Guyana Times -- Saturday, September 26, 2020

P17

Education Ministry, Private Sector sign MoU to recognise Coursera credentials Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4420

THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P12 Guyana records 74th COVID-19 death

$330B Budget 2020 passed See story on page 3

Larry London supplied 500,000 birth certificates – former Minister admits …“where are all these birth certificates?” – Teixeira questions Page 14

Attempts to rig elections

APNU/AFC transferred prime lands without receiving payments Page 17

Prosecution to call over 100 witnesses …as yet another company in Mingo’s trial returns land to State CXC shoots down calls for regionwide review of CSEC, …only agrees to review at CAPE results candidates’ request, resolving ungraded issue See story on page 11

Page 16

…130 new cases reported

Issues APNU/ AFC failed to address in 5 years, resolved in 6 weeks – Hamilton P16

CC&PA to get more vehicles to reach abused children – P13 Minister

Building design completed for bigger Lusignan P15 Prison Harmon P7 requests meeting with President Ali

High cane-to-P2 sugar ratio at Uitvlugt blamed on mechanical issues, delays

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

High cane-to-sugar ratio at Uitvlugt blamed on mechanical issues, delays T he Guyana Sugar C o r p o r a t i o n ’ s (GuySuCo’s) Uitvlugt Estate is utilising more cane than normal to produce a single tonne of sugar, and this is cause for concern for the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is on a mission to make the industry a profitable one.

GuySuCo’s newly appointed CEO, Sasenarine Singh, on Thursday toured the Uitvlugt Sugar Factory on the West Coast of Demerara. The intention was for Singh to get first-hand knowledge of the operations at the factory and identify issues in an effort to come up with solutions to

CEO Sasenarine Singh

make the sugar industry a viable one once again.

Singh expressed some concerns at the quantity of cane required to produce one tonne of sugar at the Uitvlugt factory.

“Notwithstanding, there is another thing: it is not 10 tonnes (of cane for one tonne of sugar) anymore, it moved to about 15; so, it is about 15.63 tonnes cane to one tonne sugar. Cane production is a threetiered process. You have the field, the cultivation; you have process between burning to the grinding process, and that is actually one of the most important elements that nobody

is talking about; and then you have the factory operation,” he explained.

The CEO explained that the cane is losing value because of the time it takes to be transported from field to factory. He blamed that lengthy period on the lack of investment in the dams, the culverts and the drainage systems.

“Cane is something that loses its sucrose content pretty rapidly. Within 48 hours, you have material deterioration in the sucrose content. So, by the time you burn that cane, within 48 hours it has to be in a factory gate, ready to be lifted into the punt dumper. And

if it comes beyond that, you (are) losing money,” Singh explained.

Earlier this year, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) expressed grave concerns that the Uitvlugt Factory has been utilising almost 300 tonnes of cane to produce a tonne of sugar. It attributed that development to mechanical issues and lack of maintenance at the factory.

On that end, Uitvlugt Estate Manager Yudhisthira Mana on Thursday explained that the significant downtime as a result of strikes by workers, coupled with the Corporation’s inability to replace major components of the machines, has been challenging for the proper functioning of the estate.

“We would have had a significant amount of down- time, and to manage the cane processing was a little challenging for us; and so, what would have happened over the last couple of weeks is that we were not able to manage the burning-to-grinding intervals, causing several challenges within the processing house to manage the juice and to recover the sugar.

“Uitvlugt have always

Uitvlugt Estate Yudhisthira Mana

Manager

ineffective. Apart from that, the factory is suffering from several severe defects.

Mana, when asked about those issues, failed to provide a comprehensive answer and a plan going forward. Rather, he blamed it all on a breakdown in communication.

“The strike was as a result of a breakdown in communication. Over the last couple of years, the input into the factory operation and to make the factory work better has been hindered, and so what would have happened for this crop alone – today is day 40 crush-

Canes being transported into the Uitvlugt Factory

been challenged with producing cane to reach the factory and maximise on the cane recovery. We were having 8590 grinding hours weekly, but here we have moved to over 110 average over the last two years, and to that end basically, what has happened is that the factory has been working more and we have been seeing failures more frequently than we are accustomed to. Also, not replacing major components has been the major bugbear for us ending up in this problem,” the Manager said while attempting to justify the cane-to-sugar ratio.

Strikes

Just over a week ago, workers at Uitvlugt downed tools as they expressed their frustration with the growing inefficient functioning of the factory. The workers had related that for many weeks now they have been expressing their concerns to the senior management of the estate, and it appeared that their concerns were falling on deaf ears.

Workers shared that muddied canes are being delivered to the factory, and this is creating several headaches.

Previously, a washing system was utilised to remove, to a great extent, the mud; however, this apparently has become

ing – we would have had 204 hours’ down- time,” he said.

However, the estate manager failed to provide a plan, or even state, when asked, if those issues have been readily dealt with, and how recurrences would be addressed.

Additionally, he joined the CEO in appealing to the workers to understand that the Corporation is now in a transitional period, and rather than going on strikes, they should engage management and their unions more.

“My appeal to the workers is: ‘Let us all reach out to make sure we save sugar by giving a little bit more, because if we fail this time, we are in big trouble’. If there is an intention to strike, I want people to mediate a little more, talk to their seniors a little bit more, talk to their unions, make sure there is more collaboration to make sure that we all save this industry,” CEO Singh appealed.

The sugar company, at the beginning of the year, said it would produce 114,162 tonnes sugar – 46,475 tonnes in the first crop and 67,687 tonnes in the second crop.

However, based on its current numbers, it is estimated to produce just over 77,000 tonnes of sugar. (G2)

NEWS

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, September 26 – 13:30h-15:00h and Sunday, September 27 – 01:30h and 14:00h-15:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, September 26 – 12:50h-14:20h and Sunday, September 27 – 13:50h-15:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Light to thundery showers are expected throughout the day followed by sunny intervals in the midafternoon, followed by partly clear skies in the evening. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 12:40h reaching a maximum height of 2.06 metres.

Low Tide: 18:32h reaching a minimum height of 1.19 metres.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

LOTTERY NUMBERS G

12 13 15

17 23 25

FREE TICKET

08 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

01 06 10 13 26 LUCKY 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020

9

3

Afternoon Draw

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

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7

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

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15 17 20

PAY DAY

SUPER PAY DAY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$41.92/barrel

-0.05

Rough Rice

$223.47/ton

-1.15

London Sugar

$376.50/ton

+0.61

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1861.20

$1862.20

Low/High

$1851.70

$1877.00

Change

0.00

0.00%

$330B Budget 2020 passed

…Govt tables $183B Statement of Expenditure spent under APNU/AFC

J

ust after 22:00h on Friday, the National Assembly gave its thumbs-up for the $330 billion budget for 2020, thus setting in motion the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s plan for development.

The final day for the consideration of estimates in the Committee of Supply commended at 09:30h.

Juan Edghill –Public Works Minister with responsibility for Finance – expressed his gratitude to the staffers at the Finance Ministry for their commitment to preparing the Budget in just 29 days. He noted that they worked beyond the call of duty without any complaints.

While defending the allocations for the Finance Ministry, Edghill was asked about salary increases for public servants, and whether they were catered for in the Budget 2020.

To these queries, he related that considerations are being given for the public service.

However, the Minister related that, at this time, there is no announcement in Budget 2020 for the public service.

Nevertheless, he reminded that the PPP/C administration, over the years, has been consistent in catering for the needs of public servants, and this year is no different. He added that as the implementation phase of Budget 2020 goes on, the administration will make a determination as it relates to increases in salaries for public servants.

Of the $330 billion being presented, $51.7 billion, representing 15 per cent of the total budget, will be going to health.

This includes $14.3 billion for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies.

In the field of education, $52 billion has been set aside, including $1.7 billion for construction and rehabilitation of schools. A further $3 billion has been set aside for housing and $2 billion for the Guyana Water Incorporated.

In addition, $34.4 billion has been allocated to go to the Public Works Ministry, where work will be done on a number of projects, including the Ogle Bypass Road and the East Coast Railway Embankment Road.

The Ogle Bypass Road, according to Edghill, will be worked on as quickly as possible. He noted that the project, funded by the Indian ExportImport (EXIM) Bank, is at the agreement stage.

Members of the Joint Services will also be receiving a two-week tax-free bonus.

This, therefore, means that the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Prison Service will benefit.

The Joint Services previously received a one-month taxfree bonus implemented by the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government, until the measure was discontinued by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government back in 2015.

In Budget 2020, there are provisions for a $25,000 cashper-household distribution drive as a relief package in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, the old-age pension will be increased to $25,000 per month and pensioners will receive free water with the overall removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity and water. It was announced that VAT would also be removed from all medical supplies, not just those related to treating COVID-19 and its symptoms, or even for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). VAT will also be removed from hinterland travel and cell phones, as well as building and construction materials.

The Government will also be removing corporate tax on private education and healthcare, a measure likely to bring the service costs down.

As part of the budget measures, $800 million has been set aside for the Amerindian Development Fund. This will provide funding to support the socio-economic development of Indigenous communities and villages through the implementation of Community Development Plans (CDPs) the Indigenous communities themselves picked.

When it comes to school children, the Government will also be implementing, effective from January 1, 2021, a $15,000 cash grant for children and a further $4000 uniform voucher allowance.

VAT has been removed from all exports, as well as

machines and equipment.

Additionally, duties have been reversed on machines and equipment, while tax concessions will be granted for persons operating in the mining, agriculture and forestry sectors.

Persons looking to purchase a used vehicle are also catered for, since the Government will be reversing the ban on importation of vehicles older than eight years, which was introduced by the former APNU/AFC Government back in 2016.

Questions have been raised about how the PPP Government is sourcing the money for such a large budget, considering the fact that the country has been in a prolonged political standoff since 2018, after the passage of a No-Confidence Motion against the former Government.

In addition, the last time a budget was passed was in November 2018. But Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had explained that the monies comprise funds the Government borrowed, as well as rollover sums.

Statement of Expenditure

Article 219 (3) of the Constitution stipulates: “Where at any time Parliament has been dissolved before any provision or any sufficient provision is made under this Title for the carry-

ing on of the Government of Guyana, the Minister responsible for finance may authorise the withdrawal of such sums from the Consolidated Fund as he or she may consider necessary for the purpose of meeting expenditure on the public services until the expiry of a period of three months commencing with the date on which the National Assembly first meets after that dissolution, but a statement of the expenditure so authorised shall, as soon as practicable, be laid before the Assembly by the Minister responsible for finance, or any other Minister designated by the President, and when the statement has been approved by the Assembly, that expenditure shall be included under the appropriate heads in the next Appropriation Bill.”

In lieu of that provision, Edghill tabled a motion for the House to approve a Statement of Expenditure for the period January 1 to September 30, 2020 to the tune of $183 billion. Those monies, according to the minister, were spent by the former APNU/AFC Administration during a period when they were just supposed to be in caretaker mode.

He told the House that the Granger administration was awarding contractions on the last day of the 2019 fiscal year when they were aware of their status.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Developing Amerindian communities

A

fter taking office just on the verge of Amerindian Heritage Month, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai conducted a brief review of the work done by the then Indigenous Peoples’ Ministry over the past five years relative to land-titling and other development-related issues for Indigenous peoples.

What was found was not surprising, compared to the other sectors of development under the then APNU/AFC Administration.

Like in other sectors, no real effort had been made to embark on projects which would have resulted in real development occurring in communities. For example, based on media reports, the Minister discovered that the unit designated to fast-tracking the Amerindian land-titling project had produced little to no results, while exhausting large sums of money. As a result, communities are still waiting for their titles to be issued.

In essence, there is little outcome to show for the work done within the last five years in relation to the land-titling issue. It was reported that, for almost one year, the project had been put on pause, as the Amerindian Land Titling Board did not facilitate any meeting to discuss or move forward with their plans.

The new Government will now have to return to the process and bring the project back on track, as Amerindians have been waiting for years to have their lands demarcated and titled.

The Amerindian Land-Titling process was facilitated by the Amerindian Act of 2006, which catered for land- titling and extensions. This led to establishment of the Amerindian LandTitling Project, which commenced in 2013 and was scheduled to end in 2016. This was a US$10.7 million project.

It is clear there was the absence of a proper vision by the previous Coalition Government in relation to Amerindian development. The A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU’s) recent voting against $820M in the National Assembly earmarked for developing Indigenous communities compounded the theory of the lack of vision for these communities. Prior to 2015, several crucial development-related projects were started under the PPP/C Government, which were either put on hold or disbanded altogether after 2015. Besides landtitling and demarcation, there were quite a few other initiatives aimed at improving and reviving village economies, improving healthcare delivery, improving access to education, providing electricity through the distribution of solar panels etc.

The National Secure Livelihood Programme, which was carried out by the PPPC Administration in collaboration with Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) International, is a fine example of how the Government and NGOs can collaborate in ensuring improvements in the living standards of Amerindians.

This project was aimed at addressing the challenges of economic development in Amerindian villages and hinterland communities. The initiative was not only meant to expand production of the locally-grown produce, but also processing of value-added products.

Additionally, there was the Presidential Grant initiative, a monetary award allocated to Amerindian communities to help them establish income- generating projects to advance their growth and development.

It is quite unfortunate that the then Coalition Government did not see it fit to continue some of these projects, even though those projects were proven to be successful and funding had been allocated to see their completion.

We believe there is need for more collaboration between the Government and other development agencies to support and fund similar community development projects, which would see Amerindians enjoying a better quality of life. For example, there is need for more programmes that would focus on skills training, entrepreneurship etc. Poverty in these areas could be tackled only if persons are empowered to change their situations.

Additionally, the Indigenous Peoples Commission (IPC) has a role to play in seeing the development of Amerindian communities. This body was created to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous people, raise awareness of their contributions and the problems they face, and make recommendations on economic and educational policies to further their interests.

First Lady Arya Ali on Thursday joined other First Ladies from across the globe in a virtual conference organised by the Spouses of Caricom Leaders Action Network (SCLAN), to discuss gender equality. The conference, which was held on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, examined the role of men and boys in advancing gender equality

Basic structure of Constitution protects citizens from legislative overreach Dear Editor, With the talk of “Constitutional Change” once more floating about in the public sphere as a means to address our political challenges, the Sept 6 passing of Swami Keshavananda Bharati brought to mind his seminal contribution to Constitutional Law in India and the Commonwealth. This was the “Basic Structure” doctrine that emanated from a case he took all the way to the Indian Supreme Court, “Keshavananda Bharati v.

Kerala” (1973) Very simply, the historic 13-man Bench ruled that while Constitutions may have clauses authorising the Legislature to enact changes

through stipulated majorities, there are limits to the power of these amendments “While there was no implied limit to constitutional amendment, the very nature of the word “amend” meant that Parliament could not abrogate or destroy the foundation or the basic structure of the Constitution.”

The Court held that the following elements constitute the unalterable basic structure: supremacy of the Constitution; republican and democratic form of government; secular character of the Constitution; separation of powers between the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary; and the federal character of the Constitution.

These were augmented in

later judgements with the balance between fundamental rights and directive principles, and judicial review etc.

The importance of this ruling for the citizenry was illustrated two years after Keshavananda, when PM Indira Gandhi attempted to seize dictatorial powers, but her attempt to reverse the doctrine was quashed by the Supreme Court. The Court insisted that the Legislature was a creature of the Constitution, and could not be permitted to devour the Constitution itself.

Here, in Guyana, in the 2015 Richardson case that concerned the right of citizens to be unencumbered in their choice of a presidential candidate, Chief Justice (Ag) Ian

Chang, citing Keshavananda and a Belize case heard by Justice Conteh, had invoked the Basic Structure doctrine as immanent in Art 1 and 9 of our Constitution.

Recently, in Guyana, we have witnessed the contemptuous disregard of the PNC for the Constitution on several occasions, most notably in the NCM and the conduct of the elections.

In any discussion on constitutional change, the concept of a “Basic Structure” encompassing our inviolable political values must be placed on the table to protect citizens from voracious politicians.

Sincerely, Ravi Dev

Questions to the readership Dear Editor, Kindly allow me to pose the following questions to the readership, questions that concern me greatly: Have you given thought to the number of homeless children who roam the streets of our dear Guyana? What are we doing to save our future generations from such a cruel, harsh reality?

Have you ever been in a situation where you had no idea where your next meal was coming from? Or have you been out of a job, with no one to turn to?

Many may respond that “people should stop making children that they can’t take care of” etc., but what are those innocent children and young adults to say after being birthed into a world with little or no parental guidance? After being told lies about who they are, until they themselves believe that they are worthless?

Some are even born to children who have been sexually abused, or in homes that expect them to behave like adults and take responsibili-

ty when they have little or no proper access to role models or opportunities for upliftment.

I’m a medical doctor today, but those who know me know that I had to work really hard to even have a goal to aspire to. To be quite honest: even now, I still need guidance as a young adult; how much more our vulnerable children.

I say “our” because we are all Guyanese, and as our motto says: “One people, One nation, One destiny”.

I say all of this to ask you, dear reader, “What are we lacking as a nation?” and, “How can we improve our people’s standard of living?”

I threw these questions out to some of my colleagues, and here were their responses: “Lack of opportunities for all levels of abilities.”

“Not enough value for, and investment in, skills; and need for promotion of creativity.”

“Culture. For example, children growing up thinking it’s okay to sit in the hot sun and pretend to repair roads while passers-by take pity on them and give a $20 or so; or

those just simply begging for money.”

“Homelessness. Some people just aren’t fortunate to have family who care and/or a roof over their heads.”

“Drug abuse. Some are at an even higher risk due to being born to unfortunate drug users. I recently saw one woman smoking with a young baby in her hand. Should we condemn her for endangering that child, or should we try to reach out and understand?”

“Not having enough exposure to opportunities, therefore, hindering the potential for development” “Lack of motivation.”

“Mentally lazy” “Lack of access to basic resources” “Not enough influence by their leaders” “Lack of equality.”

Now, the above responses were from stable individuals; fellow colleagues with families and jobs. However, there were a few options that resonated with me concerning what we may be lacking as a nation.

One person stated that

“our society needs to have a true understanding of self-love and love for others, and the ability to actually recognise and understand that we are placed on earth with a purpose only for a period of time.”

The other stated thus: “Core values must be installed in the home: honesty, integrity, faithfulness, and the fear of God.” So, I dare to ask you, dear reader, what is your purpose?

Are you a part of the problem or part of the solution?

Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfil the law of Christ.”

In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”

All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Sincerely, Dr Abigail Stewart

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

The 2020 National Budget as presented and debated does have its pros and cons

Dear Editor, The economic outlook is positive, as presented by the unprecedented level of spending. However, some consideration should be given to a zero-sum game, where expenditures do not surpass revenue. This is especially important given the current economic climate and the ongoing negotiations with Exxon.

Some concerns that came to the surface during the debate are primarily in regard to the level of corruption on land deals and the awarding of contracts. Both major parties are pointing fingers at each other, and from a neutral perspective, it does highlight the importance of the Procurement Commission.

Having increased transparency in the workings of this Commission, and having ongoing audits, should aid in ensuring that these important concerns are addressed. The Auditor General’s report will also continue to be important going forward.

One additional concern was the evident extremes taken by the two parties in relation to taxes. Investing ahead of the curve is important to pulling through difficult economic times, in

order to ensure better positioning and increased competitiveness when the global economy resumes growth.

It would be helpful to have, on the budget, a discussion which highlights the return on investment (ROI) and the payback period on the major revenue-generating projects’ expenditures. A twoyear outlook on eliminating the deficit is very acceptable. Three years may be a good consideration, given the state of the economy and the current burden on the healthcare system.

Our condolences go out to those affected by the lack of medication. It was very heartwarming to see the overall passion and love that each Member of Parliament showed for our young country.

Overall, the House does want what is best for our citizens, and the incentives being put in place to boost economic growth and invest in future generations do improve the national psyche.

Congratulations to all Parliamentarians on accelerating the timeline to develop and review what many have been patiently waiting for for the fiscal year.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

It is a fishy business

Dear Editor, The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results are finally out, after a breath-taking experience with the repercussions of COVID-19 playing a major part in the preparatory aspect and the actual writing of the exam.

This was done in uncharted waters for the children and teachers, and it was quite a testing period for all, including the Ministry of Education, taking into account the psychological effects of an incomplete elections’ process and its spin-off inconveniences.

With students vying for the top positions in order to be placed in the leading schools, the Georgetown schools again are under the microscope, the leading contenders being Queen’s College and Bishops’ High School. Space limitation is once more the featured topic, and conversation of the equitable distribution of fair and impartial education standards, methods, quality and quantity throughout the country is bubbling openly.

This is a perpetual sore point with the education system, and it needs to be addressed immediately and urgently. It must be a landmark as a successful achievement in the PPP/C’s manifesto, and one that this Government would be proud to declare: that this monster has finally been harnessed.

All schools must be fully equipped to accommodate all students at all levels, to reflect an acceptable uniformity that is available in each and

every learning institution.

There must not be any room for biasness, and the Minister of Education should accept this as a personal challenge, and pursue this goal with an earnest enthusiasm, one in which she can take pride as a breaking point. No stone should be left unturned, and no dollar should be skimmed, in order that this project should become a reality within the next five years.

Meanwhile, congratulations to all the successful students, especially Samuel Barkoye and Rovin Lall.

The fishing industry is a great money-making business in Guyana, and one that many Guyanese are involved in. Fish are not only in the sea, but in the air also, and the whole of Guyana smells of fish because of the fishy business conducted by the sharks in the PNCR Party.

Before the plane hits the tarmac at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the whiff of stinking fish hits you.

There is fishy business smelling up the entire airport, and in the net is the past Government.

On the East Bank road, you know Guyana is frying fish.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has ordered an investigation into allegations of an alleged racket at the asphalt plant, a state-run entity. Government projects were mandated to take their asphalt from the Garden of Eden plant, and would get huge discounts under a scam that stretched all the way to the Ministry of Public Works.

Fish is most likely blocking the drainage at GWI, because there is a hold-up of billions of dollars not flowing to GPL. Don’t blame the fish, blame the PNCR fishermen at the utility.

There is a different smell as you round the bend at Thirst Park. That is the smell of old dollar bills piling up!

Well, of course, fishes “disembark” at the T&HD wharf.

They jump from the sea on to the land to leave their scent.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, on Wednesday revealed to the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply that the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) is deep in a debt of $956M accumulated by the APNU+AFC during their fiveyear term in Government. In the centre of the Garden City, surrounding you, there is the stench of rotten fish. There is fishy business being conducted by Larry London and some $29 million contract.

Christopher Jones is leaving a hot trail of fish worth almost $5 million, instead of hair. The Legal Affairs Ministry is sighting some $300 million thrown in the sea for fishy business. Not to feel left out, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, is seeing fish on the menu worth $250 million, instead of accountability for activities from the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED).

Even the courts need fumigation. A second election petition was presented,

but without the sight of any SOPs, clumsily concealed with the scent of a popular fish perfume.

Hopefully, the fish smell would leave Guyana and head towards America shortly, thanks to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

But Guyanese will feel the sting of the fish carcass again.

With Mike Pompeo’s departure, the Sindicato Gang is testing the depth of Guyana’s water. The Sindicato is on a fishing expedition. The relevant questions are: Who is throwing the net? What is the bait? And what is the catch?

Showing up on the question paper is a fishy question by the Caribbean Examination Centre. If you think that is the end of this week in fishing lessons, forget it. To take first place, of course, the PNCR want to make sure they are the best in the fishing business. They thought that they were better than the Indigenous patriots when it comes to catching fish. So sad, their $800 million fishing net had a huge hole, cut out by the PPP/C to allow a free pass for the founders of this nation.

The PNCR thought that, with one throw, they can put a stop to the “Heritage Month.”

How pathetic! Abstention though, is a nice try. But seriously, Guyana needs to teach Guyanese how to fish, rather than feeding them fish for a meal. With proper equipment, Guyana will feed them for the rest of their lives.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Livestreamed healthy discussion on divisive words Dear Editor, It was interesting to notice a little missive, “Mr. Khan’s utterances betrayed the trust placed in him as an ERC representative,” as published in the Kaieteur News’ edition of September 21, 2020.

It was supposedly released by a group of five people who are claiming to speak for five hundred and twelve others.

In response to this missive, Guyanese scholar and patriot Mr. Vishnu Bisram took the time to respond in what was deemed by many as a brilliantly articulated, thorough, and knowledgeable article.

At this juncture, I wish to take this opportunity to thank him for standing up for what is right, and speaking out against hypocrisy, especially during this obvious campaign by Mr. Harmon, his trolls and acolytes, to try to disaffect and defame me.

I, Hajji Roshan Khan, would however like to respectfully and politely invite to a debate the five persons who placed their names on the article. And I request to be sent a list of

the names of the five hundred and twelve other concerned citizens.

Of course, I would like this debate to be livestreamed on national television, with adequate warning and video documentation which would be used for posterity purposes.

I am inviting Mr Harmon to engage me in a live face-off, albeit respectful and dignified, so as to give him the opportunity to demonstrate where my words were detrimental to peace, love and goodwill; and to compare them to the words which he used.

I ask Mr. Harmon and this team to come forward and let us have a healthy discussion on any forum of their choice, so that he/they might prove to me where my words have “created insularity or great strife in the nation.”

Mr. Harmon needs to bear in mind that I did not use the vocabulary he used in the areas of West Coast Berbice, Mahaica, and Mahaicony; nor did I use the words of his mentors (obviously, Sherod Duncan and Christopher Jones).

I would also ask him to compare the words I have used with the style of language used clandestinely by the two of them in order to create perceptions and potential ethnic disputes, commotion, and even civil war among our people.

Mr. Harmon and his five, who gave their names to this missive, do not have to fear me to face me; all they have to do is prove that my words were contentious to Guyana’s unity and harmony.

As for the few members of the Ethnic Relations Commission who share viewpoints that are similar to Mr. Harmon’s, I take this opportunity to also invite you to sit with me in a national debate to prove to me that my words were divisive, or that my words were anything but protective and security-conscious.

Mr. Harmon used his trolls, and simply because of his announcement, he called on some political maniacs and mavericks to try to destroy my character. Little does he realise that such conspiracies embolden people like me. His

trolls were frail, totally lost, mostly dysfunctional, and bent on character assassination, with a typical evil intelligence and military-mind leadership conspiring to destroy.

I have very nicely educated Mr. Harmon of the reality of human thought, and I will mention it here again: “What you put out is what you will receive. If you put out hate and shame with the intent to destroy others, in reality, you are destroying yourself.”

I have told him countless times to be respectful of others; to work for the advancement and improvement of all cultures, not just those that he feels appreciation for, or for political priorities and/or ethnic-racial priorities.

Before and after the 2020 General Elections, the People’s Progressive Party Civic did not promote or make any kind of divisive statements.

On the other hand, their counterparts, the People’s National Congress Reform, after the count and during the recount, I am ashamed to say, made the party an embarrassment by mak-

ing numerous divisive comments, especially through their trolls Christopher Jones and Sherod Duncan.

I think the late former President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham must have turned in his grave.

Also, the remarks made

by Mr. Harmon and former President David Arthur Granger took the cake.

Statements made on the West Coast of Berbice and at Mahaica and Mahaicony

by Former President David Arthur Granger and Joseph Harmon, who said, “Your response is correct,” have really disappointed me.

Hopefully, Mr. Harmon will take up my invitation and remember those words when he is ready to face me in a debate. The shameful thing is that these persons who put this missive of gross nonsense in the public domain - maybe to appease their political directorate - should have done the right thing and called out Mr. Harmon to answer why he made those statements, which saw mass chopping, murders, burnings, beatings, lootings, rapes, disruption of lives, and the destruction of ve-

hicles, theft of paddy, and personal property.

Maybe this group should also say that they are surprised that Mr. Harmon or Mr. Granger have to date not called out the “dogs of terror and horror.” In my view, it would have served them better in posterity. Or maybe they should have complemented Mrs. Volda Lawrence for calling the people in the city for non-violent protest. Also, applauding her for going into those areas to speak to the protesters, who unfortunately penetrated what was supposed to be a decent, peaceful protest. Mr. Harmon and this group should have taken some wisdom from her book of elegance and decency.

It is also to be hoped that James Anthony Bond can now mature and appreciate the influence of words and pens used with elegance. As the adage goes, “The pen is mightier than the sword”; and as the Holy Quran states, “argue with them in a way that is better.”

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Sr

6

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Page

Foundation

SUMMER OF LEARNING

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN The Rat

& the Elephant

A

rat was travelling along the king’s highway.

He was a very proud rat, considering his small size and the bad reputation all rats have. As Mr Rat walked along — he kept mostly to the ditch — he noticed a great commotion up the road, and soon a grand procession came in view. It was the king and his retinue.

The king rode on a huge elephant adorned with the most gorgeous trappings. With the king in his luxurious howdah were the royal dog and cat. A great crowd of people followed the procession. They were so taken up with admiration of the elephant, that the rat was not noticed. His pride was hurt.

“What fools!” he cried. “Look at me, and you will soon forget that clumsy elephant! Is it his great size that makes your eyes pop out? Or is it his wrinkled hide? Why, I have eyes and ears and as many legs as he! I am of just as much importance, and”— But just then the royal cat spied him, and the next instant, the rat knew he was not quite so important as an elephant.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Harmon requests meeting with President Ali O

pposition Leader Joseph Harmon has written President Irfaan Ali requesting a meeting for a briefing on several matters of national interest, including activities on the Guyana-Venezuela border.

He was at the time responding to a question on Friday during a virtual press conference, on reports that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government has approved ExxonMobil’s Payara Field Development Plan (FDP) – something which Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has since dismissed, saying discussions were still ongoing.

The Opposition Leader said he wrote the Head of State asking that any agreements signed by his Government or any plans agreed on be shared with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition.

“Every day I’m seeing a new clip of the President speaking about some new arrangements that they have about catfish,

President Irfaan Ali

about the surveillance in the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), about joint patrols – a whole host of things, but I’m yet to see the documentations with respect to these matters. So, I’ve written President Ali, requiring that he favours us with a copy of all of these agreements, either verbal or in writing,” Harmon stated.

The agreements to which

$330B Budget...

He reminded that that APNU/AFC administration fell to a No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018. As per the constitutional provisions, elections were supposed to be called within three months, but that did not happen, and Guyana got elections over one year later than the allotted time.

He accused the former Government of breaching all the procurement laws, the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, as well as the Constitution during their “illegal” reign.

Constitutionality

Meanwhile, while speaking in support of the motion, Attorney General Anil Nandlall debunked Opposition

MP Roysdale Forde’s contention that it was his suggestion that the Government bring the Statement of Expenditure to incorporate the monies already spent.

Nandlall noted that the Government has been prepared to table a motion from the inception, but it needed to be done at a time convenient to the Finance Minister. That time, he explained, has to be when the minister tables the Appropriation Bill before the House, so that it covers the gap from the tabling of the expenditures to the passage of the Appropriation Bill.

“Up until the new Government was sworn in on the 2nd day of August 2020, the former Minister of Finance would have been au-

the Opposition Leader is referring are arrangements with the United States Government that were inked last week during the high-level visit of US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

During his two-day visit here, Pompeo committed to reviewing the current ban on the importation of catfish from Guyana and signed a Framework Agreement to strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including energy and infrastructure, under the umbrella of the Growth in the Americas initiative, that would create a conducive environment for the US Private Sector to invest here.

However, the most significant outcome of that visit is a maritime patrol pact that Guyana signed with the US to guard against narcotics trafficking and other regional security threats.

Some discussion was raised about concerns that this agreement with the US could be seen as aggression against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro especially since there

FROM PAGE 3

thorising withdrawals of monies from the Consolidated Fund allegedly for the purpose of meeting expenditure on the public service. From the 2nd day of August 2020, the Minister of Finance designated by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali would have continued this process, and indeed, must practically continue this process until the Appropriation Bill is laid.

“It is when that Bill is laid that the Statement of Expenditure of all the monies spent up to that time is then merged into the Appropriation Bill. The Statement of Expenditure cannot come earlier, because monies continue to be spent without appropriation, even during the budget debates and the consideration

was a pending border controversy for which Guyana has approached the International Court of Justice for a final settlement.

President Ali, however, had poured cold water on these concerns, pointing out that the maritime pact would see joint patrols to interdict narcotics trafficking and would also allow for the enhancement of local technical and human capabilities in monitoring Guyana’s EEZ. The signing of the pact for maritime patrol comes on the heels of increasing attacks from across the Venezuelan border in riverine areas. Only recently, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) disclosed local ranks were fired at by members of the Sindicato gang along the border.

On Wednesday, a group of Army and Police ranks were on a routine joint patrol along the Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) when they came under fire from the notorious gang and had to return fire across the border.

While no one was injured,

of the National Estimates,” Nandlall said.

The Attorney General, during the debate of the motion, said Government has always acted in accordance with the Constitutional provisions, while the APNU/AFC administration acted otherwise. He added that the Irfaan Ali-led administration is now trying to steer Guyana back into the harbour of constitutionality.

He added that the APNU/ AFC’s objection is not only premature, but is wholly without merit, pointing to the fact that the Speaker had indicated that the Statement of Expenditure will come with the Appropriation Bill, in

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon

the Army said this was not the first time such an incident has occurred and noted that aggressive joint patrols have since intensified in the area.

This was one of the issues that were raised by the Opposition Leader in his correspondence to the President.

Harmon stressed that such incidents could not be taken compliance with Article 219 (3) of the Constitution.

“It is interesting to note that in 2015, in identical circumstances, that is, the elections were held in May and the budget was laid in August of that year for 2015, but they never laid a Statement of Expenditure, and therefore never complied with Article 219 (3) of the Constitution. I confirmed this constitutional violation with the Clerk of the National Assembly, who produced the records, which showed a complete non-compliance with Article 219 (3) of the Constitution in 2015 because of a failure to lay a Statement of Expenditure,”

lightly anymore.

Last week, Harmon announced in the National Assembly that the Opposition was willing to work with the PPP/C Government on critical issues such as constitutional and electoral reform.

On Friday, he reiterated this commitment at the press conference, telling reporters that these were high- priority matters that both sides needed to work on in a bipartisan way. However, he noted that if this could not be done, then the coalition Opposition would engage civil society and bring a motion to the National Assembly to ensure there were reforms.

However, President Ali has already announced his Government’s commitment to inclusive governance, telling the United Nations 75th General Assembly on Wednesday, “my government is committed to greater political inclusion and to enacting institutional reforms to ensure that democracy, the rule of law, and constitutional rights are respected.” (G8)

Nandlall charged.

Former ministers David Patterson and Khemraj Ramjattan attempted to defend the spending during the Granger administration.

Ramjattan said that the monies were mainly used for routine payments of salaries.

However, this was debunked

by Junior Public Works Minister Deodat Indar, who said that the signing of contracts for new works and the withdrawal of billions to loan to GPL does not equate to routine salary payments.

In the end, the motion was carried unanimously and the $183 billion Statement of Expenditure approved. (G2)

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Police Constable stabbed after attempting to make peace A Police Constable who intervened in an altercation between two civilians on Thursday

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

evening was stabbed thrice by one of the men at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The injured Police Constable is 20-yearold Marcus Richmond of Beterverwagting.

Preliminary reports by the Police stated that on the day in question about 19:40h, the Constable was heading home from work and in the vicinity of Quamina Street, Beterverwagting when he observed two men engaged in an altercation.

As such, the Constable approached them in a bid to keep the peace, but one of the men became annoyed and told the Police rank that the altercation was none of his concern. Upon hearing this, the Constable left the scene and was heading home when the man who objected to him intervening, armed himself with a knife and at-

tacked him from behind.

The suspect reportedly stabbed the Policeman twice to his lower back and once to his neck. The injured man reportedly collapsed, and was subsequently picked up by a family member and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted in serious but stable condition.

When contacted, the Constable’s mother, Ms Williams told Guyana Times that the incident did not occur on the street as was reported by the Police but rather in the young man’s yard.

“Apparently, Marcus had tried to scold two men fighting and he and one of them had a lil’ hard talk’ so he left and come home… as he opened the gate and stepped in the yard, the boy come from behind and stabbed him,” the mother explained.

She noted that the 35-year-old suspect who was arrested was known to the Police, since he was a troublemaker in the area.

She noted that after her son was stabbed, he was picked up by his sister and taken to the hospital. The woman could not say if the suspect and her son had an old grievance.

The young Police Constable has been in the Force for the past three years and was stationed in Sophia. His mother noted that he was a quiet individual and did not get in the way of others. His condition, she noted, is serious, but the doctors at the medical facility are monitoring his condition.

The Police have since confirmed that the suspect was arrested and was expected to be charged shortly.

Big PNC looting…

O

…and big cars pposition Leader Joe Harmon (Lil Joe) has a problem with the $95M the new PPP Government plans to spend on new vehicles for “top officials”. Now, your Eyewitness remembers that when the APNU/AFC coalition squeaked into office, every man jack in the top tier of Ministers - not to mention President Granger and PM Nagamootoo - got themselves new wheels. In the news, of course, was the latter with his $22 million specially-fitted new Land Cruiser, which he explained was “necessary” because he “had to visit his constituents in Berbice”!

Your Eyewitness is willing to bet dollars to donuts that if all the vehicle purchases of that band of profligates are totalled, it’ll amount to more than a billion dollars!

Now, one doesn’t expect that Ministers of the Government would move around in donkey carts…even though Nagamootoo was fond of saying that the PPP was “driving Cadillacs in a donkey cart economy”!! But the PNC lot should be the last persons on earth to point fingers at anybody else on profligacy!! With all the sordid details coming out daily - like a tap connected to the sewer - they look like the perfect example of “never-see come fuh see”!

But there might’ve been a method to their seeming madness. They spent so heavily on themselves - cars, houses, clothes, first-class trips to foreign locales, posh offices - that most folks didn’t realise how much they were siphoning off to ensure their “inter-generational wealth” transfer. Can you imagine that SARA - set up to RECOVER state assets - actually spent $600 million in three years, and didn’t recover squat?? That the director - the Marxist theoretician Clive Thomas, who wrote volumes on the “exploitative” bourgeoisie - tooled home with $120 million in that time gives you a hint of what went down!! Even related agencies, like the GECOM of James Patterson, got into the act. Remember the FIVE SUVs they bought just before the Local Government Elections? Their ostentatious lifestyles were just a misdirection ploy for the grand looting of the state!!

Then there’s the handing out of land for the boys and girls - from triple lots in Eccles to acres at Millie’s Hideout in Wismar. Imagine, they upped the bypass road from EC to EB

by US$158 million - that’s $3.6 billion!! - just to encircle new lands that were doled out to insiders!! They must’ve had a heart attack when the PPP went back to the original plan!!

Wonder what they’ll be doing with all those swamp lands!!

No wonder they went to such lengths (depths?) to steal the elections!! Not only will their looting be revealed, they’ll have to cough up their booty.

Payback’s such a bitch!! …and fried rice The swell-headed syndrome challenging the newbies was exemplified by Simona Broomes and her late-night tryst with that shrimp fried rice serving at the Providence New Thriving!

Good things come to those who wait!!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

news@guyanatimesgy.com

9

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Increasing COVID-19 deaths, cases

Bar Association objects to restart of jury trials

T

he Guyana Bar Association (GBA) has objected to the Judiciary recommencing jury trials across the three counties – Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice amid the rising COVID-19 deaths and cases. Following the discovery of COVID-19 in Guyana, the

Judiciary, in April 2020, suspended all in-persons hearings, including jury trials.

On Thursday, the Bar Association dismissed remarks

by Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Sueanna Lovell that the GBA had been consulted over the past months

in the quest to forge the way forward. Jury trials are scheduled to recommence on October 6, 2020.

Further, the Bar Association said that the Practice Directions and Protocols in relation to the resumption of criminal trials were only shared with it earlier

in the week and on request after it was brought to the attention of the Bar Council from other sources.

Concerns

According to the Bar Association, many areas of concern arise from the said directions and protocols.

Among them, it noted, is the fact that no provision is made for testing; the requirement for witnesses to remove their masks to give evidence is in violation of good practices, guidelines and emergency measures; and physical attendance of counsel and the jury is mandatory without a reciprocal provision for the presiding Judge.

Further, the Bar Association highlighted that no provision was made for consent of the persons involved. It also noted that in the Practice Direction and Protocols, there was conflict with social distancing and other outfitting practicalities, as they do not detail acceptable safety measures or account for risk assessment, ongoing or otherwise; and do not provide for measures should guidelines and directions be breached.

The Bar Association said that while it was conscious of the constitutional right of an ac-

Bar Association President, Attorney-at-Law Teni Housty

cused person to a fair hearing within a reasonable time, this right was not absolute and must be balanced against other considerations such as public health and other enshrined rights of citizens. One right cannot outweigh the other, it noted.

According to the Bar Association, jury trials all over the world have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Guyana is not peculiar in this regard. It noted that in the sister nations of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago with high infection rates, jury trials have not yet recommenced.

“In light of the reported rising cases and deaths in Guyana, particularly over the past month, we express grave concerns and reservations for the resumption of jury trials at this time in the manner so proposed by the aforesaid directions and protocols and call for wider consultations to be held before so doing,” the Bar Association added.

In this regard, it said that meaningful consultation has become the hallmark of good administration in a modern society, as was now recognised in many decided cases. The GBA further noted that the decision to resume jury trials affected not only the bench, bar and accused, but also the public at large who are compelled by judicial command to appear either as jurors or witnesses, under the threat of penal sanction if they fail to do so.

“A member of the public has no option of consent to appear, the final decision residing in that of the presiding Judge in whom the sole discretion lies even to permit facilitation remotely by way of virtual video link. In the current pandemic climate, physical appearance is at a great personal and public health risk, which could mean life or death.”

NEWS

11

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Attempts to rig elections

Banks DIH truck collides with Prosecution to call over 100 Bakewell truck, car at WCB

witnesses in Mingo’s trial

T

he State is expected to call more than 100 witnesses when embattled Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo goes on trial for four charges of misconduct in public office in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The case is being prosecuted by State Counsel Teriq Mohammed.

Mingo, who is represented by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, made his first court appearance on August 31, 2020. He was not required to plead to the indictable charges.

However, when the case was called on Friday morning, Prosecutor Mohammed made an application for the charges to be disposed of summarily, thus allowing for Mingo to plead. This now paves the way for the commencement of his trial in the Magistrates Courts.

However, Mingo’s lawyer raised serious objections to this application on the basis that he wanted to know if the Police had intentions to bring any more charges against his client. The Prosecutor could not provide defence counsel with the requested information as Police were yet to complete the case file.

In light of those circumstances, the Prosecutor served some statements on Mingo. Thereafter, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan adjourned the case to December 11, 2020 for the Prosecutor to report on the status of the case file and for the disclosure of additional statements.

The first two charges against Mingo stated that on March 5, 2020 at the Office of the Returning Officer of District Four at High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, while being a public officer, he wilfully misconducted himself by declaring a result for District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) without ascertaining the total votes cast in favour of each list in the said District.

The last two charges stated that Mingo committed the same office, this time on March 13, 2020 at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) High and Cowan Streets, Kingston, Georgetown Head Office, when he wilfully misconducted himself by declaring a result for District Four in the Regional Elections of March 2, 2020.

He was ordered to post bail in the sum of $600,000.

Mingo attempted to give the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) 25,000 votes that the coalition did not gain at the elections. He attempted to do so by using spreadsheets and not the Statements of Polls (SoPs) to tabulate the votes for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Guyana’s largest voting district. But by then the People’s Progressive Party/Civic

Charged: Clairmont Mingo

(PPP/C) had already gained a huge lead in the other nine regions to compensate for the votes the Party lost in Region Four.

The PPP/C won the 2020 General and Regional Elections by over 15,000 votes.

The APNU/AFC Government refused to accept defeat and it was Mingo’s attempts to alter the results of the elections that led to the national recount exercise, which ultimately proved the major differences in the figures being called by the Returning Officer and the actual numbers of votes cast.

The differences were noted by the Head of the Electoral Observation Mission of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Guyana, Bruce Golding, who had stated that he had never seen such a “transparent effort to alter the results of an election”.

The international community had continuously urged the APNU/AFC to accept defeat at the polls, and had warned that any government sworn in based on non-credible elections results would face serious consequences and sanctions. In fact, the United States began by revoking the visas of Government officials for refusing to hand over power to the PPP/C following the recount of all ballots cast in the elections.

The APNU/AFC had even moved to the court to invalidate the votes tabulated during the very recount exercise it had agreed to and which was supervised by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) . All of its bids failed, with its supporters who instituted the proceedings, ending up having to pay millions of dollars in court costs. The coalition has since filed two election petitions.

Therein, it is asking the court to declare that the elections were null and void.

It is also seeking to nullify the declaration of President Dr Irfaan Ali as the winner of the elections. Against this backdrop, the petitioners are seeking an order that there be fresh elections held in Guyana within 90 days or such other reasonable time frame or 180 days of the date of an Order setting aside the elections.

Notably absent from both election petitions are the coalition’s SoPs.

The damaged vehicles

A

driver was injured on Friday morning after two trucks, one belonging to food conglomerate Banks DIH Limited and the other to bakery company Bakewell, collided with a motor car at Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB).

According to Police, the accident occurred about 09:05h. The injured man has been identified as the 49-year-old driver of the Bakewell truck, Ravendra Arjune.

Reports are that the Banks DIH Limited truck, bearing registration number GXX 1012, was heading west from New Amsterdam to Georgetown while the Bakewell truck, GYY 3967, was heading in the opposite direction.

According to the driver of the Banks DIH Limited vehicle, a truck that was

transporting sand suddenly stopped in front of him, causing him to suddenly apply brakes.

However, he was unable to stop in time, which led to the collision. Guyana Times understands that the man swerved right into the path of the Bakewell truck, pinning the driver inside the vehicle.

Following the collision, the Banks DIH truck skidded and slammed into motor car PLL 8177.

This publication was told by eyewitnesses that the driver of the Bakewell truck was eventually freed from the mangled wreck about one hour later.

Regional Commander Edmond Copper told this newspaper that the driver of the Bakewell truck was currently hospitalised while the driver of the Banks DIH truck was taken into Police custody for questioning.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing. (G9)

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana records 74th COVID-19 death …130 new cases reported

T

he Health Ministry on Friday confirmed another death from novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), raising the death toll to 74.

The latest fatality is a 71-yearold woman from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), who died while seeking treatment. She was tested upon admission and the results returned positive. Since then, the Ministry has been making efforts to locate persons who were exposed to the now-deceased woman, to conduct contact tracing.

Authorities late Thursday evening confirmed that a 64-yearold man of Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) succumbed to COVID-19, thus taking the death toll to 72.

Shortly after, there was another death. A 94-year-old female from Region One (Barima – Waini). She was pronounced dead upon arrival at a medical facility. A test sample was collected from the deceased and tested positive for COVID-19 subsequently.

On Wednesday, two persons succumbed to the novel coronavirus. They were a 70-year-old fe-

male from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) and a 66-year-old woman from Region One. Previously on Tuesday, Guyana recorded its youngest fatality. The 25-year-old man was the country’s 69th COVID-19 death. Officials of the Ministry have contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance for everyone who may have been exposed to the now-dead persons.

The Ministry’s daily dashboard showed a whopping increase of 130 cases in 24 hours om Friday, raising the total of positive cases to date to 2706. A gender breakdown reveals that 1430 males and 1279 females were infected.

There are still 16 persons in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with 235 persons in institutional care, 895 in home isolation and 76 in institutional quarantine. A total of 1490 persons have made complete recoveries – an increase of seven.

Regionally, two new cases were detected in Region One; four in Region Two; 11 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West

Demerara); 96 in Region Four; one in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); one in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), seven in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); three in Region Eight; seven in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and one in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The Health Ministry continues to urge all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures (No 9), which are in effect until September 30, 2020.

This order emphasises, among other things, the need for correct and consistent use of face masks when leaving home; the importance of maintaining six feet of physical distance from others, and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Persons displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or in need of any additional information are asked to contact the COVID-19 hotline on 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health. gov.gy (G12)

13 Govt seeking to process over 1000 COVID-19 tests per day by October NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…samples will be sent to the US for processing

I

n fixing shortages which were inherited in the health sector, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government has managed to foster partnerships with other entities, especially as it relates to COVID-19 testing and treatment.

During consideration of the Budget Estimates on Friday, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony disclosed that samples would be sent to the United States of America as part of an arrangement to expand the country’s testing capability. As such, by early October, they are aiming to process 1000 samples per day.

He was at the time responding to questions from Opposition Member of Parliament, Tabitha Sarabo-

Halley on policies and plans to address COVID-19 locally.

While external agencies are assisting with testing, the National Public Health Reference Laboratory has significantly increased its capacity. It was recently announced that Government was also in talks with the Brazilian Government to send samples from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to the neighbouring country for efficient processing.

“We have now since worked out an arrangement with the United States, so that we can send samples to the United States. We are in the process of working out an arrangement, so that our samples from Region Nine can go across to Brazil…In terms of testing in the pub-

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

lic health sector, we are going to, by early October, be able to process more than 1000 samples per day and that’s in the public sector,”

the Minister informed.

After Government had discussions with private stakeholders, one company – Eureka Laboratory – in-

CC&PA to get more vehicles to reach abused children – Minister of child abuse. A lot of these cases are not reported and in the times when they’re reported, because they did not have the requisite vehicles to send the team out, they had to wait for one vehicle to come back. It is difficult and very challenging for

4.6 cases per 1000 children, followed by Region One (Barima-Waini) with 3.8 cases and Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) with 2.7 cases. As such, Greene called for more persons to become advocates for children’s rights and to support

Meanwhile, the Ministry has sourced an extractor, which can process the samples at a faster rate. Through a donation from the Chinese Government, a second extractor is also on its way.

“Right now, it takes the National Public Health Reference Lab about eight hours to process those samples. With this extractor that we have bought and awaiting delivery, it would require probably two hours for us to do 96 samples. We had that extractor that we’re expecting shortly and we are expecting a donation from the Chinese Government, which should come in at the end of September and you’ll get another extractor,” he stated.

With increased testing, a significant number of new cases was discovered.

However, Guyana’s recovery rate has reached almost 70 per cent. The country has recorded in excess of 2500 cases, with more than 1000 currently active.

Within the past six weeks, engagements were facilitated between several stakeholders, including the Russian Government, so as to ensure that Guyana benefits as soon as possible from COVID-19 vaccines that are in the trial stage. For now, treatment continues for positive patients, especially since Guyana was able to source Remdesivir – the anti-viral drug that has shown positive results. (G12)

Payara not yet approved, discussions still ongoing – Bharrat

N

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud

T

he Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) will be supported with more vehicles to carry out its mandate of probing abuse and violence against children, in light of challenges faced with limited resources.

This was shared by Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud during the consideration of Budget Estimates on Friday. She noted that when cases of abuse were reported, the Agency was stymied in its effort to respond owing to the limited number of vehicles at its disposal. As such, the increase in its fleet will enable officials to reach in to communities much faster.

The Minister shared that because children were home from school, the cases of abuse have increased.

However, the Agency has been starved of such resources to function effectively.

“The Child Care Agency has been starved of these resources for some time.

A lot of children are home and there are many cases

We need teachers, churches, and elders to be on board in the protection of children,” Boston was quoted as saying.

If there is suspicion of abuse, this should be quickly reported, he posited, adding that there were rapid investigations of child sexual abuse, with measures in place to put children in a safe and secure environment. (G12)

vested in equipment to process another 1000 samples per day. Meanwhile, the St Joseph Mercy Hospital is also in the process of purchasing a PCR machine to offer testing.

“Guyana’s testing capacity would increase dramatically in the next couple of weeks, so testing capacity will no longer be a problem. In addition to that, we have already in the country from other programmes, the GeneXpert machine. This GeneXpert machine can be repurposed for COVID-19 testing,” he indicated.

Dr Anthony reminded that when the new Administration assumed office, there was inadequate testing across the sector.

However, 50,000 PCR tests were brought into the country – through contributions from the Pan American Health Organisation and the Barbadian Government over the past weeks.

“We all know that we had challenges with testing ,because we did not have enough test kits in the country. We had less than 10001500 kits before August. So, we have rectified that,” Dr Anthony said.

Authorities had also managed to clear the test backlog through collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). Through this initiative, the country was able to reduce the backlog of more than 1000 samples.

Child Care and Protection … If we are to look at the rates of child abuse, these areas have particularly high numbers in terms of child abuse. This is badly needed,” Dr Persaud expressed.

Just Wednesday, CC&PA Director Ann Greene revealed that between January and August 2020, the Agency responded to 529 cases of child sexual abuse.

Greene made this revelation at a virtual rally held on Wednesday in observance of Child Protection Week 2020, which was held under the theme “Breaking the Silence on Child Sexual Abuse”.

She further stated that Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) has the highest rate of abuse with

efforts to ensure safe childhoods.

She also called for the establishment of a special victims’ quick response unit in police stations, staffed with specially-trained Police Officers, social services officers including child protection officers, and public health officers to facilitate speedy investigations and bring child sex abusers to swift justice.

In addition, Director of the Juvenile Justice Department within the Home Affairs Ministry, Orin Boston noted that the public needed to become more mindful about protecting children.

“Many children and families can become vulnerable. There is need for informal support networks….

atural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has clarified that the Guyana Government has not yet approved ExxonMobil’s Payara project.

He said discussions are still ongoing, and a high-level Government team will be meeting later today on this matter.

According to the Natural Resources Minister, while the project is not yet approved, the Government is working towards signing an agreement with the US-oil giant soon.

Minister Bharrat said the Government is hoping to meet the month-end deadline.

Payara, which was discovered in 2017, is ExxonMobil’s third potential development project within the Stabroek Block, after Liza Phase 1 and 2.

The discovery well was drilled in a new reservoir, encountering more than 29 metres of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs.

The Payara Development Plan includes

Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat

Minister

a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, named Prosperity.

It is expected to produce 220,000 barrels per day; supporting up to 45 wells, including production, water injection and gas injection wells.

Under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, the Energy Department contracted Bayphase to conduct a review of the FDP in December of 2019. The review was completed, but in the wake of the controversies that followed the March 2, 2020 elections, little prog-

ress was made on approving the plan. ExxonMobil’s Final Investment Decision (FID) hinges on gaining approval for the development.

The oil company has complained that further delays in granting approval for the project could result in less revenue for Guyana after the project starts up in 2023, but experts have argued that unless ExxonMobil is able to give proper environmental and local content assurances, and even improve the terms of its contract with Guyana, approval should be withheld.

Therefore, the new PPP/C Government had tapped into an existing Canadian grant to recruit independent experts who would review the work done on Exxon’s Payara project FDP before granting final approval for the project.

Those experts included Allison Redford, who is a former Attorney General and Premier of Alberta, Canada, and has worked with other groups around the world to conduct similar reviews in nature. (G11)

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Larry London supplied 500,000 birth certificates – former Minister admits “Where are all these birth certificates?” – Teixeira questions

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arliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira has dismissed a letter from former Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, who defended the award of a multi-million-dollar contract to businessman Larry London – a close ally of the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government – to print birth certificates.

This issue was brought to light earlier this week by Minister Teixeira during the consideration of estimates for the 2020 budget of the Office of the President, formerly the Ministry of the Presidency, which had oversight of the Department of Citizenship, headed by Felix.

It was subsequently announced that the Auditor General would conduct a special probe into the contract, which was sole-sourced to the Florida, United Statesbased company Universal Procurement Services Inc. The company was registered with Florida’s Division of Corporations, and London is listed as one of three directors. However, a perusal of the database shows that the company’s status is in fact inactive.

Nevertheless, in response to these findings, Felix on Thursday defended the sole-sourcing of the contract, explaining that this method of procurement was in existence for over a decade prior to the APNU/AFC Coalition assuming office in 2015.

He went on to say that while the previous printer had the capacity to print the birth certificates, he lacked the capacity to do so with an improved quality of paper and the necessary upgraded security features.

After also unsuccessful-

Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira

ly approaching Canadian Bank Note company for the job, Felix, a former Commissioner of Police, said London approached Government with samples of high-quality paper and several security features to protect the document.

However, Minister Teixeira told Guyana Times that Felix deflected from the issues at hand, and sought to focus entirely on the sole-sourcing.

She questioned the rationale behind contracting London, who was not only closely linked to the Coalition, but was also at the time employed as ‘Director of Parks’ within the Department of Environment under the same Ministry of the Presidency that had oversight for the Department of Citizenship.

“So, the issue is not just about single-sourcing the [contract]. Mr. Felix is trying to deflect the issue. It is the fact that here is a person employed by the Government who already has many question marks over his involvement with D’Urban Park, who was

hired in the Government within the same Ministry in which Mr Felix was, given the contract [to print birth certificates]” she stated.

London has been the subject of numerous debates, dating as far back as his involvement in the controversial D’Urban Park project.

Lambasted on all sides for its lack of transparency and its structural defects, D’Urban Park was built through the coordination of Homestretch Development Incorporated (HDI) – a company co-owned

by London.

The former APNU/AFC Government has been unable to account for how the monies were spent, despite the best efforts of the Audit Office of Guyana to reconcile the payments over the past few years.

Legitimacy of operations

To this end, Teixeira questioned the legitimacy of the operations that London was running in order to secure the contract for the printing of the birth certificates. Noting that the address of the business was at London’s residence in Florida, she questioned whether the printing was indeed done overseas, or in Guyana.

As such, the Governance Minister, who only unearthed this issue in Parliament on Monday, further told this newspaper that Government is demanding an audit to ascertain whether all of the birth certificates were delivered as per contract, and how they were distributed.

In his letter on Thursday, Felix had disclosed that between 2016 and 2020, London supplied over 500,000 birth certificates.

However, Teixeira point-

Larry London

ed out that, based on the contracts she saw for 2019 and 2020, the birth certificates came in tranches. The first set was to arrive before the controversial House-toHouse Registration ended, had it gone on, and the last set in January 2020 – between 250,000 and 300,000 birth certificates.

This, according to the Governance Minister, is suspicious, given the fact that Guyana has a population of just about 800,000 people, and in a matter of one year, some 300,000 birth certificates were brought in.

She further argued that even if persons were to receive two copies each, it is still implausible that some 150,000 Guyanese would have applied for birth certificates.

In fact, she remained adamant that the truncated H2H registration, which ran from July 20 to August 31, 2019, had only captured approximately 16,000 new registrants.

“So where are all these birth certificates?” Teixeira questioned.

It should be noted that

some of the ‘new’ registrants recorded in the H2H registration could not be verified during the verification exercise carried out by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM); and there were also concerns that the 600,000 plus Official List of Electors (OLE) was bloated. In fact, the APNU/ AFC Coalition decried that thousands of votes were cast in the names of dead and migrated persons.

Additionally, while in Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic had raised concerns when Felix took control of the issuance of birth certificate, saying that this was setting the stage for possible rigging of the elections which were upcoming at the time.

Moreover, Teixeira pointed to allegations surfacing in recent days of birth certificates being sold.

“The Citizenship Department took over the birth registration of people in our country and linked it with an internal mechanism with Larry London and others to what is beginning to look like an attempt by persons to distribute a large percentage of the birth certificates for the House-toHouse Registration, including persons who may not even be Guyanese. So, there are many questions, and he does not deal with it…

Mr. Felix put out this rather long verbose statement and side-stepped completely the real issues that came out in the Parliament; that is: something was extraordinarily fishy about this arrangement,” she posited.

The Governance Minister opined that this all seems to be part on an apparent inside trading/arrangement.

Former Citizenship Minister Winston Felix

“The issue of Larry London having this contract is -- first off all, assuming you put aside that it was an attempt to create fraud in the elections -- this was an insider trading… [Felix] side-stepped completely that this was inside trading – an inside arrangement, and there was no accountability. Were all these birth certificates received? Were all these accounted for? Those are issues that a full-fledged investigation will have to determine,” Minister Teixeira asserted.

Meanwhile, asked about the awarding of the contract to London, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, who served as Minister of State at the Ministry of the Presidency at the time, told reporters on Friday that whatever decision was taken by the then Citizenship Minister would have had to be verified by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry – who is the accounting officer.

Nevertheless, he noted that he is awaiting the findings from the special probe that will be conducted by the Auditor General.. (G8)

Carefully examine local content proposals submitted by private bodies – GOGEC urges

GMSA President Shyam Nokta

The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) has issued a call to the Government to ensure that the Local Content Panel carefully examines the local content proposals that were submitted by private sector entities.

This, according to the

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

Chamber, is to ensure that the Guyanese people are not left behind.

GOGEC reminded that the draft Local Content Policy which was proposed by the APNU/AFC administration was done without meaningful consultations,

Dr Anthony Paul

advice and recommendations which were submitted by the local content experts.

The Chamber added that it would be monitoring the actions of the Local Content Panel as well as be committed to assisting in the work.

“GOGEC is happy that President Irfaan Ali has appointed a Local Content Panel with knowledgeable and experienced individuals, both local and foreign.

The energy chamber is also happy that among others, Dr Anthony Paul is on board with former Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine and our own private Sector man Shyam Nokta, who is chairing this panel…The benefit must trickle down to all Guyanese, especially the poor and vulnerable,” the Manniram Prashad-led organisation said in a statement.

President Ali, at the end of August, assembled a high-level team of experts to advise Government on the formulation of a strong local content policy that will ensure all citizens benefit from the country’s lucrative oil and gas sector.

The ‘Local Content Advisory Panel’ will be chaired by President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Shyam Nokta, and will include former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge; former Energy Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kevin Ramnarine; and former Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Carvil Duncan.

Also sitting on the panel are Floyd Haynes and Dr Anthony Paul.

Just last week, President Ali reassured that the people of Guyana would also benefit from the opportunities that would become available as more foreign investments are expected to flow in. The President had said that that local content should not just cover the petroleum sector.

“For me, local content is

GOGEC President Manniram Prashad

not only about oil and gas.

With the massive transformation and the infrastructure projects that will come in place, we need local content there, too,” President Ali told reporters on the sidelines of a recent event at State House.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

NEWS

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Building design completed for bigger Lusignan Prison

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Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

preliminary architectural design has been completed for the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). The building was flattened by fire last July following riots by inmates.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn noted on Friday that a larger prison would be built at the location but budgetary allocations for works to commence would be part of the next Budget, for the year 2021. In the meantime, temporary holding bays are being established to hold prisoners.

Minister Benn reminded that the situation of inadequate prison facilities was inherited from the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition, whose tenure saw several prison fires and attempts by prisoners to set the penitentiaries alight.

As such, he noted that they were seeking to en-

hance the surroundings in which inmates were kept, “This is what we inherited and we are going to make it better.”

The Minister said a visit to the Lusignan Prison revealed that some prisoners were sleeping on the ground while others were accommodated in hammocks. Prisoners had also raised concerns with the new subject Minister about poor meals being provided.

Benn has disclosed that Government was working to have an agricultural initiative at the Prison to grow produce to feed inmates. A similar project has been implemented at the Mazaruni Prison and deemed successful.

Hundreds of millions have been injected thus far for expansion and rehabilitation of the Georgetown, New Amsterdam and Mazaruni Prisons.

Earlier this week, Benn placed emphasis on the prison fires at Georgetown

and Lusignan penitentiaries within a period of five years, which significantly limited capacity across the prisons and resulted in overcrowding. In fact, he said a recent visit showed that over 570 inmates were confined to a small space.

Back in July of this year, pandemonium broke out at the Lusignan Prison after a fire was set in one of the holding areas reportedly by protesting inmates after a team was dispatched to probe the discovery of narcotics.

On July 10, 2017, a massive fire destroyed most of the Georgetown Prison, resulting in the escape of several prisoners. One prison officer was shot dead.

The prisoners on the run had included Bartica and Lusignan Massacres convict Mark “Royden” Durant, aka Royden Williams, and Uree Varswyck, aka Malcolm Gordon. It was reported that the capital section of the Georgetown Prison was completely burnt, thus hundreds of prisoners were evacuated from the facility and taken to the Lusignan, Timehri, New Amsterdam and Mazaruni Prisons.

Seventeen prisoners were burnt to death on March 3, 2016 at the same facility after inmates had set several fires in their holding cell to protest of the conditions of the prisons.

These incidents, which reduced holding areas at the prisons, resulted in the inmates being transferred to other penitentiaries across the country, thus creating congestion.

While contractors doing rehabilitation and construction works at the various prisons were stalled as a result of COVID-19, Minister Benn said they have been given the greenlight to con-

Carefully examine local...

Local Content Panel

Nokta holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Environmental Assessment and Management from the University of Oxford– Brookes and a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Guyana. Nokta has accumulated over 20 years’ experience working in the areas of environmental assessment and management, conservation, tourism development, and climate change.

Greenidge is an Economist who has served as Guyana’s Finance Minister from 19831992. An international public servant, he has served in several top-level positions, including as Secretary-General of the ACP Group of States; and in the 10th Parliament, he served as the Opposition Spokesman on Finance and International Economic Cooperation, and as Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs.

Haynes is a Guyaneseborn professional with over 30 years of executive-level experience. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) who holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Ramnarine served as the Minister of Energy of Trinidad and Tobago (2011 to 2015). During his tenure, he created a positive climate for investment, including the fiscal reforms which resulted in major investments in deep-water exploration. Prior to being appointed Energy Minister, he held positions in the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago, and at British Gas, where he worked as the Lead Economist.

Since leaving Ministerial office, he has worked as an energy consultant and

FROM PAGE 14

as a lecturer at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business. In 2014, he was named “Energy Executive of the Year” by the Petroleum Economist magazine.

Dr Paul is the Principal Consultant, Energy and Strategy, Association of Caribbean Energy Specialist Limited. He spearheaded a Rapid Analysis of the State of Readiness of Guyana’s Hydrocarbon Regulatory Framework study facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2016, and played a lead role in the formulation of Guyana’s draft Local Content Policy framework which is currently under review. He has worked with the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Energy, Petrotrin, Amoco, BP T&T and BP plc in London.

Duncan is the former Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC).

(G2)

The Lusignan Prison

tinue.

Meanwhile, some 140 prisoners have tested posi-

tive for the coronavirus at the Lusignan facility, with the overcrowded conditions

facilitating the spread of the virus. (G12)

Man jailed in absentia for ganja trafficking captured

A

miner who was jailed in absentia for ganja trafficking was on Friday morning nabbed at the Bartica Stelling, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on his way to the interior after evading the Police for years.

According to Police, the man will now be heading to prison to start his threeyear sentence which was handed down for trafficking marijuana in 2018.

OJ Evans, of Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) was arrested in 2017 after he was found with several taped parcels of compressed cannabis minutes after he

Captured: OJ Evans

disembarked a ferry at the Bartica Stelling.

Reports are on June 1, 2017, at First Avenue, Bartica, he had in his pos-

session 1218 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. Evans was spotted at the Stelling acting in a suspicious manner and a search was subsequently conducted on his belongings and the marijuana was found in a butter tub wrapped in a salt bag. He was told of the offence, and charged.

The 30-year-old man was released on bail after his first court appearance, but never returned for his trial.

The matter was conducted in his absence and he was found guilty for the offence and jailed in absentia and fined $1.8 million. (G9)

ECD man succumbs 1 week after Rockstone accident

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ne week after he was involved in an accident along the Rockstone Trail, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), 56-year-old Alwyn John succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident was listed in serious condition since the accident and took his last breath on Thursday about 16:00h. His body is presently at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

It was reported that on September 18, John, who was employed with the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, and 32-year-old Olinda Solomon, a businesswoman of Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) were travelling along the Rockstone Trail when the vehicle turned turtle.

After the accident, John was rushed to the Linden

The vehicle Alwyn John was driving at the time of the accident

Hospital Complex (LHC) in an unconscious state with severe injuries to his head and body. Solomon sustained injuries to her left hand and body.

It was reported that John was driving a motor pick-up on the Rockstone Trail when he lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a turn. As

a result, the vehicle toppled several times before coming to a halt.

John and Solomon were pulled from the wreckage and taken to the LHC, where they were both admitted.

However, owing to the severity of John’s condition, he was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CXC shoots down calls for regionwide review of CSEC, CAPE results …agrees to review only at candidates' request, resolving ungraded issue

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he Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has denied claims that the grading system used for administering the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) is seriously flawed, despite failing to release information on how it arrived at the final grades for candidates.

During a press conference on Friday, Registrar of the regional examining body, Dr Wayne Wesley, maintained that this year’s examinations were credible, despite there being across the Caribbean region widespread outrage at the preliminary results which were released on Tuesday, and contentions that they were “inaccurate” and “seriously low.”

For the 2020 exams, there were no Papers Two; instead, CXC said it would increase the weighting of Papers One and the SchoolBased Assessments (SBAs)/ Internal Assessments (IA).

Asked to reveal the new weighting attached to the Papers One and SBAs/IA, Dr Wesley told a local reporter, “The weighting for the examinations would have been accorded in the syllabus. The syllabus would have outlined the various weight associated with each component.”

For instance, Wesley was told that for Caribbean Studies, Paper One carries a weighting of 27 percent;

CXC’s Registrar, Dr Wayne Wesley

Paper two, 33 percent; and the IA, 40 percent. In light of the absence of a Paper Two for this CAPE subject, he was probed further to explain the new weighting adopted by the examinations body.

He said, “So, as I said before, that 27 percent you read for Paper One and what you read for the IA, because those are the two pieces of information that we have to make a determination as to the performance and competence of students, so those weighting would have been for that subject; it is as prescribed in the syllabus. We would have agreed, when we went with the modified approach, that the Paper Two would not have been administered.”

He said that CXC is prepared to provide the various Education Ministries with the various methodologies

used to arrive at this year’s examinations’ results.

Questioned about any glitches in the system that might have affected students’ grades, Wesley assured that all checks have been made, and that everything is intact. In fact, he explained that CXC has done all its internal checks, and has reviewed all its data.

According to him, nothing in the Council’s processes and systems has revealed what is being peddled across the region.

Added to that, the Registrar explained that the examination body’s quality assurance mechanism ensures there is a detailed check of every single subject, with a detailed report provided so as to address the issues in a fulsome manner.

Asked specifically to disclose the findings of this year’s moderation when compared to previous years’, he revealed that it showed a difference in the grades awarded by teachers and the grades awarded by the Council. The Registrar noted that the grades have been different in a lot of the cases. For example, he pointed out that grades were either improved or adjusted downward based on the Council’s moderation exercise.

Queries and reviews

Probed about whether CXC would embark on an across-the-board review instead of receiving thousands of individual complaints, he said that CXC would conduct

queries and reviews only at the request of candidates. He added that in cases where this has been done by ministries and local registrars, information has already been provided.

As is customary with the end of the assessment process, he noted, queries will be made; that is why there is a window period between the preliminary results being released and the award of the final certificate. He reassured that concerns raised would be treated with, and the requisite responses provided.

Wesley urged candidate who may have questions about an absent or ungraded result to submit a query. He said that “absent” or “ungraded” is recorded if SBAs were not submitted, or if a component is missing.

Further, he said that queries and concerns were already raised by Education Ministries which are calling for further analyses and reviews of examinations’ data.

According to him, each year, CXC would have candidates making and having queries about their results, and the examinations’ body has a long-established process in place for addressing those concerns. Candidates who have an awarded grade and have concerns about that grade may submit a request for a review at a cost of US$30.

It should be noted that a review of a script may result in a candidate’s overall grade either increasing, de-

creasing, or remaining the same. If a review results in an increase of a candidate’s overall grade, the candidate would be refunded.

Queries and reviews may be submitted through schools for in-school can-

didates receiving acceptable grades.

He noted that, for this year, the performance is 93.25 percent higher than the previous years’ in terms of the number of individuals receiving acceptable grades.

didates, or through the Education Ministry for private candidates. Candidates should note that the deadline for submission of queries and review requests is Friday, October 23, 2020.

In regard to CSEC, he said 79.57 percent of those sitting the exams have received acceptable grades, which is an increase over 2019, 2018 and 2017.

“So, overall, the region would have registered an improved performance for CAPE and CSEC,” he declared.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, in a social media post on Friday, said that at a meeting with CXC, the body agreed to review the papers/work of schools pursuant to a request by the Education Ministry.

Manickchand noted that Guyana would be embarking on the request shortly, and that request would be supported by statistics that give reasons for the concerns. She said that CXC has also committed to resolving the “ungraded” issue by grading the papers that were already sent to them or the local registrar.

At this time, Wesley said, CXC is not considering waiving the fee for candidates seeking a review. Apart from the representation already made by Education ministries, Wesley disclosed, only two countries have made formal complaints, but he was reluctant to disclose the names of the territories.

Improved performance

Wesley, nevertheless, reported that when compared to previous years, the performances this year remained the same in terms of candidates receiving acceptable grades for both CSEC and CAPE. For instance, he said, for CAPE, the performance from 2017 to 2020 showed a gradual improvement in can-

Issues APNU/AFC failed to address in 5 years resolved in 6 weeks – Hamilton

D

escribing in detail the plans and programmes of the Labour Ministry, Minister Joseph Hamilton on Friday affirmed that the newly-established Ministry was able to hit the ground running, and has achieved quite a lot since the PPP/C administration took office in August this year.

“What the Labour Ministry has done in six weeks, in five years, the past (APNU/AFC) Government did not do,” Hamilton asserted as he faced questions from Opposition Members during the consideration of the capital estimates for the various line item heads under the Ministry.

When the APNU/AFC Government took the reins of power in 2015, it reduced the Ministry of Labour to a mere department within the Social Protection Ministry.

However, Hamilton told the National Assembly, under the PPP/C administration, a full-fledged Ministry is being re-established, to tackle all the challenges confronting la-

bour and to help build capacity of the country’s workforce.

He explained that, at present, there is a serious shortage of staff for the various departments within the Ministry in both technical and administrative areas.

Filling the vacancies is critical, he said, in order to ensure the Ministry is equipped with the human resources needed to effectively carry out its functions.

According to Hamilton, the Ministry is working to ensure there are at least two labour officers and two health and safety officers in each of the ten administrative regions.

Another important area of focus, he outlined, is training for staff members within the Ministry, and young people across Guyana.

To this end, he noted, the $140 million allocated to the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) would bring the institution to the level it should be.

“The Board of Industrial Training is not where it should be, and we have already planned and outlined

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton

where it would be going,” he told the House.

The Minister explained that efforts have commenced to expand the BIT programme and take its services to young people across Guyana. He added that the Ministry has already engaged other training institutions, such as the Critchlow Labour College and the Kuru-Kururu College, to see where they can collaborate.

The BIT, he expressed, would also focus on upgrading and training staff members. In this regard, he noted, the Ministry has already

Former Minister within the then Labour Department, Keith Scott

started foreign language training.

“We have already identified twenty-four staff members to start Portuguese.

We…also have a programme to train staff members to do Spanish and Chinese”, he declared.

Meanwhile, APNU/AFC MP Coretta McDonald has suggested that the Minister should also focus on ensuring that persons are trained in the areas of collective bargaining and other labour issues.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Education Ministry, Private Sector sign APNU/AFC transferred prime lands without receiving payments MoU to recognise Coursera credentials …as yet another company returns land to State

Cardiology Services Inc Managing Director, Dr Mahendra Carpen

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ver the past two days, it has been revealed former Finance Minister under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration, Winston Jordan had vested several acres of prime land on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) to companies without receiving full payments.

This was disclosed over the past two days when at least two companies that were allocated prime State land said the titles were vested to them without the completion of payments. As such, the companies have since indicated that they will be reverting the titles to the State to allow for a more transparent process.

The latest company to announce it will be returning the lands obtained at Ogle, ECD is Cardiology Services Inc. Renowned Guyanese cardiologist, Dr Mahendra Carpen, who is the Managing Director of Cardiology Services Inc, secured the lands to construct a state-of-the-art private hospital.

He explained that in 2017, the company reached out to the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) by way of an Expression of Interest (EoI) to purchase various lands in Ogle for the purpose of building a hospital.

Dr Carpen noted that the agreement was signed in February of 2020 – just days before the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

However, he noted that the payments were not completed yet the lands were transferred to the company at a time when the country was embroiled in an electoral impasse after the APNU/ AFC refused to accept the results of a national recount that showed the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the election by over 15,000 votes.

“In June 2020, without the knowledge or participation of Cardiology Services Inc, the property was vested in Cardiology Services Inc though the financial terms of the transaction had not been completed,” Dr Carpen disclosed in a statement on Friday.

As such, the Managing Director noted that given the circumstances surrounding the vesting of the property, Cardiology Services

Inc has agreed to rescind the vesting order without prejudice and allow the reverting of the title of the property to NICIL so as to enable the Government of Guyana to fulfil its mandate to ensure all lands are reclaimed unimpeded.

Nevertheless, Dr Carpen said Cardiology Services Inc still looked forward to working with NICIL and the Guyana Government to “achieve their mutual goals of building a state-of-the-art private hospital at the appropriate time”.

Only on Thursday, Navigant Builders Incorporated – the developer of the Windsor Estate housing community – announced it too would be allowing some 30 acres of lands at Ogle to revert to the State to facilitate a more “transparent” reissuing of lands.

Back in February 2020 – just three days before the March 2 elections – NICIL and Navigant Builders Inc officials turned the symbolic sod for the sprawling Windsor Estate East Coast Project at Ogle.

The US$83 million 30acre development will feature, in addition to a manmade lake and multiple swimming pools, modern home designs along with a commercial zone to include banks, medical facilities, a shopping area and restaurants.

However, subsequent to the March 2 elections, the company said it made no attempts to initiate any transfer of lands or advance the project and on March 6, it announced that the project was suspended owing to the political uncertainty at the time.

But lands were also vested to the developer without completion of payments.

“As the public is aware, immediately after the elections, Navigant Builders announced that it was postponing plans to continue its Ogle Development Project and cancelled all payments to NICIL. In June 2020, unbeknownst to Navigant, NICIL vested the property to us which was subject to our agreement of sale; though we had indicated in writing to NICIL that we cannot move ahead with the said project until such time as the elections crisis was resolved,” Navigant said in a statement.

The vesting orders in both cases were signed by former Minister Jordan.

In addition to the hospital and the housing estate, the coalition Government had also signed several other agreements for the construction of property by international hotel chains in February.

In fact, massive tracts of lands were transferred by the APNU/AFC during its waning days in office.

There was the transfer of some 20 acres of land, at Goedverwagting and Sparendaam, to American

Former Finance Winston Jordan

Minister

Marine and Services Incorporated. The company, located at Lot 215 Cross Street and Mandela Avenue, Alexander Village, was granted the land by NICIL on the basis of a signed order by Jordan also on June 11, 2020.

Guyana Times had previously reported that Bosai Minerals Group also had a total of 1.427 acres of land transferred to it by NICIL, through an order signed by Jordan.

While in Opposition, the PPP/C had cited corruption in several land deals undertaken by the then coalition Government and had indicated that the lands would be repossessed once it assumed office.

In fact, PPP/C’s Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, last month announced that Agriculture Ministry would be revoking lands belonging to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) that were vested to various private entities by NICIL. A Special Purpose Unit (SPU) was established under NICIL to take over the divestment of GuySuCo’s assets that were earmarked for sale following the downsizing of the Sugar Corporation by the David Granger-led coalition.

T

he Education Ministry and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the collaboration between the two entities, particularly for the PSC to recognise the micro-credentials of Guyanese who successfully complete the online courses offered by the Commonwealth of Learning and Coursera.

At the signing of the MoU on Friday, Education Minister Priya Manickchand explained that following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to many persons being forced out of employment, the Commonwealth of Learning and Coursera came together and decided that they were going to craft a Workforce Recovery Programme.

She said that the Programme allowed persons across the Commonwealth to increase their skills, to re-skill or to enhance what they already had.

According to the Minister, Guyana, as a member of the Commonwealth, received invitations in March and June 2020 to join the Programme, but those offers were not taken up.

However, the Education Minister said that on her entry to office, another invitation was issued and it was decided that Guyana would take up the offer, since there were persons who needed to enhance their qualifications or reskill completely.

Minister Manickchand explained that through the partnership, 4000 free courses were being offered

PSC Chairman Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer (seated centre) signing the MoU in the presence of Education Specialist Olato Sam, Ministers Priya Manickchand and Sonia Parag along with Permanent Secretaries of the Education and the Public Service Ministries

on the Coursera platform in various fields such as social sciences, engineering, business and computer studies from reputable or Ivy League Universities.

She said in just over two weeks of having launched the initiative in Guyana, more than 35,000 persons have registered to complete courses, with over 17, 500 persons on the platform working to complete their courses. Further, thus far, 970 persons have graduated from the programme.

Meanwhile, Public Service Minister Sonia Parag said that the Ministry welcomed the initiative as it was an opportunity for persons to gain knowledge from universities that were recognised abroad.

It was explained by the Public Service Minister that the Programme was timely, since the Ministry wanted public servants to be qualified at a level that was performance and results-oriented.

Further, Minister Parag announced that the Public Service Ministry would be recognising the certificates

from the various courses in the many fields of study as a qualification within the particular job description.

Meanwhile, PSC Chairman Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer said that it was a pleasure for the PSC to work with the Education Ministry to sign the MoU. He said that the actions behind the MoU represented people who wanted to empower themselves.

He said that the PSC was happy to promote the initiative and to empower the Guyanese workforce.

Deygoo-Boyer signed the MoU on behalf of the PSC and Permanent Secretary Alfred King signed on behalf of the Education Ministry. Also present at the signing ceremony were Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry, Soyinka Grogan and Education Specialist within the Education Ministry, Olato Sam. The deadline for registration to access these free courses is October 31, 2020.

Interested persons can register on the Ministry’s website at: www.education. gov.gy/upskill.

GA-FDD receives international accreditation

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GA-FDD Inspectorate accreditation certificate

he Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) has acquired international accreditation of its Inspectorate Division.

According to GA-FDD, the International Standard Organisation (ISO) 17020 achievement was conferred by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation

(A2LA).

It also revealed that its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for inspection and Quality Management System were subjected to an assessment exercise by A2LA during the period August 17 to August 20, 2020, after some two years of preparation.

“During the exercise, in-

spection procedures and practical inspections were observed by the body after which only four non-conformances (NCs) were identified at closure,” the GAFDD said on Friday, adding that those non-conformances were quickly rectified by the Department, closed off and returned to the assessor, who revealed that the International Accreditation Council found no objection to conferring the status on the GA-FDD Inspectorate Division.

The GA-FDD accreditation scope includes inspection, sampling and product destruction for food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.

“All certificates and licences issued by the Department will now be accompanied by the A2LA logo, which gives universal recognition of the distinctive work of the Department,” it said, pointing out that the GAFDD was the only accredited Government inspection

body in Guyana and also had the distinction of being the only Government entity in the entire Caribbean Region that is fully a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) with ISO 17020 Inspectorate as well as ISO 17025 Laboratory accreditations.

The GA-FDD said with its accreditation, its immediate plan was to redouble efforts to ensure revision of local archaic legislation, finalising the project for its new and improved state-ofthe-art laboratory and office complex facility, and the complete digitisation of its operating systems.

The Department stated that substandard food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices imports would be an occurrence of the past. It posited that document submissions and all requirements must now be met and there would be no compromising of its system, which would have a negative impact on its accreditation.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Regional

Rio postpones world-famous Defying protests and poverty, Haitians get creative to wed in style Carnival over COVID-19

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R

io de Janeiro’s world-famous carnival parade has been postponed, the samba schools that organise the event announced on Thursday, as the country grapples with the second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak in the world.

Samba schools in Rio de Janeiro announced they would delay the February 2021 Carnival because of COVID-19, and said it would probably not take place until a vaccine was found.

“We came to the conclusion that the event had to be postponed,” said Jorge Castanheira, the President of the group that organises the annual parades, the Independent League of Rio de Janeiro Samba Schools (LIESA).

“It’s increasingly difficult to have Carnival without a vaccine. There is no way to have Carnival without safety.”

Brazil is dealing with the world’s worst outbreak of COVID-19 after the United States, and the Rio Carnival would pose a huge risk: an extended festival of tightly-packed crowds danc-

The 2021 Rio Carnival will be postponed because of the coronavirus. The event last took place in February [Mauro Pimentel/AFP]

ing through the streets and flocking to the city’s iconic “Sambadrome” for enormous parades and all-night partying.

The festival draws millions of domestic and international tourists to the beachside city every year.

LIESA’s announcement applies only to the samba school competition, which involves the country’s 13 best samba schools. Carnival also includes many other events including less-formal

street parties (“bloco”). City authorities have not yet announced whether they will be allowed.

Brazil has diagnosed 4.66 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 140,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

An average of nearly 30,000 new cases and 735 new deaths have been recorded each day over the past two weeks, according to its Health Ministry figures.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Transgender woman killed at army checkpoint in Colombia, prompting outrage

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soldier shot and killed a transgender woman at a military checkpoint in south-western Colombia, prompting outrage from activists and condemnation from politicians.

In a widely-circulated video, Francisco Larranaga, the husband of victim Juliana Giraldo, cries while requesting assistance following her death in the Andean country’s Cauca province on Thursday.

“The army just killed my wife,” Larranaga sobs in the video, adding Giraldo was shot.

The killing was condemned by President Ivan Duque and Defence Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo.

“I condemn this reprehensible act,” Duque said in a message on Twitter, adding he ordered the army and Defence Ministry to conduct a prompt investigation, while calling for the person responsible to be held accountable.

General Marco Mayorga, commander of the army’s third division, gave an interview to local media Caracol Radio on Friday, describing the army’s version of events.

He said a soldier reported shooting at the vehicle’s tyres as it reversed near the checkpoint, thinking it was preparing to drive into it.

“The soldier said he shot at the tyres to stop the vehicle,” Mayorga said. “It seems to me a bullet fell to the pavement and changed course...unfortunately hitting Juliana.”

Colombia’s transgender community often face discrimination and many accuse the Police of perpetuating violence against trans people. (Excerpt from Reuters)

s anti-government protesters in Haiti’s capital blocked principal roads and clashed with Police last year, Stanley Joseph and Daphne Gerard used the city’s winding and potholed backroads to make it to church for their wedding, decked out in all their finery.

The bride had wondered if they should postpone their big day when it became clear a majority of their guests would not make it, due to the violent unrest that had gripped Port-auPrince for months.

But they had spent a lot of money and time planning.

Joseph, 36, felt they could make it work, although that meant chartering a plane to bring Gerard’s parents up from the country’s south-east.

Such is Haiti, where couples often have to surmount seemingly endless obstacles, from unrest and hurricanes to power outages and, above

all, poverty, to get wed.

But wed they do, and in style.

“We always have problems in Haiti. You can’t wait. You just have to get on and overcome them,” said Joseph, who wore a silver suit and lilac tie and boutonniere, matching the bridesmaids’ lilac dresses.

“I was stressed but happy.”

Marriage is not as widespread in Haiti as in other Western countries, giv-

en the long-standing Creole tradition of ‘plasaj’, an informal marital relationship that is common in rural areas but not legally recognised.

Yet marriage has greater prestige and is particularly favoured by Haiti’s wealthier, cosmopolitan urbanites, according to Haitian sociologist Tamas Jean Pierre – not least because it is recognised abroad. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T&T Education Minister promises to address CSEC, CAPE results

T

rinidad’s Education Minister, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has sought to assure students and parents who have expressed concern over the CSEC and CAPE results that all of the required steps to ensure that the issue is adequately addressed will be taken.

The Minister made the commitment as thousands of students across the twin-island republic have expressed displeasure with their results – with some noting inconsistencies in their grades and profiles.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Minister said she has personally spoken to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) on the matter.

She noted that the issue is causing distress, especially for the students involved who are already stressed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Gadsby-Dolly said it was necessary to balance the desire for students to be fairly treated with recognition of the fact that it was critical for queries of this nature to be dealt with through approved and well-defined channels if the integrity of the body that the majority of citizens in the Caribbean Region use for certification was to be maintained.

At least four petitions have been created to demand a review of grades by CXC. The Education Minister said while no institution could reasonably use that as a basis for review of all

grades, it raises awareness of the matter.

“Certainly, many persons can and will sign an online petition once they disagree with an assigned grade. This petition is circling the Region; in Trinidad and Tobago over 23, 000 candidates sat CXC exams, in Jamaica, over 60, 000 – that equates to over 300, 000 subject entries that can be queried in those two countries alone, with statistics from Barbados, Guyana, etc, not being quoted here.

The online regional petition gathering 12, 000 signatures then, can be understood contextually. (Excerpt from CMC)

It said the initiative was done in support of the nation’s e-learning efforts.

“These SEA students are now making that critical transition from primary into secondary school and we understand the importance of being ‘present’ at the start of the term.

By giving free service for their first month at their new school, we hope that we are helping them off to a good start,” said Colin Greaves, Head of Public

Relations, Digicel.

The plan gives 30 days of unlimited calls to local Digicel mobile and Digicel landline numbers, 75 anywhere minutes, six GB of LTE data to access the Internet, free premium D’Music and messaging so students can video and voice call.

The release said parents need to present the child’s SEA slip to redeem the offer. (Trinidad Newsday)

Chinese fishing fleet off Peru stirs up Trinidad: Digicel offers free diplomatic waters as navy monitors Internet to students for 1 month

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eru’s Navy on Friday was carefully watching a fleet of around 250 Chinese fishing vessels that had sailed just outside the Andean country’s waters, angering the domestic fishing industry and sparking a Twitter war between Washington and Beijing.

The fleet, previously fishing for giant squid near the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador, was detected this week by Peruvian naval forces some 370.15 kilometres (230 miles) off the

coast of the country, the local maritime authority reported.

“Our Navy is making overflights ensuring there are no such vessels within the scope of our jurisdiction, which is 200 miles,” Defence Minister Jorge Chávez told reporters on Friday.

The commander of the Coast Guard operations, Rear Admiral Jorge Portocarrero, told Reuters the fleet was identified and located after a low-al-

titude flight of an exploration aircraft and a patrol vessel between Sunday and Wednesday.

“Not all are in a single place, they are scattered,” he said, adding there were 250-270 ships. “We have no evidence of them having entered our maritime space.”

The United States Embassy in Lima said the Chinese vessels had a history of avoiding tracking and seemed to “be dumping plastic” pollutants. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T

elecommunications company Digicel is offering all 19,344 students who wrote the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam on August 20 free mobile service with Internet for one month.

In a release issued earlier this week, the company said a further 25 per cent discount on mobile plans will be offered to the students until the end of the year.

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Shell set to load 1st oil from 1 of Libya’s open ports

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upermajor Shell has provisionally chartered an oil tanker to load crude from one of Libya’s three open ports at the end of next week in what could be the first crude loading at the port since January, Reuters reported on Friday, citing shipping data from Refinitiv Eikon.

According to the data, the Amoureux tanker is set to load one million barrels of crude oil at the Zueitina port on October 3, after the port was open and force majeure lifted on September 22.

The Amoureux crude oil tanker is currently travelling from Algeciras, Spain, to Canakkale in Turkey, according to MarineTraffic.

As of Friday, Libya’s oil terminals at Hariga, Brega, and Zueitina are open for business and welcoming tankers to ship oil, although the biggest port and the terminal typically exporting the oil from the biggest oilfield in the country are still under force majeure.

On Tuesday, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) lifted the force majeure on the Zueitina port after seeing “significant improvement in the security situation that allows the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to resume production and exports to global markets”. (Excerpt from oilprice.com)

Global COVID-19 deaths may hit 2 million before vaccine in use – WHO

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he global coronavirus (COVID-19) death toll could hit two million before an effective vaccine is widely used, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.

Mike Ryan, the WHO's emergencies Head, said the figure could be even higher without concerted international action.

The number of COVID-19 deaths is fast approaching one million – nine months after the outbreak started in China.

Ryan also urged Europeans to ask them-

The WHO's warning comes as a number of European countries are facing a spike in infections

selves whether they had done enough to avoid the need for lockdowns.

He questioned wheth-

er all the alternatives had been implemented, like testing and tracing, quarantine, isolation, social distanc-

ing, wearing masks, and hand-washing.

Earlier, Spain's capital Madrid brought another eight districts under tougher coronavirus restrictions, which now affect a million people in the city.

In France, staff from bars and restaurants in the southern city Marseille protested against the closure of their workplaces which was brought in on Saturday.

And in the United Kingdom, tougher restrictions were announced in several regions as new daily infections rise. (BBC News)

Putin says Russia, US Kim Jong-un apologises should agree not to meddle for killing of South in each other's elections Korean official – South

Paris attack: Stabbing near Charlie Hebdo office “an act of terror”

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stabbing in Paris that left two people seriously injured is being treated as a terror attack, the French Interior Minister has said.

Gérald Darmanin said the attack near the former office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was "clearly an act of Islamist terrorism".

An 18-year-old man of Pakistani origin described as the main suspect was arrested near the scene.

Six other people are in custody and are being questioned, Police said.

The victims – a man and a woman who worked at a TV production company – were seriously injured by a ma-

chete-type weapon, Police said. Prime Minister Jean Castex told reporters at the scene – near the Boulevard Richard-Lenoir – that their lives were not in danger.

The attack came as a high-profile trial was under way of 14 people accused of helping two jihadists carry out the 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo, in which 12 people were killed.

The magazine has since moved to a secret location.

In an interview with broadcaster France 2, Darmanin described the stabbing as "a new bloody attack against our country, against Journalists". (Excerpt from BBC News)

Military plane crashes in Ukraine, killing 22

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military transport plane carrying 28 people crashed and burst into flames in north-eastern Ukraine on Friday evening, killing at least 22 people on board, officials said.

Rescue workers were on the scene. Air force pilots and cadets were on the plane, the Interior Ministry said.

At least two people were injured and taken to hospital in serious condition, and the search continued for the others, Deputy Interior Minister

P

resident Vladimir Putin called on Friday for an agreement between Russia and the United States to guarantee not to engage in cyber-meddling in each other’s elections.

In a statement ahead of the US presidential election on November 3, Putin called for a reset between Russia and the United States, and said he wanted an agreement between the two countries to prevent incidents in cyberspace. “(I propose)... exchanging guarantees of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, including electoral processes, including using information and communication technologies and high-tech methods,” he said.

Moscow’s relations with Washington are at post-Cold

War lows as the election looms.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election with the aim of tilting it in Donald Trump’s favour, including by hacking into the campaign of his rival Hillary Clinton. Moscow denies that charge.

Trump is currently campaigning for re-election against Democrat Joe Biden.

Putin proposed the two countries reach an agreement to prevent major cyberspace incidents, something he compared to a 1972 US-Soviet treaty reached at the height of the Cold War to prevent incidents at sea and in the air from escalating.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the incident should never have happened

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orth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has issued a rare personal apology for the killing of a South Korean official, Seoul says.

Kim reportedly told South Korean leader Moon Jae-in that the "disgraceful affair" should not have happened.

South Korea has said the 47-year-old man was found by troops floating in the North's waters.

He was then shot dead and his body was set alight, according to Seoul.

It is not known what the man was doing there. The South Korean Government has said he may have been trying to defect to the North, but his family has denied

this.

The killing – the first of a South Korean citizen by North Korean forces for a decade – has caused outrage in the South.

The border between the Koreas is tightly policed, and the North is thought to have a "shoot-to-kill" policy in place to prevent coronavirus from entering the country.

The apology came in the form of a letter sent to President Moon which acknowledged that the incident should not have happened, according to South Korea's presidential office, also known as the Blue House. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Cardinal Becciu: Vatican official forced out in rare resignation

Anton Gerashchenko said.

The crash happened around two kilometres (1.2 miles) from a military airport, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement.

“The bodies of 22 people were found, two people were injured and the search for four people continues,” it said.

The plane was on a training flight, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement, citing preliminary information. (Reuters)

H

i g h - r a n k i n g Vatican official Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu has unexpectedly resigned, but has revealed he was told to do so by Pope Francis.

He said he was suspected of giving Church money to his brothers, and denied any wrongdoing.

Cardinal Becciu was a close aide to the Pope and previously had a key job in the Vatican's Secretariat of State.

He became involved in a controversial deal to invest in a luxury London building with Church funds.

That investment has since been the subject of a financial investigation.

Resignations at this level of the Vatican are extremely rare and the Holy See said little in its communiqué released late on Thursday.

But the cardinal, 72, told Italian website Domani he was being forced out, be-

cause he was suspected of giving Church money to his brothers. "I didn't steal even one euro. I am not under investigation, but if they send me to trial, I will defend myself," he was quoted as saying.

Speaking later at a news conference, the cardinal said his removal had come "like a bolt out of the blue".

He said the Pope "was suffering" when he delivered the news.

"It's all surreal. Up un-

til yesterday... I felt I was a friend of the Pope, the faithful executor of the Pope.

"Then the Pope told me that he no longer had faith in me because he got a report from magistrates that I committed an act of misappropriation."

Cardinal Becciu insisted there had been "a misunderstanding", adding: "I am ready to explain everything to the Pope. I have not done anything wrong."(Excerpt from BBC News)

20

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Keep your opinions to yourself until you get a better sense of what everyone else is thinking. Make personal improvements, health and fitness priorities.

Moderation will help you avoid making a mistake.

Slow down and plan your TAURUS moves. Too much too fast (April 20will put you in a precarious May 20) situation. A stubborn attitude will not help you gain respect or support.

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

An opportunity may appear to be crystal clear, but you will discover obstacles that need addressing first.

Question your motives and if the consequence of your action is worthwhile.

Listen, compromise and keep the peace to avoid an outcome that will ruin your day. Let others do as they please, and you’ll be offered the same in return. Romance is favored.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Having a broader view of what’s happening will lead to alternative measures that favor everyone. Be the mediator, not the one stirring up trouble. A change will lead to a new beginning.

LIBRA

Trust your instincts and do what feels right. Personal improvements will make you feel good and result in compliments from someone you admire. A relationship looks promising.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

Deliver what you promise, and move on to interests that will bring you peace and happiness. Home and personal improvements are favored, and love and romance will lead to a greater understanding.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Gather facts. When in doubt, ask questions. Don’t make a move if uncertainty prevails. Observation is your best bet until your vision is crystal clear.

Remove yourself from risky situations, and concentrate on physical improvement, fitness, health and the pastimes that bring you comfort and joy.

Romance is on the rise.

A discussion with a friend or relative will raise issues that will cause concern and anger, but in the end, it will be what saves you from making a mistake you regret.

Focus on personal partnerships and you’ll come up with a workable solution to any problems you face. Togetherness can be achieved with a little tender loving care.

Take control instead of being manipulated. A change will end up being in your favor if you don’t reveal secrets. Slow down, and refuse to let anyone back you into a corner.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Effects of COVID-19 on English Football…

Spurs awarded bye in Carabao Cup fixture against Leyton Orient

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rimsby’s European Football League game called off Tottenham have been awarded a bye into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, after Leyton Orient failed to fulfil the third-round fixture because the majority of their squad tested positive for COVID-19.

The Spurs have progressed, and will host Chelsea in the next round on Tuesday.

Orient had hoped to reschedule the game, given it was worth about £150,000 in television and sponsorship revenue, but the English Football League board determined that, in line with competition rules, the League Two club had to forfeit the match.

Orient’s game at Walsall on Saturday was called off on Thursday, and more than a dozen players are thought to be self-isolating as per government guidance.

On Friday, Grimsby’s game at Cheltenham became the second League Two fixture postponed

because of coronavirus.

“Due to a positive case of COVID-19 being identified within the Grimsby Town squad, it has resulted in other players and staff being required to self-isolate in line with EFL and government guidance,” a European Football League (EFL) statement said. “As a result, the club has advised the EFL it considers it is unable to safely fulfill this weekend’s fixture.”

Testing is not mandatory in the EFL, but Orient accepted Spurs’ offer to pay for testing – which costs about £5,000.

The tests took place after last Saturday’s draw against Mansfield, who have returned a set of negative results from precautionary tests in the wake of the outbreak at Orient.

An EFL investigation involving Waltham Forest Council, the local authority, and Public Health England into how such an outbreak occurred, given the league’s stringent medical regulations and protocols, is ongoing.

Orient’s manager Ross Embleton said: “We’re devastated that this has happened, but this club is used to setbacks. It’s really important that players, staff and supporters stick together through tough times.”

José Mourinho is angry at the scheduling of the Chelsea game, sandwiched between Premier League and Europa League matches, and indicated the Carabao Cup tie would be bottom of his priority list.

Asked how he ranked the three games in importance, Tottenham’s manager said: “I think the EFL ranked them by themselves. We don’t need to rank, because they did for us.

When they want us to play 48 hours after we finish a Premier League game and 48 before we play for our presence in the Europa League, I think they rank by themselves.

So, I don’t need to rank for us.” (The Guardian)

Johnston leads historic

Roosters' humiliation with 5 tries to leave Robinson "embarrassed"

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ydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson was left feeling "embarrassed" after watching his side being thrashed 60-8 by the Alex Johnston-inspired arch-rivals South Sydney Rabbitohs in Friday's NRL action, while the Gold Coast Titans swept aside the Newcastle Knights 36-6.

The Roosters went into the match in third place, four places ahead of the Rabbitohs on the table for

the final round of the regular season, but found themselves on the receiving end of a historic battering.

The Bunnies claimed their biggest-ever win over the Roosters to make sure of a home match in the elimination finals, while the omens are not great for the latter – no side has ever won the Grand Final after having conceded 50 points or more in a single game that season.

Robinson's side actually

began as the stronger team, getting the first try of the match after just three minutes; but were soon pegged back and ultimately blown away. Johnston was the star of the show as he tapped down five times, including three in the final eight minutes.

"It hurts a lot. It's very embarrassing for us! There's not much more to say to that, really," Robinson summarised. "To go out and perform like that – it was really disappointing. I can imagine you can't feel much worse."

The Knights produced a similarly limp display against the Titans, who were in charge practically from start to finish.

Ashley Taylor got try number one in the second minute of the game in what was a sign of things to come.

He later completed a hattrick and also kicked three goals, as the Knights head into their finals meeting with the buoyant Rabbitohs in shaky form. (Sportsmax)

21

NBA Western Conference finals…

Lakers beat Nuggets 114-108 in Game 4

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he Los Angeles Lakers moved to within one win of the NBA Finals with a 114-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets in game four of the Western Conference finals in Orlando.

Anthony Davis scored a game-high 34 points, while LeBron James added 26, plus nine rebounds and eight assists.

Jamal Murray top-scored for the Nuggets with 32 points, but missed all of his three-point efforts.

The Lakers lead the bestof-seven series 3-1, with game five due for play on Saturday.

"I feel like we played with a lot of energy tonight," Lakers guard Kentavious CaldwellPope told TNT. "Game three, I feel we had a lack of energy starting the game.

I thought tonight we came out strong. We kept a lead the whole game."

The Lakers closed out their previous two series - against the Portland Trail Blazers

and Houston Rockets - in five games. They look set to meet the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, the holders of a 3-1 lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, with game five set for play on Friday.

After Thursday's match, James paid tribute to Breonna Taylor - a black woman who was shot multiple times as Police officers stormed her home in Louisville, Kentucky, on 13 March. Two white officers have not been charged

over the shooting; while a third, also white, was charged with endangering 26-year-old Taylor's neighbours.

"The emotions were very high,” said James. “We have a team-mate who is from Louisville; so, as heavy as it has been on us, it's even heavier on him. We lost a beautiful woman in Breonna, that has no say so in what's going on right now.

"We want justice, no matter how long it takes."

(BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Prithvi Shaw, bowlers make it 2 wins in 2 for Delhi Capitals T

hree nights ago, the Chennai Super Kings had settled for protecting their net run rate, after falling too far behind the asking rate in a chase of 217 against the Rajasthan Royals. Today, they were never in the reckoning in a chase of 176 playing against the Delhi Capitals.

The Delhi Capitals possess one of the better bowling attacks in the competition, but hobbling to 47 for 3 at the 10-over mark said far more about the inadequacies in the Super Kings' batting.

Ambati Rayudu, the match-winner in their season-opener against the Mumbai Indians, was out with a hamstring injury, but it will still concern the Super Kings that they weren't able to put together a line-up that could chase a target that, while testing, needed them to score less than nine an over.

Axar Patel bowled tight lines of spin with the new ball in a rare spell - for this season at least - and took out the Super Kings' only real source of top-order muscle, Shane Watson.

Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje also proved difficult to confront, their find-

Prithvi Shaw scored a brilliant 64

could have put more pressure on the Capitals’ bowling, and possibly shown up a somewhat conservative batting performance too.

After a half-century from

both relish width, score a lot of runs square on the off-side, and aren't quite as fluent when the bowling is at their body and cramping them for room.

The Super Kings - who chose to chase despite the fact that teams batting first had won six of the first seven matches - bowled pace right through the Powerplay, and succeeded more often in cramping Dhawan for room than Shaw.

Shaw ended the Powerplay with 27 off 23 balls, and Dhawan with 7 off 13. The Super Kings could have had Shaw early had they spotted an inside-edge to the keeper off Deepak Chahar in the first over of the game, but they didn't, and no one appealed.

The spinners came on as soon as the fields could spread, and Piyush Chawla and Ravindra Jadeja went for 28 and 24 respectively in their first two overs.

Shaw was severe on the leg-spin of Chawla, crashing him through the covers, and then backward of point when offered shortish balls with a bit of width in his first over; and then using his feet to twice loft him over the covers in his second.

Jadeja, bowling a touch too close to the hitting arcs of both batsmen, was slogswept on one occasion by either batsman, and driven to the cover boundary by Dhawan.

A subdued second half

Anrich Nortje supported with 2-21

ing a bit of early movement before shifting to the hard lengths. But without Rayudu, and without Suresh Raina, and with the team management not promoting Sam Curran up the order to break up a monotonously right-handed top six, there was little power or invention in the Super Kings’ line-up to challenge the Capitals' bowlers.

A better batting line-up

Prithvi Shaw had powered them to 88 for no loss at the 10-over mark, the Capitals never really found their top gear, and failed to clear 180 despite losing only three wickets.

Shaw ensures early momentum for the Capitals

Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan are a right-left pair, but they're similar batsmen otherwise. They

Chawla came back through the second half of his spell and pegged the Capitals back with the wickets of both openers. The quicker ball did the trick both times, pinning Dhawan in front while trying to reverse-sweep, and beating Shaw for pace when he skipped out of his crease too early.

At 103 for 2 in the 13th over, the Capitals were still calling all the shots, with Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer at the crease, and Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer still to come; but the Super Kings’ bowlers kept them in check with some tight bowling on a pitch that was just beginning to slow down.

Chahar and Josh Hazlewood - who came in for his IPL debut in place of Lungi Ngidi - slanted the ball across Pant and away from his favoured hitting arc, and even though the left-hander put away a few marginal errors in line and length, the tactic ensured he didn't fully break loose.

There was an excellent 19th over as well from Curran, which only went for four runs, as Iyer struggled to put away the left-armer who went around the wicket and cramped him for room while bowling his cutters into the pitch.

Kagiso Rabada took 3-26

A boundary each from Pant and Stoinis off Hazlewood, and four leg byes via an uncharacteristic MS Dhoni lapse behind the stumps, gave the Capitals 14 in their final over. They had made only 87 in their last 10 overs.

A chase that never was

The first two matches of the season had brought M Vijay 22 runs off 29 balls.

There was little fluency here as well, as Kagiso Rabada - bowling Testmatch lengths with a hint of outswing and two slips in place - began the second innings with five dots and a quiet tuck off the legs to

fine leg.

Then Axar came on specifically to target Watson.

Before this game, their head-to-head over seven meetings was 38 balls, 42 runs, and five dismissals.

Watson survived Axar's first over, had a chance dropped at square leg off Nortje in the next over, launched Avesh Khan for a big six over wide long-on in the over after that, then failed to survive Axar's second over. The ball was a typical Axar delivery - just short of a length, skidding on with the angle from left-arm around, designed to cramp the right-hander for room. Watson pulled it with more power than most batsmen may have managed, but picked out the fielder at deep midwicket.

The Super Kings lost their second wicket off the last ball of the Powerplay, Vijay failing to make a clean connection against a hard-length ball from Nortje, and miscuing a catch to midwicket.

The equation at that point was 142 from 14 overs. It was theoretically still achievable, but the Super Kings' victory chances faded quickly, with no boundaries coming in the next 5.2 overs, thanks to a mixture of decent bowling, a lack of urgency from the batsmen, and an inability to pull off the big hits when they tried them.

Soon the Super Kings’ innings began to resemble an open net session, and a 54-run fourth-wicket stand between Faf du Plessis and Kedar Jadhav merely served to fill the time that remained until the overs ran out. (ESPNcricinfo)

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SCOREBOARD DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) PP Shaw st †Dhoni b Chawla S Dhawan lbw b Chawla RR Pant † not out SS Iyer (c) c †Dhoni b Curran MP Stoinis not out Extras (lb 5, w 3)

64 35 37 26 5 8

TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 8.75) 175/3 Did not bat: SO Hetmyer, AR Patel, A Mishra, K Rabada, A Nortje, Avesh Khan Fall of wickets: 1-94 (Shikhar Dhawan, 10.4 ov), 2-103 (Prithvi Shaw, 12.2 ov), 3-161 (Shreyas Iyer, 18.6 ov) BOWLING DL Chahar SM Curran JR Hazlewood PP Chawla RA Jadeja

4-0-38-0 4-0-27-1 4-0-28-0 4-0-33-2 4-0-44-0

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS (TARGET: 176 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) M Vijay c Rabada b Nortje SR Watson c Hetmyer b Patel F du Plessis c †Pant b Rabada RD Gaikwad run out (†Pant/Patel) KM Jadhav lbw b Nortje MS Dhoni (c) † c †Pant b Rabada RA Jadeja c Mishra b Rabada SM Curran not out Extras (lb 1, w 4)

10 14 43 5 26 15 12 1 5

TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.55) 131/7 Did not bat: PP Chawla, DL Chahar, JR Hazlewood Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Shane Watson, 4.2 ov), 2-34 (Murali Vijay, 5.6 ov), 3-44 (Ruturaj Gaikwad, 9.1 ov), 4-98 (Kedar Jadhav, 15.4 ov), 5-113 (Faf du Plessis, 17.2 ov), 6-130 (MS Dhoni, 19.3 ov), 7-131 (Ravindra Jadeja, 19.6 ov) BOWLING K Rabada AR Patel A Nortje Avesh Khan A Mishra

4-0-26-3 4-0-18-1 4-0-21-2 4-0-42-0 4-0-23-0

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Crandon confident of improved collective batting performance from West Indies Women in England

By Brandon Corlette

T

he West Indies Women are on the brink of a series defeat, having lost the first two matches in the five-match T20 series against England. In the third match, which is slated to bowl off from 8:00h today (Saturday, September 26), the West Indies Women will be aiming to turn things around. On the eve of that match, Assistant Coach Esuan Crandon has said the Caribbean women will be looking to produce an improved and collective batting effort.

Deandra Dottin has played a ‘lone hand’ in the first two matches. Across both teams, she is the only woman who has scored more than 100 runs in this series so far.

Crandon has said the batters have not performed as expected, but, as a team, an improved collective batting performance from other batters would do justice for the likes of Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews (the top three).

"It is a matter for these girls to take responsibility. It has not happened as yet, but we are con-

Team West Indies Women

fident that other batters will support from the next game onwards," Crandon has said.

The West Indies Women have twice played an unchanged team in as many matches. When quizzed about any possible changes to the starting XI, Crandon said it was up to the selectors, the Head Coach and the captain.

In terms of the trend of winning the toss and opting to chase, Crandon believes these decisions are made based on the conditions.

"At the end of the day, we had our plans why we asked them

(England) to bat first, but it did not work out for us; so, we always have plans and reasons behind these decisions," he has offered.

Dottin, a star all-rounder, has shown her skill with the bat in this series, but is yet to bowl. On the eve of the match, she was seen bowling in the nets, and Assistant Coach Crandon has explained that the star all-rounder is being carefully managed, since she is still recuperating.

"We don't feel we need to rush her back into bowling, but we will do so at the appropriate time,"

Crandon explained.

The batting has been the biggest letdown thus far in this series, but Crandon has voiced his belief that rotation of the strike has, to some extent, shown a glimpse of competitiveness from the West Indies Women.

This successful Guyanese Coach has said the West Indies Women were outplayed by the number of boundaries their opponents hit, and that has made a

difference in terms of team totals scored.

After two defeats, some changes are anticipated in the West Indies starting XI, with Guyanese Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Cherry-Ann Fraser and Kaysia Schultz being eager to showcase their skills at some point in this series. In terms of readiness, Crandon has said that management is keeping each and every player sharp. He noted that all the players in the squad are prepared to grab the opportunity to play whenever it arises.

West Indies Women’s full squad reads: Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle, Afy Fletcher, Hayley Matthews, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Natasha McLean, Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, LeeAnn Kirby, Sheneta Grimmond, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Kaysia Schultz.

Lara XI win “Canada "Dottin will be eased Bash” softball trophy back into bowling"

T

he Lara X1 team emerged victorious against their Northern Warriors counterparts in the inaugural “Canada Bash” ten-ten softball tournament played on Sunday at Greenbriar ground in Brampton, Toronto.

Northern Warriors had taken first strike in the match after winning the toss, and had posted a challenging 83 all out from the 10 overs faced; but the Lara X1 had replied emphatically with 84-1 in the 9th over.

Native Essequibian Anil Etwaroo led the way with an enterprising 35 for the Lara XI, while former Berbice Inter-county softball player Yadram ‘Lara’ Bogh supported with an unbeaten 32. Ex-Guyana youth player Shaun Deonandan also ‘shone’ at the end, making 15 not out.

For the Northern Warriors, Fareer Juman hit a top-score of 18, being the only batsman to offer a fight as wickets tumbled around him.

Shazam Baksh was the chief destroyer, taking three wickets for 28 runs from his maximum two overs. Mohan Harihar claimed two wickets in conceding 18 runs from two overs. Deonandan, who produced an excellent allround performance in scoring 15 runs and taking two wickets for 21 runs in his two-over spell that helped bowl out the Warriors, was

— WI Women’s Coach Andre Coley says player still on recovery programme

W

Deandra Dottin

Shaun Deonandan was named “player of the tournament”

named player-of-the-match for his display.

The presentation ceremony that followed the game saw the Lara X1 collecting a trophy and Cdn$4,000, while the Warriors, as runners-up, pocketed Cdn$2,000 and collected a trophy as well.

Besides collecting a trophy, Deonandan was given a specially-made diamond ring valued at Cdn$1,500 for his all-round performance.

Canada-based Guyanese Rajesh Willie, organis-

er of this two-day tournament which attracted six teams, said he was satisfied with the outcome, which he deemed a great success. He applauded the winners, and thanked all the teams for their participation.

Willie also informed that the tournament would be bigger next year, and that the most successful team would receive Cdn$10,000.

Further, he mentioned that he is inviting participation from softball teams in Guyana.

est Indies Women’s interim coach Andre Coley has disclosed that the team is still easing all-rounder Deandra Dottin back into full action against England, after a lengthy injury layoff.

With scores of 69 and 38 in the T20 series so far, Dottin has looked anything but rusty. Notably, she is yet to have a turn with the ball.

As she often has, Dottin would prove more than a valuable weapon for the

West Indies with the ball as well; in 115 matches, she has claimed 59 wickets.

In early 2019, all-rounder Dottin suffered a serious injury to her right shoulder, which required reconstructive surgery in June of last year, and Coley insists the team is still doing recovery work with her.

“She’s just recovered from injury. It’s no secret that our players haven’t been able to do much for a very long time,” Coley said.

“Deandra is on a back-

to- bowling programme.

She started that whilst we were here, so she is still on that. We need to make sure that she is 100 percent (recovered), to be able to bowl competitively. She has been doing bowling work behind the scenes in training,” he added.

“We are comfortable in terms of where she is at, but we want to make sure that, long term, she is okay and she can bowl at the intensity she wants to consistently, and not just for a game or two.”

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

guyanatimesgy.com

Prithvi Shaw, bowlers make it 2 wins in 2 for Delhi Capitals

"Dottin will be eased back into bowling"

— WI Women’s Coach Andre Coley says player still on recovery programme

Pg 23

Pg 22

Lara XI win “Canada Bash” softball trophy

Crandon confident of improved collective batting performance from West Indies Women in England Pg 23

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