Guyana Times - June 1, 2020

See Region 4 SoRs comparison with released SoPs on pages 14 to 21 All SoRs are available on our website Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4303

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

APNU/AFC manufactured allegations of migrated persons voting – PPP

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

2 critical following P10 drive-by shooting in Plaisance Berbice man nabbed in ganja field, another with P2 cocaine

See story – as GECOM Chair secretly writes Top Cop requesting investigation on page 3 – Immigration says 172 persons were out on E-Day, but no evidence they voted – questions raised over why no investigation of Mingo’s fraud requested

Allegations of unstamped Disciplined Services votes baseless – LJP leader

Shieldstown murder

Sending second son to jail will make me lose both P8 – father

…says there is no way to differentiate Disciplined Services See story on page 11 votes, irresponsible claim to make

Fire guts NA door & window factory

Page 2

GECOM reaches 100 ballot boxes during Sunday’s recount – Region 3 recount certified Page 7

– 1739 of 2339 ballot boxes counted so far – owner estimates losses around $20M

Over $300M in ganja destroyed

by Police in Berbice this year Page 13

…drone played a major part in operations – Commander

P9 1 new COVID-19 case recorded; total now at 153 Camp Stephenson explosion

P10

1 month later, investigations still underway

2 NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fire guts NA door & window factory – owner estimates losses around $20M

Berbice man nabbed in ganja field, another with cocaine

Some of the ganja plants discovered by the Police on Saturday

A A

factory that builds doors and windows, located at Smithfield, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), was in the wee hours of Sunday destroyed by a fire of unknown origin.

Based on information received, the fire started at about 03:00h. Owner of the property, Williams Leung stated that he was at home when he received a telephone call informing him of the fire.

Without hesitation, he immediately instructed his wife to summon the Guyana Fire Service to the scene as he rushed over to the factory.

“When I reach the scene, the fire tenders were already putting out the blaze. The firefighters were prompt but

The aftermath of the fire on Sunday morning

Owner of the business, William Leung

the inside of the building was burning. I do not know what caused the fire because we turned off and unplugged all electrical equipment

whenever we are finished working every day,” Leung told Guyana Times.

On Sunday morning, the 75-year-old businessman could not ascertain whether the fire was of an electrical nature but confirmed that the security guard saw flames emanating from the front part of the building.

Several pieces of machinery were completely damaged including radio alarm saws, two 20-inch planers, two band saws and five shapers among others. In addition, several high-end panel doors and windows were also destroyed.

A large number of hand tools were also destroyed in the inferno. He estimated his losses to be in the vicinity of $20 million. “Everything is electrical. All the tools are

electrically operated, that is why we unplug them.”

The business has been in operation for more than eighteen years. However, back in 2010, a fire of unknown origin had destroyed the business. Back then there were living quarters above the factory.

However, it was rebuilt as a one-story building to cater only for the factory which has been making panel doors and mouldings.

Meanwhile, firefighters were able to contain the fire from spreading to a storage building which is in the same compound. The owner noted that the building was insured for a small sum but not the equipment.

The Fire Service has launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

24-year-old cattle farmer was taken into Police custody after he was caught tending to several hundred cannabis plants on Saturday at Vryheid, West Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Based on reports received, at about 15:00h on the day in question, Police

stroyed.

According to the police, the estimated street value of the cannabis plants is $5,824,000.00. The cattle farmer of High Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, is being processed for court.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Police ranks acting on intelligence arrested a

The cocaine that was found in the suspect’s possession

ranks acting on information swooped down on a location at Vryheid, West Canje, Berbice, where the plants measuring between two and five feet in height were discovered. In addition, 6500 cannabis seedlings were also found and subsequently de-

27-year-old unemployed resident of Adelphi Village, East Canje and Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, after he was found to be in possession of 27 grams of cocaine.

He is being processed for court as Police continue their investigations.

NEWS

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MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, June 1 – 01:30h – 03:00h and 13:00h – 14:30h and Tuesday, June 2 – 02:00h – 03:30h and 14:30h – 16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, June 1 – 12:45h – 14:15h and Tuesday, June 2 – 13:25h – 14:55h.

APNU/AFC manufactured allegations of migrated persons voting – PPP – as GECOM Chair secretly writes Top Cop requesting investigation – immigration says 172 persons were out on E-Day, but no evidence they voted – questions raised over why no investigation of Mingo’s fraud requested nefarious political agenda.

The matter is compounded by the Commissioner of Police purporting to verify the very information that he or his servants/agents supplied to that political party.”

“It is already on the public record that APNU+AFC is concocting these allegations.

One would recall a couple in Berbice who are in Guyana and voted for APNU+AFC, but APNU+AFC claimed that those persons were overseas on Elections Day. This issue was fully ventilated in the Kaieteur News,” the party said.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunny intervals and light rain during the day. Partly cloudy skies will prevail at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 13:01h reaching a maximum height of 2.44 metres.

Low Tide: 06:32h and 18:58h reaching minimum heights of 0.80 metre and 0.73 metre.

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$35.33/barrel

+0.11

Rough Rice

$309.51 /ton

-0.58

London Sugar

$362.20/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1734.30

$1735.30

Low/High

$1728.70

$1745.10

Change

+5.60

0.32%

PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo

T

he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has made it clear that while they are not afraid of any inquiry, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) is merely trying to delay the recount by getting the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to go on a “wild fishing expedition” to verify their claims of voter fraud.

The party made this assertion in a statement on Sunday and it comes following the leaking of a letter written by GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, to Police Commissioner Leslie James in his capacity as the Chief Immigration Officer.

In the letter, which was kept a secret even from stakeholders in the National Recount, Singh asks the Commissioner to probe the allegations made by APNU/ AFC that persons who voted were actually out of the country.

Attached to the letter was a list of those names of alleged migrant voters. This publication has confirmed with well placed sources that the Commissioner of Police has since responded to the letter and has informed the GECOM Chair that 172 persons who are on the list were out of the country.

At this time, however, there is no word on whether ballots were issued for these individuals or whether they voted via proxy. For instance, APNU/AFC had previously claimed that a deceased elector had voted. Further checks had revealed, however, that the woman was never issued a ballot on election day.

According to the PPP, this is all part of the coalition’s “nefarious” political agenda.

“We wish to highlight that a political party, APNU+AFC, not the Government, was provided by the Commissioner of Police/Immigration Department with the immigration records of citizens without their consent, which APNU+AFC is using for its

Discredited

According to the party, they have found hundreds of cases where persons who APNU/AFC claimed were out of the jurisdiction but voted, were, in fact, present in Guyana at the time of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

“Certainly, if the information provided by the Commissioner of Police/his servants and or agents are false, such misrepresentation will not be without consequences at the appropriate time,” the party said.

“In any event, there is no way of connecting any of the persons who APNU+AFC claim were abroad with the ballots cast on March 2, so it is all a wild fishing expedition to delay the declaration of the results. We continue to maintain that GECOM has no jurisdiction to hear and determine these matters which can only be addressed by the High Court in an election petition.”

The letter written by GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

According to the party, they are not afraid but rather, stand ready to participate in any investigation once it is done at the appropriate time and forum. They also revealed their intention to seek a meeting with the GECOM Chair, regarding this development. The party also predicted that APNU/ AFC’s claims of electoral fraud will increase over the coming days.

“It will be recalled that in a sample of 87 ballot boxes on the East Bank Demerara, Mingo fraudulently gifted to APNU+AFC over 5000 votes. In order to detract

from Mingo's fraud and in their frantic effort to prevent the declaration of the final results of the recount, the likes of Joseph Harmon will manufacture more ridiculous allegations, such as that 96,000 ballots cast are invalid.”

“No doubt, as the recount continues to establish that the PPP/C won a landslide victory, APNU+AFC desperation will rise to fever-pitch over the next few days and we will have to confront many more wild and bizarre contentions,” the party also asserted.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 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

PNC traducing the social contract

T

he issue of legitimacy of rulership has been an ancient preoccupation of mankind ever since we crept out of caves and formed settlements, where we were forced to devise rules for choosing leaders. Initially, it was probably a matter of self-selection with the man who could wield the largest club enforcing his selection of himself as the most suitable candidate. From this, it was not long before these rulers were legitimised by the newlydeveloped religions, which sanctified the notion of the “divine right of kings” to rule.

In the West, it was not until Henry VIII decided to rebel against the legitimising role of the dominant European Catholic Church in the late 16th Century, by insisting that his English Anglican Church could perform the role just as well, that the legitimacy question came under wider scrutiny. By 1660, the political philosopher Thomas Hobbes, proposed that legitimacy is conferred by the citizens of a country, who execute a “social contract” with their leaders.

He proposed that outside of civilised society, man lived in a “state of nature” where life was “nasty, brutish and short”, so that it was in his interest to transfer his sovereignty to a ruler – the “Leviathan” - who would guarantee peace. Over the centuries, the notion of the social contract remained at the centre of political philosophy as it was developed by John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and all the way into the 20th Century by John Rawls. The idea that all power and sovereignty reside in the people, which they confer to their government of choice through elections, has now become the cornerstone of democratic legitimacy, surviving as it has, the divine rule of kings, fascism, totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and the “dictatorship of the proletariat”.

At the highest level, the social contract is literally encompassed by the people forming themselves into a constituent assembly and crafting a constitution that adumbrates the terms of the contract. The Government and the people, therefore, must give the greatest respect to the Constitution, and breaches by either party must be dealt with condignly. History in general, and our own history in particular, has shown that the Leviathan is always prone to violating its delegated powers and the people must have an almost reflexive reaction against this tendency. This tendency is even greater when the government in question has utilised the law of the jungle to create a constitution without the participation of the people to create the “general will” that confers the highest legitimacy.

And this is exactly what the PNC did in the 1970s when they rigged themselves a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly; transformed that Assembly into a Constituent Assembly and created a constitution that was never ratified by the people through a transparent sleight of hand. The Guyana Constitution, promulgated by the PNC in 1980, therefore, never reflected the necessary social contract between the Guyanese people and the rulers: it merely codified the existential iron rule of the self-described “paramount party”. While there were extensive changes to the Constitution in 2000, these were occasioned, ironically, by the PNC using force in the streets to “democratise” the structure of Parliament to include them in governance.

Because of this history, the PNC has very little respect for the Constitution as far as following its rules to secure legitimacy from the people. Their antediluvian attitude is more reminiscent of the “beat them over the head” caveman theory of rulership as illustrated firstly by their refusal to obey the Constitution’s sanctified no-confidence motion to test the legitimacy of Governments, even though they were willing to use the NCM in 2014 to oust the PPP Government.

They have now taken their caveman approach to governance and politics back to the tradition of their founder-leader Forbes Burnham by contemptuously attempting to rig the elections in front of the world.

The Guyanese people will have to look beyond partisan politics and realise that we risk toppling our entire political edifice if we allow the PNC to flaunt the rules of democratic legitimacy.

APNU/AFC “politics of fear” will not manipulate our electoral process

Dear Editor, The threat to Guyana’s democracy is real, but the sign of desperation by the PNCR-controlled APNU/ AFC caretaker Government to remain in power is eminent It all began when PNCR’s Basil Williams urged members to “stand up and defend the party, the Government and the coalition”. Followed on Monday, May 21, 2018, by the headline on the front page of the Governmentowned Guyana Chronicle which screamed, “Fight back – PNC Chairman urges members to resist Opposition propaganda.”

It is clear to all that APNU/AFC has been making headlines of late, all for the wrong reasons. Guyanese, you may recall the explosive revelation contained in a leaked email, reportedly emanating from the same email address used by Basil Williams which he quickly denounced as “fake”.

But this so-called “fake” email address is the identical one used for all his official emails. That leaked email exposed the mindset of the PNCR-controlled APNU, and revealed the unscrupulous tactics this party has been using effectively for years against the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and are still determined to propagate to retain power in 2020.

The strategy outlined in that email encourages the APNU/AFC Government to, “Keep propagandising on the

issue of having in inherited an empty Treasury …[for] statistics show that this has resonated well with our support base as a means of justification for the [draconian] Budget and tax measures.

We must also continue to restate that the economy was surviving on drug money.

“The APNU/AFC is rapidly losing support, even in their hardcore base. They are becoming more intolerant and desperate, and desperate people do desperate things.

I believe the thinking of the PNCR/APNU/AFC is to resort to proven tactics that have served them well in the past, and have become the hallmark of the PNCR for decades -fear and intimidation! Most Guyanese, even in their stronghold areas, are now fed up with this APNU/ AFC caretaker Government, it is evident everywhere you go, they’re losing support and they know it. They now have to find a way to stop the “bleeding”.

They already have some “levels” in the Guyana Elections Commission doing their dirty work but that’s not enough.

The David Granger-led Caretaker Government is now “Baiting GECOM into delaying elections results for another few months, the APNU/AFC has this misconceived and misguided notion that they would attempt to discredit our electoral process by perpetuating fallacious claims about so-called irregularities. Let me re-

mind the PNCR/APNU/AFC, Burnham used fear and intimidation to control the people of Guyana. Guyanese have already made it clear that they would not allow “APNU/AFC politics of fear to manipulate our electoral process”.

Joseph Harmon and his APNU/AFC cabals accuse GECOM of ignoring letters sent about the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s “glaring electoral fraud”.

Guyanese, the only glaring electoral fraud we have experienced was when Clairmont Mingo made his fraudulently transparent District Four election declaration without using the SoP. Mr Joseph Harmon, your claim of the Opposition’s fraud is mischievous and irresponsible.

These amounting the claims of fraud are (i) ballots cast for the dead and persons who have migrated; (ii) persons voting without proper identification; (iii) persons voting outside of their districts without employment documents; (iv) large numbers of improperly stamped ballots at locations where Disciplined Services members voted; (v) missing poll books; (vi) documents from one Polling Station being found in the ballot boxes of another, etc has left me to think why would the APNU/AFC make this sudden shift, from claiming that the APNU/AFC has won the March 2, 2020 elections, to the new narrative of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic has created elec-

toral fraud.

It must be known there is enough evidence in the horizon to show and prove that the APNU/AFC caretaker Administration has lost the March 2020 General and Regional Elections. It is time to stop frustrating the citizens of Guyana with your outrageous and false claims.

Note that the news media has uncovered all of the APNU/AFC lies, the APNU/ AFC will have to find another way to muzzle the media houses from unveiling the truth.

These claims have been exposed as blatant lies, with the recount progressing, everyone who believes in democracy must do everything in his or her power to expose the APNU/AFC for the liars they are.

The Guyanese citizens must continue to seek clarity on the lingering issues surrounding the recount of ballots from the March 2, 2020 elections.

These elections have been plagued with many legal challenges and the important thing that was established by the courts was GECOM was autonomous and independent and GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh has been silent throughout all this rambling by the APNU/ AFC and must do her job properly, Guyanese still have faith in the electoral process.

Sincerely, David Adams

GECOM without jurisdiction to investigate macabre allegations

Dear Editor, As the National Recount exercise continues to reveal the irrefutable and crude fraud perpetrated

by Clairmont Mingo, in respect of the elections results for Electoral District number four (4) and continues to corroborate the accuracy of the Statements of Poll, made public by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the desperation of APNU/AFC proportionately increases. After publicly acknowledging that Election Day’s activities were fairly and credibly conducted, and declaring themselves, immediately thereafter, to be the winners thereof, including stating as much in a dossier, which they have submitted to the Government of the United States of America (USA), they are now back-pedalling.

Not only in self-contradiction but in defiance of public statements made by every international and local accredited observer team certifying Election Day’s activities to be free, fair and transparent,

APNU/AFC are now hustling to hastily construct an incredulous narrative seeking to undermine Election Day’s activities.

In this regard, they are concocting and manufacturing myriads of bizarre allegations of irregularities and malpractices, contending that they occurred on Election Day, thereby not only impugning the integrity and competence of their own polling agents, who were present at every Polling Station through the country, but also implicating nearly 20,000 Election Day staff of GECOM, in a conspiracy to perpetrate massive electoral fraud on March 2, 2020.

How this gigantic, elaborate illegal design was executed without the detection of themselves, the observers, their supporters, the press and indeed, the entire citizenry, remains one of the most confounded phenomena of this century.

Now, they desire GECOM to undertake the macabre task of investigating these self-serving fictions. In a

letter to the press, Basil Williams wrote “that it is for the Guyana’s Elections Commission to resolve the irregularities, discrepancies and anomalies contained in the observations reports…

GECOM is empowered to examine irregularities, discrepancies and anomalies in order to make a determination of the credibility or lack thereof of the recount process”.

Unsurprisingly, Williams failed to cite any legislation or legal principle to support his fallacious contention. There is none.

In any event, let us briefly examine the position of the APNU/AFC. At the recount, they are randomly calling out serial numbers of persons appearing on the list of electors, alleging that those persons migrated or are dead, without, not only providing a shred of evidence that those persons are dead or have migrated, but also not establishing that those persons actually cast a ballot; that the absence of a poll book or entry of a vote in a poll book, either render all

the votes in that ballot box fraudulent or that particular vote invalid. When quizzed by the press on how these serial numbers are arrived at, Ganesh Mahipaul admitted that they are received from hearsay information.

Aubrey Norton, in his interaction with the press, appeared convinced that any irregularity, which occurs in a Polling Station, translates into the invalidation of all votes cast at that station. When asked to produce evidence to support his wild and multiple allegations, he boldly said that his “evidence is the allegation”, and once made to GECOM, it is GECOM’s duty to probe it in order to determine whether it is true or false. One objection proffered was that a voter was a member of the Jehovah Witness disciple and, therefore, is religiously prohibited from voting! The law aside, any rational mind examining this narrative of APNU/AFC will, ineluctably, conclude that it is a compendium of rubbish.

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

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

The big lie Dear Editor, On Monday, May 25, Joe Harmon floated his outrageous APNU/AFC 86,000 lie. Coming on the heels of APNU/AFC won, the election was fraudulent, and hundreds of dead and migrated voted.

counted – One, Two, Three, Five and Seven – the total difference between the SoRs and the SoPs is only 11 votes as shown in the table below. Yet, every day, APNU/AFC trots out more baseless allegations

Firehosing

65, which had to go all the way to the CCJ. Imagine how this is viewed outside Guyana. Then there was the claim that the PPP/C and an ugly mob stormed GECOM, which is completely disproved by video. They do no better on consisten-

Recount Overview

What the end game of this buffoonery is remains to be seen. But it certainly is divisive and hurts the nation.

There’s a psychological principle that the big lie is much more likely to be believed than the small lie.

The reason is that most people have a limit to the falsehoods they would promulgate. People know that people, including themselves, occasionally lie.

They, for example, exaggerate or lie to make themselves look good. But few would dream of uttering a gargantuan lie of the size that Harmon did. Given their own self-restraint and their experiences with people they know, they come to generalise this restraint to other people’s conduct also.

Even the habitual liars they may know have some ceiling to the size of the lies they utter. So when the country is assaulted with one of these big whoppers, some assume that there must be some veracity to the statement.

The dictator Adolph Hitler, who was a master propagandist in Nazi Germany, described the big lie in his book Mein Kampf this way: A lie so “colossal” that no one would believe that someone “could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously”.

That’s what Joe Harmon and the APNU/AFC attempted on Monday, May 25 as the evidence of the Mingo fraud in Region Four continued to pile up.

• He did this contrary to the factual evidence while more and more details of the Mingo fraud continued to emerge. Not only has the evidence continued to emerge, but the fraudulent margin of victory Mingo gave to APNU/AFC has so far been reduced by some 5750 as at May 21 • Furthermore, in the five Regions completely re-

The reach and scope of the big lie have evolved.

With the ubiquity in the electronic age of audio, video, and instant communication worldwide – now that people can see more with their own eyes, the big lie is increasingly about power.

Harmon was not just lying, he was asserting that he and the APNU/AFC cabal are not constrained by objective reality, and that everything, even the totally obvious, can be challenged.

Throughout the year and a half that it has refused to give up the reins of Government, the APNU/ AFC cabal has been asserting it has the power to keep urinating on the sidewalk, and the country has to keep wiping it up. It’s wiping the country’s face in the dirt.

The perpetrators feel no embarrassment when their lies and inconsistencies are revealed. They’re saying we know that you know, and we don’t give a rat’s arse. We have the power – we make the reality. We will gut facts of their power. And we will reduce reality to picking sides, and relegate truth as straws for the disempowered to clutch.

There is no objective truth – just sides to take.

This nine-minute video illustrates this well: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=nknYtlOvaQ0 From the video, all Guyanese would be able to recognise the methods they use: 1. High volume and multi-channel 2. Rapid, continuous, repetitive 3. No commitment to objective reality 4. No commitment to consistency Examples of the absence of commitment to objective reality were the assertion that 33 is not a majority of

cy. First, APNU/AFC said it won the election. Now that is being disproven, it claims the entire election was fraudulent.

Meanwhile, APNU/AFC never mentions the guy who threw himself under the bus for them. Did you know there was a GECOM RO named Mingo? Well, don’t let objective reality get in the way – he no longer exists.

Where we go from here

Is this what we want our country to be? These purveyors who promulgate there is no objective truth have damaged the country and the culture. Who would imagine going to court to prove 33 is more than 32?

Their only allegiance is to power. They have now also thrown their own polling agents under the bus – in the blink of an eye along with the ordinary GECOM staff members who worked on Election Day. How long will it be before they turn on the cronies like Lowenfield and Meyers?

Maybe Madam Singh should be looking over her shoulder now.

This is why it’s critical for the media and the country to understand what’s going on and to build national awareness. Journalists, in particular, should understand firehosing so they aren’t exploited by it, but rather help in calling it out.

Don’t chase every lie, choose your focus and hold them on that point or points. They will try to shift to another point as soon as they are exposed, don’t let them do that.

With greater awareness, the firehosing will lose its power and people can focus on dealing with reality and truth.

Sincerely, Ron Cheong

GECOM without...

Leading APNU/AFC officials have publicly stated that the 2020 elections are tainted with fraud and have laid such allegations at the door of the PPP/C. In fact, Joseph Harmon has accused GECOM of electoral fraud.

The determination of the existence of fraud and the imposition of legal consequences, therefore, are matters, indisputably, within the remit of the Judiciary, under the doctrine of separation of powers. Special rules of court attend an allegation of fraud, more notably, that fraud must be particularly pleaded and specifically proved. Should GECOM embark on an enquiry into APNU/AFC’s baseless allegations of fraud, it would be trespassing on the preserve of the Judiciary, as it is common ground that GECOM is not clothed with any judicial function or responsibility by the Constitution.

The Privy Council decision, in the Jamaican case of Hinds v R 24 WIR 326 (PC), makes my aforesaid contention unassailable. Very briefly, this case related to the establishment of a gun court by the Gun Court Act of Jamaica. The court comprised of persons who did not meet the threshold requirements for judicial appointments.

Additionally, the court was authorised to impose terms of imprisonment for certain gun-related offences which only the High Court was jurisdictionally competent to impose. Certain sentences imposed by the court were reviewable by a specially appointed panel, again, who were not qualified to be Judges. The Privy Council ruled that the creation of the Review Panel was an attempt by the Executive to exercise the duties of the Judiciary and was unconstitutional.

The Canadian legal academician Peter Hogg notes in his book, Constitutional Law of Canada, that, “provincial legislators may not confer on a body, other than a superior district or county court, judicial functions analogous to those performed by a superior, district or county court.”

What Basil Williams actually advocates, is for GECOM to arrogate to itself judicial functions analogous to those performed by the Judiciary. Any such act by GECOM, I vehemently contend, will be in violation of the Constitution.

However, the issue in Williams’ erroneous view goes beyond a violation of the separation of powers doctrine and invites GECOM to compound its violation of the Constitution. It is to be noted that GECOM’s gazetted Order relating to the recount process declares itself to have been made, inter alia, pursuant to Article 162 of the Constitution.

Article 162 itself declares that the functions of the Elections Commission are

“subject to the provisions of the Constitution…”.

Article 163 (1) (b) of the Constitution provides: Art 163: “Subject to the provisions of this Article, the High Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine any question – (b)(1) which either generally or in any particular place, an election has been unlawfully conducted or the result thereof has been or may have been, affected by any unlawful act or omission”.

Viewed from whatever angle, the rantings of the political misfits and miscreants, notwithstanding, the matters which the High Court has been constitutionally authorised, exclusively, to determine are undoubtedly the nature and type of matters, which are the subject of APNU/AFC’s allegations. Again, I forcefully submit that if GECOM was to yield to the cunning of the APNU/AFC fanatics and venture in that direction, it would be trespassing on the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court and would be violating the doctrine of separation of powers as well as expressed provisions of the Constitution.

While the Constitution creates this exclusive jurisdiction in the High Court, the law provides that an Election Petition is the vehicle by which the High Court is approached to determine such questions. However, such a position can only be presented to the court after the final declaration of the elections results have been publicly made by GECOM. This is the well-established procedure in such elections-related challenges.

In the local case of Petrie and others v the Attorney General and others (1968) 14 WIR 292, there was a challenge to the holding of national elections on the grounds, inter alia, that the laws relating to the compilation of the list of electors and the registration of electors were all ultra vires, illegal and unconstitutional. At the hearing before Chief Justice Bollers, a submission by the Attorney General that the court was without jurisdiction to entertain the application since the question which it raises belongs to a class of questions which are placed by

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the Constitution exclusively within the jurisdiction of the High Court exercising a special jurisdiction and as such are justiciable only after the election has been held, was upheld.

Chief Justice Bollers, noting that the electoral process begun with the issue of the Proclamation by the Governor General regarding the holding of elections, observed that “if any irregularities or illegalities are committed from this period of time in relation to the various matters involved in the election…. then these irregularities may form the basis of an election petition, after the result of the election has been made known”.

Basil Williams has referred to the experience of the Chairperson of GECOM, as a Judge of many years, which experience he panders, equips her with the expertise to enquire into and pronounce upon the baseless and false allegations of APNU/AFC. Justice Claudette Singh has considerable juristic skill and experience.

She has been an able and learned Judge and I say confidently that employing her juristic skill, learning and experience, Justice Singh would know and recognise that GECOM has no curial role in hearing or determining the allegations of missing poll books, dead persons voting and migrated persons voting and would know that such allegations must be presented to the High Court by way of an Election Petition after the final results of the elections have been publicly declared by GECOM. All is not lost for APNU/ AFC. As the clearly predicted losers of these elections, if they wish to continue their dark humour of their Tales from the Crypt, then they are certainly entitled to do so by way of an Election Petition. This would be the right way.

Until that time, I remain supremely confident in the words of Justice Claudette Singh, who is on record in a public declaration, saying: “I know only one way, that is, the right way”.

Sincerely, Mohabir Anil Nandlall Attorney-at-Law

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTERS ON PAGE 22

6

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

Page

Foundation

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

Below is Maths Paper 2, 2013. Also included are CXC Maths practice questions.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT

MATHEMATICS

1. WRITE YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER CLEARLY ON EACH PAGE.

Note: You must answer ONLY FOUR questions.

Be sure to answer FULLY the FOUR questions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. (a) Divide 4.8 by 1.2.

(2 marks)

(b) Find the value of 68 x 2.4. Round your answer to the nearest whole number.

(3 marks) Total (5 marks)

question 4.

4. (a) How many children like Mathematics and English?

(1 mark) (b) How many children like Mathematics only?

(c) How many children do not like Mathematics and English?

(1 mark)

(b) Five packets of parboiled rice cost $4280. How much will 25 packets cost?

(3 marks)

(2 marks)

Total (5 marks)

Total (5 marks)

3. A farmer had 40 tomatoes in a basket. 18 tomatoes were green and the rest were red. (a) (i) How many tomatoes were red?

(1 mark) (ii) What fraction of the tomatoes was red?

Study the diagram of a house, garage and lawn shown in Figure 3 carefully, then answer question 6.

(1 mark)

2. (a) The length of a ribbon is 4/5 metre. How many 1/5 metre pieces can be cut from the ribbon?

(2 marks)

(d) How many children are in Grade 5?

7. Look over your work when you have finished.

6. (a) Find the area of the house and garage. (b) Find the perimeter of the lawn.

(1 mark)

(3 marks) (2 marks)

Total (5 marks)

(b) (i) What is the ratio of red tomatoes to green tomatoes?

(2 marks) (ii) Write your ratio in its simplest form.

(1 mark)

END OF TEST

Total (5 marks)

MATHS CXC QUESTIONS

The Venn Diagram in Figure 1 shows the number of

1. (a) Determine the value of

Study Figure 2, then answer question 5.

5. (a) How many triangles are there in the figure?

(3 marks)

(b) How many lines of symmetry are there on the figure?

(2 marks) Total (5 marks) children in Grade 5. Study the diagram, then answer

(ii)

(b) A farmer sells his potatoes at $100 per pound. If he makes an $8 profit on each pound of potatoes, calculate

How much it cost him to produce the potatoes

The profit as a percentage of the cost (c) Shawn got $5000 as a present for his 10th birthday, if he puts his money in a savings account earning 3% per annum in simple interest, calculate: (i) The interest earned after four years (ii) His account balance after five years (iii) How long will Shawn have to wait to earn $10,000 in interest?

2. (a) Solve for y (i) 4y â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14 < 6 (ii) If y is a positive integer, list its possible values. (b) Factorize completely

(c) Simplify

(d) Write as a single fraction, in its lowest terms,

NEWS

7

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GECOM reaches 100 ballot boxes during Sunday’s recount – Region 3 recount certified – 1739 of 2339 ballot boxes counted so far

F

or the first time since the National Recount at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) started 27 days ago, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has recounted 100 ballot boxes, an unprecedented high.

This was revealed at the conclusion of the exercise on Sunday and brings the total number of ballot boxes counted to date up to 1739 of 2339. Therefore, only 600 boxes remain to be counted from the four remaining Electoral Districts.

Of the 100 boxes counted today, 41 were from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); 34 from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne);10 from Region Nine (Upper TakatuUpper Essequibo) and 15 from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). It is understood that there are only two more ballot boxes to be counted for Region Nine, which means it is likely to be certified today.

On Saturday, the count for Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) was completed and its one counting station was

assigned to Region Four. The same is expected to happen after Region Nine is completed since District Four has the most boxes remaining to be counted.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s exercise also saw the completion of the tabulation process for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

However, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has once again refused to sign the Tabulation Certificate.

This is despite the fact that the results of the re-

APNU/AFC manufactured...

Mingo

Also expressing concern over the GECOM Chair’s letter was Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Presidential Candidate, Lennox Shuman.

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

During his engagement with the media, Shuman expressed concern over GECOM undertaking to ask the Police Commissioner to investigate APNU/AFC claims.

He said that based on the legal advice his party received, GECOM is acting out of its remit.

According to him, Singh never revealed to stakehold-

ers that she had written to the Police Commissioner to have the issue investigated.

According to him, Justice Singh has shown a selective attitude towards investigating wrongdoing, since the recount has shown that Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo manipulated numbers to give APNU/AFC a victory, yet the Chairperson has not asked the police to investigate this. According to him, the Chairperson is going down a slippery slope.

“We’re very concerned that Madam Chair is going down a very slippery slope.

Take for instance there was a dossier presented that stated that Mr Granger and Mr Harmon were dual citizens.

The Commission has not undertaken to ask those people to provide evidence that they have renounced their citizenship with the US.” “If you’re looking for wrongdoing also, this recount has shown that Mr Mingo’s numbers in themselves were completely flawed, inflated.

Yet there has been no at-

FROM PAGE 3

LJP Presidential Candidate Lenox Shuman

tempt made to address that issue, the fraudulent declaration by Mingo. We are curious, one way or another, whether the Chair is going to ask the police to come and conduct a criminal investigation into the conduct of Mr Mingo and whoever his cohorts are.”

Shuman said that while there should be an investigation into the 2020 elections considering the allegations being thrown around, this should by law be in the form of an elections petition, which will be judged in the High Court based on its merits.

count tabulation are almost the same as what was declared by the District’s Returning Officer, Mohanlall Jagdeo, on March 4, 2020.

According to the initial declarations, PPP/C had won District Three with a total of 47,855 votes while the APNU/AFC secured 23,811.

Meanwhile, the certified recount figures awarded the PPP/C 47,851 votes and 23,808 votes to the coalition. On Saturday, the coalition had also refused to sign the Tabulation Certificate for Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), despite the fact that it won that region.

It was the same story on Wednesday last, when GECOM completed tabulating the votes for all the ballot boxes for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), but APNU/AFC refused to sign off on the certification.

APNU/AFC has raised objections to the fact that the certificates of district tabulation contain the words “valid votes”, due to their contention that there was electoral fraud. However, several of their allegations, of dead and migrated electors having voted on Election Day, have already been disproved.

As recently as Saturday, some of these claims fell to pieces when APNU/AFC Campaign Manager Joseph Harmon in a video broadcast claimed that GECOM is yet to “positively” respond to their allegations. He had even gone on to cite some examples of these discrepancies.

Harmon had claimed

The certified Region Three results

that 352 ballots were issued for ballot box 7079 (Region Seven, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Phillipai Primary School), but 377 ballots were discovered in the ballot boxes. This, however, is not true, as a fact check of the Statement of Recount (SoR) for ballot box 7079 shows that 227 votes were actually cast, of which 223 were valid votes.

The SoR was completed and certified by all the parties, including an APNU/ AFC counting agent, on May 28 – two days before Harmon’s comment.

According to the SoR, the four rejected ballots contained one that was unmarked or voided for uncertainty, one that was marked

in a way that the elector could be identified and two whereby the elector voted for more than one party.

Meanwhile, another example Harmon gave on Saturday of alleged ‘fraud’, which upon checking turned out to be untrue, was that the wrong list was found in ballot box 7003 (Region Seven, Regina’s Shop).

Harmon’s claim falls apart when one checks the observation report for that ballot box, which states that box 7002 was mixed up with box 7003 at the time of the recount and that “no other error was found with this box.” Again, this report was signed off by political parties that included APNU/AFC.

8 NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Shieldstown murder

Sending second son to jail will make me lose both – father

T

he father of the man who stabbed his brother to death on Saturday at Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice (WBB), is now pleading for him not to be sent to jail, claiming if that happens, he will lose both sons.

Seventy-four-yearold Bisnauth told Guyana Times that he does not what his son to face the consequences of killing his older brother.

“I already lost one, and if he go down, is all two ah gon lose,” he cried.

On the day in question, the two brothers, 45-yearold Sarananand Bisnauth, called “Sardanan” and “Long Hair” and 44-year old Khemlall called “Bot son” were consuming alcohol at their Back Street, Shieldstown home when an argument broke out between them.

The argument escalated into a fight and it was then that the younger brother armed himself with a knife and attacked the other, who was sitting in a hammock.

The now dead man attempted to block the vicious attack and was cut on the right arm. The knife, however, ended up stabbing him in the chest.

One neighbour, Samintra Persaud, called “Seeta” related that on Saturday afternoon she was on the street when she saw Khemlall exiting the yard with a blood-stained knife in his hand.

“He tell me that he don kill already and I tell him that ah gon call police. I see “Long hair” lying down under the guava tree.”

The siblings’ aunt, Omeridai Pooran, relat-

Khemlall Bisnauth being taken into custody after stabbing his older brother to death on Saturday

ed that normally, the two brothers are joined by a third person but this was not the case on Saturday.

She explained that when the brothers are under the influence of alcohol, they would abuse their father.

“The man does weary give complain. Dem does pelt the man with wood and so; the man disgust with them,” she related.

A neighbour recalled hearing screams and as she rushed to investigate, she saw the older brother lying in a pool of blood under a tree as the other cried “ah kill he, I stabbed meh brother.”

Sattar said the younger brother, who was heavily intoxicated, was seen licking the blood off of the murder weapon.

“Dem does often fight.

Dem two fight whole night.

They cuss mattie whole night. All two ah dem drunk and dem fight and dem cuss

whole night.”

However, the aggrieved father said that he left to

go to the farm earlier in the day but his sons were not at home.

“When I come from backdam I hear that one kill the other one.”

He noted that while his request will be cast aside, he is hoping that the suspect is released.

“If he come out it would be better. I don’t know what the problem they get. They don’t fight here. If they want argue with mattie and I holler on them, they gone… I ain’t glad for him go to jail because all the stress will be on me. Is me gon feel all the pressure because they don’t have a mother.”

According to Bisnauth, his wife died two decades ago and he took care of the seven children. The emotional father recalled their time spent as a loving family until the death of his wife.

Youth targeted for World No Tobacco Day 2020

I

n observance of World No Tobacco Day 2020 which was celebrated on Sunday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has embarked on a global campaign to highlight the “strategic, aggressive and well-resourced tactics” employed by the tobacco industry to target youth and debunk the myths they create.

This year’s theme is “Protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use.”

Information on the WHO’s website indicates that the campaign “will pro-

Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Health’s Chronic Diseases Programme and Secretary of the Tobacco Council, Dr Kavita Singh

vide young people with the knowledge required to easily detect industry manipulation – from product design to marketing campaigns – and equip them with the tools to rebuff such tactics, thereby empowering young people to stand up against them.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Checking…

I

… PNC’s allegations n Guyana was there anyone who believed Claudette Singh when – against the background of the PNC’s alleging “thousands” of dead and migrants (and maybe some dead migrants!) voted on March 2 – she declared stoutly, “he who asserts must prove”? Well, maybe those folks who just want this election’s counting and recounting to be over so they can get on with their lives! But Claudette has pulled this trick one time too many for your jaded Eyewitness – and he’s been saying so, hasn’t he?

This is being pointed out not just for the sake of patting himself on the back, but to emphasise that from the very beginning of her tenure, Claudette’s decisions have gone ten for the PNC and one for the PPP. No one could miss her bias. So here we have it: a letter from her has surfaced which shows that GECOM’s PNC point man Vincent Alexander knew of what he spoke when he insisted that Chairman Claudette had written the Police to check emigration records to ascertain PNC’s objections to specific folks who were out of the country on March 2 had yet voted.

Alexander’s opposite number from the PPP’s side had vehemently declared that Alexander didn’t know what he was talking about. And that the Commission hadn’t made any such decision. That might very well have been true, but the tip-off to your Eyewitness was that Alexander had never said the “Commission” had made the decision – simply that the Chair had done the deed. And when the Chair didn’t pull Alexander up for speaking on her behalf – as she’d snarkily just done to the PPP’s Commissioner Gunraj via a tersely worded press release – your Eyewitness knew something was afoot. And that foot was firmly planted in the PNC’s camp.

Now a lot of legal types have already weighed in, stamping their feet and asserting in stentorian tones that Claudette can’t act as if she’s on the Bench and start weighing evidence and all that stuff. But Claudette will now hope that she has a fait accompli and argue that once she’d snucked in a de facto audit under her legal remit – which confines her to a “recount” – she’s entitled to take the audit to its limit!!

The Opposition parties have to move to the Courts early this morning to head her off at the pass, because what she’s done is just eye-pass on our country. But don’t tell this to PNCites like Lincoln Lewis who thinks she’s God’s gift to the Judiciary – pipping local stalwarts like JOF Haynes and even probably, old Blackstone himself!!

But in reality, she’s wallowing in the stench of her PNC predecessors like Bollers and Patterson. …for racism in Guyana George Floyd’s death under the knee of a white policeman in Minneapolis has stirred indignation and anger in dozens of US and European cities like London.

Sadly, your Eyewitness thinks these protests and riots will result in some CoIs, some changes in some of the Police procedures in the States, but then things will slowly revert back to the status quo.

Fact of the matter is that anti-Black racism is woven into the very fabric of Western “civilisation”, which is now the standard for every other civilisation on planet earth. So, if you scratch what goes on in China, or Russia and Australia or India, you’ll see the sickness expressing itself. Most poignantly, the canker of anti-Black racism has infected even some phenotypically “black” persons in Africa and the Caribbean, including Guyana.

Take most of the Oreo top leaders of the PNC. They’ve internalised the anti-Black sickness – as was pointed out

by Walter Rodney and are contemptuous of their mass supporters.

Luckily, the elections showed that the latter have gotten woke!! …PNC’s lobbying Your Eyewitness is waiting (but not holding his breath) for some action from the high-priced lobbyists the PNC hired in Washington through the largesse of their supporters who must’ve contributed generously when they passed around the hat.

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

NEWS

9

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1 new COVID-19 case recorded; total now at 153

G

uyana’s confirmed COVID-19 cases has now gone up to 153 after one more new case was recorded on Sunday.

This is according to the Public Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard.

It was noted that the

country’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 12 after recording its latest fatality on Saturday.

Caretaker Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

had announced that 78-yearold Daymon John, who was a resident of the Palms Geriatric Home, died early Saturday morning. He is the second resident of the facility to have died from the novel coronavirus. Several persons there have since tested

possible for the virus following the first death at the facility on May 1.

This has caused the administrators of the Palms Geriatric Home to place a

number of staff and residents under quarantine.

The Home also improved its sanitisation protocols.

It was reported recently that at least 200 residents at the Palms Geriatric Home were tested for coronavirus.

That figure is about 50 per

cent of the occupants at the home.

Director of Social Services, Wentworth Tanner stated that efforts were being made to have all of the

residents tested in phases.

Over the past weeks, six new patients, all female, have tested positive, taking the total cases at the Palms to over 10.

Meanwhile, the number of persons tested for the novel coronavirus as of Sunday has increased by 14 to now 1618, of which 1465 were returned negative.

The Ministry’s updated dashboard further revealed that there are still two patients in the dedicated COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The number of persons who have recovered from the life-threatening disease to date has gone up to 70 – increasing by three from Saturday’s figures.

Additionally, there are currently 71 persons in institutional isolation and another 24 in institutional quarantine.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are some 5,934,936 coronavirus cases globally with the death toll at 367,166. Meanwhile, in the region of the Americas, the total number of cases is 2,743,793 and there are 157,702 deaths recorded.

Only Friday, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud disclosed that Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) continues to be the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in Guyana, ac-

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

counting for a whopping 68 per cent of the country’s total cases, which at the time stood at 150.

It was shared too that Regions One (BarimaWaini) and Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) are beginning to see an increasing trend of positive cases with six and 10 per cent of positively confirmed cases respectively.

Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) also has high figures, accounting for eight per cent of cases.

The Chief Medical Officer added that males continue to account for the majority of the positive cases. In the breakdown by age group and gender, the younger males in the 25-29 age group are predominantly affected in Region One while in Region Seven, it is the 30-39 age group.

Moreover, Dr Persaud went on to express worry

over the threats Guyana’s border regions are facing from the uncontrollable crisis in Brazil – a situation where thousands are infected every day.

“I wish to focus on our hinterland regions, particularly Regions One and Seven, where we are beginning to witness the emergence of more positive cases and more so to highlight the implications for our bordering communities as COVID-19 continues to spread across the provinces of neighbouring Brazil,” he opined.

One day after Moruca, Region One, had its first case, a second person tested positive. By the eight day, there were nine cases and one death. In Region Seven, six more cases were reported within the first week, three more after six days and 12 days after, another five cases.

10 NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Camp Stephenson explosion

1 month later, investigations still underway

O

fficials of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have no new information in relation to the explosion that left three soldiers dead and two injured at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), on April 30 last.

Just after the tragic incident, President David Granger had ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) into the circumstances surrounding the incident but it has been one month since and GDF is yet to know the cause of the explosion.

When Guyana Times contacted the Staff Officer One General Five (ag), Major Greasels Hinckson, she related that she is unable to comment on the issues since investigations are still ongoing.

On April 30, an explosion at the at GDF’s armoury at Camp Stephenson, Timehri, EBD, killed Lance Corporal Kevon Nicholson, 23, of Levi Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New

Shaqueel DeHarte, Tooney Peneux and Kevon Nicholson who were killed during the explosion at Camp Stephenson

Amsterdam; Lance Corporal Tooney Peneux, 28, of Orealla Village, Corentyne River, and Private Shaqueel DeHarte, 20, of Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice.

Two others – Sergeant Quincy Threlfall, 43, and Lance Corporal Paul Peters, 29, were injured during the incident.

Lance Corporal Peters was treated at Base Camp Stephenson, while

Sergeant Threlfall was hospitalised at the Georgetown Hospital (GPHC) but was subsequently discharged.

The GDF reported that the soldiers were involved in the preparation of pyrotechnics for demolition when the incident occurred.

On the other hand, Guyana Times reported that on the day when the soldiers were killed, they were de-

stroying pyrotechnics (fireworks), but reportedly used the wrong technique.

This was confirmed by multiple sources at Camp Stephenson days after the incident.

The soldiers were tasked with destroying the explosives two to three days prior to the explosion. They were reportedly instructed to soak the defective fire-

works in a drum of water after which they were to use a hammer to crack them open.

The Sulphur was removed and placed in a secure container.

On the morning of the explosion, the ranks were still trying to crack open the defective fireworks, one source explained.

It is believed that one of the fireworks was not properly soaked in water, and as one of the ranks hammered away, it ignited, hence the explosion.

This was the second fatal explosion in the GDF for the year. On February 22 last, members of the GDF’s Artillery Unit were offloading pyrotechnics from a truck to a pontoon at the GDF Coast Guard base at Ruimveldt when they exploded. This resulted in the death of Seon Rose, and several others being seriously injured.

Corporal Rose along with several other ranks of the 21 Artillery Company were

Seon Rose was killed in an explosion at Ruimveldt, Georgetown

preparing for Guyana’s 50th Republic Anniversary fireworks display when the incident occurred. Corporal Rose was badly burnt and died the following day at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was receiving treatment.

A probe into the first explosion is still ongoing, and it is still unclear how long the Guyana Defence Force will take to complete both investigations.

2 critical following drive-by shooting

T

wo young men were up to late Sunday evening in a critical state at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after they were shot during a drive-by shooting at Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Saturday evening.

Injured are Kevin Bernard Jr of the abovementioned address and one of his friends, who is yet to be identified.

Guyana Times understands that the men were at Bernard’s residence hanging out but as they exited the yard, two men stopped on a motorcycle and opened fire, hitting both of them.

Guyana Times understands that Bernard was shot in the face while his friend might have been shot to his body.

At the time of the shooting incident, no one was able to identify the suspects as they made good their escape on a motorcycle. Following the shooting, the victims were rushed to the hospital

Critical: Kevin Bernard Jr

where they were admitted.

It is still unclear what led to the shooting since residents at Prince William Street were tight-lipped when Guyana Times visited the area on Sunday.

Attempts were made to contact the relatives of the men for a comment, but it proved futile. The police, up to press time on Sunday, had not released information with respect to the shooting.

NEWS

11

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Allegations of unstamped Disciplined Services votes baseless – LJP leader …says there is no way to differentiate Disciplined Services votes, irresponsible claim to make

D

espite available evidence contradicting its allegations, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) continues to make them.

One allegation in particular – of Disciplined Services ballots going uncounted, is being rejected by one of the political parties.

In an engagement with the media on Sunday outside the recount site, Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Presidential Candidate Lenox Shuman called APNU/ AFC’s allegation baseless, since there was no way to tell which ballots were from the Disciplined Services after they were intermixed.

“There is also the allegation of the Disciplined Services votes not being counted. That is one of the most irresponsible comments you can make at election time and it is contrary to the facts. When you look at how many Disciplined Services are there, there is no specific pattern as to how it is counted or how it is potentially stamped or not stamped.

“Those are just baseless allegations. There is absolutely no way to tell which vote is a Disciplined Service vote or which vote is a Lenox Shuman vote. Which vote is a Timothy Jonas vote? There

could be identified and two where the elector voted for more than one party.

Meanwhile, another example Harmon gave on Saturday of alleged ‘fraud’, which upon checking turned out to be untrue, was that the wrong list was found in Ballot Box 7003 (Region Seven, Regina’s Shop).

Members of the Disciplined Services during the 2020 General and Regional Elections

is no way to tell, unless I go and write Lenox Shuman on something. There is no other way.

On Sunday, Citizenship Initiative (CI) Presidential Candidate Rae Lam also addressed the issue of unstamped Disciplined Services votes on her social media platform. She claimed that from her investigations, there are a mere two unstamped ballots when one checked all the polling stations in Regions Six, Seven, Eight and Nine, with intermixed Disciplined Services ballots.

“I did a cursory check of ballots rejected for lack of official stamp across Regions Six, Seven, Eight and Nine – these are the totals: a grand two for stations where DS ballots were intermixed. This represents a total of 1044 DS ballots intermixed here,” she had said.

The media has, meanwhile, been making inquiries of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as to how many unstamped ballots the recount has turned up. Up to press time, that answer has not been forthcoming.

On Saturday, APNU/ AFC Campaign Manager Joseph Harmon made a video broadcast in which he claimed that GECOM was yet to address the concerns over the Disciplined Services vote. Harmon had gone on to say that the “outrage of the Disciplined Services is palpable”.

He had also railed against GECOM for not “positively” responding to APNU/ AFC’s allegations. According to Harmon, they have written almost a dozen letters to GECOM urging that an investigation be launched before the votes in the oth-

er regions are announced.

Harmon had even gone on to cite some examples of these discrepancies.

Harmon had claimed that 352 ballots were issued for Ballot Box 7079 (Region Seven – Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Phillipai Primary School), but 377 ballots were discovered in the ballot boxes.

This, however, is not true, as a fact check of the Statement of Recount (SoR) for Ballot Box 7079 shows that 227 votes were actually cast, of which 223 were valid votes. The SoR was completed and certified by all the parties, including an APNU/AFC counting agent, on May 28 – two days before Harmon’s comment.

According to the SoR, the four rejected ballots contained one that was unmarked or voided for uncertainty, one that was marked in a way that the elector

Harmon’s claim falls apart when one checks the observation report for that ballot box, which states that box 7002 was mixed up with box 7003 at the time of the recount and that “no other error was found with this box”. Again, this report was signed off by political parties that included APNU/AFC.

12 NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GPHC lab assistants pleading for risk allowance incentive amid COVID-19 ...as other frontline workers receive risk allowance

A

s the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to increase in Guyana, emphasis is being placed on frontline workers, which include doctors and nurses among others but unfortunately, medical laboratory professionals are being excluded.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, a few lab professionals employed by the Georgetown

Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) expressed their dissatisfaction in the manner in which they are being treated.

“This is not about fame, laboratory personnel are often forgotten or left out.

During emergency situations, we are last to be informed,” one lab professional stated.

Recently, risk allowance incentives were grant-

ed to the frontline staff.

However, laboratory professionals were excluded.

As such, they are pleading with the relevant authorities, especially the Hospital Board, to address and rectify this situation.

“This gives the impression that we are not at risk.

But this isn’t the case; laboratory professionals are at risk at every level, from collecting the samples, which

involves interacting with patients, transporting, processing these samples, and finally issuing the results.

So, the risk isn’t only dealing with patients directly. It involves dealing with positive and biohazardous samples. Several requests prior to this interview were made to management regarding this matter. To no avail,” another lab professional stated and asked to remain

Golden Om Dharmic Youth Group distributes hampers as COVID-19 cases rise

T

he Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation said it is deeply concerned about the unprecedented daily increases of COVID 19 cases in Guyana.

In a statement, the Hindu Organisation said as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc, they are taking notes of the various challenges associated with this novel virus.

“We are therefore calling on the relevant authorities to address the many economic challenges experienced by families. Children, in particular, are exposed to health risks when their parents are required to work daily. With the closure of schools, the organisation is calling for more to be done bridge the gap with those challenged by access to technology for education”, the statement read.

Further, the organisation noted areas of safety and security for children, as studies have shown that in these difficult times, there are higher risks of child abuse cases, higher levels of emotional distresses over survival, and a general increase in mental health concerns.

“Thus far, the organisation with its limited resources has teamed up with its parent body to distribute over 100 food hampers in

Some of the hampers being prepared for distribution

the East Berbice area to persons affected by job loss. It has also embarked on a Live Daily Show on Facebook.

The program dubbed as ‘Coping with COVID-19 #CovidOut592” features youths across the globe sharing various coping strategies during quarantine and their experiences”, they said.

To date, over 40 episodes were streamed, featuring youths and associates of the organisation both locally and internationally from countries such as Australia, India, Tanzania Venezuela, and the United States of America.

Locally, youth activists Pandit Deodat Persaud, Lauristan Choy, Marrisa Elizabeth Foster and Dr Juanita Beejaimal were among the many who made their contributions.

The Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation encourages that persons tune in at 15:30h daily on the organisation’s Facebook page.

They underscored that each afternoon, a different host presents on a topic, ranging from self-care, COVID-19 prevention tips, cooking, life

hacks, entertainment, education among others.

“We wish to thank the thousands who view these videos daily and for their positive feedbacks.

This, the organisation believes is helping to deal with the issues of boredom, anxiety, and mental health issues among youths, whilst providing a platform for knowledge sharing”, they added.

In addition, the organisation has started a daily educational feature on its page for primary school students.

In the coming weeks, the Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation said it will embark on a robust online education series on COVID-19 prevention tips.

Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation urges the general public to heed to the guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation and to adhere to the advisories provided by local health authorities.

“Please stay safe and practice good hygiene techniques such as sanitising the hands, your homes, and workplaces. We also wish to extend heartfelt gratitude to our front line and essential workers who continue to risk their safety to protect and provide for us all”, the organisation expressed.

Youths targeted...

The WHO described this effort as a counter-marketing campaign as it will reinforce work in assisting countries in implementing effective policy interventions to reduce the demand for tobacco.

Also, the campaign will protect against industry tactics to undermine global and national efforts to implement evidence-based tobacco control policies.

In Guyana, Dr. Kavita Singh, Chronic Diseases Coordinator and Secretary of the Tobacco Control Council noted that the tobacco industry realising that they can no longer heavily promote conventional cigarettes are therefore capitalising on new trends, targeting young persons.

“It is during this point in time that ‘big tobacco’ is using strategic marketing techniques to try to get

FROM PAGE 8

young people to experiment with the new and emerging novel products like the e-cigarettes and the heated tobacco products,” Dr Singh told Department of Public Information (DPI).

However, she said these products are more harmful than the smoke of an actual cigarette, since users incorrectly believing these new products may not have a harmful effect, tend to abuse them.

The reality is that these products have the same tobacco which has cancer-causing cells among other deadly emissions.

It was noted that countries like Guyana will have to redouble efforts in exercising stringent tobacco control measures to protect protecting persons from harmful exposure to tobacco products.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)

anonymous.

In fact, these workers are contending that several laboratory facilities are working on the frontline, along with the doctors and nurses. As a result of working on a shift system during the partial lockdown, the workers also mentioned that several members of staff are often unable to have access to meals during working hours while the other frontline workers are able to do so.

“It is sad that the incentive and tokens given and distributed by companies have excluded the laboratory personnel.”

Nevertheless, these professionals applauded com-

panies such as Digicel Guyana, Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company Ltd (GTT), Burger King, Bettencourt, Carnegie, Massy Guyana, Quality, Pizza Hut, etc for their support to frontline workers.

“Sadly, laboratory professionals were excluded.

But we must show our appreciation to the only entity that acknowledged our presence, the Hot & Spicy Restaurant; thank you,” they all stated, with great dismay.

To this end, they stated that “The staff of the GPHC medical laboratory will continue to provide excellent service for all Guyanese during these trying times”.

WiMAC donates hampers to women on frontline amid COVID-19

Volunteers during the distribution

T

he coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s disruptive impact on world business, now and in the future, will particularly negatively impact women.

A recent United Nations report cited that some 740 million women globally work in the informal economy, and the global gender pay gap remains at 16 per cent and extends as high as 35 per cent in some countries.

In this regard, the Women in Maritime Association of the Caribbean – Guyana (WiMAC), in response to COVID-19, and within its scope and resources, sponsored hampers for single women and older women who are shut-ins.

WiMAC, in recognising the role of these women on the frontline, wanted to extend their gratitude to each one of these women.

The donation of hampers was conducted on

May 29, 2020, in the St Stanislaus College compound. According to Director General of MARAD, Claudette Rogers, it is occasions like these that she believes are necessary for compassion and empathy to be demonstrated.

“The Women in Maritime Association of the Caribbean – Guyana, seek to use this incredible opportunity in this heightened period of insecurity and fear, to be a light in a moment of darkness, and to encourage women to put their faith in God,” she posited.

Further, MARAD urged women to adhere to the guidelines and practices of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), and the Public Health Ministry, and also ensure that everyone and their families stay safely at home.

NEWS

13

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over $300M in ganja destroyed by Police in Berbice this year …drone played a major part in operations – Commander

P

olice in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) have been able to put a dent in the illegal drug trade by destroying in excess of $300 million worth of cannabis during the first five months of this year.

As recent as Saturday, one acre with several hundred plants measuring two to five feet in height and more than six thousand five hundred cannabis seedlings with an estimated street value of $5,824,000 was destroyed at Vryheid, West Canje.

A 24-year-old cattle farmer of High Dam, Angoy's Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice, who was caught tending to the plants, has

been arrested and is being processed for court.

Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus said a total of 17 persons have been prosecuted thus far for the year in relation to the cultivation of marijuana.

“Four firearms were ceased; one person was also arrested for having ammunition in his possession without being licensed to do so. That person was charged and placed before the court and was fined.”

Several acres of marijuana along the Berbice River were destroyed during eradication exercises.

“Last Thursday one person plead guilty in relation to a narcotic farm and was

sentenced to a three-year jail term,” the Commander stated.

“There were also a number of exercises where no one was at the farm at the time.

However, where camps were found they were destroyed and the illegal plants destroyed.”

He added that over 30 marijuana fields were destroyed with hundreds of millions worth in value.

“Over $300 million worth of ganja we have managed to get off the streets.”

“We have boats that were intercepted on the waterway with large amounts of narcotics which were ceased.

We have had the Coast Guard intercepting a boat along the Canje River where

two men were arrested who had 21 kilograms of ganja in the boat. They have already pleaded guilty and are serving three-years sentences.”

Several persons have also been apprehended at the checkpoint at the Berbice River Bridge with illegal drugs. One car is also in Police custody.

“The Narcotic Act says if you are using it in the furtherance of your illegal activity; being drugs, then the car is ceased and impounded and the court will have to make an order. Either the court orders that it is sold at an auction or it goes back to the owner, based on what evidence is available. We have had another car ceased and lodged at the Number

GGDMA working with PAHO to establish new guidelines to operate in pandemic

W

hile recognising concerns of vulnerable hinterland communities amid the coronavirus pandemic, President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), Andron Alphonso insisted that mining has to continue.

To this end, he disclosed that the mining sector is currently working along with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to establish long-term protocols that will guide the industry’s operations with the aim of protecting both its members as well as vulnerable hinterland communities.

“We are working with PAHO to implement a set of protocols and guidelines that will direct the mining community, particularly the small and medium scale miners, on how they should operate in the interior and it will also address how we should operate if we have to venture through or near these types of communities,” Alphonso stated during a recent virtual press conference organised by the Private Sector Commission (PSC).

GGDMA President Alphonso

Andron

tially but recognised that medical expertise was needed to tackle this pandemic.

The mining official further revealed that the GGDMA is also in talks with the Public Health Ministry to potentially purchase testing kits not just for miners but also residents of these vulnerable mining communities. These efforts, he stated, are all a work in progress and so the Association is ready to work with these hinterland communities,

A section of a mining operation

Among these protocols being developed is enhanced testing for miners heading into mining sites and for those already at those locations, the GGDMA President noted. He explained that the Association had started to put together something ini-

where many of the management in the sector comes from.

“Every aspect of our operations you will find personnel from these villages so the future of mining and the ability of mining to con-

tinue to operate right now is also very important for the economic sustainability of those communities.

We stand willing to work with these communities on bridging that gap that exists where communities feel that miners passing through the villages or nearby the villages are… not paying the necessary attention and giving the necessary support to the Toshaos and those communities. We stand willing to work with them to fix any concerns that arise or has risen,” Alphonso contended.

There have been calls by hinterland communities as well as human rights bodies for mining to be removed from the list of essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic amid raising fears that persons travelling from the coastland would transport the virus to their villages.

In fact, Health authorities have been concerned about the presence of the life-threatening disease in hinterland regions. It has been reported that Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) are beginning to see an increased trend of coronavirus cases with six and 10 per cent of positively confirmed cases respectively.

One day after Moruca, Region One, had its first case, a second person tested positive. By the eight day, there were nine cases and one death. In Region Seven, six more cases were reported within the first week, three more after six days and 12 days after, another five cases.

However, the GGDMA President has argued that while the mining community stands with these vulnerable communities, it has to be recognised also that miners have a right to ply their trade even during this time.

“Mining contributes, consistently for a number of years, over 10 per cent of Guyana’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). We are

also essential because we contribute consistently to over 55 per cent of the foreign currency earnings – without which there would be catastrophic consequences to the cost of living… We recognised concerns in communities but it needs to be recognised that mining has to continue,” Alphonso asserted.

It has been reported that there has been a slow down in operations of some of the larger mining companies during the pandemic, however, the GGDMA President noted that the small and medium scale miners are still holding their own and continue to provide liquidity to the economy as well as employment during this time when there is basically a standstill of the economy.

A quantity of ganja being destroyed

51 Police Station in relation to narcotics.”

Brutus added that while trafficking is considered as being one of the more serious offences for narcotics, smaller interceptions have been made in the region.

The Commander pointed out that persons were nabbed with the illegal plant in several areas including Black Bush Polder, Auchlyne, Springlands and Rose Hall Town About eight acres of marijuana have been destroyed

by Police in Berbice for the first five months of the year.

According to the Commander, the success in the fight against the cultivation could be linked to the technology being employed.

“The drone is very useful in locating farms but once someone would have fled from the field, it is hard for us to prove that they were on the field unless you find some form of identification there which they don’t have. They don’t carry ID

cards and passports on their fields. What we also do is that we take the GPS coordinates and we supply that to the Lands and Survey.”

This, he said, is used by the Lands and Surveys Department as proof that the land is not being used for its intended purpose and the lease and as such, they are being revoked.

“Apart from the eradication, we are ceasing equipment. We are ceasing things like power saws, brush cutters, water pumps, generators…. All those things we take into our custody and after a particular period of time if no one comes forward to make a claim; hardly likely anyone will come forward; it will go through the Ministry of Public Security to [be] auctioned off. So, they are losing more than just the plants, they are losing other resources because the machines and so are expensive; the engines for the boats are expensive as well,” Brutus explained.

14 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Comparison of Sunday’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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MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

16 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Comparison of Sunday’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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MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

18 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

19

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

20 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

21

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

22

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

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

Flaring and Guyana's oil and gas sector Dear Editor, The oil and gas sector is large and often, individuals forget about the gas component of this sector. Gas can sometimes be the largest portion of the finding and thus far, Guyana has a lucrative 30-50 million cubic feet of natural gas per day ( https://www.ecooilandgas.com/guyana-wants-tobring-liza-gas-to-shore/).

This natural gas (methane or ethane) we own can be: - compressed and stored

in cylinders - liquefied into liquefied natural gas (LPG) - redirected into wells to maintain pressures and maintain output - a feedstock for petrochemical plants to make hydrocarbons for fuel, rubber, glass, paint etc.

As of today, and the past six months, we have been and are flaring our natural gas at a reduced rate of 15 million cubic feet per day (original rate being 80 million cubic feet per day).

Flaring is basically setting

the distilled natural gas afire into the atmosphere.

Yes, increasing our carbon footprint and, of course, we are now, according to the Center for International Environmental Law, in the top 10 for gas flaring practices only after the commencement of production six months ago.

This flaring has been ongoing from the beginning and Exxon's number one excuse is the failure of equipment. If I were ExxonMobil and care about the environment, I would have acquired

When will the saga end?

Dear Editor, The world has been watching the disgraceful Guyana election saga!

People who love freedom and democracy, who have endured pain and suffering, and died…are staggered and pained by the inanities of the current electoral impasse in Guyana – a deliberate ploy by the incumbent caretaker Government. It is an embarrassment, to say the least.

The election result should have been declared in a matter of a day or two at the most. Why not?

Indeed, the result was declared. Yes, by Mingo. Mingo fiddled despite the known and evident SoPs, which all parties had obtained. Mingo of Region Four fiddled.

Why? His tabulation was/ is at variance with the SoP. How so? Does Mingo understand elementary Math and simple spreadsheet? Is he a dunce? A simpleton? What is he? A cog in the machinery of rigging, that does the bidding of his masters. If he is not a dullard, then who exploits his puny mind? Who

are the intellectual authors of the fiasco, and the dictators of the nefarious deeds?

Are they in the hierarchy of the PNC? Is it Granger? Are the AFC and WPA complicit?

Mingo is not a dunce.

He is doing what is expected of him from his superiors, his “bosses”. I really do pity him. He is a puppet, a nondescript dull characterless peon.

Granger, who denies knowledge of rigging historically speaking, being a so-called historian, disavows historicity. The world knows and he, the historian, does not! What a preposterous and repugnant posture coming from one who also assumes religiosity as he kneels in church! A fake, a charlatan, but not devoid of his central purpose.

He is a diehard and abiding Burnhamite deserving credit and accolade from the faithful! Importantly, who are the puppeteers?

But is it Mingo alone?

How about Lowenfield and Claudette Singh, and other minions in the GECOM ap-

paratchik? Mingo is ostensibly culpable. He is the fall guy. Allegedly, he is guilty of fraud and treason of the highest degree. For this alone he should have been summarily jailed.

In the course of time, all of this will be over. Awaiting the axe to fall, where it may.

The result will finally be declared, in spite of the ineptitude, fraud and trickeries, dishonesty, deceptions, and cons. There may be sanctions, which I hope do not happen. While it may be payback time, it is always the poor who are affected the most by sanctions.

What I hope for and advocate is a Commission of Inquiry, nonaligned, impartial, from Caricom and international organisations, and individuals of impeccable repute, to address this ignominious and shameful scenario.

The Commission of Inquiry should give them their rewards, be it CCH, or jail.

Dear Editor, It is my respectful view that Ms Claudette Singh is trying to nullify the March 2, 2020 elections the way she did the 1997 elections. Below are the reasons for my belief: 1) She signed an order that allowed for baseless objections to be made during the recount exercise.

2) She adjusted the original order to allow the CEO to consider these unfounded objections in his final declarations.

3) Her signature is on a letter requesting the Chief Immigration Officer to validate claims that persons who were out of the jurisdiction voted on March 2, 2020.

Given the haste with which Ms Singh chastised Mr Sase Gunraj for attributing a statement to her, I am sure she would have responded to the letter, which

contradicts a decision by the Commission not to investigate the allegations made by APNU/AFC. It also contradicts her public statement that "he who accuses must prove" because she is allowing GECOM to take the lead to prove baseless claims.

Until Ms Singh distances herself from the letter, I will remain convinced she intends to nullify the 2020 election.

As a former Judge, Ms Singh must be aware that the investigation she is attempting to conduct is unlawful. She must also know that the Judicial Review Act may be used to penalise the Commission and Chairperson for taking GECOM down this unlawful road. Further, should the investigation reveal that 'migrated persons' voted, she cannot direct the

fault at her agents but will have to share blame since she Chairs the Commission that is the brain and nerve of the electoral body. In this regard, Ms Singh will be exposing the polling day staff of GECOM and the entire Commission to criminal liabilities.

Ms Singh has two options. Do the decent thing and follow the law or face more public shame by engaging in unlawful actions, similar to the unlawful declaration by Mingo that was vitiated by the Chief Justice.

I believe she will choose the latter. Probabilistically, there is a 99.99 per cent chance that Ms Singh will allow GECOM to go down another unlawful path once more.

Yours truly, G Girdhari

a new piece of the compressor machinery used to reinject the gas into the well.

It's obviously a manufacturing problem at this point in time yet the company that relies so much on it's set principles of gold standards seem hell-bent on flaring Guyana's gas more than fixing the actual problem.

Yes, flaring is done from time to time and the contract does state that ExxonMobil can engage in non-routine flaring exercises; such events can be during equipment maintenance or to prevent pressure build-up. Also, within the contract, it was noted

that the gas will be re-injected or/and it will be used to power the Liza Destiny FPSO vessel. However, none of these is operational to date. Is ExxonMobil really as efficient as it portrays itself to be, following international standards etc?

Our leaders in the Environmental Protection Agency Board have chosen to continuously accept mediocrity. The excuse of flaring 80 million vs 15 million is unacceptable and will not fill the jacket of rational Guyanese anymore. If the developer of Liza Phase One is inexperienced in fixing or relocating a brand-

new compressor then you, Dr Adams and team, have to do some work and lobby for what's right and just.

Be proactive and offer solutions for the problems.

Flaring is a big deal; the environment is a big deal.

Our electoral system has failed us to an extent and I plead with the EPA to not fail us further. Do not accept mediocrity, not with our environment. You are in control unless you have your own contract on the side. You only leave me to have such a speculation.

Yours sincerely, Dr Josh Kanhai

Repatriation of Guyanese stranded overseas Dear Editor, I am happy and sad at the same time for my fellow Guyanese, as some may get to come home who can afford to do the COVID-19 test which costs about $200.

And some who can’t come home because the test is not done in many areas where some of them are staying, more so those who can’t afford the $200. Because of these circumstances, the unfortunate ones will be left behind.

The authorities responsible should take into consideration, that those passengers would lose their return passage and their families now will have to pay for another flight for them. Many of those families are also presently not working and finding things hard themselves.

I am wondering what would happen when one pays for their passage and

on doing their COVID-19 test their result shows positive. Will they be refunded their passage money, or will they lose their money for the second time? I am asking that if a COVID-19 test has to be done, then the passengers should pay their airfare at the airport and not before because they stand to lose their passage money for the second time. I am pleading with the authorities to please consider the abovementioned points.

From what I am reading, I learnt that you can be tested today negative and tomorrow you can show positive and vice versa. You have to be tested 48 hours prior, and then maybe another 24 hours to board the plane to Guyana.

Isn’t it possible during this time that you can get the virus?

I would like to suggest

to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to review the abovementioned points. I would now suggest that at Guyana airport, passengers can be tested from the 4 mobile testing units. After which they can be sent home to be self-quarantined at their homes for the 14 days. I am quite certain all may be, and I repeat, may be COVID-19 free. It would be less costly for the Government.

However, when the results are obtained, if, and I repeat, if there is any positive case, then the authorities will take the necessary actions.

Please, Minister, I am pleading with you because at each airport the authorities are doing a temperature test and if any pass with a fever they will not be allowed to board.

Dear Editor, Free, fair and credible elections entail many variables, but the most important is free access to the electoral process by all Guyanese voters, effective legal mechanism of redress (political parties that lost must have confidence in the Judiciary) and most importantly, the Guyana Elections Commission must be fully independent, impartial and competent in managing the elections as per provisions.

However different lenses are required in seeing and evaluating elections in different states of democracies.

Guyana became an authoritarian state since December 21, 2018. David Granger and his APNU/ AFC cabal have infiltrated the GECOM Secretariat

that is assisting in facilitating the hijacking of the March 2, 2020 elections. The recent step by the GECOM Chairperson to investigate the fabricated discrepancies of the APNU/AFC coalition confirmed that the GECOM Chairperson, from the inception of the "Mingo's fiasco”, has been a part of the rigging cabal.

The failure of the GECOM Chairperson to immediately intervene and stop Mingo's fiasco has led Guyana down the path of corrective measures, resulting in court cases, recount etc. Guyanese must not allow the results of this elections to be delayed any further than the prescribed timeframe that was gazetted. Miss Claudette Singh refrained from exposing her impartiality and toler-

ated the APNU/AFC coalition’s narrative of fraudulent elections since all the allegations that are being made public by APNU/AFC are being debunked by the PPP/C with valid evidence.

GECOM’s recount exercise that is ongoing would produce the most accurate results for any elections ever held in Guyana. The impartiality of GECOM and the Secretariat is the key to ensure that there are accurate results and declarations. While the APNU/AFC coalition is fighting for free, fair and credible elections with fabricated pieces of evidence, the most crucial factor to ensure that it is a possibility, is the impartiality of GECOM and its Secretariat.

Sincerely, Concerned citizen

The actions of Ms Singh suggest she Claudette is gambling intends to nullify the 2020 elections with the future of Guyana

With regards, S Pasha

With regards, Zamal Hussain

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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H

e is still one of the fastest bowlers in the Caribbean.

The journey of Ronsford Rodwick Beaton has certainly been a roller coaster; from injuries to being suspended from bowling due to an illegal bowling action.

This strong and talented fast-bowler, who hails from Essequibo and was born in Montserrat, has only played two One-Day Internationals (ODI) for the West Indies. They were in 2017 against New Zealand.

In December 2017, during his time in the ODI colours, he was reported for a suspect action and was suspended in May from bowling i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y, but was allowed

RonsfordBeaton in TKR colours

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to bowl in Regional cricket. In August of 2018, Beaton was cleared to bowl again. He missed the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2018 to work on his action and was replaced by Ali Khan i n

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Beaton jumps for joy in his GAW days

the Trinbago Knight Riders franchise.

During the latter part of 2018, the hard-working seamer was playing in the Bangladesh Premier League for Dhaka Dynamites.

He then had a tough going for the West Indies B team in the

F

rench champions Paris StGermain have signed striker Mauro Icardi for 60 M euros (£54 M) from Inter Milan.

The 27-year-old Argentina inter-

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He has been competing for a place in the side with Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, PSG's alltime top scorer, whose contract expires on 30 June.

A statement from Inter said: "FC Internazionale Milano announces the transfer of Mauro Icardi to Paris SaintGermain FC: the striker, born in 1993, has permanently moved to the French club.

"The club thanks

Mauro Icardi

national joined PSG in September on a season-long loan with a buy-out option.

The new deal means he will be at the French side until June 2024.

Icardi scored 20 goals in 31 matches in all competitions before the French season was officially ended on 30 April with 10 games remaining because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Regional Super50 in 2018 but Beaton returned to the local scene in Guyana in the 2019 Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) Franchise.

The 27-year old Beaton demolished the local lads when he rocked the Essequibo colours and seemed to have remodeled his action. That performance earned him a recall to the Guyana Jaguars team for the Regional Super50 Cup in the latter part of 2019. Beaton played six matches for Guyana during that period and grabbed seven wickets.

Then, in the same November 2019 during

t h e player for the six seasons he spent with us and wishes him the best for his future professional career." (BBC Sport)

that Super50 Cup, he was again suspended from bowling. As soon as Beaton was getting into his groove, he was again, suspended. Back in 2012, Beaton represented the West Indies U-19s and he impressed with his genuine pace, grabbing eight wickets in five matches.

It was until 2012-13 that he was seen as a fast bowler with high honours. He took 16 wickets in the six matches he played in that Regional 4-Day season. He earned a deal with the Guyana Amazon Warriors post his breakthrough season.

Beaton also moved to the Trinbago Knight Riders and played ten matches in the 2017 CPL. He took 11 wickets at an average of 24.54.

Beaton in the West Indies U-19s As it stands, Beaton's colours career remains promising but has been short-lived by the reported bowling action. He played 33 First-class matches and has 64 wickets.

The impressive speedster also played 38 List A matches and has exactly 50 certainly he still believes he wickets in that format. In the has what it takes to succeed.

T20 format, Beaton has a total Beaton is often present in the number of 48 matches under Guyana Jaguars training set-up his belt and 42 wickets to where he looks a devastating his name. He has a best T20 fast bowler in the nets.

It is still curious to see how, bowling figure of 4-9. His last when and where Beaton will First-class match came in March of 2016. Since then, Beaton has make an entrance back into competitive cricket. Will his favoured the shorter formats.

However, he continues to action be smooth again or will work on his bowling action and the microscope remain over his bowling action?

Sri Lanka's 13-man squad to start training in Colombo today. It was also reported that 531 new COVID-19 patients had been identified in Sri Lanka since May 24 (Getty Images)

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ri Lanka Cricket will go ahead with plans for a 13-man squad of players to begin training on Monday, despite a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 infections in the country over the past few weeks.

The players will essentially put themselves and four support staff in a bubble, over the course of the 12-day "residential training camp" at the Colombo Cricket Club. The squad, which largely comprises of bowlers, will stay at a nearby hotel, and "will not be allowed to leave the hotel premises or the practice venue to attend personal matters" according to an SLC release.

Although 531 new Covid-19 patients had been identified in Sri Lanka since May 24, those new cases are believed to be almost entirely from quarantine centres from around the country, with recent returnees from the Middle East comprising the majority of patients. In general, the Sri Lanka government has indicated that the spread of the virus is under control, and has so far avoided reimposing the strict, extended curfews seen through April and the early part of May. The government is also understood to be supporting this resumption of training.

"Health officials already visited the hotel and the practice venue, and provided health guidelines to the staff members of the respective venues," the board release said.

Among those who will start training are quicks Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara. Spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Lasith Embuldeniya and batsmen Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka have also been included in this squad. Head coach Mickey Arthur and batting coach Grant Flower both of whom have been in Sri Lanka through the duration of the viral outbreak - are among the support staff.

SLC had hoped international cricket could begin on the island in late June or early July, but India - the team that is due to visit next - have not confirmed the tour. (ESPN Cricinfo)

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

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Sri Lanka's 13-man squad to start training in Colombo to today. It was also reported that 531 new COVID-19 patients had been identified in Sri Lanka since May 24 (Getty Images)

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fter a near three-month shutdown, elite competitive sport in England can resume today behind closed doors provided strict conditions are met, the government said on Saturday.The first major event is expected to be the

2000 Guineas Stakes horse race at Newmarket on June 6, although horse race meetings will be staged, without any spectators, starting on Monday at Newcastle and Tuesday at Kempton Park.Competitive sport was suspended in Britain in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 38,000 people in the UK to date.

Guidelines published on Saturday by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), outlined a lengthy list of criteria that must be met to allow elite athletes and professional sportsmen to resume competition.“The wait is over. Live British sport will shortly be back on in safe and carefully controlled environments,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said in a statement.“This guidance provides the safe framework for sports to resume competitions behind closed doors. It is now up to individual sports to confirm they can meet these protocols and decide when it’s right for them to

restart.”Dowden confirmed that preparations were being finalised for the Premier League and English Football League to return to action in June. Premier League shareholders this week agreed a return to contact training with a provisional restart date of June 17, provided safety requirements are in place.“The Premier League welcomes the government’s announcement today,” an EPL statement said. “We have provisionally planned to restart the Premier League on June 17, but there is still much work to be done to ensure the safety of all involved.”DCMS said a “significant proportion” of the remaining 92 Premier League matches will be shown on free-to-air platforms.“The British sports bounceback has begun,” it said on Twitter.While the Premier League could resume on June 17, other sports are in different positions.

Domestic cricket remains suspended until Aug. 1, while the Wimbledon tennis tournament has been cancelled for the first time since World War II. Premiership rugby clubs hope to resume training from June 8.The government’s latest step for the resumption of elite level sport follow its ‘stage two’ guidance published on May 25 which allowed elite athletes to resume group training under carefully controlled conditions.

“This is a significant moment for British sport. By working with clinicians every step of the way, we’re creating the safest possible environments for everyone involved,” Dowden said.

Measures, agreed in conjunction with Public Health England and medical representatives from sports bodies, include players travelling alone to venues, being screened for coronavirus symptoms before entering, and maintaining social distancing where possible, including celebrations.

Dressing room usage will be minimised and only essential physiotherapy allowed while recovery sessions will be held outside. High-contact areas must be regularly disinfected, while catering must be limited.

The government also announced on Saturday that people in England will be able to exercise outside with up to five others from different households from today. The announcement did not apply to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Beaton appeals against New Zealand in an ODI fixture in 2017

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