Guyana Times -- Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Guyana’s economic momentum to remain stuck until new Govt sworn in – analysts Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4347

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

PRICE

APNU/AFC wants court to endorse electoral fraud

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Triangular love affair ends in P10 murder

See stories on pages 3 and 9

…PPP/C to join court proceedings to defend democracy – Jagdeo …as another coalition supporter seeks to block GECOM’s declaration

Lowenfield refuses to submit elections report again

See story on page 7

…APNU/AFC Commissioners walk out of meeting …no court order granted to prevent submission, another ploy to stall – Commissioner

Arsonists prowling: GECOM’s Linden office, Anna Regina CID, unoccupied GDF building set ablaze

Over 350 P16 prisoners granted early release amid COVID-19

Men attempt P8 to steal motorcycle during ‘sale’ inspection …1 arrested, accomplice escapes

See stories on pages 12 and 16

APNU/AFC-created political crisis

“Situation is untenable” – Dominica PM In face of APNU/AFC stoking tensions Page 14

Page 2

PPP/C will not stage protests now and place Guyanese at risk – Jagdeo

Essequibo Coast family overpowers bandit during P10 robbery 8 new COVID-19 cases recorded

…135 active cases in isolation

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2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

In face of APNU/AFC stoking tensions

PPP/C will not stage protests now and place Guyanese at risk – Jagdeo

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo during a virtual briefing on Tuesday afternoon

O

pposition Leader and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo said that while his party can produce even more protesters than A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), it would not be taking such an irresponsible route.

Despite the fact that Guyana is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 308 cases as of July 14, APNU/AFC supporters have been out in scattered protests in the city and other parts of the country, urging the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to

use fraudulent numbers to swear in President David Granger.

In fact, a few days ago APNU/AFC protesters blocked the President’s convoy, which was leaving State House, with one laying on the ground in front of the President’s car. There were also scenes of APNU/ AFC supporters displaying an effigy of GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, in a wooden coffin.

“The tensions they talk about in society. They are stoking the tensions,” Jagdeo said, during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. “They have people who go before GECOM. Do you think we can’t put out numbers in the streets? We can put out fifty times the numbers they have on the street. But we know it’s not right. It is putting people at risk. And there’s another way of solving this.”

Jagdeo also noted that while there has been talk of power-sharing, the actions of APNU/AFC make it hard to embark on such a process. He questioned how the PPP/C would be expected to share power with persons it cannot trust.

“All of those talking about power-sharing, we

made it clear before you move forward you have to do it on the basis of the will of the people being expressed by the President being sworn in, who won the majority of the vote. But how do you sit down with people who are so slimy in nature?” he asked.

“Look at (Prime Minister Moses) Nagamottoo or (APNU/AFC co-campaign manager Raphael)

And then says, even if Lowenfield’s report is wrong, fraudulent, GECOM must accept it as a rubberstamp.

The constitutional body, he doesn’t have constitutional authority. They must now be subservient to the statutory officer. How can you be so perverse, to even suggest that?” Jagdeo added.

Protests have also been held despite the fact that the COVID-19 emergency

Ministry of Foreign Affairs back in May 2020, after the Government blocked the return of The Carter Center for the recount.

The protest was swiftly broken up by the police and PPP candidate Neil Kumar, who had cited the COVID order, was charged. Over the past few weeks, however, APNU/AFC supporters have held multiple protests and Police have stood by without

De facto President and APNU/ AFC Leader David Granger

APNU/AFC protesters on Main Street, Georgetown

Trotman… Trotman disparaged people in the small countries of the Caribbean.

Totally disparaging of them.

order is in place. This order prohibits gatherings and protests. The PPP held a mini protest in front of the

arresting or charging anyone, with only one exception.

Many persons, from the PPP/C to the Private Sector

Commission (PSC) have called upon Commissioner of Police Leslie James to ensure that the rule of law is respected and firmly applied and enforced without favour against any attempt to promote, incite, or participate in public disorder or violence of any kind.

It is approaching five months since Guyanese went to the polls and there has been no lawful result.

The international community has overwhelmingly declared that the results from the recount, which show a PPP victory, should be used.

(G3)

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

APNU/AFC wants court to endorse electoral fraud …PPP/C to join court proceedings to defend democracy – Jagdeo

Wednesday, July 15 – 12:45h – 14:15h and Thursday, July 16 – 13:35h – 15:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

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

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Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

T

he APNU/AFC’s latest trip to the High Court seeking to prevent the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from doing its job, has been described by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo as a “shameful” attempt to abuse the Judiciary and have the court endorse electoral fraud.

Misenga Jones, an A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) supporter, approached the courts on Tuesday seeking to stop GECOM from declaring the results. But Jagdeo made it clear that APNU/AFC wants to force GECOM to use the fraudulent results and that this latest court case will not succeed.

“The APNU/AFC are basically asking the court to endorse fraudulent numbers for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to make a declaration of the March 2 General and Regional Elections. They expect the court to endorse electoral fraud,” Jagdeo said.

Jagdeo explained that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) never invalidated the recount as was claimed by APNU/AFC and the court case. He recalled a section of the CCJ ruling delivered by President Adrian Saunders, which made it clear that nothing but an election court can invalidate valid votes. According to him, this is another case of APNU/AFC deliberately misinterpreting the court ruling.

A perusal of paragraph 46 of the CCJ ruling confirmed this. According to the court, “It is clear that, under the legal infrastructure governing the electoral process, unless and until an election court decides otherwise, the votes already counted as valid votes are incapable of being declared invalid by any person or authority. In this respect, the Guyanese electoral system is not very different from other such systems in other Commonwealth Caribbean countries.”

Jagdeo pointed out that the President of the CCJ, “could not be any clearer, when in his summary of the judgement…he made it clear that unless an elections court, though a petition, were to invalidate the votes that were counted in the recount process…that no person or authority in Guyana could do so. So he was clear that the votes counted in the recount process could not be invalidated by GECOM, nor Lowenfield.”

Effectively, he added, the APNU/AFC through its supporter who filed the proceedings is asking the court to say “that a statutory officer’s advice which is fabricated, false, which has no basis in reality, which is grounded in fraud, that that must be used to declare the results of the elections, and that the Commission has no power to alter that report or to do anything different.”

No surrender

According to him, the PPP/C will not give up in the face of persistent attempts from APNU/AFC to alter the election results, adding that the only credible declaration is one that uses the certified recount results, not random numbers from Clairmont Mingo or Keith Lowenfield.

He said that the PPP/C will be joining the proceedings to defend democracy.

“I know people are extremely disappointed. They are asking me when this will come to an end… the end has to be a lawful end.

An end that reflects the will of the people. Or else it will not have legitimacy and will destroy this country further.

The international community has made it clear that they did not support any declaration on the basis of Mingo’s numbers and any President sworn in on those results would face consequences.”

“That led to President Granger agreeing to the recount. The recount numbers came in, endorsed by Caricom. The entire world endorsed it. And they are the true results of what took place at these elections. Only those would provide legitimacy for any Government in Guyana,” Jagdeo said.

Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo was exposed by the National Recount to have inflated A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) votes to give the incumbent an overall win.

Mingo had fraudulently declared 136,057 votes for APNU/AFC and 77,231 votes for PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party (PPP)), in Region Four. According to the certified General Elections results, however, PPP actually gained 80,920 votes in Region Four while APNU/AFC received 116,941 votes.

It, therefore, means that Mingo added some 19,000 phantom votes to his Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) tally, in order to push APNU/AFC over the finish line. In fact, the 33day National Recount had shown that Mingo inflated APNU/AFC votes and deflated votes from other parties, particularly the PPP/C, in order to give the APNU/ AFC a win. These are sev-

De facto President and APNU/ AFC Leader David Granger

eral of the factors that led GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, to set aside the 10 declarations.

Additionally, the recount almost perfectly matched the Statements of Poll (SoPs) that the PPP/C released since March - SoPs which to this day APNU/ AFC have refused to release. 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.

And despite the lack of credibility in Mingo’s numbers, APNU/AFC supporter Misenga Jones went to court on Tuesday, seeking a court order compelling GECOM to use the declarations from the ten Returning Officers, which include Mingo’s, to make a final declaration. (G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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

Abusing our court system

I

t is clear as day that the David Granger-led APNU/AFC Coalition will stop at nowhere in its illegal grab for power. Many are asking when will this all end? The truth is not matter long it takes, we are confident that in the end, democracy will prevail and good will triumph over evil. But Guyanese patience are being put to the test by the team Granger, who seems hell bent to dragging Guyana to the depths of chaos in an effort to remain in power. The court proceedings filed by APNU/AFC supporter in the High Court on Tuesday is another trick in the hat aimed at delaying the inevitable.

But we are living in different times, unlike in the 1960s, 70s and 80s where electoral rigging was allowed to go unnoticed and unpunished. Many powerful leaders and decent human beings all over the world are on the side of the majority. They stand strongly in support of democratic governance and they do not take kindly to governments that hang on to power through fraudulent means.

We have seen the countless statements from powers around the world denouncing Granger and his Coalition for all the strategies they are using to cling to power.

At the moment, the nation is tired and frustrated with the relentless efforts by Granger and his hinge men, to hold to power even though it is clear that the incumbent was defeated at the March 2, polls. We have never seen this level of abuse of the court system by any Government in the history of post-independent Caribbean to hang on to power.

Granger cannot claim that he is oblivious to these attempts to deny the duly elected Government from taking its place. The fact is, the people have spoken by way of their ballots and the PPP/C has won the elections convincingly by over 15,000 votes. No court or institution would ignore this fact and endorse any request to use discredited results to declare a winner.

The APNU/AFC has moved to the Courts in spite of the fact that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) a few days ago fully ventilated all the matters brought to it in relation to the vote recount. In a clear, definitive ruling, the CCJ decided that the recount results must be used as a basis for the declaration of winner and the CEO cannot in any way modify those numbers or decide to apportion votes to political parties on the basis on what is ‘valid’ or ‘invalid’. This is not for him to do; this is a matter for the High Court through an elections petition, after the results are declared and a government is sworn in.

Further, during Monday’s Commission meeting, the Chairperson set aside all ten declarations made by the Returning Officers. This means only the valid results standing are those derived from the national recount.

That said, the actions by the CEO on Tuesday to not submit his report again has the pellucid indicators that he is taking his cue from the APNU/AFC -aligned Commissioners, who, from the inception, have shown that they are bent on frustrating the process.

Understanding the nature of politics in Guyana, this publication has called on the international community to impose personal sanctions on President David Granger and his team among others who are hell bent on seeing Guyana being descended into an undemocratic state.

No logical and decent person will have faith that Lowenfield, who has presented multiple fraudulent reports to the Commission, will present an accurate report this time around, even though he only has the recount figures to work with.

Moreover, the partisan attitude displayed by the GECOM’s DCEO, Roxanne Meyers, leaves no room for confidence that she will also present the right report, nor do it swiftly for that matter.

If the statutory officers - Lowenfield and Myers - fail to carry out their duties, Justice Singh, must act swiftly use the constitutional provisions available to her to declare the correct results so that Dr Irfaan Ali, the head of the List that got the most votes, could be sworn in as Guyana’s 9th Executive President.

We believe that the longer we allow this process to drag on, the more overtures will be made by rogue elements to bring about instability, including abusing the court system, so that Granger can continue illegal reign at the detriment of Guyana.

We had said countless times before and will it say again: the GECOM Chair has the constitutional authority and enjoys the confidence and backing of local, regional and International powers to bring this charade to an end.

Abuse of right to lawful protest should result in arrest and prosecution Dear Editor, APNU/AFC supporters descended on the State House for the second time in a week to engage their leader, without regard for COVID-19 restrictions.

What is equally disturbing this time, however, is that some decided or may have been instructed to up the ante.

At least one person stopped the leader’s convoy from leaving the State House, by lying on the roadway and in the convoy’s path. The press further reported that she refused to move when asked. The leader will decide whether this was hooliganism and

whether someone will have to “pay” for this.

The public, however, should expect nothing less than the arrest and timely prosecution of those who associated with the blockade. It may very well happen again.

It cannot be true that the safety of the leader, who is also the caretaker President, was not compromised as was suggested. The caretaker President was forced to stop, which means that his right to move freely was violated in the middle of a protest.

This represents a threat to him and by extension, the security of the State. It

is especially so as the State is under tremendous stress due to the election impasse.

In short, what transpired is unacceptable and points to greater dangers to come if it is not properly addressed now. Indeed, the current status quo suggests that these staged demonstrations or protests by APNU/AFC supporters are likely to increase.

These are not storms created in teacups. Rather, persons with real names organise them, because the Constitution allows people to assemble freely or protest lawfully.

It is imperative, however, that abuse of this right

results in arrest and prosecution.

To these extents, the police must be proactive and cease being sideline observers. This has occurred too often in the past, and it has encouraged significant public injury including the subversion of the electoral process.

Too often in the past protesters simply ran amok and looted and burnt and beat as they pleased because the police seemed to be unable to handle these situations or simply preferred to stand by and watch.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

Visionary leaders don’t encourage destruction

Dear Editor, A fire gutted the Guyana Elections Commission building on Burnham Drive, Linden, in the wee hours on Tuesday morning July 13, 2020. What is odd in this whole saga, is the building burnt belonged to a private owner, a Lindener who rented it to GECOM, this must be investigated to the fullest. I am heartbroken that this has to be a political issue and the private owner’s building was burned and destroyed in the midst of an already difficult economic period. This kind of violence and damage continue to further hurt the people of Linden. What about peaceful protest? Visionary leaders don’t encourage destruction in their communities.

It saddens me - the hatred that is spilling out of individuals’ mouths and out

of our nation’s people as a whole. Peace-loving persons of Linden and citizens who recognise democracy as a necessary tool for poverty alleviation must condemn the burning of Region 10 GECOM building immediately. There can be no ifs and buts and condemning on conditions. This is wrong! This will affect our innocent citizens of Region 10, creating panic and mistrust which will create some level of uncertainty for all involved, and must be unreservedly condemned. This revelation confirmed that there is a fraction of people right here in our region, who once more want to use Linden, Wismar and Region 10 as the “scapegoats”, keeping up to the stereotyping that it all begins in Linden. I don’t want it to be that this was the work

of people in authority who are prepared to violate the rights of Lindeners and every Guyanese who stands in their way of derailing and undermining democracy for Lindeners. For the first time in history, this type of action in our region must be condemned by every resident. Linden should no longer be associated with destroying public offices more so during an election period. This does not send a good message to our young people, especially after our caretaker Government failed to be so forthright with the present elections results, knowing fully well that the people’s will must prevail. It is my belief that our caretaker Government has a right and responsibility to protect public property and public infrastructure during these elec-

tions saga. During the past weeks, if there were intelligence indicating that there is a risk of buildings being burnt, then they should have pre-empted this by deploying the military as an additional boost to secure properties deemed to be targets. As a community, we need to focus on specific actions that will alleviate the impact on the well-being and livelihoods of our people in developing our country and the marginalised around Guyana. We need to address Lindeners’ specific needs now, while building back. As Lindeners, our business is a social endeavour with economic, political, environmental and social consequences; where your actions matter.

Sincerely, David Adams

Puzzlement and disappointment over Chair’s inaction Dear Editor, People I spoke with are very disappointed and puzzled at the behaviour of the Chair in not making a declaration of the election results on Monday or Tuesday when an opportunity availed itself. While praising her decision to set aside (nullify) the March 13 count that was kept in abeyance, many are asking what is preventing the Chair from acting expeditiously in declaring the result. They cannot comprehend her inaction on the long-delayed process. There are no more obstacles as the highest court instructed GECOM to proceed with a declaration. And opportunities are provided for further court action even before a declaration is made. A declaration is long overdue and once it is done, aggrieved parties can proceed with an election petition as ruled by the CCJ. Guyanese say the Chair

should not have given the CEO, Lowenfield, another opportunity to prepare the declaration of final results.

He had three opportunities and he failed to comply with them. “Three strikes” and you are out. GECOM is empowered to discipline him (terminate him for insubordination) and assign another person to prepare the final declaration. Someone who is not partisan should be appointed in his place to carry out the task; lawyers believe GECOM is empowered to replace a defiant Lowenfield.

Guyanese also said that since the Chair set aside the March 13 fraudulent count and she instructed the CEO to use the recount votes to prepare the declaration, there was no need to adjourn the meeting on Monday, giving him 24 hours for a simple task that would hardly take an hour with oversight. The CEO could have been given a

reasonable amount of time, say two hours, to prepare the declaration and it could have been completed by the evening on Monday. Many Guyanese believe a twelveyear-old could have done the math within an hour. At any rate, Lowenfield failed to comply with the instruction to prepare the report even after being given 24 hours.

He is defying the Chair’s authority. And he is undermining democracy. He must be disciplined and replaced by a fair-minded objective neutral person to carry out the act.

The Chair should take cognisance of what is being said about her for a non-declaration on social media and among Guyanese I conversed with in the diaspora as well as in the country.

People are losing respect and admiration of the woman they once called the Iron Lady and as the person who would courageously stand

up for principle and an accurate vote count. Now, many Guyanese are having a field day of sarcastic remarks.

The Chair must act decisively to protect her reputation.

Guyanese are very tired and frustrated by the stalemate.

They urgently want an end to the process. Madame Chair, the court has not blocked a declaration. There is no injunction. The CCJ has already ruled on this issue. You already announced the numbers a month ago, right after the recount. The CEO again failed to comply with your order on Tuesday. Guyanese believe you can proceed with the declaration through another person if the CEO refuses to comply with the order on Wednesday. And the High Court is not stopping you from making a declaration.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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PNC continues to torture Guyana with Protecting self-interest more frivolous, vexatious court action Dear Editor, The PNC’s latest, shameless lawsuit shows there is no good intent on the part of the PNC. Suspicious fires, street protests violating the COVID guidelines and the failure of the police to take action against PNC supporters, and the PNC and Granger’s continued lying and deception to gullible supporters that they won the elections continue unabashed, to the detriment of the country.

I have been asked three questions by three different church folks. One asked me “Why are these PNC people so wicked?” Another asked, “Why aren’t the Christian church people saying anything?” and the third asked, “Does the PNC not care that people are punishing?” My answer to the first question was that trickery, violence, and terrorism was always essential elements of the PNC’s playbook under founder riggers Burnham and Hoyte.

Being wicked is in their DNA; it’s hard-wired and they have never had any shame to rig elections and declare themselves the winner. They did that for 28 years, and again, the most vulgar, clumsy and senseless attempt to rig since March 2 is on open, flagrant display. When the country’s Chief Elections Officer charged with being an honest, impartial broker to hold free and fair elections is seen as leading the coup and rigging the votes in favour of his apparent favourite party which has lost the election, there is no hope that we can have a fair election anymore under the current structures.

Lowenfield and his conniving associates who had calculatingly proposed 156 days for the recount in line with the PNC’s playbook of delay and obfuscation must be fired

forthwith. The Chair should be decisive and not prolong the national agony and torment with her dilly-dallying which allows opportunities for the PNC to file frivolous lawsuits. What was billed as the “mother of all elections,” has now become an “election to end all elections.” As one editorial said, the only answer acceptable to the PNC is that the PNC is the winner regardless of what the evidence says. The PNC’s mentality is loser takes all. They believe they are born to rule under some convoluted notion of divine rights, and does not want to give up. It’s the emergence of the Granger dictatorship.

On the second question I have been asked over and over, why aren’t the Christian church people speaking out, I would say there is a special hell for those dishonest leaders, some of whom call themselves apostles, prophets, bishops, prophetess, etc who have chosen to be silent at such a time as this.

The PNC feels emboldened to continue its rigging, cheating ways when the silence of the good men is deafening. M Sukhdeo on the blogs said “Oh Lord what have the Guyanese people done so wrong that your wrath is upon them ...Lord, please forgive and deliver Guyana from the hands of this great evil ...Thank you for deliverance in Jesus Christ mighty name Amen.” Another, O Ward, said, “should Christians turn a blind eye to things that affect them? Should Christians wait until this gets really bad then cry out to God? Notice how the ‘Christ-believing’ PNC people using the Lord’s name while in the street practicing all manner of evil things.”

When confronted about

their continued silence, these church leaders say they are “praying.” I would say praying is half of the solution. The other half is action. Prayer and action go together. Faith and works. Prayer without action is folly. If you pray and do not follow up with action, it’s not the full gospel, it’s fake. Prayer makes us strong to take action. To avoid responsibility, the church cannot substitute prayer for action. What the church does is preach about Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar and Esther who said, “If I perish, I perish,” but the church leaders say, “I am not going to put myself out there and perish. I will be ‘wise.’ ” And so they say nothing because it’s bad for business (church is a business in most places).

You can lose members and money. What churches do is they leave the actions to others and when the actions of others have yielded results (through picketing, guarding ballot boxes, court action, public statements, etc), the church would swoop in and claim it is their prayers that brought the change.

Unbridled hypocrisy!

On the last question whether the PNC does not care that people are punishing, it is sad that we have such poor, ruthless, people in charge driven by greed and lust for power and money and looting of national assets. In the midst of bankruptcy, a growing health crisis, and a border dispute, the PNC deliberately creates political instability at a time when stable, strong, united leadership is needed. And the church leaders tell their people to just pray about it. And the PNC wickedness continues.

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

Dear Editor, It continues to baffle me that so many of my fellow Guyanese have lost their moral compass and are willing to attempt to justify the actions and statements of the rigging cabal for self-serving purposes. It is an oxymoron to say that you “put Guyana first” and then offer support to Raphael Trotman who is in favour of the rigging cabal. If GHK Lall really loved and cared so much about Guyana, he should denounce Trotman and others pushing electoral fraud and shouldn’t hide behind curtains and become an enabler.

Lall should not allow his relationship with Trotman and his “man-to-man dealings” to dissuade him from standing up to electoral fraud and should add his voice in urging Trotman and others in Government to do the right thing and accept the will of the people. Lall states that we have a “Guyanese problem that requires Guyanese solutions” and is attempting to support Trotman’s call for regional players to stay out of Guyana’s business. Lall seems to have conveniently forgotten that Guyana signed regional and international treaties and enjoys the benefits of those relationships. I wonder if Lall lived on another planet during the decades of electoral fraud that the PNC committed on Guyanese by disenfranchising voters and practising non-democratic principles.

As Lall might know, back then the “Guyanese problem” was not solved by Guyanese.

Fortunately, Guyana was freed of electoral fraud and the skullduggery of the PNC with help from foreigners including former US President Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center which finally held the PNC accountable and stood firm for free and fair elections. I remember during that dark time of PNC rigging, many want-

ed to see more proactive voices from any small or big country and went as far as criticising Caricom for remaining silent when most Guyanese felt helpless to the rigging of the unprincipled cabal that was forced upon them.

Democratic-minded Guyanese were extremely thankful then for the intervention of President Carter and are thankful now for the US, Canada, UK, EU, small and big countries in Caricom and other places who are standing up for democracy in Guyana. I agree with Freddie Kissoon that Guyana should erect a bust of the faces of Bruce Golding, Owen Arthur, the US Ambassador, Canadian High Commissioner, British High Commissioner, and the EU Ambassador for their efforts in keeping alive Guyanese freedom to vote and have that vote counted.

We promote Guyana as a friendly welcoming country. It is well known around the world that you can go to a Guyanese home unannounced and within minutes you will most likely be fed cook-up rice, curry and roti etc. Then I read Lall’s comments about “how we (Guyanese) behave and how we are deep down inside”... these things are not compatible and I suggest to Lall that Guyanese are a friendly, inclusive and welcoming people and unfortunately it is persons like Lall, Trotman and others affiliated to the losing party who have been fanning the flames of hatred and division since it is convenient for their purpose at this time... Our regional and international friends are the ones trying to intervene to prevent chaos as friends and family should do even if they are not legally bound to assist. Bottom line is that Guyana is not ready for totally Guyana’s solutions.

Why else would you have a need for elections monitors?

I imagine that Lall and others will say we don’t need observers. Let the rigging continue!

It is disappointing to see Lall write “To the white man we go”. Has Lall and others had a close look at the voices, both domestic and foreign, and who these voices belong to. I will just mention one that has been lambasted by cohorts of Lall and Trotman - Mia Motley. Is this Lall’s definition of the white man to whom we are running.

These enablers are not making sense.

I wrote previously about how all of a sudden the PNC supporters are talking about a more amicable way forward when they see the writing on the wall and their trickery and lies are being exposed and eventually they will all suffer consequences of their ill-conceived actions from the international community.

They now conveniently want to start a conversation about power-sharing and I imagine that Lall is part of that push for his own personal ambitions. We are being reminded once again that so many are not committed to principled values that put country and democracy first...the masks of those not standing for democratic principles at this challenging time in Guyana are being removed slowly.

I am shocked and appalled that so many who were perceived as reasonable-minded and principled people have become so unprincipled for what seems to be self-serving purposes. It is truly sad.

To the foreigners from both big and small countries calling for the will of the people to be respected, many Guyanese would like to say “thank you” and ask that you not be distracted by the unprincipled motives of the minority of those Guyanese protecting their self-interest.

Sincerely, C De Barros

The PNC curse!

Dear Editor, Since 2015 Guyanese have seen a continual socio-economic retrogression when we are supposed to be at the cusp of massive economic development. We have become an oil-producing nation but at the same time, we have been plunged into great uncertainty about whether we will once again experience another PNC dictatorial rule and all the sufferings that would entail. However, in the midst of all this, Guyanese have been fully exposed to the damaging and regressive nature of the PNC. What has transpired since December 21, 2018, has irredeemably damaged the PNC beyond any repair and no amount of baptismal name changes will ever resurrect it.

Enough simply cannot be said and written about the havoc wreaked on the economy and that has been the trademark of the PNC. But that has been well documented over the past five years. That is how they ‘govern’, that is their true nature. But

what they have now laid bare for all to see, not only in Guyana but throughout the world is the avarice and lust for power whereby the end justifies the means.

Never has anyone seen a political leader, having lost an election, cling on to power for dear life, violating all the laws including the Supreme Law of the land, prostituting the courts and the Guyana Elections Commission. Burnham had some shame at least. He padded the electoral lists, he hijacked the ballot boxes and stuffed them with fake ballots among other clandestine acts. The PNC was always declared the ‘winner’ after the counting of the fake ballots. Burnham never used the courts, there was simply no need. But his disciple, Granger, used the courts and GECOM as though they are his puppets.

However, unlike his predecessors, what Granger has done is to attempt to rig an election after the votes have been counted. The votes which have been counted for all

ten regions and the SoPs produced.

Granger should have realised that the electoral system of Guyana is foolproof and no massive fraud can ever be perpetrated. His use of Mingo and Lowenfield was highly unimaginative and amateur. He was bound to be caught and he was. He made it even worse when he agreed to a recount. He should have realised that the recount would only substantiate the validity of the electoral process and further expose Mingo’s fraud.

Which it did. No amount of false allegations about the credibility of the election will ever stand up. Only his ilk and ‘kith and kin’ will attempt to peddle and believe such falsity. How can the PPP/C ever rig the election when the PNC dominated GECOM? But true to form, Granger made a final attempt to rig when Lowenfield submitted his fraudulent report to the GECOM’s Chair despite being given clear instructions. Fortunately, the Chair stood her ground and sent him back to present his report according to the

recount statements, this time discarding the SoPs held in ‘abeyance’.

This has finally closed that loophole.

But will Basil shamelessly go back to the courts? For what reason may I ask? The CCJ has already ruled decisively on all legal aspects. GECOM is an independent constitutional body and the Chair has done what is required by law.

Unfortunately, the threats and the burning have started. That is the true nature of the PNC, they cannot change. But they should realise that burning, looting and mayhem will not be tolerated and will never give them power. In fact, what they have done effectively is to forever destroy their chances of ever winning another election in this country. The names PNC and AFC will forever be cursed. Everything good they have touched they was destroyed.

Politicians such as Granger, Trotman, Basil Williams, Harmon, Volda Lawrence, Amna Ally, Moses Nagamootoo and Ramjattan should forever be banished from the politi-

See additional letters on page 17

cal arena. They are not worthy of being called leaders of the people and have completely lost all sense of decency and integrity and have relegated themselves to common criminals in the eyes of the masses. How can they ever walk the streets knowing in their hearts what they are?

They will be avoided like COVID-19! In addition, Lowenfield and Mingo should never be allowed to even venture anywhere near GECOM, cheaters and fraud have no place in such a noble institution.

Their attempts to steal an election in full view of the world will never be forgotten. I do hope they are made to face the full brunt of the law. Lastly, I do hope that there is some provision in our laws which can make them pay financial damages in the civil courts for the emotional damage and stress they have caused to the Guyanese people for well over 4 months.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

6

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

Page

Foundation

Guyana Times is pleased to publish CXC English and Mathematics questions with specimen answers.

CXC QUESTIONS

MATHS

ENGLISH

B

The Tempest

By William Shakespeare

No Fear Act 1 Scene 1 A tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard Enter a MASTER and a BOATSWAIN MASTER: Boatswain!

BOATSWAIN: Here, master. What cheer?

MASTER: Good, speak to th’ mariners. Fall to ’t yarely, or we run ourselves aground. Bestir, bestir.

Exit MASTER Enter MARINERS BOATSWAIN: Heigh, my hearts! Cheerly, cheerly, my hearts! Yare! Yare!

Take in the topsail.—Tend to th’ master’s whistle.— Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough!

Enter ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, FERDINAND, GONZALO, and others ALONSO: Good Boatswain, have care.

Where’s the Master? Play the men.

BOATSWAIN: I pray now, keep below.

ANTONIO: Where is the Master, Boatswain?

BOATSWAIN: o you not hear him? You mar our labor. Keep your cabins. You do assist the storm.

GONZALO: Nay, good, be patient.

BOATSWAIN: When the sea is. Hence!

What cares these roarers for the name of king? To cabin, silence! Trouble us not.

GONZALO: Good, yet remember whom thou hast aboard.

BOATSWAIN: None that I more love than myself. You are a councilor. If you can command these elements to silence and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more. Use your authority. If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap.—Cheerly, good hearts!—Out of our way, I say.

Exit BOATSWAIN GONZALO: I have great comfort from this fellow.

Methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him.

His complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging. Make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage. If he be not born to be hanged, our case is miserable.

Exeunt GONZALO and courtiers Enter BOATSWAIN BOATSWAIN: Down with the topmast! Yare, lower, lower! Bring her to try wi’ th’ main course.

A cry within A plague upon this howling! They are louder than the weather or our office.

Damn those men shouting down there!

They’re louder than the storm or us sailors.

Enter SEBASTIAN, ANTONIO, and GONZALO Yet again? What do you here?

Shall we give o’er and drown?

Have you a mind to sink?

SEBASTIAN: A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!

BOATSWAIN: Work you, then.

ANTONIO: Hang, cur! Hang, you whoreson insolent noisemaker! We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.

GONZALO: I’ll warrant him for drowning though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an unstanched wench.

BOATSWAIN: Lay her a-hold, a-hold!

Set her two courses off to sea again.

Enter MARINERS, wet MARINERS: All lost! To prayers, to prayers, all lost!

TO BE CONTINUED

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Lowenfield refuses to submit report again

…APNU/AFC Commissioners walk out of meeting …no court order granted to prevent submission, another ploy to stall – Commissioner

GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj

I

n what has become a pattern, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has once again failed to execute the directions of the Guyana Elections Commission and present his final elections report using the numbers from the National Recount.

Lowenfield was expected to submit his final elections report to the Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, using the numbers from the National Recount at 14:00h on Tuesday. However, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) through one of its supporters, in an effort to further stymie the process which shows that they have lost the March 2 General and Regional Elections, filed proceedings in the High Court to block the declaration of the results.

Opposition-nominated Commissioner, Sase Gunraj amounted the APNU/AFC’s stalling tactic as another trick to stall the process.

No injunction or any orders have been granted by the court, preventing Lowenfield from presenting his report but true to his modus operandi, the CEO refused to even tell the Commission if he prepared the report or not.

Gunraj told reporters that he read the filings in the court and as an attorney by profession he can conclude that nothing prevented Lowenfield from presenting the report and the Commission from accepting it.

Resistance

At Tuesday’s meeting, Gunraj and his colleagues Bibi Shadick and Robeson Benn, began inquiring as to whether Lowenfield had prepared his report and was

ready to present but this was met with resistance by the APNU/AFC Commissioners.

They, according to Gunraj, instructed Lowenfield not to say anything to which he complied.

“This inquiry which was made by members on my side of the Commission was met by at least one member of the Commission saying to the CEO that he doesn’t have to answer to us. Well if he doesn’t have to answer to the Commission then I don’t know who he has to answer to. This was speedily followed by the walkout from the Commission by the other three members (Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman) and when that question was again put to the CEO he refused to answer and he followed by walking out of the meeting as well,” Gunraj noted.

Owing to the walkouts, the meeting was once again adjourned owing to the lack of a quorum. This publication understands that the Commission will meet later today after the hearing in the High Court.

Walkout

Meanwhile, the APNU/ AFC-aligned Commissioners are arguing that the meeting was not properly convened and they would have walked out after notifying the Chair that she has set a precedent of putting aside the Commission’s business once legal actions have been filed.

“The practice of the Chairman has always been that our business is held in abeyance until the determination of that matter.

In fact, when the matter has been determined in the court, she always insist that we await the written judgment before we proceed,” Commissioner Corbin stated.

He said that they received a digital copy of the legal action from the Chair shortly after 13:00h and just before the 14:00h meeting they were informed that the Chief Justice had set the hearing for 10:00h today.

Corbin claimed that this was sufficient information, in his mind, for the meeting to be cancelled and as such, they would have informed the Chair and subsequently left.

However, this contention was rubbished by Gunraj, who said that the Chair

set no such precedence. He reminded that on one instance, the court ordered the halting of the process and the other was adjourned after Alexander, Corbin and Trotman refused to show for the meeting.

He noted that at this critical juncture in Guyana, ie battling a pandemic without a Parliament for over one year along with the election impasse, the state of affairs needs to be addressed. He called on the Commissioners on the other side to stop pussyfooting and get on with the business of the day.

Gunraj also rubbished the APNU/AFC’s position that the CEO should not present his report because of the court proceedings.

“Courts have procedures which if they want something stopped, they grant injunctions. In this case, there is no injunction granted. So obviously there is nothing stopping (the CEO from presenting his report). Even as an officer of the court it does not stop me. I do not hold any greater brief because something was filed. If every single day I want something stopped then I would just file something,” he noted.

Continued refusal

Monday marked 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 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; 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.

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

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

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 discredited 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 val-

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

id votes were cast and when compared with the numbers presented by Lowenfield then 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.

(G2)

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Men attempt to steal motorcycle during ‘sale’ inspection …1 arrested, accomplice escapes

T

wo men on Monday attempted to steal a motorcycle at Enmore, East Coast Demerara, after meeting the owner under the guise of inspecting the bike for an intended purchase.

Based on information received, the incident occurred at about 14:00h. Reports are the duo had expressed interest in the XR bike via Facebook, to which they arranged a meeting with the seller, Jerome Jacobs, to inspect it.

In the process of doing so, one of the men demanded that Jacobs hand over his keys but upon refusing, the suspect whipped out a firearm.

A fight ensued between them, and the suspect discharged several rounds, which injured Jacobs.

An alarm was raised and public-spirited citizens gave chase. This resulted in one of the perpetrators being apprehended. The other made good his escape.

The lone suspect was

The revolver and shells recovered from the scene

handed over to Police ranks.

He was searched and a .38 revolver and motorcycle keys were retrieved from his possession. Spent shells were

also recovered from the scene.

Police are continuing their investigations and are also in search of the runaway suspect. (G12)

Decomposed body found in canal identified as Georgetown resident

R

egional Commander Andries Junor confirmed that the decomposed body that was pulled from the Strathspey Canal on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) on Monday, matches the identification card that was found in the dead man’s possession.

The man has been identified as 25-year-old Deshawn Mc Lean of Lot 229 Luckhoo Street Lodge Housing Scheme.

Mc Lean’s father, after identifying his body, told

Dead: Deshawn Mc Lean

Police that his son was a patient of Dr Bhiro Harry, who is the Head of the Mental Health Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

He was last seen by his family in January.

Also, information reaching this publication revealed that the dead man’s mother was similarly discovered a few years ago along the Kitty Seawall, Georgetown.

Reports are at about 07:30h on Monday last, the man’s body was observed float-

ing in a canal by residents.

Subsequently, an alarm was raised and the police were notified.

McLean was clad in a pair of brown long pants and was carrying a red haversack on his back. The bag had contained the dead man’s identification card.

His body is presently at Lyken’s funeral home awaiting a post-mortem to determine the next move by the police who are continuing their investigations. (G-9)

Can Guyana survive...

I

...the PNC power grab? n the end, all societies are moral propositions. We really can’t just be folks in a common locale and call ourselves a “society” – if we don’t share some basic values. We’ll just be a mass of humanity with everybody doing their own thing!! It’ll be like driving on the road. Some of us can’t just wake up one morning and decide that we’ll start driving on the right side, can we? It’ll just end up in chaos, not to mention mayhem!! And if you think about it, isn’t this where the PNC has brought us??

We really can’t pussyfoot around the issue any longer: can we really survive as a country with the PNC?? Now your Eyewitness knows democracy isn’t about Government by unanimity. That’s for those jokers who’re pushing the “shared executive” pipe dream and pretending that the PNC will ever share power with anyone! Yeah right! When they control every State institution in sight?!!

Democracy, as practised in the modern world, is intrinsically and inherently partisan. So, for the arrangement to work, we’ve got to share some overarching commitment to some basic rules of the game, based on the aforementioned values and beliefs, etc, to stick together.

Elections are one of those rules – a pretty fundamental rule at that. What it does is to replicate the original notion of democracy when everyone gathered in the Greek city square and made decisions facing their society.

Elections serve to link us as citizens of our polity and in a deep sense, offer us an opportunity to affirm our commitment to that polity. But when you have a party like the PNC, which refuses to follow the same rules that allowed them to win in 2015 and now squat in government and dares the entire world to get them out when they lose, the fundamental moral sinews holding together are being ripped asunder. How can we ever trust the PNC to keep even the simplest undertaking??

There’s been a lot of calls for sanctions by the international community to be imposed on Granger, the PNC and the rest of the rigging cabal. Nothing wrong with this. But your Eyewitness believes it’s time for reasonable supporters of the PNC to stand up and draw a line in the sand against where their leaders are taking them. Surely, this latest outrage for the PNC to proceed to the Courts when the GECOM Chair is merely following the directions of the highest Court in the land is the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

The commitment to the society is one that transcends that to a party.

Especially when that party, the PNC, is anti-national. …the Sanctimonious Gangster From the moment Granger accepted the rigged elections at the 2011 PNC Congress to pip Carl Greenidge by 12 votes – even forcing Aubrey Norton and his Linden crew to walk out in disgust – how could any impartial observer not conclude this man was a dissembler whose sanctimonious demeanour was a façade? Trouble was presaged!!

But some folks fell for his slick schtick of dropping on his knees at the drop of a hat. If they’d committed as many sins against the nation as Granger, they’d be fervently praying for forgiveness too!! Coming back to the imperative that a community’s gotta be grounded on some shared morality, Granger has shown he’s completely devoid of any such moorings.

Arriving to the matter at hand, Granger must’ve insisted at least a hundred times since the elections of March 2 that he’d accept whatever declaration the Chairwoman of GECOM made.

But now that she’s ready, he runs to the Court once again. When a man cannot even keep his word, he’s not a man.

Just a nasty piece of work!! …another trip to the CCJ??

In our parliamentary democracy, the judiciary’s the last bulwark against a dictatorship, since the President controls the Executive and Legislature.

In the next few weeks, we’ll have another opportunity to judge their leanings!

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

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Another APNU/AFC supporter seeks to block GECOM’s declaration …asking court to compel GECOM to use fraudulent Mingo numbers

Attorney-at-Law Mayo Robertson

Applicant: Misenga Jones

ust as Guyanese were hoping for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to end the country’s four-month-old APNU/ AFC-created political crisis, another application has been filed in the High Court seeking to prevent the Commission from doing its work.

A Fixed Date Application (FDA) was filed on behalf of coalition supporter Misenga Jones by Attorney-at-Law Mayo Robertson on Tuesday.

The FDA names GECOM, GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and Attorney General Basil Williams as respondents.

Among other things, the FDA claims that the Commission does not have the constitutional authority to direct Lowenfield, despite the clear provisions of Section 18 of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act No 15 of 2000. Section 18 states that “the Chief Election Officer and the Commissioner of Registration shall notwithstanding anything in any written law be subject to the direction and control of the Commission.”

The FDA also seeks to compel GECOM to use the declarations from the 10 Returning Officers, including the fraudulent declaration of Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, who was exposed by the National Recount to have inflated A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) votes to give the incumbent an overall win.

Mingo had fraudulently declared 136,057 votes for APNU/AFC and 77,231 votes for PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party (PPP)), in Region Four. According to the certified General Elections results, however, PPP actually gained 80,920 votes in Region Four while APNU/AFC received 116,941 votes.

It, therefore, means that Mingo added 19,000 phantom votes to his Region Four

tally, in order to push APNU/ AFC over the finish line. In fact, the 33-day National Recount had shown that Mingo inflated APNU/AFC votes and deflated votes from other parties, particularly the PPP/C, in order to give the incumbent a win.

These are several of the factors that led GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, setting aside the 10 declarations.

Additionally, the recount almost perfectly matched the Statements of Poll (SoPs) that the PPP/C released since March… SoPs which to this day APNU/AFC have refused to release. 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.

J

No legitimacy

The entire international community has made it clear that it will not accept a President sworn in on the basis of Mingo’s fraudulent declaration. They have been equally united in urging GECOM to declare using the certified recount results, which would have gone through a rigorous process of transparency, unlike the results which Mingo secretly tabulated using a spreadsheet.

Meanwhile, an affidavit in support of Jones was also filed by APNU/AFC counting agent during the recount, Ganesh Mahipaul.

Mahipaul supported Jones’ contention and says that because the Statements or Certificates of Recount were not gazetted, they cannot be used to declare the results.

He is also being represented by Robertson. However, cold water was thrown on this argument on Tuesday.

During a brief comment on the proceedings, GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj, who is an attorney-at-law, when asked about the issue, said that the recount itself

as an exercise was already gazetted. He noted that whatever comes out of it is already catered for by Order 60 of 2020 (the recount order).

Robertson has been consistently associated with the coalition, having been the lawyer who represented APNU/AFC supporter Eslyn David in her application to the Court of Appeal last month to stop GECOM from declaring the results of the recount. While Court of Appeal Judges Brassington Reynolds and Dawn Gregory ruled in her favour and Judge Rishi Persaud ruled against, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) subsequently threw out their decision as unlawful.

Robertson also represented Ulita Moore, anoth-

er APNU/AFC supporter who approached the courts back in March to impede the work of GECOM. In her case, Moore was granted an injunction by High Court Judge Franklyn Holder, blocking the recount from

even happening. However, Holder’s injunction was subsequently tossed out by the Full Court.

High Court

The hearing of Jones v GECOM et al, is sched-

uled to be heard today at 10:00h by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George. The main Opposition PPP/C, through General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, have indicated an intent to join the proceedings. (G3)

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Triangular love affair ends in murder – Police launch manhunt for suspect

A

miner, who was allegedly at the centre of a triangular love affair, was on Monday stabbed to death at Blackwater Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Dead is 30-year-old Teo James also called “Max” of Lot 37 West La Penitence Housing Scheme, Georgetown. He was reportedly stabbed several times about the body by his assailant, who is popularly known as “Tallman”. Based on reports received, the now dead man and the suspect have been sharing a relationship with the same woman.

While information remains sketchy, Guyana Times understands that the now dead man was playing a game of Bingo when he was

attacked and stabbed by his lover’s lover.

James reportedly collapsed on the ground and was picked up by other colleagues, who took him to the Bartica Regional Hospital.

He was, however, pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect has since gone into hiding.

At the home of the dead man on Tuesday, his sister Simone Park told Guyana Times that her brother only returned to Bartica four days before he was killed. She said he was in Georgetown visiting his family, and spent three weeks before returning to the mining community.

Park said she was at home on Monday night when she received a telephone call from another brother in-

forming her that her younger brother was brutally stabbed to death.

“When I asked what happen, they told me that it was a triangle love affair. I have another brother up there and he told me that Teo and another man was seeing the same girl and after the girl heard that he returned, she told the other boy that he can’t stay anymore,” the sister stated.

Park said after the girlfriend told her other lover that he could not visit her any longer because James had returned, the man reportedly got angry and told her that would never happen.

“The boy told her I will show you that Teo not going to stay here. So, I was made to understand that my brother was sitting playing a game of Bingo and he sneak up behind him and start stabbing he”, she said while sobbing.

Though James had no children, his sister said he has been working as a miner for more than 12 years to take care of himself and family members. She said since their parents died a few years ago, her brother had been the backbone of their family; both financially and emotionally.

Dead: Teo James

“My brother was so loving I can’t even explain, when my mom died, she left the five of us and we promised to keep it together and this is so sad. When mom died, I became the mother and this is so heartrending for me. Who is going to dry my tears now?” she cried.

Park added “I know I have more brothers but… this is really going to affect our family because this is very sudden, remember this is nothing about sickness…

the last thing my brother said to me before he left on Saturday morning was, I love you. I never knew that would have been the last time I was going to see him”, his sister broke down saying.

The sister is calling for justice to be served for her brother’s death, since he did not deserve to die in that manner. He leaves to mourn his four siblings. The police are reportedly on the hunt for the suspect. (LaWanda McCallister)

Essequibo Coast family overpowers bandit during robbery

A

bandit’s luck ran out on Monday after he was overpowered and nabbed by a family of three at their Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast home.

According to reports, the mother and her two children were confronted by a man that allegedly broke into their “dwelling house” with the intent to commit a crime.

However, the family teamed up and nabbed the male intruder.

Meanwhile, Police confirmed that the 38-yearold suspect was caught red-handed by the female and her children inside of their house.

Ranks added that the woman and her two children captured the man, who is believed to have broken into the building with intent to commit a felony.

Subsequently, an alarm was

raised and he was immediately handed over to the police.

The suspect, who hails from the same community, is currently in Police custody as the probe continues. (G9)

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

8 new COVID-19 cases recorded …135 active cases in isolation

them were discovered in recent weeks.

The first epicentre in Guyana was Georgetown, with several hotspots identified in high-traffic areas.

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

The health official went

E

ight new COVID-19 cases were recorded as of Tuesday, which adds to the total figure of 308 positives.

The Public Health Ministry would have released the new statistics via a dashboard, where it was noted that the number of deaths remain at 17. In 24 hours, some 49 samples were processed – of which eight showed positive results.

A regional breakdown shows that five of the cases were from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); and one from Regions One (BarimaWaini), Four (DemeraraMahaica) and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) respec-

tively.

To date, there are still 135 active cases in institutional isolation, 20 persons in institutional quarantine and another five patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit. Meanwhile, 156 of the infected cases have recovered.

The Ministry has so far conducted 3379 tests for the deadly virus, and 3071 have returned negative.

On Monday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle informed that Region One became Guyana’s newest epicentre for the novel coronavirus disease. The data showed that over 90 positive cases were recorded in that region and a majority of

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 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,” Dr Gordon-Boyle was quoted as saying.

Presently, a complete lockdown remains for Moruca in Region One and Arangoy’s Landing in Region Seven. The national curfew and guidelines, however, will expire on July 16.

The National COVID-19 Task Force is yet to announce whether these measures will extend for an additional period of time. Since it was imposed in mid-March, officials were left with no option but to extend the curfew amid constant increases in positive cases.

Nevertheless, some leading businesses such as the Giftland and City Malls have instituted specialised openings after weeks of closure while others have remained shut. Throughout this time, hundreds of employees have also been laid off until the situation resumes to normalcy. (G12)

12 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana’s economic momentum to remain stuck until new Government sworn in – analysts

G

uyana’s prolonged political impasse is significantly contributing to the freezing of the country’s economic momentum, according to two renowned analysts.

Senior Director at Americas Market Intelligence/Africa Market Intelligence, Dr Remi Piet, and respected analyst at Africa Market Intelligence, Arthur Deakin made the observations in an opinion piece published by Caribbean News Global.

The analysts explained that Guyana’s economic momentum will remain at a standstill since crucial decisions, especially in relation to the development of the country’s oil sector, cannot be made until a new Government is sworn in.

Piet and Deaken pointed to the Payara project, which is expected to have some 500 million barrels of recoverable oil.

The Payara project, which was discovered in 2017, was the third of what is now 16 major oil findings made by

Senior Director at Americas Market Intelligence/ Africa Market Intelligence, Dr Remi Piet

the Stabroek Consortium off Guyana’s Coast.

Although the Payara project was set to start operations by 2023, the initial start-up date has been delayed by six to 12 months, and the analysts believe that the more likely explanation for this is that the current political impasse has prevented officials from making any important decision over

the past months.

“Until the next administration is sworn in, the Government will remain in this detrimental limbo that is freezing the country’s economic momentum,” the analysts explained.

The experts outlined that the Payara project is more than just another oil field.

It will likely be the first major project decision by the incoming administration, serving as a guiding point for foreign investors looking at Guyana.

“The delay of the Payara Project could portray an image that Guyana is desperately trying to avoid: an unreliable country lacking the stability requested by foreign investors,” they outlined.

The analysts referred to Mexico, where President Lopez Obrador’s volatile attitude towards infrastructure and energy projects has led to a 24 per cent decline in foreign direct investment in 2019.

“Like Mexico, an unstable, delay-prone regulatory process in Guyana will lim-

it the arrival of new revenues and could deprive the country of much needed regulated private investments,” the experts are quoted by Caribbean News Global as saying.

They argued that at a time of great economic uncertainty and cuts in capital spending, a predictable framework will help lure international players looking for certainty in their investments.

“Delays in the approval of the project, including technical assessments and the evaluation of societal benefits, will also impact the trickling down of economic growth to those who need it the most in Guyana,” they reasoned.

Piet and Deaken added that in terms of sheer numbers, the Payara field is expected to produce roughly 220,000 barrels of oil per day, representing an estimated U$465 million in annual revenues for the Government (based on Brent Crude at US$40/barrel). This is nearly half a billion dollars that could be used for schools,

Analyst at Africa Market Intelligence, Arthur Deakin

hospitals, and the strengthening of an inadequate seawall.

“A deferment in these funds may put essential infrastructure on pause in a country whose population can rely on only few economic alternatives,” they said.

According to the analysts, the main objective should be to provide opportunities for Guyanese while diversifying the economy.

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.

Caretaker 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.

GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, on Monday, was given yet another opportunity to carry out the directive of Chairperson, Justice (ret’d) 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).

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

Anna Regina CID office, unoccupied GDF building set on fire

A section of the CID office after the fire

The unoccupied building at the Army Base Second Infantry Battalion that was set on fire

The side of the unoccupied building where the fire started

he Criminal Investigations Department (CID) located in the compound of the Anna Region Police Station and an unoccupied building at the Army Base Second Infantry Battalion at Maria’s Lodge on the Essequibo Coast, Region

public-spirited citizens formed a bucket brigade and were successful in putting out the fire before the fire tender arrived at the scene one hour later.

As a result of the blaze, fire officials have since confirmed that the interior of the building was destroyed.

ed between 05:00h and 05:15h.

Based on reports gathered, a police constable was on compound duty when he observed smoke billowing from the Regional Detective Inspector’s Office, and as a result, the Guyana Fire Service was immediately

T

Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), were reportedly set on fire in the wee hours of Tuesday.

With respect to the fire at Maria’s Lodge, smoke was observed by neighbours emanating from the top flat of the building between 03:00h and 03:30h. This was followed by a blaze. However,

The police have since been called in and an investigation was launched. Guyana Times was informed that the building has no electricity supply.

On the other hand, the fire at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office reportedly start-

summoned.

The fire tender promptly responded along with four firefighters who would have activated their firefighting mode. The fire was extinguished and an investigation was immediately launched.

TURN TO PAGE 16

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14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC-created political crisis

“Situation is untenable” – Dominica PM J

oining a wide range of global leaders in urging that democracy prevails in Guyana, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is calling for the legitimately-elected government to be sworn in.

PM Skerrit, who was among five Caricom leaders who had visited Guyana in a bid to resolve the dispute, said that it was important for the people of the country to know which government had been elected to chart the way forward.

“Guyana’s elections were held in March of this year and up to this day, they have not yet been able to declare officially a winner of the elections,” Skerrit is quoted as saying in a CMC report.

He said the Caricom del-

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit

egation that was headed by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who was then Caricom Chairman, thought

the matter had been solved after its visit and talks with the various stakeholders.

“But certainly, it has

Authorities cannot say if recent fires were politically motivated

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uthorities cannot yet determine if the recent fires set to public buildings across the country were politically motivated.

This is according to the Public Security Ministry in a statement released to the media on Tuesday evening.

Within the space of just a few days, fires were set to the sub-office of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in Region 10, the Suddie Magistrate’s Court, the Anna Regina Criminal Investigation Department, an army base at Maria's Lodge on the Essequibo Coast, and the Umana Yana located at Kingston, Georgetown.

While all those instances are being treated as acts of arson, the Public Security Ministry said: “based on the information available so far, it cannot be concluded that any of the fires were politically directed or motivated.”

Describing this development as “most unfortunate”, the Ministry promised to keep the public informed as

Caretaker Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

the investigation progresses.

As it stands, the Ministry is awaiting more detailed reports from the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, and the Fire Chief Marlon Gentle.

According to the Ministry, they have received assurances that the relevant agencies are conducting thorough investiga-

tions and will be following all leads “The fullest extent of the law will be applied to perpetrators,” the Ministry assured.

Furthermore, it revealed that the caretaker Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan has requested that more security personnel be dedicated to more frequent patrols in every division.

Moreover, being conscious of the current political atmosphere, the Ministry implored citizens to remain calm and keep an eye out for “mischievous elements who may seek to fuel fear through conflagration of valuable property and the emotions of many citizens along with it”.

According to the Ministry, “we cannot ill-afford any further loss of valuable assets.”

Citizens are being urged to cooperate with the country’s security forces by assisting to safeguard both public and private property.

ECD man critical after brutally chopped A

n East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident is currently battling for his life at a city hospital after he was allegedly attacked and chopped by a group of Spanish-speaking men at his home on Sunday.

The injured man has been identified as Safraz Khan of Grass Field, Lusignan, ECD. While details about the chopping incident remain sketchy, an eyewitness told Guyana Times that on the day in question, two cars pulled up at the injured man’s house. Several Spanish-speaking men exited and carried out the brutal attack on the young man.

Injured: Safraz Khan

After the brutal chopping, the injured man was left sitting in a pool of blood as the suspects drove off in the waiting vehicles.

Neighbours rushed to Khan’s rescue, and he was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted in an unconscious state.

According to one of the man’s relatives, he is currently unresponsive. The matter has been reported to the Police and an investigation has been launched. The injured man remains unconscious, so no statement was taken from him by Police. (G9)

not been solved there. They have gone to court many times, the CCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice) has ruled on this matter and my understanding is that there are members of the Electoral Commission who are refusing to attend meetings and the Chief Elections Officer is refusing to follow the law and the court order.

“Our hope and prayer is that everyone in Guyana will do what is correct, what is right and to bring to an end, the announcement of the long-awaited results,” said Skerrit.

While noting that Guyana’s “situation is untenable”, PM Skerrit said: “I do not want to get involved in any country’s domestic issues, but just to say that it is important that this election comes to an end and the Guyanese people can go about their business knowing who their legitimate government is and that the efforts to contain COVID and to grow the economy can continue with the Government of the people’s choosing.”

Skerrit has joined other regional leaders, including former Caricom Chair, Prime Minister Mottley and current Caricom Chair, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves in calling for the will of the people to be respected.

Guyanese went to the polls on March 2 to exercise their franchise. The vote count shows that

Caretaker President David Granger

the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the elections with 233,336 votes, but the incumbent Administration, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition has been refusing to concede defeat.

The coalition has resorted to a variety of tactics aimed at altering the results of the elections and delaying the legitimate conclusion of the electoral process.

Its latest tactic was unveiled on Tuesday when a coalition supporter moved to the High Court in yet another move to block the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from proceeding with the declaration of the elections results based on the Caricom-certified recount process.

Just before this court case, another APNU/AFC

supporter had approached the Appeal Court to block GECOM from declaring the results based on the recount results. That case made it all the way to the CCJ, which had made it clear that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) has to follow the instructions given to him by the GECOM Chairperson.

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh has, on several occasions, instructed the CEO Keith Lowenfield to prepare the final elections report based on the recount results, in order to make a declaration.

But Lowenfield has repeatedly refused to do so.

The international community has made it clear that the only democratic solution to the country’s ongoing political impasse is for the declaration to be made based on the recount results.

Customers can use GTT’s MMG to shop at Mattai’s

M

obile Money Guyana (MMG) has partnered with Mattai’s, The Food Market, to facilitate cashless payments through its platform.

Customers shopping at this supermarket can check out with MMG in a fast, safe and cashless manner. “MMG continues to collaborate with organisations and businesses in Guyana to make transactions easier and cashless,” MMG’s Manager of Operations, Jason Lewis related.

He added: “No more will we have to bring cash when getting our essential business done – the MMG team will do all that is necessary to ensure conducting business is safe by entering into partnerships such as this.”

At checkout, customers can choose the option of paying with MMG or they can use this payment option for curbside pick-up and delivery.

“It’s simple and isn’t time-consuming at all. In 30 seconds or less, customers can pay their grocery bill through the supermarket’s merchant code,” said Lewis.

“With MMG as a payment option, the only thing you

need when making purchases is your mobile phone. It is fast, easy and reliable.”

Payments at Mattai’s can be made to merchant code 09094.

Chief Operations Officer of the supermarket, Suraj Mattai welcomed the inclusion of MMG as a payment option.

“As we continue to face this pandemic, it is important that we implement different safety precautions to protect ourselves and those around us. Not only is MMG fast and reliable, but it is also contactless,” Mattai noted.

Additionally, he requested that persons consider MMG as a primary form of payment.

“I encourage persons shopping with us to utilise this payment option to assist with social distancing and

contactless transactions to keep our staff and customers safe,” he said.

Mattai noted information on how to use MMG would be displayed around the supermarket so that customers would be able to understand how to effectively and efficiently utilise the service.

MMG continues to partner with different organisations and businesses to assist with the ease of transaction and the promotion of cashless payment. These organisations and businesses include Royal Castle Guyana, FitRex Fitness Training, Farfan and Mendes, Pieces and Things, and El Dorado Tours.

The company took the opportunity to remind the public to sign up for MMG at www.mmg.gtt.co.gy/register to be a part of the cashless revolution.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations EC teen killed during End of the road is near; Dr Irfaan Ali will be Guyana’s 9th President

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t GECOM’s meeting on Monday, July 13, clear signals emerged that the election fiasco is about to come to an end.

There were encouraging signs GECOM is about to fulfil its responsibility and declare the elections results. As disappointing as it was that Keith Lowenfield, the rogue Chief Elections Officer, was given yet another chance to produce an accurate elections results report, GECOM made significant moves towards the rightful elections results declaration. While it still treated Lowenfield with kids’ gloves, GECOM did give him an ultimatum – produce the accurate report or someone else will be assigned. GECOM on Monday showed it meant business, finally.

GECOM on Monday actually discarded the March declarations for the 10 regions, Dr Leslie Ramsammy including the fraudulent Clairmont MIngo’s Region 4 declaration, which were tabled at the GECOM meeting on March 13 and which Lowenfield used to prepare two fraudulent reports showing a win for David Granger and APNU/AFC. At its Monday meeting, GECOM affirmed that the only official results for the March 2 elections are the results contained in the certified recount certificates for the 10 regions. This means GECOM is preparing to declare the PPP/C the winner and deem Dr Irfaan Ali President.

For Granger, this meant GECOM is preparing to declare Granger a one-term President.

The Monday meeting further affirmed, as per the CCJ, the recount order is legal. The GECOM Chair explicitly rejected the argument that APNU/AFC tried to make – that Order 60, the socalled Recount Order, was invalid and, therefore, the recount results are also invalid. Thus, Lowenfield was sent off with instructions to use only the 10 certified recount tables to prepare the final numbers and to assign seat allocations for each party, with the PPP/C winning 33 seats, APNU/AFC’s 31 and one seat for the group of ANUG/LJP and TNM. These are positive steps forward.

As much as Monday’s meeting provided significant steps towards the end of the road, GECOM’s Tuesday meeting revealed further desperate shenanigans to thief the elections. As expected, Lowenfield did not submit the report and the APNU/ AFC Commissioners walked out of the meeting, thereby aborting the Tuesday meeting. At the same time, APNU/AFC approached the courts, asking the court to essentially allow them to thief the elections. They want the court to invalidate the recount, something the CCJ, a higher court, has already ruled must be considered as the official results. Further, they want the court to order GECOM to use Mingo’s fraudulent declaration. The Chief Justice already ruled in March that Mingo’s fraud cannot be used.

So the court approach is just a desperate delaying tactic since the court cannot conceivably allow what APNU/AFC is asking for. In all the shenanigans, the court has not forbidden GECOM from doing its job. Thus, the meeting is scheduled to resume tomorrow at 2:00pm. The truth is the end of the road is being approached and there is nothing that APNU/AFC can do to stop Dr Irfaan Ali from being sworn in as Guyana’s Ninth President.

Caricom has been with Guyana throughout this treacherous rigging road. At least five present Caricom Prime Ministers came to Guyana and held discussions with Granger and Bharrat Jagdeo. Caricom had three teams here – first a team that was in Guyana before the elections, stayed here throughout the E-Day and more than a week after. Another team came to observe the recount, but had to leave after APNU/AFC blocked the recount.

A third observer team stayed in Guyana for almost 40 days, observing the recount. Granger insisted that Caricom was the most “trusted interlocutor” to observe the recount. That was his defence for banning the Carter Center and other observer teams from observing the recount. Two former Caricom Prime Ministers headed other observer teams – the Commonwealth and the OAS teams. Yet Granger told Caricom to butt out of Guyana’s business after Caricom denounced the dark forces trying to thief the elections. Other sycophants have similarly told Caricom to mind its own business.

The whole world has consistently urged Granger and APNU/ AFC to honour the election results. This week, the OAS will meet to discuss the electoral rigging in Guyana. Hopefully, by the time the OAS meets to finalise action against Granger and APNU/AFC, GECOM would have already moved forward to declare the rightful winner. In the meantime, Caricom and the Commonwealth have threatened Guyana with severe action should the thieving efforts continue. More worrisome, the US and the UK announced they have instructed sanction preparations be made for those involved with elections rigging. Canada has also announced it will not tolerate any attempt to prevent a peaceful transition of Government.

The long road to prevent rigging, to preserve Guyana’s democracy has seen many potholes along the way. But we have navigated around these potholes. It now appears we are near the end of this shameful road. The rightful elections results are now within our reach. It is highly conceivable that by weekend, we will be able to congratulate Guyana’s Ninth President – President Irfaan Ali.

brawl with peer A teenager was on Tuesday evening stabbed to death during a brawl with another teen at Dazzle Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara. The identity of the dead teen was not immediately available.

Based on information received, the suspect, a 17-year-old, was taken into custody and is assisting with investigations.

Guyana Times understands that the stabbing incident stemmed from an incident on Monday evening.

However, on Tuesday evening, the suspect was reportedly threatened by the now dead teen, who was in

the company of his brother.

This led to an exchange of words among them. It was then the victim left the

scene but later returned with a cutlass and a metal object. He reportedly attacked the suspect and in retaliation, the suspect whipped out a knife and stabbed him to the chest.

After committing the act, the suspect fled the scene but he was later arrested. The injured young man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The police are continuing their investigations.

All GTT retail locations now open

T

The kiosk at the Giftland Mall

he Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited has announced, effective from July 13, 2020, all its retail stores will be opened.

These include the kiosk locations at the Giftland Mall which was closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar to the protocols established at other retail stores, persons opting to make bill payments and access services at GTT’s Giftland Mall locations, are asked to abide by the special arrangements that will be in place to honour the company’s commitment to support physical distancing and the sanitisation necessary to curb the spread of the

virus.

Protocols include the wearing of masks, washing or sanitising of hands, standing on markers 4-6 feet apart, temperature checks and the understanding that only a limited number of persons will be permitted within a store at any given time, (inclusive of staff present).

The GTT team serving customers, as well as the security guards, will be equipped with masks and other protective gear. This location will also implement a special service hour for all senior citizens and essential workers – the first working hour of the day.

Customers are reminded that the kiosk mostly permits cashless transactions and are encouraged to use this location for business such as MMG, SIM replacement/purchase and top up.

In April 2020, GTT took the hard decision to close all its retail stores due to the novel coronavirus. After one month, the company implemented safety measures and once equipped, reopened most of the retail locations in May. Customers are still urged to utilise MMG as their primary source of payment to limit physical exposure by using digital payment methods.

Giftland Mall makes donation to Shaheed’s Orphanage

I

n response to Shaheed’s Orphanage’s appeal for assistance, the Giftland Group in collaboration with Nand Persaud Ltd has donated a variety of essential items for the children in need.

Shaheed’s Orphanage is a home for forty-five (45) children and five (5) caregivers at their two locations in Kitty and Oleander Gardens.

The Director appealed that the occupants were in dire need of assistance and as such, the Giftland team immediately stepped up to assist.

“We are extremely grateful for the partnership with Nand Persaud Ltd to assist us with this donation.

We realised that we shared a common goal and we are proud to partner with their team to significantly pool our efforts to help Shaheed’s Orphanage,” Roy Beepat noted.

Since the reopening of

A staff of Giftland Mall makes the donation to a member of Shaheed’s Orphanage

Giftland Mall on July 11, management is pleased at the support that it has received thus far and is sure that it will enable them to assist more.

“We wish to continue ex-

panding our reach to help those in need in the near future,” the businessman added.

Shaheed’s Orphanage is currently looking for more donations from other compa-

nies and individuals across the country. If you’re interested in being a part of this ongoing effort kindly contact 226-9620, 222-3875 or 6435948 to offer assistance.

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Arsonists set GECOM’s Wismar office on fire

Fire raging at GECOM’s sub-office at Wismar, Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice)

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he sub-office of the Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) situated at Wismar, Linden, in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), was destroyed by fire in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

The two-storey concrete

building situated at Lot 2 Burnham Drive, went up in flames at about 01:55h, however, firefighters attached to the Linden Fire Station, who responded promptly, were able to contain the blaze to the upper flat and prevented it from spreading to nearby build-

ings.

The upper part of the building housed the GECOM office. The cause of the fire is unknown, however, authorities have since suspected arson.

When this publication arrived at the scene, firefighters were battling the

flames to avoid further spread. Reports are that the guards were who were on duty called a GECOM official at about 01:58h and informed that person that the building was on fire.

The police and Guyana Fire Service were quickly summoned to the scene.

Speaking with this publication, one of the security guards, who was on duty at the time, said that she heard a loud bang at about 01:55h. This, she noted, prompted her to check around the building. She said that it was then that she again heard another loud explosion. The woman recalled that she then observed fire emanating from within the building along with the smell of gasoline.

The guard told investigators that two males were observed running from the western side of the building. She added that the men ran through the nearby First Alley Street, Wismar,

The damaged GECOM office

where they made good their escape.

Meanwhile, according to Registration Officer in charge of the location, Rensford Alleyne, the building housed registration documents and computers.

The losses have not yet been estimated, however, Alleyne said he last visit-

ed the office at 06:15h on Monday. Police questioned several persons in relation to the incident.

The building, which is owned by Lindener Fitzgerald London, started being rented by GECOM some four years ago. An investigation has since been launched. (G13)

Over 350 prisoners granted early release amid COVID-19

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irector of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels has announced that over 350 prisoners were freed due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other reasons which satisfied grounds for their early release.

Speaking during a recent media engagement, he noted that the prison population saw an overall decline of over 200 persons, since there is constant admission of new convicts.

“The prison population would have seen a decline of some 200-plus prisoners.

As it relates to persons who

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels

were actually released, this number will be much bigger but we’re also dealing with the daily admission of new prisoners from the courts,” Samuels said.

While some were released in direct relation

to the COVID-19 pandemic, others were granted remission, or reduced bail.

As such, this saw some 350 convicted felons leaving the penitentiary.

“As it relates to persons that were granted release as it relates specially to COVID, as it relates to persons who were granted remission, persons who were granted reduction in bail and they were able to post bail; persons who have been placed on self-bail; it would amount somewhere in the vicinity to 350 or even more,” he explained.

In light of the deadly epidemic, he said new prisoners are subjected to two weeks in quarantine before being placed with the other inmates. They are also examined by medical practitioners for signs and symptoms associated with the

virus.

The Prison Director notified, “The problem is that as persons go out, persons are coming in…We do new admissions at two prisons. That would be New Amsterdam and Lusignan.

All persons who are admitted to the prison are subjected to 14 days quarantine. During that period, they are examined by the prison medical staff and when they’re cleared, then they are placed in the general population.”

After the Lusignan Prison was set alight and destroyed on Sunday, inmates were moved by law enforcement ranks to a holding bay within the facility. Caretaker Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan said he is hoping that no contractions occurred between

these persons and the prisoners during that exercise.

Earlier in March, the caretaker administration had moved to release over 50 prisoners from three penitentiaries across the country in an effort to create space amid the coronavirus pandemic.

These persons were released from the Camp Street Prison in Georgetown, Mazaruni Prison in Bartica and Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara.

From the list of offenders released, a majority were jailed for possession of narcotics, assault and larceny while others were found guilty of more serious offences.

Those persons would have served one-third of their sentences. (G12)

Anna Regina CID...

FROM PAGE 12

During the preliminary investigation, it was observed that a louvre pane was removed from the window of the Regional Detective’s Office and was placed on the ground. Close checks also revealed that there was the stench of kerosene in the area. As a result of the fire, documents and office equipment were destroyed.

Up to press time, there were no arrests made in connection with the two fires.

One week ago, arson was attempted on the Suddie Magistrate’s Court in Region Two (Pomeroon-

Supenaam).

It was reported that the fire was detected at about 05:00h on Wednesday last. After the fire was extinguished, investigators would have found several bottles with suspected kerosene at the scene.

Nevertheless, investigators said swift action by Police stationed in the area contained the blaze. Police have also said that what appeared to be a pile of kerosene-soaked paper was found on the Magistrate’s chair.

No one was arrested in that matter. (G-12)

17

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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

Stealing must not be condoned, We cannot make a fool of the law but rather condemned

Dear Editor, Stealing must not be condoned but rather condemned in any form or shape, by anyone big, medium or small, by circumstance, need, want or necessity, by habit, profession, cult or custom. But it was alarming, rather ironic and troubling, if not amusing and entertaining, to read about the case of the $2,700,000 worth of 37 LED street lights stolen from various locations throughout the country, the property of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Electrical Engineering Department. In 1955, Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch A Thief” was released, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

Now, why do Bingo and Low immediately jump right out of Pandora’s box?

No, no, don’t go down that end of the road, don’t dirty your mind, go the opposite direction! Yes, it’s true, not a lie, they have “been there, done that” and “muddle and fuddle,” while “juggling and fumbling,” that is why they are the perfect qualifiers to set on the trail to find the culprits. You always “set a thief to catch a thief,” the job is simplified, modified, solidified and concise.

Professionals are preferable to amateurs and experience with expedience take precedence over ignorance. The bottom line is that it produces results in the shortest time though at a cost.

Then again, there was the original 1968 “Thomas Crown Affair,” starring Burt Reynolds and Faye Dunaway, with a storyline portraying a clever inside job operation. Many obvious questions immediately spring up that will simplify, not nullify, any type of investigation and you don’t have to be a trained detective or auditor. The culprits can be caught tomorrow if not today with an open-close book case if the authorities want.

The trail is still hot and not warm, the perpetrators have to be known collaborators, experienced installers and removers, collusion communicates with cooperation, concerted efforts aligned with coordination, premeditation and pre-information in synchrony with inside information, customised vehicle owners or accessibility, the end-users are limited and the service locations are strategically visible! The motive is availability on the market shelf. Just go take your pick and knock yourself out. It’s a piece of cake.

Now, these lights are valuable and expensive, $73,000 each but more so, costly to replace, especially with a caretaker Government that only knows how to bankrupt the economy with proficiency every time they take office and, experts at breaking and not making.

Indeed, times are tough, rough, trying and telling and, people are on the lookout to “make a small or big piece.”

This is the sad and alarming part that consumes a saturated society that is burdened with hunger, poverty and depression, thanks to a carefree and heartless de facto Government. One that aligns itself with self-preservation for power retention and not people consideration, will always prioritise self-interest with anxiety, spurred by greed and, ignore the public’s concern with a lackadaisical attitude and minimum alacrity.

The rush is on (yes, for gold too), people are anticipating a quick end to this election process and the “gravy train” will soon come to a sudden stop. There will be a change of guard and accountability will once again be institutionalised and the “free for all” party will cease. So, the hustlers are busy filling their pockets as fast as possible and as much as possible, anywhere and everywhere without any “kina” (ego). There is no one minding the store and/or, there is no need for correction because there is

protection. This is again a classic case of the servant following the master and becoming a “copycat.” This game of “follow the leader” is so rampant and prevalent, there will not be enough personnel to uncover and discover the damming and damaging effects this corruptive force of malfeasance has conjured. The innocent flock is being teased and coerced, led astray by the master to the manger to be slaughtered mercilessly.

This has been the trend for the past 4-plus years. It is a campaign of vengeance for missing out on the previous 23 years, not strange but true! The treasury was fattened when inherited, why waste any time, from the word go, take the jump and start to flatten. It is time to make up for losing out. Chances are, there may not be another chance!

A statement was issued, “The Ministry is hereby pleading with the perpetrators to refrain from committing larceny against the country.” What?

More kidding, right? The boss is telling the employee you cannot steal but I can? The boss gets to steal but the ordinary worker cannot? Right? Is this fair? You get to steal because you’re big and at the top and I don’t because I am small and at the bottom! How do you rationalise this sentiment? The big guys make more money and get to live the “good life” with all the juicy perks but the small guy makes pittance and has to struggle to survive! One is being ridiculed and spanked on the hand while the other huffs, puffs and snorts with air and goes scotch free, undeterred, undetected, untouched and unaffected!

The small man will always be the little man in this contextual society and continue to be accused and rebuked because of being used and abused, voluntary and involuntary by destabilisers and manipulators who are subservient to the dichotomy of civilian dictatorship and military dictatorship.

Roll back the camera and what do we have, perpetrators committing grand larceny to steal an entire country by electoral fraud in bright daylight and in front of stakeholders, national and international, barefaced and wholesale robbery, worth not millions nor billions but trillions of sweet, crispy Guyana dollars, enough to fill pockets for generations to come.

This particular power grab will guarantee a permanent placement for life and it will be the PNC (AFC/WPA/ JFAP go through the front door with a kick on the butt) who will dominate and control the country via strict draconian measures, all by themselves for themselves.

Yes, this is the answer and the only way to stabilise economic distribution for denial of wealth retribution and equalise an unbalanced hierarchy that had wrongly suppressed one ethnic denomination, a misnomer misconception, disguised in lies, that preys on the blank and blind minds of those who refuse to analyse and rationalise truth from an untruth for themselves, whether willingly or unwillingly.

The poison has been planted, consumed and spread from root to branch without the knowledge of the consumer and the effect is far gone and farfetched, a remedy not within the immediate reach of the healer or the protector, forget the pretender and the ill-giver.

So sick and corrupt is this society that there is gross inadequacy for honesty, justice and freedom to strive and survive in the turbulent and testing days ahead that will be clouded with stormy weather, the days filled with nescience and the nights occupied with despair.

Hopefully, history is recording all the transactions authoritatively, sincerely, meticulously and correctly. Just to reit-

erate a few salient misdemeanours that are pertinent to support and influence the trend of thought articulated above: tremendous salary increases from day one, exorbitant fringe benefits, undisclosed perks, numerous kickbacks, contractual benefits, hidden agreements, illegal land distribution and sale, illegal constructions, wholesale corruption under Ponzi schemes, embezzlements, disguised financial projects, undercover businesses, undisclosed and hidden records from the auditors, closures of business entities out of spite, economic mismanagement, etc.

No wonder the ordinary man in the street who has to sweat for each penny earned becomes ticked off and wants to copy what the guys and gals in high places are doing. It is simply a chain reaction from a precedent created from the ones above and at the very top. So, in the minds of those at the very bottom, it’s a simple interpretation and adoption of the teachings from, “what’s good for the goose must be good for the gander also.”

The essence of the logic flows and its influence is replicated and projected in this physical outreach. Desperate people would also do desperate things, especially when their backs are bracing against the wall, they will retaliate and strike back without any choice as a means of last resort for survival. But, at the end of the day, those from the high society do not look at things from this angle nor through this vein and refuse to place empathy or sympathy because of an unconcerned nature and eyes blinded with greed and a one-track mind.

To throw more light on this missing light business, is there another ulterior motive? Is this a case of hitting two birds with one stone? Is there a follow up to this sequel that will prove more sinister and this is only a beginning camouflaged with a banal masquerade? Darkness without light is a cover for mischief in the dark! Maybe, a bigger picture is yet to unfold! Let speculation be the light for postulation. The head is spinning and reeling with this merry-go-round.

So just for a few precious, decisive but quiet moments, inhale a lungful of fresh, clean, unadulterated and free air, let it linger and regurgitate within, and, rinse, wash and replenish all the negativity with positivity and then let it out with a relived outburst through the nostrils. Repeat the process, exhaling this time with the mouth opened. This exercise is good to detox the body and mind so that we can think constructively and not destructively, clearly and not vaguely and see things in their right perspective transparently and not opaquely.

To supplement and complement this achievement is an open mind, not a closed-door approach.

Man can change society for the better, starting with bettering oneself as the first change that will set off the rippling effect. This simple and effortless trick, costless but effective, Guyana needs, going forward. But then it all starts with me, the person as an influential individual, to set the trend and start the ball rolling. Why not accept the challenge?

There is absolutely nothing to lose but much to gain. The healing process begins here, with me. It will help to lead me and others from darkness to light, for, we cannot look up to the leaders for guidance, otherwise, we will be forgotten and left in abeyance, waiting for the day of deliverance.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Dear Editor, As a Guyanese citizen, I would like to express our disgust at the new world-record time between voting and a declaration of the consequential results.

I am informed that in the case of Eslyn David vs all other Guyanese the CCJ will be considering costs after the 22nd of July submission deadline.

I would like all lawyers including those submitting to consider the following costs to be included; these costs payable into the Consolidated Fund; these costs necessary so that frivolous matters are not litigated so as to create delayance, causing innocent parties to suffer material loss and emotional stress; these costs paramount in preventing the law from becoming a tool of the unlawful; 1. The cost of keeping the full machinery of GECOM running from the 6th of March to date.

2. The cost incurred due to the recount.

3. The cost due to the

lack of growth in business, and the decrease in some.

4. The loss in tax revenue due to #3.

5. The increased cost the state and its citizens bore due to the increase in stress-related health issues.

I am not schooled in these matters but there may be many more to be added to that list. Also, there are many other people that should pay; GECOM CEO, Chairwoman, some Judges, some lawyers etcetera.

I seem to recall Sirs Jonas and Crawford saying the law provides remedy. Calling for our conscientious lawyers to file a class-action lawsuit or whatever the remedy is.

We the Guyanese are hurting from the law, even APNU/AFC diehards though they know not.

You’re relegated to second class citizens by APNU/AFC. Sincerely, Mohamed Fazadh Khan

Break the silence; stop the violence Dear Editor, Help & Shelter offers its solidarity and support to Akola Thompson and the other women who have courageously come forward to expose the domestic abuse they suffered at the hands of Ruel Johnson.

Too many women and girls continue to experience this kind of violence and too many perpetrators continue to abuse without sanction, never facing the consequences of this fundamental human rights violation.

It is not enough to apologise, not enough to commit to counselling. If these brave women had not spoken out, would the perpetrator ever have stopped his emotional, psychological and other forms of abuse and how many other young women and girls would have become his victims?

Irrefutable research on the dynamics of domestic abuse shows clear patterns of behaviour, including grooming and preying on the insecurities and vulnerabilities of girls and young women, as well described in this case. Those who engage in domestic and gender-based violence exhibit certain tendencies such as victim-blaming - it was the behaviour of the survivor/victim which caused them to act in this way, girls and women lie about their abuse, are emotional and hysterical and it was just trying to calm

them down that resulted in accidental harm.

Anyone who cares for, looks after, teaches, coaches or has responsibility for a child (any person under 18) and uses this access to engage in sexual activity with the child is guilty of the sexual offence of abuse of a position of trust. Sexual grooming is also a criminal offence.

Too often, young women and girls become entrapped through isolation, psychological manipulation, physical and other forms of abuse, insults, belittlement, shame, embarrassment, fear and being made to feel it is their fault. By speaking out and naming your abuser, you have given courage to many others to speak out and seek help.

We are appalled by the response of the owner of a major newspaper. It is shocking that a prominent and influential person with responsibility for fairness and impartiality should disrespectfully and callously trivialise Ruel Johnson’s abuse as “bedroom story”.

Break the silence.

Stop the violence.

Justice for survivors of gender-based violence.

Yours faithfully, Danuta Radzik, Gaitrie Shivsankar, Colin Marks, Linda Hustle-Gray, Josephine Whitehead For Help & Shelter

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

Regional

“They needed people”: COVID takes toll on Trinidad PM’s savings Brazilian volunteers step P up to test COVID-19 vaccine

L

uiz Augusto Rizzo, 29, is no specialist in infectious diseases, but he is part of perhaps the most important scientific endeavour in the world today: the hunt for a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.

The paediatric surgeon is one of 2000 volunteers in Brazil’s largest city of São Paulo taking part in mass human trials for the experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L). It is one of the brightest hopes in the global bid to contain the virus.

Developers and researchers are looking to places like Brazil, where the new coronavirus is still spreading fast, to test potential vaccines.

With nearly 1.9 million cases, Brazil has the world’s second-worst outbreak behind only the United States.

More than 72,000 people

Luiz Augusto Rizzo, a doctor and volunteer for the clinical trial of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, poses for a picture in São Paulo, Brazil, July 8, 2020

have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in Brazil.

“They needed people,” Rizzo told Reuters via video call.

Hospital colleagues who specialise in infectious diseases had explained the importance of the trials to him.

“There probably won’t be a cure... They said the only way (to beat the virus)

is to have a vaccine, and you need to test, you need to make the most of those who are healthy, those who are able to tick all the boxes needed to participate,” he said.

So-called Phase III trials, involving thousands of human volunteers, began last month in Brazil for the Oxford vaccine. (Excerpt from Reuters)

COVID-19 Economic Recovery report tabled in Jamaica’s Parliament

T

he COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force report, which was submitted to the Prime Minister last week, was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The Task Force consisted of Ministers of Government and members of the Public and Private Sectors. They were commissioned to develop recommendations that can assist in the country's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a statement from the Finance and

Public Service Ministry, the report, titled “Rebuild Jamaica”, focuses on key policy and legislative reforms that could support Jamaica's economic and jobs recovery.

Chairman of the task force, portfolio minister Dr Nigel Clarke, said the report “put forward ambitious reforms that, on implementation, will assist with our recovery”.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious global public health threat in a century and is causing the most damaging glob-

al economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Every country in the world is being gravely affected, and Jamaica is no exception,” he said.

“The still uncertain depth and duration of the pandemic compounds the challenges. However, Jamaica cannot afford to wait to begin to chart our economic recovery. Our recovery efforts must immediately start and we must adapt to living with the realities of COVID-19,” the Minister added. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

T&T: Duke calls Charles “colossal failure” as anti-PNM unity called off

T

he political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) and Tobago East candidate Watson Duke cancelled the planned meeting with One Tobago Voice.

One Tobago Voice said, “The meeting might have been a sham.”

Duke told Guardian Media he had rescinded the invitation to the party, because he had “unmasked their true intentions in contesting the elections”.

He spoke with Guardian Media, about the status of the meeting, soon after a live Facebook broadcast on Monday labelling One Tobago Voice’s steering committee chairman Hochoy Charles a “colossal failure”.

Last week, Duke wrote

Watson Duke

the party requesting a meeting to discuss how the two political parties could fight as one against the PNM. Last year, Duke rejected their call for unity and to speak with “one voice” on Tobago’s behalf.

One Tobago Voice is a

group of three parties— Tobago Forwards led

by Christlyn Moore, the Tobago Organisation of the People led by Ashworth Jack, and The Platform of Truth led by Charles.

Speaking about the PDP’s planned meeting with the group on Friday, Duke told Guardian Media the “PDP wanted Charles to focus on the common enemy – the PNM, and stop bashing the PDP”.

Charles had accused the PDP of being “an agent of the UNC (United National Congress).”

Charles had also said Duke should not offer himself as a candidate in the August 10 General Election until he is cleared of a sexual assault charge. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

rime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has said the value of the savings in his mutual funds account declined by almost 40 per cent, due to current market conditions.

At Monday’s briefing, he said he’s “now down” that much. He added that in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic T&T is going through a particularly difficult period, but has to stay the course, make sensible decisions, and hope to come out with “lives in hand”.

Rowley said he has worked all his life and has a small savings account. He added that he hadn’t told his wife yet, but saw the account statement on Sunday night and it had declined. Another account declined by 39 per cent.

“I’m not getting any younger and I can’t start over saving, I just have to hold the fort and hope the markets turn around and see if over time these mutual funds will have greater value,” he said.

Rowley said assets fall in value due to market conditions.

“If you asked me in January how much I was worth, I’m now down by 40 per cent,” he said.

On the issue of bars, Rowley said he was recently contacted about a bar which was “ram cram jam-full of people”, the sort of situation that puts all at risk.

He said while he understands what the bar spokespeople say when they note that people go out into the streets and it’s not their re-

sponsibility, “they have to understand they’re in a business that causes people to violate protocols, unlike other places”.

Dr Rowley added: “The cake shop doesn’t do that.

People go to bars to hob-nob with friends and when you drink alcohol, you become less responsible.”

Rowley says it was only when the Police Commissioner says Police can redouble the effort to individually prosecute people or close bars that an adjustment can be made. He said he hoped that would be very soon, but until then “we can only hold it where it is now”.

He noted that in Korea one infected person caused that country to return to high infection levels. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Cape Verde approves extradition to US of Venezuelan regime’s financial whiz

T

he Cape Verde Government has approved the extradition to the United States of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, who faces money-laundering charges in Miami federal court, although the alleged business partner of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro can still appeal the decision, his lawyer said Tuesday.

The Government of the African island nation made

the decision following a recommendation by the Cape Verde Attorney General’s Office to proceed with the extradition, but the final judgment will fall to the island’s Barlavento Appeals Tribunal, Saab’s lawyer, José Manuel Pinto Monteiro, said.

Saab has been at the center of a tug-of-war between the US Government and Venezuela, with Maduro fearing that Saab’s eventu-

al extradition could lead to a plea deal that could reveal highly-sensitive financial information about his regime, which is accused by Washington of running a drug cartel.

The Colombian businessman was arrested in midJune, after his private jet stopped at the island off the African coast on its way to Iran, after US officials issued an Interpol notice. (Excerpt from Miami Herald)

Barbados: Common Entrance Exam over for thousands of children

T

he 2020 Barbados S e c o n d a r y Schools’ Entrance Examination, also known as the Common Entrance Exam, came off on Tuesday without a hitch.

After months of anticipation, 3544 students – 1740 males and 1 804 females – sat the exam at 21 centres across the island.

Acting Chief Education Officer Joy Adamson visited a number of the centres to make sure all went as planned and gave them a passing grade.

She said health protocols were in place and these were adhered to by students and parents. At some schools, prefects lent assistance by escorting Class Four pupils to their assigned classrooms and to the bathrooms when the need arose to ensure all social distancing protocols were followed.

Adamson said the majority of secondary school teachers were on hand to

All over: Students from All Saints Primary School are greeted by parents after completing the Common Entrance Exam at the Coleridge and Parry School

supervise the students, as well as invigilators from the Caribbean Examinations Council, who helped out where necessary. She said that except for a few students falling ill during the exam, there was nothing out of the ordinary on the day.

“Those students who became ill were given extra time to complete the exam.

If they couldn’t finish, then they will be given an alternative date to complete the exam. We had no reports of

any significant events happening at schools. From the Ministry’s point of view, everything went okay,” she said.

The Acting Chief said she was pleased with the behaviour of parents, who respected the protocols put in place when dropping off their children. She added that those who stayed kept their distance and waited patiently away from the schools’ compounds until the exam was over. (Nation News)

Mexico proposes extending ban on US land border crossings

M

exico proposed to the United States extending a ban on non-essential travel by land over their shared border for another 30

days considering the development of the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said on Twitter on Tuesday.

The measure would

be in place until August 21, under the same terms agreed when they were first implemented on March 21, the ministry added. (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

19

Around the World

OILNEWS

Foreign students in US: Trump Administration drops deportation plans

U

S President Donald Trump’s Government has dropped its plans to deport international students whose courses move fully online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The U-turn comes just one week after the policy announcement.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University sued the Government over the plan.

District Judge Allison

Burroughs in Massachusetts said the parties have come to a settlement.

The agreement reinstates a policy implemented in March, amid the virus outbreak, which allows international students to attend their classes virtually if necessary and remain legally in the country on student visas, according to the New York Times.

Large numbers of foreign students travel to the US to study every year and are a significant source of reve-

nue for universities.

Harvard announced recently that, because of concerns over the virus’s spread, course instruction would be delivered online when students return for the new academic year.

MIT, like a number of other educational institutions, said it would also continue to use virtual tuition.

Foreign students were told last week that they would not be allowed to stay in the US this autumn unless they switched to a

course with in-person tuition.

Those who had returned to their home countries when the term ended in March - as the coronavirus crisis grew - were told they would not be permitted to return if their classes had since moved online.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency had said people could face deportation if they did not comply with the rules. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Asia ramps up coronavirus curbs as new clusters erupt

A

ustralian states tightened borders and restricted pub visits on Tuesday, while Disney prepared to close its Hong Kong theme park and Japan stepped up tracing as a jump in novel coronavirus cases across Asia fanned fears of a second wave of infections.

Many parts of Asia, the region first hit by the coronavirus that emerged in central China late last year, are finding cause to pause the reopening of their economies, some after winning praise for their initial responses to the outbreak.

Australia largely avoided the high numbers of cases and casualties seen in other countries with swift and

Two people are tested at the windows of a testing vehicle, following a new outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Beijing, China, June 30, 2020

strict measures, but a spike in community-transmitted cases in Victoria state and a rise in new cases in New South Wales has worried au-

thorities.

South Australia cancelled plans to reopen its border to New South Wales on July 20, while Queensland in-

troduced a mandatory twoweek quarantine for people who have visited two areas in Sydney’s western suburbs.

New South Wales, which has seen several dozen cases linked to the outbreak in Victoria, said pubs will be limited to 300 people, responding to an outbreak centred at a large hotel in southwestern Sydney.

“Indoor activity, where people aren’t seated is a huge health risk. It increases the chance of transmission,” state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.

Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne, is in the second week of a six-week lockdown. (Excerpt from Reuters)

United States carries out first federal execution in 17 years

T

he United States Government on Tuesday carried out the first federal execution in 17 years, putting to death a man who killed an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest. The execution came despite the objection of the victims’ family.

Daniel Lewis Lee, 47, of Yukon, Oklahoma, died by lethal injection at the federal prison in Terre Haute,

Indiana.

The decision to move forward with the execution the first by the Bureau of Prisons since 2003 - drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the relatives of Lee’s victims, who had sued to try to halt it, citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

Critics argued that the Government was creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency for political gain.

The developments are likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.

Lee’s execution took place after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early on Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward.

Four scheduled federal executions had been suspended by Judge Tanya

Chutkan of the US district court in Washington, DC, on Monday to allow for legal challenges to the lethal injection that was to be used.

In staying the executions, Chutkan ruled that the use of a single drug, pentobarbital, to carry out the executions could cause “extreme pain and needless suffering” and may violate a constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

“Netanyahu resign”: Protesters in Jerusalem call for PM’s removal

T

housands of Israelis have protested in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, demanding his resignation as the Government comes under fire over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some placards carried by demonstrators on Tuesday read “Netanyahu’s corruption makes us sick” and “Netanyahu, resign”.

“The most deadly virus is not COVID-19, but corruption,” protester Laurent Cige, who came from Tel Aviv to take part, told AFP news agency.

Netanyahu was indicted in January for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in

three cases.

In May, he forged a new unity government after more than a year of political turmoil and insisted the charges were trumped up to drive him from office.

The next trial date at Jerusalem district court is set for July 19.

Under Israeli law, a sitting Prime Minister is only required to resign if convicted of a criminal offence with all appeals exhausted, which in Netanyahu’s case, could take several years.

Protesters criticised Israel’s handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, as the Health Ministry announced more than 1400 new cases recorded in the

A protester is detained by Israeli Police during a demonstration in Jerusalem

past 24 hours.

On Monday, Police dispersed a group of activists who set up tents outside Netanyahu’s official residence.

Thousands also protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday to voice frustration at the prime minister and his economic policies.

Netanyahu is also facing a growing wave of discontent over his handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Israel is now experiencing a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and the economy is struggling as unemployment remains above 20 per cent. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Oil rises slightly as OPEC+ complies with production cuts

O

il prices rose slightly on Tuesday as OPEC and its allies cut production by more than agreed to in June, although demand concerns lingered due to increased cases of COVID-19 in the United States. Brent crude LCOc1 futures settled up 18 cents at US$42.90 a barrel, after moving lower earlier in the session. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures rose 19 cents to US$40.29 a barrel.

Crude futures strengthened in post-settlement trading, rising after the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group, said US crude inventories fell more than expected in the latest week.

The market will be watching for additional weekly data today from the US Energy Information Administration.

Analysts estimate that US gasoline stockpiles fell by 600,000 barrels and crude oil inventories by 2.1 million barrels last week, a preliminary Reuters poll showed.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies led by Russia, collectively known as OPEC+, have delivered compliance of 107 per cent with their agreed oil output cuts in June, an OPEC+ source said on Tuesday.

The market is eagerly awaiting news from OPEC+ on the next level of production cuts. OPEC’s Joint Technical Committee meets on Tuesday, with the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee due to meet on Wednesday.

Under the existing supply pact, OPEC+ is set to taper its record production cut of 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) to 7.7 million bpd from August through December.

“OPEC+ speculation had weighed the market down, and now the compliance data came out, and that’s supportive,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Management in New York.

Still, the market remained cautious on concerns that states could increase coronavirus lockdown measures as California did on Monday, following similar moves in other states, such as Florida and Texas.

New restrictions were also introduced in Asia and Australia.

The oil market is moving closer to balance as demand gradually rises, OPEC’s Secretary General said on Monday.

OPEC’s monthly report said it expected global demand to grow by a record 7 million bpd next year, but that demand will still be weaker than pre-COVID. China’s June crude oil imports hit both daily and monthly highs, data showed.

However, Citi analysts said the looming supply increase could weigh on prices given demand uncertainties. Morgan Stanley said oil demand is unlikely to exceed pre-COVID levels until late 2021. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Belarus election: Hundreds protest after Lukashenko’s rivals barred

P

rotests have erupted in Belarus, with hundreds rallying against the barring of two leading opposition candidates in next month’s presidential election.

Belarus’s electoral commission rejected the applications of President Alexander Lukashenko’s main rivals, Valery Tsepkalo and Viktor Babaryko.

In power since 1994, Lukashenko is now virtually assured to win the poll.

The commission’s decision was followed by protests in the capital, Minsk, and other cities.

The demonstrations were largely peaceful in Minsk, where protesters broke into rounds of applause, while

passing drivers honked their horns in support.

“We are categorically for honest and fair elections,” one protester in the capital told Reuters news agency.

There were reports of other rallies in the cities of Grodno, Gomel and Brest as well, with images posted to social media networks.

More than 35 people, including several journalists, were arrested during the protests, rights group Viasna said.

The protests were the latest show of discontent against the Government following the arrests of opposition figures ahead of the election on August 9. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

Think about your concerns and do some research.

The information you receive will help you care for yourself and look after your interests more efficiently. Don't let love cost you financially or emotionally.

TAURUS

A demonstration of emotions will impact the way others view you. Strive to make your point passionately without being dramatic or overbearing, and you'll get good results.

(March 21April 19)

(April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

Sit back, relax and refuse to make a hasty decision. Time is on your side, and you'll gain far more if you meditate or strive for personal growth.

Be the one to make a difference. Expand your interests, knowledge and insight, and you'll realize what's possible.

Trust your instincts and make things happen.

If you don't understand the extent of a job, work-related problems will surface. Be direct, initiate proper protocol and follow steps and examples explicitly. Personal gain is within reach.

Don't risk your health or position. Keep your objective firmly planted in your mind, and don't stop until you reach your destination. An emotional shift will be required.

Avoid joint ventures or risky investments. Too much of anything will work against you. Live within your means and avoid indulgent individuals. Love who you are and treat yourself well.

Call on your emotions for an honest appraisal of a situation. A change at home may be possible, and with initiative and imagination, you'll be surprised by the results.

Refuse to let anything SAGITTARIUS you encounter add to your (Nov. 23stress. Keep meddlers at Dec. 21) a safe distance. Put your efforts into physical and emotional improvement.

Personal growth will lead to greater self-appreciation.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Change your image, take a different path or fine-tune your plans to eliminate an error. Be the mastermind of your efforts, and be original, passionate and truthful. You will excel.

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.

Fix what you have instead of opting for a replacement. Use your hands to put your ideas in motion and reward yourself for your self-control and discipline.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

H

ere comes another Tiger Woods "Hello World" moment, as the 15-time major champion begins his latest comeback at this week's Memorial tournament in Ohio, USA. But, among multiple returns from injuries and self-inflicted sabbaticals, never has the 44-year-old come back to a more changed environment. Woods has not competed since finishing 68th at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles in mid-February.

Since then there has been the obvious and devastating impact of coronavirus which means that the nine remaining events in this season's PGA Tour season will be played in a bubble without spectators, despite initial plans to have them present.

But while the world has been changed beyond recognition, the golf landscape has also significantly altered.

Woods returns in a field that includes nine of the world's top 10 players and to a sport that is feeling younger by the moment. It was typified by Collin Morikawa's thrilling playoff win over Justin Thomas in the Workday Charity Open last Sunday.

Morikawa is just 23 and this was his second PGA Tour win. It came on the same Muirfield Village course to be used this week when the greens will play significantly faster with more challenging pin positions.

The young Californian turned professional only last year. He possesses a stunning long game with immaculate iron play reminiscent of Woods in his prime.

At number 13, Morikawa is now a spot a h e a d

T

he former Great Britain track cyclist Jess Varnish has lost her employment tribunal appeal against British Cycling, which had threatened to alter the legal rights of elite athletes and the way they are funded by governing bodies.

Varnish has spent years in a legal battle over her claim she should be considered an employee of British Cycling or UK Sport and, therefore, should be subject to certain protections under law – including sick pay, a pension and the right to sue for unfair dismissal.

Having lost her initial case in January 2019, Varnish’s appeal has also now been dismissed after a two-day remote hearing in May. The judge, Justice Choudhury ruled: “The [original] tribunal was entitled to conclude, based on an evaluative judgment taking account of all relevant factors, that the claimant was not an employee or a worker.

of Woods in the world rankings. It might not mean much materially, but climbing above such an iconic figure, the reigning Masters champion, at such a young age certainly carries symbolic significance, Morikawa is part of an exciting emerging generation that includes the explosive Matthew Wolff, who was second to Bryson DeChambeau in Detroit the previous week, and the ever-improving Norwegian Victor Hovland (22).

Having finished third last week, Hovland has competed in all five events played since the PGA Tour returned last month and he has been increasingly impressive in each of them.

During the last three tournaments, Europe's most exciting young talent led tee

“The tribunal had not erred in its approach to the assessment of employee status and nor had it reached conclusions that no reasonable tribunal, properly directed, could have reached.”

Varnish had claimed in April 2016 that the then British Cycling Technical Director Shane Sutton had told her “to go and have a baby” when she was dropped from funding before the Rio Olympics. A subsequent UK Sport independent investigation into bullying claims at British Cycling cleared Sutton, who had previously resigned, of that remark but found him to have used sexist language against Varnish.

If Varnish, a former world silver medallist, had been deemed an employee, it would have allowed her to pursue a claim against both British Cycling and UK Sport for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination.

The 29-year-old Varnish is yet to comment, but a British Cycling spokesperson said the organisation welcomed the verdict. “We believe that British Cycling’s relationship with riders who represent this country is

not one of employer-employee, but that of an organisation supporting dedicated athletes to fulfil their potential,” he said.

“This view was supported in law by the first tribunal, a verdict confirmed by today’s dismissal of Jess’s appeal.

“We had tried to reach a resolution with Jess much sooner, so we regret she was advised to pursue the route of an employment tribunal when other avenues were open to her.

Because of our responsibility to represent the best interests of every rider who hopes to compete at an Olympics or Paralympics, that decision meant we had no option but to oppose her case.

“Since Jess raised her concerns about the Great Britain Cycling Team in 2016, we have implemented significant changes to the culture and processes of our highperformance programme.

Four years on, and while we are always seeking to improve, we are happy to say that the well-being of staff and riders in our highperformance programme continues to be our highest priority.” (The Guardian)

to green statistics and, having won in Puerto Rico in February, a second professional victory might not be far away.

Australia's Adam Scott is the only top-10 player not involved this week and of the remaining nine, only Dustin Johnson (36) and Webb Simpson (34) are older than the 31-yearold world number one, Rory McIlroy.

Woods, like the rest of us, will notice the biggest change in DeChambeau (26). The American world number seven has added yardage commensurate with the muscle poundage he put on during lockdown.

At 323.8 yards, he is on course to break the record for the longest average driving distance for a PGA Tour season. DeChambeau is already 27.4 yards longer than the tour's mean

M

anchester City Manager Pep Guardiola said his team deserved an apology, after their twoyear UEFA ban from European football was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – a verdict he called a "good day for

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distance off the tee.

And it is yielding results. The bulked-up, idiosyncratic, self-styled 'golf scientist' shared third, eighth and sixth positions before winning in Detroit two weeks ago.

He was the Memorial champion in 2018 and will be looking to add a second title at Jack Nicklaus' tournament this week.

DeChambeau is probably the most extreme example of the way golf has changed since Woods first and famously said "hello world" when he made his professional debut at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open.

The man with a record-equalling 82 PGA Tour titles set the athletic template for a modern game where clubhead speed is key. Yes, touch around the greens remains important, but these days – more than ever before – distance is king.

Putting for dough, as the saying goes, is a whole lot easier when your average par-four approach shot is little more than 100 yards, as was the case for DeChambeau in Detroit.

It is a long-established progression, but the profusion of distance and exciting young talent – we have not mentioned world number two Jon Rahm (25) and the precocious Sungjae Im (22) – means the trend is accelerating like never before.

Of course, Woods has seen many a young pretender come and go throughout a lengthy, often punctuated but glorious career.

As he prepares for the next instalment in the surreal surroundings of the COVID-19 world, he will also be aware that the game he changed forever continues to evolve at an ever-increasing rate. (BBC Sport)

football".

Guardiola said the club’s reputation had been damaged by the furore around allegations that they broke Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules and fired back at comments from Managers Jose Mourinho and Juergen Klopp.

“Jose and all the managers should know that we were damaged. We should be apologised (to). Because, like I said many times, if we did something wrong, we will accept absolutely the decisions by UEFA and CAS because we did something wrong,” he said in a news conference on Tuesday.

“We have the right to defend ourselves when we believe what we have done is correct, is right.

Three independent judges said this,” he added.

Liverpool Manager Klopp had described the CAS verdict on Monday as “not a good day for football”, but Guardiola disagreed. “ Ye s t e r d a y was a good day for football, because we play with the same rules of FFP as all the clubs in Europe. All of them.

(If) we break this FFP, we will be banned,” he said.

“We were damaged. The people say that we cheated and lying many, many times.

The presumption of innocence was not there and after, when it happened and it was right, of course we are incredibly happy because we can defend what we have done on the pitch.”

Guardiola also took aim at Spanish League President Javier Tebas, a long-standing critic of City, who had questioned whether CAS was the right court for deciding such matters.

“He is another one, this guy Senor Tebas must be so jealous for the Premier League, the English football,” he said.

“He is incredible legal expert from what I see, so next time we will ask in which court, which judges we have to go.

He has to be a little bit worried or concerned about La Liga, (he should) focus on there.

“Normally, these kind of people, when the sentence is good for him, it’s perfect, like happened many times in Spain right now, but when the sentence is against, the problem is for the other ones,” added Guardiola.

“We will be in the Champions League next season, Senor Tebas, because what we did, we did it properly.” (Reuters)

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Blackwood plays his under-cut in his most recent knock of 95

By Brandon Corlette

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magine if Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo were present on this England tour.

Would Jermaine Blackwood be in the starting

XI? For Blackwood, his numbers are staggering against England and he has played some impactful innings against the

Z

imbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza is excited by the prospect of being the first from his country to play in the Hero Caribbean Premier

Englishmen. Including his match-winning 95 on Sunday last, Blackwood scored 605 runs at an average of 55, including one century and three half-centuries, against a bowling line-up he described as powerful.

When Guyana Times Sport posted a question to Blackwood in his virtual conference on Tuesday, concerning his confidence had Hetmyer and Bravo been included and if he would have played, Blackwood had this to say: "I am a confident guy; either I am playing or not, and I will stick with the team a 100 per cent."

Blackwood rated his innings of 95 as one of the best he has ever played. "It is right up there for sure, having played international cricket for almost three years now and to come back and perform like that. I was disappointed in the way I got out even though I was not eyeing that century; I was just worried to get the team across the line. When I got out, I was disappointed, but I was pleased with my innings," Blackwood said while responding to a question from this publication.

After scoring 768 runs in the 2020 Regional Four-Day tournament and topping the runs chart at an average of 51.2, including a high score of 248, as Captain Jason Holder indicated on Sunday, Blackwood had made a strong claim for a place and even if Bravo and Hetmyer were o n

Jermaine Blackwood celebrates his century

Zimbabwean representation,” said Raza.

According to Raza, the decision by the TKR could now help open the door for other Zimbabwean crick-

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NOW!

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L e a g u e (CPL).

Raza was picked up by the Trinbago Knight Riders in the competition’s draft on Monday.

“CPL was missing from the CV and I’m glad it’s now there. But most importantly, I’m glad that there will be

eters trying to break into the major T20 competitions around the world.

“What I believe in is that if one goes, then he’ll bring another one and then if the two impress, the number will double. I’m hopeful that more Zimbabweans can be snapped up next season,” said Raza.

The TKR failed to defend their title in 2019, with the Barbados Tridents claiming the top spot ahead of the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

The CPL, this year, will run from August 18 to September 10, and will be held entirely in Trinidad and Tobago. (Sportsmax)

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tour, Blackwood had already made a statement with the runs he had scored.

Reflecting on his strong regional performances, Blackwood said he told himself that his aim was to bat as long as possible. "I was not thinking of scoring but to bat as long as possible. Once I am there for sure, I will score," Blackwood posited.

The 28-year-old, who has been working with batting coach Toby Radford by sending him clips of his preparation and training, looks a new and improved batsman.

With all the talk of Blackwood being more mature in his approach, he failed to show that in the first innings when he chipped one to mid-off. Despite being dismissed in similar fashion, Blackwood's second innings of 95 shut down all the noise. The critical Sir Andy Roberts also had his say. Blackwood believes that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but he blocks all the noise.

Blackwood, who also scored the most runs in regional cricket back in 2013-14 – 611, noted that regional cricket has been improving and it has rewarded him with growth in his batting. Following Blackwood's journey from back in the Caribbean, he has been working with his friend and mentor Andre Russell.

Blackwood noted that this important innings of 95 has been a testimony to the hard work.

He noted that he has been in communication to Russell, who was proud and sad simultaneously because he missed out on a well-deserved century. Blackwood’s numbers in regional cricket and against England stand out. It is not the end; it is just the beginning of Blackwood's return to the international stage and it has begun in grand style.

eeward Islands wicketkeeper-batsman Devon Thomas is one of the notable omissions from this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), but according to the Antigua-born cricketer, it was expected.

Thomas did not have a fantastic CPL for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots last year, and says he needs to show improvement even though he feels disappointment.

According to Thomas, who was speaking with the Antigua Observer, his performances over the years matter very little in franchise cricket and what you have done last may count against you.

“Playing for St Kitts, I have been the second leading scorer over the last few years, so I was a bit disappointed, but at the end of the day, it’s a franchise and they are coming with a different plan and different owners,” he said.

“Also, last year I got a few starts, but I didn’t capitalise on those starts, so I have to look back on myself and say I let myself down as well,” he said.

Thomas only scored 180 runs in the CPL last year, even though he had a high score of 71.

But Thomas isn’t sitting on his laurels. The 30-year-old is already looking at making an impact in next season’s Super50 and fourday competition for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

“They [LICB] have given us a programme to work with and I think that it was just last week Friday we did a fitness test, a yoyo test, so I’ve been keeping in good shape. I am just lacking of hitting balls, that’s the only thing,” said Thomas.

“As I’ve said, I have to be more consistent and I wasn’t consistent enough. I did okay in the Super50, but I had a poor run in the FourDay, so I have to try and fix those things and have better consistent performances going forward.”

Thomas was first spotted while playing for the Leeward Islands in the regional limited-overs tournament in the Windies in 2008. He had been part of the CPL since 2013, playing for the St Kitts and N e v i s Patriots. He is one of two players to have played 40 games for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, the other being Evin Lewis.

Thomas was not retained by the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and had gone into the CPL draft as a result, but was not picked up by any of the other five franchises.

(Sportsmax)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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rinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley said someone impersonating Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Roshan Parasram has written to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after an agreement had been made between the Government and the sporting organisation.

He was speaking Monday at a media briefing held at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

“Would you believe that after the Cabinet agree to the terms and conditions under which the CPL would be allowed...some person here in TT appears to have impersonated the CMO’s office and have sent to the CPL contrary information causing this whole matter to now be questioned a s t o whether or not

S

andals Resorts International (SRI), the principal partner of Cricket West Indies (CWI), offers its heartiest congratulations to the West Indies senior team on its historic victory in the first #RaiseTheBat Test match against England at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

SRI wants to join the entire Caribbean in applauding the efforts of Captain Jason Holder and his squad, and to recognise the outstanding performance of not only Holder, who captured six wickets for 42 runs in the first innings, but also Man of the Match Shannon Gabriel, who finished with match figures of nine wickets for 137 runs; Jermaine Blackwood for his match-winning knock of 95, as well as Kraigg

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

the CPL would be held in T&T,” Dr Rowley disclosed.

He said Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Shamfa Cudjoe had to now talk with the CPL and confirm the Government’s position regarding the information provided purportedly from the CMO’s office.

“There are people in this country who are prepared to undermine the national effort so that the country would fail so that they may succeed in their ambition and their agendas.”

Asked by the media if there was an investigation about the fake information, Dr Rowley said he could only confirm it did not come from the CMO and he could say no more.

CPL Public Relations Head Peter Miller said on Monday, “I don’t think CPL needs to get involved

Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich for their firstinnings half-centuries that laid the foundation for the win.

The win gives West Indies a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, and while SRI knows much work lies ahead, it is the perfect start in defending the Wisden Trophy, which the West Indies won when England toured the Caribbean in 2019. SRI Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart noted that the win was welcome news for the Region.

in that. I’m not privy to the ins and outs of the discussions. It’s not something that we need to be commenting on.”

Miller mentioned that the CPL’s primary focus is to ensure that everything is in place for the event, which will take place, behind closed doors, from August 18 to September 10 at two venues – Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

“We’re very much in the process of getting everything sorted,” Miller said. “There is a lot more still to do. The CPL is working very hard to get the tournament under way.

“We’re doing so as hard as we can,” Miller added. “We might look like calm swans on the surface, but there is a lot of paddling to get things ready. Our preparations are moving along quite nicely.”

Asked about the projected overall revenue, Dr Rowley said that would come later on.

He said there had been people complaining about T&T hosting the CPL and repatriation of citizens outside the closed borders, but the two things were not mutually exclusive.

He explained that Government has a policy of lives and livelihood and the country hosting CPL was about livelihood and it would not negatively impact the life-and-death situation in T&T. He said with the virtual closure of the economy as part of COVID-19 preventative measures, Government urged the Private Sector, as far as possible, not to send home workers or cut payrolls and many did that.

He added that in that same spirit during the closure, Government paid more than TT$12 million per month to keep 1000 staff at the State’s three hotels: Hilton, Hyatt and Magdalena Grand. He reported that Government paid TT$8 million a month for the 400 workers at Hyatt, TT$2.6 million a month for the 350-400 workers at Hilton, and TT$1.3 million a month for the 250 workers

at Magdalena. Dr Rowley said T&T was now sufficiently healthy and safe and with low enough risk that it could host an international tournament, the CPL T20.

“We are the only country in the world at this time that can do that.”

He said the reason for that is because T&T was rated number one in the world; he was likely referring to an Oxford University COVID-19 Government Response Tracker which listed the country as number one out of 152 countries in terms of preparedness to lift COVID-19 lockdown measures.

“Those who made the assessment had rated us number one in the world as the country that best handled this threat and this challenge. And the results are there to show. And, therefore, we can host the CPL when they approached us. It has nothing to do with bringing in CPL players and leaving citizens outside of T&T. Because whether the CPL had come to us or not, the 200 rooms at the Hilton would not have been used for COVID quarantine. As a matter of livelihood, we could not.”

He said Government hotels were kept, as part of the country’s livelihood, away from quarantine arrangements so the infrastructure could be used “to rekindle our livelihood”.

He explained that Hilton rooms were available to 250 paying people, at their expense, and would help to reduce the country’s economic burden of TT$2.6 million per month for “doing nothing”, but from August 18 to September 10, the hotel would do normal business.

“Some people have a problem with that.

And some of them you know them by name, rank, and political number.”

He was likely referring to complaints from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the country was bringing in CPL players while citizens were stranded abroad, with the closed borders. (TT Guardian)

and all of the talented players who are representing the Region.

“The teamwork and fighting spirit they have displayed is par excellence, and we wish them all the best as they seek to repeat their success in the second Test match. We also wish to commend the team and staff for their courage, alongside their English counterparts, for paving the way for the resumption of international cricket.”

The game, which was held

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National Coach Lugard Mohan

“This incredible win could not have come at a more appropriate time, and is a ray of sunshine at a time when the islands of the Caribbean have so much to deal with. We have been supporting West Indies cricket as far back as 1994, and we have enjoyed great success.

We are extremely proud to have renewed that bond once more as the principal partner of the CWI, and we could not be prouder of our Captain Jason Holder, Coach Phil Simmons

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in a bio-secure environment at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton, was the first international match to have taken place in several months, after the international cricket schedule had to be put on hold in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, renowned commentator and West Indies great Michael Holding noted that because the eyes of the world were on this match, it may very well have been the mostwatched Test match in recent history.(Windiescrikcet.com)

he Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) was scheduled to participate in the FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge 2020.

National Coaches Junior Hercules and Lugard Mohan were selected by GABF as the primary points of contact for the recruitment and execution of this qualifier.

However, the Federation has withdrawn from this competition owing to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Guyana.

The GABF via General Secretary Patrick Haynes wrote an official document to the FIBA Americas Events Department which said, “The Guyana Basketball Federation (GABF) regrettably withdraws from the FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge – Americas Qualifiers due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in

the City of Georgetown. The only FIBA-certified basketball facility, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall has been converted to a quarantine shelter for COVID-19 patients until the Georgetown Infectious Disease Hospital renovation construction is complete. Further to this matter, the Government of Guyana's (GoG) Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Sports did not approve the restart of sports in Guyana.

We are working closely with the GoG Ministry of Public Health and the Guyana Olympic Association with guidance from PAHO/WHO on a path to restart sports in Guyana.

We would like to thank you for the FIBA

National Hercules

Coach

Junior

U-17 Skills Challenge – Americas Qualifiers invitation to this event and will keep you updated as to when the sports restrictions are lifted in Guyana.”

FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge 2020, for both men and women, is scheduled to take place in the third week of August, starting on August 17, 2020, with the participation of 20 teams in each competition, and the world competition of skills and abilities will be broadcast live on FIBA's official YouTube channel.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

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

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