Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR Powerful partisan US Thursday Edition NEWS

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

senatorial group asks p.

Pres. Granger to allow 14 observers back in country

May 14, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 19

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

Price $80

- appeal for free and unfettered access to all aspects of recount

Online readership yesterday 159,482

Mingo presented “fictitious” - OAS Observer numbers in “transparent Mission Chief attempt to alter” election results p.

3

Table below shows difference between Mingo’s figures, Golding SOPs and recount Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo

Ballot box #4062 Golding SOP Mingo's numbers Recount figures

Ballot box #4064 Golding SOP Mingo's numbers Recount figures

Former Jamaican PM Bruce Golding

APNU+AFC 182 292 182

PPP/C 43 33 43

Ballot box #4063 Golding SOP

APNU+AFC 70 170 70+1

PPP/C 93 73 93+3

Ballot box #4074 Golding SOP

Mingo's numbers Recount figures

Mingo's numbers Recount figures

APNU+AFC 15 85 15

PPP/C 276 246 276

APNU+AFC 86 104 86

PPP/C 84 64 84

“You know it takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictitious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists. And this Former Jamaican is being illustrated now as the recount proceeds.” -PM Bruice Goolding

Despite COVID-19 airports lockdown, govt. allowing several passenger flights in p.

13

Maria Branyas: ‘Oldest woman in Spain’ beats marginalize colleague coronavirus at 113

Several illegal mining Media stands in p.8 operations found p.2 solidarity against in Iwokrama forest Jagdeo's attempt to - Centre to install cameras, use drone to fight illegalities

p.

17

Not overstepping the boundaries in Guyana…

It is our job to observe and speak up- US Ambassador p.

8

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 14, 2020

PAGE 03

Mingo presented “fictitious” numbers in “transparent attempt to alter” election results “

I have never seen a more transparent attempt to alter the results of an elections.”

That was the scathing comment, which head of the observer mission of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Bruce Golding, made about the tabulation process executed

by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo during Guyana's Elections.

Golding, a former Jamaica Prime Minister,

- Head of OAS Observer Mission made the remarks during a Yo u Tu b e l i v e e a r l i e r yesterday.

Mingo's tabulation has been marred by accusations of electoral fraud and is the principle reason for the National Recount of votes.

Kaieteur News has verified that the tabulation was inflated in favour of APNU+AFC, in particular.

A Poem for All World Leaders ...

THE CREATOR IS IN COMMAND So suddenly we realize The Creator is in command New York, the “city that never sleeps” is now asleep, all quiet Paris, the “center of romance”, lives in echoes Rome, the “eternal city”, is deserted Disney is out of magic London is caged in silence, the Queen speaks to her people from a hidden room Mecca is empty! Nobody to ‘stone the devil’ The great wall of China is no longer a fortress The powerful nations of the world are speechless The developed countries of the world are suddenly on their knees.

Churches, Synagogues, Temples, Mosques, are silent.

Theaters, movie halls, great parks, monuments, stadiums, beaches, are now filled with unfilled spaces.

The busiest places at present were hitherto the most dreaded: hospitals and cemeteries.

The famous sports leagues the fashion shows, exotic weddings, festivals...all lost to memory.

Celebrities have run out of celebrations.

Our titles, status and privileged positions are stale With all our boastful ‘citizenships’ we cannot step out of our houses With all our savings in gold and cash, we can only buy food to eat and toilet paper to take care of the waste.

We usually went to watch animals in cages, now animals roam our empty streets, watching us in our ‘cages’ With our expensive clothes and shoes, our house clothes and pajamas are the latest fashion.

AND despite all these ‘oddities’ ...the world still goes on; the sun still shines; the birds still sing; our God is still on His Throne.

When this long night finally gets over and a new day sets in, let us not forget the lesson of the long night that the only essential is LIFE, the rest are but dispensable prefixes and suffixes LET’S LIVE LIFE, WITH A PURPOSE AND TO THE FULLEST: TO BE A BLESSING T O SOMEONE, AND TO PLEASE GOD - OUR CREATOR, SUSTAINER AND SAVIOUR. THIS WORLD IS NOT A PERMANENT DWELLING PLACE... ALL IS VANITY LET US ALL PRAY AND HEAL

( S e e h e r e : https://www.kaieteurnewso nline.com/2020/05/10/ming os-tabulation-inflated-infavour-of-coalition-recountshows/) That was declared by Chief Justice Roxane G e o rg e - Wi l t s h i r e a s unlawful. In his YouTube comments, Golding provided further content, stemming from the mission's experience of the tabulation for the Hadfield Street declaration of March 5, 2020, as well as the Kingston declaration of March 13, 2020.

He noted the use of a spreadsheet at Hadfield Street, which contained numbers that no one could account for, as the law requires that the entitled officials are to observe the transcription of the numbers from the statements of poll.

Then, of the Kingston matter, Golding said the following.

“In ballot box 4062, the statement of poll had indicated 182 votes for APNU and 43 for PPP/C the returning officer reported those results as 292 votes for APNU and 33 votes for PPP.” When that box was recounted, the numbers were 182 for APNU and 43 for PPP, the exact figures that appeared on the Statements of Poll.

“Let me give you another example. Box 4063,” he said. “The statements of poll issued on elections night recorded 15 votes for APNU and 276 votes for PPP. The RO declared the results as 85 votes for APNU and 246 votes for the PPP. When that box was recently recounted, the numbers were 15 votes for APNU and 276 votes for PPP, exactly how it appeared on the statements of poll.”

Then, Golding said “Box 4064. Statement of Poll issued elections night, 70 votes for APNU, 93 votes for PPP. The RO declared that result as 170 votes for APNU, 100 more, 73 votes for PPP, 20 less. When the box was recounted, the box showed 71 votes for APNU, 96 votes for PPP.” The one additional vote

for APNU+AFC and the three additional votes for the PPP, he explained, were due to the decision by GECOM to consider certain rejected votes as valid, once the intention of the voter is clear.

“And finally, box 4074.

Statement of Poll show 86 votes for APNU and 84 votes for PPP. The RO declared the results as 104 votes for APNU, 64 votes for PPP. When the box was recounted, 86 votes for APNU, 84 votes for PPP, exactly as the original Statement of Poll has

[from left] OAS Observer Mission Chief and former Jamaica Prime Minister, Bruce Golding; and Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo parties, as well as the Statements of Recount, which are now being produced during the recount.

His statements are in line with statements made by eight political parties that, on the night of March 13 2020, Mingo presented clumsily doctored Statements of Poll, which clearly were so done to fraudulently favour

“

I have never seen a more transparent attempt to alter the results of an elections. shown.”

Kaieteur News is in possession of photos of these Statements of Recount, and has verified the veracity of the results for the Region Four General Election.

Describing the matter further, Golding said, “You know it takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictitious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists. And this is being illustrated now as the recount proceeds.”

The paper trail he refers to, are the Statements of Poll in possession of the political

”

APNU+AFC. He continued that up to yesterday, 81 boxes were recounted for Region Four, and in just 20 of those boxes, APNU+AFC got a decrease in votes of 1,536, from the numbers presented by Clairmont Mingo; and the votes for the PPP increased by 177. GECOM has noted reports of inflated figures, according to Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, but has not taken up the task of making that comparison on its own.

Commissioner Sase Gunraj said that he would advocate

for a comparison. While Commissioner Vincent Alexander said such a comparison would be beneficial, he did not commit to advocating for it.

Late last night, APNU+AFC executive Joseph Harmon put out a statement calling the statement made by Golding, “wholly partisan and unbiased”.

Therefore, the party concluded that Golding's words lack credibility.

Harmon further stated that Golding is a close friend of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. Harmon did not respond to the contents of Golding's statement, nor did he respond to the verifiable evidence which has surfaced over the past few days of Mingo's tabulation being inflated in favour of the Coalition.

The APNU+AFC executive criticized, however, the fact that Golding did not mention the discrepancies the party claims it unearthed during the recount process.

GECOM has stated that the claims are just claims, and that they will be treated as such in its observation reports.

PAGE 4

Thursday May 14, 2020

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

Lockdowns and social distancing - are they working?

“Traffic Chief wants bus and taxi drivers to wear masks” was the caption in KN on May 9. Senior public officials and a host of citizens have complained of social distancing guidelines not being observed. Another report in KN spoke of dozens charged for violating curfew restrictions in place.

On the surface, and from all that is known, these represent sober calls, prudent concerns, and wise actions.

But now the questions: lockdowns and curfews and social distancing: are they working? Do they translate to much of the significant? Should these preventative measures be continued? Are they even necessary?

On May 7, the New York Post carried a story that was titled, “Coronavirus reveals ‘shocking’ stats about hospitalized New Yorkers.”

The details are not comforting. First, and as relayed

by Governor Cuomo, it was that some “two thirds of New Yorkers hospitalized with the coronavirus were admitted from their homes.”

This was not only described as ‘shocking’ but defies social distancing logic. The second disturbing revelation was that “46% were unemployed, and “37% retired.” In other words, most of those infected and hospitalized (a taut balancing act, given the lack of available beds to house the influxes) could be expected to be largely off the roads and away from congested hotspots, for that matter any place at all.

Moreover, many of them would have been under some form of State mandated or self-imposed lockdown for several weeks now, particularly the retired. The unemployed have nowhere to go in search of work since most company doors are closed.

The words of a mystified and worried Governor Cuomo should echo troublingly all the way here in Guyana: “So, that says they are not working, and they are not traveling.”

Of people still in the frighteningly shrinking US job market, only 17% from the survey number in the ranks of those admitted. Additionally, an area feared to feel the brunt of the COVID-19 impact has largely and thankfully been spared the worst.

That would be in the sensitive realm of exposed despite masks and other scarce components of PPE frontline healthcare workers. They are in the middle of raging storms that batter, yet most have been spared, which alone is a ray of light to give hope.

What does all of this mean? How should these developments be interpreted?

The first thing that must be noted is that this survey commissioned by state officials in hard hit New York “was not an indicator of their compliance with social distancing guidelines” or that it questioned about possible sources from which the infection may have been gained. But now for a profoundly disturbing aspect of this coronavirus pandemic that was confirmed once again. For those insisting- indeed, demanding- that it is time to ease up with the restrictions, we say, rather, that it is time to sit up and listen up closely. We urge this because of a most telling reason: the known demographics of the population of Guyana.

The survey done by New York State revealed that almost half of the admissions were accounted for by minorities. Blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately affected. This country is composed, to a great extent, of a coloured population, gatherings of minorities, with a distinctive number of Cubans and Venezuelans operating in the social milieu.

No longer can we claim to be otherwise. No longer can we plead any lack of awareness of the fate of some of our fellow Guyanese, who were mortally stricken in the Big Apple and elsewhere. In aggregate, they are a picture

MAYBE IN SURVIVING COVID, WE GET TO SURVIVE THE RECOUNT DEAR EDITOR, The political dysfunction in Guyana is adding enough stress to responding to COVID-19. The new rumblings of stricter lockdowns in a time when a significant part of the population has any trust in the political authorities on the National COVID Task Force make things worse. How ‘National’ is the national Covid-19 task force when the task force is not even accessible to the diverse populations in the nation?

How ‘National’ is the task force when it does not seem to involve the Nation in its decisions?

In the Project Syndicate article, “The Kerala Model” of May 11, 2020, Indian MP Shashi Tharoor writes glow-

ingly that, “Unlike other states, Kerala’s response has centered on people’s participation, not law enforcement.”

Now, in this time of mistrust, in this time of uncertain knowledge about this health crisis, is the time for citizens to demand that the de-facto Government involve them in the decisions, which affect them.

This is not only about national Government, but also at Regional and NDC and village level. This is not the time to fill up jails with people who want to break lockdown and curfew orders.

There are concerns at local levels - what works for Georgetown cannot work for Lethem or Paramakatoi.

People on the coast should

not be making decisions alone, which affect the lives of people in the hinterland.

People in Georgetown alone cannot be making decisions about protection, which cannot apply in rural communities.

Let people say how and what they need to protect themselves from this virus. Of course, there is a percentage of the population who will question the virus and the energy around it.

One good thing, if there is any good thing, about this pandemic is that it seems that all of Guyana’s political spectrum seem willing to adhere to the scientific guidelines and no one is asking their constituents jokingly or otherwise to inject disinfectants

or be selective about wearing of masks or to disobey the lockdown orders.

Unlike Tharoor’s Kerala though, Guyana does not have the social compact of trust in the authorities.

So now is a good time, to start from this position of the mistrust, to move to a position where even if we are not going to vote for each other or want each other’s political party to emerge successfully from the recount, that we can at least create some mechanisms to work together to get through COVID without being further oppressed.

And maybe in surviving COVID, we get to survive the Recount.

Yours sincerely, Vidyaratha Kissoon

A possible time bomb in the midst DEAR EDITOR, As we sail serenely along in the daily routines in this lost town and now lost year, some information came to me late Monday evening, which indicated that we may have the potential for more troubles on our hands than we care to know.

From the little I got, it is my view that those in authority did not respond with the zeal and speed that were called for, given what was placed

before them. Up to this writing, I think that the hesitation (note that I did not say indifference) that characterized the situation from the inception is still in place at the Palms facility on Brickdam.

It is my understanding that caregivers at the Palms institution are lacking in the basics of personal protective equipment when they have to deal with possibly COVID-19 infected patients in a particular ward. This is subject to

We need to build trust DEAR EDITOR, I think I can safely say that the DISTRUST between the PPP/C, which mainly draws support from Indo Guyanese, and the PNC led APNU+AFC, which mainly draws support from Afro Guyanese, is very high at the moment and likely to deteriorate further as both sides dig in their heels and slander the other side as ‘election-riggers’.

The only people who will win are those who do not want a United Guyana but want it all for themselves.

We need to get past this stage and see each other as PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT not COMPETITORS. I am an advocate for Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI), which means everyone is included in the

development of our country.

How is this possible you ask? I have an example: The USA fought a bitter internal civil war yet today is a united country.

We are not ready for Shared Governance yet. However, what we can try is Federalism for a limited time period of say 25 years or we can continue doing the same thing the same way over and over again and expect a different result.

Do we really want to try to develop Guyana when it means at any one time HALF THE POPULATION IS EXCLUDED regardless of which political party is in power?

I suggest we try the JEDI approach...Joint Economic Development Initiative.

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

of major segments of the racial rainbow that make up the citizenry of this country.

When all of the above is taken into consideration, along with the cautions of internationally renowned health authorities, we do not think and would not recommend any relaxation of existing lockdown precautions and curfew arrangements in effect. It is our view at this paper, that were it not for introducing and enforcing these same restrictions, the toll of confirmed cases and of the dead would have been much higher. We think that this would have been the reality overseas and in Guyana.

Thus, we say this: let it stay a little while longer and let us, we citizens, observe accordingly.

correction, but I learned that it is Ward 12.

It was also shared that some of the skilled round the clock caregivers are so concerned for their own safety that, for a period of time during one weekend, they actually refused to enter into the area where such patients are housed.

I am unaware as to whether that harrowing situation of the usually sick, the usually elderly, and the usually vulnerable, has since been addressed and rectified.

I expand a little upon vulnerable to specify the high risks of diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular diseases that may be present individually, or in tandem, with such residents.

The bottom line is that helpless patients were, for all intents and purposes, left on their own for a period that rendered them still more vulnerable, amidst their palpable anxieties and fears. It is my understanding that senior official(s) at the Palms were alerted on more than one occasion by medical professionals in attendance.

This first occurred as early as a couple of weeks ago, if not more.

The response has been inaction, which compelled the day to day caregivers to protest by severely reducing their interfacing with patients that are believed to pose considerable risks to those on duty. This is not a good situation for either patient or healthcare practitioners to be placed. In fact, a senior one is under precautionary preemptive quarantining, which reduces the skilled manpower available at this time of dire need.

To take matters a little further and way higher, it was also mentioned that what was

shared with senior officials of the Palms was also escalated to the National Task Force that has responsibility for managing Guyana’s preparations and actions in its coronavirus containment efforts. Unfortunately, not much of the helpful or encouraging have been coming from that well-positioned source also.

When considered across the board, this is discouraging. It is more than that, though, since it is also alarming.

I say this because the Palms is not out there in some wilderness community, but almost in the middle of the capital city, Georgetown. In spite of many being off the roads and forced to stay home, the streets are still busy, with many citizens somewhat nonchalant about what they have to do, but are not.

As I see matters, all of this has a greater than lesser probability of spreading from the Palms to other spots, unless the most urgent of remedial efforts are brought to bear to resolve any outstanding issues of real exposure and real concern at the Palms.

The practice of medicine and responsibility for the welfare of staff and patients at related facilities, especially a risk prone one like the Palms, is a very demanding one, which has stretched workers and managers to the breaking point.

Fires have to be rushed to and put out all over the place.

I have only the highest regard for the demands heaped on workers in this profession even in normal times since my prior spouse (now departed) served in its ranks.

The truth is that this is (Continued on page 5)

Thursday May 14, 2020

As the lawyers say, “he or she who asserts must prove” DEAR EDITOR, This is the response I wish to make to the article appearing in your publication of May 10, 2020 by your columnist, Freddie Kissoon. I wish to note and humbly acknowledge that the article by Freddie Kissoon clearly comes from one endowed with great wisdom and bubbling over with vibrant and eternal youth.

It is also informed by a sense of justice and a discretion which may be typical of the columnist. I had not replied to his previous column, simply because I wanted him to have the last word in the exchange. To my surprise, my silence seemed only to offend his sense of justice.

It seems that Mr. Kissoon’s formidable intellect does not allow him to understand opinions and attitudes that differ from his. On my part, I recognize his right to his opinions on the matters he treats and I do not look to him for support or agreement.

Your columnist is indignant because I have refused, from my location, to single out any individual or party as responsible for what appears to be undeniable irregularities in the March 2, elections, even before they began. In my last letter, I said plainly that, if I were to decide to point fingers, I would need more than one finger.

If this statement appears to come from old age, or from some irrational tolerance for cheating, then I have expressed myself badly.

The generations older than mine produced this wisdom in two proverbs: “Two thief can’t change haffa bitt” and, “Tiefman nah like see matty wid big bundle.”

When I was on the spot in Guyana, from 1973 when I coined the phrase “Selections” to describe what had happened in the year of the breakthrough, I have seen all forms of riggings of elections as flowing from a condition of political bankruptcy.

The 2020 electoral process continues and I, though absent, have spent a lot of time and energy trying to absorb, sometimes with the help of others, what comes to light.

I may provoke Mr. Kissoon further by repeating what I heard in the early days of the count, on the Voice of Guyana.

It was soon after concerns about the use of a spreadsheet during the Region Four count had become public and was a leading topic of contention. I understood those protesting its use to be saying that Region Four was the only region in which a spreadsheet had been employed and that in the other regions

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

the record of votes cast was taken from Statements of Poll.

The contention was almost uncontested in the media I could listen to, until I heard Mr. Ganesh saying on radio that he was present at the count in Region Three.

He then added “if any observer were to say that Statements of Poll were used in the count in Region Three that would not be a true statement.” No one challenged Mr. Ganesh in that broadcast.

Perhaps he was challenged later.

However, the last version I heard was that there was only one region in which a spreadsheet was not used.

Regarding the presence of Observers, I repeat that in the statement signed by Mr. Bhagwan and me, we welcomed their presence. This welcome will not include any abuse of their authority. It was the Parliament of Guyana that provided for the continuing presence of observers at our elections.

However, the broadcast preliminary report of one observer group, though like others, critical of the Region Four counting process, was heard on Voice of Guyana to make the following points: First, that there was something very wrong and in need of correction for a country with Guyana’s population to have an electorate of over 600,000 voters; secondly, that the absence in Guyana of laws regulating campaign financing allowed a lot of money coming into the election campaign, without a record of the source or the outcome.

Finally, I am in no hurry, as Mr. Kissoon seems to be, to pass judgment on the brief incumbency of the Chairperson of Guyana’s Election Commission.

I understand that the President and the Leader of the Opposition could not agree on a candidate to fill the vacancy. It was filled only after the Caribbean Court of Justice expressed disappointment that such a choice could not be made by the leaders appointed to do so. Although absent, I felt a sense of relief when, at last, the leaders named in the Constitution were able to agree on the person, deemed fit and proper, to fill the post. I have no reason either to defend or come to a conclusion, at the behest of Mr. Kissoon, about the performance of the present Chairperson of the Commission.

If Mr. Kissoon feels that the language he has used to describe this functionary is appropriate that is a matter for him. I reserve no right to question his choice of language or his judgment. I can only re-

peat the words of a European wartime leader, “paper will stand anything that is written on it.”

Having condemned the Chairperson of the Elections Commission out of hand, Mr. Kissoon finally recommended a judicial review of her actions and those of the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer. He demands their punishment “if there is evidence.” Here I am in deep trouble because Mr. Kissoon seems to think that I have the evidence and he may demand my appearance as a witness, whereas he is the one making the accusation. As the Lawyers say, “he or she who asserts must prove.”

What really puzzles me is Mr. Kissoon’s misconception that what I have to say at the end of the process will in any way influence ballots cast and preserved in ballot boxes since March 2, 2020.

During the occupation of Buxton-Friendship in 2002, I said to a press conference at Rodney House, “I am a spent force.” That was 18 years ago.

Is this columnist planning to base his judgment on what the present slow-going observed process reveals? Or is he trying to use an opinion poll method, based not on a random sample, but on the chatter of a list of persons of his choice?

The columnist had asked me whether I would request a tribunal on election rigging. I will certainly welcome it, if it is necessary after the present open process. I leave it to the contenders at home to propose it.

In closing, I simply give notice that I will return to my call for investigation and documentation of the postelections violence, even though I am told that it lasted for only one day.

At this moment, I am thinking of a way to approach the High Court of Guyana, seeking a declaration that I have a right to opinions that differ from those of the self-appointed Papacy constituted by and expressed in, Mr. Freddie Kissoon.

Yours Respectfully, Eusi Kwayana

Suggestions for Commanding Officer Engineer Battalion - GDF DEAR EDITOR, As an ex-soldier, I strongly condemn the way in which our young brothers are losing their lives in the army. I am worried to see and hear what is taking place with respect to many lives that have been lost in such a short space of time - within three months.

As an ex-corporal of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), I served in the demolition platoon, in Field Engineer Battalion. What is happening today, worries and shocks me. I am disgusted to see that in a short space of time, the GDF is dealing with two similar incidents regarding soldiers who died when handling fireworks. I firmly believe that this is as a result of negligence on someone’s part. Many years ago myself and others were trained as Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) soldiers and our mantra at that time was “safety first “and all best practices at that time were

guided by that approach. In our days, only trained, qualified and experienced soldiers were allowed to handle explosives and types of munitions.

Of late, it is disheartening to see so many soldiers being killed by explosives.

I am therefore appealing to the commanders of the Guyana Defence Force to make sure ranks are properly trained and equipped to handle explosives and ammunition. I have no choice but to cast blame on the instructors for what is happening.

During my career in the IED platform, the period was characterised by zero incidents throughout and none of us even experienced a spark.

We were taught all procedures.

Therefore, it is only right that the instructors take full responsibility for what has taken place. The instructors should be retrained and thereafter they should be

given follow-up and refresher courses time and time again to keep their knowledge sharp.

If there are expired explosives and ammunition there should be a well-rehearsed procedure for getting rid of the in-serviceable stuff. Further, I suggest that ex-soldiers with this kind of knowledge and experience known to me will be more than willing to share their knowledge in this area. They are Major (retired) Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer, Warrant Officer Class 2 Liverpool (retired), and Sergeant Benton (retired), to name a few.

In conclusion, all of us as ex-soldiers who served in the GDF are very much concerned and are willing to help in any way. To the family of the deceased soldiers, I beg to extend our sincere sympathy. Be safe, my people.

George Archer Ex-Soldier Brooklyn New York

GUYANA NEEDS SUSTAINED HELP FROM ABC AND EU DEAR EDITOR, In Guyana, we deal with the Symptoms, not the Cause of the disease.

We deal with electoral fraud - this is a symptom of the Racial Politics disease.

Some diseases are not curable - but they can be made manageable. (When PNC puts up an Indian, and the PPP an African as Prime Minister, they are both trying to manage the disease).

Help from ABC an EU countries is focused only on addressing the current election impasse/fraud. Would this do away with the effects of the “racial politics disease”?

This is more than a rhetorical question – it should be debated by all Guyanese.

The U.S. government often spends billions of dollars in sustained efforts to deal with protracted problems like the Bosnian and the Israeli/ Palestinian Conflict.

If they would spend 0.001% of that money in a sustained effort - they would

solve the Guyanese problem permanently.The problem we have in Guyana started with the 1957 elections.

Excessively high rates of ethnic voting for ethnic parties. Both PPP and PNC are nothing but ethnic parties.

Perceived ethnic, that makes them ethnic parties. Perception is reality in politics.

We thank the United

States for all the help thus far with obtaining Free and Fair Elections - but this will not be enough to bring peace to this country.

Guyana needs an enlightened polity, Constitutional Reform - and a need for permanent outside Federal Power to perform the Guardian role of the Constitution.

Mike Persaud

A possible time...

From page 4 not a normal time, but a most abnormal and devastating one, with those overseeing the welfare of their charges very exposed and very pressed.

With all that said, I still would like to learn that the situation at the Palms has since been enhanced, or that immediate actions are in motion.

This would be comforting for citizens, whether close by, passing by, or nowhere near to the Brickdam facility. As should be well known by now, it does not even require close physical proximity in person.

The luck of the draw of coming into contact with an unknowing carrier, who may have been around there is enough.

I would hope that what should have been done, or could be done, to help needy patient, workers, and the public at large is happening and on a continuing basis.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

PAGE 6

The loser must concede defeat DEAR EDITOR, Everyone I spoke with in Guyana and in the diaspora applaud the writings of Freddie Kissoon on the elections.

An analysis of countless columns and letters regarding the election count shows who are supporting the two positions: condemnation (criticism) of the fraud with cited evidence and silence or excuse or defense or refusal to acknowledge it.

Freddie Kissoon and other objective columnists and letter writers expose the electoral frauds.

Freddie is the most courageous. In contrast, a few other columnists, supporters and other defenders of the government can’t bring themselves to condemn the electoral fraud of March 2. Citing court cases (let the law take its course) or a recount is not excuse to be silent on the Mingo or Lowenfield fraud.

It is not that people don’t know that the Mingo count and Lowenfield report was a fraud.

The issue is why are some people silent on the fraud and even excuse it or are pretentious about the rigging.

Those affiliated with or benefiting from the government don’t wish to lose their perks or benefits were their party to lose office. For some, ethno nationalism explains their silence or excusing it.

Power (all of its elements – political, social, economic, control over the state) is at stake; they don’t want to lose power and or privileges.

Those of us who study sociology, anthropology, and political science, the subjects that deal with this concept of ethno nationalism and political power, understand the thinking of the leadership of ethnic parties in ethnically plural nations like Guyana.

Leadership in countries with a history of authoritarian governance is not inclined to give up power in a fractured, tribalized society such as Guyana where politics is influenced by ethnic garrisons.

The stake is very high – the leadership is fearful of the repercussions to its supporters and to entrepreneurs who back the party.

Thus, the party leadership and its advocates pursue

Thursday May 14, 2020

Kaieteur News

all measures to remain in office, with some even suggesting illegal options if necessary to protect the interests of investors and the party base.

The world saw this played out in country after country in Africa and in the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, among others that eventually broke up into several ethnic republics.

In Guyana, some didn’t and still don’t care how an ethno nationalist party remain in office as the country experienced election rigging and fascist rule; it must not yield power as was the case with the Burnham/Hoyte dictatorships (1966 to 1992). And support for such an unprincipled position comes from other external forces. One must understand ethno nationalists, and others expressing pride in and or defending their people and party. I note the hypocrisy and duplicity of some who called US intervention in Guyana in 2015 to drive the PPP from office, but oppose US intervention now to secure democratic governance.

Is it a case of “okay for my people to engage in electoral fraud but others should not impose fraud on my people”? It is understandable that they want to protect the interests of their people. That is normal in ethnic politics.

No one prevents members or advocates of other group from advocating for their group (Amerindians, Chinese, Whites, Indians, and others).

In fact, they all should make demands on the state for their fair share regardless of which (ethnic) party controls the state; there are hardly equivalents as the above names in other groups. The problem is how does one get

the state to distribute resources equitably in proportion to the national population.

Reading the arguments of ethnic nationalists supporting the government, electoral fraud is generally excused as necessary to empower their supporters through their elected representatives or party.

How does one get a party or its defenders to respect outcome of democratic elections? As we learn from ethnic studies on Africa and Europe, foreign pressure and at times military force is often required to expel the oppressive dictatorship from office after a democratic election. It is hoped Guyana will not reach that stage.

But clearly, not every party or its supporters and defenders are prepared to respect the outcome of a democratic election in Guyana.

One applauds Freddie for not supporting or championing any ethnic group or political group.

As he penned, he supported a small party unlike some who supported the government. Freddie has been objective and consistent on the issue of electoral fraud and he does not comprise that issue regardless of friendship or family relationship. For Freddie, once you lost an election, step aside – democracy in action!

Some others take the extreme opposite position to that taken by Freddie. It won’t work in Guyana. The loser must concede defeat, and as a condition for stepping down can make reasonable demands (like relatively equitable allotment of resources) to secure the interests of its supporters.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Can GBTI provide the public with an explanation DEAR EDITOR, It is normal for your savings account to be updated with a portion of the savings account interest on/ around 30th April each year. After checking my savings account, I noticed this was not so. I called the bank’s Kingston Branch and was told it would be updated on the week of the 4th May. We are in the week of the 11th May and it has not been updated to date. Is the bank having some difficulty? Why can’t they communicate to their customers? People are trying to harness every little cent in these trying times.

Yours truly, S. James

I beg CXC to reconsider its proposal DEAR EDITOR, As a 17-year-old Lower Sixth student of Queen’s College, Guyana, I have noted with avid interest and slight disbelief the occurrences of the recent few months, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic and the response of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) in this regard.

I have heard many positions debated by my elders, teachers and peers; however, all opinions and beliefs I state in this letter are my own.

CXC, as many of you know, has proposed a revised exam structure, consisting of a paper 1 and SBA for most subjects, but including a paper 2 in others where the syllabus is not fully covered by these two components alone.

Many arguments have been proposed against this, most of them valid, which I will not repeat here.

I do however want to point out that the original purpose of having a revised exam format was (in CXC’s words) “to yield valid grades and minimise the disruption to the education system”. It is with surprise then, that I note that results from this ‘examination’ would not be released until September, and therefore after the start of the 2020/21 school year, and not in time for the start of the next university semester.

If this is the case, then I must ask why we do not have the paper 2 examination as was originally planned, even if it is at a later date, as this will have no bearing on university intake as long as results are released before the January semester.

Why is CXC so resolute in its admission of only a paper one examination when it no longer yields any tangible benefit?

Continuing on the same tack of university intake, I must raise the question of credibility. One of the main concerns among my peers has been that this exam will not be seen as credible by most universities, and therefore it is not worth writing.

CXC for its part has allied with the University of the West Indies (UWI) to determine this September’s university intake by using results of Cape 1 and past marks, completely nullifying the purpose of the July examination. If the region’s premier university will not accept the results of this examination: a) Why hold them in the first place? (Why not cancel exams like the rest of the world?) b) How can any university outside the Caribbean be expected to do so?

In the face of overwhelming backlash against its proposal, from (to name a few) the Jamaica Association of

Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPPS), the National Secondary Students’ Council of Jamaica (NSSC), the Jamaica Teacher’s Association (JTA), the Barbados Teachers’ Union (BTU), the Guyana Teacher ’s Union (GTU), and the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), as well as teachers and students themselves, CXC’s response has been appallingly poor. A single ‘webinar’ was held, which I myself attended. I posted 10 questions, 2 of which were unsatisfactorily answered, and the rest of which were seemingly ignored, and the questions that were answered in the Questions and Answers segment were laughably moronic. The level of incompetence was such that in multiple instances questions such as “Where will exams be written?” were answered with “Yes”. I think that speaks for itself.

As a student, I can confidently state knowing that many others share this sentiment, that students are tired.

We are fatigued, we are exhausted, weary, drained, and most of all fed up.

Whichever way you put it, students as a whole are tired of this whole exam affair.

There was a period of uncertainty when the outbreak first emerged in which no one knew whether exams would or would not take place.

For a student, this is an especially turbulent time. A dilemma presented itself: Do you break or do you study?

But if you break, where do you find the resolve to start studying again, or if you study, when do you break?

There is no right answer.

Couple this with being bombarded with online articles detailing much more productive pastimes like ’10 things to do during quarantine’ and with the knowledge that the US and UK have called their exams off completely for the year, and the CXC exams have begun to feel like more of a restriction on freedom – a cross to bear for the Caribbean alone.

Now, with the scheduling of examinations for July, every teacher, lessons teacher and lab technician has reemerged hosting online classes and dropping assignments, projects and research essays, only obfuscating the issue further.

Let us discuss online classes from a student’s perspective: 1) Educators seem to share the belief that because students are at home, they are always free. This is not true.

It is difficult for many of us to find a quiet place to work at home, especially for hours at

a time. Being around our families all the time is a difficult situation for many of us, and bloated class and work schedules do not help.

2) It is so much more difficult to pay attention online than in a regular class.

In this age of shortening attention spans, online classes often need repeating and rewatching, and many teachers simply do not cater for this.

3) WIFI connections are unreliable, for those of us who even have it at all. CXC’s proposal to go digital has marginalised many, and teachers can report that they are seeing low and infrequent attendance for most, if not all classes.

Finally, I wish to speak about COVID-19. This pandemic is a greater threat than it ever has been. As at writing, there have been over 4.3 million confirmed cases worldwide. Regionally, Trinidad and Tobago has 116 cases. Barbados has 84, Guyana has 113, and Jamaica weighs in with a whopping 507. We do not have a vaccine. Research has shown that we do not even have a lengthy period of herd immunity.

The only strategy that has been shown to work is quarantining and contact tracing those that do have the virus. I do not know if CXC reviews the graphs showing the progress of this disease, but I do, daily.

I have no less than 6 graph tracking sites open as I write this letter. CXC has slated exams for July.

That would mean breaking, or ending lockdown and returning to school to write exams. I also do not know what data this timeframe is based upon, but it cannot be the same graphs that I am looking at here on my desktop, because according to this, Jamaica has seen exponential growth in its number of cases, and Guyana is increasing fast.

The numbers only increase. And yet, CXC would have us return to normalcy.

That is folly, that is fallacy and is pure (for want of a better word) dotishness! CXC wishes us to risk our health, our very being, for an exam that is not only questionable, but devoid of structure and credibility.

I will end this letter with a statement from one of my colleagues, who shall remain unnamed: “CXC has exposed itself as an organization that values its income more than the integrity of its business and health and safety of stakeholders.”

I beg CXC to reconsider its proposal.

Yours sincerely, Vijay Sharma

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 14, 2020

PAGE 07

US Embassy to write Govt. again for Carter Center's return - Ambassador Lynch A

mbassador Sarah Ann Lynch says that another letter will be dispatched to the Government of Guyana to lobby for the return the Carter Center and the International Republican Institute for this nation's election recount process.

During an interview on Kaieteur Radio yesterday, the US Ambassador noted that while the return of the Carter Center has yet to be approved by the Government, Ambassador Lynch said she still has expectations that the group will be approved.

“We are certainly doing everything required, the Carter Center agreed to do everything required of it, and everything that CARICOM, did like making sure that they are tested before they return to the recount.”

She noted too that the interest of the two observer

US Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch

missions in Guyana's elections has never diminished and is a crucial part of ensuring that Guyanese have confidence that the elections were free, fair and credible.

The US Ambassador stressed too that in her estimation the current quota of international observers may not be enough to

thoroughly scrutinize the process.

“There are three from CARICOM which we think is fantastic and two observers from the OAS who are already here, so that's five people and there are ten counting stations so that doesn't allow for one international observer at each station. So we are very

much in favour of more international observers,” she said. The US Embassy in Guyana has been lobbying for the return of the Carter Center and IRI. H o w e v e r, t h e government has not been outright with its decision not to allow the observers back in the country.

In a letter addressed to US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, Minister of Foreign A ff a i r s , D r. K a r e n Cummings, writing on behalf of the President, explained that the decision to oppose the team's re-entry into Guyana is premised on Government's measures to protect its citizens from the spread of the COVID -19 disease.

The correspondence dated May 6, 2020 was a direct response to a May 4 letter written to the President

by Ambassador Lynch appealing directly to President Granger, after the

367 ballot boxes completed in eight days

T

he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM) has completed the recount of 367 ballot boxes in eight days during the National Recount exercise, which is currently being conducted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). This figure represents 10% of the 2,339 ballot boxes to be counted.

GECOM's Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, disclosed to the press

last evening that 56 ballot boxes were counted on Day Eight - 15 for Region 1, 11 for Region Two; 15 for Region Three and 15 for Region Four, the district with the most contentious votes. For the General Elections, 350 Statements of Poll (SOR) have been tabulated. The same figure is given by Ward for the Regional Elections.

She also told the media that GECOM is likely to conclude the recount for

Administrative Ballot boxes Ballots Regions per region completed Region One

99

93

Region Two

135

78

Region Three

355

100

Region Four

879

96

Region Five

158

Region Six

387

Region Seven

82

Region Eight

55

Region Nine

73

Region Ten

125

-

GECOM PRO, Yolanda Ward

Region One today, while noting that 93 of the 99 ballot boxes have been completed.

GECOM is likely to commence the recount of Region Five ballots today, she said.

Also today, GECOM is expected to make a decision on increasing the number of workstations at the ACCC, which will be aimed at speeding up the recount process.

national COVID- 19 Task Force failed to respond to a previous request to approve the team's re-entry.

I n t h e l e t t e r , D r.

Cummings explained that while the President agreed that a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) would function within the framework of the Constitution, and under the aegis of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the request for re-entry by the international observers does not hold the same weight.

Rather, the Foreign Affairs Minister said that given the prevailing circumstances regarding the COVID-19 disease, Guyana's public health situation takes priority. She said, “The public health situation in Guyana has changed drastically since the Regional and General Elections held on March 2, as you are aware. The Government published an extraordinary issue of the

Official Gazette on 16th March and promulgated COVID -19 emergency measures on 3rd April which included the imposition of curfews...”

C i t i n g t h e o r d e r, Cummings continued, “The Cheddi Jagan International and Eugene F. Correia International Airports shall remain closed to all international flights except for outgoing flights, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights, technical stops for fuels only and special authorised flights. The Government of Guyana requests that its measures to protect its citizens from the disease are respected.”

Cummings' letter contradicted comments made by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Joseph Harmon, who claimed that the Carter Center was denied the approval when they informed government at the 'last minute' that observers would be aboard the flight.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Thursday May 14, 2020

Not overstepping the boundaries in Guyana…

It is our job to observe and speak up - US Ambassador File photo: US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch (2nd r) says thereis no overstepping of boundaries in Guyana by her Embassy.

T

he US has denied it is overstepping its boundaries in Guyana when it comes to sovereignty.

Appearing as a guest on Elections/COVID-19 Watch, hosted by Senior Journalist, Leonard Gildarie on Kaieteur Radio's 99.1/99.5 FM yesterday, US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch said that had she stayed silent this year and not spoken up, it would “have been the wrong thing to do”.

“I think it is our job to observe and speak up.”

In recent weeks, following the March 2 elections for which a national recount is underway, the foreign envoys, especially from the

western countries, have come under fire for their statements.

Ambassador Lynch was one of four foreign envoys who walked out of the Ashmin's building where the Region Four tabulation ran aground in March.

They later, in a joint statement, warned that Guyana faced the risk of standing isolated if they used tabulations of the results that are not credible.

Lynch said that they would speak up when they see things that may not be going as they should.

“We will continue to do that…not stand idly by.”

The ambassador also pointed out that there were instances of independent and

joint statements issued by the US, Britain, Canada and European Union. Some issued after March 2 pointed out what a “terrific” day it was in terms of the casting of ballots.

Throughout it all, there were consistencies in the statements being issued, she said.

According to Lynch, there were other similar statements coming from the C A R I C O M , t h e Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States, the European Union and the Carter Center which all between them included over 130 countries.

These are in addition to bilateral ones from France, Norway and India.

“I think we are in good company…in that we are all very consistent.”

Media stands in solidarity GPL's meter reading, bill delivery against Jagdeo's attempt through the post resumes to marginalize colleague

E

J

ournalists providing coverage for the National Recount of Ballots at the Arthur Chung Conference Center yesterday stood in solidarity with one of their own after Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo attempted to silence her. * * * https://youtu.be/N0GsZQJty pI Jagdeo had turned up at the recount site to address reporters.

The interview was being conducted in a smooth manner until a journalist from the state owned Guyana Chronicle posed a question.

It was then that Jagdeo became agitated.

His response to the journalist was “I am not wasting my time with the Chronicle any longer. The Chronicle is APNU's mouthpiece and I am not taking any further question from you because you are spreading the lies.”

His comment was met with immediate rebukes from media workers including senior journalists.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

Journalists were heard telling the Opposition Leader that “he was here for a press conference and was refusing to answer questions.”

The media presented Mr. Jagdeo with an ultimatum that if he did not answer the journalist's questions, then

no other questions would be asked.

In fact, the very reporter told Jagdeo: “If you don't want to answer the question, then you should leave.”

To this Jagdeo conceded and said, “Alright, okay, go ahead and ask me.”

ffective Tuesday, the Guyana Power and Light Inc. recommenced meter reading activities across all served areas in accordance with its schedule for the month of May 2020.

A complete list of the reading schedules is accessible on its website: www.gplinc.net/bill/meterreading-schedule/ “Meter readings submitted via our WhatsApp service via 608-8575 during May 1 to 11th will be used to generate bills for the stated period. Additionally, if our meter readers are unable to access the meter for actual readings throughout the month of May, our meter reading WhatsApp service via 608-8575 remains accessible to all postpaid customers for use,” GPL announced yesterday.

The state-owned company had halted meter reading as part of its COVID-19 measures.

“Also, customers may now submit meter readings via messaging on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/GP LIncorporated only during

the reading period identified on their most recent bill.

During the execution of work by our meter readers, we wish to assure customers that all necessary precautionary measures will be taken by our readers to guard against the risks of the Coronavirus.”

Meanwhile, the power company said that the delivery of mails through the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) will resume towards the latter end of the month.

Customers can continue to use the following services to check their account balances other means

including an online; SMS Freedom: Texting the GPL reference number to 6240400 or 608-8400.

GPL said it is also offering a website LIVE CHAT or customers contact their call centre on 226-2600.

“Additionally, customers are encouraged to register for Electronic Billing online using: http://gplinc.net/bill/ma nage-your-bill/e-billing/.

Our Electronic billing service is convenient, ecofriendly and guarantees your bill being sent via email within three days of preparation.”

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 14, 2020

PAGE 09

GUYANA MUST GET ITS ACT TOGETHER

T

h e r e a r e anomalies with the COVID-19 scorecard which should be rectified. Unless this is done the inconsistencies can lead to confusion.

On Monday 11th May, it was reported that there were 109 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The total number of persons in institutional isolation was given as 63. The total number of recovered persons was given as 36 and the total number of deceased persons was given as 10. This adds up.

On Tuesday May 12, the total number of confirmed cases had risen to 113. The total number of persons in institutional isolation was given as 67 and the total number of recovered persons at 39.

This totals 106. If you add the ten persons who are dead you will get 116 and not 113. Therefore, there is a problem here.

Yesterday, there were no new confirmed cases recorded. This means that the total confirmed cases stood at 113. Of this, 62 are in institutional isolation and 41 were listed as recovered with ten persons having died.

This totals 113.

There is no problem here except that it would appear that those persons in the Intensive Care Unit are being treated as still being in institutional isolation.

Guyana's numbers are

frightening. Since the partial lockdown and other restrictions, which were imposed, the situation has gotten worse rather than better.

This is not unusual relative to some of the larger countries in Europe where the virus has been inflicting major casualties.

The lockdown in those countries did not immediately lead to a decrease in the total number of cases or deaths. But the large number of cases in Guyana is at odds when compared with most of the countries of the Caribbean.

For example, Suriname is now been reported as coronavirus free. They have a total of just 10 cases and only one death. The nine cases, which had been active have all recovered Suriname has not imposed any total lockdown of the country. In fact, their restrictions were not as strict as Guyana's.

The curfew, which they implemented began at 20:00 hrs rather than at 18:00 hrs.

And they had a higher per capita number of tests than Guyana. Yet, the number of confirmed cases and deaths are less than one-tenth of the comparative numbers in Guyana.

Suriname had no active cases as at May 3, 2020. It does not mean that this will remain so but it just illustrates the difference in experience between that country and its western neighbour, Guyana.

So what really accounts for the low rate of confirmed infections in Suriname relative to Guyana? The main factor, which can account for the suppression of the virus in Suriname is preparation.

Suriname had begun preparing for the coronavirus since the end of January.

They therefore had a full one-month head start over other countries in the Region including Guyana.

But more importantly, the Crisis Management Unit which was established was more balanced than the one we have.

They had included in the Unit persons from the police, national security, disaster management, the national hospital, along with epidemiologists, a clinician and 2 persons specialized in infectious diseases.

Contrast that with the approach of Guyana, which commenced more than one month later than Suriname.

The National Task Force, which was established began as Inter-Ministerial Body. It has remained dominated by government ministers most of whom probably do not expect to be in office by the end of next month when the recount of the ballots of the elections finishes.

A Secretariat has now been added to the Task Force; that Secretariat is dominated by military personnel. It is not clear just what work the

Dem boys seh...

A man build he house without a plan

G

uyana discover oil 5 years ago.

But we only now trying to revise de oil laws.

Dat is wha you call closing de stable door after de horse done get away.

But yuh gat to expect dem things when yuh put people in position who don't know wha dem doing.

A man had to point out to dem people in de guvment dat dat before yuh write laws yuh gat to have a policy. De policy gat to come before de laws. Not de odda way round.

But in Guyana, we

writing laws without a policy. You call dat putting de cart before de horse.

De guvment borrow US$20M from de World Bank to revise de country's oil laws.

Is awee picknee and grand picknee who gat to pay back dat money with interest. And yet we don't have a policy to ensure de laws tek care of we interest.

Is like if yuh building a house. You borrow de money fuh build de house and you hire a contractor and tell he build. But you nah give he de plan. How he gon

build? He gon build wha he want and he gon charge you wha he want because he ain't gat de plan.

Dat is de dotishness wha happen.

We tek loan fuh revise we oil laws but we nah get a plan. So can we even expect dat de laws gon be in we favour?

People writing we oil laws to benefit dem oil company because we nah gat no policy fuh guide dem.

Talk half and wait till tomorrow fuh learn mo about how we 'fuffuckle' we oil wealth!

Secretariat is presently doing, how much international resources it has managed to raise and how much relief it has provided to citizens.

It has announced no action plan and no stricter enforcement of the existing social restrictions except that consideration will have to be given to a possible total lockdown given the recent

spike in cases.

Guyana really has to get its act together. A good place to start is with improving the quality and quantity of the data provided and greater public reporting on the work of the Secretariat of the National Covid-19 Task Force.

F i n a l l y, G u y a n a i s supposed to be sending the test samples to a regional

Reference Laboratory. Can the authorities say whether this is being done and whether the Reference Laboratory has confirmed the locally confirmed cases?

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Thursday May 14, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

International and local observers:

Not some but all I

n my column yesterday, I submitted that David Hinds' interpretations of the election tragedy are so numerous that it will take

several articles to confront deeply disturbing positions he has on the meaning of elections and the importance of free and fair elections.

Many of his statements

are pregnant with distortions that when a study is made of the election saga long after now unless these falsehoods are analytical exposed they can creep into the history

books. For a professor who ought to know better, David's fictional permutations and deliberate misdirections are completely unacceptable.

Here are two egregious fictions for which there can be no rebuttal. I will warn David not to further damage his credibility by rebutting them. They cannot be rejected without the accusation of dishonesty being introduced into the polemic. I will quote his exact words so there can be no grey areas.

The first distortion “Freddie and others have relied on PPP's evidence and those of some observer missions.” This is palpably untrue. All the international and local observers have designated the 2020 election as flawed including two past CARICOM prime ministers and our own CARICOM team. By using the word “some”, then he has to name those missions that either supported Mingo's action or stayed silent. There is none.

The second mischief is contained in the very quote – “PPP's evidence.” What David and the fanatical APNU+AFC intellectual supporters have done is introduce two red herrings.

First, the election fiasco is a battle between the PPP and the PNC and, secondly, cite colonial behaviour of the We s t t o j u d g e t h e i r

pronouncements on the 2020 poll.

What is repugnant about these two deceptions? The PPP's evidence is the documents that were given to the 10 opposition parties

by GECOM. There is no such thing as “PPP's statements of poll (SOPs).”

What the PPP has were pasted up on the buildings where people voted including those building that David were in on elections day, so he must have seen that action by the election o ff i c i a l s . D a v i d a s a candidate was allowed in those buildings so he must have seen party agents taking photographs of the SOPs. Other opposition parties have given their SOPs to international observers.

This columnist has seen SOPs that were shown to the media and they were not PPP's evidence. Sadly for those who want to paint the canvas as PPP versus PNC, the so-called PPP evidence turned out to prove that Mingo rigged the 2020 election because the recount showed exactly that.

There are people out there who, fearful of the decline of the PNC and AFC, will not accept even what is inside those ballot boxes that are being recounted. But for all intent and purpose, the cry of PPP evidence has lost its bite. It never had a bite in

Frederick Kissoon the first place.

Here is another quote from David' “But he (Freddie) is not entitled to create his context and fit other people neatly into them.” But this very crime he accuses others of, he is perpetuating on the Guyanese people. David Hinds has introduced an ocean of irrelevant contexts to justify a process of electoral fraud. When you speak about fraud, he said election is not the issue. So what is the issue? The ones he planted on his canvas and when you reject them as dangerously misleading, then, you are the one who is not seeing the right contexts.

Let us describe some of his erroneous contexts of which I have dealt with two above – only some observer missions have spoken out, and people like me are relying on PPP evidence.

Obviously, there is a huge insult in the second wrong context of David.

Since we cannot think for ourselves then we have naively accepted what the PPP told the nation. But he, David knows better so he rejected the PPP's mischief.

This compels one to ask; is there mischief of GECOM and APNU+AFC? Here is another Hinds' red herrings. “I have looked at what has happened since March 2 and concluded that there is a convergence of factors and forces.” Guyana has deep ethnic problems that are disastrous but how can you introduce that as a rampart for election riggers?

Rigging of election is a question for this entire nation to decide on.

It is not a battle between PPP and PNC. When a country accepts rigged elections, then, people's right to vote is taken away. That is the quintessential issue facing us at the Convention Centre. After we uphold free and fair elections then let us move to things like factors and forces that preoccupies David. That preoccupation is justified for I have them too.

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

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 14, 2020

PAGE 11

PAHO, ELAC to craft response to economic and social impact of pandemic

N

oting that increases in unemployment have pushed millions of families into poverty, Director of the Pan American Health Organization, Carissa F. Etienne, called on countries to address health, social and economic emergencies, saying she is “deeply concerned” by the rapid expansion of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas.

“While we remain in this dangerous stage of the pandemic, financial resources are needed to help people cope with the economic impacts of staying at home or being out of work.

This is vital to keeping the virus in check and reducing the duration of this

crisis in each country,” Dr. Etienne said.

“Heads of State and Ministers of Health and Finance all face the same dilemma: how to keep their people safe while also protecting the livelihoods of families and communities.

It's a difficult balance to strike but not an impossible one.”

Dr. Etienne therefore announced that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and PAHO will work together to shape a new model where resilient health systems and universal health coverage are viewed as key to economic growth and social protection.

“Only when countries have controlled transmission

will they be in a position to implement a well-planned, cautious transition period,” Dr. Etienne said.

PA H O i s w o r k i n g closely with the IMF, the IDB, the World Bank, and others to help coordinate the economic response to the pandemic, she noted.

“COVID-19 reminds us that when we invest in health systems, we keep our people safe and our economies strong.

When we guarantee access to health services for everyone, we reduce inequality and build more resilient societies,” she added.

She said that “The pandemic has forced us to address three emergencies at the same time: health, social and economic emergencies.

“To be successful, we need a joint approach.

Countries must support their economies while building strong social protection networks and embracing evidence-based public health measures that are essential to saving lives.”

PAHO's Director also highlighted the rapid expansion of COVID-19. “It took our region three months to reach 1 million cases, but less than three weeks to nearly double that number,” she said.

More than 1.74 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Americas, with more than 104,000 deaths.

The need to control the pandemic is urgent, given that in the past week, there was a relative 18% increase

in cases and a 23% relative increase in deaths, compared to the previous week.

Between May 4 and May 11, more than 96,000 additional cases including 5,552 deaths were reported in South America.

That represents a 45% relative increase in cases and a 51% relative increase in deaths, compared to the previous week.

In South America, health systems in large urban centers like Lima and Rio de Janeiro are quickly becoming overwhelmed.

The impact of COVID-19 on big cities across the Amazon basin also extends to “smaller towns and remote communities, including indigenous areas, where access to healthcare is challenging,” she said.

PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne PAHO continues to coordinate the response across countries, “but we call on national and local health authorities to work even more closely together to contain the spread of the virus and support health system capacity,” she told a press briefing yesterday.

Woman, daughter, 11, home after two months in quarantine

A

mother and daughter, 11, who spent two months in quarantine, are home again after being cleared of the COVID-19 virus.

Yesterday, Roshanie SinghBaboolall, in her late 20s, was elated that she is home again.

She was the daughter-in-law of the late Ratna Baboolall, the 52year-old New York-based woman who is recorded as the first COVID-19 death in Guyana.

Her entire family from the Good Hope home, East Coast Demerara was picked up and held in isolation by authorities with tests later revealing a number of them

Back home: Roshanie Singh-Baboolall

positive.

“Good morning everyone… I am Roshanie Baboolall… and my daughter Samantha Baboolall would like to thank everyone for their blessing and prayers for us.

We are home. So blessed to be home.

Thank you so much,” the mother said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Roshanie Singh-Baboolall made the news late last month after complaining via Facebook about life in the quarantine at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

The mother had deemed it an irresponsible mix-up of her

daughter's Coronavirus test results.

The woman had said that since her mother-in-law died, the entire family was taken to a quarantine facility and subjected to COVID19 tests on March 16. Since then, the family has remained quarantined.

Her 11-year-old daughter was subjected to more than five tests.

On the first occasion, she stated that the result was positive; the second test result was positive while the third came back negative.

When contacted, the woman had told Kaieteur News that her daughter was subjected to a fourth test.

According to her, the health workers returned to administer a fifth test after stating that they did not collect enough of a sample on the last occasion to provide an accurate result.

Following her pleas last month, the authorities had removed the family from West Demerara and placed them at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital at Diamond.

Guyana has recorded more than 100 cases of COVID-19 with 10 deaths.

The country's airports remain closed to international flights with a curfew in place.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Thursday May 14, 2020

Recaptured juveniles shifted to Kitty - Rank injured during Police Station lockups escape remains off the job

T

he eleven juveniles who were recaptured after breaking out of the Sophia Holding Centre earlier this month are being detained at the Kitty Police Station.

Police officials stressed that the juvenile offenders are separated from adult prisoners.

Ranks have stepped up security at the station.

One 17-year-old, who was charged with murder, remains at large. According to police sources, the teen and another individual had allegedly beaten a vagrant to death.Twelve juveniles

escaped from the facility about 23:30h on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

From reports, two of the juveniles broke out of their holding area earlier and hid.

At the changing to the shift after 10:00 p.m., two police ranks on guard were attacked and beaten.

The two juveniles relieved the ranks of keys, which they used to free the others.

Five of the escapees were recaptured the following day in Georgetown. Six more were nabbed shortly after.

Minister of Public S e c u r i t y, K h e m r a j Ramjattan has asked for a

report on the matter and police said that, “a thorough investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the incident.�

Back in 2016, police had complained about the violent behaviour of some of the juveniles. They alleged that they were sometimes attacked with makeshift weapons, while other inmates threw and bags of faeces and urine at them.

Ranks had even disclosed that juveniles have even yanked out 'live' electrical wiring from the cells to rig up booby traps for the staff.

The Sophia Holding Centre

Two more recoveries; no new COVID-19 cases - 34 persons tested in the last 24hrs, 62 active cases isolated

T

wo more novel coronavirus (COVID-19) recoveries have been recorded, bringing the total to 41. Since March 11, Guyana has been confirmed to have 113 recorded COVID-19 cases. No new cases were recorded yesterday.

Of these 113 cases, Guyana has recorded 10 deaths and 41 recoveries.

This was disclosed by Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen GordonBoyle in the daily COVID19 Update. So far, 1,020 persons have been tested with 907 of those tested returning negative.

Sixty-two persons remain in isolation at various facilities across Guyana.

Three others are housed in the COVID-19 ICU at GPHC while five are being monitored in institutional quarantine.

Seven of Guyana's ten Administrative Regions have now recorded positive coronavirus cases while Region Four remains the epicentre.

The Public Health Ministry has recorded confirmed cases in the following areas: On the East Coast of Demerara, positive cases were reported in Atlantic Gardens, Friendship, Golden

Grove, Good Hope, Lusignan, Plaisance and Strathspey.

On the East Bank of Demerara confirmed cases have been reported in Diamond, Grove, Land of Canaan, Providence and Timehri.

Several areas in Central Georgetown were also identified. These include Kitty, Sophia, Turkeyen, Liliendaal, Cummings Lodge, Alberttown and Cummingsburg, Bourda, Lamaha Park, South Ruimveldt and Thirst Park.

Globally, as of May 13, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded 4,179,479 confirmed cases with 287,525 deaths. In the Region of the Americas, the number of confirmed cases has increased to by 37, 847 and now stands at 1,781,564 cases while deaths have increased by 1,955 and now total 106,504.

The Ministry of Public Health is again calling on all citizens to heed the health advisories and observe the correct hygiene measures and precautions. Citizens are also asked to always practice social distancing in the workplace, public spaces, and while using public transportation to reduce the spread of the coronavirus diseases. (DPI)

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 14, 2020

PAGE 13

Despite COVID-19 airports World Bank lockdown, government allowing has new regional chief several passenger flights in

K

C

arlos Felipe Jaramillo has been named as the World Bank's Vice President for the Latin America and the Caribbean Region. He will oversee the bank's relations with 31 countries and a portfolio of ongoing projects, technical assistance and grants of almost US$32 billion.

According to the World Bank, under his leadership, the bank's operations in the region will focus on fueling growth, reducing poverty, supporting equality and protecting the environment.

Jaramillo was previously the World Bank country director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda, based in Nairobi.

There he managed an operational portfolio of more than 80 projects representing a total investment of more than US$12 billion to help countries share and apply innovative knowledge and solutions to the challenges they face.

Prior to his role in Africa, Jaramillo was the senior director of the World Bank Group's Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice (MTI), where he led a global team of more than 450 economists. Since joining the World Bank in 2002, he has also served two

World Bank's new Regional Chief: Carlos Felipe Jaramillo terms as country director in the Latin America and Caribbean Region.

Before joining the Bank, Jaramillo was a public servant in the Government of Colombia, holding offices in the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Trade. Jaramillo holds an M.A. and a Ph. D. in development economics from Stanford University. He has taught at the Department of Economics of the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota and at the University of Maryland, College Park.

aieteur News understands that notwithstanding the Granger administration having issued a gazetted order ending passenger flights into Guyana, there have been several flights ferrying dozens of persons into Guyana over the past two weeks, with more scheduled over the next few days. According to the government's order: “The Cheddi Jagan International and Eugene F. Correia International Airports shall remain closed to all international flights except outgoing flights, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights, technical stops for fuel only and special authorized flights.”

This has seen a cancellation of all commercial flights into Guyana, and limited special flights out arranged by diplomatic missions to get their citizens out of Guyana.

A special dispensation

seems to have been created for the petroleum sector however.

This paper understands that at 3AM yesterday, a Boeing 767-200ER owned

by US charter service Omni Air arrived at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, direct from Houston, Texas, carrying roughly 70 oil sector workers. The plane departed around 5 PM yesterday with about 120 workers.

Between today and tomorrow, there is expected to be similar charter flights from both Houston and Heathrow. On April 29, a British Airways charter had brought in the first postlockdown batch of sector employees. News agency, Newsroom Guyana, reported yesterday that Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Egbert Field had confirmed that special approval had been given for “6-8 flights of oil workers.”

B

I

n light of the C O V I D - 1 9 pandemic, the commemoration of Guyana's 54th Independence

will be hosted virtually.

This was disclosed by Director of Culture Tamika Boatswain.

“The country's 54th

The Puruni Landing area, Region 7

Despite the police visiting and cautioning businesses, there has even been a bikini party.

“We want business and life to go on. But this is a popular mining area landing.

Republic Institute technical support personnel, an estimated total of six persons, back into the country.

In his response to American Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch's appeal for the teams to be let back in, Granger responded through his Foreign Affairs M i n i s t e r, D r. K a r e n Cummings, citing the lockdown of the airports via the COVID-19 Emergency Measures, stating, “The public health situation in Guyana has changed drastically since the General and Regional Elections were held on 2nd March as you aware… The Government of Guyana requests that its measures to protect its citizens from disease are respected.”

It should be noted that a CARICOM high-level team had also received special authorization to fly into Guyana to observe the elections recount process.

Guyana's 54th Independence to be celebrated virtually

Night entertainment at Puruni Landing continues despite curfew ars and other nightspots on the Puruni Landing, Region 7, continue to operate as normal with scant attention to the countrywide curfew.

According to concerned persons, despite the COVID19 measures at the popular Region 7 landing, there has been no let-up in entertainment activities.

These would only cease when police make their visits.

The Puruni Landing area does not have a police outpost, and also now has a large influx of Venezuelans.

There have even been flyers for nightly striptease events.

The nearest police outpost is located at the Itaballi Landing, which is an almost-90km drive from the Puruni Landing.

This practice, particularly considering the numbers involved, is notable for two reasons. The first is that the government has cited COVID-19 precautions for its position on not allowing Guyanese stranded overseas to return to their country, despite consistent appeals, ranging from students in Cuba to persons stuck in the United States.

While the government has sent care packages to the former group, persons in the US have registered a variety of urgent reasons for seeking to return to Guyana, from mounting debt to inability to access healthcare due to the current strain, which the pandemic has placed on the US system.

The second notable reason this exception being made for the oil companies is that a strict adherence to the lockdown order is the reason Granger gave in his refusal to allow Carter Center observers and International

We have to pay attention.

We are not sure who is coming and what they are carrying. What we know is that one case can cause plenty problems,” one miner said.

A n d w i t h t h e proliferation of unlicensed firearms, there is also frequent gunfire in the community, which has residents fearful for their safety.

Independence anniversary is a very important milestone and while we cannot [physically] come together to celebrate the Department of Culture is working to ensure the celebrations are held virtually,” Boatswain told DPI. The programmes will be available for viewing on the National Communications Network (NCN) Channel 11, social media platforms and radio. The Cultural Director disclosed that viewers can expect a local film festival that will be hosted on Channel 11.

“Films made by Guyanese celebrating Guyanese culture, heritage and our social lifestyle.”

There will be features highlighting prominent sportsmen and women and other important figures in the Independence movement.

The public can also expect forums on “health, education and infrastructure, telecommunication, oil and gas and what we should look out for in the decades of development,” Boatswain said For the children, there will be animated movies telling the story of Guyana's independence and students preparing for the National

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton Grade Six Examinations can participate in quiz contests both online and on the radio.

A schedule of the events will be released within this week.

Minister of Social Cohesion Dr. George Norton disclosed that the much anticipated flag-raising ceremony will be hosted but following the National COVID-19 Taskforce's guidelines. As such, this year's ceremony will be livestreamed.

“To watch the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead is something we would want the entire Guyanese population to experience.

Therefore, we have put systems in place to conduct recordings of this event and ensuring that it is distributed to the various regions,” Minister Norton stated.

(DPI)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Thursday May 14, 2020

Powerful partisan US senatorial group asks - appeal for free and President Granger to allow unfettered access to observers back in country all aspects of recount

A

high-level bipartisan group of American senators has officially written President David Granger urging that he accommodate more international observers into the country one week after he denied a similar request from the United States embassy here.

The letter signed by Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Jim Risch, as well as Democratic Senators Bob Menendez, Ben Cardin, and Tim Kaine represents the most significant escalation in messaging from the American legislature since the March 2nd elections.

“As friends of Guyana,” the group noted, “we are closely monitoring the recount and support that it be conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner.

A crucial part of this process is that credible international observers be

allowed to return to Guyana and be given free and unfettered access to all aspects of the recount in order to confirm the integrity of the process.”

The letter comes in the wake of President Granger's refusal to allow the team back in, particularly in his March 6 response, through the Minister of Foreign Affairs Karen Cummings.

That response was to a March 4 appeal made by American Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch to let a Carter Center observer team and a technical support team from the International Republican Institute (IRI) back into the country to observe and assist in the recount process.

This would be Marco Rubio's second intervention: on March 7th, the Republican senator for the state of Florida, had issued a statement that read: “The completion of a

peaceful, free, and fair electoral process in Guyana is in the best interest of the country as well as of all the freedom-loving nations in our hemisphere.

Following a marred vote tabulation on March 2, the presence of international electoral observers and representatives of all political parties must be guaranteed.

At a time when Guyana's democratic future is at stake, the U.S. must stand in support of the preservation of the rule of law and democratic transition of power as established by the nation's constitution.

It is critical that all actors call for maintaining social order and defend Guyana's constitutional order.”

This input would have been significant considering that Rubio is the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, a powerful subcommittee in the upper house of America's legislature.

In this most recent intervention, Rubio is joined by similar senatorial heavyweights, most notably

fellow Republican Risch (Idaho) who is Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Democrat Menendez (New Jersey) who is the committee's ranking member.

This committee, the umbrella organ over the one Rubio chairs, sets the foreign policy direction for the US upper house. Democrat Ben Cardin (Maryland) is also a member of the Rubiochaired sub-committee, while Tim Kaine, the otherwise highly decorated junior senator from the state of Virginia, is most notable for being selected as Hillary Clinton's Vice-Presidential running mate in her 2016 run against Donald Trump for the US presidency.

It should be noted that while Rubio, Menendez and Cardin come from states in which there are significant Caribbean/Guyanese constituencies, Kaine and Risch do not.

The letter from the group noted that “…while we recognize that Guyana has closed its international airport as part of its efforts to address COVID-19, we understand that your government is providing special authorization in

important cases.

With full respect for Guyana's public health measures, we are hopeful that you will consider the presence of additional international observers an essential step to strengthening the credibility of the recount.”

This would be seen as a direct response to the fact that while President Granger had asked Ambassador Lynch to respect his decision to close off the airports as a measure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (the excuse given for not allowing the Carter Center and IRI representatives back into the country) the government has not only allowed in the CARICOM observer team back in but has facilitated several flights carrying dozens of oil sector workers in and out of the country in the past two weeks.

This is the second bipartisan intervention on the Guyana recount that has come out of the US House of Representative in as many days.

On Monday, Democratic congress members Albio Spires (New Jersey), Gregory Meeks (New York), and Sanford Bishop

(Georgia), joined their Republican colleagues Francis Rooney (Florida), Jeff Duncan (South Carolina) and Jennifer González-Colón (Puerto Rico) in appealing for the Carter Center's return.

“We appreciate the vital role that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has played in advancing democratic principles in Guyana” they said in a joint statement, “At the same time, we urge the Government of Guyana to allow the observation team from the Carter Center and technical advisory team from the International Republican Institute to return to the country to join CARICOM in observing the recount process.

We remain dedicated to ensuring the Guyanese people are free to exercise their right to vote, their votes are accurately counted and that they are able to shape a democratic and prosperous future for their nation.”

The position taken by the two bipartisan groups from Congress comes in contrast to the stance taken by one of their colleagues last week.

In an interview with New York-based coalition activist Rickford Burke last week, Hakeem Jeffries, representative New York's eight congressional district and current Chair of the Congressional Democratic caucus had criticized what he referred to as interference from the White House.

In the interview, Jeffries – who had teamed up with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke to write then Secretary of State John Kerry to intervene in 2015 when former President Donald Ramotar had prorogued Parliament – called US government pronouncements on the 2020 elections “outrageous” and disturbing to several of his colleagues in Washington, DC. He has not since then released any further statement on the issue nor has indicated which of his congressional colleagues shared the same view.

In an interview with Kaieteur Radio yesterday, American Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch expressed optimism that the Carter Center and IRI teams would be let back into the country to participate in the recount.

Thursday May 14, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

PAGE 16

Thursday May 14, 2020

Kaieteur News

95,000 have entered UK from abroad during coronavirus lockdown - Government chief adviser fails to give estimate of how many have arrived with Covid-19 SERVICES Visa Forms Preparer.

Tel#626-7040, Publish your Death Annoucements & In Memoriams online. Email: dthmemo@gmail.com ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Furnished one & two bedroom apartment for rent.Providence & Diamond.Call#672-1906 or 216-2299.

2 bedroom apartment, Durban & Breda St $60,000 per month Tel#666-9494 One bedroom apartment 25ft x 22ft for working couple or single person $36,000 monthly, water included. Call: 638-8858

(The Guardian) - At least 95,000 people have entered the UK from overseas since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed, one of the government’s chief scientific VEHICLE FOR SALE House to rent in Greater advisers has revealed, while 1 Suzuki Escudo.Excellent Georgetown $130,000 per repeatedly failing to provide condition, Low Mileage month. Call: 694-8387 an estimate of how many of (50,000Km).$3.4M Neg.Call these people had Covid-19.

1 Business Spot, Durban #649-0956.

Appearing before MPs Street $40,000 per month #666on the science and 9494 TO LET technology committee, Prof John Aston, the chief 1 bedroom bottom flat. #662scientific adviser at the Home 9043 Office, admitted that had tougher restrictions been introduced at the border, the peak of the virus may have been delayed – but he did not say by how long, or if this would have saved lives.

VACANCY Aston, who attends Maid to cook and clean for meetings of the Scientific WANTED Group for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132 Advisory Backhoe Operator. Tel#666Emergencies (Sage), which is 3303 1 Qualified Pharmacist to work advising the government in Region #2 Essequibo, during the crisis, was asked Wanted Land to buy in Interested persons can repeatedly for the estimated Uitvlugt, Tuschen, Zeelugt or contact #625-5136 proportion or number of anywhere on the West Coast. people arriving in the UK with Tel#697-6311 One General Domestic (Maid), Covid-19.

One Gardener. Tel# 638-6891 He insisted instead that a Parfaite Harmonie, Tuschen, more “robust” assessment One General domestic must Providence, Uitvlugt, Farm & was the ratio of imported Herstelling. Tel#699-3357/666- be able to prepare vegetarian cases to domestic cases. This meal, Apply at Alabama Trad2326 model, formulated by Sage, ing 65 Robb Street Bourda estimates 0.5% of all cases on Bond Supervisor 25-55 years One Male Janitor, Apply in any given day are imported old, East Bank area preferable. person at Alabama Trading 65 from overseas.

Please Call: 644-2564 Robb St Bourda The government stopped issuing guidance at the PEN PAL One bedroom furnished apartment and office space for rent.Parking & Security available.Contact#227-8176.

Indian Overseas male seeks female 30/35, must have good personality. Call: 602-9975 FOR SALE Household articles for sale.

Call: 694-8387 One Fully Operable cone truck (Mobile) Tel#227-1813/ 227-1830

Passengers arriving at Luton airport in the UK off a commercial flight. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi/The Guardian border to arrivals from specific countries – including from Italy and China – to selfisolate on 13 March, 10 days before the lockdown was imposed. Since then, there has been little intervention other than advice provided on leaflets and posters. Arrivals will have been subjected to the same lockdown restrictions imposed on the wider population since 23 March.

In a heated exchange Yvette Cooper, the chair of the home affairs select committee, who was appearing as a guest member, asked Aston if ministers had a central estimate of the number of people arriving each week who might have Covid-19 when the decision to stop asking any arrivals to selfisolate was made.

Aston said: “When that [decision] was made, an estimate was made about what the effect of putting further restrictions on the border would be.

“It would delay the epidemic by a small amount of time and therefore it was deemed that wasn’t a sensible thing to do.”

Cooper repeatedly asked for the estimate but it was not provided.

She said: “Previously people were asked to self-isolate at the

border for 14 days.

Inexplicably when other countries were increasing their restrictions or their requirements to self-isolate, the UK lifted them all. It was before the peak in Spain, it was still around the peak in Italy, it was several weeks before the peak in UK.” Aston’s evidence comes as the government prepares to enforce a 14-day quarantine for arrivals by air at the UK border – a policy that some have suggested would have been more appropriate prior to the UK lockdown on 23 March.There were 18.1 million arrivals to the UK in the period from 1 January to 23 March across air, land and sea, of whom 273 air passengers were formally quarantined.Aston told the committee that between 1 April and 26 April there were 95,000 arrivals into the UK by air, of whom about 53,000 were UK citizens.

Defending the use of the modelling that returns an estimate that imported cases make up 0.5% of all domestic cases, he said: “It’s a really complicated modelling thing to do. It was done by Sage. It requires you to understand the prevalence in overseas countries, as well as prevalence in the UK and you need to put that together to

get the ratio of incoming cases to domestic cases.”

Aston’s remarks jar with testimony given by Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, who told the health and social care committee that the UK received a “big influx of cases” from Europe that “seeded right the way across the country”.

The home affairs select committee has repeatedly requested the government publishes the scientific advice provided by Sage that informed its border policy.

Stephen Doughty, a shadow minister and former member of the committee, who has been pursuing the issue of border policy during the crisis, said: “Simply claiming it’s all a bit complicated and refusing to publish the models on which these critical decisions were based is not good enough.

“We need to see urgent publication of the models and scientific advice that led to the Cabinet deciding not to act when the pandemic was raging. The revelation that even since the lockdown likely more than 100,000 have entered with scant checks, also begs the urgent question – why has the government still not introduced measures?”

Thursday May 14, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 14, 2020

Thursday May 14, 2020

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

Britain’s elite athletes must respect distancing in training

General view outside Wembley stadium where it is due to host the Euro 2020 Final in July, as the number of coronavirus cases grow around the world. (Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs) LONDON (Reuters) Britain’s elite athletes must respect guidelines on social distancing and be made aware of the risks when they resume individual performance train-

ing after the coronavirus lockdown, guidance published yesterday said.

The document set out the terms for athletes in a first step towards allowing the re-

turn of live sport in the country.The government has said elite sport in England cannot return until at least June 1 and will have to take place without spectators present.“Enabling athletes to get match-fit is an important milestone towards restarting competitive sport behind closed doors — but we have not given a green light yet,” said Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.“We are clear that this can only happen on the advice of medical experts and when it is safe to do so.”

Training, at official elite venues under carefully controlled medical conditions, will require athletes to keep two metres apart at all times from their team mates and anyone outside their household.”Organised training should only be resumed

Thursday May 14, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) The good news is it can only get better. For today, however, there may be some trying times in store, Aries.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today you might rethink those social norms that you take at face value, Taurus.

Like the rest of us, you learned and unthinkingly accepted them at a young age.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today is an ideal day to shop for a new wardrobe, Gemini. Maybe your usual style is feeling too conventional or uncomfortably trendy.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) The topic of the day is knowledge and learning, Cancer. Did you actually study in the field that excited you when you were younger?

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) An important aspect has passed, and you're positioned to reap the benefit from it, Leo. It was only a matter of becoming aware of and settling certain matters related to your need for social recognition.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) You may feel hemmed in by the role models that society currently offers, Virgo. As you struggle to find your own definition of the truly modern human being, the people in your life sometimes criticize your liberated attitude.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today's aspects are suggesting that you take a good hard look at the state of your ego, Libra. Are you too proud or too humble?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) A small crisis is still a crisis, Scorpio. In the midst of this global crisis, expect to face a personal one today. Since you don't like unresolved issues, you won't want to put off dealing with your problems any longer.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Something has to change, Sagittarius. You knew it when you woke up this morning. Your mirror provides the impetus for some important resolutions.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The only good thing about riding an emotional roller coaster is that you never feel the same way for long, Capricorn. One moment you're up, the next you're down.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You might want to check your alarm clock to be sure it really woke you up this morning, Aquarius. Your tendency will be to stay in the cocoon of your own little dream world, deep in your own thoughts.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There is something in the air today pushing you toward change or renewal, Pisces.

Is it time to change your wardrobe or redecorate your home?

where government guidelines on social distancing can be adhered to, considering any terms of dispensation allowed for elite sport,” the guidance said.It added that sports should outline how there will be regular screening for COVID-19 symptoms before athletes enter training environments.All athletes and support staff will be expected to undergo one-toone check-ups and briefings before any organised training which will also highlight

sport-specific risks and the measures to mitigate them.The guidance also covers measures such as the deep cleaning of facilities.

Guidance on the second step, to include “a level of social clustering” subject to medical experts giving the goahead, will come later.

“It is important to note that the publication of this guidance does not mean that all Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes should return to training straight

away,” said UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday.

“Indeed, we fully expect different sports will return to training at different times.

“Each sport will need to make a risk assessment against the guidance and determine what is best for both their athletes and staff.”

Munday said returning to training was a personal choice and recognised there might be concerns or circumstances that made it challenging.

Regional football boss staying out of TTFA-FIFA battle and focused on developing sport PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) is focused on developing the sport and its players and not politics, president Randy Harris has insisted amid questions about the regional body’s hands-off approach to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) battle with FIFA. The TTFA was in March replaced by a FIFA-appointed normalisation committee after football’s world governing body found evidence of financial mismanagement. That move has been challenged by the William Wallace-led executive that was elected in November 2019.

Speaking on i95FM Sports, Harris said the committee had not reached out to the CFU and “with what is going on, we wait until this situation is settled”.

“We’re seeing a lot of reports from Trinidad and these reports are more of a political nature. I have not seeing any reports about the players, what is happening with competition, where is Trinidad in terms of going forward with their international programmes. That is what I’m really interested in and for right now, I prefer to stay out-

CFU president Randy Harris. side what is going on,” the Barbados Football Association (BFA) president said. “It’s a FIFA matter, it is a Trinidad matter, and we are waiting to see what will be the ultimate outcome.”

“The Caribbean Football Union should be about football, not about politics. We have, within the next six years, a World Cup in our confederation. Three teams will qualify automatically and I believe that we in the Caribbean and the CFU should be helping to make sure that it is possible that at least two Caribbean teams qualify for that World Cup…. We should be discussing football, football’s development and how we are going to develop our young people in this region,” added

the CFU president who was elected to office last year.

In response to the criticism of CFU for not getting involved in the TTFA-FIFA battle, Harris pointed out that what was happening was not unusual.

He said similar intervention was taking place in Jamaica, although he did not give details about the situation in Kingston.

“Jamaica and FIFA are working together and as you can see there is no public spat between Jamaica and FIFA regarding this issue and I am absolutely sure that within a short time whatever matters there are of concern they will be satisfied,” Harris said.

“FIFA is very serious about how we operate in the Caribbean. If they’re giving you these sums of monies, you have to be accountable.

It happens to all of us from time to time…. From some time to time all of us get questioned

by FIFA and they usually work with us to get things regularized, at a place where everybody is happy.

“I would say, looking from the outside, that I believe that FIFA was giving T&T a ‘bligh’, as we would say in the Caribbean, because of the Home of Football [in Trinidad]. It was supposed to be an income generating programme and when it was closed it would seem that there was nowhere else to turn. All of us are answerable to FIFA and from time to time all of us are in situations that we have to get regularized. It is a normal situation in football,” he added.

Speaking earlier in the programme, Wallace said he thought the TTFA’s battle might have propelled the CFU to speak out, but could not say he was surprised the organisation did not get on board given that it had been silent “for quite some time”.

However, Harris was adamant that the CFU was “working for the betterment of football in the region” and focused on moving forward.

PAGE 20

Thursday May 14, 2020

Kaieteur News

Ousted TTFA claims bias by CAS in Sammy happy to be playing alongside Gayle despite controversy fight against FIFA CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia Zouks have named eight regional players on their squad for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and captain Darren Sammy says he is confident that marquee player Chris Gayle, who publicly blasted his former franchise in a controversial rant, will be focused and motivated when the season starts.

Zouks, which announced last month that it had signed Gayle after his release from the Jamaica Tallawahs, yesterday named West Indies Emerging Player Kimani Melius as the only other newcomer to the squad which is captained by Daren Sammy. The exciting St. Lucian batsman joins a squad that also features Andre Fletcher, Kesrick Williams, Obed McCoy, Rahkeem Cornwall and Kavem Hodge.

Gayle, the all-time leading T20 run scorer, is at the centre of a controversy which he created by posting a series of YouTube videos last month, bashing his home franchise and Tallawahs’ assistant coach Ramnaresh Sarwan. Gayle had described Sarwan as a “snake” and other unflattering terms and accused his former West Indies teammate of conspiring to have him released from the squad. He also charged that management of Tallawahs was “playing games” with him, and had cut him from the squad without any notice, although he still had two more years left in the three-year contract and had agreed to a pay cut.Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt expressed the view recently that the 40-year-old Jamaican could be penalised by the CPL for his outburst.

Neither the CPL nor Zouks have commented publicly on the matter, and Sammy said he was looking forward to playing with the big hitter.

“I don’t have to tell you about Chris Gayle.

He is the most successful T20 batsman in the world and I’m happy to be playing with him. I think he will be focused and motivated for the season,” he said.

Sammy, who recently returned from a coaching stint in Pakistan, said he was also looking forward to seeing Gayle working and sharing his experience with other players.

“Rahkeem Cornwall really bosses the powerplay overs and him partnering up with Chris Gayle is going to be something exciting to watch. I’m excited about Kimani Melius because he is from St Lucia. He is one of the hardest working youngsters I’ve ever seen.

With the experience of Chris Gayle and Andre Fletcher, he could really benefit from this CPL exposure,” he said, adding that Fletcher, who has been with the franchise since the inception of the CPL in 2013, “carries the true spirit of St Lucia Zouks, and he is a great enter-

St. Lucia Zouks captain Daren Sammy. tainer on the field”.The captain also spoke flatteringly of the other returning players.

“Kesrick Williams is one of the top T20 bowlers over the last few years in international cricket,” he said.

“Obed McCoy is a talented left-arm fast bowler out of St. Vincent. He is a very skillful bowler, can’t wait to see him play a full season for the St Lucia Zouks. Kavem Hodge is another talented all-rounder we have. He works really hard on his game; he had a pretty good first-class season as well.”

Zouks coach Andy Flower said he was “really looking forward to having two Caribbean legends” in the dressing room – Sammy for his outstanding leadership and Chris Gayle for his experience and explosive stroke play.

“They will be central to our chances of doing well in the tournament. Kesrick Williams and Obed McCoy are going to be the mainstays of our seam attack, both operating in very different ways but both extremely effective in this form of the game,” he added.

“I am very excited that we have the youth and potential of the West Indies U19 World Cup captain Kimani Melius with us. A St Lucia native, it is brilliant to have him on board and looking forward to seeing how he progresses when he gets his chance.”

The CPL is scheduled to take place between August 19 and September 26 but organisers of the six-team tournament are liaising with medical advisors and governments, given the COVID-19 situation, to decide whether it can proceed as planned or must be rescheduled.

Zouks, Trinbago Knight Riders, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and defending champions Barbados Tridents have all disclosed which local and regional players they have retained or signed for the tournament. Only Tallawahs have not made their team public.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The ousted executive of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) is contemplating the next step in its fight against FIFA taking over its operations, after claiming that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has shown a bias towards football’s world governing body in the case.

In a letter to the Switzerland-based CAS, attorneys for the William Wallace-led former executive, Dr Emir Crowne and Matthew Gayle, accused the court of “an unacceptable display of apparent institutional bias”.

Wallace and his team are challenging FIFA’s decision to appoint a normalisation committee in March to replace them, after as assessment uncovered financial mismanagement and massive debt that it said left the local body facing “a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity”.

The deposed president told i95FM Sports here that it appears the odds were against them.

“The feedback from CAS is one that as far as we are concerned is totally untenable. It is one that also signals to us that we will not get a fair trial at CAS and it signals to us that everything is stacked against us, and therefore we wrote CAS indicating that, pointing out all of those things to them,” he said.

“We are awaiting a response from CAS and when that comes back we will decide where we go from there.”

Chief among the TTFA lawyers’ concerns is the demand by CAS that the executive pay 40,000 Swiss Francs (US$41,252) in arbitration costs ahead of the tribunal hearing, although FIFA does not face the same requirement when it is a respondent before the court.

The legal team also raised alarm that CAS had accepted FIFA’s request for the case to

Former TTFA president William Wallace.

be heard by three arbitrators, which tripled the costs associated with the appeal.

“On its face, therefore, the CAS appears to be a willing participant in the Respondent’s gamesmanship, especially if the CAS had institutional knowledge that the Respondent – an entity with immeasurable financial resources – would not be advancing their share of the arbitration costs. This is at least an unacceptable display of apparent institutional bias,” the lawyers wrote.

“As it stands, there are very real doubts that the CAS remains an appropriate and fair forum for the resolution of this dispute.”

Wallace argued that while legal aid is available through CAS to pay the exorbitant fees, that would make no difference since “based on what we are getting, we would not get a fair trial at all”.

He said he was “very, very

surprised” at the apparent lack of impartiality.

“Everybody in sport…when they hear about CAS, think that’s a court anybody can go to if they have an issue and they would see things in an objective way. I went thinking that way but then when you start to get the feedback you realise ‘something is wrong here’,” Wallace said.

He added that he had recently discovered FIFA was one of CAS’ biggest donors, but also acknowledged that the global football body had lost cases at the court in the past.

Wallace was adamant, however, that if FIFA felt that it was justified in appointing the normalisation committee it would not be putting impediments in the executive’s way.

“So, it means that they definitely feel threatened by this case,” he contended.

CAS to hear FA’s appeal against FIFA in June LONDON (Reuters) - The English Football Association’s appeal against world soccer body FIFA in relation to a 2019 Chelsea transfer ban and fine will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on June 26.

The FA was fined 510,000 Swiss Francs (428,695 pounds), later reduced to 350,000, last year for a breach of the rules involving the international transfer and first registration of minors.

Premier League Chelsea were handed a two-window ban at the time but the CAS halved that on appeal in December and also reduced their fine.FIFA had declared Chelsea in breach of the regulations in the case of 29 players after a lengthy investigation into registration at academy level.

The arbitrator found only “about a third of the violations” declared by FIFA and said many were not as serious as maintained.

CWI boss says more money needed to improve women’s cricket PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – In order for West Indies’ female cricketers to bet better prepared for competition, improve their performance and get bigger salaries, the women’s game needs to attract more investment, says Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Ricky Skerritt.

And he has hinted at changes to come.

Speaking on i95FM Sports here, Skerritt agreed there was need for more competitive cricket for the women to improve their fitness, and therefore their playing, and acknowledged the disparity in pay between professionals working with the West Indies men’s and women’s squads.

But he stressed that “the problem still is that women’s cricket needs money, it needs investment”.

“It needs a lot of things but it needs investment. More cricket needs to be played regionally. The players come back from a tour, they go home for a little while…. Most of the players end up not doing much work, they go back to a preparation camp, go off on another tour, and a lot of the times they

come back perhaps having lost fitness, because there is no big set of cricket that they can enter into when they go home,” he said, contending that West Indies Women have not “fallen back” but have “marked time” while some of the other teams with which they competed neck and neck have moved forward.

Skerritt said he had also discovered that there was “quite a gap” between the level of pay for coaches, managers, physiotherapists and other professionals working with the men’s team and women’s team.

“Some people with the same skill are getting less pay with the women’s team. So, some of the professionals didn’t really want to work with the women’s team, not because they don’t want to work with the women but because they’re gonna get paid less than if they got a job with the men’s team. All of that has to change and for that to change you need money,” he said.

“So, there’re a lot of intrinsic problems which are not go-

ing to be fixed overnight.”The CWI boss said efforts were ongoing to increase pay for West Indies Women cricketers, noting that process had started even before his administration took office in March 2019.“That has to continue. Women play less cricket…but, ultimately, we have to carry up the respect and the renumeration for women,” he said.

Skerritt disclosed that CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams had a report pending on women’s cricket and “there will be some things happening relative to women’s cricket that might sounds a little bit different”.

West Indies Women won their first T20 World Cup title in 2016, but failed in their title defence in 2018 when they struck out at the semi-final stage.

Then earlier this year, they won just one of their four group matches— beating minnows Thailand in their opener before losing to Pakistan, England and South Africa—to finish third in the preliminaries of the tournament and miss out on the semi-finals for the first time in six appearances.

Thursday May 14, 2020

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Exclusive: Farah feels Tokyo delay could help 10,000m title defence

Essequibo T20 Bash Cricket Committee donates hampers

Olympic and World Champion long distance runner Mo Farah exercises near deer in Richmond Park, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, May 12, 2020.

(Reuters/Dylan Martinez)

LONDON (Reuters) Multiple Olympic champion Mo Farah says the postponement of the Tokyo Games to 2021 could work to his advantage as the Briton will now have around 20 months to train for the defence of his 10,000m title having switched his focus back to the track.

The 37-year-old retired from track athletics in 2017 to focus on road marathons but announced in November last year that he was returning for one more tilt at 10,000m gold.

The target then was only a matter of months away but the year’s postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything.

Farah, who must still qualify, will be 38 by the time of the Games in July and August next year but is looking on the bright side.

“Having postponed it actually helps me a bit more,” he told Reuters while training in isolation in London’s Richmond Park.

“It gives me a year to do more track races and then go into the Olympics. So in a way

Members of the Big Bash Cricket Committee hands over one of the food hampers.

I think it works out well for me.”Farah, who is chasing a third successive Olympic gold over 10,000 metres but does not plan to defend his 5,000m title in Tokyo, said everyone was in the same boat and dealing with plenty of uncertainty.On Tuesday World Athletics announced details of a truncated season that included the cancellation of July’s London Anniversary Games, the latest of a string of Diamond League events to fall foul of the virus.The changes and travel restrictions have left athletes struggling to find any structure to their season.“Hopefully when it gets going we can have some races and can start working towards something, because as an athlete you always want to have something to work towards if it’s an Olympics, a world championships, any event,” Farah said.

The six-times world champion over 5,000 and 10,000 metres said he had been enjoying more time with his family and getting creative in

training in London, with gyms closed and limits on outdoor running.“In terms of training it has definitely affected us because you can’t exercise, you can’t go to the gym, you can’t race, you can’t do a lot of stuff I’ve been doing,” he said.“I’m lucky I’ve got the treadmill at home so I’ve been running on that and sometimes I’ve been going once for exercise outside. “I’ve also been creative in terms of getting busy with my kids - we’ve been working on the bridge (exercise).The four-times Olympic gold medallist has also been doing 5k challenges and charity activities.

“Mentally, I think we have to stay positive for all of us.

As long as we can stay positive and have something to aim for it hopefully gets easier,” he said.“But at the same time there are a lot of people in a hard situation much worse than ours, people who can’t get out of the house, single parents or kids with a small flat. I’m lucky I’m one of those people who have got a little bit more space.”

“We are not ready to play football again” - Conquerors Sampson Gilbert The English Premier League and the Bundesliga (German football league) has announced plans to restart competitive football behind closed doors in the near future with the Germans slated to have their first matchday this Saturday. The move has been seen as a step in the right direction for many but the Bundesliga announced that it was necessary to avoid losing critical funds, which without, would see some clubs battling bankruptcy while putting thousands of jobs at risk.

World Athletics and Formula One has also rolled out a timeline for a return to competition. However, while this is very positive on the global front, head coach of the Fruta Conquerors Football Club (FCFC); Sampson Gilbert, believes that Guyana and the region are not ready to play football anytime soon since we by no near measure have a control on the deadly coronavirus.

During an invited comment with Kaieteur Sport, Gilbert shared his belief that, “All the social aspects of society cannot be viable unless the society is healthy, so sportsmen and women in any discipline have to ensure they guard themselves against the virus.”

“Even playing behind closed doors, there is still a chance of being infected despite the necessary measures that will be taken. Play-

ers will still be together in the dressing room and referees will also be together and I don’t think that entertainment and football is worth even one life.”The two-time GFF elite league winning coach empathised that, “We all miss football but people lives are not worth the entertainment. I can’t pronounce fully whether the Bundesliga and Premier League are ready but I can say without a doubt that we are not.”

Gilbert revealed that his players, who he is in constant contact with, are eager and passionate to get back on the pitch but he is using this time to educate them via social media, mainly Whatsapp, on the various aspects of the game.The coach also revealed that he has been doing a lot of counseling and giving guidance on conflict resolution because he believes that being cooped up at home 24/7 may bring about some disagreements that can escalate.Coach Gilbert posited that, “What we need to do right now is continue to follow the guidelines of health officials and practice social distancing so we can overcome the disease locally and return to normalcy.”

“It is also important to support everyone including sportspersons who are being mostly affected by the pandemic financially and emotionally, in whatever way we can.” (Calvin Chapman)

Members of the Essequibo T20 Bash Cricket Committee donated a large quantity of food hampers in Region Two on Sunday as part of its COVID-19 Pandemic outreach.

Secretary of the organization, Travis Simon, revealed that the response was great and expressed his sincere gratitude to the donors for coming on board.

The Committee, which has 24 cricket teams across the Region, distributed the hampers from Charity to Supernaam.

“I must extend my gratitude to all the donors both in Essequibo and overseas; we target around 100 people, mostly mothers and widows and they were also happy to be the recipient at this time,” Simon reacted. He further informed that several young

cricketers were also beneficiaries because of financial difficulties.

Since COVID-19 began spreading rapidly across the world few months ago, several individuals and sporting organizations in Essequibo and across Guyana have shown their response as well reaching out to people who have lost their jobs or unable to get employed.

Simon mentioned that his committee members took time off on the aforementioned day since it was Mother’s Day to assist with the distributions.

Cricket has also been at standstill in an effort to help curb the spread of the disease, but Simon reckoned that the Committee’s affiliated teams are adhering but at the same time anxious to get back on the field.

The donors are: Rovendra Mandolall, Mohamed Nayeem, Vejai Deonarine, Shekkhan Khan and Jaguars over-40, Devon Ramnauth, Lokesh Lall, Ravi Etwaroo (Cricket Zone USA), Suresh Jagmohan Construction, Alli Khan Construction, Romain Khan, Spartan Challengers S/ C, Himanat Nankoo Variety Store, Romest Electrical Service, Ravendra Madholall (Sports Journalist), Devonshire Castle S/C, Pavendra Persaud, Imam Bacchus and Bacchus Bulls, Eickey and Rose Persaud, Fanaz Mohamed, Kissoon Singh Pharmaceuticals, R. Ganesh (RG Mining), Target Hardware, Mavindra Dindyal, Guyana Beverage Inc, Prabhu General Store, Rising Stars S/ C, Ramnarine Family, Reliance Hustlers S/C and Peter Jagroop.

GFF extends congratulations to Bartica Wall of Fame honourees

T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) extends congratulations to the sports personalities honoured by the Bartica Mayor and Town Council (M&TC), especially former footballers and administrators.

This list was revealed by the Bartica Mayor & Town Council (BM&TC) and established on the Sports Wall of Fame set up at the Bartica Community Centre Ground in observance of the Council’s fourth anniversary as a Town.

In a congratulatory message, GFF’s President Wayne Forde said football has been served well by the inductees: “I’m very pleased to offer my congratulations to the inaugural inductees of the Bartica Sports Wall of Fame on behalf of the Executive body and Guyana’s football fraternity.

I’m particularly overjoyed to

see former footballers, referees and football administrators included in the list. These persons have not only played the beautiful game with an unparalleled passion and resolve but have served and, in some instances, continue to serve with distinction. Their hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed and indeed are worthy of emulation.”

President Forde lauded the initiative and said it serves as a critical influence for the current and future generations.

“Bartica has a rich history of sports and outstanding sports personalities and thus, it is indeed commendable of the Bartica M&TC to have honoured its sports heroes, including footballers, who have made an indelible mark on the community and country, many of them having worn

national colours. In a generation of competing interests for our young people, the highlighting of these persons serves as a great reminder that it matters not where you come from but there is a hero in each one of us; we just have to reach inside and manifest that which is already there.”

Among the 10 personalities honoured are former footballers Christopher George, Neil Hernandez, Mark Smith, Brian Tracey, Terrence Archer and Vibert De Freitas, as well as former footballer and coach Calmeth Younge and former footballer, cricketer and FIFA Referee Diane Ferreira-James.

The Sports Wall of Fame has been established to educate the community about their heroes and honour personalities who have served both nationally and internationally.

PAGE 22

Thursday May 14, 2020

Kaieteur News

Babar named ODI captain, Amir loses London mayor Khan opposed to Premier League June restart Pakistan’s Babar Azam Pakistan contract in action against LAHORE (Reuters) - Pakistan named Babar Azam as their new captain in one-day internationals, putting the elegant batsman in charge of both their limited-overs teams after a stellar year with the bat.

The top order batsman, who took over Twenty20 captaincy earlier this year, succeeds Sarfaraz Ahmed as Pakistan’s white-ball leader, while Azhar Ali also got an extension as skipper of the test side for the 2020-21 season.

“I want to congratulate Azhar Ali and Babar Azam for getting captaincy extensions,” chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said in a statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday.

“This is absolutely the right decision as they also require certainty and clarity on their future roles.

“I am sure they will now start looking to the future and start planning so that they can build sides that can perform at the expected levels.”

Babar has been a prolific scorer and currently ranks among the top five batsmen

Bangladesh at Lord’s during the ICC Cricket World Cup. (Action Images via Reuters/ Paul Childs)

in all three formats.

Professional cricket remains suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic but Pakistan are preparing for their tours of Ireland, England and South Africa as well as the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in October-November.

Keeping the schedule in mind, PCB also handed out central contracts for the 202021 season, omitting the pace trio of Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz and Hasan Ali. “...considering Hasan

missed most of the season due to an injury and Amir and Wahab decided to focus on white-ball cricket, this was the right move,” Misbah said of the “tough” decision.

“However, Amir and Wahab are senior and experienced bowlers and they remain in contention as we believe they can still contribute to the Pakistan men’s cricket team and also mentor our young battery of fast bowlers.”

Left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi and Azhar were promoted to Category A where they join Babar, while Sarfaraz and veteran spinner Yasir Shah drop to Category B in the new 18-member list.

South Africa Women tour of West Indies postponed but no word on changes to Men’s tour ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cricket West Indies (CWI) officials are still hopeful South Africa’s tour of the West Indies will come off later this year, even as they announced yesterday the Proteas’ upcoming Women’s and ‘A’ Team series have been put on hold.

CWI said agreement had been reached with Cricket South Africa (CSA) to postpone the Women’s Colonial Medical Insurance One Day International (ODI) Series, scheduled to begin at the end of the month in Jamaica and Trinidad, as well as the Men’s ‘A’ Team Series scheduled to commence here in June.

The uncertainty of international travel and quarantine requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the health and safety of both teams influenced the postponements.

“The health and safety of the players and coaching staff is of paramount importance to both CWI and CSA and with the current COVID-19 travel restrictions it is impossible for us to consider both tours taking place as we had originally planned,” said CWI’s CEO

Johnny Grave, adding that further discussions will be held on new dates for the tours.

No changes to the schedule of the senior men’s fivematch T20I and two-Test tour, due to start in the Caribbean on July, were announced in yesterday’s statement.

But Grave gave an indication it was still on the cards.

“We are continuing our discussions with CSA on the feasibility of hosting the Men’s tour later this summer,” he said.

West Indies Women were scheduled to play South Africa in five ODIs, prior to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in July. However, CWI and CSA agreed to hold off on that series in light of the fact that South Africa finished third in the ICC Women’s Championship and earned automatic qualification, and in response to the ICC’s announcement on Tuesday of the postponement of the Women’s Qualifier Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cricket and other major sporting events across the globe have been either post-

poned or cancelled due to the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 that has infected more than 4.3 million people and resulted in more than 295,000 deaths.

“It is a frustrating state of affairs in which cricket finds itself around the world but there are more important issues that have to be confronted and the wellbeing of our players and support staff must always come first,” said CSA’s acting CEO, Dr. Jacques Faul said.

“Both our men’s and women’s national teams are keen to get back on the playing field as soon as possible. They want to build on their recent good results with the men achieving a 3-0 victory over Australia in their recent Momentum ODI series against Australia and our Momentum Proteas women coming so close to reaching the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final.”

Last month it was announced that South Africa’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, which was scheduled for the first half of June, had been postponed.

(Reuters) - London mayor Sadiq Khan is opposed to the idea of the Premier League resuming in the capital next month while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause hundreds of deaths in the UK each day, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office has said.

The possibility of a restart next month was given a boost when the government said elite sport could return behind closed doors after June 1.

“Sadiq is extremely keen for the Premier League and professional sport in general to resume,” the spokesperson told the Evening Standard.

“However, with the country still in the grips of this crisis, and hundreds of people dying every day, he believes that it is too early to be discussing the resumption of the Premier League and top-flight sport in the capital.”Five Premier League clubs are based in London — including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.“As a Liverpool fan, Sadiq of course wants the Premier League to return,” the spokesperson added. “But it can only happen when it is safe to do so, and it cannot place any extra burden on the NHS and emergency services.”

Liverpool lead the league with nine rounds remaining and need only six points to seal the title.

An official protocol sent to Premier League players and managers outlining conditions for returning to training said pitches, corner flags, cones and goal posts would have to be disinfected after each session.

Players will be tested twice per week for the virus and take a daily temperature check, while they will also be forbidden from congregating together or travelling to or from train-

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is seen outside Downing Street, as the coronavirus outbreak continues, in London, Britain March 16, 2020.

(REUTERS/Henry Nicholls) ing with team mates.

Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor said it was crucial that every safety precaution had been taken for the players.

“The players don’t want to be seen as guinea pigs and that will apply to everyone in professional sport,” Taylor told Sky Sports.

“It’s about getting the balance of safety and also trying to get back to normality as much as possible ... We need to give everyone confidence that every single safety measure has been taken on their behalf.”

The United Kingdom is the worst-affected country in Europe with over 32,000 deaths reported due to the new coronavirus while there are more than 223,000 confirmed cases.

Austria’s Bundesliga to resume June 2

LASK’s last match was a behind closed doors Europa League defeat to Manchester United on March 12. (AFP/File / Joe Klamar) AFP Austria’s Bundesliga will restart its season on June 2, after more than two months on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league said yesterday.

Games will held behind closed doors every three days to catch up and finish the campaign by the first week of July.

“It’s a big step for all of us, and it’s important that the ball gets rolling on the pitch again,” Austrian Football League president Christian Ebenbauer told a press conference after a meeting with clubs.

Full training is due to start this Friday (tomorrow), having previously only been al-

lowed with a reduced number of players.

Austria’s government on Tuesday gave the green light for the term to resume.

Players will have to undergo regular tests for the virus.

In the case of a positive result, the squad member affected will have to go into a 14-day quarantine and the rest of the outfit will have to be re-tested.RB Salzburg face second-division Austria Lustenau in the Austrian Cup final to be held on May 29, Ebenbauer also said.

The Austrian Bundesliga has ten rounds left of the season, with Linz’s LASK currently leading three points

ahead of RB Salzburg, who have won the title for the last six years.Austria has reported close to 16,000 COVID-19 cases to date, with 624 deaths and more than 14,300 people having recovered from the disease.The country of 8.8 million people was one of the first in mid-April to begin easing its strict coronavirus lockdown imposed in midMarch and so far has not seen a significant spike in infections after the measures were relaxed.

Football leagues are gradually re-starting across Europe, with Germany’s Bundesliga returning on Saturday and Italy’s Serie A eyeing a June 13 restart.

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 14, 2020

Great Christmas gift as Windies register historic win in S/Africa What cricket means to West Indians

W

ith just two Tests wins in five years and not a single ‘away’ victory against any opponent ranked higher than them in almost eight years, the West Indies were not expected to put up a challenge to ICC’s number two ranked side South Africa when the three-Test series began on Boxing Day in South Africa.

While the return of Clive Lloyd as Manager was sure to inspire the team, former Australia opener John Dyson was making his debut as West Indies Coach, Chris Gayle (standing in for injured Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan) was captaining the team for the first time in a Test match and the West Indies had just been beaten inside three days by South Africa ‘A’ in their only two innings match preceding the first Test.

On their two previous tours to South Africa, West Indies were mauled 5-0 in 1998/99 and only a debut ton from Dwayne Smith saved them from a sequence of seven consecutive defeats when they drew the third test on the 2003 four-Test tour which they lost 3-nil.

Prospects of a revival looked bleak.

A belligerent 66 from the new skipper, a responsible 94 from Marlon Samuels and another diligent performance from the dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul saw the West Indies reach 408.

Chanderpaul continued from where he left off in the English series with his 17th Test hundred and joined former West Indies great Sir Everton Weeks and Andy Flower of Zimbabwe as the only batmen to score seven successive scores of over 50 in Test cricket.

Inspired bowling, excellent fielding and motivating leadership from Gayle conspired to dismiss the host for 195. Bravo (4-24), Taylor (3-46) and Powell (3-58) rocked the South Africans.

Opting not to enforce the follow-on, West Indies fell cheaply in their second innings giving South Africa a victory target of 389 runs.

Despite fifties from Kallis and AB DeVillers, the home team lost by 127 runs with a day to spare as another impressive, consistent and united display in the field gave the Caribbean side a historic win and their fans a great Christmas gift.

It was their first Test match victory in 31 months.

The Caribbean unit began 2008 in horrendous fashion losing the 2nd Test by seven wickets to South Africa, although Marlon Samuels made a half century and Shiv Chanderpaul scored an unbeaten 65 and followed it up with 70 not out in the second innings. In the 3rd and final Test on their tour to South

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the glue that held the batting together.

Photos: -

-Ramnaresh Sarwan at his elegant best.

-

Chris Gayle scored a triple century.

began 2009 with the first Test in Jamaica against England in February and the home team gave t h e f a n s i n t h e R e gion a tremendous New Year’s gift with an emphatic innings and 23 runs victory.

Taylor captured eight wickets in the match including a five-wicket haul in the second innings, while Sulieman Benn had two fourwicket hauls. Sarwan and Gayle scored high class hundreds in the West Indies’ only innings.

The second Test in Antigua was condemned to a draw because of a substandard outfield at the Sir Vivian Richards ground and the third Test was shifted to the ARG, also in Antigua. Sarwan made 94 in his team’s first innings as this match was drawn.

The fourth Test in Barbados produced a runs feast for the batsmen with England amassing 600

-6 declared to which the West Indies responded with 749-9 declared as Sarwan fashioned an elegant 291 and Ramdin supported with 166. Not surprisingly the game ended in a draw.

The fifth Test was drawn in Trinidad with Gayle, Nash and Chanderpaul all getting tons in the same innings to give West Indies a series win 1-nil.

Due to an increased tour fee for the WICB, a reciprocal tour to England was agreed to in the height of the cold weather in May at a time when few teams would tour England. In testing conditions England mauled the visitors by 10 wickets despite second innings fifties from Nash and Ramdin.

The Caribbean team feared even worst in the next match being trashed by an innings and 83 runs despite a first innings hundred from Sarwan. (Sean Devers)

Brendon Nash was one of 3 batsmen to tons in the same innings for West Indies.

Afr ica the Windies endured a crushing innings & 100 runs defeat to the host despite a second innings ton from Marlon Samuels.

Sri Lanka journeyed to the West Indies in March 2008 and the home team lost the opening Test in Guyana by 112 runs, with centuries from Malinda Warnapura and Mahela Jayewardene powering the Asians to an imposing 476-8 declared in their first innings to set up the win despite classy fifties in both innings from Sarwan.

Dwayne Bravo opened the innings in place of Chris Gayle who batted at number four after repeated failures against left arm pacer Chuminda Vass and both batsmen registered second innings 50s in a losing cause.

West Indies leveled the 2-Test series in Trinidad with a 6-wicket win as Sarwan led the fight with a half century in the first innings and 102 in the 2nd when Chanderpaul notched up another unbeaten score, making 86.

When Australia visited the West Indies in May they began with a 95run win with Ricky Ponting scoring a first innings ton.

Chanderpaul responded with 118 in the first innings but nobody for the West Indies reached double figures in the second innings as the host crashed to defeat in Jamaica.

The 2nd Test in Antigua was drawn with Chanderpaul scoring an undefeated century in the first innings and Sarwan hitting a second innings 128.

The final Test in Barbados saw the Aussies taking the series 2-nil when they inflicted an 87-run victory over the home boys despite another unbeaten 79 from Man-ofthe-series Chanderpaul who was not dismissed until the last day of the series for 50.

He had batted for over 1,000 minutes without being dismissed.

West Indies travelled to New Zealand for their final Test series of the year 2008, fast bowler Jerome Taylor hit a blistering 107ball 106 to earn the Caribbean team a draw in the first Test.

Chanderpaul with an unbeaten 126 in the first innings and Gayle’s pugnacious 197 in the 2nd ensured a second Test draw in the last match for the year. The 2-Test series was drawn.

West Indies

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the glue that held the batting together.