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Friday Edition May 15, 2020 -Vol. 22 No. 19

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Govt. ignores expert’s advice to complete oil policy before law review Fire quelled at Lusignan Landfill site At approximately 05:00hrs Wednesday, a fire was spotted at the Lusignan landfill site. According to information released by the Ministry of Communities, Site Manager, Mr. Lloyd Stanton arrived around 6:00hrs and observed thick smoke emanating from the southern end of the landfill site. The incident was reported and a contractor was summoned to assist in quelling the blaze which by then had consumed a section (about 300-400 square meters) of the site. Security officials have since been tasked with closely monitoring the area. (Ministry of Communities Photo)

Coalition wants GECOM to annul elections – Jagdeo Commissioners Three years after closure… Social Protection Wales Estate blame each sugar workers Ministry moves to other for GECOM’s finally receive contain COVID-19 failure to address outstanding outbreak at Palms severance - as four more residents test positive fraud, deviance

UN forecasts pandemic to shrink world economy by 3.2%

Soaked ballot box stalls completion of Reg. 1 recount - 54 ballot boxes counted on Day 9

Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2020

PAGE 03

Govt. ignores expert’s advice to

complete oil policy before law review

By Kiana Wilburg

B

efore building a house, it is elementary knowledge that one needs to have a plan which outlines the desired number of windows , toilets and bathrooms, whether there is going to be a large or small kitchen, marble floors, etc.

Once there is a plan for the dream home, the potential homeowner will most likely go to the bank for a loan to cover expenses.

With the money in hand, the contractor would be called in to get started.

This is the normal sequence of events. No right thinking person would take a loan from the bank, call in a contractor and not have a plan in place.

But this is exactly what the Government of Guyana did. It took a US$20M loan from the World Bank and used a portion of it, US$1.2M to be exact, to hire an American law firm, Hunton, Andrews, Kurth LLP to review the nation’s laws. It contracted the law firm with no widely consulted policy in place which states what Guyana wants to achieve.

What is also astonishing is that Guyana was advised since 2016 to ensure a policy is in place before moving to law reform.

Taking the actions of the Government, specifically the Energy Department into account, it appears that the advice that was paid for by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was perhaps a waste of time.

Back in 2016, the UNDP had hired Energy Strategist, Anthony Paul, to conduct an analysis of Guyana’s oil industry.

His report showed all the dangerous loopholes Guyana needed to plug.

The Energy Strategist noted that Guyana’s old laws required urgent review. But before doing so, he noted that a National Upstream Oil and Gas Policy must be put in place.

Paul also noted that Guyana had a draft policy that was stuck in that stage since 2013.

The Commonwealth Secretariat had done some work to upgrade the document but it has not been released to the public for scrutiny.

It should be noted that there are more than 40 references in Paul’s Rapid Analysis Report which highlight the importance of having a Petroleum Policy in place.

Other international industry experts who have taken a keen interest in Guyana’s approach to industry reform have also zeroed in on the absence of a petroleum policy. One such person is Energy Lawyer, J. Jay Park.

During a recent webinar session, Park said it behooves the government to focus on what it wants to achieve by way of a policy, and then it can move to amend the law, followed by writing more detailed regulations.

Once that is done, Park said the country can move on to creating a better petroleum agreement and go

about further awards on a more competitive basis.

Park had said that the principles of such an effective policy speak to transparency, efficiency in petroleum activities, maximizing local benefits, and protecting the environment. Park believes these are key features that should be part of the policy, part of the law, and part of the regulations.

Further to this, the international lawyer explained that these features are important and desirable in order to avoid the resource curse which is often called the paradox of plenty.

This he said, is where many states have lots of oil resources but they fail to prosper.

Energy Strategist, Anthony Paul, handing over the report back in 2016 to Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman.

At centre is UNDP Resident Representative, Mikiko Tanaka.

COVID-19 Task Force to advise on new workstations today

S

ix possible workstations for the elections recount, ongoing at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, have been identified by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

However, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has to provide the Commission with feedback today on whether those new work stations are approved.

G E C O M ’s P u b l i c Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, told to the press that a team from the NCTF visited the site yesterday to identify possible new workstations with the aim of ramping up the recount process and meet

the 25-day timeline.

Initially, the team was scheduled to meet with GECOM on Wednesday, however, this meeting was delayed due to the unavailability of the ‘virologist’.

Ward told reporters that “They had a visit but no initial feedback was provided to us. What they [Task Force] have indicated is that they will prepare a report and submit to the Chair and they have made a commitment that they will provide her with some preliminary details…”

While she noted that the six areas were identified by the Commission, it is unclear

GECOM PRO Yolanda Ward

which locations will receive approval.

“Based on the guidelines

and further discussions at the Commission meeting (Continued on page 12)

PAGE 4

Friday May 15, 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

Outside of electoral battles, there are other battles The eyes and attention of most of the nation are firmly locked on the electoral battles raging inside the Guyana Elections Commission. Those have taken on an increasingly sharper texture and ominous ring. There is the sense that subterfuges and other machinations have less and less ground on which to dodge and weave, that road is running out, and that patience has been just about starved out of existence.

But as the heated confrontations and battles of GECOM grow in magnitude and spill into the social arena, there are other battles slowly developing in everyday Guyana, and for which there are no currently available antidotes. There is none to offer the respite of either safe harbour or safety net for stricken and increasingly distressed citizens of all stripes, nothing on which to place trust and look forward to as the screws tighten ruthlessly. These battles are largely unreported and unknown; hence they remain unrecognized as they are overcome by the wash of bigger events and higher preoccupations fixed on the grand national stage.

The battles that have to be faced by citizens daily have an ominous ring to them. In some ways, they offer a potential glimpse, an undesired one, into what may just lie ahead.

Citizens are sharing encounters where they are being purposefully ‘bumped’ for purposes of robbery, but one with a different twist. These encounters are occurring in the marketplaces, while shoppers are engaged in the commerce of fruits and greens and vegetables. And those are the products, the items purchased from dwindling finances, which are being targeted, with buyers being relieved of them in broad daylight, but within the camouflage of the congestions and noise and other distractions.

To be clear, this is happening at a low level and is small scale thus far. It is haphazard and sporadic, but there is the distinct impression of premeditation in the crimes involving small domestic food supplies bought. In view of fears across the board, there is little reason not to believe that these situations will not increase in frequency, with the inevitable result of violence turning up in the mix sooner at some time or the other.

The perpetrators are reported to be bands of, lone operating, young men on pedal cycles, who weave in and out of the pedestrian traffic, while they watch for a suitable opportunity to pounce. At the risk of understatement, this is bound to multiply in numbers and intensify the passions and stresses under which this society labour. The cyclists turned opportunistic robbers most likely are also without sustenance and are forced to hustle to put something into the pot. There is no excuse being made here, simply a restatement of what is where things stand for many in this society of supposedly plenty.

The longer the hard circumstances and realities emanating from the coronavirus stretch and sicken, the longer and harder will things be in the home, in the street, and in this country. Many businesses are working at half strength, or not at all, which means that employment needs are narrowed. Many workers have been sent home as a consequence of the unfinished reach of the virus. They face a lengthy and unknown interval in front of them relative to that nonworking condition. Nonworking means at best less pay; or, at worse, no pay at all.

For the many citizens who work for close to or at the minimum wage, who exist on the pittance of crumbs, this is living hell. They have no one and nowhere to turn to, no safety net (savings or unemployment insurance) to cushion this savaging and abrupt fall. They are on their own, and right at the beginning. There is some hope, but the odds are against any early resumption of the things of regular life, chief among which is going to work and earning a living.

And now with the little that there is in hand, what was reached for, faces the high risk of being snatched right out of the hand. Law enforcement is stretched at too many points and too thin to provide any semblance of deterrence, security, or comfort. As elections battles rage, there are these other daily battles.

We need to have a greater investment of trust to solve our problems Dear Editor, In his highly acclaimed book titled ‘The Speed of Trust’, Steven Covey opens with the following incontestable proposition: “There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organisation, nation, economy and civilisation throughout the world – one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love. On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has

the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. Yet, it is the least understood, most neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time. That one thing is TRUST.” One wishes that there could be such hope for our citizenship, our teams of management, our families, our variegated political parties investing TRUST in one another.

Our small village has established a record of riven relationships that earn little sympathy, but much more embarrassing derisiveness from witnesses around the world. Ours continues to be a culture of contentiousness

that earns minimal respect from observers, who note that we do not respect ourselves.

On the contrary, we pride ourselves in being ‘different from’ – meaning that we are ‘better than’, one another. The Motto of ‘Six Peoples’ being one nation has become a fundamental myth. We need so much trust amongst ourselves so that we can go together in search of once El Dorado. And while we still mine for gold, we have become submerged in pandemicstricken oil.

The latter situation is of course compounded by the current (and future) health virus, that is also so mentally dislocative, so depletive of any tendency to Trust. More likely, there can be no

successful losers. That is the conclusion we should all recognise – the pretentious strong, the irreconcilable weak, and the equivocative conciliator; not to mention the uninhibited commentator.

In the milieu, members of each grouping may resort to prayers – though less for reconciliation than for retribution. But do they trust their respective prayers. So the final question remains: Who, When, How, Where can Trust ever be an investment for our Village of the future?

Would the Cooperative Republic have become the Collective Republic of Mistrusted Relationships?

Yours truly, E.B. John

The attacks against critics of the elections fraud are terrible Dear Editor, As the days go by, the APNU is spiraling down a bizarre stretch.

They continue with their negative attacks on people, organisations and friends of Guyana in their attempts to rig the elections of 2020. It is terrible to see negative Facebook videos and foul language targeted to the US and Canadian Ambassadors.

Yesterday, Mr. Harmon

lashed out at former Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding who served at the head of the OAS mission here for the elections.

I am sure the OAS picked Mr. Golding because of his character. Mr. Golding spoke out against what he saw. I am sure he reported that to the OAS secretary general. And I am sure that the other groups communicated that same information to the

Commonwealth secretariat, and CARICOM secretariat.

The PSC complained about the rigging, they too were attacked verbally.

Of great importance is that these fraudulent results produced by Mingo are now shown on video and compared to the ongoing Recount. So, why the attacks on these people? They only reported what they saw.

These people don’t want the

Carter Center here because they know that the group will again point out the baseless attempts made to rig the elections.

Mr. Granger continues to be silent as his people frustrate the recount. I shudder to think poor Guyana going down the road to despair at a time when she has the resources to become a star in the region.

Name Provided

The Coalition must produce evidence to support its case, and be given a chance to do so Dear Editor, The twists and turns of Guyana’s elections of March 2nd have been dizzying with furious passions and a series of unending intrigues. The totality of what has been experienced since that first Monday in March beggar belief. Now along comes the coalition with its own hard steely allegation of a “‘clear pattern’ of contamination of the elections. With its back to the wall, and seemingly nowhere left to go, the coalition has come out counterpunching.

As I assess the situation, I sense that the coalition is swinging for the skies. It has been pummeled brutally but rolled with the punches. The narratives have been onesided almost across the media board, which I find most revealing and unfortunate, speaking from the perspectives of a contributor and private observer only.

The local political-commercial complex has been near unanimous in its condemnation of what it has labeled as concerted attempts

at cheating the electorate; though expected, I am still taken aback at the swarming stridencies that coursed through their representations and advocacies.

The international community has weighed in with its own considerable heft on the will of the people must not be thwarted, but faithfully observed.

While the domestics could be understood for their zeal and emotional flares, the same is hard to summon in defense of the “overstepping” of the foreign contingent, which it has asserted that it did not.

As an American and Guyanese, I respectfully beg to differ, for I found it to be all too perfectly aligned with suspicious local interests, and lacking in the customary balance and distance, as well as the studied neutrality so vital in these country to country relations.

My point in all of this is that the messages have been altogether one-dimensional and one-tracked, and not necessarily completely unjustified, as the

concoctions and provocations of the damned (to wherever) Returning Officer for Region 4 testified to attempts at the scurrilous.

On the other hand, any isolated voices that dared to stand in defense of the coalition were either run over or effective run out of town with immensely powerful and, when the care was taken, nuanced marginalization. The operative word is silenced, to which I can partially attest.

The coalition reeled and took all of that on the chin, but it did not fall, though it did give some ground in the credibility and integrity departments. Now it has come forward to attach the narrative of a new chapter to the surreal environment that is this still unfinished business of elections 2020. As I see things, it is going to be a long chapter and one that is largely undesired by the forces arrayed against it and which had controlled the pace and pitch of the entire proceedings. I say that the coalition is deserving of a full and fair hearing. After all, this

is part and parcel of probing for the truths that constitute the architecture of adversarial proceedings; and what we have is nothing less than the fiercest, most unrelenting of such undertakings.

With that said, the coalition has a duty to furnish all of the pieces of any evidence that it has gathered and accumulated, and that is under its control. It must be forthcoming in every detail and at the earliest. Now that it has rung the bell, it must hasten forward to respond to its own call with the proofs of its positions. I believe that it possesses this right and must be afforded the space to present its case along with all of the supporting facts.

To be clear, I have disagreed with some actions that unfolded on the coalition side in the elections. But I have said all along and repeatedly, Elections 2020 is not about who cheated, but of who cheated more; even that was found offensive and quickly smothered in (Continued on page 5)

Friday May 15, 2020

The media needs to begin fact-checking the governing coalition Dear Editor, Why is the media continuing to give publicity to the obvious lies and distortion being peddled by the APNU? I can understand Guyana Chronicle as they are the APNU’s mouthpiece, but not the rest.

It is time that the rest of the media either stop, as some of the media have done in the USA in relation to Trump and his alternative news, or they do not carry the APNU lies unless their reporters are able to ask questions, or if the APNU Press Releases are followed by a fact-check.

For example, Joe Harmon’s attack on Bruce Golding: he never addressed the specific accusations made

by Mr. Golding. All he did was attack Golding’s apparent relationship with Mr. Jagdeo.

What does that have to do with anything? They were leaders of their countries at one time and obviously would have developed a relationship. I have friends in the PPP, the PNC and the AFC. Does that compromise my integrity?

Their problem is that they judge everyone by their own character, which is devoid of any integrity. Golding did not say anything different to the Commonwealth Group, the Caricom observers, Barbados’ PM Mottley, Trinidad’s PM Rowley, The Carter Center or the diplomats. So they are all (Continued on page 6)

Golding’s comments were objective reflection of entire observer team findings Dear Editor No time was lost in rebuking and refuting the comments of the head of OAS observer mission to our March 2 elections (“APNU+AFC says OAS chief no longer an independent observer” News Room May 13).

The comments offered by the former prime minister, Bruce Golding, were not his personal opinions, hence he was not being subjective, but rather reflected the opinions and views and collaborated conclusion of the entire observer team and by extension the hemispheric

organization they represented. Thus the comments offered were objective.

Similar opinions were issued by the Caricom ambassador to OAS. Further to want the former prime minister to comment and form an opinion or take a stance on matters neither he nor his team witnessed is simply playing politics.

To deem the head of the observer mission ‘not independent’ and partisan, aligned to the competition is to label and paint the hemispheric body so too.

Yours truly, Shamshun Mohamed

The Coalition must...

From page 4 endeavors at introduction of a contrary narrative. Such has been the state of our so-called public discourses. It has been that the discourse of one side only. The sign on the entrance to hell should serve as a warning to all interested Guyanese: abandon hope, all ye who enter here. I am in Guyana and it has been nothing else, if not that most scorching of places.

I close by saying this: many a protesting man has been condemned to the fate of Death Row, only to be exonerated when it was too

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

late. The objectives of the coalition’s foes in that first week of March are now clearer: count, conclude, and close forever the books on what really took place. The coalition did object, which was met with a torrent of denunciations. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and I believe that countermoves have been readied. But whatever it is, it is inconsequential. The coalition must deliver what it has; it must be given a hearing. Whatever follows follow.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

The United States government should focus on its domestic issues, not ours Dear Editor, Just recently the Kaieteur News published a statement

by U.S Congressman Hakim Jeffries in which he castigated the United States and particularly officials of that country, for statements coming out of the Embassy in Guyana and the US Secretary of State on the recently held elections in Guyana. In essence, the Congressman was saying to these officials and the U.S. to display a more hands-off method on Guyana as the U.S itself was not without sin and could not cast the first stone as a result.

These officials, encouraged by some local tunnel-vision luminaries with their own selfish agendas continue to point out the tooth pick in our eyes while ignoring the plank in theirs.

Having resided in the United States for decades I am an ardent follower and observer of this country’s political and electoral maneuvers and I can state without fear of contradiction

that the system is in no way perfect. In fact, far from it.

I am just as alarmed as the congressman in witnessing the glaring double standards and hypocrisy of these U.S officials as evidenced by their statements/threats to do as they say or else! A cursory look see of the daily confusion emanating from the White House would leave any thinking person scratching his or her head as to the embarrassment for the president currently in charge of the country. This character has been leading or, better still, is misleading the country by midnight tweets. Plainly intellectually-challenged with a fifth-grade vocabulary, Trump’s most notable accomplishment was to further divide the country for his own selfish ambitions and with his veiled support for the ultra right-wing rabid racists, he has become their poster boy. No morals, incompetent, inept, foulmouthed with a penchant for calling his detractors names and forever pointing the finger of blame

away from himself rather than taking responsibility for his mess-ups.

The current fiasco in relation to coronavirus testing and the timing of the delayed response of the United States back in early January is now on full display, as expected, Trump blames the WHO and threatens the organisation with a withdrawal of funding.

Meanwhile he was running around the country back then labelling those early reports a ‘hoax’, one of the few favorite words in his limited vocabulary.

No wonder he is threatening to take his school to court if his transcript is made public. Reminds one of a similar situation in Guyana.

It boggles the mind listening to or reading about these forked tongue hypocrites dictating to our country while having Donald Trump in the People’s House.

I would suggest as humbly as I can, that their time would be better spent trying to drag the country out of its social,

economic, and political mess it is in and maybe, just maybe, it would not be so easy for China to fill the void left by the U.S. And to those shortsighted local politicians inviting the U.S meddling in our affairs, take a look at Venezuela, a glance into Guyana’s future.

I, like so many others, would suggest you leave your selfish agendas at home and sit down at a table with an eye towards working out a solution for our issues put Guyana and it’s future first, inviting the United States in is a prescription for peril. They don’t care one bit about our country, their first priority is our resources, starting with oil.

I have always held the view that oil may well turn out to be our curse rather than the blessing many see it to be once the U.S is involved.

Thank you Congressman Hakim Jeffries for speaking truth to power!

Respectfully Claudeston G. Massiah

Moses Nagamootoo should be ashamed of failures of coalition government Dear Editor, Please permit me to respond to an article published in the Guyana Chronicle under the caption “Guyana shining on all fronts”.

In the article, the Prime Minister boasts of the developments made by the Granger Government. This article, Mr. Editor, is a complete falsehood sparked by someone who appears to be delusional.

Over the course of the past five years, the APNU+AFC Government has completely mismanaged the economy by spending lavishly on brand new Toyota Land Cruisers, extravagant parties, renting of homes for government officials and super salaries for the elderly now employed by the government, among others.

All major sectors, with the exception of oil, have seen a dramatic downturn during the past five years.

In fact, if it wasn’t for the discovery of oil, Guyana, would be completely broke.

The mismanagement of the economy has led to hundreds of businesses closing up

shop. Additionally, the closure of the sugar estates led to thousands of persons being unable to afford basic necessities.

The truth of the matter is that APNU+AFC came to power with goodwill from a large portion of Guyanese, irrespective of race and they were, therefore, held to a higher standard than‘ the PPP Government. What we have seen from APNU+AFC is the most incompetent government Guyana has ever seen. The Prime Minister, himself, was a mere figurehead with Joe Harmon holding the actual power of Prime Minister.

It is for these reasons among others that the electorate rejected them at the 2020 polls.

Moses Nagamootoo’s and David Granger’s legacies will forever be remembered for the following: 1.

The only government in the history of Guyana to fall to a noconfidence motion; 2.

Instead of complying with the law and holding elections within three months, Moses Nagamootoo

and David Granger challenged the legality of the no-confidence vote by arguing that 33 is not a majority of 65; an argument filled with asininities; the legal precedent on which they relied on for the rounding up formula being described by

the CCJ as “irrelevant”; 3.

Illegally appointing Patterson as Chairman of Gecom; 4.

Losing the 2020 elections and then attempting to rig the elections; 5.

Spreading false (Continued on page 6)

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Friday May 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

Joe Harmon’s sentiments on Bruce Golding are not reflective of the people of Guyana Dear Editor, Joe Harmon does not represent the people of Guyana. He must stop dragging the ‘people of Guyana’ into his folly while attacking diplomats and international observers who spoke out against the brazen attempts to steal the elections including the current attempts to delay and derail the recount process.

The statements made by Mr. Bruce Golding as the Head of the OAS Observer Mission and also those made by the international community are not directed against the people of Guyana or the nation, but rather they are directed against Harmon and his co-conspirators in APNU+AFC and GECOM. How can all of the independent observers and all of the political parties,

except APNU+AFC, make similar statements of condemnation against the blatant rigging attempts perpetrated by Mingo with his fraudulent declarations and also the numerous attempts to derail the verification and tabulation process?

Even respectable CARICOM Heads of Government made negative comments about the process and what they observed.

APNU+AFC have embarked on a smear campaign attacking the diplomatic and international community for speaking out against the actions which were observed, including Mingo’s fraudulent declarations. They also witnessed the persistent efforts by APNU+AFC to derail the elections and recount process with the tacit

cooperation of corrupt elements within GECOM. It did not escape the observation of most people that the positions taken and statements made by APNU+AFC were echoed by GECOM and vice versa which gave the impression that they were the one and same.

APNU+AFC supporters found easy targets in the female diplomats, namely the Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjie and the American Ambassador SarahAnn Lynch. It is a shameful act and shows a total lack of respect for the diplomats and a total disregard for the important role they play and the countries which they represent.

Joe Harmon has now joined the bandwagon in launching a brutal attack on the personality of Mr. Bruce

The media needs to begin...

From page 5 without integrity? Those in the PNC know that they lost the election and now are trying to create a civil strife when the real results are determined. They are taking a page out of the Trump playbook.

All of the observer missions and diplomats saw what happened. There was no problem and no controversy

until just before Region 4, when they realised that the PPP was so far ahead that they could not catch up. Then Mingo played his joker card.

The point really is that the PNC had a year to rig properly but they were arrogant and convinced themselves that the Guyanese people were right behind them. They ignored the fact that the last two elections were won by

one seat. They ignored the fact that the support for the AFC gave them the edge.

They ignored the fact that the AFC has lost all support and credibility. There was no way they could win a fair election.

Poor LFS must be spinning in his grave. He taught them how to do it but maybe they are too arrogant to learn.

Regards, Reds Campbell

Moses Nagamootoo should...

From page 5 narratives among their supporters so that when the true results of the elections are declared, their supporters will feel cheated and will take to the streets;

6 .

B e i n g dishonourable and failing to do the right thing by conceding defeat so that the country can move on, peacefully and harmoniously so that we can battle COVID;

7. Further fracturing our precarious race relations by their false narratives on the elections.

Moses Nagamootoo, you ought to be ashamed.

Yours truly, Krishnanandat Arjune

Golding for exposing the attempts to rig the elections.

No amount of preposterous display of outrage or incredulous c l a i m s o f innocence by Harmon and APNU+AFC, can negate the facts or erase from the memory of those who witnessed the fraudulent and criminal activities which occurred from the time of the passage of the no confidence motion to the current recount.

When will the genuinely honest and decent people within the APNU+AFC stand up and speak out against the brazen attempts to rig the elections, the continuous embarrassment to our nation and the shameful attacks on the diplomatic and international community?

Maybe there are no genuinely decent and honest people left in APNU+AFC. No matter what happens

from here, it is abundantly clear that APNU+AFC is finished as a viable coalition and also as singularly surviving political parties in their current construct. It is time for APNU+AFC and GECOM to allow the recount process to proceed without any frivolous interruptions so that it can be concluded within the time frame allotted.

The world knows that the PPP/C won the elections based on GECOM’S own Statements of Poll which were posted at every polling station and with copies given to each contesting political party. The PPP/C supporters have been very patient even in the face of bullying and numerous shenanigans by APNU+AFC. The General Secretary of the PPP Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has been very patient and accommodating during this APNU+AFC+GECOM

engineered ordeal. Most importantly, our Presidentelect Dr. Irfaan Ali has shown great leadership, patience and care for the people of Guyana.

While APNU +AFC are busy trying to steal the elections, Dr. Ali has been leading a national volunteer effort in response to the COVID-19 crisis by providing face masks and food hampers to our citizens across the country while still working closely with Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on elections issues.

Democracy and the rule of law must prevail with the support of Guyanese and the international community. We await the timely conclusion of the recount which will simply confirm the PPP/C victory and the swearing in of our next President of Guyana Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Yours sincerely, Bishram Kuppen

Attack on Golding unjustified, with world condemning fraud Dear Editor, Joe Harmon’s attack on former Prime Minister Bruce Golding is unfounded and unjustified with the entire world condemning electoral fraud. Wasn’t it Harmon who on several occasions stated that the President would be sworn even when the election count was in dispute before the court? Didn’t he want Granger to swear in from Mingo’s fraudulent count of the ballots? Didn’t he also say that Lowenfield had prepared a report from the Mingo fraud and that it should be approved by Gecom Chair to facilitate the swearing in of Mr Granger?

Isn’t there serious conflict between the President and Harmon over swearing in?

Why is Harmon disputing fraud? If he so believes that the coalition won the election, why did our party engage in court cases to block the recount? Why is our party opposed to releasing the SOPs to back the claim of victory? Why is Harmon opposed to the Carter Center coming to monitor the process?

Former Jamaica PM Bruce Golding, on behalf of the OAS, documented the cases of fraud and cited evidence.

The fact that counting fraud was publicly displayed and videoed for the world to see makes Harmon’s attack on the character of the PM incredulous.

The former PM gave an account of what he observed.

His account is substantiated by that of former PM of Barbados, Owen Arthur, on

behalf of the Commonwealth.

PM Arthur also condemned the rigging as did the observers from other international bodies.

The former PM of Senegal, on behalf of the Carter Center mission, assailed Gecom and the government for the rigging.

The Caricom observers also said the counting was a fraud.

Every international body has condemned the rigging. No international body or observer has sided with the government’s narrative that there was fraud by the opposition on voting. Does Harmon really think our party’s supporters are fools?

Are all the former PMs and observers lying?

As observers said, the voting itself was not rigged. The counting of Mingo was rigged and allowed to happen by the chair and accepted by Lowenfield. I hope no attempt would be made to rig the recounting and the process would be brought to a quick conclusion.

I am very embarrassed by the behavior of Mr. Harmon and other leaders of my party.

I can’t quite understand why my President, Mr. Granger, a good Christian, leader of my party, and the person I voted for, is silent allowing Harmon to peddle nonsense. Why isn’t the President stopping this foolishness?

Mr. Granger, a veteran army man, should know when to concede. Don’t fight a war that you have no chance of victory. The whole world is against you, condemning fraud. The whole world said

there was fraud in the count of SOPs. The President as a military strategist and tactician, would know that barefaced electoral banditry can’t work in today’s world.

The President should recognize that the fraud that obtained under Burnham and Hoyte is not doable today.

The nature of the world’s response to electoral fraud has changed. Fraud was not easily documented during the 1960s thru 1992 and one got away with it. Today, it is a different kind of war fought on social media. International observers are aggressive and won’t close their eyes to it; they won’t compromise their integrity. And no loyal army or police can defend fraud when the world watches and when they threaten serious consequences. Even the army and police would fall into the sanctions net.

Mr. Granger please display respect for the intelligence of our party’s supporters. We are not imbeciles. Don’t show total disregard to our supporters.

Harmon and others are telling supporters that the PPP was involved in fraud, yet Harmon and our party claimed victory. Are Harmon and our party saying PPP engaged in fraud for our party to win? Is that what the President is also endorsing?

Does the President, like Harmon, think we are idiots?

We lost the election. Let’s move on. Concede defeat and let’s start the healing and rebuilding process!

Yours truly, Bro Joshua Emmanuel

Friday May 15, 2020

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

Social Protection Ministry moves to contain - as four more COVID-19 outbreak at Palms

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he Ministry of Social Protection is teaming up with the Ministry of Public Health in a bid to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Palms Elderly Care home.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Social Protection, the agency has been working diligently in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health in implementing protocols to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus within the care home.

The statement confirmed, however, that despite the efforts of the Ministry, between May 1 and May 14, 2020, five residents —four males and one female and one patient care assistant have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus at the Palms Elderly Care Facility.

“Regrettably, one male resident has died. The Ministry hereby extends condolences to his relatives and friends,” the statement added.

At the interim, the Social

Protection Ministry has taken a certain course of action to manage and mitigate the possible threat of an outbreak at the Palms.

As a result of the new precautionary measures, the facility has banned all visitors entering the compound. According to the release “All staffers at the institution have been equipped with protective equipment to perform their duties.”

“Those residents who have tested positive for the virus have been separated from other residents and are being cared for in a separate area of the home.

The ward, which housed the positive cases, and associated areas are s a n i t i z e d t w i c e d a i l y.

Contact between residents on a ward has been limited as much as possible through the restriction of movement on the ward and increasing bed spacing as much as possible,” the statement outlined.

Further, the Ministry added that all residents on

affected wards are tested and a stringent screening routine for staff upon entering the facility has been implemented.

“This includes checking body temperature and interview regards to respiratory symptoms.

Hand hygiene upon entering facility is mandatory and staffers have been encouraged to stay at home and contact the hotline and the Ministry if they experience COVID-19 symptoms,” it was noted.

The Ministry of Social Protection also assured it continues to be guided by the protocols established by the Ministry of Public Health and will continue to take steps necessary for the protection of residents, care personnel and staff at the Palms Elderly Care Facility.

The Ministry revealed too that a list of primary and secondary contacts of positive cases has been compiled, and is under constant review.

“The primary contacts were placed in home

residents test positive

Palms Elderly Care home

quarantine and samples were taken for testing. These persons will be followed up by the surveillance team who will assist in contact tracing.

Ward cleaning practices have been optimized, and use of facemasks at all times by staff as well as residents as applicable made mandatory.

The remaining

renovation of a ward will be accelerated and this area will be used as an isolation f a c i l i t y, ” t h e S o c i a l P r o t e c t i o n stated.Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) within the Public Health Ministry, Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle in the daily COVID-19 update noted that one more person has

recovered from the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) bringing the total to 42.She noted that since March 11, Guyana has been confirmed to have 113 COVID-19 cases.“No new cases were recorded today. Of these 113 cases, only 61 are active cases with Guyana having recorded 10 deaths and 42 recoveries,” she said.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Friday May 15, 2020

Coalition wants GECOM to annul elections - Jagdeo O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is of the view that the governing coalition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) is attempting to get the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to annul the March 2 general and regional elections.

He made this statement duration a rare appearance at the National Recount media centre, outside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Wednesday.

Why would APNU+AFC want the elections annulled?

Jagdeo believes it is because the coalition knows it lost the elections, and that it does not want the actual results to be considered and accepted by GECOM as official.

It may be puzzling to some that APNU+AFC would want to have the elections annulled, since the party has maintained that it won the elections.

But Jagdeo is sure that Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo is part of a coalition-sponsored attempt to rig the elections in favour of the governing party.

“[APNU+AFC] knew that once the recount started, the recount would reveal – once it’s done transparently – the recount would reveal the plot to rig the elections,” Jagdeo said in a virtual press conference yesterday.

How would the coalition go about getting GECOM to annul the elections? The theory of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is that the coalition will use the recount to do so.

The coalition has been raising a series of claims and allegations of discrepancies during the recount, and it said that those claims are so grave and numerous that they could call into question the credibility of the entire elections process.

The AFC column in the last Sunday edition of this newspaper states “Coalition representatives Sherod Duncan and Mr. James Bond had pointed to a situation in District One where almost 600 persons who had died or migrated were recorded as having voted.”

Though these claims were noted by GECOM, they are not been substantiated, and GECOM has made a

point that its language in relation to those claims will make that very clear.

Jagdeo said “Their actions are all intent on discrediting the process….

But they will not succeed.”

The coalition has been having a difficult time expressing its position on the March 2 general and regional elections in a way that adds up.

This is evidenced by recent statements by various party members, and even its leader, David Granger.

While being questioned recently, AFC executive, David Patterson said that the party had wanted GECOM t o r e l y o n M i n g o ’s declaration to declare a victor, even as his AFC colleague, Leonard Craig, said that the many claimed anomalies call into question the credibility of the elections and, consequently, the credibility of the elections results.

A few days ago, Craig, who is a recount supervisor for the coalition, said that the anomalies the party is alleging during the recount, were observed since Election Day. But this claim

is not reflected in the public statements of the party and its members in the weeks following Election Day. The party has maintained, from Election Day up to the beginning of the recount process, that the elections of March were free, fair and credible.

It even hired an international public relations firm to convince the international community, among other things, that the elections were free, fair and credible.

But from the moment the alleged discrepancies started to accumulate, the party made a complete 180-degree turn, and started questioning the credibility of the process.

This happened, just as evidence began to surface of clear disparities between Mingo’s numbers and the numbers coming out of the National Recount.

Explaining the purported need for such a strategy that questions the credibility of the elections, Jagdeo said “APNU is in a very bad position… they had to change their game plan”.

He contends that that is also why the coalition does

not want to release its statements of poll, as it fears the publication of those would expose its loss and its purported attempt to rig the elections.

The coalition has given varied reasons for not wanting to release its statements of poll, though it has agreed that releasing those statements would be the logical thing to do.

It was beckoned to do so by reporters, even up to y e s t e r d a y, w h e n A F C executive, David Patterson showed up at the media centre.

Reporters reasoned that it would be beneficial to release the statements of poll, since the party doubted the statement of Former Jamaica Prime Minister and

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

Organisation of American States (OAS) Observer Mission Chief, Bruce Golding.

Golding on Wednesday had provided numbers for the votes cast in favour of APNU+AFC and PPP/C, for four district four ballot boxes.

Presenting numbers from the statements of poll, statements of recount and numbers presented by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, Golding showed how Mingo’s figures were clearly altered to increase the votes granted to APNU+AFC and decrease the votes granted to PPP/C. Reporters explained that it would be beneficial for APNU+AFC to release its statements of poll which, if the coalition’s position is true, would show that Golding has been untrue in his preliminary OAS report on the electoral process.

Patterson was asked seven times about the release of the coalition’s statements of poll, and he flouted the question every time, only offering to release the party’s tabulation.

He said that the party would address Golding’s claims “frontally”, at one point saying that the coalition would make such an address using the statements of recount coming out of the current process.

But Kaieteur News has verified the accuracy of Golding’s figures of the statements of recount.

The statements are being published by GECOM during its daily tabulation from 4:00pm to 6:30pm on its Facebook page, and remain on the page for public scrutiny.

The public, moreover, awaits t h e c o a l i t i o n ’s promised “frontal” address of Golding’s statements, as well as all disparities between Mingo’s figures and the statements of recount, which continue to arise during the recount process.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Friday May 15, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Kwayana’s position makes Walter Rodney turn in his grave

I

was trained in history and the social sciences. I have a duty to history to put down things (I prefer to write “things” and not “facts and truths”) that I see in my lifetime. I expect others to do the same; that is the right of humans in society. I have never been deterred from

writings about “things” I saw unfolding among people.

Their iconic standing, eminence and heroic status have never been factors I consider even for a fleeting moment.

History will end up as a distorted record in the hand of future generations if academics, social activists

and human rights crusaders do not contribute to the recording of history. For this reason, certain published documents are priceless. I can think as a powerful example, Father Andrew Morrison’s book; “Justice: The Struggle for Democracy in Guyana, 1952-1992.”

I recently read a letter by

Mr. E. B. John in which glowing things were said about former Chancellor of t h e J u d i c i a r y, A u b r e y Bishop. There is another side to Bishop.

He put the judiciary at the service of the autocratic rule of President Burnham. I think no one should disagree with Mr. John on his admiration of Bishop.

Others who see a negative side should not confront John but write on what they know.

Enter David Hinds. “I find Freddie’s repeated attacks on Eusi Kwayana most distasteful. It is rooted in his disproportionate personal attacks on the WPA and its leaders.” He chose to use the word “attack.”

I have called into question Kwayana’s extreme bias in his approach to the 2020 rigged election. I cannot do anything about David’s feeling that such an endeavour is an attack.

David uses the word, “personal” to describe my ongoing revisionist investigation into just who these WPA leaders were in the seventies.

My conclusion is unapologetic.

The WPA has generated some of the most unprincipled and philosophically deformed activists that Guyana’s politics has produced. Some even more flawed than many PPP and PNC leaders. I believe the “truths” and “facts” of the WPA’s politics are yet to be pronounced on and scholars must research these questionable people.

Here now is my offering on Kwayana’s perspective on the 2020 election which I

believe should cause us to question all that he has handed down to the younger generation including me. He wants a tribunal into the one day of post- election violence in March.

I asked him why not a tribunal into Claudette Singh’s horror show. He responded; “I for one, consider it unhelpful to prattle about facts I do not have…the impressions I am getting are not founded on facts that may pass my own test…I cannot pretend to be unaffected by the statement of (Singh) that she intended to deliver to the public a valid election.

I have often wondered to what extent those who appealed to her public spiritedness…have taken the necessary steps to support her started aspirations.”

Here now is what this gentleman who doesn’t have the real facts about Singh wrote in KN yesterday; (1) He heard what was said about the counting process from the government owned radio station. (2) He heard what APNU+AFC candidate, Ganesh Mahipaul said about spreadsheets being used in other districts.

(3) He heard on the same state radio that one observer mission referred to the bloated list but chose not to name that mission; maybe conveniently. (4) He knows there were irregularities even before the March 4 impasse. (5) He knows campaign money was spent without the source of it being revealed. (6) He knows what offends Kissoon’s sense of judgment and how I feel about certain issues. (7) He welcomed the international

Frederick Kissoon observers but his welcome must not involve their abuse of authority. So he knows about who is abusing their authority. Does Singh abuse her authority?

Kwayana, after two months of deplorable misconduct by Singh, doesn’t have the facts to pass judgment on this citizen of Guyana. This gentleman admits he doesn’t know what wrong-doing Singh is engaged in. Here is Kwayana again, “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 s a y u n a p o l o g e t i c a l l y, Kwayana doesn’t want to pass judgment and will not pass judgment because it suits his approach to the rigging of the 2020 general elections.

I think one can use a harsh term to describe that attitude of Kwayana but I will refrain out of respect.

In his reply to me y e s t e r d a y, h e s h o w e d fondness for quoting Guyanese proverbs. Here is one that is applicable to Kwayana – “moon ah run till day ketch am”. Day and history have caught up and exposed Kwayana.

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

Kaieteur News

Friday May 08, 2020

Three years after closure…

Wales Estate sugar workers finally receive outstanding severance

Wales workers protesting for their severance package in early 2018.

O

n Wednesday, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) started to distribute the remainder of their severance payments to the former cane-cutters of Wales Estate, West Bank Demerara. This is according to a statement issued by the union yesterday.

It was revealed in the statement that the monies were withheld from the workers notwithstanding a decision of the High Court in their favour.

In December, 2018, Justice Sandil Kissoon awarded one month’s pay in lieu of notice to the former Wales workers who took up work at Uitvlugt Estate following the closure of Wales Estate in December, 2016.

The union noted that this was apart from their severance entitlements, which are premised on their years of service to the sugar company. The union noted in its statement that, “The state-owned GuySuCo abided partially with the court’s order as it regarded the workers severance entitlements but refused to pay the workers, who were entitled, their one month’s pay. The union on two occasions early last year had written GuySuCo seeking its full compliance with Justice Kissoon’s decision.”

According to GAWU, notwithstanding the clarity of the court’s order, the GuySuCo remained adamant and refused to honour its legal obligations to the workers: “As a result of the Corporation’s apparent intransigence, the union, through its attorneys-atlaw Devindra Kissoon and Natasha Vieira of London House Chambers, approached the High Court to have the outstanding section of Justice K i s s o o n ’s d e c i s i o n enforced.”

Attorney-at-law Devindra Kissoon That move saw Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne G e o rg e - Wi l t s h i r e o n November 21, last year, approving a garnishment order regarding the outstanding sum owed to the workers.

“Through the order, the corporation’s bankers – Demerara Bank Limited – was compelled to pay over to the union, on the workers behalf, the sum of $7.5M which was owed to the workers.”

However, the statement from the union said that the Corporation subsequently appealed the Chief Justice’s decision and when that matter came up for hearing earlier this year, the Corporation withdrew its appeal after its attorney learnt that the order was enforced and the appeal, therefore, became moot: “The withdrawal of the appeal by GuySuCo paved the way for the union to finally pay over to the workers their outstanding monies.”

According to the union, the workers were pleased to be receiving their outstanding payments and expressed their appreciation to the union for its sustained efforts to bring justice to them.

“They also lamented the seemingly arduous and long journey they had to endure to have their lawful (Continued on page 12

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Friday May 15, 2020

Soaked ballot box stalls completion of Reg. 1 recount - 54 ballot boxes counted on Day 9

T

he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM) has been stalled from completing the recount of the last of the 99 ballot boxes in Region/District One, due to the soaked condition of the box, which was discovered on the first day of the National Recount.

To a l l e v i a t e t h i s predicament, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, told media operatives that the

Commission decided that the contents of the soaked ballot box will be placed in a secure location, which will be monitored by guards until those contents have dried.

“Once those have somehow dried they will be examine and the Commission will decide on whether they are going to proceed with the count for that box or if another measure will be needed in that regard,” Ward explained to the press.

She continued “Now that Region One has been completed, with the exception of that box, the two workstations that were initially assigned for the counting of that District have been assigned to conduct the counting for Region Five.”

She was keen to highlight that the Commission has been exploring possibilities regarding the time spent on a ballot box and how the time can be reduced. She stated

that the body decided that the folio will be utilized by the Presiding Officer in the cases where the Official List of Electors (OLE) was absent.

She related that, “Rather than there being a delay in the process, and to ensure that the process continues, the folio can be used since it contains the total number of voters, as compared to the OLE. As part of this process there is a ballot box checklist and they (the commission)

were also exploring how to reduce the time spent on the checklist in examining some of those envelopes.”

Against this backdrop she announced that envelopes labeled PE 6, PE 17 and PE 18 will not be checked.

“Some of these items here really have no relevance to the count or to the process.”

Furthermore, the elections commission, on Day Nine, managed to complete the recount of 54 ballot boxes in Region One. Ward announced that 15 ballot boxes were recounted for Region 1; 12 for Region 2; 17 for Region 3; 14 for Region 4 and seven for Region 7. These figures have raised the total number of completed boxes to 421, which represents a 17% of the 2,339 boxes that contained ballots cast in these elections.

With regards to tabulation, some 404 Statements of Recount (SORs) were processed for the General, and 404 for Regional Elections.

GECOM is considering the addition of six possible sites within the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) where additional workstations can be established to accelerate the national recount.

The Commission will, however, only move forward after it receives a report from the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) which visited the recount centre to inspect the sites today.

Commissioner Vincent Alexander said the task force will advise the commission on whether the places identified can be used for the

GECOM PRO, Yolanda Ward recount. He said he is inclined to all decisions by the task force.

O n Tu e s d a y, t h e commissioner expressed concern with the number of persons currently utilizing the ACCC. He reported an average of 400 persons occupying the conference centre each day. These i n c l u d e p a r t y representatives, local and international observers, GECOM staff, members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), food handlers and members of the maintenance crew.

In the meantime, he reported that the NCTF, during a visit to the recount venue, observed that some GECOM employees, working in the vicinity of the containers, were at the time not wearing their face masks.

This was immediately brought to the attention of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) who instructed the officials to do so. The task force had also made some spot checks at workstations to see if they were observing the recommendations.

COVID-19 Task Force to advise...

From page 3 tomorrow (today), they will be able to concretize the number of workstations to be established and the methodology going forward as to how those workstations will be allotted for the duration of this exercise,” the PRO said.

The Commission had already begun preparations for the new work stations, by deploying 10 understudies to each current workstation, making it easier to transition over to the new ones. Additionally, separate staff for these proposed workstations will not be an issue for the Commission which committed to training more if there is a need.

Wales Estate sugar ...

From page 11 rights respected. Indeed, the struggle of the sugar workers of the closed estates to receive their severance entitlements represents a sad chapter in our history but, at the same time, a proud achievement for workers’

rights. It also demonstrates too the obstacles workers have to surmount to having their rights respected and is yet another reminder of the need for workers to be organized lest their rights be disregarded,” the union noted in its statement.

Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2020

PAGE 13

Region One sisters stranded after CCJ reduces 37 years jail release from Mabaruma lockups sentence for Guyanese - Mayor assisting with limited resources

Two sisters are now left stranded miles away from their home and children after being released from the Mabaruma Police Station lock-ups on Saturday afternoon.

The women, Maritza and Ana Campbelle, were arrested by police on Friday morning of last week at their home, located at Barima-Kariago Village, Region One, for allegedly assaulting a group of female neighbours.

Maritza said that they were “handcuffed and locked up mistakenly”. When asked why, she responded that both of them possess a similar resemblance to that of a younger sister who had allegedly stabbed one of the assaulted victims.

However, Kaieteur News was told that this is not true.

It was revealed that prior to the stabbing the two sisters had assaulted the said female victims in an earlier incident.

A complaint was filed at the police station and ranks decided to make the fourhour trip by boat to apprehend the three suspects.

Unfortunately only Ana and Maritza were caught.

The women were brought down to the station, processed and placed in the lockups but because they were mothers of young toddlers, ranks decided to release them after an agreement to appear for a court hearing.

After their release, the sisters faced a huge obstacle – how to get home? Without

money, food, change of clothing, boat or shelter, the women were left stranded at the Kumaka Landing.

Learning of their plight, a Good Samaritan granted them shelter but told them that they had to leave by Monday.

Monday came and the

hand, Mayor Chris Phang revealed that he was unable to send the women back to their village.

Phang said that because of the current COVID-19 lockdown measures, boats are not working. As a result, captains are calling a hefty sum for charters. He had,

Maritza and Ana Campbelle waiting in the Mayor’s Office sisters were still unable to make contact with family members up the Barima River since there is no cellular coverage in that area.

Becoming desperate, hungry and worried about their children, they showed up on Wednesday morning at the Mabaruma’s Mayor’s office, in tears, begging for assistance to return home.

But with limited resources in

however, made contact with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for help with transportation but sadly its boat is unavailable.

“In the meantime,” said Phang, “I’ve been able to receive cooperation from a few members of my committee to assist with a few change of clothes, food and accommodation until we find a boat.”

T

convicted of rape

he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has reduced the 37 years jail sentence for Linton Pompey, a Guyanese convicted of rape.

According to the facts of the case, Pompey, a 54-yearold father of 12 was charged with three counts of sexual crimes. His victim at the time of the offence was a 14year-old girl. The first offence was for fondling the breasts and the other two offences were for rape.

He inserted his penis into the girl’s vagina between June 1 and June 13, 2011 and January 10, 2012, respectively. He also fondled the girl’s breast between May 1 and May 21, 2011.

The latter two incidents occurred at the home of the child’s grandmother where she had gone to play with her cousin. On the occasion of the second rape, Pompey was spotted in the act by a family member.

Following his trial, High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow imposed separate sentences for each of the offences. The

Rape Convict: Linton Pompey trial judge had ordered him to serve prison sentences of 5, 15 and 17 years respectively.

The judge had ordered that the prison terms run consecutively, hence the sentence amounted to 37 years.

In affirming the convictions, Chief Justice Roxane George and Justices of Appeal Rishi Persaud and Dawn Gregory, said that the convictions can be supported by the evidence adduced by the prosecution during the trial. Pompey’s Attorney-atLaw, Nigel Hughes, had asked the Court of Appeal to

reverse, set aside and/or discharge the decision of the High Court.

The lawyer had argued that the trial judge failed to adequately put the defence of his client to the jury. Given the ruling of the Appeal Court, Pompey moved to CCJ in protest of the 37 years jail sentence. There, Hughes in his representation of Pompey further contended that the jail sentence was too excessive.

The lawyer also challenged his client’s conviction. However, the (Continued on page 16)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Friday May 15, 2020

UN forecasts pandemic to shrink world economy by 3.2% UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations forecast We d n e s d a y t h a t t h e COVID-19 pandemic will shrink the world economy by 3.2 per cent this year, the sharpest contraction since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

The UN’s mid-year report said the impact of the new coronavirus crisis is expected to slash global economic output by nearly US$8.5 trillion over the next two years, wiping out nearly all gains of the last four years.

I n J a n u a r y, b e f o r e COVID-19 became a pandemic, the UN had forecast a modest acceleration in growth of 2.5 per cent in 2020.

But UN chief economist Elliott Harris told a news conference launching the report that the global economic outlook “has changed drastically” since then, with the pandemic’s death toll climbing toward 300,000.

“With the large-scale restrictions of economic activities and heightened uncertainties, the global economy has come to a virtual standstill in the second quarter of 2020,” he said. “We are now facing the

grim reality of a severe recession of a magnitude not seen since the Great Depression.”

According to the report, nearly 90 per cent of the world economy has been under some form of lockdown, disrupting supply chains, depressing consumer demand and putting millions out of work.

The 3.2 per cent contraction in the global economy forecast by the United Nations — 5 per cent in developing countries and 0.7 per cent in developing countries — is slightly higher than the 3 per cent plunge forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in mid-April for 2020.

But in a worst-case scenario, the UN said the global economy could shrink by 4.9 per cent in 2020 if a second wave of COVID-19 infections flare up and lockdowns continue into the third quarter of the year.

The IMF forecast that the global economy will rebound in 2021 with 5.8 per cent growth though it said prospects next year are clouded by uncertainty.

The UN forecast more modest 3.4 per cent economic growth in 2021 in developed economies and more robust growth of 5.3

percent in developing countries.

But in the worst-case scenario, it said the global economy could contract by a further 0.5 per cent in 2021 if a new wave of infections and lockdowns continue in the third quarter, which ends September 30.

The United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects report also forecast a 15 per cent contraction in world trade in 2020 as a result of sharply reduced global demand and disruptions in global supply chains.

The UN’s Harris said, “Early efforts to contain the pandemic fell short of market expectations, causing extreme financial market volatility in developing countries and rippling out to the rest of the world.

“But the pandemic is inflicting damages on the real economy at unprecedented scale and speed,” he said. “As countries put in an all-out effort to contain COVID-19, the world is facing the most severe restrictions on movement and goods in recorded history.”

The report said the pandemic is “exacerbating poverty and inequality”, with an estimated 34.3

million people likely to fall below the extreme poverty line of US$1.90 a day in 2020 — 56 per cent of them in Africa.

It said an additional 130 million people may join the ranks of people living in extreme poverty by 2030, dealing a “huge blow” to global efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by the end of the decade.

Harris, the UN assistant secretary-general for economic development, said the most pessimistic scenario would have an additional 160 million people living in poverty by 2030.

With rising inequality, he warned, “this will only intensify discontent and instability in many parts of the world.”

Harris said governments need to contain the pandemic and minimise its economic impacts.

“The balance between saving lives and saving jobs is as difficult as it is necessary to strike,” he said.

UN chief economist Elliott Harris

Fiscal stimulus has been uneven across the world, and many developing countries have been unable to introduce sufficiently large packages because of sharp declines in foreign exchange flows from export and tourism revenues, remittances and new borrowing, he said.

“In any event, unless there are major breakthroughs in vaccine development, economic activities will remain significantly limited, and any fiscal measure will be unlikely to be fully effective

in stimulating investment and growth,” Harris said.

He said “robust international coordination” is critical to contain the pandemic, minimise its spillover effects, and assist countries hardest hit by COVID-19.

“How quickly and effectively the international community will be able to contain the public health and socio-economic fallout of the pandemic will determine whether and how soon the world can return to pre-crisis levels of economic activities,” Harris said.

Credibility of exams will remain intact - CXC The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) revealed on Thursday that the integrity of the CSEC and CAPE examinations will remain intact. This follows the recent decision by the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) to hold the exams in July.

Additionally, students whose schools have access to technology infrastructure will be administered the CSEC and CAPE examinations through the etesting modality.

Students without internet access will be required to sit the conventional paper exam.

This was disclosed by CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Wayne Wesley, during an online press conference.

The administration of a single multiple-choice paper and Paper 3/2 for external candidates will be done in J u l y. T h e e x p a n d e d moderation exercise, according to CXC, is in keeping with their quality assurance and standards to ensure that candidates are assessed fairly across the board.

Vi s u a l A r t s , C S E C

French, Portuguese and Spanish and Human and Social Biology (HSB) will be administered in their usual fashion – Papers One and Two for HSB, oral exams for the languages and the journal for Art. The Registrar also

Anguilla which are already using this method for the administration of the tests.

The examinations will produce valid grades and test skills and competencies learned in the five to seven years of learning in Secondary Schools.

explained that all examinations will adhere to all social distancing rules and will observe every national health precaution put in place by CARICOM member states.

“Our priority is health and well-being of all our stakeholders,” Dr. Wesley stated.When concerns were raised about the e-testing modality, the CXC panel pointed to countries such as the British Virgin Islands and

The deadline for Schoolbased Assessments (SBAs) and Internal Assessments (IAs) is June 30.

Approximately 120,000 students are expected to sit the CSEC examinations while over 30,000 are registered to sit CAPE. The examinations, which are usually held in May/June annually, were postponed amid concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(DPI)

Friday May 15, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Friday May 15, 2020

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Commissioners blame each other for GECOM’s failure to address fraud, deviance

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[from left] Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Vincent Alexander The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has had a shoddy record when it comes to addressing issues of deviance or potential fraud.

Commissioners acknowledge this. But when it comes to explaining why, Commissioners don’t seem to want to hold themselves accountable. In fact, they are more disposed to blaming their fellow Commissioners, and the political structure of the Commission.

The matter has reared its head, as the declarations made by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, are rife in political discourse, and evidence has surfaced that his declarations were al t e r e d t o f a v o u r t h e governing coalition.

Commissioners Vincent Alexander and Sase Gunraj were both questioned about the Commission’s handling of deviance and fraud, yesterday at the National Recount media centre, outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

When one reporter pointed out that the Commission has not been very proactive in dealing with these matters, Alexander responded “I think you’re

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quite right. I think you’re quite right, and there are a plethora of examples.”

He gave a few of those examples, one of which is the matter of former Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodhoo who Alexander said brought a false result to the Commission in 2011.

“When he was challenged, he argued that he was correct, that he knew what he was doing… It’s only because of the capacity of the Commissioners to deal with the law and the processes that should have been followed, that he changed that result.

And I have documented evidence of that document, which was brought to the Commission,” Alexander said.

After, Alexander said the PPP particularly just said that the process worked, in that it recognized and corrected what Boodhoo did. Yet, “he continued in that office for another two to three years,” Alexander said.

Asked whether he could not take a position as a Commissioner, Alexander responded that he could, which is why when the time came to vote on Boodhoo’s re-appointment, he took a stand which was seconded by

the then Chairman.

“Therefore, his contract was not renewed,” said Alexander.

Gunraj could also speak to issues of potential fraud. He was asked yesterday about questionable statements of poll, which had made their way into a GECOM tabulation centre in 2015.

“In relation to the fake SOPs, it’s been five years, but my advocacy for that has not [inaudible].

Five years later, I still have made demands to at least see those SOPs to which CEO [Keith] Lowenfield referred, and I was unable to.”

He continued “As you’re aware, there is an election petition that was filed, in which those fake SOPs was a central issue, and five years later, it has not been heard. So to apportion blame, while I do not reject the idea that GECOM is not without blame and perhaps very blameworthy in the diligent prosecution of that issue, perhaps the court which is charged with responsibility of dealing with that, also should take some blame…”

Ask them who is responsible; they will blame the composition of the composition, and the

propensity of the “other side” to “line up”. This is what Alexander said. He added that when that happens, if the Chair does not take a position, “there is no scope for a majority decision on the matter”.

Asked what will happen with the matter of accusations of electoral fraud being leveled against Mingo, Alexander responded “The Mingo matter will be dealt with if and when it comes before us.”

On the other side, Gunraj made a similar statement: “If the majority of the Commission refuses to deal with it, then unfortunately my hands may be tied.”

Alexander had mentioned a procedure that is meant to be employed by GECOM for the blacklisting of deviant and/or incompetent GECOM officials. Asked why this is not in practice, Alexander had pointed to the nature of the Commission. So did Gunraj when he was asked yesterday.

In fact, Gunraj said that GECOM’s failure to deal with these matters has caused the system to so enable persons to continue with attempts to defraud or be deviant, “the latest being Mingo.”

CCJ reduces 37 years jail sentence for Guyanese... tually serve. While two judges would have reduced Pompey’s overall sentence to nine years, the other members of the bench agreed not to interfere with the trial judge’s imposition of 17 years for his second rape of the girl and to have the other two sentences run concurrently with the 17 years sentence.

The ruling was delivered

by Justice Saunders who reaffirmed that Pompey will serve jail terms on three counts of rape concurrently instead of consecutively.

“Having regard to the opinions expressed, the Court orders that: (i) The appeal is allowed, in part, against the sentence passed by the Trial Judge; (ii) The sentences of 5 years for the sexual assault conviction and 15 years and 17 years for the rape convictions are affirmed; (iii) The sentences are ordered to run concurrently,” Saunders said in the ruling.

For all the reasons stated in the judgment Saunders agreed that the imposition of the cumulative sentence of 37 years by the trial judge and

upheld by the Court of Appeal is excessive and cannot be allowed to stand.

“I also agree that the appellant should serve the sentences imposed on him by the trial judge concurrently and not consecutively. I wish to express my deep appreciation to Counsel on both sides; Mr Hughes for his clear and able arguments, and to Mrs Ali Hack SC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, for her passion for the law and dedication to the people of Guyana,” he added.

Friday May 15, 2020

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Friday May 15, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Coronavirus: TP Mazembe declared champions as DR Congo season ends

TP Mazembe were leading the DR Congo top-tier standings when the season was suspended.

Friday May 15, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your great period of meditation that started a few weeks ago is now finished, Aries.

This means that it's time to get back into the real world again!

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you have grievances to voice about your love life, Taurus, this is the day to speak up. Indeed, anything less than total honesty won't be tolerated today.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Are you thinking of switching careers, Gemini, or traveling to the other side of the world? With everything on lockdown right now, it might also be tempting to just want to pull a “Greta Garbo” and stay home with the shades drawn tight.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You're likely to find people irritating today, Cancer. It's as though nothing is good enough and nobody seems to know exactly what he or she wants.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may have felt an oppressive mood hanging in the air when you woke up this morning. Unfortunately, that haze of misunderstanding and conflict is likely to last all day.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your mood today is the stuff of which memorable encounters are made. You'll be wary at first, perhaps even a bit hostile to anyone who dares to intrude on your freedom. Then you'll realize that this person is special, intriguing, and definitely out of the ordinary.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) More than ever before, you'll feel as though it's time to take matters into your own hands and build your future, Libra. You're fed up with living on hope and putting your happiness off until tomorrow.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Scorpio, this is an ideal moment to address the questions that have been on your mind for the last few weeks. Focus on any uncertainties about your emotional life.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) If you lack of confidence in yourself, Sagittarius, those uncertainties are coming to an end. You've been hesitant to stand in the spotlight for quite a while now, perhaps feeling that you weren't quite ready.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) It's possible that the last few weeks have brought clarity around certain questions about your vocation, Capricorn. You may even have a better sense of what you think your destiny is.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) These last few weeks have been good for your equilibrium, Aquarius. It was a question of becoming more involved in life than usual and showing what you're capable of.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Questioning oneself is never very agreeable, but this is the main objective of today's celestial aspect.

You'll soon be launched into new adventures, and it's best to be ready.

BBCsport - TP Mazembe have been declared champions of the Democratic Republic of Congo after the country’s league season was brought to an end because of the coronavirus pandemic.

DR Congo’s football federation, Fecofa, issued a statement saying they reached their decision following a meeting on Wednesday after the 2019/20 season had been halted by the Covid-19 crisis.

TP Mazembe, who were leading the standings before play stopped, are “crowned champions” with AS Vita Club named as runners-up. Fecofa confirmed that the last two teams in the standings, OC Bukavu Dava and AS Nyuki, have been relegated to Division two with JSK and Etoile Jaune gaining promotion through two of the regional leagues.

DR Congo’s federation also stated that Mazembe and Vita Club would represent the country in the African Champions League next season with AS Maniema going into the Caf Confederation Cup. TP Mazembe’s 18th domestic league crown was celebrated on their website as the club confirmed the federation’s decisions. DR Congo follow a number of African nations who have cancelled the rest of their domestic seasons because of the coronavirus crisis.

Earlier this week, Cameroon ended all its league campaigns after Angola, Burkina Faso, Congo Brazzaville, Kenya, Mauritius and Niger also finished their seasons.

Football in England: Government ‘opens door for safe return in June’ BBCsport The government says it is “opening the door” for the return of professional football in England in June. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said yesterday’s meeting with the Football Association, Premier League and English Football League had “progressed plans”.

He added that plans for the sport to resume should “include widening access for fans to view live coverage”.

Meanwhile, England’s deputy chief medical officer said any return would be “slow” and “measured”.

The Premier League met on Monday to discuss “Project Restart” and hopes for a return to action on 12 June, with matches played behind closed doors. “We all agreed that we will only go ahead if it is safe to do so and the health and welfare of players, coaches and staff comes first,” said Dowden.

“It is now up to the football authorities to agree and finalise the detail of their plans, and there is combined goodwill to achieve this for their fans, the football community and the nation as a whole. “The government and our medical experts will continue to offer guidance and support.”

He added that plans to return should “ensure finances from the game’s resumption supports the wider football family”. The next meeting of Premier League clubs will take place on Monday, when top-flight players may return to initial group training under social distancing protocols.

Footballers have so far been limited to individual training but Premier League bosses hope a first phase of team training, under strict guidelines and restricted to 75 minutes can begin next week.

England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan VanTam, said: “There will be small, carefully measured, step-wise approaches to see what can be achieved safely. The first of those is to return safely to training, still observing social distancing.

“We will have to see how that goes before we can even think about moving on to the return of competitive football matches.” Monday’s meeting will come after a weekend when the Bundesliga, Germany’s top flight, becomes the first major league to restart. The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the Covid19 pandemic and most teams have nine fixtures left to play.

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Vincy Premier T10 League to Ratified: Kipruto’s 5km and begin on May 22 in the Caribbean 10km world records and Zhoya’s ESPNcricinfo - For the first time since March, competitive cricket involving international players of a Full Member team is set to return after a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Vincy Premier League (VPL), a franchise-based T10 tournament, is scheduled to start from May 22 in the eastern Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

This will be the inaugural season of the VPL, a six-team tournament, which will be played from May 22 to 31 at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex in St Vincent. Although the Pacific nation of Vanuatu became the first country to resume cricket since the pandemic halted all sport in March, the VPL will be the first instance when the game will resume in a Full Member region comprising international players.

The VPL will also become the first tournament where the players will not be allowed to use saliva on the ball, a concept that the ICC and medical experts at various cricket boards have been discussing, as reported recently by ESPNcricinfo.

The tournament is set to be open for fans as there are no restrictions imposed by the government in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The VPL comprises 30 matches, which will be streamed live, with three games scheduled per day. A total of 72 players were picked by the six franchises via a draft held on May 11. Among them are six marquee players, including three West Indies players - seamer Kesrick Williams, opening batsman Sunil Ambris and left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy. The last recognised match before Covid-19 halted games across the world was played on March 15 when the Karachi Kings hosted the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL. The VPL will be hosted by St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association (SVGA), whose president, Kishore Shallow, is also the vicepresident at Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Shallow said the VPL was put together in the last two weeks after he was approached by Dream 11, an India-based sports technology company. He then alerted CWI and sent in a

world U20 60m hurdles record

Dr. Kishore Shallow formal request via the Windward Island Cricket Association (of which the SVGA is a member) asking for the VPL to be sanctioned.

Shallow said he had spoken to both CWI chief executive Johnny Grave and CWI cricket operations manager Roland Holder about the VIPL. “We have formally written to CWI. And I expect to get a positive response from them soon,” Shallow told ESPNcricinfo. According to Shallow, there were a total of 18 positive cases of Covid-19 in St Vincent and the Grenadines as of Wednesday, of which 10 had successfully recovered.

Keeping in mind the risk posed by the pandemic, Shallow said the tournament had the “endorsement” from the local government and the ministry of health. He said the players would not be “exposed to the public” and all necessary precautions as advised by the government would be ensured including having additional short breaks at various points during the match where players would be asked to use hand sanitisers.

“No player would be allowed to use any saliva on the ball,” he said. “Of course, we will be having different dedicated, assigned spaces around the players’ pavilion for teams so that they are not necessarily crowded together.

All teams would have their own space where they could practise physical distancing.”

Shallow said that since there was no “formal limitations in terms of social gatherings” imposed by the local government the organisers had decided to not play behind closed doors, a mandatory policy issued by several other countries around the globe to sporting organisations.

“What we have been doing is managing the risk.

So what we plan to do during the tournament is ask spectators to practise social and physical distancing. So they will be sitting at least a few seats apart. And because of the time the matches are taking place, we do not anticipate a massive crowd at the matches.”

Shallow said all the league matches would start at an “unusual time”, 8.30am local time and go on until 2pm only to “capture” the Indian audience where Dream 11 has its wide user base.

“We came up with this T10 franchise format because of the absence of sports content at this point, and thought that this brand of cricket would be enticing to cricket fans across the globe in a short duration,” Shallow said at the launch of the draft on May 11.

Shallow pointed out that the SVGA would be “sensitising” players about the anti-corruption programme too. “We will make sure our players continue to observe and conform to the anticorruption code.”

Rhonex Kipruto breaks the world 10km record in Valencia (Organisers) © Copyright.

WorldAthletics - Rhonex Kipruto’s world records over 5km (13:18) and 10km (26:24), as well as Sasha Zhoya’s world indoor U20 60m hurdles record of 7.34 have been ratified.

Kipruto’s world record marks came when winning at the 10k Valencia Ibercaja on 12 January.

The world 10,000m bronze medallist from Kenya dominated the race, passing through 3km in 7:59 before dropping the last of his challengers. The 20-year-old reached the halfway point in 13:18, four seconds inside the ratified world record of 13:22 set by Kenya’s Robert Keter in Lille on 9 November 2019.

Despite running on his own for the second half, Kipruto increased his pace and covered the final five kilometres in 13:06. His winning mark of 26:24 took 14 seconds off the previous world 10km record of 26:38 set by Joshua Cheptegei in the same Spanish city on 1 December 2019.

“I’m over the moon,” said Kipruto, who is coached by Colm O’Connell. “When I clocked 26:46 in Prague in 2018, I set myself the target of breaking the world 10km record and today my dream came true.”

In Monaco on 16 February 2020, one month after Kipruto’s run in Valencia, Cheptegei clocked 12:51 over 5km, a mark that

Sasha Zhoya. Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images is pending ratification. Sasha Zhoya’s run in the 60m hurdles (99cm height) on 22 February 2020 was the highlight of the French U20 Championships in Miramas.

The 17-year-old had threatened the mark in the earlier rounds, clocking 7.53 in the heats and 7.43 in the semifinals, just 0.03 shy of the record set by USA’s Trey Cunningham in New York City on 12 March 2017. But just 70 minutes later, Zhoya was back out on track and went even faster, winning in 7.34.

“This is the performance I wanted,” said Zhoya. “I was hoping to dip below 7.40, so I can’t be happier. The Miramas audience pushed me a lot; it is thanks to them that I beat the world record.”

Zhoya, a talented all-rounder, also holds the world U18 bests for the 110m hurdles at 12.87 and in the pole vault with 5.56m. Last year he also scored 7271 in the decathlon and clocked a 100m PB of 10.41, both performances ranking him among the top 10 on the 2019 U18 lists.

Serie A resumption on 13 June ’99% likely’ - Italy Olympic Committee chief

Italian striker Mario Balotelli’s Brescia side are bottom of Serie A. (EPA)

BBCsport - There is a “99%” chance the Italian government will allow Serie A to resume on 13 June, the head of the country’s Olympic committee (Coni) says. Clubs are back in training and the league approved 13 June for resumption if permitted by the government.

Serie A was suspended on 9 March with most teams having 12 games to play. “To talk about the chances of it finishing, you would need a crystal ball,” Coni president Giovanni Malago said. “It’s a real risk, but Serie A’s primary and only objective is to restart.”

Juventus, chasing their ninth consecutive Serie A title, are top of the league, a point ahead of Lazio. Malago added the government might also change its stance on a whole squad having to go into a 14-day isolation if a player tested positive for coronavirus.

“I do not know the reason for the [health ministry] decision but I am told it is one that could be reviewed,” Malago said.

Friday May 15, 2020

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BCB and RHTY&SC Cricket teams continues its benevolence - Food hampers, cleaning detergents, scorebooks and Law books presented The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) with the support of the 10 cricket teams from Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS continues to make a positive difference in the Ancient County despite the lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis.

The two organisations in early April joined hands to launch a food hamper project for less fortunate families during this ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic. The project has already resulted in over 600 food hampers handed out along with hundreds of face masks at the cost of over $2M. BCB President Hilbert Foster; who is also the Secretary/ CEO of the RHTY&SC stated that at the start of the project, the aim was to distribute 600 food hampers but the demand for assistance is so high that it would continue.

The two organisations last weekend also shared out a large amount of cleaning

detergents to several public institutions in the Central / Lower Corentyne areas including the Rose Hall Town Council, Rose Hall Town Post Office, Port Mourant N.D.C and the Port Mourant Public Hospital.

The detergents would be used to sanitise the Rose Hall Town and Port Mourant Markets while it would also assist the Public Hospital in its weekly cleaning programme. The cleaning detergents were donated to the RHTYSC by one of its major sponsors, Farfan and Mendes Ltd. and Mines Services Ltd. The Township of Rose Hall is also on card to be sanitised by the RHTYSC in joint arrangement with the Mayor and Town Council, Guyana Fire Service and the Chesney Office of the Guyana Water Inc. The BCB and RHTY&SC last week also continued their distribution of scorebooks to clubs across Berbice with

eleven scorebooks handed over. Clubs benefitting from the donation include Police, Rose Hall Canje, Guymine, Young Warriors, East Bank Blazers, Mt. Sinai and Betsy Ground.

Clubs in the New Amsterdam/Canje area who have not received scorebooks to date are asked to contact BCB Assistant Secretary Ameer Rahaman on 641 0890.

The distribution of the scorebooks, valued at $300,000 is expected to benefit over 80 clubs in the county.

Meanwhile, the BCB has also benefitted from a donation of several copies of the MCC Rules of Cricket 2019 Edition and would be distributing them to the leading clubs with proper junior structures, the Umpires Association and senior coaches.

Copies of the 168 pages book would also be printed for distribution to the other clubs as the BCB strives to

Olympics: IOC expects costs of up to $800 million for delayed Tokyo Games Reuters The International Olympic Committee expects to bear costs of up to $800 million for its part in the organisation of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, now due to be staged next year, IOC President Thomas Bach said yesterday.

In March, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government decided to delay the Games, which were due to start this July, for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed 300,000 people worldwide.

“We anticipate we will have to bear costs of up to $800 million for our part and responsibilities in the organisation of the postponed Games Tokyo 2020,” Bach told a conference call at the end of the IOC’s executive board meeting.

He said out of the amount that would be set aside $650 million would go towards the organisation of the Games next year and $150 million to support international federations and National Olympic Committees.

International federations rely on the Olympic Games

contribution every four years, and with a ban on sports competitions worldwide all of their major sources of revenue have dried up in recent months.

“We are discussing with international federations the consequences of the postponement... and the postponement of the share of the international federations from the commercial success of the Games,” Bach said.

“We are very well advanced in these discussions and we will continue to assist,” he said.

The figure announced by Bach does not include any costs Tokyo Games organisers and the Japanese government have to incur due to the 12-month delay of the world’s biggest multi-sports event.

IOC COSTS - “We are assessing and continue to discuss jointly the respective impact caused by the postponement,” he said.

“What you have seen today, this envelope of $800 million, is the assessment for the IOC side.

“This discussion with the (Tokyo Games) organising committee will continue in the way we have agreed.”

The IOC last month was forced to remove a comment

from its website that referred to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when discussing costs for the postponement, following objections from the Games organisers.

Bach noted that the first priority now was to secure the Olympic venues, including the athletes’ village and the media centres, for another year.

“This is not an easy undertaking. Our Japanese friends are working with full force on this,” he said.

Bach declined to speculate on a possible new delay to the Games if the coronavirus is still a major concern next year. More than 90 vaccines are currently being developed globally, with eight in the clinical trial phase. But experts say the process could take years and may not happen at all.

“We are now working with full engagement for the success of Tokyo 2020 in 2021 and to have these Games in a safe environment for all participants,” Bach said.

“We are one year and two months away from the opening of these postponed Olympic games. We should not fuel any speculation on any future development.”

Simon Naidu (center) displays cleaning detergents handed over to the Port Mourant Public Hospital. make sure that players and officials at all levels are fully informed of the Laws of the Game.

Distribution of food

hampers would continue this weekend with the joint team headed by Foster and Public Relations Officer Simon Naidu visiting villages in the

New Amsterdam/Canje area while scorebooks would also be handed over to the West Berbice Cricket Association for clubs in that area.

CWI asks for four weeks prep time for possible England tour Bridgetown, Barbados, CMC – Cricket West Indies (CWI) is open to West Indies players being quarantined for the tour of England to come off, but it would want four weeks of preparation and has outlined that and other considerations to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

That confirmation came Tuesday from CWI CEO Johnny Grave who said the ECB would report next Monday, May 18 on their proposals for the tour going forward.

West Indies were scheduled to begin a threeTest tour of England on June 4 but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a postponement.

No new date has been announced but media reports have indicated that the ECB is looking at July 8 for the start of the series.

M o n d a y ’s virtual meeting between the ECB and CWI will come a week after the United Kingdom government released a document entitled ‘Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy’ which stated that sport behind closed doors for broadcast could resume from June 1.

“In light of what UK government announced a day or so ago, we expect to hear from the ECB in terms of much

more progress in developing their plan for what would be, in their opinion, a safe tour,” Grave said on the Mason and Guest radio show here on Tuesday night.

“Obviously, the first thing that the ECB needs to get is the UK government clearance on that tour and then it will be us to consider the plan, consult with the players and ultimately get a decision from our board of directors whether to go through with that tour or not.”

Grave said the West Indies has not set a deadline for the ECB to decide on its end whether the tour is still possible. However, he said there are some specific arrangements which need to be made.

“We fully expect the quarantine for two weeks, but within our discussions with the ECB we would expect to be in a facility that allows us to train outdoors, so we’re talking about cricket venues that have hotel accommodation on the site, and therefore the entire practice facility as well as hotel accommodation would be in a bio-secure environment,” he said.

“We’ve said to the ECB we want four weeks minimum, from landing, to prepare and to acclimatize and get used to the conditions. Obviously, that would involve testing and

quarantine as well. So, there’s really no deadline from us, as it’s very much an England home tour…. Any deadlines would really be dictated by the ECB and their calendar,” added Grave who said he was hopeful the series would be held.

CWI chief selector Roger Harper who also appeared on Mason and Guest, said thought was being given to the composition of a squad for the series. “We’ve contacted a number of players to tell them that there’s a possibility that this tour could be on, keep yourself in shape and that you’ll be considered,” he said.

The ECB announced late last month that no professional cricket will be played in England and Wales until at least July 1, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It said the start of the season remained subject to ongoing advice from government and health experts, and continued consultation with all broadcast partners to determine the optimum way to fulfill fixtures both domestically and internationally.

Apart from hosting West Indies, England are scheduled to play Pakistan, Australia and Ireland this summer.

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Bundesliga to use five subs, Jamaica Tallawahs retain just four players as team focuses on rebuilding relegation confirmed Reuters - Bundesliga teams will be allowed up to five substitutions per match when it restarts tomorrow after the coronavirus stoppage, while teams will be relegated provided the season is completed, the German Football League (DFL) said yesterday.

Short-term venue changes will also be permitted if health reasons dictate such a need and the season will continue beyond its re-scheduled finish date of June 30 and into July if necessary, the DFL said following a general assembly.

The Bundesliga will be the first major European league to resume when it gets going following a two-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second tier 2.

Bundesliga will also get under way. All matches will be played behind closed doors, and progress will be closely watched around Europe.

Doubts have already surfaced after second tier Dynamo Dresden’s entire squad were quarantined by the local health authority following two positive tests, forcing their first two games to be postponed.

However, when three players at Cologne tested positive, only the players affected were isolated. Under German law, the final decision in such cases lies with local health authorities. Football’s rule-making body IFAB ruled earlier this month that teams could make five substitutions instead of the usual three as

General view of a match ball REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo a temporary measure but said the final decision lay with competition organisers.

The DFL became the first major league to implement the change which is designed to help teams cope with fixture congestion as they rush to complete the season. The DFL said that all but one of its 36 member clubs voted in favour of maintaining relegation. “(The assembly) unanimously confirmed, with one abstention, the intention to carry out the current 2019/ 20 season in its entirety, including relegation, as far as legally possible and, if necessary, to continue beyond 30 June in July,” it said.

No decision was taken on what would happen if the season had to be called off for health reasons. “In the event that... the season has to be abandoned prematurely,

a regulation regarding the sporting classification is to be developed within the following two weeks,” it said.

Venues could be changed should a local outbreak make it inadvisable to stage a match. “There will be the possibility of a match being played in another stadium at short notice for overriding compelling legal, organisational and/or security reasons,” the DFL said.

Bayern Munich, chasing an eighth successive title, currently lead the table with 55 points from 25 games, four ahead of Borussia Dortmund with RB Leipzig third on 50.

There are nine rounds of matches to play. At the bottom, Werder Bremen and Paderborn are in the drop zone with Fortuna Duesseldorf in 16th, which is the relegation/promotion playoff spot.

Concacaf joins ALL IN Challenge with 2021 Gold Cup Final VIP Package - Raising money for communities in need during COVID-19 crisis Miami, FL – Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has announced the Confederation is offering the opportunity of a lifetime at the 2021 Gold Cup Final to help raise funds to support vulnerable communities at this difficult time.

As part of the Fanatics ALL IN Challenge, Concacaf has donated a package for the winning bidder and three of their guests which includes unprecedented access to the game and related VIP events.

Concacaf’s ALL IN donation offers a VIP experience to the Final, including airfare and accommodation for four people, access to the official pre-Final dinner, a behind the scenes stadium tour and premium seating accompanied by two Concacaf legends.

Additionally, the winner will have the opportunity to carry the Official Concacaf Gold Cup Trophy onto the field and will receive a commemorative autographed official match ball.

“The ALL IN Challenge is a fantastic initiative and is raising such important funds to support the most vulnerable at this difficult time. We are happy to support these efforts and believe the 2021 Gold Cup Final package

we have donated will capture the imagination of football fans. The winner and their guests are sure to have an incredible experience and I look forward to meeting them personally at our flagship event next summer,” said Concacaf President, Victor Montagliani.

The Fanatics ALL IN Challenge is aiming to be the world’s largest digital fundraiser in history by raising tens of millions of dollars to feed those in need during the COVID-19 crisis, including students who rely on currently closed schools for meals, the newly unemployed who are facing uncertain circumstances and a vulnerable elderly population that is without access to food.

Thus far, the Fanatics ALL IN Challenge has raised more than $41 million and has involved some of the sporting world’s biggest stars, including golfer Tiger Woods, Super Bowl LIV Champion Patrick Mahomes, and former NBA star Charles Barkley.

To view the auction listing and terms please visit: https://www.fanatics.com/ concacaf/2021-gold-cup-final-gameexperience-dinner-signed-official-match-ball/ t-10610036+p-9210447121564+z-91048744326?_ref=p-SRP:m-GRID:i-r0c0:po-0.

Kingston, Jamaica, CMC – Stressing a focus on rebuilding, the Jamaica Tallawahs have retained only four regional players for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, including batting star Andre Russell who recently publicly criticised the franchise.

Russell and his West Indies counterparts, right handed batsman Rovman Powell, fast bowler Oshane Thomas and right-arm fast medium bowler Chadwick Walton were chosen to represent their home franchise in the upcoming T20 tournament.

“The Tallawahs organization will be seeking to rebuild in 2020,” the Tallawahs CEO Jefferson Miller said in a statement yesterday.

On the heels of Chris Gayle’s release from Tallawahs last month and his public slamming of management and assistant coach Ramnaresh Sarwan, Russell had indicated 2020 would be his last season with the franchise which he said suffered from unprofessionalism and lack of transparent communication.

He had described it as “the weirdest franchise that I have ever played in”.

However, Miller said Tallawahs looked forward to having Russell on its side this year. “We are extremely excited to have Andre Russell back for another year. Andre was recently named as the leading T20 cricketer in the world by the 2020 Edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack,” he said.

The CEO said Tallwahs were also delighted for the opportunity to retain Thomas and Powell, both rising stars in West Indies and world

Andre Russell celebrates, Twitter cricket. He added that they looked forward to having veteran Walton, “who brings a wealth of leadership experience to the team and has been a dominant player over the years in the CPL”, back in the dressing room.

“Overall, we are looking forward to a successful CPL 2020 and returning the championship to Jamaica,” Miller added. Last year, Tallawahs finished bottom of the table.

All six franchises – Tallawahs, Trinbago Knight Riders, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and defending champions Barbados Tridents – have announced their Caribbean player retentions and signings.

International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date.

Among the notable changes in the squads for the tournament were big hitter Gayle’s move to Zouks,

Knight Riders’ release of Denesh Ramdin who was picked up by Patriots, and Patriots dropping their 2019 captain Carlos Brathwaite.

There had been local media reports that the Barbadian would be signed

by Tallawahs but he was not on the list of their Caribbean retentions announced yesterday. Tridents and Amazon Warriors have retained the core of their squads from last season.

This year, teams were allowed to retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wished, and could also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players. The CPL is scheduled to take place between August 19 and September 26 but organisers are liaising with medical advisors and governments, given the COVID-19 situation, to decide whether it can proceed as planned or must be rescheduled.

Chess: World champion Carlsen unveils online series London (Reuters) World champion Magnus Carlsen unveiled a series of online chess tournaments with $1 million prize money yesterday having opted out of a competition held by the game’s governing body this month.

The Norwegian was absent when the World Chess Federation (FIDE) held an online Nations Cup between Russia, United States, Europe, China, India and a Rest of the World team.

Yet the 29-year-old has launched his own tour on the back of the Magnus Carlsen Invitational held earlier this

month.

“The Invitational was a lot of fun and we heard great feedback from the players, our broadcast partners and the viewers,” Carlsen said in a statement. The Invitational will serve as the first leg of his new tour.

There will be three more “majors” before a grand final in August featuring winners of the individual tournaments, the organisers said.

“While physical chess tournaments and sports are still either cancelled or postponed, bringing an entire chess tour online is what I feel is right for chess now,”

Carlsen added. Chess tournaments have been disrupted amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Candidates Tournament, one of FIDE’s flagship events, had to be halted midway through in March, while the Chess Olympiad had to be postponed to 2021. Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Ding Liren, and Iranian prodigy Alireza Firouzja — who were the top four in the first leg — will join eight new players in the tour’s next event, Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge, which starts on Tuesday.

Kaieteur News

Friday May 15, 2020

PAGE 23

Ramcharran named RHTY&SC/DTV 8 Mother of the year 2020

A

t just 16 yearsold, Jonathan Rampersaud is considered one of the best cricket talents in the ancient county of Berbice .The left handed middle order batsman and right handed offspinner is a permanent member of the powerful Rose Hall Town NAMILCO First Division team and over the last two years has been playing in the Guyana Cricket Board Franchise League for Upper Corentyne.

He represented Guyana at the Under-15 level in 2018 and was even named in a training squad by Cricket West Indies for a tour to England based on his outstanding performance for Guyana. The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club MS member credits his mother Rohanie Ramsarran for his success on the field of play and also in the classroom where he excels as a student at the JC Chandisingh Secondary.

With his father being sidelined due to illness, Ms. Ramsarran has become the

breadwinner of the family while taking care of her only child. The management of the club this week recognised the hard work, commitment and sacrifices of Ms. Ramsarran in the life of her son and named her as the RHTY&SC/DTV 8 Mother of the year 2020.

A delegation led by Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster visited the surprised parent at her Portugese Quarters, Port Mourant residence to hand over a collection of gifts, trophy and medal. Foster hailed her as a positive role model parent and one of the main reasons why her son is a success on and off the cricket field.

Foster, who is also the President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), stated that she is one of the few parents who turns up at matches to see their child play the game while at the same time being Jonathan’s closest advisor.

He recalled the role that Ms. Ramsarran played in getting her very disappointed son in

RHTY&SC Vice President Mark Papannah and Assistant Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu hands over the Mother of the year award to Ms. Rohanie Ramsarran while her son Jonathan Rampersaud looks on. continuing to play the game despite his shock at being left out of the Guyana Under-17 team last year despite his outstanding performances for Berbice with both bat and ball.

Foster urged the awardee to continue to uphold her high standards and to share her experience with younger parents as it was very important for youths to understand the importance

of education, discipline, religion, sports and culture while saying no to drugs, alcohol and crime.

In response, an emotional Ramsarran stated that she was much honored

to be named as the Mother of the Year and expressed gratitude to the club and DTV 8.She noted that her son was her joy and as such it comes naturally to take care of him.

CWI denies abandoning injured West Indies Women bowler Bridgetown, Barbados, CMC – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has refuted claims by former bowler Shaquana Quintyne that she was abandoned by the region’s governing body for cricket after being injured three years ago.

CEO Johnny Grave on Tuesday night described her allegations, levelled in an interview with the Barbados Today online publication here, as “hugely d i s a p p o i n t i n g and…massively damaging to our reputation”.

Far from leaving Quintyne to fend for herself after she sustained a “dreadful” injury during a We s t I n d i e s Wo m e n ’s training camp at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua in 2017, Grave said CWI foot the bill for her surgeries.

The 24-year-old former Barbados and West Indies cricketer recalled that the cruciate ligaments in her right knee tore when she dived to stop a ball while fielding at extra-cover during a practice session.

The devastating injury brought the right-arm leg

Johnny Grave spin bowler’s promising international career to an end, and she claimed that although the incident occurred while she was a contracted player, CWI had abandoned her.

However, Grave denied that was the case and described the Barbados Today article as “misleading”. “It’s hugely disappointing for me to read a story that is so far removed from the truth,” he said on the Mason and Guest radio programme, insisting that CWI had gone to great lengths to care for West Indies players.

“I’ll refute it in the strongest possible terms. We have provided enormous

financial support and medical support for Shaquana…. I won’t go into details but it is fair to say we have provided significant financial assistance and medical support and paid huge sums of money for her to try and get her career back and get back to full fitness.”

However, Grave did admit that the injury sustained by the young cricketer, who made her debut for the West Indies in 2011 when she was just 15, was one from which it is extremely difficult to return to full fitness.

“A cruciate knee ligament injury is one of the worst any sportsperson can get. And, therefore, to come back from injury like that she had to do more than one operation. A horrible situation for her; one that you would never want any player to go through in their career,” he said.

“She required multiple operations and CWI paid for those operations. That’s a fact.”

Grave pointed out that while there was no insurance policy in 2017 that would have covered Quintyne’s

injury, as there is now, CWI dealt with the then 21-yearold as if such a policy was in place.

Quintyne had also complained that she lost her contract a few months after the injury, after having scored 482 runs and taken 35 wickets in 40 ODIs and playing 45 T20 matches in which she amassed 182 runs and took 39 wickets for the regional team.

“She did get injured and when it came to awarding the new 15 contracts to players she wasn’t part of that 15,” Grave acknowledged, although stressing that CWI still continued to take care of Quintyne, paying her for 52 weeks after the injury.

Quintyne told Barbados Today that she has filed a lawsuit against CWI, but Grave said while there had been exchanges with her representatives previously, there had been no discussion in over a year.

“Certainly, we’re not aware of any legal action filed by her or on her behalf,” he said. Quintyne played her last International match against India at the Vijayawada Stadium in

Shaquana Quintyne November 2016.

She said she is making preparation for life after cricket, with the hope of becoming a personal trainer at some point.

“In that way, I will still be associated with sports and will be making a contribution to persons who are playing some form of

sports or those who are just interested in pursuing a healthy lifestyle,” she told Barbados Today.

That, Grave said, was the “only positive” he had taken from the article. “It sounds like she’s recovered from her injury and is making the transition to the new career,” the CWI CEO said.

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BCB PRO Simon Naidu holds the cricket Law Book while Secretary of the Albion CC, Omarnauth Outar shows off the scorebook.

BCB and RHTY&SC Cricket Olympics: IOC expects - Food hampers, teams continues cleaning detergents, costs of up to $800 million and Law for delayed Tokyo Games its benevolence scorebooks books presented The new league will feature six marquee players including Kesrick Williams WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photo

Chess: World champion

Carlsen unveils online series Magnus Carlsen.

Getty Images

Vincy Premier T10 League to begin on May 22 in the Caribbean

CWI asks for four weeks prep time for possible England tour

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