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AIETEUR

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- Canadian Minister

Int’l probe launched…

As expired HIV test kits supplied to Health Ministry : D E G AR H C

Investigations underway Director of GA-FDD, Marlan Cole

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Play your part!

The nonchalance with which Guyanese are going about their daily business does not suggest that the country is taking the Coronavirus threat seriously. The past week, it was business as usual in our towns and communities. This approach will not suppress the spread of this deadly virus, which has caused more than 28,000 deaths thus far worldwide.

The government has issued advisories to the public but is distracted by the country’s ongoing political crisis. The limited testing, which has been done does not provide a true picture of the virus’ spread. Things may be far worse than they appear. We may have already crossed the ‘red line’.Kaieteur News calls on Guyanese to take immediate action to practice social distancing and the personal hygiene measures recommended.

A national lockdown is necessary. Businesses which do not provide non-essential services should be closed immediately. A curfew from 8 am to 6 pm each day should be imposed. Bars, casinos and gambling places should be closed all day. Public gatherings, including religious services or sporting events, of more than 10 persons should be prohibited. This is a necessary sacrifice, which has to be made if we are to survive this pandemic.

Guyana’s ailing health system is incapable of coping with a mass outbreak of the virus. Guyana will not survive such an outbreak. Let us take action now to stop the spread of this virus before it is too late! Play your part now!

p.9

Get on with it!

Davendra Rampersaud, Area Manager of Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc.

One of the HIV test kit packages displaying the false expiry date

Investigations underway - PS Colette Adams

– Human Rights Association to GECOM Chair

Man, who challenged Region 4 declaration, commits suicide

Strict measures in place to keep COVID-19 out of country’s jails Bartica teacher Tullow’s overall performance hacked to death for 2019 was “disappointing” in front of children - Poor discoveries in Guyana served - husband found with as a further set-back - Executive Chair ‘self-inflicted’ wounds Worst harm that can Guyana COVID-19 happen to a country is electoral fraud - Lawyers p.

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toll reaches 8

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The art of compromise has to be discovered, refined, and put to work The lines that link us together across 83,000 square miles, and the widely scattered Guyanese diaspora, are open, inclusive of paper, screen, wires, and that sometimes secret society of cyberspace called social media. They are not jammed just yet, but the traffic - some spirited and wellintentioned, some malicious and vicious - flows back and forth with passion and power.

In aggregate, this is the saga of Guyana, some would say our comic and tragic opera, that could bring to tears. It certainly has brought us to our knees.

Many Guyanese have stepped out from the shadows to claim that their facts and figures possess exclusive rights to truth and accuracy. Similarly, their competitors in this life and death struggle for the future of this country seize and arrogate onto themselves the same monopoly on truth. The road has been well-travelled back and forth, with deeper craters of rancour created. None is giving an inch, not coalition, not opposition, with both asserting that they have it right, be such about procedure or count or result.

The clashing is savaging and revealing, as it has been overpowering and diminishing. We are still in the same place.

It could be argued a worse place, than when we embarked upon this so-called democratic process, this hard, tempestuous challenge, labeled Elections 2020. This most tempestuous test of our current times - indeed, of any time in our pre- and post- independence existence - can now be best described as well within the range of the cataclysmic. It is uninterruptedly degrading, severely dispiriting, most embarrassing. It is not for the faint of heart nor shrinking violets.

Yet we persist, and insist on persisting, to call out what has ill-served, failed most glaringly, most ignominiously, and leaves the great majority of our Guyanese brethren clueless and hopeless, despite all the claims and counterclaims about what is accurate. Though matters have percolated around the constitutional, legal, and numerical, they are of far more than that: they are about what is right and buttressed and justified by the materials at hand. They should be, since such is infallible and inarguable, and not prone to collapse before any clever Machiavellian assaults. But we, as Guyanese, cannot bring ourselves to get there, we don’t have it in us anymore to be honest and principled, even to be practical. And so an entire society limps along on one collapsing foot.

Amidst the thick overhang of confrontational circumstances that distress, we grope for a silver lining. We grasp for a few rays, any of those forlorn specks of light that could succeed in taking us body and soul, mentally and emotionally, sensibly and constructively, to another pathway.

We, at this publication, with societal existence foremost in mind, can only think of, and press for, a possibly higher and cleaner ground that just holds some probability, no matter how limited, that offers a way out of our terminal troubles.

If only for what is rational and wise, for some different kind of future, it has to be one which is less weighed down by the decades-long accumulation of the garbage that is now so undeniably characteristic of Guyana, and is Guyana in its essence.

Our leaders insist that they, and they alone, can take us forward; it is to more of what has failed. With leaders like these, what prospects? With believers and supporters such as these, what but victory by any means necessary? Ours is not an arithmetical or democratic issue, it is a matter of absolute control. It does not work, just can’t.

Look and listen: outside racial tornadoes batter all within earshot, a few - a handful only - voices have seeped into the mainstream of consciousness. Those voices. and the positions and visions they tender, struggle to gain the traction of just listening, of gathering a little understanding to move on, to conquer what waits together. But citizens have to conquer their own demons first, those same demons

If this political crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic don’t pull us together, nothing will Dear Editor, If the events that followed the March 2 General and Regional Elections, coupled with the present COVID 19 outbreak, do not motivate us as Guyanese to pull together for what may be the very survival of our people and nation-state, then I think we can say that nothing will.

Real leaders, whose only aim is to further the interests of the people, will put aside their egos and narrow partisan interests at this crucial moment in our nation’s history. Real leaders will find inside themselves the political maturity and will to finally put Guyana first. If we could commit to this, then the final

scene of the recent hideous and absurd spectacle that has now unfortunately been observed by the entire world, could afford us the opportunity to regain our dignity and credibility as a viable nation-state. A nationstate that is fit to take its rightful place as an influential member of CARICOM and the global community of nations.

After decades of independence and republican status, this most recent debacle has exposed what can only be described as the infantile behaviour of our leaders and our maldevelopment as a nationstate. Those who seek to lead Guyana must equip

that buffet hourly, and wound repeatedly.

There are appeals, the strongest of convictions that identify our system, as it has existed, as self-defeating. It is poor for the greatest number in this ferocious, most fragile of societies. The sensible postures from a small band of conscientious citizens is that we have to work diligently together to carve out a different journey towards a different destiny. There is only rejecting, since there is no reasoning.

There is nothing profound about those public positions of the few patriots, who still inhabit this country. It is not profound, simply the highest and deepest commonsense. It is that together must be the reality. Half of a head and half of energies will get nowhere, other than further down. The national spectacle is also its national truth.

Truth, however, is not a sacred specie in this society, for even the local spiritual realm has been infected with the lethal falsehoods that sabotage the way ahead. When the supposedly godly and their places can exhibit subtly the

themselves. They must understand what US sociologist and economic historian, Immanuel Wallerstein, refers to as ‘the modern world system’, so that they are actually able to manage the affairs of our country in a way that ensures the wellbeing and survival of all Guyanese.

Political elites of both major parties in Guyana, and those worldwide, that are trapped in the crisis ridden liberal-democratic arrangement and neo-liberal economics are responsible for bringing the world to its current tipping point. They have allowed the market to be the decisive factor in

determining all aspects of human existence, and in so doing, have inarguably created a world where all balance and harmony with our natural environment has been destroyed. Our very food-chain is in the hands of ruthless transnational corporations that produce food that is now more harmful than nutritious.

Our healthcare is in the hands of Big Pharma, where the pursuit of profit rather than any concept of healing is the priority. We now live in a world where the accumulation of private wealth has become more important than any other (Continued on page 5)

reciprocal bigotries, then there is little left to be said as to the immense, near insurmountable plights of a land tearing itself apart.

There is no safe harbour, no sanctuary. It is clear that the great binding religious tenets about brotherhood, harmony, and fellowship have all shrunk from the altar of what is right.

Truth and right are all too easily sacrificed in the worship of political gods followed blindly. The binding, guiding force of our pious, the old centre of sanity, is just not there, not nurtured.

It is why we at this newspaper welcome what we hear of stirrings that speak of a new model needed, a separate trail to be blazed, a possibly higher ground to be struggled for and reached. One of the great foundation cornerstones of democracy is the art of compromise. It is a powerfully denounced art in this country. It has to be discovered somehow, refined, and put to work. Wherever it leads cannot be worse than what and where we are today.

Sunday March 29, 2020

Response to Charles Ramson Dear Editor, I refer to a letter published in the Kaieteur News newspaper dated Friday, March 27, 2020 captioned “Ministers no longer hold their offices; no longer entitled to publicly funded salaries and benefits, and the use of State resources” Under the penmanship of Charles S. Ramson, Attorneyat-Law. The matter Ramson attributes to the provision of Article 104, which reads thus:“Articles 101 (1) and 103 (2) shall have effect in relation to any period between a dissolution of Parliament and the day on which the next election of members of the Assembly is held pursuant to the provisions of Article 61, as if Parliament had not been dissolved.”

I disagree with the contention that those appointments have a life span that is limited to the period between a dissolution of Parliament and the day on which the next election of members of the National Assembly is held.

To so assert is to confuse these appointments with the tenure of ministers.

Article 104 empowers the President to appoint a Prime Minister and Vice President and other Ministers under Articles 101 (1) and 103 (2), respectively during any period between the dissolution of Parliament and the day on which the next election of members of the Assembly.

This article does not provide for the tenure of office of Ministers which is dealt with by Article 183 below and in this case Article 183 (3) (c) . Article 106 (7) provides that the Ministers shall remain in office and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the elections and is in consonance with Article 183 (3) (c).

In fact, Articles 108 and 183 speak to the tenure of ministers.

Article 108 provides :“The office of a Minister shall become vacant in the circumstances set out in Article 183.”

Article 183 of the Constitution provides for the

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Kaieteur News

tenure of the Ministers and sets out several circumstances under which a Minister ceases to hold office. This article states that – “(1) The office of a Minister who was not an elected member of the Assembly at the time of his or her appointment and has not subsequently become such a member shall become vacant if the holder of the office – ceases to be a citizen of Guyana; or if he or she becomes disqualified for election as a member of the Assembly by virtue of Article 155 or of any law enacted in pursuance thereof.

(2) The office of any other Minister shall become vacant if the holder of the office – ceases to be a member of the Assembly for any cause other than a dissolution of Parliament; is not a member of the Assembly when the Assembly first meets after a dissolution of Parliament; or is, by virtue of Article 156 (2) or (3) required to cease to perform his or her functions as a member of the Assembly.

(3) The office of any Minister shall become vacant – if he or she resigns it by writing under his or her hand addressed to the President; if the President so directs; or on the election of any person to the office of President pursuant to the provisions of Article 177.”

This is the position whether the life of the Government has been cut short by a no confidence

motion or not. It is noted that this article is not subject to any other article. Further, it is clear from article 183(2) (a) that a Minister does not cease to be a Minister when Parliament has been dissolved.

Therefore, if a Minister does not cease to be a Minister in the circumstances outlined in Articles 183(1), (2), (3)(a) and (b), then the Minister will continue to hold office until the election of any person to the office of President pursuant to the provisions of Article 177 (article 183(3) (c). Article 177 deals with the election of a President.

The effect of Article 183 (3) (c) is that the tenure of a Minister is linked to the tenure of the President unless a Minister ceases to be a Minister pursuant to any of the other circumstances listed in Article 183. The tenure of a President is stated in Article 92 which states that“A person assuming the office of President in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution shall, unless his or her office sooner becomes vacant under Article 178, continue in office until the person elected to the office of President at the next election held under Article 91 assumes office.”

In conclusion, notwithstanding any protracted period or delay of the declaration of the election result, such will have no impact on the status of ministers in light of the exposition of the said provisions of the constitution.

Darren Wade

We need some assurance DEAR EDITOR, I buy and read your paper every day and I am appreciative of your team’s commitment to bring each story to us and keeping the world informed on local and international issues.

Please permit me to express the uncertainty that we as citizens have regarding the COVID-19 disease.

I watched the press conference given by WHO on March 25 (not sure if it was live or a rebroadcast) and I

was taken aback by the candidness of the panel and the sobriety of the presentation and the need for authorities to lead the fight from the front.

Here in Guyana, that burden seems to rest with the citizens. While I agree that each and everyone must be in this fight, we as citizens must feel that we have the support of those in authority.

Here are some questions that we would like answers to: (Continued on page 6)

If this political crisis and the...

From page 4 single concern, including the primacy, dignity and even survival of the human person.

We are living in the era of capitalism in its most avaricious and debauched form.

If there is anything positive that can be garnered from the COVID 19 outbreak, it will be its ability to make every thinking person worldwide finally come to the realisation that we, the people, the global mass of citizens, must be the conscious agents of change because our very survival now demands nothing less.

Each of us must take urgent and decisive action.

We must stop cruising malls, mindlessly engaging in crass consumerism and repel the insatiable desire that capitalism has deliberately created in us, causing us to want what we do not need.

We must stop filling our minds with the lies and trivia being deliberately pumped out to us every day by the global corporate media.

We must stop being consumed en masse by a superficial engagement with social media that has created a voyeuristic and narcissistic culture, feeding off our craving for approval, status and likes.

We must instead engage in courageous and meaningful conversations in order to arrive at the truth, thereby utilising social media as a tool for real change. In the words of the radical theologian, Harvey Cox, we can no longer afford to “leave it to the snake”.

Democracy has always been a contested term and concept, despite the fact that West European hegemony has led many of us to believe that the West invented democracy, and that their form of democracy is the only form and therefore must be universally implemented.

The COVID-19 crisis has also put this into perspective for many. As the world watched Cuban doctors and nurses arrive to a standing ovation in Italy, I hope that every thinking person for a split second thought, maybe I have been fed the wrong story on democracy. It is hard not to notice how fraudulent

and flawed the Western concept of democracy is, as it became glaringly obvious that just maybe, if you are homeless or left to die without a hospital bed in New York, you are not in a democracy, no matter how many times they push the word and idea down our throats.

Just maybe, what they like to call “the world’s largest democracy”, India, is not so democratic when, upon a national lockdown, thousands of homeless Indians may die of starvation before they contract the virus.

Here in Guyana, those who left us with the Western Parliamentary system of socalled democracy knew only too well that it would not work, especially in such a racially polarized society. In fact, it was implemented as a means of control – to divide and rule in order to perpetuate dependency and neocolonialism. However, this does not stop former colonizers from pretending that it should work, and when it fails, to deliver, their usual condescending scolding, such as we have recently seen from the ABC/EU countries.

Let us be clear: these countries have neither a moral nor historical right to lecture us on the virtues of democracy, human rights and justice.

There are those of us who have been actively resisting Guyana’s recolonization ever since Desmond Hoyte took office and started to unravel the gains we made towards true independence.

We continued to resist throughout the rule of both the PPP/C and APNU+AFC, as they followed the same tragic path. Those who are only now shouting about “recolonization” when the game they played so willingly for so long has backfired, should be ashamed.

Given the serious times, we are now faced with, and believe me COVID 19 is only the beginning of what is to come, it is imperative that we in Guyana move beyond the existing arrangement that has us locked into a Western parliamentary system that has shown us time and time again that it does not and cannot work for us. We must

establish a new system of governance, based on the authority of the people.

Governance that is inclusive and transparent. Governance that will prioritize the needs of all Guyanese and can offer effective protection in these perilous times. Our very survival depends on this.

This new system of governance must be established by us Guyanese, without external interference.

Who better than us to understand what is needed?

In fact, a number of international publications have contacted me over the past few weeks for an article on what is happening in Guyana. It is only when you attempt to explain the situation to a foreign audience that you fully comprehend the complexities and specificities of Guyana’s political architecture and circumstance. It would literally take a book and even then, unless one is Guyanese, an understanding of our circumstance may still elude the reader. Only we Guyanese can unravel and fix the mess we find ourselves in. This new form of governance must be shaped by our own historical specificities and peculiar circumstances.

This new system can only be generated by a demand from the people that the political forces, large and small, sit around a table and literally hammer out a framework for a government of national unity, where all the people feel truly represented and secure. Now is not the time to frame one party as having done wrong and the other one having abided by the rules.

Political maturity necessitates that both the PPP/C and APNU+AFC acknowledge their role and responsibility in bringing Guyana to this critical point.

Many years ago, Forbes Burnham pleaded for unity between the Africans and Indians in Guyana, famously declaring that we would either “live together or die together”. I doubt that he knew how prophetic those words would become.

Gerald A. Perreira Leader Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP)

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Monday Sunday March 29, 2020Fe

Kaieteur News

Where do we stand in Guyana? What steps have been taken?

Dear Editor, To date, we have not made any posts pertaining to COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 19). The current situation has caused me to do so on Thursday, March 26 2020.

COVID 19, caused by the SARS CoV2 virus, is new to man and as such, we have NO immunity. This makes it very dangerous to everyone since there is no immunity even for the newborn or the elderly.

Everyone is susceptible and everyone CAN get this disease. No one seems to be exempted. Since this disease condition is new, knowledge is EVOLVING and what might be news today can change sooner than we can imagine.

What do we know? This disease has a very high infection rate. It is spread from one person to another and it has to get into our

airways to make us sick. We also know that once it gets into a country and starts spreading, up to 80% (as is projected in Madrid, Spain) can get sick.

What is even scarier is the numbers of persons who get seriously ill and the death rate for those infected. According to CDC, approximately 20% of those infected will get seriously ill with the elderly and those with comorbid conditions (diabetes, hypertension, cancers etc) being in the high-risk group.

The death rate at this time ranges from 1% to 6% in different countries (data from countries with more developed health systems than ours – China, Italy, etc.).

The U.S. coronavirus epidemic is predicted to infect between 160 million and 214 million people over a period of more than a year, i.e.,

between 49% and 65% of their entire population. Frightening statistics! Worse still, it is projected to kill anywhere from 200,000 to 1.7 million people in the country.

And that’s the USA, a country that is vastly more prepared than we are.

According to the NY Times, at the beginning of March, there were 70 positive cases with ‘limited testing’ being done. As of Thursday (25th March) afternoon, at least 75,178 people across every state, have tested positive for the virus, with 1,069 COVID19 related deaths in the US. How many Guyanese could get infected? Based on the statistics so far, it could be as low as 49% and as high as 80%. This translates into 367,000 to 600,000 Guyanese becoming infected (taking 750,000 to be our current population). If 20% gets really

ill, that translates to between 73,000 to 150,000 persons getting critically ill. Gruesome picture. Even if 10% of those infected get seriously ill, that will be 36,500 to 75,000 individuals. That is also taking into account 8-9% of our population are over 60 years (2012 census).

Where do we stand in Guyana? What steps have been taken? How prepared are we? What is our capacity to deal with this pandemic?

Where we stand? We have private hospitals that say that they are ill prepared to manage COVID-19 patients (and maybe will not manage at all). In the Health System (Public and private), we have a total of 40 ICU beds and 30 working ventilators. These are an absolute necessity for management of critical COVID-19 patients. So what can 30 ventilators do for over

...We need some assurance From page 5 1) Do we have adequate and properly trained medical and other personnel who can be deployed across the country in the event of an outbreak here?

2) Do we have appropriate and enough PPE for frontline personnel?

3) Do we have enough and the correct testing kits?

4) Do we have identified and equipped facilities across all the regions to

diagnose, quarantine and treat cases? And do these facilities meet the accepted standards for quarantine facilities for a threat of this nature?

5) Are we tracking down and isolating all suspects reported via calls through the hotline numbers and testing these suspects and their immediate contacts?

6) Are the sites of suspects locked down, sanitized and quarantined?

7) Do we have systems

in place to monitor recoveries to ensure that there is no resurgence?

8) How visible is the national awareness programme and is it effective?

What measurements do we have?

On the trade and economic side of the coin, there has been no word on what measures will be put in place to ease the economic burden on citizens.

1) Will GRA extend the deadline for filing of Income Tax and Property Tax and

other returns?

2) Would NIS waive interest and penalties for late payments?

3) Would employers who reduce business hours or close their business but still pay employees be given any relief?

4) Is there any general relief measure in place for the poor and vulnerable?

As a citizen, we need some assurance that we are not alone in this fight.

Yours truly, Essequibo Citizen

30,000 patients needing ventilators? How will the few be chosen? And then some of those ventilators are in the private health care system, not available to the COVID patients. So we are totally unprepared on that front!

What have we done so far? Closed the airports to external travel and closed schools. Is that enough? By far not enough! Public places are still open. Government facilities that are nonessential are still open and people have to go to work.

Persons are NOT paying attention to the Ministry of Public Health!

So what can be done?

Establish a proper task force. At this time of political uncertainty, the head of such a team should be the CMO or the PAHO/WHO representative, someone the entire Guyana will trust! Both of these individuals are Public Health Specialists. The task force needs to capitalize on the expertise of all available persons with knowledge and experience in dealing with public health issues; Cholera – 1992, Whooping Cough – 2007, Chikungunya - 2014, Zika. Whilst these diseases bear little resemblance to COVID-19, the public health approach is what matters. Most of these qualified and experienced professionals are no longer with the Public Health System but are available. Bring in the Epidemiologist(s) from UG and elsewhere.

The educational efforts so far has been totally ineffective. Persons are still ignoring the advice given.

Schoolchildren are not going to school but they gather together to play games, fly kites, etc. The elders are going to places of worship in large numbers. The markets are still bustling. It is as if WE DO NOT HAVE A CRISIS IN GUYANA! It means that the communication is ineffective.

In 2014 with the Chikungunya outbreak in Region Six, (as the then head of the BRHA), we realised that TV and newspapers ads were not enough. We used street corner meetings, where a high vehicle with powerful sound systems were used at every street corner. Persons were in their homes but could have heard the messages.

These ‘meetings’ lasted not more than 20 minutes each. In Region 6,for example, five or six such vehicles working from 6 in the morning to 8 in the night with persons alternating, can cover the third most populated region in one or two days. The message needs to be repeated often until persons get it! These meetings also could be used to sensitize the

population as to when and which TV/radio stations they can get updated information from. We may not have the facilities to treat but we can sensitize and educate to help prevent COVID-19.

In addition, organisations such as PAHO/WHO can guide persons to online courses to educate themselves and provide updates. The sites that are recommended so are the WHO/PAO website and CDC. The Ministry of Health’s CMO should have a page on which information and updates must be posted. At this time, THERE MUST BE NO SECRETS! The faith based organisations, nongovernmental organisations and youth groups have to be involved. Every community needs to identify the most vulnerable, the elderly and sickly who lie alone, the mentally challenged and those with chronic diseases and lend support. Help them with essential items like food and medicines whilst encouraging them to stay at home. This is the time to truly show that WE CARE! The Berbice Regional Health Authority had a register of all the bedridden persons, all the mentally challenged and all those over 60 years as of 2014 living in Region 6. That data if still available can be used to identify some of those most vulnerable and can be used to help.

In addition, since we have no government structure that is recognised by all Guyanese, a proposal should be made to which both parties that can form the government, offering relief to the most vulnerable, must agree, so whoever is finally declared the winner of the 2020 General Elections, will implement the deal. This must include financial and other relief measures. A proposal will be made by us following this article.

At this time, all the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and Municipalities can take the lead role in organising for the most needy in their communities. Take control of your communities and organise so that the impact can be minimised. In the case of the Chikunga outbreak, the NDCs and Municipalities in Region Six were integrally involved with the BRHA in the fight. Now this collaboration between health and Local government organisations is more needed. Meetings can be done online via Skype, WhatsApp and other media/ platform.

Yours respectfully, Yog Mahadeo

ary 10, 2020 March 29, 2020 Sunday

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Make a hard decision and save lives Dear Editor, Right upfront, I say that the only thing that matters to me currently is our preparations, our readiness, and our precautions taken (or not actually so being), in response to the presence of COVID-19 in this country.

There is nothing else to me that rises close to this interests and concern, and is born from recognition of what we have, and what we lack.

The other things, from my perspective are a damn joke, a long running one.

Now, I am still to detect the one leading voice and lead figure taking charge of the situation and pointing the way forward in a commanding manner; or, at least, that which could be summoned, present circumstances considered.

I acknowledge the places and protections taken, both in public and private sectors by senior people. I commend the early constructive steps implemented. To name a few, there is the GRA, the Ministry of Education, the commercial banks, and others; again, I applaud.

But I would like to see one (one very senior health) official)l be the constant presence: providing updates (even when there is nothing, which is good news, say something); expanding on available details about preparatory efforts; sharing information on resources in hand; and furnishing some more about what is on the way.

Give the impression of being in charge and leading the way forward authoritatively.

That single presence and voice is just not there. I open the papers and there is a hodgepodge of voices usually imparting the not far from vague, and what is less than comforting.

Politics aside, I would prefer to hear and read of the responsible minister taking the helm and delivering accurate pictures of where things stand. Of course, the professional medical people should be at the side to assist, as required.

What I have heard or read is nowhere near what should be. I learn that PAHO is rendering a hand with test kits, which is encouraging.

But we have a sturdy commercial relationship (so I believe) with China.

Why did we not have thousands of these things ordered two to three weeks ago and air dashed here? My

understanding is that they cost a handful of US dollars.

I also understand that neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago placed an emergency order for the supply of test kits from China two Mondays ago, and had them in hand by the Friday of that same week.

What about us here? What have we done along those lines? This is not hindsight or second guessing, but calling things as they are, and asking why? Let us put the relationship with China to the test: order test kits (and whatever else) and get them here on an express basis.

Further, I read late last week of two warnings from high-level political figures; one concerned bar closings, the other was in relation to possible lockdown being considered.

I shake my head vigorously and negatively: get with the programme, folks. Make a hard decision and save lives. Do the deed and do it now. I am unable to appreciate the sloth, almost casual reactions in some quarters and at very high levels.

I believe that the politics take priority, as usual. The kindest thing that I can say about our official (state) reaction is that it has been sporadic, a day late, and not possessive of the confidence building.

The lesson of Italy reinforces this lethal lesson: too lackadaisical, too little, too late. In New Rochelle, New York, a swanky enclave in tony Westchester, the draconian decision was made early to quarantine specific swaths of that village. Some citizens howled but settled down. Today, there is careful talking and guarded optimism that speak to “flattening of the curve.�

That is, the peak may (may) have been reached and passed. Clearly, the most effective countermeasure is quarantine, and if that is too big and too foreign to comprehend, then I offer lockdown for concerning spots, be they bars, or GECOM, or the other places where Guyanese foolishness runs rampant in what is obviously a wayward and backward society.

As I write this, I am aware that in some states of the now hardest hit United States, the National Guard has been mobilized and dispatched.

While that may be part of our deep contingency in a

widening crisis, our nearest local equivalent, which is the GDF, will have to be put on the front lines of this effort, since the police are so worryingly strapped for manpower.

Now this brings me to a rough place. I would hope that we have protective gear (something) to give to them, and not send them out

unshielded into the fight.

Until this time, I have refrained from taking a sharp swing at the uncoordinated places where I sense we are positioned to partake in this war.

And it is a war, one that is undeclared, operates in guerilla fashion, and doesn’t observe any conventions.

Without going to the deep

end of paranoia, our close circle could be the leading carriers of this plague. The antidote is distancing, which has been shown to work in other places.

Despite a record of being the most slavish subjects of cultural imperialism, on this healthiest of recommendations, we pass by distancing from it, even

objecting to it.

In Italy, it was reported that the dead keep coming all day long.

Our systems are fragile; our preparations and coordination and leadership beg many questions. We had better overcompensate and do so yesterday.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

To recognize the legitimacy Bartica teacher hacked to of the govt., a recount must be death in front of children -husband found with conducted - Canadian Minister “We believe a recount of the ballots is necessary to ensure every vote is counted.

The will of the people must be respected for Canada to recognize the legitimacy of a duly elected government.”

These were the very stern and damning words put forward yesterday by Canadian Diplomat, Assistant Deputy Minister, Michael Grant, via his Twitter account.

Grant, who is also a Director of Research at The Conference Board of Canada, disclosed that his nation was “closely monitoring” the legal proceedings related to Guyana’s elections.

The Conference Board of Canada is a Canadian not-forprofit think tank dedicated to researching and analyzing economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues. Describing itself as “objective” and “non-partisan”, the Conference Board of Canada claims not to lobby for special interests.

Canadian Diplomat, Assistant Deputy Minister, Michael Grant.

Grant has joined the plethora of diplomats from the local and international communities, who have called for a national recount before any political party that contested in the March 2 General and Regional Elections is sworn in. Opposing parties stated that the District Four results

that were produced were fraudulent and have requested a national recount.

The United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the European Union have all threatened to impose sanctions against Guyana if a President is sworn in on the basis of fraudulent results.

By Anastacya Peters Thirty-seven-year old Natoya Speede, a teacher of Lot 36, 6th Avenue Bartica, was on Friday hacked to death by her husband in the presence of her two children ages 17 and 11.

The incident occurred at or around 19:30hrs. The suspect, who has been identified as 39-year-old Orin King, is currently in police custody assisting with investigations.

Kaieteur News understands that the suspect got the family together under the pretext that they were going to the Bartica Airstrip for a family photo shoot.

However, mere minutes after arriving at the Airstrip, the suspect reportedly used an axe, knife and cutlass to commit the heinous act. It is not clear how the tools were transported to the scene of the crime.

After committing the act, reports suggest that Mr. King then attempted suicide by using the knife to slash himself multiple times across his abdomen and left wrists. Due to the severity of his injuries, he is presently hospitalised at the Bartica Hospital under police guard.

When contacted, Region Seven Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Linden Lord, stated that it was the children who informed relatives about the incident and a report was made to the police. “After realising what had happened, the children ran away from the scene and started to contacted relatives who then contacted the police,” he revealed.

Bleeding profusely from her wounds, this publication was told Speede was picked up by Emergency First Responders (EFR) and rushed to

‘self-inflicted’ wounds

Dead: Natoya Speede the Bartica Regional Hospital where she died while receiving medical attention.

According to sources, after committing the act, the suspect reportedly went into

hiding in a bushy area behind the airstrip. However, he was apprehended Friday around 23:30hrs, after police launched a manhunt for him.

Meanwhile, information reaching this publication suggests that the grief-stricken children of the dead woman are currently in a traumatic state and will need psychosocial therapy.

When contacted, a family member of the deceased told this publication that Speede and King were experiencing domestic issues for the past month. The family member also stated that King would usually accuse Speede of having extramarital affairs.

According to the relative, prior to this occasion, “at no time did it get physical”.

An investigation has been launched into the matter.

Natoya Speede and Orin King in happier times

Int’l probe launched From page 3 HIV is a single-use rapid diagnostic test – an immunoassay for the qualitative detection of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 in serum, plasma and whole blood.

“Uni-Gold™ HIV is intended for use in point of care settings as an aid in diagnosis of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection. The WHO testing strategy recommends three HIV reactive test results to confirm an HIV-positive status in a patient. The use of this fal-

sified Uni-Gold™ HIV, subject of WHO medical product alert n°2 of 2020, is likely to lead to delayed diagnosis of HIV status,” the WHO warned.

The organization said that it was discovered that the HIV test kits were expired since 2019 and that the date does not correspond with batch manufacturing records.

The WHO advised that users check to see if they have lot number “HIV7120026” and not to use them.

Rather, persons should immediately contact the supplier or the manufacturer, Trinity Biotech.

The WHO urged that there be increased scrutiny within the supply chains of all countries, particularly at testing sites (health facilities, community-based), clinical laboratories, medical stores/ warehouses, and at the facili-

ties of relevant economic operators (agents, authorized representatives, distributers, wholesalers, etc.).

“National health authorities are asked to immediately inform WHO, if these falsified products are discovered in their country using the WHO IVD complaint form. If you have any information concerning the manufacture, distribution, or supply of this product, please contact rapidalert@who.int,” the WHO said in its alert on Thursday.

From sources, it appeared that the kits were supplied to Kenya under financing from the US and were manufactured specifically for that area.

However, the strips were stolen and sold on the black market around the globe, to countries including Guyana.

Kenyan authorities were reportedly investigating.

Sunday March 29, 2020

Get on with it! – Human Rights Association to GECOM Chair “The Chairperson of GECOM now holds the future of Guyana in her hands. It is no longer a question of what she wants to do but what she must do – NOW!” That statement began a plea by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) to GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, to take the reins of GECOM and ensure that the electoral process is concluded in a credible, swift and transparent manner.

The association said that Chief Justice Roxane GeorgeWiltshire has given the GECOM Chair sufficient legal cover to do so, though it states she doesn’t actually need such legal cover.

“It is her solemn duty. Is there anyone who would object to a re-tabulation in a fair and transparent manner?

NO? Then Madame Chairperson, the GHRA urges you to get on with it. You have the support of the vast majority of Guyanese at home and overseas who would like to continue saying: I am Guyanese and proud of it.”

Presently, the CARICOMsupervised recount, intended

by David Granger and Bharrat Jagdeo, is obstructed from commencing, as there are a series of interim injunctions granted by the Court, which effectively prevent it.

Still, GHRA complained that “four interminably long weeks has passed with no end in sight other than one which portends disaster for Guyana as a nation and, more importantly, quite unneces-

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sary hardship for its people.”

It stated that, instead of simply being allowed to exercise their voting franchise peacefully, the people of Guyana have been subject to the pain, shame and embarrassment of the prospect of international sanctions.

Compounding that issue, GHRA said, is the destructive impact of COVID-19, for which Guyana has thus far recorded eight cases.

“The GHRA is constrained to posit whether this unseemly hesitation to complete the voting tabulations for Region 4 is worth such a price! Have we as a people

Regrettably those voices and the views they have expressed have been drowned in the posturing of what is good for Guyana, in the endless regurgitation of the errors of the political leadership since Independence and in the many prescriptions – with respect to shared governance for example – f o r a b e t t e r Guyana.”

While the association acknowledges the value of such discourse, it said that those are misplaced in the present context as they serve to deflect from the only relevant issue, i.e., the

become so politically blinded that we are prepared to endure such humiliation and sacrifice in the cause of ensuring political victory. Surely not!”

It said that it has been silent up until now about the political situation.

However, “the GHRA has therefore been silent not because it is in disagreement with those voices of reason that have sought to focus on the essential issue at hand.

tabulation of the votes cast in the Region Four general and regional elections, and the manner in which this is done.

“The GHRA feels emboldened to speak out now, to point to the irrelevance at this point in time in focusing on recriminations regarding Guyana’s political behaviour and on prescriptions for a better Guyana in the years ahead.”

Dem boys seh...

Dem visa gone for good!

Dem boys began supporting de “Hey Heff See” from the start. Dem fall fuh all dem sweet talk dem use to throw at Guyana. De one thing dem boys didn’t like was when dem team up wid de “Hap New”.

Rum-Jaattan tell dem boys how once the “Hap New” get out ah line, de “Hey Heff See” will use dem seats in parliament and join wid the PPP/C to throw dem out and call fresh elections.

He seh how the “Hey Heff See” is for accountability, transparency and against corruption. Dem boys believe he!

Dem boys didn’t know dat some ah dem in the “Hey Heff See” did hungry – hungry for money and power. When dem get in office, dem join with the scamps to do wuss than them rapscallions in the PPP. A con-traactor send dem wan letter demanding US$ 8M. Dem pay it right off without a blink. Is then dem boys know dat dey rotten. Now dem have fuh go to the World Bank to borrow US$5M fuh fight Coronavirus.

Dem boys know some of them gat problem with de eye. But dem boys hear dat one of dem went and fix he own in China but like the surgery affect he memory because he go in Palm Court and forget he haversack. Dem boys peep wah been inside.

Dem boys seh dat when Charrandass used to criticize the PPP/C, dem “Hey Heff See” other boys been like he and call he

Charran-the-dass but when he vote against dem, he was Charran-rass.

Is like how dem calling the boss man Glenn-Rass because he give dem a piece of he mouth fuh de scampishness.

Dem boys seh dat PNC gat “Hey Heff See” so bassodee dat dem can’t even count.

Dem can’t find half of 65; dem shoulda ask dem grand picknee. Dem shame the country by having the CCJ instruct dem how fuh do calculation.Now it look like dem gat problem with deh mouth. Dem nah saying nothing much. The one man who brave enough was Dominic. He tell dem dat who vex vex dat he ain’t tekkin Mingo numbers. He talk the right thing.

But like Rum-Jaattan hearing gone because when he talk, he talk bare dotishness.

He seh dat how the Russians come here fuh rig the elections. Dem boys din know dat Guyana gat electronic voting system fuh the Russians to hack. But is so when yuh nah thinking straight.

Dem boys know is nah only dem embassies will put manners pon the AFC. The Creator looking on and he see wuh dem doing.

He looking too at the Claudia the Canary.

She getting nuff pressure fuh sing de right tune. Pray fuh the “Hey Heff See” sight get better; pray fuh dem find dem voice and pray dat deh memory come back! Because dem visa go gone fuh good!

Curfew for E’bo Coast The Suddie Public Hospital

The Pomeroon/Supenaam region has recently implemented a curfew along with a number of other guidelines, as it continues its fight against the Novel Coronavirus Disease [Covid19].

Moreover, the Regional Health Emergency Committee in Region Two has implemented a number of new guidelines for members of the public which deals primarily with social distancing.

Based on information from the Committee, a curfew will now be in effect on the Essequibo Coast, which will commence from 20:00 hours [8pm] and continue until 05:00

hours [5am] daily.

Personnel delivering essential services, however, will be allowed movement.

At the same time, the Committee is advising that religious leaders minimise or stop congregating in numbers. Pensioners who will also be collecting their monthly pensions from post offices are also advised to practice social distancing and avoid clustering when collecting their pensions.

All supermarkets, pharmacies and stores, on the other hand, are to be closed at 18:00 [6pm] daily.

The new guidelines, set out by the Health Committee,

will also affect persons in the transportation sector. A copy of the guidelines dealing with this read, “Taxi cars are only allowed to take two passengers… Buses and minibuses are only allowed half of the registered number of passengers… Speedboats are only allowed half of the registered number of passengers… Transport operators must sanitize their cars, buses and boats after each journey.”

Kaieteur News understands that all beaches, lakes, resorts and access to Indigenous villages are closed in the Region. Bars, (Continued on page 10)

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

Coalition cites independence Tullow’s overall performance in face of int’l condemnation for 2019 was “disappointing” The incumbent Coalition Government has claimed a state of “sovereignty” in response to Guyana’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Riyad Insanally being hauled before the US Government.

This was done in a bid to firmly reiterate their position that any government sworn in on the basis of flawed results from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections would not be legitimate.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement yesterday affirmed that “Guyana remains a sovereign state governed by the rule of law.”

The statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry can be seen as government’s first official reaction to threats of condemnation by the US, Canada, Britain; the European

Guyana’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Riyad Insanally Union along with France and other accredited elections observers.

These stakeholders have

portrayed a unanimous report that the recently held March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections lacked credibility and were not transparent.

In fact, both the UK and the United States government have threatened to ostracize Guyana which follows a slew of other international sanctions if a new government is sworn into office without a total recount of the votes.

The government continues to maintain that the March 2 Elections were “conducted according to the Constitution and Laws of Guyana.”

“The electoral process is managed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), an independent body, constitutionally mandated to conduct and manage free, fair, and transparent elections.”

The statement again pointed out what President Granger has maintained; that “the executive branch of Government has never tried to influence, interfere with or instruct GECOM in any way.”

Further, the statement highlighted that President David Granger himself attempted to have a national recount of the ballot, to be (Continued on page 52)

-Poor discoveries in Guyana served as a further set-back –Executive Chair The Executive Board for British exploration company, Tullow is disappointed with the operational and financial performance as well as the overall executive leadership of Tullow’s business in 2019.

This was noted by the operator’s Executive Chair, Dorothy Thompson, in her statement for the company’s 2019 Annual Report and Accounts.

On behalf of the Board, Thompson issued an apology to investors for this poor performance. Speaking to the areas of concern, Thompson noted that production in Ghana fell short of expectations. In addition, she said that the company was unable to proceed with its planned farm-down in Uganda, while noting that the lower quality of oil found in the Jethro and Joe discoveries in Guyana’s Orinduik Block was a further setback. The Executive Chair said that the results were ultimately disappointing for investors and left them frustrated.

In the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts, it was noted that Tullow completed a three-well exploration campaign in Guyana in 2019, drilling the Jethro-1 and Joe-1 wells in the Tullow-operated

Tullow Oil’s Executive Chair, Dorothy Thompson

Orinduik licence and the Carapa-1 well in the non-operated Kanuku licence.

In the Orinduik Block, the Jethro-1 and Joe-1 wells discovered 55 metres and 14 metres of net oil pay, respectively in Tertiary-age reservoirs. Tullow in the report noted that full analysis of the oil found indicated both deepwater discoveries contained heavy oil with high sulphur content.

In the Kanuku Block, operated by Repsol, the Carapa1 well drilled in a water depth

of 80 metres discovered four metres of net oil pay containing good quality low sulphur oil, but in poorly developed reservoirs of Cretaceous age.

The Carapa-1 well confirmed the extension of the prolific lighter oil hydrocarbon play in the Stabroek Block, which is adjacent to Tullow’s acreage.

The report noted that the next steps in Guyana will be to integrate the three well results into updated geological and geophysical models, with a focus on the high-grading of the Cretaceous portfolio where better quality oil is expected across both the Kanuku and Orinduik blocks.

So far in 2020, Tullow has drilled one exploration well in Peru, which did not make a commercial discovery.

Tullow’s Executive Chair said that the company will also be drilling in Suriname as well as thinking carefully about how to proceed in Guyana.

Curfew for E’bo...

From page 9 rum shops, food stands and restaurants will also be closed from 6 pm daily and take away services will only be available during opening hours.

There will only be one hour of visitation for persons visiting patients at any of the Region’s hospitals.

The Committee noted too that, “only one visitor per patient” and that the visiting times at Suddie Hospital is 06:00 hours [6am] to 07:00 hours [7am], and 16:00 hours [4pm] to 17:00 hours [5pm] at the Oscar Joseph District Hospital. It has been mandated too that “All persons entering hospitals and health centres must submit themselves for screening”.

Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Local business community will take every lawful measure to resist, condemn illegitimate governance – GCCI, GGDMA In a strong call for a credible electoral process, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA) have jointly declared that the local business community will do everything that it lawfully is empowered to do, to resist and condemn the swearing in of a government on the basis of flawed elections results. Furthermore, the associations said that they would not recognise the legitimacy of such a government.

The organisations said that they are calling for the transition of government to take place only if it is in line with transparent and democratic principles.

In one of the more critical statements made against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), GCCI and GGDMA said that the management and staff of GECOM have proven themselves to be incompetent, compromised, biased and untrustworthy.

This comes after two attempts to produce a credible election result for Region Four, the largest and most contentious district, failed due to a lack of transparency and accusations of electoral fraud from observers and the international community. An attempt to facili-

tions, that Guyana is a Sovereign State, governed by the rule of law.

To that, GCCI and GGDMA jointly state that “in this globalized world, no country is an economic island; Guyana’s financial and social prosperity is inextricably interlinked to its relationship with international trading partners. We do not wish for Guyana to become a pariah state, thereby facing sanctions that would cripple our fledgling economy and squander any gains that we have made over the many years of struggle. Guyana cannot afford to face sanctions; we do not have the financial or manufacturing capability to support our largely import dependent economy.

Our exports of oil, gold, sugar, rice, timber, liquor, among others, will all suffer as we will be unable to access the level of trade that we presently enjoy.”

Also pointed out is Guyana’s desperate need for international support and funding, as the country battles the Coronavirus pandemic. Guyana has already approached the World Bank for assistance in this regard.

“All Guyanese will face harsh consequences if access to such support from the World Bank, the IDB, the United Nations and other global partners is withheld from us.”

tate a CARICOM-supervised recount has also been blocked by a candidate of the governing coalition.

GGDMA and GCCI submit that the only solution would be to ensure that all ballots go through a national recount, verified by independent local and international observers, and supervised by a trusted independent arbiter like CARICOM. If this doesn’t happen, they worry that Guyana could be plunged into illegitimate rule and economic despair.

Noting the calls both locally and internationally for a swift and transparent solution to the current political crisis, the two organisations illuminated the gravity of sanctions as a consequence of straying from the “democratic path”.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has said, in response to international threats of sanc-

With all being said, the GCCI and GGDMA called for all parties to heed the statements made by the international community, but more specifically by the United St a t e s o f A m e r i c a , t h e United Kingdom, the European Union, the Commonwealth, India and CARICOM, which have all expressed the desire of t h o s e g o vernments for Guyana’s electoral process to conclude credibly.

Sunday March 29, 2020

Sunday March 29, 2020

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Strict measures in place to keep COVID-19 out of country’s jails International news sites have indicated that COVID19 cases are already spreading among the incarcerated in penitentiaries such as the New York’s infamous Riker’s Island jail.

Prison officials in Guyana are taking no such chance of that happening here.

With assistance from the Ministry of Public Health, they have already implemented several strict COVIDrelated measures to protect inmates, staff and even visitors.

Outlining some of these measures, Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels disclosed that the authorities are limiting visitors to the prisons, as part of the new dispensation of social distancing.

Sinks and sanitizers have also been installed for visitors, while the time they are allotted to see inmates have been reduced.

Samuels said that the prisons are being regularly sanitized, and lauded the inmates for their cooperation.

He said that the Demerara Distilleries Limited (DDL) handed over a significant amount of sanitation supplies to the prisons on Friday.

Because only priority matters are being handled by the courts because of the COVID19 outbreak, fewer persons are being incarcerated.

At present, only the New Amsterdam Prisons and the Lusignan Prisons are taking in new inmates.

The new inmates are being separated from the rest of the prison population.

But one thing that prisoners in that densely populated environment will be virtually unable to do is practice social distancing.

But if, despite all these precautions, COVID-19 cases are detected within the prisons, quarantine areas have been set up at all the prisons to house infected inmates.

“We also had training

sessions today with Ministry of Health staffers, and this information will be shared with the inmate population,” the Prison Director said.

Inmates will also be able to view COVID-19) information on CDs at the prisons.

According to an Associated Press report, “the first positive tests from inside America’s correctional facili-

ties started trickling out two weeks ago, with more than 350 cases now confirmed in New York, California, Michigan, Alabama and a dozen other states.”

“But information and transparency about the number of infections are lacking, and some in custody are afraid to report symptoms because they’ve seen others

KEEPING SAFE: Washing facilities at the Lusignan and New Amsterdam Prisons

Man, who challenged Region 4 declaration, commits suicide Reaaz Holladar, the private citizen who filed for a court injunction to challenge the credibility of the District Four results declaration, has reportedly committed suicide.

Kaieteur News was informed that Holladar shot himself to the head in full view of his wife and security guard at around 04:55 hours yesterday.

It was reported that the incident took place at his Prashad Nagar apartment building allegedly after he got into a heated argument with his wife.

A Senior Police Official has disclosed that police have obtained CCTV footage

of the shooting and are in the process of reviewing such.

Holladar was also the driver of Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.

Nandlall was also representing him in the High Court case which blocked the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from making an official declaration for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

On his Facebook page, Nandlall wrote: “It is with profound sadness that I confirm that Reaaz Holladar, my driver for several years, died this morning at or about 4:00 am.”

“From all indications, he committed suicide. He was a

Reaaz Holladar loyal and dedicated employee. He has left to mourn a wife and two sons. With his family, I mourn his loss.”

Investigations are ongoing.

being placed in solitary confinement for doing so, several men said in interviews with the AP. Many correctional departments across the country do not even identify affected facilities, let alone name those

who test positive, citing privacy concerns.

“Most of the coronavirus cases in jails and prisons so far have been reported from New York City, with the Department of Corrections saying Saturday that one of its

longest-serving officers passed away at a local hospital and that 104 staff and 132 men in custody have now tested positive at Rikers and city jails alone — five times what was reported just a week ago,” it added.

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Sunday March 29, 2020

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---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

I am not joining the rhetoric that reduces the current impasse before us to “rigging”: I know better

A

nother week has ended and still no solution to the impasse that resulted from the elections of March 2. Everyone, it seems, wants it to end so that they can go on with their lives. Or so they say. The thing is that everyone wants it to end in favour of their side—their political side.

Even those who did not vote for a side want it to end for their side.

As I reflected this past week on what’s next for Guyana, I cannot bring myself to believe that anything would drastically change. I actually want things to change, for our political leaders to see the good light and act accordingly, but the rational side of me warns against believing that we have what it takes to move past our historical and self-imposed shackles.

We have, I think, willed ourselves to remain wedded to our insecurities and fears.

But what’s worse is that we don’t have the courage to even admit the origins of those insecurities and fears.

Many on the PPP side are asking why I am not speaking out against elections rigging. Others who have gone along with the rigging narrative are also asking the same question.

As always, they invoke the Walter Rodney they have created—the Walter Rodney that did nothing else with his activism other than oppose the PNC. That’s their Walter Rodney - not mine.

The Walter Rodney I supported and followed was

much more nuanced than that and embraced an activism that was more profound than mere opposition to a single party. The Walter Rodney they see turning in his grave is a figment of their twisted imagination.

So, I am not getting into their rigging nonsense, because I know it’s a game, a scheme to seize Guyana from Guyanese in order to reconstruct their citadel of domination. As calypsonian, Chalkdust, chanted: “I in town too long.” I have been around too long to be conned by empty slogans. All this talk about rigging is not aimed at ending rigging, but at something big and sinister.

Mr. Jagdeo, for example, says to his supporters that our problem is not racial, its about what he calls fairness— his sense and definition of fairness.

He makes this declaration as part of his rejection of an ethno-political solution that guarantees the security of all races.

He wants a solution that guarantees the security of one ethnic group. I am then forced to ask the very simple, straightforward question— what about the other groups?

Or is it that simple and straightforward?

Jagdeo’s comrade, Dr. Ramsammy wrote this about me this past week: “David Hinds is nothing but a racist. His position is that AfroGuyanese interest can only be protected by the PNC and that this justifies rigging the election. His position is that he sees the rigging but can

accept it because the PPP has no right to govern Guyana, even if the people chooses the PPP.” That quotation sums up the madness that has taken hold of the PPP’s leadership.

I can get past what he says about me, because I don’t elevate myself to such lofty heights.

That he places me as a supporter of rigging is of little importance. But it is the not so hidden message that is of interest to me.

His scant concern for African-Guyanese interest is obvious. He doesn’t see any problem with the fact that the “people” who choose the PPP are of one ethnic group and that the PPP’s “right to govern” is a clear statement of racial domination. He doesn’t see the notion of the PPP’s right to govern is the worst form of rigging imaginable.

This is where I part company with the PPP and all those who support one-party rule, including many in the PNC. I don’t elevate any party’s right to govern. I prefer to fight for all racial and social groups to be represented in the halls of power. It is the people, all the people, who have a right to be represented, Mr. Ramsammy. And often it is the parties that stand in the way of people’s representation in government.

When Jagdeo and Ramsammy talk about the PPP’s right to govern, they undercut the rights of all ethnic groups to be represented.

They try to hide behind plati-

tudes about democracy. They racialize democracy and then try to foist it upon the nation as some neutral construct.

Well no, I am not going for that.

We have a disputed election that is working itself through the mess we have created.

That to me is clear. The disputed election is part of a wider dispute that we conveniently close our eyes to. I am not joining that bandwagon that reduces the impasse before us to “rigging.” I know better than that, and others who allow themselves to be played ought to know better.

That is why I have stayed far from the rigging talk. Not because I condone rigging, but because in this instance,

the rigging narrative is being used to impose one-party domination, which I strenuously oppose.

I am not shutting my eyes to the fact that riggers are accusing their opponents of rigging, because their rigging has gone undetected. That is the elephant in the room that the PPP does not want to talk about. I am not joining any crusade against rigging that would end up rigging power away from all the people in Guyana.

If we are serious about ending rigging, let us end the rigged winner-takes-all system. And let us construct a system that makes it difficult for riggers of all stripes and from all parties to go out of business.

Dr David Hinds (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news.

Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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Kaieteur News

The hunt for the claw-hammer killer

By Michael Jordan

I

t was pitch-black, cold and raining heavily when the men entered the track off the Soesdyke/ Linden highway.

The rain-soaked group included armed police ranks, led by homicide boss, Michael Marks, and an informant who had promised to lead them to a dangerous fugitive who always seemed to be one step ahead of the lawmen.

They hoped that the rainfall would muffle the sound of their approach, and that this time around, they would get the man some US reporters had dubbed the claw-hammer

…he led cops on a chase from the US to the Soesdyke/Linden backlands killer. They could just as well have called him the Halloween murderer.

The story began on October 30, 1990, in Saginaw County, in the state of Michigan. Bertha Aldridge, 18, and George Bowles, 23, were in the Perry Drug Store, where they worked, when a man with a claw-hammer attacked them.

The hammer-wielding attacker struck Aldridge and Bowles repeatedly in their heads.

Harold Epting, a 61-year-old employee, reportedly heard a woman’s screams and on in-

vestigating, saw his two mortally wounded colleagues on the floor.

The man with the hammer then attacked Epting, but although injured, Epting managed to escape.

The intruder allegedly then removed US$40 from the cash register and fled the scene.

A post mortem would show that Bertha Aldridge had sustained 19 ‘bashing-in blows’ which punctured her skull.

Her colleague, George Bowles, was struck six times.

He also suffered a broken jaw

and died of cardiac arrest caused by brain damage.

Epting and another eyewitness identified the killer as 30year-old Steven King.

King, a Guyanese by birth, was also a former US paratrooper, who was employed as a cashier and stock worker at the same drug store where the killings had occurred.

But King was nowhere to be found.

Police in the US received information which suggested that the suspect had fled to his homeland.

They contacted their counterparts in Guyana.

The local cops got word that Steven King was hiding out at relatives in Grove, East Bank Demerara.

The detectives staked out two houses in the community.

They learned that the fugitive had indeed been around, but, apparently tipped off, had fled. But just as the trail appeared to be getting cold, they learned from an informant that King was hiding out in the vast backlands off the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

According to the informant, some of the suspect’s relatives were supplying him with meals. Police had another stroke of luck when they arrested a male cousin of King’s.

The man confessed that King had a hideout in a densely-forested area off the highway. He finally agreed to take the hunting party there.

However, he warned that the ex-soldier they were tracking had an uncanny ability to detect the slightest of sound in the jungle.

At nightfall, in almost total darkness, the informant led detective Michael Marks and his team down a meandering trail, in which an occasional snake was picked out by flashlight.

Finally, they came upon a small clearing in which a cot had been set up. A man was lying on the cot. He appeared to be fast asleep.

While one man guarded the reluctant informant, four other ranks pounced upon the sleeping man, who awoke with a scream. The captive was Steven King. A search of the camp revealed several months’ supply of canned food.

During the ensuing months, King waged a battle in the High Court to avoid extradition. But in April 1992, handcuffed and flanked by armed policemen, Steven King was taken aboard a USbound flight to face trial for murder and robbery.

During the trial, the elderly survivor Harold Epting testified that King was the individual who had attacked him.

Denying this, King said that he saw Epting between two men in ski-masks.

He alleged that one of the men struck Epting with a tyre iron, while the other, who had a claw-hammer, kicked the elderly man as he lay on the floor.

The accused also claimed that the hammer was knocked from the man’s hand as he fled with his accomplice. King claimed that Epting’s spectacles had fallen off, and that he handed the man his glasses and Epting then left the store.

According to the accused, he then went to the storeroom and saw the bodies of Aldridge and Bowles.

King claimed that he didn’t go to the police because he knew that no one would believe him.

The accused also denied telling investigators ‘I killed two people in 20 seconds and I can kick your (expletive) too.’

According to King, what he had in fact said was: ‘How can you say that I killed two people in 20 seconds?’

King’s attorney also suggested that the investigators had framed his client.

Testifying at his trial, King’s girlfriend described him as a hard worker who squirreled away his money. She denied trying to assist in his escape.

On January 3, 1993, Steven King was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

If you have further information on this case or any other matter, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office or by telephone. We can be reached on telephone numbers 225-8465, 225-8491, or 225-8458. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address: kamarangnight@gmail.com.

Sunday March 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

Elections 2020: Heidegger on conscience

I

have a number of re grets, like all persons who have lived and are living. One of these is that I do not think I possess the intellectual capacity, the intellectual endowment, to fully understand the best book on philosophy ever written in human civilization.

It is by the deep German thinker, Martin Heidegger, whose genius got derecognized by the world after the Second World War, because he had some kind of relationship with the Nazi government of Adolf Hitler.

This controversy is irrelevant for the purpose of this analysis, so I will not dwell on it.

Heidegger ’s magnum opus is “Being and Time.”

This is a fantastic journey into understanding the nature of the human, the purpose of the human, and what part the human plays in relation to others in life and life itself.

This is a phenomenal exploration of the nature of the human condition and

the meaning of existence.

This is one of history’s most difficult writings from ancient times to the present century.

Heidegger wrote in complex ways that the ordinary mind like my own can hardy cope with, but you keep reading, because his adumbrations tantalize your curiosity and imagination.

I read this book three times when I was doing my doctorate at the University of Toronto, and I don’t think I fully grasped the inner meanings of his directions.

I reiterate that the work is just too complex for an ordinary mind. In the barest of ways, I think I understand what “being” is, what he meant by “being” and how “being” relates to time and to existence. But there are nuances to “being” that keep evading you, because the language is too recondite.

One of the things I got from Heidegger which has

guided me before I read, “Being and Time”, but which overtook my psyche after reading Heidegger, is the role of conscience.

When Heidegger died in 1977, the New York Times carried his obituary by Edward Fiske.

I do not think I can reach the intellectual heights of Fiske in explaining the role of conscience plays in Heidegger’s thinking, so I will let Fiske do the layout for me.

He wrote; “Conscience summons man to confront the nothingness that penetrates the core of his Being. By an act of resolution he affirms his finitude, acknowledges the possibilities that lie beyond the everyday and takes unto himself his Freedomtowarddeath.”

What is currently taking place in Guyana is so tragic that only the invocation of conscience can save this country.

But where is conscience, save for one exception – Dominic Gaskin? If Guyanese

and the world allow the election caricature that presently grips this country to pass as normality, and to accept it and go on with their lives, then such a life will remain unfulfilled and devoid of conscience.

Heidegger put conscience as the engine that guides meaning in the existential foundations of emptiness.

Conscience removes emptiness and replaces it with the consciousness that “being” can transcend the mundane, the banal and the pessimistic, and clothes existence with endless endeavours.

But where is conscience in Guyana when the very society is facing extinction that does not necessarily have to be beyond choice?

The election controversy in March 2020 has seen the level of human absurdity never before witnessed in the history of this country.

The killing of a human is an unnecessary act, but it has a context about it, that though unacceptable, may not strike

at the heart of reasoning. The situation that we currently face in Guyana with the election results is an absurdity that defies imagination, and it can only succeed if conscience takes flight.

Repeating the banality of the absurdity is worthwhile if one hopes that conscience can be invoked.

A counting is taking place to determine the winner of an election contest.

The counter stops the count. He ruffles and shuffles non-existent pieces of paper.

The non-existent becomes the existent.

Fiction becomes reality and the counter looks at his corrugated pieces of paper, finds imaginary meaning in them and simply tells an entire country, I counted what I imagined, what I imagined came through, what came through is what you must accept.

This is not a work of fiction that an astute screenwriter has turned into a movie.

This is a country, a real coun-

Frederick Kissoon try in the 21st century. And this entire country cannot confront the counter and his fake numbers and tell him that his game is over.

Why can’t the inhabitants of this country invoke conscience and tell the counter that he is beyond redemption? Is it possible that some humans can exist without that priceless value that Heidegger saw as one of the fulcrums of human existence – conscience?

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

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

The days of a comfortable House majority appear to be clearly over There has perhaps, been no other time in recent history when the results of gen-

eral and regional elections seem to be trying to nudge and point us towards the long

desired goal of the major parties coming together in some form of a unity or national

front Government to help heal Guyana’s decades of bleeding wounds.

The unofficial or preliminary indications are that the Coalition will enjoy a second term, with maybe no more than two parliamentary seats separating it from the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), its longtime political nemesis.

For those who might not have been paying attention, the days of any government governing with a comfortable House majority appear to be definitely and clearly over.

No longer can one, led by the People’s National Congress (PNC) or by the PPP govern the nation with the ease of five clear parliamentary seats. The results from the past three elections seem to bear this out. The Coalition will not dominate the PPP and the PPP will not be able to do likewise either.

We can all recall that the PPP had run the Country between 2011 and 2015 with a one-seat majority in Parliament. Rather than face losing the floor vote to an APNUAFC no confidence motion, then-President Donald Ramotar prorogued Parliament, called for fresh elections and lost by one seat or less than 5000 votes.

In came the APNU-AFC administration led by President David Granger and it too was forced to walk on political egg shells associated with a Government running a Country like ours with a oneseat majority.

It was eventually brought down by a successful no con-

fidence motion in December of 2018.

Earlier this month, the general and regional elections were conducted, the results of which are still being argued in an attempt to reach a conclusion. The electorate, it would appear, have continued messaging, poking and prodding our political leaders, particularly those who have long argued and advocated for some form of shared governance, to replace the failed Westminster system with unity. This is something we all should know.

Henry Jeffrey, a former PPP minister, summed it up poignantly in a column in another newspaper. ”The major fact” he argued, “is that peoples of Indian and African ethnicities do not want to be ruled by each other and are of sufficient numbers to make it difficult for either side to rule the other.

Universally, in such conditions majoritarian rule breaks down and all the moralizing in the world about the existence of ethnic voting, who is discriminating against whom, murdered whom, stealing elections from whom, and whom should be punished by whom will not change these social facts and their consequences.”

The former University of Guyana lecturer noted that the time is now for ”the introduction of a consensual form of government as the only sensible alternative for those who wish to move Guyana forward. As such, the present chaos is not surprising and

should be used to push the extant majoritarian political system towards a speedy demise, not to help its resuscitation in the forlorn hope that it will produce better results.”

Depending on whose posts one reads on social media, we have seen calls for President Granger to be sworn in as Head of State and for PPP Presidential candidate Irfaan Ali to be the prime minister and vice versa.

Few have ventured to go on to sharing cabinet positions, those for advisers, high level positions, ambassadorial postings, chairs of state boards and other positions.

But one thing is clear. The party that wins the presidency will almost surely want to have control of the Country’s energy department or ministry. This will certainly be a main bone of contention, if not a reason to scuttle any talks that may be in the pipeline.

Therefore, eyes are slowly being turned to the need for an impartial outsider to act as a honest broker for any talks regarding some form of shared, unity or national front government.

Call it what you will. The results of the past three elections more than speak for themselves. Decades of cries for the Guyana Constitution to be modernized could end with a shared system as all will be involved.

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

Sunday March 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

When You Die of the Coronavirus, You Die Alone

By Daniela J. Lamas Dr. Lamas is a critical care doctor.

BOSTON — As an I.C.U. doctor I’m used to giving bad news, but I was not prepared for this.I paused outside my patient’s room to watch her for a moment. She lay on the bed, tethered to a ventilator by the tracheostomy tube in her neck. Her husband sat in a small plastic chair beside her with his hand on her leg, smiling at some silly sitcom playing on the TV. I hesitated a beat. And then I entered.

I had to tell him. There was no way to soften the blow.

The hospital is changing its rules, I said. No more visitors.

When you leave today, you both need to say goodbye.

I watched their faces shift.

My patient’s breathing quickened, and her ventilator alarm sounded. Her husband quickly moved his hand to her shoulder and her breaths slowed; the alarms silenced.

He knew how to calm her. He had been there through all of it — hospitalizations for cystic fibrosis, the transplant, the bouts of rejection. When we took away her voice with the tracheostomy tube, he spoke for her.

But now, as we tighten our protocols to protect our patients from the threat of Covid-19, she’s alone. Here in my hospital, as in so many others throughout the country, we’ve banished most visitors. It’s a tough decision that leaves our patients to suffer through their illnesses in a medical version of solitary

- Containing a pandemic means keeping visitors out of the I.C.U. My patients will suffer in solitary confinement. confinement. And I’m worried for them. Because those of us on the front lines simply don’t have a plan for this.

The isolation is, of course, even more profound for those who are infected with, or are being evaluated for, coronavirus. I took care of one such patient who was intubated when he started coughing up blood on the general medical floor. He was alone in his room, on FaceTime with his daughter, when it started.

So that is the last image she has of her father — on a shaky computer screen, blood staining his hospital gown. I offer her updates over the phone, but the truth is that I am not sure when she will be able to see him again. Or even if she will be able to see him.

The devastating image of the lonely deaths of coronavirus patients in Italy hangs over us all. Talking with one of the nurse practitioners in our hospital’s new Covid19 I.C.U. one recent night, I asked what worried her most.

“Patients dying alone,” she replied quickly.A doctor next to her nodded in sad agreement. On a recent shift, he had intubated an elderly husband and wife, both of whom had severe respiratory failure from coronavirus. Their daughter asked if she could come in to see them. Though we will make exceptions for many

end-of-life visits, in this case, he had to say no — they all lived together, the daughter had a fever herself, and as a result could risk infecting other hospitalized patients.

Which means that if her parents die of this, they will do so in separate sterile hospital rooms, far from anyone who loves them.

So it’s up to us, the health care workers who are seeing these patients at the front lines, to find ways to maintain connection, to balance our fear with tenderness. This won’t be easy. I think of myself as the kind of doctor who sits at a bedside, who holds a hand, who explains what is going on slowly and gently even to my intubated patients because I can’t know what they will remember. I want to be the doctor who is always willing to spend a few extra minutes despite being stressed or rushed.

But that is not the kind of doctor I have been for the past few weeks. Because I don’t want to spend a moment longer in a Covid-19 patient’s room than I have to. Even with a mask firmly in place, even with a gown and eye protection, I do not want to share the same air. So I do what I need to do and then I leave. I don’t take the time to reassure, to explain, surely not to hold a hand. Truth is, I

am scared.

As for keeping families involved from afar, this is not easy either. The number of phone calls we need to make has soared — just as our volume of patients threatens to as well. I can feel how much these conversations matter, in the breathless way a daughter answers the phone when I call, the way a husband asks me to speak slowly, please, so that he can take notes. But time is short. The incessant beeping of our pagers urges us off the phone. We will talk again tomorrow, I say, and I hope it is true.

This is not enough. If this is our new reality, then we must do better. At my hospital, efforts are underway to bring an iPad to the bedside of every patient in isolation for coronavirus. We will also need to practice difficult conversations like delivering end of life news over the phone,

without relying on body language and touch and facial expressions to convey meaning.

As critical care doctors, we now understand that our patients and their families carry with them invisible scars from their time in the intensive care unit — anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress. The words we use matter. And I know that we are overworked and afraid that we won’t have the equipment we need to protect ourselves. But I worry that unless we find some way to mitigate the overwhelming isolation this virus has created, we will leave a fleet of wounded patients and family survivors in its wake.

I was thinking about all of this as I walked through the hospital on my way to the unit the morning after my patient and her husband said goodbye. The family waiting room, often so full that people

have to sit on the floor, was empty. I had never seen it like that. A lone coffee cup on the table was the only sign of how things had been just the day before.

I entered the unit, headed to my patient’s room. She was awake already, breathing quickly on the ventilator, eyes wide. When she saw me, she started to mouth words. Her husband would have been able to understand, but her lips moved quickly and I had no idea what she was trying to say. She soon grew frustrated. “I’m sorry,” I told her.

But she was done. She closed her eyes and turned away, toward the empty chair next to her bed. I apologized once more and then, as my pager summoned me down the hall, I stepped from the room, leaving her alone.

(This article originally appeared in The New York Times.)

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

A commendable contribution to security sector policy-making (A review of David Granger’s: The police and the public, public security and public trust) David Granger’s book, The police and the public: public security and public trust, displays a deep discernment of the daunting challenges facing public security and the appropriate measures that are needed to restore public trust and integrity within Guyana Police Force.

President David Granger is ideally suited to the task of piloting reform of the Police Force. He brings not only his executive authority to the process but, also, his professional experience and academic research of this subject, including having served as a member of the Disciplined Services Commission and as National Security Adviser.

He is fully au fait with the numerous recommendations which were made by commissions of inquiry and reports of consultancies but which were not implemented before he assumed the Presidency in 2015.

The security sector reform tableau was tailor-made for David Granger’s talents. He

wasted little time in getting into stride. The annual series of Police Officers’ Conferences provided the President with a platform to promulgate his security sector policies.

This book consists of the texts of addresses which he delivered to the five annual police officers’ conferences from 2016 to 2020. The contents constitute a solid body of policies aimed at reversing the loss of public trust in the country’s law enforcement agencies.

The Police Force, prior to David Granger’s assumption of the Presidency, attracted public censure over its perceived pervasive lack of professionalism. Some of its members had been accused of complicity in extra-judicial acts, including killings. Serious crime was at a worrying level in the country.

It came as no surprise, therefore, that in his inaugural address as President to the 2016 Police Officers’ Conference, David Granger chose to emphasize the importance of public trust in the work of the Police Force through its cooperation with communities.

The President’s address

signaled the importance which his Government attached to improving relations between the Force and the public. This was a carefully scripted and delicately presented address.

The President, advisedly, was measured in his support for certain forms of community policing, no doubt being aware of the types of vigilante justice which can often be exercised by rogue community policing groups which were not properly trained, supervised or monitored by the Force.

His primary focus in the address was on the need to improve relations between the police and communities so as to restore public trust in the Force, a condition which is seen as necessary for effective law enforcement and crime-fighting.

The President returned to Police Headquarters one year later, in 2017, with a sharper message to accelerate security sector reform. He belaboured the previous attempts at police reform to forewarn against the dangers of non-implementation of recommendations for change.

The President avoided saying how his reforms would avoid a similar fate. It was a telling omission, considering the traditional resistance to change within the Force. He is, clearly, a dogged and determined leader who is undeterred by resistance to his policies.

The Annual Police Officers’ Conference of February 2018 saw the President in a no- nonsense mood. In one of his more piercing presentations, he made it clear that corruption would not be condoned. He insisted that ethical conduct could not be expected from unethical officers. Lawlessness, he cautioned, has no place in a lawful Force.

It was the harshest reprimand which the Force has ever faced. It revealed the President’s steely determination to rid the Force of corruption and to win public trust.

One means available for ensuring police probity is through the use of constitutional mechanisms which safeguard the Force’s independence and promote trustworthiness. The Police Complaints Authority – an oversight body which investigates allegations of police malpractice – is one such mechanism. The Police Service Commission – which insulates the police from political interference – is another.

It also helps to boost the Force’s morale by ensuring appointments and promotions that are meritorious and disciplinary actions and dismissals that are deserved.

These two constitutional

agencies – which protect the Force’s professional independence and which allow for officers and constables to be investigated for malpractices – were the focus of the President’s address to the Annual Officers’ Conference 2019. The President highlighted the complementary roles played by the independent Police Service Commission and the Police Complaints Authority.

The President’s emphasis on constitutional safeguards was timely and relevant, especially given the Force’s susceptibility to political influence. Constitutional agencies, such as those mentioned by the President, however, though necessary, have not been sufficient to immunize the Police Force fully from extraneous influences; questions as to efficacy of these constitutional agencies remain.

Security sector reform results, inevitably, in organizational changes.

The President’s address to the Annual Officers’ Conference 2020 laid out the organizational changes that were necessary to ensure the Force’s ability to protect everyone in every region of the country.

The address detailed the practical aspects of police reform.

The police and the public: Public security and public trust, therefore, can be read as a systematic approach to police reform. The President begins by establishing the foundational principles – public confidence, integrity and constitutional safeguards – which should guide

systemic reform. He then emphasizes the Force’s mission in providing service and protection to everyone, regardless of where they live, and sets out a series of organizational changes necessary to give effect to this goal.

The book constitutes a commendable contribution to security sector policy-making. It provides a suite of solid policies aimed at winning public trust and transforming the much maligned Force into a modern, professional lawenforcement institution that is capable of fulfilling its mission of service and protection.

The President’s intentions are well-meaning, his policies are sound and his plans for security sector reform, though still a work-inprogress, are headed in the right direction. He, more than most others, however, would be aware that the success of security reform hinges on the Force’s receptiveness to change. He has kick-started such change.

The book, The police and the public: public security and public trust, is about policy; practice and performance are different matters.

The President, once given the chance, is expected to see this project to a conclusion, one which will require him to overcome any residual resistance to change within the Force. If there is anyone with the will to achieve this, it is David Granger.

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

Sunday March 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A very uncomfortable condition

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common condition of the Intestinal system. It is estimated that 10% of the world population has this condition.

It is often ignored, misdiagnosed or treated improperly. Today we will discuss this condition that often leaves its sufferers “very uncomfortable”.

WHAT IS IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME? IBS is a condition that causes belly pain and problems with bowel movements.

Some people with the condition have frequent, watery bowel movements (diarrhea).

Others do not have enough bowel movements (constipation). Some patients switch back and forth between diarrhea and constipation.

WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS OF IBS? Symptoms include: ·Stomach pain and cramps, related to a bowel movement ·Diarrhea or constipation (some people switch back and forth between diarrhea and constipation) ·Bloating ·Gas For most people, IBS is a chronic condition, although there will likely be times when the signs and symptoms are worse and times when they improve or even disappear completely.

IS THEREA TEST FOR IBS? No, there is no specific test. But your doctor can figure out if you have IBS by asking you a few questions, and by running tests to make sure you do not have some-

thing other than IBS. Lots of medical conditions can cause the same symptoms as IBS. So it is important that your doctor checks the other possibilities.

WHAT CAN I DO TO FEEL BETTER? You can: ·Start a diary to keep track of what you ate each day, what you did, and how you felt. That way, you can figure out if anything you do or eat makes your symptoms better or worse. ·Stop eating foods that might be making your IBS worse. Start by giving up foods that give you gas, and then give up milk, ice cream, and other foods that have traces of milk for two weeks.

Ask your doctor for advice on which foods can make IBS

worse. · Eat more fiber, if you have constipation. You can do this by eating more fruits and vegetables. Or you can take fiber pills or powders. (If eating more fiber makes symptoms worse, cut back on the fiber.) · Exercise. Do something active for 20 to 60 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week. Studies show this helps improve IBS symptoms.

HOW IS IBS TREATED? Medicines can ease the symptoms of IBS. But no treatment can cure the condition. Counseling might also help with IBS, because stress and worry can make the condition worse.

The medicines that can help with IBS symptoms include: · Medicines to ease diar-

rhea · Medicines to ease constipation · Antidepressants – These medicines work by blocking pain. When used to treat IBS, they are given at a much lower dose than would normally be given to treat depression. · Medicines called “antispasmodics” · Antibiotics – These medicines sometimes help with bloating and diarrhea in some people.

WHAT WILLLIFE WITH IBS BE LIKE? Most people with IBS have the condition for the rest of their life. Even so, most people find ways to improve their symptoms. Only a small number of people with irritable bowel syndrome have severe signs and symptoms.

Some people can control their symptoms by managing diet, lifestyle and stress. Others will need medication and counseling. The key is to keep

Dr. Zulfikar Bux working with your doctor until the two of you find an approach that works.

PAGE 28

SUNDAY STABROEK BLOCK CONTRACT ALLOWS EXXONMOBIL TO WEATHER STORM AT GUYANA’S EXPENSE Crisis or not, the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) will always leave ExxonMobil and its partners with good outcomes all at Guyana’s expense.

And the prevailing trouble in the oil market where ExxonMobil is forced to make budget cuts in the face of the coronavirus is no different.

Any changes it makes to CapEx (Capital Expenditure), it will be done to ensure its Stabroek Block operations, arguably the crown jewel of its portfolio, is preserved.

ExxonMobil’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Darren Woods, will disclose the details of these cuts soon. In the meantime, ExxonMobil’s partner on the Guyana license, Hess Corporation, is also walking the same line. About two weeks ago, Hess’ CEO, John Hess, announced that the company shaved off some US$800M from its budget so that it can preserve its “great investment opportunity in Guyana”. On March 16, 2020, the company also entered into a US$1 billion three-year term loan agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. It should be noted that any financial maneuverings, done by these two American oil giants for the sake of its Guyana investment, would not result in a loss. This is all thanks to a sweet provision in the 2016 PSA that allows them to recoup all financing costs as well as the interests taken on loans to support its operations. According to the document, “Interests, expenses and related fees incurred on loans raised by the parties comprising the Contractor for petroleum operations and other financing costs provided that such expenses, fees and costs are consistent with market rates” are recoverable by without need for approval by the Minister.

ONLY CREDIBLE AND TRANSPARENT COUNTING CAN PRODUCE LEGITIMATE RESULTS – EU AMBASSADOR A m b a s s a d o r Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union (EU), Fernando Ponz Cantó said that only credible and transparent counting can produce legitimate results.

The Ambassador was, at the time, commenting on a statement from the European

Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

Union Observer Mission that it had taken a decision to withdraw from Guyana due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the decision the team took to leave, Cantó iterated, “Our Election Observation Mission calls to complete the electoral process in a credible and transparent manner. The European Union remains engaged in Guyana and firmly determined to support all efforts to this end.”

The European Union is just one international mission to have pointed out that the tabulation process which led to the Region Four declarations could not have produced credible results that can withstand public and international scrutiny.

The first time, at the Hadfield Street office of the returning officer, Clairmont Mingo, as well as the second time at Kingston when Mingo’s office was moved, were marred by a lack of transparency and accusations of electoral fraud.

Though the international missions were willing to assist Guyana in its facilitation of a CARICOM supervised full recount, that recount has been obstructed by a series of interim injunctions filed for by a candidate of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Ulita Grace Moore, and approved by Justice Franklyn Holder.

Many local entities have now called for the recount to be executed, but whether the law will allow it, remains to be seen.

CARIBBEAN AIRLINES GROUNDS INT’L FLIGHTS – AS T&T RECORDS 40 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 Under threat but unrelenting, the world has been gradually taking up a battle stance to combat the pernicious impact of COVID19, the novel coronavirus.

The tactical response, ranging from closure of borders to social distancing, has been so impacting that it is literally threatening to cripple economies.

From all indication, only the most resilient among us will last. In order to give even more a fighting chance, some hard decisions are being made. One was announced just Saturday [March 21, 2020].

By way of a statement, the Trinidad and Tobago-based Caribbean Airlines, which has been flying the friendly global skies for many years, has taken a decision to restrict its international flights. This has come on the heels of an announcement made by the twin-island Government,

“that effective 12.01 a.m. on Monday March 23, 2020 the borders of Trinidad and Tobago will be closed to all international commercial services until further notice”.

This, from all indications, has stemmed from concerns surrounding recently confirmed cases of COVID-19 there.

According to the Trinidad Guardian, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh has confirmed that there are 40 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Trinidad and Tobago, taking the overall national figure to 49 cases. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Deyalsingh said the 40 new cases were from among the batch of 68 nationals who were immediately quarantined at Camp Balandra after they returned home from an illfated Caribbean cruise in Guadeloupe on Wednesday.

Deyalsingh said the results of the latest tests were received Friday night and the patients were transferred immediately to the Couva Hospital around 1 am Saturday. The 40 new cases were among 70 nationals who were on board the cruise liner Costa Favalosa, which was denied entry to Martinique after leaving Guadeloupe when several passengers aboard tested positive for the virus.

MONDAY GUYANACOULD BECOMEAFAILED STATE IF IT CHOOSES THE WRONG PATH – SIR SHRIDATH RAMPHAL Former Commonwealth

Secretary-General, Sir Shridath Ramphal says that Guyana could choose the path that would lead it to be “a good Guyana”, or it could become a failed State that has abandoned values and principles.

In a statement, Ramphal applauded the thrust of former Minister of Business, Hans Dominic Gaskin, who cast doubt on the figures produced by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo for the General and Regional Elections of Region Four.

Ramphal had previously expressed support for the CARICOM-supervised recount, stating that the regional body’s intervention was a ray of light. All should have welcomed the recount, Ramphal had said.

This time, Ramphal quoted Guyana’s supreme law, which affirms respect for the dignity of all Guyanese and principles of freedom, justice and peace.

He said, “When the Court pronounces next (this) week, it is upon what is truly constitutional that it must pronounce. By so doing, it will allow all the parties and the people of Guyana to move forward lawfully and in fulfillment of their solemn pledge to each other.”

The Court case comes up today, with a decision to be made about whether the injunctions blocking the recount should stand.

Several civil societal organisations, public figures and political parties have espoused the recount, in hopes that it will resolve the current impasse, which has prolonged Guyana’s electoral process so far that it has been

three weeks since the General and Regional Elections.

PROJECT DETAILS REVEAL…EXXONMOBIL’S HAMMERHEADVENTURE JUST AS DANGEROUS TO ENVIRONMENTAS ITS THREE OTHER PROJECTS Even as it evaluates the best financial manoeuvrings to be made in response to the effects of the coronavirus, ExxonMobil is still moving ahead with development operations in Guyana. In fact, the American oil giant is seeking the permission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a fourth project on the oil-rich Stabroek Block.

In its application to the EPA, ExxonMobil noted that the project to be developed at the Hammerhead well will see close to 190,000 barrels of oil being produced per day.

But this is not without some serious potential risk to the environment.

According to the project details, the Hammerhead venture is expected to have the same potentially disastrous environmental effects as those identified in the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of Exxon’s three other projects.

The EIAs note that an unmitigated oil spill from ExxonMobil’s Payara, Liza Phase One and Liza Phase Two Projects, could significantly impact Guyana’s marine life, ecosystems and communities along its coasts as well as its regional neighbours such as Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao; the southern Lesser

Antilles; and the Greater Antilles.

In addition to carrying those hazards, the project details for Hammerhead note that air quality, marine geology, marine water, coastal habitats, coastal wildlife, protected areas, ecosystems, Indigenous people and traditional use of resources and land, marine turtles and fish and even marine mammals are all at risk for potential impacts.

In acknowledgment of the potential environmental effects, ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), said that a robust cumulative impact assessment will be performed on all of its projects.

The Hammerhead project will see the production of 150,000 to 190,000 barrels of heavy oil per day. The project is expected to last for 20 years and will see 26 to 30 wells being drilled to support extraction of the oil from below the seafloor. Each well will be drilled to some 3500 to 5300 metres below sea level.

MARAD CLOSES ALL SEAPORTS TO INTERNATIONAL VESSELS – ONLY MERCHANT SHIPS ALLOWED IN As part of efforts to safeguard marine operators and seafolk from contracting and spreading the coronavirus, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has closed all Guyana’s seaports to international vessels, with the exception of the international (Continued on page 29)

Sunday March 29, 2020

From page 28 merchant ships. In a release to the press, MARAD’s Director General Claudette Rogers noted that the restrictions took effect from Saturday. MARAD noted that no shore leave and crew exchange shall be granted to crews on board vessels until further notice. Further, the statement noted that any entrance to the ports will be granted in accordance with established procedures.

Meanwhile, in a special advisory to mariners, Rogers noted that all operators , owners of vessels, shipping agents and the general public are required to submit all enquiries and queries via email or contact MARAD on telephone numbers 225-7330 / 226- 3356. All documents, certificates and licences related to seafarers should be submitted online todms@marad.gov.gyorlvyphus@marad.gov.gyor contact the division via telephone.

The department said that all correspondence/ applications related to in water permits, marine construction, dredging and inspection should be submitted electronically to the Ports and Harbour Division via email at ports @marad.gov.gy.

“As of March 21, all agencies with existing credit arrangement with the administration are asked to submit their credit request for vessel clearance via ports @marad .gov.gy for approval.

The clearance will be issued

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electronically. Be advised that the Division will keep records of all outstanding payments and shall issue invoices in due course.”

In addition, agencies which do not have credit arrangement with MARAD can have the necessary documents for processing of departure clearance submitted electronically via email to y h a r r i s 2 m a r a d . g o v. g y and rforsythe@marad.gov.gy or WhatsApp +592-621-3477.

CONSTITUTION ALLOWS GECOM TO TAKEACTION AS IT SEES FIT TO ENSURE IMPARTIALITY AND FAIRNESS The Supreme Law of Guyana, the Constitution makes clear the powers of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), currently chaired by Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh SC As the ultimate authority over the Secretariat, GECOM may take whatever action it sees fit to ensure that the electoral process is fair and impartial.

This is expressed in Article 162 (1) (b).

It states that the electoral commission “shall issue such instructions and take such action as appear to it necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of this Constitution or of any Act of Parliament on the part of persons exercising powers or

performing duties connected with or relating to the matters aforesaid.”

Those matters, expressed in 162 (1) (a) are the Commission’s general direction and supervision over “the registration of electors and the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly.”

TUESDAY JAGDEO REQUESTS DISCLOSURE OF SOPS IN LEGALBATTLE OVER ELECTIONS RECOUNT Lawyers for Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, have requested disclosure of the Statement of Polls (SOPs) for the votes cast at the Regional and General Elections on March 2.

Attorney-at-law Neil Boston S.C., who is representing the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), told the media following a closed hearing before Justice Franklyn Holder at the Georgetown High Court Monday, that the request has met with strong objections from his team.

Boston has submitted that the request by Jagdeo can only be made in an election petition case. Jagdeo‘s team of lawyers has filed their defence in the case against the elections recount.

The Court has already granted an application to consolidate hearings for the matters filed by Jagdeo and

Reaz Holladar, and the case filed by A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) candidate Ulita Moore.

The matter is scheduled to continue today for further arguments in relation to the defence filed.

In the interim, the Court is still in the preliminary stages of hearing the application by Moore to block the national recount of the ballots cast on March 2.

Friday, March 14, 2020 Justice Holder approved applications by the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and The New Movement (TNM) to be joined as parties to the proceedings So far, an interim injunction has been granted to put the recount process on hold.

The interim injunction granted to Moore 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 hearing and determination of the judicial review of the application.

Further, the interim injunction granted by Justice Holder, restrains GECOM from permitting or authorising “any person or persons to any agreement between the President of Guyana and the leader of the Opposition and or any agreement between GECOM and the Caribbean Community or at all, to count

or recount any ballots cast by electors at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections until the hearing and determination of the judicial review application.”

“The interim decision also restrains the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, from submitting any report of the total votes cast for each List of Candidates pursuant to Section 96 (1) and (2) of the Representation of the People Act, save and except the votes counted and the information furnished by the Returning Officer under Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act until the hearing and determination of the judicial review application filed herein.”

SUDDIE HIGHAND MAGISTRATE COURT OFFICIALS REMAINAT HOME OVER POSSIBLE CORONAVIRUS EXPOSURE – STAFFER WAS ON FLIGHT WITH COUNTRY’S FIRST VICTIM; NO ONE HAS SHOWN ANY SYMPTOMS TO DATE A judge and magistrate seconded to the Courts at Suddie, Essequibo, are among others who remain in isolation, following concerns that a court staffer may have come into contact with the country’s first coronavirus victim.

The judicial officials and other staffers have been in

isolation since Monday March 16, 2020, while the Suddie High Court and Magistrate Courts remain closed. The buildings have also been sanitised.

Kaieteur News understands that none of the individuals have shown signs of having contracted the COVID-19 strain, and the courts are likely to reopen next Monday.

A legal spokesperson confirmed that the concerns surfaced after it was discovered that a female court staffer had travelled on March 7 on the same flight with Ratna Baboolall, who succumbed to the COVID-19 strain, at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to a spokesperson, the staffers contacted Ministry of Public Health officials “and were told to isolate themselves” as a precautionary measure.

“As a precautionary measure it was advised that everyone who had potential contact with the person who came off the flight should stay at home,” another source added.

A March 16, 2020 release from the Supreme Court of Judicature Protocol and Communications Unit had indicated that the two courts would have been closed until March 23rd 2020. The release stated that the decision had been taken since a staff member of the courts, may have been exposed to the Coronavirus.

The release stated that (Continued on page 36)

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From page 29 “consequent on medical advice, the Essequibo High Court, Suddie and Anna Regina Magistrates’ Courts will be closed with immediate effect. The courts will be opened on Monday March 23rd, 2020. This decision has been taken due to the possible exposure of a staff member to the corona virus”.

“These courts will be fumigated and the Supreme Court protocols in relation to continued sanitization and the court’s response to the virus will be followed scrupulously. Constant review and assessment of the situation will be undertaken and court users will be provided updates.”

Meanwhile, in Georgetown and elsewhere, the judiciary has also implemented several precautionary procedures at all courts.

Kaieteur News had reported that visitors now have to subject themselves to being sanitized prior to entering the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts compound.

“WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF GUYANA WHO WANT TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THEIR DEMOCRACY” – WHITE HOUSE NAT’L SECURITY COUNCIL The United States White House National Security Council has affirmed its commitment to having all nations in the Americas be fully free, and says that it stands with the people who want to protect the integrity of Guyana’s democracy.

The Council (@WHNSC) made its position known in a tweet Monday, commenting on statements by Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, about the need for the tabulation of Guyana’s votes to be credible.

The tweet reads: “The U.S. is committed to the Americas becoming the 1st fully free hemisphere. We stand with the people of #Guyana who want to protect the integrity of their democracy, maintain peace, & preserve regional stability while we collectively confront #COVID2019.

Below the tweet is a link to Secretary Pompeo’s Remarks to the Press in Washington, D.C., on March 17.

The White House National Security Council is the forum used by the President of the US to consider military, security and foreign policy matters.

The National Security Council’s tweet is one in a series of public statements

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from high level US officials about the electoral process in Guyana.

Secretary Pompeo had said that the nation is closely monitoring the tabulation in Guyana, and that swift action would be taken to ensure that those who seek to benefit from electoral fraud and an illegitimate government/ regime would face serious consequences.

The Council has joined calls by the Organisation of American States, the Commonwealth, the European Union, CARICOM and other democratic partners, for an accurate and credible count.

The Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, has produced declarations on two separate occasions, for which the tabulation processes are marred by an alleged lack of transparency and accusations of electoral fraud.

The first one was even vitiated by the Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire in a recent ruling. The second is also about to be under the court’s contemplation, as People’s Progressive Party (PPP) general secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has challenged the legality of the declaration.

WEDNESDAY GUYANA’S POOREST WILL SUFFER THE MOST IF WE LOSE RECOGNITIONASA FUNCTIONAL DEMOCRACY – YESU PERSAUD SAYS IN PUBLIC PLEA TO PRESIDENT GRANGER Businessman Yesu Persaud has sent an impassioned public letter to President David Granger, urging him to work towards an amicable solution to the country’s post-elections crisis.

In his letter, the venerable businessman expressed

concern that the nation’s political stalemate “threatens Guyana’s reputation as a functional democracy, and the livelihoods of the poor.”

More than three weeks has passed since Guyana’s 2020 General and Regional Elections were conducted, but the official results have not yet been announced.

Persaud said that a duly elected democratic government should have already been in place.

The conclusion of the electoral process in a credible process has been stalled by resistance to two contentious declarations made by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, for the largest and most contentious region. The second occurred, even after the Chief Justice handed Mingo clear instructions on the proper execution of the tabulation process.

The tabulation processes leading to both declarations were adjudged by independent international observers and political parties as lacking credibility and transparency.

Persaud said that it appears as though the electoral process was suddenly abandoned after the other nine electoral districts were counted, with a result that handed the national victory to APNU+AFC. Efforts to have a CARICOM-supervised recount of all votes done, based on an agreement brokered by the leaders of the two major parties, were obstructed by a series of interim injunctions sought by APNU+AFC candidate, Ulita Grace Moore.

The result of all of this is a long and winding electoral process that has drawn the attention of the international community, which has called on Guyana to take all necessary steps to preserve its democracy. “Guyana needs to take corrective

actions and find a solution to this issue immediately so that we can have a democratically elected Government in place.

By failing to do this, we shall face condemnation globally and we will not be recognised as a functional democracy anymore,” Persaud urged.

22 DAYS AFTER ELECTIONS… LAWYERS ARGUE OVER COURT’S JURISDICTION IN RECOUNT CASE Twenty–two days after the Regional and General elections were held in Guyana, lawyers are continuing to argue before the High Court on issues related to an application filed against a recount.

The case to stop the recount was filed by APNU – AFC candidate Ulita Moore.

The matter is being heard by Justice Franklyn Holder at the High Court in Georgetown.

Tuesday, lawyers involved in the matter continued to present arguments over a request by Leader of the Opposition People Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Bharrat Jagdeo for the Statements of Polls produced to Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield for the March 2, 2020 to be laid over to the Court.

The Court is hearing Jagdeo‘s application which was filed alongside that of Reaz Holladar, a private citizen in favour of the recount. The duo is being represented by a team of attorneys, including the Trinidad-based Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes and PPP/C Executive member and Attorney -at- law Anil Nandlall.

Following a private hearing into the matter Tuesday, Nandlall explained that Lowenfield’s Attorney, Neil Boston S.C had vigorously opposed his request for the production of the SOPs. Nandlall posited that the production of the

SOPs would address the controversy over the results presented by Returning Officer for Region Four Clairmont Mingo.

He stressed that it forms the basis of which all of the legal matters stem.

“If that is addressed then, there could be a quick solution to the entire issue.

Instead, we see a strong resistance to our request from the parties representing the Chief Election Officer, who is supposed to be an impartial respondent in these proceedings.”

According to Nandlall, the applicant’s (Moore’s) lawyers raised the issue of whether the Court has jurisdiction to order the recounting of the statements of poll at this time.

“STRONG INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION” IF GOVERNMENT IS SWORN IN ON FLAWED RESULTS – UK FOREIGN SECRETARY The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom has emerged with another statement; this time, threatening Guyana with “serious consequences” if a government is sworn in on the basis of non-credible results from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

His initial statement came on March 10 with the United Kingdom expressing deep concern over the situation following the elections.

In that statement, the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab pointed out that allegations of electoral fraud and premature declarations of victory prior to the completion of a credible process pose a grave threat to the democratic principles of Guyana.

However, in his statement Tuesday, he made it clear that “the transition of government in Guyana should only take

place in line with transparent and democratic principles that lead to credible results.”

According to him, “any government sworn in on the basis of non-credible results will face strong international condemnation.”

“If the situation continues to deteriorate, this international response will include a range of serious consequences for those concerned” Raab said.

Further, Raab maintained that the UK remains ready, along with its partners, to assist in ensuring a credible process that provides the democratic outcome that the Guyanese people deserve.

THURSDAY PRELIMINARYAUDIT REPORT FOR EXXONMOBIL’S US$460M PRECONTRACT COSTS BEING EXAMINED – GRA BOSS Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Godfrey Statia has confirmed that he is in receipt of an initial audit report for the US$460M in precontract costs Guyana must pay to ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

Statia said he is now examining the report, after which he will do his own internal work, and then have discussions with IHS Markit, the UK Company that was recruited to audit the billions of dollars ExxonMobil said it invested in the Stabroek Block.

“It is still a work in progress,” the CommissionerGeneral added.

In its Expression of Interest (EOI), the Londonbased firm had stated that it has the deepest source of information, analytics and solutions for the major (Continued on page 37)

Sunday March 29, 2020

From page 36 industries such as oil, while noting that it has provided its expertise to clients in over 165 countries for more than 50 years. The company further stated that it understands the holistic impact of costs on upstream operations.

In terms of what it is bringing to the table for Guyana, IHS said that it has a comprehensive global database of exploration and production costs. It said that this data includes local and regional costs at the component level so as to allow for detailed comparisons.

IHS also said that it has developed proprietary software solutions and tools to gain insights into costs faced in the exploration and production sector. It said that it uses cost estimation tools such as Que$tor and Vantage, paired with its rich databases, to provide industry leading cost analysis.

International lawyer, Melinda Janki, was one of the first persons to note that the country is neck-deep in precontract costs.

During a panel discussion that was held on Guyana’s oil contract with ExxonMobil at Moray House, Janki reminded that the country has to pay US$460M in pre-contract costs. This covers the period 1999 to 2015. But there is a second lot. Janki noted that the contract specifically states that Guyana is to pay contract costs from January 2016 to when the deal was signed on October 7, 2016.

UN LAUNCHES US$2B GLOBALHUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAN TO TACKLE COVID-19 A global approach is the only way to fight COVID-19, says the United Nations (UN). UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock warned that failing to help vulnerable countries fight the coronavirus now could place millions at risk and leave the virus free to circle back around the globe. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Wednesday launched a US$2 billion coordinated global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries (51 of them across South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia) in a bid to protect millions.

Governments are being urged to commit to fully supporting the global humanitarian response plan, while sustaining funding to existing humanitarian appeals.

The response plan will be implemented by UN agencies, with international NGOs and

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NGO consortia playing a direct role in the response.

It will deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people; install hand washing stations in camps and settlements; launch public information campaigns on how to protect yourself and others from the virus; and establish air bridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most.

Secretary-General Guterres said “COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity – and so the whole of humanity must fight back.

Individual country responses are not going to be enough.

“We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable – millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves. This is a matter of basic human solidarity. It is also crucial for combating the virus. This is the moment to step up for the vulnerable.”

CHARTER FLIGHT ARRIVES FROM BARBADOS WITH 17 - PASSENGERS TAKEN TO QUARANTINE FACILITY Some 17 Guyanese, including three children and one elder were late Wednesday abruptly accosted by police officers at the ogle Airport, after arriving from Barbados on a Trans Guyana flight chartered by one of them.

As the passengers exited the airport, they were met by persons wearing hazmat (hazardous material) suits and were beckoned to board a 48seater bus. The passengers were given the impression that they were being taken only to be screened for Coronavirus, but they later learnt that they were being taken to endure 14 days of quarantine.

Even if they test positive, they will be kept quarantined for the entire period. Kaieteur News understands that there were at least two doctors on site Wednesday night.

When persons asked where they were being taken, they were reportedly told that that was a secret. Kaieteur News later learnt from a parent who followed the bus that the

persons were taken to the Madewini Campsite on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

One Ministry of Public Health staffer told them that he has operational management of the facility. It is manned by military officers.

Kaieteur News was told that the persons were taken to dorms segregated by gender. Each dorm consists of enough double-bunk beds to house all of them. The passengers are concerned about the conditions they are expected to live under, as they say it is unsanitary. They worry that, as they are kept in cramped quarters, they will all eventually get infected, even if only one person was, at first.

There are reportedly few bathrooms and toilet facilities, and insufficient ventilation. They were told that the facilities they were placed in were all that were at the disposal of the team at this time.

Kaieteur News understands that there were already about four persons at the site when the group got there, quarantined after arriving from Suriname.

FRIDAY GUYANAAMBASSADOR, RIYAD INSANALLY, SUMMONED BY US GOVT. OVER ‘FLAWED ELECTION RESULTS’ Guyana’s Ambassador to the United States Riyad Insanally was yesterday called before the US Government which has firmly reiterated its position that any government sworn in on the basis of flawed results would not be legitimate.

This meeting has been organized

by Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, Ambassador Michael Kozak. Kozak in a tweet Thursday said that “on behalf of the US Government, today I summoned #Guyana Ambassador to the US Riyad Insanally to convey our firm position that any government sworn in based on flawed election results would not be legitimate.”

“Every vote must be counted,” the tweet said.

The acting US Secretary

of State had previously issued a statement following the declaration made by District Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

Kozak stressed that “vote tabulation irregularities marred Guyana’s March 2 elections” and urged that no candidate be sworn into office.

That statement followed a report by APNU+AFC Campaign Manager Joseph Harmon that steps were already in motion to have David Granger sworn in, on the basis of the unverified, Region Four results.

The EU, in addition to the governments of the US, UK and Canada are among the list of International voices that have called for credible elections results in Guyana.

US OFFERS $15M REWARD FOR MADURO’S ARREST – INDICTS VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT, OTHER TOP OFFICIALS ON CHARGES OF ‘NARCO-TERRORISM’ WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government on Thursday indicted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and more than a dozen other top Venezuelan officials on charges of “narco-terrorism,” the latest escalation of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign aimed at ousting the socialist leader.

The State Department offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maduro, whose country has been convulsed by years of a deep economic crisis and political upheaval.

The indictment, a rare U.S. action against a sitting foreign head of state, marks a serious new phase against Maduro by Washington at a

time when some U.S. officials have privately said President Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated with the results of his Venezuela policy.

Attorney General William Barr, announcing charges that include narco-terrorism conspiracy, corruption, and drug trafficking, accused Maduro and his associates of colluding with a dissident faction of demobilized Colombian guerrilla group, the FARC, “to flood the United States with cocaine.”

“While the Venezuelan people suffer, this cabal lines their pockets with drug money and the proceeds of their corruption,” Barr said of Maduro and the others who were indicted.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said the charges and rewards being offered showed the Trump administration’s “desperation” as well as its “obsession” with the South American country aimed at benefiting Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.

Trump’s pressure on Venezuela has gone over well among Cuban Americans in South Florida, a key voting bloc in a major presidential swing state.

The U.S. government has previously lodged criminal indictments against members of Maduro’s family and inner circle. He and his allies have dismissed such allegations as a smear campaign, and argue the United States is responsible for drug trafficking, given its role as a leading consumer.

Maduro is already under U.S. sanctions and has been the target of a U.S. effort aimed at pushing him from power. He took office in 2013 after the death of his mentor President Hugo Chavez, a staunch foe of the United States.

Other Venezuelan officials whose indictments were announced yesterday include Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, senior socialist leader Diosdado Cabello, and the chief justice of the country’s supreme court, Maikel Jose Moreno Perez, who was charged with money laundering. The U.S. government is offering $10 million for information leading to Cabello’s arrest.

SATURDAY GECOM CAN ORDER RECOUNT – CHAIRPERSON CONTENDS INAFFIDAVIT “Once there is evidence that the electoral process was compromised, then to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the Constitution, the Commission is constitutionally mandated to intervene to ensure public confidence in the electoral process.” – retired Justice Claudette Singh In an affidavit filed in the High Court, retired Justice Claudette Singh has reaffirmed her commitment as Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM) to oversee a fair and transparent electoral process. Justice Singh has been listed as a respondent in the case filed

by APNU +AFC candidate Ulita Moore to block a recount.

In her 22-page document laid over by her Attorney Kim Kyte, the GECOM Chair said that Article 161 (1) (b) of the Constitution provides clear and convincing authority for GECOM to take action it finds necessary and expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the Constitution (Continued on page 38)

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Contrary to the application by Moore, the Chairperson stressed that once there is evidence that the electoral process was compromised, then to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the Constitution or of any Act of Parliament, the Commission is publicly mandated to intervene to ensure public confidence in the electoral process.

She cited the recent ruling of Chief Justice Roxane George, which outlined that in the exercise of statutory duties (persons) must do so transparently to “engender transparency and accountability and thereby to ensure impartiality and fairness.”

Justice Singh noted that the Chief Justice had proffered several legal bases for which Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo should employ a procedure which is accepted as transparent and credible.

Since this is disputed, the affidavit by the chairperson outlined that decision of the recount was taken at the level of GECOM. She stated the full Commission, including the Chair, had agreed to the recount.

The former judge refuted Moore’s contention that there is any attempt by political leaders (President’s David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo) to usurp the functions of GECOM as an independent constitutional body.

She noted that the decision for a CARICOM High level team to oversee the process was simply the mechanism to ensure transparency.

“Section 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution which states that GECOM, “shall issue such instructions and take such action as appear to be necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance.

Thus, once there is evidence that the electoral process was compromised, then to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the Constitution, the Commission is constitutionally mandated to intervene to ensure public confidence in the electoral process.”

According to the sworn document, Justice Singh is adamant that the Commission has separate and independent powers under the Constitution to execute supervisory powers in respect to the electoral process.

“The intention of

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Parliament is to vest GECOM with independent supervisory powers to ensure fairness, transparency and impartiality of the electoral process. It is further submitted that Section 140 provides GECOM with a further protective shield to allow the body to act independently and unfettered to provide the nation with a credible electoral process.”

“This means the Commission can order a recount,” Justice Singh stated.

Against the argument that the issue can only dealt with by way of an elections petition, Justice Singh argues that the electoral process is not yet completed.

Justice Singh also contends that GECOM was in the process of exercising its constitutional supervisory functions when it was stopped by the Court.

She noted then Chief Justice Desiree Bernard in a 2001 case when she stated: “In the present volatile situation which pervades our country, no effort must be spared to assure everyone that the process was fair and impartial. Lingering doubts that hang like a sword of Damocles over the head of the Commission must be removed. Confidence in the electoral process must be restored.”

Therefore, the GECOM Chair said, the application to block the recount should be rejected and the Commission should be permitted to execute its constitutional role and functions with or without the CARICOM agreement.

COURT TO HEAR RECOUNT CASE; REJECTS REQUEST FOR GECOM TO PRODUCE SOPS Justice Franklyn Holder is expected to proceed with hearing a case filed by A Partnership for National Unity – Alliance for Change (APNUAFC) candidate, Ulita Moore, following a ruling that the High Court has jurisdiction to hear the Fixed Date Application (FDA).

Justice Holder also handed down a decision on Friday refusing a request by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to have the Statements of Poll (SOPs) garnered from the March 2, 2020 elections disclosed in Court.

The Judge had previously granted an interim injunction to put the recount process on hold.

The interim injunction granted to Moore restrains the Chairman of GECOM, and the Chief Elections Officer, from setting aside or varying

the declarations already made by the 10 electoral districts with any other documents or declarations, until the hearing and determination of the judicial review of the application.

According to the interim injunction, it restrains GECOM from permitting or authorising “any person or persons to any agreement between the President of Guyana and the leader of the determination of the judicial review application”.

“The interim decision also restrains the Chief Elections Officer, CEO, from submitting any report of the total votes cast for each List of Candidates pursuant to Section 96 (1) and (2) of the Representation of the People Act, save and except the votes counted and the information furnished by the Returning Officer under Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act until the hearing and determination of the judicial review Opposition and or any agreement between GECOM and the Caribbean Community or at all, to count or recount any ballots cast by electors at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections until the hearing and application filed herein.

Lawyers representing the Leader of Opposition, People Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) Bharrat Jagdeo, who filed a joint application with Reaz Holladar, a private citizen, have challenged Moore’s injunction.

In his representation of the PPP/C, Trinidad- based Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes challenged the application on the grounds that court has no jurisdiction to hear the action.

In the ruling yesterday, Justice Holder noted that Jagdeo’s lawyers in their arguments of whether the Court has jurisdiction had cited section 140 of the Representation of the People Act. “I do recognize that Section 140 does prescribe for an alternative statutory remedy in the form of an elections petition where persons are aggrieved relative to any of the issues provided for in Article 163. This is a limited alternative remedy to treat with only those issues provided for in Article 163.

He added that “This is a true statement of law where the provision such as in Section 140 of the Representation of the People Act, the court could provide an alternative statutory remedy.”

“An alternative statutory remedy relates to questions provided for in Article 163, where GECOM may be acting in the ambit of its

jurisdiction…in Section 140 (1) of the Representation of the People Act by itself …does not oust the jurisdiction of the court, in its ordinary jurisdiction, for Judicial Review where the Elections Commission has alleged to have done or intends to do something that it has no jurisdiction to do.

As such, Holder stated that the court has jurisdiction to hear the application brought by Ulita Moore.

Outside the Courthouse, Attorney -at- law Neil Boston S.C, who represents Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, in the matter, told the court that the decision of the Court not to allow Jagdeo ‘s request for the SOPs is in keeping with the argument that such issues can only be sorted out by way of an elections petition.

“This is after the final results are declared and everything is finalized. Not in a matter that is set for judicial review; it cannot happen. That would be unlawful.”

Meanwhile, PPP Executive Member and Attorney -at – law, Anil Nandlall said other members of his legal team would appeal the decision by Holder to hear the case, on the basis of the Representation of the People Act. Nandlall said that the Act bars the court from enquiring into decisions by the sevenmember GECOM. According to him, the appeal is likely to go all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR SAYS… ‘PREVENTION IS CRITICALAND URGENT’ – CALLS ON GOVT. TO PUT TOUGHER MEASURES INTO EFFECT FOR COVID-19 (Statement

by

UN

Resident Coordinator Ms. Mikiko Tanaka) The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic rages worldwide with 465,915 confirmed cases and 21,031 deaths – an unprecedented scale and speed. Guyana is not insulated from the pandemic and even with the 5 cases and 1 death till today, there is no room for complacency, as we have seen rapid acceleration from low numbers in many countries. Prevention is critical and urgent.

The Ministry of Public Health and national authorities initiated preventive measures in late January, starting with health and border quarantine procedures.

With the confirmation of the first case on 11 March, health response capacities have been enhanced and other measures were taken including the suspension of international commercial flights, temporary closure of schools, border closures and public information and advisories for hygiene and social distancing.

The private sector and religious community have started to take some voluntary measures to protect their staff and congregation and to help health workers and citizens.

Linden and New Amsterdam have taken the initiative to enforce lockdown measures to limit social gathering and movements.

We commend the health

workers who are working around the clock in a highstress and high-risk environment to respond to the outbreak. We have to protect the physical and mental health of these health workers and to keep the caseload manageable by stemming the spread.

Prevention is critical.

Social gatherings and movements of people are the biggest risk in the spread of COVID-19. We are very concerned that social gatherings are continuing despite public advisories discouraging this for some time.

Reinforcing the advice from PAHO/WHO Representative in Guyana Dr. William Adu-Krow, the United Nations (UN) System calls on the Government to urgently introduce more stringent measures to stem COVID-19.

This includes work-fromhome in public and private institutions except for essential services, limiting people’s movements to essential errands.

The UN System stands ready to provide advice and assistance in elaborating and implementing a national response plan that covers the health sector and other socioeconomic sectors to help citizens cope with the impact of the COVID-19 response, and in particular to protect the most vulnerable. This will build on the critical ongoing support from PAHO/WHO and other UN agencies.

Sunday March 29, 2020

PAGE 39

Kaieteur News

Let’s talk heartburn At some point in your life, you might have heard some persons complaining that they have constant heartburn. But what exactly is it and why does it happen?

As we dive into that topic, it is important to first understand that constant and recurring heartburn is actually a disorder known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, GERD for short.

GERD is a disease of the digestive system with the main pathology occurring at the lower esophageal sphincter or the LES. The LES is a circular muscle between the stomach and the tube leading to the stomach (the esophagus) that seals the stomach and prevents its contents from backing up.

Many persons, especially pregnant women and persons suffering from obesity, suffer from heartburn or acid indigestion caused by GERD. GERD is one of those diseases which can be fixed through lifestyle changes including diet and exercise. However, due to long term effects, some persons may require medical or surgical intervention.

In order to understand the disease we must understand the name.

Gastroesophagealis the term used to refer to the stomach and esophagus while reflux means to flow back or return.

As such, gastroesophageal reflux is the return of the stomach’s contents back up into the esophagus. Reflux occurs when the LES is weak or it opens up inappropriately thus allowing the contents of the stomach to flow into the esophagus.

For some, the causes of GERD is multifactorial, how-

ever certain diets and lifestyle choices are the main contributors to this disease. Foods like chocolate, peppermint, fried or fatty foods and drinks like coffee and alcohol, can trigger reflux and heartburn. Cigarette smoke causes relaxation of the LES, along with the obesity factor and pregnancy.

These therefore have significant roles to play in the symptoms of GERD. The most major complaint of anyone suffering from GERD is heartburn. It is also called acid indigestion and is characterized by a burning chest pain on the left side of the upper chest, radiating to the neck and throat. To put it into context, it usually feels like food coming back into the mouth and leaving a sour or bitter taste.

These symptoms can last up to two hours and are exacerbatedespecially after eating. Two other phenomena that could cause heartburn occur upon lying down or

taken for that of heart disease or cardiac arrest. The differences however are easily distinguished. For heart disease, the pain is aggravated with exercise and can ease when resting. It is can also radiate to the left arm, axilla, shoulder, neck and jaw. Heartburn pain is not affected by physical activity and radiates only toward the neck and throat.

The number one recommendation for the treatment of GERD is modification of lifestyle and diet. The mainstay of treatment is in actuality attempting to decrease the amount of reflux or reducing the damage caused to the esophagus by the acidic materials of the stomach.

Foods and drinks that cause the LES to weaken should be avoided. These, as was mentioned can include chocolate, peppermint, fatty foods, coffee and alcohol.

Legumes and some large amounts of foods rich in carbs should be looked out for as

bending over. As such it is not unusual for a lot of persons to obtain relief by standing up or through the use of an over the counter antacid to neutralize the acid in the esophagus.

A common issue is with this issue is that sometimes the associated pain is mis-

well since persons have reported them as causation factors. Foods and drinks that cause irritation of the esophageal lining, such as acidic fruits and juices and pepper should also be avoided if they cause symptoms.

Managing portion sizes at mealtime so that you do not

overeat could also be essential in symptom control. Also, eating meals at least 2 to 3 hours before going to bed can help to decrease reflux. This allows the acid in the stomach to decrease and the stomach to partially empty, thereby ensuring that there is minimum content in the stomach to back up. Being overweight tends to worsens symptoms so weight loss is key to gaining symptomatic relief in the long run.

As smoking weakens the LES, quitting can help to decrease GERD symptoms.

Keeping your head elevated when sleeping at night could also help since it allows the minimizing of reflux through gravity. Along with these lifestyle modifications, over the counter or prescription antacids may also be recommended Antacids help to neutralize acid in the esophagus and stomach, thereby stopping heartburn. These have been known to help some persons partially or temporarily. Combined with foaming agents, antacids can form a foam barrier on top of the stomach that

prevents acid reflux from occurring.

Antacids are not without their side effects though. Using them for prolonged periods can cause diarrhea, altered calcium metabolism, and magnesium build-up which is detrimental to persons with kidney disease.

Chronic sufferers of reflux are usually recommended medications that reduce acid in the stomach itself. These could include H2 blockers that stop the secretion of acid in the stomach partially. In this group of drugs are cimetidine, famotidine, nizatidine and the popular, ranitidine.

Yet another kind of medication that can be prescribed is the proton pump inhibitor.

These prevent the action of an enzyme that is necessary for the secretion of acid.

Popular proton pump inhibitors include omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole and dexlansoprazole, using the trade names Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, Aciphex and Dexilant respectively.

Some persons with severe,

chronic esophageal reflux or with symptoms that are not relieved by the treatments described may require more a complete diagnostic evaluation. Some of the tests that might be necessary are an upper GI series X-ray, endoscopy, esophageal manometric and impedance studies and pH testing of the stomach contents.

In the end, only a small number of persons require surgery for GERD. This is due to severe reflux and very poor response to all forms of medical treatment. Fundoplication is a technique that allows for the increase of pressure in the lower esophagus while endoscopic procedures that assist in making the LES function better are all options in surgical treatment.

Some complications that can occur because of long term GERD include inflammation of the esophagus, called esophagitis, leading to esophageal ulcers and bleeding. Narrowing of the esophagus can also occur due to excessive scarring, as well as an increased risk for esophageal cancer.

Confronting issues relating to the Female reproductive health There are some vaginal challenges women can experience. However, medical experts have been able to establish that most women experience minor vaginal problems at various stages of their life.

Although some can develop after pregnancy, there are others that can be side effects of medications, sexual intercourse, use of contraceptives, or even the menstrual cycle, among others.

An abnormal vaginal discharge, frequent urination or a burning sensation while urinating could all mean that there is a problem with the vagina.

According to an article published in the WebMD newsletter, some of the conditions that may cause a change in your normal vagi-

nal discharge include: infections of the vagina, such as a yeast infection, bacterial v a g i n o s i s , trichomoniasis, human papillomavirus (HPV), or herpes. Infection of the cervix (cervicitis), an object in the vagina such as a forgotten tampon, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia orgonorrhea, various sex practices such as oral-to-vaginal and anal-tovaginal contact, vaginal medicines or douching are also known factors to negatively affect the vagina.

While douching can help improve the scent of the vagina, medical experts have warned that douching can interfere with the vagina’s pH levels, reducing its acidity and setting the stage for bacterial infections. PH refers to

the vagina’s acidity level. A vaginal pH of 3.5 - 4.5 indicates that there is a perfect amount of good bacteria (lactobacilli), and no overgrowth of the bad bacteria that can cause bad odour, irritation and sometimes infection.

If your vagina has a strong or unpleasant odour, you should see a doctor because douching will only cover up the smell without curing the problem that’s causing it.

Avoid using harsh soaps or cleansers on the vulva or inside the vagina, as these also can affect a healthy pH balance.

Another problem that women can develop is that is that of pelvic pain. While experts have admitted that determining the true cause of this problem is sometimes

hard to ascertain, the severity of pain and other symptoms may help to narrow down the causative factor. For example: a condition, such as functional ovarian cysts, may cause pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding when you are not having your period.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) can also cause pain in the lower abdominal area.

PID can be caused by STD’s such as especially gonorrhoea and chlamydia.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is believed to be another condition that women can develop if they hold in their urine for prolonged periods.

But according to Dr Benjamin Brucker, Assistant Professor of Urology at NYU Langone Medical Centre, in an article published earlier this

y e a r (www.womenshealthmag.com), “there aren’t any specific complications you can get from holding in your urine, although it may put you at a bit more of a likelihood of developing urinary tract infections, which can be treated with antibiotics.”

Doctor knows best Being busy is often the excuse used by most women not to go to routine medical checks. However, such checks are very crucial if good reproductive health is to be maintained.

In fact, a doctor could detect a developing condition which could be treated at an early stage. This could prevent a potentially life threatening situation.

For instance, the local

public health sector offers Visual Inspection with Ascetic acid (VIA) tests to women free of cost. This is simply an examination of the cervix which seeks to determine if there are any cancerous cells that can cause the development of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that mostly causes cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Guyana, according to Chronic Diseases Director within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Morris Edwards.

The leading cause of cancer-related deaths is breast cancer. Lots of times, those women did not benefit from treatment at an early stage suggesting that there is a dire need for regular health checks if such issues are to be effectively combated.

PAGE 40

Entertainment

Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

Movie Review: ‘Like A Boss’ Sangria Wine Smoothie Made Easy

Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish play business partners threatened by a cosmetics titan (Salma Hayek) in Miguel Arteta’s comedy.

Two besties who have always been able to mix business and friendship finally see their bond threatened in Miguel Arteta’s Like a Boss, a lightweight but often likeable comedy setting the unexpectedly well-matched Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish up against a brassy Salma Hayek.

Having earned some praise for her performance in Arteta’s Beatriz at Dinner, Hayek is a letdown here, steered toward broad villainy and cartoonish physicality that exist in a world apart from the credible sharpness of her co-stars. Quite funny for much of its running time, the film feels like it simply runs out of steam in its third act, settling for a lazy, pandering resolution and seeming happy to have made it to the 83minute finish line. Those who have marveled at Haddish and Byrne in some of their previous supporting roles are left waiting for each to get a bona-fide starring vehicle, but this team-up gives each more room to shine than usual.

Mia (Haddish) and Mel (Byrne) have been inseparable since middle school, the latter being taken in by Mia’s family when her mother ran afoul of the law. Now housemates, they run a small but well-liked cosmetics shop that bears their names. They mix their own formulas, package them into gimmicky gift packs like a “One-Night Stand Kit” (a hit, we’re told) and employ two of the kind of colorful characters typically seen only in rom-coms: Haughty Barrett, played to the hilt by Emmy-winning Pose star Billy Porter; and Jennifer Coolidge’s Sydney, whose dialogue strains for the kind of outrageous cluelessness Coolidge has specialized in for 20 years.

Mia’s the creative one; Mel keeps the books in order.

Or tries to: She’s been protecting Mia from the knowledge that their business is nearly half a million dollars in debt, and something needs to change soon. Enter Josh (Karan Soni), the snippy yesman to makeup magnate Claire Luna (Hayek). Josh summons the partners to a meeting, where Luna offers to pay all their debts in return for a 51 percent stake in the business. When Mia balks at selling what the two have built, they settle on a compromise: Luna will take 49 percent, only getting a majority in the unlikely event — how could such a thing ever happen?! — that Mia and Mel

end their partnership. Before the women are even in the parking lot, the viperish Luna is plotting ways to make them hate each other.

She does that by wowing

Mel with her business acumen (Mia couldn’t be less impressed) and forcing the partners to doubt their values.

When M&M come up with a new line whose marketing will revolve around supportive friendships and inner beauty, Luna insists they focus on what their industry is really about: “Inspire the ugly people to buy their way into gorgeousness.” By way of example, she introduces two men whose own line of products — named “Get Some” — are so baldly misogynistic they can hardly even be useful as satire.

Given her success in her field, Luna has an odd approach to her own appearance. Especially in her first scene, the contrast between skin coloring, dyed hair and orange dress screams out for a makeover. (In one of Sydney’s good lines, she disses her as “the angry carrot.”) But she’s excellent at sowing discord, and soon the friends are on edge.

Unfortunately, everyone involved seems to understand that this movie only crackles when Haddish and Byrne are feeding off each other’s energy — even when that means that Mia is coolly trying to push the women past an obstacle that Mel, trying hard to please everyone, doesn’t yet see. So Boss truncates the conflict: We get one extended bit of physical comedy in which Mel sabotages Mia, followed by a scene in which they publicly blow up at each other. Once they’ve called it quits on their relationship, the movie blazes through a trio of mini-scenes in which friends urge them to reconsider. Few rom-coms have ever been this eager to push their stars back together, and it happens here with no friction at all.

The less said about the sequence in which they publicly go up against Claire Luna, the better. It’s implausible in just about every respect, down to the new product they introduce at a gala Luna hosts. Their invention doesn’t seem like the stroke

of genius the pic suggests it is, as it doesn’t look at all conducive to the way women actually use cosmetics. Not being a makeup consumer, I

can’t say that with authority, and neither, I suspect, can screenwriters Adam ColeKelly and Sam Pitman. But Byrne and Haddish sell it like believers, and the movie immediately leaps forward to imagine a future for the characters in which “like a boss” means something other than “like an arrogant tool of the system, bending others to your will.”

POPCULT

Nothing stirs the soul on a weekend with no work or boss in sight like your beverage of choice while catching up on your favourite shows. At Kaieteur Entertainment, we understand this concept oh so well hence we’re always looking for new recipes to add a bit of spice to your repertoire of delightful mixes. Our recommended drink for you this weekend is the Sangria Wine Smoothie, the base of which is the Carlo Rossi Sangria.

A medium-bodied wine with a whole lot of personality, the Carlo Rossi Sangria is distinguished by its bright fruit flavors and subtle hint of spritz. It also features citrusy notes of orange, lemon and grapefruit that are especially refreshing.

This main ingredient for your weekend cocktail can be had directly from Ansa McAL for under $1600 or at popular supermarkets for approximately $2000.

See below for more details on how to make this

unique November treat. You can send your comments and photos on how it turned out to Kianawilburg@gmail.com.

Do Enjoy!

Ingredients 1 cup of Carlo Rossi Sangria 1.5 cups Orange Juice 1 cup frozen red berries

1 cup of ice Rind of 0.5 lemon Rind of 0.5 orange Directions 1. Throw all your ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth.

2. Pour into your Carlo Rossi appropriate glass.

3. Cheers!

What to Watch: E! News Team Reveals Their Social Distancing Shows

Westworld Westworld is a series that I’d heard so much about but never really had the time to dive into. As expected, the show’s thrilling plot twists and complex storylines have me hooked and I’m already done with season one. At this rate, I’ll be all caught up to season three in no time. Not to mention, James Marsden makes a great social distancing buddy! —Emily Belfiore Outlander I’ve had a lot of family and friends recommended it for years but never had the time to sit down and watch it from the beginning. Now I have the time! From what I know it’s beautifully shot, sexy, gripping and something that both my husband and I can enjoy together. — Lindsay Scheinberg

Elite After being obsessed with season one of this sexy Spanish teen soap, I fell off during season two mostly because of time.

I prefer to watch with subtitles rather than the dubbing so I can hear how the actors intended their lines to be performed, but that means the show needs my undivided attention when I tune in. Now that the third season is here and I have nowhere to go, I’m happily back in the halls of Las Encinas with these hot and murder-happy teenagers. — Billy Nilles Westworld Although I am still trying to figure out what in the (west)world exactly happened last season, watching season three is peak escapism for me right now and

gives me plenty to ponder all week as I anxiously await the next episode.

Judge Judy After a long day of working from home, there’s truly no better way to wind down than with a wild episode of Judge Judy. With her show ending sooner rather than later, we must savor every case and lesson! “Umm” is not an answer! — Mike Vulpo 30 Rock I have a bad habit of not watching wildly popular shows while they’re actually on the air. (Game of Thrones?

I don’t know her.) So in addition to binging West Wing for the umpteenth time (which I highly recommend—no one comforts quite like President Bartlet), we are joining everyone else in the known universe who has already seen

KATY KEENE IS YOUR IDEAL FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES A few days ago, Enetworks aired HBO’s highly anticipated show called Katy Keene and the American comedy-drama series was full of all the colour and pizzazz you would have expected. In the series, Katy designs clothes for anyone she can, including her friend and roommate Josie, whose singing talent catches the attention of Alexander Cabot, a CEO who hopes to reboot the record label division of his father’s corporate empire.

But Alexander’s dream of signing Josie to a recording contract meets resistance from Cabot Media’s powerful senior vice president Alexandra, who also happens to be his twin sister.

Josie and Katy’s roommate, Jorge, works at his family’s bodega and has his eye on Broadway, but after a series of rejections, he hopes to take his drag performance career as Ginger to the next level. The mysterious Pepper Smith plans to open her own

version of Andy Warhol’s Factory. She has the connections, but no one seems to know where she got her money or if she really has any at all. As these aspiring artists take on the runway, the recording studio, Broadway and the New York social scene, they find more than just a career in the big city — they find long-lasting friendship.Be sure to continue following this enthralling story line this and every Friday.

30 Rock many, many times.

Can confirm there’s a reason it’s won some 11 Emmys. It’s providing us much needed laughs after a long day of juggling working from home and childcare. Plus it’s fun to catch cameos of the office building I haven’t seen in a few weeks. — Sarah Grossbart Mad Men In this trying time, there’s nothing that calms me quite like Betty Draper’s incredible wardrobe, Don Draper’s everlasting sex appeal (even though he is quite problematic) and Joan Holloway being an overall rock star. — Samantha Schnurr Grey’s Anatomy I actually haven’t started watching the show until now and with 16 seasons, it’s the perfect binge. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I can imagine Meredith Grey has this all under control while checking out McDreamy, McSteamy and really every doctor at Seattle Grace. — Kelsey Klemme Love Is Blind I know I’m behind! But I’m finally watching Love Is Blind and it’s living up to the hype. I think I’ve yelled at the screen five times so far, in a fun way. — Jess Cohen Cheer I’ve already, for lack of a better term, cheered on the Navarro cheerleaders as they make their way to Daytona.

But, while social distancing in NJ, I’m rewatching because my mom has never seen it.

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 29, 2020

PAGE 41

TEEN TIME Take definite steps in your personal

effort to help eradicate racism among Guyanese

I

n last week’s issue, we urged all our youths to do their part to heal the disease of racism that is keeping our nation divided, and causing much trouble in any national exercise, most deeply at this time when we have to choose the people who will manage our country’s affairs in the future.

Here are some steps that each of us can personally adopt to help in this crucial effort: 1. Try to appreciate that all human beings are created equal in what is really important, i.e. as spiritual beings, and their looks, culture, and other factors do not really define them as persons.

2. Try to discourage any talk against others because of their race, even among your own kind. This is normally a hard thing to do

should never encourage and entertain yourself.

4. Make an effort to learn about other cultures, and try to appreciate the good that these promote. This is one factor that we in Guyana can boast about, as most Guyanese celebrate the festivals of all racial and religious groups.

5. Do not be afraid to speak up when others talk badly about others of another race, making them understand that we are all

among others of our own race, but you need to show courage in this effort at getting rid of this evil among Guyanese.

3. Take some time to think about what it means to be in their shoes, and realise that each of us on earth has good and bad ways. We should try not to judge a whole race because of some wrongs that individuals may commit. Appreciate that this curse is really based on hatred, something you

basically human beings with the same kind of spirit, and our outward appearances do not really matter.

6. Take some time to think how racism among our people, and most seriously among our politicians, is hampering our national development, and this will demonstrate the need to make this special effort to get rid of this scourge that is keeping us divided in all our national efforts.

The national progress is most important to our youths, as what happens now will impact the kind of future you inherit more than our adults, so you all need to do your utmost to make this the best. Uncle Roy would appreciate if you can respond by sharing your own experiences about any efforts you are involved in.

Please email me at uncleroy1992@yahoo.com.

RIPPLE EFFECT The heavy lines indicate areas called cages. Fill each cage with unique digits, counting up from 1. For example, a 1-cell cage must contain the number 1, a 2-cell cage contains 1 and 2, a 5-cell cage contains 1 through 5, and so on. These numbers may appear in any order within the cage. If two identical numbers appear in the same row or column, at least that many cells must separate them. For example, if two 3s appear in the same column, they must be separated by at least three other cells that do not contain 3.

Prejudice

by Roy Paul (from the soon to be published book of poetry – Shape up your Personality) What a crime is the prejudice that many have to bear, Fostering world-wide so much violence and fear, Causing useless divisions and the injustice they create, Spreading intolerance, cruelty and hate.

Men have used so many avenues to demonstrate bias, Through color, culture, creed and class, It has literally dislocated whole populations, As people emigrate en masse to escape discrimination.

We know prejudice caused so many disasters in the past – Apartheid, race wars and even holocaust, Yet with all our modern technology and learning, This dreadful scourge is more and more increasing.

Men adopt by various means this deviant habit, Attributing the ills of one of a group to describe the whole of it; This branding whole tribes and nations with one ill-conceived marker Only results in poor judgment of any individual’s character; Many times people form prejudices from fear of the unknown, And in this ignorance they spread bias to others just as prone; We know in every race and region there are the good and the awful, And likewise in each of us there is something righteous as well as harmful; Never rush to judgment of any person, but if you must decide, Consider his personal and individual traits, and never stereotype; Under the outer skin, we can see we are the same physically, And this equal nature extends mentally and spiritually; Again we have the same weaknesses in each of these aspects, Therefore we must make allowances for others’ defects; Moreover, when we harbour hatred for our fellowmen, It only keeps us entrapped and blocks our acumen.

But the greatest reason why prejudice is out of place, Is that the Lord in His goodness does not discriminate; And just as He loves us all in equal measure, We can only emulate Him to accept and love all others.

Prepare for a blessed future by acting to eradicate the evils of today.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Solutions to last week’s

Cryptograms The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top.

Goo

dluck

!

God has editing rights over our prayers. He will edit them, correct them, bring them in line with His will and then hand them back to us to be resubmitted.

I doubt whether any girl would be satisfied with her lover's mind if she knew the whole of it.

Place yourself as an instrument in the hands of God, who does his own work in his own way.

INKIES

Kaieteur News

PAGE 42

The King is Missing

T

here was once a boy whose parents w e r e t h e custodians of an impressive old castle. The place was full of old paintings, arms and armour. One day, the boy noticed something strange about one of the main p a i n t i n g s . N o r m a l l y, i t showed one of the old Kings, with sceptre in hand, standing next to his son and some members of the court. But the King had disappeared from the painting.

The boy was very worried by this, and he thought he must have made some mistake; but a while later he walked past the painting once more, and noticed that the sceptre had been left there by the King, and was leaning over. The boy was intrigued.

Even more so when, soon after, he saw that the angle of the sceptre had increased. At that rate, in a few hours it

would end up hitting the Prince on the head. So, the boy started looking throughout the castle for the missing King.

explained to him that he had spent years and years hanging on the walls of that castle, and no one had cleaned the dust off him; not even once.

Finally, he found him in one of the castle bathrooms,

He had gotten so dirty that he couldn’t stand it a second more, and had had to run off to get a bath.

quietly enjoying a wonderful bubble bath in the biggest bathtub in the whole building.

The boy was speechless. On seeing his shock, the King

When the boy had recovered from the surprise, he respectfully explained to the King what was about to happen with the sceptre and the Prince. The King hurried out of the bath, to return to his place in the painting, thanking the boy for the warning, and begging him to ask his parents to clean the paintings every now and again.But the boy didn’t need to ask his parents.

From that day on, he himself cleaned and cared for all the paintings and sculptures in that castle, making sure that none of the figures would ever again have to escape to have a good bath.

Sunday March 29, 2020

Junior page

How to Make a Simple Paper Ladybug

What you need: ocircle puncher ocolor papers owhite papers oglue ogoogly eyes oscissors oblack liner/marker

Step by Step Instructions

Punch four circles from each color paper using a circle puncher. Fold three of the circles in half.

Apply glue on two of the circles that are folded in half as shown on the picture.

Glue the two circles folded in half on the full circle.

Put some glue on both halves of the third circle.

Place this circle in the middle and attach the ends together.

W FUN

IT

Draw black dots on the ladybug’s body.

Draw a tiny head as shown on the picture. Glue the

ET H PO

head to the body. Cover the head in black color. Add the googly eyes on.

All done!

RY

We are all one

No matter where we are born, We are all human beings, same chemistry, With like feelings and emotions, All corresponding and compatible.

You cannot get around it, No matter where you go, You are no better than I, And I have nothing more than you.

The only difference I can see Is in what you think is right, The shade of the skin doesn’t matter, We all cry and smile as bright.

The feelings that make us happy or sad, The thoughts making us false or true, Would you believe that I too have All these the same as you.

So let us follow our destiny On the same road hand in hand, To make the most of ourselves, And our beautiful homeland.

by Uncle Roy

Sunday March 29, 2020

*Dont be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone. *Women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men spend thinking. *I just found out I'm colorblind. The diagnosis came completely out of the purple. *Learn from yesterday, live for today and have hope for tomorrow.

Failure is not falling down, it is not getting up again. *I changed my password to "incorrect". So whenever I forget what it is the computer will say "Your password is incorrect". *Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. *My girlfriend told me she was leaving me because I keep pretending to be a Transformer. I said, "No, wait! I can change." *I got a new pair of gloves today, but they're both 'lefts' which, on the one hand, is great, but on the other, it's just not right. *My wife just found out I replaced our bed with a trampoline; she hit the roof. *When wearing a bikini, women reveal 90 % of their body... men are so polite they only look at the covered parts. *eBay is so useless. I tried to look up lighters and all they had was 13,749 matches. *Did you know that dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish? *A man walks into a bar with a roll of tarmac under his arm and says: "Pint please, and one for the road."

About a month before he died, my uncle had his back covered in lard. After that, he went down hill fast. *My dad died when we couldn’t remember his blood type.

As he died, he kept insisting for us to “be positive,” but it’s hard without him. *Smoking will kill you... Bacon will kill you... But, smoking bacon will cure it.

One liner tags: death, drug, food, health, sarcastic *I hope when I inevitably choke to death on gummy bears people just say I was killed by bears and leave it at that. *My wife just found out I replaced our bed with a trampoline; she hit the roof. *According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. *I always feel better when my doctor says something is normal for my age but then think dying will also be normal for my age at some point. *Why are there so many old people in Church? They’re cramming for the final.

One liner tags: christian, death, retirement, rude *I saw an ad for burial plots, and thought to myself this is the last thing I need. *How is it that I always seem to buy the plants without the will to live?

One liner tags: attitude, death, sarcastic I would request a last meal of soda and pop rocks so I could die on my own terms. *I’m not saying your perfume is too strong. I’m just saying the canary was alive before you got here. *The Man Who Created Autocorrect Has Died. Resturant In Peace. *Oxygen is proven to be a toxic gas. Anyone who inhales oxygen will normally dies within 80 years.

One liner tags: death, health, puns *Did you hear about the man who jumped off a bridge in France? He was in Sein. *I don’t understand why people get attacked by sharks. Can they not hear the music? *Confucius say, man who runs behind car will get exhausted, but man who runs in front of car will get tired. *What is the name of an Asian pilot who died in a plane crash? Sum Ting Wong. *Death is not the worst which can happen to men: Plato (After getting friend zoned) *A tree house is the biggest insult to a tree. “Here, I killed your friend. Hold him.”

My therapist told me that a great way to let go of your anger is to write letters to people you hate and then burn them. I did that and I feel much better but I’m wondering...

Kaieteur News

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Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others. Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following: Wash your hands frequently Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcoholbased hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

Maintain social distancing Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

Practice respiratory hygiene Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance.

Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19.

Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

If you develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical advice promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Call in advance and tell your provider of any recent travel or contact with travelers. Why? Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also help to prevent possible spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 29, 2020

DICKEN’S BOOKS

Supply the missing work to complete the titles of famous novels by Charles Dickens.

The words you need are all hidden in the grid

Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

Bartica implements ‘Stay Home’ measures FOR RENT

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Visa Forms Preparer.

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The Municipality of Bartica has sent out a public advisory which states that the town must implement the “Stay Home” public advisory.

To this end, all sporting and recreational venues are ordered to be immediately closed with effect from March 28, at 6pm. These include the Bartica Community Sports Complex, Mongrippa Play Field and all parks.

In addition all taxi parks, bus parks, and taxi catchment points have been closed. Taxis can be contacted through their bases and direct lines, while buses are allowed to work on

Worst harm that can happen to a ...

From page 50 would rectify the ills that came with the PPP and within 100 days, it would achieve several goals.

“But this was not done. When they came in, Guyana had just discovered oil and from all that I, and other observers, have seen, they have successfully done more to undermine Guyana’s position of strength as well as the benefits we should have gotten from our petroleum resources and it was done in such a haphazard, thoughtless and purely simplistic way, that it is difficult to contemplate that there ever was a plan,” the PPP Candidate argued.

He added, “You couldn’t have a plan and end up with the results of where we are today.

So the people in 2020 decided that they wanted better managers and that process is not being allowed to be transparent, fair and credible.”

Datadin argued that the failings of the APNU is the reason why the people want change and exercised their power to do so on

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“But if you aren’t allowed to have change because the electoral process is corrupted, then the mismanagement of the resources will simply continue,” the lawyer concluded.

Coalition cites independence...

From page 10 spearheaded by a high level delegation from CARICOM. But this recount never materialized due to an ongoing court injunction filed by one Ulita Moore; a candidate from the coalition.

The Foreign Ministry stated that “there is no breakdown in the rule of law in Guyana” and maintains that the APNU+AFC Coalition will remain in government “until a successor would have been declared and sworn-in in its stead.”

How two 26-year-old engines confounded...

From page 48 quarters as to whether it was a good decision, particularly since PPDI was to be a stateowned enterprise.”

The official made it clear that the management and staff of PPDI continue to vindicate the Coalition Government’s decision for PPDI’s establishment by maintaining high levels of competence and an admirable operational culture.

“PPDI’s role in the electricity sector in Guyana has been further expanded, since recently the company signed a Maintenance Agreement with the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. Under

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It is highly recommended that there be no gathering at bars, restaurants, gambling establishments, game shops, barber shops, etc, the municipality has announced.

It is also advised that businesses use delivery and drive through services where applicable to avoid the risk of the virus.

Further, there is also a recommendation for sanitization stations to be operable at all essential businesses and that residents sanitize regularly. This order is valid for a period of two weeks ending on April 10, 2020.

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this agreement, PPDI will be responsible for the maintenance of seven plants located in outlying areas of Guyana.

This again is testament of the sufficiency of knowledge and skills that the employees of the company collectively possess as well as the quality of the management.”

Bender disclosed that PPDI remains responsible for the operation and maintenance of 106 megawatts of GPL’s total capacity.

“As Chairman of the Board of Directors of PPDI, I remain extremely proud of the achievements of PPDI over its first three years of operation, and I have no doubt that the company will go from strength to strength.”

Coming here in the 1990s, Wartsila ran with just over 20 employees and grew to about 100 fulltime employees when its contract came to an end in 2016. PPDI, in just three years of existence, has over 140 employees now, not only running the Wartsila engines, but now being placed around the country, including at Kwakwani, Lethem, Mahdia, Port Kaituma, Matthew’s Ridge, Mabaruma, Kwakwani and Ituni, to manage the maintenance of a variety of models of engines.

Wartsila has significantly scaled back its operations here locally since 2016.

According to Bharat Harjohn, GPL’s Divisional Di-

rector of Operations, who has been overseeing the PPDI’s contract for power, the two engines have been described as “champion” engines for Wartsila.

“PPDI has clearly demonstrated it has capacity - with inventory and well-trained staffers. They have been doing a fantastic job, growing in technical capacity.”

David Patterson, under whose stewardship PPDI was established, made it clear that the decision was justified. He was the Minister of Public Infrastructure who oversaw the formation of the new company.

“We have a competent team. What I know is that PPDI has a strict regimen of continuous training for team members and we are proud of that. Many of the persons you see there, even though they started at Wartsila, we have now enhanced training and qualifications, and they have been maintaining high standards. It augurs well for the entire country.”

Patterson also made it clear that he is impressed with the performance of GPL over the last six months, evidence that strides have been made in reducing outages.

GPL has been battling not only generation capacity, needing more power, but aging lines and hardware have been affecting quality and reliability.

Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

GNBS – WE OPENED OUR DOOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO!

E

stablished under the Standards Act No. 11 of 1984, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) first opened its doors as the National Standards Body of Guyana in March 1985. For the past 35 years, the GNBS has worked with the vision to improve the quality of goods and services in Guyana, while focusing primarily on the development of National Standards to meet the needs of various sectors and the protection of all consumers.

Today, it continues to facilitate the development of National Standards utilised by a wide range of stakeholders. However, the range of services offered has widened significantly.

The focus has increased towards the promotion and establishment of a broader framework for quality referred to as the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI). The NQI comprises several key pillars including Standards Development, Metrology, Conformity Assessment (Inspection, Testing, and Certification) and Accreditation.

For Metrology (the science of measurement), the GNBS is recognised as the National Measurement Institute (NMI) and is mandated under the Weights and Measures Act of 1981 and its amendment of 1997 to ensure that all weighing and measuring devices used in trade are verified.

To adequately and effectively fulfill its mandate under the two aforementioned Acts, the GNBS has had to be in a constant state of evolution.

The premise of this evaluation is on the changing needs of stakeholders,

changes in technology, and the adoption of new international best practices. Today these changes, coupled with the need to fully establish an effective NQI framework, have resulted in the delivery of the following core services by the GNBS to its stakeholders: Standards Development, Training and Consultancy, Certification, Verification, Calibration and Testing, and Product Inspections.

Internally, to ensure stakeholders’ satisfaction, the human resource capabilities of the organisation were developed over the years through training and other human resource interventions. Also, systems had to be continuously improved for efficiency and effectiveness. Currently, the GNBS is internationally certified to the Quality Management System Standard ISO 9001:2015, which helps the organisation to effectively manage its risks and satisfy its customers.

Externally, over the years, the GNBS has been constantly involved in the establishment of national, regional and international relationships with organisations, which could support the realization of its mandate, including the International Standardization Organisation (ISO), ASTM International and the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). Additionally, the GNBS has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with local Regulatory Bodies and has been collaborating with Private Sector Groups.

Further, the Bureau has embarked on crucial marketing and communication initiatives to promote its services,

including establishing a strong social media presence and conducting stakeholder lectures and regional outreaches.

Most recently, the Government of Guyana has identified the Guyana National Bureau of Standards as the sole agency that will be present when petroleum produced by ExxonMobil and its partners is measured and it will also be responsible for testing the measuring equipment; a key role in the budding oil and gas sector.

Branch offices were also established in some of the key Administrative Regions of Guyana including Regions 2, 3, 6 and 9, to ensure access to some of the GNBS’ core services.

As it celebrates 35 years as a National Standards Body, the GNBS is pleased with the strides that have been made in ensuring that stakeholders have access to and use standards to ensure the availability of quality goods and services and a strengthened measurement system in Guyana.

As the Premier Institution for Standards and Quality in Guyana, the GNBS will continue to fulfill its mission to establish the NQI through partnerships towards the socio-economic development of our country and the protection of consumers.

For further information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0062, 219-0065 or 219-0069, email: info@gnbsgy.org or WhatsApp: (592) 692-GNBS (4627) (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

Simple steps to assist with your own food security TURMERIC - THE WONDER SPICE

CONSUMER CONCERNS PAT DIAL Some time ago, we had intended to do an article on Turmeric or haldi as it is also known. The onset of the Coronavirus or COVID-19 has precipitated us in doing so since we have seen on the internet a number of references to its use having some value in confronting COVID19.

Turmeric has been in use medicinally and as a food for over 5000 years and has been in the pharmacopeia of the ancient Ayurvedic System of Medicine and still remains the recommended treatment for a large number of ailments.

Though Western medicine had long known of the use of turmeric, it was only in the last twenty years that it was enthusiastically adopted

by Western Alternative Medicine and now even by formal Western medicine and knowledge of its use and its use are growing exponentially. In Guyana, turmeric and its use were long known, having been brought here by Indian indentured immigrants in the 19th century, but like so many herbs and foods of value in Guyana, we only exploit them when foreign countries set the example.

Turmeric is used to effectively treat more than 1500 ailments but here we will mention only a few. Its use for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer Disease and other forms of Dementia are well known. It stabilises the disease and in time reverses it. The usual daily dosage is one to two teaspoons of turmeric powder with half a teaspoon of each black pepper and ginger, and if desired, with a half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon together

with a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil. These powders may be used in porridge or sprinkled on food or consumed on toast with breakfast. The turmeric is not easily absorbed in the body and most of it would pass out as waste but with the help of black pepper or ginger, there is almost 100% absorption.

These powders could be obtained at Mattai’s grocery in Water Street, Georgetown and could be bought by the pound since it is far more economical to buy bulk than in small packets, 2-litre bottles of virgin coconut oil could also be had at Mattai’s or at the Ministry of Agriculture outlet in Brickdam near the Ministry of Education. At this outlet, a number of other Interior products are sold such as cassava bread and cassareep.

Foreign imports of these powders are far more expensive and the quality is almost always suspect as compared with the locally ground spices which are purer and fresher.

Turmeric’s use in treating arthritis inflammation and pain is well-known and it may be taken however one wishes including mixing with milk or tea.

Other well-known diseases that could beneficially be treated with turmeric include Diabetes since it could help to manage blood sugar.

It detoxes the liver and increases the flow of bile necessary for breaking down dietary fat during digestion. It is also used to treat tonsolitis. coughs, sore throat, swollen gums, dry cough and asthma.

Turmeric does a lot more.

It promotes heart health by helping to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. It supports healthy weight loss

and could help in weight management. It supports healthy, strong and supple joints and is used as a standard pain killer for both muscular and joint pains. We had mentioned above its use in treating Alzheimer Disease. Allied to this use, is its use to lift depression.

It is widely used in cooking and gives food a pleasant yellow-gold hue and curries get their yellow-gold colour from turmeric. India has the lowest Alzheimer rate in the world and this is attributed to the fact that the Indians eat curry almost every day. We reiterate that tumeric should be taken with ginger or black pepper since its most important chemical Curcumin and the various curcuminoids are not easily absorbed into the body and would go to waste.

Black pepper or ginger helps it to be 100% absorbed. Turmeric could also be fermented and in its fermented state it could easily be absorbed.

For turmeric to have a full impact and be fully effective, it should be used daily. Unlike Western medicines, it does not have any side effects.

The turmeric powder and turmeric capsules imported from abroad are often of poor quality and are sometimes no more than placebos. The local turmeric is grown in the North-West District and with the other locally ground spices offer the Guyanese consumer fresher and purer products.

Turmeric today has earned the status of a wonder drug.

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

Guyana COVID-19 toll reaches 8 From page 51 “during our preparatory planning and implementation of our National Response Plan to COVID-19”. “I also spoke of receiving ventilators from our suppliers to cater for our Level 3. Let me clarify for you, fellow Guyanese, that I am not referring to Health Facilities but to the levels of illness which are categorised as Mild, requiring no hospitalisation; Moderate, requiring hospitalisation and Severe where more specialised care is a necessity,” the Minister explained.

Meanwhile, President David Granger in a subsequent statement appealed to Guyanese to continue implementing safety precautions.

“The public must adhere to infection prevention and control measures as personal conduct is the single most important element in preventing the spread of this deadly disease,” he said warning, “Guyanese, a cavalier approach in the face of this global pandemic can seriously impair our efforts to combat COVID-19. Consequences will be devastating for the entire population.”

According to him too, the government responded quickly to the pandemic by appointing Prime Minster Moses Nagamootoo Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force.

“The Task Force has drafted a National Stra-

tegic Master Plan that will guide our approach to combating the Novel Coronavirus Disease.

The Minister of Public Health… has established the Health Emergency Operations Centre. I thank the Ministry and the Centre for the work they have done to date in containing the spread of COVID -19,” said the President.

He disclosed that the Centre has been conducting screening, testing and quarantining and, when necessary, isolating those who have been suspected in having contracted the virus or those who may have come into contact with infected persons.

“The National Task Force continues to monitor the situation in Guyana, and this includes citizens’ conduct. We are concerned that too many citizens and businesses have been ignoring public advisories and warnings,” he shared.

Granger also appealed for continued to support for all medical professionals including: doctors, nurses, and other caregivers. “I urge you also to practice social distancing in public places and to avoid crowds, ceremonies including funerals and large gatherings.

I urge also that persons remain calm and implement all guidelines relating to personal hygiene and infection prevention and control,” he said.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, food security has become an important factor.

To this end, there have been several calls for the adaptation of food security practices.

Kaieteur News recently featured an article with Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer, National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute (NAREI) which spoke of the need for citizens to return to the fields.

In this regard, we will be featuring simple steps, practices and step-by-step guides on the production of various cash and other crops.

Today, we will be featuring 10 simple ways to start a Kitchen Garden.

1. LOCATION Choosing a location for your garden is very important.

You have to ensure that the area has lots of sunlight, ample space and is in close proximity to water supply. It is recommended that the location is level area to avoid erosion.

2. SELECTING CROPS When choosing crops to cultivate, it is important to take into consideration your climate, space, tastes and level of expertise.

First time farmers may want to consider easy crops to grow such as peppers, pumpkins, egg plants, ochro, tomato, bora, squash and eddo, etc.

3. SOIL PREP To prepare your soil, simply mix compost (such as dry plants, leaves, animal manure (if so desired) and natural fertilisers into your garden soil.

According to Dr. Homenauth, the best type of soil for planting depends on the type of crop being cultivated. He explained that loam is easy to drain, and won’t become waterlogged. He added that a combination of loam, sandy and clay is also a good mixture for kitchen gardening.

It is also very important to make plant beds to allow irrigation and better growing conditions.

4. READ UP ON AND

PREPARE PLANT SEEDS You must always take into consideration that growing conditions and ripening cycles for all plants are different. It is vital for you to understand that each crop will require a different period to bloom and produce.

5. PLANTING DISTANCE The distance between each crop is very important to avoid overcrowding among seedlings. If there isn’t enough room for each seedling, then they will not grow healthy and may even die.

6. PLANT THE SEEDS After averaging a reasonable distance between your seedlings, place your seeds or plants into the soil. It must be noted that crops such as ochro and bora can be planted by direct seeding, while crops like tomatoes have to be transplanted; meaning that the seeds have to be set then transferred to the plant beds after becoming seedlings. According to NAREI’s CEO, it is best to transplant seedlings early in the mornings or late in the evenings.

7. WATER Gently wet the garden with water to keep the soil moist. It is extremely important to understand that the

water level needs to be very low, almost like drizzles to avoid over watering the crops.

8. KEEPING GRASS & WEEDS OUT After planting, you will see the appearance of weed.

When this happens, grab the weed as close to the roots as possible and pull sharply, ensuring you extract the entire root.

9. FERTILISE AS NEEDED From time to time, lightly turn the soil up by hand and add fertiliser to keep it rich.

You can also make your own fertilisers by using Epsom salt, eggshells, fish tank water or kitchen compost (fruit skin, etc).

Mulching is also a good practice, it is simply spreading a layer dry leaves, grass etc over the soil to conserve soil moisture, improve fertility and health of the soil and reduce weed growth. Mulching is perfect for tropical countries or hot climates.

10. REAP After your hard work, you can now harvest your crops in the space of your own homes.

These are some simple practices that can save you money and provide food for your family in the comfort of your own homes.

A simple Kitchen Garden

Sunday March 29, 2020

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Sunday March 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

UEFA president admits that current season may not finish

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin during a press conference. (REUTERS/Yves Herman)

ROME (Reuters) - The head of European soccer’s governing body said that the current season could be “lost” if it is unable to re-start by the end of June, although he did not rule out extending it into the next season.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that there were a number of options for concluding the season, which has been brought to a halt around Europe by the coronavirus pandemic.

“There is a plan A, B and C. The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June, if

Sunday March 29, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A surge of passion could dominate your day unless you find an outlet for it, Aries. Romantic passion is high, so an intimate evening with a lover is a good idea.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A romantic evening at home with your partner could bring you two closer together, Taurus. Your emotions are intense right now.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Information received from far away could compel you to learn more about the subject, Gemini. You might be inspired to use your new knowledge in a project that includes a partner.

CANCER(June21–July22) Money matters may be advanced through using your intuition and inner power today, Cancer. You might have a hunch that your idea for making extra money might just work.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A surge of inner power could make you feel like you can move mountains, Leo. If you've been contemplating actions that others believe impossible, this is the day to get them going.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Memories from your distant past could resurface t o d a y, Vi rg o . Yo u m a y wonder why you're suddenly thinking about them, but they probably represent a release of old emotional hang-ups that have been holding you back.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today represents a new beginning in many ways.

An old friend could reappear in your life and bring up memories that are both pleasant and disconcerting. Don't worry too much about this.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Emotions could be running high, Scorpio.

Someone in your entourage may have a problem with an authority figure and political issues could come up. You're likely to feel especially powerful now.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Heightened mental powers might make you spend a lot of time reading or doing research of some kind, Sagittarius. Your curiosity is especially sharp right now.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your intuition might increase today to the point where you feel like you could deduce the thoughts and motives of people you've never met before.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You should be feeling especially passionate now, Aquarius, especially regarding partnerships. Romantic partnerships definitely call for an evening alone together.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) If you haven't been feeling like yourself lately, Pisces, a surge of inner power could push you over the top and make you feel strong and healthy again.

we don’t succeed, the season will probably be lost,” he said.

However, he then added: “There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next, starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs.”

Ceferin has said the

‘We’ll be stronger...

From page 60 was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother before being raised in the United States, was chosen to lead Tokyo 2020’s “United by Emotion” motto as the face of a changing country.

Japan, which has traditionally seen itself as a racially homogeneous country, is becoming more ethnically diverse and Osaka has been at the forefront of a new wave of sporting heroes set to represent the host nation at the Olympics.

Coronavirus infections in Japan have climbed to more than 1,400, with 47 deaths.

finishing domestic leagues was the priority, even if it meant playing behind closed doors.

“It’s hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don’t know whether we’ll resume, with or without spectators.

“If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships anyway,” he said.

“But I can say that I don’t think about the finals of the European club competitions behind closed doors.”

Ceferin said that the

decision to postpone Euro 2020 until next year “has shown that every emergency is our emergency and every club is our club.”

He said that a videoconference with representatives of clubs, leagues and players was “a fantastic demonstration of unity and solidarity.”

He was also talking to FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino despite recent differences.

“It is important to forget personal interests and disagreements,” he said.

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Sunday March 29, 2020

Kaieteur News

Blackwood set to curb Iran Olympic discus trailblazer Hadadi aggressive approach has coronavirus

Jermaine Blackwood.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Jermaine Blackwood says the region can expect a new and improved player when he eventually returns to international cricket.

Known primarily as a dasher for his aggressive, quick-fire approach to batting, the Jamaican right-hander said he plans to curb that natural attacking instinct so he can play longer innings for West Indies in the future.

“I know that I can bat for long but sometimes I just get ahead of myself and try to play a lot of shots but as you can see, I’ve kind of curbed my game a little bit more in terms of shot selection,” Blackwood said.

“But from the time I was young, I used to bat a lot of balls so I have to just go back to those roots and now. Right now currently, I think I’m on track right now because I’m batting a lot of balls [again] and that is really a plus for me right now.”

The 28-year-old was axed from the Test side in 2017 after managing just 15 runs in three innings but it was more the manner of his dismissals which became a frustrating feature of his batting.

Memorably in the Lord’s third Test on the tour of 2017, two rash shots early in his innings caused his downfall for single digit scores as

West Indies crashed to a ninewicket defeat inside three days in the decisive match of the series.

Blackwood, however, signalled a turnaround in form and attitude during the just concluded first class season, finishing as the leading runscorer with 768 runs at an average of 51.

More importantly, his career-best 248 against Leeward Islands Hurricanes highlighted his ability to spend long periods at the crease, and he said he hoped to incorporate this approach as a new facet of his game.

“I’m fit mentally. I’m in a good place. I’ve worked very hard – once you bat for eight hours you know you have to be fit,” he explained.

“I guess right now the place that I am in terms of my cricket, I think I am in a very good place. That innings (248) showed a lot of character …”

Blackwood praised fellow Jamaican and West Indies star, Andre Russell, for helping in his transformation.

“Me and Andre come from a long way – from the time I was small. From when Andre started playing for Jamaica we were friends and … he’s been a big influence in my life,” he noted.

“Like in terms of how I’m playing my cricket now he’s a big influence and I actually put in a lot of work at his house.”

(Reuters) - Ehsan Hadadi, Iran’s first Olympic track and field medalist, has tested positive for coronavirus, World Athletics reported yesterday.

Hadadi, the Asian discus champion who became a national hero when he won silver at the 2012 Olympics in London, has an athletics base in the U.S. but was at home in Tehran when he contracted the virus.

“We’ve received word that Iranian discus thrower @EhsanHadadi has tested positive for Coronavirus. We wish him a full and swift recovery,” World Athletics, the sport’s global governing body, said on Twitter.

Tasnim news agency reported Iran Athletic Federation doctor Ashkan Ordibehesht as saying that the 35-year-old Ehsan had self-quarantined after being diagnosed with the virus.

“His recovery is going well,” the doctor added.

Hadadi, a six-times Asian Championship winner and Asian discus record holder, had been among the favorites to win gold at this year’s

Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi in action during the World Athletics Championships Men’s Discus Throw Final at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar. (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo) Tokyo Games before the announcement of their postponement on Tuesday.

When Hadadi won his Olympic medal, it was the first time an Iranian had stood on the podium at the Games in

any sport other than wrestling, weightlifting or taekwondo. He was also his country’s first-ever world championship medalist in 2011.

Iran has been among the

countries worst affected by the spread of the coronavirus.

The death toll in the country rose to 2,517 yesterday, with 139 fatalities in the past 24 hours, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

Mbappe makes ‘very large’ donation to charity for those without housing Goal.com - Paris SaintGermain star Kylian Mbappe has made a ‘very large’ donation to the Abbe Pierre Foundation – a charity that helps people without housing.

As people are told to stay indoors, those without shelter are at a much higher risk of contracting coronavirus and the organisation is particularly keen to keep people safe and provide them

with a place to stay.

The Wo r l d Cup winner’s generous actions will help the foundation provide aid to more people that require support in a turbulent time.

The charity released a statement on their official website thanking the 21-yearold for his donation: “Concerned about the consequences of the serious health crisis which strikes our

country, but also of all the consequences which it can generate on the most fragile people, Kylian Mbappe has just made a very large donation to support the work of the Abbe Pierre Foundation.

“His generosity will make it possible in particular to implement first aid actions, access to water and hygiene for people in very precarious situations, access to food and

Mbappe makes ‘very large’ donation to charity for those without housing.

shelter for homeless people etc.

“The Foundation sends its most sincere thanks to Kylian Mbappe for his generosity and his attention towards people in great precariousness.

“In the context of the current health crisis and beyond the service tickets which are starting to be distributed on the territory, the Abbe Pierre Foundation needs to provide an emergency fund to finance a wide range of actions aimed at homeless people aiming to give them access to water, hygiene and food.”

The superstar forward had been enjoying another fine individual season, with 18 goals and seven assists in just 20 Ligue 1 games as he fired PSG to a 12-point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand.

In all competitions, the Frenchman had managed 30 goals and 17 assists in only 33 appearances, but his fine form has been put on hold along with the rest of the footballing world as measures are put in place to postpone football in an attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Sunday March 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

NBA notebook: Play likely to resume without fans

Utah Jazz fans look for information on their phones following teams being sent to locker rooms and a delay in the start of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports) If the NBA regular season resumes, it is almost “100 percent” the games will be played without fans present, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Friday.

Windhorst said the NBA very likely will mimic the plan being used in China for a potential end to the current hiatus, which began March 12.

In China, ground zero for the coronavirus in recent months, the plan for professional basketball to resume includes keeping players in a centralized, isolated location or shared hotel to limit the chance they come in contact with any infected person.

Ideas being floated include playing all the games

at a neutral site, such as Las Vegas, the Bahamas or even a college campus in the Midwest where the outbreak, to this point, has been mild, according to the report.

The idea would be to refit a casino or grand ballroom of a resort into made-for-TV events.

—ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke tested positive for COVID-19, but she said she is now symptom-free.

Burke shared the information on “The Woj Pod” with ESPN.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Burke said it took eight days for her test results to come back.

She began feeling symptoms associated with the coronavirus on March 11.

Burke was broadcasting a

game in Dallas that night when news broke that the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus, which triggered a suspension of the NBA season that kicked in after the Mavericks beat the visiting Denver Nuggets 113-97.

—Utah Jazz players and staff have been cleared of the coronavirus, the team said.

“The Utah Department of Health has determined that all Jazz players and staff, regardless of prior testing status, no longer pose a risk of infection to others,” the team said in a statement.

The NBA suspended play after Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11.

His teammate, fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell, also

An NBA logo is seen on the facade of its flagship store at the Wangfujing shopping street in Beijing, China October 8, 2019. (REUTERS/Tingshu Wang) tested positive for the coronavirus.

—Point guard Killian Hayes, who is playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, is entering the 2020 NBA Draft.

Hayes, No. 10 in ESPN’s NBA prospect rankings, told the network via email he submitted paperwork to the league and will be part of the draft, whenever it might take place.

Measured at 6-foot-5, Hayes is a pass-first guard and is also known as a stellar defender. The 18-year-old son of former Penn State player Deron Hayes, Killian Hayes was born in Florida and raised in France, for whom he played on the U17 FIBA team last year.

—USA Basketball is

weighing alternative roster options in the event of a potential conflict between the delayed Tokyo Olympics and the NBA season.

If the postponed Games are moved from a July 2020 start to March or April of 2021, NBA players would not be eligible to participate. The NBA regular season typically ends in mid-April, when the playoffs begin.

There is no set timetable for the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee announced this week the games would not start as scheduled on July 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

—Professional basketball leagues in Russia and Japan canceled the remainder of their seasons.

The Japanese B League announced it will call off attempts to resume play. The VTB League, with teams from Russia, Poland, Belarus, Estonia and Kazakhstan, will not resume. The South Korean KBL also has been canceled,.

“We’ve prioritized the mental and physical health of our players, coaches and club officials,” league chairman Masaaki Okawa said in a video news conference, per the Japan Times. “The spread of this coronavirus has been beyond our imagination and we’ve emphasized that we cannot afford to expose our players and others who are associated with our league to the danger.”

(Field Level Media)

Doping: Russian agency halts testing amid coronavirus outbreak

A sign with the logo of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is on display outside its office in Moscow, Russia December 9, 2019. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

MOSCOW (Reuters) Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA said it was temporarily halting all testing in response to government measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

Russia has reported 1,036 cases of the virus and has stepped up measures to prevent it from spreading further, including declaring next week a non-working week and ordering shut all Moscow cafes, restaurants and shops apart from those providing vital services, such as food and medicine.

In a video posted yesterday on its website, RUSADA director Yuri Ganus said the agency was continuing its work during the coronavirus outbreak but was suspending testing to comply with government measures.

“We of course are following the regime that has been established by the leadership of Russia and at this time we have suspended testing,” Ganus said, adding that the agency would announce the resumption of testing at a later date.

Margarita Pakhnotskaya, RUSADA’s deputy director, told Reuters the suspension of testing would remain in place until April 6.

RUSADA was suspended in 2015 after the World Anti-Doping Agency

(WADA) found evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics.

The agency was conditionally reinstated in September 2018, but was declared non-compliant late last year after WADA found Moscow had provided it with doctored laboratory data.

Russia is in the process of appealing a four-year ban on its athletes competing at major international sporting events under their flag as punishment for that alteration of laboratory data.

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‘Challenge’ to decide who covers cost Belarus ploughs lone of postponing Tokyo Games: Mori furrow over coronavirus as

football league plays on

Yoshiro Mori, President of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organising Committee as he attends a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, March 24, 2020. (REUTERS/Issei Kato) (Reuters) - Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori has told international federations that deciding who foots the bill for postponing the Games to 2021 will be a “major challenge”, Olympic news website insidethegames here reported yesterday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese organizers this week postponed the July 24-Aug. 9 event due to the coronavirus pandemic — the first such delay in the modern

Games’ 124-year history.

Japan invested $12 billion in the run-up to the Games and IOC President Thomas Bach had warned that the price tag will rise further.

“The extra cost that will arise from this postponement is inevitable,” Mori wrote in a letter addressed to the 33 international federations of sports that make up the Tokyo Games program.

“Deciding who will bear these costs and how it will be done will be a major challenge.”

Mori also issued a

rallying cry to deliver the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year and show that humans had “triumphed over the coronavirus”.

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee launched a taskforce to resolve issues linked to the postponement, such as reviewing dates for the Games and securing venues.

The Olympics is one of many major sporting events which have been postponed, suspended or canceled due to the coronavirus.

Dillian Whyte accuses Anthony Joshua of ‘pretending’ to want heavyweight rematch last year The Independent - British heavyweight boxer Dillian Whyte has accused old rival Anthony Joshua of “pretending” to want a rematch last year, but says he still wants to fight the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion.

Joshua avenged the sole defeat of his professional career in December by beating Andy Ruiz Jr to regain his heavyweight title belts, while Whyte defeated Mariusz Wach via unanimous decision earlier on the night.

In 2015, Joshua knocked out Whyte in London.

“I’ve been saying I want the rematch since the fight,” Whyte, who defeated Joshua in the amateurs before his professional loss in 2015, told Sky Sports.

“I know they were going to fight Miller in June in America, which I said months before the fight.

“They came to me and tried to kid me. You guys gave Miller 20 weeks, why are you trying to give me seven weeks? Because they wasn’t serious about the fight.

“Just using me as a scapegoat, pretending they wanted to make the fight. If he wants to

fight, I’m here, he knows where I’m at. They know where my value is, I know the game inside out. If they want the fight, we can make the fight happen.”

Whyte also spoke about the challenges of training during the coronavirus lockdown ahead of his scheduled fight against Russia’s Alexander Povetkin on 2 May – a fight that is likely to be postponed amid the pandemic.

“It is very hard and very challenging, because obviously you have to take it in good spirit,” said Whyte. “I’m a big guy. Training and running and sparring takes a lot of me.

“I’ve got a new strength and conditioning programme now. We’re working on my technique, working on building my strength and other things. “My boxing coach is working on things, getting the game plan in place. The more time I have, the better it is for me, doing a lot of new things.

“At this stage of my career, I’m still learning and improving. It’s frustrating, but it’s time for me to keep building layers, keep practising what I’ve been taught. By the time the fight comes, I’ll be flying.”

AFP - As the rest of Europe shuts up shop to combat the new coronavirus, Belarus remains resolutely open for business.

Restaurants in the former Soviet Republic continue to serve food, and the country’s football league plays on.

Despite being at the door of a Europe grappling with the deadly COVID-19, life goes on here more or less unchecked.

The Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the global health crisis as a “psychosis”, and refuses to follow the example of much of the globe by imposing a lockdown.

With less than 100 positive cases and no deaths in Belarus, Lukashenko this week suggested “there shouldn’t be any panic” over the virus.

He encouraged his citizens to work on the land.

“There, the tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone,” suggested the straight-talking former collective farm director who assumed power in 1994.

Vodka and saunas also figure on his list of miracle cures.

And so, in stark contrast to leagues elsewhere on the European continent, the Belarus championship like the country’s tractors, ploughs on, undeterred.

Special measures have been put in place nonetheless including thermal cameras to check the temperature of fans as they enter stadia which are disinfected twice a day.

As a result, a rare spotlight has been shone on the humble “Vysshaya Liga”,

the Belarus first division.

Russian public television channel Match TV has bought the rights to screen its matches.

And former Belarus star Alexander Hleb suggested in the German press that it could be lit up by the arrivals of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“We’ve taken all the measures recommended by the Sports Ministry. All those who are in contact with fans...are supplied with gloves,” Belarus football federation spokesman Alexsandr Aleinik told AFP. Crowds are well down though, by half last week compared to the week before, “enabling fans to distance themselves in the stands” said Aleinik.

Since Tuesday however, there has been a shift in tone from the top.

In a meeting with the Chinese ambassador Lukashenko asserted that his country was “controlling very seriously” the situation.

And newspapers and state television began to talk about the pandemic which has now killed more than 25,000 people. But they stick to the line that a general lockdown is not the solution.

Minsk, the capital, has become quieter over the past few days, over 65s are encouraged to stay indoors, pupils are authorised not to attend school.

During rush hour trains on the metro underground are not as full as usual, numerous companies are allowing staff to work from home.

But bars, cafes and shops remain steadfastly open,

without any self-distancing protocol advice for their customers.

Ivan, an employee of a new technology company, has been working from home for the past three weeks.

Yet despite that precaution he meets up with his friends every evening “at the gym or in a cafe”.

The authorities justify the lax health regime by the strict confinement of those who have tested positive.

Deputy Health Minister Elena Bogdan says that anyone who has the virus or is showing virus-like symptoms is isolated and hospitalised.

And those they have been in contact with are placed in quarantine.

The country’s opposition denounces the official approach.

“The authorities are preparing enormous savings on pensions” opposition minister Mikola Statkevitch said caustically in a video message.

He was alluding to the way the coronavirus has taken a devastating toll on the world’s older population.

Another reason for the absence of the draconian measures adopted elsewhere, according to analysts: the country is already in economic difficulty creating tensions with its key ally, Russia.

“And with the global slowing down the situation is even worse,” observed analyst Artyom Shraibman.

“Seemingly Lukashenko has decided that it would be suicidal to halt the economy,” he said.

‘We’ll be stronger than ever in 2021' – Naomi Osaka TOKYO (Reuters) Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, the poster girl of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, took to social media yesterday to show her support for the decision to postpone the Games until next year Osaka, who won the U.S. Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019, was the central character in the video to launch Tokyo 2020’s official motto for the Games, launched last month.

The coronavirus has since spread across the world, however, leading to last week’s decision by the Japanese government and

International Olympic Committee to postpone the Games.

“Everyone knows how much the Olympics means to me and how proud I will be to participate in my home country,” Osaka, the world number 10, wrote on Twitter.

“Of course, I am disappointed that it won’t happen this year but we’ll all be ready to stronger ever in 2021! I support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s brave decision and the IOC 100%.

“Sport will eventually unite us again and be there for us always, but that time not now,” the 22-year-old added.

“This is the time for people from all countries, backgrounds and races to rally together to save as many lives as we can. To me, that is the Olympic spirit.

“To the people of Japan: stay strong, hang in there, and let’s the show the world our beautiful country when time is right in 2021.”

Osaka, the first Asian to be ranked world number one, concluded with a message for her 500,000 plus Twitter followers.

“Stay safe everyone, take care of each other, be kind and we will make it through.

Love, Naomi.” Osaka, who (Continued on page 57)

Sunday March 29, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Former Pele Captain succumbs to Covid-19 Georgetown Football Association (GFA) club, Pele FC, are in mourning following the untimely death of one of their founding members and former Captain, Wendell Manifold, who was a fatality of the deadly coronavirus in the United States recently.

Former youth national and coach, Lennox Arthur, who was majorly responsible for Manifold’s involvement with Pele FC, recounted that Manifold was always a leader on the pitch, “Wendell was a great center defender; he was very good in the air and was a strong tackler. He was a leader, an excellent one too.”

Arthur, who represented Guyana at the youth level in 1967-69, explained that during those years he was already into coaching and he plied that trade at the YMCA Albouystown club. It was during a game in 1969 where Arthur first discovered not only that Manifold was a talented player but that he was even involved in the

sport. Arthur recounted that Wendell’s mom, Elaine, was very good friends with his and he had known the young Manifold through their mothers’ relationship but didn’t know the youngster was involved in football until a meeting between YMCA Albouystown and Manifold’s Dorcas Football Club that the secret was revealed.

During the interview with Kaieteur Sport, Arthur posited that Dorcas made light work of his club YMCA and Manifold, although he was a center back, scored all the goals in the match, exhibiting his prowess from set-pieces.

Following the game, the then young Arthur went straight to Elaine Manifold and implored her to have her son Wendell join YMCA. The next day, Arthur chuckled, “Wendell was the first player present for practice.”

Wendell Manifold would’ve been a gem of a player for Guyana, having captained the Golden Arrowhead at the under-17

Wendell Manifold (seated centre with ball at feet) was a founding member and former Captain of the Pele Football Club. and under-19 levels before leaving for Clemson University in New York, United States. By that time,

Lennox Arthur and his younger sibling Ashton Manifold, Patrick Barton, Keith Layne, Monty Wilson,

Ivor Carrington, Lloyd Enmore and Clyde ‘Farmer’ Brown had already formed the Pele FC club in 1971; the year

that Brazilian legend ‘King Pele’ announced his professional retirement from the sport.

New date for Tokyo Coronavirus delay saves Formula 1 teams Olympics ‘won’t satisfy “a lot of money” - Tost Autosport - AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost says that the coronavirus pandemic has saved Formula 1 teams money in 2020, as they no longer have to conduct “double development” programmes for 2021.

In response to the outbreak of coronavirus, which has paused the F1 calendar until late June at the earliest, the brand new rules primed for 2021 have been shuffled back to the 2022 season.

It means the current chassis and gearbox designs will be carried into next season, although teams will still be able to make changes to the aerodynamics package.

Tost says that not everything is negative about the situation, and that every crisis has opportunities.

“There are two sides to every coin,” he told Autosport in an exclusive interview.

“The good thing about the coronavirus story is that we don’t have to do double development this year,” he explained.

“We can’t develop the car for 2022 until the beginning of 2021. That also means 2021 development will now happen under the umbrella of the budget cap.”

everybody’, says Coe

AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost

He added: “[That is] a very important point because it saves a lot of money. It means that double development at high cost level is no longer necessary”.

It was originally planned that the new cost cap rules would be introduced in 2021, with a limit of $175 million aside from some exceptions, in line with the new cars.

But the cars for 2021 would have been developed in 2020, falling outside the remit of the budget cap, and it was suggested that 2020 would be the most expensive year of development in F1 history.

Elaborating on what has

been agreed, Tost said: “The chassis will be homologated.

The mechanical parts, too, such as the suspension.

“The only thing that can be improved is the aerodynamics. That means front wing, rear wing, bodywork, side pods, floor, diffuser and barge boards.”

Tost also explained the measures that the FIA has put into place to limit wind tunnel testing for those 2022 cars.

“The FIA controls the wind tunnel and gets video recordings and pictures of the wind tunnel,” he said.

“That means you can’t put a 2022 car in the wind tunnel because it looks

completely different. You would see that immediately.

“The FIA can ask for pictures of which car is in the wind tunnel right now. And they can check which model has been tested.

“No team can afford to mess with the rule keepers. No team can do that because far too many people are involved.

“When a model goes into the wind tunnel, the model makers are the first ones involved, followed by the guys who operate the wind tunnel.

“That’s at least 10 people who would know about it.

Nobody will accept such a risk.”

AFP - World Athletics president Sebastian Coe admitted Friday that settling on a new date for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 will not satisfy everybody.

“All sports have made it pretty clear they have particular challenges at particular times of the year,” said Coe. “We are probably not going to reach a solution that meets with the approval of every sport.

“But there does have to be an element of flexibility and there is going to be flexibility for the next two years.”

The 2021 World Athletics Championships, for example, are scheduled to be staged in August next year in Eugene, Oregon.

The 2020 Olympics, which were set for July 24August 9 this year, were postponed until 2021 by the

International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week because of the coronavirus.

However, there is no definite date yet for the rescheduled Games with IOC chief Thomas Bach saying Tuesday the Olympics “must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021”.

There have been suggestions even that the rebooted Olympics could be held in the spring and so allow athletes to avoid competing in the brutal heat and humidity of Japan’s summer.

“There are clearly demands for this decision to be taken as quickly as possible — the athletes and the federations need clarity,” added Coe. “Once the decision is made, we can build (the calendars) around it.”

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Kaieteur News

What cricket means to West Indians

The early days of West Indies cricket

Clifford Roach made the first Test Century by a West Indian.

While the first International ‘test’ match was played in 1844 between Canada and the USA and Australia faced England in the first official test match in 1877, it took the West Indies 51 years after the birth of Test cricket to be accredited Test status.

Although the inaugural first-class match in the West Indies was played in 1865 between Barbados and British Guiana (Demerara) at the Garrison Savannah and the first cricket tour to the West Indies was made in 1888 by an American side, it was not until the end of the 19th century that a regular interterritorial was being played between British Guiana, Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica.

Because of the distance from Jamaica and the other territories, they were not actively involved in regional cricket until 1896.

West Indies teams toured England in 1900 and 1906 after a West Indies X1 had opposed a English XI at the Kensington Oval in Barbados in 1902.

A series involving West Indies and MCC was played in the West Indies in 1912/13 before the First World War

put cricket on hold until 1923 when West Indies again toured England.

Maurice Fernandes, who seven years later led West Indies to their first test victory on home soil (Bourda in British Guiana), made his West Indies debut.

The West Indies first played as a team in 1890 against a visiting English team, while the West Indies Cricket Board joined the Imperial Cricket Council - now International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1926.

Nunes became the first of 37 West Indies Test captains (to November 2019) when his team toured England in 1928.

They lost all three of their matches as the Caribbean side was admitted to test cricket 63 years after the first 1st class match was played in the West Indies.

West Indies won their first test in 1930 at Bourda in British Guyana, beating England by 289 runs in the third test of that series.

Guyanese Maurice Fernandes became the first captain to win a test match but even though he had participated the year before in the inaugural test series, this was to be his only test as skipper and his two-test career was soon over.

In those days a captain was appointed from each country the game was played in during a home series and four captains were used in the first home series in 1930, including Trinidadian Nelson Betancourt who made his debut at 42 years, 242 days and still holds the record as the oldest West Indian (fifth oldest player overall) to make his test debut.

Barbadian Derek Sealy made his debut at 17 years, 122 days in the first test of that series and is still the youngest West Indian to play

Baron Learie Constantine of Tobago after his playing days. test cricket.

That 1930 series saw the first test hundred by a West Indian being scored when Trinidadian Clifford Roach hit 122 in the first test in Barbados. He also became the first West Indian to score a double century with his 209 at Bourda in the third test.

In those days, test matches were not restricted to any specific number of days and the fourth test of the 1930 series in Jamaica ended in a draw after it was agreed to halt the game after nine days. This is the second longest test match ever played. South Africa and England had a 10day draw in 1939.

Sandham scored 325 and Ames 149 as England were bowled out for 839 on the third day. West Indies fell for 286 on the fourth day and England declared on 272-9 on the sixth day with Sandham making 50. West Indies were 408-5 when the match was called off with Headley making a brilliant 223. In all 1,620 runs were scored and 34 wickets fell.

Lord Constantine was among the 1st Windies cricketers to fight for

racial equality.

Lord Learie Constantine was born in September 1892 in Trinidad and was the grandson of a slave.

His father, a foreman on a cocoa plantation, represented Trinidad in cricket and toured England in 1900 when the West Indies first visited that country to play cricket.

Constantine toured England in 1923 with the West Indies before they were granted test status and made his test debut five years later.

A powerful cricketer, he had extra long arms and while he was a very good batsman and fast bowler, his ability in the field was simply outstanding.

CLR James, the great West Indies cricket writer, wrote of Constantine “He is probably the only all-rounder in cricket who could win his place in a test side by fielding alone.”

He was the first West Indian to play professional cricket in the English Leagues and his feats in the Lancashire leagues between 1929 and 1937 are still unmatched.

It might be surprising that

Learie Constantine during his playing days. he was sometimes not released by his English club to play for the West Indies resulting in him missing test matches.

When he did play he rarely transformed his league cricket performance to the higher level and from 18 tests averaged only 19.24 with a highest score of 90 and took 58 wickets with two five wicket-hauls.

However, his contribution to West Indies cricket was much more than his statistics showed.

After playing his last series in 1939 at age 37 just before the war broke out, he got into politics where he made a significant contribution on behalf of black people.

He had always revolted against the difference between his status as a cricketer and his status as a black man.

When he was on the field he was regarded with high esteem and even looked up to by the many white players who dominated the game in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but once the game ended and

he left the venue, he was considered just another black man without much status.

If the future players really understood the history of West Indies cricket then the 16 West Indians who agreed to play in South Africa in 1983 as ‘Honorary Whites’ for big money, would have not been so willing to participate in a system which discriminated against their own kind.

Constantine studied Law and in 1954 was called to the Bar before becoming a Member of Trinidad’s first Parliament when that country gained independence in 1962.

He was knighted in 1962 and later worked as a cricket writer and commentator.

He was made High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago in London from 1962-1964 and served as a governor of the BBC. He died in July 1971 in London and will be remembered as a great man who toiled on and off the cricket field for the respect and social equality that present day West Indian cricketers enjoy and take for granted. (Sean Devers)

Break in season welcome for India’s players, says coach MUMBAI (Reuters) The pause in cricket due to the coronavirus pandemic will allow India’s jaded players to recharge their batteries, according to head coach Ravi Shastri.

The flu-like virus has halted sporting events across the globe as countries have gone into lockdown to contain the spread, with more than 550,000 people infected globally and nearly 25,000 dead, according to a Reuters tally.

“It cannot be a bad thing.

Because towards the end of

the New Zealand tour, you could see some cracks coming up when it came to mental fatigue, physical fitness and injuries,” Shastri told a Sky Sports cricket podcast.

“The amount of cricket we have played over the last 10 months was beginning to take its toll. Guys like me, and some other guys from the support staff left India on May 23 for the World Cup in England. Since then we have been at home for 10 or 11 days.”

India called off a home one-day international series

against South Africa after the first match, while the cricket board (BCCI) has also postponed the start of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament until April 15.

The country is currently in a 21-day lockdown until April 14 and the fate of the popular IPL is unclear.

Many national team players, including India’s captain Virat Kohli, have taken to social media to spread awareness about the virus and the importance of staying at home.

“There are certain players

who played all three formats of the game,” Shastri, a former India all-rounder, added. “You can imagine the toll it has taken on them, especially being on the field, adjusting from T20s to test match cricket and all the travel that goes with that because we travelled quite a lot.

“After England, we went to the West Indies, then played South Africa here (in India). We had a season of two and a half months here and then again off to New Zealand. So it has been tough but a welcome rest for players.”

India coach Ravi Shastri during nets at Old Trafford. (Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith)

Kaieteur News

Sunday March 29, 2020

Juventus players, coach Sarri agree pay cut due to coronavirus (Reuters) uventus players and coach Maurizio Sarri have reached an agreement over a wage reduction that will save the Italian champions 90 million euros ($100.26 million), the Serie A club announced yesterday.

Sarri and the first-team players have agreed what amounts to a four-month pay reduction to help Italy’s most successful club during the coronavirus crisis.

The effective one-third cut to the players’ annual salaries will mean a huge drop in wages for a squad headed by marquee Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo, the best-paid footballer in Italy who is reported to earn 31 million euros a year.

The agreement comes at a time when many clubs around Europe have had to cut wage bills because of the dramatic impact of matches having had to be postponed or played behind closed doors due to the spread of the virus.

“The economic and financial effects of the understanding reached are positive for about 90 million euros for the 2019/2020 financial year”, Juventus said in a statement.

“The understanding provides for the reduction of the compensation for an amount equal to the monthly payments of March, April, May and June 2020”, it added, saying personal agreements with Sarri and the players will be finalised in the coming weeks.

The Turin-based club, in one of the regions hit hardest by the crisis, have suffered in recent weeks with three of their players having tested positive for the virus — forward Paulo Dybala,

J

defender Daniele Rugani and midfielder Blaise Matuidi.

Soccer around the world has been brought to a standstill by the pandemic with Italy having suffered more than 10,000 deaths from the virus, the highest number in any country.

Italy’s top-fight Serie A league has been suspended since March 9 with Juventus, seeking a ninth successive title, leading the league by one point from Lazio with 12 games each remaining.

HEALTH EMERGENCY “Juventus Football Club S.p.A. announces that, due to the current global health e m e rg e n c y ( w h i c h ) i s preventing the performance of the sporting activity, it has reached an understanding with the players and the coach of the First Team regarding their compensation for the residual portion of the current sport season,” the club statement said.

“The understanding

provides for the reduction of the compensation for an amount equal to the monthly wages of March, April, May and June 2020.

“In the coming weeks, personal agreements with the players and the coach will be finalised, as required by the current regulations.

“Should the current s e a s o n ’s m a t c h e s b e rescheduled, the Club will negotiate in good faith with

the players and the coach conditional increases of compensation according to the actual resumption and finalisation of official competitions. “Juventus would like to thank the players and the coach for their commitment at a difficult time for everyone.”

Long-standing defender Giorgio Chiellini led the players’ negotiations amid reports in the Italian media

PAGE 63

General view of the club crest outside the stadium after Juventus player Daniele Rugani tests positive for coronavirus.

(REUTERS/Massimo Pinca)

that Ronaldo had agreed to sacrifice 3.8 million euros of his yearly wage to ease the financial burden on the club while Italy is in lockdown.

The agreement comes the day after leading Spanish club Atletico Madrid took the decision to cut the wages of their staff, including the players, to ease the financial burden on the club.

Atletico joined La Liga rivals Barcelona, who

imposed a compulsory wage reduction on their players during the period of lockdown after Spain became the second-most affected country by the coronavirus in Europe behind Italy.

German Bundesliga c l u b s B o r u s s i a Moenchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund have also said their players would forego some of their salary.

Belarus star midfielder Alexander Hleb.

(AFP/File/Glyn Kirk)

t r o Sp

‘We’ll be stronger than ever in 2021'– Naomi Osaka Belarus ploughs lone furrow over coronavirus as football league plays on Coe calls for flexibility over finding new date for Tokyo Olympics.

(AFP/File/ Fabrice Coffrini)

Naomi Osaka of Japan poses with the championship trophy at the Top of the Rock Observatory the day after winning the Women’s Singles finals match against Serena Williams at the 2018 U.S. Open in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., September 9, 2018. (REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs)

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Wendell Manifold (right) with Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton (left) and Lennox Arthur representing the Pele Football Club during their playing days.

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