Guyana Times - Sunday, June 14, 2020

“I am ready” – Ali on assuming office Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4316 guyanatimesgy.com

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THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020

PRICE

Lowenfield’s election report to GECOM Chair confirms PPP/C’s victory ... illegally inserts opinion on “credibility and fairness” of process Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P12 Granger tangles self in web of lies about reason for elections recount …recommits to accepting GECOM's declaration …sides with Harmon to tell Caricom leaders to ‘butt out’

Miner loses P23 eye in motorcycle accident Venezuela’s P26 claim a “figment of the imagination” - Greenidge

…says country making unprecedented claim

Lowenfield echoes APNU/AFC 's Page 5 narrative on unsubstantiated ‘anomalies’ – PPP/C

...with no evidence, says elections "not credible"

Elections recount produced credible tabulation – PSC

…says GECOM must declare in accordance with Article 177 …appalled at Lowenfield’s claims

Page 27

APNU/AFC submits death certificate for woman still alive See story on page 24

Police raid P7 unearths over $130M worth of ganja

105-year-old P28 woman among 3 recovered from COVID-19

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NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“I am ready” – Ali on assuming office

P

resident-elect Dr Irfaan Ali says he is “ready” to assume of-

fice.

The recently concluded National Recount shows a landslide victory for the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) party, with 15,416 more votes than its main political rival, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition.

According to Article 177 (2) (b), having obtained the highest number of votes, Ali has become the Presidentelect, and it is now only for

GECOM to make a final declaration.

Article 177 (2) (b) states: “…where there are two or more Presidential candidates, if more votes are cast in favour of the list in which a person is designated as Presidential candidate than in favour of any other list, that Presidential candidate shall be deemed to be elected President and shall be so declared by the Chairman of the Elections Commission…”

With the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) having submitted his report to

PPP/C President-elect Irfaan Ali

the Guyana Elections Commission on Saturday, GECOM will now have to deliberate on the findings before making its highly anticipated declaration, on or before June 16, of the final results of the March 2 elections – held over three months ago.

According to Ali, he is ready to lead Guyana.

“I’m not nervous…I’m ready! Our team is ready!

And we’re ready to move forward with a broadened approach, a widened approach, a collective approach in building this country,” the PPP/C Presidential Candidate posited during an interview on local radio progamme ‘Room 592.’

Ali underscored the need for Guyana, which has been in an electoral impasse over the past three months amidst a global pandemic, to move on.

“We are hoping that with all the voices globally – the regional voices, the international voice, the sane voices – that good sense will prevail [and] that we can get past these elections and we can move towards building our country. We can move towards bringing meaningful changes and meaningful measures that will take our fellow Guyanese out of the current situation they find themselves in,” he asserted.

The president-elect further pointed out the need and urgency to deal with the challenges brought on by the current COVID-19 pandemic, not only from a health, but from economic and social perspectives as well.

“We should be able to have that declaration (of a winner) on June 16, so that our country can move forward; so that our people can move forward; and so that the political environment can allow some sort of ease, not only for Guyanese, but for investors and for everyone who are stakeholders in this,” he stated.

On this note, Ali referred to his COVID-19 strategy,

Article 177 (2) (b) states: “…where there are two or more Presidential candidates, if more votes are cast in favour of the list in which a person is designated as Presidential candidate than in favour of any other list, that Presidential candidate shall be deemed to be elected President and shall be so declared by the Chairman of the Elections Commission…” which he noted is already in place to take the country and its people forward.

“The strategy has a financial aspect, an economic aspect, a social aspect, a health aspect, a transition aspect as to how we will transition to the reopening of the economy; and a support aspect at the household level, at the community level, at the business level and at the level of the economy.

“So, yes, you will see a holistic strategy that will bring relief to people, that will bring relief to businesses, that will bring relief to our economy, and that would inject resources in our economy,” the PPP/C President-elect outlined.

According to Ali, he has a responsibility to the electorate to ensure that the promises made in the manifesto that he campaigned on before the March elections

are all achieved during his tenure in office.

“So it is very important we are able to move forward in implementing that manifesto. So there is no stepping back from our manifesto. There is no stepping back from the targets we have in that manifesto. For us, it is a contractual relationship between us and every single Guyanese, because they placed their confidence in us by voting for us, based on that manifesto,” he stressed.

These promises include removal of value-added taxes (VAT) from water and electricity; reversal of burdensome taxes imposed by the Coalition; $50,000 annual grants for school children; and free tertiary education at the University of Guyana (UG), among other things.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, June 14 – 12:00h-13:30h and Monday, June 15 – 12:30h-14:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Lowenfield’s election report to GECOM Chair confirms PPP/C ’s victory

... illegally inserts opinion on “credibility and fairness” of process

Sunday, June 14 – 11:20h-12:50h and Monday, June 15 – 12:45h-14:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Early-morning sunshine will give way to light to thundery showers in the mid-morning to late-evening hours followed by partly cloudy skies. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 11:18h and 23:54h reaching maximum heights of 2.17 metres and 2.20 metres.

Low Tide: 17:19h reaching a minimum height of 1.02 metres.

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

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hief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chair his report on the recently concluded National Elections Recount of the ballots cast

The General Elections results submitted by CEO Keith Lowenfield

Illegal opinion

However,

Lowenfield

ulation of the votes garnered during the recount exercise and a summary of the obser-

The Regional Elections results submitted by CEO Keith Lowenfield

at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Lowenfield made the submission to retired Justice Claudette Singh just after midday on Saturday, and the report was circulated to the six GECOM Commissioners.

Justice Singh will now have to call a meeting of the Commission to deliberate on the contents of the report before Lowenfield is invited to present the final report from which a declaration would be made on or before June 16, as gazetted in the amended Recount Order.

The Recount Order, which is the legal mandate of the recount, states that the CEO’s main function is to summarise the Observation Reports with all the alleged anomalies and submit that summary to the 7-member Commission for deliberation.

Section 12 of the Order states that: “The matrices for the recount of the ten (10) Electoral Districts shall then be tabulated by the Chief Election Officer and shall be submitted in a report, together with a summary of the observation reports for each District, to the Commission.”

strayed from that mandate, the PPP said on Saturday.

Instead of presenting a tab-

vation reports, Lowenfield illegally proffered his opinions and stated that he is of the belief that the election

process may have lacked credibility and fairness.

In fact, in his summation of the observations for each of the 10 Electoral Districts, Lowenfield wrote: “Finally, the summation of anomalies and instances of voter impersonation (insert Electoral District) does not appear to satisfy the criteria of impartiality, fairness, and compliance with provisions of the Constitution and the ROPA (Rights of the People Act) Cap 1:03. Consequently, on the basis counted and the information furnished from the recount, it cannot be ascertained that the results (insert Electoral District) meet the standard of fair and credible elections.” Lowenfield declares categorically about 'anomalies' when these are mere allegations by APNU/ AFC agents CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020

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

Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Disrespecting the Constitution on the recount

Y

esterday, GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield presented back to the Commission his tabulation of the ten certified Statements of Recount (SORs) provided to him by GECOM, along with a summary of “Observations” that had been made during the recount. GECOM is required by law to make a declaration of the results of the General and Regional Elections that were held more than three months ago, on March 2. This declaration must be made by Tuesday.

Last week, PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo articulated the position of his party on that declaration, and most legal scholars concur on what that declaration should be based: “The Presidential Candidate on the list that has the majority vote is deemed the President of Guyana, and the Chair shall declare him as President. So, Article 177 (2) (b) of our Constitution is quite clear. It has been established now that the PPP’s list has the most votes, and therefore Irfaan Ali is already deemed the President of Guyana.”

Article 177 (2) (b) states: “…where there are two or more Presidential candidates, if more votes are cast in favour of the list in which a person is designated as Presidential candidate than in favour of any other list, that Presidential candidate shall be deemed to be elected President, and shall be so declared by the Chairman of the Elections Commission…”

What the Opposition Leader was emphasising was that this article needs “no gloss” or explanation – as the CCJ had ruled on Art 106 (6) where the Cabinet and the President should resign after a No Confidence Motion.

But in Guyanese politics, once the PNC - in whatever guise - is involved, matters Constitutional or otherwise are never clear cut if they stand in the way of the PNC retaining power. Over the last five years, PNC leader David Granger has shown that he is in total agreement with Humpty Dumpty, who declared expansively, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less”. Never mind the dictionary or the Constitution.

In the instance of Art 106 (6) cited above, the Constitution was quite pellucid, or so one thought, after the equivalent “No Confidence Motion” clause had been operationalised in the House of Commons and other parliamentary jurisdictions: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.” The PNC, however, chose to give the word “majority” its own peculiar meaning as it applies to the members of our 65-member National Assembly. They took it all the way to the CCJ, to be told ruefully by the eminent jurists of the CCJ that the clause “needed no gloss”, as they insisted that the Cabinet and President should resign and elections be held within three months.

From the (most recent) pronouncements of David Granger and his party, it is clear they are insisting that Art 177 is not as clear as what the words declare. After giving equivocal signals on the blanket “irregularities” his party agents at the recount were alleging concerning “migrant” and “dead persons” “voting”; Disciplines Forces ballots deliberately unstamped to disenfranchise them; persons voting without affidavits of identification; missing ancillary polling documents etc., David Granger on Friday evening declared unequivocally that these will have to be evaluated, since “there are too many anomalies to be ignored, and that is the reason for the recount.”

But the last assertion is a blatant falsehood, since the recount was agreed by him and brokered by Caricom leaders on March 14, when Mingo’s manipulation of the Reg 4 SOPs was denounced by the High Court. From Granger’s statements and those of several of his – in the words of former Barbados PM Owen Arthur - “utensils”, it is evident they will parse the word “votes” in Art 177 and qualify it with the word “credible” to take to the courts the GECOM Chair’s declaration that the PPP has won.

Lowenfield’s report could easily have been taken from Granger’s hymnbook Dear Editor, Forty years and one day ago, the people of Guyana witnessed the assassination of one of the country’s greatest sons, Dr Walter Rodney, the inspirational voice of the WPA. The unmistakeable hands of PNC Founder Leader Forbes Burnham, through the instrumentality of the Guyana Defence Force, were found on the figurative trigger. What caused Burnham to proceed to such an extreme measure was that his series of rigged elections had been exposed internationally, much to his embarrassment. With the security of unchallenged power, Burnham and his PNC pursued policies which ruined the economy of the most resource rich country of the Caribbean. It required the support of the Americans and the British to facilitate the return of democracy in Guyana. It required the intervention of the IMF, the World Bank and other donor agencies and countries to restore viability to the Guyana economy.

We seem destined for another assassination. This time not of a single or a few persons, but of a nation, of democracy, of the right to vote and to have that vote counted. In an act of extreme cynicism, soi-disant historian David Granger and wannabe heir to the Burnham curse, chose the anniversary of Burnham’s assassination of Rodney to make his own mark on history.

In the culmination of a move by Granger four years ago to hijack the elections machinery by the unlawful installation of former judge James Patterson

as the head of GECOM, the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield gave Granger his wish by declaring that he could not ascertain that “the recount results meet criteria of fair, credible elections”.

Here is a man who has been employed by GECOM for approximately two decades, who has supervised the spending of around fifteen billion dollars ($15 billion), admitting that he is incapable of carrying out his basic function. His incompetence however has implications beyond $15 billion. It will cost this country its democracy.

Lowenfield is Burnham’s Gregory Smith – the aspiring assassin of democracy. From the top, there was Vincent Alexander who steered through the recount Order that made APNU+AFC agents into unsworn witnesses and Lowenfield the one-man tribunal. And there was the Deputy Elections Officer brought in by Patterson to carry out the dirty work from the inside with able assistance from Aubrey Norton and others from the outside.

Of course, Lowenfield and his deputy were not short of cues from Granger and his paid assassins of democracy.

A cursory read of Lowenfield’s report could easily have been taken from Granger’s hymnbook. Just one night before Lowenfield chose to submit his report – he was working on it for an almost forty biblical days – Granger had told a radio interview that there were 7,929 instances of irregularities – approximately three per polling station - and that those directly affected the

validity of 257,173 votes or more that 56% of the votes cast in the elections! This is precisely Lowenfield’s line as the following extract from his report shows: “A total of eighty-six boxes stand affected due to a total of three hundred and thirty-eight anomalies and/ or alleged voter impersonation. In other words, approximately 75% of all votes cast for general elections are associated with boxes that stand to be impacted due to either anomalies and/or voter impersonation. Specifically, 3% of the votes cast were impacted by anomalies, while 55% were impacted by voter impersonation, and 17% impacted by both anomalies/irregularities and voter impersonation”.

Lowenfield thinks that his outlandish findings that 56 out of every 100 votes have been tainted by impersonation are more credible than the outstanding work on Elections Day by all the GECOM officials, APNU+AFC officials, party officials and domestic and international observers.

According to Lowenfield, APNU+AFC has 125,000 untainted votes while the PPP/C has 56,000 votes! In a mathematical act of insanity, Lowenfield is disenfranchising about six out of every ten voters. He was Granger’s man and like Smith did, he has worked beyond the call of duty.

Mingo is now the lesser of two mischief makers.

He made the APNU+AFC the winner via a fraudulent declaration of Region 4. Lowenfield has made the APNU+AFC the winner

based on the entire country. Based on Lowenfield’s report, his APNU+AFC actually earned more untainted votes than the PPP/C: 125,000 to 56,000. He has disenfranchised 60 per cent of the voters in the elections.

Lowenfield was part of the Mingo fraud by elevating to the Commission Mingo’s fraudulent Region 4 declaration to which the world was exposed. Mingo’s place in the hall of infamy remains assured. Now, Lowenfield has joined him, unmasking the real deal.

To show his unashamed bias, Lowenfield accepted without evidence or inquiry, every single allegation or challenge made by the APNU+AFC during the recount. At the same time, his report does not even acknowledge that the other contesting parties had objected to or rebutted many of those spurious and unfounded allegations. In fact, there are reports that many GECOM officials refused to include on the Observation Reports the rebuttals to the APNU+AFC’s made-up allegations.

If GECOM Chair Claudette Singh does not intervene to stop Lowenfield’s inchoate attempt at assassinating elections in Guyana, Guyana will suffer from the absence of free and fair elections perhaps for decades to come. Unless she and her commissioners act to reverse Lowenfield, June 13’s claim for being a day of national disgrace in Guyana is doubly assured.

Sincerely, Christopher Ram

It is time to swear Dr Irfaan Ali as President

Dear Editor, The GECOM-supervised recount of votes for the March 02, 2020 National and Regional Elections has been completed, certified, and the tabulation definitively constitutes the “final results.”

The numbers establish that GECOM must declare the People’s Progressive Party Civic as the winner, and define the number of representative parliamentary seats awarded to the various political parties who contested.

As such, it is now time to swear Dr Irfaan Ali as the Ninth Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Dr. Ali and the PPP/C are, without a doubt, deserving of the win; given that, along the way, his team-oriented, purposeful, charismatic, altruistic, outreaching attitude helped him gain invaluable respect and support at home and abroad.

It is indeed disappointing and sad that Guyanese

are without a legitimate Government more than three months after the Elections and amidst a world struggling with the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Notwithstanding, Dr. Ali and the team have had to navigate a path constantly booby-trapped by clandestine GECOM and PNCAPNU-AFC suicide bombers, led by the now-proven-indecent David Granger. Since the night of March 02, 2020, Granger’s men and women had their Statements of Poll and knew that they lost these elections overwhelmingly. The PPPC exposed the cabal’s woeful, underhand, clandestine attempts at stealing the elections in full view of the whole world.

Even after all the shenanigans, Mr. Granger stubbornly demonstrates a lack of decency and integrity, refusing to congratulate Dr. Irfaan Ali and end the high-tension scenario in our country.

There are lots of work for

the new PPPC Government to do, given the extensive damage to the economy caused by the coalition’s fraudulent spendthrift acts.

The treasury is empty, and almost every major development economic driver industry is approaching closure.

The sugar industry is almost bankrupt, impacted by a spiteful and deliberate suppression of the APNU/AFC to close the sector.

Unless the new Government takes immediate remedial action, the situation will result in a negative impact on the livelihood of thousands of workers and their families, as many communities would be destroyed and our people would go hungry.

Bauxite mining is dead; the Forestry sector has been destroyed, while the fisheries sector is heavily threatened and is risky and struggling.

Coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living has ris-

en sky-high and our people are almost in panic mode.

It is critical for the PPP/C Government to move into office and immediately return life and stability to our ‘Motherland’.

The incompetent APNU/ AFC Government has closed itself down, while much of its current administrators fraudulently and uncaringly focus on persistent corrupt acts of squandermania and discrimination.

Of note, PPP/C won these elections from a total of 13 contesting political parties.

However, the wave of unpatriotic and undemocratic suppression threatened by the flagrant APNU attempt at stealing the election has generated a magnanimous united front, which must prevail in the struggle for free and fair elections. We are confident that the way forward will see further unity and tremendous progress in our country Guyana.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020

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News

Lowenfield echoes APNU/AFC's narrative on unsubstantiated ‘anomalies’ – PPP/C ...with no evidence, says elections "not credible"

C

hief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield seems to be teaming up with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) to peddle the unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud, according to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

The PPP/C made this charge following the submission of the CEO’s Report to Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

In his report, Lowenfield sided with the APNU/AFC when he said the March 2 General and Regional Elections lacked credibility and fairness owing to the unsubstantiated allegations of dead and migrated persons voting.

However, neither Lowenfield nor the APNU/ AFC produced a shred of definitive evidence to support

those allegations.

The inclusion of these allegations in the report did not sit well with the PPP/C, which stated in a strongly worded statement that the CEO’s actions were not surprising.

“Undoubtedly, in one swipe, Lowenfield has acted ultra vires, in excess of and without authority, in violation of natural justice, in abrogation of the separation of powers doctrine, unlawfully, unconstitutionally; and the pronouncements that he has made are certainly null, void and of no effect. That his pronouncements and tabulations bear a striking resemblance to the contentions and calculations of the APNU+AFC have not gone unnoticed. He would make an excellent witness for the APNU+AFC at the trial of an Election Petition,” the party said.

The PPP/C has said the CEO acted outside of what he was required to do, as stipulated by the Gazetted Recount

It is time to swear...

All and sundry must maintain the keenest scrutiny of every move made by the APNU/ AFC Coalition, given their surreptitious inclinations.

The Liliendaal project addressing the transformation of the Ocean View Hotel is under serious scrutiny. It started as a (Gy) hundred-million-dollar project to effect some simple repairs but has now turned out to be a major milking cow for the PNC/APNU players.

It is therefore not surprising that a PNC candidate at the National Elections, who is / was the owner of the hotel, is now in hiding and playing dumb.

After the exposure of the flagrant vulgarity that took place regarding this hotel, a decision was taken by the principals to let the Government take over the place by compulsory acquisition. However, there are numerous serious questions to be answered, such as the determined or agreed cost for

Order. The Party reminded that Lowenfield was required only to tabulate and submit “in a report, together with a summary of the observation reports for each District, to the Commission on or before 13th day of June 2020.”

The party explained that it is clear from that Recount Order that Lowenfield has no power, authority or mandate to offer a view, opinion or judgement of any type, either in the Observation Report or the Matrices to be tabulated.

The party statement went on to remind that as it relates to the Observation Report, Lowenfield’s singular duty was to summarise the various Observation Reports; and in respect of the Matrices, his sole duty was to aggregate the totals in the Matrices coming out of the recently concluded national recount of ballots.

Investigator, judge and executioner The PPP/C’s statement accused Lowenfield of arro-

FROM PAGE 4

the acquisition, and the implications for NICIL. Further, it is interesting to know under which ministerial jurisdiction this project falls, since the responsible party never published this acquisition in the Official Gazette.

With the National Assembly closed during this period, it is clear that this is an unbudgeted project. Hence it is obvious that an illegal position demands a supplementary programme in the National Assembly, and that several clear anomalies exist.

I ask further: Was there an Engineer’s estimate? Who is/was the Engineer? Who is the supervisory consultant; and what is the cost? Was there any approval granted by the NPTAB, contractors, and suppliers?

There will be issues regarding the role of the Public Procurement Commission and the Auditor General, among many others, given that the APNU/AFC will not

complete this building. This slackness is a serious indictment against the thieves, who will certainly have to answer for it; and the Guyanese public is calling on the Granger Administration to explain what is happening with the acquisition.

Mr. Granger and his agents, who peddled insults against our many Caribbean and international partners, have served to tarnish Guyana’s international image significantly, and this must not be tolerated going forward. The Granger Team’s damage is being uncaringly spewed, and this ugly cabal must be made to eat their own vomit as the new revolution consumes them. This columnist joins in welcoming Dr Irfaan Ali as Guyana’ Ninth Executive President, and in welcoming to office his supportive team.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

gating unto himself the role of an investigator, judge and executioner in clear violation of the Order, since he made conclusive findings. The findings were in relation to the “baseless allegations made by APNU+AFC, and he rendered a judgement on them by concluding that they were established, without doing any investigations, hearing no one affected, and applying principles only known to himself.”

Additionally, Lowenfield is accused of indicting himself for Misfeasance in Public Office by asserting that he could not have executed credible and fair elections.

However, the Party noted that it would be pursuing this issue at a later date.

Glaringly, by throwing himself under the proverbial bus to act in accordance with the APNU/AFC, the CEO is also taking down the thousands of GECOM workers who ensured that the elections were glitch-free in the days leading up to and after March 02. Lowenfield has also rendered the entire Commission complicit in, and culpable of, spending approximately $8B of taxpayers’ dollars in holding elections that were not credible, the party has said.

He added that Lowenfield has therefore acted “ultra vires” and every aspect other than the General Elections Recount totals and the Regional Elections Recount totals should be ignored by the Commission.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo Meanwhile, the PPP/C General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, pointed out that Lowenfield also included in his Observation Report false allegations made by the APNU/AFC, which he elevated to anomalies, and which, if taken seriously, could reduce the number of valid votes recounted from 460,352 to 185,260 (60%), thereby disenfranchising 275,092 persons.

“In addition, he seeks to cast doubt on the credibility of the elections with the use of words such as “does not appear to satisfy” and “cannot be ascertained”. Neither the Recount Order nor the laws of Guyana allow him to make that judgment. Only a court, by way of a petition, can do so,” Jagdeo said.

Casting doubt Jagdeo said his Party is not surprised that Lowenfield is attempting to cast doubt on the process. He added that the Party is aware the Coalition knew that the recount would have shown that the PPP/C won by an overwhelming majority, so they needed to cast doubt on the process.

Additionally, Jagdeo posited that the GECOM Secretariat totally ignored the blatant fraud committed by Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo in Region Four (Demerara–Mahaica).

The former President also said the recount could have been completed only because of the watchful eyes of the Caricom high-level Team, other observes, and the Chair and Commissioners of GECOM. He maintained that the numbers show an overwhelming victory for the PPP/C, and the GECOM Chair should declare the results based on those figures.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Police raid unearths over $130M worth of ganja

S

everal raids conducted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) along the Berbice River has unearthed over $100 million in marijuana plants.

Police on Saturday said that raids were conducted at DeVeldt, Gaettroy and Bartica villages along the Berbice River. At Bartica Village, two and a half acres with approximately 20,000 plants and a camp were found. The plants, ranging between three to six feet, had an estimated street value of $47,500,000, Police said. At DeVeldt Village, an acre of plants (some 3000) and a camp were discovered. According to Police, the plants had a street value

Police destroy ganja fields by fire

approximately two and a half acres each respectively, along with a camp; both fields had roughly 25,000 plants, ranging between

One of the marijuana fields that were found by Police

of $4,075,000. “At Gaettroy Village, two farms were discovered

two to five feet, with an estimated street value of $83,400,000,� Police said in

a statement. The plants and camps were photographed and destroyed by fire.

Meanwhile, on Friday, ranks conducted a drug eradication exercise at Calcuni, Upper Berbice River. During the six-hour operation, the investigative team found a four-acre cannabis cultivation. Some 18,000 ganja plants were found, along with a large quantity of dried cannabis.

Additionally, five spent cartridges, a make-shift camps with four hammocks, a mattress, kitchen utensils, and groceries were found. The farm, camp, and dried cannabis were photographed and destroyed by fire, Police said.

No arrests were made during the raids.

8 NEWS Wanted Boat Captain nabbed T SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

wo years after a wanted bulletin was issued for a boat captain accused of smuggling drugs into Guyana, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) finally has him in custody.

Farook Baksh, called “Dive and Shoot”, of Mon Repos North, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was arrested around 14:30h on Friday in his home village by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and was promptly handed over to CANU. In 2018, CANU had is-

I

Arrested: Farook Baksh

COMMODITIES Indicators

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Rough Rice

$289.224 /ton

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London Sugar

$383.40/ton

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Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1730.50

$1731.50

Low/High

$1725.50

$1746.20

Change

Granger’s mask…

0.00

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The drug that was seized in 2018

sued a wanted bulletin for Baksh after it was alleged that he attempted to smuggle a large quantity of drugs into the country on a vessel.

It is alleged that in 2018, ranks intercepted a massive cocaine and marijuana shipment at Mon Repos Channel, ECD. Eighty-two parcels of cocaine weighing 91.132 kilograms, equivalent to 201 lbs, and 98 parcels of cannabis weighing 56.008 kilograms,

equivalent to 123 lbs, were found in the Mon Repos area.

During the operation by lawmen, Baksh managed to escape. However, ranks were able to arrest his accomplice, 51-year-old Azim Baksh, called “Bato”, a furniture maker, of Good Hope, ECD. “Bato” was later sentenced to five years in prison, with a fine of $221 million after he found guilty of trafficking cocaine and marijuana.

…is finally off n discussing David Granger’s character over the last five years, in an effort to understand his actions, your Eyewitness has had to grapple with the dichotomy between the words the man would utter and the reality that was staring him in the face. The dissonance could’ve been explained in two ways: either he was a “bullshitter”, or he was a “liar”.

The bullshitter, we explained - using the philosopher Henry Frankfurt’s famous formulation – just says whatever comes to his mind, just for effect. Doesn’t matter to him whether the statements are true or false. The “liar”, on the other hand, knows exactly what’s the truth, but deliberately dissembles to have people ACT on the lie.

Your Eyewitness gave Granger the benefit of the doubt, and pronounced him a “bullshitter”, because he wanted folks to believe he was this nebbish, avuncular Churchman in whose mouth butter wouldn’t melt. “Unctuous” like Uriah Heep, your Eyewitness pronounced him. On matters political, he insisted he was “following the constitution” and the law, and was careful to always use a legal fig leaf - no matter how small - to cover his indiscretions. 33 wasn’t the majority of 65?? Well, there was that colourable argument about whether we were discussing “absolute” versus your ordinary, garden variety majorities. Sounded like bullshit, but it was always possible that he believed it. It was an arguable opinion.

After the elections, he maintained his mantra about obeying the Constitution, even as his underlings went stir crazy with their allegations of “irregularities” in the elections process. They incredulously maintained that there was a conspiracy of tens of thousands of persons – including their own elections agents and all GECOM staff - to rig the elections for the PPP. Giving Granger the benefit of the doubt – like your Eyewitness did – CariCom Chair Mia Mottley speculated that there had to be “forces” in his government who were undermining him.

But on Friday night we discovered it was all one big, fat, nasty lie: Granger had led us all down the garden path. He’d unctuously insisted from day one, after he proposed the recount, that he would go along with whatever the GECOM Commission – actually, the Chair – pronounced. But on the eve of CEO Lowenfield’s report being presented for the Commission to declare the results of the recount, Granger’s mask came off. He insisted that he agreed to the recount only AFTER irregularities in the process - such as the dead and migrated voting etc – were discovered. Imagine that!!

We know this to be a lie because these “irregularities” were alleged by his party only AFTER the recount began on May 6 - but he’d agreed to the recount on March 14 - after the CJ’s ruling on Mingo’s malfeasance!!

And he’s still saying he’ll abide by the Constitution!! Liar… liar!! …and “power sharing” Some folks are saying that the PPP’s being a bit stiffnecked for refusing to share “executive power” with the PNC and Granger. This, they insist, will bring peace and bliss to Guyana. Maybe…but at what cost?? Do these people really believe that this PNC, which has shown that its leadership – from top to bottom - will lie, cheat and steal to hold on to power, will suddenly lie down with the lambs once they’re allowed into the pen?

As your Eyewitness has pointed out time and again, Granger has been suckled on a Machiavellian conception of power by his mentor Burnham.

In this paradigm, there’s no legitimacy to holding power outside of force. And in Guyana, Granger knows that he and the PNC have the loyalty of all the organs of force in the state.

The PPP would be stark raving bonkers to give them AUTHORITY in the Executive to use that force!! …and Caricom In addition to insisting he’d follow the ruling of GECOM Chair Claudette, Granger has emphasised the role of the Caricom Observer Mission. Even after the bitch slaps from Ralph Gonsalves and Owen Arthur!!

But who can believe a pathological liar?

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

NEWS

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Lowenfield’s election report to...

FROM PAGE 3

The CEO, who had no qualms about submitting and accepting the fraudulent declaration from District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, came to the conclusion following a series of alleged anomalies raised by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).

Lowenfield seemingly agreed with the incumbent and their unsubstantiated allegations. After the recount started, the APNU/AFC went on a fishing expedition and started to randomly point out serial numbers from the Official List of Electors, and either claimed that those persons are dead or have migrated.

Those were recorded in the Observation Report which Lowenfield was supposed to summarise and present to the Commission.

Throughout the process, persons have been begging the Coalition to provide some shred of evidence to substantiate claims made, but the coalition has failed to do so.

APNU/AFC General Secretary Joseph Harmon had presented to the GECOM Chair two lists of names of persons he claims have migrated and were not present in Guyana on March 2. Justice Singh, acting as investigator, had forwarded those names to the Police Commissioner, who is also the Chief Immigration Officer, for investigation; and he had responded with names he claims were out of the jurisdiction.

What followed can only be described as total dishonesty on APNU/AFC’s part, since many persons on the list came forward to show that they were in fact in the jurisdiction.

Nevertheless, persons have been coming forward to state where they had voted, debunking the information provided by Police Commissioner Leslie

James.

In his report, Lowenfield said he had verified the anomalies for each of the Electoral Districts with the Chief Immigration Officer and the General Registrar’s Office.

“In respect of the allegations of voter impersonation, responses from the Chief Immigration Officer and review of the General Registrar’s Office Deceased Reports confirmed that these were of substance,” the CEO told the Commission without actually providing the evidence.

PPP/C victory

Despite casting doubt on the process, Lowenfield presented the figures garnered in the recount process for the Commission to consider.

According to Lowenfield’s figures, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the March 2 General Election with 233,336 votes cast in its favour. The APNU/AFC secured 217,920 votes.

For the new parties, the numbers are as follows: A New and United Guyana – 2,313; Change Guyana -1,953; Liberty and Justice Party - 2,657; People’s Republic Party - 889; The Citizen’s Initiative – 680; The New Movement – 244; and the United Republican Party – 360.

In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C also won with 233,661 votes, while APNU/ AFC secured 217,055 votes.

Change Guyana -2,607; Fed-Up Party – 153, Liberty and Justice Party -2,935; Organisation for the Victory of the People – 448; People’s Republic Party - 927; and the United Republican Party – 1,369.

According to the numbers, the PPP/C is to ascend to the seat of power, while the incumbent will be booted out.

The CARICOM High Level Team which observed the recount is yet to submit its report.

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Why power sharing?

B

ack in 2009, I engaged several interlocutors, such as Lincoln Lewis, Eric Phillips and Freddie Kissoon; who, despairing of removing from office the PPP, whom they had dubbed an “elected dictatorship”, were pushing the PNC to adopt a more aggressive strategy. I pointed out in reference to Lewis: “I am just suggesting he is using an expired strategy.

The change in demographics in this decade has opened up the possibilities of the politics of “in and out” rather that of “over and under”. There are no “built-in” ethnic majorities any longer. There need be no storming of the Bastille.”

The ideologues from the African-Guyanese community gave short shrift to these new opportunities occasioned by the changing demographics. As the 2011 elections drew nearer, Tacuma Ogunseye rejected elections as addressing African-Guyanese fears, and urged them to “fight and bring Guyana to a halt” to guarantee their representatives a share of executive power”. As I wrote then, “…the fact of the matter is that Mr. Oguyense Ravi Dev was not merely “proposing” shared governance: he was exhorting Africans to come out into the streets to bring any possibly newly-elected PPP government down to its knees to accept “shared governance” or else! To make matters clear, he went on to assure Africans that the Disciplined Forces, dominated by their “kith and kin”, would not intervene.”

Ogunseye was at the time supported by David Hinds, and I pointed out: “In supporting Ogunseye’s call, Dr. Hinds had ignored the implications of what could be called Ogunseye’s Corollary on the orientation of the Disciplined Services. This, of course, formed the basis of what I had labelled “The Indian Ethnic Security Dilemma”, which acts to channelise Indian political behaviour in a defensive mode.” Since even when they won office, they could only govern at the sufferance of the organs of the state, all of which have an affinity for the PNC. Directly after the 2011 elections, I wrote: “Well, here we are. The PNC addressed the leadership concerns of its constituency, rebranded itself as APNU, and their voters all returned home. Indians, on the other hand, had become alienated from the PPP for a number of reasons, and read into the Indian leadership of the AFC (augmented especially in Berbice by Indian native son Nagamootoo) an ethnic orientation. A substantial bloc transferred what has to be a protest vote to the AFC and reduced the PPP’s count to below 50%.”

The PPP retained the Presidency and the Executive through the grace of Burnham’s peculiar plurality rule. In the 2015 elections, the PNC-as-APNU, further moderating its stance, coalesced with the AFC and actually removed the PPP from office. We had arrived at what I had assumed AfricanGuyanese had been fighting for since 1957: overcoming the African-Guyanese Ethnic Security Dilemma. To wit, when Indian-Guyanese constituted an absolute majority, if they voted as a block, they could be excluded from the Executive in perpetuity.

We had arrived at the promised land where, as minorities, the parties of the two larger blocs of Indian and AfricanGuyanese would have to tailor their rhetoric and programmes to attract voters outside their core constituencies to gain office.

But this moderation of their programmes was exactly what David Granger refused to do after assuming power in 2015. In fact, it would seem he went out of his way to antagonise the Indian community in general, and those who had voted for the coalition in particular. I am still amazed that there are supporters of the PNC who do not see the closure of four sugar estates and the firing of 7000 sugar workers as motivating Charandass Persaud to vote for the NCM, and later for Indian-Guyanese not to vote for the PNC-as-APNU. With the present bid of the PNC: to first “Mingo” the elections, and then insist they are not “credible”, in some doubt of achieving success, the PNC and its allies have now switched to their “Plan B” – “shared governance, which they insist should be “executive shared governance” and which they forgot in 2015.

There is no need for this imposition; 2011 and 2015 demonstrated that Guyana can have the politics of “in and out”, rather than that of “over and under”, once the PPP and PNC reach outside their core constituencies. And we will have the benefit of an opposition to keep the government on its toes.

The PNC will have another chance in 2025.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

12 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Granger tangles self in web of lies about reason for elections recount …recommits to accepting GECOM’s declaration …sides with Harmon to tell Caricom leaders to ‘butt out’

Caretaker President, David Granger

Caretaker President David Granger on Friday night appeared on radio show Straight Up Live, where he neglected to mention the real reasons behind the National Recount of the ballots cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had, back in March, agreed to a National Recount of the votes following declarations from stakeholders, diplomats and elections observer missions from the Carter Center,

Organisation of American States, CARICOM, the Commonwealth and the European Union that the election’s credibility was marred by fraudulent declarations in District Four (Demerara–Mahaica).

It was as a result of the internal and external pressure, coupled with threats of sanctions, that Granger, with the approval of Jagdeo, invited the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to dispatch a High-Level Team to scrutinise the recount process.

CARICOM initially sent a team, but its members had to leave after Granger’s candidate Ulita Moore had stymied the process through court action.

After the court ruled that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) can conduct a National Recount of the ballots, but must be in charge of the process, Caricom dispatched another team, which has been in Guyana since May 1.

Web of lies

Seemingly forgetting the real reason behind the recount, Granger told radio listeners that it was after

Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo

the discovery of a series of anomalies that the recount took off.

“There is abundant evidence that certain persons or parties or elements tried to manipulate the outcome (of the elections) by deliberately committing certain actions in order to get an outcome in their favour, and this is why we had to have a recount. Because there are acts of persons who have died or migrated and there are votes recorded in their names. There are persons who were not prop-

erly identified who voted.

There are cases in which persons in one District see their votes turning up in another District. There are cases of persons who voted without Certificates of Employment. There are cases in which votes from one Polling Station turned up in another. There are cases in which ballot boxes turned up without poll books. There are too many anomalies to be ignored; that is the reason for the recount. That is the reason why CARICOM is here. That is the reason why we have had to wait over 100 days to get a report,” Granger confidently stated.

However, those alleged anomalies only came to the fore during the recount process after Granger’s party had made the claims. Despite making those claims, to date, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) is yet to provide concrete evidence to support its claims that dead and migrated persons were actually issued with ballots.

The caretaker president conveniently made no mention of Clairmont

Mingo – Returning Officer for the Demerara-Mahaica Electoral District. In fact, it was Mingo’s actions and subsequent fraudulent declarations that led to the National Elections Recount.

Mingo, according to the recount figures, fraudulently inflated the Coalition’s votes by 19,116 votes, while deducting 3,689 votes from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Neither Granger nor his party has, to date, addressed Mingo’s glaring anomalies. Ironically, the APNU/ AFC has been claiming victory, and has claimed victory based on Mingo’s concocted numbers. As a matter of fact, persons from that party have called for GECOM to use those numbers and declare a winner, since they said it matched their secretive Statements of Poll.

Butt out

Granger, during the talk show, effectively told all foreign Government leaders and officials to butt out from Guyana’s internal politics. He was at the time responding to questions relative to the recent comments made by incoming Caricom Chairman, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

PM Gonsalves had said the 20-member bloc of nations “will not stand by idly and watch the recount (of ballots cast in the March 2 Guyana General and Regional Elections) which is properly done, for the results to be set aside”.

According to Dr Gonsalves, “When you take part in an election, there’s always a chance you may lose; and if you lose”, he quipped, “take your licks like a man”.

In response, APNU/ AFC General Secretary, Granger’s handler Joseph Harmon, lashed out at the Caricom Head of Government.

But, supporting his CARICOM colleague, former Barbados Prime Minister and Leader of the Commonwealth Elections Observer Mission to Guyana, Owen Arthur, said Gonsalves was in perfectly good order.

The public repudiation has however unfazed the Guyanese caretaker President, who publicly supported Harmon.

“I wouldn’t advise one of my diplomats to comment on

the internal affairs of another country. I don’t expect people outside of the country to comment on the internal affairs of the State of Guyana.

The report or response given

by Colonel Harmon is quite correct: that at this stage it is premature, even reckless, to comment on the outcome (of the recount process); and what Colonel Harmon said I stand by,” Granger said.

“I believe that the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines is aware. He was here in March as part of the five-member delegation led by Prime Minister Mottley; and I don’t want to say I am concerned, but I must say that I prefer no foreign head, government, or no foreign official comment on Guyana’s internal politics,” he added.

Abiding by the law

Granger’s signature phrase is “I am abiding by the Constitution.” However, his actions are quite contrary.

Reiterating several times that he has been acting in accordance with the Constitution, Granger outlined that since the passage of the December 21, 2018 Motion of No-Confidence, he has been doing exactly what the law stipulates.

However, Article 106 (6) of Guyana’s Constitution calls for the resignation of all Cabinet members and elections to be held within three months, but neither was adhered to by Granger and his Government. Instead, they moved to the court through a proxy and sought to challenge the vote on the ground of illegality. However, after months of legal battle, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) threw out their arguments that 34+32=65 and ordered that an election be help in Guyana.

Another instance of Granger’s Constitutional disobedience was when he unilaterally appointed retired Justice James Patterson to Chair GECOM. That appointment was challenged, and CCJ ruled that he acted “in contravention of the law.”

Granger, through his supporters, has been calling for GECOM to nullify the elections or announce the APNU/AFC as the winner; ignoring the results of the recount. However, on Friday he made a commitment to respect GECOM’s declaration and abide by it.

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14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Y

oga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.

The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.

Yoga Day is important to celebrate to make people aware of the benefits of Yoga.

Yoga has medical benefits and it helps in curing many diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, alleviating physical injuries, and chronic pain.

Apart from that, it helps a person to get mental peace. The day is observed on June 21 and the theme for this year is “Yoga at home and yoga with family.”

While many people practise yoga for its physical benefits, there are other types of benefits. For example, the spiritual meaning of yoga postures can help yogis develop oneness inside themselves, as well as unity with the exterior world. In yoga, the natural world is especially important. This can be seen in many of the Sanskrit and English names for yoga poses; these names are taken from animals and other entities one finds in nature.

Oneness in Yoga

Yoga is considered by many to be a holistic art — one that does not focus only on the spiritual, the physical, or the mental; but focuses on all of them — hopefully in equal measure.

The holistic effect of yoga is attained when practitioners become

not only physically stronger and more flexible, but also mentally stronger and more flexible. Seasoned yogis even sleep better, on average, than people who do not practise yoga. One of the ways that yoga works holistically is through the names of yoga asanas — which refer to concrete things in the world.

Let us start looking at some of these poses, so that you, too, can be one with yourself as well as being connected with the world at large. None of these yoga poses is difficult to do, so you have no excuse. Let’s begin.

Again, many yoga postures are named after things found in nature. Animal-named poses range from cobra to cat, including animals of several different families. The names help yoga practitioners delve deeply into the pose.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

Downward-Facing Dog Pose may sound funny at first, but after you’ve watched a dog wake up and go into a deep stretch, the name of the pose takes on new meaning. The spiritual implication behind the pose lies in the act of a combined stretch with a moment in which the yogi turns inward. Simultaneously connecting to your centre while stretching your body into a long line has a unifying effect, positioning your spirit within while you stay connected to the outside world.

This is one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It’s also an excellent yoga asana all on its own. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, then bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child’s Pose.

Vrksasana (Tree Pose)

The essence of Tree Pose is to find balance. However, balance is not found in this pose in a rigid manner, such as one might associate with a balanced ballet position. In Tree Pose, your body may sway, like a tree does in the wind, but your foot stays rooted into the ground. This freedom for your body to move and find its balance while you envision being rooted in the ground develops your spiritual acceptance of

your body’s position in space.

In yoga, there is a principle called satya (the practise of truthfulness) that teaches yogis to think, speak, and act in alignment with what is true. Because it’s a challenging balancing pose, Tree Pose offers an opportunity to practise this principle by aligning yourself with the truth in your own body.

Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

From the common sitting down on the floor (Indian style, cross-legged) position, one foot is placed on top of the opposite thigh with its sole facing upward and heel close to the abdomen. The other foot is then lifted up slowly and placed on the opposite thigh in a symmetrical way. The knees are in contact with the ground. The torso is placed in balance and alignment such that the spinal column supports it with minimal muscular effort. The torso is centred above the hips. To relax the head and neck, the jaw is allowed to fall towards the neck and the back of the neck to lengthen. The shoulders move backwards and the ribcage lifts. The tongue rests on the roof of the mouth.

The hands rest on the knees. The arms are relaxed, with the elbows slightly bent. The eyes may be closed, the body relaxed, with awareness of the overall asana. Adjustments are made until balance and alignment are experienced. Alignment that creates relaxation is indicative of a suitable position for the asana. The asana should be natural and comfortable, without any sharp pains. In most cases, a cushion or mat is necessary in order to achieve this balance. The lotus flower is a symbol of purity, and the Lotus Pose is a frequent pose for meditation and pranayama, or breathing exercises. Breath is the purifying power in the human body; deep, slow breathing purifies and energizes our bodies. This spiritual meaning of the lotus flower is transferred into yoga asana practise in the form of the seated meditation posture.

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Lakhram Bhagirat

Y

oga is one of the many cultural exports of India with immeasurable benefits. Practising yoga is one of the many ways towards achieving holistic health, since it is not only about physical postures but rather deals with much more than that.

Yoga has proven to be effective in treating almost every complication the human body undergoes.

Psychologists laud yoga as a method to help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. The mere practice of connecting with one’s inner self is by itself soothing.

Speaking with the Sunday Times Magazine, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa said that yoga was now globalised and he was perfectly fine with that as long as the original purpose was not betrayed.

Dr Srinivasa has been actively practising yoga for over three years now, and he believes that it has contributed positively to his overall health. Despite being a medical doctor, the High Commissioner believes that allopathy alone cannot cure all problems. He is of the belief that alternative medicines contribute significantly to the overall wellness of humankind, since Ayurvedic remedies stem from centuries of knowledge possessed by our ancestors.

Dr Srinivasa is pleased that India has been the torchbearer of culture in various forms, with yoga being part of the rich cultural heritage.

Yoga and other Ayurvedic remedies are all important facets of life that allows one to live to one’s true potential.

“Yoga I think personally is something which needs to be practised by everybody. I have been doing it for the last three years continuously now and it has given me a great improvement in the quality of life, in my health and also peace of mind. In this day and age, when we have a lot of stress, a lot of non-communicable diseases, yoga actually has helped me to keep away from say hypertension, diabetes or any of that other diseases,” he attested.

Dr Srinivasa begins his yoga every morning at 05:00h and practises for an hour followed by another hour of walking. He also meditates for at least 10 minutes per day before he gets to the office. He notes that yoga has greatly improved the way he functions. He is being taught discipline and can concentrate even in the most stressful situations.

Yoga has been instrumental in aiding the diplomat’s decision-making process, since he now makes a conscious effort to think more

critically. According to him, that comes from a lot of meditation.

One of the misconceptions about yoga is that it mostly involves physical activities, but yoga is also about eating healthily and purifying your body. Yoga is meditation.

Yoga is breathing.

International Yoga Day is especially important for India, since it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the one that proposed the observance to the United Nations back in 2014.

The following year was when it was declared to be observed on June 21 annually.

For Indians, June 21 is especially important since it marks summer solstice – the longest day in the year. It is an important activity in the Indian lunar calendar, since summer solstice symbolises an inner spiritual journey.

Dr Srinivasa has been associated with International Day of Yoga since 2015. He was posted in San Francisco back then and organised a large yoga session with the famous Golden Gate Bridge being the backdrop. More than 5500 persons participated, with the Indian Finance Minister being the chief guest. That was the first observance of International Yoga Day. While he was posted in South Africa, the diplomat took yoga to the Wanderers Stadium with over 6000 people. He also took yoga to impoverished parts of South Africa.

“Every year I make a conscious effort to spark yoga awareness. I have made it a point to take yoga to the nooks and corners. For example, in South Africa, we took yoga to Soweto – the place where (Nelson) Mandela was born,” he said.

In Soweto, Dr Srinivasa collaborated with the Art of Living Centre and took yoga to the schools and elderly homes. He was surprised at the welcome they received in the schools. Teachers there embraced yoga as an element to teach their charges not only about their health but also about mindfulness, how to be calm, and to put their energies in a creative way.

“In this day and age when violence with youth is affecting the world, yoga can act as a calming influence and this is what I found. Yoga helps to get control over your health,” he posited.

When Dr Srinivasa was posted to Guyana, he came with big plans to take yoga all over the countries he had diplomatic responsibilities for. Those countries being Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, and St Kitts and Nevis.

However, because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, those plans had to be placed on the backburner.

Nevertheless, he was excited to learn how Antigua incorpo-

rates yoga in the rehabilitation of women who suffered intimate partner violence.

“The Social Welfare Minister in Antigua, she was saying that they use yoga to counsel women who have been abused. Apparently, yoga has been used as part of the psychotherapy. It helped them to calm down, get that thing out of their system and try to help them rebuild their lives, and that was something that I was really amazed. When we see such an application of yoga, it shows how innovative it can be. It is the first time I have heard that they have done this in a foreign country, so I was pretty amazed. In India, we introduced yoga to prisons to help calm them down and we being a part of this venture feel proud, because yoga is an intangible heritage,” Dr

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr K J Sriniavasa doing yoga

Srinivasa told the Sunday Times Magazine.

Over the years, many westerners have travelled to India and studied yoga. They brought it back to their countries to practise and teach.

Now yoga has been globalised as well as monetised.

According to the Indian diplomat, he is not worried about the saturation of the practice.

Rather, he is encouraging more people to start taking up yoga. He notes that yoga was here, and here to stay.

“Yoga has been evolving through the years. Now with the exposure yoga got in the world, I think the local modifications are done due to some local requirement. So, as long as it does not betray the orig-

inal purpose of yoga, as long as it doesn’t tamper with the way yoga was designed to be, I think if the guru and disciple want to tweak it, then that is their business but at the same time, they should not try to impose it on others.

That is the beauty of India and yoga, because we don’t try to tell them look this is the hard and fast rule. We say ‘look this is something which our ancient sages have given us; it’s good – you use it … in the meantime, if you want just tweak a little bit, then be my guest’. As long as it helps you, we are okay,” he explained.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian High Commission in Guyana had to change its plans for International Yoga Day, which is being observed un-

der the theme “Ghar Garh Se Yoga – Yoga From Home”.

On Sunday, June 21, 2020, persons are encouraged to join the yoga instructors at the Swami Vivekananda Culture Centre (SVCC) in Georgetown for a virtual yoga session from 10:00h. You can join by visiting the SVCC Facebook page and joining the Zoom conference.

Additionally, Prime Minister Modi has invited everybody to participate in a worldwide video blogging competition titled “My life, my yoga.” The competition allows for essays to be written about how yoga has impacted your lives; there are the art and poster aspects as well.

Also, persons can snap a photo of themselves in various yoga postures and be the winners of various prizes.

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FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 14 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he word yoga is of Sanskrit origin and derived from the term yug which means to attach or join. Therefore, the practice of yoga is uniting with one’s inner or spiritual

self.

Throughout the Western world, yoga is seen in just the physical light when, according to yoga instructor Agnela Patil, it has more to it than just a physical workout.

For her, yoga is a way of life and practising yoga just increases the quality and longevity of one’s life.

Hailing from India – the land of Yoga, Patil knows exactly what she speaks about when she says that in the West just

the asanas or posture aspect of yoga is focused on. However, she says that according to Yoga Sutras of Patanjali there are eight limbs of yoga.

“In the West they give emphasis on the physical aspect of yoga – that is just one limb. We call it asanas; we call it postures, but we have many more things added to it. If you see Patanjali Yoga Sutra you will realise that Patanjali has mentioned ashtanga yog that means eight limbs or parts of yoga.

So, all has to go together. He was so precise in using the word ashtanga. He didn’t say steps, he said limbs,” she emphasised.

She notes that the term limbs were used because the Yoga Sutras does not explain how it should be done, rather they emphasised on what should be done in order to achieve the unity one so deserves.

To practise holistic yoga one must first go with yama – restraints and the implementation of ethical behaviours; that is followed by niyama – observances; asana – postures; pranayama – controlled breathing; pratyahara – which is withdrawal of the senses; dharana – concentration; dhyana – meditation; and finally, samadhi – absorption.

Those eight limbs are the guides towards invoking and connecting with divinity.

Patil has been studying yoga all her life and later took it up as a profession. She is the yoga instructor at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Georgetown. She says that yoga speaks to connection and every day we practise yoga whether consciously or subconsciously.

The very fact that we breathe means we are doing yoga.

“It can be anything – your body, your soul, your mind, it can be anything. Whatever you do with your full connection, that’s yoga. Yoga is just not what everyone thinks it is. It is a way of living, a way of life. Practice of yoga will help you live a healthier and better life,” she opined.

Before moving to Guyana, Patil said she researched the country but could not find anything that would suggest that yoga would be accepted here.

She explained that because of close similarities to countries in the West, she thought Guyana would be more inclined to accepting other forms of exercise as opposed to the practice of yoga.

Nevertheless, she came and to date she has over 200 students attending yoga classes at the SVCC. “Yoga is for everyone. It is not just for those who are flexible. Most of the people, they come to me and they say that we cannot practice this asana because we cannot do headstands. You have been standing on your head, but we cannot do this, so we cannot do yoga. It is not true. Yoga is not

just about asanas and I always keep repeating that yoga is not just only about asanas. There are many things connected to it. Anyone who breathes can practice yoga and, I feel, has to practise yoga,” she said.

Patil said that while all eight limbs of yoga are essential, there are three – asana, pranayama and dhyana that most Westerners know of and practise. She notes that those three

components are important to fostering the unity that one should.

“In my experience as a yoga teacher, I find that most people come with physical difficulties saying that we have so and so and we need to come out of this. That is like just going to get a drop of water from the ocean. Yoga is like an ocean and if you go deeper into it, then you will know more of it.

Physical aspects are just a part of it. That is just a by-product.

You need to go deeper into yoga and then you will understand that,” she advises.

Patil is encouraging everyone to join the International Yoga Day celebrations by doing yoga at home with their families.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

22 PRESERVING OUR LITERARY HERITAGE SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Pretamber Persaud

M

artin Carter initiated a number of issues and started an ongoing dialogue by way of his prose and poetry in the manner and with a purpose of a consummate artist, going further than most writers of merely acting as a mirror of or a barometer of the society. In a letter introducing the first issue of the ‘New World Quarterly’, Carter harped on the need for ‘serious examination of ideas’ and objectivity, going on to declare, ‘…I do not know why only so few revolt, either by word or by deed against … acute spiritual discomfort’.

Many of those socio-political issues relevant locally and universally revolved around a central theme ‘all are involved’. This ‘all are involved’ theme is married to the essential Martin Carter - his conjunctions. In an interview with Professor Frank Birbalsingh, Carter said, ‘the word “and” is very important to my way of thinking, that is to say, something and something, not something and then something else’, referring to his poem, ‘Conjunction’, with opening line ‘very sudden is the sought conjunction’. There are many other conjunctions in the thought processes of Carter including ‘the middle where we meet is not the place to stop’. This ‘all are involved’ theme has engaged the attention of a number of thinkers, scholars and writers who have booked their thoughts in useful publications on Martin Carter.

‘Martin Carter: University Of Hunger’, Collected Poems & Selected Prose, edited by Gemma Robinson, published by Bloodaxe Books, adds to the growing scholarship on the poet of Guyana. This extensive work contains a 36-page introduction by Robinson and

B

(GUEST COLUMN)

eing involved in animal welfare means that you are signing up to travel on a rollercoaster of emotions on almost a daily basis. At Paws for a Cause-Guyana, not all of our stories have a happy ending, but there is often meaning to be taken from tragedy.

Recently, we picked up two healthy looking and friendly stray puppies in LBI. We noticed that they were walking a little funny, and realized that both of the pups had deformed hind legs. Their joint regions weren’t properly formed so although they were able to wag their tails freely, they couldn’t run and jump like regular pups. Upon screening, they seemed to be in reasonable health otherwise and were vaccinated, dewormed, and transferred to one of our foster homes to recover as best as they could. The deformity was diagnosed to be permanent for both.

These pups quickly got accustomed to their

over seventy pages of notes that ‘provide bibliographic details and commentaries relating to the specific phrases in the poetry and prose. Collations of lexical differences are given when there are multiply versions of a poem’.

‘Poems by Martin Carter’ edited by Ian McDonald and Stewart Brown, published by Macmillan, 2006, is another addition to growing and glowing tributes to Carter. This book is an insightful reworking of the prize-winning book, ‘Selected Poems’. This is not McDonald’s first public appreciation of Carter’s work. In 1989, McDonald as chairman of Demerara Publishers Ltd., was instrumental in publishing ‘Selected Poems’ by Carter that won the Guyana Prize for Literature in same year of publication. McDonald was also involved along with others including Vanda Radzik in the publication of the revised edition of ‘Selected Poems’ by Red Thread Press, 1997.

McDonald as editor of Kyk-Over-Al, June 2002, devoted a combined 49/50 issue of the journal to the life and work of Carter. Titled ‘Martin Carter Tribute’, this 400-page publication is exciting and informative.

‘All Are Involved: The Art Of Martin Carter’ edited by Stewart Brown, published by Peepal Tree Press, 2000, is a massive book of essays on Carter by leading scholars, colleagues and writers including Edward Baugh, Ken Ramchand, Gordon Rohlehr, Kamau Brathwaite, Stewart Brown, David Dabydeen, Fred D’Aguiar, Kwame Dawes, Michael Gilkes, Stanley Greaves, Wilson Harris, Roy Heath, Kendel Hippolyte, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Eusi Kwayana, George Lamming, Ian McDonald, Mervyn Morris, Grace Nichols, Rupert Roopnaraine, and Andew Salkey. ‘This book sets

out to celebrate Martin Carter’s life and work and to establish a context for reading his poetry. It locates the several facets of Carter’s work in the historical and cultural circumstances of his time, in Guyana, in the Caribbean’.

‘Web Of October: Re-reading Martin Carter’ by Rupert Roopnaraine, published by Peepal Tree Press, 1988, copyrighted to the author 1986, is one the first published studies on the work of Carter. The blurb reads, ‘the essay’s functions are multiple: to draw attention to Carter’s poetic art, to rescue his work from too narrowly political readings and to explore the relationships between language, art, politics and philosophy’.

The above publications offer varied and various insights into the work and life of a national poet whose writings traced the struggles and triumphs of Guyana from colonialism to independence and post-independence. What is important however is that his work has already included you into the ongoing dialogue of ‘all are involved’.

Martin Carter was born on June 7, 1927, in Georgetown, British Guiana. In 1953, he married Phyllis Howard, a union lasting some four decades. His ‘Poems of Resistance’ (1954), some pieces which he wrote while incarcerated by the British for his radical political affiliation, established his Caribbean and international reputation.

Twice he was honoured by the government of the day: in 1970 he received the Cacique Crown of Honour and in 1994 the Order of Roraima.

Martin Wylde Carter died at his home in Lamaha Street on December 13, 1997, amidst political turmoil.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

Animals, Death and Life Lessons in the time of COVID-19 “PAWS” PERSPECTIVE

surroundings, and their disability didn’t stop them - they didn’t even seem to realize that they were physically hindered! They would slide back and forth when they needed to move, and figured out a way to hop while moving, which allowed them to run in their own unique way. They were truly an inspiration to all us at Paws, helping us to put our problems in perspective - the pups found a way to manage their physical disabilities. Being home and social distancing was made so much easier when we looked at these pups thriving in adversity.

Shortly after they arrived at the foster home, we started to see blood in their stool.

They were diagnosed with Canine Parvovirus, a potentially fatal disease, if left untreated.

We lost a puppy and saved a puppy from Parvo in the past and we are all aware of the toll it takes on a puppy’s body. They were inbred,

and inbred pups often suffer from severe genetic issues and a compromised immune system. Both of these were prevalent in the two pups. They were given a less than 5% chance of survival. We had to make the incredibly difficult decision to say goodbye. The alternative was a short, painful life for each as they wasted their way toward death.

Animal welfare advocates always have to be prepared to deal with the tragedy, anger and frustration that may come along with the dozens of cases we see daily. It is incredibly hard to make a decision to say goodbye to a pup, especially when they have already overcome such hurdles and you have witnessed their fight to live life.

It is also hard to come to grips with the fact that leaving them as they are to battle it out will condemn them to life of pain and suffering, something that no living creature deserves, human or not.

We also have had to speed up the processing of our grief because there are so many more abuse, neglect, abandonment and stray cases just waiting to be dealt with. It has gotten worse in the time of COVID-19 because many people seem to think that they can get Coronavirus from their pets, which has led to an increase in strays and drop-offs at the GSPCA. There is currently no evidence to support the theory that Covid-19 can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.

Going through this draws a parallel to what

we imagine COVID-19 Health workers may be emotionally going through on a daily basis with their patients. The curve is not yet flattened in Guyana, and the uncertainty of the situation can cause additional mental stress.

In their death, these pups continue to remind us of the important things in life. They remind us of the importance of spaying and neutering pets to prevent inbreeding as well as the necessity of proper medical screening for all humans and animals. They encourage us to work to find ways to overcome the adversity in our lives, and remind us to stay home and keep ourselves and others safe. Spare a thought for the physical and mental welfare of all our health & front line workers, and take a minute to check in or thank them in your own way for voluntarily signing up to help in battling this. If you’d like to foster or adopt a pet, we have many looking for a home. If you can’t, consider supporting our work. At the very least, you can be kind, stay home, and give your pet an extra hug.

If you’d like to offer comments, support or follow our work, find us on Facebook.com/ Pawsforacause.gy, on Instagram @pawsforacause.guyana, subscribe to our YouTube Channel, drop us a line at pawsforacause.20@ gmail.com, or visit our website at https://www. pawsforacausegy.com.

Animal welfare is everyone’s business. You don’t have to be an animal person - you just have to be a kind person.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WORLD OCEANS DAY - THE IMPACT ON OUR OCEANS

“I

t is a curious situation that the sea, from where life first arose, should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life. But the sea, though changed in a sinister way, will continue to exist: the threat is rather to life itself." - Rachel Carson On June 8, World Oceans Day was observed. It is a day designated by the United Nations to celebrate the role of the oceans in our everyday life, and to inspire action to protect the ocean and sustainably use marine resources.

The theme, “Innovations for a healthy ocean”, appeals to all persons to put their minds to solutions to restore the health of our oceans.

Modern conveniences -- a straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar -- taken individually, each seems harmless, and are so ubiquitous and so quickly thrown out that they hardly register in our minds; but, single-use plastics come with a steep environmental price, one that we’ll be paying off for millennia.

Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. The results of today’s single-use, throw-away plastic culture can be seen on sea

shores and in oceans everywhere. Turtles choke on plastic bags because they mistake them for jellyfish. Dolphins drown when they become entangled in discarded plastic packaging.

Albatrosses somehow find floating rice bags in the furthest reaches of the South Atlantic, far from human populations, and unwittingly feed them to their hungry chicks. Millions of single-use bottles jostle their way around the oceans, carried on the currents even to the remotest and most fragile Pacific atolls. Plastic waste is increasingly polluting the oceans.

This year, as we celebrate World Oceans Day, let us be aware of the dangers of single-use plastics, and make an effort to reduce our use of them. We should look to buy locally and sustainably produced food whenever possible. You may not feel that you have an impact, but our collective efforts as consumers can drive the industry to find increasingly better solutions.

We can also contribute to the efforts by disposing of our waste in the You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: The Environmental Protection Agency, C/O Communications Department, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and You Tube.

Miner loses eye in motorcycle accident

A

miner of Bagotville, West Bank Demerara (WBD), has lost an eye after he fell off his motorcycle at Tiger Creek Trail, Cuyuni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Injured is 38-year-old Calvin Daniels.

According to Police, the miner was in the company of a friend when the accident occurred around 08:30h on Wednesday. Reports are the two men were proceeding at a fast pace east along the trail on separate motorcycles when Daniels reportedly lost control of his bike and fell to the trail.

The injured man’s friend

Injured: Calvin Daniels

told Police that he was riding behind his friend when he saw him fall and he

rushed to his aid. He said that Daniels appeared unconscious.

He was picked up by his friend and public-spirited citizens, and rushed to the Bartica Regional Hospital.

It was then it was discovered that Daniels had lost an eye and was in critical condition.

The miner was later transferred to the city and was currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Up to press time on Saturday, Daniels was said to be in stable condition.

When Guyana Times contacted Regional Commander Linden Lord, he confirmed that the man’s friend was in custody and was assisting with investigations.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Namaskarasana (Prayer Pose) Stand erect with feet together. Join the palms together in front of the chest.

Concentrate on standing straight, steady and in a prayerful attitude.

This posture helps to induce a state of introversion, relaxation and calmness.

Exhale fully.

Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose) On your next inhalation, extend the left leg back and drop the knee to the ground. The right knee is bent and kept between the hands and the right foot placed flat on the ground. Lift the spine and open the chest.

Concentrate at the eyebrow centre. The right leg and left leg are interchanged in the next Surya Namaskar set. It opens groin and psoas muscles improving flexibility of the hips, strengthens knees, ankles, and waist. It is therapeutic for indigestion, constipation, and sciatica.

Hasta uttanasana (Raised Arms pose) Inhaling stretch both arms above the head, palms facing upward.

Arch the back and stretch the whole body. It expands the various lobes in the lungs and puts more oxygen which increases the oxygen level in the body.

Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot pose) Exhaling bend the body forward and down, keeping the spine straight. Avoid collapsing the chest or “over-rounding” the upper back. Keep the legs straight and perpendicular to the ground. This posture massages the abdominal organs, especially the liver, kidneys, pancreas, adrenals, uterus and ovaries. The power of digestion increases and female disorders such as prolapse and menstrual irregularities are relieved. A healthy flow of blood is sent to the spinal nerves as they are stretched and toned. The hamstring muscles at the back of the thigh and calf muscles are stretched and toned. Inversion increases blood flow to the brain.

Chaturanga Dandasana (Stick pose) On the exhalation bring the right leg back to join with the left leg and keep body in one plane like a straight stick. It builds upper and core body strength, lengthens the spine and strengthens the low back muscles.

Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Same as asana no. 4, but with the other leg forward) Breathe in as you come in this posture.

Sashtanga Namaskara (Salute With Eight Parts Or Points) Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) Exhaling gently drop both knees to the ground and slowly slide On the inhalation, lower the hips the body down at an angle as you bring the chest and chin to the while pushing the chest forward and ground. All eight limbs - toes, knees, chest, hands and chin - touch upward with the hands, until the the floor. The buttocks are kept up. Hold the breath. This posture spine is fully arched and the head develops the chest and strengthens arms. It sends additional is facing up. The knees and lower blood to this area helping to rejuvenate the nerves. abdomen remain above the floor.

This pose gives dynamic expansion to the organs of the chest and abdomen, relieving many ailments such as asthma, indigestion, kidney and liver problems.

It is very helpful in relieving tension in the back muscles and spinal nerves.

Hasta Padasana (Same as asana no. 3) Breathe out as you come to this posture.

I

n last week’s column, the author introduced a framework for business continuity planning amidst growing uncertainties in the business environment – largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The article concluded by outlining a number of steps that can be employed by organizations to build operational resilience.

Continuing from last week, the fourth step in building operational resilience entails building a “human + machine workforce”. This aspect deals with the importance of making transactional processes more digital and focus on value-led, proactive operations driven by data analytics to reduce stress on operations. By creating a human + machine workforce, tens of thousands of people can be reskilled and redeployed to ensure continuous operations while using analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and real time monitoring. Machines capable of continuous learning could provide an ideal basis for further scaling operations (Accenture, 2020).

The fifth element speaks to the need to adopt a distributed global services model. This can be achieved by using a mixture of service models to de-risk the organization in a volatile world. Distributed global services mean that high performance can be delivered anytime, anywhere. Monitor and distribute work across the network in real time using a command centre for a virtual workforce. Partner with the best service providers to ensure brilliant execution and to fuel the company’s growth and market share. Introduce the best talent and capabilities, and allocate the best skills to the most complex jobs, without the restrictions of region, time zone, while maintaining high levels of compliance and assurance (Accenture,

2020).

Source: The Society of Management Accountants in Canada and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Maintaining capital and cash flow

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to impact business operations, companies are experiencing financial difficulties. As such, it will be important to do the following: (i) Increase the frequency of working capital checks: abrupt changes in demand can have a significant impact on working capital; and (ii) Explore concessionary loans or grants from Government to support cash flow: the world over, cities, states and national Governments are rolling out business support programmes, including wage subsidies, loan guarantees, temporary relief from insolvent trading laws and tax deferrals. Explore all options and regularly monitor the situation as further programs are established.

Identify supply chain risks COVID-19 has disrupted global supply chains on a grand scale.

Whether or not business has been affected, it pays to proactively mitigate any present or future risks in supply chains. The following steps can assist: 1. Proactively engage with partners in supply chain – Questions to ask: - Do your suppliers have business continuity plans in place throughout COVID-19?

- What level of service do your customers expect during the pandemic?

2. Identify supply chain disruption risks. Questions to ask: - Are there specific regions or sectors within your supply chain that are adversely affected?

- Can you implement an “early warning system” using supply chain risk assessment tools?

Namaskarasana (Same as asana no. 1) Retain your breath for a few seconds.

Parvatasana (Mountain pose) Raise the buttocks and lower the head between the arms, so that the body forms a triangle with the floor while still keeping the arms and feet in the same place. Try to place the heels flat on the ground. Focus awareness at the neck area. This posture strengthens the nerves and muscles in the arms and legs, stretches the calf muscles and Achilles’ tendons and makes the spine straight and taut. It relieves varicose veins and tones spinal nerves.

COVID-19 pandemic: Business continuity framework

3. Assess opportunities to diversify sourcing or production.

Plan to close some locations

Hasta uttanasana (Same as asana no. 2) Breathe in as you come in this posture.

Depending on the level of impact on the business, some locations may need to be closed. In so doing, the following questions can be asked: - Are there equipment maintenance issues to manage during a closure?

- Do you have adequate security in place when sites are closed?

-Are all relevant stakeholders informed of the closure (including employees, customers, contractors and suppliers)?

- Are deliveries forwarded to an alternate site?

- How can the business provide effective support for displaced workers?

Lastly for now, engage in continuous monitoring and assessment of the business continuity plan and be willing and prepared to adapt as necessary as the situation changes.

By: JC. Bhagwandin, MSc., Exec Cert.

(The author is a macro-finance and research analyst, lecturer and business & financial consultant. The views expressed are exclusively his own and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper and the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@ gmail.com).

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC submits death certificate for woman still alive

T

he relatives of a woman for whom the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) pro-

she is alive.

On Friday, a New Yorkbased APNU/AFC supporter posted a picture of a number of death certificates said to

Lucille Medas’s daughter-in-law, Coana Anthony came to her defence on Saturday

Medas’s niece, Shonnet Moore also denied that her aunt was dead

The fake certificate that was produced by APNU/AFC

duced a death certificate has come forward to prove that

belong to persons who voted but who had died. One

of those persons is Lucille Medas. Her relatives have since lashed out at APNU/ AFC pointing to the fact that Medas is alive.

Shonnet Moore, who took to social media and identi-

fied herself as the woman’s niece, said that her aunt was alive and well. According to her, “this vile and treacherous act will not be taken lightly”.

Coana Anthony, who

identified herself as Medas’s daughter-in-law, meanwhile also denied the reports of her death. She accused persons behind the allegations of concocting a fake death certificate for Medas.

“My point is (it’s a) lie.

Why would you guys create a fake death certificate of somebody that is alive.

Do you guys know how that feels? Lucille Medas is my mother-in-law, and she is

alive and well,” Anthony wrote on social media.

This follows previous instances during the recently-concluded recount, whereby persons had to come forward and deny claims from APNU/AFC that they were migrant voters. These allegations formed the basis for the coalition arguing that the results of the election were not credible.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

26 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Venezuela’s claim a “figment of the imagination”— Greenidge …says country making unprecedented claim

W

ith just about two weeks to go before Guyana makes its appearance before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to deal with the issue of jurisdiction over the territorial integrity case, Venezuela’s supposed claim over Essequibo has been described as a “figment of imagination” in the minds of the Bolivarian Government.

These comments were made by Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge in a Zoom panel discussion that included Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Gerry Gouveia; former United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway and Head of the Guyana conglomerate Demerara Distillers Limited, Komal Samaroo, who appeared on the panel discussion in the capacity of Chairman of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA) During the discussion, Greenidge said that Venezuela has never occupied Essequibo before 1648, because it was not in ex-

istence. “It never occupied it after 1648: Spain never claimed to have occupied it after 1648, and this is a figment of the imagination of the Venezuelan Administration, post 1840s.”

Greenidge, who previously served as Foreign Affairs Minister until 2019, described it as a unique case whereby a country lays claim to territory over which it never held sovereignty. He noted that Guyana passed from Dutch to British hands without Spain ever establishing sovereignty.

It was only after Venezuela’s independence in the 1820s that the Spanishspeaking country claimed Essequibo. However, an international tribunal ruled in 1899 that the land belonged to Great Britain.

“It is a unique case of a country laying claim to territory over which it never exercised sovereignty. And now you say, because that is a principle on which the country stands, in which you say the Constitution of the country says it can’t sign an agreement ceding territory.”

Meanwhile, Greenidge also expressed hope that the ICJ would rule in a timely manner on its jurisdiction, and it could then move forward to the substantive issues of land territory and the boundaries.

“We don’t know how long they will take. We assume, in keeping with the precedents of other cases considered by the court, this ought to be no longer than a few months. Given when we started, by way of filing our documents, we would hope it wouldn’t take us very far into 2020. But that’s not a decision for us,” he said.

The ICJ had announced last month that it would begin hearing the jurisdiction case in the Guyana-Venezuela controversy on June 30.

According to the court, it will begin with oral hearings on the question of the Court’s jurisdiction in the case focused the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899, concerning Guyana and Venezuela.

The hearings

The hearings are scheduled to commence at 14:00h

and would be conducted via videoconference. This virtual hearing is as a result of the ongoing restrictions the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The ICJ had postponed the long-anticipated hearing of the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy case that was scheduled to begin on March 23, 2020, citing the coronavirus pandemic. In a previous notice, ICJ had informed the parties of the schedules for the upcoming public hearings to determine whether the Court has jurisdiction to preside over the matter.

Guyana filed its case with the World Court on March 29, 2018, seeking a final and binding judgment that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between the then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid and binding, and that Guyana’s Essequibo region belongs to Guyana, and not Venezuela as is being claimed by the Spanish-speaking country.

Guyana moved to the World Court after exhausting

Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge

all means of negotiation with Venezuela. United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in January 2018, decided that the case should be settled by the ICJ after exercising the powers vested in him to decide how the controversy should be settled by the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela and the United Kingdom.

However, Venezuela

had claimed, in a letter to the World Court, that the Secretary General exceeded his authority under the Geneva Agreement, and, therefore, the Court lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate the lawsuit filed by Guyana.

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the UN. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 Judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, through judgments which have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly-authorised UN organs and agencies of the system.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Election recount produced APNU/AFC submits... credible tabulation – PSC …says GECOM must declare in accordance with Article 177 …appalled at Lowenfield’s claims

T

he Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Saturday said it is appalled that Chief Elections Officer of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, has submitted a report to the Chairman of the Elections Commission stating that, based on the information furnished from the recount process, it cannot be ascertained that the elections results meet the standard of fair and credible elections.

The PSC, which was one of the local accredited observers at both the actual General and Regional Election on March 2 and again at the recount process, said it is satisfied that both the election process and recount were transparent, “efficiently organized and diligently executed by the staff and management of GECOM.” According to the PSC, it is satisfied that the recount

process has produced an entirely credible tabulation of the results of the General and Regional Elections.

The business representative body noted that Lowenfield, in his summation of anomalies listed in the observer reports, has acted outside of his authority under the law governing his responsibility to the Commission “by submitting an opinion with regards to whether or not “the criteria of impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the constitution and the ROPA were satisfied or not satisfied.”

The PSC said it cannot avoid pointing out that Lowenfield, in his condemnation of the administration of the entire electoral process by saying that it failed to “meet the standard of fair and credible elections”, has sought to accuse all of the employees of

GECOM and, indeed, himself and the Chairman, of gross mismanagement and malfeasance of the electoral process; or, alternatively, that they participated in a conspiracy to commit electoral fraud on a massive scale beyond reasonable belief.

“It is the conclusion of the Private Sector Commission that the certified tabulated matrix produced from all 10 electoral districts from the Recount accurately reflects the total valid votes cast for the General and Regional Elections (of) March 2nd, 2020,” the PSC said.

It added that it has further concluded from its own observations, based on Statements of Poll (SoPs) published at places of poll on Elections Day, that no objections were noticed coming from agents of the contesting political parties. This, it said, is an indication of their satis-

faction with the process and its outcome.

“We draw to the Commission’s attention the provisions of Article 173 of the Constitution, the country’s supreme law, which provides that only the High Court has jurisdiction to inquire whether an election has been lawfully conducted or whether the result thereof has been, or may have been, affected by any act or omission. So-called anomalies as identified by the Chief Elections Officer are beyond the remit of the High Court, let alone the Chief Elections Officer,” the PSC said.

The PSC therefore called upon GECOM to declare the results of the elections in accordance with Article 177 of the Constitution, and declare the presidential candidate of the Peoples Progressive Party as the elected president.

APNU/AFC cast their net so far that party agents objected to a serial number that belonged to prominent Attorneyat-Law Devindra Kissoon, who was not only in the country on Election Day, but also voted at the African Heritage Museum in Bel Air Park, Georgetown.

To compound the inaccuracy of the objection, the prominent lawyer was an accredited observer for the American Chamber of Commerce Guyana Chapter (AmCham). He was seen by numerous witnesses at several Polling Stations across the country on Election Day, including several at the Enmore Community Centre Ground.

In another instance, APNU/ AFC objected to media operative Latoya Wills as they claimed she had migrated and was not around to vote.

However, Wills had subsequently confirmed that she did not travel anywhere and was around to vote on March 2.

On the request of GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, Chief Immigration Officer Leslie James had provided a list of names of these alleged migrant

FROM PAGE 25

voters who he had confirmed were out of the country.

In the wake of several denials, however, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has defended the data it provided to GECOM, saying persons were possibly travelling “illegally”, and hence not being recorded by the Electronic Border Management System.

The curtains on the national recount of ballots came down on Monday last. The data generated from the 2339 Statements of Recount (SoRs) shows that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), whose Presidential Candidate is former Housing Minister Dr Irfaan Ali, received a total of 233,336 votes.

This is 15,416 more votes than its nearest rival, the incumbent APNU/AFC, which received 217,920 total votes.

When one calculates using the Hare formula, it means that PPP/C has secured 33 out of 65 seats in the National Assembly and APNU/AFC has secured 31. The Chief Elections Officer (CEO) report has already been submitted and the country now awaits a declaration of results

by June 16.

28 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

105-year-old woman among 3 recovered from COVID-19

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105-year-old female resident of the Palms Geriatric Home who tested positive for the novel coronavirus has fully recovered.

She is among three residents who have recuperated and will soon be reintegrated with the other residents at the facility, according to the Social Protection Ministry.

A total of 10 persons tested positive for COVID-19 at the Palms. The Home, which falls under the purview of the Social Protection Ministry, provides 24hour nursing care for elderly residents.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry said the remaining seven coronavirus-infected residents who are recovering are being monitored in accordance with the strict control measures implemented by the Public Health Ministry.

On May 1, Bhaneshwar Ramdial was the first resident of the Palms Geriatric Home to die from the disease.

The elderly man was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital

after he was suspected of having the virus. It was reported that he presented with all of the symptoms and because of his age and other factors, those symptoms became severe. He died just a few hours after he was admitted a patient at the hospital.

A test conducted posthumously revealed that the elderly Ramdial had been infected with COVID-19. However, the Public Health Ministry did not make the death public until May 5 – four days after.

Meanwhile, a second resident at the Palms, 87-year-old Daymon John, became Guyana’s 12th COVID-19 death after he died on May 30 also at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Soon after, officials decided to conduct testing on suspected cases, and several of them, mostly females, turned out to be positive.

In fact, last month, it was reported that at least 200 residents at the Palms Geriatric Home were subsequently tested for the coronavirus disease. That figure is about 50 per cent of the occupants at the home.

The Social Protection Ministry said on Saturday that owing to rigorous screening of residents

and staff at the Palms, there has been no new case since May 23.

Meanwhile, the number of

confirmed COVID-19 cases in Guyana remains 159.

This is according to the Public Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard on Saturday, which also reflects no new COVID-19 deaths.

Additionally, there have been no new tests conducted since Friday. The number of persons tested is still 1927 of which 1768 returned negative results.

There is currently one patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital, while the number of persons who have recovered from the life-threatening disease remains at 95.

Moreover, there are 52 active cases in institutional isolation and another 22 persons in institutional quarantine.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), some 3, 638, 500 million positive cases along with over 196, 400 deaths have been recorded in the Region of the Americas.

Globally, there are now over 7, 553, 100 positive COVID-19 cases and more than 423, 300 deaths.

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$3 million ECB loan a ‘helping hand’, not ‘condition to tour England’ C

ricket West Indies (CWI) President Ricky Skerritt has quashed speculation linking the West Indies tour to England to a US$3 million loan given to CWI by the ECB in May. That loan eventually became the subject of an ICC ethics inquiry.

Skerritt also denied that the loan ensured CWI’s backing for outgoing ECB head Colin Grave’s bid for the Chairmanship position in elections which are due by July.

Skerritt said instead that the loan was a “helping hand”, given the direness of CWI’s financial situation and the exacerbation occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Skerritt said the CWI has been transparent with the ICC about the need for a short-term loan, and ECB’s involvement. He said it seemed to him that the issue was being “blown up” for “political” purposes only, and that that was being done mostly by “mischievous persons who have little genuine care for the wellbeing” of cricket.

Skerritt said the only precondition set for the tour was the safety and security of his players; and once that was assured, the tour would go ahead, as it was part of the ICC FTP agreement and the World Test Championship.

“It was just a matter of when the tour would take place, and if the ECB could assure the CWI medical experts that the health risk would be minimal (in order) to ensure the safety of our players and staff.”

Skerritt told ESPNcricnfo on Friday: “Money had nothing to do with our final decision to Ricky Skerritt make this tour. Holding out a hand for a pay-off is not the way CWI does business.”

CWI had approached the ICC this April “seeking

an advance” of $3 million - an advance that would be taken against the annual distribution the ICC gives member countries twice a year, in January and July.

The ICC, it is understood, asked CWI to provide an external audit of future cash flow, considering it was going to make the payment three months in advance, a forecast CWI could not provide quickly or with any certainty, given that the circumstances of the pandemic were outside its control.

Additional pressure on CWI came from pending player match-fee payments, accrued since January this year, as well as the need to pay its staff. The pandemic worsened the situation, as it scuppered the finalisation of the board’s global broadcast partnerships for the home series against New Zealand and South Africa.

“We needed cash urgently,” said Skerritt. “The communication [with ICC] was beginning to look like it would take quite long to be approved, and CWI had no other reliable source of cash at that time.”

It was then that Skerritt approached the ECB. “CWI asked ECB if they could make the advance instead, with the ICC providing the security,” he said. “ECB agreed on the basis that ICC would then pay the advance back directly in July. ICC finance officials were always fully aware of the transparent arrangements, and soon became a legal party to the loan agreement.”

’No intentional violation’ - ICC Ethics Officer Not everyone at the ICC was convinced, however; and an informal inquiry asked its Ethics Officer to probe any potential impropriety. Neither the probe nor the Ethics Officer’s clean chit were made public. However, according to the Indo-Asian News Service, the enquiry was set up at the behest of ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar, who

is reported to have asked the question internally of whether it was related to the upcoming elections to the ICC chairman’s post.

According to the IANS, the Ethics Officer received the request on April 30, and concluded there was no “intentional violation” committed by either of the two boards. He said it was “clear beyond any doubt” that the CWI and ECB arrangement was “in accordance with their pressing and necessary business and cricket” reasons.

“I attest that I do not believe the loan was made or received in the context of, or in relation with, the matter of the forthcoming election for a new ICC Chairperson,” the officer stated. ’This is all political’ “The negative result of the ICC ethics investigation was predictable,” Skerritt said. “The investigation upset me personally because of the risk to my own integrity, especially when it began to look like I was a collateral damage. And it was extremely unfair to Colin [Grave], who was responding to CWI’s request to expedite an advance which ICC would likely have given anyhow.

The loan funds were meant for our working capital, to keep CWI going for the period between then and when we are due to get the next ICC distribution money from the ICC in mid-July.”

According to Skerritt, this was not the first time CWI had borrowed money from another Full Member country. When he took charge in 2019, Skerritt said, CWI had been saddled with a US$6 million loan it had taken in 2016 from the ICC, and a similar US$2 million advance in 2018 from the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

“I was not [CWI] president at the time when we borrowed money from Bangladesh, and I have no idea if it was followed by an ICC ethics investigation then as well,” he said.

“There are too many people in and around cricket who are more concerned about politics than about cricket,” he added. “That’s what this is about. It is being blown up for political purposes only, mostly by mischievous persons who have little genuine care for the wellbeing of cricket.” (Cricinfo)

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

West Indies’ July Test Tour to England…

John Campbell

Batting unit under the microscope ꟷ as practice matches set for June 22 and 29

Kraigg Brathwaite stretches

By Brandon Corlette

H

aving embarked on their tour to England, ‘the men in maroon’ have been settling in nicely behind closed doors; and in a virtual press conference with journalists across the globe, West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons confirmed that the 25 players will engage in two practice

matches. The three-day practice match is set for June 22 and the four-day practice match is scheduled for June 29, and this is prior to the West Indies playing that first monumental Test match on July 8.

Simmons noted that the team has since been putting in the training at the secondto-none facility at Old Trafford. "To be honest, the ‘bio-secure’ is similar to what we had done for training. There is nobody else at the hotel, so it feels secure," Simmons noted.

Simmons added that this is the best squad the Windies can have here in England, since the three big players had opted out.

"From the way we had started and the work the guys are putting in, I think we are ready to defend that Wisden Trophy," he declared. “The batting will be very important on tour.”

Simmons highlighted that the batting will be under pressure on this tour, since the bowling unit has carried the team in recent times. "We need to get that total of 400-450 in order to give this top-class bowling unit a chance," he explained.

With both teams being on lockdown and having not played a lot of cricket in recent times, Simmons feels the situation is to the Windies’ advantage, because if cricket was being played, England would have been half-way through their season and the West Indies may have just come off from camp.

West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons

Speaking about Floyd Reifer, who is now the batting coach after coaching the team in the World Cup, Simmons declared it good to have him on this tour.

He also clarified that reserve players can make the final squad only if someone from the 14-man squad is injured. "If Gabriel is up to that fitness level, we will have to look at him," he said.

In terms of newbie Chemar Holder, Simmons noted there is a strong likelihood that he would play. "He got the ability to hit the right lengths with good pace, and his ability to bowl long spells, I think, gives him a lot of pluses to be a fast bowler that may spend a long time in West Indies cricket," Simmons posited.

On racism, Simmons said: "I think most

Roston Chase in action during the nets

of us feel the same way about this. It's a touchy subject, and we had sat and spoken about this. As Jason said, we will decide what we'll do moving forward."

In terms of missing two world class batsmen in Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer, Simmons said the Windies would just have to work hard with guys on tour, and put them in a position to fill those shoes in the series.

Batsman Bryion Bowen

Putting in ‘the hard work’ with an aim to prove a point post COVID-19

T

he COVID-19 pandemic which has rocked the entire world has forced the cancellation of many sporting disciplines to indefinite dates in the future or to restarts an entire year hence; or even to outright cancellation of planned activities.

These developments have been tough for a young Bryion Bowen, who has been forced to spend months away from the game he loves. Nevertheless, he is putting in a lot of work in the areas of strength training and conditioning, so that when the cricketing season resumes, he would be fit and ready.

Eighteen-year-old Bryion Bowen plays for the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO). He is a right-handed batsman who usually takes to the crease as the # 5 or 6 position, and loves smacking the ball to all parts of the ground. He is also a medium-fast bowler with a decent reputation for picking up wickets. His love for the game comes from his idolising none other than explosive Jamaican batsman Andre Russell.

This publication asked Bowen how he has been able to cope with ‘the new normal’, and he said, “At first it was a bit challenging, as I was accustomed to going to training after work and pushing in that extra work late in the night. This then changed to me being at home missing the team; but I found a way to cope with it: I was able to focus my mind on doing home workouts, watching old clips, and really focusing on an overall improvement of myself.

“In terms of my workout routine, I do a lot of pushups, squats, abdominals, calf work, and lots of skipping. I am currently in the process of obtaining some weights, so that will be a plus in my routine,” he said.

Bowen disclosed that after the pandemic has passed, he is looking to improve his overall performances and show a bit more consistency in his game. He declared himself focused and ready for action, and said he is willing to “give his all” on the field as it is his dream not only to play for Guyana, but

the West Indies.

“I know I can still make it with a lot of dedication, despite it won’t be easy.

I know I fell behind in the past because of personal reasons, but I have the determination to go that extra mile. I live my life on Luke 1:37 (For with God nothing shall be impossible), but I know I can make it, despite what happened in the past,” Bowen explained.

Among the highlights of Bowen’s career is a score of 50 runs made against Everest in the GCB U17 50over tournament. He also returned impressive bowling figures of 4-16 against Ace Warriors, besides taking a few three- wicket hauls in the Noble House Seafoods 2-day 2nd Division Tournament. He also had racked up a few thirty-plus scores in the GCB/ Guyana Diabetic Association/Ministry of Public Health T20 Tournament against teams from the DCC and Transport; and he had managed to pick up a few three-wicket hauls in the said tournament.

He was also a participant in the recently concluded fast bowlers camp hosted by Neil Barry Jr. Bowen has said he was particularly inspired by GCA Competitions Committee Chairman Shaun Massiah, who advised that during this isolation period, players should return to basic training, which includes the ball-andsock routine.

“I agree with the ball-and-sock method 100%, as I have been doing this as well. Players such as Tendulkar and Kholi have done this in their younger days, and it paid off; and I know this will aid me in my timing when I’m batting.

“In terms of my bowling, strength training is a must, as this is beneficial to fast bowlers. As a fast bowler, you must be mentally and physically strong, and that is what I aim to do. So, whenever cricket resumes, I will be ready for action, and be aiming to give my all to achieve my dreams.”

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