Wednesday March 18, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Court blocks CARICOM-supervised recount
Justice Franklyn Holder
T
he CARICOMsupervised recount of ballots in the March 02, 2020 Regional and General Elections was blocked yesterday, when High Court Judge Franklyn Holder granted interim injunctions to prevent the Guyana Elections Commission from proceeding The decision comes after an agreement for a national recount was reached by President David Granger, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and the CARICOM Secretariat. The national recount was scheduled to take place under the supervision of an independent high level team from CARICOM. The team was scheduled to commence the recount of
ballots from all ten regions on Monday. Their efforts were nonetheless met with several delays, as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) mulled the legal implications of a national recount at this time. The team has since withdrawn, but was keen to emphasize that if their assistance is needed then they would return to Guyana. The commission had announced yesterday that they were seeking legal guidance on the way forward. However there was no word on that advice when GECOM was served with the injunction to block the recount in the afternoon. According to the document, Justice Holder granted an interim order blocking the Elections Commission from setting aside the declarations made by the ten electoral districts. The document drafted on behalf of Ulita Moore, a private citizen, also seeks to restrain the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission, Keith Lowenfield, from preparing and submitting a report to the commission, except the votes counted and the information furnished by the Returning Officer under the Representation of the People Act. The GECOM has also been restrained from permitting or authorizing any person or persons to any agreement between the President of Guyana and the
Leader of the Opposition or any agreement between the Guyana Elections Commission and the Caribbean Community or at all, to count or recount any ballots cast by electors on the 2nd March 2020. Among other things, the interim injunction restrains the GECOM from setting aside or varying the declarations already made by the 10 electoral districts with any other documents or declarations until the
...High level team withdraws Elections Officer. Meanwhile, following the withdrawal of the aforementioned independent high- level team, CARICOM’s Chairman and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, last evening issued a statement which reads as follows: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
and arrived in Guyana in the early hours of Sunday morning. Given that the tabulation process had been widely viewed as not being transparent or credible, President Granger and Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Leader of the Opposition, agreed that the only possible resolution was by way of a recount
“It is clear that there are forces that do not want to see the votes recounted for whatever reason. Any Government which is sworn in without a credible and fully transparent vote count process would lack legitimacy” - Chairman of CARICOM Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados hearing and determination of the judicial review of the application. Attorneys Roger Yearwood and Mayo Robertson are representing Ulita Moore. The injunction is in force until the hearing and determination of the matter. The hearing is set to commence on Friday, March 20, 2020. The respondents to the Court matter are the Guyana Elections Commission, the Chairman of the Commission and the Chief
deeply regrets that it has been forced to withdraw the independent High Level Team it fielded on Saturday, 14 March 2020, to supervise the re-counting of the ballots in Region 4 of the General and Regional Elections of 2 March 2020 in Guyana. The fielding of the Team had been at the request of His Excellency David Granger, President of Guyana, on Saturday 14 March 2020. In response, and given the urgency of the task, the Team was mobilised immediately
The Independent High-Level Mission (from left): Ms Angela Taylor, Chief Electoral Officer, Barbados; Mr Anthony Boatswain, former Finance Minister, Grenada; Ms Francine Baron, Chair of the Team and former Attorney General and Foreign Minister, Dominica; Ms Fern Nacis-Scope, Chief Elections Officer, Trinidad and Tobago; Ms Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer, Department of Government, UWI. (Photo: CARICOM)
supervised by an independent team. This was seen as a significant contribution to bolstering the transparency and legitimacy of the electoral process. This step forward had been anchored by an Aide Memoire signed by both leaders on 16 March 2020, and the Terms of Reference prepared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to govern the role of the High Level Team on Sunday, 15 March 2020, for the supervision of the recounting of the ballots, not only in Region 4, but in all 10 electoral districts. A court order issued on 17 March 2020, granted an injunction restraining GECOM from recounting any ballots of the General and
Regional Elections of 2 March 2020, and set aside “any agreement between the President of Guyana and the Leader of the Opposition and or any agreement between the Guyana Elections Commission and the Caribbean Community”. The Caribbean Community has no other choice but to withdraw the High Level Team. It is clear that there are forces that do not want to see the votes recounted for whatever reason. Any Government which is sworn in without a credible and fully transparent vote count process would lack legitimacy. I would like to thank the High Level Team for offering to serve at such short notice and for displaying the patience they have displayed over the last three days. The Team was led by Ms Francine Baron, former AttorneyGeneral and Foreign Minister of Dominica, and included Mr Anthony Boatswain, former Minister of Finance of Grenada and Ms Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies. They were accompanied by Ms Angela Taylor and Ms Fern NarcisScope, the Chief Elections Officers of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. As I said in an earlier statement it is critical that good sense prevail. The preservation of law and order is paramount and all parties must work hard to ensure that there is peace on the roads and in the communities across Guyana. The Community remains committed to the people of Guyana.”
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday March 18, 2020
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Ballot boxes - the next tormenting frontier COVID-19 - what the hell is that? Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter to us; there would be supporters - committed and diehard - of the two parties left in the running, the only ones that counted anyway. Because now that the focus has shifted to the gravity of a recount, ballot boxes have risen to seize Centre stage in the scheme of national attention. The territory - indeed, the saturated minefield represented by this nation’s ballot boxes now assumes the newest frontier in our still unexplored and mostly unsavoury efforts at governance. Why do the local political fanatics believe that they have to come out in force to guard ballot boxes when layers of state security are on the job? To repeat the ancient and obvious, it is because there is no trust left anymore in this country, none whatsoever. Leaders do not trust each other; the supporters of each side do not trust the supporters from the other side, even friends have difficulty. It is this stark environmental and social reality where both sides harbour the worst of misgivings and fears about the underhanded and the fraudulent, taking unshakeable hold and the worst resulting. For these are what have been the perpetual and pervasive characteristics of our elections processes, as they have been employed to disenfranchise or disempower. This is why supposedly stalwart men and women leave their bed, take leave of their senses, and leave a long shadow in the vicinity of those most sensitive and, all being normal, those soon-to-be heavily tormenting ballot boxes. As much as we at this paper would like to think of and foresee developments differently, there is already a sense of inevitability as to where the next road(s) will lead. It cannot be otherwise, when the reality lived has been of one acrimonious controversy after another, emerging to plague and petrify all things political and now electoral since December 21st, 2018. This is our regrettable view of where things - and this society - have been, and where we appear poised to be heading from one direction or the other. To go back only a little within recent times, one of the sharpest disputes has been of a bloated list, which does not - and could not - represent the eligible electoral voters in this country, given its small population, and the immense percentage held out as evidence of what is accurate. At least, that has been the assertion of one side, and to the most strenuous objections from the other. That ground was set and temporarily left alone, but from it surfaces physical presence of ballot boxes and their precious paper contents. Whatever comes out of there, if we can ever get there, is sure to lead right back to prior contentions and suspicions about ‘padding’ any manner of skullduggery that could be imagined. And the imaginations and calculations are unlimited, since both sides are most familiar, from history and practice, with the thievery of the other, the skills and versatility of the other, and the creative and unique talents of the other to concoct and then craft something out of nothing. But electoral Guyana is not operating from nothing, for there is a world of substance in those individual papers in those locked and watched ballot boxes. It is the situation where spotlight and microscope are both going to be unrelentingly and ruthlessly affixed on those ballot boxes, which now assume all the sacred aura of national treasures to be guarded with life and limb. The first steps have been taken by both sides, through their hardy foot soldiers being onsite and watching every development and all intentions with the sharpest of high alerts, via the latest carefully orchestrated movements in what is a very elaborate and intricate electoral ballet. Thus, the vicious dogfight in a rather tightly configured ring continues to this state, which can only be described as the natural progression of Guyanese politics. The scripts have already been written and revised, with men on standby to rush to ventilate before the whole world, regarding who is up to something. That could only be something that is neither clean nor constructive for one’s party. After all our terminal traumas, this is what this is all about: party. It is never of country.
The Health Ministry ‘dropped the ball’ with COVID-19 DEAR EDITOR, Never has it been more apparent the unacceptable levels of callousness and incompetence in Guyana’s modern healthcare system, than with the post and preevents surrounding the discovery of ‘Patient Zero’ in the first confirmed case of the deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Guyana’s shores. The ruckus that ensued with the family before and after the death of Guyana’s first victim and the baffling health authority decisions that followed, only leaves gaping questions as to whether the Health Ministry was ever prepared to handle this disease with the seriousness it deserves. To frame the issue, the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) describes COVID-19 as a respiratory disease. It is deadly. It is aggressive and contagious. It is a pandemic of global proportions because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against the virus. It is spreading worldwide. We had two
months to prepare. We now know it is airborne. Notwithstanding the fact that ‘Patient Zero’ and other members of her family entered Guyana from New York–an area crawling with a massive COVID-19 outbreak–we learnt through the press that the case was first suspected by a private hospital, which has since quarantined a number of its staff. The now dead woman was then referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for COVID-19 testing and based on reports, it was only after authorities at the GPHC were informed of the woman’s travel history, that COVID-19 tests were ordered on a fluid sample taken from her body after she died. What are the policies or chain of command if any, for local private hospitals without COVID-19 testing facilities to communicate its concerns to the GPHC after referring patients? In addition, what prevented the private hospital in this scenario from reporting its suspicions to the GPHC or
even the Health Ministry? In Epidemiology, the branch of medicine which is concerned with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health, the discovery and tracking of ‘Patent Zero,’ is a landmark factor regarding disease control. As global infection rates and first-world death tolls in Italy, USA, Canada and other European counties rise, images and videos of health authorities grappling to contain the virus now flood our screens. Europe is now considered the new epicentre of this aggressive and infections virus with its origin in the Wuhan district of China. A predicament faced early by Italy in particular, was that health authorities were unable to identify ‘Patient Zero,’ early on, hence, an effective strategy to map and track the spread of the virus using data about its local origins proved challenging. In Guyana, health authorities had the privilege of knowing exactly who ‘Patient Zero’ was, where she
lived, when she arrived in Guyana, where she came from, her immediate family, and to some extent her whereabouts up unto death. Why then, were the relatives of this landmark first case not place into mandatory state quarantine? Why then; that given the relatives of ‘Patient Zero’ were people who did not inform GPHC that they were referred for a COVID-19 test, and who denied both at the hospital and on social media that their relative had the Virus, were they entrusted with self-quarantine? There are reports that the day after his wife passed away, the husband of ‘Patient Zero’ and his son–who has since tested positive for COVID-19–visited the US Embassy to complain to officials about the wife’s death. There are further reports that a sick child from the home was sent to school and also makes frequent runs to the shop. Were these people ever under any surveillance? Who did this man, his son (Continued on page 6)
Guyana-Canada Business & Professional Corporation condemns attempts to rig Guyana Elections DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana-Canada Business & Professional Corporation (GCBPC) calls upon the Canadian Government to immediately suspend all economic and financial relations with Guyana until democratically elected President and Government are installed in Guyana. The GCBPC joins the call of local and international election observers and all democracy-respected people in Guyana, Canada and around the world to allow fair and free election results in Guyana. All interested parties, except the incumbent Government, have opined that the current process being conducted by GECOM is not credible. GECOM and its political directors from the incumbent APNU+AFC, backed by the Guyana Police Force, are actively conducting the blatant and crude rigging of the elections to keep the incumbent in power. The country’s economy is already stymied by the protracted and deliberate delay by these defectors of
democracy. They must be held accountable for their actions. Canada and the rest of the International Community must act now to save Guyana. They cannot allow another pariah state to exist next to Venezuela. The United States and the rest of the democratic countries of the Organization of American States will have to contend with the axis of evil in their own backyard. The GCBPC supports immediate sanctions against those responsible for the current crisis in Guyana. It is calling on the United States, Canada, the UK, members of the EU and CARICOM countries to impose travel ban on the culprits, their families and other cohorts. Their assets abroad should be frozen. Ultimately, they should be brought before the proper legal authorities to account for their illegal actions that have national, regional and international ramifications. The democracy defectors ought to take note that they will not benefit from Guyana’s impending oil wealth.
All seems not well DEAR EDITOR, The stalling of the votes recount, silence from the one who ordered it and the possibility of another court round send a
troubling message that all seems not well in the main party which makes up the majority arm of the coalition. Shamshun Mohamed
ExxonMobil and other American companies operating in Guyana are subject to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). These companies will be advised to withhold any payments to the undemocratic and corrupt Government or face financial and criminal consequences under the FCPA. Similar legislative and regulatory regimes are in place in Canada and elsewhere. Funds belonging to Guyana will not be remitted to the illegal regime but will be held in escrow until a legitimate Government is installed. The Guyana-Canada
Business & Professional Corporation will explore all legal means to establish a democratic government in Guyana. U n d e m o c r a t i c governments undermine the economic well-being of its people and this cannot be tolerated. The democracy defectors still have time to redeem themselves and let democracy prevail. Yours truly, Tameshwar N Lilmohan BA MBACPA FCCACFE LLB LLM/LLM President: GuyanaCanada Business & Professional Corporation Toronto, Canada
Query on Covid-19 DEAR EDITOR, I would like to clarify whether there is indeed 7 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Guyana as of March 16, 2020, as it appears was initially published by the Chronicle, based on the website link and then removed. Or the claim that the WHO dashboard indicating 7 cases, is incorrect. Social media also apparently added to the claim, by stating the three new cases relates to an employee of GPL (“Timothy”, with travel history to South Korea), his wife and child, all who passed away at GPHC. There was also mention of a
Dr. Ahmed attached to GPHC and quarantine of several staff exposed since all three persons were asymptomatic, and were tested for covid-19 only after they passed. h t t p s : / / theworldnews.net/gy-news/ who-reports-seven-covid-19cases-in-guyana Thank you, Hansranie Seebaran Editor’s note: The Ministry of Public Health, upon hearing of your query, assured that of yesterday Guyana has only confirmed four cases of the coronavirus and anything else is FAKE news.
Wednesday March 18, 2020
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Kaieteur News
What the credible recounting of ballots is expected to achieve? DEAR EDITOR, Most Guyanese would agree that there is never a moment in Guyana that lacks interest and excitement, especially since the 2011 Elections. Hardly anyone anticipated that a total recount of all votes cast in the 2020 general and regional elections, under the watchful eyes of a CARICOM team, was going to be required before GECOM could make a declaration of the final results of the poll. And, still, this might eventually prove to be the best decision to help a deeply divided people at this time of a moral crisis; and to verify the credibility of GECOM’s administration and conduct of ELECTIONS 2020; and resolve the credibility gap created by the contradictory statements made by the leadership of the People’s Progressive Party/ civic (PPP/C), the New Political Parties (ANUG, CG, PRP, TCI, TNM and LJP) and A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition. A major theme during the 2020 general and regional elections campaign was honesty, decency and integrity in political leadership. Consequently, it’s no surprise that the credibility of GECOM and our political
leaders are in the spotlight or under intense public scrutiny. Even though supporters on either side of the political divide do not always tell the truth, it is still true as stated by Donald T. Phillips that “leaders who tell their subordinates the truth, even when the news is bad, gain greater respect and support for ideas than their less virtuous counterparts.” Even now, it is better to tell the truth rather than to lie, for honesty is the best policy. What then are some of the important points to ponder as regards the proposed national recount? What will the recount do for Guyana, GECOM, the Observer Groups and Politicians? What are some important benefits of a recount? Firstly, Guyana will not be put on a blacklist and be regarded as a country with a government elected by an electoral process that was unacceptable or untrustworthy. By allowing an independent high-level Caribbean Community (CARICOM) team to oversee a full elections recount, with GECOM managing the process, it is expected that this move will satisfy the “required standard of fairness and transparency” necessary to ascertain the final results of the elections.
Transparency is a most important issue in business, governance, media, and politics today. When a person is transparent, there is no attempt to lie or cover up. The word transparency implies “light shining through unimpeded” and it denotes openness, the absence of pretence and deceit. President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo must be commended for this agreement, the CARICOM Initiative to monitor a re-count of all ballots.After all, political leadership must model behaviour that is guided by a commitment to ethics, transparency and accountability. Secondly, a national recount can help GECOM to redeem its credibility that has been seriously undermined by the controversy surrounding the counting of votes polled in Region 4. The Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, ascertainment of the total votes cast in accordance with the Statements of Poll (for the 879 polling stations) was the major obstacle or difficulty, preventing the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, from making a final declaration of the 2020 General and Regional elections results. The Region Four tabulation disputes triggered many reactions.
Prayers are needed for Guyana DEAR EDITOR, The coronavirus originated in China, in the city of Wuhan. It has killed more than 1,000 people and infected more than 42,000. The virus has spread to at least 24 more countries, including the U.S. The entire city of Wuhan in China halted all transportation. Several cases in the U.S. have been
reported so far. The virus poses a grave threat. It spreads quickly with pneumonia-like symptoms. It likely came from a seafood market in Wuhan. People who have other illnesses and catch this virus will likely die. Let’s hope the virus can be controlled before long. Bad news is, there are no vaccines to prevent humans
from contracting it. Prayers are needed here for us in Guyana. Yours, Rooplall Dudhnath
First, the Organization of American States (OAS) on March 13, 2020 issued a statement explaining that it had no other option but to withdraw its presence from Guyana. According to the OAS team “the numbers that have emanated” since the tabulation process was disrupted is cause for concern and “it is unlikely that one can have a result that is credible and able to command public confidence.” This is a very damning statement. Then, on the same March 13, 2020, shortly after the start of the court-ordered tabulation of the Statements of Poll, the 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, walked out of the Region 4 tabulation process at the Ashmin’s building, High and Hadfield Streets. According to a joint statement released by the four missions: “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.” Such is the prospective of our western diplomats. Besides, the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission had reason to write the Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, asking to see the Statements of Poll that he used to prepare the spreadsheet of results which he intended to utilize for the declaration of results for Demerara-Mahaica. This request was made via a letter, dated March 12, 2020, and was being made “pursuant to Section 4 (1) and (3) of the General Elections (Observers) Act, as well as section 6,7,8 and 9 of the Administrative Arrangement between the Delegation of the European Union in Guyana and GECOM.” It clearly brings to light the nature of the Region Four tabulation challenge. These issues form part of the background for the recount. And, it is expected, that a total recount of the votes from all ten electoral districts (beginning with the largest and most hotly disputed region four) can provide the ideal opportunity to help restore ‘maximum public confidence’ in GECOM’s operations or
expose its weak spots. If the recounted ballots’ final score is similar to the results previously declared, it will go a long way for the credibility of the Guyana Elections Commission. However, if the recounted ballots show significant differences from that which was declared for the ten electoral districts (and especially region four) GECOM’s credibility would be severely damaged. And, its staff, especially the presiding officers and returning officers, in particular Mr. Clairmont Mingo, would have demonstrated that they failed to serve with integrity. Also, the Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, and the Chairperson of the Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh (although they are both well respected and honourable) because they said nothing as regards the authenticity of the Statements of Poll published by the PPP/ C and those Statements of Poll used by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo to ascertain the results for Region Four, they are answerable. Is this a case where silence is golden? Well, the recount is likely to answer that question. Thirdly, another benefit of a national recount of ballots, under the supervision of the independent high-level CARICOM team, is the (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur News
Open letter to stakeholders DEAR STAKEHOLDER, In light of the uncertainty we are all facing in our ordinary lives with the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), we wish to assure you that Creditinfo’s number one priority is the safety of our employees, clients and partners. We are therefore doing our best to ensure our employees are able to keep doing their amazing work in the safest of environments. In the circumstances, we wish to advise that with immediate effect all consumer queries and requests for credit report should be made via our Online platform at www.creditinfo.gy. Addit ionally, changesin credit profiles can also be monitored
via this medium with the opportunity to receive daily alerts. We are sensitive to the fact that people’s daily lives are disrupted at the moment because of the Coronavirus, and are therefore working to ensure that our best support is provided during this period. Our dedicated team would be on hand to offer timely assistance should any issues arise during this period. We can be contacted at info@creditinfo.gy and via telephone at 227-7005/9. We are also actively monitoring the information being shared by the Public Health Authorities so we can be ready for any response as
the situation evolves. In due course we promise to provide information from the credit bureau database to help our clients better understand the financial implications of the epidemic. As the situation evolves, our team will continue to keep you informed of our latest analyzes indicating the likely impact on credit portfolios, as well as any additional operational changes. Our mission is to provide you with reliable information and solutions to help in your decision-making. Please continue to be safe. Judy Semple-Joseph Chief Executive Officer Creditinfo Guyana
TO Mr. GRANGER; DO NOT DEFY SECRETARY OF STATE, MIKE POMPEO DEAR MR. GRANGER, On the occasion of Secretary of State Pompeo’s message of warning, I send you this message: (1) I have nothing but goodwill and cheers for you personally, as well as for a few members (personal friends) of your administration. But, please, sir, do not defy the U.S. government. Sanctions will destroy the economy of Guyana. Severe hardships will befall the Guyanese people of all races. It makes no sense whatsoever. There is still a modicum of reasonably good and workable social relations between the Indians and Africans of your nation. It makes no sense to destroy
that social fabric - it is under severe stress right now, it can be repaired and strengthened. (2) Democracy works like this. People’s voice are sovereign. Elections are nothing but a renewal of the people’s periodic mandate. In 5-years you and your party get a chance to go back to the people - and try to win their support. There is a small pool of Swing Voters in Guyana (approximately 20,000 25,000) who vote strictly on Issues; win their support and your party will be back in power. That’s how democracy works. T h e b a ton of power swings from one party to
another regularly - every election cycle or second cycle. It is almost guaranteed to be this way in an environment of free and fair elections. The world has changed. You’ve got to believe it. (3) Spike Lee popularized a phrase, “Do the Right Thing” (actually it’s the name of one of his popular movies incidentally one of the themes of this movie is Race Relations). The fate of Guyana is in one man’s hands - yours. I hope you do the right thing. I’m sure you do not want to go down in history as an Election Rigger. Thank you, Sir. Yours truly, Mike Persaud
The Health Ministry ‘dropped the ball’... From page 4 and the child come into contact with? How did they travel? Where else did they go? Visits to the Good Hope ECD, home last week by a social media user after the death of ‘Patient Zero’, furnished us with video evidence showing no signs of high-level quarantine or security presence at the home. Rather, the family were entertaining guests and preparing for a ‘wake’ with neighbours walking in and out of the yard. In essence, a family who should have been in mandatory state quarantine went about their daily lives, travelled, entertained guests at their home, held a wake and in the process, exposed hundreds of Guyanese to this deadly and aggressive virus. We know for a fact that
those at risk of dying and getting the sickest from COVID-19 are the elderly, older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like Heart Disease, Diabetes and Lung disease. We are not short of that in Guyana. The Health Ministry has ‘dropped the ball’ with COVID-19, and there is no excuse why that happened other than pure incompetence, carelessness, callousness and an inability to grasp the seriousness of this virus and the economic implications it would have should an outbreak happen in Guyana. Important roles like the Minister of Health should never be appointments based on political merit, rather, should be an established leader with the background and track record to understand the importance
and seriousness of disease control and response, including what logistic measures ought to be in place based on data models and forecasting. Guyana is now in deep trouble as the latest figures of our confirmed COVID-19 cases according to the Health Ministry is now four, inclusive of the one death with possible hundreds of Guyanese now having unnecessary exposure to the virus because of this one callous family and the inability of health authorities to take action when they had the chance. Three weeks ago, Italy’s confirmed cases were just three. To date, that figure has grown to more than 24,700 and 1,800 deaths as of the week of March 15. Yours sincerely, Ron O. D’Avilar
Wednesday March 18, 2020
The question of “total recount” DEAR EDITOR, It is public knowledge that what has been described as a “total recount”, seemingly inspired, perhaps instigated, by CARICOM, of the votes cast in the ten (10) districts at the General and Regional Elections 2020 (GRE’s) is impending. Whatever semantic jargon be employed to cloak the Terms of Reference (TOR) that will guide the implementation of this so called “total recount” with some semblance of legality, any such “total recount”, if implemented, will be metaphorically dead on arrival at the Caribbean Court of Justice. We Submit, there is simply no constitutional or statutory basis for it. It is contrary to law. The well-known principle of generous or purposive interpretation of constitutional provisions does not mean that there must and can be some procrustean interpretation of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act #15/ 2000, Constitution and the Representation of People Act, cap 1:03 Laws of Guyana, to lend either legitimacy or credibility to such a patently misconceived idea. A crystalline distillation, of the relevant provisions of the Constitution, and EL(A) A and ROPA that touches and concerns GRE’s in the sovereign Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and consideration of case law and legal principles about ultra vires and (non) contracting out of statutes, yields the following conclusions of law ; and mixed fact and law. We summarize and state these conclusions briefly; First, the conjoint effect of article 60,161,162(1) and 226(1) & (7) of the Constitution is that GECOM is a creature of the Constitution which the framers intended in its conduct of GRE’s to be independent, fair, impartial, autonomous and not subject to the control or direction of any
other person or authority (except of the course, the Supreme Court of Judicature); Secondly, consistent with the (rebuttable) presumption of constitutionality of the EL (A) A and ROPA< GECOM is bound to give effect, and substantially comply with and obey the provisions of the ROPA. There cannot be violations by GECOM. Thirdly, the conjoint effect of in particular sections 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 96 and 99 of ROPA is that the declarations by the ten respective Returning Officers, of the votes cast for each of the contesting political parties in ten (10) districts, are in the events which have happened, (and subject to ascertainment/ verification by Chief Election Officer) FINAL and ought to have been (on the assumption of such ascertainment) declared and published by GECOM. Fourth, the Ventose (2018) 92 WIR 118 decision of the CCJ which concerned Barbadian statue law corresponding to or in pari materia with our ROPA, is we submit, an emphatic rejection of GECOM’s “total recount” policy. That policy is but a flagrant violation of the clear, unambiguous wording of the ROPA. GECOM has no discretionary powers vis-à-vis the ROPA requirements. Fifth, Parliamentary sovereignty (we do not say supremacy) which by articles 51 and 164 of our Constitution is entrenched at the deepest level in our constitutional architecture, cannot be subverted by, and subordinated to, the whims and fancies of extraconstitutional actors. The ROPA which has imposed specific duties on PO, RO and CEO is an emphatic expression of such sovereignty. Sixth, (not necessarily in significance) consistently with the finality of the Returning Officers declarations, the APNU+AFC and its presidential
candidate David Arthur Granger both have a fundamental right to complain that upon a generous and purposive interpretation of the fundamental right to freedom of expression (article 147) that fundamental right has been, and is being contravened, in relation to it, and him, by GECOM’S delay in its declaration and publication. After all, the raison d’etre, the whole beneficent purpose of forming a political party, expending huge sums of money in the contestation of GRE”s every five years, is to attain victory at the polls by the democratic process encapsulated in, inter alia, the Constitution and the ROPA, and be the Government for the next five (5) years. In the events which have happened, midnight on March 17, 2020 is the expiry point for the conclusion of declaration and publication. We are fully convinced and have concluded that the proposed “total recount” if implemented, will amount to a blatant abdication by GECOM of its constitutional and statutory duties. Also, a usurpation of parliamentary sovereignty by extraconstitutional actors. Every voting elector- supporter of the APNU+ AFC list must be aggrieved by GECOM’s unreasonable delay in the declaration, publication of the results and the consequential swearing in as President of Mr. David Arthur Granger. Pacification of an electorally defeated, vexed and disappointed Opposition is not provided for in the ROPA, nor is appeasement a constitutional function of GECOM. And what if the “total recount” materially increases the amount of votes in favour of APNU+AFC? Would that increase be valid? We think not. On both principle and authority it cannot be supported. Regards, Maxwell. E. Edwards For: Concerned Lawyers
What the credible recounting... From page 5 recognition that the election results is likely to receive. The CARICOM Initiative is specifically geared to provide a solution and a final elections result that is expected to receive local as well as international recognition and approval. It will definitely clear the air and settle the facts concerning district four votes; for the electorate and all Guyanese; for the 18 international and local observer groups; especially the ABCE envoys, The European Union, the Organization of American States, CARICOM, the Commonwealth and The Carter Center. These observer groups will be more inclined
to accredit elections results that are more in conformity with our electoral laws. Finally, the recount of ballots for Elections 2020 will definitely be a moment of truth for the political leadership of not only the two major political heavyweights in Guyana, but also for the new political light flyweights and flyweights. One of the heavyweights will be caught red-handed and would likely be tested to its deepest political muscles. The other heavyweight will be visibly happy, but would have to learn quickly a new way of getting things done (with the leadership of the other parties) and to understand, appreciate and navigate the
politics of governance in Guyana. For the new political flyweights it will be a reality check for them. The recount will definitely bring us to that moment of truth when the people of Guyana will find out which one of two political heavyweights (both have claimed victory) has the legitimate right to form the next government for the world’s newest Petro state, Guyana. It will be another golden opportunity to make real the campaign slogans. STRONGER TOGETHER! MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER! Pastor Richard Avert James
Wednesday March 18, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Prisoners to wear masks when at court
Female prisoners leaving the courtroom
T
he judicial system has set up new pre cautionary procedures in order to protect their workers from contracting the deadly coronavirus. They have also implemented other measures to safeguard the Judges, Magistrates and other members of the judiciary against COVID-19. The Special Constables that are stationed at the Georgetown Magistrates’
The Cuban Nationals leaving the prisoners’ chute
Courts’ main entrance are now sanitizing each visitor before they enter the courtyard. This will be the process for 14 days until the court is properly fumigated. Persons are only allowed to enter the courtyard if they have matters in court. Also there is a new method in which matters are called and handled by the Magistrates at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Only
when the names of the defendant and virtual complainant are called they are allowed to enter the courtroom, and they can only be accompanied by one relative. Before anyone enters the courtroom their hands will be sanitized at the door by a police officer. Only one reporter per media house is allowed in, and they are situated at least six feet apart. The clerks and police of-
ficer working with the Magistrates are now wearing gloves. The cleaners are working steadily as they can be seen disinfecting and wiping off the hand rails and other parts of the court every 3 to 4 hours. On Monday, a Magistrate noted that prisoners will now be given longer dates to return to court in order to facilitate the number of persons that have to attend court on a daily basis due to COVID-19. Ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday brought a bus load of foreign nationals who were caught en route to Brazil after they entered Guyana illegally by sea from Suriname. Prisoners are now required to wear masks when they are brought to court. The masks are to be worn in and out of the courtroom. Five Cuban Nationals were yesterday remanded for entering Guyana by sea and disembarking without the consent of an immigration officer. They were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. They denied the charge which stated that on March 15, 2020, at Springlands, Corentyne, Berbice they entered Guyana illegally. Objections were made by
the police prosecutor based on the fact that the defendants are foreign nationals and that they are a flight risks since they have no local address. They were all remanded to prison until March 23, and the matter was transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court. According to information, the defendants arrived at Springlands from Suriname, and were using Guyana to
reach their destination, Brazil.The court heard that the police, acting on information received, intercepted the defendants. They then asked to conduct a search, and it was discovered that the five men entered Guyana illegally and did not present themselves to an immigration officer. The men were then told of the allegation, arrested, taken into custody, and later charged.
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Wednesday March 18, 2020
Kaieteur News
Alleged Cuban strangler remains on the run
With Guyanese caught up in elections tension and the Coronavirus scare, relatives of Marva Oudkerk are hoping that investigators remain focused on nabbing her killer. The prime suspect, 31year-old Cuban national Lopez Perez Jair, remains at large, days after police put out a bulletin for him. Marva Oudkerk’s body was found inside her Lot 241 Bourda Street, Georgetown home on October 11, 2019. Her mosquito net was wrapped around her neck. A post
mortem revealed that she was strangled. Her killer had gained entry into the house by removing several floor boards. He is believed to have made off with money and jewellery. Police obtained security camera footage of an individual entering Mrs. Oudkerk’s premises around the time she was slain. Initially, they were unable to identify the prowler. However, late last week, they indicated that the suspect was Lopez Perez Jair. He
is said to be known in the area where his victim resided. Pictures obtained by Kaieteur News show the intruder, suspected to be Jair, in Mrs. Marva Oudkerk’s yard. The same individual is later seen fetching what is believed to be the boards that he prised from the floor to gain entry.Police gave Jair’s addresses as Lot 106 Plantation Versailles, West Bank Demerara and San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, Cuba. Makada Oudkerk, her
Abattoir workers still not able to work after crane crash Almost three weeks after a crane owned by John Fernandes Limited fell onto the Municipal Abattoir and resulted in severe damage to the building located at Water Street, Georgetown workers are still unable to gain access to the facility. Kaieteur News understands that subsequent to the incident, the company agreed to cover the cost of repairing the damaged structure. No work has since commenced. Sections of the roof, kitchen and slaughtering area of the decades-old facility have been damaged.
According to sources, due to the structural damage, workers are not allowed into the building. The closing of the City Abattoir has angered several workers who complained of not being able to work which is creating a financial strain on them and their family. Allan Blair, a butcher at the abattoir stated that since the accident, workers have not received any word on when the construction process will commence. The damage is said to be well into the millions
Wanted: Lopez Perez Jair
Murdered: Marva Oudkerk
Murdered: Ofredis Duarte Campos
daughter, has offered US$2000 for information that could lead to the apprehending of her mother’s killer. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Lopez Perez Jair is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers, 216- 0251, 216-0253, 226-6978, 225-8196, 226-2870, 226-7065, 227-1149, 226-7065, 226-9834, 268-2298, 226-2222, 229-2557, 617-9660, 911 or the nearest police station. Meanwhile, police said
yesterday that they are still to locate the main suspect behind the February 20, 2020 shooting death of Cuban national Ofredis Duarte Campos. The suspect had narrowly escaped arrest earlier this month. Police had obtained CCTV footage of the murder which positively identifies the suspects. One of the suspects is a known character who was said to have committed a string of previous bike robberies.Ofredis Duarte
Campos, 35, of 321 East Street, Georgetown, was shot dead while heading to a Church Street butchery where he works.Campos was walking along Cummings Street, between Middle and Quamina Streets, when two men on a red and white XR motorcycle attacked him. It was said that Campos put up a fight and one of the robbers shot him in the hand, chest and below his chin. The shooters then rode off emptyhanded.
Wednesday March 18, 2020
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EXPOSE THEM! One female reporter from this newspaper was brought to tears last Friday when she was harassed and intimidated outside of GECOM’s headquarters. She openly witnessed the same treatment of her colleagues. Another reporter was forced to leave the area because he was described in the most sickening manner. Fearing for his physical safety, he left. Not only were reporters threatened, but so too were the international observers. The political party that these supporters were celebrating and obviously ‘protecting’ has claimed a lack of knowledge of this matter. That was not unexpected. The Guyana Press Association (GPA) issued a statement condemning the verbal assault, threats and attempts at physically assaulting its members outside GECOM’s headquarters and tabulation centres. 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, and requests for a secured spot outside of the tabulation centre have been met with refusal… Media
workers were verbally abused based on the media outlet they represented and their ethnicity, as members of the crowd attempted to even check packages that included their equipment and food in their possession.” Many of the journalists threatened and intimidated, indicated that this was done in full view of members of the Guyana Police Force who did little to stem the threats, verbal assault and open intimidation. That too is not unusual. In a joint statement on the 13th March, the Ambassador of the United States of America, H.E. Sarah-Ann Lynch, the British High Commissioner, H.E. Greg Quinn, the Canadian High Commissioner, H.E. Lilian Chatterjee, and the Ambassador of the European Union, H.E. Fernando Ponz Cantó, reported that they decided to leave the Region 4 tabulation process since it had become clear that a transparent and credible process was not in place, and that they were concerned about the intimidation tactics observed against those seeking to ensure that a credible process was followed. The media has video foot-
age and photographs of those involved in the threats and verbal assaults. They also have footage and photographs of the police ranks who took no action to stem the harassment, threats and verbal abuse of media workers and international observers. The Guyana Press Association is not helpless. It has the capacity to do something about what happened to its members. It can do much better than complaining. The question is: “Will it?” Walter Rodney, the late co-leader of the Working People’s Alliance, and his party faced such tactics. His solution was to expose those involved.The Guyana Press Association can do the same. It can publish the footage and photographs of those involved in threatening, verbally abusing and intimidating media workers. It can call on the public to help identify those involved. Social media will be a powerful tool in helping to obtain the identities of those involved. It can frontpage the images of these persons. It can air the footage on newscasts. It can do the same on social media. Guyana is a small society, and it should not be difficult
to quickly determine the identities of those involved. Having received that information, the Guyana Press Association can provide this information to the police. If the police fail to act, the GPA can move to institute private criminal charges against those individuals concerned. This is a course open to the Guyana Press Association. But will it
go this route?The incidents of last week were not the first time that media workers have been subjected to such treatment. And unless something is done about it, it will continue. Those who verbally abused and threatened media workers, including hurling racial epithets, must be held accountable for their criminal conduct. They must be ex-
posed, identified and brought to justice.But will this happen? You know the answer to that question. (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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Wednesday March 18, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Deadly power struggle inside the PNC
T
he question is not maybe. There is no maybe about it. The PNC (not APNU) is currently in the throes of a power struggle over the way out of the election malady. It appears at the moment that the Granger faction is losing ground to a powerful cabal that is not prepared to concede defeat and will not concede defeat. I will refer to the Granger group as GG and the other cabal as VT meaning Volda Lawrence and Raphael Trotman, because they are the key players in the second
faction. How did these two compartments develop? After the Mingo declaration of March 4, the sailing was smooth inside the PNC. Granger was to be sworn in but the court granted an injunction. The PNC still remained intact as a cohesive unit because the thinking was that the court would discharge the order and allow for the presidential installation. So confident was the PNC that Harmon took to television to announce an imminent swearing-in soon after the dismissal of the injunction. This was not to be. The
mistake the PNC made was three-fold. One - the Mingo announcement of March 4 was too disgraceful to be accepted by world opinion. Two - international actors had pronounced the Mingo figures as fraudulent. Three – it would be hardpressed for any decent court to entertain the Mingo depravity. Up to the time of the ruling by the Chief Justice - that Mingo must go back to the table with floodlights shining on the statements of poll - the PNC was united that it will brave the international sanc-
tions and swear in Granger, because GECOM and Mingo will repeat March 4 on March 13. That happened, and thus was born two factions inside the PNC that demarcated the lines to be drawn. VT, which includes Harmon, was livid that Granger was not sworn in on Saturday night. But Granger didn’t want to be sworn in. Reeling from the criticism of his powerfully placed son-inlaw, Dominic Gaskin and the rising crescendo of international voices, Granger became ambivalent about his future as president. Uncertain as to if
he will be allowed to govern, if there will be constant domestic and international vexations, if his presidency will survive biting sanctions, and if he will be a figure of derision and hate in the world, Granger found a way out. Allow CARICOM to revisit the entire national vote and if the PNC loses, it has an acceptable way out. It is possible that someone from GG leaked this option to the Stabroek News, because the paper editorialized on the acceptance of that pathway by Granger. In calling the Barbadian Prime Minister, it seems the die was cast. We refer to this as the Mottley arrangement. But an incendiary cabal emerged in the PNC, with unmitigated hostility to the Mottley pact. This writer was told voices were screaming against the Mottley arrangement with words like, “let them bring sanction we will face them when they come.” What was born as a reaction to the Mottley arrangement was a ménage à trois in Guyanese politics – VT inside the PNC, four actors in GECOM, and the police force. It is this ménage à trois that is currently derailing the recount at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC). What is actually taking place in Guyana right now is a putsch. Since the sabotage of the ACCC recount, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the American media and indicated that the fraudulent election will see strong American reaction. These consequences the VT cabal knows about, but will not give in - thus the injunction that stopped the Mottley arrange-
Frederick Kissoon ment yesterday. Here is the likely scenario. Even if the court discharges the injunction, there will be maximum delay of the recount. Introduce emergency measures due to the coronavirus. Postpone the recount. Let the CARICOM team leave. Remain in power. And take it from there. Right now Granger is an isolated figure in the PNC. It doesn’t seem that many inside his grouping will go for the swearing in, even if the court upholds the injunction against the PPP’s challenge, because they are mortally afraid of international sanctions that will come from the Americans as well as the OAS, Canada and the EU. One of the weakest fulcrums of GG is that VT is in charge of GECOM, and the police force is taking commands from personalities inside VT. Once VT is fixed on a swearing in, GECOM and the police force will not follow the instructions of GG to resume the ACCC recount. Guyana is virtually in the grip of a putsch and heading for the precipice, with the Venezuelan military watching with hawkish eyes. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Wednesday March 18, 2020
Kaieteur News
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‘Do not mistreat patients’ Occupational burnout, fatigue, stigma or physical and psychological violence must not force health workers to mistreat their parents, cautioned Dr. Veronica Griffith, Deputy Director of Regional and Clinical Services (RHS). Speaking yesterday at a one-day symposium for Regional Health and Executive Officers (RHOs and REOs) and top Municipal officials, Dr. Griffith said despite currently working under increasing pressure because of the global COVID-19 outbreak, local health workers must, nevertheless, “treat patients with respect, compassion and
dignity (and) maintain patient confidentiality.” The one-day seminar organised by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) was held to help sharpen the understanding and response capabilities of RHOs, REOs and heads of Municipalities to the new strain of the Coronavirus sweeping the globe.So far, four persons have tested positive for the virus in Guyana. The Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) has been activated and members are meeting regularly to ensure continued coordination of the country’s response
to the new strain of the virus. When he spoke, Permanent Secretary (PS) Mr. Emil Mc Garrel, of the Ministry of Communities, told participants from the 10 Administrative Regions that “appropriate and adequate information is a key way to help in the response phase”. Information sharing, through the MOPH and the HEOC will be a buffer against officials “giving in to wild theses and innuendos. We are here to prepare to respond,” Mc Garrel counselled participants. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health,
Ms Collette Adams, highlighted the country’s multisectoral approach, which she reasoned is “needed to protect all”. Adams said the Ministry working assiduously with all international partners to handle any case of COVID19. The Public Health Ministry, in adherence to the Financial Management and Accountability Act, has made the necessary request to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) considering Guyana is at a point in its financial year without a budget. The Public Health Ministry said that it “can assure the
Wednesday March 18, 2020
- Deputy RHS Director advises health sector officials nation that all COVID-19 related expenditure will be captured and brought to account at such time as there is a 2020 budget. All expenditures are sanctioned by the Ministers of Finance and Public Health”. PS Adams reminded officials to maintain strict financial accountability for moneys utilised as part of the country’s response. “We must account for every cent” Adams told participating officers. Like her colleague Mc Garrel, she too cautioned participants to ignore fake news, disinformation and other messages crafted that can, if heeded, “put the entire country at more risk”. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Shamdeo Persaud gave a panoramic view of the global effects of COVID-19, telling his listeners that there are now “more deaths outside of China” where the virus originated. The USA, Canada, Brazil and Chile are the hardest hit in that order in the Region of the Americas. In descending order in the Caribbean, French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and St Bartholomew make up countries that have so far recorded COVID-19 patients. When he spoke yesterday, Dr. Persaud highlighted port surveillance; home and facilities isolation; case finding and early detection and contact tracing and follow-
ups and strategies to help interrupt person to person transmission. Among the CMO’s menu of recommendations included closing borders, suspension of conveyance, which is preventing airlines, vessels and vehicles from entering the country, social distancing and limiting private and public gatherings. In his discourse, the CMO said that where there are clusters of cases and local transmission there should be public health policies including control measures, government orders and quarantine. He also said there must be “coordination and collaboration on technical guidance and support for preparedness and response for fragile and vulnerable populations”. “All participants must school their charges in the 10 Regions to follow established occupational safety and health procedures; avoid exposing others to health and safety risks; and participate in employer-provided occupational safety and health (OSH) training. In the fight against COVID-19, health officials and municipal workers must also follow established public health reporting procedures of suspect and confirmed cases and “provide or reinforce accurate infection prevention and control and public health information, including to concerned people who have neither symptoms nor risk,” Dr Griffith said.
Wednesday March 18, 2020
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Wednesday March 18, 2020
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Wednesday March 18, 2020
Diamond League Here’s why Pirelli scrapped 1800 F1 Tires after the Australian Grand Prix was canceled postpones three meetings Road & Track - One of the many moving pieces of every Formula One race is the supply of tires. Pirelli, Formula 1’s tire supplier, delivers thousands of tires every race weekend, and are responsible for mounting them onto the wheels. According to Motorsport.com, the company had to scrap 1800 tires after the Australian Grand Prix was canceled. “We finished mounting the tires on Thursday afternoon, and then we had to dismount everything,” Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola told Motorsport.com. I know what you’re thinking: Why not just save the tires and reuse them at the
Pirelli F1 Tires (Gerard Julien - Getty Images) next race? Well, it’s not that simple. For races outside Europe, Pirelli dismounts tires to have them transported. And dismounting them effectively makes them too dangerous to reuse. “At the moment the limitation is that when we strip
a tire from the rim, we give a stress to the bead, and then obviously we are not confident to fit the tire again, because of the level of forces acting on these tires is huge,” Isola told Motorsport.com “So we don’t want to take any risk.”
Wednesday March 18, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Let your emotions play with your imagination today, and feel free to discuss your findings openly with others. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Trust that you have all the facts you need today, Taurus. You should be feeling quite good, emotionally. Use this self-confidence to make great strides in whatever you want to accomplish. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may find yourself emotionally challenged today by a strong force demanding your attention, Gemini. Your hyperawareness to every situation might be driving you a bit crazy.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Feel free to enlist your own creativity today to solve any problem that may come your way, Libra. Don't feel like you absolutely need to take a rational and methodical approach. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The energy of the day is electric, and you could find yourself bouncing from task to task and person to person. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You might feel as if your heart is playing tricks on you today. Perhaps you're coming up against a strong force that's causing you to doubt yourself in some way.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) You have the opportunity to do some intense self-healing today, so you communicate more directly with your core self without the distractions of other people.
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) There is a great deal of unexpected communication coming your way today, Capricorn, but be careful about the people you trust. There's an element of fantasy factored into the picture.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You might be a bit confused with the mood of the day, which fosters quick action and a sporadic approach to things. More than likely, this approach isn't exactly in line with your usual methodical protocol.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may find that people aren't necessarily very sympathetic to your feelings today, Aquarius. It's quite possible that they're more responsive to facts and information than emotions.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Feel free to match your plaid pants with your paisley shirt today, Virgo. Accessorize with wild sneakers and a striped jacket. Let the oddball within you shine brightly! This is a terrific day for you, and you should feel free to express yourself openly.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may feel as if people have turned against you today and that they've suddenly lost interest in what you have to say, Pisces. Maybe this is a reflection of your own inability to truly listen to someone else talking.
“For the European events we can carry them over, because if we don’t use them we keep them fitted, and we load our trucks with tires and rims,” Isola added. So what happens to the 1800 unused, scrapped tires? Well, they aren’t just thrown away. Pirelli crushes them to save space, then ships them to the U.K., where they’re recycled at a cement factory. Though the number might seem shocking, Pirelli scraps hundreds of tires on a normal race weekend—up to 560 wets if there’s no rain. “In the future, and considering that we will have a sole supplier and standard design for the rims, we will try to work together in order to find a way to fit and strip tires and re-use them,” Isola told Motorsport.com “But we need to make sure that we are not taking any risk.”
Handshakes optional... From page 19 a handshake when they bumped into each other in their hotel lobby in Yekaterinburg. What used to be a commonplace gesture, however, can now be perceived as a threat to coronavirus prevention measures. “He offered me a handshake,” Giri wrote on Twitter. “I understand we are competitors here, but one still expects some sportsmanship and common courtesy.”
Kevin Durant reportedly... From page 23 players had contact with Durant or any Nets players the night before the game. More NBA players test positive for coronavirus The NBA season was suspended within an hour of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for the coronavirus. He was the league’s “Patient Zero.” Teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive after the entire team and staff were tested that night. Gobert has since urged people to take the issue seriously. A Detroit Pistons player has also tested positive.
due to coronavirus
(Reuters) - The Diamond League has postponed its first three athletics meetings of the 2020 season due to be held in April and May in Qatar and China because of the coronavirus outbreak, it said yesterday. The announcement came after Qatar banned inbound passenger flights and prevented the entry of foreign nationals on Sunday, making the Diamond League the latest high-profile competition to postpone events as the pandemic shuts down world sport. “Due to the growing number of countries affected by the COVID-19 virus, the first three meetings of the 2020 Diamond League season, scheduled for April 17 in Qatar, May 9 and 16 in China, cannot be held as planned,” it said in a statement.
“The current plan is to stage the Shanghai event on August 13. New dates for Doha and the second meeting in China remain to be announced,” the Diamond League said. It said although the number of new infections was decreasing in China, preparations for the meetings there were set back by “several weeks” due to travel restrictions. The organisers said there was a possibility the events in China and Qatar could be held after the Diamond League Final in Zurich on Sept. 9-11. Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 182,000 people and more than 7,100 have died. Mainland China has more than 80,000 cases with over 3,200 deaths while Qatar has more than 400 cases.
Wednesday March 18, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Sinclair is Brand Anderson Perry and Scott Glanville are Ambassador for top shots Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn Shop ABRA/RAFTRC Goodwill Individual Match
On Sunday last at the Crabbs Rifle Range in Antigua and Barbuda, the Goodwill Tour undertaken by the Royal Air Force Target Rifle Club (RAFTRC) of England came to an end with an Individual Match at the 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges against the Antigua and Barbuda Rifle Association (A&BRA) Team. Even in an atmosphere of camaraderie, the battle lines were drawn when the respective riflemen and women took to the banks to fire off against each other. In challenging conditions, just two possible were recorded
on the day, both by visiting marksmen. The top shot for the RAFTRC team, Scott Glanville, who won two of the three ranges (500 & 600), recorded a possible at the 600 yards range, 50.06. Veteran marksman David Calvert achieved the other possible at the 300 yards range, 50.03. Glanville was one point off at both the 300 and 500 yards ranges. Antigua’s Anderson Perry, who came out as the leading marksman for their team, was one shot off a possible at the 500 yards range. Guyanese Rohit Dukhiram who lives in Antigua and Barbuda and
Rohit Dukhiram
Anderson Perry - The leading shooter in the Individuals for ABSC.
has been shooting for them for many years, turned in a stellar performance by taking the second place for his adopted country, while Christopher Joseph placed third. Calvert had to settle for the second place for the
visitors with Christopher Fitzpatrick, third. The RAFTRC two nation 2020 tour of the Caribbean saw them visiting Barbados on the first leg. Following are the respective scores for both teams:
Individuals ABSC Anderson Perry Rohit Dukhiram Christopher Joseph Valerie Newman Laurne Benjamin Thomas Greenaway Noah Sinclair Zuber Patel Daryl Charles Rohan Nadja George TOTAL
300 yards 45.02 46.01 45.02 43.03 47.03 42.02 38.01 37.01 35 26.01 404.16
500 yards 49.02 48.05 48.03 47.01 47.02 47.01 42.01 43.01 41.01 39 451.17
600 yards 48.03 46.01 45.04 46.03 41.01 44.01 40.02 39 35 44.01 428.16
Total 142.07 1st 140.07 2nd 138.09 3rd 136.07 135.06 133.04 120.04 119.02 111.01 109.02 1283.49
RAFTRC Scott Glanville David Calvert Christopher Fitzpatrick Michael Silver Christopher Hockley Jonathan Ford David Niblett James Lindsay Michael Gregory Karen Ryan Steven Green TOTAL
49.04 50.03 48.03 49.03 49.04 45.02 45.02 42.01 44.02 43.01 0 464.25
49.03 49.04 49.06 49.01 48.03 45.01 47.04 47.02 43.02 42.01 0 468.27
50.06 48.04 49.04 48.05 47.04 47.02 44.01 47.01 40 38 0 458.27
148.13 1st 147.11 2nd 146.13 3rd 146.09 144.11 137.05 136.07 136.04 127.04 123.02 0 1390.79
Archer condemns racist abuse after being targeted online (Reuters) - England fast bowler Jofra Archer has posted an image of racist abuse he received on social media and called on authorities to deal with the issue properly. The 24-year-old Barbados-born paceman, who helped England win the 50-overs World Cup last year, posted an image of the message he received on Instagram and said he could not understand why someone would make such comments. “I (have) given a lot of thought about reacting to this and I hope no one else has to deal with stuff like this on a regular basis, it isn’t ever acceptable and should be addressed properly in my opinion,” Archer wrote on Instagram. “I will never understand
England’s Jofra Archer during the match New Zealand v England Second Test at Seddon Park, Hamilton. (REUTERS/Ross Setford) how people feel so freely to say these things to another human being, it baffles me.” Earlier this year, New
Zealand Cricket banned a supporter from attending international and domestic matches in the country for two years after he admitted
racially abusing Archer during a test in November. Archer has been out of action since January with an elbow injury.
Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn Shop, owned by former West Indies U-19 and Guyana First-Class Cricketer Steven Jacobs, on Monday signed 20-year-old Guyana offspinner Kevin Sinclair as Brand Ambassador for his business entity. At the simple signing ceremony at the Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn Shop located at 16 Pike Street Kitty, Georgetown, the former West Indies U-19 and CCC Captain and Sinclair inked the deal. Sinclair, who has been picked as an emerging player in the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad for the 2020 CPL, expressed gratitude for the opportunity provided by Jacobs and his business and also encouraged corporate Guyana to take an example from Jacobs and support local athletes. Sinclair promised to be a
good ambassador both on and off the field. Jacobs said he was happy to have the young offspinning all-rounder on board and said that he saw a lot of potential in the talented Sinclair from Angoy Avenue in New Amsterdam, Berbice and is looking forward to playing a major role in his development on and off the field. The 31-year-old Jacobs, who made five fifties and took 54 wickets from 26 First-Class matches, stressed that discipline and hard work were keys for any athletes’ success and encouraged Sinclair, who made his First-Class debut for Guyana this season after playing for the West Indies Emerging Players in the Regional Super50, to hold that as a small reminder as his career progress. (Sean Devers)
Handshakes optional: Russia hosts major chess tournament despite coronavirus MOSCOW (Reuters) Eight of the world’s best chess players began competing in an international tournament in Russia yesterday, but were told by organisers that handshakes would be optional because of the coronavirus that has halted most sports around the world. Known as the Candidates Tournament, the event, organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), brings together contenders vying for the chance to challenge defending world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway for the world title. Organisers of the prestigious event, in which matches will run until April 3 in Yekaterinburg, a city 1,400 kilometres (885 miles) east of Moscow, are taking special measures to ensure players remain healthy. In addition to barring spectators from the playing area, organisers have made traditional handshakes before and after matches optional. Small bottles of hand sanitizer have also been placed next to the chess boards. Russia has recorded 114
cases of coronavirus and the authorities have barred foreign nationals from entering the country until May in a bid to stop it spreading further. They are also screening Russians who have returned home from many foreign destinations and ordering them to remain in self-isolation for two weeks, even if they are not experiencing any symptoms. Russia has also banned sporting events, but FIDE has said its president Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian government official, had received assurances the tournament could go ahead. Some foreign chess players experienced logistical problems getting to the tournament given global travel restrictions that have been increasing daily. American Fabiano Caruana, ranked second in the world, wrote on Twitter last week that his flight to Russia had been cancelled and that he would have to find an alternative. Anish Giri of the Netherlands said Caruana had wanted to greet him with (Continued on page 18)
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Wednesday March 18, 2020
Kaieteur News
IOC committed to Tokyo 2020 Games, no need for ‘drastic decisions’ (Reuters) The International Olympic Committee does not plan any “drastic” decisions about the Tokyo 2020 Games, saying yesterday it remains fully committed to the event being staged in four months’ time despite the global spread of the coronavirus. Following discussions with international sports federations the IOC said changes would need to be made to the qualifiers due to the impact of the virus, but it still plans to go ahead with the July 24-Aug 9 Olympics. “The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage,” it said in a statement. “Any speculation at this moment would be counterproductive,” it said, less than
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, March 17, 2020. Picture taken with a fisheye lens. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse) an hour after European soccer body UEFA postponed its 2020 European Championship
to 2021. “The IOC encourages all athletes to continue to
No Penn Relays for 1st time in 125 years P E N N S Y LVA N I A , United States — The Penn Relays, one of the oldest and largest track meets in the nation, has been cancelled in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Penn Relays were scheduled for April 23-25 and had been held uninterrupted since 1895.
The event celebrated its 125th consecutive running last year. The Philadelphiabased University of Pennsylvania says it will attempt to host a substitute track meet at a later date in late May or early June. The new event wouldn’t meet the standard Penn Relays format. The three-day event would shorten into a one-day event for youth, high school and open runners.
The Penn Relays has adapted to worldwide conditions in the past. The meet was altered in 1917 and 1918 when several colleges, including most Ivy League institutions, curtailed their track programs during World War I. During World War II, travel restrictions reduced participation and spectator attendance while gas rationing was in effect in 1943 and 1944.
prepare for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as best they can,” Earlier yesterday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Group of Seven leaders had agreed to support a “complete” Olympics, but he dodged questions about whether any of the leaders had brought up the possibility of postponement. The virus also forced the postponement of South
America’s Copa America soccer tournament - one of the biggest draws on the football calendar - and speculation about whether the Olympics can be held has grown by the day. So far the coronavirus has infected almost 190,000 people and killed more than 7,500 worldwide, with the epicentre now being Europe. COMPETITION BAN Sports competitions have come to a halt in many parts of the world, wreaking havoc with Olympic qualifier events across 33 sports. The IOC on Monday scrapped any remaining boxing qualifiers due to the virus. “The health and wellbeing of all those involved in the preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is our number-one concern,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “All measures are being taken to safeguard the safety and interests of athletes, coaches and support teams. We are an Olympic community; we support one another in good times and in difficult times.” The IOC will hold further talks with National Olympic Committees and athletes’ representatives in the coming days. The decision to proceed
with the Games was not, however, welcomed by all athletes. “This is not about how things will be in four months,” 2016 Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi said in a social media post. “This is about how things are now. The IOC wants us to keep risking our health, our family’s health and public health to train every day? You are putting us in danger right now, today, not in four months.” The Greek pole vaulter, who won Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, is also a former world and European champion and a multiple Diamond League winner. “It’s unbelievable. What about team sports that have to train together? What about swimming? What about gymnastics that they touch the same objects? There is zero consideration of the risk they are putting us in right now,” she said. So far 57% of the 11,000 athletes have already secured their spots, while for the remaining 43% of places the IOC is working with federations to adapt the qualifying procedures for Tokyo. Qualification could also be based on ranking or historical results as well.
FIFA should move 2021 Club World Cup dates: Infantino
General view of the FIFA logo at their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo) MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the planned 2021 Club World Cup dates should be moved by the governing body of world soccer to make way for the postponed Euro 2020 Championship and the Copa America, which have both been pushed back a year. Infantino said in a statement yesterday that FIFA would hold a conference
call today in which it should accept those changes from UEFA and CONMEBOL and decide whether the planned expanded 24-team Club World Cup should be held “later in 2021, in 2022 or in 2023”. The new tournament was the brainchild of Infantino and was scheduled to be held in China in the 2021 slot that will now feature the European and South American tournaments.
Infantino will also suggest to the bureau of FIFA’s ruling council to make a donation of US$ 10 million to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and also discuss the possibility of establishing a Global Football Assistance Fund to “help members of the football community affected by this crisis”.
Wednesday March 18, 2020
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Kaieteur News
FIFA appoints Normalisation committee in T&T - Wallace and VPs removed after three months Wired868 - FIFA has disbanded the Board of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) with immediate effect and will appoint a Normalisation Committee on the island. The decision was made yesterday by the Bureau of the FIFA Council in accordance with article 8.2 of the FIFA Statutes. Article 8.2 states simply that: ‘Executive bodies of member associations may under exceptional circumstances be removed from office by the Council in consultation with the relevant confederation and replaced by a Normalisation committee for a specific period of time.’ According to the FIFA website, the decision to disband the TTFA’s Board ‘follows the recent FIFA/ Concacaf fact-finding mission to Trinidad and Tobago to assess, together with an independent auditor, the financial situation of TTFA’. FIFA claimed that: ‘the mission found that extremely low overall financial
management methods, combined with a massive debt, have resulted in the TTFA facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity. Such a situation is putting at risk the organisation and development of football in the country and corrective measures need to be applied urgently.’ Ironically, TTFA president William Wallace previously stated that the fact-finding mission had gone well and FIFA and Concacaf officials expressed satisfaction with the financial structure that was about to be implemented by the local football body, on the guidance of auditor Robert Reis and financial consultant Kendall Tull. The FIFA Bureau emphatically disagreed with Wallace’s suggestion. The Normalisation committee, according to the FIFA statement, will be composed of an adequate number of members to be identified by the FIFA administration, in consultation with Concacaf. In line with the FIFA
Governance Regulations, all members of the Normalisation committee will be subject to an eligibility check. The mandate of the Normalisation committee is: * to run the TTFA’s daily affairs; to establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA; to review and amend the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary) and to ensure their compliance with the FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress; to organise and to conduct elections of a new TTFA executive committee for a four-year mandate. The Normalisation committee will act as an electoral committee, and none of its members will be eligible for any of the open positions at the upcoming TTFA elections under any circumstances. The specified period of time during which the Normalisation committee will perform its functions will expire as soon as it has fulfilled all of its assigned
Court hears... City Hall leased plot of land at GNIC ground to businessman The attempt to damage the Guyana Cricket Board’s owned Stanford T20 practice facility on the Western Half of the GNIC cricket ground on Woolford Avenue by a local businessman, who evicted National Coach Michael ‘Hyles’ Franco from the location on M o n d a y, l e d t o t h e businessman being taken to the Albertown Police Station. The Businessman (Mr Fox) claims the land was leased to him by City Hall and produced a document to support his claim. However, according to Colvin London, the CEO of the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL), of which GNIC is a subsidiary, only NICIL has the authority to sell land at the GNIC Sports Club. It is understood that NICIL plans to take legal action and is likely to issue a public statement on the matter today. Mr Fox’s workers has already dismantled the ‘cage’ surrounding the practice pitches near the Southern fence and sources close to GNIC Sports club says Fox is planning to
Anand Sanasie construct a Medical facility on the ground. Only Schools and recreational facilities are on Woolford Avenue, while in 2007 the GCB and GNIC signed a MOU for the use of the Western side of the ground where the Stanford concrete pitches and a changing room with washroom facilities are located. The project was earmarked for use by the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) and funded by Texan Billionaire Allen Stanford. It was upgraded by GCB at a
cost of over $3Million. When contacted yesterday, Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie informed that he was summed to the venue and informed that Fox’s team of workmen had broken down the cage, evicted Coach Franco and painted out the GCB’s name on the building. “I spoke to the businessman who identified himself as Mr Fox and informed that he was the owner of a Medical Company (name given). At the Police Station I saw Mr Fox waving a Lease which he claimed he got from the City Hall,” said Sanasie. Sanasie stated that he made a Facebook post saying that ‘NICIL had sold the cricket Board’s facility at the GNIC ground. Sanasie subsequently spoke to the NICIL’s CEO Colvin London who informed they had not sold anything at the GNIC Sports Club to anyone. Calls for a comment on the issue to Deputy Mayor Alfred Mentore proved futile. Mentore was a former National U-19 opening batsman and former President of the Georgetown Cricket Association. (Sean Devers)
tasks—but it has a limit of 24 months after the official appointment of members by FIFA. Trinidad and Tobago has never been subject to a Normalisation committee before, even during the scandalous fall from grace of ex-FIFA vice-president and TTFA special advisor Jack Warner. The decision means that Wallace and his team of vicepresidents Clynt Taylor,
Sharon Joseph-Warrick and Sam Phillip managed just three months in office. Ironically, the TTFA’s debts stood at TT$16 million at the end of the late Raymond Tim Kee’s term in office and were upwards of TT$50 million when David JohnWilliams was replaced at the helm last November. At present, the football body’s bank accounts are frozen. But that situation is due to change within days
after the high court yesterday ruled that former TTFA employee Kendall Walkes can empty the accounts of his former employer. The TTFA will regain control of its accounts before the end of the week. FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani were both supported by John-Williams en route to office and were regular visitors to Trinidad over the past four years.
Alex Hales confirms COVID-19 symptoms, yet to be tested ESPNcricinfo - Alex Hales has confirmed he is self-isolating at home after developing symptoms of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) following his return from the Pakistan Super League. The PSL’s organisers confirmed yesterday morning that the competition’s semi-finals and finals had been postponed indefinitely after a player had shown symptoms of the virus. PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said “we cannot reveal the identity of that player”, but Ramiz Raja, who has been commentating on the tournament, told reporters: “Alex Hales has developed symptoms.” Raja’s comments led to inaccurate speculation that Hales had tested positive for the virus, which he denied in a statement. “In the light of the speculation and rumour that is currently circulating within the cricket world and on social media, I felt I needed to give a full explanation of
my situation,” Hales said. “Like many other overseas players, I reluctantly left the Pakistan Super League early because, with COVID19 reaching global pandemic status, I felt it was more important to be with my family rather than face a period of lockdown thousands of miles from home. “I returned to the UK in the early hours of Saturday morning feeling perfectly fit and healthy and with absolutely no symptoms of the virus. However, I awoke early on Sunday morning having developed a fever and followed the government’s advice of self-isolation, a process I am obviously still following having developed a dry and persistent cough. “At this stage, it has not been possible to be tested although I am hopeful that might be the case later today [Tuesday] so that I can get absolute confirmation of my current health status.” The Guardian reported that Hales spent Saturday socialising with Tom Curran
and Jade Dernbach after returning from Pakistan, but that they were not among the six Surrey players confirmed by the club to be in selfisolation on Monday. A club spokesperson later confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the pair are now also self-isolating. Hales had tweeted “Selfisolation begins... TV series to watch please?!” on Monday, but later deleted the post. All the players and officials of the four teams to have qualified for the PSL semi-finals, as well as broadcasters and staff involved with the games, will be tested for the virus following the competition’s postponement. Salman Iqbal, the owner of Hales’ franchise Karachi Kings, told ESPNcricinfo: “I have been asking for it to be postponed for the past two days, as we [PSL] was the only cricket going on. But, anyway, it’s a very good decision by the franchise owners and the PCB management.”
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Wednesday March 18, 2020
Campbell pleased with form, captaincy KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – West Indies opener John Campbell says he is pleased with his form in the Regional Four-Day Championship even though he did not achieve his personal targets. The left-hander has so far gathered 491 runs at an average of nearly 33, hitting two centuries and a halfcentury for Jamaica Scorpions. “Although I didn’t score the number of runs that I would have liked, to fall short of 500 runs by just [nine runs] is not bad,” the 26-year-old told the Gleaner newspaper here. “I will take three scores over 50 with two centuries any day.” Campbell, who has led Scorpions for the first time this season, struck 101
West Indies opener John Campbell. against Windward Islands Volcanoes in the second round fixture at Sabina
Park here and followed up with 112 against Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the
eighth round last weekend in Antigua. He endured a run of poor form during the third, fourth and fifth rounds when he managed just 108 runs from six innings. Campbell, who has played six Tests following his debut against England last year, said
his captaincy had improved throughout the season. “In terms of my captaincy, I think I did a decent job and I would say it was very smooth as most of the guys supported me and the decisions I made,” he noted. “Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don’t, but overall we did well in the end.” Scorpions are currently tied for third with reigning champions Guyana Jaguars on 91.8 points, following the eighth round of matches last weekend. They endured a rough start to their campaign with two losses and a defeat before blossoming to win three of their next five matches. “It’s been a season of ups and downs. We started out not doing so well with two draws and a loss and was in the last place but we fought back in the second half of the tournament and played some good cricket,” Campbell said. “We got more confident as we went on.
First innings was a major problem for us but we turned that around on several occasions and started to put runs on the board and I must give credit to the young bowlers like Patrick (Harty) and Marquino (Mindley) who started off slow but in the end, Mindley and Harty finished with the first and second most wickets for us in the tournament.” Fast bowler Mindley has led the Scorpions attack with 24 wickets at 22 runs apiece while Harty, a left-arm spinner, has picked up 22 wickets at an average of 32. Scorpions have had two batsmen with over 500 r u n s w i t h Te s t s t a r Jermaine Blackwood gathering 768 – including a monumental career-best 248 last weekend – and Nkrumah Bonner compiling 523 runs. Cricket West Indies has suspended the tournament for 30 days because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Reaction to Euro 2020 postponed to 2021 over coronavirus (Reuters) - Following is reaction to the 2020 European Championship being postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak. The proposed dates for European s o c c e r ’s flagship tournament are June 11 to July 12, 2021. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin “It was important that, as
the governing body of European football, UEFA led the process and made the biggest sacrifice,” Ceferin said in a statement. “Moving EURO 2020 comes at a huge cost for UEFA but we will do our best to ensure that the vital funding for grassroots, women’s football and the development of the game in our 55 countries is not affected.” Finland captain Tim Sparv “We’ve been looking forward to this for a really long time. It would have been the first time that Finland was in a European Championship so it’s a bit sad,” Sparv told Reuters. “But in the general perspective, in the big picture, football is a really small matter. Now it’s about life and death and trying to control the spread of the virus, so it’s a good decision.” Danish Football Association chairman Jesper Moller “As things are now, the setup of the tournament in 2021 will be the same as the tournament in 2020,” Moller told reporters. “Copenhagen has the opportunity to have its four matches. So if infrastructure, hotels, logistics... are in place in Copenhagen in June 2021, then Copenhagen will also have its four matches
again.” French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet “The French Football Federation fully supports UEFA’s decision to postpone Euro 2020 from June 11 to July 11 2021 and to adapt the formats for European competitions accordingly,” he said in a statement. “The international matches planned for March, including the two matches of the French team on March 27 and 31 at the Stade de France, would therefore logically be postponed to June.” England Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham “We’ll be considering the implications for all England teams and our organisation over the coming days, including any implications on the date of the 2021 women’s EURO which we are very proud to be hosting,” he said in a statement. The end of the men’s tournament coincides with the women’s Euros which was to be held from July 7 to Aug. 1, 2021 in England. European Club Association chairman Andrea Agnelli “The focus now will be to come up with solutions to conclude the 2019-20 club season in the most practical manner and, beyond that, ensure football, like society as a whole, returns as quickly as possible to its natural form and rhythm,” Agnelli said in a statement.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday March 18, 2020
Independence A, Zeeburg triumph
I
ndependence A defeated MetenMeer-Zorg by six wickets, while Zeeburg thumped La Grange by 173 runs when the latest round of matches in the West Demerara Cricket Association President’s Cup T20 competition concluded on Sunday last. Batting first at Joe Vieira Park, Meten-Meer-Zorg made 112 all out in 19.2 overs. Tevin Imlach struck two fours and one six in scoring 32 off 27 balls, while Reyaz Khan scored 32 off 21 balls with four sixes. Ricky Sergeant and Clevon Williamson were the pick of the bowlers, each taking 2-13 off four overs. Independence A responded with 113-4 in 13.4 overs. Vivian Beckles led the chase, striking two fours and five
Persaud XI overcome Balgobin XI by 21 runs
A
Ronaldo Renee sixes in scoring 49 off 26 balls, while Safraz Esau made 28 from 23 balls with four fours. Dexter George claimed 2-23 off three overs and Sheldon Alexander 1-33 off four overs. At Canal Number Two, Zeeburg elected to bat and rattled up 270-5. Ronaldo Renee clobbered three fours and seven sixes in a top score of 73, while Andre Seepersaud made 51 with
Yutesh Dhanpaul two fours and five sixes, Yutesh Dhanpaul scored 44 including seven fours and two sixes and Malcolm Hubbard 43 which contained three fours and four sixes. Jermaine Ramroop took 230. La Grange were sent packing for 97 in 15.2 overs in reply. Ramroop made 30 and Julian Mohabir 20; Dhanpaul grabbed 4-13 and Bisram Thomas 2-20.
Kevin Durant reportedly tests positive for coronavirus: ‘We’re going to get through this’
Y
ahoo Sports Kevin Durant tested positive f o r t h e coronavirus COVID-19, he told The Athletic’s Shams Charania. “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine,” he said, per Charania. “We’re going to get through this.” The Brooklyn Nets superstar and two-time NBA Finals MVP has not played this season after suffering an Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals while with the Golden State Warriors. Charania tweeted that Durant did not exhibit symptoms. Nets announce 4 players tested positive The Nets announced yesterday that four players had tested positive for the virus, though they did not identify any by name. Three of the four Nets players who tested positive are asymptomatic, the team said. They are each in isolation and under the care of physicians. The players were tested when the team returned home from San Francisco, where they were scheduled to play the Warriors when the NBA suspended play. The team reportedly paid out of pocket to conduct tests. The team is reaching out to those who have been in contact with the players. Brooklyn faced the Boston
PAGE 25
Kevin Durant said he tested positive for the coronavirus, per The Athletic. (Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers in March. Warriors
head coach Steve Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic he’s not sure if his (Continued on page 18)
ryan Persaud XI d e f e a t e d Ushardeva Balgobin XI by 21 runs when the West Demerara Cricket Association staged its first U19 trial game on Saturday last. Aryan Persaud XI batted first in a match which was reduced to 35 overs at Joe Vieira Park and managed 120 all out in 31.5 overs. Avesh Persaud slammed three fours and two sixes in a top score of 46, while Sachin Balgobin made 20 with two fours and Aryan Persaud 12. Amir Khan bagged 5-16 from four overs while Daniel Roberts took 2-16 off six overs. Balgobin XI were bowled out for 99 in 26.2 overs in response. Balgobin stroked seven fours and one six in scoring 39, while Shahid Vieira made 19 with three fours. Nityanand Mathura bagged 5-17 from seven overs while Sachin Balgobin grabbed 4-20 from seven overs.
From left Sachin Balgobin, Avesh Persaud and Nityanand Mathura
Amir Khan (left) and Ushardeva Balgobin
rt Spo
Shooters taking aim during the Individual competition at the Crabbs Rifle Range in Antigua on March 15th.
ABRA/RAFTRC Goodwill Individual Match
Anderson Perry and Scott Glanville are top shots
Jacobs (right) presented Sinclair with a Gold chain and a pair of sneakers after he was signed on as Brand Ambassador for Jacobs’ Jewellery & Pawn Shop on Monday. P. 19
Scott Glanville - the top shot for the RAFTRC in the Individual competition.
FIFA appoints Normalisation committee in T&T - Wallace and VPs removed after three months
Sinclair is Brand Ambassador for Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn Shop
Alex Hales confirms COVID-19 symptoms, yet to be tested
Alex Hales in action for Karachi Kings at the PSL. (AFP via Getty Images)
Court hears... City Hall leased plot of
William Wallace
land at GNIC ground to businessman
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