul cameo was halted when Carter broke his middle stump at 93-8 before he bowled Sinclair for duck. Jason Holder finished off the innings and the match when Veersammy Permaul was caught behind for a duck on the stroke of the first break to give the Bajans a commanding threeday win. Scores: PRIDE 174 (Kraigg Brathwaite 48, Jonathan Carter 27, Shane Dowrich 25; Keemo Paul 362, Romario Shepherd 2-15) and 210 (Kraigg Brathwaite 84 not out, Jonathan Carter 43; Keemo Paul 4-52). JAGUARS 55 (Kemar Roach 5-20, Jason Holder 424) and 94 (Keemo Paul 36, Anthony Bramble 22; Kemar Roach 4-36, Jonathan Carter 3-13).
Semifinal on today in UCCA Price Is Right Supermarket T20 Knockout cricket The fixture has been drawn for the semifinals of the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) Price Is Right Supermarket T20 Cricket Competition which is being played for teams in the Upper Corentyne and Black Bush Areas. Following a meeting of the Competitions
Committee of the UCCA the three winners and the team that drew the bye from the last round will play for a spot in the final. The two matches will also be played at neutral venues. The fixture is as follows: Jukestown Warriors will take on No70 “A” Spartans at No72 Cut
and Load Ground. No69 Red Rose will take on No72 Cut and Load at the No70 Ground. The two losing semifinalist will take home $50,000 each. The final is set for next Sunday at the No69 Ground. Cash and other incentives will be awarded to the winner and runner
up, while outstanding individual performers will also be rewarded. The UCCA is led by businessman Dennis D’Andrade. The competition is coordinated by the UCCA competitions committee which is led former National wicketkeeper batsman Sydney Jackman. (Samuel Whyte)
The first round of the Caribbean SR3 Radical series revs off today in Barbados at the Bushy Park Motor Sport Inc. (BPMSI) where Guyanese motor racer Raymond Seebarran will make his debut in his ‘Team Fast Parts’ sponsored radical. In a recent interview with Kaieteur Sport, Seebarran expressed delight with the opportunity and he posited that this is a welcomed challenge since he has basically conquered the local competition. “I am getting the hang of the car fast, although this is my first time behind the wheel of the radical, and I love it. During my first training at Bushy Park (Barbados) I turned in some decent times with my best time in the mid 59 seconds and during my second outing I continued to improve. I am learning as much as I can and I know I have a far way to go but I am confident that I will get there,” Seebarran noted. Three former Champions will line up today on what is the largest grid yet to be assembled for an opening round of the Radical Caribbean Cup (RCC) with as much as 11 cars racing. All signs point towards
an action-packed start to the regional championship’s third season, as newcomers Zachary Boodram, Tobias Lutke and Seebarran bring to 41; the numbers of drivers who have competed in the Radical SR3s since the launch of the former Suzuki Challenge Series in 2015. Of the five title-winners on the Cup’s Roll of Honour, reigning RCC Champion; Jamaica’s William Myers is missing from today’s provisional entry list, along with Guyana’s Kristian Jeffrey, who won seven races on his way to winning the 2016 Winter Championship. The Radical Caribbean Cup will have five rounds this season two each in Barbados and T&T and the final one in Guyana (at the November International Race meet). Apart from Team Fast Parts, Seebarran has received invaluable support from Fast Parts Limited, Garage 61, Richtune, C.R. Boodoosingh& Sons, Techpoint Tuning, HB4 Tuning, Bhola’s Marketing, Bushy Park Circuit Inc., Ray’s One Stop Auto Parts, Crumbs N’ Cream Café, Clearview Windscreen Repairs, Big Kahuna Hot Dogs and Express Designs.
Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic
GFF advises suspension of tournaments and scale down of secretariat’s operations In light of the spread of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has issued a circular to its Regional Member Associations advising the postponement of matches for the March – April period and informing them of the scaling down of operations at the Secretariat and key facts about the virus. This follows the guidance of football’s World and Regional Governing bodies, FIFA and Concacaf, in an effort to protect the health and wellbeing of staff and stakeholders. The correspondence, dated March 13, read in part as follows: “The GFF is guided by the decisions taken by FIFA and Concacaf, to postpone matches as a preventative measure against the spread of the disease, which is likely to occur due to physical contact. We therefore recommend that all matches previously scheduled to take
place in March and April, be postponed until such time that the public health authorities provide the appropriate guidelines. The GFF is confident that these measures will buttress the efforts of the public health authorities to combat the spread of the disease. We will continue to monitor the posture and advice by the relevant public health authorities, as well as the directives of FIFA and Concacaf. We consider this measure and recommendation to be the most appropriate and responsible step to take under the current circumstances. We further wish to advise that the GFF Secretariat will only be opened on a need to basis and thus will only have essential staff on duty on any given day. We therefore encourage the use of electronic communication, to access the services of the Secretariat.”
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Sunday March 15, 2020
Kaieteur News
Phillip wrecks Volcanoes to set up innings win for Red Force TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Speedster Anderson Phillip notched his maiden 10wicket match haul as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force crushed Windward Islands Volcanoes by an innings and 84 runs inside three days here yesterday to post their second straight win of the Regional Four-Day Championship. On four without loss overnight after following on by 236 runs at the Brian Lara Stadium, Volcanoes capitulated meekly for 152, with Phillip bowling superbly to finish with a career-best six for 19. The 22-year-old, who picked up four for 53 in the first innings, finished with match figures of 10 for 72 to follow up his six for 59 against leaders Barbados Pride last week. Keron Cottoy, at number
Fast bowler Anderson Phillip.
six, top-scored with 35 while opener Kimani Melius got 29 and Andre Fletcher, 25, but
the visitors never recovered after losing four wickets for 14 runs to crash to 50 for four
before lunch. Requiring a massive effort in their second turn at the crease after being bundled out for 173 in their first innings on Friday’s second d a y, Vo l c a n o e s s h o w e d improved resolve up front when Melius and veteran Devon Smith (17) put on 36 for the first wicket. Melius had struck four
fours and a six off 45 balls when he became the morning’s first casualty, lbw playing across to a full length delivery from fast bowler Uthman Muhammad, pitched on middle and leg. Phillip then turned the game on its head by removing Smith lbw playing back and then with the very next ball, beating c a p t a i n S u n i l A m b r i s ’s defensive stroke to bowl him comprehensively for a first-ball ‘duck’. In his next over, Phillip had Emmanuel Stewart caught at gully by Cephas Cooper off a leading edge, also without scoring. Cottoy and Fletcher then put together the best stand of the innings by adding 41 for the fifth wicket which temporarily halted the slide. While Cottoy faced 68 balls and struck two fours and a six in nearly 1-¾ hours at the crease, Fletcher hit a couple of fours and sixes in a 51-ball knock before he perished in the sixth over before lunch, bowled by left-arm
spinner Akeal Hosein playing back to one which kept slightly low. Ryan John arrived to launch a bold counterattack, lashing two fours and sixes in a cameo 11ball 22 before but he was the last wicket to fall before the interval, caught low down at forward short leg by Cooper off legspinner and captain Imran Khan. On 118 for six at tea, Volcanoes put up little resistance following the r e s u m p t i o n a s C o t t o y, unbeaten on 26, was last out after adding only nine runs with the injured Kavem Hodge again unable to bat. Scores: RED FORCE 409 (Jyd Goolie 128, Imran Khan 84, Kyle Hope 54, Jason Mohammed 45, Anderson Phillip 36 not out; Preston McSween 5-60, Kenneth Dember 3-125). VOLCANOES 173 (Devon Smith 67, Emmanuel Stewart 30, Keron Cottoy 28; Anderson Phillip 4-53) and 152 (Keron Cottoy 35, Kimani Melius 29, Andre Fletcher 25; Anderson Phillip 6-19).
Kaieteur News
Sunday March 15, 2020
PAGE 65
COVID-19 stymies National Basketball team’s preparation
- Jamaica likely to host men’s CBC Championship
By Calvin Chapman Travis Belgrave, who will be outfitting for Eagles Basketball Club in the Andrew Ifill Knockout tournament that was scheduled to bounce off today with round one action at the Burnham hard court on Middle & Carmichael Streets, during an interview with Kaieteur Sport, has
noted that now would’ve been a good time for competition to return to the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA). H o w e v e r, t h e tournament has been suspended since the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic has reached Guyana with one reported
GABF Secretary Patrick Haynes (right) bestowing the CBC MVP award last June to Guyana’s captain Stanton Rose.
case thus far. Belgrave, who was part of the historic Guyana team that won their first Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championship men’s title in 2018 in Suriname, highlighted that there hasn’t been any competition for many months in Georgetown and this tournament would’ve been important since Guyana is scheduled to defend their title this year and it will help keep the skills of the local players in check. The 22-year-old explained that while it is important for a player to stay fit, and although Guyana whitewashed a visiting Grenada team last D e c e m b e r, f o l l o w i n g another long hiatus of competitive basketball, tournaments are especially important. Head Coach of the team, Junior Hercules, also had noted the significance of the tournament as “very
important” while noting that t h e 2 0 2 0 C B C Championships, like other global sporting events, may face the threat of being postponed by the eminent coronavirus threat. Kaieteur Sport made contact with the General Secretary of the Guyana Amateur Basketball (Continued on page 57)
Travis Belgrave.
Head Coach Junior Hercules (left) and President of the GABF, Mike Singh.
Kemo Paul pulls during his top score of 36 at Providence yesterday.
CWI Regional four-day cricket
Barbados halt Jaguars title streak to win 22nd title with two rounds to go Chemar Holder leads the Barbados Pride off after an outstanding performance. (Windies cricket file photo)
rt Spo
Seebarran shifts into Radical action today
Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic
GFF advises suspension of tournaments and scale down of secretariat’s operations
Raymond Seebarran begins Radical season today. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.