Guyana Times -- Thursday, July 30, 2020

ExxonMobil found 2 highquality reservoirs offshore Guyana in 2020 – Hess

P12 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4362

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

US Democrats, Republicans both insist recount be used for declaration Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Lab staff at GPHC worried over P15 COVID exposure

9 homeless after fire razes Canal No 1 home P13

...both parties support democratic elections abroad – lobbyist

Appeal Court to rule today on validity of recount order

Woman nabbed at NA Prison attempting to smuggle ganja in tennis rolls

Page 7

Appellate Judge, Justice Dawn Gregory

Appellate Judge, Justice Rishi Persaud

High Court Judge, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry

Electoral situation in Guyana “I did is “beyond everything scandalous” within the law” – analysts – GECOM Chair …say no progress, sustainable See stories on pages 8 & 13

investment until democratic …as private criminal charges filed against her …DPP must step in, throw out charges – Nandlall transition of Govt Page 10

Ending political impasse crucial to win battle against COVID-19 – IDB Page 11

P8

Armed bandits beat, rob Essequibo Coast P14 family

GuySuCo P12 misleading nation about production shortfall – GAWU Man in custody after lover P14 suddenly dies 2 new COVID-19 cases recorded

…active cases stand at 193 P7

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, July 30 – 01:30h-03:00h and 13:30h-15:00h and Friday, July 31 – 02:30h-04:00h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, July 30 – 13:00h-14:30h and Friday, July 31 – 14:10h-15:40h.

US Democrats, Republicans both insist recount be used for declaration

...both parties support democratic elections abroad – lobbyist

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Expect sunshine during the day interrupted by thundery showers in the mid-afternoon hours. Clear skies are expected in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to North-Westerly between 1.34 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 13:07h reaching a maximum height of 2.26 metres.

Low Tide: 06:33h and 18:57h reaching minimum heights of 0.84 metre and 0.97 metre.

Jonathan Slade, a Democratic partner in the Washingtonbased Cormac Group

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lections in the United States are due in November of this year.

However, if some believe that a change in administration would mean a change in US policy of pushing for democracy in Guyana, a US lobbyist has warned, such beliefs are mistaken.

This view was expressed by Jonathan Slade, a Democratic partner in the Washington-based Cormac Group. Slade made it clear that he is not only a Democrat who supports Democratic candidate Joe Biden, but he also has experience in foreign policy issues.

"I feel obliged to inform the people of Guyana that the Democratic Party has always strongly championed democracy and human rights. I do this because, apparently, some unauthorised individuals in Georgetown or Washington are pretending to speak for Vice President Biden, with no regard to his long history of support for free elections and the alternation of power," he wrote.

"From Jimmy Carter to Bill Clinton to Barack Obama, Democratic Presidents have always supported free elections and a peaceful transition when an opposition party receives the majority of the votes cast. If Joe Biden wins the US election in November, he will undoubtedly carry on this tradition," Slade wrote.

In fact, Slade recalled previous statements Biden had made in July, in which he had said that if he was elected, he would “revitalise our national commitment to advancing human rights and democracy around the world.”

Slade pointed out that additionally, Biden had, a few months ago, said that in his first year, he would host a Global Summit for Democracy, to “strengthen democratic institutions.”

He therefore noted that persons should not take comfort in believing that if current US President Donald Trump leaves office, sanctions and pressure will suddenly be lifted off the backs of those trying to rig elections in Guyana.

"If Biden wins the November election and the Granger Government is still grasping (at) power, there will be no basis for the new US Administration to reverse the sanctions on Guyana

put in place by the Trump Administration. There is no doubt in my mind that a new President Biden will follow in the footsteps of his Democratic predecessors and support the outcome of the election in Guyana of March 2020, as ratified by the recount of June."

Slade added that the people of Guyana should not be fooled by a political cabal illegally clinging to power.

“Whether Trump or Biden wins in November, the US sanctions in Guyana will stay in place unless the legitimate winner of the March elections is acknowledged and allowed to form a new Government," he said.

Bipartisan

Slade also emphasised that both Democrat and Republican sides of the political aisle in Washington are expressing concern at the attempts to rig Guyana's election in favour of the incumbent government. In fact, he likened Granger's refusal to withhold power to Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro's own grip on power.

He added that the refusal of the Granger Government to concede the loss and peacefully hand over power is disturbing to Americans, whether Democrats or Republicans.

“In reaction to a similar situation next door to Guyana, in Venezuela, Democrats in the US Congress have joined with their Republican colleagues in rejecting the Maduro regime’s fraudulent elections and recognising Juan Guaidó as the legitimate President of Venezuela," he wrote.

“Most Senate and House Democrats have supported the successive Bush, Obama, and Trump Administration injunctions on Venezuela,

including the revocation of visas and oil sanctions.

The Granger Government’s attempted power grab in Guyana is not that different from how the Maduro

ers and International observers were shocked that, once again, Granger and his party refused to accept defeat."

Slade described the efforts of Chief Election Officer

"The people of Guyana should not be fooled by a political cabal illegally clinging to power.

Whether Trump or Biden wins in November, the US sanctions in Guyana will stay in place, unless the legitimate winner of the March elections is acknowledged and allowed to form a new Government " – Jonathan Slade, Washington-based lobbyist regime acted in Venezuela.

The Granger Government’s legitimacy has been questioned since it did not call for speedy elections after it lost a vote of confidence back in late 2018."

He pointed out that, since 2019, President Granger has disregarded the Constitution which stipulated that elections should have been held in three months’ time. Slade noted that this has not gone unnoticed in Washington.

Elections were held more than a year later, and Granger's A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) claimed victory off of a discredited Region Four declaration.

"International observers were appalled it took over two months to work out the details of the recount. Even more concerning, international observers were deeply disappointed that the Granger Government allowed only Caricom back into the country to observe the recount, and refused others, like the well-respected Carter Center.

"When the long overdue recount finally occurred, most Washington policymak-

Keith Lowenfield, who dumped over 115,000 votes from the recount in order to give Granger a win, as "one of the most outrageous attempts to undermine elections ever seen in the non-communist world."

The lobbyist reeled off the long list of both Democratic and Republican politicians who have called for the certified results of the recount to be used to declare a winner of the elections.

Even the members of the Congressional Black Caucus have called for the results of the elections to be respected by the two major parties.

However, Slade noted that only one of those parties has respected the results.

The certified recount has shown that the People's Progressive Party (PPP) won the March 2 General and Regional Elections by more than 15,416 votes. However, most of the APNU/AFC operatives have refused to accept defeat, and have taken to the courts to drag out the process, much like last year, when APNU/AFC utilised the courts in a futile attempt to delay holding elections. (G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

Views Guyana is not APNU/AFC’s personal property 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

The end is near?

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t is now approaching five months since the March 2 General and Regional Elections were held in Guyana, and there is no declaration of a winner, even though the results are widely known. This, we know, is largely due to the fact that the incumbent APNU/AFC has lost power, and is fighting to hang on, and is using every avenue possible, including the court system, to buy time.

The fact remains that the David Granger-led Coalition has been defeated, and must leave Government. No person or authority can change that fact. While the APNU/AFC may want to employ delaying tactics -- which it has managed to do since December 2018, after the no-confidence vote -- this situation must come to an end. And from all indications, that time is very near.

The Court of Appeal is scheduled to hand down its decisions today (Thursday) in the case that is seeking to block the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from moving ahead in making a declaration of the March 2 General and Regional Elections using the certified Recount results.

In effect, what the APNU/AFC is asking the court to do is to discard the results of the National Recount and compel GECOM to use the March 13 declarations, which include Clairmont Mingo’s fraudulent figures for District Four, to make its final declaration.

We are certain that no court or institution would go the route of endorsing or directing GECOM to use discredited results to declare a winner. Not only is this legally wrong, it is enough to create chaos and confusion in a society that is already tension-filled. No one wants to see Guyana descend into such a state.

Based on the count and the Recount, the majority of citizens have voted for the PPP/C as the Government they wish to see take charge of managing the affairs of the country, and hence that party must be allowed to govern in peace.

We have taken note of yet another attempt by agents of the Coalition to abuse the court process by bringing private criminal charges against GECOM Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh over the Commission’s decision to engage in a National Recount exercise.

One has to ask what is the real intention of the persons behind such actions, especially since this decision by the Commission to engage in a Recount stemmed from an initial agreement between the President and the Leader of the Opposition.

Legal experts have argued that the move to do a National Recount was not a decision of the Chairperson, but a unanimous decision of the Commission. There was no vote taken against that decision, therefore it is the decision of the Commission, and not the decision of the Chair.

Additionally, GECOM is an independent constitutional body, and, in effect, the Constitution insulates the Commission from any type of advice, direction or influence of any person or any authority, including the Government.

Important, too, is the fact that GECOM has legal powers to take whatever measures necessary to ensure fairness, impartiality and transparency in the conduct of elections. Its decision to do a recount of all votes cast in the elections was one such action.

Like many others, we have never seen this level of abuse of the court system by any Government in the history of the post-Independent Caribbean to hang on to power. It is clear as day that the Granger-led APNU/AFC Coalition will stop at nothing in its quest to remain in office illegally.

Granger, who has basically been hiding from answering questions posed by the media and the public at large, cannot claim that he is oblivious to these attempts to deny the duly elected Government from taking its place.

It is very difficult to accept that, five months after the fact, the APNU/AFC can still be fighting a case about something as straightforward as an election, the results of which, at the close of poll, have been known and have since not changed.

The Coalition is nearing its end, and is running out of options. At the moment, the nation is tired, and frustrated with the relentless efforts by Granger and his men to cling to power. This situation has to come to an end. Guyanese have been made to ensure this misery for far too long.

Dear Editor, On February 8th, Joleen Steyn Kotze, Senior Research Specialist at Human Research Council, in her article titled, “Africa faces a new threat to democracy: the ‘constitutional coup’,” wrote about the increasing trend for African leaders to illegally extend their tenure of office; but she may have been inadvertently writing about Guyana as well, a South American state situated thousands of miles from Africa, and at that time being in transition from democracy to dictatorship through a ‘constitutional coup’.

She began by stating, ‘Conventional wisdom tells us that good political societies are built on the principles of constitutionalism, this entails upholding the rule of law and separation of powers, this is to ensure an even distribution of power where a society is built on principles of law, not men’.

Unfortunately, in Guyana, the Constitution and the rule of law are now subservient to the PNC. She explained further that ‘The principles of good governance are characterised by transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation, responsive-

ness, and respecting the rule of law. The social contract between those who govern and those who are governed is founded on the rights-based approach to governance. This means that leader governs at the pleasure of the people, and do not rule with sovereign license at the cost of constitutional rules. The wellbeing and rights of the people must be the central concern of those who govern.

‘Good governance entails playing by the rules. It requires accepting electoral defeat if the people willed so.’

For nearly 5 months now, the APNU/AFC are still to accept electoral defeat!

She was at the time focusing on the trend wherein African presidents, by way of the ‘constitutional coup’, extend their tenure of office by effectively becoming “president for life” by changing their constitutions to do so. She gave examples such as Burundi, Rwanda, the Congo, and Burkina Faso, where this has happened.

She highlighted that, ‘while military coups are increasingly out-of-fashion, people on the continent need to pay attention to the “softer” methods used to entrench the “president

for life” syndrome, which threatens the continent’s democratic gains.’

Granger understands that the “softer” methods are now in vogue, and has been applying these!

However, Ms Kotze would be appalled at the type of ‘constitutional coup’ being foisted by Granger and his caretaker government; or should I say illegal government, since no doubt is left, having interpreted the utterances of Granger and Harmon: that the PNC will never concede defeat, and will not abide by the declaration of GECOM. The PNC’s method is not about changing or amending the Constitution to extend their term in office, Granger has been openly violating the Constitution, the rule of law, and the judgments of the courts, including the apex court, the CCJ. He has no time to change or amend the Constitution. According to him, the Constitution does not exist! Even the courts do not exist, if they rule against him! And even GECOM does not exist, if the declaration is against him.

Granger interprets the Constitution, and not the courts. Granger, indeed, has taken ‘constitutional coup’ to a higher level.

Granger’s utterances of abiding by the Constitution, respecting the Court’s rulings, and conceding to GECOM’s declaration are bereft of any substance, and can be seen only in the context of a dictator making a mockery of not only the Guyanese people, but the entire democratic world.

Manzoor Elahi reminds us that, ‘According to Locke, the purpose of the Government and law is to uphold and protect the natural rights of men. So long as the Government fulfils this purpose, the laws given by it are valid and binding, but when it ceases to fulfil it, then the laws would not have validity, and the Government can be thrown out of power’.

Should Granger be bent of culminating his ‘constitutional coup’ then his tenure as a dictator will not be tolerated by the democratic world, and most definitely will be transient. Illegal governments do not last, and will be ‘thrown out of power’ sooner rather than later.

Let the PNC be reminded that Guyana is not their personal property, and democracy will win!

Dear Editor, The Black American Congressman John Lewis has deservedly been given a hero’s funeral for his role in combating racism and electoral fraud against Black Americans. His role was extraordinary and courageous.

In Guyana, and even in the diaspora, we have had similar figures, heroes all, who partook in struggles like Lewis did -- against racism and electoral fraud.

The Guyanese rights activists and revolutionaries probably never heard of Lewis and other Black heroes, but they (unknowingly) emulated the struggles of Lewis, Rosa Parks, MLK, Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, Maynard Jackson, and others who stood against racism and fraudulent elections that denied Black Americans an accurate reflection of their votes, thereby marginalising their political representation.

Guyanese activists really fought for our freedom in the same way Black Americans did for theirs.

They are indeed heroes, and should be saluted in the way Blacks honour their heroes in America.

The perpetrators who occupied and/or continue to hold office through fraud are no different from the White racists and election riggers

of America during the period of Jim Crow rule. Those in Guyana who replaced the departed White man, including a racist who advised Granger to tear up the Constitution and rule with military support, ought to be ashamed of themselves for practising racism and disenfranchising voters.

Guyanese heroes will continue to stand up to these racists, electoral bandits, and oppressors.

In Guyana, after years of struggle by heroic figures like Dr. Jagan, Dr. JB Singh, Sydney King, Ashton Chase, among others, the White British granted the right to vote in 1953, and free and fair elections. But the White estate owners didn’t like the self-government (headed by Jagan) the people chose, and toppled it four months later. After four years of struggle, the British restored self-government. Dr. Jagan’s PPP won again. And he won re-election in 1961.

But the British engineered Jagan out of office. He was replaced by an opportunistic Forbes Burnham in December 1964. Burnham ran a racist government, ousting non-supporters from the civil service and security forces. And then he took the extreme step, from 1968 onwards, to disenfranchise

voters (particularly Indians, Amerindians, Portuguese, Chinese, and Mixed) similar to what was experienced

by Black Americans.

The Black American leaders fought back against White racists, and Guyanese fought against Burnham’s racism and electoral thievery, becoming victorious in October 1992. But racist practices were restored in 2015 with a change of Government, and continues till this day.

And electoral banditry was shamelessly perpetrated in public glare in March 2020.

Guyanese are battling that fraud, and, this time, the entire globe is also arrayed against it.

I salute all the heroes who championed civic and electoral rights and fought against racism in America, Guyana and elsewhere. I urge David Hinds, Tacuma Ogunseye, Lincoln Lewis, and other Black nationalists to rethink their position on defending (supporting) electoral fraud and racism in Guyana. Their actions reverse the hero status they earned in combating electoral fraud and racism during the Burnham era.

On the election (fraud) matter before the Court of Appeal, all the issues raised in the appeal are res adjudicata, meaning they were previously litigated by the

CoA and the apex court, CCJ. The CCJ found no merit in them; they cannot be heard again. They ought to be dismissed, and I would be surprised if they are not unanimously thrown out.

But I would not be surprised if a judge points to some issue to validate – making it a split decision on some issue and 3-0 on others.

Right after the ruling, GECOM should move expeditiously to declare the result. GECOM must not allow itself to be handicapped by the courts. That ploy was employed by racists against Blacks in America to disenfranchise them and steal their victories. GECOM ought not to be a party to that scam in Guyana. GECOM should not allow frivolous judicial appeals and filings to delay the declaration in perpetuity. The CCJ ruled in finality – only the recount results must be used to make a declaration. That cannot change. GECOM has the recount numbers. The Chair must gather courage to end fraud and stop racism by declaring the results.

Lowenfield ought to go, and someone should be appointed to perform his task. The aggrieved can move an election petition.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Like John Lewis, combating racism, electoral fraud in Guyana

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 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

Guyana is sick, tired and fed-up, yet peaceful, resilient and patient

Dear Editor, We learn that a “femme fatale” is a stereotypical person whose frequent recurring behaviour is easily recognizable.

She is a gorgeous woman who uses her charms to ensnare her lovers compromisingly, and leads them into deadly traps through guile, cunning and foxy pretence. She uses tongue-twisters and puns, retracts words, and disguises intentions with false words and contradictory statements, factored into artistic revelry and literary revelations.

With the power to entice, hypnotise and enchant with lies, deceit and dishonesty, the flattering, illusive beauty exercises a sense of power and control over the weaklings, who tend to succumb easily and would dance merrily to her tune.

A sense of mysticism and uneasiness surrounds a femme fatale to comfort her dubious morality, which is typically villainous. Her natural behaviour is intriguing, as she utilises coercion and lies more than charisma in order to succeed in her devious motive. Such threating quality includes promiscuity and rejects “motherhood”; it is a trait that spells danger, and a potentially fatal end results with each encountered second spent in the company of such irresistible beauty.

Immediately, we think of the handsome 007 as a victim falling to such a predator as she presents herself in every step of his duty, only to have him eventually foil her sinister plan and, in turn, use such a femme fatale to his advantage to successfully complete his mission.

One wonders if this term was historically coined as a phrase in the modern days of French linguists as they premeditated that the significance, semblance and similarity in the composition of all the elements would compound the essence of creativity, bearing the pertinence to accurately portray the colourful description of a PNC Party with a need, not to agitate, but to instigate a consciousness to be wary of such treacherous impediments in society, and to take all necessary precautions when dealing with such a femme fatale.

Daily, each one of the PNC Party’s actions portrays the nature and quality of a femme fatale, and we are being constantly reminded of this with public displays.

Not to reiterate, but a quick recap down memory lane would suffice our objective and satisfy our curiosity. From the 1960s, the PNC Party haven’t changed in nature except in name, and so their behaviour is recurring.

Their nice words are articulated by orators to impose a

beauty that is not tangible, but temporary, and dissolves quickly under pressure from facts, not fiction, with each drop of rain. Their cunningness is well orchestrated by skilful manipulation in controlling all key sectors and administrative players in the country under the pretense of “security reasons.” From the inception, they have painted a rosy picture with their propaganda machinery, having utilised state assets to fool the public and ridicule anyone who attempts to disagree with their lies and dishonesty.

The PNC Party have always used various devious configurations to get their own way in everything, with help from different sources, and have always used innocent bystanders to do their dirty work. Through coercion, manipulation, intimidation, threats, persuasion, victimisation, discrimination and other dictation, they do manage to achieve their motives with hidden agendas through more foul means rather than less fair means.

Of course, not to undermine their reckless, thoughtless, heartless, careless and hapless behaviour, action and attitude, this translates to the demise of fairness and justice, and the rule of thumb for law and order is ignored, overruled and ridiculed because of their influence with the necessary authorities in all areas. The PNC Party’s dogmatic charisma supersedes the needs of society at the expense of blooming potentials in the youthful field , and as such, greed monopolises as a servitude and a blind eye is turned to any rule and regulation, especially for the constitution, to dictate a permanent domain for power and a lifetime control, strangling any resurrection for alternative government-ship from opposing parties.

As such, the birth for a nucleus of innovative creativity and imitation of modernity is aborted and the stigma of unethical political pragmatism is further induced to deny the freedom of democratic survival the equitable distribu-

tion of fairness and justice.

No wonder the PNC Party want to remain a singular entity, devoid of any pluralistic involvement so that they can wield the ignominy of dictatorship through bullishness and barefacedness.

What we’re left with, as the ole people say is, “a pretty face with dirty ways.” Indeed, the beauty of a party is stymied with radicalism, leading to a state of dystopia, encountering catastrophic disasters that spell doom and gloom.

Today heralds the dawning of another milestone.

With the sitting of the Guyana Court of Appeal in yet another frivolous and vexatious litigation from the APNU/AFC party, “None sense vs Common sense” will once again occupy a seat for show time where “skin teeth” will showcase that it is no “laugh.” This matter is certainly no “slip of the tongue”, but is rather one of “showing of the slip.”

A decision that should not override precedence is only the “norm of the day”, and is one that the appellant is not only aware of, but also expecting, so there should be no surprises. But a verdict either way will probably end up on the lap of the CCJ again, and the goodly “foreign” honourable men and women will once again have to endure patience and diplomacy to face the uncomfortableness of illogicality.

How do you rationalise with insanity is beyond the comprehension of the international community, and it only infuriates an already flammable relationship. The perpetual insistence to attack with interruptions and defend with litigations is the call for the Opposition to give up and give in, so that the incumbent can come up and come in. This is their language of “dialogue,” a one-way street for the APNU/AFC Party, in which there is no room for another Party. Their peaceful message has not a piece of peace, but is one that would pierce you in order to appease themselves.

Guyana is sick, tired and fed-up; yet, peaceful, resil-

ient and patient -- a unique combination that provides an equation unsurmountable by any other country as it quickly reaches the benchmark of 156 days for an election recount result, as required by Lowenfield.

Guyanese can tolerate only so much, and the line of demarcation for “enough is enough” is quite visible and should be highlighted in red.

GECOM’s CEO passive resistance is no longer tolerable, and the eloquent Madam Chair is only too cognisant of this delaying tactic and insubordination.

The honourable Ms. Claudette Singh is now visualised as the real “Iron Lady”, and she should be considering stepping up to the plate and grabbing the bull by its horns.

An entire country’s future is at stake, and people are literally starving because of the implication from the complication of an incomplete election process. No more ‘nice guy’ attitude is well in order, and Lowenfield needs to be fired and replaced immediately.

There should be no more voluntary undertaking to maintain the status quo of GECOM, and the Madam Chair needs to aggressively put her pedal to the metal and drive home a homerun.

This is not an advice for the learned Madam Chair, who needs no schooling, but it is a reminder from the Guyanese public that the rug needs to be jerked from under the APNU/ AFC Party’s feet firmly and steadfastly. The fearless Madam Chair has the blessings of the entire national and international community to act legally, legitimately, correctly, and immediately.

It is time to put this matter to bed, and deal with the consequences. Running from a shadow is not the answer, and GECOM needs to face reality, realistically and practically. How will Guyana sleep tomorrow is any fool’s guess, as the marching band will continue to court anything but courtesy.

Dear Editor, I admit to not being either a religious person or a Latin scholar, but I know enough of the various religious tenets to recall that one book recommends that “if the eye (and indeed other body parts) gives you problems, pluck it out”.

I belief another proclaims that if someone is caught and found guilty of thieving, the hand that did the thieving must be severed. There is a comment made frequently in some cir-

cles: that many ministers of this Government, and now GECOM, would be walking around without hands, were this tenet to be included in the Laws of Guyana.

My concentration is, however, now on Hamilton Greene’s admission -- in Latin to further confuse, no! to deceive, the Guyanese people -- with something to do with his “tongue”. My response to him is, “Interficiam de Lingua vestra”: Pluck out the offending organ, you relic!

I would also suggest that your brain is addled and remains stuck in those days when you held the Guyanese people by their throats with the concurrence of your ultimate leada, de kabaka.

Those days are no longer here, you bully. The world has moved on, but obviously you are stuck in that period.

Do you think people would ever forget those days when you and others strutted around as if you owned this land? Do you think that people would ever for-

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Justice Singh executed her job in accordance with the Constitution and laws Dear Editor, The APNU/AFC has been refusing to concede electoral defeat at the March 2 polls.

The Recount exercise shows clearly that the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) won the elections with 233,336 votes, but the David Granger-led coalition has been mounting legal challenge after legal challenge in a bid to prevent the Elections Commission from making a declaration based on the Recount figures.

This is despite mounting pressure from the international community, which has made it clear that the only democratic solution to Guyana’s electoral impasse is for the winner to be declared based on the Recount results.

Those who feel the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice Claudette Singh, acted recklessly while doing her job must be narrow-minded and twisted to file private criminal charges against her. Every decision Justice Claudette Singh has made was in accordance with the Constitution and Laws of Guyana. She is a woman of high standards, moral integrity and honesty, and has demonstrated loyalty to her office. She has made enormous personal sacrifice for Guyana and the Guyanese people, and has remained accountable to ‘the process’.

Justice Singh has occupied perhaps the most difficult, challenging and controversial job in Guyana.

Before even familiarising herself with the basic elements and parameters of her office, Justice Singh had to decide whether to support having the electoral list being extracted from the existing database and be subjected to claims and objections, or whether a new electoral list had to be compiled from house-to-house registration. In an equally divided GECOM, her vote was decisive.

Her first key decision was to utilise the existing data-

base and allow the General and Regional Elections to be held within the constitutional deadline. She was brave enough to stop the “houseto-house registration” and remove a cascade of controversies and true gridlock which would have arisen, as the constitutional deadline would have been violated.

She allowed the elections to be held on March 02, 2020 in a process that was free, fair and transparent.

All the Opposition political parties must support Justice Singh, even if her positions do not accord with theirs.

At the same time, while Justice Singh needs to be cognisant of the concerns of members of GECOM, she should not allow those concerns to distract her from the hard decisions and choices that she will have to make.

We all know that Justice Singh is the Police Legal Adviser. She has wide experience as an officer in the Attorney General’s Chambers and as a Judge of the High Court and of the Court of Appeal. She is widely respected, and her appointment had attracted broad support at home and internationally. Her vast experience as a judge covers several decades, making difficult decisions based on evidence after considering all the arguments. That experience has provided a favourable background in enabling her not only to be strong, bold and courageous, but to have foremost in her mind the interests of Guyana, the will of the Guyanese people, and the Constitution of Guyana.

Once the Appeal Court makes its ruling today (Thursday, July 30) and throw out the case as she pleaded for and demonstrated through her lawyer, Justice Singh will to do the right thing and declare Dr Irfaan Ali as the next President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

get the elections in 1992, after the return of Democracy, and the PPP/C won the elections, your urgings for the Executive not to relinquish power?

Dis time na lang, you reject!

I can describe you in many more words befitting your character, but wouldn’t waste more time on you; except to say that the world has moved on and wouldn’t tolerate the flouting of Constitutions, denying people’s will to elect a

government of their choice; nor would the world tolerate your brother, DAG, and his clique squatting in Government for much longer.

To possibly make some amends to the people of Guyana, you can return the pension you are receiving, which the many Guyanese would always believe to be absolutely undeserving.

Sincerely, David Adams

Response to Hamilton Green’s Latin

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTERS ON PAGE 16

Regards, H N Nawbatt

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

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Foundation Guyana Times is pleased to conclude its publications of CXC questions.

CXC QUESTIONS

MATHEMATICS 1. The circuit show below contains three gates:

2.

3.

Write down the Boolean expression for the logic circuit and construct the corresponding truth table.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Appeal Court to rule today on validity of recount order

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cess is completed; and in the circumstances of this case, the only intervention that you can make is to require Mr. Lowenfield to comply with GECOM’s direction to prepare his report in accordance with the Recount. That is the only basis upon which you can intervene,” Mendes contended during his oral submission.

ll eyes and ears will be on the Court of Appeal today as it delivers a judgement in the appeal filed by APNU/ AFC supporter Misegna Jones, who is challenging Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George’s recent decision on the validity of the Recount Order, and the ruling that figures emanating from the National Recount must be used as the basis for a final declaration of the March 2 elections’ results.

Appellate Justices Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, in association with High Court Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, are presiding over the case, and heard arguments from the various parties during a marathon virtual hearing on Saturday last.

The Court has scheduled the delivery of its ruling for today at 11:00h. The proceedings will be streamed live.

Jones, through her lawyers, led by Trinidadian Senior Counsel John Jeremie, is seeking to have overturned Justice George’s decision in a case initially filed by Jones, in which she has been

Appellate Judge, Justice Dawn Gregory

Appellate Judge, Justice Rishi Persaud

High Court Judge, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry

that the issues were res judicata, which means that they have already been ventilated and pronounced upon by a competent court, and cannot be relitigated.

In total, Jones had sought 28 reliefs from the court; but all, save and except for the issue of jurisdiction, were dismissed.

Justice George had reiterated that Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield is not “a lone

seeking to compel the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to utilise the 10 declarations by the Returning Officers as the basis for announcing the winner of the March 2 elections.

The Chief Justice has, however, dismissed Jones’s application for judicial review on ground

ranger” and “cannot act on his own”; but is subjected to the direction of the Elections Commission.

Additionally, she expressly stated that the figures from the 33day Caricom-observed National Recount should form the basis for the declaration of the results.

In the appeal filings, Jones is contending that the Chief Justice

erred in law when she dismissed the case.

Jones’s application listed 23 grounds for the appeal, and states, among other things, that the CJ erred in law when she held that the issues raised in the case were res judicata when she failed to find that the Chair of GECOM and/or GECOM had acted outside their constitutional and/or statutory power.

During Saturday’s hearing, SC Jeremie contended that is in defiance of the established principles for the High Court to say that res judicata applies in this matter, and further argued that Order 60 (under which the Recount was conducted) is invalid. He posited that GECOM cannot be given the power to overturn the results of the initial declarations already made by the 10 Returning Officers.

But in opposing arguments, Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes – representing People’s Progressive Party Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali and General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo -- posited that the Appeal Court itself had previously, in the April Ulita Moore matter, clearly determined the court’s jurisdiction.

In the Moore case, the Appeal Court had declared the reach and ambit of Section 140 of the Representation of the People’s Act (RPA) – which prohibits any review of the performance of

GECOM’s functions, except on an election petition, which can be filed only after a declaration is made. This, Mendes submitted, like any declaration or interpretation of the law or the constitution, binds everyone.

“It is not a question of res judicata as much as it’s a question of stare decisis – this is judicial precedence. This is part of the laws of Guyana until that law is overturned by a higher court; and all courts must abide by it, including this court, because the rule is, the Court of Appeal in civil matters is bound by its own decisions until those decisions are overturned by the higher court,” Mendes had outlined.

Moreover, he told the Appeal Court that with its “narrow jurisdiction”, it can only intervene in the ongoing electoral process at this stage, to ensure that it is completed; and in this case, that would include compelling the Chief Elections Officer to adhere to the directions of the Elections Commission and use the figures from the National Recount to present his elections report.

Lowenfield has consistently failed to comply with the instructions of the GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, and on several occasions, went ahead to present fraudulent figures to GECOM. “You are allowed to intervene in order to ensure that the pro-

Electoral fraud

2 new COVID-19 cases recorded …active cases stand at 193

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wo new COVID-19 cases have been recorded as at Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

This brings the number of positive cases to 398, inclusive of 185 recoveries and 20 deaths.

This means that the active cases stand at 193.

The Ministry reported 4 recoveries in their update on Wednesday.

Currently, the 193 active cases are in institutional isolation at various facilities across Guyana.

Additionally, 35 persons are in institutional quarantine, and three patients are housed in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.

Meanwhile, 4,563 persons have been tested for the virus, with 4,165 thus far being negative.

The WHO is reporting that globally, positive cases stand at 16,558,289, with

656,093 deaths. While in the Regions of the Americas, positive cases now stand at 8,840,524, with a total of 342,635 deaths.

Citizens are reminded to continue practising social distancing in the workplace, in public spaces, and while

using public transportation, in order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease.

They are also reminded to practise frequent hand washing/sanitising, and are advised to always wear a face mask if they must go out of their homes. (G2)

Meanwhile, GECOM Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, who is one of the named respondents in Jones’s application, has urged the Court of Appeal to not “aid and abet” electoral fraud, as it is being asked to do by the appellant.

“When one properly examines (the matter), the appellant is asking the judicial system to aid and abet a series of illegalities which occurred in this nation, which led to March 13 declaration. You’re asking the judicial system to set aside, remove, the Recount results which (have) been hailed by our highest court as a transparent, credible process,” Attorney Kim Kyte-Thomas submitted on behalf of the GECOM Chair.

She further argued that the CEO cannot act on his own, and must abide by the directions of the seven-member Elections Commission to use the Recount figures to compile his elections report.

“The Chief Election Officer is not a constitutional officer. He is a statutory officer… He cannot flout the law, he cannot act in excess of the law. His report must be constrained, his report must be in accordance with the law; and right now, Order 60 forms part of the electoral laws in this country. So, he must act in accordance with that,” Kyte-Thomas proffered.

But Attorney General Basil Williams, another one of the named respondents, asserted that “the role of the CEO under the Constitution must be seen as separate from his day-to-day administrative functions, where he is under the direction and control of the Commission.” (G8)

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“I did everything within the law” – GECOM Chair …as private criminal charges filed against her

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uyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n ( G E C O M ) Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh is maintaining that every decision she took regarding the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the subsequent national recount process was in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Guyana.

Justice Singh was at the time responding to reports of private criminal charges filed against her for alleged misconduct in office.

The three sets of private criminal charges for misconduct of public office against the GECOM Chair were filed Wednesday morning in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

When contacted on Wednesday morning, Justice Singh told Guyana Times that she was not served with the notice of the charges at the time.

However, the GECOM Chair contended that everything she has done was in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of Guyana.

“I have received nothing, and what I did in everything was in accordance with the Constitution and the law. I do not know otherwise,” she asserted.

The first charge was filed

by Keith Ondaan of Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden, who

alleges that the GECOM Chair “acted recklessly and unlawfully” when she disregarded the advice of GECOM’s Legal Officer on March 16, and the advice of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Charles Fung-aFat, SC, on May 17, that the recount was unlawful and unconstitutional, and went ahead to gazette the Recount Order on May 4, and its amendment on May 29, 2020.

The second charge was filed by Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident Lorraine Joseph, who is claiming that Justice Singh acted unlawfully and recklessly between May 29 and June 23, 2020 when she breached the gazetted Recount Order and the amended Recount Order.

Finally, Onita Walcott, of Victoria Village, ECD, also alleges that the GECOM Chair again acted recklessly and unlawfully between March 14 and June 23, 2020 when she refused to accept Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield’s elections reports.

The cases are scheduled to come up for hearing on August 5.

The CEO is also currently facing private criminal charges regarding conspiracy to commit fraud and breach of public trust.

He appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’

Courts on Friday to answer to the three charges and was placed on a total of $450,000 bail.

These charges stemmed from the fact that despite being directed by Justice Singh on several occasions to compile his report using the results of the national recount, Lowenfield consistently failed to adhere to the instructions and submitted several reports with fraudulent figures.

The recount exercise showed that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the elections with 233,336 votes while the caretaker A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition obtained 217,920 votes – a difference of some 15,416 votes.

In his last report presented on July 11, Lowenfield had included the fraudulent figures of embattled Region Four Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo which were already proven as heavily inflated in favour of APNU/AFC. The GECOM Chair subsequently discarded the initial declarations from the 10 Returning Officers and give the CEO one last chance to submit his report using the recount figures. But before he could have done so, coalition supporter Misenga Jones approached the High Court seeking to block

PNC raising temperature…

N GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

GECOM from using the recount results to have a final elections declaration.

But Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George ruled last week that the 10 declarations by the ROs were overtaken by the recount exercise and as such, the only figures that should be used to make a final declaration are those emanating from the recount process. This was in keeping with a similar decision handed down by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) earlier this month in a previous legal battle brought by another APNU/AFC supporter.

The CJ also dismissed Lowenfield’s fraudulent report in her ruling. But this decision is now being appealed by Jones.

Last weekend, the Court of Appeal heard arguments in the matter and was expected to deliver its judgement today. (G8)

Woman nabbed at NA Prison attempting to smuggle ganja in tennis rolls

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olice in Berbice have arrested a woman, who attempted to smuggle marijuana in tennis rolls into the New Amsterdam Prison on Wednesday.

According to prison officials, the incident occurred around 12:00h. Reports are the 29-year-old wom-

an of Dispensary Dam, Ankerville, Port Mourant, Berbice, went to the prison to take self-support items for her relative, Bilall McLeanon, who is currently on remand at the New Amsterdam Prison for murder.

During a search of the items, a prison officer un-

The marijuana that was found in the tennis rolls at the New Amsterdam Prison

earthed a number of small transparent plastic bags, which contained the prohibited items, tucked away in several tennis rolls.

“The plastic bags with the prohibited items were removed and weighed. The items amounted to 11 grams.

The suspect is in Police custody,” prison officials said.

Just over a week ago, a convicted prisoner, who is serving time at the Mazaruni Prison, was found with 1472 grams (1.47 kilogram) of cannabis after he

was searched by a prison officer.

Reports are a prison guard patrolling the inner perimeter of the penitentiary noticed the prisoner acting in a suspicious manner.

At the time, the inmate was in possession of a plastic bucket.

However, upon seeing the officer, the prisoner began running. He was chased and was apprehended. The bucket was checked, and the cannabis was discovered.

(G9)

…in the courts ow, you know this article has nothing to do with “climate change”, don’t you?? Nah, your Eyewitness is talking about the tension rising in Guyana with those extremists in the PNC camp throwing fuel in every kind of fire they can find – political, racial, cultural, and God knows what else.

They’ve dragged the courts into the political realm, and unfortunately tarnished the reputation of the only institution that stands between us and the law of the jungle.

The latest drama was filing private criminal charges against GECOM Chair Claudette Singh on a number of claims that have to do with the Recount and the declaration.

Now, my friends, even us non-lawyer types would’ve exclaimed, “Hold it!! Weren’t those matters already hauled through the courts?” While the more diligent observers of recent news would’ve muttered, “Res Judicata!!”

But these PNC types are sooo transparent!! Which is inevitable when you already know what they’re trying to do with every move they make: delay the declaration!! They know that the Appellate Court will deliver its judgement today, and it will be for the Chair to proceed full speed ahead and make her declaration. But tomorrow’s a holiday, and then comes the Emancipation weekend, and the earliest date GECOM could meet would be Monday, Aug 3rd. But even if a meeting is scheduled by the Chair for that day, the Government Commissioners can prevent a quorum by absenting themselves. And that puts the next meeting for the 5th, when she has to appear in the Magistrate’s Court on these new charges!!

Now, some say the DPP should intervene – as she can legally do – to examine the charges and decide that they’re not worthy of being prosecuted, and throw them out. But, really, folks, do you see this DPP doing that?? Not in this life, and not in this rising temperature!! But even if she does, in the meantime, of course, the PNC would be proceeding to the CCJ, res judicata or no res judicata! They would’ve counted on the CCJ going on their scheduled vacation for two months – giving them a free pass to keep on squatting till October. They must’ve been bent out of shape when the CCJ announced they’d come out for this important case!!

But, more likely than not, the case against the Chair in the Magistrate’s Court would go forward, and the matter would be committed to the High Court, and the carousel will keep on going around and around!!

So, what’s the end game? Some say the PNC’s counting on Biden on winning in November, and he’ll look more favourably on their rigging under the suasion of the Black Democratic caucus!

Any port in a storm, no? …on the airwaves Granger has been notoriously averse to facing journalists.

He’s literally only had five press conferences – a literal handful!! – in the five years he’s been in the Presidency!!

Yet he’s appeared three times in one month on the internet radio station that’s the Guyanese version of Radio Rwanda – hosted by this Benschop fella who’s consumed by such bitter hatred even Corbin called him “The Wild Man”!

Normally, your Eyewitness wouldn’t even give fellas like these the time of the day, but after Granger gave him his blessings, he’s become semi-official - knocking out the Egg Ball fella for Govt thinking.

Well, the other day, the Wild Man had Lincoln the Loud as his guest, and they revealed where Granger’s going with this stonewalling. The Wild Man announced that AS AN EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT, GRANGER IS ABOVE THE CONSTITUTION and can do whatever he wants!!

Lincoln the Loud phrased it a bit differently: Granger has EXECUTIVE POWERS, through the Constitution, which permit him to overturn any declaration of GECOM’s!!

Now, all of this makes sense, doesn’t it?? Granger expects to rule like Burnham!!

…on the ground Some PNC types have gotten restless since they’ve been out of the limelight with the courts in centre-stage.

Expect them to be out in force this Emancipation weekend, stirring up the troops!

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

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Electoral situation in Guyana is “beyond scandalous” – analysts …say no progress, sustainable investment until democratic transition of Govt

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uyana will not see any meaningful progress or attract any sustainable investment until there is a democratic transition of Government and political stability in returned to the country.

This is according to experts, Senior Director at Americas Market Intelligence (AMI) Dr Remi Piet and Analyst at AMI, Arthur Deakin who conducts political, economic and other risk analysis activities for the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Piet and Deakin, via an

Senior Director at AMI, Dr Remi Piet

opinion piece published by Caribbean News Global, noted that the electoral situation in Guyana is “beyond scandalous”. They reminded that over 100 countries across the globe have demanded that the recount figures be used as a basis for final declaration of the results of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

The national recount has confirmed that the PPP/C has won the March 2, polls with in excess of 15,000 votes, but President David Granger and his APNU/AFC have largely remained un-

moved to the mounting calls to step aside and allow for a smooth transition of government.

In fact, leading Coalition members have adopted a very confrontational approach with the international Community and local stakeholders, which have been calling for credible elections results to be declared in Guyana.

For months now, the country is largely at a standstill with several oil and gas related projects not being able to move forward due to the absence of a functioning

needs to address headfirst.

“The delay in this project’s approval will subsequently postpone the receipt of oil revenues, affecting investments in other areas of society, such as the sugar industry. The timeline for the construction of schools, hospitals, roads and electricity, is long overdue. Delays will also have a direct effect on Guyana’s job creation and GDP growth”.

The Payara project was initially projected to be approved in 2019 with first oil by 2023. But due to delays in governmental authorisations and the present political crisis, new projections expect Payara to be approved in the first half of 2021 and achieve first oil by 2024.

The authors noted that if the Payara project is approved within this new time frame, it can still produce about half its oil reserves by 2030, delivering U$7 billion in income to the government. “That is much greater than Guyana’s GDP from 2019”.

According to the experts, despite the economic and oftentimes political uncertainty caused by COVID-19, many large firms in North America and Europe are flush with cash. These firms are eager to invest in emerging markets, seeking to find greater returns.

They added that for many, “Guyana could be a juicy fish in a massively competitive ocean. But first, it needs to implement a sustainable regulatory framework after it ensures a democratic transition to the next administration”.

Piet and Deakin asserted that investors will inherently gravitate towards countries with predictable political and regulatory frameworks adding that that do not meet that criteria will have to compensate with much higher returns.

Analyst at AMI, Arthur Deakin

democratic government.

Several other international investors have also taken a position to wait until the political impasse is resolved.

Piet and Deakin expressed that before investments start flowing to Guyana, some issues would need to be addressed, this include concerns over a greater application of US sanctions due to the inconclusive nature of the elections.

“Our view is that the recently imposed sanctions are unlikely to be more than a temporary punishment.

Rather, they are simply a measure to pressure the current administration to give way to the next administration. In the long-term, these sanctions will be irrelevant,” the experts posited.

They asserted that Guyana needs to have a minimum level of “institutional stability and certainty” to attract foreign investment.

“Transparency, through adherence to the rule of law and open communication with the private and public sectors, is of paramount importance”.

According to the experts, the approval of the Payara oil field is another important development that the upcoming administration

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$43.75/barrel

Rough Rice

$205.11 /ton

0.00

London Sugar

$365.00/ton

+0.58

Live Spot Gold

+1.21

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1964.50

$1965.50

Low/High

$1940.60

$1982.50

-6.40

-0.32%

Change

NEWS

11

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ending political impasse Trade union federation blasts Lincoln Lewis for dictatorship advocacy crucial to win battle against COVID-19 – IDB …says Lewis, Hamilton Green “cross the line” in shunning Constitution

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uyana must bring an end to the current political impasse following the March 2 General and Regional Elections, so as to mount an effective response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This is according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which, in its latest report, detailed the challenges being faced by the Caribbean region to win the fight against this deadly pandemic.

The second special edition of the IDB Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin provides an update of economic conditions

in the region. It also focuses on important evolving issues, including the potential impact of the coronavirus crisis on countries’ balance of payments, and on new data from the IDB on the real-time social effects of the crisis.

“Settling the elections is important for the Government to respond to the coronavirus pandemic,” the report, which was published on July 28, noted.

According to the report, due to Guyana’s Parliament being dissolved for the March 2 polls since December 2019, the Government cannot pass legislation on economic policy or access oil revenues accumulating in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

In the first semester of 2020, the Government reported receiving approximately US$95 million in oil revenues, but these funds cannot be accessed in the absence of a functioning Government and Parliament.

The report detailed that after having held elections on March 2, a 33-day National Recount exercise was concluded on June 7th. This paved the way for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to complete its elections report and make a declaration of results.

However, the bank noted, this process has been mired in a struggle over the GECOM elections report, with questions about validity of votes.

These questions, the report reminded, were practically dismissed by the Caricom observers of the Recount process, who have stated in no uncertain terms that the results of the Recount must be the basis for GECOM’s final declaration.

The report also noted that the question as to the validity of votes was raised at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which ruled in favour of using the results of the Recount process, which shows that the PPP/C won the elections by more than 15,000 votes.

The CCJ had made it clear that questions in relation to the validity of votes can be determined only by an elections court, but this has to be done by way of an elections petition after the results are declared.

Meanwhile, the report outlined that despite uncertainties related to the coronavirus, the political impasse and the fall in oil prices earlier in the year, Guyana’s outlook remains positive due to the sheer volume of expected oil production.

It was noted that with Guyana beginning oil production in December 2019, one of the main transmission mechanisms of the global economic and health crises is through its impact on commodity prices, namely oil and gold, which are expected to be Guyana’s largest exports in 2020.

The report pointed out that plummeting oil prices have contributed to updated estimates for Guyana’s oil exports, government revenues, and GDP growth.

The IMF had revised the value of Guyana’s oil exports in 2020 from US$ 2.4 billion to US$1.3 billion, still representing Guyana’s largest productive sector.

Guyana’s GDP growth estimate was revised down from 85.6% to 52.8%, still a remarkable growth figure, and the only positive one in 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries, the report added.

Trade unionist Lincoln Lewis

Former Prime Minister and Mayor Hamilton Green

ecent comments from Trade Unionist Lincoln Lewis and former People’s National Congress (PNC) Prime Minister Hamilton Green have come in for sharp criticism from the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG).

Lewis, President of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU), appeared on a radio programme with a known APNU/ AFC activist on Monday, and implied that President David Granger can take action against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) if it declares the Recount results.

FITUG has questioned what message Lewis has been sending to employers. However, FITIUG on Wednesday said Lewis has long advocated embracing the Constitution, and is known for his consistent advocacy of the constitutional provisions that seek the involvement of civil society in governance.

“Therefore, we find him now calling on the President to act not only contrary but to throw away the scared rules of our land deeply disturbing”, the Federation has said. According to the Union, “What message is Lincoln, as a trade unionist, sending to employers? What would be his reaction to employers ignoring conditions set out in Collective Labour Agreements? We have to wonder whether he fully considered his remarks.”

According to FITUG, the comments from both Lewis and Green destroy what lit-

tle is left of their credibility, and FITUG noted that while Green has tried to backtrack on his comments, Lewis has remained silent.

FITUG made it clear that while these persons are entitled to their own political views, both of them have crossed the line.

“We consider it wholly unacceptable for anyone, much less persons such as Messrs Green and Lewis, to advocate openly for the President, or anyone for that matter, to throw away the Constitution,” FITUG added.

The umbrella union body has cited the Preamble of the Constitution of Guyana, which states: “We the Guyanese people…forge a system of governance that promotes concerted effort and broad-based participation in national decision-making in order to develop a viable economy and a harmonious community based on democratic values, social justice, human rights, and the rule of law…”

FITUG noted therefore that to seek to wish those sentiments away is highly irresponsible. According to the union, all Guyanese are obligated to uphold the

R

Constitution and the laws of Guyana. Their views, as expressed on Mark Benschop’s ‘Straight up live’ programme, therefore have no place in modern society.

The trade union body has said it holds that comments by both individuals certainly do no credit to their credibility, waning or not. “As persons who have been in the arena for as long as they have, they ought to have known better and definitely acted with more responsibility. They certainly must shoulder the blame for their comments, and no pacification can erase the dark blots on their characters.”

It added: “We hold that Guyana, as a democratic society, must uphold and abide by our Constitution and all laws.

To seek to disregard or to ignore the rules, as some now openly seek, cannot be considered proper in any modern society.”

During Monday’s airing of ‘Straight up live’, Lewis had spoken about his expectations for GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh. His expectations include that the Chair can withhold her vote from the six-member partisan commission if the declaration of the results came to a vote. He had then suggested that President Granger can intervene in the work of GECOM, if it “fails the people of the country.”

“The Constitution spoke about a President. And that President has executive responsibilities and duties. And the President has to look on this country and look at what is taking place. He has a responsibility to ensure that peace and tranquility run through every sector of this country,” Lewis said.

“And if the Election

FITUG President Carvil Duncan

Commission’s actions are inimical to the interest and intent of the Constitution and the ethos of this country, then he will have to take action. Whatever form it is. We can’t have an election that is marred with discrepancies, that we consider as rigged…

Mr. Granger will have to take action if the Election Commission fails the people of the country.”

On the other hand, Hamilton Green, a former Prime Minister under the PNC regime, said during a recent interview on ‘Straight Up Live’ that Granger should “…do what is necessary. Put aside the Constitution [and] put aside the laws. You are, at this moment, and will be for a long time, Commanderin-Chief. Take action so that your people, our people and the people of Guyana, will honour you, no matter what it costs.”

There was a swift backlash to his words, which were even described as advocating for a coup d’état. Green has since apologised for his words, calling it a lapsus linguae; that is: a slip of the tongue. (G3)

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ExxonMobil found 2 high-quality reservoirs offshore Guyana in 2020 – Hess

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xxonMobil’s partner in the Stabroek block, Hess Corporation has revealed that two high-quality reservoirs offshore Guyana were found in 2020 around the time the company was appraising

are likely to be developed in the future. In fact, the finds are currently being evaluated. Hess also gave some updates on the Redtail exploration well.

The company informed in the filings that the Noble

Hess Corporation holds 30% interest in the Stabroek Block

the Yellowtail-2 well.

This was contained in Hess’s second-quarter financial filings, in which the company reported a $320 million loss. In its filings, Hess revealed that the Stena Carron drillship recently completed drilling at the Yellowtail-2 well.

According to Hess, one of the high-quality oil reservoirs is adjacent to the Yellowtail field and the other below. This, according to the company, is further proof of the quality of the basin, and the reservoirs

Don Taylor commenced drilling of the Redtail exploration well, which is 1.25 miles northwest of Yellowtail-1, in July. The other two drill ships – the Noble Bob Douglas and the Noble Tom Madden, are drilling and completing Liza Phase 1 and Phase 2.

COVID-19 impact

The company also spoke about the impact that COVID-19 travel restrictions have had on the drilling operations in the block. Some of the effects

are that Exxon was forced to keep two drill ships idle.

However, they both resumed work by the end of the second quarter.

Moreover, Exxon is currently commissioning water injection equipment to utilise natural gas.

Nevertheless, the delayed government approval for the Payara project is likely to delay production startup by six to 12 months.

However, the schedule for phase two of the Liza field development, which will use the Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, remains undisturbed.

“As previously announced, some activities for a third development, Payara, with expected production capacity of 220,000 gross bopd, have been deferred pending Government approval of the project creating a potential delay in production start-up of six to 12 months.”

“Phase two of the Liza Field development, which will utilise the Liza Unity FPSO with an expected capacity of 220,000 gross bopd remains on target to achieve first oil in early 2022,” Hess

The Stena Carron is one of several ships working in the Stabroek Block

said.

The Liza phase two project will contain approximately 30 wells, after receiving the requisite approvals from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Exxon made five discoveries in Guyana last year.

These discoveries have pushed the total estimated recoverable barrels of oil equivalent to over six billion.

The company has only announced one discovery for 2020, the Uaru discovery which it made in January.

Uaru is ExxonMobil’s 16th oil discovery in the Stabroek Block. The Uaru1 well was drilled in a new reservoir, encounter-

ing approximately 94 feet (29 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled in 6342 feet (1933 metres) of water.

Guyana only began producing oil last year, lifting its first million barrels of profit oil in February with oil tanker Cap Philippe transporting it from the Liza Destiny FPSO, and received its first payment the next month.

That money, G$11.4 billion, constituted Guyana’s first oil revenue-based earnings from production in the Liza field. It was deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in March of this year.

An additional sum of G$7.3 billion was subse-

quently deposited, as well as royalty payments. This money is still sitting in the fund, earning interest as it is inaccessible until Guyana’s current political crisis is resolved and a parliament convened.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds a 30 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block, while ExxonMobil’s affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has 45 per cent interest and is also the operator of the 6.6 million-acre block.

CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China’s Stateowned CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest. (G3)

GuySuCo misleading nation about production shortfall – GAWU

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he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is accusing the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) of deliberately misleading the public relative to the shortfall in the first crop production.

GuySuCo, on Monday, announced that it had produced a total of 37,015 tonnes of sugar, the equivalent of 79.6 per cent of its first crop target in June. The sugar company noted that the intended target was 46,476 tonnes of sugar, and the shortfall is 9461

tonnes.

However, on Wednesday, GAWU said the state-owned sugar company had engaged in wanton disingenuousness as it sought to attribute another missed sugar target to its thousands of hard-working employees.

GAWU said it had drawn attention to this reality a few months ago, and noted that GuySuCo seeking to cover up its abysmal performance by blaming the workers, strikes, and COVID-19 is a poor excuse.

The corporation charged that strikes were responsible for the loss of 2,307 tonnes of sugar, and went at great lengths to illustrate the relationship between mandays lost and its equivalence in sugar and cash. GuySuCo has informed that, because of the strikes, some 13,868 mandays were lost, and based on that number, it meant that every single worker of the 8,000-person workforce would have been on strike for 1.7 days during the 18-week crop.

GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine

On that note, GAWU said this brings into question the credibility of the reported man-days lost.

The GAWU pointed out that no worker rationally wakes up in the pre-dawn hours, prepares for work, and often times takes the arduous journey to cane fields or factories, then chooses not to work. It related that workers’ protests come in response to unfair conditions of work imposed on them, which includes the wish to work and earn a fair day’s pay.

The Union noted that the Corporation, from all appearances, is upset by workers’ refusal to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reminded that the suspension of operations came after discussions between GAWU and GuySuCo at the central level in the presence of CEO Harold David.

“While the Corporation boldly highlights work-

ers’ strikes and COVID-19 as causes for a loss of 2,307 tonnes sugar, it remains mum on the 7,154 tonnes that tally up to the total shortfall of 9,461 tonnes. We also recognise that the company claims it had some 66,000 tonnes of unharvested crop canes and it utilised 12.99 tonnes cane to produce 1 tonne sugar. With this in mind, it means that the unharvested canes could only yield 5,080 tonnes sugar.

Using GuySuCo’s numbers, it is clear that cannot account for 2,074 tonnes of sugar, to arrive at the total shortfall of 9,461. It seems to us that the Corporation did not have the canes it said it had in the first place,” GAWU said in its statement.

The Union said that GuySuCo boasting of producing 1569 tonnes more molasses than anticipated is insignificant, since it is in the business of sugar production.

It related that the reality of higher molasses production goes back to the efficiency of its factories, and clearly GuySuCo’s operational units are not maximising sugar recoveries and thus lending to greater quantities of molasses.

The Union added that it has been on record expressing concerns regarding the functioning of the industry’s factories.

“Clearly, what the Corporation is telling the public lacks coherence and logic when examined closely.

While it seeks to blame the workers for its shortcomings, the reality paints a very different picture,” GAWU has said.

It expressed that the

promise of better engagement with the Union is noted.

GAWU criticised the Sugar Corporation for not keeping the Union and workers in the loop, explaining that they quite often learn about issues via the media and not the Corporation, as is the practice. It furthered that the Union would usually receive a copy of the Corporation’s production memorandum which provides certain details, but even that has not been forthcoming.

GAWU has consistently advocated relations based on mutual trust and respect, and expressed that it is deeply worried, given the sentiments and actions that were expressed and displayed by the sugar company. The Union said it finds it hard to rationalise that, on one hand, the Corporation wants good relations, but then, on the other hand, it seeks to malign and ascribe blame to the very workers who are responsible for its functioning.

The first crop was closed with 1093 hectares of carry-over canes to be harvested: 762 hectares at Albion/Port Mourant Estate, and 331 at Blairmont Estate. This translates to 66,000 tonnes of cane that will be carried over to the Second Crop of 2020.

GuySuCo said the actual sugar cane processed for the First Crop is 492,910, as against the budgeted 539,460. The budgeted molasses was 19,624 tonnes, while the actual production was 21,194 tonnes, a surplus of 1,569 tonnes.

Tonnes cane per tonnes sugar was budgeted at 11.61, but the actual was 12.99. (G2)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Charges against GECOM Chair “below nuisance value” – Nandlall …says DPP must step in, throw out charges

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

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ormer Attorney General Anil Nandlall has described the private criminal charges filed against Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh as “below nuisance value” and called for them to be thrown out.

On Wednesday, three persons filed separate charges of alleged misconduct in public office against the GECOM Chair for varying matters concerning the March 2 elections and the subsequent recount process.

However, Nandlall told Guyana Times during an interview that the charges were an abuse of the court system.

“The charges are an expression of unparalleled ignorance and incomparable incompetence,” he contended.

The first charge alleged that the GECOM Chair acted recklessly and unlawfully when she dis-

regarded the advice of GECOM’s Legal Officer on March 16 and the advice of Chief Parliamentary Counsel Charles Fung-A-Fat, SC, on May 17, that a recount process was unlawful and unconstitutional, and went ahead to gazette the Recount Order, paving the way for the exercise to be conducted.

But Nandlall reminded that GECOM is an independent constitutional body that has its own independent legal advisor.

“In fact, the Constitution insulate it from any type of advice, direction, or influence of any person or any authority, including the Government. So, the Chairman was under a constitutional duty not to be influenced by Fung-A-Fat, who is under the control and supervision of the Attorney General [Basil Williams] – a member of the Government,” he posited.

Nandlall went on to also dismiss the claim of the second charge that Justice Singh breached the gazetted Recount Order and its amendment. He argued that the decision to conduct the recount was not taken by the GECOM Chair on her own, but was in fact a unanimous decision of the seven-member Elections Commission, which comprises representatives from both the governing and main opposition political parties.

“There was no vote taken against that decision; therefore, it is a decision of the Commission and not the Chair,” he noted.

Regarding the third charge that accused Justice Singh of refusing to accept the reports submitted by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, on three occasions, the former AG reminded of the recent series of litigations.

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

The CEO has consistently failed to adhere to the direction of the GECOM Chair to compile his elections report using the figures emanating from the national recount, and instead presented fraudulent figures for the Commission to consider.

But Nandlall pointed to the first legal proceedings filed back in March by APNU/AFC Candidate Ulita Moore, which was twofold: since the 10 declarations of the Returning Officers (ROs) were in place, GECOM was bound to give effect to the ROs’ declarations and, therefore, it was illegal for the recount to be conducted; and secondly, that GECOM could not pass on its supervisory powers to the special Caribbean Community (Caricom) team to supervise the recount exercise.

The Court of Appeal had ruled in that matter, Nandlall reminded, under the Constitution and the laws of Guyana, GECOM has

all the powers to do a recount, and that Caricom must not supervise the recount; hence, a subsequent team came as scrutineers to monitor the 33-day exercise.

He further drew attention to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) July 8 ruling in the Eslyn David matter (another legal case filed by another coalition supporter).

“The CCJ examined the Recount Order (Order 60) and examined the recount process, and ruled that the Recount Order is lawful and the recount process was credible, fair and legal, and the results of that process must be used to declare the final results. The CCJ vacated Lowenfield’s report, because he did not use the recount figures,” he noted.

Nandlall also recalled that only last week, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George virtually confirmed, as well, the legality of the Recount Order and recount process and said that the recount results must be used to declare the final elections results.

Applying these judicial pronouncements, the former AG asserted “…it is clear that these charges are an abuse of the process of the court. They are below nuisance value and the Director of Public Prosecutions has a constitutional duty to immediately, under Article 187 of the Constitution, take over these charges and terminate them forthwith.”

Article 187 (1) (c) states: “The Director of Public Prosecutions shall have power in any case in which he [or she] considers it desirable… to discontinue at any stage before judgement is delivered any such criminal proceedings insti-

Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack

tuted or undertaken by him or any other person to authority.”

Back in April 2018, the DPP had used Article 187 (1) (c) to dismiss private criminal charges against Government Ministers Volda Lawrence and Dr George Norton, over the sole-sourcing of more than $600 million in drugs and other pharmaceuticals for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, and the rental of a house in Sussex Street, Albouystown, Georgetown to be utilised as a drug bond at a cost of $12 million monthly.

Days later, she also discontinued charges against Finance Minister Winston Jordan, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, and former Public Service Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine for breaching the Procurement Act in relation to the expenditure of $906 million in public funds on the controversial D’Urban Park Project. (G8)

9 homeless after fire razes Canal No 1 home

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two-year-old and a three-month-old are among nine persons homeless after a fire of unknown origin blazed through their Lot 11 Beau Voisin, Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home on Wednesday afternoon.

Based on information, the fire started just about 14:45h in the upper flat of the wooden structure, which housed four families.

According to the Guyana Fire Service, it received a call just before 15:00h about the fire. Firefighters from the La Grange Fire Station were dispatched to the scene and were able to contain the blaze. However, they were unable to save the house, because the fire quickly ripped through the aging wooden structure.

One of the occupants, Alexis Daniels said she saw smoke emanating from the upper flat of the building and raised an alarm.

“So I came outside to get some water to rinse the mug

Shivonne Brisport

and I look upstairs and I see smoke, but I thought my cousin was upstairs and I keep shouting for he, but he wasn’t answering and when I decided to go upstairs and when I open the door, there was the fire coming from the middle bedroom. So, by the time I run downstairs to call for help and by the time they go upstairs, it already in flames,” she said.

Daniels related that she was unable to save anything

from her bottom-flat apartment which she shared with her boyfriend and two-yearold son. The woman is contemplating her next move now that she has to start all over again.

“I don’t know what I will do for now, but I gotta get a shelter over my head. I am going to stay by my sister up the road for now. We will have to see how we can pick up from this, but it is hard for me now, because we lost everything in that fire,” Daniels stated.

She added that she only moved there just about one year ago.

Meanwhile, Shivonne Brisport –- one of the six persons living in the upper flat of the house – told Guyana Times that she was not at home when the fire started.

“I wasn’t home. I was over at my cousin Sheriann in Dairy (Parfaite Harmonie) and I get a call telling me to come home now. She (my cousin) left to come to work and I was with she daugh-

The ruins of the house

ter, my daughter, and my next lil’ cousin and I get a call from her and she tell me ‘come now, come now because the house deh pon fire’. I catch something and come out and by the time I reach there, everything was done in blaze, house fall

down, and the Fire Service here,” she reported.

Brisport explained that she had been living there with her brother, uncle and their partners along with her three-month-old daughter for over seven years now.

The woman is at a loss as

to what may have caused the fire, but noted that the house had no electrical issue.

The Fire Service has since launched an investigation to determine the origin of the fire, among other things. (G2)

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Armed bandits beat, rob Owen Arthur an unstinting regionalist Essequibo Coast family – Caricom Secretary General

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The Perseverance, Essequibo Coast, Region Two home that the bandits stormed

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embers of a Perseverance, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) family are now traumatised after three armed masked men stormed their home, beat them and carted off millions in cash and valuables.

The incident occurred around 22:00h on Tuesday when the three men attacked Gordon Williams and his family. The men relieved the family of a quantity of jewellery, and local and foreign currency.

According to Williams, he was at home with his wife, Lorna, and two of his male relatives when the three bandits – one armed with a gun, one with a hammer and one with a crow bar – entered his home through the front door which was

open at the time. As soon as the bandits entered, they started to beat him with the hammer and crow bar, demanding that he hand over the valuables.

The man reportedly kept his money and jewellery in a pouch. He explained that the bandits tied his neck with tape and was choking him while demanding that he release the pouch.

The bandit with the gun held him and his family at gunpoint while the other two ransacked his home.

The entire ordeal lasted one hour.

The armed man fired a single gunshot before he and his accomplices made good their escape with the loot.

Williams said that during the robbery one of the bandits kept saying that they must “leff Uncle Harry

alone”. He concluded that the men must have known him very well to know how he stored his valuables and where to find it.

He believes the men to be of East Indian descent, but as they were wearing masks, he could not be certain.

Williams also told Guyana Times that he recently fired his maid after he discovered she had been stealing from him. The maid threatened to “settle” him and that has caused him to suspect that she may have been involved in the robbery.

He was admitted to the Suddie Public Hospital for treatment of his injuries, but later discharged.

The Police have two suspects in custody pending further investigation. (G14)

he late former Barbadian Prime Minister, Professor Owen Arthur has been praised as a strident regionalist and a relentless advocate for the advancement of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, in a statement following Arthur’s passing on Monday, noted that as Caricom Lead Head of Government for the CSME, the Professor worked very closely with the Caricom Secretariat to advance the initiative.

“In that regard, he was instrumental in the establishment of a Secretariat Office in Barbados dedicated to the initiative. He also worked assiduously to encourage the Private Sector to become more engaged in the work to make the CSME a lived reality,” the Secretary General said.

“Professor Arthur was a strong advocate of functional cooperation, which he viewed as fundamental for the success of the integration movement,” Ambassador LaRocque noted.

“As Chair of Caricom, he was the driving force behind the Needham Point Declaration of 2007, which

Former Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur

Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque

positioned functional cooperation both as a priority and one of the principal means of distributing benefits among the members of the Community.”

The Secretary General said Arthur continued his interest in the development of Caricom and the integration process after demitting office.

“In 2010, he produced a major study for the Community on the “Integration of Belize and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) into the CSME”, he noted.

“During his mission to Guyana to observe the elections last March, he found the time to visit the

Secretariat Headquarters, where I engaged with him once again. Our discussions about the Community and the CSME demonstrated his ongoing passion and concerns for the Region.

“His commitment to regionalism has been maintained with his work at the University of the West Indies (UWI), as Professor of Practice: Economics of Development and more recently, as Chairman of the Board of LIAT. “From his student days at the UWI to his untimely passing, Professor Arthur has been an unstinting champion of the Region and of integration,” the Secretary General stated.

The 47-year-old man further underscored that just over a week ago the now dead woman came over to his apartment to help with the cleaning. He said two days later, he left the house to do some errands in Georgetown and left the woman $20,000.

According to the Regional Commander, the woman, who was a “heavy drinker”, took the money and purchased alcohol, which she consumed for about three days with a 48-year-old female.

The woman’s lover told Police upon his return to Essequibo Coast, he met the woman who was reportedly intoxicated, but still consuming alcohol.

Police investigators were told by the man that he joined the drinking spree and consumed about three to four beers. Thereafter,

the man and the woman retired to the apartment.

This publication was informed that Innis reportedly told the man that she was going to the fridge for more beers, but fell on the bed owing to her drunken state. The woman’s lover said he instructed Innis to have a bath but she did not respond. He alleged that he went to get the woman some water and when he raised her up to drink it, she started vomiting blood. He summoned the Police, who arrived on the scene and found the woman motionless on the bed. She was taken to the Charity Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Her body is presently at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting an autopsy.

Investigations are ongoing.

Man in custody after lover 1 in custody over murder suddenly dies

of marketing agent

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ne person was arrested in connection with the murder of a young marketing agent, who was killed last Thursday at Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown.

According to information received, a man is presently being interrogated by Police for the murder of 23-yearold Navindra Samaroo.

From all indications, the suspect is said to be the mastermind behind the robbery and gunning down of the now dead man.

It is alleged that the person who committed the robbery had information that Samaroo will be transporting a large amount of cash.

Dead: Navindra Samaroo

The suspect in custody, is allegedly the man who gave that information to

the persons who conducted the robbery, which later led to Samaroo being shot and killed.

Samaroo’s father told reporters that on the day in question, the victim visited the bank and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to conduct the company’s business, and then went to his home to collect his lunch. However, on his way back he was gunned down.

Samaroo’s employer Rampertap Etwaroo, in a previous interview with the media, confirmed that the robbers did not get anything close to the amount they expected.

The man said the victim did not have a significant amount of cash on him at the time of the incident, and it is unclear whether he had been traced from a previous location.

A post-mortem examination, that was conducted on Samaroo’s body on Tuesday, showed that he was shot once in the arm.

However, the bullet didn’t exit his body, but deflected into his chest and severed an artery.

Investigations into the crime continue. (G9)

Oscar Joseph Regional Hospital

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47-year-old man is now in Police custody assisting with investigations after his lover died suddenly on Tuesday evening at Somerset, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Dead is 32-year-old Romona Inniss, of Lot 42 Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara.

Regional Commander Crystal Robinson confirmed that Innis died in a house her lover was renting in Essequibo Coast. The Commander told Guyana Times that the man said that he and the woman shared a “secret intimate relationship” for a number of years.

This newspaper was told that the man said that he rented the apartment at Somerset, to be close to work as he was part of a project at the Charity Wharf.

(G9)

15 Lab staff at GPHC worried about COVID exposure NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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edical staff working in the laboratory at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) are concerned about being exposed to the novel coronavirus disease.

This is as a result of an apparent breakdown in communication between staff of the Emergency Unit and those of other departments, particularly the laboratory, and also because of the lack of adequate PPEs (personal protective equipment).

There are currently several screening points at the GPHC, and persons entering the compound of that institution, including patients, would be first screened before being allowed to proceed further. If a patient turns up with signs or symptoms associated with COVID-19, then they would be transferred to the COVID tent outside the emergency entrance to be swabbed for testing. The treatment and handling of the patient is dependent on the result.

However, some frustrated and worried staff in the Emergency Lab have lamented that they are handling patients and samples from persons without being told whether they are actually COVID or suspected COVID cases.

“I don’t know how the patients keep passing in the screening point without being detected for signs and symptoms. But till when they pass in and reach to the Emergency Unit, the samples are processed and then the nurs-

es would come in for the results of the ‘COVID patient’. There are no warnings before processing the samples that this was a COVID patient,” one of the staff explained to Guyana Times.

She noted that these patients are somehow getting into the Emergency Unit without even being directed to the COVID tent, where they’re supposed to undergo testing.

According to one of the lab staff, this is not the first time such a situation has occurred. However, the latest incident, which occurred on Wednesday, was a pushing point.

It was explained that a patient from Region One (Barima-Waini) came into the Emergency Unit with COVID-like symptoms, and samples were taken from him by lab staff. The man, this newspaper

was told, was bleeding through his nose, and was experiencing severe chest pain. However, it was not until the samples were tested and processed in the Emergency Lab that a nurse went in to uplift the results of “a COVID patient”.

“My thing about is that a patient passed that screening point, reached into the Emergency Unit, was among other patients, and we already know that in Region One, the COVID rate is very high there,” the staff posited.

She added, “I understand patient confidentiality, but you’re supposed to give us a heads up.

How else would we know to take the samples and run them at the other respective areas that they’re supposed to be run. We’re supposed to run it under a machine (to sanitise and kill the level of bacteria)

before we process or do anything, but nobody comes and tells us anything. If it’s a suspected case, it’s safer to do it under the machine, so you would not be contaminated with the sample.”

The worried staff further pointed out that, because the samples are taken from patients within the Emergency Unit and processed right at the Lab there, the samples are not sealed, which exposes the staff more to the virus.

Moreover, concerns have been raised about the safety of other patients in the Emergency Unit, who are there for other health reasons, but are at risk of contradicting the life-threatening disease because of the lack of vigilance at the health facility.

“We also gotta look at the other patients too, because they’re coming in for one thing, and by the time they leave, they could have more complications they’re leaving with,” the staff expressed.

Guyana Times understands that this issue was raised with the Directors of the Departments previously, but nothing has changed.

“This thing keeps happening.

It’s not the first time this situation happening…It keeps recurring over and over.”

To this end, the staff are calling for this situation to be changed.

“Something needs to be done, because some of us have kids and families. They’re telling us all samples are to be treated as COVID, but yet they’re not giv-

ing us adequate PPE. We’re short on equipment. We’re having two face masks per day, and we don’t have disposable coats. We have to use our cloth coats, and when we take that home to clean…and then tell us we’re supposed to bring our coats. But they’re supposed to be giving us proper PPEs, and they’re not,” the lab staff lamented.

These staff members are being forced to use two face masks to work an entire 12-hour shift daily.

“We’re really worried about the samples that are coming in, and we’re worried about the patients.

We’re getting in contact with these patients. I understand we’re supposed to protect ourselves, but they’re supposed to give us the equipment we need to protect ourselves.”

Information regarding local medical staff who have contracted coronavirus on the job has not been revealed by the authorities.

The first known case was 38-year-old former Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Jermaine Ifill, who died on March 31, 2020 after contracting the disease. His wife, a nurse, was also infected, but she recovered.

There have been reports of other medical staff within the public health system contracting the disease, and there has been at least one case from a private institution who contracted the virus.

Currently, Guyana has a total of 398 confirmed COVID-19 cases, while the death toll is at 20. (G8)

Proposed alternative area for Linden squatters identified …as officials highlight difficulties to get legal access to land

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inden’s Deputy Mayor Wainewright Bethune on Monday identified one of the proposed areas which he believes is more suitable for residential purposes in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). This is in response to the “alarming increase” of squatting in the community.

The ‘Lucky Spot’ area at Wismar, Linden was identified during site visits by members of various agencies, including the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) and Environmental Engineer Samuel Wright.

The team also visited sites where squatting is evident, as challenges and solutions were discussed in

moving forward. Among the areas visited are Amelia’s Ward, Blueberry Hill, Dakoura and Kularu- Block 56.

During the visits, members of the team highlighted challenges faced by residents in gaining legal access to land, as well as challenges faced by local government bodies and relevant agencies in dealing with squatting.

During the discourse, Bethune pointed to massive squatting taking place in areas such as Wisroc and Amelia’s Ward, as he stressed that this puts additional pressure on the authorities to regularise squatter settlements. As such, he questioned the ability of the authorities to work to develop suitable areas in an effort to prevent instances of squatting.

Bethune said there are concerns at the Dakoura site regarding the protected wa-

tershed which is situated in the area. He noted, however, that the people cannot be removed without alternatives, as he stressed the need for quick investigation of alternative areas and for systems to be put in place.

The Deputy Mayor also alluded that there are unauthorised persons collecting monies for lands, as he explained that this could cause the situation to degenerate into a very chaotic one. Further, he stressed that there is the issue of persons with multiple house lots who are squatting, as he made the call for the situation at Amelia’s Ward to be urgently addressed.

In areas such as Nottinghamshire, he pointed out that families are living under cramped conditions.

“Every year, a lot of people coming out of school… people want their independence…you go to Nottinghamshire…it got 5 or 6 families cramped in one home. Multiply the Nottinghamshire situation and you’re going to see why a lot of people are forced (to live under such conditions).

“There’s a lot of people who said they’ve applied to Central Housing and Planning how many years ago and there’s no response, no land”, the Deputy Mayor stressed.He added that, regardless of the situation, control measures need to be put in place. The Deputy

Mayor said his main concerns are environmental, and that the LM&TC may not be able to cater for these squatting areas.

It was noted by officials that there are also persons from outside of Linden seeking and occupying lands within the community. It was noted, too, that there is no longer as much collaboration between NICIL and CH&PA as it relates to housing solutions.

Senior Land Administration Officer attached to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Julian Benons, made calls for more public sensitisation on the negative effects of squatting, as well as legal alternatives for obtaining land, as he described the situation at Amelia’s Ward as “terrible”.

Benons further stressed the need to move quickly to ascertain ownership of the lands, so they can be surveyed and allocated.

Additionally, Region 10 CH&PA Community Development Officer Toshaya Douglas-October said there is need to put pressure on the authorities to respond. This, she noted, can only be done collaboratively and with the help of the people. She said the people have taken the lead role, but if this continues, the authorities will be cut out of the process entirely. In the same vein, she stressed the need to utilise the power of

Members of the team during the visit to one of the proposed sites

the citizens.

Meanwhile, Councillor Fern McKoy also expressed frustration on behalf of residents, as she cited challenges in land allocations. “… the system is so ‘long and dragged out’, and that is why people do what they have to do…everybody, I think, deserves a piece of land, and… if you apply…it taking so long, so many years before you get it. And in the meantime, people struggling for somewhere to live. So people go and squat”, she explained.

Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell also shared her concerns, pointing out that “people have already found the land…I would assume that the ministries do not have the collateral nor the ability to identify lands as fast as we think they should,

and so that boat has sailed.

But the people have identified the land.”

Arrindell said the Council had requested names of persons interested in acquiring land in an effort to eliminate those who already, have based on CH&PA data. She said there are residents willing to get on board in assisting with land development, once alternative areas are identified.

Stressing that the Council does not have the finances, Arrindell said the aim is to work to have a team, including surveyors, on the ground to take a closer look at alternative housing areas.

She further urged agencies to commit to a Memorandum of Understanding.

(Utamu Belle)

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Municipality refuses to compensate vendor after goods damaged by tar …media ordered to leave market

Pulmattie Annand displaying a list of items damaged

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clothes and handbag vendor of the Skeldon Market in Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne) has been left in shock after opening one of her stalls and finding some of her stock covered with tar and water.

She received an even greater shock when she was allegedly told by the municipality that she would not be compensated.

Pulmattie Annand, who operates 10 stalls at the market, which is run by the

Corriverton Municipality, says she was told that tar had leaked from the gutter in the ceiling and fallen onto one of her stands.

“When I opened the stand, there was a lot of water and tar on the footwear,” the 37-year-old woman revealed.

Annand, who sells ladies’ and gents’ footwear, school bags, suitcases and travelling bags, has been venting in that market for the past 15 years.

She said that following the discovery last Thursday, she went to the Mayor’s Office, but was told that the Council cannot compensate her for the damages.

“He told me to take what action I want to take, so I went and lodged a complaint with the Market Clerk,” the woman related, adding that her damages amounted to some $489,000.

Meanwhile, while the media was speaking with Annand, a woman ap-

Some of the damaged items

proached, interrupted the interview, and ordered that the media leave the market, since, according to her, it is an offence to video inside of the market.

However, when further questioned, the woman said she is the Market Clerk. She claimed that although the market was a public place, she cannot allow any videoing inside the facility.

When asked about the section of the law that makes it an offence to video inside the market, she could not

answer, but rather walked away.

Meanwhile, the contractor, who was at the time undertaking repair works to the roof of the market, explained that the guttering was faulty.

“The gutter is not good; it has holes, so they asked me to put tar in it and put a new gutter inside the old one…,” he told the media.

Mayor Winston Roberts, who arrived in the market, also said that persons are not allowed to video in the market, but he also could not

say what law the media was breaking by conducting the interview at the facility.

He, however, confirmed that the Municipality was fixing the guttering at the market.

Several vendors have reported that when it rains, their stalls are drenched.

Annand said it was not the first time that items in her stall have been affected, but she said this is the first time that she had suffered such severe damages. (G4)

Owen Arthur among select group of truly great West Indian leaders

Dear Editor, The passing of former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, is a great loss to Caribbean intellectual thought, practice and leadership. I co-authored with him, in 1985, a UWI-published book titled ‘Commercialization of Technology and Dependence

in the Caribbean’, and witnessed at first hand his seamless transition from political-economy steeped academia to political activism and ultimate political power.

His assumption of the position of Prime Minister in 1994, and assignment by his peers, until his demitting office in 2008, as “lead Head

of Government” for furthering of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy process resulted in very significant acceleration in regional economic integration.

This acceleration coincided with my stint as Economic Adviser to the then Secretary General of Caricom, with specific responsibility for deep-

ening the Single Economy process; and I can therefore attest that Owen Arthur had a real understanding of the intricacies and requirements of true economic integration, and it was a revelation to observe the drive and energy with which he sought to educate his colleagues on the issue at their various Heads of

Government Conferences.

When Professor Owen Arthur spoke, everyone listened. It is therefore not surprising that, with the ending of his three-term leadership in 2008, the economic integration process began to lose momentum and to experience a virtual “pause”.

I wish to extend my sin-

cere condolences to his wife Julie and the extended family; and to the Government and people of Barbados.

Owen Arthur joins a very select group in the pantheon of truly great West Indian leaders.

Sincerely, Maurice Odle

How to break this cycle to save future generations from the failures of their parents Dear Editor, On a recent engagement with the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Dr Yeaswantie Beekhoo, an exceptionally effective philoso-

pher and psychologist, who combines elements of eastern and western psychology in an offering that is holistic in practice, explained to me that, as a philosopher, she

works with patterns.

One pattern that emerges in her line of work is that children of broken homes themselves ultimately go on as adults to form relationships which repeat the examples set by their parents; that is, we can expect to see a cross-generational pattern of broken hearts and broken families.

The world has seen pop singer Rhianna, of Guyanese heritage, analyse, on one of Oprah’s shows, her own relationship with Chris Brown and the unconscious connection that abusive relationship had to her relationship with her father.

In our country, where we have so many impoverished single parent families and children exposed in early childhood to violence, hate and diatribe in parental relationships, the trend of patterns signifies a generational curse that is placed upon children of broken homes.

The question that arises is: How do we break this cycle to save future generations from the failures of their parents?

It certainly implies that breaking the cycle of poverty cannot be done only with education that involves teaching children Mathematics, English Language, Science and Social Studies. Even strengthening Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) on the primary and

secondary school curricula is not enough to break the curse on a significant proportion of our nation’s children. And we see it in the videos on social media of the state of our nation’s poorest children.

We need general knowledge of psychology.

What truly needs to improve is national awareness of this pattern, and its implications and risks, as well as the quality of the intervention currently being offered by the Child Care and Protection Agency.

That Agency, like all our Government organisations, can do more to streamline and improve its effectiveness and efficiency, and the quality of its day-to-day decision- making. This, however, cannot be done without the right policy guidance, which comes from the political directorate of our country. Government after Government continues to downplay the importance of the Ministry of Social Protection.

A prerequisite for national development is healthy, happy, educated and productive adult citizens. It therefore means that any political administration that is serious about national development needs to zoom in on the challenge of, and hindrances to, human development. Policies for poverty reduction and wealth cre-

ation need to be developed in an integrated manner that is driven by data of actual problems being faced by Guyanese.

The University of Guyana can strengthen its engagement with the Ministry of Social Protection in terms of evaluating the quality of its educational programmes, powering staff of the Ministry, and in the area of research. The Child Care and Protection Agency is in possession of data that can be used to support longitudinal studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the University’s interventions, and the Agency needs this help.

One peeved father told me, while standing in one of those Republic Bank lines, that his daughter was taken away from him and given to the care of her mother. The mother was a careless woman who allowed the young teen to have boyfriends. The man’s daughter ended up pregnant, and he was asked whether he would take responsibility for her in that condition, which he did.

This is a clear example of the poor quality of decision-making being done by the Child Care and Protection Agency, which operates in constant fire-fighting mode, with staff under-qualified to make effective decisions. When we have under-qualified staff

operating in fire-fighting mode, as we do in Guyana, what can help are clearlythought-out Statements of Operating Procedures based on known trends and patterns. In the example mentioned above, simply sending the child to live with the ‘mother’ is not a sufficient criterion. It was a negligent decision.

The Agency needs more information on the lifestyle of the mother, because children are also sexually abused by mother’s boyfriends. If the laws of Guyana do not support the Agency making informed decisions on the future of children, the laws need to be changed.

I offer this bit of insight in the hope that other psychologists and agencies in Guyana can help to raise awareness of this cross-generational pattern of broken hearts, broken relationships, and broken families; so that, as a nation, we can formulate better policies to yield better informed and happier citizens, who can be empowered with the right knowledge and by the right education curriculum to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance that engulfs many of our families across generations of human suffering.

Sincerely, Sandra Khan

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IDB report highlights Hong Kong students held in 1st arrests under new security law post-pandemic reform for Caribbean H

F

or oil producers in the region like T&T, oil prices have recovered somewhat and stabilised at around the US$40 per barrel (WTI), after reaching historic lows. This compares to an average WTI price of US$57 per barrel in 2019, the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) noted in its new report on the ongoing impact of the crisis for countries in the region. Future prices set for the next six to 12 months have also stabilised at around US$40 per barrel. “That said, there could be substantial volatility because the future evolution of the economies of major oil consuming countries is highly uncertain, and oil demand is closely linked to economic conditions in those countries,” the report said. In addition, even with the regained stability of oil prices , the drop compared to last year will certainly affect the value of production for T&T, Suriname, and the new oil exporter, Guyana, it

added. Natural gas prices have continued declining recently, with the Henry Hub price dropping below a new low of US$1.50 MMBtu in late June. Future prices indicate an expected recovery to well over US$2 MMBtu early next year. However, the continued decline of natural gas prices is of concern for T&T, given that its natural gas production is tenfold larger than its oil production, the report said. It said while coronavirus curves had flattened and several airports re-opened, the region still faces a treacherous transition to a post-crisis scenario.

The report said as countries begin to open their domestic economies, they are still battered by external shocks. This is particularly the case for the tourism-dependent economies that experienced a virtual shutdown of the sector during the second quarter of the year, the report said. It added that natural-resource-based economies are also suffering from the lingering effects of

the decline in commodity prices and related external demand. Tourism was adversely affected during the first quarter of 2020 as the crisis began to unfold, and the sector was effectively shut down during the second quarter as complete travel prohibitions came into place.

The report said expectations for the third quarter remain uncertain, but prospects for a rapid return to pre-crisis levels of demand remain grim. The report reviews the ongoing impact of the crisis for countries in the region, and provides recommendations for policymakers as they position themselves for a postCOVID-19 recovery.

The report, Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin: The Pandemic Saga Continues, also includes detailed assessments for the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). (T&T Guardian)

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

ong Kong police have arrested four people, the youngest just 16, for suspected offences under the city’s new national security law, the first such detentions outside of street protests since the legislation took effect a month ago.

In a press conference shortly before midnight on Wednesday, a police spokesman said the three men and a woman, all students, were suspected of being involved in an online group that pledged to use every means to fight for an independent Hong Kong.

“We arrested for ... subversions and for the organising and also the inciting [of] secession,” said Li Kwai-wah, police superintendent at the Hong Kong National Security Department.

“They wanted to unite all the independent groups in Hong Kong for the view to promote the independence of Hong Kong.”

Student Localism, a group that used to advocate independence, said in a statement that its former leader Tony Chung, 19, was among those arrested.

One other former member who was arrested was identified by local politicians and media as Yanni Ho. Two others were not identified. The eldest person detained is 21 years old.

Last month, Student Localism announced it had disbanded as Beijing enacted its national security law, which outlaws secession, subversion, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces.

China considers Hong Kong to be an “inalienable” part of the

Reporters take pictures and video of a Police vehicle driving inside a station where believed members of a Hong Kong pro-independence group — who were arrested by the national security unit — are being held late on Wednesday night [Tyrone Siu/Reuters]

country, so calls for independence are anathema to its Communist Party leaders. Beijing imposed the national security law in the semi-autonomous city territory on the eve of July 1, when it traditionally marks the 1997 handover from Britain. Under the so-called “One Country, Two Systems” framework, China is supposed to guarantee freedoms and Hong Kong’s way of life for at least 50 years. Beijing says the national security law is needed to end unrest and restore stability - and claims it will not affect people’s political freedoms.Human Rights Watch condemned the arrests and urged governments to impose targeted sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese government officials responsible for the new law.

“The gross misuse of this draconian law makes clear that the aim is to silence dissent, not protect national security,” said

Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch.

The legislation outlaws what Beijing loosely defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.

It has been condemned by some Western governments, business leaders and human rights groups who say it is an attempt by Beijing to tighten its grip over China’s freest city. In response, they have suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong and loosened migration rules for Hong Kong residents.

Beijing says the law is crucial to plug gaping holes in national security defences exposed by months of sometimes violent anti-government protests that began in June 2019.

Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong say the law will be used to target only a minority of “troublemakers”. (Al Jazeera)

SYMPTOMS

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms may have COVID-19:

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

Fever People who think they may be affected by coronavirus need to call the Public Health Ministry hotline 227-4986/624-3067 for further advice. They should not go to their GP, A&E, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have come into contact with somebody who may be infected, you may be told to self-isolate. People needing to do so should take "common-sense" steps to avoid close contact with other people.

(Adapted from BBC News)

Headache

Chills

Sore throat

Repeated shaking with chills

Muscle pain

Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have New loss of taste mild illness. or smell

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

Regional

Apache, Total make 3rd oil Antigua still committed to discovery offshore Suriname hosting CARIFESTA

O

il producer Apache Corp and its joint venture partner Total SA said on Wednesday they made their third oil discovery offshore Suriname, sending Apache’s shares up 14 per cent in after-market trading.

The Suriname discovery, dubbed “among the most anticipated in the world” by one brokerage, is seen as central to Apache’s efforts to reduce its reliance on the Alpine High venture in Texas’ Permian basin, which has suffered from div-

ing natural gas prices.

The third discovery also comes at a time when oil and gas producers across the globe are reeling under a coronavirus-led decline in energy demand that led crude prices to drop below US$0 for the first time ever.

“This is the best well we’ve drilled in the basin to date, with the highest net pay in the best quality reservoirs,” Apache Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Christmann said.

The third major find was at the Kwaskwasi-1 well

drilled offshore Suriname in Block 58, which comprises 1.4 million acres.

Once operations at Kwaskwasi-1 are completed, the drilling ship will move to the fourth prospect in Block 58, Keskesi, Apache said.

Apache did not provide any estimates for recoverable oil and gas.

The Suriname operations are just across the border from where ExxonMobil led discoveries off Guyana that are estimated to hold more than eight billion barrels of oil. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Coronavirus surges in Quito after Ecuador eases lockdown

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truggling to breathe, Luis Gualotuna arrived before dawn Wednesday at a coronavirus testing site in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, which has experienced an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases since the Government started to reopen the economy last month.

Hours later, Gualotuna was still in a long line, waiting.

"My throat hurts, my body hurts. I have general discomfort, and I came here to find out if I have COVID. There is nothing left to do but wait," said Gualotuna, a 34-year-old unemployed carpenter.

The novel coronavirus first tore through the port city of Guayaquil in March and April, killing hundreds and horrifying people around the world with scenes of bodies left in the street as authorities struggled to cope with the pandemic. The situation in Guayaquil has since stabilised, but now, hospitals in Quito are filling up and the

Browne and his Cabinet are also committed to ensuring that CARIFESTA in 2021 is an overwhelming success.

CARIFESTA XV is expected to be held in August 2021 under the theme “One Caribbean.

One Environment. Diverse Cultures”.

A CARIFESTA XV hosting proposal was presented

by St John's at the meeting and the statement said that the concept that was presented included the promoting and celebration of diverse cultural expressions. It was also suggested that advocating environmental sustainability and

justice should be a priority, with a strong focus on greening CARIFESTA. The IFD also discussed CARIFESTA XIV, which was held in Trinidad and Tobago from August 1625 last year under the theme “The Tangible and Intangible: Connect. Share.

Invest”.

“Discussions also focused on 15 years of implementation of the CARIFESTA Strategic Plan and the need for revisiting the CARIFESTA model, also taking into consideration how to organise festivals in a COVID-19 environment,” the statement noted. (Excerpt from CMC)

Trinidad: PEP writes President requesting elections postponement

T

Doctors exiting a tent where people who have tested positive for the new coronavirus are being treated, outside the Seguro Social hospital in Quito, Ecuador [AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa]

crematoria at funeral parlours are pushed to keep up with demand.

There have been 82,300 confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus in Ecuador and about 5600 deaths from the disease that it causes, COVID-19.

Another 3353 deaths are believed to be linked to the virus. The country has a population of more than 17 million.

Quito has registered 12,747 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 605 deaths. On June 30, it had reported about half as many cases and 464 deaths. The health crisis has been compounded by the relaxation of social distancing measures as Ecuador tries to get its economy moving again, and by the arrival of the seasonal flu. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Brazil hits record 69,000 coronavirus cases in a day

B

razil’s coronavirus outbreak set daily records on Wednesday with both 69,074 new confirmed cases and 1595 related deaths, as the world’s second-worst outbreak accelerates toward the milestone of 100,000 lives cut short.

Brazil is the country worst hit by COVID-19 outside of the United States in both death toll and case count, with more than 2.5 million confirmed cases and 90,134 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Ministry data.

São Paulo, Brazil’s most populous and hardest-hit state, has been working through a backlog of previously unregistered cases, reporting more than 26,000 cases on Wednesday alone.

President Jair Bolsonaro has pressed to reopen the Brazilian economy, with

A

ntigua and Barbuda has given the assurance that it is still committed to hosting the 15th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA), the Region's premier festival in 2021.

A statement from the Caricom Secretariat said the island's Culture and National Festival and the Arts Minister, Daryll Matthew, gave the assurance during the recently-held virtual 18th meeting of the Interim Festival Directorate (IFD).

The statement quoted Matthew as indicating that Prime Minister Gaston

People are seen in Copacabana Beach amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 28, 2020

lockdowns lifting in many cities despite the toll of the disease continuing to rise. In some cases, Brazilians have packed into bars and crowded public squares, often in defiance of local rules.

Bolsonaro himself has flouted social distancing guidelines by joining supporters at rallies around Brasilia, the capital, in recent months. He fell ill with

coronavirus this month, and spent weeks in partial isolation before recovering.

The right-wing populist has argued that the economic damage from lockdowns is worse than the disease itself, which he has played down as “a little flu” that can be cured by unproven treatments, involving the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine.

(Reuters)

he Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) is continuing its calls to have the 2020 General Election postponed from its scheduled date of Monday, August 10, 2020, arguing the current COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat to the national community.

In its latest move, the PEP has written to President Paula-Mae Weekes, asking her to use her office to postpone the election.

The key argument PEP is making is that the country is in serious danger of “a full-blown community spread epidemic”, exacerbated by the campaigning currently taking place which does appear to conform to the COVID-19 protocols.

“Madame President, you will no doubt be aware of the deterioration in the

T&T President Paula-Mae Weekes

Covid-19 spread that, while thought under control, appears to be mushrooming into a full-blown community spread epidemic.

The reason for this writing is out of concern that the General Election and everything leading up to it may have the effect of exacerbating the situation and pro-

moting the spread of the virus to the detriment of the entire nation,” the Party said in its missive.

PEP also says despite its best mitigation efforts, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) may not be able to help reduce the virus spread. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Brazil warned of “consequences” if it picks Huawei 5G

T

he US Ambassador in Brasilia warned of "consequences" if Brazil chooses Chinese telecoms company Huawei to develop its 5G network, in an interview published Wednesday.

"I wouldn't say there would be retaliation, but there would be consequences" if Brazil goes against US advice and picks the Chinese firm, Ambassador Todd Chapman told newspaper Globo.

Brazil is due to launch a tender next year for the project to develop the next generation of telecommunications technology in Latin America's most populous country, home to 212 million people.

The United States has been actively lobbying countries worldwide to boycott Huawei, arguing the firm

could allow the Chinese Government to spy on their data.

"At any time, the Chinese Government could ask Huawei to send it information," Chapman said.

"There's no purely American company in the running. I'm not saying this to make a billion dollars. It's a matter of national security."

Other companies that have shown interest in Brazil's 5G tender include

Sweden's Ericsson and Finland's Nokia.

Chapman also warned Brazil could scare away foreign investment by contracting a company that the US claims violates intellectual property rights and receives unfair state support that puts its competitors at a disadvantage.

"The US position is to alert our allies and friends, such as Brazil, so they know who they're working with," he said. (Excerpt from AFP)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil prices get lift as EIA reports the biggest US crude supply decline of the year

O

il futures ended higher Wednesday after US Government data showed a more-than-10-million-barrel weekly decline in US crude – the largest so far this year.

An unexpected weekly rise in gasoline supplies, however, tempered the rise for oil as worries about slow demand growth prevailed.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Wednesday that US crude inventories fell by 10.6 million barrels for the week ended July 24, the largest weekly decline since the 11.5 million-barrel fall reported for the week ended December 27, 2019.

The latest fall compared with an average forecast by analysts polled by S&P Global Platts for a decline of 1.2 million barrels. The American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday reported a decrease of 6.8 million barrels.

The size of the crude supply decline was a surprise, but “looking deeper into the numbers we saw a build in gasoline stockpiles as well as distillates,” Tariq Zahir, managing member at Tyche Capital Advisors, told MarketWatch.

Even with “all the bullish headlines out there with a large crude oil draw” and US dollar weakness, “we feel it is quite telling” that crude oil can’t move much higher, he said. The ICE US Dollar Index DXY, -0.46 per cent, a measure of the US currency against a basket of six major rivals, was down 0.4 per cent Wednesday after edging to a two-year low.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for September delivery the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 23 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to settle at US$41.27 a barrel. It was trading at US$41.32 just ahead of the EIA supply data.

September Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed 53 cents, or 1.2 per cent, to close at US$43.75 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. (Excerpt from Market Watch)

US coronavirus deaths top 150,000 D

eaths from COVID-19 surpassed 150,000 in the United States on Wednesday, more than any other country and nearly a quarter of the world’s total, according to a Reuters tally, delivering fresh blows to the US economy The increase of 10,000 COVID-19 deaths over the last 11 days is the fastest in the United States since early June, prompting heated debates between the American public and its leaders over the best course forward.

Commercial pilot Rob Koreman of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said he had been stunned by the climbing numbers.

“I’m a pilot and hit so many cities, so many peo-

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could authorise emergency use of antibody-rich blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat people infected with the coronavirus as early as next week [Al Jazeera]

ple on board, I have to be aware,” said Koreman, 50.

“Basically, none of this should have happened. We needed state coordination, if not flat-out a federal mandate.”

Florida reported another

record in one-day deaths on Wednesday, 217, according to state health officials.

Among the 20 countries with the biggest outbreaks, the United States ranks sixth in deaths per capita, at 4.5 fatalities per 10,000 peo-

ple.

Only the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Peru, and Chile have a higher per capita rate, the tally shows, with US deaths making up nearly 23 per cent of the known global total of just over 661,000.

The pace of infections has accelerated since the US death toll passed 100,000 on May 27. The epicentre has also moved, to the South and West from the area around New York, which still has by far the highest number of fatalities of any US state at more than 32,000.

Arkansas, California, Florida, Montana, Oregon and Texas each reported record spikes in fatalities on Tuesday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany, but nearly half to stay in Europe

T

he US military on Wednesday unveiled plans to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany, in fallout from President Donald Trump’s long-simmering feud with Berlin, but said it would keep nearly half of those forces in Europe to address tension with Russia.

Trump announced his intention last month to cut by about a third the

36,000-strong US troop contingent in Germany, faulting the close US ally for failing to meet NATO’s defence spending target and accusing it of taking advantage of the United States on trade.

“We don’t want to be the suckers anymore,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday about the decision. “We’re reducing the force because

they’re not paying their bills; it’s very simple.”

Defence Secretary Mark Esper has not portrayed the pullout in those terms and said the military’s plan would prevent the troop movements from undermining NATO and its efforts to deter Russian intervention, following Moscow’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

In remarks likely to irk

Moscow, Esper said some US troops would reposition to the Black Sea region and some could temporarily deploy in waves to the Baltics.

Other forces leaving Germany would permanently move to Italy and the US military’s European headquarters would relocate from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

the "highest standard" Cicilline said Amazon had an inherent conflict of interest, since it both hosts sellers and competes against them by offering similar products. Such practice has also come under scrutiny from European regulators.

"Amazon's dual role... is fundamentally anti-com-

petitive and Congress must take action," he said.

However, some Republicans signalled they were not prepared to split up the firms or significantly overhaul US competition laws, with one committee member saying "big is not inherently bad". (Excerpt from Reuters)

Man shot dead for 'blasphemy' in Pakistan courtroom Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google face claims of “harmful” power A man accused of blasphemy for claiming that he was a prophet has been shot dead in a courtroom in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, police officials say, the latest violence associated with Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws.

Tahir Ahmad Naseem was shot six times during a hearing in his case at a district court on Wednesday, Police official Ijaz Ahmed told Al Jazeera.

"The culprit accepts re-

sponsibility for killing him, and says that he killed him for having committed blasphemy," said Ahmed. "[The suspect] has been arrested from the scene."

Naseem had been in Police custody since 2018 when he was accused of having committed blasphemy by claiming to be a prophet – a violation of Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws that can carry the death penalty for certain offences. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

US slaps sanctions on Syria in push for Assad to end war

T

he United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions aimed at cutting off funds for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Government and warned that anyone doing business with Damascus was also at risk of being blacklisted.

Assad’s son, Hafez, was among four people and 10 entities, including a Syrian army unit, targeted by Washington over accusations they either aided Government funding through luxury real estate construction – sometimes on land belonging to displaced civilians – or prolonged the

nearly decade-long war.

“More sanctions will follow as part of a sustained campaign of economic and political pressure to deny the Assad regime the resources it uses to wage war against the Syrian people,” the White House said in a statement.

A crackdown by Assad on protesters in 2011 led to civil war, with Iran and Russia backing the Government and the United States supporting the Opposition.

Millions of people have fled Syria and millions more have been internally displaced. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Apple's Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai defended their firms

T

he heads of some of the world's biggest tech companies have appeared before Washington lawmakers to defend their firms against claims they abuse their power to quash competitors.

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos said the world "needs large" firms, while the heads of Facebook, Apple and Google argued their companies had spurred innovation.

The appearance comes as lawmakers consider tougher regulation and competition probes are underway.

Some critics want the firms broken up.

Congressman David Cicilline, a Democrat leading the congressional committee holding the hearing,

said a year-long investigation by lawmakers had revealed patterns of abuse by the online platforms.

"The dominant platforms have wielded their power in destructive, harmful ways in order to expand," he said.

At Wednesday's hearing, lawmakers accused Google of having stolen content created by smaller firms, like Yelp, in order to keep users on their own web pages.

Amazon's treatment of sellers on its site, Facebook's acquisition of competitors such as Instagram, and Apple's App Store also drew attention.

In response to claims Google had stolen content, Google boss Sundar Pichai said the firm held itself to

20

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

Show sensitivity toward others’ thoughts and feelings. Getting along with all and knowing when and how to compromise will alleviate relationship problems. Look for the good in whatever situation you face.

Review options and discuss your plans with the people affected by the decisions you make. Understanding the repercussions involved will help ease stress. Don’t take a financial risk.

Consider what’s working best for you and proceed with enthusiasm. Make choices based on facts, not on emotional impulses. Do what’s right, deal with opposition and stay focused on your objectives.

You will eliminate stress if you stick to methods that have worked well in the past.

Start a unique project that interests you but won’t cost you financially, emotionally or physically.

Get into a routine. Proper diet and exercise will help you look and feel your best. Listen to your inner voice, not to what an outsider tells you.

Uncertainty will lead to inconsistency and difficulty dealing with others.

Concentrate on what you can do and how best to approach your objectives. Refuse to let personal matters hold you back professionally.

Engage in activities or jobs that require your physical rather than intellectual skills.

A misunderstanding will lead to a setback. Personal growth, physical improvements, love and romance are favored.

Don’t doubt your capability. Your ideas and energy will help you excel. Present and promote what you have to offer, and you’ll receive positive input.

Happiness begins withSAGITTARIUS in. Make adjustments that (Nov. 23lead to a brighter future.

Dec. 21) Fitness, health and personal grooming will lead to compliments that boost your ego.

Entertainment and romance are featured.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Hard work will pay off.

Don’t prematurely present what you are working on. A positive change at home will encourage a healthier, more productive lifestyle. Nurture a meaningful relationship.

Acknowledge changes that are taking place and address your concerns. Listen carefully to what others say, but don’t agree to anything without further investigation. Use your skills more effectively. A reunion will be insightful.

Control your emotions.

You’ll have regrets if you act in haste. Consider your options and develop a plan that is beneficial to everyone involved. Don’t let anyone meddle in your personal affairs.

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

21

World Test Championship (WTC) progressing as planned, says ICC W

ith the fate of the T20 World Cup out of the way, the ICC's attention has now been turned to the World Test Championship (WTC) and, in particular, the six Test series postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Progress will not be quick, cautioned the ICC, but for now, matters are proceeding as planned.

The very first WTC was due to be completed by the end of March 2021, each of the nine sides having played six series home and away over a two-year period. The top two sides would then play a final, planned for next summer in the UK. But that schedule has been thrown into disarray because of the impact of the pandemic, and only now are members working out ways with the ICC to reschedule their commitments.

Priority at the moment is on the six series already postponed: Sri Lanka vs England, one Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Bangladesh vs Australia, West Indies vs South Africa, Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, and Bangladesh vs New Zealand.

"We're in discussions with the members now, with rescheduling of the series that have been postponed to date," Geoff Allardice, the ICC's General Manager for Cricket Operations, has said.

"With the English summer looking like getting both the Test series through, the next ones I know there's been some talk in the

media about West Indies v South Africa are looking to find a suitable time. But outside of that series, the next scheduled ones are in late November in New Zealand.

“So, the focus will come back on the six postponed series, and when they might be able to be replayed. With some of them, discussions are underway, but we're in the process of getting updates from all member countries as to what they're looking at.

“At the moment, everything is proceeding as planned. The series on in England right now are part of the WTC, and all of the series that have been identified will be part of the Championships. It's about getting a feel for whether they can all be completed within the competition window ending in March next year."

But given the fluid nature of the impacts of the pandemic - with some countries still to reach a peak, and others experiencing, or on the verge of, an expected second wave - decisions won't be taken quickly. Unlike with the T20 World Cup, which was eventually postponed earlier this month, there isn't a pressing need for a cut-off date by which decisions need to be taken.

"In the last few months, we've learned that things change quite quickly," Allardice said. "One week you think that you're not going to play for a while, and then things begin to open up at a government level, and then,

Russian bid to host 2027 Rugby World Cup gets backing of Vladimir Putin

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he Russian Rugby Federation (RRF) has confirmed that the country is preparing an application to host the 2027 World Cup, and that President Vladimir Putin is backing the bid.

Russia has expressed an interest in hosting the tournament, using the stadiums from football’s 2018 World Cup as venues, and the RRF has said it had set up a committee to handle the application process last week.

The official bidding campaign is set to begin next February, with the World Rugby expected to decide the hosts next May. “…the necessary consultations were held with the participation of the Ministry of Sports. By the end of this

year, detailed information and criteria for the application are expected,” the RRF has said.

The initiative has received the support of the Russian President, it added.

Australia, co-hosts of the inaugural World Cup with New Zealand in 1987, and the venue for the successful 2003 edition, are the favourites to host the 2027 showpiece, with Argentina pulling out earlier this year.

France will host the next World Cup in 2023, which will be the third in a row in the northern hemisphere, after England in 2015 and Japan last year.

Russia finished bottom of their group in Japan, after losing their four games. (The Guardian)

all of a sudden, things look possible.

"A lot of the series we are talking about, if we are saying November-December, JanuaryFebruary, they are six to eight months away, and it's still hard to predict where things will be in some countries that far out. We haven't got a firm, drop-dead date in mind. We are going to get a feel in the next month or two from member countries about when they'll be able to resume, and what their upcoming seasons look like, including the matches and series they need to reschedule that have been postponed."

The next cycle of international cricket could also see efforts being made to include an international T20 league in the calendar.

The idea was discussed during the planning stages for this cycle, but the constraints of

the existing FTP meant it went no further.

"It was something that was discussed at length, and continues to be talked about in terms of how do you achieve it practically," Allardice said. "What is the right number of teams, the format of the competition?

Sometimes you couple ODI series with Tests series, so how do you do something different without making the league the same number of teams against the same opponents, but in T20Is as well?

"Ideally you'd like to incorporate more teams in a Twenty20 structure. Given the constraints of the FTP, we were looking at a few years ago, it was a bridge too far then, but that doesn't mean it won't be one of the things we're trying to achieve in the next calendar." (ESPNcricinfo)

UK Sports Minister says rugby union outside elite may have to scrap scrums

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ritish Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has indicated that there will have to be changes to the way recreational rugby union is played before it is allowed to return, including potentially no scrummages until after Christmas.

Community rugby remains on the second stage of a sixpart roadmap for a phased return, with players allowed to exercise within a small group of six players, provided they maintain social distancing. However, no face-to-face contact is permitted, and equipment sharing must be kept to a minimum.

The RFU, which has submitted detailed proposals for community rugby to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said earlier this month that it was hoping “to have some positive

news soon about the potential move to the next stage”. The game’s governing body in England has also been targeting a return to full-contact rugby for grassroots clubs by the end of the year.

However, Huddleston was more cautious when asked whether recreational rugby would be back next season. “I hope so; but where you’ve got full contact -- there are some sports, (such as) judo, karate, other full contact sports, where there’s particular challenges,” he said, “I think inevitably there are going to be some changes. It could be broadly recognisable, but the reality is (that), for a temporary period of time, we’re going to have to probably see some changes.”

In May, World Rugby had said that doing away with reset scrums and eliminating “upright face-to-face” tackles would significantly reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. The global body also advised making a change of jerseys and headgear at half-time compulsory, banning huddles on the pitch, and outlawing spitting.

When it was suggested to Huddleston that there might be no scrums in recreational rugby until after Christmas, he replied: “Potentially, but we’ll have to see. It will be based on medical and other advice.” (The Guardian)

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Jason Holder calls on ECB to show gratitude with reciprocal tour W

est Indies Test captain Jason Holder has called on the ECB to show their gratitude to his West Indies team by scheduling a reciprocal tour of the Caribbean later this year, after warning that the dire finances of what he termed Test cricket's "smaller countries" may not survive the bio-secure requirements of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking in the aftermath of England's 269run victory in the third and final Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Holder conceded that mental fatigue had been a significant factor in his team's failure to build on their four-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl earlier this month, adding that the routine of "opening your curtains and just seeing the cricket ground" had proven difficult for his players when trying to rouse themselves for the rigours of Test cricket.

However, he also acknowledged that there could have been no other way for the series to take place in the current circumstances, pointing out that only England, India and Australia - the so-called "Big Three" Test nations - have enough financial clout to stage international cricket in the midst of a global lockdown.

"If something doesn't happen soon, we'll see less international cricket being played by smaller countries, because we simply can't afford it," Holder said. “We've gone from having four/fivematch series down to two and three. And it's very difficult to host any more than that for us, particularly the Caribbean.

"So yeah, it is a serious dilemma that we're faced with. I think the relevant personnel really need to sit down and have a look at it."

Despite their series loss, West Indies will return to the Caribbean with the ECB's lasting gratitude, after their players agreed - with just three exceptions - to travel to a country with one of the highest COVID death rates in the world, and confine themselves to just two venues for the entire eight-week duration of their tour.

After an initial month in Manchester, where their extended 25-man squad lived and trained on-site, including two intra-squad warm-up matches, the players travelled to Southampton for the first Test, then straight back to Manchester thereafter. Each of the three Tests was worth an estimated £20 million, contests that helped to fulfil the ECB's contractual obligations to Sky Sports and offset a loss that Tom Harrison, the ECB Chief Executive, had estimated could have been upwards of £380 million had no cricket at all been played this summer.

There were, however, some significant overheads for the ECB to factor into West Indies' vis-

it - not least the cost of charter flights from the Caribbean and accommodation for an enlarged group of players - and while the size of the ECB's £1.1 billion broadcasting deal amply justified the outlay, Holder warned that bilateral series involving less high-profile teams could remain in serious jeopardy for the foreseeable future.

"We only really make money from England, and I think India," Holder said, relating conversations with Johnny Grave, the CWI Chief Executive. "We break even with Pakistan and Australia, and all the rest of the series we play are losses. But, in these trying times, only England, Australia and India can probably host cricket.

Outside of that, the smaller territories are struggling financially to get cricket on.

"We don't know what's going to happen after this series, in terms of the international calendar, but if there's an opportunity for England to come over to the Caribbean before the end of the year, I'm sure that would help significantly for Cricket West Indies' financial records.

"It's been a tough couple of years in West Indies cricket financially," he added. “We've pretty much had to take a pay cut, so if it's possible to host a tour before the end of 2020, it would probably keep us afloat as an organisation."

Despite the hardships of the bio-secure arrangements, Holder has said that one undoubted positive had been the opportunity for West Indies to train among themselves in an enlarged squad, especially given how little opportunity the players have had in recent seasons to take part in the regional first-class competition.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience," said Holder. "It's the first time I've had the opportunity to mingle with, more or less, the A-team players, because I haven't played much first-class cricket in the last couple of years.

"It just shows you that we need more of these environments in West Indies cricket. I'm not sure right now if Cricket West Indies could afford to have an academy, or something similar to Loughborough here in England, but that is definitely something that would help CWI. "But the beauty of having 25 players on tour is that we had pretty intense sessions," he added.

"Intensity was definitely at a height in practice, and the guys had the opportunity to come over here and learn.

"We need more of these programmes in the Caribbean, but again, it all boils down to finance.

Jason Holder

We are having a massive difficulty in trying to fund our cricket, from every single age group level to Under-18 programmes and development programmes, and we pretty much only gain from hosting England."

Asked if there was anything in the short term that West Indies could do to improve their fortunes, particularly with regard to first-class opportunities for the likes of Shai Hope, who has not played domestically for three years, and struggled to a top score of 31 in six innings, Holder was blunt.

"I don't think there's anything more that can be done," he said. "We don't have the bargaining power to dictate where and when we can play series. There's a Future Tours Programme in place, so we've got to make sure that we are strategic and plan our cricket in the best possible way.

"I particularly am a perfect example of our system, where I haven't had the opportunity to play much first-class cricket. This year was the first first-class game I've played for a couple of years. And I'm the captain of the West Indies Cricket Team.

"It is what it is. We've just got to find creative ways to keep pumping money into our development programmes, so we can see more people like Jermaine Blackwood having an opportunity to play first-class cricket, and having a franchise system that can harness and develop that talent.

At the moment, a lot of our franchises rely solely on financial distributions from Cricket West Indies. None of them can stand on their own.

(ESPNCricinfo)

2020 virtual Referees Assistance Programme (RAP) deemed a success

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223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

he thought of RAP 2020 on an online platform for the first time because of the COVID-19 got me excited, and I wasn’t disappointed…

I’m now in a better position theoretically to make the best decisions when I’m back out on the field of play,” said Maureese Skeete, one of the 35 participants in the three-day virtual training programme for referees.

This annual training programme, held on July 24, 26 and 27 for two and one-half hours daily, sought to enable the uniform interpretation and application of the laws of the game in member of associations.

Skeete, who was among the local referees and instructors, was particularly happy that FIFA and the GFF have partnered to facilitate continuous capacity building.

“The course content, materials and technology were excellent, and I was impressed by the delivery of the different instructors on the platform; and the fact that FIFA & the GFF are finding ways to keep us updated with

the new law changes and materials during these difficult times is commendable.”

Areas covered in the session included injury treatment, nutrition/fluid intake, review of the laws of the game 2020/2021 changes and clarifications, handball and challenges.

There were also a number of video tests and breakout room discussions.

Head of the GFF Refereeing Department, Dion Inniss, said while there was some initial apprehension about the new method of learning, there was maximum participation from participants. He noted that more online sessions would be utilised to prepare referees to be match ready when outdoor activities restart.

“Training and development of referees is an ongoing process. This medium of training in an online environment is novel, and has been fully embraced by the match officials. I was very impressed with how quickly the participants adapted to the

use of the online tools.

“At the beginning, there was some apprehension as to how this will work, especially considering that the internet connectivity is not the best in most parts of Guyana. The difficulties encountered were minor, and there was maximum participation from referees in the safety and comfort of their homes.

“The Department intends to intensify our online programmes, to prepare referees for the restart of outdoor activities whenever that time comes.

“I wish to thank the FIFA Development Office for facilitating the 2020 RAP Course,” he said.

Held under the auspices of the FIFA Regional Development Office, the course was led by FIFA Regional Development Officer Javier Santos, assisted

by Instructors Jeffery Solis and Alan Brown of Costa Rica, with IT support coming from Mark Cahen of the CONCACAF Refereeing Department. Local Technical Instructors were Ingram Johnson, Abdulla Hamid, Sherwin Moore and Fitness Instructor Lindley Langhorne.

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

RHTY&SC to observe 30th anniversary in September

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— celebration reduced due to COVID-19

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RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster

he Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Guyana’s leading youth and sports organization, would be celebrating its 30th anniversary in a reduced manner during the month of September.

The club had earlier this year established a sub-committee headed by its Secretary/ CEO, Hilbert Foster, to organise more than 30 activities to mark this historic anniversary, but the coronavirus crisis has forced the club to reduce the number of activities.

RHTY&SC, MS/BCB Basil Butcher Memorial Project to assist dozens of less fortunate cricketers

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ozens of less fortunate cricketers drawn from clubs across the Berbice Coastline and from Linden would benefit shortly from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club/ Berbice Cricket Board-organised Basil Butcher Memorial Project.

The project has been organised in memory of the late West Indies batting legend Basil Butcher, who died last year at the age of 86 years in Florida, USA and was later buried in his home village of Port Mourant in East Berbice.

Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC, MS, Hilbert Foster, who is also President of the BCB, has said that 87 young cricketers would each receive one piece of cricket gear as both organisations join hands with the Butcher Family to honour the legend on the 3rd of September, the 87th anniversary of his birth.

The cricket gear to be shared out over the course of the next month would include helmets, batting pads, batting gloves, wicketkeeping gloves, and wicketkeeping pads. The project would also include the distribution of bicycles, school bags to less fortunate students, and scorebooks to cricket clubs in the Lower Corentyne Sub-district.

A total of 550 food hampers has already been distributed out of a projected 1000 in what Foster has described as the first in many tribute projects to honour outstanding Berbice players.

Mr. Butcher’s family, led by his widow Pam Butcher, has given its blessings to the project, and members are actively assisting via the setting up of a GO FUND ME ACCOUNT in the USA. Butcher’s eldest child, Keith Foster, is the President of the RHTY&SC, and served as President of the BCB between 2007 and 2014.

The RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO has said that ten of the youth cricketers would be from his club, while the others would be selected based on recommendations of clubs across Berbice.

Great effort, he stated, would be made to make sure that all five sub-associations benefit under the project.

The club was formed in September, 1990 under the supervision of three times’ Guyana and Commonwealth Youth Service Awardee the St. Francis Community Developers, formerly the St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Youth Club.

The Club started with 16 members, who were invited to a special meeting on May 15, 1990 by Public Relations Officer of St. Francis, Hilbert Foster. After several meetings over the next four months, the RHTY&SC was formally launched, with Keith Foster as President, Moses Ramchanden as Secretary, and Leon Wiggins as Treasurer.

Today, the club successfully hosts over 700 activities annually, and is one of the top cricket clubs in Guyana.

The RHTY&SC is the only youth and sports club in Guyana to have ever received a national award, The Medal of Service, and to have received five Guyana Cricket Board’s Club of the Year awards: in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2016.

On the cricket field, the club has won 98 different tournaments, and has produced a combined 105 cricketers for Berbice, Guyana and West Indies at different levels.

Hilbert Foster, who has served as Secretary/CEO for over 20 years, has said that among the activities to be hosted are a

pictorial exhibition; special 30th Anniversary Review Magazine; Feeding of the Poor programme; Basil Butcher Trust Fund; Republic Bank Summer Camp; Old age pensioners’ breakfast programme; Spelling Bee Inter Primary School Competition; Onehour television programme; assisting 30 families with special hampers; honouring the oldest RHTY&SC members, and unveiling the 30th anniversary RHTY&SC alltime cricket team.

The club office would also undergo some major repairs, while several junior cricketers would receive cricket gear.

RHTY&SC Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu, who would spearhead the anniversary celebrations with Organising Secretary Rabindranauth Kissoonlall, has said that all plans are in place for a successful celebration, despite the ongoing novel coronavirus crisis. Naidu has said that the club would observe all of the guidelines set down by the Government Task Force, and, if necessary, changes would be made to the list of activities.

The 20-year-old Asst Secretary disclosed that donation of cleaning detergents would be made to the Rose Hall Town Police Outpost, the Rose Hall Town Council, and Rose Hall Town Fire Station as part of the club’s coronavirus response project.

Holder falls, Roach rises, in ICC bowling rankings

Basil Butcher

The sub-associations are Upper Corentyne, Central/ Lower Corentyne, New Amsterdam/ Canje, Berbice River, and West Berbice.

Butcher made his Test debut on November 28th, 1958 in India, and became the fourth Berbician to play Test cricket, after John Trim, Rohan Kanhai and Ivan Madray. He played 44 test matches, and scored 3104 runs at an average of 43.11 with seven centuries and sixteen half-centuries.

Butcher went on to serve Guyana and the West Indies as an administrator, and was solely responsible for the development of the game in his adopted hometown of linden.

Foster is encouraging cricket clubs in Berbice and Linden to nominate youth cricketers to benefit from this project. Nominations can be made to the RHTY&SC and BCB Facebook accounts, or by calling 337-4562, or email foster_hilbert@yahoo.com.

W

est Indies captain Jason Holder has fallen two places in the latest ICC Test bowling rankings released on Wednesday, following his side’s massive loss to England in the third and final Test in the #Raisethebat series.

The West Indies lost the series 2-1 and relinquished the Wisden Trophy they had won in the Caribbean in early 2019.

Holder’s ranking took a hit after his underwhelming showing at Old Trafford, where he took only two wickets for 107 runs as the West Indies fell to defeat by 269 runs.

At the end of the second Test, which was also played at Old Trafford,

Holder had 834 ranking points. However, having underperformed with the ball in the final Test, the Barbadian lost 24 ranking points, which triggered his descent in the rankings.

However, he maintains his number two ranking in the all-rounder rankings, behind England’s Ben Stokes.

Meanwhile, Kemar Roach, who took his 200th Test wicket in the final Test, in which he snared four wickets, collected four ranking points to move up a spot from 16th in the rankings.

Shannon Gabriel holds firm at 19, while Roston Chase is at 31. (Sportsmax)

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

2020 virtual Referees Assistance Programme (RAP) deemed a success Pg 22

World Test Championship (WTC) progressing as planned, says ICC Pg 21

RHTY&SC, MS/BCB Holder falls, Roach Basil Butcher rises, in ICC Memorial bowling rankings Project to assist dozens of less fortunate cricketers Pg 23

Pg 23

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