Guyana Times - Friday, May 22, 2020

Mingo’s fraudulent declarations further exposed on pages 14 to 16

All SoRs are available on our website Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4293

THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

PRICE

APNU/AFC's alleged recount “anomalies”

“He who alleges must prove” – GECOM Chair See story on page 3

– as dead, migrated voters conspicuously absent from South G/town

Disprove Mingo’s fraud by releasing SoPs – PPP/C See story on page 11

– from 85 boxes, APNU/AFC numbers inflated by 4415 and PPP deflated by 686

APNU/AFC Govt not committed to transparent elections – Carter Center – commits to mandate of observing

Page 7

Guyana’s electoral process

Govt using COVID-19 to crush democracy – PPP ...as 2 members charged for See story on page 8

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana’s P2 COVID-19 cases climb to 127 – 2 new cases recorded

Mechanic P2 arraigned for death of female cyclist

Corentyne P10 man found dead in house COVID-19 patients once again decry condition of ‘comfortable’ facilities P10 …lack sanitary supplies, nutritious meals

protesting Carter Center’s ban

Presidency was awash with discrimination, party paramountcy – Teixeira See story on page 9

P13 Pandit arrested as hundreds attend PM niece’s funeral in Berbice

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana’s COVID-19 cases climb to 127 – 2 new cases recorded

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he number of COVID-19 cases in Guyana has risen to 127, with the confirmation of two new cases on Thursday.

This was announced during the Public Health Ministry’s daily update by Director of Primary Health Care Services, Dr Ertinesa Hamilton, who shared that both of the new cases are men.

To date, a total of 1329 tests were conducted with the total number of negative cases being 1202. There are currently 57 persons who have recovered, 60 active cases in institutional isolation and three patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 deaths remains at 10.

However, concerns were raised about the increased cases in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). As of Thursday, Region One reported two confirmed cases while Region Seven had seven.

Men’s Health Coordinator, Dr Dennis Bassier lamented the poor health-seeking behaviour being demonstrated by men in Guyana, as they continue to top the chart for the most infections. This has been reiterated on many platforms.

“As the world contin-

Director of Primary Health Care Services, Dr Ertinesa Hamilton

ues to fight against the novel coronavirus which has now been commonly known as COVID-19, Guyana is no exception. For our relatively small population, we have seen an alarming rise in the number of cases with the majority being men,” he highlighted.

The ratio stands at 73 males to 54 females in the coronavirus bracket. Of the 10 deaths, eight were males.

These men are between 16 and 59 years old. The Coordinator pointed out that these men put their entire families at risk by engaging in such behaviour.

“This clearly indicates

that persons are not taking note of and putting into practice, the strict guidelines for the prevention of transmission of COVID-19. It is the general understanding that men have poor health-seeking behaviour. This is further emphasized by the current situation…Lots of males that have been positively diagnosed are not single. As a result of this, their partners and their children have to be tested, due to them being exposed. There is no shame in wearing a facemask, in practising social distancing or even constantly sanitising your hands,” Dr Bassier said.

According to Dr Hamilton on Wednesday, men continue to be the most at-risk group. She underscored the importance of family and loved ones in Guyanese society, and questioned why the males would deliberately jeopardise these persons’ health and put them at unnecessary risk of contracting the virus because of their “reckless behaviour”.

“Most of you are acting as if COVID-19 cannot touch you, that you are beyond its reach and that the health guidelines are a waste of time,” she pointed out.

The Primary Health Care Services Director further pointed out that this was the time that men must put

pride aside and exercise wise judgement to protect themselves and their families.

“I know many of you are macho and perhaps think that wearing a mask makes you seem less of a man, but there are times when you must put that pride aside and exercise wise judgement. This is the time, because COVID-19 is a silent killer and complying with the control measures is of paramount importance if your family is to be safe,” she implored.

Globally, there are 4,789,205 cases with 318,789 deaths. In the Region of the Americas, the total number of cases stands at 2,105,670 with 125,843 deaths.

Mechanic arraigned for death of female cyclist

A

Georgetown mechanic was on Thursday arraigned for the death of 39-year-old Raquel Edwards of Levi Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who was killed in a hit-andrun accident on May 16,2020.

Thirty-four-yearold Sasenarine Jairam, of Stevedore Housing Scheme, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh, who read to him four charges.

Police stated that on May 16, 2020, in the vicinity of the New Amsterdam Hospital,

Dead: Raquel Edwards

being the driver of PNN 3631, he drove the motor car in a dangerous manner thus causing the death of the mother of two. He was also charged for failing to render assistance, failing to stop after an accident, and breach of the curfew restrictions.

He was released on $300,000 bail for the causing of death charge, $15,000 for failing to render assistance, $15,000 for driving in a dangerous manner, and $15,000 for breaching the curfew restrictions. Jairam will make his next court appearance on June 16.

NEWS

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APNU/AFC's alleged recount “anomalies”

“He who alleges must prove” – GECOM Chair

– as dead, migrated voters conspicuously absent from South G/town

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he recount of ballots cast during the March 2, General and Regional Elections has been punctuated daily with allegations of votes being cast in the name of dead persons, or persons said to have migrated.

There have been numerous reported instances of ballots being unstamped or unclear, or even a party questioning legitimacy of its own votes; but a decision by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in regard to how to treat with those allegations has in fact not been made, though the matter has been discussed at that level.

GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, in a public statement on Thursday, reaffirmed emphatically: “While I continue to monitor the trends based on the allegations in the Observation Reports, I am of the view that ‘he who asserts must prove’.”

Essentially, this is calling on those party agents making objections at the counting stations to “prove” that their claims are in fact valid.

Addressing the treatment of allegations being recorded in Observation Reports that accompany the Statement of Recount (SOR) for each ballot box, the GECOM Chair stated ardently, “When there are considerable deliberations and decisions at the Commission in relation to claims of anomalies, the outcome would be officially communicated to the political parties and other stakeholders, particularly the media.”

The Chairperson’s position on the litany of daily allegations and varying public positions being adumbrated was made subsequent to a publication captioned “Justice Singh doesn’t think it’s GECOM’s role to probe claims of anomalies”, carried in another section of the media, and attributed to Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj.

Justice Singh, in her public missive upbraiding Gunraj over his public utterances, indicated that the Commissioner had not been authorised to speak on her behalf on the matter.

Gunraj is on record, during the course of the recount, advocating a position that it is not within the remit of GECOM to investigate the allegations being made during the recount exercise, but rather those should be addressed separately.

He has since apologised over the published remarks, which intimated that the Chair’s position on the matter is that only the numbers garnered in a numerical count of the ballots cast was important at this stage.

The GECOM

GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

Commissioner, in clearing the air, conceded a discussion on the matter at the level of the Commission, but affirmed, “No decision was taken in this regard at the level of the Commission.”

Addressing the matter of dead and migrated voters, PPP/C Executive Member Anil Nandlall on Thursday pointed out to media operatives that the allegations appear to be levelled in the PPP/C’s stronghold constituencies, when contrasted with the controversial results in Region Four.

Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the recount exercise, Nandlall indicated that the exercise in part dealt with ballot boxes from South Georgetown, where “remarkably, we didn’t hear any allegation of dead voters voting, and migrated persons.”

He has since posited, “Wherever the PPP’s support is, the allegation is that dead and migrated people voted… in those areas alone.”

According to Nandlall, the allegations emanating from only PPP strongholds inherently imply that agents from the two parties, along

with the Polling Officers, conspired in favour of the PPP in order to have those occurrences.

Contrasted against the counting exercise for the ballot boxes recounted in South Georgetown however, Nandlall outlined that those agents in those polling stations conducted themselves excellently, and performed their functions with distinction.

He surmised, “The story just doesn’t make sense. As they go along, they continue to make it up.”

The public discourse over the observations comes in wake of a confession by APNU+AFC tabulation agent Ganesh Mahipaul that the party did not, in fact, have any evidence to support its claims that persons allegedly out of the country voted on Election Day. Mahipaul told reporters on Tuesday that the objections were being made based on “hearsay” provided by his

party agents who are conducting field work.

Additionally, the APNU+AFC agent, in claiming to have evidence to support the claim that a dead person had been reflected as voted, supplied the State Media with a death certificate which was reproduced in the Guyana Chronicle.

Mahipaul is still to provide evidence that a ballot was supplied to anyone for the identified name and serial number, and that the ballot had been cast in light of the Chairperson’s view, that “he who asserts must prove.”

The APNU+AFC tabulation agent had insinuated that it is for GECOM to now decide what it would do with the observation. He said, “The time for evidence will come,” and, “If GECOM says that they want this evidence, then we will have to get the evidence. If GECOM says that they will do an investigation, they will do an investigation.”

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FRIDAY, MAY 22, 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

Tertiary education and the present challenges

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he University of Guyana is currently engaged in a search for a new Vice Chancellor, and from all indications, this process is expected to conclude in a matter of weeks. The institution has been without a VC for almost a year, following the departure of US-based Guyanese Professor Ivelaw Griffith.

Once he/she is selected, the new Vice Chancellor will join the university at a very critical time, and is expected to bring to the table a high level of creative thinking and innovative skills, to ensure the university adapts to the changing times.

As is well known, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected every aspect of national life: business, tourism, travel, sports, and certainly education. In addition to severely affecting schools across the country, the virus has had a massive impact on tertiary learning institutions; more particularly the University of Guyana, which churns out hundreds of graduates every year. Classes were disrupted; students’ assessments/ exams were postponed or cancelled altogether; and it is still not clear how the university would move forward in terms of ‘catching up’ with more than two months of academic work that was missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Guyana is not alone in this regard. All over the world, tertiary institutions are grappling with similar challenges due to the impact of the pandemic. From the time the virus began to spread globally, universities, colleges, technical schools et al were forced to respond in a matter of days. The majority of them lacked the necessary financial and technical resources to engage their students via distance learning; hence teaching, for the most part, had ground to a halt.

Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic will see lasting changes to our everyday lives, with education delivery and learning being no exception. Governments and development partners must act quickly; they must provide the necessary policy guidance and resources needed to support academic learning in a post COVID-19 world which, no doubt, would see a huge chunk of learning being taken to online platforms.

In an article: “COVID-19’s immense impact on equity in tertiary education”, which appeared recently in the World Bank Blogs, writers Roberta Malee Bassett and Nina Arnhold pointed to the huge challenges which countries find themselves in at present relative to providing tertiary education post COVID-19.

Bassett and Arnhold referred to “three main equity implications which are emerging in this first flush of change” brought about by the pandemic. These are: lives have been uprooted and left unmoored; the digital divide exposes the socioeconomic inequity of distance learning; and there is a disproportionate likelihood that underserved and at-risk students will not return when campuses reopen.

According to the authors, recognising these equity challenges as early as possible should allow institutions and governments to fashion interventions that mitigate the impacts and environmental barriers to students’ returning to their studies.

They underscored the point that, for many countries, there is insufficient infrastructure, and homes lack the hardware and connectivity for distance learning.

Globally, there is a massive regional variation in internet penetration, with Africa having the lowest, at 39.3%, and North America the highest, at 94.6%. Even across fragile and low-income countries, there is massive disparity.

The authors suggested that stakeholders who are in a position to prepare for the equity implications should begin now, identifying at-risk students and communities and engaging with them to understand and respond with support that can help them continue their studies.

In Guyana’s case, the new Government would need to rethink its approach to tertiary education. It would have to ensure that UG especially is provided with the necessary resources to cope in a post COVID-19 environment. The demands of the university are great, and are ever-changing; and to continuously meet them, there must be a sustainable source of financing – and this goes beyond the annual subvention it receives from Government.

We have always insisted that, because the private sector benefits tremendously from the skills of the hundreds of graduates churned out annually, it is expected that, in return, it should invest in the continued development and expansion of that institution.

As stated by Bassett and Arnhold, the crisis triggered

by COVID-19, and likely exacerbated by a recession, will undoubtedly stress the most vulnerable even more. This is a good time for the private sector and other development stakeholders to partner with the Government and lend critical support to the University of Guyana.

No real assistance for Grade 6 pupils

Dear Editor, The contents of a Department of Public Information press release, titled “NGSA to be written by July”, which was released on May 20, 2020, have left me very alarmed.

According to the article, “The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) is expected to be held within the next two months. This disclosure was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry. The Minister explained that ample time was given to parents and students to prepare, and urge parents to work along with their children”.

One must first take note that Minister Henry, instead of speaking publicly, chose to make this very important revelation to one section of the media. This Education Minister is failing our children. It has been more than two months since children have not been exposed to classroom teaching, and the Ministry is yet to put in place a proper alternative arrangement which will benefit every pupil, regardless of economic strata.

Grade Six students were in preparation mode since the start of Grade Five. That pace was accelerated at the start of this academic year, last September. Having been at home for more than nine weeks, this completely new learning environment will obviously affect the children’s performance; any sensible person would know that. To come now and say that students will be given two months to physically and psychologically prepare for one of the most important competitive examinations in their lives is a dangerous road to walk.

The Ministry of Education and the Minister herself must take full responsibility for the setback our students are facing. No preparation was made to prepare both teachers and students to adjust to these present challenges. The Ministry and the Minister simply turned their backs and sat quietly in their offices as the hard work put in by students, their parents and teachers went down the drain.

Teachers and parents, I believe, are doing the best they can in the current cir-

cumstances. The onus was on the Ministry to put a proper plan in place for our Grade Six students. Teachers are using methods, some of which they are unfamiliar with, to make these work. Our students cannot properly prepare for a national assessment in two months without proper assistance from their teachers in the classrooms.

I would suggest that, at the appropriate time, the Grade six students should be provided with physical contact learning sessions so as to better prepare them for the Assessment. In my opinion, October or November, 2020 is probably more realistic.

Until now, no one can say when schools are likely to be reopened, or what system will be put in place to teach this particular group of students.

It cannot simply be left to parents, who have no expertise in teaching a Grade Six Syllabus, and to teachers to use Zoom and WhatsApp. Quite a number of households in Guyana are without a computer, and even though we may want to say that the students can use their par-

ents’ cellular phones for online teaching, many parents have to go to work, and the children are left without a cellular at home. This is the reality of Guyana, and this cannot work. Students need to return to a classroom setting if they are to be properly prepared. The information on the Ministry’s Website and the programmes on the radio and television are not tailored to suit Grade Six students.

Other countries are putting measures in place to assist students and to ensure an adequate delivery of educational material.

I know of at least one Caribbean island where CSEC students have returned to the classroom. What has become of Guyana’s CSEC students?

This is blatantly unfair. Get your act together, Minister Henry! Come out of hiding, and face the students, the teachers and parents. Our nation’s children deserve better.

Regards, Africo Selman Concerned Grade Six Teacher

PPP never denied Carter Center Observation Team Dear Editor, Please permit me a space in your newspaper to respond to a statement made by Mr. Mark Benschop during his radio broadcast (1:41:40) on May 19, 2020, when he stated that: “In 2011, the very PPP, and now Opposition Leader, asked the Carter Center to leave and not to partake in any elections, especially under the PPP; and it’s ironic that the very PPP and their supporters are now protesting, calling for the return of Carter; in my opinion, [the] partisan observers, to return to the country to participate again.”

Editor, I wish to convey to readers that this is utterly untrue, and is a political gimmick to justify the actions of

APNU+AFC: their consistent refusal to allow the return of the Carter Center to observe the March 2nd General and Regional Elections’ recount. Let me unequivocally say that, in 2011, the Carter Center was neither invited nor accredited, in the first place, to observe the 2011 General and Regional Elections under Section (3) of the General Elections (Observers) Act. Therefore, the fictitious white lie: that the PPP told the Carter Center to leave and not to partake in any elections, especially under the PPP, is a figment of Mr. Benschop’s imagination, and must be repelled immediately.

Editor, Mr. Benschop further accused the same Carter Center -- that deemed the

2015 General and Regional Elections as free, fair, and credible; for which the APNU+AFC was sworn in as the Government of Guyana -- as being partisan. It is my opinion, Editor, that anyone who dares to speak the truth against the daily atrocities of the APNU+AFC automatically becomes allied against the Government; hence it begs the question: Why are we stuffing people’s mouths with cement?

Also, another lie that could be deciphered right from the demeaning statement is that the PPP vowed to never allow the Carter Center to return under their Government, when clearly the Carter Center returned for the 2015 General and

Regional Election through an invitation issued by Mr. Ramotar, after consultation with the then GECOM Chairperson.

Nevertheless, Editor, I must convey these words of Mr. Datadin to the Guyanese population. He said them as a guest on Mr. Benschop’s radio programme, and I hope the people heed the words sincerely: “[lies] will fall on fertile ears, because there is so much distrust and hatred in Guyana that people want to believe that, and they don’t want to accept the reality; and so you sell them a lie and they will go with that, because it’s better than the reality.”

Regards, Vejendra Datt

Guyana deserves better

Dear Editor, It is with great interest that I and other Guyanese abroad and at home are following the ever-changing developments in the political situation in Guyana.

First, I am not affiliated to any political party in Guyana, but I surely think there is a better way of settling our differences and living together as one, regardless of race or beliefs.

The recounting currently ongoing should be afforded full transparency; it is a recount that would not have been needed if all protocols had been followed in our elections. Sadly, we are where we are now; and on top of that, we are dealing with a global pandemic.

To GECOM, I say: You have failed in your task to deliver fair and credible elections to the people of Guyana.

However, it is not too late; let’s get it right this time.

This whole fiasco should have been avoided by using the lawful process of tabulation of SOPs for Region #4, as was done in the other nine (9) regions.

It is not the coalition’s or PPP’s fault; It is yours! Own it! You may have had persons from various parties ask or coax you to veer from lawful practices to benefit them, but that does not exempt you from the blame…. If you were threatened, report it! The losers are not Mingo, or PPP, or the Coalition; the losers are the people of Guyana, and by extension the entire country!

APNU+AFC: You have lost the elections, and you know it! It takes great planning and strategy to win; but sometimes, with all the planning and strategising, you still lose, and that is okay.

The greatest businesses and organistions were built on countless failures, you need to accept and study the rea-

sons for your loss, so you can be stronger in 2025.

Remember, Guyana -- and as a matter of fact, any democratic country -- functions better with a robust opposition! The further you drag this fiasco along, the more you lose support, because people are seeing the wild accusations and assumptions for what they are. It will be harder to garner support for 2025 if you deliberately delay the inevitable. Guyana does not need a party to remain in power in 2025 by default, just because the Opposition Party (APNU+AFC in this case) damaged themselves so much that they cannot effectively function as a credible alternative. Imagine the power that scenario hands to the PPP! I have seen some of your prominent leaders speak out against your non-acceptance of defeat. Now is the time to accept facts and move on; the

longer you resist the inevitable, the worse it will be for you to rebound.

I understand that President Granger is a fair individual. Now is the time to let truth prevail, President Granger; the buck stops with you.

The smaller parties, the media, the observers and GECOM staff must not be forgotten, they toil every day to keep the wheels of democracy turning, I admire them.

I see the media being blamed for taking sides, or for being the mouthpiece of one party or the other. I don’t doubt there are instances; but, for the most part, the media have been doing an outstanding job! Keep it up.

Remember, before 2015, it was these same media houses that were accused of being in bed with the then Opposition APNU+AFC. Concerned Citizen

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

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Granger recognises the implications of sanctions

Dear Editor, President David Granger recognises the implications of sanctions, according to his comments on Monday, May 19, 2020 on a radio programme with host Mark Benschop. This is a recognition that he did not have in 2014, when he argued for sanctions to be imposed during the prorogation period.

I write to say that what is curious is that President David Granger did his utmost to avoid the elephant in the room, which is that most of the talk about sanctions has been specifically related to PERSONAL SANCTIONS, and not sanctions for the country.

News reports quote the Director of the Office

of Caribbean Affairs at the US State Department, Katherine Dueholm, as saying: “If we do have to consider sanctions, there are a number of tools available to the US Government, and they range from visa restrictions to any number of financial measures…

“We were very clear that what we were talking about was anyone who sought to participate in, or benefit from, electoral fraud, or form any illegitimate government on this basis…we are taking about people that seek to participate in, or benefit from, electoral fraud.”

Also, President David Granger is sticking to his line that his government “did nothing wrong” during the electoral process; but he

still cannot explain why the Chairman of his party, the PNC, Mrs. Volda Lawrence, had her signature on the Region 4 declaration of results on March 5, 2020.

Neither has he explained why another person connected to his Coalition, Mrs. Carol Joseph, had her signature on the second Region 4 declaration of results made on March 13, 2020.

In all this, however, Guyanese can only hope that he would act to ensure there is no support for attempts to rig the March 2020 Elections, as we saw with the declaration of results for Region 4 after Election Day.

Dear Editor, The chance for a People’s Progressive Party/Civicelected Government to create a positive legacy through investment for the people of Guyana, moreso the residents of Linden and Region #10, is a once-in-a-lifetime event. That event is happening right now.

Numerous Guyanese have come to realise that the APNU-AFC Government they voted for in 2015 -which had promised to create effective change and to provide a good life for every Guyanese -- has disappointed, failed, embraced and betrayed their trust.

The recent disclosures: that the Partnership for National Unity (APNU) regime has made every attempt to rig the 2020 General and Regional Election by making fraudulent declarations that were proclaimed for District Four by Clairmont Mingo on March 13 at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Headquarters, have demonstrated and shown the Guyanese people and the world the strong desire to make sure that David Granger is returned to office.

Guyanese across this country have witnessed Clairmont Mingo’s fraud first-hand; which was done twice in front of the internal and local observers and opposition parties’ representatives.

Clairmont Mingo: you were caught red-handed rigging the 2020 General Election. You are already a Guyanese household name, and will go down in Guyana’s future history book as “Mingo, the extraordinary rigger.”

The coalition representative’s refusal to sign the certification of District 2 results, since it contains the words “valid vote”, does not have any bearing on the results or the certification, and does not invalidate the certification itself.

The ongoing recount process has exposed glaring in-

stances when the figures presented by Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, were clearly fiddled with. Now that these pieces of evidence have presented themselves, and Mingo has been caught red-handed, GECOM has an opportunity to redeem itself by posting these Statements of Recount (SoRs) that are completed alongside the Statements of Poll (SOPs), parallel to what is presently displayed on the GECOM website for public scrutiny, even as the SoRs are showing a vastly different figure than those which were announced.

Guyanese will have a better understanding of the truth, and adjust their thinking towards rebuilding our country; so by the time true results are announced, every Guyanese will be joining hands in working towards building modern silk road with prosperity, inclusiveness and sustainability through mutually beneficial and win -win cooperation.

An elected People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government knows that Guyanese were surprisingly skeptical of the APNUAFC Administration and its cohorts since they became more and more aware of the clandestine, corrupt and deceitful activities over the past months. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic will not allow the APNU-AFC Administration to continue betraying the Guyanese people, and further pledges to work with the every Guyanese, including patriotic supporters of the APNUAFC and all small political parties, to root out the corruption, cronyism, discrimination and political spitefulness which are such prominent features of the APNU-AFC caretaker regime.

Guyanese must know that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic leadership’s strategic planners are presently working diligently on ex-

isting strategies and plans with clear visions for a sustainable outcome after this COVID-19 pandemic that has affected every Guyanese, our communities and our economies. This responsibility is more important than any other need when considering all scenarios to make all adjustments from day number #1 of an elected People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government.

With that said, many of the challenges that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic will be addressed, including affordable housing and accessibility to jobs and services for every Guyanese, young and elderly; and our health care system.

These problems are known and clear, and we have an opportunity right now to tackle them in a unique way.

The COVID-19 will continue to affect Guyanese and economies long after restrictions have been lifted; that is why it is imperative that we all work together.

A People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government would invest in the right infrastructure to support economic recovery and improve our current and future generations’ lives and livelihoods.

It’s time to hold fast, Guyanese; be focused, and explore new ways to capture opportunities within the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s existing strategic plans. Take time to view PPP/C Manifesto, which outlines a time-bound plan that is very targeted to specific initiatives for women, children, farmers, miners, the forestry sector, the oil and gas sector, and other issues that are specific to our country and society. the plan has specific targeted outcomes, targeted initiatives that will examine each issue in a holistic way, with specific measurable targets.

All for your consideration.

Baldeo Mathura

What is the President’s motive?

Dear Editor, It is hoped that President Granger is not deliberately setting the nation up to go through another tiresome academic and legal drawn out interpretation of what he said last Sunday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

By choosing to say that he would “accept ANY declaration made by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)”, President Granger has raised suspicion on what he was actually telling the nation.

Had he stated that he would accept the results of the ballot recount, he would have assured the nation that there would be no need for subsequent explanations about what he means.

After the March 2nd elections, many people had cause to come forward and

explain what President Granger wished to tell the public, and they ended up frequently changing the whole story.

Mr Mingo must take responsibility for causing voters to be alert to the possibility that GECOM may not declare the true result. Not once, but twice, Mr Mingo tried to get the election result declared on fraudulent Region 4 numbers, with some officials at GECOM supporting his attempts.

People cannot be blamed for suspecting that the results GECOM chooses to declare after the completion of the recount may not be the one that comes out of the ballot boxes.

The nation is ‘interpretation fatigued’ by the many pronouncements of legal luminaries and bright people on what is and what is not.

For example: a simple ballot recount is interpreted as a forensic audit.

The court had to rule if Ms. Mia Mottley’s CARICOM team was engaged as supervisors or observers.

Mingo’s fraudulent declaration is legal to decide the new Government. The March 2nd ballot box result is of little significance. The Attorney General is hinting that the recount may not be legal.

President Granger should not leave room for another phase of complicating and confusing a very simple matter with the use of the word ANY. He must make it crystal clear that he means the results from the ballot recount.

Sincerely, Faiyaz Alli

Caught red-handed! Can we not take this into June?

Sincerely, David Adams

Dear Editor, Can the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) make all the smart and necessary logistical decisions to ensure that the National Recount exercise, currently ongoing at a snail’s pace, does not exceed the 25 days allotted by a ludicrous number of days?

We voted on March 2nd, 2020 and, to date, a Government elected by the people is yet to be installed.

Members of the CARICOM Observation Team have not confirmed whether they would extend their stay. What happens if they leave? Does it mean that the process would be without the scrutiny of international observers, to help ensure our ‘free and fair election day’ was not in vain.

The smart thing to do right now is for GECOM to focus attention on ensuring all the ballots in Electoral District Number Four (4), which had not one, but two fraudulent declarations -which are currently being revealed by the 3 counting stations as they make their way through the ballots – are counted. If you are still not convinced about this, and if you cannot see what is wrong with Mingo’s numbers, then you are a phoney champion of democracy.

However, Electoral District Number Four (4), the most populous voting district, will ultimately determine the winner of the March 2 National and Regional Elections. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure Electoral District Number Four (4) is completed soonest, and then focus on the less populated regions.

The two additional stations should be used to speed up the counting of Electoral District Number Four (4), especially since we are not sure if the Caricom Team will be here beyond the 25 days.

GECOM is again trying to seek permission from the COVID-19 Task Force to

now increase from 12 to 14 work stations. Great move, more stations, but the only way to truly be productive and smart is to have all new stations focus on Electoral District Number Four (4), and not what stations 11 and 12 were assigned to count.

Hopefully, these new stations will be allocated to complete the district with the most discrepancies.

It seems as though all the other Electoral Districts will be done before Electoral District Number Four (4) is concluded. However, if CARICOM leaves, what guarantees are there that the level of transparency we have now will continue?

It should be noted that tainted persons from the original tabulation process of Electoral District Number

Four (4) at Ashmin’s Building are still a part of this recount process, and the media are already beyond the fence of the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. Will there be yet another attempt to alter the results of Electoral District Number Four (4)? Or is that why there are slow teams and numerous objections without evidence?

It is crucial for our democracy that Electoral District Number Four (4) be completed within the 25 days’ period. As it is, our democracy is hanging by a thread, and needs this to be done; the future of Guyana depends on this. How long will this go on for? How long will we be in this limbo?

Respectfully, Nutana Singh

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FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

Page

Foundation

Guyana Times is pleased to publish the Education Ministry’s National Grade Six Assessment Past Papers.

Below is English Language Paper 2 and Paper 1, 2012.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT Reading Time: 10 minutes Writing Time: 45 minutes

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

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

1. WRITE YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER CLEARLY ON EACH PAGE.

2. This paper contains SIX questions. You are required to answer QUESTION ONE and THREE others. EACH question is worth 5 marks.

Note: You must answer ONLY FOUR questions.

Be sure to answer FULLY the FOUR questions.

3. Write the answer in the space provided in this booklet.

This paper has two questions. You must answer either question 1 or question 2.

1. In 120-150 words, write on ONE of the following: (A) Write a letter to a friend telling him/her about the day you were lost.

(B) Write a letter to a friend telling him/her about a reading competition in which you participated.

(C) You neighbour gave you a book of cross-word puzzles designed for children. Write a letter of thanks to your neighbour, outlining the benefits of the gift.

(D) Your class is planning a fund raising activity, and needs permission from the head-teacher. Write a letter to the head-teacher seeking permission to have the fund raising activity.

OR 2. In about 120-150 words write on ONE of the following: (A) Write a composition on "My favourite dish." In you composition, say how the dish is prepared.

(B) Imagine you are a 'pencil'. Write a story on a day in your life.

(C) Your yard was flooded after a period of continuous rainfall. Say what it was like, and the role you played in cleaning up after the water was gone.

(D) Write a story based on the picture on the picture below.

Give your story a title.

4. Answers MUST be written in complete sentences where possible.

5. Each step of your work MUST be CLEARLY shown in this booklet.

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

8. DO NOT take away any part of this booklet.

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

7. Look over your work when you have finished.

END OF TEST In questions 1 to 3, choose the word which is spelt incorrectly.

1. (A) condem (B) column (C) random (D) system 2. (A) argue (B) opaque (C) soceity (D) label 3. (A) route (B) greif (C) patient (D) function In questions 4 to 6, choose the most suitable word to complete each sentence.

4. The President _________a visit to the interior location.

(A) invented (B) cancelled (C) erased (D) levelled 5. When his teacher arrived, John_________ an excuse for arriving late.

(A) revealed (B) polished (C) suggested (D) fabricated 6. The mother often had to____________ him for lying.

(A) scold (B) detain (C) remind (D) deter In question 7 to 9, choose the word that is similar in meaning to the word in capitals.

7. APEX (A) bottom (B) side (C) top (D) middle 8. INACCURATE (A) correct (B) wrong (C) known (D) detailed 9. REFUSE (A) angry (B) deny (C) accept (D) ask In questions 10 and 11, identify the sentence in which a punctuation mark is omitted.

10. (A) I have no money left, said John. I have spent all I had.

(B) To make a profit, the factory must increase its production.

(C) The sick child had to be pushed in a chair.

(D) James got up, brushed his teeth and ate his breakfast.

11. (A) Are you the person the head-teacher is looking for?

(B) The register was placed on the teachers desk.

(C) Fire! Fire! shouted the old woman (D) Because he as careless, he lost his ticket. 3 In questions 12 to 14, a word is underlined. Choose the feminine of the underlined word to complete each sentence.

12. The bull attacked the man who was milking the (A) pup (B) sow (C) calf (D) cow 13. Only one ram and one_________ had the same colour.

(A) bitch (B) cub (C) ewe (D) filly 14. Wherever there is a gander there is a (A) fawn (B) fowl (C) chicken (D) goose In questions 15 to 17, choose the option that is not a sentence.

15. (A) They ate rice and peas. (B) Am I going?

(C) At some other time. (D) She adores mangoes.

16. (A) Wait until Daddy comes. (B) She is my mother’s sister.

(C) The dog’s new collar. (D) I’m going home.

17. (A) Only his father-in-law. (B) They are twins.

(C) Are you ready? (D) They are the primary colours.

In questions 18 and 19, choose the correct preposition to complete each sentence.

18. The ball went_____________ the window.

(A) through (B) against (C) into (D) from 19. His handwriting is different _____________mine.

(A) of (B) to (C) with (D) from In questions 20 and 21, choose the function of the underlined word in each sentence.

20. You must apologise to Audrey for soiling her uniform.

(A) noun (B) verb (C) pronoun (D) preposition 21. The boy is neat and clean although he is poor.

(A) adjective (B) adverb (C) noun (D) conjunction In questions 22 to 24, identify the sentence that is grammatically incorrect.

22. (A) Who is the bigger, John or James?

(B) Of the two, I like her best.

(C) She is the most beautiful person I have ever seen.

(D) The taller of the twins is going to be there.

23. (A) Each of the children has a favourite toy.

(B) Toby as well as his mother is an early riser.

(C) The cat and the dog is very friendly.

(D) None of the girls has ever been late for school.

24. (A) One of the children find four turtles.

(B) Bring only those you know well.

(C) The wealthy miner adopted the school.

(D) Their father is Mr. Simon.

TO BE CONTINUED

NEWS

7

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC Govt not committed to transparent elections – Carter Center

– commits to mandate of observing Guyana’s electoral process

Caretaker President David Granger

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lmost one week after the caretaker APNU/ AFC Coalition denied a second request for the Carter Center’s Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to return to Guyana for the ongoing National Recount, the US-based organisation has expressed its disappointment at not being able to return to complete its mandate.

In a statement on Thursday, the Carter Center said it is “deeply disappointed” by the Guyana Government’s decision to deny its requests twice for two accredited international observers to return to Guyana to observe the ongoing recount and the remainder of Guyana’s electoral process. “…the Center is disappointed that the Government of Guyana chose not to demonstrate a genuine commitment to transparency by ensuring that all duly accredited organisations, including The Carter Center, be allowed to conduct their work,” the USbased organisation stated.

It noted that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has consistently confirmed that the accreditation of The Carter Center and other international observation groups remains valid, and that the electoral process is not complete, hence international observers are welcome.

Last Friday, caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Karen Cummings indicated that Government has denied the Carter Center Mission’s request, along with that of advisors from the International Republican Institute (IRI), to return to Guyana for the recount exercise, citing the series of emergency measures, including the imposition of a curfew and the closure of Guyana’s international airports. Further, she asked that her administration’s decision be respected.

But according to the Carter Center in its

Thursday missive, it fully respects Guyana’s national sovereignty and its efforts to strictly implement its COVID-19 Emergency Measures as a matter of utmost urgency.

However, it did note that the Center had indicated its willingness to abide by all of the Government’s COVID-19 protocols, including those applied to the CARICOM team which the Government says is the “most legitimate interlocutor” in the recount process.

Those protocols stipulate that any returning observers must test negative for COVID-19 on a WHOcertified polymer chain reaction test in advance of travel to Guyana.

Nevertheless, the USbased democracy watchdog acknowledged the important role being played during the recount by the three-person CARICOM team as well as other observer groups, political parties and other stakeholders, and the positive contribution they are making to foster transparency.

Highlighting that it assesses elections based on national laws and international standards for democratic elections, the Center reiterated that the tabulation process lacked transparency in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), hence it is therefore not credible and did not meet international standards.

“The Carter Center was honoured to be invited by the Government to provide a neutral and independent assessment of Guyana’s electoral process… An accurate and honest counting of votes is essential to ensuring that the election reflects the will of the people. Even if pre-election and election day processes go well, a flawed vote count or vote tabulation can fatally undermine the integrity and credibility of the electoral process, and decrease public confidence and public acceptance of the results,” it noted.

To this end, the USbased organisation recommitted to its mandate of observing Guyana’s entire electoral process.

“The Center’s overall assessment of Guyana’s electoral process cannot be complete until the votes cast on March 2 have been counted, tabulated, and announced; and any subsequent dispute or resolution process completed… The Carter Center remains committed to its mandate to observe Guyana’s electoral process,” the missive detailed.

Moreover, the Carter Center reiterated the view that Guyana’s winnertakes-all system needs to be reformed, and encouraged

all parties to commit to national reconciliation and to completing key constitutional reforms in the near future.

The Carter Center was hoping to return to Guyana ahead of the commencement of the National Recount in order to complete its electoral observation duties.

However, with Guyana’s borders, including its international airports, closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center’s efforts to join an empty relief flight in Miami that was heading to Guyana to repatriate US citizens earlier this month was denied.

Both the Carter Center and the US Embassy in Georgetown subsequently made a second request for the observers, along with advisors from the International Republican Institute (IRI), to return to Guyana. But despite mounting international and domestic pressure, this was also denied by the caretaker administration, which has however permitted oil giant ExxonMobil six to eight flights to bring in workers from across the world.

Opposition-nominated Commissioner at GECOM, Sase Gunraj, told reporters on Wednesday that the Commission has done its part, and it is now solely within the ambit of the Executive and that of the President to decide whether the US-based democracy watchdog could return.

However, President David Granger on Sunday said Guyana will rely on the role of CARICOM in this recount process.

Responding to the mountings calls for the Carter Center’s return to lend added credibility to the ongoing recount, Granger posited that while his administration had welcomed all observer missions for the March 2 elections, the current public health crisis has drastically changed the situation.

“This is nothing about credibility.

What the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has written and spoken is

Government policy, and I’d like people to respect what she has done and abide by the measures which the Government of Guyana has implemented… We take it very serious [and] we asked other countries to take our efforts seriously,” the caretaker President stated.

The Guyana Government, through Dr Cummings, not only refused the request of the US Ambassador, but the pleas of five top-ranking senators from both the Republican and Democratic parties in the US, for President Granger to allow the return of the Carter Center, as well

as similar calls by senior representatives in the US Government, were also denied.

In a letter last week, the US Senators reminded Granger that his administration has been authorising flights to land for special situations, including the repatriation of foreign citizens in Guyana, including US citizens; as well as for the arrival of workers in the oil sector.

In addition to the Senators, even a bipartisan group of members of the US Congress had also made similar calls earlier this week.

8 NEWS Govt using COVID-19 to crush democracy – PPP FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

...as 2 members charged for protesting Carter Center’s ban

Neil Kumar and Raphael Boodhoo at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts

T

wo members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, who on Saturday picketed the Foreign Affairs Ministry, were brought before the court to answer the charge of breaching the COVID-19 measures; a charge the Opposition is contending is intimidation.

Former Parliamentarian Neil Kumar and Raphael Boodhoo appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday to answer the charge: which stated that, on May 16, they breached No 2 (1) restriction on social activities in the COVID-19 Emergency Measures.

Kumar was accused of hosting a meeting of a fraternal civic organisation.

The duo was arrested while picketing the Ministry, calling for the Carter Center to be allowed into the country to complete its observation of the March 02, General and Regional Elections.

The Government, via the heavily politicised National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), has been consistently denying the Carter Center Observers’ Team entry into Guyana to observe the ongoing recount of the votes. This denial is what prompted the PPP/C supporters to take to the streets.

The defendants’ lawyers, via audio-visual means, made an application for self-bail, which was granted

by Magistrate Daly in the sum of $25,000 each. The defence, in Court, contended that the charges are bad in law and should be immediately dismissed. The duo will make their next court appearance on June 18.

Following the hearing, Kumar said the aim of the charges is to intimidate them, but he promised to continue the fight for the restoration of democracy in

Guyana.

“This is extremely frustrating! What we were doing was protesting peacefully.

All of us had our masks on, we were 12 feet away (from each other), and we had our peaceful picket hand bands. I have been picketing for over 40 years now, and I have never seen such rude Police and this type of

al behaviour, and the people of Guyana have to rise up in one voice and resist this with all our might, or it is going to consume us all. What happened is (that) the world is experiencing a health crisis, a pandemic in the form of COVID-19, and the Guyana caretaker Government is attempting to use a crisis, a hardship, something they should be protecting us from, to further entrench themselves in office in defiance of the will of the people.”

Further, she accused Granger of using COVID-19 as an excuse to keep the Carter Center out from continuing the observation of the tabulation of results.

“He says they can’t come because of COVID-19, and, in the meanwhile, we have seen flight upon flight upon flight land in this country with hundreds of persons, and there were very little concerns about COVID-19,” Manickchand said.

The former Education Minister added that Kumar was part of a group that were exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protests, and they were adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines. She added that Boodhoo was not even part

ing his constitutional right to peacefully speak against and oppose the Government on that issue,” she contended.

The attorney noted that, just last week, there were pro-Government supports outside of the National Recount venue at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC), and yet the Police did not use that opportunity to charge any of them.

Manickchand said she is of the view that the Government is attempting to intimidate persons who question its actions, and she called on Guyanese to make sure this does not happen.

Section one of the order which was signed by caretaker Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence states: “except as otherwise provided in this Notice, every person shall remain in the confines of his or her home and its yard space.”

Section two lays out the various restrictions on “social” activities. The closest correlation that can be drawn to protests is section 2m, where restrictions are placed on “a meeting of a fraternal society, private or social club or civic association or organisation; or (n) any other social activity.”

Attorney-at-Law Priya Manickchand at the court on Thursday

action. What we were protesting for is for Guyana; is for the people of Guyana we were protesting for; so that the Carter Center and the IRI (International Republican Institute) could come back here and be at the recount. This is nonsense that is going on in this country!” Kumar noted.

Misusing COVID-19 pandemic

Meanwhile, former Opposition MP Attorneyat-Law Priya Manickchand said the charges signal the beginning of an entrenchment of dictatorial behaviour from the caretaker Government, whom she accused of using the COVID-19 pandemic to suppress those who dare to oppose them.

“What we see here is the beginning of an entrenchment of dictatori-

of the picketing exercise, but rather was just in the vicinity.

However, the Police are contending that the COVID-19 guidelines outlaw such picketing exercises.

“The two persons who were charged were charged because they were protesting the misuse of the COVID-19 guidelines and the COVID-19 situation to keep the Carter Center out.

The Government was misusing COVID-19 to lock the Carter Center out. One of the gentlemen who were charged this morning, the other one wasn’t even there, the one that was charged this morning, Mr Neil Kumar, was peacefully picketing against the misuse of that COVID-19 and, irony of ironies, there is a second misuse now with the state charging him for express-

On May 16, scores of protesters demonstrated in front of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, calling on the caretaker APNU/ Alliance For Change coalition Government to allow the Carter Center to return to observe the National Election Recount.

Three of the protesters were arrested by ranks of the GPF, who claimed the protesters had breached the Public Health Ordinance in relation to COVID-19.

Those arrested were each subsequently released on $20,000 station bail.

PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, during a virtual press conference on Saturday, had contended that the protesters were adhering to all the safety protocols, such as wearing masks and practising social distancing.

All out…

H

…of tea leaves ere we are, with more than a third of the ballot boxes recounted. But your Eyewitness is still waiting to exhale, ‘cause the PNC and their minions had warned about the shock we’d all get when we see “what’s in those boxes”. Gasp!! They didn’t actually say what were in the boxes, and your Eyewitness’s febrile imagination has since been in overdrive. Was it going to be that long-lost Ark of the Covenant that had enough powers to wipe us all out?

Was it going to be Pandora’s Box? He knew it couldn’t be one of those pestilences from the Bible, since that had already been loosed upon us in the form of COVID-19. Water turning to blood; frogs, lice, flies; livestock pestilence; boils, hail, locusts; darkness, and the killing of firstborn children were now old hat after two World Wars that took what, a hundred million lives? Boils? Folks scoff at that nowadays; and the way things are going in Guyana, they are even scoffing at COVID!!

So, what have we found up to now?? Well, one of the boxes had mysteriously developed a hole, into which water had seeped to soak all the ballots and papers contained therein. Was it this? After all, since the entire container couldn’t have been leaking, how come the water was able to enter this particular box that had a hole?? What were the probabilities of this occurring with a container having a roof 40’x8’?? By the time your Eyewitness was about to solve this math question, the box was opened, papers dried, and nothing untoward was found. Whew!!

Then the PNC came out claiming they had “agents in the field” – no, not those Russians…Ramjattan had expelled them, and in any case, they were hired by the PPP! - who’d already scoped out the voters list and knew of “countless” and “numerous” instances of dead and migrated folks voting. For the PPP! Relatives, friends and neighbours had told the PNC “agents”. Never mind how the aforesaid tattlers knew how these absent folks had “voted” if the PPP had done this surreptitiously!!

But this was too mundane, after all the dire warnings the PNC had uttered; not only because they’d been using those rigging techniques since 1968. This was just a diversion – a misdirection – and why the PNC hadn’t produced a scintilla of hard evidence to support their daily claims of voting dead and apparated bodies. After all, with Winston Felix in charge of death certificates and immigration records, that wasn’t a problem, was it?

Naah! With some 1600 boxes to go, your Eyewitness hopes his boggled mind doesn’t explode before “what cannot be named” is found inside those boxes!!!!

…on PNC’s new narrative One takeaway from this elections hijack is the term “narrative”. Every day the word’s bandied about – even by the politicians. And you know, when that happens, the word’s been sucked dry of any explanatory content.

A “narrative” has rules to which those spouting it must adhere. Aristotle described the genre as the gist of a story that’s linked through a causal chain of events by a beginning and an end, and which (in his time) was related by a single individual.

So, what’s the PNC’s new narrative?? All they are doing after they discovered that their ploy to have Mingo barefacedly rig the elections in front of the world (akin to dropping his pants in Macy’s window!!) is having a new individual every day at the ACCC describing new (contradictory) allegations.

Their new beginning is that the PPP rigged the entire electoral system!! However, the GECOM Chair just reiterated the “causal chain” needed to get to the ending they want: He who asserts must prove!!

It’s not a narrative, it’s a tragedy!! …of hope The Carter Center have finally accepted Granger’s recalcitrance on transparent elections. They said they’re “disappointed that the Government of Guyana chose not to demonstrate a genuine commitment to transparency.”

What else did they expect??

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

NEWS

9

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Presidency was awash with discrimination, party paramountcy – Teixeira

PPP/C Executive Member Gail Teixeira

‘C

aretaker’ President David Granger is now touting the notion of “inclusionary governance” as a result of his imminent defeat in the 2020 elections, which is being unmasked through the National Recount exercise undertaken by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

This was the view articulated by Executive Member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) Gail Teixeira in a public statement on Thursday.

She was at the time weighing in on Granger’s recent appearance on a radio show, where he conceded that, unlike his prior position during the campaign season, he did not expect a landslide victory. The Presidential Candidate for the coalition’s Candidates List has since adopted this position.

“We have to aim at a form of government that is inclusionary…let’s not bother with landslide; The parties are near equal,” Granger has said.

The APNU+AFC Presidential Candidate reminded that, “people who win 51 per cent of the vote must not behave as if they won 100 per cent of the vote, and people who only got 49 per cent of the vote must not be treated as if they got no per cent of the votes; and I live by that.”

He then declared: “I would like to see an inclusionary form of government…one where we can sit down in a mature environment and discuss the issues facing our country. That is the only way forward.”

Teixeira, PPP Executive Member and longtime party ‘whip’, has since dismissed Granger’s sentiments as “nothing but a bad joke or a farce.”

According to the PPP stalwart, “I would not be wrong, nor anyone else in Guyana, in assuming that Mr. Granger, as head of the APNU+AFC Coalition, is fully aware of the results of the SOPs (Statements of Poll) of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections in his party’s possession, that showed that not only did it not win, even by a margin, but that it was resoundingly defeated by approximately 17,000 votes.”

The Opposition Chief Whip in the now dissolved National Assembly pointed out that, even as the leader of the APNU is making these admissions, he “continues this masquerade to fool his supporters.”

According to Teixeira, “Other than laughing uncontrollably at this farce being perpetuated on the Guyanese people, I am flabbergasted that Mr. Granger

Police destroy ganja fields along Berbice River

A

21-year-old labourer of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam Berbice was arrested on Thursday following a narcotics eradication exercise conducted in Berbice riverine communities.

Based on reports received, Police travelled to

Gaettroy and De Veldt, communities in the Berbice River, where approximately three acres of cultivated cannabis, with more than thirteen thousand plants measuring between six inches and two feet in height, were found.

In addition, a nursery

with about 3000 seedlings and 15 pounds of dried ganja, and five camps were also found and destroyed.

The young man in detention was found in one of the fields, and as such was arrested.

Investigations are ongoing.

Caretaker President David Granger

would expect the majority of Guyanese to conveniently forget what his administration stood for, and still continues to stand for since the May 11, 2015 elections.”

She reminded that the coalition’s 2015 victory was based on a win of less than one per cent of the electorate, representing 4,000-odd votes, and said: “With such a hair’s breadth difference, this eureka moment with regards to an inclusionary form of government clearly alluded him when he assumed office.”

The politician said the APNU+AFC administration instead took up “ahwe first”

and “we time now” policies.

Qualifying her position, Teixeira highlighted that 1,872 Amerindian Community Service Officers had their services terminated, in addition to the “political witch-hunting” that saw thousands of public servants and others in state employment being fired and replaced by APNU+AFC activists.

Teixeira also drew reference to the closure of sugar estates, which left thousands on the breadline; along with the “neglect of communities that were aligned to the PPP/C”, as well as the “neglect of Amerindian communities generally, and especially those that are sympathetic to the PPP/C.” Pointing to more recent occurrences, she accused the Granger Administration of violating “the Constitution on repeated occasions”.

She has since questioned, “Is it because defeat is now staring him in his face that he has chosen opportunistically to pander to an inclusionary form of government?”

According to the PPP Executive Member, there was a golden opportunity for the caretaker President

to prove his commitment to an inclusionary government post-2015; however, he squandered it.

The Granger Administration, she said, has taken this country down a treacherous path of political division, economic collapse, undermining the rule of law and the Constitution “as (they) merrily went along, confident that their time would last forever.”

Teixeira posited that the “eureka” moment has come five years too late, and that such an arrangement would never be possible “under Granger’s tutelage.”

It was noted that the coalition used its one-seat majority to defeat every motion brought by the parliamentary Opposition, “even those which were non-partisan”, such as “suicide prevention, rice farmers, sugar industry, interior roads, crime.”

She was adamant that the Granger Administration “continues unrelentingly with the same polices of political and ethnic discrimination, exclusivity, highhandedness and party paramountcy started in May 2015; the very same policies that led to his defeat at the March 2, 2020 polls.”

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 patients once again decry condition of ‘comfortable’ facilities …lack sanitary supplies, nutritious meals …claim cramped rooms causing possible reinfection

W

hile the Public Health Ministry has dubbed its COVID-19 quarantine facilities as ‘comfortable’ with all the necessary amenities, this has once again been rebutted by patients who have been staying at these centres over the past weeks.

Another dreadful story was brought to light by one person, who spent some time at the Diamond facility after testing positive.

The woman, who requested anonymity fearing victimisation, said some of her other relatives continue to face substandard treatment in quarantine and the situation is getting worse.

She recollected that from the time they entered the facility, they were left stranded without the presence of any authorities to make queries or raise concerns. From then on, things went downhill.

“It’s not good as the Ministry said that it’s comfortable and that they have all these things. It’s nothing of the sort. It’s like when these people test you and you’re positive, they come for you immediately. When they take you in,

that’s it. They’re done with you. If you have a query or things that you don’t understand, you can’t get on to them, because they don’t take your calls and the doctors on duty never know nothing,” she expressed.

Speaking about the condition of the facility, she related that hygienic practices were beyond poor. There were no sanitising products to use and even the washrooms were without toilet paper for almost one week.

Instead, patients are burdened to ask their families to send these basic necessities.

There are some days when the water supply would cut, and many persons would be deprived of their afternoon shower.

“Sometimes the water would cut off and you wouldn’t be able to have a shower in the night. They’re talking about hygiene and so on, but sometimes their water is off. Apart from that, they have nothing like sanitisers and soap to give patients although that’s a COVID infested place,” the former patient complained.

Meanwhile, she confirmed reports of innutritious meals being given

been at the facility for over one month, because they are forced to share a small space, causing recovered patients to be re-infected.

One of her relatives would have been tested several times, with the results rotating between negative and positive.

There was one situation where the tests were conducted at the facility and

patients were waiting for one week to receive their results. Guyana Times was also informed that health authorities are reluctant to provide documents proving that these persons are infected. Instead, the results are delivered verbally.

Claims of Wi-Fi and other services at the facility were also deflated by patients.

Corentyne man found dead in house

T One of the meals prepared for COVID-19 patients

to patients and the lack of three-square meals. In one instance, they were given two slices of bread sandwiched with what appeared to be mustard for dinner.

In other instances, it was a tiny portion of pasta or undercooked ground provisions.

“When I first went in, it wasn’t that bad, but I think they changed the caterer and that new person

has been taking vegetarian food most days. It’s just like a little bit of macaroni in a small box or channa or maybe four pieces of very dry provision, just like that…It was horrible and it is getting worse,” she lamented.

With these meals, no form of added supplements or vitamins are being administered. She stated that some persons have

he body of a man was on Thursday morning discovered at his Number 49 Village Corentyne home with marks of violence thereon.

Dead is 58-year-old Shazeed Ishmael Khan, whose body was discovered by his brother Fazil. Reports are that Fazil would visit the now deceased Ishmael on a regular basis, hence the visit on Thursday was normal.

Bibi Singh, sister of the two men, told <<Guyana Times>> that she was at home when her brother turned up and informed her that Ishmael was dead.

“He (Fazil) told me that he went to take fish for him

(Ishmael) to cook, and saw him lying by the door with a big bruise on his forehead, and a bottle brake near him.”

Ishmael’s body was reportedly found next to the front door. Singh noted that she did not go to see the body, but was told that he could have fallen.

“He is diabetic and he lived alone. Piece of his foot cut off, that’s why the small brother does go and check on him,” she explained.

However, Police have arrested the brother, Fazil, after he insisted that he wanted Ishmael’s body buried on Thursday, due to Muslim rites. An investigation is, however, underway.

NEWS

11

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Disprove Mingo’s fraud by releasing SoPs – PPP/C – from 85 boxes, APNU/AFC numbers inflated by 4415 and PPP deflated by 686

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he National Recount exercise underway at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) to ascertain votes cast on March 2 last has revealed that Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo inflated the figures for ballots

been shown to give the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), 4,415 additional votes.

Compounding the situation, the recount exercise has illustrated that in those 85 ballot boxes, the Region

accuracy of the Statements of Poll (SOP) published by PPP in every material way”.

An SOP is generated on Elections Day by each polling officer for each polling station, reflecting the votes allocated to each party in addition to recording spoilt and

One of the instances where the numbers were inflated for APNU/AFC

cast in that region by an average of 50 per box.

Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Tabulation Agent Anil Nandlall told media operatives on Thursday — Day 16 of the recount — that of the 85 boxes of Region Four ballots recounted, Mingo has

Four RO allegedly reduced the votes cast for the PPP/C by 686.

Nandlall gave this damning conclusion during a media engagement on the outskirts of the ACCC venue, and said that the ballot “boxes, as they are being completed, continue to confirm the

other such ballots.

According to Nandlall, “…in terms of Mingo fraud, 85 boxes that Mingo used that spreadsheet for have already been counted, and the total number of votes that the fraudulent spreadsheet Mingo used allocated to APNU+AFC is 4,415.”

He was adamant that Mingo had fraudulently allocated votes to the APNUAFC while simultaneously reducing the number of votes for the PPP. Nandlall said his party is more than willing to share publicly the information it has, including audio and video clippings with Mingo declaring the figures, and he also referred to the already public copies of the SOPs. The former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs under the PPP/C Administration has in fact challenged “anyone” with SOPs that contradict those that the party has made public; and quickly suggested, “If they had, it would have already been out there.”

Adamant that his party “would not put out numbers that we cannot vouch for”, Nandlall challenged the APNU+AFC coalition to dispute the allegations of fraud being levelled against Mingo by producing its SOPs. “Just one! Let them put up one!” he challenged.

Presenting a case in support of the allegations of fraud against the Region Four RO, Nandlall told media operatives, “When Mingo stopped using the SOPs and produced that spreadsheet, we requested from him an explanation of the origin of that spreadsheet. He never explained where he got it from.”

Nandlall related that RO

Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo

Mingo in fact said “that he extrapolated it from numbers on the SOPs. So, we said, ‘We need to verify from our SOPs and the SOPs that you have that the numbers correspond on the spreadsheet’.”

According to Nandlall, “He never produced those SOPs…up to now.”

At the end of Day 16, the recount exercise had completed an additional 88 boxes — the most completed in a single day since the activity commenced on May 6 last at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

With Regions One and Two completed — confirming landslide wins in those districts -- the exercise on Thursday recounted additional ballot boxes for Region Three, where the PPP/C had 31,022 more of its votes as-

certained as valid, while APNU+AFC had 11,229 votes confirmed.

The exercise completed recounting 19 ballot boxes for votes coming from Region Four, and at the end of the evening, 24,374 more votes had been tabulated for APNU+AFC, while 21,826 votes were ascertained for the PPP/C for the district.

Additional boxes recounted for Region Three saw the APNU+AFC receiving 11,229 votes while the PPP has since secured 31,022 votes from the region so far.

Region Five ballot boxes recounted by the end of the day ascertained 9,505 more moves for the PPP/C, while the coalition maintained a marginal lead with 10,011 votes tabulated so far.

Ballots recounted for District Six saw the PPP/C securing 3,714 more votes, while APNU+AFC held a slim lead with 4,061 votes tabulated for the coalition thus far in the Region.

Region Seven, which is the most recent electoral district to have its ballots recounted, saw just nine ballot boxes being scrutinized on Thursday.

The exercise saw the tabulation of an additional 1,995 votes for the coalition, with the PPP/C picking up 786 more votes from the region.

(See analysis of fraudulent declarations by Mingo on pages, 14,15 and 16)

12 NEWS

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19

Freak storm in Berbice

Health officials assure it is still safe CDC lends support to to give birth, breastfeed newborns severely affected family …but unsure if virus can be transmitted during pregnancy

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regnant women are not at a higher risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, but nevertheless, they should take extra precautions since there will be changes to their bodies and immune systems.

This is according to acting Maternal and Child Health Officer, Dr Oneka Scott, who noted that with some 15,000 births annually in Guyana, many women may be asking how pregnancies can be affected by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

She noted that according to research by the World Health Organisation (WHO), pregnant women were not at a higher risk of contracting the novel coronavirus than the general population.

However, Dr Scott noted that owing to changes in our bodies and immune systems when pregnant, the last months of pregnancy could be gravely affected by some respiratory infections, and so It was important to take all necessary precautions.

Expecting mothers, she explained, should take all precautions like everyone else such as avoiding large gatherings, washing hands regularly, and practising social distancing.

Clinic check-ups

Dr Scott noted that it remained “very safe” to visit care centres as “no clinics have been terminated and antenatal servic-

es continue uninterrupted”.

Currently, all local clinics are adhering to physical distancing guidelines and as such, “you may receive a call from your provider to reschedule your appointment to a specified time and date”.

The Public Health Ministry is urging persons to keep those appointment times as it prevents overcrowding at the facilities. Persons are also encouraged, upon visiting the health facility, to adhere to the seating arrangements, respiratory hygiene and any other measures adopted by the facilities.

Moreover, Dr Scott reassured the populace that hospitals were safe places to give birth even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All birthing facilities are safe for delivery. In addition, there have been some adjustments and changes at birthing sites to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

All health-care providers will be wearing a mask and other protective equipment. You will also be requested to wear a mask when accessing the services,” she noted.

Furthermore, Dr Scott explained that all birthing facilities have made provisions to ensure safe delivery of any pregnant mother diagnosed with COVID-19.

In fact, she said at the Georgetown Public Hospital, there is a special section identi-

fied for delivery and c-section operations.

After the baby is born, the mother will also be cared for in a special designated space.

Transmission

There is still not even research to determine whether COVID-19-infected pregnant women can pass the virus onto their newborns.

But Dr Scott noted that in Guyana, during delivery, “healthcare providers will take all the necessary precautions to keep your baby safe”.

Additionally, she noted that as far as research has shown, it remains “perfectly safe to continue breastfeeding”.

“It’s the best thing a mother can do for her newborn, bearing in mind that you will have to protect your baby from transmission of infections,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr Scott is encouraging pregnant women who may display symptoms related to COVID-19 to disclose such information to their health-care providers.

“It is in keeping with the objective of providing the safest care for you and your baby,” she said.

Persons can also contact the Maternal and Child Health Department at their neighbourhood health facility, or on the Ministry’s Facebook page if they have any questions or comments.

T

The Razacks’ damaged home

he Civil Defence Commission (CDC) will be assisting one of the families who were affected by a freak storm at Number 36 Village, region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Heavy winds and rain swept through the community on Wednesday, ripping off zinc sheets from the roofs of several houses.

The Razak family suffered the brunt of the storm as their entire roof was ripped off and the kitchen located in the lower flat was inundated, damaging their appliances and furniture.

Several family members suffered minor injuries as they tried to find safety.

Speaking with the media on Wednesday afternoon, Dian Razak, 31, a mother of two, recalled she was in the hammock in the lower flat of their two-storey wooden and concrete home when her son ran in shouting.

The mother realised her 10-yearold was trying to get her attention and

upon investigating, she saw several zinc sheets being ripped off her house.

She told her son to run as she picked up her two-year-old and ran to the front of the house where she covered her two children until the storm passed. While running to safety the 10-year-old was struck behind the neck and had to seek medical attention while his mother was struck on the leg.

During the ordeal, Mr Razak, who had been asleep, was awakened by the noise and sought shelter with his family.

Senior Response Officer of the CDC, Captain Salim October has told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the agency was in the process of finalising assistance for the family.

Meanwhile, at least three other homes in the street also lost zinc sheets from their roofs during the freak storm.

By Wednesday afternoon, most of the affected families were able to repair their damaged roofs.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

International Day for Biodiversity

IIC spots urgent need for biodiversity conservation … partners with EMC to foster joint efforts

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ecognising the critical role of biodiversity in maintaining the ecological balance in our natural systems, the Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) has partnered with Environmental Management Consultants (EMC) to enable biodiversity conservation in Guyana.

Today, Guyana joins the world in celebrating International Day for Biodiversity under the theme: “Our solutions are in Nature”.

The Centre noted that as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there should be serious reconditioning and recognition of how much mankind is dependent on ecosystems.

“There is growing recognition of the dependence on ecosystems for health, water, food, medicines, shelter, energy, and the need for urgent action to address conservation of biodiversity and to increase the resilience of nations and communities in

the wake of accelerating impacts from climate change,” the IIC said.

It went on to say that Guyana has played a vital role in providing global leadership and valuable lessons on sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and payment for forest climate services through the REDD+ Partnership between Guyana and Norway.

“IIC and EMC urge continued national and international action to sustainably manage forests to ensure their integrity, to secure livelihoods and protect biodiversity. IIC and EMC also wish to announce the establishment of a mechanism of cooperation between the two entities which will see joint efforts in the areas of biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management, research, environmental education and awareness, and the advancement of initiatives to support a low-carbon economy,” the organisations revealed.

According to Iwokrama Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dane Gobin, the IIC decided to partner with EMC on account of its resources to effectively achieve these goals.

Gobin asserted, “The establishment of the partnership with EMC, a premier environmental service provider in Guyana, would allow access to knowledge, expertise and experience in areas such as environmental and natural resources management, biodiversity conservation and climate change.

EMC is a strong advocate for low-carbon development and many EMC team members have been involved in national and international initiatives on biodiversity conservation, climate change, forest climate services, and REDD+.”

Meanwhile, EMC Managing Director Shyam Nokta acknowledged that the world was on a trajectory to catastrophic climate change, which made critical

Social Protection Ministry to offer assistance to ‘most vulnerable’ …Small Business Bureau offering grants to affected businesses

Force made the decision based on the current projections and timelines for COVID-19, as it would be better to undertake long-term solutions. In this regard, it was determined that current social relief efforts were among the shortterm solutions and needed to be reworked.

Small businesses

National COVID-19 Task Force CEO Joseph Harmon

T

he Social Protection Ministry has taken the initiative to assist the vulnerable groups within the population, as households across the country suffer economically from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

Those who will be given first priority include persons benefiting from the public assistance programme and those who have applied for assistance but are awaiting a response.

It has also been extended to individuals who lost their income after the coronavirus outbreak began and households headed by senior citizens or persons with disabilities.

Eligible applicants are to submit their completed forms online with supporting documentation.

Back in April, former Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency

and current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), Joseph Harmon announced that the Government halted the social relief hampers being distributed by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), since more long-term solutions were needed.

“We took the view that this is going to be a long-term matter and, therefore, a onetime distribution would not suffice, because, in the long run, someone who receives a package in April would look forward to receiving a package in June and July and onwards. We have thought it necessary to look at this matter in a strategic way and, therefore, what we have asked is that the distribution be put on pause in the way it was going. We are going to put a system in place that identifies … the vulnerable,” Harmon had said.

He revealed that the Task

Businesses across the country, both small and large, have been dealt serious losses as the COVID-19 pandemic deepens as many have chosen to close their doors or lay off employees.

Given the devastating impact, the Small Business Bureau has now made an effort to assist registered small businesses who have been economically challenged.

According to the Bureau in a notice, this initiative is meant to sustain these businesses in retaining employees and assisting with operational costs until the national situation is brought to normalcy.

It is also offering training and development support to market these services through an online platform. This training is extended to diversify businesses and create ‘supply partnership’.

Entrepreneurs who wish to seek assistance can contact the Small Business Relief Grants and Services via email at funding@sbb.gov.gy or 633-7101 or 608-8495. This support will be offered based on the availability of funding and on a first-come-first-serve basis.

the need for intervention.

“We have to take urgent action to protect our natural systems and biodiversity and to secure the future for humanity. Iwokrama has established a solid reputation as an international centre for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation, and has played a leading role in cutting-edge research on biodiversity in Guyana. EMC is keen to formalise its relationship with Iwokrama to work together at the national and international level to advance action on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of forests, and climate change,” he stated.

The IIC was established in 1996 under a joint mandate from the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat to manage the Iwokrama

forest, a unique reserve of 371,000 hectares of rainforest “in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological, economic, and social benefits to the people of Guyana and to the world in general”.

The Centre, guided by an international Board of Trustees, is unique, providing a dedicated well-managed and researched forest environment. The forest is zoned into a Sustainable Utilisation Area (SUA) and a Wilderness Preserve (WP) to test the concept of a truly sustainable forest where conservation, environmental balance, and economic use can be mutually reinforcing.

The IIC collaborates with the Government of Guyana, the Commonwealth and other international partners and donors to develop new approaches and forest management models to enable

countries with rainforests to market their ecosystem services while carefully managing their resources through innovative and creative conservation practices.

EMC is one of Guyana’s premier environmental services providers. Established in 2007, EMC, with its team of national and international specialists, works in more than 15 sectors and has provided support to in excess of 100 clients.

EMC conducts biodiversity assessments and monitoring and prepares Biodiversity Management Plans for clients utilising its team of national and international biodiversity experts. These are done to ensure that projects do not adversely affect the biodiversity of an area, especially as it relates to endangered, rare, and threatened species.

Pandit arrested as hundreds attend PM niece’s funeral in Berbice

A section of the funeral procession

H

undreds of mourners at Whim, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) on Thursday attended the funeral of the niece of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo amid strict COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Government.

The pandit who officiated at the ceremony was arrested, but the reason for his arrest is

unclear.

Law enforcement officers were seen in the vicinity during the funeral procession, but they did nothing to disperse the gathering, although the social distancing stipulation was not being observed.

Recently Nagamootoo, Head of the COVID-19 Task Force, has been publicly admonishing persons to adhere

to the regulations and restrictions, but those were not adhered to at his niece’s funeral.

Two members of the Opposition were recently arrested while picketing the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Both men were charged on Thursday and placed on 25,000 bail each.

Nevertheless, the Prime Minister was not at the funeral.

14 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT Mingoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fraudulent declarations further exposed FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

S

ince the commencement of the national recount of the votes APNU/AFC Government. during the March 2 General and Regional Elections, there have Below are additional instances from the National Recount Exercise been several instances which proved that Region Fourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Returning showing Mingo's fraudulent declarations of the March 2, 2020 General Officer, Clairmont Mingo has inflated the numbers in favour of the and Regional Elections.

15 Mingoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fraudulent declarations further exposed ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

16 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT Mingoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fraudulent declarations further exposed FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

17

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Comparison of Thursday’s SoRs with PPP’s SoPs DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

18 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Comparison of Thursday’s SoRs with PPP’s SoPs DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

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FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Comparison of Thursday’s SoRs with PPP’s SoPs DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

20 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Comparison of Thursday’s SoRs with PPP’s SoPs DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

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FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Comparison of Thursday’s SoRs with PPP’s SoPs DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

22 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

- franchise players’ match fees still pending

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johnny Grave revealed on Tuesday last that the West Indies men’s and women’s international cricketers will be paid their match fees during this present week.

The main reason for the delay in payments has been understood to be a severe cash crunch CWI has been facing, and that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As at the start of this week, CWI were able to contact the international women cricketers and confirmed the T20 World Cup match fees.

They have also confirmed the international men’s match fees for both the Ireland Series and Sri Lankan Series, Grave has confirmed.

The international men players would be paid their match fees for the Home Series against Ireland in January (three ODIs and three T20Is) and the Sri Lanka Tour in February-March (three ODIs and two T20Is).

The international women will receive their match fees for the four matches they played in the T20 World Cup in February-March in Australia.

However, the biggest losers remain the domestic players, most of whom have not been paid a large percentage of their match fees for the 2020 West Indies Championship, the Regional Four-Day competition. In March, CWI discontinued the competition after eight of the 10 rounds had been played, and declared Barbados the winners of the HeadleyWeekes Trophy (named after Caribbean greats George Headley and Everton Weekes).

According to Wayne Lewis, secretary of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA), during his chat with ESPN Cricinfo last month, the contracted regional players have been paid their allowances, but match fees for all the eight rounds of the domestic four-day competition are still outstanding.

Those in the play-for-pay category have, however, been paid their match fees, but for the first three rounds only.

The regional players are contracted under two categories: one comprises a set of 90 players that are on monthly retainers with the six franchises. The six teams include Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Leeward Islands and Windward Islands.

These contracted players are split across four categories: A, B, C and Development. Players in Category ‘A’ get a monthly remuneration of US$2,666; those in Category ‘B’ get US$2,000; those in Category ‘C’ earn US$1500; and those in Development get US$1,000.

The second contracted category is the play-for-pay, where players are paid on per-match basis. All regional players across both categories are paid US$1600 per match, which is separate from all the allowances, including per diem.

According to Lewis, the West Indies women have received their prize money from the T20 World Cup, but not their match fees, w h ic h has also not been paid to the men's white-ball squads.

A

Archery

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

NOW!

midst the COVID-19 lockdown, Archers from around the world recently got together and competed in a novel Virtual Online Competition.

Archery Guyana announced that, in the 7th stage of this competition, held on Sunday May 17, Guyana’s Winnette Lawrence competed as the first Compound Archer to represent our country internationally in Archery.

In this competition, more than 1200 participants from all around the world competed in various categories. The competition spanned more than three sessions, because of the space limitation and also to allow for time differences in the 22 countries participating in the Compound Archery category. There was representation from countries such as Belgium, Russia, France, USA, Pakistan, Finland, Trinidad, Australia, Philippines, Ireland, BVI, Indonesia, Rep. of

Team Guyana Jaguars

West Indies Women

Grave, during his interview with Cricinfo, said the primary reason CWI was facing the cash crunch was the huge losses the board had suffered while hosting Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2018.

"When we hosted Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, we made a US$22 million loss," he said. "The media rights contract paid us less than a million dollars for those two tours."

CWI was still able to clear dues for players for 2019, but that was possible only because of the England and India Series at home last year.

"That (the loss) was counter-balanced by having England and India in 2019, which led to record revenues. We almost cleared the balance of 2018 and 2019,” he said.

CWI were in the middle of negotiating a new broadcasting deal, after the previous contract with Sony-Ten had expired in late 2019, he said.

He also said that CWI were looking at ways to use the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua -- a 16-acre site which Grave described as an "asset" -- to raise money. (Brandon Corlette)

South Africa, Great Britain, Brazil, Spain, Greece and Norway.

Competing from a remote location in the Virgin Islands against 12 other competitors at a distance of 30 metres, Lawrence finished in 9th position out of 13 competitors, with a score of 652 out of 720.

Lawrence disclosed, “Registration had to be done online, and we had to choose which session we would shoot, and distance. Because of lockdown, some persons had to scale down their target face to suit a distance. For inspection of the bows, we had to take a picture of it as well as the target face, and send online. They also sent a QR code for you to log on and send scores. After every end, we had to Winnette Lawrence placed 9th in the 1st online Archery send a picture of arrows in target for competition scoring.

“I shoot a 2019 Hoyt prevail coming its 8th stage. Archery Guyana congratulates pound bow 40-50 lbs. with 600 spine Winnette Lawrence, and wishes her all the best; McKinney 11 arrows.”

The competition is ongoing and is now enter- and expects her to stay safe and well.

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Archery Pg 23

- franchise players’ match fees still pending Pg 23

Winnette Lawrence placed 9th in the 1st online Archery competition

West Indies Women

I

nternational Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach says the Tokyo Games would have to be scrapped if the event cannot be held next year due to the COVID-19 crisis.

In March, the IOC and Japanese government took the unprecedented decision to delay the Games, which had been due to start in July, for a year due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

However, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the multi-sports event cannot take place in 2021 unless the virus is contained and Bach said he understood his position.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 17,100 people in Japan, causing 797 deaths.

“Quite frankly, I have some understanding for this, because you can’t forever employ 3,000 or 5,000 people in an Organising Committee,” Bach told the BBC. “You can’t every year change the entire sports schedule worldwide of all the major federations.

You can’t have the athletes being in uncertainty.”

Bach said the IOC was committed to holding the Games next year though it had to be prepared for various scenarios including quarantining athletes.

“What could this mean for the life in an Olympic Village?” he said.

“All these different scenarios are under consideration and this is why I’m saying it’s a mammoth task, because there are so many different options that it’s not easy to address them (now).

“When we have a clear view on how the world will look on July 23, 2021, then (we will) take the appropriate decisions.” (Reuters)

IOC Chief, Thomas Bach

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

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