Guyana Times -- Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Time to fix fundamentals on which modern, free society is built – Ali Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

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Issue No. 4346

P10

THE BEACON OF TRUTH TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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Front Page Comment

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Impose sanctions now

ECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield on Monday once again defied the clear and unambiguous directions of the Chair, Claudette Singh to present his Report of the results of the March 2 elections based on the 10 Certificates of Recount and has been given an ultimatum to do so today or else, he will be replaced by the Deputy CEO to perform the task. But whether he or the DCEO perform their statutory duty, the Chairwoman’s direction pellucidly and unambiguously indicates that the Recount, which certified

the valid votes from the elections, will form the basis of her declaration as to which list garnered the “most votes cast” and ineluctably names the head of that list as the President-elect of Guyana. Since the Statements of Recount show that the PPP/C won 233,336 votes to the APNU/AFC’s 217,920, this means that the PPP/C’s Dr Irfaan Ali is the new President-elect, and the Chairwoman should so declare.

Caretaker President David Granger This newspaper had hoped that after the CCJ’s judgement, care- ty lost the elections and conceded taker President David Granger defeat. However, from their conwould have accepted that his par- tinued shenanigans, including the

blatantly-staged demonstration by his APNU/AFC supporters in front of his vehicle departing State House and then proceeding down the commercial district of Regent Street, it is pellucid that Granger will continue to hold Guyana hostage with his obstreperousness.

As such, we call upon the international community, which has unanimously denounced the hijacking of the elections process, which is now into the fifth month, to immediately impose sanctions on Granger, the PNC and the rest of his rigging cabal.

Use recount figures or be removed – GECOM Chair to Lowenfield

…to submit report by 2pm today

See story on page 7

APNU/AFC-created crisis on OAS Permanent Council's agenda

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P15 Finance Secretary warns whistleblowers

Lowenfield’s action “most disgraceful” in post-independent Caribbean – P12 Nandlall

See story on page 10

…as pressure ups on de facto President to loosen hold on power

APNU/AFC US, UK Govts cabal selfishly urge respect holding on to for results power – Mark from national recount Phillips

…as USAID calls for Granger to allow transition of power Page 2

Page 14

...only diehards hold that APNU/AFC won – scrutineer

Suriname moves ahead with new President, yet Granger clings to power in Guyana

Page 12

Gun-toting bandits hijack P8 taxi CXC, CAPE exams P13 begin

‘Masterminds’ in Lusignan Prison fire identified …unrest started over contraband unearthed during raid

P10

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US, UK Govts urge respect for results from national recount …as USAID calls for Granger to allow transition of power

US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak

D

e facto President David Granger continues to face international pressure to concede his loss in the elections, with additional calls coming from acting United States (US) Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator John Barsa.

In a statement from his official social media account on Monday, Kozak threw his support behind the Organisation of American States (OAS). The group, of which Guyana is a member, has been vociferous in calling for President Granger to concede and for the results of the recount to be used.

“We stand with OAS in calling for respect of the results of the national recount in Guyana,” Kozak said, going on to quote Article 1 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter which states that “The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.”

Kozak and his superior, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have both been consistently urging for the will of the people to be respected. Calls for Granger to concede and for the results from

the 33-day recount to be used have also come from several US Senators and Congressmen.

In what was at the time considered its most powerful missive yet, the OAS on

ed that no other figures that have been unilaterally derived can be the basis of the final declaration of the country’s presidential elections.

Further, the OAS – which fielded an electoral observer

De facto President David Granger

USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa

Saturday made it clear that the only democratic solution in Guyana’s current electoral impasse is for the recount results to be respected.

The OAS – an international continental organisation of which Guyana is a member – had firmly assert-

mission for Guyana’s March 2 polls – had harsh words for those who are acting against the interest of democracy, saying that it is past time for the newly elected Government to assume executive office.

“Let us be very clear – the

only democratic solution for Guyana at this time is respect for the results of the National Recount. No other figures – neither those prepared prior to the recount, nor those recently invalidated by the Caribbean Court of Justice, nor any others that may be unilaterally devised by the Chief Elections Officer – can have any place in the final determination of results. A new electoral process is also an unacceptable solution,” the OAS had said in its statement in response to the latest developments in Guyana.

The OAS has subsequently said that it has initiated a process where the political impasse in Guyana will be addressed at the level of the organisation’s Permanent Council.

TURN TO PAGE 7

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, July 14 – 12:30h – 14:00h and Wednesday, July 15 – 13:00h – 14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, July 14 – 11:25h – 12:55h and Wednesday, July 15 – 12:45h – 14:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Expect sunshine during the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-Easterly to East SouthEasterly to Easterly to East North-Easterly to North-Easterly to South South-Easterly between 0.89 metre and 3.12 metres.

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Low Tide: 17:16h reaching a minimum height of 1.02 metres.

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GECOM Chair sets aside all ROs declarations …only recount figures valid

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hair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh on Monday informed Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield that the initial declarations made by the District Returning Officers following the March 2 General and Regional Elections have been to set aside and replaced with the certified recount numbers.

“She (Justice Singh) proceeded to say that the March 13 declarations which included the fraudulent declarations by Clairmont Mingo (Returning Officer for District Four) has been set aside and replaced by the recount tabulation certificates,” Commissioner Sase Gunraj told reporters following a meeting on Monday.

The declarations were made by the Returning Officers for the ten districts following the tallying of the ballots on March 2.

Gunraj said that the Chair’s decision to set aside those declarations is very important since there has been a constant battle by some Commissioners to use those figures.

“In the discussions, there was great advocacy for the use of the results including the fraudulent Mingo results which the world has spurned upon and I find it rather distasteful because given the understanding and given the genesis of Order 60, the reason we had to endure a recount exercise which lasted in excess of a month, it was because of the very same fraudulent Mingo that has caused and pushed this country into the state it is. I would want to say that any person who advocates for the use of those fraudulent results particularly those of Clairmont Mingo can only be described as someone as part of the rigging cabal,” Gunraj said.

However, APNU/AFCnominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander even at this stage still argued that those figures declared by the ROs should be used since they have never been set aside by any court.

He also claimed that if those figures cannot be used then the Elections Commission should explore the possibility of a non-declaration although the law does not provide for such an occurrence.

When reminded of the fraudulent Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) results as declared by Clairmont Mingo and discredited by every observer mission,

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

Alexander said there has been no direction and what one needs to understand is the system GECOM is working with. He argued that Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George said that the courts cannot interfere with the administrative workings of GECOM but can order compliance with the procedures as outlined by the law.

He barefacedly told reporters that Mingo would have complied with the procedures when the fact is Mingo did not fully comply with the orders. This was related by every stakeholder except the APNU/AFC – in whose favour Mingo was altering the results.

Fallacious claims

Alexander, true to his party’s modus operandi, fallaciously claimed that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) deemed Order 60 of

2020 (the gazetted Recount Order) invalid, thus reverting to the ROs declarations.

When challenged by the fact that the CCJ issued no such order to nullify the Recount Order, Alexander feebly reverted to the CCJ’s summary ruling. In fact, the CCJ’s ruling states that “unless and until an election court decides otherwise, the votes already counted by the recount process as valid votes are incapable of being declared invalid by any person

or authority.”

He also stated that the CCJ made no orders in its judgment.

However, Paragraph 56 of the CCJ’s ruling expressly states: “The Court orders that – (a) Special leave is granted to the Applicants to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal dated 22 June 2020; (b) The Appeal of the Appellants is allowed; and (c) The said decision of the Court of Appeal was made without jurisdiction, is invalid and of no effect. The Court declares that the report of the Chief Election Officer of 23 June 2020 is similarly of no effect.”

By setting aside the declarations, Justice Singh effectively paves the way for a declaration using the figures of the recount. The recount shows that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) won the March 2 polls with 233,336 votes cast in its favour. The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) secured 217,920 votes. (G2)

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

Views Pure madness, mockery and eye-pass

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

Responsible behaviour

T

he current political environment is highly charged and any misstep by anyone, whether politicians, media or social activists, could result in much harm to the society. Historically, elections periods in Guyana have always been marked by a highlevel tension due to the competitive nature of politics. For this reason, we have always insisted that every stakeholder must be extremely careful of their actions.

A few days ago, we had called out the leaders of the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition for what we referred to as a dangerous game they are engaged in by fooling their supporters to believe that they (APNU/ AFC) have won the elections when, in fact, the entire world knows that they have lost power. At the time, we had pointed out that peddling these lies will do the party more harm than good, as in the end, a large number of coalition supporters will feel dejected.

The recount results were live-streamed and published across all media platforms. But some coalition supporters, almost daily, are deliberately fed with misleading information about APNU/AFC being given “a second term”, giving their followers a false hope.

Of note too is that this kind of behaviour by coalition leaders is being supported by sections of the State media. On Saturday, the State-owned Guyana Chronicle splashed a misleading headline across its entire front page which states that the coalition has won the elections and a declaration must be made based on the discredited report submitted by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.

This was yet another dangerous attempt to create mischief as the article did not take into consideration that CEO Lowenfield had blatantly disregarded the directions given by the GECOM Chair and proceeded to use the fraudulent results compiled by controversial District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo to prepare his report.

Further, the article completely ignored the fact that Lowenfield had gone outside of the decisions handed down last Wednesday by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in which he (Lowenfield) was ordered to carry out the directive by the GECOM Chair by using the certified recount results as the basis for the preparation of his report for final declaration.

The role of the media can never be underestimated in this process of building and maintaining a peaceful and democratic society. The State media in particular – due to its source of funding – must, at all times, lead by example.

In their efforts to provide real-time information using different social media platforms, etc, the media must always seek to ensure that they behave in a responsible manner. While some media outlets are known to make genuine efforts to raise their level of performance, one gets the impression that others operate as though they have a political agenda to carry out, since it is clear that they report the news in a partisan manner, sometimes to the extent of being mischievous.

The local media fraternity had signed on to a Media Code of Conduct (MCC) with the aim of using the document not only as a guide for elections reporting, but as a tool to improve general media standards year-round. Representatives of the State-run and private-owned media had given a commitment openly that they would use it (the Code) as a means of self-regulation so as to improve what currently obtains in the media.

Section 4 of the MCC clearly states: “The Media, in accepting the principle of ‘accuracy and balance’ in reporting, particularly during periods of campaigning for elections, acknowledge that these two main characteristics (accuracy and balance) seek to distinguish good journalism from bad, and journalism from propaganda.”

It adds: “Accuracy requires the verification (to the fullest extent possible) and presentation of all facts that are pertinent and necessary to understand a particular event or issue, even if some of the facts conflict with a Journalist’s, or a broadcaster’s particular beliefs and feelings; and “Balance, or impartiality, requires the presentation of all the main points of view or interpretations of an event or an issue, regardless of whether the Journalist, reporter, broadcaster, editor or the audience agrees with these views.”

For Journalists, the Code provides a benchmark against which their output and activities can be judged by others, as well as guidance for them about acceptable methods of gathering and presenting information. And for the public, it provides a guarantee that the material they receive is a genuine reflection of the truth, based on information gathered fairly and thoroughly checked by those who present the information.

Going forward, it is hoped that in this politically-charged environment, all stakeholders, including politicians, media practitioners and commentators, etc, would be extremely cautious about what they say or publish. Our nation’s future is at stake.

Dear Editor, Keith Lowenfield on July 13 received a fourth request to submit the “fit and proper” report for the March 2 elections. The CCJ made it clear that the recount results represent the true results of the elections. In any other country, Lowenfield would be fired and even charged with malfeasance in public office. He has now deliberately refused to submit the proper report, even after written instructions to do so three times. When GECOM meets on July 14, it would have been the Chair’s and the Commission’s 4th try to get him to properly prepare the report of the March 2 elections. His insubordination has been more than insulting, it is total madness, mockery and eye-pass. It is also criminal.

The patience of the Chair of the Commission is remarkable. While patience is a virtue, in this case, patience is now suffocating Guyana. Having been given three chances to produce the proper report, having been told by the CCJ that he must carry out the instructions of the Commission and submit a report based on the recount results, Lowenfield is insulting the Chair and the Commission, but, worse, is holding a whole country hostage. At the same time, he is thumbing his nose to the entire international community. Lowenfield clearly does not care what anyone says. He is loyal to his leaders, the persons who control the rigging cabal.

What is needed now is not patience, but an urgency to stop the arrogance and the openly criminal attempt to thief the elections. What is needed now is for GECOM to use the recount results, as agreed by all, to declare the winner of the elections.

GECOM’s continued patience with a rogue official is no longer a virtue, but an abrogation of its responsibility.

Every political party, other than APNU/AFC, has urged GECOM to declare the true results of the elections and allow Guyana to breathe again. Civil society has done the same. The only ones in Guyana are David Granger and his sycophants. They have lied to their supporters, yet they have never shown their loyal supporters their copies of the Statements of Poll. They have told their supporters they have evidence of dead people who voted, but they have shown them not an iota of evidence. They have said people who were not present in Guyana voted, but have not shown any evidence. This is cruel, fooling your own supporters, getting them to risk their lives in this COVID-19 environment as they come out without social distancing and without masks to protest.

The whole international community has come out and demanded the election results be honoured. Caricom, OAS, the Commonwealth, the ABCE countries, academicians from around the world, observer groups such

as the Carter Center, have spoken out. They were here for the elections - they saw that E-Day was free and fair. But they also saw the disgraceful attempt to thief the elections, in plain sight.

Granger’s APNU/AFC’s response is to tell our international partners to “get lost”, to “butt out” of our internal affairs, to “stop the interference”. One of them, Raphael Trotman, insulted Caricom, denouncing them as “sparsely” populated places that want to tell Guyana what to do. A man who cannot get a few hundred votes on his own wants to denigrate a whole region. But Trotman also stupidly claimed that Lowenfield’s report must be accepted by GECOM, even if the report is fraudulent, insisting that Lowenfield has no legal obligation to adhere to any instruction from GECOM. He now assigns to Lowenfield absolute power to decide which vote he will accept and which he will not accept. This is ludicrous and criminal.

In the meanwhile, Guyana is at a standstill. The economy, already stagnant before the elections, is now in a freefall.

Corruption, already rampant before the elections, is now reaching the abyss of shame. Crime is damaging Guyana, as the Government is more focused on thieving the elections. The country’s debt is spiralling out of control. COVID-19 is killing our people. Thousands are jobless and families are on the verge of starvation.

This madness is now out of control. The time for GECOM to take control and do its work is now long past.

Lowenfield has received his 4th set of instructions to submit the report which he failed to deliver three times before. Worse, he submitted two other reports when not asked for them and both were openly and flagrantly committing fraud. Thus, he has failed five times before and now has his sixth chance. For a Commission that spent more taxpayers’ money than any other single entity in the country, more than $10 billion for the March 2 elections and the subsequent recount, one with the highest-paid staff in the country, one in which the Commissioners are the highest-paid Board members in the country, to simply meet every day, just to reschedule a meeting for the next day, is unbearable.

GECOM is abrogating its responsibility.

The rigging cabal led by David Granger must not be allowed to flourish. The way to end this is to start with showing Lowenfield who is the boss. The way forward is to show Lowenfield the “dog wags the tail”. Justice Claudette Singh has resisted firmly the enormous pressure that APNU/AFC has mounted against her. But the time has come to declare the PPP the winner and to swear in Dr Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s 9th President.

last 5 years to recklessly increase current expenditure by almost 40 per cent, the real question to ask is what was the corresponding aggregate growth in the economy over the same period?

The empirical evidence on the data coming out of the Bank of Guyana proves that the aggregate growth in the economy was less than 50 per cent of the growth in current expenditure. This evidence supports the conclusion that there are a plethora of instances where Team Granger threw away

good money behind bad projects over the last 5 years. Any responsible and thinking senior policymaker would want to spend money to make money for the people at a corresponding rate.

However, as we saw over the Granger years, the efficiencies in current spending were pretty inefficient.

And there is a reason for this inconsistent economic performance. It is not how much you spend; but what you spent it on. If the expenditures were more strategically injected into the

productive sectors to create more jobs and generate more direct economic benefits for the many, I am convinced from the empirical evidence garnered from the progressive countries, that our economic performance would have been much more satisfactory. But when you spend this money on value destructive activities such as rent, parades, and pageantry, then there is only one outcome; destruction of the future economic potential of the nation.

Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

The state of current expenditure in the public sector Dear Editor, As a subset of the runaway public expenditure happening in Guyana under Team Granger, one can analyse the state of expanding current expenditure during the period April 2015 to March 2020. Because of space in the newspapers, these thoughts have to be developed over a series of communications, so while a now idle former public official is anxious for evidence quite disingenuously, he has to be patient. Let us begin!

The empirical evidence is there (Gupta and others) to prove that “strong fiscal consolidations (in absolute terms) are associated with higher economic growth both in the short and long terms but also that the composition of fiscal adjustment matters: fiscal adjustments achieved by curtailing current expenditures are, in general, more sustained and more conducive to growth.”

So while these irresponsible former policymakers in Team Granger used the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 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

Competent, transparent Govt does not need a mouthpiece Dear Editor, As provided for under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the protection and promotion of a free, independent, and diverse media in all forms is crucial to the functioning of inclusive, peaceful, and democratic societies across the world.

Additionally, Article 146 of the Constitution of Guyana guarantees freedom of expression. However, one must wonder to what extent, if

any, should State-funded or controlled agencies such as the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (ie, Guyana Chronicle) and National Communications Network (NCN) be used to mislead or blatantly lie to the people of Guyana?

Although the Stateoperated Guyana Chronicle and NCN have historically favoured the Government of the day, such practices have taken on a whole new meaning under the APNU/

AFC regime. The Guyana Chronicle, whose Board of Directors is appointed by the Government, has descended into a full-blown propaganda machine that stinks of partisanship and State interference at every corner. Ironically, this newspaper, if you can call it that, is overseen by beleaguered former Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, whose earlier career as a journalist placed him at the forefront of the fight for press freedom when

none existed in Guyana.

Similarly, NCN, which receives subsidies and contributions from the Prime Minister’s office, has been equally partisan as reflected in new programmes, elections coverage, and guest appearances.

In its 2020 Freedom of the World Report, the research institute and think tank, Freedom House noted that there have been “concerns over the editorial independence of the state-owned

Dear Editor, Trotman’s attack against small islanders is unjustified. As part of my studies, I am fortunate to travel to almost all of the small island states of Caricom (plus French and Dutch islands and the few remaining British colonies) some multiple times interacting with so many Guyanese.

The small islands have been very hospitable to Guyanese who are most appreciative of their stay to remain in place to make a decent living. The Guyanese diaspora on the islands would not agree with the vitriolic attack against the islanders by Raphael Trotman. In fact, Guyanese condemn such acrid comments. Without the islands’ safety net for Guyanese migrants, many would have suffered tremendously. So it is wrong to attack the islands.

I am very disappointed with the acerbic remarks uttered by Trotman, against 'small member states' telling them “to mind their own business” after they made remarks calling for the declaration of election results as per the National Recount of votes and the ruling of the Trinidad-based CCJ. For his remark and for defending Mingo and Lowenfield’s

electoral fraud, Trotman is losing whatever respect people still have for him.

Trotman unwisely said: “The political situation in Guyana is Guyana’s problem”. Yet it was de facto President Granger that called on PM Mia Mottley and other Caricom leaders to visit Guyana on March 13 to help bring about a solution to publicly expose electoral fraud. Former PMs Owen Arthur and Bruce Golding reported they observed efforts to rig the vote count in public view. It was Guyana Government that asked for Caricom intervention. Thus, it is inappropriate for a Government official to attack fellow Caricom States on the issue. In a globalised world and in the integrated Caribbean, member states have a right to speak out against electoral fraud. It would be inappropriate for Caricom to stand by silently while rights are violated as happened between 1966 and 1992.

Contrary to Trotman, Guyana does not have a constitutional crisis. It has an election declaration crisis in which the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Lowenfield, refused to follow the directives of the Elections Commission (GECOM) to

prepare the final results of the recount as the basis for a declaration. On three occasions, the CEO defied the order, submitting his own manufactured numbers that showed the incumbent won the elections.

The vote recount was carried out by Caricom monitors that came from small islands. The PMs of Barbados and St Vincent have been in the forefront calling for closure of the electoral process in Guyana. The President of the CCJ, Justice Saunders, who is from St Vincent, and other Judges unanimously ruled that GECOM must instruct the CEO to prepare a report based on the recount.

GECOM’s hands are tied on the declaration. It must accept the recount numbers.

Those who feel GECOM must accept the CEO’s report don’t understand the concept of natural justice.

While a Commission is required to declare the result based upon the report of the CEO, it must be an accurate reflection of the ballots cast not based on the whims and fancies of the CEO. The Constitution specifically states the CEO must prepare a report based on a count or a recount that replaces a count.

The Commission is empow-

ered to correct the report.

GECOM cannot accept an incorrect report as it violates a basic principle of electoral democracy.

Trotman forgets that hundreds of thousands of Guyanese found refuge in the small islands of the region including Barbados during the period of the ethnic dictatorship. It was from Caricom states that Guyanese were able to obtain basic foods, banned from Guyana and criminalised by the Burnham dictatorship, that were smuggled into Guyana using creative mechanisms. Even Trotman studied in a Caricom State; so many Guyanese studied in Barbados. Trotman ought to apologise to the region and tell his colleagues to accept GECOM’s lawful declaration.

Separately, the world has condemned attempts at electoral fraud in Guyana.

The world (including the UN, OAS, Commonwealth and Caricom Secretary Generals) has called for a declaration of the results based on the recount figures.

GECOM must act accordingly and President Granger must accept that outcome.

Unjustified attack on small Caricom States

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

The state of current expenditure...

Let us analyse where the increases in the current expenditure occurred during the period between April 2015 and March 2020.

There was an 88 per cent increase in rental and maintenance of buildings and State-owned properties and infrastructure. Did you notice how many good buildings were repainted in green just for the heck of it but created negligible economic activities? Do you know how many private properties Team Granger rented over the last 5 years? This act only benefited a small cabal close to the apex of Congress Place and totalled billions of dollars over these 5 years.

There was a 57 per cent increase in personnel cost mainly to facilitate a massive army of high-priced political flunkies all over the state establishment. I know of a former senior army official who boasted that he only had to go to a meeting once

per week at the Ministry of the Presidency and he got a full salary. His salary was over $6 million a year plus a further $4 million in benefits such as guard, executive vehicle, maid, etc.

And this is just one example of the many cases of political underlings being funded with hard cash that could have financed full-time technicians in the Ministry of Agriculture and other parts of the productive economy to better serve the people. Then there was an increase in transfer payments by some 86 per cent over these 5 years from the Central Government to all sorts of agencies and especially the personal favourites of the outgoing first family.

The evidence is there for an inquiring eye to see, although they have tried their best to hide these facts.

Let us be clear, total current expenditure over the 5 years from April 2015 to

March 2020 was $938.3 billion. This is a 65 per cent increase in current expenditure under Team Granger compared to the previous 5 years under the PPP/C. This situation can only be described as squander-mania, and helps to explain why the Government’s main checking account – the Public Deposit at the Bank of Guyana now has an overdraft of over (minus) $91 billion as at June 24, 2020, compared to real cash left in that account by the PPP/C Government at the end of March 2015 totalling (posi-

FROM PAGE 4

tive) $15 billion.

So in conclusion, when the history books are written and the performance of the political leadership in the Ministry of Finance during the tenure of David Arthur Granger is evaluated; they will most certainly secure an “F” grade. With the kind consideration of your letter pages, I rest part of my case as we continue to analyse the state of this economy in 2020.

With regards, Sasenarine Singh

Guyana Chronicle” in recent years. In fact, one does not need to rely on Freedom House to highlight the extent of State meddling or one-sided reporting in the Guyana Chronicle or NCN. One only needs to quickly glance at the headlines or news coverage on any given day, especially since March 2.

The straw that broke the camel’s back for me is the page one headline of the Sunday, July 12, 2020, edition of the Guyana Chronicle that reads “APNU+AFC Wins”. This repugnant headline not only flies in the face of decent and honest reporting but is also irresponsible and utterly wicked. The whole world knows that the APNU/AFC did not win the March 2 elections. To use State resources to communicate anything else is despicable and an insult to independent-minded Guyanese and taxpayers as a whole.

While the Fourth Estate’s role is fundamentally important in developing countries like Guyana, this abhorrent assault on our collective intelligence and on the back of taxpayers needs to stop. And while it is duly recognised that the behaviour of these Staterun media agencies will not change unless and until a transfer of power takes place, any promise or assurance that they will be free of political interference if and when such a transfer takes place will not suffice.

Therefore, it is incumbent on the next Government to divest any and all State interest in the media. A competent and transparent Government does not need a mouthpiece. They should let their policies, performance, and good governance do the talking.

Dear Editor There was a time that I hoped that consensus politics (whereby we work together on national projects to develop trust, mutual understanding and mutual respect) in between the PPP/C and the PNC-led APNU/ AFC was possible.

Consensus politics is no longer possible, as the PNCled APNU/AFC have shown their true colours by attempting to steal the will of the Guyanese people.

The PNC-led APNU/AFC are a bunch of opportunis-

tic sore losers who belong behind bars for what they are doing to Guyanese for the sake of self-aggrandisement. These pathetic nogood crooks definitely belong behind bars.

We cannot have consensus politics with these pathetic no-good crooks.

Perhaps what is needed is for the PNC to have their own country to ruin and for us to have our country to develop (partition).

Yours faithfully, Omchand Mahdu

Consensus politics no longer possible

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTERS ON PAGE 16

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MATHS

ENGLISH

B West Indies USA

By Stewart Brown

Cruising at thirty thousand feet above the endless green the islands seem like dice tossed on a casino’s baize, some come up lucky, others not.

Puerto Rico takes the pot, the Dallas of the West Indies, silver linings on the clouds as we descend are hall-marked, San Juan glitters like a maverick’s gold ring.

All across the Caribbean we’d collected terminals – airports are like calling cards, cultural fingermarks; the hand-written signs at Portau-Prince, Piarco’s sleazy tourist art, the lethargic contempt of the baggage boys at ‘Vere Bird’ in St. Johns...

And now for plush San Juan.

But the pilot’s bland, you’re safe in my hands drawl crackles as we land, “US regulations demand all passengers not disembarking at San Juan stay on the plane, I repeat, stay on the plane.”

Subtle Uncle Sam, afraid too many desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the free, might jump the barbed electric fence around ‘America’s back yard’ and claim that vaunted sanctuary... ‘Give me your poor...’

Through toughened, tinted glass the contrasts tantalise; US patrol cars glide across the shimmering tarmac, containered baggage trucks unload with fierce efficiency.

So soon we’re climbing, low above the pulsing city streets; galvanised shanties overseen by condominiums polished Cadillacs shimmying past Rastas with pushcarts and as we climb, San Juan’s fool’s glitter calls to mind the shattered innards of a TV set that’s fallen off the back of a lorry, all painted valves and circuits the roads like twisted wires, the bright cars, micro-chips It’s sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to someone else.

Questions

Summarise the poem What is the subject of the poem?

Who is the persona?

List and discuss the literary devices used in the poem Describe the mood of the poem and discuss how it is created List and discuss the themes of the poem Describe the form of the poem and discuss its effectiveness How do you feel about this poem? Discuss your reaction Suggest an alternative name for the poem, citing evidence found within the text

NEWS

7

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Use recount figures or be removed – GECOM Chair to Lowenfield …to submit report by 2pm today

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

hief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has been given a final chance to redeem himself and present his final report on the March 2 General and Regional Elections using the correct figures emanating from to the National Recount of the ballots.

This was communicated

by Commissioners on both ends of the politically polarised Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This decision was arrived at after GECOM’s Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, held a meeting on Monday to discuss the CEO’s conduct following the submission of a clearly fraudulent report on Saturday.

Government-appointed Commissioner, Vincent Alexander and Oppositionnominated Sase Gunraj related that Justice Singh took the decision to have

Lowenfield submit his final report no later than 14:00h today.

Importantly, she stressed that he is expected to use the figures emanating from the National Recount.

This the fourth time that the Chair has written to Lowenfield, and the third in less than a week, for him to submit his report pursuant to Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution and Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act Cap 1:03. Every time he submitted his report, he altered the figures to reflect a win by the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) when in fact the National Recount shows that People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the March 2 polls with 233,336 votes cast in its favour.

APNU/AFC secured 217,920 votes while the smaller parties - A New and United Guyana – 2313;

C

Change Guyana –1953; Liberty and Justice Party – 2657; People’s Republic Party – 889; The Citizenship Initiative – 680; The New Movement – 244; and the United Republican Party – 360.

Following the meeting on Monday at GECOM’s Kingston Headquarters, Gunraj told reporters that during the morning session, Justice Singh listened to a plethora of submissions from the six Commissioners before adjourning the meeting.

servient to the Commission and not the other way around, as he believes.

Gunraj, an attorney at law, said that the Chair reasoned her decision to utilise the recount figures based on paragraph 24 of the CCJ’s summary ruling where it says that “Unless and until an election court decides otherwise, the votes already counted by the recount process as valid votes are incapable of being declared invalid by any person or authority.”

Insubordination

Disappointment

Among those submissions was that of Commissioner Robeson Benn where he filed a motion to have Lowenfield’s employment terminated owing to his continued acts of insubordination.

Nevertheless, Gunraj said that the Chair based her decision on the recent judgement of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the case of Irfaan Ali et al v Eslyn David et al.

“She referred to reference in there from the genesis of Order 60 (the recount order) the necessity for it, the circumstances under which that order was crafted and the utility and execution of that order by the Commission,” he said.

He related that the Commission’s Chair referred to the findings of the now overturned Court of Appeal ruling where Justices Dawn Gregory and Brassington Reynolds found that Order 60 had altering effects on the Constitution. Additionally, the Chair reportedly reminded Lowenfield that he is sub-

US, UK Govts urge respect...

UK Government

On Monday also UK Minister of State, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, supported the comments made by the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) Minister for Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development, Baroness Elizabeth Sugg that Guyana has waited long enough for the election declaration. In a tweet on Saturday, Baroness Sugg said “Guyanese people have waited long enough for election results. Now all legal processes have been completed I urge Guyana Elections Commission to declare a result based on @ CARICOMorg scrutinised recount. Every vote must count, all must respect those votes, regardless of the result.”

In support of Sugg’s statement, Ahmad tweeted: “Important point from @ liz_sugg As fellow members of the #Commonwealth, we urge #Guyana to uphold its fundamental values of democracy, the rule of law and good governance. @commonwealthsec”

Statesmen

Meanwhile, USAID Acting Administrator Barsa also made use of his official social media account to urge Granger to facilitate a smooth transition of power to the winner of the March 2, 2020 polls, which the recount has shown is the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

“Democracy requires that statesmen respect the will of the people. We call on Mr. Granger to put Guyana first and assure a swift, peaceful transition of power to the democratically elected winner of the March 2 election based on the full recount tabulation,” Barsa said.

Over the years, USAID has played a key role in development in Guyana, with the agency providing grants for the Government to use in the fight against Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

The agency has also provided funding for the construction of infrastructure in depressed communi-

FROM PAGE 2

ties and for programmes to combat gender-based violence and to provide opportunities for youths. Most recently, USAID served as the contact point for Guyana to receive US$1.7 million from the US Government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

It would not be the first time that President Granger has been called upon to behave like a statesman. Only on Saturday, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) had urged Granger to concede defeat like a statesman would and allow the country to return to the path of development and unity, starting with Granger reaching out and congratulating the winner of the elections, Dr Irfaan Ali. The National Recount had shown that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the elections with 233,336 votes while the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition garnered 217,920.

Both Gunraj and Alexander said that they are disappointed with aspects of the Chair’s decision.

In Gunraj’s case, he expressed his disappointment that Justice Singh did not altogether remove Lowenfield from the process.

“In relation to the ruling of the Chairman I am somewhat disappointed that she did not go the complete nine yards and complete this process but has thrown it back into the hands of the CEO who had demonstrated over and over again a very recalcitrant attitude and a trend of defying instructions, specific instructions of the Commission,” he said.

Justice Singh did signal her intention of utilising Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Meyers if Lowenfield fails to present his report today.

When asked about whether the CEO understands his direction, Gunraj explained that the Chair was crystal clear in her instructions and even the common man understands what Lowenfield has to do. He reminded that all the CEO needs to do is to compile his report using the figures that are generated from the recount exercise as are contained in the certificates of tabulation. He would use those figures to assign parliamentary seats to the contesting parties based on the votes acquired.

Gunraj, like every other person, said he is wait-

GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj speaking with the media on Monday

ing to see what Lowenfield will do now, given his history of attempting to alter the will of the Guyanese electorate. He added that he has his reservations as it relates to Meyers but will voice those at the appropriate time.

Meanwhile, Alexander said he is altogether disappointed in the posture adopted by Justice Singh because she delivered her decisions in a “Judge-like manner”. He noted that Lowenfield, during the meeting, was silent and only made a brief statement claiming that he was acting in conformity with the law.

Lowenfield’s refusals

Lowenfield was expected to submit his final report on Friday but failed to do so after he wrote to the Chair at the eleventh hour asking for clarity on how he should execute his functions. The Chair made it known that she was pellucid in her instructions and that he should prepare his report “using the valid votes counted in the National Recount as per Certificates of Recount generated therefrom.”

However, when he submitted his report, in absentia, on Saturday he utilised the numbers, not from the National Recount but rather those coming from the Returning Officers for the various Electoral Districts.

Those numbers included the controversial declarations made for Electoral District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) by embattled RO Clairmont

Mingo.

Mingo had inflated the APNU/AFC numbers by over 19,000 while deducting over 3000 votes from the PPP/C. His report on Saturday showed that APNU/AFC garnered 236,777 votes while the PPP/C secured 229,330 votes. It also revealed the numbers for the smaller parties as follows: ANUG – 2275; CG –2026; LJP – 2569; PRP – 862; TCI – 680; TNM – 246; and the URP – 353. That showed that a total of 475,118 valid votes were cast. The numbers also showed that the APNU/ AFC won the elections and secured 33 seats in the National Assembly while the PPP/C got 31 and the joinder list of ANUG, LJP and TNM secured 1 seat to round off the 65 seats in the House.

The National Recount figures show that 460,352 valid votes were cast and when compared with the numbers presented by Lowenfield, 14,766 votes just made their way into his report.

Additionally, he altered the original declarations made by the Returning Officers as well. He deducted a total of 161 votes from the PPP/C and another 263 from the APNU/AFC, ultimately discarding 521 votes based on the results generated from the original declarations.

That marked the third strike on Lowenfield’s file if one was to chronicle his blatant disregard for Justice Singh and by extension the Commission’s advice. (G2)

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gun-toting bandits hijack taxi A Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) taxi driver was left in shock and disbelief after he was relieved of his motor car by an armed bandit on Saturday.

The robbery, he claimed, was initiated by an allegedly differently-abled man.

The victim, 38-year-old Puyrone Persaud, who is attached to the S & R Taxi Service, Grove, EBD, was reportedly hired to transport a “different-

ly-abled” man to Friendship on the East Bank of Demerara.

As the car entered the village, the man directed the driver to his destination and upon arriving, the passenger was about to exit the car when the lone gunman attacked them.

The armed suspect held the gun to Persaud’s face and ordered him to leave the keys in the ignition and exit the car.

At that time, the “differently-abled” man snatched Persaud’s phone and ran

away.

The suspect then drove off with Persaud’s car bearing registration number HB 338.

In the midst of the chaos, another taxi driver, who is employed with the same service, witnessed the commotion and immediately rendered assistance.

The matter was reported to the Grove Police Station and an investigation was launched. No arrests were made and the car has not been recovered. (G1)

Labourer gets 4 years for narco-trafficking

Charged: Victor Kippins

A

labourer was on Monday sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to

having 139 grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Victor Kippins, 40, of Hosannah Street, Rossignol, West Bank Berbice (WBB), appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court where the charge was read to him.

It was reported that on July 12, 2020, Police acting on information intercepted a vehicle offering public transportation and carried out a search on the suspect, who was carrying a bag which contained four parcels of the illegal plant.

He was told of the offence, arrested and later charged.

The illegal substance which ranks discovered on Kippins

Decomposed body pulled from Strathspey Canal T he body of an unidentified male was on Monday pulled from the Strathspey Canal on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). The body was reported to be in a state of decomposition.

Police stated that the body was pulled from the canal at about 07:30h on the day in question, clad in a pair of brown long pants and a red haversack was slung across his back. He was also in possession of an identification card, bearing the name of Deshawn Mc Lean.

The partially decomposed corpse was taken to Lyken’s Funeral Home and is awaiting identification and post-mortem.

Last month, the partially decomposed body of 45-year-old Andy Williams was discovered in a trench at Tarla Dam, Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara.

Afrazudeen Ally, a fisherman and 29-year-old Yudesh Kissoon, both of De Willem, WCD, appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court where they were charged for his murder.

In court, the prosecution stated that two months prior to the man’s death, the two suspects were involved

The identification card found on the body

in an altercation with him.

However, on the day of the murder, the duo allegedly offered Williams a drink as they were consuming alcohol at a street corner in the village.

The now dead man reportedly ended up joining them and they continued to imbibe until an argument erupted among them. The duo then

struck Williams multiple times to the head with a hammer, which resulted in him collapsing on the roadway. The body was then dumped in the trench.

In May, the lifeless body of a 25-year-old Andrew Mc Churchin was found in a pool of blood along the Zeeburg seawall, WCD. (G-12)

Fool me thrice...

I

...shame on who?? f somebody had written about what’s going on in Guyana today as a piece of fiction, we’d all have said, “Gwan da side!!” Not about what the PNC’s doing off the scene stirring up their supporters into hysterical tirades on everyone or every country that dares to point out the folly of their ways. That’s expected...the PNC will be the PNC – it’s hard wired??

Nah. What your Eyewitness is scratching his head about is the behaviours of two fellas who would’ve been seen as “senior civil servants” not so long ago – Mingo and Lowenfield. They’re the local equivalent of those stiff-upper-lip types who the British routinely sent out to manage us natives in the Empire on which the sun never set. Cuffy staged a rebellion for us to replace them...so did Damon and all the slaves on the East Coast in 1823... and those indentured servants who faced their “leaden persuasion”. Let’s not even mention Jagan and Burnham!!

And this is what we struggled for?? Mingo blatantly adding votes for the PNC and taking away for the PPP in front of the entire free world? Lowenfield twice refusing to follow the clear and direct orders of the Highest Court of the Land to total up 10 Certificates of Recount to determine the winner of the elections?? And in effect sticking his middle finger at the Chair of GECOM, who’s a retired Justice of the Appellate Court, to boot?? This is the democracy and freedom we fought to enjoy over hundreds of years??

Mingo and Lowenfield have proven everything the colonial powers said about us is true. That we were not ready to govern ourselves. With the political types like the PNC, they always admitted there would always be incorrigible bandits who could accede to power. Wasn’t Warren Hastings impeached for his depredations in India?? But the Civil Service was the backbone of the Empire...they would stand true when all was crumbling around them.

Lowenfield and Mingo were trained in the bureaucratic minutiae of delivering free and fair elections. As with all good bureaucratese, the instructions were spelled out to the “T” so that everything would be beyond reproach. But here it is, these two men succumbed to the very infirmity the British insisted we were congenitally incapable of overcoming: venality!

The failure of these two men to do what is right for the country is a failure arising out of the PNC’s corruption of the Bureaucracy after Burnham cut that deal with the British in 1964.

Did he think the British had any respect for him after his betrayal??

Do his successors like Lowenfield care?? ...is one too many Justice Claudette Singh determined the fate of hundreds who passed through her courts as she worked her way up the judicial ladder. Your Eyewitness knows that in her position, she was trained to give all the parties the benefit of the doubt and apply the law to the facts presented to her so that justice would be served. Justice, after all, was supposed to be blind, to ensure impartiality.

It’s clear that this orientation has become deeply ingrained in her. And we see it in her dealing with the clear intransigence of Lowenfield, who’s an employee of the Commission – in which she has the casting vote.

He has twice defied her clear instructions – which were defined by the CCJ, our apex court. But she has refused to follow the unanimous advice of the international and domestic institutions that have been following the PNC’s labyrinthine manoeuvrings – to fire Lowenfield and get on with it.

This matter, after all, doesn’t just affect hundreds – but the lives of the entire Guyanese population.

Three strikes and Lowenfield should be out!! ...but then what??

Your Eyewitness can’t pretend he wasn’t kerfuffled when he read that the Iron Lady would substitute the DCEO, Roxanne Myers, if Lowenfield balks the third time??

Does she really think Myers isn’t cut from the same cloth??

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

NEWS

9

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 1 now Guyana’s COVID-19 epicentre …128 active cases

R

egion One (BarimaWaini) is now Guyana’s epicentre for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with the detection of 93 positive cases in just a short period of time.

This was announced on Monday by Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle during the daily briefing.

“We wish to inform you that Region One is now the epicentre and accounts for most of the new cases that have been confirmed over the past two weeks,” she communicated.

This means Region One has overtaken the capital city of Georgetown, Region

Four (Demerara-Mahaica) – which was initially dubbed as the epicentre since the initial stages of the pandemic.

From the positive cases detected within the northwestern Region, 33 persons have recovered while 60 remain in isolation.

The Moruca sub-district, which has seen a large number of contractions, was placed on complete lockdown last week to curtail a larger spread. Some cases were also coming from the Mabaruma sub-district.

However, while zeroing in on the situation, the DCMO lamented the actions of residents, despite an alarming upsurge in cases.

“It is disappointing to

note that the attitude of some of the residents in the sub-district of Moruca has been averse to the basket of health measures that have been outlined for their safety and protection. They are blatantly flouting the guidelines, claiming in some instances that COVID-19 is non-existent and therefore there is no need for a lockdown in that district,” Dr Gordon-Boyle claimed.

Residents had protested against the complete shutdown last Tuesday, citing that Government provided no relief prior to the announcement, and as such, they were forced to continue their trade to earn a living.

During an assessment of the situation, Regional Vice Chairman Sarah Browne said many concerns were listed by these persons, along with solutions to be considered.

Among other issues, farmers are denied access to their lands and other persons are restricted from accessing the hospital. Cargo boats are denied entry while carrying supplies for local businesses.

While vendors were told to operate for three hours, it was indicated that this cannot suffice to provide for their families. Issues were also raised about “improper protocols” for testing of the coronavirus and distribution of the results thereafter.

Moreover, all families are

not benefitting from the relief efforts. As such, the provision of relief was labelled mandatory by the people before accepting a shutdown.

Along with Moruca, Arangoy’s Landing in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) is also under complete lock-

down.

300 cases

Notwithstanding, three new cases were detected within one day, raising the total statistics to 300.

Despite 155 recoveries, there are still 128 active cases,

20 persons in institutional quarantine, and five persons in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU). To date, health authorities have tested 3330 persons with 3030 being negative. The number of fatalities still stands at 17.

TURN TO PAGE 13

10 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Time to fix fundamentals on which modern, free society is built – Ali P

residential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) – the party which won the March 2 General and Regional Elections – is calling on all Guyanese to help build a new Guyana.

Dr Irfaan Ali, in a brief statement on his Facebook page, expressed that “I say now is the time to fix the fundamentals on which a modern and free society is built.”

He added that “this is

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali

the moment to fill the cracks on the pillars of democracy, cast the beams of unity and build the tower of destiny, not by stones and steel, but by all of us individually and collectively. To do this we have to change our mindset, and reprogram the way we think and act.”

Ali highlighted that his father always told him to “strike the iron whilst it is hot”.

Against this backdrop, the President-elect said: “the fight for democracy,

rule of law, economic and social development, political will and societal involvement are hot this moment and we must strike it as a nation and shape it into the country that the future generations will be proud of and never again must we find ourselves in this position as a people and country.”

On Saturday last, Ali expressed sadness that at a time when Guyana as a nation should have been focusing on COVID-19, the selfish actions of a few continue to

derail any attempts to help those who are impacted directly and indirectly by the virus. According to him, the very stability of Guyana is at stake.

“All of this is occurring at a time when our country and our people are faced with many difficulties. The COVID pandemic, for example. Our efforts, our attention, should be focused on ensuring that we combat this COVID pandemic.

Bring relief to families, businesses. To ensure that we stem the spread of COVID and support communities that are affected.”

“But the selfish acts of a few is distracting us as a nation from focusing on the

real issues and problems. As I speak to you, many families are without an income, food, the ability to pay for essential services. We cannot pursue policies to put back money in people’s pockets and secure their livelihood, return life to normalcy, stabilise our country.”

The national report had shown that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC coalition garnered 217,920.

Justice Singh on Monday gave Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield another chance to prepare a final report based on the recount after three incorrect reports were submitted by him.

APNU/AFC-created crisis on OAS Permanent Council's agenda …as pressure ups on de facto President to loosen hold on power

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro

Caretaker President David Granger

he Organisation of American States (OAS) has upped the pressure on de facto President David Granger’s hold on power, with OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro announcing that Guyana’s political crisis will now be addressed at the level of the organisation’s Permanent Council.

Almagro made the announcement via his official social media account, from which he shared a letter he wrote to the Chairman of the OAS Permanent Council, Ambassador Luis Fernando Cordero Montoya.

The Secretary General explained that he has asked Montoya, who happens to be Honduras’ Permanent Representative to the OAS, to convene a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council to address the situation unfolding in Guyana with the electoral process.

In his letter to Montoya, Almagro wrote: “I have the honor of addressing your excellency to request your support in calling a meeting of the Permanent Council to deal with the situation of the electoral process in Guyana.”

The Permanent Council is one of the two main political bodies of the OAS, the other being the General Assembly. The Permanent

Council keeps vigilance over the maintenance of friendly relations among the member states and, for that purpose, effectively assists them in the peaceful settlement of their disputes.

The last OAS Permanent Council meeting was a virtual one held on June 26, 2020, during which they discussed Venezuela and the “recent illegitimate supreme court rulings in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”

The OAS has only ever suspended two members Cuba in 1962 and Honduras in 2009 - although Honduras was subsequently reinstated.

However, in 2018 the OAS had adopted a resolution against Venezuela which sought to admonish the embattled Spanish speaking country for human rights violations. There had even been calls for Venezuela to be suspended from the organisation.

It was only on Saturday that the OAS had made it clear in a statement that the only democratic solution in Guyana’s current electoral impasse would be for the recount results to be respected and used in the declaration of a winner of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

T

TURN TO PAGE 12

NEWS

11

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Masterminds” in Lusignan Prison fire identified …unrest started over contraband unearthed during raid every convicted felon was filtered into a secured holding bay.

Prisoners displaced

E

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels

ight inmates that were being held at the Lusignan Prison have been named as the alleged masterminds behind a fire at the penitentiary on Sunday – which destroyed the entire cell blocks.

Director of Prison, Gladwin Samuels on Monday provided an update on the incident – stating that only a section of the administrative building was saved.

“The fire was not contained before destroying all of the areas that accommodate prisoners. They were able to save a part of the admin building…As it relates to persons who set the fire, that investigation is ongoing. There were some names that we received yesterday (Sunday) as it relates to persons who are deemed to be masterminds.

Eight prisoners have been named. We are aware of who those persons are,” Samuels informed.

According to him, this

information will have to be investigated by the Guyana Police Force to confirm these allegations. This fire comes just a few days after the third anniversary of the Camp Street Prison fire back in 2017.

The unrest started with the single search of an inmate, which led to the discovery of contraband. This included two parcels of cannabis, a juice bottle containing alcohol and a cell phone.

At that time, another incident was also occurring simultaneously whereby a prisoner was behaving “hostile”. He was assaulted by a prison officer and taken out to the Prison’s yard, where another assault followed.

This escalated the situation whereby the inmates started a riot by breaking sections of the building and setting it alight. The Guyana Defence Force and Police Force both deployed ranks to the area where

The prison director indicated that a total of 286 prisoners were displaced; of which 156 are still at the holding bay. The bay now houses a total of 581 convicted inmates. Officers were also sent from the Lusignan facility for reinforced security.

Further, efforts were taken to transfer 27 of them to the Camp Street penitentiary, 51 to Timehri Prison and another 50 to the Mazaruni Prison.

“Our initial effort was to segregate those persons we knew could not go into the holding bay…As far as possible, we took the necessary steps to minimise placing prisoners into the holding bay who we are aware have problems or conflict with prisoners who are living in the holding bay. That assessment is continuing,” he expressed.

Guyana Times understands that 11 persons sustained injuries – two of which were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital and subsequently discharged back into Police custody. Throughout the episode, a number of persons attempted to escape but their plans were thwarted through collaborative efforts from the Disciplined Services.

It was noted that since the March elections, the prison facility was in a heightened level of security and this remains to date.

The Prison Service’s capacity to hold inmates is significantly influenced by the incomplete Mazaruni Prison extension, as well

The Lusignan Prison engulfed in flames on Sunday

as works to restore the Georgetown penitentiary.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both projects were put on hold but contractors have indicated their interest in resuming shortly.

When asked about rebuilding the Lusignan structure, caretaker Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan stated that it is yet to be considered since the Mazaruni facility will cater for 400 additional inmates at the point of completion of Phases One and Two. Meanwhile, the

Georgetown project will allow for 180 convicts.

Another factor under consideration is the budgetary allocation which this project will consume, a matter that requires input from the Finance Ministry.

This is the third major fire at a prison in Guyana, under Ramjattan’s tenure as Public Security Minister.

Following the 2017 deadly fire at Camp Street, Georgetown Prison and 2017 prison escape, the People’s Progressive Party/

Civic moved a motion in Parliament to have the APNU/AFC Government accept responsibility for tragic events at the prison. This was after the Government and more so Ramjattan was not forthcoming with details relating to the fire, during which four prisoners escaped. The motion was subsequently defeated but there was much discussion also on prison reform. However, not much has been done since in the area of reform.

(G12)

12 NEWS Lowenfield’s action “most disgraceful” in post-independent Caribbean – Nandlall T TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

he behaviour of Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, in which he persists in submitting concocted figures to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for final declaration, is “the most disgraceful act” to have ever occurred in the post-independent Caribbean.

This is according to former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who, at the time, was being hosted by regional broadcaster, Caribupdate News.

“What you are seeing here is perhaps the most disgraceful act or episode ever occurring in the political history of post-independent Caribbean.

“In simple language, it is a group of persons who have lost an election and are refusing to relinquish Government in accordance

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

with the laws and in accordance with the democratic will of the people expressed through the ballots on March 2,” Nandlall told viewers on Monday.

CEO Lowenfield has blatantly refused to carry out

the directive of Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh to use the certified recount results as the basis to prepare his report for final declaration, as ordered by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In fact, on several occasions, he presented questionable numbers which sought to hand a false victory to David Granger’s APNU/AFC coalition.

Calls have since been mounted from several quarters for Lowenfield to be dismissed in order for a new CEO to be appointed and directed to produce a credible report so that the elections results could be declared.

When asked what are the options available to the Commission at the moment in moving the process forward, Nandlall responded that Lowenfield is subject to the direction of the

Commission, and as such he cannot prepare a report for final declaration without the blessings of the Commission.

“Lowenfield is an agent of the Commission. And he can be dismissed by the Commission if he fails to carry out the direction of the Commission,” he argued.

“Imagine if Returning Officers were to prepare a report by themselves that is different from the franchise expressed at the ballot box, then you might as well abolish elections in our country and just go to a Chief Elections Officer and get him to declare you the Government,” Nandlall fumed.

“It’s like any other officer, if you have failed to carry out your functions, or if you perform those functions illegally, then that’s just cause for dismissal. And we are calling for Lowenfield

Suriname moves ahead with new President, yet Granger clings to power in Guyana

Suriname’s new President, Chan Santokhi

Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk

uyana’s neighbour, Suriname, is moving forward steadily with its transition to a new Government following the country’s General Elections on May 25, 2020.

According to a report

by StarNieuws on Monday, Chan Santokhi was elected President and Ronnie Brunswijk as Vice President.

The extraordinary meeting to have this process finalised was attended by all political groups, so that more than 34 members were present in the room. Even

though there are no counter-candidates, the qualified majority is required to be declared legally elected.

The extraordinary public meeting was led by Assembly Chairman Ronnie Brunswijk at the opening. After the appointment of the polling station, led by Krishna Mathoera, Brunswijk transferred the hammer to Vice President Dew Sharman, as he is a candidate himself.

Mathoera announced that the nomination has been done correctly. The re-

G

news@guyanatimesgy.com

quired documents have also been found to be correct.

Sharman determined that Santokhi has been elected President and Brunswijk as Vice President, StarNieuws reported.

According to StarNieuws, the meeting was attended

by President Desi Bouterse and Vice President Ashwin Adhin. The official transfer of power will take place on Thursday allowing the country to move ahead with its development plans.

The General Elections in Suriname were held on May 25, and within days, the results were declared and accepted by all parties.

President Bouterse had conceded defeat for the sake of allowing his country to move forward, but it is the opposite for his counterpart in Guyana.

Guyana’s President, David Granger has tightened his grip on power even though the results of a National Recount have confirmed that his ruling party was massively defeated by over 15,000 votes.

Granger’s APNU/AFC coalition was defeated twice – first in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in December 2018 and then at the March 2 National Elections.

After prolonging the elections for more than a year following the no-confidence vote, the elections were finally held on March 2, 2020.

It is now close to five months since the electorate voted but credible results are yet to be declared even though they are widely known and certified by all stakeholders, including the parties themselves and local and international observers.

The National Recount results, which constitute data generated from the 2339 Statements of Recount

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

to be dismissed,” he added.

According to the attorney, the APNU/AFC is calling for Lowenfield’s latest report to be used as the basis for a declaration although the whole world knows “it is tainted with crude and vulgar fraud”.

Nandlall posited that it is almost five months now since “this grouping of people have been trying to steal

an entire Government, and they are not giving up”.

In response to threats of sanctions by international powers, Nandlall said that it is his party’s hope that such actions will be aimed at individuals and not the entire country since ordinary Guyanese will suffer if this were to happen.

The National Recount has shown that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC coalition garnered 217,920.

Among other decisions, the CCJ ruled on Wednesday that the Chief Elections Officer must produce a final elections report for declaration as ordered by the GECOM Chair using the recount figures.

The CCJ also ruled that Lowenfield’s report which arbitrarily disenfranchised voters was invalid and that the concerns raised by the APNU/AFC coalition must be addressed in an elections petition.

APNU/AFC-created crisis on OAS...

FROM PAGE 10

It was a statement that the United States (US) Government, through US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, has unreservedly thrown its support behind.

Pressure

Guyana’s de facto President, David Granger

(SoRs), show that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) won, with 233,336 votes cast in its favour.

GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, is blatantly refusing to carry out the directive of Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh to use the certified recount results as the basis to prepare his report for final declaration, as ordered by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In fact, on several occasions, he presented concocted numbers which sought to hand a false victory to Granger’s APNU/AFC coalition.

Calls are mounting from several quarters for Lowenfiled to be dismissed for his partisan actions in order for a new CEO to be appointed and directed to produce a credible report so that the elections could be declared.

International powers have threatened sanctions against anyone found to be involved in any activity that seeks to undermine Guyana’s democracy.

The OAS – an international continental organisation of which Guyana is a member – had firmly asserted that no other figures that have been unilaterally derived can be the basis of the final declaration of the country’s presidential elections.

Further, the OAS – which fielded an electoral observer mission for Guyana’s March 2 polls – had harsh words for those who are acting against the interest of democracy, saying that it is past time for the newly elected Government to assume executive office.

Multiple persons, including Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, have spoken of the possibility of Guyana being expelled from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the headquarters moved to another location.

The certified results from the legally conducted recount exercise supervised by GECOM and a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) had shown that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won with 233,336 votes while the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) garnered 217,920.

In fact, the recount almost perfectly matched the Statements of Poll (SoPs)

that the PPP/C released since March. Despite clearly losing the elections, however, APNU/AFC have been dogged in their determination to hang on to power and delay the process, first going to court to block the recount and then blocking the declaration of the results based on the recount.

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield’s attempts to disenfranchise over 115,000 voters by submitting a final report to GECOM that went against the Statements of Recount (SoRs) and the official Certificates of Tabulation that came out of the recount process, have garnered him three criminal charges, a court summons and criticism from local and overseas sources.

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, had instructed Lowenfield to prepare a final report based on the recount. But in the report Lowenfield submitted, he claimed that the coalition garnered 171,825 votes while the PPP/C gained 166,343 votes.

How the CEO arrived at those figures is unknown.

But they mirror the efforts of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, who also concocted figures back in March - figures not reflected in the SoPs. APNU/AFC and de facto President David Granger have nevertheless thrown their support behind the concocted figures, further tarnishing their image.

Lowenfield has since been given one last chance to submit his report based on the national elections recount figures. (G3)

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CXC, CAPE exams begin

C

Students during the examination

aribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) kickstarted on Monday across the country.

During a Zoom engagement with students from

across the country, caretaker Education Minister, Nicolette Henry stated that she recognised the ardent efforts of the students, teachers, parents, and guardians for their preparation to facilitate the sitting of the examinations.

She also noted that the exams are being written at an unprecedented and challenging time and yet students, teachers, and other stakeholders have exhibited great resilience and adaptability to ensure maximum preparation for the exami-

Security officer arraigned for killing friend over bottle of Guinness

– released on $300,000 bail

Dead: Nikosie Vankenie

A

27-year-old man, who is accused of fatally stabbing his friend during an argument over a bottle of Guinness, was on Monday released on bail.

Seon Rajgopaul, a security officer of Pope Street, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), is

accused of killing 23-yearold Nikosie Vankenie between July 3 and 5, 2020, at High Dam Mount Sinai, popularly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

The accused appeared at a New Amsterdam Court before Magistrate Peter Hugh where the charge was read to him. He was not required to plead to the indictment.

During his court appearance, the accused was unrepresented but was placed on $300,000 bail.

He is expected to make his next court appearance on July 27.

It was reported that on the evening on July 3, Vankenie and Rajgopaul were under a shed consuming alcohol when an argument broke out over a bottle of “Guinness”.

During the argument, the suspect allegedly whipped out a pair of scissors and stabbed Vankenie twice to his neck and abdomen. Persons close to both men told investigators that

Murder suspect: Seon Rajgopaul

the incident might have stemmed from an old grievance between the two men.

Rajgopaul, in his defence, had told investigators that Vankenie attacked him with a long knife and he defended himself by stabbing the man with a pair of scissors. (G-4)

Region 1 now Guyana’s...

Out of the 10 administrative regions, nine of them have detected positive cases - the latest being Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). For this, calls were heightened for communities within the Region to exercise vigilance, since they remain vulnerable from the overwhelming situation in neighbouring Brazil.

“Residents of Region Eight, it is now time for you to be more vigilant especially those of you in the mining areas and the bordering regions. I wish to draw to your attention that you are still very vulnerable to have imported cases from Brazil as their numbers continue to increase significantly. Therefore, we continue

to ask the Toshaos to keep monitoring the movements within your communities and continue to provide the updates to us centrally,” Dr Gordon-Boyle insisted.

The health official went on to say that whistleblowers are helping health authorities to identify any strangers, especially those from high-risk areas, who are attempting to enter their communities without documentation. This has been commended, since there are challenges in tracing activities throughout the hinterland areas.

“We need to appreciate their efforts; they are trying to mitigate the spread of the disease in the community. Please appreciate that

FROM PAGE 9

the hinterland poses a unique challenge to contact tracing in that addresses rarely consist of a lot number and street and as such it is very difficult to locate someone who does not want to be found. Hence, we must work hand in hand with the hinterland communities, relying heavily on them to help identify cases, known contacts of cases and potential cases who may have entered the country not observing our mandatory quarantine rules.”

According to the World Health Organisation, the total number of cases is 12,552,765 with 561,617 deaths. In the region of the Americas, the number of cases is 6,540,222 with 283,357 deaths. (G12)

nations.

The two exams, CSEC and CAPE, are being written from July 13 - August 4 and July 13-31, respectively. For CSEC, there are 168 centres with 11,998 students registered to write that exam. While for CAPE, 851 candidates are registered to write at 15 centres across the country.

The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) took a decision to administer the examinations in a different format this year owing to the coronavirus pandemic affecting countries globally.

Grades will now be awarded utilising the moderated SBAs and Paper One (1).

The MoE stated that students, teachers, and persons are permitted to be in the school compound but are required to wear a face mask at all times. Additionally, handwashing and sanitising must be done at the entrance of the school.

The students are required to be two (2) metres or six (6) feet apart from each other at all times. The MoE explained that playing and gathering are prohibited, and that no permission was granted for outside vending at schools to ensure the safety and wellness of everyone.

Also, temperature testing is mandatory, and Education officers will be visiting schools across the

country to ensure that there is full compliance with the order.

Meanwhile, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr Wayne Wesley wished the candidates all the best in their examinations while reassuring them that the Council’s number one priority is the health and safety of all candidates and stakeholders.

Following the announcement of the dates for these examinations, a number of stakeholders have come to the fore expressing great concerns with the dates. The first stakeholder to express great dismay with the dates on behalf of teachers across

Guyana was President of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mark Lyte.

Lyte said the GTU membership believes that the timeline for the examinations is too soon since there is no decrease in the spread of the novel coronavirus in Guyana.

Additionally, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) had weighed in on the issue expressing their concerns about the move to have the exams written at such short notice. APA had said it is very concerned about Indigenous and hinterland students who have been heavily impacted by the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. (G1)

14 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC cabal selfishly holding on to power – Mark Phillips ...only diehards hold that APNU/AFC won – scrutineer

PPP/C Chief Elections Scrutineer Zulfikar Mustapha

P

eople’s Progressive Party/C (PPP/C) Executive Mustapha Zulfikar was integrally involved in the election process as his party’s Chief Election Scrutineer. According to him, only A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) diehard supporters would believe that the coalition won the elections in spite of the mountain of evidence that says otherwise.

Mustapha made these comments while appearing on the show “Government in transition” on Monday, where he pointed to the certified National Recount which showed the PPP/C won the March 2 polls by 15,416 votes.

He noted that APNU/ AFC has gone to great lengths in their desperation to claim victory, despite a number of countries, the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Caribbean

PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips

Community (Caricom) and others saying otherwise.

Even the efforts of Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield to invalidate votes and give APNU/AFC a victory have failed.

“Lowenfield nullified votes to show a victory for them, then he brought back (Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont) Mingo’s jumbie figures. You can see the narrative changing all the time to suit themselves.”

“But the reality is APNU/ AFC is in a corner, they are the only people saying they won the elections. The entire world, the United Nations, Caricom, Commonwealth, the OAS, the entire world, are saying the PPP/C won the elections,” Mustapha said.

According to Mustapha, APNU/AFC has been consistent at being inconsistent.

He noted that the coalition has consistently changed their narrative to appeal to their base, who have braved

COVID-19 to come out in scattered protests urging the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to use fraudulent results to swear in Granger.

“After the elections, we heard Granger say that he won the elections when everyone knew the PPP/C won. We had the recount and he said the Caricom report would be the deciding factor. After Caricom brought out its report, he changed tune again. Then they said they want to nullify the elections,” Mustapha observed.

PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate, Brigadier General (retired) Mark Phillips, who appeared on the show alongside Mustapha, also expressed similar views. He said that the only reason APNU/AFC continues to hold on to power despite being voted out, is because of selfishness.

“APNU/AFC have lost the elections. They know that. The whole issue of the changing narratives is in keeping with whatever strategy they conceive in their minds, that they can implement to remain in office at all costs.”

“But they are selfish. The situation in Guyana is deteriorating every single day that this cabal decides that they want to hold on to power. They’re not doing anything for the Guyanese people. The Guyanese people have already voted them out of office. They need to respect the will of the Guyanese people.”

The national report had shown that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC

APNU/AFC supporters lying on the roadway blocking Caretaker President David Granger

coalition garnered 217,920.

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Singh had written to Lowenfield and instructed him to prepare a final report based on the recount.

Instead, Lowenfield had submitted a report invalidating over 115,000 voters based on unsubstantiated allegations of dead and migrant voters, made by the APNU/AFC. Lowenfield’s actions caused an immediate uproar and the varying sides found themselves in the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for the Irfaan Ali et al v Eslyn David et al

case.

Among other decisions, the CCJ ruled last week that Lowenfield’s report, which arbitrarily disenfranchised voters, was invalid and that the concerns raised by the APNU/AFC coalition must be addressed in an elections petition.

The GECOM Chair wrote Lowenfield again, instructing him to submit his report so that the President could be declared.

In his fraudulent report he submitted on Saturday, Lowenfield included the fraudulent declarations of

embattled Returning Officer for Region Four Clairmont Mingo, which inaccurately shows that the PPP/C gained 80,920 votes while the APNU/AFC received 116,941 votes in Region Four.

The inaccuracy of those numbers was widely proven during the recount exercise, as it was unearthed that Mingo heavily inflated the votes in favour of the APNU/ AFC to give them a false victory. Lowenfield has since been given a final chance to submit results today.

$2.7M in street lights stolen

T

he Public Infrastructure Ministry’s Electrical Engineering Department on Monday reported the theft of 37 Light-Emitting Diode (LED) street lights.

Eleven were stolen from Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara (EBD); seven from Farm Housing Scheme, EBD; seven from Schoonord Access Road, West Bank Demerara (WBD); five from the Linden-Soesdyke Highway; three from Lombard Street, Georgetown; two from Providence Access Road, EBD; and two from Takuba Road, Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown.

According to the informa-

tion received, the replacement cost per unit amounts to $73,000 and as such, will cost the Ministry $2,701,000 to replace all 37 lights. The missing lights were installed in November 2019.

As a result of this, the Ministry is pleading with the perpetrators to refrain from committing larceny against their country, as the caretaker Government of Guyana seeks to improve safety and security on Guyana’s road network.

The general public is kindly asked to report any suspicious act or theft to the Ministry’s Public Relations Department on 592-227-0799, via Facebook

Messenger at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, or via email at mopiguyana@gmail. com.

In April, one man was caught vandalising a traffic light in Georgetown.

Prior to that, batteries were removed from the cabinets for the traffic lights installed at the Sheriff and Garnett Streets; Camp Street and Lamaha Avenue; Conversation Tree and the Railway Embankment and UG Road and Rupert Craig Highway by unknown persons.

Despite these recurring instances, the Ministry has failed to prosecute anyone.

(G1)

NEWS

15

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Finance Secretary warns whistleblowers F

inance Secretary Michael Joseph in a memo to staffers on Monday warned that there will be consequences if anyone is found reporting Government’s business as well as political affairs in a public forum.

In the July 13 dated memo, addressed to all Ministry of Finance staff, Joseph said that the issue of several staff members involved in public discussions about Government business and political affairs on social media and other platforms was brought to his attention. He reminded the staffers of their responsibilities of being a public servant.

“We should conduct ourselves with regards to the tenets of confidentiality and objectivity; being the state of keeping or being kept secret or private of our knowledge of Government business; and a lack of bias, judgment, or prejudice while performing our duties competently,” he noted in the memo.

The document, seen by this publication, warned of disciplinary actions if any

Finance Secretary Michael Joseph

staff member is found in breach of the Public Service Rules.

Joseph, in citing the Public Service Rules in relation to the conduct of Public Servants, noted: “not at any time during his or her engagement make public or disclose any person any information as to the practise or as to any other matters concerning the Government’s business, which may come to

his knowledge in the course of his engagement and or involve in any political discussion whereby the operations of the Government as a whole comes into the discourse.”

In 2018, the APNU/ AFC Government came in for harsh criticism and was confronted head-on with its treatment of a whistleblower, who was transferred after revealing the alleged drug abuse of a coalition councillor, Carol Joseph.

Sherlyn Marks, the nurse in question, was initially attached to a West Coast Berbice hospital but was transferred with immediate effect during the last week in April 2017, after she had made complaints against former APNU/AFC Councillor Carol Joseph.

She claimed that the former Councillor had been going to the hospital for an excessive daily dose of the painkiller pethidine. The nurse has accused the regional administration of targeting her.

Nurse Marks, who said she filed complaints twice, claimed she refused to ad-

Anna Regina $8.81B power plant experiencing mechanical problems

minister the 100 ml dose to Joseph, who would turn up daily to receive it. She said she received a letter of transfer from the regional office after being scolded for going to the media with her complaints. Some two days later, Joseph reportedly resigned from her post and the party.

Persons and organ-

isations, including the Transparency Institute of Guyana Incorporated, have been critical of the incident and the potential repercussions for transparency and accountability. TIGI had referred to the case by noting that Marks was bludgeoned into oblivion; or worse, “for exposing the abuse of power.”

TIGI had affirmed that it does not support breaking the laws, but had added that when abuse of power is done with impunity while persons making disclosures are made to feel the consequence, it is mere lip service for those in authority to proclaim support for whistleblowers. (G2)

ANUG reiterates Lowenfield should be fired

A File photo: The power plant at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast that was commissioned in April 2019

I

t has only been a year since the $8.81 billion power plant was commissioned at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), and it has already started to experience mechanical problems.

Reports are the number one and number three generators started to develop mechanical problems, forcing the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) engineers to replace them with the standby Caterpillar sets that were there as an emergency backup.

Two more Caterpillar sets were taken to the Region to assist. This newspaper was told that at present, engineers were able to get one of the two sets that were experiencing mechanical issues to run by using parts from the other.

A private engineer close to the project told Guyana Times that the three generators that were purchased appear to be reconditioned units. The engineer noted

that the generators were designed for standby purposes and not for the full-time capacity that is being utilised.

“The three generators are built inside containers to be used as mobile standby units and not for long continuous running which is putting too much stress on the engines, causing them to fail. At present two of the three generators are running along with the Caterpillar sets and residents feared the worst and are hoping not to return to the 2019 scenario where the entire coast was out of electricity for weeks which sparks widespread protest,” the engineer told this publication.

The multibillion-dollar plant was commissioned by caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and other Government officials on April 27, 2019.

At the commissioning, the caretaker Prime Minister boasted that with the new power plant, there will be a stable and reliable

flow of electricity. However, mere hours after the launch, the entire Essequibo Coast had plunged into darkness. At that time, residents thought it was just a changeover but they remained without electricity.

In 2017 and 2018, residents living along the Essequibo Coast were plagued by a series of nonstop power outages, which affected persons throughout the Region. At the time, residents had said they had lost faith in the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) which they said was incapable of ending their woes.

In 2018, only two of the five standby generators at the Anna Regina Power Station were functional. In August 2018, the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI) had called on Government to intervene to alleviate the blackout situation since residents, especially the business sector, expressed their fear of losing millions of dollars in cool storage items. (G14)

New and United Guyana (ANUG), one of the new political parties, that contested the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, has reiterated its call for Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield to be fired.

Lowenfield was given another chance on Monday to submit the correct elections report after he blatantly disregarded directives given to him three times before by the Commission, headed by Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

On Monday, following a fraudulent report submitted

by Lowenfield on Saturday in his attempt to disregard the winner of the elections, he was given another chance

by Singh to redeem himself.

However, this did not go down well with many, with ANUG saying that the Chair of GECOM continues to indulge Lowenfield in his gross professional misconduct.

“Lowenfield’s willful disobedience, recalcitrant and contemptuous attitude through his submission of fraudulent numbers and failure to attend a meeting of national importance scheduled on Saturday 11th July warrants not only sum-

mary dismissal but immediate criminal investigation,” ANUG said in a statement.

The party pointed out that the CEO has frustrated the work of the Commission in delivering a declaration of the March 2, 2020 elections results, and has undermined the Commission’s fundamental duty of ensuring “impartiality, fairness and compliance” under Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution.

“ANUG once again reminds the Commission of its duty under this Article, and cautions against the catastrophic consequences of breach of its duty.” The party pointed out that where a democratic institution is populated at its highest level of office with persons operating under the influence of partisan forces in a conspiracy to subvert the will of the people, as expressed in an election, those sacred and protected rights of the people set out in Article 9, are desecrated by the very organ designed to protect it.

It added that Article 9 enjoys the deepest level of entrenchment in the Constitution and vests the right of the people to the exercise of sovereignty through their democratically elected representatives.

Chairman of ANUG, Timothy Jonas

“Guyana’s democracy has returned to a most tenuous state as in the days of rigged elections. We call on the Chair of GECOM to end this now, to dismiss the ignoble CEO and get on with the business of GECOM within its constitutional mandate,” ANUG stated.

As pressure mounts for Lowenfield to be fired, the smaller political parties over the weekend also echoed similar sentiments. These parties - The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) and The New Movement, called for GECOM to invoke Article 161A (1) of the Constitution and take disciplinary actions against Lowenfield.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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

Guyana stands proud with true patriotism

Dear Editor, Guyana stands proud to still rejoice in whatever little dignity and honour remain with the few sons and daughters she possesses who are willing to defend the soils of this nation. For too long, her rights have been trampled on, in particular over the past four years that tyranny has been in governance.

She has been desecrated, pilfered, robbed, looted and raped mercilessly and perpetually with flagrant disregard for any sanctity, while the protectors for her prestige stand idle and refuse to

lift even a finger and come to her rescue.

This unabashed outburst translates to the breakdown of law and order in the country and the unflattering pursuance that ventures on a campaign besmeared with defecation, destruction, pollution and contamination.

The upholders of justice have crossed the floor and shunned their legal robes to join hands in collusion with the promulgation of vandalism, desecration, erosion, defacing and devastation of the state’s property.

The wheel of ruin, impairment and injury contin-

ues to spin throughout the length and breadth of this country at the whims and fancy of this villainous element of unprincipled rejects who continue to squat in office, unheeded and unaffected by any criticisms, regardless of the source.

It confirms how high this cabal is floating and how aloof they pervade from decency and morality. They are fearless of danger and would extend their sharp steel to dispel and disperse any form of attack, in any form and shape.

It is of some degree of consolation that, not many

but few are ready and willing to shun their calm and pronounce their readiness and willingness to march to the front line and withstand the torrid blows that can be rained on their fragility but at the said time, remain firm and unmoved.

More are needed to join forces and link arm in arm so that, the right message will be relayed depicting that Guyanese will not take matters lying down any longer and are culpable of putting up a fight and resisting the affront of attrition by the constant harassment of barefacedness and bullish-

Declare the winner now, don't procrastinate Dear Editor, The APNU/AFC has lost the elections based upon on the recount figures and it is time for the country to move on in the direction of healing and reconciliation.

Recall that the PPP held strongly to the position that they won the 2015 elections and were cheated by the elections machinery. The party had to do its due diligence and had to think long whether they would give in to the process set up to deal with elections issues or whether they would hold on and refuse to concede power. They chose the first and proceeded after a lengthy period to take their seats in Parliament after filing the case.

They were confident that they would be vindicated before the 2020 elections and are still waiting for the case to be heard. But the elec-

tions came, and the People’s Progressive Party won after a careful and long recount process not without its challenges.

Editor, the PPP has endured the brunt of the unfairness of the system and has paid it's due in time.

Why can't the APNU/AFC concede power and look to an elections petition for justice?

They are claiming that there was fraud during the recount but are yet to have their evidence scrutinised by a competent and impartial court of law. In fact, most of this evidence is mind-boggling given the posture of the very same Commission at the last election when CEO dismissed voter impersonation et al occurring before handing them the victory narrowly.

The GECOM Chairperson must bring the elections to a closure and announce the

victor according to the recount which has been backed by scrutineers, international and regional observers and local representatives. She must demonstrate that she can be impartial when necessary and deliver the country which is paining and hurt from the non-declaration of the results. She will have the law on her side given the Caribbean Court of Justice ruling and the international community.

If Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield refuses to carry out his mandate according to the law, the Commission must act decisively. He must be cast aside and the Commission must deal with the issue at hand before disciplining him.

When the elections have been declared and a functional Government is in place, there will be time for any ag-

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grieved party to approach the courts and have "tons" to say.

Guyana is hurting and screaming out that your "foot" is on her neck so she can't breathe. Guyanese believe in democracy and want this country to progress in the right way. Declare the winner now and stop procrastinating. We all know who won and it is not the APNU and their foolish retort to seek to delay the enviable.

Finally, whatever happens as a result of the declaration, it will be business as usual. Four months is long and Guyana cannot wait any longer for a new, young and intelligent President who is not afraid to show leadership and strength when it is needed.

Respectfully, Michael Younge

ness. Guyana tips her hat to all the past and present legitimate heroes whose praises are sung who have stood their grounds in guarding the preservation of liberty, equality and fraternity.

At this crucial moment in Guyana’s history, we are at the apex of the slaughter of democracy by the few desperadoes whose sole intention is to retain power come hell or high water. All sober-minded and right-thinking Guyanese would like to see more of this type of bravery as espoused by the valiant effort of Mr Glen Lall, a true patriot of Guyana.

There is an urgent need for more measures to be translated into actions, especially by influential individuals and not only the political stakeholders. Followers of

truth, honesty and decency raise their glasses and toast to your effort to help strike down injustice so that there can be an equitable distribution for fairness, transparency and egalitarianism.

Citizens taking this position can only enhance the valour that most Guyanese associate their culture with and the teachings that their parents and fore-parents cultivated in their families. This is reinforcement and encouragement for the international community to extend a more meaningful hand, come to the quick rescue of this depleted nation and champion a cause for the safety and security of an impoverished Guyanese nation.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

A few questions Dear Editor, A friend just sent a video showing persons mostly in green purportedly calling for Granger to be sworn in.

Sworn in as what?

Since it certainly can’t be as President.

Ok, possibly Leader of the Opposition.

Even though I know this wouldn’t happen, as this is exactly what they want, I wonder what the instructions and actions of the police would be should others turn up at the other entrance (or exit) calling for him to concede and vacate State House?

Or if supporters of the PPP/C were to turn up at Leonora and call for Irfaan

Ali to be sworn in, would the police be as tolerant to them?

My last question, am I hearing correctly that the Chairlady of GECOM has again asked Lowenfield to submit a report based on the recount?

I am willing to wager what his report would be, if he even submits one. Most likely entirely different from those he already submitted and this time giving APNU/AFC a two/three or more seats majority. As Guyanese would say “good fo she”.

Sincerely, H N Nawbatt

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

New loss of taste or smell

Muscle pain Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness.

NEWS

17

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NY airports to enforce quarantine Huawei faces ban in Britain for travellers from COVID hot spots P

P

eople coming into New York’s airports from 19 states where coronavirus cases are rapidly rising will be met by “peace officers” upon arrival, Gov. Cuomo announced Monday.

The potentially infectious travelers will be required to fill out a state Department of Health form that provides information on where they are coming from, going to, how to contact them — as well as a guarantee to self-quarantine for two weeks. The forms will be distributed on flights before they land, and can also be filled out electronically.

Those who decline to fill out a form will face a fine of up to $2,000, officials said.

“If you leave the airport without providing the information. you will receive a summons immediately,” Cuomo said at a news conference. “If you leave the airport without filling out the information, not only can you have a $2,000 fine,

you can then be brought to a hearing and be ordered to complete mandatory quarantine.”

The order goes into effect Tuesday, July 14 and enforced at JFK and LaGuardia airports by DOH officials with the help of Port Authority police officers. Upstate and regional airports with flights arriving from the hot spots will use their own local authorities to enforce the new rule, Cuomo said.

As of Monday, roughly 120 flights from the 19 states outlined in Cuomo’s list come into New York City’s two major airports each day, officials said.

Travelers into Newark International Airport — which is also managed by the Port Authority and is less than an hour away from New York City — will not be forced to fill out a form.

Monday’s announcement expands on an executive order Cuomo issued

on June 24, which required travelers from nine states to self-quarantine for 14 days upon entry to New York.

Ten more states have been added to the list, including California, Nevada, Iowa and Delaware.

The June order included fines of up to $10,000 if a person enters the state and “causes harm” by spreading the virus.

More states will be added to the list if they have a COVID-19 “positive rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% positivity rate, over a seven-day rolling average,” according to the governor’s latest order.

“We can’t be in a situation where we have people coming from other states in the country bringing the virus again,” said Cuomo.

“Look at the infection rate.

New York’s numbers have declined, while the nation is going up.” (NY Daily News)

rime Minister Boris Johnson is set to ban Huawei from Britain’s 5G network on Tuesday in a momentous decision that will delight Washington, dismay Beijing and signal the end of a two-decade long partnership with the country’s biggest mobile operator.

The United States has pushed Johnson to reverse his January decision to grant Huawei a limited role in 5G, saying the Chinese company is a security risk.

The debate has played out against a backdrop of a crackdown in Hong Kong and questions about China’s handling of coronavirus, damaging relations between London and Beijing.

Britain’s National Security Council (NSC), chaired by Johnson, will meet on Tuesday morning to discuss Huawei.

Media Secretary Oliver Dowden will then announce a decision to the House of Commons later in the day.

The immediate excuse

for the about turn in policy is the impact of new U.S. sanctions on chip technology, which London says affects Huawei’s ability to remain a reliable supplier.

Huawei and its customers, who include BT, Vodafone and Three, are waiting to see how extensive the new ban will be and how quickly it will be implemented, with hundreds of millions of pounds riding on the outcome.

BT boss Philip Jansen said on Monday the company needed at least five years, and ideally seven, to remove

Huawei.

“If we get to a situation where things need to go very, very fast, then you are into a situation where potentially service for 24 million BT Group mobile customers is put into question - outages,” he said.

If the ban were extended to all mobile and fixedline networks, including legacy equipment, more than a decade would be needed, he said.

Vodafone said removing all Huawei gear would cost it in the “single figure billions” of pounds. (Reuters)

Biden, as weak on China.

Previously, US policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbours be resolved peacefully through UN-backed arbitration. But in a statement released on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognised waters to be illegitimate. The shift does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level, which are considered to be “territorial” in nature.

“The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire,” Pompeo said.

“America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defence of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and

reject any push to impose ‘might makes right’ in the South China Sea or the wider region.”

Although the US will continue to remain neutral in territorial disputes, the announcement means the administration is in effect siding with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, all of which oppose Chinese assertions of sovereignty over maritime areas surrounding contested islands, reefs and shoals.

“There are clear cases where [China] is claiming sovereignty over areas that no country can lawfully claim,” the State Department said in a fact sheet that accompanied the statement.

The announcement was released a day after the fourth anniversary of a binding decision by an arbitration panel in favour of the Philippines that rejected China’s maritime claims around the Spratly Islands and neighbouring reefs and shoals. (Al Jazeera)

Canada, US to extend ban on US moves to block all Chinese non-essential border traffic claims in South China Sea

T

C

anada and the United States are set to extend a ban on non-essential travel that was imposed to fight the coronavirus outbreak, although a final decision has not been taken, two Ottawa sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency on Monday.

The ban, introduced in March, has been extended several times and is due to expire on July 21. The measure does not include trade.

Infections have risen rapidly in about 40 of the 50 US states over the last two weeks, and the premiers of major Canadian provinces say the frontier must remain shut.

Although some US politi-

cians in northern states are pressing for the measures to be relaxed, the Ottawa sources said the extension was virtually inevitable given the seriousness of the crisis in the US. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier told reporters talks between the two nations on the ban were continuing and said: “We will have more to say later this week, I’m sure.”

Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, on Monday said the situation in Florida was “staggering” and “scary”.

The chief medical officer in the Pacific province of British Columbia said last week there was no chance

of non-essential travel with the US this summer, given how widespread the virus was south of the border.

In a rare public comment on the faltering US efforts, Trudeau said on July 8 that Canada had handled the outbreak better than the US. The US - which has a population almost nine times larger than Canada’s - has recorded more than 135,000 deaths compared with 8,783 in Canada.

Trudeau also said he had talked to US President Donald Trump earlier on Monday and reiterated his opposition to the possible imposition of tariffs on Canadian aluminium exports. (Al Jazeera)

NYPD school safety agent accused of raping, molesting young girl for years

A

n NYPD school safety agent from Brooklyn is accused of raping and molesting a young female relative for years, starting when she was at least 6, police said Monday.

Jeanisidor Jean Baptiste, 43, was off-duty Monday

when Internal Affairs investigators busted him at his Flatbush home.

The victim, now 17, accused him of sexually abusing her between 2008 and 2012.

Jean Baptiste faces charges of rape, predatory sexual assault against

a child, criminal sexual act, course of sexual conduct against a child, sexual abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child. He was awaiting arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court. (NY Daily News)

he Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijing’s significant maritime claims in the South China Sea. The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb China’s increasing assertiveness in the region with a commitment to recognising international law. But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese, who are already retaliating against numerous US sanctions and other penalties on other matters.

It also comes as President Donald Trump has come under growing fire for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stepped up criticism of China in the runup to the 2020 election and sought to paint his expected Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe

Coronavirus: California reimposes sweeping restrictions amid virus spike

C

alifornia has reimposed restrictions on businesses and public spaces amid a spike of coronavirus infections in America’s most populous state.

Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered an immediate halt to all indoor activities at restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, zoos and museums.

In the worst-affected counties of the south-western US state, churches, gyms and hairdressers will also close. California has

more than 330,000 Covid-19 cases, with more than 7,000 deaths.

The reimposition of the restrictions in the state with nearly 40 million people was prompted by a 20% rise in people testing positive in the past two weeks.

The Democratic governor warned on Monday that “this virus is not going away anytime soon”.

“I hope all of us recognise that if we were still connected to some notion that somehow when it gets warm it’s going to go away or some-

how it’s going to take summer months or weekends off - this virus has done neither.

“We are now effective today requiring all counties to close their indoor activities, their indoor operations in the following sectors: restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, movie theatres, family entertainment centres, zoos and museums, card rooms and the shuttering of all bars.

“This is in every county in the state of California,” the governor said. (BBC)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

Regional

Latin American coronavirus deaths Less than 50% of Grenada’s overtake North American fatalities stimulus package utilised

T

he number of deaths from the coronavirus in Latin America has exceeded the figure for North America for the first time since the start of the pandemic, a Reuters count showed on Monday.

Latin America had

by Monday seen at least 144,680 deaths so far, compared to 143,847 deaths in North America – comprising Canada and the United States – according to Reuters figures, which are based on official counts.

The first confirmed cases of the virus in the Americas came within a day of each other in late February, first in Canada and then the United States and Mexico.

Initially, the United States and Canada suffered a more rapid escalation in reported case numbers.

People run at Ibirapuera Park after it was reopened as the city eases the restrictions imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in São Paulo, Brazil, July 13, 2020

However, Latin America struggled to contain the spread of the virus once it left the more affluent neighbourhoods where it was first detected, usually in those who had travelled abroad. A problematic combination of widespread poverty, informal labour, and poor healthcare, particularly in remote areas, contributed to the spread.

The leaders of the region’s two most populated countries, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and Mexico’s Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, initially dismissed the severity of the virus.

The United States remains the individual country with the most overall deaths – 135,055 – followed

by Brazil at 72,100.

Mexico and Peru are among the 10 nations with the highest number of deaths globally, while Chile, Colombia and Ecuador have also all suffered more than 5000 deaths.

The world’s coronavirus infections surpassed 13 million on Monday, according to a Reuters count, another grim milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than half a million people in seven months. The tally shows the disease is accelerating fastest in Latin America.

The first case was reported in China in early January and it took three months for one million cases to be confirmed globally. It took just five days to reach 13 million from the 12 million registered on July 8. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Veteran US diplomat Richardson to meet Maduro to discuss jailed Americans

V

eteran US diplomat Bill Richardson plans to travel to Caracas to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to discuss the status of several American citizens held as prisoners there, his foundation said on Monday.

In a message on Twitter, the Richardson Center said the former New Mexico Governor and US Ambassador to the United Nations would carry out

what it called a private humanitarian mission to Venezuela “at the request of several American prisoners’ families”. It did not identify the detainees.

It was not clear when the visit would take place.

Venezuela’s Government is currently holding two former US special forces soldiers, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who authorities arrested in May for leading a failed incursion

attempt aimed at capturing Maduro.

Maduro’s Administration since 2017 has also imprisoned six oil executives from Citgo Petroleum Corp, the US refining unit of Venezuela’s State-run oil company, on allegations of embezzlement. The US Government and lawyers for the executives have said the charges are baseless. Five of the executives have US citizenship.

“We are aware of the private effort by former Governor and Ambassador Bill Richardson,” a US State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

“While this is not an effort sponsored by, or on behalf of, the United States Government, we nonetheless hope for a positive outcome,” the spokesperson added, reiterating Washington’s call for the release of the Citgo executives. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Grenada's Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell

T

he Grenada Government says it has disbursed less than 50 per cent of the estimated EC$50 million COVID-19 Supplementary Estimates that were approved by Parliament in April.

“Overall, Government has expended more than EC$17 million on the various measures in the stimulus package, including income and payroll support, reduction in electricity bills for consumers and grants to the Grenada Development Bank (GDB) to support the Small Business Development Fund and the Small Hoteliers Business Fund, which offers concessionary loans to help stimulate business activity,” according to a government statement on Monday.

Parliament approved the fiscal package during a special sitting on April 17 after it declared a state of emergency with a 24-hour curfew

as part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

At the time of approving the package, it was announced in the Parliament that the support will be for a three-month period with the Keith Mitchell Administration indicating that it had also established the COVID-19 Economic Support Secretariat to specifically implement and coordinate the measures included in the stimulus package.

Under the stimulus package, the Ministry of Finance, Planning, Economic and Physical Development was allocated EC$40 million for payroll support to a number of stakeholders including hoteliers, restaurants and bars, small travel agents and income support to public bus and taxi drivers, tourist vendors, market vendors and other identified hospitality-based businesses. (Excerpt from CMC)

CDB, IDB sign agreement to support Privy Council rules in economic development in Caricom favour of fired Port-ofSpain garbage collector T

he Barbadosbased Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on Monday signed an agreement with the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) to support economic development and integration of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

“Today's signing ceremony is a re-affirmation of CDB and IDB's shared commitment to the sustainable growth and development of the Caribbean Region. It signals that we have reached another milestone in over four decades of collaboration between our two institutions.

IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno

“With the widening of our agreement to include IDB Invest, we are also expanding the opportuni-

ties for the regional Private Sector to play an even bigger and more meaningful role in improving the lives and well-being of Caribbean people,” said CDB President Dr Warren Smith.

The agreement was signed at a virtual ceremony, connecting CDB and IDB headquarters in Barbados and Washington DC by videoconference.

The new agreement sets out how the two financial institutions and IDB Invest will cooperate in the financing or co-financing of projects, in order to build social, economic and environment reliance in the Region, to

further inclusion and equality, and to enhance good governance and innovation. The agreement includes joint financial and advisory services and building capacity and training.

“This agreement will help the Caribbean Region at a critical time, when countries face enormous challenges to transform their post-pandemic economies in order to become more sustainable and more resilient to natural disasters, and more capable of harnessing the creative energies of their people,” said IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno. (Excerpt from CMC)

UN: Hunger in Latin America, Caribbean could rise to 67 million people by 2030

A

fter five years of continuous rise, hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean affected 47.7 million people in 2019, and is projected to increase by almost 20 million more over the next 10 years.

This is according to the latest Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report, “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2020”, which was

launched in New York on Monday.

SOFI is developed by the FAO; the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); the World Health Organisation (WHO); the World Food Programme (WFP); and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The study warns that the Region will not reach Sustainable Development

Goal 2 of the 2030 Agenda – zero hunger – by 2030. SOFI projections indicate that hunger, considered as an estimate of the number of people who do not consume enough calories for an active and healthy life, will affect almost 67 million people in 2030, that is, about 20 million more than in 2019.

The projections do not consider the impact of COVID-19 on food security, so the actual

figures could be even higher.

“We are far worse now than when the Region committed to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.

Hunger has increased by nine million people since then,” said FAO's regional representative, Julio Berdegué.

Hunger now affects 7.4 per cent of the population, and is expected to rise to 9.5 per cent by 2030. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

T

he Office of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) has lost its final appeal against the Industrial Court’s decision to award compensation to a former Port-of-Spain City Corporation worker who was improperly terminated.

Delivering judgment on Sunday, the United Kingdom-based Privy Council dismissed the appeal which was brought by the CPO’s Office against the Amalgamated Workers’ Union.

The appeal centred around the Corporation’s employment of garbage compactor driver Daniel Riley, who was first hired in 1983.

In May 1999, Riley was charged with stealing 72 litres of gasoline. He was suspended pending the outcome of his case. Although Riley was eventually acquitted by a Magistrate, the Corporation, through the CPO’s Office, initiated disciplinary proceedings against him.

The disciplinary proceedings began in March 2002, but were only completed in January 2007.

While the tribunal was

required to deliver its ruling in 10 days, it did so almost a year later.

Riley was found guilty of the charge and was terminated from the date of the alleged offence.

The union filed a trade dispute in the Industrial Court, which was eventually decided in Riley’s favour.

The Industrial Court ordered that he be reinstated to his position and compensation based on his loss of earnings during the period of his lengthy suspension.

The CPO appealed the decision, but lost in the Court of Appeal, which upheld the Industrial Court’s decision that there had been a breach of the Corporation’s grievance procedure.

In the judgment, the Privy Council ruled that it had the jurisdiction to hear the appeal despite the Industrial Court’s exclusive control of industrial relations litigation.

Lord David Kitchin, who wrote the judgment, also stated that the Industrial Court’s findings in the case were correct. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

19

Around the World

WHO sounds alarm as coronavirus cases rise by 1 million in 5 days

T

he number of coronavirus infections around the world hit 13 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, climbing by a million in just five days.

The pandemic has now killed more than half a million people in six-and-ahalf months, and World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there would be no return to the “old normal” for the foreseeable future, especially if preventive measures were neglected.

“Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one,” he told a virtual briefing from WHO headquarters in Geneva.

“If basics are not followed,

the disease accelerating fastest in Latin America.

The Americas account for more than half the world’s infections and half the deaths.

Parts of the world, especially the United States

with more than 3.3 million confirmed cases, are still seeing huge increases in a first wave of COVID-19 infections, while others “flatten the curve” and ease lockdowns.

Some places, such as the Australian city of Melbourne and Leicester in England, are implementing a second round of shutdowns.

Chinese-ruled Hong Kong, albeit with a low 1522 cases, is to tighten social distancing measures again amid growing worries about a third wave.

The United States reported a daily global record of 69,070 new infections on July 10. In Brazil, 1.86 million people have tested positive, including President Jair Bolsonaro, and more than 72,000 people have died. (Excerpt from Reuters)

pert and the President.

The White House has been increasingly critical of Dr Fauci, and on Sunday, an official shared a list detailing past apparent erroneous comments.

Dr Fauci’s changing advice on masks and remarks on COVID-19’s severity are among the points from the White House.

The move to undercut him comes as the US continues to see surges in COVID-19.

There are over 3.3 million cases confirmed and more than 135,000 deaths nationwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Dr Fauci has contradicted President Donald Trump’s comments on the pandem-

ic a number of times, pushing back on the President’s claims that the outbreak is improving and attributing hasty state re-openings to the recent surges.

The White House memo leaked over the weekend had noted: “several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr Fauci has been wrong on things”.

Though the White House said Dr Fauci and Trump have a “good working relationship” on Monday, Trump adviser Peter Navarro told CBS News: “When you ask me if I listen to Dr Fauci’s advice, my answer is only with caution.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

Director General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, attends a news conference on the coronavirus (COVID-2019) in Geneva, Switzerland, February 24, 2020

the only way this pandemic is going to go, it is going to get worse and worse and worse. But it does not have to be this way.”

Reuters’ global tally, which is based on Government reports, shows

Coronavirus: White House targets US disease chief, Dr Anthony Fauci

Peter Navarro said Dr Fauci fought against Trump’s “courageous decision” to halt flights from China, initially said the virus was “low-risk”, “flip-flopped on the use of masks” and said there was “only anecdotal evidence” regarding hydroxychloroquine as a treatment

U

S infectious disease chief Dr Anthony Fauci is being

targeted by the Trump Administration as tensions rise between the health ex-

Thousands protest in DR Congo over electoral commission appointee

P

olice have used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa, four days after five people were killed in banned demonstrations against the choice of a new election chief.

Protesters gathered in Boulevard Lumumba, one of the city’s main avenues, marching around a vehicle carrying former rebel leader and opposition chief Jean-Pierre Bemba on Monday.

The police broke up the gathering using tear gas, while men in civilian clothes threw stones at the demonstrators.

Some protesters were badly hurt falling from vehicles escorting Bemba.

Security forces using tear gas also dispersed other protests in the eastern city of Bukavu and in the central city of Kananga.

The marches were triggered by a decision by the National Assembly dominated by supporters of former President Joseph Kabila - to appoint Ronsard Malonda as Chairman of the independent national electoral commission, CENI.

In this file photo from July 9, protesters took part in the demonstration in Kinshahsa against the National Assembly’s choice of a new Electoral Commission Head

Pro-democracy campaigners said Malonda, currently CENI’s Secretary General, has played a historic role in rigging elections in favour of Kabila, who was succeeded in January last year by Felix Tshisekedi, son of a historic opposition leader.

Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi said the capital returned to calm after the demonstrators were dispersed.

“They say they are angry with the nomination of the president of the

electoral commission, but also said, beyond that, they are unhappy with the leadership of the President Felix Tshisekedi and the coalition he has formed with former president Joseph Kabila.”

“They say this coalition has plunged the country in an economic and political crisis and the President needs to act urgently to resolve the situation,” she added. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

OILNEWS Iran expands oil production capacity

I

ran is taking a step that would seem counterintuitive in an environment of subdued demand for oil and oil products: it is boosting its oil production capacity, Bloomberg reports, citing a statement by oil minister Bijan Zanganeh.

“It’s true that our output is low because of cruel and illegal sanctions, but things won’t stay the same,” the official said on Iranian TV. “We need to increase our production capacity to be able to return to the market in full force and restore our share whenever necessary.”

The production boost will come from the Yaran field, one of the five oil fields along the border between Iran and Iraq.

Tehran has prioritised these fields to get whatever is left out of them after years of exploitation.

The start of Yaran’s development was announced in 2016 after a prolonged delay, eyeing an initial output rate of 30,000 bpd. Now, the Persia Oil and Gas Industry Development Co has sealed a US$463-million deal with the National Iranian Oil Company to develop the field further, adding a cumulative 40 million barrels to its output over ten years.

Persia Oil and Gas Industry Development Co will need to raise US$227 million in direct investment for the development of Yaran, and another US$236 million to cover the operating costs.

The Yaran field, which is divided into a North and South part for its development, has estimated reserves of some 550 million barrels of crude.

Iran has been hit hard by US sanctions imposed on the country after President Donald Trump took office and pulled the US out of the so-called Iranian nuclear deal. Its oil exports, which had risen to more than 2.5 million bpd by August 2018, had since fallen to about 100,000 to 200,000 bpd, according to Reuters. (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

Trudeau admits “mistake” while facing 3rd ethics inquiry in office

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anadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he “made a mistake” by joining in talks for giving a Government contract to a charity that paid his family.

We Charity was tapped by his Government to oversee a C$900 million (US$664 million, £533 million) youth volunteer programme in June.

It later emerged that We previously paid Trudeau’s relatives over C$280,000 to speak at events.

Trudeau now faces his third ethics commission inquiry in office over the scandal.

“I made a mistake for not recusing myself from the discussions immediately, given my family’s history,” Trudeau said Monday.

“I should not have been a part of the discussion.”

Trudeau has not been paid by the organisation himself, although he has spoken at We events for free.

The Prime Minister said he should have known his family has been paid, since

they are frequently hired for professional speaking engagements.

In a statement on its website, the charity said it was the federal public service, and not Trudeau or his Cabinet, that asked them to oversee a national youth volunteer programme.

“We agreed to this challenge because we have 25 years of experience building youth service programs that are in 7,000 Canadian schools engaging students to support 3,000+ charities and causes,” charity co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger wrote.

They said the contract included funds to cover the administrative cost of the programme, but did not provide the charity with a “profit”.

We confirmed that Trudeau’s mother and brother were paid for past speaking engagements. “We respect the public concern” over those fees, the charity said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

Don’t overspend on entertainment or luxury items.

Pour your energy into something worthwhile. Cut your overhead and look for diverse ways to use your skills to bring in additional cash.

TAURUS

An emotional move may be stressful, but at the same time beneficial. Jump at any opportunity. Don’t worry about what’s required, just get busy and don’t look back.

(March 21April 19)

(April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Your ideas for fundraising and problem-solving will result in popularity and leadership. Delegate what you cannot handle to make the most of your talents and skills. Enlist backup.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

You’ll get emotional if someone close to you doesn’t share your opinions or feelings. Try to see his or her side and be willing to compromise to avoid a stalemate.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Let go of the past to make room for what’s to come. Learning will proceed quickly, and your peers will offer sound advice. Added discipline will help you quit a bad habit.

LIBRA

Emotions will surface regarding a professional or legal matter. A suggestion will be valid, but difficult to accept. Do what you can, but don’t let anyone pressure you.

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Your involvement in secret activities will not go as planned. Someone will offer false information to mislead you. A joint venture is a bad idea. Do your own thing.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

You will find it challenging to keep the peace with someone inconsistent or emotionally unstable. Give him or her space and go about your business.

Confrontations will lead to alienation.

Look inward and simpliSAGITTARIUS fy your life by getting back (Nov. 23to basics. Think twice beDec. 21) fore you take action based on an unfounded assumption. Health problems due to carelessness are apparent.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

You’ll attract attention if you do your part to bring about a much-needed change in your community or household. Your insight and compassion will be appreciated.

A home-improvement project will brighten your day. Make changes that will help you further a skill or talent you want to pursue. Selfimprovement is featured and will fetch compliments.

Don’t venture out if it isn’t necessary. Taking any sort of risk will lead to regret. Spend time making personal improvements instead of trying to change others. A change of heart is apparent.

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

21

Manchester City's Champions League ban lifted by Court of Arbitration for Sport

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anchester City’s two-year ban from the Champions League for a serious breach of UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) rules has been overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which also reduced the club’s fine to €10 million from €30 million.

CAS’s panel of three lawyers found that City failed to cooperate with the investigations by UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), which oversees FFP compliance, and imposed the €10 million fine for that. The panel said City had shown a “disregard” for the principle that clubs must cooperate with a governing body’s investigations, and conducted an “obstruction of the investigations”.

However, on the central finding by the CFCB’s adjudicatory chamber that City’s Abu Dhabi ownership had disguised its own funding as independent sponsorship by the State’s commercial companies, CAS found: “Most of the alleged breaches were either not established or timebarred.”

As those were the most serious findings that had resulted in the chamber banning City from European competition for two years, “clearly more significant violations than obstructing [UEFA’s] investigations, it was not appropriate to impose a ban on participating in UEFA’s club competitions for MCFC’s failure to cooperate with the CFCB’s investigations alone”, CAS said.

The quashing of the two-year ban represents a major victory for City’s hierarchy in the conclusion of this bitterly-contested episode, and a defeat for UEFA and its semi-independent CFCB structures. No full judgment was issued by CAS, only a brief one-page press release, so the full reasons and explanations will not be made public for “a few days”, it said.

City said in a statement: “The club welcomes the implications of today’s ruling as a validation of the club’s position and the body of evidence that it was able to

present. The club wishes to thank the panel members for their diligence and the due process that they administered.”

City, whose executives had furiously denied wrongdoing and throughout a 20-month saga consistently accused UEFA’s processes and decision-makers of being biased against the club, had appealed to CAS after the sanctions were imposed in February. They said the process had ignored “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence”.

The Champions League ban, a most severe sanction,

and a €30 million fine were imposed by the CFCB after it concluded that City had committed “serious breaches” of UEFA’s FFP regulations “by overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the breakeven information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016”.

UEFA said in response to Monday’s verdict: “UEFA notes that the CAS panel found that there was insufficient conclusive evidence to uphold all of the CFCB’s conclusions in this specific case and that many of the alleged breaches were timebarred due to the five-year time period foreseen in the

UEFA regulations.

“Over the last few years, financial fair play has played a significant role in protecting clubs and helping them become financially sustainable and UEFA and ECA [the European Club Association] remain committed to its principles.”

The lifting of the ban will come as a huge relief to City in terms of status, finance, their prospects of retaining Pep Guardiola as manager beyond the end of his contract next season and their hopes of holding on to key players and attracting signings. Kevin De Bruyne had publicly said he would review his situation if the ban was upheld.

The guilty finding followed an investigation sparked by the publication of “leaked” emails and documents by the German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2018. A selection of the published City documents appeared to show that City’s owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the Abu Dhabi ruling

family, was mostly funding the huge £67.5 million annual sponsorship of the City shirt, stadium, and academy via his country’s airline, Etihad. One of the leaked emails suggested that only £8 million of that sponsorship in 2015-16 was funded directly by Etihad and the rest was coming from Mansour’s own company vehicle for the ownership of City, the Abu Dhabi United Group.

The CAS judgment effectively states that this, the alleged “disguise of equity funding as sponsorship contributions”, was not established by the evidence it heard.

FFP rules are aimed at encouraging clubs to break even and spend only money they make in revenues, not pay excessively for players in wages and transfer fees subsidised by outside funding from owners. The system means that sponsorships are an important element of clubs’ financial reporting and ability to sign players, and must truly be commercial revenues from outside companies, not disguised owner funding. (The Guardian)

Ross Brawn says Ferrari face a “long road ahead” to rediscover competitiveness Manu Tuilagi leaves Leicester for

F

errari have "a long road ahead" as they attempt to rediscover their competitiveness, according to Formula 1 Managing Director Ross Brawn.

Ferrari have qualified in the lower reaches of the top 10 at the opening two races and the car is around a second a lap slower than the Mercedes.

Brawn said: "They aren't going to turn it around overnight."

The 65-year-old was Ferrari's Technical Director when they dominated F1 in the early 2000s with Michael Schumacher.

Brawn, writing in his column for F1 after Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix in Austria, added: "There's a long road ahead of them.

They need to find out if there is a fundamental problem with the car – and they need to find out fast – because clearly they are some way off the pace.

"The management have to cope with it and make sure the staff maintain the faith and stay focused on what needs to be done.

"One of the biggest problems for Ferrari is that, of all

Formula 1 Managing Director Ross Brawn

the teams on the grid, they come under the closest scrutiny from the media, particularly in Italy.

"I know from my own experience that the media pressure in Italy can be incredibly intense, and you have to make sure it doesn't get to your people."

Ferrari cancelled their post-race news conference on Sunday after their drivers collided on the first lap, taking both out of the race.

Charles Leclerc, rewarded with a new five-year contract over the winter after a stellar debut season for the team in 2019, took the blame for an over-optimistic overtaking attempt on Sebastian Vettel at Turn Three, saying: "I am

disappointed in myself. I'm sorry, but being sorry is not enough.

"I've let the team down after them working a whole week to bring the updates early. Too eager to gain those places in the first lap. I will learn from it."

Ferrari brought forward some upgrades for the Styrian Grand Prix weekend, after their poor performance in the opening race of the season in the Austrian GP at the same Red Bull Ring track.

But team boss Mattia Binotto admitted that the new parts – a new front wing and floor – "didn't show their worth on track".

He added: "It has been an entire disappointing weekend and [the crash] is the worst conclusion of a bad weekend for us."

Further updates are scheduled to be introduced at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The change in Ferrari's competitiveness comes after a series of rule clarifications on engine technicalities over the winter, and a private settlement between Ferrari and governing body the FIA.(BBC Sport)

Sale Sharks until end of next season

S

ale Sharks have confirmed the signing of Manu Tuilagi until the end of next season.

Tuilagi’s acrimonious departure from Leicester Tigers was rubber-stamped last Friday, and the 29-yearold centre has secured a move to the Premiership title chasers, ensuring he remains available for England selection.

As reported by the Observer, Sale made the move for Tuilagi once his employment with Leicester had officially ended last week. He was among a handful of Tigers players who refused to accept pay cuts, bringing to an end his 11-year spell at the club.

Steve Diamond, the Sale Director of rugby, denied h a v ing talks with Tuilagi last week, but in confirming his signature, said the Sharks moved following talks with Leicester which determined he was a free agent.

The Premiership clubs

have a gentleman’s agreement not to sign each other’s players as part of their decision to cut wages and lower the salary cap, but in this instance the move suits all parties. As previously reported by The Guardian, however, Tuilagi could still make a claim for compensation from Leicester to make up any shortfall in wages from his £500,000 deal with Leicester.

His move will delight Eddie Jones, who stuck by Tuilagi through his injury problems and was rewarded by the centre playing a leading role in England’s run to the World Cup final last year. During the tournament in Japan, Tuilagi explained how he did not expect to feature at the

2023 World Cup in France, but his move to Sale keeps him in the England frame until at least next summer.

He would have been eligible for the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa next summer even if he moved abroad, but staying in the Premiership means he can prove his form to Warren Gatland this autumn and during the Six Nations next year.

In the short term, Tuilagi will bolster Sale’s title bid with the Sharks second in the Premiership table, five points behind Exeter. He will form a mouth-watering centre partnership with the South African Rohan Janse van Rensburg, while he will also team up with his England colleague Tom Curry and the Springbok World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager.

Sale travel to Harlequins for the Premiership’s first match of its restart on August 14 and Diamond will be hoping Tuilagi’s impact is immediate. (The Guardian)

22

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Jofra Archer: Criticism of England bowler's speeds is unfair, says Michael Vaughan

C

riticism that Jofra Archer doesn't bowl at top speed often enough is "out of order", says former England Captain Michael Vaughan.

The 25-year-old bowled an exhilarating spell on the final day of the first Test against West Indies in Southampton, but his 3-45 could not prevent England falling to a four-wicket defeat.

Vaughan, who believes it is "impossible" to consistently bowl in excess of 90 miles per hour (mph), said: "I'd have him in my team all the time."

Speaking on the BBC Radio 5 Live Tuffers and Vaughan podcast, Vaughan added: "When I see those spells like I did yesterday, you just know he's got that point of difference."

During the first Test against West Indies, the tourists' former fast bowler Tino Best appeared to criticise Archer's speeds, tweeting that Archer has "not bowled quickly" since last summer's Ashes series against Australia.

Vaughan, however, says it is "impossible" for fast bowlers to reach top speed with every delivery.

"Going forward he will have frustrating days, he's a young bowler. Will he become really consistent the older he gets? Maybe.

"Look at [Australia's] Brett Lee and [Pakistan's]

"Their batters need to do exactly what Jermaine Blackwood did – come in, absorb the momentum and transfer the pressure back onto the bowlers.

"Then the shift for me now is being selfish enough to not only score 60-80, but to go on and get a 100, 150 or a double hundred.

"You see what Steve Smith did in the Ashes, he

Jofra Archer

Shoaib Akhtar. They have lots of spells where you just go 'come on, you can crank it up', but it's impossible.

The body just doesn't allow you to do it every single over that you bowl.

"But when you get that click, that six or seven overs where everything is in sync and you see the ball flying down at 90mph-plus, causing chaos, that's why you put Jofra Archer in your team.

"I was delighted with Jofra's spell yesterday – he was back to doing what he does best."

“West Indies can go all the way to number one”

The second Test of the three-match series begins at Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday, with West Indies knowing victory would see them retain the

Wisden Trophy they earned with a series victory in the Caribbean 18 months ago.

West Indies also won at Headingley the last time they toured England in 2017, having improved considerably since Captain Jason Holder took over in 2015.

They are seventh in the current World Test Championship, albeit having only played three matches, but one-day specialist Carlos Brathwaite believes they can become the best five-day team in the world.

"The only thing, if I'm being brutally honest, that I can see from stopping this team going all the way to number one in the world is more consistent batsmanship," said Brathwaite, who is working as an analyst for the BBC during the series.

England bring out the best in Jermaine Blackwood and West Indies

5 223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

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-4 – West Indies' win record against England in Tests since 2015. Against all other teams, they have won only seven Tests in 34 matches combined.

They have a 50 per cent win record against England and just 20.59 per cent against other teams. Jason Holder has won four of his six Tests as captain against England.

2 – Instances of a team successfully chasing targets of 100-plus with their topfour not reaching double-figures. West Indies' top-four scored 4, 8*, 9 and 0 in their chase of 200 in Southampton. The only other instance happened in 1902 when England chased 263 against Australia at The Oval. West Indies' No. 5 to 7 scored 152 in the chase, which is their fourth-highest in a successful chase.

55.00 – Jermaine Blackwood's average against England in seven Tests. Only five West Indies batsmen have scored 500-plus runs at a better average than Blackwood against England. He has scored 605 in 14 innings with a century and three fifties. Against all the other teams combined, he has averaged just 24 in 22 Tests. He has faced an average of 68.42 balls per innings against England compared to just 41.24 against other teams. He averages 42 in England, his best in any country.

5 – Number of consecutive Test series (two or more matches) in which England have lost the first match. Since 2019, they lost the first Test in Bridgetown, then the first Test of home Ashes at Edgbaston, first Test at Mount Maunganui and in Centurion before the defeat in the first Test of this series. In fact, England have lost the first Test

in eight of their last 10 multi-match series.

9 – Number of umpire decisions that were overturned by the use of the DRS in this Test. West Indies overturned seven of them, out of the 14 times they appealed for the DRS. England were successful only twice in eight attempts. Five of Richard Illingworth's decisions were overturned and four of Richard Kettleborough's. Both were challenged by the DRS 11 times each.

23.16 – West Indies' pacers' bowling average in this Test, picking up 18 wickets. The home team's pacers took just 14 wickets at 29.14. West Indies' quicks struck every 50 balls while England's took about 59 balls. West Indies' fast bowlers bowled 41 maiden overs out of their 150.5 overs while England's could manage only 28 maidens in 137.2 overs.

3 – Number of Man of the Match awards for Shannon Gabriel in Tests, all coming since 2017. Jason Holder is the only other West Indies player to win as many Match awards in this period.

3 – The captains – Holder and Ben Stokes – dismissed one another three times in this Test. It was the first such instance in Test history.

Holder got Stokes twice and Stokes dismissed Holder once.

64 – Number of Tests taken by Stokes to complete the double of 4000-plus runs and 150-plus wickets in Tests – the second-fewest among six all-rounders in this bracket. Garry Sobers, who did it in 63 Tests, is the quickest. Stokes' compatriot, Ian Botham, took 69 Tests to complete the same. (ESPNcricinfo)

basically wore down the bowlers and won the Test for Australia and we need some West Indies batters to put their hands up and not be content with the odd 60 or 70 and look at scoring big scores.

"Then we can really challenge for number one or two in the world and we can really compete again on all fronts." (BBC Sport)

Fraser-Pryce sets world lead at Velocity Fest

D

ecorated 100m champion ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce clocked a world-leading 11 seconds at the Velocity Fest meet in Kingston, on Saturday, as athletes slowly start returning to the track.

Running into a -2.2m/ s headwind, Fraser-Pryce, the former MVP athlete, stopped the clock at 11.00 flat, well clear of Sprintec’s Shashalee Forbes, who was second in 11.49. Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan was third in 11.84. In the men’s equivalent, MVP’s Nesta Carter clocked 10.38 to only just edge out Tumbleweed’s Tyquendo Tracey and GC Foster’s Romario Williams, who both clocked 10.39 for second and third respectively.

Over double the distance, MVP’s Shericka Jackson ran 22.89 to finish heat three ahead of teammate Elaine Thompson, who clocked 22.98, with Forbes third in 23.45. The men’s 200m went to Julian Forte, who clocked 20.71 running into a negative

headwind.

He finished ahead of Rasheed Dwyer, 21.06, and Romario Williams, 21.07.

In the women’s hurdles, Janieve Russell (57.29) dominated affairs, claiming the event comfortably ahead of Rhona Whyte (57.97). In the 100m hurdles, Megan Tapper won the event in 13.25, ahead of Amoi Brown, who was second in 13.46s.

World long jump champion Tajay Gayle topped his pet event with a wind-assisted 8.52m (4.5m/s). Doha 2019 triple jump silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts claimed that event with 14.11m.

(Sportsmax)

Holder jumps to No 2 in Test bowling rankings

…following 7-wicket haul against England

W

est Indies Captain Jason Holder has moved up a place to the number-two spot in the Reliance International Cricket Council (ICC_ Test rankings for bowlers.

The 28-year-old Barbadian, who is also the number-one-ranked Test all-rounder in the world, took match figures of seven wickets for 91 runs in the first Test against England in the #RaisetheBat series that concluded on Sunday with the Caribbean men winning the closely-fought match by four wickets.

Holder’s 6 for 42 in the first innings against England at the Ageas Stadium in Southampton helped restrict the home side to 204 on the second day and helped set up a famous victory for the West Indies.

The performance that included 1 for 49 in England’s second innings earned the lanky medium pacer 32 points in the Test rankings

Windies white ball skipper Jason Holder

taking him to 862 points.

Those points also moved him ahead of South Africa’s Neil Wagner, who has 859 ranking points.

Australia’s Pat Cummings leads the rankings with 914 points.

Kemar Roach, who went wicketless in the match is ranked 16th with 731 points while Man of the Match Shannon Gabriel is ranked 18th with 726 points.

Gabriel took 9 wickets in the match and was a key player in the West Indies victory on Sunday. (Sportsmax)

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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T&T Govt devises marketing strategies to offset CPL's no spectators

A

lthough the absence of spectators for this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament serves as a ma-

jor financial loss to investors, televised and strategically positioned on-field advertising will be used by the Government to market Trinidad and Tobago during the August 18-September 12 tourney.

During Saturday’s virtual press conference, by the Health Ministry, National Security Minister Stuart Young revealed the Government has capitalised on the competition’s global popularity to showcase T&T throughout its duration.

“We managed to negotiate quite good advertising packages being aware that

the rest of the world will be looking on at the playing field. We’ve negotiated, on behalf of the Government, advertising packages so

T&T will be highlighted all over the world during this tournament,” said Young.

Over the past two months, detailed discussions were held between CPL organisers and the Sport Ministry to ascertain if T&T would fulfil its contractual agreement to host the annual competition for a third consecutive year.

Originally, T&T was scheduled to host its Trinbago Knight Riders “home” matches alongside the semi-final round and title match. However, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and closure of the majori-

ty of regional borders, travel within the islands has been severely restricted.

In light of limiting travel and physical interaction, T&T was chosen to host the tournament in its entirety.

The Hilton Hotel was selected by CPL organisers and the Sport Ministry as the only bio-secure environment to house the over 250 arriving foreign cricketers.

It was also agreed upon that visiting players would be tested for coronavirus before they leave their home country. Upon arrival in T&T, the players would be tested once more before entering a 14-day quarantine.

On the players’ seventh day

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh added, “What we would be following, as a health perspective, is these players and their entourages will be contained in one location. The chance of spread is virtually eliminated and minimised.

It is a made-for-television product and all guidelines for arrivals, venues, activities, and equipment are in place.”

Prior to T&T’s confirmation as hosts, Deyalsingh revealed his ministry had carefully observed the COVID-19 protocols and measures implemented by the International Cricket Council (ICC); England and

there, they would be retested and then once more on the 14th day, according to Health Ministry regulations.

Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) at the ongoing threeTest tour.

In this regard, he was satisfied with the precautions put forward by the Sport Ministry and tournament organisers.

“I want to give the country the assurance that we did pay attention to the protocols being developed by the ICC, ECB and CWI of the tour of WI to England.

So far, that seems to have gone off well and now we’re in a position with that learning experience to have the CPL come off here and all the attendant spin-off benefits to the country.”

Adhering to COVID-19 protocols

CMTC aims to host race for lower class horses when restrictions lifted

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he current COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the world; it has crippled every sporting discipline in Guyana. Over four months have passed and the same can be said for the Crawford Memorial Turf Club (CMTC), which has continued to abide by the COVID-19 protocols and is urging everyone to do so.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Club President Marcel Crawford Jr said, “As far as horse racing, we have to adhere to the protocols. I don’t think anybody should be doing any racing until we get an hand on this virus. I believe that we should wait until the Ministry come up with a medical solution. For now,

Club President Marcel Crawford Jr

all we can do is exercise our horses and await further instructions from the Ministry of Health.”

He added that while other clubs have closed completely, CMTC has remained open as it would not

discriminate against anyone who wanted to come and exercise their horses.

Crawford noted that once the go-ahead for large gatherings was given, the club would be hosting a small five-cord race for the lower-class horses.

“The Government had asked the people to practice good hygiene and virtually protect themselves, so therefore we are asking our fans to adhere to the strict regulations about helping to curb the corona[virus],” Crawford explained.

He then thanked the fans for always supporting his events, and asked that they stay safe and look forward to bigger and better events from the CMTC when everything was settled.

The Health Minister confirmed that tight procedures were in place to ensure the players housed at Hilton remained well-protected during their stay, both on and off the field. He also affirmed the Government would not be financing any additional costs to ensure the players’ safety.

“Persons would not be allowed to leave the Hilton Hotel. When they’re leaving to go to practice or matches, they will be guided by the Ministry of National

doing,” said Deyalsingh.

Additionally, if any CPL official or athlete is to return a positive COVID-19 test while in T&T, they will be immediately quarantined at either the designated Couva or Caura hospitals.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Roshan Parasram explained, “In terms of treatment within the medical system in T&T, if anybody has an acute illness or infectious disease illness, the only two facilities we are able to offer treatment

Security and the Ministry of Health. We have made sure from a health perspective it is very tight. The CPL is paying for all of this as well.

And what this does, it broadcasts to the world as one of the largest international sporting events taking place and all of the good T&T is

at this point for COVID-19 are the Couva facility and Caura facility. And it would be available for any positive cases that we have for anyone arriving into the country, regardless of nationality. So, those are the areas that we have designated.”

(TT Guardian)

Norton pleased with rebranding of Washington Redskins

W

ith the United States and the Americans. The push for rebranding comes wider world being hyper-sensi- amid massive global protests against racism, following the death of George tive on the topic of racism and discrimination, the issue Floyd in the United States. has been swiftly highlightThese protests have also ed in sport. led to heightened pressure from the team's sponsors, From athletes protesting to solidarity and so a new name will be being shown through used. uniform redesigns, Dr Norton, who also sportsmen and womholds responsibility for en have stepped culture, youth and sport, up to the plate. believes that corporate enThe most recent tities such as FedEx must be applauded for making a globof these acts saw the owners and al statement that racism, or The soon-to-bestakeholders of anything resembling it, has changed team logo the Washington no place in sports.

Redskins consider"At times when the world is nonsensically divided by differences, ing a name change.

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr sport has been and will continue to be a George Norton is pleased that efforts have constant and crucial vehicle to drive unibegun to change the name of the American ty and cohesion. This is why we must enfootball team known as the Washington sure that the global sports community is Redskins. free from tarnish," Minister Norton said.

The team have faced years of presDr Norton is hopeful that this move and sure over a name that has long been seen what it means would resonate with the loas offensive and derogatory to Native cal sports fraternity.

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

T&T Govt devises marketing strategies to offset CPL’s no spectators

See story on page 23

England bring out the best in Jermaine Blackwood and West Indies

Pg 22

Adhering to COVID-19 protocols Pg 23

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