Guyana Times - Friday, May 15, 2020

Illegal operations P10 discovered at protected Iwokrama Rainforest

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

Issue No. 4286

THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020

Mingo’s fraudulent figures cannot be used by GECOM – Jagdeo ...says declarations discredited by ongoing recount Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

"Coalition hurting its supporters by spreading false narrative they won the elections" – P11 Ali

GECOM’s failure to address P12 attempts at electoral fraud led to Mingo fiasco – Gunraj Guyana needs sentencing guidelines for child sexual offences – CCJ – as it reduces sentence for man convicted of raping 14-year-old P8

GECOM now awaits word from Govt to increase workstations …as ‘wet ballots’ halt Region 1 count Page 9

APNU/AFC refuses Attacking Golding does not change to budge on demand for release of SoPs …claims only recount figures now important credible Guyana See story on page 7

…disputes former Jamaican PM’s aspersions, saying he is a private citizen

Page 12

elections result

Wales sugar workers receive last outstanding severance P13 payout

Lusignan Landfill erupts in flames P9

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 women among 3 nabbed 2nd soldier in Camp Stephenson explosion laid to rest with ganja in Berbice the bags and fled the scene.

In the presence of the two females, the ranks retrieved and opened the bags during which a quantity of ganja was unearthed.

The women were arrested, with one of them admitting ownership of the prohibited substance which amounted to 705 grams. The male suspect who had fled the scene earlier in the day was subsequently nabbed in the community.

The three persons remain in custody and are expected to make their court appearance shortly.

Ranks carrying the casket of their dead colleague

The ganja seized from the trio

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wo women and a man were on Thursday arrested after they were nabbed with a quantity of marijuana at a house at Auchlyne, Corentyne.

Based on reports received, on the day in question, Police acted on information received and went to the home of the man at Auchlyne Village.

Upon arrival, the farmer was seen in his yard in the company of two females with two bulky bags in his possession. Upon seeing the Police, he quickly dropped

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he second of the three soldiers who died in an explosion at Camp Stephenson, Kevon Nicholson, was laid to rest on Thursday in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

On April 30, the three ranks were killed and two others were injured following a sudden explosion at the armoury at the Guyana Defence Force’s base, Camp Stephenson, at Timehri, East Bank Demerara EBD).

The dead ranks were identified as 23-year-old Lance Corporal Kevon Nicholson

of Levi Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam; 28-year-old Lance Corporal Toohey Peneux of Orealla Village, Corentyne River; and 20-year-old Private Shaqueel Deheart, of Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB).

Peneux was laid to rest in his home village of Orealla on Tuesday.

At a brief church service, Nicholson’s Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Selwyn Austin described him as a team player who was always willing to respond to the call of duty.

Meanwhile, in observing COVID-19 guidelines, the military parade did not have a band.

Many who had gathered along the route to the cemetery and those who followed the procession did not hold back from expressing their disappointment.

At Peneux’s funeral, residents of the Amerindian community were appreciative of the soldiers’ presence and the band-less parade.

The last soldier, Deheart, will be laid to rest on Saturday at Paradise.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, May 15 – 12:00h-13:30h and Saturday, May 16 – 01:00h-02:30h and 13:00h-14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Mingo’s fraudulent figures cannot be used by GECOM – Jagdeo ...says declarations discredited by ongoing recount

Friday, May 15 – 11:15h-12:45h and Saturday, May 16 – 12:15h-13:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals are expected throughout the day, with clear to partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 10:56h and 23:50h reaching a maximum height of 2.08 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 17:09h reaching a minimum height of 1.09 metres.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020

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19 20 21

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Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

til there are new declarations from the ongoing recount process.

But Jagdeo said, during his weekly virtual press conference on Thursday, that the national exercise has already discredited those figures declared by the RO, hence they can no longer be used by GECOM. “It can form absolutely no basis for a future report of any CEO, or for the declaration of the [elections] results. In just eight days of recount exercise, with just less than 100 box-

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ing the results of the elections.

So that has been clearly established,” he asserted.

The Opposition Leader vehemently argued that none of Mingo’s “discredited figures” can be used for any report that the Chief Elections Officer presents to the Elections Commission for declaration of national results, especially in the face of all the evidence of fraud that has been unearthed since the commencement of the recount just over one week ago.

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that the contentious declarations made by embattled Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo can no longer be held in abeyance, since the ongoing recount has proven that he has inflated figures in favour of the incumbent APNU/AFC Coalition.

Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh, had previously said that the re-

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port of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), which include the March 13 declarations for Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) made by Mingo, would be held in abeyance un-

es counted for Region Four, a pattern has been established and supported by evidence that Mingo’s declaration was fraudulent and false, and it cannot be the basis for declar-

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 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

Credible and transparent tabulation

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ver the past week, calls have been intensified for caretaker President David Granger to grant permission for the Carter Center to return to Guyana to continue its observation mission. After all, the Carter Center is an accredited observer, and the election process is yet to be concluded.

However, in a desperate attempt to keep the transparency watchdog group out of the recount process, caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Karen Cummings wrote, on the President’s behalf, to the US Ambassador in Guyana, saying that Guyana’s decision to close its airspace to commercial traffic is owing to COVID-19, and that is the reason why the Government could not allow the Carter Center to return; and, as such, that decision should be respected.

Is Cummings serious? Or has she simply not been following other decisions the very Government she works for made? Refusal under the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is yet another desperate move, since her Government allowed several international flights into the country.

Among the reasons for those flights were to transport rotating ExxonMobil workers, and also to bring the Caricom Observer Team for the elections’ recount.

Such a decision does not come as a surprise; as, since the March 2 polls, there have been tremendous attempts by the current caretaker administration to keep at bay any organisation/person who stands for transparency, credibility and democracy.

The most recent attack on the reputation of former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding is a prime example of how the APNU/AFC treats persons who stand up against electoral fraud. The former Jamaica PM, in his report to the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on Guyana’s General and Regional Elections, candidly said: “I have never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.”

The former Prime Minister was on the ground here in Guyana during the polls, and had a first-hand look at the voting and tabulation process. But can attacking Golding based on the fact that he once visited the home of former President Bharrat Jagdeo really solve the issue? The issue of that visit was well ventilated, since Golding himself made that revelation to the OAS when he was asked to lead the team of observers for the March 2, 2020 poll.

This declaration was made, and the very Ministry of the Presidency for which his attacker, Joseph Harmon, was the director-general, had no objection. Therefore, no objection was made then, but now a shameful personal attack has since been launched on the statesman because he stood up for democracy.

Certainly, this is unjustified. Like Golding’s observations, there is no secret that fraud was perpetrated during the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) tabulation process. All of the observer missions – local, regional and international - that were on the ground on March 2, reported that the voting process was organised and fair, but irregularities occurred, not at the polling stations, but rather at the tabulation of Region Four votes.

This was also related to the OAS on Wednesday by Chair of the Caricom Ambassadors to the OAS, Noel Lynch, when he said, “Irregularities occurred, not in the system by which the Guyanese electorate cast their votes on March 2nd, but in the presentation of the count afterwards.”

Indeed, Guyana must be thankful to the observer missions that were in Guyana on elections day, because indeed, had it not been for them, as Ambassador Lynch said, a result might have been declared that would not have commanded the acceptance of the Guyanese people, or the respect and approval of the international community.

Therefore, attacking and blocking out those who stand up for democracy in our nation does not change the fact that the will of the Guyanese people must be respected.

That can only come from a credible and transparent tabulation of votes cast on March 2.

The blind leading the blind

Dear Editor, Members of Guyana’s caretaker Government have clearly exposed themselves for who they truly are: former Ministers and MPs who value their incomes and Exxon’s interest more than the citizens of Guyana; the integrity of our dear land of Guyana; our economic situation; and our health and safety.

In the letter sent to the US Ambassador, it was clearly said to the Carter Center that Guyana is in a COVID-19 environment, and we basically cannot allow for an aircraft to come here which did not qualify under the conditions for the COVID arrangements.

Guyana’s airports have been shut since March 17, but special permission has yet been granted for between 6 and 8 flights bringing oil workers. These are workers who came from all parts of the world, where tens of thousands of people have been infected with COVID-19; they are more likely to contaminate Guyanese. Did those flights satisfy the COVID preconditions, or the interest of Exxon?

We have seen representatives of the international communities -- including the United States, Canada, the EU and the United Nations -- calling for the observers

from the Carter Center to return to Guyana to observe the present recount process, which is blocked by David Granger. Às a child growing up, my grandmother would always mention this Bible verse to me: “Let them alone, they be blind leaders of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, they both shall fall into the ditch.” You cannot have people advising you who know less than you do.

My fellow Guyanese, we have seen what the caretake Government is doing to our democratic right. The will of the people must prevail.

Guyanese do not need sanctions imposed on Guyana.

Sanctions are for wrong-doers and riggers.

As one observer, Mr Golding, said, he has never before seen such a transparent attempt to alter an election result, it would have taken an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictitious figures under any circumstance.

I encourage my Guyanese brothers and sisters to read the message that was sent by five US Senators to Mr David Granger; and as you read, you will realise that this is a heartfelt letter, not only to Mr Granger, but to every Guyanese.

“We welcome your May 4, 2020 statement announcing the beginning of the critical recount process of Guyana’s disputed March Presidential election. We commend your willingness to abide by the result of the recount and your call for patience among the Guyanese people as the recount proceeds.

“As friends of Guyana, we are closely monitoring the recount and support that it be conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner. A crucial part of this process is that credible international observers be allowed to return to Guyana and be given free and unfettered access to all aspects of the recount in order to confirm the integrity of the process.

“In the midst of the challenges the world is facing due to the coronavirus pandemic, Guyana is on the verge of historic change and prosperity. Decisions made today will determine whether or not the Guyanese people enter this new era united and confident that their political institutions fairly and equitably reflect their will.

“We support a fair and transparent recount of the March Presidential election to allay any concerns among

Dear Editor, Decisions taken by the Region 9 COVID-19 Health Emergency Committee, to further reduce movement in the South Rupununi, are welcome. Thanks to resolute action by toshaos in the South, national authorities are beginning to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation.

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) understands that this realisation originated in the stand-off between communities and the authorities over miners being prevented from transiting the communities en route to their mine-sites.

Last Sunday, a truck driver/miner forced his way through checkpoints on the basis of being given permission by the Regional Executive Officer (REO) and the Lethem Police. The decisions taken at yesterday’s meeting tacitly acknowledge the legal authority of toshaos and village councils to determine who should access their communities.

The REO of Region 9 had acknowledged issuing passes to facilitate truck drivers avoiding the curfew, and had accused the toshaos of exceeding their authority.

Although the REO is reported as stating that such letters were issued only to persons in possession of a prior letter issued by “either the Ministry of Natural Resources or the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC)”, senior spokespersons in the Ministry are unaware of any such letters having been issued.

The action of the toshaos is hopefully setting the pace for the COVID-19 Task Force to adopt a far more stringent approach to the problem of Brazil being the most vulnerable and porous route for a major COVID-19 invasion of Guyana. The Bolsonaro Government’s irresponsible behaviour in dismissing the virus as “a slight flu” has caused Brazilian death rates to become the seventh highest in the world -- currently averaging 1000 + per day, with Manaus being an epicentre.

Moreover, the ease with which people can cross the Takutu river and enter Guyana, despite the border being officially closed, suggests that the security problem is still being addressed in a reactive, rather than pro-active, manner.

As with the initial response to the toshaos, au-

thorities needed the stimulus of the COVID-infected Brazilian who passed through many communities before they took action. It is also noteworthy that Police in Lethem have warned they would start to prosecute people who breach the curfew. If the intention is to enforce lawful behaviour, why not bring legal charges against miners and the COVID-infected person, who reportedly was tested positive in Brazil then visited a string of villages in Guyana.

The vulnerability of Indigenous communities to the COVID-19 virus cannot be overstated. If the virus should really take hold in the Rupununi, it definitely would then spread throughout the entire country. The call from the Chairman of Region 9 for a complete lockdown of Lethem from coastal contact reflects the only realistic strategy.

The controversial issue of mining being declared an ‘essential service’ is at the centre of this problem.

Many ordinary Guyanese are struggling to provide for their families while abiding by the lockdown, while miners driving 500 miles through Amerindian communities, putting many

The letter reads as follows:

the Guyanese people in the integrity of their democratic institutions, in line with Guyana’s successful democratic electoral transitions of the past three decades.

“Additionally, while we recognise that Guyana has closed its international airport as part of its efforts to address COVID-19, we understand that your government is providing special authorisation in important cases.

With full respect for Guyana’s public health measures, we are hopeful that you will consider the presence of additional international observers an essential step to strengthening the credibility of the recount.

“Your leadership in this critical moment is crucial to Guyana entering this new era with confidence and hope among all Guyanese for a better future. It is our hope that you will continue your legacy by working toward a better future for all Guyanese people.”

Mr David Granger, here is an opportunity to redeem yourself and to give Guyanese here in Guyana and abroad opportunity to lift our heads high once more as proud Guyanese.

Sincerely, David Adams

The COVID threat from Brazil requires more robust action people at serious risk en route, is considered an essential activity.

This kind of contradiction discredits the official anti-COVID-19 strategy, fosters indignation, and needs to be addressed urgently. The situation described herein reinforces the need to remove mining and mining-related activities from the List of Essential Services which are exempted from COVID-19 restrictions. The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is therefore calling on the COVID-19 Task Force to take immediate steps to address all of the issues which have surfaced in Region 9 in particular: i) The removal of mining and all mining-related activities from the List of Essential Services. ii) The significant increase of security at border crossings across Regions 8 & 9. iii) The laying of charges against persons whose behaviours recklessly and knowingly infect others.

Executive Committee, Guyana Human Rights Association

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020

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

Moses Nagamootoo, you National Mine Workers’ Union of Guyana ought to be ashamed Dear Editor, Please permit me to respond to an article published in the Guyana Chronicle under the caption “Guyana shining on all fronts”.

In that article, the Prime Minister boasts of the developments made by the Granger Government. That article, Mr Editor, is a complete falsehood, sparked by someone who appears to be delusional. Over the course of the past five years, the APNU/AFC Government has completely mismanaged the economy by spending lavishly on brand new Toyota Land Cruisers; extravagant parties; renting of homes for Government officials; and super salaries for the elderly, now employed by the Government; among other things.

All major sectors, with the exception of oil, has seen a dramatic downturn during the past 5 years. In fact, if it weren’t for the discovery of oil, Guyana would be completely broke.

The mismanagement of the economy has led to hundreds of businesses closing shop. Additionally, the closure

of the sugar estates has led to thousands of persons being unable to afford basic necessities.

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

It is for these reasons, among others, that the electorate rejected them at the 2020 polls. The legacies of Moses Nagamootoo and David Granger will forever be remembered for the following: 1: The only Government in the history of Guyana to fall to a no-confidence motion; 2: Instead of complying with the law and holding elections within 3 months, Moses Nagamootoo and David Granger challenged the legality of the

no-confidence vote by arguing that 33 is not a majority of 65, an argument filled with asininities. The legal precedent on which they relied for the rounding up formula has been described by the CCJ as “irrelevant”.

3: Illegally appointing Patterson as Chairman of GECOM. 4: Losing the 2020 elections and then attempting to rig the elections.

5: Spreading false narratives among their supporters, so that when the true results of the elections are declared, their supporters would feel cheated and take to the streets.

6: Being dishonourable and failing to do the right thing by conceding defeat, so that the country can move on peacefully and harmoniously, so that we can battle COVID. 7: Further fracturing our precarious race relations by their false narratives on the elections.

Dear Editor, There is a push for the enhancement, or speeding up, of the recount process; something this writer wholeheartedly supports. We are into the third month since those elections were held, and there has been no official declaration of a winner of our elections. It is a lawless and debasing situation to say the least, hence the request for a speeding up of the process.

Please note that a plan is already in place for the maximum use of the time allotted for the actual recount -that is, from 8:00h to 19:00h -- but when you look at the way things are going, that is not enough, there is still too much time wasting.

I have jotted down a few of these senseless, time-wasting stoppages manufactured and packaged by the APNU/AFC cabal. They are listed below.

1: The problem of keys not working on container locks. Hours are wasted fiddling around for a key, while the APNU rush out to reporters to air their emptiness about the PPP/C not finding

their keys to the container locks.

2: The Carol Joseph fiasco.

You will remember the actions of this substance abuser; who, from the very first day, started an argument that went on for hours.

3: Stoppages for frivolous matters, such as the legibility of a stamp; the crossing of a mark; or whether the poll book should be placed inside or outside of the ballot box.

4: The use of cellphones or no cellphones at all: hourlong discussion on this very simplistic issue.

5: Work stoppage to address the issue of whether or not to have live-streaming.

6: Work stoppage due to a recount official complaining about the “poor” ventilation of the Conference Centre, or the room temperature being too cold or too hot for her. Poor Carol.

7: APNU official “coughs up” another excuse by beginning to cough excessively.

The COVID-19 Medical Team rushes in. Carol is

at it again; oh, Carol!

8: Work stoppage to decide whether there should be a daily total of votes counted for each ballot box, or settle for a final tally of the district.

9: Something is burning.

The Guyana Fire Service is called in to put out a blaze that never existed.

10: Work stoppage to hold a meeting to address who should address the media outside.

Valuable man hours have been wasted on these asinine occurrences, with no end in sight. If these stoppages are allowed to continue, we might very well be going into the Christmas season still counting. My suggestion is that we increase the number of stations and get over this recounting hurdle as quickly as possible. Results of the last election are already known; this is a foregone conclusion.

Therefore, it is high time for the recount to conclude and the New Government take its place.

Sincerely, Krishnanandat Arjune

Bid to enhance the recounting process

Brazilian border breached

Dear Editor, It is with sadness and disbelief that I read today that the first Region 9 coronavirus victim had illegally entered our country from Brazil, and has exposed many of our vulnerable Indigenous communities to the virus. It is imperative that immediate widespread testing be conducted in these communities, and that our borders are better secured.

Our Ministries must move with utmost urgency to prevent a disaster from occurring. The movement of all goods within our supply chain

needs to be under strict control, with proper health measures in place.

Brazil continues to be a high-risk country for this infection, and its President recently fired the Health Minister over an internal dispute in which the Minister claimed that the President refused to take the recommended precautions to stem the spread of the virus.

We must act immediately and with a sense of urgency in this critical matter.

Sincerely, Jamil Changlee

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Dear Editor, It has been almost three weeks since Guyana Goldfields Inc. announced that it has been sold to Silvercorp Metal.

After that announcement, the subject Minister for mining and environment, Raphael Trotman, said that Government welcomes the deal and takeover by the new company, and that workers of Goldfield Inc. have been assured that their jobs would not be affected by the new management.

It has been more than two weeks since, and the company has announced that approximately 85% of 530 workers are likely to lose their jobs. The Minister, and his Government by extension, have once again lied to the workers at Goldfields. To date, Government has remained silent on the hundreds of workers who would be on the breadline and the hundreds of family members

who would be affected.

How could a Minister and Government welcome a deal, the end result of which is job losses to the tune of hundreds? The Minister and his Government, even after chalking up a “legacy of huge job losses” over the last five years while in office, continue to lie to workers.

NMWU is calling out Minister Trotman and his incompetent and lying Government on this issue, and its deafening silence since the Goldfields’ announcement to send hundreds of workers home.

Once again, we are faced with the sad issue of jobs lost in the mining industry.

Mining remains the largest contributor to Guyana’s gross domestic product (GDP), but what are the success stories of mining workers? Today, it is heart-wrenching to see the hard-working men and women in the mining industry being treated like the “minerals

they work as disposable resources” by companies.

A stronger Local Content Policy is needed, since foreign companies continue to bring in expatriate workers to do the same work Guyanese normally do, and those are being paid more money.

Local workers and expats are working side-by-side of each other, doing the same work with identical job descriptions, but locals in the end have no success stories to brag or boast about, even as the expats leave Guyana’s shores with the lion’s share of the spoils.

NMWUG remains hopeful for a miracle and positive turnaround for Goldfields; that the jobs lost would be minimal at this time, when jobs have become like a scarce commodity.

Dear Editor, As the recount marches on and the Statements of Recount continue to match the copies of GECOM’s Statements of Poll posted online by the PPP, a video of LFS Burnham was sent to me simultaneously by several persons.

The video shows Burnham dealing with the issue of foreign electoral observers. Burnham is captured saying: “We are not a colony, we run Guyana; let us settle our differences in Guyana. It is our right to say when they may come and when they may not come. I

am tired of these busybodies, let them go and mind their own farmyards”.

I made a few inquiries as to the source and timing of this video clip, and was surprised at the feedback.

The Ministry of the Presidency has a new Director-General, but the information arm and machinery remain unchanged. This arm is being used by those who are urging President Granger to be sworn in using Mingo’s fraudulent declarations.

The logic, as explained to me, is that Granger idolises Burnham and seeks

to emulate Burnham at every opportunity. This video shows Burnham at his zenith as he strong-arms the foreign powers and dismisses electoral observers as ‘colonisers’. All of the ingredients are there to inspire Granger to ‘grow a spine’ and be like LFSB, a Kabaka among men. It will be interesting to see if Granger responds to the ‘dog-whistle’ and how much the Western nations have changed in the ensuing thirty-five years.

Dear Editor, Round and round they go.

Can they do it? Yes, they can!

With the almost daily flipflop in positions.

From elections flawed but results credible (what results? No official declaration made!), to dead and migrated persons voting.

Now, since elections night, the anomalies were known, but only now -- more than two months after -these 'anomalies' are being made known, and coming to

the fore amidst the advantageous, inflated declarations made by one of its own to resounding claim of victory, but adamant refusal to substantiate its claim.

Round and round they go.

Can they do it? Yes, they can!

Oh, what a tangled web….

Sincerely, Sherwyn Delano Downer President NMWUG

Granger idolises Burnham

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Can they do it? Yes, they can!

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

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FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020

Page

Foundation

Guyana Times is pleased to publish the Education Ministry’s National Grade Six Assessment Past Papers. Below is Science Paper 2, 2019.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT

SCIENCE

Reading Time: 10 minutes Writing Time: 45 minutes

2. This paper consists of two sections: Section A and Section B.

Read these instructions carefully before you attempt to answer the questions.

Section A consists of four letter topics. Section B consists of four composition topics.

1. Write your candidate number clearly on each page.

Answer one question only, either from Section A or Section B. Each question is worth 20 marks.

1. (a) The diagram below shows one of the human body systems. Study it carefully and answer the questions that follow.

3. You have 45 minutes writing time and 10 minutes reading time. Writing may begin during the reading time.

6. If you have to erase, do so cleanly.

4. Write the answerfor each questuion in the space provided in the booklet.

8. Do not take away any part of this booklet.

5. Answer must be writen in complete sentenses.

7. Look over your work when you have finished.

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO.

(2 marks) Total 5 marks Instruction: Answer any three questions from Questions 2 to 6.

2. The diagram below shows a food web. Study carefully and answer the questions that follow.

it

(1 mark) (d) During the season, many tilapia were caught by fishermen to the extent that they were almost extinct. State one effect that this will likely have on the feeding relationship. (i)

(1 mark)

Name the parts labelled P and Q. Total 5 marks

(2marks)

3. (a) State two conditions which are necessary for a seed to grow into a seedling.

(2 marks)

(ii) Briefly describe one activity that occurs in both of the parts labelled P and R. (1 mark) (b) The main functions of Parts P and Qare listed in the following table. Insert the letters P and Q, in the table, next to the correct function.

(a) (i)

State the meaning of the word herbivore.

(b) The diagram below shows a seedling.

(1 mark) (ii) Name one herbivore found in the food web above.

(1 mark) (b) Describe the relationship between the kingfisher and the water beetle.

(1 mark) (c) Using four organisms from the food web on page 6, complete a food chain in the space provided.

Briefly explain how the part labelled Xis useful to the seedling at the stage of its growth as shown in the diagram.

(1 mark) (c) The diagram below shows the cross-section of a flower.

The table below shows the functions of the different parts, P, Q, R and S, of the flower. Complete the table by inserting the correct part, P, Q, R and S, next to each function.

(2 marks)

Total 5 marks

TO BE CONTINUED

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC refuses to budge on release of SoPs …claims only recount figures now important …disputes former Jamaican PM’s aspersions, saying he is a private citizen

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lliance For Change (AFC) General Secretary David Patterson on Thursday while condemning criticism raised by former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding, has refused to commit to release the Statements of Poll (SoPs) in the party’s possession, in order to have an independent analysis conducted against the Statements of Recount (SoRs), being generated during the national recount exercise underway at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Patterson gave the coalition’s position on Thursday while speaking with media operatives encamped in the makeshift media centre erected outside the ACCC. The former Jamaican Prime Minister the previous day had delivered to the Organisation of American States (OAS), as Head of the OAS’ Electoral Observer Mission to Guyana, a scathing attack on the declarations for Region Four by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo for the votes cast on March 2, calling his declaration “fictitious” and a “transparent attempt to alter the election results”.

Patterson on Thursday

PPP/C Executive Anil Nandlall

dismissed the need for the SoPs in their entirety, saying it was the SoRs “that matter now … this exercise is not a question of comparison in my opinion, it is a question of determining a winner and the next government”.

The AFC General Secretary suggested that the coalition did not want to interrupt the recount process by releasing its SoPs, but maintained that the SoRs were confirming its positions.

He reminded that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has

in its possession 10 declarations for each of the 10 administrative regions and the Commissioners would have to take a decision on those.

Patterson told reporters that the figures that were called out by ex-Prime Minister Golding did not match up with the figures in the party’s possession.

According to Patterson, the former Jamaican Prime Minister was no longer Head of the OAS EOM and he made the assertions as a private citizen.

In lamenting the adumbrations by Golding, he said the former Jamaican PM did not address the anomalies that were being raised by the coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)/AFC. He posited it was strange that Golding would “jump right away to impugn the integrity of Mingo and entire GECOM staff without making a fleeting reference to those particular issues”.

Asked repeatedly about his coalition producing its SoPs, Patterson maintained, “the documents now that are most important are SoRs and the comparativeness and the observation reports”.

Despite claiming to nev-

Mingo’s fraudulent figures...

Earlier this week, Nigel Hinds, Chairman of Change Guyana – one of 11 political parties that contested the March 2 elections – in a letter, called on the GECOM Chair to remove Mingo’s “fraudulent declarations” from the Commission’s website.

Nevertheless Jagdeo, on Thursday, went on to highlight some of the fraudulent figures that have been unearthed in just 25 ballot boxes recounted for Region Four – the largest voting district in the country.

“In Region Four, the figures for APNU/AFC (were) inflated by 1,874 votes by Mingo – just in 25 boxes; and in those 25 boxes, he reduced the votes for the People’s Progressive Party (Civic – PPP/C) by 262 votes. So if we were to do an analysis of this situation, clearly Mingo, from when you compared the Statements of Poll that we put up and his fraudulent declarations, increased APNU’s votes overall for Region Four by 19,107; and in his fraudulent declaration, he reduced the People’s Progressive Party’s votes by 3,653,” the Opposition Leader stated.

According to Jagdeo, this is a net difference of more than 22,700 votes that were fraudulently given to the Coalition by the embattled Region Four RO. Jagdeo further explained that based on the pattern used by Mingo in these first 25 ballot boxes, he would have needed to inflate over 270 ballot boxes to come up with the near 23,000 votes to give the APNU/AFC the lead in the

national elections, held more than two months ago.

“In Region Four, we have a total of 879 boxes, and if we were to extrapolate the pattern that took place in those 25 boxes that were proven to be inflated for APNU, Mingo needed to only inflate 275 boxes,” he pointed out.

Nevertheless, the Opposition Leader noted that the recount continues to validate the Statements of Poll (SOPs) uploaded by the PPP/C in March, which have matched the Statements of Recount (SORs) generated by the ongoing recount, which has only completed about 15 per cent of the ballot boxes.

“For all 367 boxes that were counted (at the end of Wednesday), the Statements of Recount have all matched the Statements of Poll. There have been some small adjustments; for example, because now in the recount they’re having a second look at rejected ballots and spoiled ballots etc., you may see minor changes like one or two votes up or down for either parties,” he stated.

In fact, Jagdeo said that of the 367 boxes that were counted, 350 have already been tabulated for regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four, and they show that the PPP/C has gained 24 votes and APNU lost five votes. This was as a result of instances such as in Ballot Box 4071, where the figures on the SOR and SOP differ by five votes; that is, five votes cast in favour of the

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PPP/C were counted for the Coalition instead. This was detected during the recount, and was corrected.

“So, outside of those minor variations, we come back to the fact that the Statements of Recount have all matched the Statements of Poll,” he asserted, while noting that the APNU/AFC still refuses to make their SOPs public.

However, the Opposition Leader has said that the APNU/AFC knew what those SOPs contained, hence their refusal to release them while still claiming victory at the March 2 polls. He added, too, that the revelations now emerging about Mingo’s fraudulent declarations have reinforced what every international organisation had claimed about the Region Four results lacking credibility.

To this end, Jagdeo, who is also the PPP General Secretary, has said that when the party takes office, Mingo will be among those persons who would have to answer for their actions in the events that followed the March 2 polling day.

In fact, he reminded that private criminal charges were already filed since March against Mingo and APNU/ AFC agent Volda Lawrence.

Lawrence, who is also the Chair of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – the largest party in the APNU faction of the Coalition -- was the only party agent who had signed off on the first declaration made by Mingo on March 6, which sparked outrage and even a court action.

Head of the OAS EOM, former Jamaican PM Bruce Golding

er actually seeing the specific numbers that had been declared by Mingo, Patterson told reporters that the numbers coming out of the recount in fact matched those in the party’s possession.

Asked again to produce the figures that his party is making reference to and based upon which it is claiming victory, Patterson told reporters, “what we want to, what we doing, what we want to do is at the end of every district with district one here, we will release our tabulations…”

Confronted with the fact that some SoPs, as highlighted by Golding, had, in fact, inflated the votes for the APNU/ AFC, Patterson told reporters, “he called some numbers, I don’t know where it is…this process that we have here right now will tell you what’s decreased, what increases, what’s right and what’s not right”.

The AFC General Secretary was adamant that Golding was no longer the Head of the OAS Mission and “so obviously he is making that statement as a private individual”.

He was adamant, however, the recount process conflicted with the report by for-

mer Prime Minister Golding to the OAS, since the SoRs “largely reflect what we have in our possession”.

Additionally, Patterson told media operatives that the coalition would be presenting its analyses and comparisons of the figures being generated from the recount process at the tabulation of each district.

Meanwhile, former Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall – maintaining that the SoRs currently being generated by the recount exercise continue to match up with the Election Day SoPs – said the “fraud of Mr Mingo is being unravelled box by box”.

He was at the time speaking specifically to the SoRs being generated for the recount of the votes in Region Four.

Nandlall in reference to the coalition’s public condemnations of Golding said the OAS Head could not have reported anything else and that he “said what he observed”.

Additionally, Nandlall speaking to Golding’s integrity pointed to the organisation that he represented which is constituted of 35 sovereign States.

According to Nandlall, “I don’t know why the Government was offended by what he said; Mr Golding could not have said anything other than what he said”.

The PPP Executive Member was adamant “it’s no secret that a fraud was perpetrated…I witnessed it”.

Nandlall suggested, “Mr Golding would have been in dereliction of his duty had he not said what he said” and as such, denounced the attacks on him.

Dismissing allegations of a reported friendship between the PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo and Golding, the former Attorney General asked, “You think Mr Golding would put his entire reputa-

AFC General Secretary David Patterson

tion on the line, you think Mr Golding will put the OAS’ reputation on the line because of some alleged friendship with Mr Jagdeo?”

Additionally, Nandlall in drawing reference to Patterson’s claim that Mingo’s tally sheet matches with APNU/AFC’s SoPs, again called on the coalition to produce the documents.

He told media operatives “all we are saying is if that is so produce the SoPs and end this controversy”.

Nandlall observed that “Mingo claims that he extracted those numbers from the SoPs in his possession; well, we need to see that … I don’t understand if they have that kind of evidence why they are not producing it and end all this controversy”.

Meanwhile, Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) leader Lenox Shuman, weighing in on the attack on Golding, stated that it did not augur well for Guyanese to start attacking the international community.

“I hope good sense prevails and an apology is offered to Golding and also hope we can see a bit more professionalism in terms of how we manage our affairs,” he said.

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana needs sentencing guidelines for child sexual offences – CCJ

– as it reduces sentence for man convicted of raping 14-year-old

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he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Thursday underscored the need for sentencing guidelines to be developed and published by the Judiciary of Guyana.

This observation was made in a ruling handed down by the regional court, in which it reduced the sentence against convicted rapist Linton Pompey, who is currently serving 37 years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old relative.

The High Court had convicted Pompey in 2015 for sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16, which had occurred twice between 2012 and 2013; and he had respectively been sentenced to 15 and 17 years’ imprisonment.

He was also sentenced to an additional five years for engaging in sexual activity with a minor in 2011.

The trial judge had ordered that the sentences run consecutively, making the total prison time 37 years.

However, the father of 12 had subsequently appealed his conviction and sentence, but that appeal had been dismissed by the Court of Appeal, thus he had approached the CCJ – Guyana’s final appellate court.

The CCJ had given Pompey only permission to appeal his claim that his sentences were too severe.

In the CCJ decision on Thursday, it was noted that all seven judges of the CCJ had unanimously agreed that

Linton Pompey

the cumulative 37-year sentence was excessive, but the judges were divided on how that time should be reduced.

The majority opinion was delivered by CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders on his behalf and on behalf of Justices Maureen RajnauthLee, Denys Barrow, Andrew Burgess and Peter Jamadar.

They noted that although it was open to the trial judge to order consecutive sentences, as the offences arose from separate incidents, the trial judge did not sufficiently consider that the resulting combined sentence would be excessively high.

The CCJ judges noted that the trial judge could have imposed for the second rape, the most serious offence, a sentence that fairly reflected the offender’s overall criminality.

In this way, they explained, Pompey would have served the lesser two sentences simultaneously with the sentences given for the second rape.

In applying this option,

the majority held that the sentence of 17 years passed for the second rape was neither so lenient nor so harsh that it warranted being set aside by an appellate court.

The majority therefore did not adjust that sentence, but ordered that the other two sentences be served at the same time with it, resulting in an overall sentence of 17 years.

In his opinion, Justice Saunders considered first the issue of concurrent and consecutive sentences in the context of the Totality Principle, which requires the judge to give a sentence that reflects all the offending behaviour that is before the court. But this is subject to the notion that the total or overall sentence must be neither too harsh nor too lenient.

It was noted that if the judge chose to give consecutive sentences, care needed to be taken to ensure that due regard was paid to the Totality Principle. The court accepted that there was no regard paid to the Totality Principle in this case.

Nevertheless, in his conclusion, the CCJ President suggested that the practice of passing sentence immediately after a verdict comes in should generally be eschewed, especially in cases where there is a likelihood that a lengthy prison term may be imposed.

In such cases, Justice Saunders opined, the judge should hold a separate sentencing hearing, at which mitigating and aggravating fac-

tors, including mental health or psychological assessments, can better be advanced and considered.

The court also expressed the view that Guyana’s trial judges would be better served if they followed appropriate guidelines that suggest various sentencing ranges for the most prevalent crimes.

Meanwhile, in separate concurring opinions, Justices Rajnauth-Lee and Jamadar focused on the alarming prevalence of sexual offences against children, and the robust approach that was required in respect of sentencing for such offences.

However, Justices Wit and Anderson, in their joint dissenting opinion, considered that appellate courts are given wide powers to review sentences. As the cumulative 37 years in prison was excessive, the sentences imposed should be replaced by sentences that were warranted in all the circumstances of the case. These two judges considered that the sentences should accordingly be replaced with nine years for the second rape, six years for the first rape, and nine months for the sexual assault conviction; and also have ordered that these sentences run concurrently.

Pompey was represented by Attorneys Nigel Hughes and Ronald Daniels, while the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack SC, appeared on behalf of the state, in association with Teshana Lake and Natasha Backer.

No new COVID-19 cases in 2 days …32 persons tested in the last 24-hours

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fter continuous testing within the last two days, the Public Health Ministry on Thursday announced that no new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been detected.

During the daily COVID-19 briefing, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen GordonBoyle stated that the number of confirmed cases of the deadly virus in the country remains at 113 – the same figure that was reported since Monday.

An additional 32 persons were tested on Wednesday – all of whom returned negative results. To date, the Ministry has tested a total of 1050 persons, with 939 of them being negative.

Though the COVID-19 deaths remain at 10, the number of persons who have recovered from the deadly virus has increased by one, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 42 as opposed to 41 on Wednesday.

Dr Gordon-Boyle added that there were currently five persons in institutional quarantine and 61 in institutional isolation. The COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Karen Gordon Boyle

at the Georgetown Public Hospital now has three patients.

“We must reiterate that there is no approved treatment for COVID-19 (by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO)); however, clinical trials are being done at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where the most severe cases are being treated,” she highlighted.

Nevertheless, Dr GordonBoyle shared that the transmission of this virus could

only be reduced or stopped if authorities were able to separate those who tested positive from those who were not infected.

In encouraging persons to come forward and get tested, the DCMO assured that the Government’s quarantine and isolation facilities are comfortable.

“I am sure that some of you have fears about quarantining and isolation, but be assured that MoPH [Ministry of Public Health] has set up these facilities bearing in mind that you are away from home and so is trying to make you feel as comfortable as possible,” Dr Gordon-Boyle explained.

According to the DCMO, the quarantine facilities are free of cost and provide each patient with three square meals per day which are prepared by a certified cook. A doctor and team are always on hand to care and monitor each patient twice daily, as well as conduct testing to determine if a patient suffers from underlying medical conditions.

At these facilities, there are games, free internet connection, television and telephone to call family and

friends. Given that persons entering these facilities will have to adapt to a new lifestyle to protect themselves and others, the Ministry stated that psychosocial support sessions are also being done with patients.

The Ministry is said to be partnering with two hotels to ensure that each patient has their own private space with amenities. With regard to isolation facilities, the conditions are the same, but if you are in critical condition and require ICU, you are not allowed to leave.

To this end, it was announced that mobile testing units will be in La Parfait Harmonie on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) and in South Ruimveldt over the weekend and the upcoming week. Additionally, residents of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) along with Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne) will have similar facilities including mobile testing.

According to WHO, there are 4, 258, 666 confirmed cases globally with 294, 190 deaths of May 14. In the Region of the Americas, the number of cases is 1,819,55 with more than 106,504 deaths.

Attacking…

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…left, right and centre ack in the day, as Napoleon attempted to conquer Europe, he insisted on fighting on only one front at a time: that allowed him to maintain the critical mass needed to overwhelm his enemies singly. Of course, his fatal mistake was to invade Russia, and he became sucked in beyond his supply lines – and paid the price in the Russian winter.

More than a hundred years later, Hitler didn’t just attack Russia (and outrun his supply lines), he decided to attack Britain and fight on two fronts! We know how that panned out, don’t we??

Well, while YOU obviously know the answer, dear reader, it does appear that all the military types with whom Granger surrounded himself to cling on to power believe they can go one up on Hitler on MULTIPLE fronts in battle!! A PNC top brass and company, who’s been put in charge of the operation codenamed “Eagle Eyes” (this is war, baby!!), have decided to attack simultaneously on three fronts: right, left and centre!!

In the centre, the PNC always had their sights on the PPP – their major foe in this battle. They were pleased as a punch when they repelled the PPP’s probing of their soft underbelly (the AFC) with their NCM back in Dec 2018. But the PPP was able to gauge the mindset of the PNC in that manoeuvre, and was ready for a no-holds-barred campaign in the main theatre, called “Elections 2020”. Even though Brigadier David Granger had inexplicably neutered the PNC’s AFC ally, he still felt he could overwhelm the PPP in a frontal attack. He was confident his ex-military sappers could bring out the votes in his traditional constituency to overwhelm and overrun the PPP’s base, whom he figured had been depleted by emigration.

It was a miscalculation that he realised too late – and was forced to pull the Mingo stunt at Ashmin’s!! And this was his fatal mistake. He did the dirty so openly that he didn’t give any of the overseas observers – and the ambassadors – even a fig leaf of deniability to go along with him. They were forced to call him out; and now we have the recount.

But rather than withdrawing and try to regroup like Napoleon, Granger and Harmon decided to also attack on the two new fronts that had now opened up: the US and the OAS on their left and right flanks.

They’ve openly accused the US Ambassador of being paid off by Mercury; and now they’ve accused the Head of the OAS team, ex-Jamaica PM Golding, of being corrupted

by Jagdeo!! Wow!!

All that’s left is the fourth front, called CariCom. Watch out, Mottley!! The Kamikaze brigade is coming!! ...with AFC dummies It does look like Nagamootoo and Ramjattan have been banished by General Granger to the doghouse in the present recount battle. Nagamootoo always figured himself as a “talk man”, but he’s nowhere to be seen in front of the ACCC, to put a spin on the daily skirmishes.

His sin? How dare he say that the IFIs might be holding up COVID relief because of the “political” contretemps??

But one would’ve thought that Ramjattan would now have been deployed, after the horrible snafus his AFC’s Lenno Craig and David Patterson have been committing.

No Goebbels, them!! One suffering from verbal diarrhoea full of inanities and faux pas; the other struck dumb!! They gotta go!! At least Ramjattan was kinda creative with the story of Russian operatives hacking our elections, on his last (and only) outing!! So who’s left? Well, the fella who’s been in charge of the propaganda machinery over at the DPI for the last five years!!

Isn’t it time he serves on the front line?? After all, Nagamootoo doesn’t need a shill in the doghouse!! …with blanks AFC’s Patterson insists Mingo’s submitted figures match the APNU/AFC’s SOPs; and as, Granger should be sworn in. But since the recount’s proven Mingo’s figures were inflated for APNU/AFC, doesn’t that mean their SOPs are also inflated??

Terminal stupidity!!

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

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GECOM now awaits word from Govt to increase workstations …as ‘wet ballots’ halt Region 1 recount

PPP/C Commissioner Sase Gunraj

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he Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) on Thursday announced that it is now awaiting word from the Government’s Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Taskforce to see whether it would be allowed to increase the counting stations being used at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) venue for the National Recount underway of the March 2, votes cast.

This in addition to the fact that the counting has had to be interrupted for Region One because of ‘wet ballots.’

The Commission on Thursday completed 98 of the 99 ballot boxes containing votes cast for Region One: Barima-Waini, but tabulations and counting for

that electoral district has since been put on hold, since the last ballot box was found to still be wet.

GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward gave the confirmation on Thursday as the Commission continued with day eight of the National Recount exercise. According to Ward, the Commission has since decided to empty the box and place its contents at a secure spot along with security, in order for its contents to be ascertained at a later time, if still possible, given the water damage to the ballots.

She did indicate that since recount of the votes cast in the Region had more or less been completed, the two working stations that were recounting the votes have since moved on to beginning the recount of ballots cast in Region Five.

Ward also revealed that a total of 54 ballot boxes were counted on Thursday, taking to 404 the total number of boxes counted since the recount process began.

GECOM Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Vincent Alexander have both expressed to reporters outside of the venue — the Arthur Chung Convention Centre — the view that even if the ballots could not be recounted, the situation did not pose an unsurmountable problem.

Alexander suggested that

GECOM PRO Yolanda Ward

a range of options are available, including the holding of a likely bi-elections; while Gunraj did not rule out a resort to the SOPs for the ballot box, since the Statements of Recount (SORs) from the 98 boxes have thus far been largely consistent with the Election Day SOPs. Additionally, reporters encamped in the makeshift media centre outside of the venue were told that the expected decision by the Commission, to add more counting stations at ACCC, would have to wait until today, when the Taskforce is expected to relay its report to GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh.

GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj provided an update for media operatives that the Commission iden-

tified about half a dozen new locations at the venue for the Taskforce, and that there were some preliminary discussions in relation to the suitability of the areas identified.

He noted, too, that the security of the locations is also being taken into consideration, adding that: “For the most part, there is some consensus on the placement of the stations.”

The PPP GECOM Commissioner reported additionally that a decision was taken to reduce the checklist for the ballot boxes being recounted, since a

The contents of the wet ballot box being examined on Thursday

number of unnecessary aspects have been consuming time. He cited as example the need to check for seals and other markings.

“It was my opinion, and shared on both sides, that we were checking certain aspects in the box that were not necessary,” Gunraj said.

Lusignan Landfill erupts in flames

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The fire burning at the Lusignan Landfill

section of the Lusignan Landfill, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), erupted in flames on Wednesday, and a large section of the site was consumed.

The Communities Ministry confirmed on Thursday that the fire was initially spotted

at about 05:00h on the day in question.

A release from that Ministry stated that an alarm was raised

by Site Manager Lloyd Stanton after he arrived about one hour after the fire had started.

“There, thick smoke was emanating from the southern

end of the landfill site. The incident was reported and a contractor was summoned to assist in quelling the blaze.

However, the inferno had already consumed about 300400 square metres of the property,” the release added.

TURN TO PAGE 10

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Illegal operations discovered at protected Iwokrama Rainforest

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he Iwokrama International Centre is now mulling the use of cameras and drones to manage the protected rainforest, as illegal activities increase within the area.

In a statement, the rainforest conservation body indicated that there was a proliferation of single-person operations. These operations appear to use metal detectors and spades.

Discoveries were made of ‘several four-inch dredges and substantive destruction to the forest floor’.

According to the Centre, this act is viewed as persons taking advantage of the COVID-19 situation.

“These activities, the Centre believes, are being perpetuated by individuals taking advantage of the current restrictions and lockdown protocols established to combat the COVID-19 virus. The Centre would like to again remind the public and other stakeholders that these activities are not allowed in the Iwokrama Forest unless the Centre gives express written permission for any of these activities to be undertaken,” the body said.

It added that enough resources have been dispensed on sensitisation sessions and other engagements in the past and in recent times to educate the public on activities which were not permitted.

“We conducted an educa-

tion to monitor boat traffic.

“The Centre is offering a reward for any information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of persons(s) involved in illegal activities in the Iwokrama Forest. The Centre will also be following up on information it received on specific mining operators who we have been told have been working in the Iwokrama Forest. Any arrests will be fully publicised.”

Persons guilty of any illegal practices can be fined $100,000 or face imprisonment for a period of one year.

The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development was created in the run-up to the Rio Summit in 1992. It is a key environmental pro-

Illegal operations detected by the Iwokrama International Centre

tion and awareness activity so the public should now be well aware of the boundaries of the Iwokrama Forest and permitted activities in the forest. Again, over this last weekend, the Centre’s staff together with teams from the Corps of Wardens under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) carried out raids in the Iwokrama Forest,” the missive highlighted.

The Centre’s monitoring team works with the regulatory institutions in Guyana – the Natural Resources Corps of Wardens; the GPF; the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC); the Guyana Geology and Mines

Commission (GGMC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

As such, they have pledged to “continue to undertake regular monitoring and enforcement activities within the environs of the Iwokrama Forest, and the Centre will also be rigidly enforcing the prescribed penalties under the Iwokrama Act and other laws of Guyana to any person(s) found illegally operating in the Iwokrama Forest.”

For now, cameras will be installed in key locations. A drone was also acquired with facial recognition software for remote aerial monitoring.

The Centre also plans on establishing a monitoring sta-

gramme dedicated by the Government of Guyana to the Commonwealth in 1989 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malaysia.

Since its official founding, through an Act of Parliament in 1996, signed off by then President Dr Cheddi Jagan, Iwokrama has sought to advance best practices in the sustainable management of the world’s remaining rainforests.

Iwokrama manages the 371,000 hectares (nearly one million acres) of Iwokrama Forest in central Guyana to show how tropical forests can be conserved and sustainably used for ecological, social, and economic benefits to local, national and international communities.

Lusignan Landfill erupts...

A team of six persons, with assistance from an excavator and a water pump, was used to contain the blaze, but that task reportedly took the team a few hours to complete.

“The security will be monitoring the area overnight, and report any sightings of smoke in the area,” the Ministry has said.

Guyana Times tried to contact the Ministry for an update on the situation, but calls went unanswered.

Landfill fires are prone to reignition if not doused properly. In some cases, the heat

penetrates layers of debris and remains trapped. Presently, there are a number of these sites in Guyana, situated at Eccles, Belle Vue, Lusignan, Lethem, and Mabaruma, among other places.

Back in 2015, a massive fire that erupted at the Haags Bosch Landfill at Eccles was extinguished only after many weeks of combined efforts. After that fire had consumed the site and affected many nearby residents, workers had managed to restore the landfill, and it has been up and running ever since. New equip-

FROM PAGE 9

ment, such as shredders and a tarpaulin deployer, were also installed to assist with innovative waste composting and storage.

It is said that landfills which do not cover their waste with daily cover suffer air intrusion. This provides the oxygen required for increased biological activity, which creates substantial heat and can result in spontaneous combustion of materials in those landfills. If this combustion remains unchecked, it can burn deeper into the waste materials and result in deep-seated fires.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Coalition hurting its supporters by spreading false narrative they won the elections” – Ali

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali speaking with the media recently

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he leadership of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) must cease creating a “false narrative and spreading propaganda” and be honest with its supporters by letting them know the coalition lost the March 2 polls.

This is according to People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali, who, in a direct appeal to the leadership of the APNU/AFC on Thursday evening, urged the coalition to “come clean” regarding the true results of the elections.

Ali, via a Facebook video, said that this false narrative, being pushed by coalition leaders, was not doing any good for its support base or for the country as a whole.

“You cannot continue to push propaganda and create a false narrative among your support base. It is not right. It does not help them,” Ali told the APNU/AFC. Ali reminded that all of the international and local observers, in their initial assessments, had labelled the District Four tabulations by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo as fraudulent.

He added that the ongoing national recount at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) would confirm that it was the PPP that won the polls, adding that the Statements of Recount (SoRs) were matching the Statements of Poll (SoPs) which his party

had uploaded.

“The APNU/AFC cannot be doing this to their supporters; they cannot be continuously misleading their supporters,” Ali pleaded.

He also used the opportunity to assure coalition supporters that in a PPP Government, they would have an equal stake in the development of the country.

“I want to assure every single APNU/AFC supporter that the PPP and the next government would manage in a way that would include them. Everyone will see their aspirations realised,” the Presidential Candidate promised.

He said that the APNU/ AFC should accept that it has been defeated and use the time out of office to reflect on how the coalition could be better.

Ali said that by now polit-

Former Ministry of the Presidency Director General, Joseph Harmon

ical parties should have been working with a legitimate government to ensure development is fast-tracked, but, unfortunately, the country is being caught up in a political conundrum.

The APNU/AFC went

into attack mode against Caribbean statesman Bruce Golding over his damning assessment of the controversial Region Four declarations which saw Mingo inflating votes heavily in favour of the incumbent coalition.

Golding, a former Prime Minister of Jamaica, had led the Organisation of American States’ Electoral Observation Mission (OAS EOM) to monitor Guyana’s March 2 General and Regional Elections.

On Wednesday, the EOM Head presented his preliminary report to the Permanent Council of the OAS during which he said: “I have never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.”

The APNU/AFC coalition was now in a desperate attempt to discredit the findings of the OAS Electoral Observer Mission.

“Golding has more credibility than the entire APNU/AFC cabal” – Jagdeo

PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo

G

eneral Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, has fired back at A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition over claims they made in relation to former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s damning assessment of the fraudulent declaration of the District Four results.

Golding had led the Organisation of American States’ Electoral Observation Mission (OAS EOM) to monitor Guyana’s March 2 General and Regional Elections; and on Wednesday, the EOM head presented his preliminary report to the Permanent Council of the OAS, during which he said he had “never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.”

This reportedly angered the Coalition, and in a desperate attempt to discredit the preliminary findings of the OAS Observer Mission, the APNU/AFC launched a tirade against the Caribbean states-

man in which they alleged that Golding’s “friendship” with Mr Jagdeo disqualifies him from making an independent and fair assessment of the conduct of Guyana’s polls.

However, Jagdeo, a former President himself, during a virtual press briefing on Thursday, lashed out at the Coalition for deliberately ignoring the reports of all the international observers, which stated that the tabulation process for District Four lacked credibility and transparency.

“This has nothing to do with friendship. What Golding saw, the entire OAS Observer Mission saw, all seventeen of them from 13 countries. The observers from the European Union (and) the Commonwealth all saw the same thing,” Jagdeo noted.

“I have been President for a while, and I have worked with several Prime Ministers around the Caribbean, and I have a good relationship with almost all of them up to today. Bruce Golding and Owen Arthur and many of the others …these are decent people who will never stand for rigging; and they saw what took place.”

The PPP General Secretary reminded that everyone who was present during the District Four tabulation had expressed the same view, and it is only the APNU/ AFC who are standing in support of the fraudulent declarations made by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.

“APNU/AFC are the only ones that were happy with Mingo’s declarations,” he said.

In relation to Golding’s credibility and track record,

brazen given the paper trail that is in place, including the fact that more than a dozen copies of the Statements of Poll (SOPs), which indicate how many votes were obtained by each party, are prepared at each polling station after the ballots are counted on election night.

“One copy is posted on the wall outside the polling station, and each party representative, and there were

Head of the OAS EOM, former Jamaican PM Bruce Golding

Jagdeo said: “Bruce Golding has more credibility, honesty, decency than the entire APNU apparatus; all the Cabinet members put together.”

Taking a swipe at top APNU/AFC Candidate Joseph Harmon, the former President noted that Harmon is in no position to question the credibility of Golding, as he is among a “cabal” in the Coalition that is “defending blatant thievery” of the elections.

The former President noted that the APNU/AFC will never make their Statements of Poll (SOPs) available to the public to back up their claims that they have won the elections, because they are afraid that this would expose Mingo’s figures as fictitious.

During his preliminary report to the OAS Permanent Council on Wednesday, Golding said: “I have never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.”

According to the OAS EOM Head, this is even more

nine in all, is entitled to receive a copy. You know, it takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists, and this is being illustrated now as the recount proceeds,” the former Jamaica Leader posited.

With today being only the ninth day into the National Recount, the OAS has two representatives here monitoring,

and the recount has already revealed that the Region Four results that were declared by embattled Returning Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo on March 13 were heavily inflated in favour of the incumbent APNU/AFC Coalition.

The Demerara-Mahaica region is the largest voting district in the country, and the only one in which there were major issues during the counting process.

12 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Attacking Golding does not change demand for credible Guyana elections result

By Sir Ronald Sanders

I

n the wake of a report to the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) on the Guyana general elections of March 2, the Head of the Electoral Mission (EOM), former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding, has been accused of being “exceptionally partisan” and “hostile to the nation and people of Guyana”.

Surprisingly, this accusation has been made by Joseph Harmon, a senior official of the APNU-AFC alliance, and a senior member of the caretaker Government in Guyana. I say “surprisingly” because Harmon should know that the Office of the President, of which he was – and is – an integral part; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officially advised the OAS Secretariat that there was “no objection” to Golding leading the OAS EOM for the elections.

This “no objection” came after Golding, in full disclosure and transparency, informed the OAS Secretariat, when approached to lead the team, that he had been, at one time, a guest in the home of Opposition Leader and former President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo. So, this matter was openly disclosed, and the Guyana Government registered that it had no objection.

For general knowledge, it is worth recording that the OAS carries out an extensive search

in its appointment of members of EOMs, particularly the persons to lead such missions. Golding was approached to lead the mission to Guyana based on his authority as a former CARICOM head of government, and his knowledge and experience of general elections in the Caribbean.

Members of the team were 17 seasoned experts and observers of general elections coming from 13 countries. Therefore, when Golding presented an “Update on the Electoral Process in Guyana” to the OAS Permanent Council on May 13, he did so with the full backing of the team that had spent 16 days observing the runup to the elections, polling day on March 2, and the subsequent debacle that started on March 5; when, unlike nine of the ten regions that had proceeded in accordance with electoral law, the final tabulation of Region 4 was questioned by all the Observer Missions – not only the OAS, but also the missions from the Carter Center, the European Union, Caricom, and the Commonwealth.

The latter mission was led by another former prime minister and senior Caribbean statesman, Owen Arthur of Barbados. Arthur was an eyewitness to the actual elections and its aftermath, and he and his team have meticulous records on which he will obviously draw when he makes his public statement. He is not expected to be any less critical of events sur-

Sir Ronald Sanders

rounding the tabulation of Region 4 than was Golding, whose remarks at the OAS meeting: that he “had never seen a more transparent effort to alter the result of an election”, and that “It takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictitious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists”, are a serious condemnation of the officials of the Guyana Electoral Commission.

It is significant that all the Observer missions, including the OAS, highly commended the “conduct of a credible process” on election day. The problem was not the voting; it was the tabulation of votes in Region 4, where the statement of poll by the returning officer varied greatly from the statement of poll which all the political

parties had in their possession, since their agents were present for the counting of each vote.

In this regard, the point made in a joint statement by the Caricom Group, at the same OAS meeting at which Golding presented his update, is significant. “If each of the political parties genuinely believes it has won, then they should have no fear of the current recount, and they should all support it”.

A credible and transparent recount of the votes over which representatives of Caricom are scrutineers, and the peaceful acceptance of the results by all parties, are crucial to Guyana’s future. If the recount is upended under any pretext, and the Caricom scrutineers cannot pronounce it transparent and credible, the swearing in of any government would be regarded as illegal, with grave consequences particularly for persons involved. Guyana itself, instead of proceeding on a path of progress, would be mired in international odium, halting the economic growth and social improvement to which its people have been looking forward.

The international community is giving Caricom an opportunity to help Guyana out of this morass.

In its joint statement at the OAS meeting, Caricom stated it has “no interest in which political party wins the election; Caricom’s interest is that, at the end of the recounting process, democracy must

be the winner”.

The global community has taken Caricom at its word, as expressed at the OAS meeting: that, “If democracy fails in any Caricom country, it fails in the larger Community. As an institution, Caricom cannot allow this to happen in any member state”.

Significantly, OAS SecretaryGeneral Luis Almagro declared that the OAS is content “at this stage” to support Caricom’s efforts.

Caricom’s engagement, by the invitation of Guyana’s President and Opposition Leader, with the agreement of GECOM, is to scrutinise the recount of the votes “in an effort to see a transparent and credible result, and a legitimate Government elected at its end”.

It is in the interest of all the political parties and other actors in Guyana to help themselves by ensuring that Caricom carries out its task successfully. For, if Caricom is seen to fail, then others will take its place.

As the US Ambassador in Guyana recently had to point out, not that the US wishes it, but there could be “serious consequences if the democratic process, the rule of law and the principles of democracy, are not followed in Guyana”.

The US is not likely to be alone in actions that would have to be taken by regional and international governments. (CNG Media)

GECOM’s failure to address attempts at electoral fraud led to Mingo fiasco – Gunraj

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

I

t was the failure of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to deal with issues of electoral fraud in a uniformed way that has caused the system to be circumstanced in such a way that enables persons “to try these things over and over again.”

This was the damning revelation made by Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj when, on Thursday, he was asked to respond to the claims of fictious results being presented by a GECOM officer in order to alter the results of the March 2 poll.

The scathing criticism of the GECOM Returning Officer was given a day earlier by Head of the Organisation of American States’ Electoral Observer Mission, Bruce Golding.

According to Gunraj, over the years, GECOM “abjectly failed to deal with those issues in a condign manner.” He was at the time pointing to the recent allegations of previous attempts in earlier elections juxtaposed with the Commission’s response.

Speaking specifically to the issue of fake statements of poll that had made their way into the tabulation centre during the 2015 elections, the GECOM Commissioner recalled that, ever since then, he would have demanded to see the SOPs in the possession of Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.

He told media operatives that GECOM, while being a democratic organization, has failed under successive chairpersons to address the issues.

Gunraj was at the time referring to former Chairpersons Dr Steven Surujbally and retired Justice James Patterson.

According to Gunraj, it was Surujbally who voted against the release of the SOPs at that time, and Justice Patterson had dealt with the matter relative to proxy votes raised during a local government election.

Gunraj told reporters that

Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo

there had been an investigation, and that Justice (rtd) Patterson had ruled that it was a non-issue.

Gunraj noted, too, that the issues of the fake SOPs are in fact central to an election petition that had been filed; and he said that five years later, this matter is still to be concluded.

According to Gunraj, however, “While I do not reject the idea that GECOM is without blame, and perhaps is very blameworthy in the diligent prosecution of that issue, perhaps the court, which is charged with responsibility of dealing with that, also should take some blame.”

He again pointed to the fiveyear time span that has elapsed since that petition was filed, and he said the issues have still not been ventilated.

Gunraj noted, additionally, that the onus to address issues related to electoral fraud and attempts at electoral fraud do not rest entirely with the court, but “if the majority of the Commission refused to deal with it, unfortunately, my hands are tied”.

The GECOM Commissioner told reporters the electoral institution “is supposed to be a democratic body, and in a democratic situation, majority rules; and I am bound by the decision of the majority.”

Addressing the charges made

by Golding specifically, Gunraj told reporters, “Mr Golding said something that I believe many of us were thinking: that this was a most transparent attempt at a rig of an election…we all saw it.”

According to Gunraj, “Prime Minister Golding has not said anything that is different or earthshattering outside of what we all observed; he and his team, like any one of us, would have all observed that as well.”

Speaking to the National Recount exercise underway, Gunraj told representatives of the media, “Up to now, with 350 odd boxes concluded, there has been no marked changes, except in the box-

Former GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson

es in Region Four, where Mingo did his ‘bingo’. There has been no marked change in the contents of the SORs and the SOPS.” According to Gunraj, with the exception of some cosmetic changes, taking into account instances such as where rejected votes were found to be accepted in the recount, the only marked changes in the SORs relate to Mingo’s figures.

He reminded that the SOPs are in fact public documents posted at 2,339 polling stations, and are required to be posted in a conspicuous place outside of the polling stations.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tourism authorities studying ways to ‘co-exist with COVID-19’ …as aviation, health sectors join collaborative efforts …tax incentives, solo experiences among suggestions discussed

By Rupa Seenaraine

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he coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has taken its toll on economies across the globe, devastating industries and creating a domino effect on supplementary sectors.

In Guyana, Tourism authorities have begun assessing the losses and negative figures for the year; and, as such, are seeking means to ‘co-exist’ with the coronavirus until a vaccination is created.

At present, researchers have posited that this vaccine is far from reach.

Like the tourism industry, the aviation sector has been dealt a serious blow, as airports remain closed in many territories. As such, local entities such as the Business Ministry, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) were joined by officials from the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, and other counterparts globally on Thursday to assert their input in reviving the industry through modified income streams.

Director-General of Tourism, Donald Sinclair, indicated that any premature opening of the ports and travel could pose serious risks on countries, and as such, adaptation is key to remaining relevant until normalcy prevails.

While it is said that recovery before 2021 is highly unlikely, the domestic market will rebound first.

Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Carla James, has said her office is working with a

GCAA Director General Egbert Field

phased guideline to incorporate tourism in a way that does not interfere with the COVID-19 regulations, and is also building a resiliency and recovery strategy. In foresight, they are preparing for safe travel when borders reopen.

“As part of that acceptance of (the) new norm, we need to focus on the solutions and take action now, talking about a phased approach in reopening destinations and making communities and tours safe for our visitors. That recovery timeline looks like identifying priorities, redefining our action plans to prepare for when borders open,” James highlighted.

Hygiene and sanitation are said to be a major introduction to safe travel. They have also selected models whereby new technologies can conduct raid checks at airports. James, however, pointed out that some of Guyana’s considered weaknesses in the past might prove to be advantageous in the way tourists select their vacation destination.

“I think some of the key takeaways from this preparation is that some of the weaknesses that Guyana is known to have are now our strengths, and perception of destination safety will drive decision- making going forward,” she posited.

Worldwide, consumers are faced with financial constraints, global uncertainty on safety, booking conditions, and the availability of flights, as they seek to travel presently. Locally, the sector is met with its own challenges, which affect reopening, but authorities are considering freezing prices for the rest of the year, among other alternatives, to encourage people to travel.

“The challenges that are facing Guyana to reopen right now are: a lot of supplies are closed; there is great uncertainty. I think we have been advocating to freeze our prices for at least the remainder of 2020, and maybe all the way through [the first quarter] of 2021…

The private sector is now looking into that mode, where they’re looking to address these challenges to cater for when the market opens up,” the GTA Director said.

It is expected that many persons, if they choose to travel, would find destinations that are closer to home.

Also, many may eliminate countries that have alarming cases of the deadly virus.

Waiving taxes

Meanwhile, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mitra Ramkumar, has recognised that Guyanese pay hefty airport taxes when travelling.

Incentives on regional trav-

the ports and borders are reopened, the tourism sector can have a proper rebound by implementing such measures.

The THAG President added, “I believe this is something that really needs to be looked at as a region and as a collective. This is not an attack on anyone, but I think if we come together, we can have solutions that can encourage our people to travel.”

Domestic partnerships

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

el, he noted, can keep tourism alive until the pandemic is brought to an end.

Ramkumar went on to break down the amount of money persons dispense in taxes, which add to a significant sum for families and large groups of persons travelling. Passenger and travel fees are added at every destination at which a person stops. As such, he said, the region should formulate a workable alternative to address these issues.

“Regional tourism needs to be incentivized,” he declared. “Governments and airports need to reduce the travel tax and passenger fees…We have a Travel Voucher Tax of 15 per cent of the base fare, that is for all travel originating out of Georgetown. In addition to that, there is a travel tax of $3,500; the airport security fee for all departing passenger is US$20 at the Cheddi Jagan International [Airport]; and there is a passenger fee on arrival for all arriving passengers,” he highlighted.

He claimed that when

With international aircraft grounded, and some limited to only cargo or humanitarian flights, DirectorGeneral of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Egbert Field, suggested that travel entities should focus on forging partnerships to facilitate more domestic travel.

This can significantly assist the sector, until there is some sense of normalcy, he said.

“Start that discussion with our local operators on what routes they might be able to run for you independent of doing charters or regular runs,” he urged tourism bodies.

According to him, the aviation industry is in a serious position, with activities dwindling to just 9.7 per cent. There has been a significant reduction in the revenue base, as fees for using Guyana’s airspace and money generated from other activities drop.

Safe travel

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud cautioned that the new avenues to garner income from the sector should be safe, with mechanisms in place to protect travellers.

GTA Director Carla James

He said the Public Health Ministry would also have to make facilities available should any traveller come across as a suspected case, which all come at a cost.

“There are new methodologies, and even new equipment, that are required at all ports. There is some sanitising equipment now that are being piloted…Home isolation is something we’d have to work on, and to find facilities generally… case finding and early detection; contact-tracing and follow-up; and the containment measures, which include the border controls, our airlines, vessels, and even vehicular traffic that operates,” Dr Persaud asserted.

Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Neil Walters, has recognised that this type of collaboration is necessary for countries to recover, since many of them would not be able to do so alone. Nevertheless, suggestions were made for solo experiences and more virtual reality undertakings by these entities, as the virus progresses.

Wales sugar workers receive last outstanding severance payout …workers lament seemingly arduous and long wait they had to endure

A

ggrieved sugar workers were on Tuesday paid the last tranche of their severance payments, which had been withheld from them by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) following the December 2016 closure of the Wales Estate.

This is according to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) in a statement to the media on Thursday, in which it was stated that former cane-cutters of the nowclosed Wales Estate had begun receiving their severance payments.

GAWU is contending that the workers’ severance payments were withheld from them despite a High Court decision made in their favour.

In December 2018, Justice Sandil Kissoon awarded the cane-cutters of Wales, who had taken up work at Uitvlugt Estate following the

Sugar workers picketing the Ministry of the Presidency for severance pay

Wales’ closure, one month’s pay in lieu of notice, apart from their severance entitlements which are premised on their years of service to the sugar company.

The state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation

(GuySuCo) abided partially with the court’s order in regard to the workers’ severance entitlements, but refused to pay the workers who were entitled to their one month’s pay, GAWU explained.

The GAWU stated that, on two occasions early last year, they had written to GuySuCo, seeking its full compliance with the court decision, but the Corporation had remained adamant and refused to honour its le-

gal obligations to the workers. This led to the workers’ bargaining agent approaching the High Court to have the outstanding section of Justice Kissoon’s decision enforced.

The Union’s legal recourse saw, on November 21, 2019, Chief Justice (ag.)

Roxane George approving a garnishment order regarding the outstanding sum owed to the workers. Through the order, the Corporation’s banker was compelled to pay over to the Union, on the workers’ behalf, the sum of $7.5M. The Corporation subsequently appealed the Chief Justice’s decision, but when that matter came up for hearing earlier this year, GuySuCo withdrew its appeal after its attorney learnt that the order had been enforced and the appeal had therefore become moot.

The withdrawal of the appeal by GuySuCo had

paved the way for the Union to finally pay to the workers their outstanding monies.

GAWU has said the workers were most pleased to be receiving their outstanding payments, and expressed their appreciation to the Union for the sustained efforts to bring them justice.

According to GAWU, the workers lamented the seemingly arduous and long wait they had to endure to have their lawful rights respected.

“Indeed, the struggle of the sugar workers of the closed estates to receive their severance entitlements represents a sad chapter in our history; but, at the same time, a proud achievement for workers’ rights. It also demonstrates…the obstacles workers have to surmount to have their rights respected, and is yet another reminder of the need for workers to be organized, lest their rights be disregarded,” the missive stated.

14 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT Comparison of Thursday's SoRs with PPP’s SoPs FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020

Around the World

OILNEWS

Global virus vaccine race heats up, but not without controversy

IEA: Oil market G recovery faces 2 major uncertainties

E

ven after Black April ended and demand started to crawl up, the oil market and supply-demand balances continue to face two major uncertainties on its fragile road to recovery—a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections and potentially underwhelming Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) compliance with the cuts, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday.

In its Oil Market Report for May, the IEA noted that despite pledges both for deeper cuts and over-compliance from OPEC’s Middle East heavyweights Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, it is highly uncertain how compliant the whole OPEC+ group would remain with the production reductions. One of the biggest questions that the oil market faces is whether the OPEC+ participants could achieve and then keep the cuts, the IEA said.

An even bigger headache for the oil market rebalancing and oil price recovery is the major uncertainty if coronavirus infections will start rising again in a second wave, after economies have started to re-open and lockdowns are being eased, including in some of the worst-hit countries in Europe such as Italy and the United Kingdom.

“These are big questions – and the answers we get in the coming weeks will have major consequences for the oil market,” the Paris-based agency said.

These uncertainties, if realised, could put at risk the IEA’s slightly more optimistic view on the global oil market this month compared to last month. In the May report, the IEA expects global oil demand to drop by 8.6 million bpd in 2020 – a major demand loss this year, but slightly less than the 9.3-million-bpd demand destruction the agency had predicted in its report in April.

For Q2 2020 alone, the IEA expects demand to plunge by 19.9 million bpd compared to last year’s consumption levels.

“A resurgence of COVID-19 is a major risk factor for demand,” the IEA warned. (Oilprice.com)

lobal tensions simmered over the race for a coronavirus vaccine Thursday, as the United States and China traded jabs, and France slammed pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi for suggesting the US would get any eventual vaccine first.

Scientists are working at breakneck speed to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, which has killed more than 300,000 people worldwide and pummelled economies.

From the US to Europe to Asia, national and local governments are easing up on lockdown orders to get people back to work – while fretting over a possible second wave of infections.

Increased freedom of movement means an increased risk of contracting the virus, and so national labs and private firms are

labouring to find the right formula for a vaccine.

The European Union's medicines agency offered some hope when it said one could be ready in a year, based on data from clinical trials already underway.

But Marco Cavaleri, the EMA's head of vaccines strategy, acknowledged that timeline was a "bestcase scenario," and cautioned that "there may be delays."

The race for a vaccine has exposed a raw nerve in relations between the United States and China, where the virus was first detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan.

Two US agencies warned Wednesday that Chinese hackers were trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research – a claim Beijing rejected as "smearing" its reputation.

E

arlier this month, Europe’s ambassador in Beijing submitted to Chinese censorship.

Seeking to mark an anniversary of the European Union’s relations with China on May 6, he and the EU’s 27 Ambassadors co-wrote an opinion piece titled “EU-China ties vital amid global crisis”, for publication on Embassy

websites and in China Daily, an English-language newspaper controlled by the State.

“The outbreak of the coronavirus in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months,” said the carefully orchestrated piece, had “temporarily side-tracked” plans for meetings.

But in the China Daily ver-

UWI’s St Augustine Campus

T

not be patented and that the science should be shared among nations.

"Governments and international partners must unite around a global guarantee which ensures that, when a safe and effective vaccine is developed, it is produced rapidly at scale and made available for all people, in all countries, free of charge," it said.

But a row erupted in France after French drugmaker Sanofi said it would reserve first shipments of any vaccine it discovered to the United States.

The comments prompted a swift rebuke from the French Government – President Emmanuel Macron's office said any vaccine should be treated as "a global public good, which is not submitted to market forces". (Excerpt from AFP)

pandemic and COVID-19 is estimated to decimate some 20 per cent of the Region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounting for near US$16 billion,” Beckles said.

He said with all the issues facing the Region and its Governments struggling to cope, the university is still owed money from different Governments and has been operating on a deficit in its consolidated financial accounts.

Beckles said the University intends to keep an intimate relationship with the Governments in the Region to work out these financial issues.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

sion, the reference to the virus starting in China was deleted.

The change emerged as the article appeared on EU embassy websites, causing alarm among representatives of member states. Diplomats said the Ambassador, French diplomat Nicolas Chapuis, had not consulted his bosses in Brussels or his fellow envoys about the change. He

had, the EU executive said on May 7, unilaterally decided to accept it, with “considerable reluctance”.

As the new coronavirus casts its shadow over geopolitics, the episode highlights concern among European diplomats over what they see as an increasingly conflictual relationship with Beijing.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

US weighs returning Cuba to list of “state sponsors of terrorism”

T

the Caribbean Region and there would be no avoiding these ramifications for how Caribbean people conduct their lives going forward.

“There is no doubt that the Governments and people of this region must continue to see this pandemic as an existential threat to Caribbean civilisation,” Beckles said.

He said the region is now facing a “triple C” threat— of climate change, chronic disease, and COVID-19.

“This region has lost over US$30 billion in the last five years on account of the challenges of hurricanes. We are losing some US$1.5 billion a year in our containment and management of the chronic disease

US President Donald Trump, who has ratcheted up the rhetoric against China, said he doesn't even want to engage with Chinese leader Xi Jinping – potentially imperilling a trade deal between the world's top two economies.

"I'm very disappointed in China. I will tell you that right now," he said in an interview with Fox Business.

"There are many things we could do. We could do things. We could cut off the whole relationship."

On Capitol Hill, an ousted US health official told Congress that the Trump Government had no strategy in place to find and distribute a vaccine to millions of Americans, warning of the "darkest winter" ahead.

World leaders were among 140 signatories to a letter published Thursday saying any vaccine should

As China pushes back on virus, Europe wakes to 'Wolf Warrior' diplomacy

UWI to slash budget as COVID-19 takes toll

he University of the West Indies (UWI) plans to make significant budget cuts as it charts the way forward in a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) world.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles made the comment on Wednesday as he delivered his report on the university’s future operation in a live broadcast on UWItv. Beckles said UWI will soon be presenting COVID budgets that will see massive cuts in its expenditure, to its University Grants Committee (UGC) for approval.

He said the virus has serious implications for

21

he United States is considering returning Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a senior official in the Administration of US President Donald Trump told Reuters news agency on Thursday – a move that would mark another major blow to increasingly tense relations between Washington and Havana.

There is a "convincing case" that Cuba should be placed back on the US blacklist, in part because of its continued backing for socialist Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the refuge it gives to leaders of Colombia's National

Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group, the official said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official did not rule out that a decision on Cuba's relisting could come by the end of the year.

In what was possibly a preliminary step, the Trump Administration said on Wednesday that it had put the Communist-ruled island back on a separate list of countries that do not cooperate fully with its efforts to counter "terrorism".

Havana, which has long denied any link to socalled terrorism, dismissed Wednesday's Department of State announcement as "spurious".

Returning Cuba to the blacklist would be a further rollback of the detente that former President Barack Obama orchestrated between the old Cold War foes.

His decision to formally remove Cuba from the "terrorism" list in 2015 was an important step toward restoring diplomatic ties that year.

Trump's toughened stance on Cuba, as well as Venezuela, has gone down well in the large CubanAmerican community in south Florida, an important voting bloc in a key political swing state as he seeks re-election in November.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Qatar makes wearing masks outside mandatory with violators fined up to US$53,000

Q

atar’s Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that wearing masks would be mandatory to go outside starting Sunday, and those who do not comply would be fined up to 200,000 riyals (US$53,000).

Violators could also be jailed up to three years, or either of those punishments, ac-

cording to a statement on the Ministry’s Twitter account.

The statement added that the only exception would be if the person is alone driving in a vehicle.

Qatar reported 1733 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours for a total of 28,272 cases and a total of 14 deaths. (Reuters)

22

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020

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O

n Thursday, May 14 marked the 80th anniversary of the first ball-by-ball broadcast on the BBC. In Australia, matches had been covered since 1922, with the first Test coverage coming during the Sydney Test in 1924-25. But it was only in 1927 when the BBC drew up its new charter which gave it the right to send out reporters to inform the public about major events, that the idea spread to Britain.

Lance Sieveking, who had just returned from the USA where he had been impressed by live baseball commentary, decided to experiment with cricket.

The BBC had already started with coverage of a rugby international - England v Wales at Twickenham on January 15, 1927, and soon followed with other broadcasts from the Grand National and the Boat Race.

On April 1, The Guardian announced that the BBC had proposed adding cricket to its basket of radio sports. As with most newspaper comment of the time, the reaction was lukewarm at best. The problem was that the papers regarded radio as a direct competitor and for a long time refused to publish programme schedules.

While The Guardian was dismissive, the Daily Herald was flippant, asking, with tongue firmly in cheek, whether coverage of the chess championship or billiards would not be more enthralling.

On April 25, it was announced that the Reverend Frank Gillingham, a former Essex batsman and a wellrespected preacher, would be the man who would deliver the first cricket commentary from Leyton on the first day of the match between Essex and the New Zealanders. The plan was for him to be on air from 2.10pm until 2.20pm, and then for a further four fiveminute bursts on the hour with a general summary

at 6.45pm. In between, the London Radio Dance Band would keep listeners entertained.

Although coverage was limited, The Daily Telegraph noted that "it is difficult to see how else such a broadcast could be made thoroughly interesting". A few days later The Guardian revealed that there were plans to cut into the scheduled band music "at any period when play is specially interesting".

As the day itself loomed, the Radio Times, the BBC's own publication, described the venture as "a new departure, an experiment, and something of an adventure" while admitting that cricket was "one of the slowest games in the world" and, as such, not exactly what people would want to listen to for long.

"They will not have to sit through descriptions of maiden overs and wait while the batsman send to the pavilion for his cap."

Gillingham was perched next to the secretary's office on the pavilion balcony, deliberately outside so that some of the noises of the crowd would be picked up by the one microphone.

In the game itself, Essex bowled the tourists out for 280 and reached 57 for 2 at the close. The Times, without referring to the BBC's presence, said there was "a distinctly subdued note throughout the day".

Nevertheless, 337 runs, 12 wickets and no rain was a far from disastrous start.

There is no recording of the broadcasts, but newspaper reaction was, perhaps predictably, low key. The Western Daily Press described it as "deadly dull" to the general body of listeners, but the Edinburgh Evening News was a little more upbeat with its verdict of "a partial success".

The experiment must have gone down reasonably well at Broadcasting House as it quickly decided to cover more matches. Initially the plans were Londonbased with broadcasts limited to Lord's and The Oval - there were logistical reasons for this - but at the end of May there were short spells of commentary on the Roses match at Old Trafford and in June the Test Trial at Sheffield was added.

Lord's proved a tough nut to crack, although issues

ASTROLOGY & SPIRITUALITY about where the commentator could sit were finally resolved in time for Pelham Warner - who was overlooked for the Leyton match as his voice was deemed "too gravely melancholic" - to cover Middlesex v Nottinghamshire on June 11.

Rather than a spot in or near the pavilion, he was forced to perch on top of the Clerk of the Works office, just outside the main ground overlooking third man.

The expansion in coverage indicates that the public warmed to the idea. The press remained defensive. In June, the Daily Mail slammed the "pathetic offering".

On July 6, Warner, who had quickly become the voice of London commentary - or "running comment" as the BBC termed it - was at Lord's for the third day of Oxford v Cambridge, with a car on standby should that finish to whisk him to The Oval to cover Gentlemen v Players.

July was a hectic month for Warner. Aside from those two matches, he also broadcast on Eton v Harrow and a brace of Surrey matches. At the end of the month, the Roses match at Leeds was warranted important enough for attention.

By the end of the summer, regional stations had joined in. In August, the BBC's Belfast service had coverage of the final of the local Senior Challenge Cup at the North of Ireland Cricket Club, while BBC Cardiff was at the Arms Park for Glamorgan v Somerset.

So cricket on the radio was here to stay. Sadly, Gillingham was soon gone. The end came when during a lengthy rain delay in a match at The Oval he ingeniously decide to fill in time by reading out the advertisements which surrounded the ground. In the rather puritanical and non-commercial era of Lord Reith, that was about as cardinal a sin as could be imagined and he was soon jettisoned.

Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? E-mail us with your comments and suggestions. (ESPNcricinfo)

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T

he International Olympic Committee expects to bear costs of up to $800 million for its part in the organisation of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, now due to be staged next year, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Thursday.

In March, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government decided to delay the Games, due to start this

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

NOW! A passerby wearing a protective face mask following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) walks past a screen displaying logos of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo (Reuters)

July, for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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

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

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

Bach declined to speculate on a possible new delay if the virus is still a major concern next year.

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

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

Some four million people have been infected and close to 300,000 have died from the disease globally.More than 90 vaccines are currently being developed globally, with eight in the clinical trial phase. But experts say the process could take years and may not happen at all. (Reuters)

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ith a focus on rebuilding for the 2020 CPL season, the beleaguered Jamaica Tallawahs franchise has opted to retain four players including star player Andre Russell for the new season.

The franchise that has borne the brunt of public criticism from former player Chris Gayle and Russell, has also retained Rovman Powell, Oshane Thomas and Chadwick Walton.

“The Tallawahs organisation will be seeking to rebuild in 2020. We are extremely excited to have Andre Russell back for another year. Andre was recently named as the leading T20 cricketer in the world by the 2020 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack,” said CEO Jefferson Miller.

“We are delighted for the opportunity to retain Oshane Thomas and Rovman Powell, both rising stars in West Indies and world cricket. I’m looking forward to having the veteran Chadwick Walton back in the dressing room.

“Chadwick brings a wealth of leadership experience to the team and has been a dominant player over the years in the CPL. Overall, we are looking forward to successful CPL 2020 and returning the championship to Jamaica.”

International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date. This year teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish.

They could also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players.

The CPL is scheduled to take place between August 19 and September 26, but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID-19 closely and are liaising with medical advisors and governments.

They will make a decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, as soon as possible.

(Sportsmax) Andre Russell celebrates with Glen Phillips and Oshane Thomas

F

or the first time since March, competitive cricket involving international players of a Full Member team is set to return after a long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Vincy Premier League (VPL), a franchise-based T10 tournament, is scheduled to start from May 22 in the eastern Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

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

The VPL will also become the first tournament where the players will not be allowed to use saliva on the ball, a concept that the ICC and medical experts at various cricket boards have been discussing, as reported recently by ESPNcricinfo. The tournament is set to be open for fans as there are no restrictions imposed by the government in St Vincent and the Grenadines.The VPL comprises 30 matches, which will be streamed live, with three games scheduled per day. A total of 72 players were picked by the six franchises via a draft held on May 11. Among them are six marquee players, including three West Indies players - seamer Kesrick Williams, opening batsman Sunil Ambris and left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy.The last recognised match before Covid-19 halted games across the world was played on March 15 when the Karachi Kings hosted the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.The VPL will be hosted

by St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association (SVGA), whose president, Kishore Shallow, is also the vice-president at Cricket West Indies (CWI).Shallow said the VPL was put together in the last two weeks after he was approached St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association President, Dr

by Dream 11, an India-based Kishore Shallow is also the Vice President of Cricket West Indies sports technology company. He (CWI) then alerted CWI and sent in a formal request via the Windward Island Cricket Association (of which the SVGA is a member) asking for the VPL to be sanctioned. Shallow said he had spoken to both CWI chief executive Johnny Grave and CWI cricket operations manager Roland Holder about the VIPL."We have formally written to CWI. And I expect to get a positive response from them soon," Shallow told ESPNcricinfo.According to Shallow, there were a total of 18 positive cases of Covid-19 in St Vincent and the Grenadines as of Wednesday, of which 10 had successfully recovered. Keeping in m i n d the risk posed by the pandemic, Shallow said the tournament had the "endorsement" from the local government and the ministry of health. He said the players would not be "exposed to the public" and all necessary precautions as advised by the government would be ensured including having additional short breaks at various points during the match where players would be asked to use hand sanitisers."What we have been doing is managing the risk. So what we plan to do during the tournament is ask spectators to practise social and physical distancing. So they will be sitting at least a few seats apart. And because of the time the matches are taking place, we do not anticipate a massive crowd at the matches."

Shallow said all the league matches would start at an "unusual time", 8.30am local time and go on until 2pm only to "capture" the Indian audience where Dream 11 has its wide user base."We came up with this T10 franchise format because of the absence of sports content at this point, and thought that this brand of cricket would be enticing to cricket fans across the globe in a short duration," Shallow said at the launch of the draft on May 11. (ESPN Cricinfo)

C

ricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave believes that the tour to England, where the two teams are currently scheduled to play three-match Test series, will go ahead.

He, however, admits that some of the players will be "very nervous" about the prospect of travelling to the UK amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The tour, which was due to start on June 4, stands postponed until at least July because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There will be no coercing players into this tour," Grave told BBC Sport. "If you grow up in a country where the population Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave might only be 60,000 or 70,000 people, to board had contacted a "wide be thinking the UK has had pool of players" about the over 30,000 deaths is a mas- prospect of travelling to sive figure.

England.

"We have to be absolute"The players would be ly clear that it''s safe first very much in a bubble," said and foremost," Graves add- Graves. ed.

"We said to the ECB The England and Wales we''d want four weeks of Cricket Board (ECB) is ex- preparation before the first ploring the use of bio-secure Test. We''re probably lookvenues and quarantining ing at three back-to-back players.

Test matches.

"The ECB have got a "It would be sevlong way to go to get UK en weeks of very government approval to be much training at the absolutely certain that bi- ground, staying at osecure cricket will work," the ground and very said Graves. much being isolated He further said the within that hotel envi-

ronment," he added.

ECB has already stated that it is working closely with the British government in order to churn out a plan to safely resume cricket amid the global pandemic. (IANS)

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