12 Palms staffers NEWS quarantined following COVID-19 death of resident RECOUNT DAY 2
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AIETEUR
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Friday Edition May 08, 2020 -Vol. 22 No. 18
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40 ballot boxes completed APNU+AFC agents commandeer Aquatic Centre, hostile to media Decision made to tabulate SORs daily ANUG’s Chair believes recount will take much longer than 25 days Coalition claims clandestine meeting between GECOM IT Staff, PPP p. 14
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The Arthur Chung Conference Centre which has been the hub of elections recount activities over the past two days.
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Commercial storage in USA to reach capacity in second quarter - Hess CEO …says company had to charter three Supertankers to store its oil
questions 11 juvenile escapees Jagdeo Granger’s control recaptured over Coalition - lone teen on the run is p. Leopold Street resident 7 - two caught in West Berbice; one on the way to Linden
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Nigeria stares into the Abyss of a Life without oil cash
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Kaieteur News
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Friday May 08, 2020
Nigeria Stares Into the Abyss of a Life Without Oil Cash (Bloomberg) - Africa’s most populous nation is getting almost nothing from its massive oil wealth. While headline Brentcrude futures have rallied sharply in the past few weeks — rising above $30 a barrel on Tuesday — a glut of Nigerian oil is fetching about $10 less than that. It’s a level that means fiscal revenue for the continent’s biggest economy has cratered. “It’s now dawned on everyone across the country how severe this threat is,” said Andrew Nevin, a partner and chief economist for N i g e r i a a t PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. “There is a possibility that at least for three to five years, there’s going to be no revenue flowing to the government from oil.” Nigeria’s plight is playing out across the world: from Venezuela to Iraq and Iran, petrostates are grappling with the same bleak future — one where their prized commodity is worth a much less than it was, and where private companies often still want their cut. Twin Challenge Nigeria is faced with the twin challenge of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic itself, and a slump in the price of crude, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said in a webinar on Tuesday. “It’s a double whammy,” she said. “This has set us back significantly.” Global efforts to fight the spread of coronavirus have driven oil prices so low that they no longer cover the cost of pumping barrels for many companies in Nigeria — let alone providing the government with crucial cash. Nevin of PwC said at a webinar on April 30 that when oil prices are at around
$20 a barrel, Nigeria gets very little for its oil. The commodity normally contributes about half of fiscal revenue. Call the IMF The rout has been so severe that, having resisted borrowing from the International Monetary Fund for many years, Nigeria has secured its first ever loan — $3.4 billion — from the Wa s h i n g t o n - b a s e d organization to help plug
of U.S. shale oil was already proving uniquely challenging for Nigeria. Booming production from shale drastically cut Nigerian exports to the U.S. — once the destination for about 40% to 50% of the country’s cargoes. Despite near rock-bottom prices, traders said on Tuesday that about a quarter of Nigeria’s crude oil cargoes for loading this month have yet to find buyers. They
into gasoline, jet fuel and other products. Lost Earnings Nigeria started this year projecting it would sell oil at $57 a barrel, then it revised that down to $30 a barrel, and then $20. Oil revenues will decline by $26.5 billion this year, down from $54.5 billion in 2019, according to the IMF. “This is a period of crisis,” said Fortune Obi, who works for Shell Nigeria
some of the holes that appeared in the country’s 2020 spending plan. It’s also asked to borrow a further $3.5 billion from other development institutions, including the World Bank. As of late April, the IMF was predicting Nigeria’s economy would shrink by 3.4% this year. Previously, it was anticipating 2% growth. “It is no longer a secret that government revenues have collapsed,” said Clement Agba, minister of state for budget and national planning, at the webinar on Tuesday. Shale Disruption Even before the coronavirus halted masstransportation systems and trashed oil demand, the rise
should normally have been sold out by now. “Globally the crude oil market is very slow and we are not able to sell as much crude as we used to do before,” Finance Minister Ahmed said. At least six tankers carrying about 4.5 million barrels of the country’s crude have been floating off Gibraltar and nearby Ceuta — just inside the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic — since as long ago as the end of March, according to tanker tracking data monitored by Bloomberg. A seventh vessel is about to join them. In normal markets, those barrels would go straight to oil refineries for processing
and is a spokesman of the country’s oil union for senior workers. “Job losses are imminent across the petroleum industry. The impact of this will start reflecting from June and July. The reality is that some members will certainly be impacted. What matters most to us is how to manage the process of any of such expected exit.” Social Unrest Another concern in Nigeria is that a period of economic distress could lead
to a return of social unrest that dogged the country as recently as 2016. The Niger River Delta, at the heart of Nigeria’s crude production, has suffered bouts of militancy and violence for years, with oil facilities targeted by people claiming they were unfairly treated by the government and big oil companies. Nigeria’s worst outcome would be that its prices stay low and production is reduced by renewed unrest. “A concern is social stability in oil-producing areas as weaker government support and rising unemployment lead to social discontent,” said Jeremy Parker, head of business development for West Africa at Citac Ltd. “There is a risk that this could lead to spikes in incidences of politicallymotivated vandalism or theft, leading to production disruption.” Although oil makes up just 9% of the Nigerian economy, crude exports bring in more than 90% of foreign exchange earnings. Non-oil revenues remain one of the lowest in the world, with 65% of GDP largely dependent on “recycling of petrodollars,” according to the IMF. For years, banks have preferred lending to the lucrative oil sector. With 26% of their loans to firms producing crude, they risk collapsing if the low prices persist. Keep Pumping Pressure from the government and banks will keep oil wells producing to
sustain dollar inflows even if it’s not economic to do so on paper, said Cees Uijlenhoed, chief financial officer First Exploration & Petroleum Plc, an independent producer. His view, which is more optimistic than many, is that prices will reach around $50 a barrel by year end, and that Nigeria will be aided by the destruction of the U.S. shale industry. The government’s focus will probably be on maximizing its revenue by curtailing output from highcost producers, with deep offshore operators likely to be the hardest hit from such an approach, Uijlenhoed said, adding that shutting production “leads to zero cash-flow through the bank accounts and adds to the risk profile.” The real question is how much Nigeria can afford to lose as a nation, and how much longer it can withstand those losses, said Kola Karim, CEO of Shoreline Energy, a big independent producer in the country. His view is that there should be mandatory oilproduction cuts in the country so that barrels aren’t produced at loss-making levels and revenue is deferred instead. “It’s going to get worse,” Karim said. “The problem is a serious one and it’s not something that’s going to go away easily. I’m not sure what Nigeria is doing but for me this is an emergency that government should be attacking like Covid-19.”
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
GECOM and that sole custody concern The controversies at GECOM are never-ending. This is because vigilance is tense and unceasing, with the worst suspicions and anticipations harboured. In view of what did take place in April, there is some justification for the hard distrusts maintained, as was confirmed by the news caption, “PPP opposed to Lowenfield having sole custody of statements of recount at any time” (KN May 6). That is more than a recipe for sharper controversy, it is asking for still more trouble and unyielding positions. To restate the obvious, there is a well-established culture in this country that is characterized by raging distrusts. Even the less skeptical, the noticeably milder, in this society finds it difficult to offer the benefit of the doubt in routine transactions, be they focused on business, or involved with known relationships, sometimes even family. Too many have been burnt too often over work contracted but not done satisfactorily, over debts lent in good faith and in tough times (on both sides) but not remembered-or avoided-to be honoured through repayment, and over repeated promises made but breaches being the result. Unsurprisingly, anger, disappointment, and disgust now grace the ordinary commerce and interactions of the Guyanese day. Now what went before is at the private level, most times out of sight and with few, other than a limited inner circle familiar with what transpired with all the disagreements between the parties and the attendant violations felt by those scarred and falling short in either the pocket or in the regard extended for a favour delivered in time of need. Since, to a considerable degree, this is now a regular aspect of the Guyanese way of life in the trenches, then not much more should occur-or is expected-in public life. It is not, with the biggest poster child, the most revealing and brightest (or dullest, depending upon point-of-view) exhibit being what has now become the dark and immovable cloud under which the secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission functions and exists. To be crude and blunt, and brutally so, any insensitivity, any mischief, any dishonour that could be conjured up and placed at the doorstep of those who man the crucial and sensitive work of GECOM usually possesses some proven justification. This has been earned and in the worst way possible and in a manner that takes the breath away for audacity and glaring indifference, as to reputation, the work entrusted to, and the consequences for either accidental misstep or premediated and deliberate failure. Moreover, and as underpinned by circumstances now unchallengeable and undeniable, we are compelled to go beyond that already telling phrase from above of “placed at the doorstep” since all matters have proceeded way beyond the entry point. The reality is that the head and heart and soul have all come under the harshest rains of fire that spare almost no one, whether chair or chief executive or supporting senior management or those unknown and still faceless agents at lower levels on the ladder. It is, indeed, regrettable, that any brush applied to GECOM since early March sweeps in broader and broader arcs. Almost no one is missed as each new day and each new development results in the brandishing of newer and newer brooms. They are endless and they sweep clean. The unfortunate collateral damage from such keen and expansive sweeps is that even the few patriotic and principled still engaged in the decisive work of the GECOM secretariat are also besmirched. It is the byproduct of guilt not even by association, but through mere nearness, no matter how detached from the proceedings. Somebody has to know something, or be doing something, and whatever it may be, it is neither for the good nor for the positive. As for the Chief Executive Officer, he has fallen far and fast and hard in many minds. His standing is of the paltriest, which in and of itself is the worst vote of no-confidence that could accrue to any public and senior figure. More broadly, given the state of affairs at GECOM, it is not the healthiest for any single person to be the custodian of any pivotal document that is necessary for the recount. Yes! Things have degraded that much.
There is a troubling spate of robberies in West Canefield DEAR EDITOR, I am writing this letter with deep concern for something has been happening with a disturbing frequency in the West Canefield, Canje area house break-ins by young thieves. This has been happening before the sugar estate closure, before the election results stalemate and before the coronavirus and continues amidst these events. These young men have made a career for themselves as robbers as it is easy money to fund their drug habits and it is said that their families get a part of the loot. That is one of the reasons
why when the police would pick them up for questioning, their mothers cry and beg for them. They are sly and seem to have an art for it as they can enter houses in the most creative ways, such as sliding through very small spaces like lizards. Their targets tend to be houses, which occupants have gone on a vacation, out for a weekend or even a night. The settlement has no streetlights, no one has security cameras or alarm systems and I am unsure how often the police patrols drive through the streets late in the night. Due to these absences, these notorious thugs have
ample time to ransack and rob people’s homes. I am living in Georgetown but I have a country home that I have been maintaining at good costs because I always visit Berbice for weddings, funerals, charity work and literary presentations, so a country home is useful for me. My home was broken into and when I got there on Saturday 18th April, 2020 to assess the situation, it broke my heart to see the damages and losses. It’s a very bad situation that the police needs to look into very closely so others can be deterred from continuing this trend of house robberies. Such acts seriously
disrupt one’s comfort and convenience, not to mention the heart-breaking losses, many of which have deep sentimental value along with its monetary worth. These young men are capable of obtaining decent jobs and contributing something meaningful to their lives, families and society, rather than engaging in robberies to steal and resell others’ possessions, which they have worked tirelessly for. It is my hope that this trend could be curtailed and even seized to occur. Thank you. Maureen Rampertab
KOMAL CHAND SERVED THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT served with distinction. He has been a stalwart in the movement WITH DISTINCTION and had always been working for reconciliation at the DEAR EDITOR, Veteran trade unionist and comrade Komal Chand died on April 08, 2020. The Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU), on behalf of its executives and members, wishes to extend its deepest sympathy to sorrowing relatives and friends of comrade Komal Chand. We worked together with the Guyana Agricultural and Workers Union many years and established a great friendship and brotherhood. His passing is also great loss to the trade union movement at the international, regional and national levels in which he
workplaces and the broader society. The name of Comrade Komal Chand is now a household name in Guyana and further afield because of his significant contribution. At the end of life, what really matters is not what we bought, but what we built; not what we got, but what we shared; not our competence, but our character; and not our success, but our significance. May his soul rest in peace. Yours faithfully, Sherwood Clarke President, Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union
No need to sling mud on Freddie Kissoon DEAR EDITOR, I am exercising my right to respond to this ongoing series of Frederick Kissoon who launched an attack on me. Reference is made to his column in Kaieteur News, “Jagdeo’s libel, Nigel Hughes, my research, my life” (6th May 2020). Let me advise Kissoon whereas he said he has no respect for me “as a person and a trade unionist,” this would be hard for him to do. When it comes to respect the feeling is mutual with my fellow pensioner. He is not upright and any little respect I had for him, I lost it a long time. He was tolerated because our paths crossed on common issues even though I am of the opinion that he is a bully, disrespectful and untrustworthy. I had respect for him as an
intellectual but that has changed. Which proper socalled champion of the people would steal academic material, depriving the less fortunate who would have been relying on said material for their academic advancement? He had no shame telling this nation he stole textbooks and felt it was ok to so do, showing no regret, no remorse. He has no shame telling this nation GECOM Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh volunteered to and paid his “whopping grocery bill” but he continues to attack her integrity even as she engages in efforts to facilitate a recount to resolve the political impasse. He has said, “Since March 4, Singh has destroyed her legal legacy and her national credibility” (25th March, 2020- Claudette Singh paid for
my groceries and I was convinced). He is not qualified to judge people in the way he wants to do. In our society, he is allowed to shout at the top of his voice, passing judgment on people. I am too decent for him and knew it all along. In his usual style, he misrepresents some facts. I may not know the day-to-day operation of UG or other institutions but when it comes to industrial relations, I am well versed. His service at UG was not terminated due to Labour’s representation on the Council. I was the representative. The management oversight of due process, which yours truly pointed out, caused the Council not to recommend the severing of his service. His hide was saved by the UG upholding time-honoured
principles.Freddie is not a confidential person. Even when people talk to him in private, he puts it out in public but he wants others to keep his secret when he can’t keep other people’s issue secret. He has no secret for me. I never trusted him and anything I said to him in private, I had no problem with him coming to the public with. Readers of his column could recall the numerous times personal conversation people shared with him he placed in the public domain. Finally, let me say to Freddie, there is no need for me to “paint [his] character with mud”. There is no need to sling mud on him. As to the recent industrial impasse at UG, it is a matter of public record, which he shared, of the role he played. Lincoln Lewis
Attacks against Canadian High Commissioner the extremely competent High competence in defending vile and wicked Commissioner going through herself, but to congratulate DEAR EDITOR, Over the past few days, I have witnessed on social media the most vile, wicked, racist and ill-informed comments about the High Commissioner for Canada to Guyana. This gracious lady was picked upon by apologists of those holding on to power, illegally, despite all evidence that the elections, held over nine weeks (more than sixty seven days ago) were won by the PPP/C, and cannot be so declared, by GECOM.
I strongly suspect a number of reasons for ‘choosing’ to go after this particular Diplomat, but would refrain from publicly sharing these, at least for this time, except to say that the remarks spoke volumes for themselves and about those making them. The High Commissioner was accused of acts that have no basis in the truth. However, what prompted me to write was the clearly antagonistic ‘interview I saw last evening, which featured
an ‘inquisition’ by someone who obviously couldn’t hide his hidden agenda. Despite all his efforts, he failed miserably to get her to agree to his distortions. The lady, in Guyanese parlance “put him to his place”. Not even the smirk on his face from time to time could hide his embarrassment with the answers he got. I am not writing this to defend the Canadian High Commissioner as she clearly and obviously proved her
her for the courageous position she (in keeping with some other heads of missions, and local and internationally observers) has taken in the interest of preserving democracy so that the will of the Guyanese electorate can be respected. I would hope that in future all members of diplomatic missions in Guyana continue to enjoy the Guyanese hospitality for which we are known worldwide. Respectfully, Harry N Nawbatt
Friday May 08, 2020
Political participation of young people a promising sign for democracy DEAR EDITOR, I must confess I was very gratified to see the number of young people who were lining up early yesterday to spend 11 hours in (relatively) close confinement doing their civic duty in this time of viral political and covid19 contagion. The facemasks seem especially appropriate at this time because they provided prophylactic protection for both diseases. At the same time, the multi-coloured fabric facecoverings as well as the social distancing also seem appropriate in this struggle for freedom of expression and for free and fair election results. I am not entirely surprised by this display of fervor. My recent readings and reflections on Guyana’s elections dilemma have exposed me to an underlying political current, which was being followed by the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP). They had conducted six rigorous and comprehensive surveys of Guyanese (in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) as part of their study of the Political Culture of Democracy in the Americas project. The statistical accuracies of their polls were no less than +or- 2.5% across 25 Caribbean and North, Central, and South American countries. The initial (2006) survey was conducted and reported by UG’s Institute of Development Studies and was used to arrive at a number of conclusions concerning democratic attitudes, values and behaviours of Guyanese. The second (2009) study was expanded to provide greater representation of Guyana’s 10 regions and another full report was prepared. Since then, beyond two brief power presentations in 2014 and 2016, there has been no known effort to complete full reports or to track changes in opinion over time. The data for all the studies as well as the reports and presentations are available, for free, on the LAPOP website. Guyana was not in the 2018 round of surveys and may no longer be part of the project. There is a surfeit of information in the first two reports. I extracted the following data during my attempt to understand Guyanese’ ideas about democracy, elections, political representation, and governance. This much I learned: 1. The majority (52.2%) identified democracy as a process or a certain set of values which encompassed freedom of expression and free and fair elections.
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However, more than a third (34.3%) felt democracy had no meaning. The others felt democracy was either a bad idea or should be assessed based on economic outcomes. 2. Only about one in eight (12.2%) identified with a political party in 2009, a decrease from the one in five (19.4%) in 2006. This was a significantly lower level of party identification than every other country in the LAPOP group; 3. There were 70% of the respondents who said they voted in 2006 (about average for LAPOP countries). Of note, regional turnouts were statistically the same (with the exception of the difference between Regions 5&6 being more likely to vote than in Region 4); ethnic voter turnouts were statistically the same (except for Amerindians who were less likely than Indo-Guyanese to vote); and while more females voted than males and more elders voted than younger voters, there were no statistical differences by wealth, education and location. 4. When asked why they did not vote, one in three (35.4%) non-voters said they had no interest in voting for any of the candidates; one in four (24.3%) said they had no ID card or were not listed; and one in five (20%) said they were either sick or not interested in voting. 5. When asked why they voted the way they did, three in every ten voter (29.2%) gave a party as the reason for their vote; the rest were evenly split between the 35.5% who voted for the qualities of a candidate and the 35.2% who voted for the platform of a candidate. 6. The PPP voters were significantly more IndoGuyanese, rural and those who identified with the ethnicity of their parents and/ or perceived the nation’s economic situation to be improving, but less likely to be Amerindian or those con-
cerned about their personal economic situation. 7. The PNC voters were significantly positively correlated with older voters, AfroGuyanese and those who were optimistic about the nation’s economic future. 8. The only distinguishing factor among AFC voters was they were more likely to have some level of tertiary education. 9. Cross-tabulation of ethnicity and party voting revealed that two in three (68.7%) of the respondents who voted for the PPP were Indo-Guyanese; seven in ten (71.5%) of PNC voters were Afro-Guyanese, and two in five (39.6%) Mixed and one in three (31.5) Amerindians were the bulk of the AFC voters. Mixed voters made up a greater proportion of PNC (two in ten or 22.7%) voters than PPP (one in ten or 11.3%) voters while Amerindians made up a greater proportion of PPP (one in six or 16.3%) voters than PNC (one in 25 or 4.0%) voters. 10. The calm of 2006 election seem to have inspired greater voter interest. In 2009, eight out of ten (81.6%) of respondents had already registered for the 2011 election which was very high for LAPOP countries. Mixed and Amerindians were significantly less likely to have registered than Indo-Guyanese and the wealthier and urban respondents were more likely to have registered, As they say, long story short: the majority of Guyanese care about their democracy and relatively (compared to LAPOP countries) large numbers voted for, despite their relatively low affinity with, the political parties. The data indicate that there are those few (one in three) who vote along party lines but the vast majority have other reasons for which they would have preferred to vote. That the two major ethnicities voted (Continued on page 6)
THE PPP IS NOT INTERESTED IN FULL STORY OF 2020 ELECTIONS DEAR EDITOR, This letter is being dictated shortly after learning that GECOM has suspended the examination and counting of the ballots of our March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. The reason for this unhappy suspension is the discovery of a secret early morning meeting at the Tabulation Department, Arthur Chung Convention Centre between the PPP’s agents, Frank Anthony, Sasenarine Singh and two others and GECOM Information Technology Supervisor Aneal Giddings and his Deputy. It will be inappropriate for me to comment on the likely result of an investigation into the clearly unauthorized and highly suspicious gathering, except to say that the meeting of these two groups in secret is highly improper and should raise alarm bells and a red flag. Add this to the strange behaviour of Mr. Trevon
Harris, Returning Officer, Region 1, who is known by the community as a mixed Guyanese with a loyalty to a Political Party, refused to provide GECOM with his Region’s Polling Book. His alleged statement that he left GECOM, not knowing when, speaks volumes and to have important election documents, not in the proper place is at best mysterious or unacceptable. As a concerned citizen, I expect to hear volumes from those who publicly stated that these elections were the worst rigged in our history. To t h a t , I s a y p i t y those who know not that they know not or have erased from their memories. 1961, 1992, 1997, 2001, 2005, all of these elections were characterized by events that qualify to be termed ‘rigging.’ Let them speak now or hereafter hold their peace. Next, those who have appealed to the OAS,
Please consider asthmatics in Covid-19 restriction measures DEAR EDITOR Watching the news I’m hearing that vendors and people not wearing a mask will be charge, however, what about people with asthma. Let me speak mainly for myself here: without a mask it’s very hard for me to breathe and when I put one on I feel like if I’m suffocating. I work at a private sector company and if I’m to stay home I wouldn’t be getting pay and I’m concerned what can be put in place for asthma victims that can’t breathe with a mask on. Yours truly, Name provided
obviously, these folks neither understand nor can appreciate that the credibility and impartiality of OAS is currently being called in question. And those of us who have been part of elections since the early 50s have reason to believe that the North-West incident and the secret meeting are but the tip of an iceberg. From the fulminations of Mr. Anil Nandall and the PPP Commissioner at GECOM, it is crystal clear that the PPP hierarchy is not interested in the whole story of elections 2020. Let us hear from a certain diplomat and those experts. I recall the words of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th United States President when he said, I quote “to sin by silence when they should protest make cowards of men.” Hamilton Green Editor’s Note: GECOM Public Relations Office, Ms. Yolanda Ward, has clarified that the alleged secret meeting referred to by Mr. Green did not take place.
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PAT THOMPSON WAS A MANAGEMENT PILLAR, YET WORKED FOR gentlemen for their work pro- now make North America, Eu- State enterprises) that came moting Guyana in Barbados rope, the Americas, and Car- to power from electoral fraud. AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT and for their criticism of ibbean as our new home. The As respected Guyanese DEAR EDITOR, Pat was held in high reThe country would have been saddened to read of the passing of well-known regional management consultant, Pat Thompson, who was held in high esteem by both sides of the political aisle. I do not know the Pat Thompson personally but his name came up in interactions I had with prominent business people in several trips to Barbados and Trinidad since the 1980s, He was described as someone who was revered and accomplished in management. People spoke well of him as a corporate entrepreneur in same vein as that of Ken Gordon, the media magnate and titan of free enterprise of Trinidad. As Aubrey Armstrong penned, Pat provided invaluable leadership to and was a pillar of true strength within the Guyanese community in Barbados. As we learn, Pat led by example in championing balanced ethnic leadership of the Guyana related organization he founded in Barbados.
gards by business tycoons of the region. At the CAL lounge in Piarco and on a flight from Trinidad to Barbados, sitting next to and engaging Ken Gordon some fifteen years ago, Pat Thompson’s name, as well as Yesu Persaud’s among others, came up as outstanding management personalities within the region. Like Gordon and Yesu, Pat was a promoter of entrepreneurship and a critic of socialism/communism that impoverished Guyana. In trips to Barbados, I did not have interaction with Pat or his tutee Aubrey Armstrong, who wrote a magnificent tribute to the departed businessman, though I knew about both of them. I went to Barbados annually end of May over several years coinciding with commemoration of Guyana independence. As I recall, Norman Faria and others used to organize these ceremonies. I interacted with many Guyanese at those functions discussing issues
pertaining to the Guyanese presence in Barbados. Pat’s name would come up in conversations as an outstanding Guyanese and for his service on the island. Thompson was well known and held in high esteem for business acumen and at one time, his name was suggested to Dr. Jagan for a cabinet berth or some other high level position. Jagan himself brought up the name, along with that of some other entrepreneurs and Dr. Clive Thomas when I interacted with him (Jagan) in December 1992. As Armstrong reminded readers, Pat was a respected businessman, mentor, and leader in the Guyanese community. Armstrong described Mr. Thompson as his mentor/tutor expressing enormous respect for him and touted his expertise in management, public relations, and business leadership. They worked as a team on Guyana related issues and management. I applaud both
Burnhamism although they began doing so only ‘after the horse left the barn’, so to speak in Guyanese parlance. Pat could have done more for Guyana had he been effectively utilized for his expertise. Politics and ideology came in the way of additional contributions to his former homeland. In their early days, neither Thompson nor Armstrong was a fan of Forbes Burnham, but both decided to work for him. They worked for and supported a dictatorship that rigged elections, ran an illegal regime, persecuted political opponents, murdered opponents, engaged in racism, and became increasingly authoritarian. As Armstrong himself confessed, it was only when they themselves became victims of the regime in state enterprises that they began to speak out against authoritarianism, and when the repression became unbearable, they chose migration as a way out as did hundreds of thousands of us who
post-colonial dictatorship was far more oppressive than the dictatorship of the colonial masters it replaced and as both Thompson and Armstrong would have realized. People wonder whether it ever occurred to Thompson and or Armstrong that had they refused to serve the dictatorship right after the rigged election of 1968, perhaps the dictatorship would not have lasted that long. (Thompson served in 1969-70 at the UN and later at Guybau or Demba or Bidco and Armstrong in the early 1970s at UG and at state enterprises. Armstrong would put up his name up as a candidate for leadership of the party of Burnham in 2009). Regretfully, despite their disdain for authoritarianism, neither one actively joined the struggle for the liberation of Guyana from the throes of the dictatorship that they both escaped in the 1970s. It would have been interesting to know how they felt serving a regime (working in
residing in Barbados, an established democracy, how did they feel about lending legitimacy to the illegal Burnham regime?
Having lived in Barbados for so long and experienced life under a democracy, I wonder what they thought about failure of a government to honour the process that normally follows the passage of a no confidence motion and the ongoing fiasco at GECOM since March 3. Regardless of their early positions on Burnham, and what motivated them to work for the dictator, both Pat Thompson and Armstrong are praised for their critical thinking on Burnhamism in the 1970s. They did so at a time when only a few dared to criticize the dictator and managed to escape without experiencing violence unlike many of us. Pat’s contributions to the Guyanese diaspora in Barbados and to Guyana will be remembered for years to come. Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram
Political participation of young people... From page 5 overwhelmingly for the major party of their ethnicity may have more to do with electoral and constitutional constraints (identified by those calling for electoral reform). In fact, the turnout for the AFC indicates that the two fastest growing ethnic groups are among those seeking representation beyond the long dominant ethnic parties. This current outpouring of interest in the election process as well the results is a reflection of a majority view that democracy is important and free and fair elections are its most important protec-
tions. The strident young voices I am hearing are echoing Guyanese growing concerns about personal and national security, individual and national economy, public corruption, support for the political system and democracy, political tolerance, and trust in public institutions. Two alarming trends: 1) significant decline in public trust especially the police (lowest in LAPOP countries), political parties, judiciary and election institutions; and 2) one in five citizens who prefer authoritarian rule instead of a democracy. In the current tumult, I am seeing signs of positive
change. I liken this to the Arab Spring, but with a Guyanese flavour. The young people are coming forward as never before; they had launched 17 parties, nine of whom contested the elections, and they are staying the course of this long, exhausting, and frankly unhealthy path to protecting free and fair elections. I commend their effort and hope they inspire others: young and old, hot and cold, sweet and sour, frowsy and fresh to join them in forging a Guyana we can all be proud of. Yours truly, Rory Fraser
Friday May 08, 2020
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Contact-tracing for COVID-19 11 juvenile escapees - lone teen on the run is dependenton patients’ recaptured Leopold Street resident honesty - health officials - two caught in West Berbice; one on the way to Linden By Rehanna Ramsay
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racing the contacts of COVID-19 patients comes at a price; truthfulness. As such, health officials are heavily dependent on the “openness and honesty” of people affected by the disease, attributes they say are sometimes difficult to find but an absolute necessity when tracking possible cases of COVID -19. This is underlined by Dr. Luella Sucre, an Epidemiologist attached to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). In a video message shared by the MoPH, Dr. Sucre explained the process undertaken to ensure that Guyana’s data of the disease is accurate. In simple terms, the Epidemiologist said that the surveillance involves detective type work. She noted that the data entry and contact-tracing of possible COVID -19 cases is primarily conducted via the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Ministry. According to Dr. Sucre, the data collection takes two forms —open and formal. She explained that the open information is derived from rumours or informants. “We have people calling in to inform us of possible cases. These are things that we definitely check out. Whereas the formal information relates to data sourced from the health centres, hospitals and sentinel healthcare facilities.” At present, she explained
that the COVID-19 hotlines is a main source of information for tracing possible cases. “As long as the information filters and flows through the Surveillance Unit, we are actively involved in the daily contacttracing for possible cases. We are looking for these persons for the effective prevention and control of the COVID-19 situation. The Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit can only do effective contact- tracing if the information provided is from persons being honest
recommendation of cases. Waldron stressed, “The more truthful people are when we speak to them, the better the analysis and recommendation in terms of planning Guyana’s COVID19 response.” “The collection and analysis of the data is vital to planning Guyana’s response and implementation. Once we‘ve been notified or we find a possible case then that person is contacted and the contacttracing commences which means we try to find the people that person has been
about their whereabouts, movements and symptoms. Dr. Sucre said too that, “The general public has this fear that they might be discriminated against once they have COVID-19. But we would like them to know that information is absolutely necessary for the prevention of any further spread of the disease.” Meanwhile, in a similar message, Head of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Sasha Wa l d r o n , s h a r e d h o w surveillance of COVID-19 cases is conducted in a systematic format. The collection of data is essential for the adequate a n a l y s i s a n d
in contact with for the last 14 days,” she explained. Waldron said too that, “With every contact that is done, we try to ensure a follow up is done with those persons. We check in with them to make sure that they have no symptoms such as fever, couching sneezing.” She added, “Once there are symptoms, that person is red-flagged, if they have a fever or cough, we contact the Surveillance Unit which makes recommendation for testing… if there are no symptoms then that person receives clearance from a main health facility like the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, etc.”
The Sophia holding centre where two juveniles overpowered police ranks before freeing 10 of their colleagues Police have so far recaptured 11 of the escapees of the Sophia holding centre. According to the police, two of them were caught at Weldaad on Wednesday night with another in the Leopold Street area yesterday. Another escapee was caught in a bus heading to Linden yesterday morning while parents of two others took them in to the Holding Centre. Five others would have been recaptured in the Georgetown area on Wednesday. According to police, the one teenager on the run is a 17-year-old of Leopold and Cross Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown. He was on remand for murder. Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, had said on Wednesday that he has asked for a report on the matter. According to a police statement on Wednesday, “stringent efforts” by ranks are currently underway to recapture seven of 12 inmates of the Juvenile Holding Centre who
escaped from the facility about 23:30h on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.” Police said that during the escape, two ranks were assaulted and have since received medical attention. Meanwhile, a thorough investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the escape. Among the escapees were said to be inmates accused of murder and other serious crimes.The five were recaptured in Georgetown. Kaieteur News was told that based on preliminary details, two of the juveniles broke out of their holding areas earlier and hid.At the changing of the shift after 10:00 pm Wednesday, two police ranks on guard were attacked and beaten. The two juveniles relieved the ranks of keys, which they used to free the others. Police ranks have been complaining of hardships in guarding the juveniles at the facilities.
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Friday May 08, 2020
Beware of mosquito borne diseases -CARPHA Executive Director warns
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ountries around the world have battled the spread of COVID-19 by closing borders, placing national restrictions on population movement and integrating further social distancing measures into everyday life. This was done to ensure that healthcare systems are not overwhelmed in the identification and management of COVID-19 cases. This was underscored by Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr. Joy St. John in observance of Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week 2020. She said, “In the midst of this pandemic, we must be mindful that other public health threats still exist. Mosquito borne diseases, such as, Dengue,
Chikungunya and Zika, have placed an additional burden on our Region’s healthcare systems, and negatively impact social and economic development. As individuals and communities, we each have a role to play in preventing an upsurge of mosquito borne diseases,” she asserted. Adding her voice to the conversation, Dr. Laura-Lee Boodram, Head of Vector Borne Diseases at CARPHA, said, “During 2019, the Caribbean Region experienced another outbreak of Dengue, with many CARPHA Member States reporting an increase in the number of severe and hospitalised cases.” Dengue outbreaks, she noted, tend to occur in cycles every few years due to a complex interplay between
population, ecological and climatic factors. She further added, “While we haven’t s e e n a r e s u rg e n c e o f Chikungunya or Zika within Member States in the last few years, countries in South and Central America did report outbreaks of Chikungunya in 2019 and early 2020. Therefore, the Caribbean must remain vigilant.” Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week (CMAW) was declared in November 2014 at the 17th Special Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government on Public Health Threats. It is an important reminder to the general public to take action to reduce their risk of diseases spread by mosquitoes. F o r C M AW 2 0 2 0 , CARPHA’s slogan states,
“In times of COVID - Let’s Unite to Fight the Bite!”, placing emphasis on taking preventative measures and remaining healthy during this time. Even as the rainy season starts, CARPHA has projected that greater rainfall will lead to a proliferation of mosquito breeding sites, building vector populations and increase the risk of transmission of diseases, such as Dengue. To counter this increase in mosquitoes and potential disease transmission, greater effort should be placed on mosquito awareness in communities and vector control activities should be intensified, CARPHA has recommended.
CARPHA’s Executive Director, Dr. Joy St. John (caricom.org)
M r. R a j e s h R a g o o , Senior Technical Officer, Vector Borne Diseases at CARPHA recommends that, “The best way to ‘fight the bite’ around homes and communities, is to ensure our surroundings are clean and free of materials or containers that can accumulate water. The base of plant pots, vases, buckets
and used vehicles tyres are typical breeding sites. Water storage drums and tanks must be properly covered and inspected periodically to ensure that there is no breeding. It is also important to minimize individual exposure to mosquito bites.” Vulnerable groups such as infants, young children, (Continued on page 12 )
Commercial storage in USA to reach capacity in second quarter - Hess CEO - Says company had to charter three Supertankers to store its oil As a result of the unprecedented reduction in demand due to COVID-19, Hess Corporation reported yesterday that commercial storage in the United States is expected to reach capacity in the second quarter. Taking this frightening reality into account, the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Hess said that curtailments and shut-ins of production by the industry would be required. Regarding measures it had to take, Hess revealed that the company had to charter three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to store two million barrels each of May, June and July North Dakota Bakken crude that is expected to be sold in the fourth quarter of 2020. Further to this, the company said that slowing economic activity caused by the pandemic has impacted natural gas nominations in the North Malay Basin (NMB) and Joint Development Area assets in Southeast Asia. In Guyana, Hess noted that ExxonMobil
Hess CEO, John Hess
has temporarily idled two of the four drilling rigs on the Stabroek Block due to pandemicrelated travel restrictions. The official said that the Liza Destiny floating production, offloading, and storage vessel (FPSO) is expected to reach its full capacity of 120,000 gross barrels of oil per day (bopd) in June, with April gross production of approximately 75,000 bopd. Despite pandemic-related delays, he said that the Liza Phase Two development remains on schedule to start production in 2022.
Kaieteur News
Friday May 08, 2020
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A game of intellectual gaffe
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he train has long left the station. But it seems as if some people not only missed the train but also the station. No one needs to be lectured on the benefits of power-sharing. Any benefits can be considered as theoretical and speculative because there is no example of a workable model of power-sharing in the world. The South African model, negotiated by Mandela and De Klerk did not last very long. The Government of National Unity did not last beyond the transitional three-year period prior to the development of a new Constitution. The so-called unity government failed in Indonesia. It became a tool for co-opting parties and eventually suppressing opposition. Power-sharing collapsed in Northern Ireland three years ago. An attempt is being made to revive it this year. The Arusha Accords ended in disaster in Rwanda. Political stability has come at
the price of human rights violations and political repression. There is no model, which became a referent point for power-sharing in Guyana. It is quite convenient, of course, to argue that each country must evolve its own model of power-sharing. But no one has yet presented any workable model either for Guyana. All we are getting is talk and more talk. In any event, the conditions are not suited for power-sharing. I agree with the argument that trust must be established for powersharing to work but I also agree with the view that trust cannot be developed outside of an arrangement involving the main parties. Without trust for such an arrangement, power-sharing becomes merely aspirational. Shared governance has been discredited by the Coalition government. According to one of its leaders, it has suffered intracoalition dynamics that was not properly managed. It
hogged political power and even refused to respect the no-confidence motion, which was passed against it. The Coalition represents a false start at mini-powersharing. The Coalition is now about to push Guyana off the precipice. It is determined to hold on to power regardless of the consequences. In so doing, it is destroying whatever pretensions it harboured as a trusted force for inclusive governance. If one of the country’s main political parties, which represents more than 40% of the population, cannot respect democracy, it is not likely that it will ever commit to power-sharing. The APNU+AFC Coalition is now more concerned with holding on to power. Such a discredited political alliance can never be trusted to be sincere about inclusive governance. Power-sharing can have no place under an autocratic or authoritarian government. Any plan for shared governance under such governments would see one
Dem boys seh...
Dem embassy like ‘blow- blow’ Dem boys tek a bet dat de recount not gon last more dan five days. At de rate wha things going, it looks like it gon end sooner.De fuss day, dem had 25 Statements of Recount (SORs) done. But only 6 get put in de computer after 10 hours. Dem boys gat a 5-year-old granddaughter who could input dem 25 SORs in one hour, and nah mek one mistake.But da is all part of de fuffuckle. Dem boys wan tell dem CARIGONE observers dat dem wasting dem time. De count nah gon finish. De HAPNEW/Hay-Eff-See gon fuffuckle de process. Dem nah intend to give in or give up. A plan is in place. The HAP-NEW/Hay-Eff-See claiming how dem win de elections. But de tune change now. Dem claiming how de PPP rig de election. Dem boys wan know how de PPP rig de elections fuh de HAP-NEW/HayEff-See get de win? Dat make sense? De odder ting dat gat dem boys going was how de Coalition people walking with people death certificate and passport records to de recount to prove dat dead people vote. Dem was de same people who object to
live streaming because dem seh it against de secrecy of de ballot. Dem boys still boxing dem brain fuh find out how dem know who vote from who nah vote and who death certificate fuh go and collect. Dem boys na so bright. Dem boys also notice how dem embassies does issue statements steady about ‘credible’ and ‘transparent’ recount. Dem boys wan tell dem embassies dat dem should stop using dem words. Dem boys like words like ‘blow-blow’; ‘mo talk and less steam’; ‘Is time fuh sanctions, nah statement!’ Dem boys also gat a message fuh all dem who calling fuh boycott de Waterfalls paper. Dem boys wan tell dem:”Nah bother boycott; don’t buy the paper.” Dem boys gon still deh about. Dem gon still skin up all de thieves, whichever party in power.Dem boys ain’t got a constituency. Dem boys only know about talking de truth. Dem old people would seh dat dem boys mouth tear. Nothing ain’t changing. Talk half and wait for more truth to come out.
side sitting in the seat of government and the other crawling on its knees. Those who continue to tout power-sharing do not have the solutions. They have not proposed a workable model and will not do so because there is no model in the world to which they can refer. The local power-sharing advocates lack the capacity to develop an indigenous model. As such, they are resorting to a game of intellectual gaffe or to put in common terms, to farting in the wind. Power-sharing governments have been useful only where there has been a need for transitional arrangements. National unity governments in this regard have provided shortterm stability but eventually they dissolve or collapse. Democratic government is not perfect. Some say it is ill-suited to multicultural societies. But they have proposed no other workable
options, just principles around which some model can be built. The proof of the pudding, however, is in the making and right now the ingredients for the powersharing cake is not yet on the table much less in the oven. Power-sharing requires democratic government in the sense that people should have a right to determine who should rule them. Otherwise, those who share power can collectively end up hogging power. Those who see the need for some form of shared governance should explore some ideas, which have been made before and which can operate within the existing Westminster model. The first was proposed many years a g o b y D r. R u p e r t Roopnarine. He called for a trial system at the lowest common denominator – at the level of local government. The second idea is to limit the powers of the
Presidency. Too much power in the hands of an Executive President can emasculate even the members of Cabinet. If the Presidency is to be retained, let Presidential decisions be subject to a Cabinet veto. The third is to allow for certain Bills in the National Assembly to be subject to special majorities. In this w a y, c o m p r o m i s e a n d consensus will be encouraged. All three of the above suggestions do not involve upending democracy. In fact, these ideas will strengthen democratic rule. (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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Friday May 08, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Elections 2020; Ms. Alert of the AFC leadership wrote this
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here is a big debate going on among the executives and diaspora friends of the AFC on the AFC’s email string on the AFC’s support for rigged elections. In this ongoing debate, AFC executive, Beverley Alert (whose uncle is another AFC executive and a personal friend of mine, Ron Alert) and David Patterson are the lead debaters for the AFC versus Charles Sugrim, Dr. Asquith Rose, among others Here is Beverley Alert’s
contribution to the polemical discourse. I am quoting her;”For 50 years Independent Guyana has had successive Governments that fail to respect our laws. That changed in 2015 with the coming into office of the APNU+AFC. It is still hard for many to understand what this means as the practice by political leaders to circumvent the laws had become so entrenched. For those of us loyal to the AFC and supportive of the Coalition, we see it as our duty to never again allow a
group of people who do not respect our Courts and our Laws, to rule this land…you may not understand or accept our position and that is OK. But by God, DO NOT ask us to support any call or action that is not in keeping with our laws.” Is there anything dangerous about Ms. Alert approach to life? Mind you; not politics and power but life itself? Well there is and it is frightening. What Ms. Alert needs to know is that her kind of approach to society died hundreds of
years ago? Let us now explain to Alert why her position can be called evil. Through this column, someone like Ravi Dev will know of Alert’s thinking and I am sure would want to give her a tiny lecture because he has written a lot on the pitfalls of the kind of thinking that Alert embraces. Now mind you; Alert is not the only one that has adopted this mental shape. She obviously is adumbrating the positions of her acolytes in the AFC’s leadership and countless others who have
covered their mental horizons with hatred for the PPP which they equate with Guyana. The first question to ask Alert is why she thinks those loyal to her party and supporters of the coalition reflect majority opinion on what she is writing on? And how do you arrive at majority opinion? If Alert does know how that arrival is shaped, society can remind her of one mechanism. It is called voting for people you prefer to see administer the country. APNU, AFC, Kaieteur News, Bar Association, Stabroek News, Police Force, trade unions, business houses, etc., none of them have any right to stop a party from governing if that was what the majority of citizens voted for. Once any of those names listed here decided that Xanadu Party should never rule and therefore it decides not to let Xanadu Party rule, we are heading for a breakdown in civilization. What civilized people do is that we confront Xanadu Party in its bad governance and through our efforts, we defeat them at the next election. Alert’s party, the AFC, did that in 2011 and 2015. Now in 2020, Alert’s party died a natural death but she wants her dead party and supporters of the coalition not to accept that the PPP should rule Guyana again and deny the PPP from ruling again. What happens then is that, civilization disappears. It is as simple as that. We no longer, according to the gospel of Alert, have a right to vote and when we vote, it
Frederick Kissoon will not count because there are people in society who will not accept the results because they didn’t like who won the poll. Here are some more questions for Alert. She referred to those loyal to the AFC. Could Alert tell us why those loyal to a dead party has a right to stop the PPP from assuming power when over 200, 000 voted for that party? Why a dead party must have the right to decide that a living party cannot win an election? Now here is some comfort for Alert coming from me. I did not want to see the PPP win. I did not want to s e e h e r p a r t y, t h e APNU+AFC win. So I chose Lenox Shuman’s party. I saw the original results and Shuman’s party jointly with The New Movement and ANUG, won a seat. ANPU+AFC removed that seat in a false declaration. APNU+AFC took away my vote. Who gave Alert and her colleagues that right? Finally, Alert’s leader, David G r a n g e r, v i o l a t e d t h e constitution more times than other presidents in Guyana’s history. Please Ms. Alertdon’t write anymore nonsense! (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Friday May 08, 2020
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Friday May 08, 2020
12 Palms staffers quarantined following T COVID-19 death of resident One of the country’s COVID-19 deaths was a resident of the Palms Geriatric Facility.
welve staffers of the Palms Geriatric Home have been placed in mandatory quarantine by officials attached the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) as a result of the latest COVID-19 related death. Director of Social Services, Wentworth Tanner under whose purview the Palms operates, confirmed yesterday that a 64-year-old bedridden male resident of the facility had died of the disease. The elderly man died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation last Friday shortly after he was admitted. In the meantime, the Social Services Director noted that as recommended by health workers, several staffers of the facility have been quarantined. Kaieteur News understands too that the ward where the victim once occupied comprises of about 24 other bedridden persons who have also been placed in quarantine. Tanner said the Palms has since undergone a thorough sanitization exercise and there will be full screening of the caregivers before they enter the compound. He said while there is no certain information as to how the patient contracted the virus, the facility had suspended all visits to the Palms since March 30. “So there were no outside visitors coming into the facility. Added to that, the caregivers are also instructed to wear masks and gloves on each shift. They are provided with four masks each per shift,” Tanner explained further. The Director noted nonetheless that the incident
is quite alarming given the fact that the Palms hosts about 194 in-house elderly residents. “We hope that the Health Ministry will help bring some clarity to the situation because what is scary is that a person can be asymptomatic and have the disease yet transfer it to other persons who are vulnerable.” Similarly, in the daily livestreamed update on Guyana’s COVID -19 situations, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, stressed that testing is critical to uncover asymptomatic cases of the virus. “As I said [before], testing is critical if we are to uncover the asymptomatic cases to assist in reducing the number of illnesses and deaths due to the severe form of the disease.” According to the CMO, Guyana’s fatality rate stands at 10.8 percent per the population whereas the WHO Global fatality rate is 4 percent. “Of all positive cases, children account for 5.4 percent, adults 82 percent and the elderly 12.6 percent. Even though 52 percent of our confirmed cases were males, they account for 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Guyana. This simply means that we must detect those in our communities showing no symptoms but require medical intervention.” Sharing further insight into the asymptomatic cases, Dr. Persaud noted that from information provided globally, many healthy younger persons infected with COVID-19 do not display the usual symptoms. “These persons can continue to transmit the virus to other vulnerable persons in (Continued on page 14)
Beware of mosquito borne... From page 8 older adults and women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant must exercise extra caution, CARPHA has advised, pointing out too that personal protective measures including the wearing of long sleeved clothing and the use of insect repellents are strongly recommended. In late 2019, CARPHA revealed that it entered into a grant agreement with the European Union, which supports regional prevention and control efforts against mosquito borne diseases. Moreover, focus will be placed on strengthening Member States’ disease surveillance systems and vector control operations, expanding community
engagement, public health education and increasing partnerships and collaborations to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with mosquito borne diseases. Meanwhile, CARPHA has announced that it has developed Mission Mosquito, an innovative information toolkit, which includes animated videos, posters and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). The toolkit is specially packaged to meet the needs of a diverse audience, which include public health professionals and clinicians, pregnant women, and children. The toolkit is available here http://missionmosquito.carph a.org/
Friday May 08, 2020
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ANUG’s Chair believes recount will take much longer than 25 days It looks like the Guyanese people will have to wait much longer than the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) says it should, for a Government to be sworn in on the basis of credible elections results. At least, that is the view of Attorneyat-Law and Chair of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Timothy Jonas. He spoke to reporters during the second day of the National Recount on the lawns of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. “I am concerned about the 25- day original plan, because if you do the mathematics and you have over 2,200 ballot boxes, even if we get 20-30 done a day, that’s still 175 days, and n o t 2 5 . We h a v e a mathematical issue here…” Jonas said. “The count, at least the room that I was in, is proceeding slowly…” he said. Why is it progressing s o s l o w l y ? D i ff e r e n t persons have different opinions.“Because the process is slow, not because anyone was intentionally delaying,” Jonas opined. People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive and Attorney-at-Law, Anil Nandlall blames the Governing Coalition for raising many objections and GECOM for ending the process at certain stations
ANUG Chair, Timothy Jonas
PPP Executive, Anil Nandlall
too early. A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has been giving the process excessive scrutiny, and as such, has raised objections over the past two days over what its agents consider discrepancies. “The pace at which the process is going is too slow. By the end of today’s process, only 40 boxes would have been completed. We saw again recurrent instances of stations being closed way before the scheduled 7:00 pm.” This had happened on the first day as well, for a Region Four workstation, because it was decided that if the station started counting a new box, it would not complete the count before closing time.
“Stations were closed again at 5:00 pm and that is unacceptable. We can’t continue at this rate.” He added, “The Chairperson had said to us after the first day or the first two days, the process will pick up significant pace. And we are hoping that that will happen from tomorrow. But as a result of the unnecessary queries that are being raised, persons are simply dilating, deliberately so. And we hope to eliminate that as the process continues…” He said that the pace at which the process is moving needs to be improved. GECOM has counted 65 ballot boxes in two days. At that rate, to count 2,339 boxes, GECOM would need 70 more days to complete the count.
12 Palms staffers quarantined... From page 12 our society by not practising control measures such as hand hygiene, physical distancing and the using of masks.”At the same time, Dr. Persaud continued to appeal to people to come forward if they have been in contact with a positive case or experience any of the symptoms associated with C O V I D - 1 9 . “ We a r e pleading with you to access our mobile units positioned at various points in the city as well as the COVID-19 sites on the East Coast and the East Bank Demerara. Please call the hotline for information on the location of the mobile units.” The CMO, once again, stressed to the male population to be responsible about adhering to the curfew hours and physical distancing in order to contain the spread of COVID -19. “I wish to reinforce that as breadwinners of the family, you put yourself at unnecessary risk and jeopardize the life and livelihood of your families
by not complying with the recommended measures.” Speaking in a global context, Dr. Persaud noted that Guyana is listed among the Americas where cases of the disease have been climbing.“The USA and Brazil occupy the first and second position respectively with the highest numbers of positive cases, globally. I want to draw your attention to Brazil which has 107,780 cases with 7,321 deaths. For Guyana, this simply means that our bordering regions with Brazil are at additional risk of contracting the Coronavirus Disease, and so all residents especially of Region 9 are asked to be extremely vigilant and comply with all control measures,” he added. According to the CMO, as of yesterday, Guyana had no new cases; an additional 22 tests were done bringing the total number of persons tested to 736 with the total number of confirmed cases remaining at 93. The number of persons
recovered thus far has increased to 34, and the deaths remain at 10. There are three persons in our COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), six in our institutional quarantine and 49 in isolation. To date, the total number of patients seen in the COVID-19 ICU is 26.
Coalition claims ... From page 3 reporters, “that is located in a dome. I cannot understand how a space that is accessible to all party agents now becomes a private space… My understanding is that two of the IT staff[ers] were setting up their work area, they were approached by two party agents, and it was from there the whole thing [was spun] out of proportion as being a secret meeting.”Ward also said, contrary to the Coalition claims, that there was no link between any GECOM decision on tabulation and the encounter between Seeram and the PPP agents and the IT staff.
Friday May 08, 2020
Day 2 of recount… 40 ballot
boxes completed Despite a slow start on the f i r s t d a y, t h e G u y a n a Elections Commission (GECOM) managed to open and process a total of 40 ballot boxes on Day Two of the National Recount of the March 2, 2020 polls, bringing the total to 65 of the 2,339 ballot boxes to be counted. Day Two was said to be off at a relatively smooth start with the recount commencing at 8:10am, an earlier start than the initial day, owing to the fact that the recount procedure and several snafus were being sorted. GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, relayed to the press that out of the 40 ballot boxes counted, nine were from Region One, ten from Region Two, nine from Region Three and the remaining 12 were counted from the largest and most problematic district, Region Four. Ward expressed hope that this number will increase as the 25-day process continues. Coalition Party Agent, David Patterson, who briefed the media shortly after the process commenced, attested to the prompt and smooth start. He told reporters that D a y Tw o w a s “ b e t t e r o rg a n i s e d ” a n d “ m o r e efficient” despite some minor issues which GECOM quickly addressed. Accusations of a secret meeting between party agents from the People’s Progressive Party and staff of GECOM surfaced on social media but these allegations were quickly rubbished by other party representatives
GECOM PRO, Yolanda Ward, speaking to reporters outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre present in the tabulation centre and the Commission’s PRO. The Commission also called an emergency meeting yesterday to hammer out issues relating to the tabulation of the Statements of Recount (SOR’s). The order governing the recount process stipulates that tabulation be conducted at the completion of each district; however, Ward explained that tabulation commenced on the first day of the recount. She stated that this was merely a demonstration and as Day Two progressed, a request was made for tabulation to be an ongoing exercise. As it relates to addressing queries and complaints received over the course of the recount, Ward explained that there is a dispute resolution mechanism in place to deal with concerns. “Every workstation has a district supervisor or a
district coordinator for the staff there so whatever issues may arise, the first channel is the district coordinator. If that person is not able to address the particular situation, it moves to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) and if he can’t, the Commission of itself is the final arbiter.” Ward was unable to give a total on the number of queries made. However, over the course of the two days, she noted that the issues brought to the attention of the Commission were being addressed. Among those complaints were the issue of a dead person voting and a soaked ballot box, along with other anomalies. David Patterson, a representative of the Coalition, told the press that his party has the evidence to support their queries, all of which will be handed over to the Commission for deliberation.
OAS, USAID say recount is vital to transparency in Guyana Tenth Secretary General of the Organization, Luis Leonardo Almagra, Francisco Guerrero, who is the Secretary for Strengthening Democracy for the OAS, and John Barsa, the acting USAID Administrator, yesterday tweeted about Guyana’s electoral recount. Almagra related, “The national recount in Guyana is key to providing transparency and certainty to the electoral process and the people. We welcome the beginning of the process and call on all parties to continue supporting this task in favour of democracy in the country.” Guerrero on the other hand said that he
“Welcomes the initiation of the national recount in #Guyana. Transparency & compliance with the law will be critical to ensure the credibility of the process & public trust in the results. OAS observers are on the ground & will observe the process through to its conclusion.” Meanwhile, Barsa said, “Happy to see #Guyana is undergoing a transparent recount of their national elections. @USAID is looking forward to a swift, credible, and clear conclusion to the recount process so we can concentrate both on the threat posed by #COVID-19 and the development needs of Guyana.”
APNU+AFC agents commandeer Aquatic ... From page 3 to provide coverage of the recount until noon. Raghubir gave credence to this by ascertaining that that no media operative had used the facilities in the morning. Another party operative later approached the media tent, stating that he has instructed
the aggressors to cease their behaviour. Even though he said this, he would later go on to tell reporters that they should also tell the public the agents gave the media toilet paper. Reporters had no idea what he was talking about. Kaieteur News has informed Ward about these developments.
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Friday May 08, 2020
Kaieteur News
Region 10’s RHEC appeals for persons to “give with a heart of love”
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Region 10 has been sparing no efforts to wage war against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Help has been forthcoming to the Region’s Regional Health Emergency Committee (RHEC) to bolster efforts in this regard. In fact head of the RHEC, Orrin Gordon, has said that he welcomes all the help given by public spirited citizens. However, he recently took note of the fact that “gifts” donated to the RHEC have found their way into a sort of advertisement. According to Gordon, this is not the way his committee will be approaching its work and as such persons who need mileage can obtain this independent of the RHEC. He nevertheless, made it clear that donors are recognized for giving aid to those in need since this is always considered a noble gesture. “I applaud the initiatives of many to assist those in need as I have no problem with people seeking to assist their fellow Lindeners and want their pound of acclamation. H o w e v e r, i t i s n o t t h e normal way for a national outfit going about its duties. Of course, you will
see the efforts made by the national organization to ensure that people are aware of what it is doing for its citizens,” Gordon said. He added, “I am making i t c l e a r, a s t h e M a y o r reminded me that when she approached some businesses, they said that they wanted to have their own publicity and they wanted their own recognition, this committee cannot and will not be a part of something like that.” G o r d o n , m o r e o v e r, questioned the agenda of some persons when they offer to lend support. As he pointed to the fact that there are several persons who are experiencing grave economic challenges, the RHEC head made an appeal for persons to “give with a heart of love, affection, concern and care and not use people’s situation to extract personal attention. “We should not be a part of anything that brings personal glory to ourselves because this is a national response to a particular situation affecting our country. Therefore, it is expected that each of us will play our part in ensuring that we can address it. Once we seek personal credit and attention because we give out something to someone then this RHEC cannot be party to glorifying the benevolent. I am sure the recipients and beneficiaries will do so adequately.” he asserted. Gordon added, “I read on the internet that several of our fellows in North
America, even with their predicament, still reached out and assisted brothers and sisters in Linden. Their names were put out on the internet. Many, I understand, did not want publicity but others wanted, so all the donors were noted publicly. The RHEC thanks the donors for their generous giving even as the moneys were given to a business group to provide hampers. Persons were calling us asking about the hampers,” he said. Even as he stressed the need for accountability, Gordon asked that individuals and organizations be responsible and accountable for donations received as he understands not all donors want to pass through the established committee. Giving an account of some donations, he said that BOSAI, for instance, provided a few tons of basic food items for the RHEC and he expects that a wide cross-section will benefit from this contribution. Meanwhile, he urged the President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Victor Fernandes, head of the business committee of the RHEC, to address all such situations involving the Linden Business community and affiliates. “The RHEC will not be giving any recognition. We are happy that more persons are giving but for them to say that its part of the RHEC then that is where I have some problems,” Gordon said.
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Kaieteur News
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Jagdeo questions Granger’s control over Coalition Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, is questioning whether President David Granger is indeed in command of his camp. Speaking at a livestreamed press conference yesterday, Jagdeo called out Granger on his lax approach as President. “Who is really in command, Granger or his cabal?” Jagdeo questioned as he alluded to instances where a faction from the APNU +AFC Coalition seems to be in control. “We have blatant attempts to rig the elections. I am wondering where is Granger?” He added, “I know that he still occupies the seat of President but is he in charge of the APNU+AFC or has this rigging cabal taken over because they are doing things either with his blessing or without his blessing. They have now hijacked his Facebook page to carry out their mandate.” “And this is just a matter of decency. Granger purports to be decent but he has allowed the APNU rigging cabal to take over. But he operates in this concept of plausible deniability and he reads from these prepared statements saying he is willing to accept the results but how can you believe him?” Further the opposition leader said, “Look at his representatives of the recount, a whole disruptive cabal the likes of Carol Joseph. They are just there to cause confusion. Is he part of this non-
President David Granger
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
sense?” Jagdeo is of the belief that Granger lives in a cocoon and Harmon reports to him. “He is making decisions on the basis of information Harmon feeds him. He needs to use his authority and hire some independent voice.” In the same vein, Jagdeo noted that Granger has the authority to change the status of the international election observers. “The same way, he stepped in to allow the CARICOM observers into the country; he can do for the Commonwealth, the Carter Center and other observer missions. They were accredited for the entire elections. The political COVID19 Task Force is being used to block the entry. There is silence from Granger on this, complete silence but people are watching.” “Rejecting the international observers will have consequences. If Granger is really interested in credible
results, why not allow the international presence to overlook the process? “ In the meantime, Jagdeo called on staffers of the Guyana Elections Commission to exercise vigilance in the conduct of their duties. “I am cautioning them not to take any strange instructions from the Keith Lowenfield. They need to be careful because there are elements that are hell bent on seeing this recount sabotaged.” He noted however that GECOM should have provided clear guidelines on the recount process. “It will eliminate any attempt to clearly dissuade the process. It’s painstakingly difficult to get the commission to clarify simple issues. So, they could have provided guidelines just to be accurate, what is acceptable or what should not be accepted in a recount process,” Jagdeo stressed.
Decision made to tabulate SORs daily The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has commenced the tabulation of Statements of Recount. This exercise will be conducted on a daily basis as the recount of the March 2, General and Regional Elections continues. Public Relations Officer of GECOM, Yolanda Ward, made this disclosure yesterday. She explained to media operatives last evening that the Commission made a decision for the tabulation to be conducted every day. The tabulation is expected to last one and a half hours (5 - 6:30PM) daily. Yesterday’s tabulation, however, commenced later than stipulated but Ward was keen to note that the exercise went smoothly. “It’s a simultaneous process; one screen will project the Statements of Recount (SORs) and another screen where there is an Excel file which the numbers will be plugged into for those of you
who have been following the audio,” she said during a press briefing. She went on to say that an Observation Report (OR) will be displayed with each SOR. This report, as the name suggests, includes several issues that would have arisen during the recount process. Although the ORs are not read, even though there is a live-stream of the process, Ward said that measures will have to be put in place to ensure that the public can discern what is contained therein. Against this backdrop, she related that, “We have to look at mechanisms as to how we improve that, so that persons can really benefit from what those observations were, as it relates to that specific box.” On the other hand, Chairman of the A New United Guyana (ANUG), Timothy Jonas, posited that GECOM
should instead continuously generate the SORs after agents would have completed counting the ballot boxes. Speaking to the media yesterday afternoon, too, Jonas raised his concerns about the transparency of the recount process. He noted that Guyanese, and the world to an extent, desire to know what is happening and how it is happening at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, the site dedicated to conduct the national recount. Jonas said too, “My concern is that when the ballot boxes are counted, and Statements of Recount is done, it is my view that those SORs need to be tabulated on an ongoing basis publicly, so that everyone could see that a ballot box is completed.” Some have argued that this method may not be the best, since it would require more time.
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Yaya Toure backs Didier Drogba’s bid for Ivorian FA presidency BBCsport - Yaya Toure is backing former Ivory Coast team-mate Didier Drogba’s bid to become president of the Ivorian Football Association (FIF). “It’s time for change in our football. It needs modernity,” said Toure. “When I say I support Drogba, it’s also for the good of the country, to have a former player of his kind investing himself in Africa.” Drogba represented his country 105 times and announced his intention to
Toure (R) called Drogba his “big brother” as he underlined his support for his former teammate.
Friday May 08, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you could be hit with some exciting news, Aries. It could involve new people and new equipment coming onto the scene. It could involve an entirely new project or course of action that you never would have imagined. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Information that you receive from others and from within your own heart could compel you to participate in some ambitious projects, Taurus. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Some exciting visitors could come to your door today, perhaps bringing Earthshaking information that could impact your life in a great way. You might start considering new lifestyle options. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Group activities or social events in your neighborhood could put you in touch with new and exciting people who eventually become friends. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Have you been looking to branch out in a new direction, Leo? If so, this could be the day you get the lead of a lifetime. Or you might receive some unexpected information indicating possible new sources of income that you could pursue on your own. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Unusual circumstances could arise that change the course of your creative orientation, Virgo. This could involve modern technology in some way, and it’s highly likely that it concerns the gathering, sharing, and use of information.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today you could decide to attend a class, workshop, or social event involving people in a spiritual, metaphysical, or intellectual field. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) New information could be coming at you from all sides today, Scorpio. Books, magazines, TV, the Internet, and conversations with friends are likely to bring exciting knowledge your way that reinforces some of your own convictions. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Surprising news about your own finances and the world economy in general could cause you to feel confident and secure about your financial future, Sagittarius. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Some fascinating new information, possibly about spiritual or metaphysical matters, could come your way today via books, magazines, TV, or the Internet, Capricorn. This could set you off on a new course of study. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Dreams and meditation could lead to insights regarding how best to handle your finances and make your money grow. You could receive some surprising ideas from newspapers, TV, or the Internet. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A social event or group rally could put you in touch with some new and exciting people in interesting fields, Pisces. You might even run into an old friend you haven't seen for a long time.
run for the post back in September. However, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, no date has been scheduled for the election. The former Ivory Coast captain faces competition from incumbent Sory Diabate and FIF vice-president Idriss Diallo. Despite support from Toure, not all players have backed Drogba’s bid. The union of former Ivorian football players have backed Diabate over Drogba. Speaking on his Instagram page, Toure told his followers, “Didier was my big brother, my captain. People talked a lot about us but we were always calm, wise. We know each other. “Too many people tried to criticise him, the press, fans.” Current players from Ivory Coast will be given an opportunity to vote and To u r e , t h e f o u r- t i m e African footballer of the year who led his country to victory in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations said: “I know he is looking for support and I hope he will get it from some of the voters, presidents of clubs or AFI (Ivorian Association of Football Players).
Formula 1 may not race in... From page 20 emphasised: “We are increasingly confident although there are no guarantees - that we will have a 2020 championship season.” F1 released figures showing income fell by 84% in the first quarter of 2019. Owner Liberty Media said F1’s revenue in the first quarter of 2020 was $39m (£31.6m) compared to $246m (£199m) in the same period in 2019. The records do not include any income received for the two races called off in that period in Australia and Bahrain, or any revenue from broadcasting rights. Carey, who was speaking on a conference call with investors after the release of the first-quarter results, said the coronavirus crisis had had “a significant impact on F1 and we are adjusting in numerous ways”. The figures reflect the difficulty created for F1 by the lack of racing, with all the sport’s main revenue streams facing disruption, and the importance of running a season this year. Carey said the “goal” remained to start the season in Austria on the first weekend in July, and that it was “likely” this would be followed by a second race at the Red Bull Ring the on 1112 July. He said he believed it would be possible to have a championship of 15-18 races, and that the plan was for a series of European races through August and into September, before heading to
Eurasia, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, finishing on 13 December. “We expect the European races to be without fans,” Carey said, adding that he was working through the methods by which teams could get to the races without adding to the risk of spreading coronavirus. “We are making good headway on having races that can be secure and safe for everyone,” he said. Carey added: “We hope to be able to allow fans to attend in the latter part of the year” and that he was “increasingly positive about the number of locations that will be able and want to host a race this year”. A series of internal transactions at F1 owner the Liberty Media Group gave the sport an extra $1.4bn of liquidity to deal with the effects of the coronavirus crisis. Carey said: “We expect the impact of the coronavirus on the wider world will continue, but we feel well positioned to return to the growth curve we were on a few months ago.” The sport has made a series of moves in recent weeks to reduce costs for teams in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. These include delaying a major regulation change planned for 2021 until 2022, forcing teams to use their 2020 cars next season and a move to lower the budget cap that is planned to be introduced next year.
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Paul renders assistance to Saxacalli residents in COVID-19 fight West Indies all-rounder Keemo Paul has rendered assistance to residents of his homeland at Saxacalli, where he distributed basic food items and cleaning supplies. Saxacalli is located on the left bank of the Essequibo River, about 25 miles from Parika. The villagers have since minimised their travelling in an effort to safeguard themselves from the pandemic. Boat service operation and fishing are key parts of livelihood there, but both have been reduced significantly. The 22-year-old Paul took it upon himself to supply the community with face masks, sanitising products and numerous food supplies. It is understood that the village has just over 60 residents currently, many of which are elderly persons. Allan Wilson, one of the residents said he was delighted, adding that such venture will help him and his family tremendously. “I don’t operate the boat as much as before so this will
assist us a lot. Most of our food comes from the land that we cultivate, but to get these supplies we would have to travel to Parika, so not going there will keep us safer”, Wilson posited. Paul said he is happy with the venture. “Saxacalli is my home. I am not here currently, but I know that being in lockdown will be hard even for communities like these that live off the land. From time to time we would have to travel to do business for other food supplies and I felt that if I can give persons those needs, they will stay home more.” The all-rounder who would have been in India playing the Indian Premier League had it not been for the pandemic stated, “Prevention is better is than a cure and I just want to see my family and close friends remain safe.” Paul further called for persons to act smart, follow the guidelines of the health authorities, and stay home unless it is a necessary reason to leave home.
The supplies being loaded in the boats for Saxacalli
Sports Minister wants end to Serie A: Three Fiorentina players bickering between TTFA and NC test positive for coronavirus BBCsport - Three Fiorentina players and three members of the club’s support staff have tested positive for coronavirus. Serie A clubs have been given permission by the Italian government to resume training, although players can only train individually. The players and staff have been isolated and the rest of the group will have medical and fitness tests. A Torino player also tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and was placed in quarantine. Neither club has named the players who have tested positive. Italy has begun to ease its restrictions after an eight-week lockdown. Serie A clubs have returned to training but there has been no decision on when the league will resume.
Staff at Juventus (pictured) had their body temperature tested as players returned to training. In a statement, Fiorentina said: “The club has proceeded, as per protocol, to isolate those involved. “The rest of the group are
scheduled to undergo medical and fitness examinations prior to the start of the optional activity in the field.”
Formula 1 may not race in 2020, say bosses BBCsport - Formula 1 chairman Chase Carey has admitted that the sport’s owners are preparing for “the remote possibility of no racing in 2020”. He said they discussed with lenders how to handle the loss of income involved in not being able to run a season. But he (Continued on page 19)
Testing times: Will February’s test sessions in Barcelona be the only on-track action we will see this year?
Port of Spain, Trinidad, CMC – Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe has called for unity among stakeholders and an end to the wrangling between the ousted Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) and the Normalisation Committee (NC) that FIFA appointed to replace it. The two sides are in a fight for control of the association’s accounts at First Citizens Bank, while the ousted William Wallace-led executive appeals the decision by football’s world governing body to appoint the Robert Hadad-chaired committee to run the association’s affairs, at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland. Stressing in an interview with Guardian Media on Monday that she was not taking sides, Cudjoe said she wanted all involved to work together in the interest of the players and the sport. After FIFA uncovered financial mismanagement at the TTFA, it appointed the NC in March to replace the executive that was elected in the November 2019 elections. “Football in Trinidad and Tobago has been in trouble for quite some time. So, if the parent body [FIFA] has stepped in with intention to restore football, to straighten things out, and to assist in coming up with a plan to get TTFA out of debt, then I think
Shamfa Cudjoe everybody who cares about football, and cares about the sport, the athletes, the footballers and so on, will get on board,” she said. The minister contended that football in the twin-island republic has been tarnished and destroyed by personal egos and power struggles, and expressed hope that “in quick time, good sense prevails… and everybody could come to the table and speak with a face of positivity, unity and moving forward in the best interest of the sport”. “I think FIFA and the normalisation committee through Robert Hadad, has come to assist and I think those who are in positions to assist should jump on board
and assist,” she said. “The tug-of-war and the throwing of words, the bacchanal on Facebook and on social media does not help anybody; it doesn’t help the TTFA, it doesn’t help FIFA and it certainly doesn’t help the athletes who are depending on this sport as a means of livelihood and as a means of income generator.” The FIFA-appointed NC has been mandated to establish a plan to repay the association’s TT$50 millionplus debt, review and amend the local body’s statutes and other regulations where necessary and ensure their compliance with the FIFA statutes, and carry out elections.
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Few NBA teams to open Motor racing: W Series launches all-female Esports League facilities today Field Level Media - As few as three NBA teams are reportedly planning to allow players into team facilities on today, the first day the league is permitting individual workouts in states where coronavirus restrictions have been relaxed. USA Today reported the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets are the only franchises certain to host players this week. While
“maybe another team or two” may open facilities for players on today, others are more than three weeks from hosting players for individual workouts, including the Golden State Warriors, according to the report. Per the NBA’s guidelines, only four players at a time are permitted in the team facility and social distancing practices, including wearing masks when possible, are
mandatory. The NBA suspended its season March 11 and has been navigating shifting plans and projections on a potential return for weeks. Detailed specifications for cleaning and managing the facility and any equipment within the workout areas used by players were set out by the NBA. A to-do list for teams sent Tuesday was more than 14 pages with particulars on preparing and sanitizing the environment for players and team employees.
League set-up, in her apartment in Mayfair, London, Britain May 5, 2020. Jamie Chadwick/Handout via REUTERS Video screens show images of LA Lakers star Anthony Davis in a plaza across from Staples Center in March. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP
Super Rugby mini-series planned as New Zealand set for sport behind closed doors decision
Partners Xavier Numia and Marcelle Parkes, both New Zealand rugby union internationals, training in isolation this week. BBCsport - New Zealand Rugby has announced plans for a Super Rugby miniseries, with the country potentially lowering its Covid-19 alert level on Monday. The government has said professional sport would be able to resume behind closed doors when the alert level was changed from three to two, with a decision due on 11 May. “The five teams will play each other home and away over 10 weeks, with two matches every weekend,” said New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson. All matches will be played in closed stadiums. “As soon as the country announces what date we move to alert level two, we will be able to confirm what date Super Rugby will kick off. Both netball and rugby have been working closely with government agencies on what training
and playing at level 2 could look like, and we are incredibly grateful for their support.” The ‘Super Rugby Aotearoa’ would involve the country’s five teams - the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders. Robinson said players would need three to four weeks to adequately prepare with contact training before matches could commence. He added that a decision over hosting scheduled Tests in July against Wales and Scotland would be made within the next two weeks. New Zealand has recorded under 1,500 coronavirus cases and 21 deaths. Meanwhile, Rugby Australia submitted plans for the return of the professional game to their government and hopes to see players back in training next month for matches in July.
London (Reuters) - The all-female W Series is launching an Esports League for women drivers only in the absence of any on-track action due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With its second season on hold and no start date set, organisers hope to maintain the series’ profile and encourage more women to compete in the maledominated virtual world as well as the real one. “We intend to stage ontrack W Series races once the global COVID-19 crisis has subsided, whenever that will be, but in the meantime we’re delighted to have created the next best thing,” said advisory board chairman David Coulthard in a statement on Thursday. All 18 drivers who qualified for the regular W series season, which was scheduled to start in St Petersburg, Russia, on May 29, are expected to race from
their homes on identical simulators. W Series did not set a date for the start of the League but said they will use the iRacing platform in partnership with Logitech G and tournament hosts Beyond Entertainment. Virtual racing has become a crowded marketplace since the pandemic swept the world, with most championships streaming their own online races but with few women involved. British-based Women in Games estimated in 2018 that the number of women working in any role in esports or playing esports was around 5% or 1 in 20. Market research firm Interpret said last year, however, that 30% of esports viewership and 35% of esport gamers were women and numbers were growing. Britain’s Jamie Chadwick, the W Series champion, is active with Veloce esports and has
competed against Formula One drivers like Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. The 21-year-old told Reuters in December that attitudes needed to change. “I think maybe the esports world is a bit slower even than motorsports in coming around to the idea of women being a part of it,” she said then. Formula One has not had a woman race since 1976 and its esports series has yet to have a female finalist in three editions. W Series said it would use 10 virtual layouts: Monza, Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, Brands Hatch, Interlagos, SpaFrancorchamps, Watkins Glen, Suzuka, Bathurst, the Nuerburgring Nordschleife and Silverstone. Drivers will race simulated 2.0 litre Tatuus Formula Renault cars with points awarded and up to three races per circuit. No decision has been made on prize money.
Premier League clubs discuss kick-off times and free-to-air games BBCsport - Premier League clubs have discussed increasing the variety of kick-off times if the season resumes. Project Restart involves the league returning in June and finishing at the end of July to fit in with Uefa’s European competition plans. The Premier League is also in talks with broadcasters, the government and clubs about showing some behind-closed-doors games on free-to-air television. Of the 92 matches left this season, 47 will be available on Sky or BT. But there are discussions with the Premier League’s broadcast partners about what would be reasonable in making the other 45 games free-to-air. That could mean games being streamed live on the Premier League’s or a broadcaster’s YouTube channel.
Last month, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee: “I have said to the Premier League it wouldn’t send the best signal if they were one of the first major sports to resume behind closed doors and the public at large couldn’t have access to it.” Changing kick-off times was discussed at Friday’s shareholders meeting. In early April, Uefa lifted the ban on showing games starting at 15:00 BST on a Saturday live on TV in England and Scotland following requests from the Football Association and the Scottish Football Association. The blackout has long been in place during the English and Scottish season to protect attendances.
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Kaieteur News
Current WI T20 team better than the 2016 World Cup-winning one - Dwayne Bravo ESPNcricinfo - West Indies’ current T20I team is better than the one that won the World T20 four years ago in India. So says Dwayne Bravo, who overturned his international T20 retirement in December to strengthen West Indies’ bid to defend their title. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo’s Alexis Nunes, Bravo was thrilled at the depth of batting resources available to the West Indies side - riches that have turned him, a globally respected allrounder in the format, into playing a more-or-less specialist bowler’s role. “In the last series in Sri Lanka, we had a team meeting, and coach Phil [Simmons] put the team down, the list, and he put it down in batting order, and he had my name down at No. 9,” Bravo said. “And I said to the guys, I said listen, I don’t think I was ever involved in a T20 team when I am down to bat at No. 9. “[…] I’m just in awe of our batting line-up, and I said to the guys, I said listen, I think this team is actually better than our World-Cup-winning team, and that is no joke, because at the end of the day, you have batting all the way down to No. 10. “And imagine, Sunil Narine is not even in the team as yet. So just imagine, when Sunil comes into the team, Sunil will be batting at No. 10, or No. 11. He’s an opening batsman now in T20. “So just imagine a fullstrength West Indies team, everyone is on deck. As a bowler, you get Evin Lewis out, [Shimron] Hetmyer comes in. You get Hetmyer out, [Nicholas] Pooran comes
in, you get Lendl Simmons out, [Andre] Russell comes in, you get Russell out, [Kieron] Pollard comes in, you get Pollard out, Rovman Powell comes in, and it keeps going, going, and then you reach the champion DJ Bravo. “It’s an intimidating team, it’s a team to intimidate the opposition, and that excites me. So I will just do my part as a bowler, try to control the back end of the innings, especially closing off the innings with death bowling, which has been, in the past, a bit of a concern for us. You saw how Oshane Thomas did with his pace in Sri Lanka. Then you have Sheldon Cottrell, now a leader of the attack, Kesrick Williams on the bench, so things starting to look bright again, things starting to look good again.”Apart from all the talent in that line-up, Bravo believes West Indies also have the leadership they need to defend their T20 world title - whenever that happens, with the Covid-19 pandemic leaving the T20 World Cup’s scheduled staging, later this year in Australia, in doubt. Bravo referred to Pollard, who took over as captain of West Indies’ ODI and T20I teams last year, as a “figurehead” who “commands respect worldwide”. “He loves to win,” Bravo said of Pollard. “That’s the most important thing, and as a captain, he’ll do anything to win, in the right way and the right spirit, and he’s very determined to win, to make a difference. I remember when they approached him to take over, I said to him, it’s going to be a good challenge, a big one, a tough one, but now is
Dwayne Bravo is back at the West Indies nets. (Cricket West Indies) the best time. You get both teams at the bottom of the table. There’s only one way you can go, which is up, right? “I said now is the right time, you build a team and you create a dressing-room environment where everyone is on the same page, and I think what Pollard has is his honesty, which is the most important thing. You have leaders in the past sometimes that said, okay, well, I don’t get involved in selection, I had no say, you know, they give all types of excuses and stuff, and the system will be able to manoeuvre them and control them, but Pollard, you can’t control him. You can’t control someone who’s so independent and all that, and strong within himself. “[…] The players also respect him, because of whatever he has done and achieved in the white-ball format, especially in T20 cricket. He’s one of the best in the world. So if someone like Pollard is speaking in the dressing room about T20 cricket, we all have to listen, because he’s played the most games, he’s had success, and he’s highly respected around the world. “West Indies always
needed a leader like that, a figurehead leader. One time we had Chris Gayle, we had Brian Lara, we had Sir Vivian Richards, we had Clive Lloyd. We had Darren Sammy. West Indies leaders have always been figureheads, and have that impact on world cricket. Not just West Indies cricket, but world cricket. Pollard is someone like that, you know, he demands and commands that respect worldwide, so the team will always give him that support and love. “And that relationship we have with Phil Simmons as well, it’s another good thing. Captain, coach - always have to have a good relationship. The captain cannot be singing one song and the coach singing the next song, and the selectors a different song. Collectively everybody has to sing the same song. You can disagree and agree at some point, but as long as at the end of the day you all decide to sing the same song, then everybody would be happy.” Bravo made his international comeback in January, against Ireland in Grenada . He said the match felt like a second international debut for him.
Kieron Pollard congratulates Dwayne Bravo after the latter took a wicket. AFP “I announced my return while I was in India on a music tour […] I talked to my family, I talked to my close friends, and I said I’m going to make myself available,” Bravo said. “One of the things I wanted to make sure was that when I do make myself available that I am 100 percent committed to play T20s for West Indies. I would not say okay, I’m available, and then miss a series to go and play in a league or something like that. I just wanted to make sure I played every T20 series once selected. “And the first chance was in Grenada versus Ireland. I remember the morning of that particular game. That game was scheduled to start at 2pm or something like that. I wake up at 7am. Had breakfast. I’m not a morning person. I wake up so early, I put on my uniform, I went downstairs, had breakfast, and everyone was watching me like, I just felt like a kid making his debut all over again. I just wanted to put on the West Indies clothes again and represent the people. “[I] get into Grenada stadium, seeing a lot of
children, a lot of kids with ‘Welcome Back DJ Bravo’, ‘We Missed You, Champion’ - so many placards around the ground, with my name, and all the love, and I’m just thankful that I got the opportunity again, and I wanted to do well and contribute to something that I think is very special, especially in the T20 format, with the team that we have now, with the young players that are there: Pooran, Hetmyer, Rutherford, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Rovman Powell, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph. “These players are brilliant players. They just need guidance, they just need someone to put their hand around them, and walk them through. Russell is back now, Pollard is the captain, a very good leader, Phil Simmons, a very good coach. We’re waiting for the return of Sunil Narine, and once that happens, we’re going to be another team that people are going to talk about again, but for me, on my return back to West Indies, I’m very happy and thankful for the opportunity.”
Barbados Tridents retain core of previous CPL squad for title defence Bridgetown, Barbados, CMC – The Barbados Tridents have retained eight players from their 2019 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) winning squad and added a West Indies emerging player to their roster as they prepare for their title defence later this year. The squad announced yesterday by the CPL in a statement will again be led by Jason Holder. Exciting all-rounder Nyeem Young is the only new Caribbean player signed. He will join Holder, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh Jr, Ashley Nurse, Jonathan Carter, Raymon Reifer and Justin Greaves. International retentions and signings will be
announced at a later date. This year, teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish. They can also transfer players to other teams, as some of the other franchises have already done, and sign emerging players. Speaking about the Caribbean player retentions, Holder said: “We are really excited to build on last year’s championship win and it is great that we have been able to retain the core of our squad for this season.” “Combined with the international players that we are planning to add to the squad, we are looking forward to defending our championship,” he added. The eighth staging of the CPL is scheduled to take
place from August 19 to September 26, but tournament organisers are closely watching the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced the postponement and cancellation of major sporting events across the region and the rest of the world. The CPL said a decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, will be made as soon as possible. Five other franchise teams will be aiming to dethrone Tridents when the competition eventually comes off: Trinbago Knight Riders, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Lucia Zouks, Guyana Amazon Jaguars and St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
Jason Holder, who inspired Barbados Tridents to the capture of the 2019 CPL title, will lead the squad again.
Kaieteur News
Friday May 08, 2020
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The sky is the limit for Furta Conquerors starlet Cecil Jackman By Calvin Chapman Fruta Conquerors Football Club (FCFC) fullback Cecil Jackman is definitely one of Guyana’s brightest prospects and at just 19 years-old, the lad who has been a part of the Tucville based club since 2016 has already been capped six times with the Golden Jaguars; Guyana’s senior men’s football team. During an interview with Kaieteur Sport, Jackman revealed that he began playing the sport about a decade ago in Antigua & Barbuda before moving back home almost five years ago. The former Chase Academic Foundation student who made his debut with the national youth side in 2016 has been a regular in the Conquerors senior team for some time winning the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) Elite League twice. Alongside the FCFC youths, Jackman has picked up silverware in the NAMILCO and Petra Organisation promoted Turbo Energy Drink and Limacol football tournaments more recently. The youngster, who has big aspirations to help Guyana reach the World Cup
one day, like all athletes, is being affected in a major way by the covid-19 pandemic since he can’t get to play or even train due to the social distancing guidelines set out by health officials. Jackman’s Head Coach at Conquerors, Sampson Gilbert, in an invited comment shared that, “Cecil is a player of great ability who needs to continue development of the fundamental pillars of the game in order to realise holistic development and perform to his full potential. The sky is the limit for a player with such ability who has the right attitude and aptitude. Five years of continued development through diligent application and disciplined performance can see Cecil in any of the top leagues that are accessible.” Meanwhile, FCFC Youth Coach, Wayne St. Jules, who recounted that he mentored Jackman during the now expired Digicel Schools’ football tournament, described the player as talented and versatile, “A gifted player, a player who can play any position on the field. He was deployed in midfield during the Digicel
GFF Ordinary Congress postponed - Corona Virus Pandemic
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he Guyana F o o t b a l l F e d e r a t i o n ’s Ordinary Congress, which is constitutionally due on or before May 31 every year, has been postponed due to the presence of the Corona Virus pandemic. This was communicated to the Regional Member Associations on May 5 by GFF’s General Secretary Ian Alves. In the correspondence, Alves informed the membership that
“alternative options / dates will be determined / guided by the dictates of the Government of Guyana (GoG) and the Ministry of Public Heath, and will be shared to all of the Members of Congress in due time.” The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the GFF and it’s where all members regularly convene. Congress can be Ordinary or Extra Ordinary.
schools’ tournament when I first saw him and I took him and teamed him up with Jeremy Garrett in the central defensive position because of his ability to read the game and pick up the loose balls in the spaces.” “He has since then transitioned to a more permanent role of left back because he is also a player
who can make accurate passes and a very good penalty taker as well.” Jackman also revealed that he knows that there is a long and hard road ahead if he is to achieve his goals in football but he is determined to put in the hard work that is necessary and stay focused so he can be an inspiration for others to follow.
Cecil Jackman
Keemo Paul (left) presents one of the hampers to a resident of Saxacalli
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Paul renders assistance to Saxacalli residents in COVID-19 fight P. 20
GFF Ordinary Congress postponed P. 23
- Corona Virus Pandemic
Flashback: GFF President, Executive and Regional Member Associations gathered at the 2019 Ordinary Congress, held on May 24th.
The sky is the limit for Barbados Tridents retain core of previous CPL Furta Conquerors starlet Cecil Jackman squad for title defence P.
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