Guyana Times - Thursday, June 18, 2020

P9

PSC, FITUG call for peaceful transition of power

…tell Granger to respect Claudette Singh’s decision Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4320

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

CEO must comply with Constitution, ROPA, recount district certificates on valid votes – Nandlall

... has no discretion to determine validity of votes …final report due today

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Berbice P13 pensioner found bound, dead in home

Motorcyclist dies in Campbellville accident P7

See story on page 3

Granger, AFC officials meet ahead of GECOM’s declaration Page 14

…Harmon calls on supporters to exercise restraint

Guyana must set example for democracy, PPP/C will not rule of law – Sir indulge in “witch- Shridath Ramphal …lauds GECOM’s decision to hunting” – Jagdeo move forward with declaration EU urges quick conclusion of electoral process with recount results Page 8

Page 7

Page 10

168 stranded Guyanese P14 return from NYC …Caribbean batch set for Friday arrival

Curfew P12 extended as NCTF rolls out 6-phase reopening plan …no new cases recorded

Private security firm's firearms P12 seized …after threats of violence made

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, June 18 – 02:30h and 14:30h-16:00h and Friday, June 19 – 03:30h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, June 18 – 15:00h-16:30h and Friday, June 19 – 15:40h-17:10h.

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

WEATHER TODAY

CEO must comply with Constitution, ROPA, recount district certificates on valid votes – Nandlall

... has no discretion to determine validity of votes …final report due today

A

s the final report of the March 2 General and Regional Elections is due at 13:00h today, former Attorney General and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Executive Member Anil Nandlall is reminding Chief Elections Officer

Thundery showers will prevail throughout the day and into the evening interrupted in the afternoon hours by light rain showers.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to South-easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 14:46h reaching a maximum height of 2.40 metres.

Low Tide: 08:19h and 20:34h reaching minimum heights of 0.75 metre and 0.81 metre.

Former AG Anil Nandlall

(CEO) Keith Lowenfield that he has no authority to “willy-nilly” determine the validity of votes cast in the elections, rather he should be guided by the prescribed laws.

Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

Claudette Singh has directed Lowenfield to prepare his final report, pursuant to Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution and Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, and in accordance with the numbers emanating from the recently-concluded national recount. Those numbers show the PPP/C winning the elections by over 15,000 votes and effectively ousting the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition from the seat of power.

However, the coalition has been crying foul during the recount and made numerous unsubstantiated allegations. Without providing any evidence, it claimed that dead and migrated persons voted.

The APNU/AFC is now contending and urging Lowenfield to revise the figures from the recount to give it a win. The coalition, through one of its GECOM Commissioners, also pro-

posed that the elections be annulled. But Justice Singh guided it to an elections petition since the Commission does not have the power to annul an election. She reminded that the High Court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine, via an elections petition, any grievances emanating from the elections.

The new argument from the APNU/AFC camp is that Section 96 of the Representation of the

People Act confers upon the Chief Election Officer, a power to ascertain the validity of votes and that he

can only calculate votes that he determines to be valid.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

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

Champions of Caricom Democracy

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uyana owes a debt of gratitude to the Caricom highlevel Observation Team – Cynthia Barrow-Giles (St Lucia/Barbados), John Jarvis (Antigua and Barbuda), and Sylvester King (St Vincent and the Grenadines) - for the great personal sacrifices they have made in protecting and preserving our democracy at a most crucial time.

In the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and at a very short notice, the three-man team packed their bags and left their families behind to come to Guyana to observe the national recount of ballots cast in the March 2 polls, following the deepening of the political crisis here after Clairmont Mingo attempted on two occasions to illegally hand a victory to the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition.

In the most difficult of circumstances, working from early in the morning until late at night for over an entire month, the team kept a close watch on the recount process.

While this may look like a straightforward task to many, the daily drama that unfolded at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC), with the APNU/AFC making all sorts of unsubstantiated claims about voter impersonation and dead voters etc, was well documented in the media.

There were many impediments that were deliberately put in the way and were meant to stymie the recount process. For example, while there was a need to satisfy COVID-19 health guidelines at the recount venue, the highly politicised National Task Force did all they could have done to ensure that the number of workstations were kept at a minimum, to drag out the exercise. In any case, the Task Force should not have been involved in any way to dictate to GECOM what it can or cannot do. The recount was a GECOM exercise, and based on its constitutional mandate, the electoral body should have been free from any political control or direction from such an agency.

Additionally, the recount was initially supposed to last 25 days, ending on May 30, but it ended up being completed on June 6, as a considerable amount of time was wasted on sorting out frivolous issues, some of which could only be addressed by the High Court by way of an elections petition.

The team stayed throughout the process, and not for a single day did we hear of any excuse of complaint.

The Team persevered, and was able to complete a very thorough report on their findings, which also included several useful recommendations in relation to electoral reforms. Their findings were endorsed by all stakeholders and confirmed what many already knew, that is: the March 2 General and Regional Elections were free and fair, and the results of the National Recount reflected the will of the electorate.

Barrow-Giles, Jarvis and King are indeed three Caribbean heroes, and they must be commended for doing their job with the highest level of professionalism and integrity. They never allowed themselves to be sucked into our political mess, nor to take sides at any time. In their report, they were blunt about what they saw. It is now up to political stakeholders here to study their recommendations carefully, and to possibly implement them in order to prevent our country from going down this dangerous path again.

As pointed out by respected Caribbean academician Sir Ronald Sanders, “At the end of all this – whenever that comes – these three persons deserve a special award as Champions of Caricom Democracy. And the Caribbean Community should bestow it upon them. They are not doing their jobs; this exercise is not their jobs; it is an act of selfsacrifice and dedication to democracy.”

That said, ever since Permanent Representative of Barbados to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Ambassador Noel Lynch, on behalf of the Caricom Group during a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council back in May, said Caricom were “the most legitimate interlocutors” in Guyana’s National Recount, the APNU/AFC, including President David Granger, have been parroting that statement.

However, now that the Caricom Observer Team has concluded that the results emanating from the National Recount are credible, acceptable, and should be the basis from which GECOM declares the final results, the President has gone silent. The nation is patiently waiting for him to go by his own words and concede defeat.

Let us make a sensible decision Dear Editor, With the way now cleared for a new administration, I write to support and reiterate the call made in a letter

by Omchand Madhu, captioned “Incoming Minister of Education should postpone National Grade Six Assessment”, which appeared in many of our newspapers.

This letter effectively outlines the reasons behind the many calls for the Ministry of Education to postpone the sitting of these examinations.

These reasons include the readiness of these young boys and girls to sit these exams in such a short turnaround, and serious health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The writer also noted a lack of public consultation with parents and guardians before setting the dates of these exams.

We are clearly not ready to roll out this examination. This statement is not a challenge to the Ministry of Education, but is rather an acknowledgement of the many issues confronting us at this time. The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has advised its teachers not to support the sitting of these examinations for the same reasons mentioned.

The Amerindian People’s Association (APA) and other important indigenous groups such as the National Toshaos’ Council have highlighted the unreadiness of hinterland students to sit examinations. This week, the Region Ten Regional Health and Emergency Committee (RHEC) asked the Education Ministry to further delay the NGSA, citing overcrowding at schools

and the severe financial pressures of implementing changes to make them safer.

This is a serious issue that highlights the damage of prematurely holding these examinations. Are the children of Region 10 currently turning out to school in unsafe conditions?

COVID-19 is still on the rise in Guyana. The Ministry of Public Health’s announcement on 16th June, 2020: that 12 new cases have been recorded, was indeed a sobering reminder of this rise. We have seen reports of at least one teacher at Moruca being infected with COVID-19. I have diligently kept my family at home throughout the entire lockdown period, and am now having to take the risk of my daughter prematurely returning to school to write an exam forced on her.

Like all parents, I also want this exam to be over with; however, not at the expense of my family’s safety. I do not believe that it would be too much to postpone this exam, even for a few weeks, in order to make sure that all stakeholders are satisfied.

Other countries in the region, like Trinidad and Tobago, have done this.

Please let us make a sensible decision to do so. The incoming Prime Minister, Brigadier Mark Phillips, recently advised the Ministry of Education to “take a second look” at its plans to conduct the NGSA in early July, and highlighted a number of similar concerns. I trust the new administration will act accordingly.

Sincerely, Ruth A Morgan

PNC’s destruction of AFC’s base responsible for coalition’s loss!

Dear Editor, One gets the impression that PNCR operatives are still surprised (or pretend to be) that they have lost the 2020 elections, and are finding it difficult to come to terms with that reality.

To be dethroned from an apparent impregnable position that is fortified by imperial-like power seems to ravish the incumbents’ psyche to such an extent that they (PNCR) were compelled to stage a valiant scheme to rig the Region 4 tabulation figures to steal victory from the PPP/C. They failed in that effort, but still persisted with another sinister move (Lowenfield insurgency) to snatch victory from the PPP/C. That other mission was carried out by Gecom CEO Keith Lowenfield, who arrogated to himself the role of, Judge, jury and executioner by trying single-handedly to discredit the elections (of which he was in charge) as well as to discredit the findings of the high level Caricom team.

The conspirators’ motive was to annul the 2020 elections and so deprive the

PPP/C of its victory. But that plot was foiled by the GECOM Chair, who rightly claims that GECOM has no authority to annul the elections, and that irregularities must be resolved by the High Court through a petition.

It is widely expected that the PPP/C would be formally declared the winner of the 2020 elections, and that Dr Irfaan Ali would shortly be sworn in as President.

At a basic level, an analysis of the PNCR’s loss of the 2020 elections shows that their main partner, AFC, have failed to deliver to the coalition even 20% of the votes they got in 2015 elections. The collapse of the AFC base, which began with the LGE 2018 and which continued to slide downwards along the precipice onto the 2020 elections, is mainly responsible for the PNCR’s loss. It is noted that the AFC were not as strong in 2011 as they were in 2015, but if one were to utilise the 2011 elections’ data, the AFC got over 35,000 votes.

In 2015, they received an estimated 40,000 votes. In

2020, they received around 5,000 votes. Why then did the AFC base and support shrink so rapidly?

There are many reasons, some of which are tabulated here. The AFC agreed with PNCR Leader and President, David Granger on a number of critical issues; such as: (1) not to institute constitutional reform as their stated top priority; (2) unilaterally appoint James Patterson as GECOM Chair; (3) defying the No Confidence Motion (NCM); (4) closing 4 sugar estates and laying off 7,000 workers, and providing them with no job alternatives; (5) accusing sugar workers of raiding the public treasury; (6) and denying the promised 20% pay raise to sugar workers and the promised $9,000 per bag of paddy to rice farmers.

Despite the PNCR’s fighting a good 2020 elections’ campaign and enjoying the advantage of incumbency, the AFC’s albatross knocked the wind out of the sails of the PNCR ship.

Internal polls from other political parties had shown that the PNCR would have

gotten less than 40% of the total votes cast. Their performance defied that projection and they were able to get 47% of the total votes cast. If the AFC had performed at the 2020 polls at 1/2 the level of 2011 or 2015, the 2020 elections’ results might have been different.

PNCR should stop making excuses for their loss, such as inventing anomalies and recklessly blaming PPP/C for electoral irregularities. They should instead proceed to evaluate their elections’ performance. This would allow them to restructure, re-engineer, and recharge their party to make it more responsive to the needs of the people. The 2020 polls have shown that issues are very important, and that political competition could bring those onto centre stage.

The process of national healing and national reconciliation must be invigorated, and a new vision be established to lead the country into prosperity.

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

Unauthorised use of the Caricom Logo Dear Editor, I refer to the full-page advertisement which was carried in your Tuesday, 16 June 2020 edition on page 2, which, inter alia, reproduced the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom’s) Logo.

Our records do not indicate that any application by the Guyana Times Inc. or any other entity has been made for permission from the Secretary-General to use the Logo.

The use of the Community’s Logo in

this advertisement is therefore unauthorised.

As published, the advertisement is misleading, as it would easily lead one to believe that it was placed by the Community or its Secretariat. I request that this disclaimer be published in the next edition of your newspaper.

I trust that there would be no repetition of this unauthorised use of the Community’s Logo in this or any other form, going forward.

Yours sincerely, Leonard Robertson Communications Adviser Office of The SecretaryGeneral Editor’s note: The artwork for this advertisement was created by the advertiser and sent to Guyana Times. We apologise for the unauthorised use of Caricom’s registered logo.

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

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

We must unite for a better Guyana Dear Editor, I am hopeful for the future of Guyana under the leadership of President-elect Irfaan Ali. This is not because the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic has won and the APNU/ AFC has lost, but because as Guyanese we believe in our Creator, who is powerful.

The last few years have exposed deep divisions in our Guyanese society, and this election campaign has exacerbated rather than heal them.

The task before us all, as leaders, politicians and citizens, is to work together in our communities and across our nation.

I have been reflecting on every Guyanese taking up their new leadership role in the aftermath of these elections with a passion and vision for “unity”. As a people, we have been divided for too long.

Psalm 133 says: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity”.

As Guyanese, we must model this as we come together across age, race and class differences; when men and women stand and work together as one. And as we do this, we would show that issues affecting Guyana are issues that affect every Guyanese.” We are all “GT to the bone”, we can be a witness to, and bring about, reconciliation for our communities. For some, the election results are a nightmare; for others, the results are a wish come true. Either way, and for those ambivalent about the outcome, as Guyanese, we must unite for a better Guyana.

This was a particularly difficult election season for Guyana and every Guyanese.

It exposed deep divisions and reflected a year of ugly rhetoric and angry, sometimes violent, exchanges among people.

Racism, misogyny, proverbial assault, xenophobia, antisemitism, and just plain cruelty headlined news stories and

became trending topics across social media. Many Guyanese could not wait for June 16 to arrive, just so the ordeal would be over and they could move on.

But “moving on” isn’t going to help Guyanese address the tensions and issues raised by the long campaign season and the election itself. The election was a mirror held up to all of us, exposing deep damage and creating more at the same time. This election is one element of democracy; it had to be free, fair, and transparent. How elected representatives and citizens receive it is just as critically significant.

The daily work of nurturing citizens, civil society, and sustaining democracy also matters. Elected representatives often follow; they take their cue from us. Educators, classrooms, and schools each play a unique and important role in sustaining a democracy and in nurturing civil society. This COVID-19

pandemic period offers an opportunity to engage students as civic actors, thinkers and problem-solvers. In thinking about the next few days, weeks and months, we might take inspiration from some divided communities and fragile democracies around this great country of ours.

First, let’s put our emotions in context. This was one of the most polarising elections in our lifetime. The electoral process was filled with anger, anxiety, humiliation and lies, and many are feeling emotionally raw, and their emotions have become more intense because the results were unexpected. This combination of intense emotions and surprise may result in our being carried away with thoughts and feelings that may be strong for now, but may dissipate with time.

If the coalition APNU-AFC had won these elections, nothing would change for those of us who insist that Guyana re-

quires a strong governance arrangement. the PNCR would have been gallivanting around the country claiming the end of ethnic voting and irrelevance of the discourse about the winner-takes-all system, notwithstanding that one half of the citizens would have been left alienated as a result of its more- than-likely manipulating the extremely bloated electoral list. The maximisation of individual and social freedom, security and good living are the objective of human existence and natural rights.

GECOM would declare the final and official election results based on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)supervised recount, which shows that the PPP won the General and Regional Elections.

The recount shows that of the 460,352 valid votes cast, APNU+AFC got 217,920, the PPP 233,336, and the three ‘joinder’ parties - A

New and United Guyana (ANUG), Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), and The New Movement (TNM) - got a total of 5,214 votes.

The Organisation of American States, Commonwealth, Carter Center, and the team of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) scrutineers that observed the recount have called on GECOM to declare the election results based on the tabulation from that recount.

Mr David Granger, please concede defeat in order to restore credibility and the dignity of the Office of the President.

President-elect Irfaan Ali and former President Granger, as Guyanese, must both work towards the preservation of our sovereignty and territorial security in the coming weeks.

Sincerely, David Adams

Opinion swings against coalition’s behaviour

Dear Editor, It is time for the coalition to end the resistance and congratulate Dr Irfaan Ali on his being the President-elect. It should concede defeat and help with national reconciliation. The coalition risks losing support in its base.

There is an interesting groundswell (voters) reaction to the Government’s response to the count and recount of the votes cast in the election.

The mood in the country has shifted against the coalition, even among its own supporters, and this is because of its intransigence in accepting defeat.

Too many in the party base feel they have been taken for a ride for too long; misled about the election outcome. Many no longer pay heed to the spokespersons, as opinions swing against the Government. More and more supporters are accepting that their party lost. Some respond: “Dey think we stupid”.

The President boxed himself in a corner. His own several postures since election day have come to chain him: Only Caricom interlocutors matter (they advise acceptance of results); and Caricom (recount) report must be taken into account (report shows coalition lost). The image of honesty and decency that Granger created or acquired for himself is perhaps haunt-

ing him more than anything else. Now he must be pondering: What is the honest thing to do if not to concede defeat and resign and allow Dr Irfaan Ali to be sworn in?

Granger is also torn between party and family. His wife, children, and son-in-law are pulling him away from APNU to do the honourable thing, perhaps prepping him to resign. The hardliners in the party are doing their best to keep his feet to the fire and not give up power.

In the end, all is not lost.

Like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes, Granger also would rise. The PPP is known to make mistakes in Government, and as several American Congress persons advised, his name and legacy are recorded in history. Why jeopardise it for a few hardliners? His destiny and legacy lie in his own hands.

While spokespersons of the coalition change their narrative from claiming victory twice, to increased margins at the start of the recount, to fraud during the recount, their supporters don’t have pleasant words for some in the Government.

People joked that this is the only election in the history of Guyana that was rigged three different times – twice by the incumbent and once by the opposition. Government

supporters suck their teeth when spokespersons, in response to the recount, say the coalition was cheated and that the opposition engaged in electoral fraud. Among the Police Force, and even the paramilitary forces and the army, there is a cynical smile when one begins to talk of the state of politics.

Why is the coalition going ahead with this pretension? Government workers and Police and army officers are worried about losing their US visas. They won’t do anything illegal.

On the other side, supporters of the opposition shake their heads in disbelief when they hear what they describe as “nonsense” emanating from the mouths of Government spokespersons: that the PPP rigged the election. Both sides are mocking, jeering, and making snide remarks against the leadership of the Government. “Why don’t dey throw in the towel?”

many remarked.

Any other narrative but concession is not selling, not gaining currency.

Government supporters say they have been misled, and they voice their opinions openly. They accept that their party lost the election, no amount of denial would change that fact. In reacting to Government spokespersons or when they engage in discussion on politics, they say: “Have they no shame?

Dey (names mentioned) deh pun serious joke”.

There is widespread rejection of the latest narrative of electoral fraud among public servants. The attitude among public servants is that Government people are embarrassing themselves.

Public servants are even more irritated when contractors come for payment and money is not available.

And the nation is seriously hurting from the politics and suffering a double-whammy

with the coronavirus. At the business level, there is almost complete shutdown. Tens of thousands of persons have lost their incomes. The demand for public service has not been met. Even hospitals are affected, being unable to meet demands for healthcare.

The business community is complaining that business is

virtually dead.

Too many are ridiculing the administration. It is better for the Government to give up than to prolong the suffering by rejecting the recount numbers as pronounced by Caricom.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

COMMODITIES Indicators

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

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Foundation

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

Below are the second part of Science Paper 2, 2011 and CXC English.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

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

SCIENCE PAPER II

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. 1. WRITE YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER CLEARLY ON EACH PAGE.

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

Be sure to answer FULLY the FOUR questions.

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

The diagram below describes a circuit. Study it carefully, then answer question 4.

4 (a) What type of circuit does the arrangement represent? ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) (i) Name the part labelled X. ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (ii) What is the function of the part X? ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (c) What do the arrows in the diagram indicate? ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (d) Give one function of the cells in the diagram. _____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

4. Drawings and handwriting MUST be clear at ALL TIMES. 5. Each step of your work MUST be CLEARLY shown in the booklet.

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

A drawing of the human arm is used to represent a simple machine. Study it, then answer question 5.

5 (a) Name the simple machine represented by the arm. _____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) Name the parts of the simple machine labelled: X ___________________________________________________ Y ___________________________________________________ (2 marks) (c) Give an example of an object that works like the one in the diagram? ___________________________________________________

(1 mark) (d) State the class to which the machine above belongs. ___________________________________________________ (1 mark)

7. Look over your work when you have finished.

8. DO NOT take away ANY part of this question paper.

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

In the picture below, a tray is being filled with water before it is put into the refrigerator. Study it, then answer question 6.

6

(a) Which property of the liquid is being demonstrated?

___________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) Which change of state will occur when the filled tray is placed in the freezing chamber? ___________________________________________________ (1 mark) (ii) At what temperature will this change of state occur? ___________________________________________________ (2 marks) (iii) Describe two ways in which the liquid can return to its original state. ___________________________________________________ (1 mark)

END OF TEST

CXC MATH 1. Complete the following table for set A:

• A graph of a certain function is given below. Complete the table for this function.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana must set example for democracy, rule of law – Sir Shridath Ramphal …lauds GECOM’s decision to move forward with declaration Guyana; it is a landmark in democratic ethics throughout Caricom,” Ramphal said.

Ramphal recalled incumbent President David Granger’s own words, that Caricom was the most legitimate interlocutor for Guyana’s elections. He noted that Guyana, a member of Caricom, is among the member states that pledged to uphold democracy, and with the collective eyes of the regional and international communities turned on Guyana, the outcome of Guyana’s election must stand as an example to the region and the world.

The diplomat added that the Caricom scrutineers have gilded that pledge, and the Chairman of GECOM, in respecting the leSir Shridath Ramphal

D

istinguished Guyanese-born diplomat Sir Shridath Ramphal has hailed the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) decision to declare a winner of the 2020 elections, noting that this decision paves the way for Guyana to set a positive example for the region and the world.

Ramphal made this pronouncement in a statement on Wednesday, wherein he applauded GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh, for taking a stand against what Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley once described as “dark forces.”

It was Singh who directed Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield to prepare a final report by today, so that the election results can be declared. According to Ramphal, with this decision, Justice Singh has elevated the rule of law above all other considerations.

“As one who pleaded that we, Guyanese, ‘do not descend into the pit of lawlessness’, I applaud the Chairman of GECOM, Claudette Singh, for elevating the rule of law above all other considerations,” Ramphal said in his statement.

Ramphal, a former Commonwealth Secretary General and Foreign Affairs Minister of Guyana, also described the Caribbean Community report on the recount as a landmark in democratic ethics throughout Caricom. In the report, Caricom had found that the elections were credible, and while there were some issues, none was so serious as to necessitate the annulment of the elections.

“The Caricom Report on the recount of the votes in the March 2nd general elections is more than a milestone in democracy in

“The Caricom Report on the recount of the votes in the March 2nd general elections is more than a milestone in democracy in Guyana; it is a landmark in democratic ethics throughout Caricom” – Sir Shridath Ramphal

In her decision, Singh had said that GECOM does not have the power to interrogate witnesses and determine the credibility of an election. This, according to her, is for the High Court and an election petition.

Similarly, Singh noted that GECOM is not empowered to annul an election under any law. This is something that APNU/ AFC-nominated GECOM Commissioners had asked for in a motion moved before the Commission on Tuesday morning, and which was ultimately defeated.

The data generated from the 2,339 Statements of Recount (SORs) show the PPP/C won the elections with a total of 233,336 votes. This is 15,416 more votes than APNU/AFC, which received 217,920 total votes. When one calculates using the

Hare formula, it means that PPP/C would have secured 33 out of 65 seats in the National Assembly and APNU/AFC would have secured 31.

Motorcyclist dies in Campbellville accident

galities their report ordained, “has married law to democracy. The outcome of the Guyana General Election 2020 must be an example -not only in Guyana, but regionally and worldwide – of the strength of law and democracy.”

Declaration

In a landmark decision, retired Justice Claudette Singh on Tuesday decided to use the results of the recently concluded national election recount to have the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/c) declared the winner of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

This decision was made on Tuesday afternoon, after a day of meetings between Singh and the six GECOM commissioners. At one point during the Commission’s deliberations, APNU/AFC appointed Commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman had made a last-ditch attempt to have the entire elections scrapped.

However, this was defeated.

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

A

Dead: Elijah Bollers

n 18-year-old motorcyclist is now dead after he was struck by a motor car at Delph

Avenue, Campbellville, Georgetown.

Dead is Elijah Bollers of Meadowbrook Gardens, Georgetown. He was riding motor cycle CF 4865 when the accident occurred. Reports are that around 14:10h on Tuesday the young man was allegedly riding at a fast rate when he collided with motor car HC 1527 that was driven by a 34-year-old man who failed to adhere to a stop sign.

Regional Commander, Senior Superintendent Phillip Azore told Guyana Times that the driver of the motor car HC 1527 was proceeding west on John

Street, Campbellville while the motorcyclist was proceeding north on Delph Avenue when the driver failed to stop at the stop sign.

As a result, he collided with Bollers, who fell off his motorcycle as a result of the impact and landed several feet away.

The teen was picked up

by Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he died while undergoing surgery. According to Police, a breathalyser test was done on the driver, but no trace of alcohol was found. He is in Police custody assisting with the investigations.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

PPP/C will not indulge in “witch-hunting” – Jagdeo

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ow that the way has been cleared for the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to form the next Government, after securing a convincing win at the March 2 General and Regional Elections, General Secretary of that Party, Bharrat Jagdeo, has assured persons employed in the public service that there is no need to worry about job security, as his party would not be engaged in any “witch-hunting” exercise.

“A lot of people (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change) are spreading fears in their minds…about losing their jobs, but ordinary people don’t have to worry about the PPP, whether they voted for APNU/AFC or not, because we take care of all Guyanese,” Jagdeo told supporters gathered outside the party’s headquarters at Robb Street, Georgetown on Tuesday evening.

However, he pointed out that there are “a few persons at the top level” who will have to face the consequences of their actions.

After the APNU/AFC Coalition had won the 2015 General and Regional Elections by a razor thin majority, it had embarked

on a witch-hunting exercise that had seen many senior public officials having their employment terminated on basis of their perceived political allegiance. Several others were charged and placed before the court; however, as a result of lack of evidence, many of those charges have been dismissed.

Senior officials of the PPP/C are assuring that Government will not go this route once the party settles into office. Only a few days ago, the President-elect, Dr Irfaan Ali, had expressed similar views following a meeting with Commissioner of Police, Leslie James.

“We are not in a witch-hunting exercise, let me make that very clear. We are going to act professionally,” Ali had told media operatives outside the Police Headquarters in Eve Leary.

“We are moving forward in this country in building a strong country that is inclusive…a country that is tolerant of different ideas, of different views, and a country in which all Guyanese must be proud.”

The recount exercise show that the PPP/C garnered 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC secured 217,920 votes in the General

Will they…

N

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

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

This means that the PPP/C secured 33 out of 65 seats in the National Assembly, and the APNU/ AFC secured 31. The remaining one seat has been obtained by the joiner party consisting of three of the new parties – A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), and The New Movement (TNM).

For the new parties, the numbers in the General Elections 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.

Justice Singh has since directed Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield to prepare a final report using the National Recount results, in keeping with Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03; thereby paving the way for the official declaration of the Elections Results and the subsequent swearing in of PPP/C’s Dr Irfaan Ali as the ninth Executive President of Guyana.

“Cobra” released after serving sentence for manslaughter, robbery under arms

Tyrone “Cobra” Rowe

T

yrone Rowe, popularly known as “Cobra”, was on Monday released from prison after serving time on charges of manslaughter and armed robbery.

On April 2, 2019, Rowe was slapped with a 15year sentence after pleading guilty to a lesser count of manslaughter for the unlawful killing of Troy “Natti” Collymore when he appeared before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court during the commencement of the April Demerara Assizes.

He also pleaded guilty to an armed robbery charge and was given a nine-year sentence.

It was reported that back in August 2010, Collymore, of Plaisance Squatting Area, and Chandrika Datt, called “Shiv,” of Industry, ECD, were chatting in front of a drug store at Plaisance, ECD. Datt, however, left to

close the store after dealing with a customer. At this point, three armed men, including Anthony Taylor, called “Bow Wow”, and Rowe confronted Collymore and an overseas-based Guyanese, Noel Phillips.

One of the men reportedly entered the store and held up Datt while Taylor and another accomplice accosted Collymore and Phillips.

The armed man took a quantity of jewellery valued at $320,000 along with eight laptops from Datt while his

accomplices relieved Datt of jewellery valued at $600,000 and Phillips, of an undisclosed sum of cash.

During the robbery, several rounds were discharged, which resulted in Taylor being fatally shot. Phillips was shot to his right arm and chest, and Collymore was shot to his head. In addition, a passer-by was shot to his left jaw.

Rowe, the alleged ringleader, and his accomplice escaped. Collymore was declared “brain dead” by doc-

tors and succumbed two days later.

Rowe was subsequently apprehended and charged.

In 2013, he was found guilty by a jury for the murder of Collymore and was sentenced to 78 years in prison

by Justice Singh.

Rowe, through his Attorney, appealed the ruling, which was accepted, and in July 2018, his conviction and sentencing were overturned. As such, he was entitled to a new trial.

CEO must comply...

No power, pure ignorance

However, Nandlall explained that Section 96 provides: “The Chief Election Officer shall, after calculating the total number of valid votes of electors which have been cast for each list of candidates, on the basis of the votes counted and the information furnished by returning officers under Section 84 (11), ascertain the result of the election in accordance with Sections 97 and 98. (2).

The Chief Election Officer shall prepare a report manually and in electronic form in terms of Section 99 for the benefit of the Commission, which shall be the basis for the Commission to declare and publish the election results under Section 99.”

Nandlall noted that the notion being peddled that Lowenfield could function independently or disregard the directions of the Commission

was one that is rooted in pure ignorance of the relevant legislation governing the CEO’s functions.

He explained that the CEO was at all times subservient to the Commission and could only act in accordance with the direction. He added that Lowenfield remained under the control of the Commission as outlined in Section 18 of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act. The Section states: “The Chief Election Officer and the Commissioner of Registration shall notwithstanding anything written in any law be subject to the direction and control of the Commission.”

From the inception, the Commission determined a way forward in relation to the validity of votes. It was settled that a vote is valid, once ex facie, the ballot paper is authentic, it is authorised by

FROM PAGE 3

bearing the six-digit stamp of the Presiding Officer or any part thereof and it has a mark of the voter which proximately relates to the symbol of a political party.

“In the circumstances, the Chief Election Officer, being subject to the Commission, can neither defy, nor act outside of the four corners of these principles. In short, his function remains quite mechanical, which is, to use the total of valid votes already calculated and submitted to the Commission and comply with the remainder of Section 96. He has no legal latitude to do anything else,” Nandlall argued.

Lowenfield has already submitted the total valid votes cast for each List of Candidates for the General and Regional Elections, as generated by the national recount exercise in his initial report.

…go quietly?

ow that the jaws of defeat are finally and inexorably closing in on Granger and his PNC, most Guyanese are wondering ‘what next?’ A number of businessmen have signalled their thoughts by boarding up their showcases. They obviously have experience with the PNC losing elections in the past; “sore losers” don’t even begin to describe them!! More like rabid, delusional berserkers - minus the induced trance: they just coldbloodedly rampage down commercial areas, creating mayhem in their wake.

But your Eyewitness doesn’t think that’ll happen this go- round. Not because some in the PNC don’t want it, but because they’ve strung out their supporters for too long about winning this thing. The base is drained! How’s the PNC going to provoke them to act out when their leader David Granger just gave them a four-step process that was guaranteed to deliver victory? The four steps were executed just as he said, but his supporters were left holding “wood”!

Was Granger so confident that Claudette Singh was going to destroy her entire lifetime’s work just to get even with the PPP for supposedly slighting her? Hell hath no fury like a Jurist scorned?? Such sexists!! If he had hoped that that would happen, at least he could’ve given her a hand that she could play with a straight face!! He already knew she couldn’t swallow the Mingo manoeuvre over at Ashmin’s, so why’d he think she’d fall for the patently ridiculous objections about dead men and immigrants voting? She gave the PNC more than a fair shake to help them out; it was just that they refused to help themselves.

Even the Lord doesn’t ask for less!!

But we return to the question du jour: Will the PNC go quietly into the night, or will they rail and scream and have to be dragged clinging on to power by their nails??

What do they have left? They have cussed out the US and the Western powers that had helped ensconce them into office back in 2015. They cussed out the Commonwealth, even though a fellow Caribbean sister was at the helm. They spat nastily at Caricom, which had helped them out in 1998, when they’d stamped their feet and refused to depart. Of the OAS, the less said the better! They’re now busy reaming out Claudette Singh for betraying them at the 11th hour.

The PNC is clearly out of friends, even those businessmen with deep pockets who’d expected to game those big infrastructural contracts in the offing. They would now be busy figuring out how they could inveigle their way into, if not the hearts of the PPP, at least into their checkbooks!!

But even dead frogs give galvanic twitches!!

…dump Granger??

Between 1968 and 1992, the PNC wrecked Guyana so thoroughly that no one – especially their supporters - was spared. “White mouth” became the new normal.

And yet, when the 1992 “free and fair” elections were over, the PNC received 42% of the vote – their historical percentage!! The same phenomenon was repeated these last elections.

This means the PNC ain’t going nowhere: they have a stubborn core of loyal followers – just like the PPP has.

After the PNC’s defeat in 1992, they stuck with Desmond Hoyte till he passed away a decade later. His successor Robert Corbin didn’t fare any better in the second decade, and he decided to hand the leadership over to David Granger. He read the cards right, and figured a “kinder and gentler” successor – David Granger - might improve the party’s performance.

But he’s proven to be an old man, clearly out of step with the times, and he’s served his decade. Your Eyewitness figures the PNC’s gonna have to throw up a successor pronto.

Or witness a bloody war of internal succession.

…clean the Augean Stables??

Granger has set land mines for the new PPP Administration by staffing the bureaucracy with all those bemedaled old boys from “army days”.

Can we hope they’ll do the honourable thing and resign??

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

NEWS

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PSC, FITUG call for peaceful transition of power

…tell Granger to respect Claudette Singh’s decision

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he Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) have called on A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) for the peaceful transition of power following its defeat at the March 2, 2020 polls.

The two stakeholder bodies welcomed the decision by Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh to utilise the numbers emanating from the recentlyconcluded national recount.

The PSC said it was gratified that democracy has prevailed and that the people’s voice has been heard, acknowledged and protected by the Constitution which governs Guyana. It also extended congratulations to People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali, who was on the path to the presidency.

“The Private Sector Commission calls upon de facto President David Granger and Leader of APNU/AFC to recognise the decision of the Chairman of GECOM as promised by him and to publicly concede to the results of the elec-

PSC Chair Gerry Gouveia

President David Granger

tions. The Private Sector Commission calls upon the PPP/C, the APNU/AFC and all of the contesting political parties to ensure that their respective supporters recognise and accept the results of the elections and remain calm, peaceful and, now, join hands together to collectively meet the enormous economic, political and COVID-19 challenges to move our country forward,” the PSC said.

Meanwhile, FITUG said it has long held out that the results produced by the recount were the only credible basis to decide the victor and, therefore, the GECOM decision was most appropriate. It noted that it was looking forward to the completion of the final report

by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield,

in keeping with the timeframe outlined by the Commission’s Chair.

That report is scheduled to be submitted no later than 13:00h today.

The Federation said it expected soon a swearing-in of the PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Ali. It added that it has seen baseless contentions by APNU/AFC and urged the coalition to not to seek to obstruct the will of the Guyanese people any further and to facilitate a smooth and unfettered transition of Government.

FITUG said the prolonged election imbroglio wore very thinly on the Guyanese people’s patience, especially in the context of the public health, social and economic challenges the nation was facing presently. Though the process was

long, the people’s victory to secure and protect our democracy was upheld.

FITUG also commended Justice Singh for upholding the law and ultimately protecting democracy.

The results, which constitute data generated from the 2339 Statements of Recount (SoRs) and subsequent tabulation certificate show that the 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 – 2313; Change Guyana – 1953; the Liberty and Justice Party – 2657; 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 – 2607; Fed-Up Party – 153, the Liberty and Justice Party – 2935; Organisation for the Victory of the People – 448; People’s Republic Party – 927; and the United Republican Party – 1369.

Justice Singh on

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

FITUG President Carvil Duncan

Tuesday voted to use the results from the recently-concluded elections recount and have the PPP/C declared the winner of the 2020 General and Regional Elections. This decision was made on Tuesday afternoon, after a day of meeting between Singh and the six GECOM Commissioners.

At one point during the Commission’s deliberations, APNU/AFC-appointed Commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman made a last-ditch attempt to have the entire elections scrapped. This, however, was defeated.

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EU urges quick conclusion of electoral process with recount results

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he Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) team’s report on Guyana’s elections, which found that voting was free and fair, on Wednesday received support from the European Union Election Observer Mission (EUEOM).

In a statement, the EUEOM welcomed the submission of the CARICOM Observer team’s report and noted that it reflected their own findings. Those findings included that voting was well managed and that the electoral process was compromised in Region 4 by senior Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials.

“The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) to Guyana welcomes the Caricom observer team’s report of 13 June. The report reflects the findings of the EU-EOM, which in its final report concluded that voting and counting were well managed all over the country, as was the tabulation of results in nine of Guyana’s ten regions.”

The EU-EOM again highlighted that the integrity of the entire electoral process was seriously compromised by the tabulation

The EU Election Observer Team: from left are: Evan Eberle, Chief Observer Urmas Paet, Deputy Chief Observer Alexander Matus, and Legal Analyst Dorota Rvza

of results in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) by senior GECOM officials.

Meanwhile, the EU also expressed hope that GECOM would conclude the electoral process in a timely manner. GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has been given until 13:00h today to submit a final report, enabling GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh, to declare the winner of the General and Regional Elections.

“The EU-EOM trusts GECOM to expeditiously conclude the electoral process in accordance with the data resulting from the recount, as per gazetted Order No. 60 of 2020 and its adden-

dum,” the EU-EOM said.

The high-level Caricom Electoral Observer Team, deemed by President David Granger himself as “the most legitimate interlocutors” in Guyana’s elections standoff, had concluded that the results emanating from the National Recount of the March 02 polls are credible, acceptable, and should be the basis from which GECOM declares the final results.

The Caricom Report was handed over to GECOM on Monday.

The Caricom team comprised Sylvester King, Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Cynthia

Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI); and John

edge that there were some defects in the recount of the March 02, 2020 votes cast for the General and Regional Elections in Guyana, the team did not witness anything which would render the recount, and by extension the casting of the ballot on March 02, so grievously deficient procedurally or technically, (despite some irregularities), or sufficiently deficient to have thwarted the will of the people and consequently preventing the election results and its declaration by GECOM from reflecting the will of the voters. The actual count of the vote was indeed transparent.”

This report now fur-

ed people voting. In his report, submitted on Saturday to GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, the CEO when outside his legal ambit and provided an opinion on the observation reports. He even opined that the March 2 polls were not credible, and illegally revised the tabulation figures to show the APNU/AFC winning the General and Regional Elections with a 2/3 Parliamentary majority.

However, the seasoned Caricom Team concluded that despite some administrative failings and the disastrous tabulation

by District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, the March 2 polls were cred-

The Caribbean Community Observation Team: (from left) Deputy Supervisor of Elections in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sylvester King; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cynthia Barrow-Giles; and Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission, John Jarvis

Jarvis, Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission.

Barrow-Giles, who had led the team, in her report to the Caricom SecretaryGeneral, wrote as follows: “Overall, while we acknowl-

ther places CEO Lowenfield in the proverbial pickle, since he has been accused of parroting the incumbent A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) narrative of dead and migrat-

ible, and attempts to say otherwise were outrightly rejected.

Though having some concerns, the team noted that it had witnessed no situation wherein the acceptability of results could be challenged.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

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Curfew extended as NCTF rolls out 6-phase reopening plan …no new cases recorded

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he National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) on Wednesday extended the 18:00h to 06:00h (6pm to 6am) curfew while announcing a phased reopening for Guyana.

The six-phase reopening plan will be rolled out with Phase 1, commencing today, and will run until July

which have not had a case of COVID-19.

During the first phase, all food establishments, including street vendors, will be permitted to operate takeout and delivery services from 06:00h to 17:00h (6am to 5pm) with no dine-in services.

Hardware, plumbing and

Moreover, gatherings of more than five persons remain prohibited while the stay-at-home order also remains in effect.

“Persons are only permitted to leave home if they are essential workers, for essential services, emergency medical care and for the 90-minute daily exercise allowance,” the Task Force said.

Additionally, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is now classified as an essential service. This is especially necessary for the timely opening and closing of sluices which is critical at this time of regular heavy rainfall.

This phased reopening of the country comes as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases remain at 171.

No new cases

2, 2020, the NCTF said in a statement. The curfew was announced back in April to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in Guyana.

The final phase of this plan will be completed on August 28.

It was noted that the current 18:00h to 06:00h (6pm to 6am) curfew will remain in effect for Phase 1 in all administrative regions. The non-curfew measures will be lifted in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni),

electrical stores will also be allowed to operate from 06:00h to 17:00h (6am to 5pm) while persons will be allowed to exercise in open public spaces on weekdays from 06:00h to 18:00h for 90 minutes.

Contact or team sports are still prohibited, while bars are to remain closed.

Public transport will continue to operate at 50 per cent passenger capacity as social distancing rules and the wearing of face masks must be maintained.

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

Delivering Wednesday’s COVID-19 update, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud, disclosed that 11 new tests were conducted and there were no new cases. Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 12.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 tests done is 2006 and of that number, 1835 were negative.

Currently, there are 57 active cases in institutional isolation, and another 24 cases in quarantine. There are no patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Dr Persaud also reported that three more persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease,

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

bringing the total number of recovered persons to date to 102.

With eight of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions now affected by the novel coronavirus, the CMO pleaded with Guyanese to adhere to the guidelines in their daily routine, so that the country’s cases do not continue to increase.

He specifically reminded students, teachers, security guards, auxiliary staff, parents, and guardians not to downplay the need to adhere to these guidelines. For the mining community, the same sentiment was reiterated.

“COVID-19 is serious business and just a mere glimpse of the trend in our Region and beyond provides you with the dismal picture. We call urgently on our mining community to be responsible and to recognise that if the laissez-faire pattern of behaviour continues in this vein, then we are negating the best efforts of our health workers who have been working steadfastly to keep us safe, even at the risk of themselves and their families,” Dr Persaud asserted.

Meanwhile, as more Guyanese who were left

Private security firm’s firearms seized …after threats of violence made

SYMPTOMS

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms may have COVID-19:

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

Fever People who think they may be affected by coronavirus need to call the Public Health Ministry hotline 227-4986/624-3067 for further advice. They should not go to their GP, A&E, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have come into contact with somebody who may be infected, you may be told to self-isolate. People needing to do so should take "common-sense" steps to avoid close contact with other people.

stranded overseas return to home soil via the repatriation flights, the CMO spoke about the travel procedures for those returning passengers, focusing on the flight aspect.

He noted that while on the plane, persons should maintain physical/social distancing and observe seat spacing as advised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA); wear face masks covering nose and mouth throughout the

journey except when eating, drinking or taking medication; practise proper hand hygiene and avoid any physical contact; and avoid standing in the aisles, galleys and washroom areas.

“Face masks must be worn throughout the flight by all cabin crew. Gloves are recommended when handling passengers’ supplies.

Alert flight attendants if any person develops symptoms en route; these should be documented and reported to the captain. The captain must immediately alert the airport authority at the destination country of the illness,” he explained.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), some 3,899,800 positive cases along with over 205,500 deaths have been recorded in the Region of the Americas.

Globally, there are now over 8,000,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 440,200 deaths.

Headache

Chills

Sore throat

Repeated shaking with chills

Muscle pain

Children have similar symptoms to adults and New loss of taste generally have mild illness. or smell

Screenshots of the firearms on display in the video that was circulated on social media

A

26-year-old man is now in Police custody, and a number of firearms belonging to a private security firm have been seized following the circulation of a threatening video on social media.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF), in a statement on Wednesday, said following the circulation of the video on social media,

it promptly began an investigation.

“So far, investigators have arrested a 26-yearold male and seized a number of firearms belonging to a private security firm,” the GPF said.

In the video, a cache of firearms was on display and threats of violence were also made by the man.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Berbice pensioner found bound, dead in home she had been tied up. Persons passing her home last April had heard her calling for help. It had been reported that on that occasion both her feet and hands had been bound, and the perpetrators had slapped her several times while demanding valuables. They had escaped with an undisclosed sum of local and foreign currencies, together with a gold chain

Lilowtie Samaroo, said she went to take breakfast for Budhoo at about 07:30h when she noticed both the gate and the door to the house were open. As she attempted to enter the building, she noticed a few bags lying on the floor, and realised that something was amiss.

She said she made an about turn, and dashed towards the gate

Dead: 83-year-old Chandarie Budhoo, called "Auntie Dayo"

A

n East Berbice woman was on Wednesday found bound and dead in her Tain Village, Corentyne home.

Dead is 83-year-old Chandarie Budhoo, called ‘Auntie Dayo’, of Lot 83 Sixth Street, Tain, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

At time of this discovery, two bags packed with items from the home were found, leading investigators to believe the perpetrator(s) may have left those bags behind.

Budhoo had been living alone for the past two decades. Her home had been broken into twice this year, and on both occasions,

Undertakers removing the woman’s body

The Lot 83 Sixth Street, Tain, Corentyne home of the late Chandarie Budhoo

and a gold bangle.

This newspaper was told that the woman had been a frequent visitor to the United States, but had spent most of her time in Guyana.

A resident of the community,

calling for help. She said villagers who were in the vicinity rushed to her aid and went into the house, where one of the neighbours noticed the building had been ransacked.

“When I went, I see the back

door open and she on the ground on the sponge [mattress],” the neighbour related. He said she was lying face down and her feet and hands were bound. He said that the Police were called and undertakers subsequently arrived and took the woman out of the pool of blood in which she was lying. A Police officer was seen leaving the house with what appeared to be a machete, along with other items. Police have since arrested two persons – aged 21 and 31.

One of the persons arrested lives

within close proximity to Budhoo’s home.

Samaroo said she and her mother had, over the years, been taking turns at providing Budhoo’s meals. She had taken lunch on Monday, and her mother had visited in the afternoon to take dinner. She left the home at about 17:00h.

The discovery of what had befallen the late Chandarie Budhoo has sent shock waves through the closely-knit community. (Andrew Carmichael)

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Granger, AFC officials meet ahead of GECOM declaration

…Harmon calls on supporters to exercise restraint

Caretaker President David Granger met with top coalition officials on Wednesday

A

s the Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission prepares to receive the final report from Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield ahead of the elections declaration, caretaker President David Granger held a meeting with Leader of the Alliance for Change, Prime Ministerial candidate for APNU/AFC Khemraj Ramjattan, and AFC executive Cathy Hughes at State House on Wednesday.

APNU campaign manager Joseph Harmon was also part of the meeting.

On Tuesday, after considerable deliberations on the report submitted by Lowenfield, Chairperson of the Commission, Justice Claudette Singh, advised the CEO to prepare a report to ascertain the results of the elections under Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03 and in keeping with Order No. 60 of 2020 and its addendum dated 29th

Alliance For Change Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

May, 2020. This now clears the way for the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) to be declared the winner of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

On Tuesday, Ramjattan was quoted by local online news entity Demerara Waves as saying: “We’ll have to respect her decision. I have indicated that I certainly will; that’s my position, and we all agree that we are going to respect her decision.”

He is also quoted as saying that the party is bound by the constitutional entity and, “…we are bound to by law, and we are bound by the procedures.”

Following that meeting, Harmon, in a live broadcast via social media, called for coalition supporters and others to exercise restraint as the nation waits the declaration of results.

During the broadcast, he assured that the process is not yet over as Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield still has to pre-

AFC executive Cathy Hughes

pare a report for the commission.

“We continue to urge restraint by all Guyanese, be they our supporters or any other party’s supporters. We ask that you exercise restraint as we await the declaration by the Chairman of the Elections Commission,” Harmon said.

But even as the AFC leader has committed to accepting the GECOM Chair’s decision, in his live broadcast, Harmon argued that Lowenfield cannot include the votes that APNU/AFC claimed were invalid. However, the decision made on Tuesday

by GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh, made clear that GECOM does not have the powers of a court of law, and cannot cloth itself with such powers. Singh had said that GECOM does not have the power to interrogate witnesses and determine the credibility of an election.

This, according to her, is

for the High Court following an election petition.

Singh has since asked Lowenfield to prepare and submit a final report no later than today, based on the results of the recently concluded National Recount.

The recount data shows that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) won the elections with a total of 233,336 votes, while APNU/AFC received 217,920 total votes.

When one calculates by using the Hare formula, it means the PPP/C would have secured 33 out

AFC would have secured 31.

Impending declaration

APNU/AFC Campaign Manager Joseph Harmon

of 65 seats in the National Assembly, and the APNU/

In a landmark decision, retired Justice Singh had decided to use the results from the recently concluded recount and have the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) declared winner of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

This decision was made on Tuesday afternoon, after a day of meetings between Singh and the six GECOM commissioners.

Millions wasted as Lima Sands Road deteriorates

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wo years after a multi-million-dollar road was built by the Public Infrastructure Ministry (MPI) at Lima Sands/McNabb in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), residents of that community are calling for an investigation to determine how substandard work had been accepted by that Ministry’s engineers.

According to the residents,

the road has become a nightmare for the traversing public. Minibus and hire car drivers plying the Lima Sands/ McNabb route are now complaining of the high maintenance costs to their vehicles, occasioned by the deplorable state of the crusher run road which was built in 2018 by the APNU/AFC Government.

“This is making things worse during this COVID-19

The state of the Lima Sands Road, Essequibo Coast

lockdown. We cannot transport the full number of passengers to compensate for the wear and tear (to our vehicles, and this is) putting the pressure solely on us,” one driver expressed.

Lima Sands/McNabb, a farming community, depends solely on this particular access road.

Another driver declared that residents using public

transportation are the ones most affected, especially those transporting farm produce to the markets.

Several vendors told this publication that, due to the condition of the road, they are now forced to make more than one trip, which incurs added costs to them. They underscored that when they sell at the markets, they have to compete with other sellers while having to bear these extra costs for transporting their produce to and from home.

The Lima Sands Road was built in 2018, and residents claim they were not consulted on the project, and the design was very poor. They also claim the contractor was not fully equipped, leading to the quick deterioration of the road as a result of substandard work.

168 stranded Guyanese return from NYC …Caribbean batch set for Friday arrival

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nother 168 Guyanese who had been stranded in the United States were on Wednesday brought home on an Eastern Airlines flight -- the third such repatriation flight.

The two previous flights had departed from Miami International Airport, whereas this Wednesday flight had departed from the JFK Airport in New York.

The next repatriation flight, Caribbean Airlines

flight BW 3461, is scheduled for Friday, and will be bringing home Guyanese stranded in the Caribbean.

This newspaper was told that that flight will depart Piarco International Airport in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago and travel to Barbados, before heading to Guyana.

48 Guyanese returned home from the United States of America on Tuesday, after being stranded by the

COVID-19 pandemic.

The National COVID-19 Task Force has approved the controlled re-entry of approximately 300 Guyanese through the nation’s international airports, provided they followed a series of strict guidelines, including securing a negative COVID-19 test before travelling to Guyana, and agreeing to self-quarantine on arrival here.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Port Mourant NDC Overseer fired again

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he embattled Overseer of the John-Port Mourant Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) has been fired, for a second time, over claims of abuse and fraud.

The letter of termination of service was delivered to the Overseer on Wednesday. The document, seen by Guyana Times, was signed by Secretary of the Local Government Commission (LGC) Nickalai Pryce.

It states: “At a duly-convened Statutory Meeting of the Local Government Commission (LGC), held on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, it was unanimously decided to investigate the multiple written complaints from workers of the Port Mourant-John Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), residents of Port Mourant/John and Councillors against you…, Overseer of the NDC,” it said in part.

The letter cited 24 allegations against the Overseer, which spanned the period 2016 to 2019 but were not limited to that period.

Among these are assault on the Clerical Assistant on more than one occasion; being abusive, intimidating and tormenting the staff; embezzlement of the NDC’s funds; falsifying amounts for travelling; making un-

due deductions from the wages and salaries of staff of the NDC, among others.

It had been reported that the Overseer has in the past been accused of several irregularities at the Council.

During 2019, she was accused of not recording payments made by market vendors, who had owed large sums to the NDC. The matter was brought to the fore last year, when some of those vendors were contacted about monies they owe and they all stated that they had cleared their debts.

The Overseer is also accused of instructing the Market Clerk and the Revenue Clerk not to work on Sundays. She worked instead as a Revenue Collector at the Port Mourant Market, and paid herself $1000.

However, between September last year and March this year, the NDC says there was no record of the revenues collected on Sundays during that period when the Overseer appointed herself as the Sunday Market Clerk.

The letter of termination also called her out for misplacing three Vendor Recording Revenue Books.

It also noted that the Overseer was duly informed of the commencement of the investigation into the allegations made

against her and was asked to appear for an interview at the Local Government Commission’s Secretariat, on March 13, 2020, and provided oral responses to the allegations.

However, according to the letter, she was given an opportunity to submit a written response to the allegations on or before March 16, 2020 but she did not.

“The LGC at a duly-convened Statutory Meeting held on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, considered the fact that you did not provide a written response to the charges levelled against you. Further, you did not give reason(s) why disciplinary action should not be taken against you.”

The letter added that in light of the preceding, after careful examination of the facts before it, the LGC concluded that the Overseer was guilty of Serious Misconduct.

“The LGC pursuant to the powers vested in it, by virtue of Section 13 (1) & (2) of the LGC Act, and in keeping with Section 10 (1) & (2) of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 1997, hereby informs you that you are summarily dismissed from the position of Overseer for Serious Misconduct, with effect from Thursday, June 16, 2020.”

The Overseer was also required to return all the

Council’s property in her possession to the Chairman of the Port Mourant-John NDC within 72 hours, the letter states.

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s both large and small businesses in Guyana are feeling the impact of COVID-19, the Government has distributed several grants as part of its Small Business Relief Grants and Services initiative.

At a simple ceremony at the Small Business Bureau (SBB) on Monday, the owners of 12 businesses received cheques totalling $1.6 million to assist them during this period.

According to the

Bureau, the relief support is intended to strengthen and sustain small businesses through the provision of relief grants, training, and development support.

Another set of businesses is expected to receive relief grant cheques on Friday.

In handing over the cheques, former Business Minister Haimraj Rajkumar explained that the Government understood the challenges being faced at this time, add-

ing that the grants may not be enough to address their challenges, but they were a gesture from the Government to offer some form of support.

The Minister urged the businesses to use the funds for the purpose for which they were intended.

Also present at the ceremony were Permanent Secretary of the Business Ministry, Karen Vansluytman-Corbin, and SBB Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Lowell

subsequently suspended after her reappointment, but the Communities Ministry again intervened and overturned the suspension.

GTU President denies sending home students

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resident of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mark Lyte, is refuting claims that, when they had turned up for school on Monday, he had sent home students of the Port Mourant Secondary School, of which he is the Head-teacher.

Lyte has said he had not attended school on Monday, and hence could not have sent home students.

David Armogan, Regional Chairman of Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) told the media on Tuesday, “The only school that we had some issues with is the Port Mourant Secondary School.

The head of that school is Mark Lyte, and he is the President of the Guyana Teachers Union.

“The children (had) turned up, but only five teachers (had) turned up, and so they made some arrangements to do the online revision.”

Lyte, however, told Guyana Times on Wednesday that he was not even in vicinity of the school on Monday. “I was told that 37 students (had) turned up for school. It is correct that

12 small business owners under ‘relief grants’ initiative receive $1.6M

Business Ministry Permanent Secretary, Karen Vansluytman-Corbin; Small Business Bureau CEO, Dr Lowell Porter and the business owners after the presentation

The Overseer was previously dismissed from the NDC, but was rehired under the caretaker Coalition Administration. She was

Porter.

Just recently, Dr Porter told the media that the Bureau has seen about 320 local small businesses affiliated with it apply for some financial relief in light of the current slowdown of the country’s economy and the reduction in commercial activity arising out of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Porter explained that to meet the criteria, business owners had to be a registered client with the Bureau prior to the global pandemic.

The CEO added that those registered clients then had to fill out the survey found on the SBB’s Facebook page, and these would be processed and examined to see how their business might have been impacted by COVID-19.

Over the past three months, several small businesses across Guyana have been seriously affected owing to the global pandemic. Some businesses have had to completely close their doors while others are struggling to stay afloat.

GTU President Mark Lyte

five teachers (had) turned up, but I do not know who would have told the students to go back home,” he explained.

The Headteacher said only two students who would be sitting the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council’s exams (CSEC) were absent from school on Monday. He also disclosed that students who would be sitting Principles of Accounts at CSEC had attended school.

“We were doing online classes when school was closed. The teachers are in constant contact with the students, and the Accounts teacher arranged that students will be at school on Wednesday. The Accounts class is a very small class,” Lyte added.

Following announcement by the Education Ministry that schools would be reopened this week, the GTU had issued an advisory, giving teachers’ an option not to attend school when the Education Ministry called for the reopening of school.

The coronavirus pandemic was sighted by the GTU as its major concern.

Schools are reopened only for the following students: those sitting the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) exams; those sitting the Caribbean Secondary Examination

Region 6 Armogan

Chairman

David

Council (CSEC) exams, and those sitting the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

Classes are being held only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and only for limited hours each day.

In Region Six, the overall turnout for the reopening of schools has been in excess of 90 per cent.

With the NGSA students having only two weeks before their examinations are held, Chairman Armogan is of the view that children are prepared to attend school.

“Because they only have about two weeks left, and they have a lot of revision that they will need to catch up with,” he pointed out.

At the regional level, Chairman Armogan said, Region Six is putting safety first. Facilities have been installed at schools to ensure students wash their hands regularly, he noted, and most of the students have been wearing their face masks while in the classrooms. Meanwhile, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) has seen a relatively satisfactory turnout at schools on Monday.

Region 10 Education Officer (REDO) Rabindra Singh has described that turnout as “exceptionally fantastic” for the first day following almost three months of closure of schools.

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US imposes fresh sanctions against Syria’s elite for "brutal acts" against people

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he fresh sanctions target ‘anyone doing business with the Assad regime’ anywhere in world as Syria’s economy falls.

The Trump administration on Wednesday ramped up pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his inner circle with a load of new economic and travel sanctions for human rights abuses and blocking a settlement of the country’s conflict.

The State Department and the Treasury said 39 Syrian individuals, including al-Assad and his wife, had been designated for the new sanctions.

Others include members of the extended al-As-

sad family, senior military leaders and business executives. Many of those on the list were already subject to US sanctions, but the penalties also target non-Syrians who do business with them.

One newcomer to the US blacklist is al-Assad’s wife, Asma, who had not previously been targeted but was hit for becoming what the State Department said is “one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers”.

The sanctions are the result of legislation known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, named after the pseudonym of a Syrian who worked with the military police and turned over photographs of thousands

of victims of torture by al-Assad’s government.

Economic pressure

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the designations represent “the beginning of what will be a sustained campaign of economic and political pressure to deny the Assad regime revenue and support it uses to wage war and commit mass atrocities against the Syrian people”.

“Anyone doing business with the Assad regime, no matter where in the world they are, is potentially exposed to travel restrictions and financial sanctions,” Pompeo said in a statement.

Besides rights abuses,

China says it must improve hygiene in markets after Beijing outbreak

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ow standards of hygiene in China’s wholesale food markets and vulnerabilities in its food supply chain need to be urgently addressed after a new coronavirus outbreak in Beijing, a leading body of the ruling Communist Party said.

The resurgence of COVID-19 in the country’s capital over the past week, infecting more than 100 people and raising fears of wider contagion, has been linked to the city’s massive Xinfadi food centre.

The Communist Party’s top disciplinary body said the outbreak underlined the urgent need to improve sanitation standards and minimise health risks at markets.

“The epidemic is a mirror that not only reflects the dirty and messy aspects of wholesale markets but also their low level management conditions,”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

those targeted were also hit for obstructing a peaceful political resolution to the long-running conflict.

Wednesday’s announcement was widely expected and ahead of it, Syria devalued its currency by 44 percent. Syria announced a new official exchange rate for the pound amid chaos in the market just hours be-

fore the sanctions took effect. Syria’s already troubled economy has sharply deteriorated, prices have soared and the pound had collapsed in recent weeks, partly because of fears that the sanctions would further isolate the war-ravaged country.

Experts say the new sanctions will be a heavy

blow to a nation where more than 80 percent of the people already live in poverty, according to the United Nations. Syrian government officials have called it “economic terrorism”.

Syria is already facing sanctions – some in place even before the war – imposed by the United States and European countries against officials or individuals linked to al-Assad’s government. The new sanctions will likely severely affect the inflow of foreign capital particularly for post-war reconstruction, especially from Russia and Iran, al-Assad’s main allies, as well as China and neighbouring countries.

The Washington-based Syria Center for Justice and Accountability said the Caesar sanctions are designed for this purpose, “aiming to deter foreign financial engagement and commercial reconstruction agreements with the Assad government”. (Al Jazeera)

"Breakthrough": WHO hails steroid treatment for coronavirus

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File photo: Volunteers from Blue Sky Rescue team in protective suits disinfect the Yuegezhuang wholesale market, following new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in Beijing, China

the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a report published on its website on Wednesday.

China’s sprawling food markets have emerged as an ideal breeding ground for the coronavirus, which has now infected more than 8 million people worldwide.

The first major cluster of

infections was traced to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, where bats and other wild animals were believed to be on sale.

The CCDI report noted that most of the markets were built 20 to 30 years ago, when drainage and wastewater treatment was relatively undeveloped.

(Reuters)

he World Health Organization (WHO) plans to update its guidelines on treating people stricken with coronavirus to reflect results of a clinical trial that showed a cheap, common steroid could help save critically ill patients.

The drug dexamethasone was shown to reduce death by about one-third in patients on ventilators and one-fifth in patients who require oxygen, according to initial findings. The benefit was only seen in patients seriously ill with COVID-19 and was not observed in patients with milder disease, the WHO said in a statement late Tuesday.

British researchers estimated 5,000 lives could have been saved had the drug been used to treat patients in the United Kingdom at the start of the pandemic.

"This is great news and

I congratulate the government of the UK, the University of Oxford, and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the press release.

"This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support." The UN agency said it will co-

ordinate a meta-analysis to increase the "overall understanding of this intervention". Britain's health minister on Wednesday hailed the use of the steroid for treating coronavirus patients as the "best news" so far during the outbreak.

Trial results announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone - which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases such as arthritis - reduced death rates by about 30 percent among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.

"It does increase your chances of survival quite significantly," Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News. "It is one of the best pieces of news we've had through this whole crisis. It reduces your chances of dying when you are on a ventilator. It is brilliant news for everybody."

He said the drug's potential was first spotted in February and positive signals led to the government buying it up in April.

Despite worldwide optimism, some US doctors expressed scepticism over the British research, saying the recent withdrawal of an influential COVID-19 study left them wanting to see more data. (Al Jazeera)

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Canada loses out to Ireland and Former Mexican State Governor pleads Norway in Security Council vote guilty in US to money laundering

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invested heavily in the campaign

anada has lost its latest bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council despite an expensive and star-studded campaign.

It lost out to Ireland and Norway for the two “Western bloc” seats Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invested heavily in the campaign, employed 13 full-time staff and invited diplomats to a Celine Dion concert in New York.

Meanwhile, Ireland wheeled out U2 for a similar show but spent around half as much on its campaign.

Canada said it shelled out roughly $1.74m (£1.37m).

As of late last year, Ireland spent a reported $800,000 and Norway $2.8m. The

Security Council has 10 non-permanent members, elected for two years each, in addition to permanent members the UK, China, France, Russia and the United States. All permanent members have the power to veto resolutions.

The council can authorise peacekeeping operations, impose international sanctions, and determine how the UN should respond to conflicts around the world.

Norway secured 130 votes, while Ireland got 128 and Canada managed just 108.

India ran unopposed to win in the Asia-Pacific region, while Mexico also ran unopposed.

The terms for new members start on 1 January

2021. This is the second time in a row Canada has lost its bid for a UN Security Council seat.

When the former Conservative government lost the race in 2010, the then-opposition Liberals were among the critics calling it an embarrassing failure on the world stage.

They said it was the result of a disregard for multilateralism and engagement. When the Liberals won, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed “Canada is back” and a willing partner in the international community. Now, he will have to explain how it happened again under his watch. In the final weeks, Trudeau called some 50 world leaders to lock in their votes.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Francois Philippe Champagne tried to put a positive spin on the loss.

The result was not the one Canada had hoped for, he conceded, but what mattered were the bilateral relationships strengthened along the way. Champagne told reporters there will be time to analyse what went wrong at a later date. (BBC)

Putin’s rating is collapsing as anger grows in Russia

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he coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout have been the top concern of people across the world and naturally this has affected ratings of governments and heads of state.

In some places, those in power struggling with unpopularity have managed to gain public support. For example, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s public approval rating jumped from 50 percent in February to 70 percent in March. In France, beleaguered President Emmanuel Macron had a 51 percent approval rating in a March poll, the highest since February 2018, before it fell back to 33 percent in June.

In April, the UK government saw the highest approval ratings in nearly 10 years - 52 percent - before slipping back to 39 percent in June. In Germany, the Christian Democratic Union, the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, saw support soar from 27 percent in February to 39 percent in June.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been struggling. The pandemic did not give him a boost, and in fact just solidified the downward trend his approval rating has been suffering over the past two years.

Austerity measures, such as a particularly unpopular pension reform, have caused anger in the general public, even among his supporters.

The collapse of oil prices and

Russian Putin

President

Vladimir

a looming economic crisis - a second for Russia in the past 10 years - have also severely affected public opinion.

Putin’s decision to introduce constitutional changes, which would allow him to stay in power until 2036, when he would be 84 years old, have also been particularly unpopular. Although the Kremlin may consider this the best time to push through these amendments, given that protests are banned due to the coronavirus outbreak, they are making the Russian public that much more frustrated. The idea of Putin remaining in power for life is causing indignation even among his staunchest supporters.

In a May poll conducted by independent research centre Levada, just 59 percent approved of the Russian president, down from 69 percent in February. Just five years ago, amid the Russian intervention in the Ukrainian crisis and the annexation of Crimea, Putin’s approval rating stood at 85 percent. Support for his presidency was never so low,

even during the anti-government protests of 2011-13.

Other indicators of public support have also fallen dramatically. In another May poll by Levada, just 25 percent of people said Putin is among the Russian politicians they trust - the lowest value this indicator has had for the past 20 years he has been in power (even during his premiership in 2008-12).

In January this year, public trust in him stood at 35 percent; just three years ago, it was as high as 59 percent.

The Russian youth are particularly opposed to Putin; just 10 percent of respondents aged 18-24 responded that they have trust in the president. Distrust is high even among the less educated, poorer citizens and among those who reside in smaller cities and villages.

This is quite unusual given that since 2011, Putin has been trying to polarise the electorate, pitting the educated middle class of the bigger cities against the poorer rural classes. By now, it is clear this strategy is no longer working for him.

This downward trend has been registered even

by VCIOM, one of the large state-linked pollsters. Last year, it had to change its methodology after the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticised the results of its survey which showed that only 31.7 percent of respondents had trust in the president; after the change, the number jumped to 72 percent. (Al Jazeera)

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former governor of the Mexican state of Coahuila has pleaded guilty to charges that he laundered money to conceal bribes paid to him in return for road-building contracts, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

Jorge Torres, who served as interim governor of the northern border state for most of 2011, was arrested in Mexico early last year and extradited to the United States in October to face trial in federal court for the Southern District of

Texas.

Torres governed the state, which borders Texas, for the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which dominated Mexico’s political landscape for the best part of a century.

US prosecutors in Texas charged Torres and Hector Javier Villarreal, a former Coahuila finance minister, with fraud, theft and illegal transfer of funds in 2013.

Torres entered a guilty plea for his part in a money laundering scheme that

included offenses against a foreign nation involving bribery of a public official, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick said in a statement issued by the DOJ. Torres faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $500,000 fine. As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit property in the United States linked to the bribes, the DOJ said.

US District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos has set Torres’ sentencing for Sept.

10, the statement said.

(Reuters)

Grenada International Airport reopening on July 1

Maurice Bishop International Airport

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renada Tourism Minister, Clarice Modeste, has confirmed that Grenada will officially be reopening its international airport on 1 July 2020 to commercial passenger traffic.

“The date was agreed to at Monday’s cabinet meeting. We believe that we have done a significant amount of education with the various stakeholder about the new health protocol, and despite the risk, we believe that we are ready to welcome passengers,” Modeste said.

Grenada closed its borders in March as part of measures to contain and control the spread of Covid-19.

Since then the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) has only allowed pre-approved repatriation

and select charter flights.

Modeste said that the plan right now is to welcome both international and regional travellers.

“We are aware that a number of Grenadians are stuck in foreign lands because of the measures, and so we announced the date so that airlines can start offering the service. We are hoping that many Grenadians will return home.”

The idea now is for all incoming passengers to be screened and quarantined, some with more restrictions than others. “Self-quarantine or shorter quarantine period might be enforced for some, especially returning nationals, while visitors of leisure may be restricted to some places,” she explained.

Modeste also confirmed

that all arriving passengers will be screened with the rapid Covid-19 test as part of the screening process.

When asked if the decision to announce the date was because of international airlines demanding to government that services recommence to the island, Modeste said that tourism authorities have had mutual discussions with airlines and never got the impression that a deadline date was required. “They kept up to date with the decision of the islands, especially the decisions that will be affecting the tourism sector.

So now that we have given them a date, they can start the necessary arrangement to start marketing the service,” she said. (Caribbean New Service)

Coronavirus: Hundreds of abattoir workers test positive in Germany

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housands of people in Germany have been told to go into quarantine after a coronavirus outbreak at an abattoir.

More than 650 people have tested positive for the virus at the meat processing plant in Gütersloh, in the north-west of the country.

Operations at the site have been suspended since Wednesday afternoon.

Over 1,000 workers have been tested so far, with thousands of others still awaiting testing.

They and the people they came into contact with have been told to been told to remain in quarantine until they receive their results.

A spokesman for the company that operates the

site, the Tönnies Group, has apologised.

In response to the outbreak, local authorities have suspended schools and childcare centres in the region until the end of the month.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she “welcomed” the measures to prevent the further spread of the virus in the area.

Germany has been widely praised for its managing of the outbreak. Despite having the largest population in the EU, Germany has recorded fewer than 9,000 deaths so far.

On Wednesday, the country announced it would extend a ban on large events until the end of October.

This is not the first time

a meat processing plant has found itself at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak.

Last month, Germany agreed a proposal banning the use of temporary workers at abattoirs following a spate of infections in Münster and Coesfeld, North Rhine-Westphalia.

The issue has brought a renewed focus on the poor working conditions in the sector, with some of the meat workers in previous outbreaks reported to have been living in shared accommodation.

Other countries have also recorded outbreaks in abattoirs, including in France and the US, where workers in at least two food plants have died amid outbreaks. (BBC)

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

Regional

Brazil’s coronavirus Chile tightens lockdowns as deaths climb to 46,510; coronavirus cases surpass 200,000 cases near 1 million

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B

razil recorded 1269 additional COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, bringing its official death toll from the novel coronavirus to 46,510, the most in the world outside the United States.

The Health Ministry also registered 32,188 new cases of the virus since its Tuesday update, for a total of 955,377 confirmed cases, also second to the United States globally. (Reuters)

Nurse Jaqueline Borges Dias prepares medications for a patient suffering from the COVID-19 at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Emilio Ribas Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, June 17, 2020

Honduran President hospitalised for COVID-19, pneumonia

H

onduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has been hospitalised for COVID-19 and is being treated for pneumonia, a health official said on Wednesday, a day after the Central American leader’s diagnosis was revealed.

While his condition is serious enough to require specialised medical care in a military hospital, including receiving medicines via an intravenous drip, the President is generally in good health, Francis Contreras, a spokesman for Honduran health agency SINAGER, told reporters outside the hospital.

When Hernandez an-

Honduras’ President Juan Orlando Hernandez

nounced his positive diagnosis late on Tuesday in a televised speech, he said his symptoms were mild and he was feeling better, adding that while his doctors rec-

ommended rest, he would work remotely and through his aides.

“His general health status is good,” said Contreras.

He said X-rays have revealed lung problems, however.

The President’s wife also tested positive for coronavirus, along with two presidential aides, but has not presented any symptoms of the disease, Contreras said.

Honduras has confirmed nearly 10,000 coronavirus cases and more than 300 deaths due to the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus.

Both figures likely undercount the actual effect of the pandemic in the country. (Al Jazeera)

Rowley launches scathing attack on ‘acid tongue’ Chamber Head

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rinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has launched a scathing attack on the Head of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Dr Rowley described Faria as “disrespectful” and of speaking with “an acid tongue”.

The following is the Prime Minister’s Facebook post.

“As head of the Chamber of Commerce Gabriel Faria can have no private view which he expresses as the “known” head of the Chamber.

“He knows exactly what he is doing and it is him trying to influence voters with his dismissive shallowness whilst being very disrespectful to the country’s leadership.

“If he is so disdainful of all the people who offer themselves for office through all political parties and who the population selects freely and fairly, to

he Chilean Government on Wednesday announced a tightening of lockdowns and “maximum” movement restrictions in its capital Santiago as the country’s confirmed coronavirus caseload exceeded 200,000.

The total number of coronavirus cases was 220,628, the Health Ministry said in a briefing, after officials said Tuesday they had discovered 31,412 confirmed cases that had not been added to the tally previously, and announced 4757 freshly-confirmed cases overnight.

In a joint briefing by the Health, Interior and Defence Ministries, the Government said residents

of Santiago would be granted permission to leave their homes just twice a week – instead of the five times currently in place now – amid concerns that lockdowns of up to three months in some parts of the capital had not succeeded in stopping the spread of the virus.

The new measures include a countrywide increase in policing, as well as penalties of up to five years in prison for violators of the quarantine or curfew.

On Tuesday, health officials said a rash of accounting glitches in Chile led to the omission of more than 31,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, or nearly onesixth of the country’s total so far.

The cases, discovered during a review of the Health Ministry’s databases, stemmed back to midMarch, when the outbreak began in Chile, authorities said.

“We have detected that there is a significant number of people who have not been notified or whose status has not been processed and continues to be ‘pending’,” Dr Rafael Araos, a member of an expert committee advising the Government, told reporters in a briefing.

“This group of unreported cases ... have positive PCR (exams) and thus constitute confirmed cases,” he said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Airlines refusing to test for COVID

O

ne of the challenges Barbados is facing in an attempt to reopen is borders and stimulate economic activity after the COVID-19 lockdown is a refusal by commercial airlines to conduct testing prior to travel.

But the safety of both travellers and Barbadians remains paramount to the Mia Mottley Administration and these are among the considerations this week during meetings with the Social Partnership.

Prime Minister Mottley told Canada’s Vassy Kapelos, host of Power & Politics on Tuesday evening, there was still no exact date on when the borders would open, but the aim is to “open back Barbados in the safest of ways” over the next few weeks. The island has been closed to commercial travel for several weeks, but continues to facilitate repatriation flights.

“We want to make sure that we have everything in place that will guarantee as

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada to have dialogue on international travel

much safety as we can. One of the difficulties relates to the fact that the airlines do not want to test themselves, at all. So, testing either has to take place at an accredited lab before people travel or when people land if we are going to keep our people safe,” Mottley explained.

She said charters “have more easily accepted the need for tests that are appropriately validat-

ed” by the World Health Organisation (WHO) or “the appropriate regulatory entity”.

“But once we can get that, then we can maintain the levels of safety for those who are visiting, and more importantly, or as importantly, for those who are working and those who are on island. We need a win-win for everybody,” the Prime Minister said.

(Excerpt from Nation News)

Flow extends work from home until end of 2020

F Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley (left) and Chamber CEO Gabriel Faria

run their affairs, then why doesn’t he give a few years of his brilliance and perfection in service of the public interest.

“He, like many others, will never do that either because he is only about himself and what he can suck from the country or rather he knows that if he does

what others do and offers himself for selection he will be dismissed with a swift kick in the pants by a population who sees him for what he is, a disrespectful mouth with precious little value rattling around in the Chamber with his acid tongue.” (Trinidad Guardian)

LOW Jamaica is set to continue its workfrom-home protocol for the rest of 2020, as many Jamaicans return to office following the expiration of Government’s work-fromhome order on May 31.

Flow, in a release on Tuesday, said more than 70 per cent of its 1200-plus workforce has been working from home since the Government issued orders for schools to be closed on March 13.

“The traditional or conventional way of looking at work has had to evolve all across the world as organisations, both large and small, deal with the new normal of existing with

COVID-19. This pandemic has taught us to be even more agile and responsive as we safeguard the health and well-being of our team members while supporting their needs as well,” said Stephen Price, Flow’s Country Manager, in a recent digital town hall with employees.

Flow employees will be able to choose when they return to office and which days they will work, in consultation with their direct supervisor, said the release.

“We’re mindful of the concerns our team members have for their family, whether children, elderly parents or high-risk spouses or relatives. So even

while we’re in the process of preparing to reopen our offices, our team members are being supported in their decision to continue working from home, said Flow’s people director Phadra Saunders. “Our exception is our high-risk employees – those over 60 years of age or anyone with an underlying medical condition that makes them particularly susceptible to COVID-19.

These include respiratory conditions, those with immunocompromised systems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc. Those employees are required to continue working from home.” (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OPEC: Global oil demand to drop by 6.4 million bpd in 2nd half 2020

G

lobal oil demand will start to recover in the second half of the year from the crash in the second quarter, but it will still be down by 6.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in H2 from year-ago levels as demand for fuels will continue to be constrained by the coronavirus pandemic and the measures to contain it, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said in its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) on Wednesday.

According to the cartel, the loss in global oil demand will slow to 6.4 million bpd in the second half of the year, compared to an estimated decline of 11.9 million bpd in the first half of the year.

OPEC left its full-year 2020 global oil demand projection unchanged at a decline of 9.1 million bpd.

“Transportation fuels are forecast to remain under pressure in 2H20, despite ongoing easing in lockdown measures.

Aviation fuel is expected to continue facing challenges, as national and international flights are anticipated to only slowly recover, while teleworking/teleconferencing restricting business travel,” OPEC said.

In addition, gasoline consumption will also suffer because of the high unemployment rate in the United States and reduced commuting, while industrial fuels will be impacted by weaker manufacturing around the world, the cartel said.

OPEC now sees demand for its crude at 23.6 million bpd this year, revised down by 700,000 bpd from the previous month’s estimates. This year’s demand for OPEC crude is expected to be down by 5.8 million bpd compared to 2019.

OPEC’s crude oil production in May was higher than the cartel’s expectations for demand for its crude –at 24.19 million bpd, OPEC’s crude oil production dropped by 6.3 million bpd from April, as per OPEC’s secondary sources.

Saudi Arabia slashed in May its production to the required 8.5 million bpd quota, and so did its key Gulf partners Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Iraq, while cutting production by 340,000 bpd to 4.165 million bpd, was still way off the mark. (OilPrice)

Facebook to let users turn off political adverts

F

acebook boss Mark Zuckerberg says users will be able to turn off political adverts on the social network in the run-up to the 2020 US election.

In a piece written for USA Today newspaper, he also says he hopes to help four million Americans sign up as new voters.

Facebook has faced heavy criticism for allowing adverts from politicians that contain false information.

Rival social platform Twitter banned political advertising last October.

“For those of you who’ve already made up your minds and just want the election to be over, we hear you – so we’re also introducing the ability to turn off seeing political ads,” Zuckerberg wrote.

Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram will give users the option to turn off po-

litical adverts when they appear or they can block them using the settings features.

Users that have blocked political adverts will also be able to report them if they continue to appear.

The feature, which will start rolling out on Wednesday, allows users to turn off political, electoral and social issue adverts from candidates and other organisations that have the "Paid for" political disclaimer.

The company said it planned to make the feature available to all US users over the next few weeks and will offer it in other countries this autumn.

Zuckerberg went on to encourage people who are not signed up as voters to register in time for the US election in November. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Trump asked China's Xi for re-election help, claims Bolton

D

onald Trump pleaded with China's leader Xi Jinping for help to win re-election in 2020, the US President's former National Security Adviser John Bolton writes in an explosive new behindthe-scenes book, according to excerpts published Wednesday.

In a blistering critique which the White House has sued to block, Bolton alleges that Trump's focus on winning a second term was the driving principle of his foreign policy – and that top aides routinely disparaged the Republican leader for his ignorance of basic geopolitical facts.

In excerpts published by The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, Bolton also claims Trump repeatedly showed a readiness

to overlook Chinese rights abuses – most strikingly telling Xi the mass internment of Uighur Muslims was "exactly the right thing to do".

"I am hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my White House tenure that wasn't driven by re-election calculations," Bolton writes of the real estate magnate turned president – who was impeached last December for seeking dirt from Ukraine on his 2020 election rival Joe Biden.

In a key meeting with Xi last June, Trump "stunningly turned the conversation to the US presidential election, alluding to China's economic capability to affect the ongoing campaigns, pleading with Xi to ensure he'd win", Bolton claims in his upcoming tell-all.

US President Donald Trump asked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for help winning the 2020 election, a new book by former adviser John Bolton alleges

Bolton writes that Trump stressed the importance of America's farmers and how "increased Chinese purchases of soybeans and wheat" could impact the US electoral outcome.

The book, "The Room Where It Happened," is due for release next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the US on Wednesday pressed China over its treatment of Uighur Muslims and Hong Kong, just as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was meeting a top official from Beijing in Hawaii to assess soaring tensions. (Excerpt from AFP)

India, China hold talks to de-escalate deadly border tensions

I

ndia and China agreed Wednesday to ease tensions at their disputed Himalayan border, even as they traded blame for a brawl that left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.

The two nations' Foreign Ministers spoke by telephone to calm nerves after a high-altitude melee involving fists, rocks, and clubs.

The call between China's Wang Yi and India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar came as sources told AFP that Indian paramilitaries were being deployed to the

area of the skirmish high in the Himalayas opposite Tibet.

China's State broadcaster CCTV, meanwhile, showed footage of People's Liberation Army tanks and soldiers holding live fire drills in Tibet.

China has refused to confirm if it suffered any casualties in the first deadly clashes at the border in decades, although Indian media said at least 40 Chinese troops were killed or seriously hurt.

The Chinese Foreign

Ministry said in a statement that Wang demanded "India conduct a thorough investigation" and punish those responsible.

"The Indian side must not misjudge the current situation, and must not underestimate China's firm will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty," it added.

India's Foreign Ministry said Jaishankar "conveyed the protest" of his government.

He warned that "this unprecedented development will have a serious impact

on the bilateral relationship" and urged Beijing to "take corrective steps".

But the two Ministers also sought to de-escalate tensions.

China said both sides agreed to "cool down the situation on the ground as soon as possible".

India's Foreign Ministry said the two sides would implement a previously-agreed disengagement, and "neither side would take any action to escalate matters". (Excerpt from AFP)

Atlanta Police Officer charged Brother of George Floyd urges UN probe into with murder in shooting US racism, violence death of Rayshard Brooks

A

fired Atlanta Police Officer has been charged with felony murder and another officer faces lesser charges in the shooting death last week of Rayshard Brooks in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant, a Georgia county prosecutor said on Wednesday.

The death of Brooks – another in a long line of African Americans killed by Police – further heightened racial concerns in the United States at a time of national soul-searching over racism and Police brutality.

Brooks, a 27-year-old father of three, “never presented himself as a threat”, “never displayed any aggressive behaviour” and “did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury” to the two white officers during the incident last Friday, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard told a news conference.

Garrett Rolfe, the officer

who shot Brooks and was fired the next day after surveillance video showed his actions, faces 11 charges including felony murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and violating his oath of office, Howard said.

Rolfe faces the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty if convicted, Howard added. Felony murder is a charge that can be brought when a person kills someone in the course of committing another felony.

Devin Brosnan, the officer on the scene, was charged with aggravated assault and violations of his oath of office, Howard added. Brosnan, who has been placed on administrative duty, will cooperate with prosecutors, Howard said.

Brooks’ family welcomed the charges. His widow, Tomika Miller, told reporters: “I am really hurt, and all I can think about is what if my husband was still here.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he brother of the late George Floyd, a black man whose death under the knee of a white officer roused world protests against racial injustice, urged the United Nations on Wednesday to investigate US Police brutality and racial discrimination.

“The way you saw my brother tortured and murdered on camera is the way black people are treated by Police in America,” Philonise Floyd told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva by video.

He urged creation of an independent commission to investigate American Police killings of black people and violence used against peaceful protesters.

“You watched my brother die. That could have been me. I am my brother’s keeper. You in the United Nations are your broth-

ers’ and sisters’ keepers in America, and you have the power to help us get justice for my brother George Floyd,” he said.

The urgent debate, convened at the request of African countries seeking a UN inquiry into abuses, was to continue today.

“The Human Rights Council must be the ultimate defender of the weak and do so particularly for the descendants and the victims of the transatlantic slave trade,” South Africa’s Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko told the talks. Activists and diplomats said that US and Australian officials had lobbied African countries to tone down their draft resolution. The latest draft, seen by Reuters, does not name the United States or set up a UN commission of inquiry.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

20

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

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Take a practical approach to how you care for yourself and your loved ones.

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Say what's on your mind, find out where you stand and look for a way to overcome any obstacle you face.

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Look into something that interests you and you'll discover a way to broaden your awareness and improve your life. Don't let a situation at home escalate into a disagreement.

Take on something that challenges your mind and makes you strive to reach new goals. What you discover will help change the way you feel about your lifestyle and direction.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

21

-- to hold US Open 2020 in New York without fans

H

olding the US Open without fans was "not an easy" decision but the "correct one", says the United States Tennis Association.

The USTA has confirmed the Grand Slam event will be held behind closed doors in New York from 31 August, despite some top players voicing concerns.

"We are confident we have a plan that is safe, viable, and the right thing to do for our sport," the USTA said.

The ATP and WTA Tours, suspended since March, will resume in early August.

There have been no professional tennis events in the past three months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This year's Wimbledon Championships were cancelled for the first time since 1945 as a result.

'Historic decision for tennis industry and sports fans' More details about the US Open were confirmed on Wednesday, a day after organisers said the event had been given approval by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

As expected, Flushing Meadows will host a double tournament with the Cincinnati Open being moved to New York and staged

P

remiership clubs have been scrambling to get players to sign new contracts and exploit a "loophole" in new salary cap rules.

It has emerged that, by getting players to agree to longer deals, clubs can still pay higher wages to some individuals, as contracts beyond the 2021-22 season would see only 75% of their wages come under the cap.

With a deadline of Thursday, Rugby Players Association chief executive Damian Hopley described the "loophole" as "comical", saying, "We've sort of lurched from one loophole to the next".

However, a spokesperson for the clubs' governing body, Premiership Rugby, disputed this, saying: "This provision was included to protect our players with existing contracts, and it would be wholly incorrect to describe it as a loophole. When the Premiership Rugby clubs voted unanimously to reduce the salary cap following the significant financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to introduce measures to manage the transition from a senior ceiling of £6.4m to £5m."

at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre from 22-28 August.

The Grand Slam will take place immediately afterwards, although there will be no qualifying tournament like usual.

There will be no mixed doubles, junior or wheelchair events, while the men's and women's doubles will be reduced to 32-team competitions.

The USTA described holding the two

The wrangle comes after Premiership clubs agreed to reduce the salary cap on 8 June. It has led to some players being asked to agree to 25% cuts while others are being asked to sign new and longer contracts to maintain or increase their wages, all at short notice.

It is understood that some players have been given 24 hours to decide whether to sign. The RPA is not telling players not to sign longer deals, but the speed at which players are being expected to react to either situation is concerning for the union.

Hopley said: "We're really frustrated by this whole process! It's putting players under massive pressure to sign away the next longterm deals. But, also, there's a sense that, by putting players on the spot, it's causing all sorts of issues around mental health, which is a big issue for us.

"I think, as a sport, we've got to look at ourselves in the mirror and everything that has happened in the last couple of weeks and three months, and I think a governance overhaul is long overdue."

Sale Sharks announced on Wednesday that all players and staff at that Premiership club had agreed to pay cuts.

Relationships between England's Premiership players, their clubs and governing bodies were already fractured after Harlequins prop and RPA chairman, Mark Lambert, told Radio 5 Live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast that mediation was required to solve the ongoing problems. (BBC Sport)

events together in New York as a "historic decision for the tennis industry and sports fans around the world".

"Hosting these tournaments marks an important moment for the sport of tennis, the New York market and the global sporting community," it added.

US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster said: "The decision to hold the 2020 US Open without fans was

W

not an easy one, but ultimately it was the correct one.

"To mitigate risk, we must minimise numbers on site. Though we will not have fans on our site, we will engage with tennis fans around the world in new and exciting ways."

How the ATP and WTA Tours will look The new-look ATP calendar is set to resume on 14 August with the Citi Open in Washington, followed by the Cincinnati Open and US Open double header.

A mini-European clay-court season featuring the Masters events in Madrid and Rome - will take place the following month and culminate in the French Open at Roland Garros on 27 September.

"Our objective has been to reschedule as many tournaments as possible and salvage as much of the season as we can," said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

The WTA Tour is scheduled to begin on 3 August at the Palermo Open in Italy, followed by the Cincinnati Open and US Open.

"It is currently anticipated that tournaments will be held without fans and each tournament will have a limited footprint, with players and essential personnel only," the WTA said. (BBC Sport)

- World 100m champion Christian Coleman has missed a third drugs test

orld 100m champion Christian Coleman has been provisionally suspended after missing a third doping test.

The 24-year-old American had disputed the third whereabouts failure on 9 December, which has been confirmed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

He claims he was Christmas shopping "five minutes away" from home, and the tester made no effort to contact him.

"I have never, and will never, use performance-enhancing supplements or drugs," Coleman posted on social media. "I am willing to take a drug test every single day for the rest of my career, for all I care to prove my innocence. I have nothing to hide, but it's not possible to show that if I'm not even given a chance to."

Coleman says he has been contacted by phone "literally every other time" he has been tested, and claims the AIU tester had written an incorrect address on his ‘unsuccessful attempt’ form.

The AIU does not regard Coleman's explanation for the missing test as a defence, as it is not its policy to call an athlete if that athlete is not at the designated address. According to the AIU's out-of-competition testing guidelines, athletes are accountable for missed tests if they are not at their specified location for the onehour period they have stated. If they are not at the location, the tester must wait for the full 60 minutes before leaving.

Coleman - who won his first major title at the World Championships in Doha last year

- had previously missed a test on 16 January 2019, and had experienced a filing failure on 26 April 2019.

Three ‘whereabouts’ failures in a 12-month period can result in a ban of up to two years by the AIU. "The system must change," Coleman has said. "I thought the point of the organisation was to keep the sport clean by testing everyone and catching cheaters, not attempt to catch people when they're not home, and make no attempt to actually test them and mess with the livelihoods of people who are clearly not doping. This isn't justice for anybody."

The AIU has not yet responded to Coleman's claims.

Coleman’s chances of competing in Doha last August had looked slim after the US AntiDoping Agency (USADA) had charged him with missing three drugs tests in 12 months.

However, it then withdrew the case after it was proven that there had been a filing irregularity regarding the date of the first missed test.

In a statement on Wednesday, USADA said: "We can confirm the latest proceeding involving Mr Coleman, and we are collaborating with the AIU on the matter.

"As in all cases, a person charged with a potential anti-rule violation is presumed innocent unless and until found to have committed a violation through the established process."

Earlier this month, Bahraini World 400m champion Salwa Eid Naser was provisionally suspended after missing four doping tests. (BBC Sport)

22

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Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester (July 16-20 and July 24-28).

Castore, the fast-growing premium performance brand, will supply team kits for Test, T20 International (T20I), and One-Day International (ODI) games, and covering the men’s, women’s and age-group teams from Under-15 level upwards. It is the Liverpool-based company’s first deal in team sports, and its first move into cricket apparel.

“We know the players are excited to get their hands on the new performance training range from Castore, especially during this unique training camp. Castore has listened to the needs of our players and coaching staff to deliver a range of su-

perb kit, and we’re looking forward to revealing a special Test kit ahead of this historic Series,” said CWI Commercial Director Dominic Warne.

Phil Beahon, the co-founder of Castore, has said he is delighted and honoured to have been chosen by Cricket West Indies as the West Indies Official Kit Partner.

“Castore creates world-leading sportswear garments designed to enhance the performance of elite athletes, and we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of history for one of the most successful international teams in cricket,” he said.

(Sportsmax)

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ollowing a series of interviews in the first round, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has shortlisted four candidates for the position of Head Coach of the Women’s Team.

According to CWI, the four, who were not named, would now

− as England name 8 uncapped players in group training for Tests

E

ing experience, technical knowledge, performance planning process, performance measurement, performance-driven culture, and CWI’s core values of passion, accountability, respect, integrity and team excellence.

The first round of interviews

ngland all-rounder Moeen Ali is back in the Test fold, after being named in a 30-man training squad for next month's series against West Indies. He features among eight players who are uncapped in cricket’s longest format.

Having taken a break from Tests after being dropped during last year's Ashes series, Moeen is set to be

colleague Saqib Mahmood have limited-overs caps.

All the established members of Joe Root's Test side are present, with seamers James Anderson, Mark Wood and Jofra Archer all recovered from injury complaints, along with opener Rory Burns.

To assist in operating with a larger group in bio-secure conditions, head

was conducted by CWI VicePresident Dr. Kishore Shallow, who is also Chairman of CWI’s Human Resource Committee; and CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams; CWI Human Resources Manager, Oneka Martin-Bird; and Gordon Lord, UK-based Coaching Educator.

CWI has said the successful candidate would be named once the final interviews have been conducted. (CWI)

involved in a three-day practice game from July 1, after which the squad for the first Test at the Ageas Bowl seven days later will be chosen.

The expanded group will convene at the Southampton venue for training from June 23.

Essex batsman Dan Lawrence, Gloucestershire wicketkeeper-batsman James Bracey, Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, Somerset paceman Jamie Overton, and Surrey off-spinner Amar Virdi are all included among those having not represented England at senior level in any format.

Somerset all-rounder Lewis Gregory, Lancashire leg-spinner Matt Parkinson and his fast bowling county

coach Chris Silverwood will be joined by an expanded backroom team.

Assistant head coach Graham Thorpe is to be joined by Kent head coach Matthew Walker in overseeing the batsmen, with Lancashire boss Glen Chapple working alongside Silverwood as bowling coach.

Former England wicketkeeper Chris Read will take care of the glovesmen, with the ECB's national lead fielding coach Carl Hopkinson completing the coaching staff.

Assistant coach Paul Collingwood will take charge of England's ODI matches against Ireland later in the season, subject to those matches being confirmed. (Sportsmax)

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move to the final stage of the recruitment process for the role of full-time Head Coach for the West Indies Women’s Team.

The Board disclosed yesterday (Jun.16) that the candidates, all of West Indian heritage, had progressed from the initial interview stage, which concluded last week.

According to CWI, the candidates participated in individual interviews with a CWI interview panel. Critical areas discussed were applications of cricket coach-

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

“Because I know I can get it done”

S

hai Hope's twin hundreds at Headingly in 2017 can rightfully take a place among the finest batting achievements in the history of the game.

No other man had ever scored a century in each innings of a first-class match - never mind a Test - in over 100 years of cricket played on the ground; before Hope did so, in the process leading West Indies home to a memorable five-wicket win.

But the marker has also become something of a millstone around Hope's Test career: symbolic of what he could still become, rather than the moment he arrived.

In the two-and-a-half years of international cricket since, Hope's coruscating ability has shone brightest in the one-day arena, where he has scored eight hundreds and averaged 55.52 (while keeping wicket, too). However, he has yet to raise his bat on reaching three figures in another Test.

The 265 runs Hope scored in Leeds three summers ago currently constitute almost 18% of his career total. Yet, despite an average of 27.23, his wicket will rank alongside that of Kraigg Brathwaite (who narrowly missed out on pipping Hope to Headingly history with 134 and 95) as the most important for England's bowlers to target.

"We want to change that around," Hope said of how his Test numbers pale in comparison with ODIs. "Red-ball batting is definitely my favourite part of the game, but the runs and the stats aren't exactly where

we want them to be.

“But I'm working towards that (improvement). I can't pinpoint anything (wrong) at this stage, because I wouldn't say my preparation has changed, (and) I don't think it's anything major when it comes to my technical side of the game. There are certain things you can tweak as you go along. I would probably say it's more of a mental thing.

“Hopefully, I can turn it around and move on from there. Obviously, you're going to be hard on yourself, especially when you know you can get something done but it's not really portraying on the stats. (I) just (need to) have the continued belief in myself; back my ability, because I know I can get it done. It's not like I haven't done it before. (It’s a) case of making sure I make the most of

he said. "It doesn't matter if I start at the top or the middle order, the case is to get as many runs for the team."

With West Indies possessing the calibre of pace attack that could make life hard for England, their chances of capitalising may hinge on how the batsmen fare. Missing

those runs on the board," Hope explained.

"Especially (in the) first part of the game against the new ball, (we need to) make it easier for the batters coming down the line.

It's more a case where the performances will matter,” he said.

“Yes, we're definitely going to miss those

Shai Hope made centuries in each innings at Headingly in 2017. He is the first man to do so in a first-class match

these opportunities and do whatever I can to make the team win," Hope explained.

Hope's ideal role within the Test side is perhaps still to be determined.

His Headingly hundreds came when he batted at #5 (due to use of a night watchman) and #4, but he has since moved up to three, and also batted down the order when deputising for regular wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich.

"Regardless of which position I bat, I have to contribute in whichever way I can,"

Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer, two players who contributed to beating England in the Caribbean 18 months ago, the burden of expectation is likely to fall on Brathwaite and Hope.

Opener Brathwaite has also experienced a dip in form since 2017, averaging 25.33 in his last 20 Tests. Roston Chase has enjoyed most of his batting success in the Caribbean. Jermaine Blackwood scored his only Test century five years ago; while players such as John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks and Nkrumah Bonner are relatively untested.

Hope has said it is important for someone to "put their hand up" over the coming weeks. "It's very important, especially for the team dynamic that we have right now.

We're missing a few key players, so it's very important for us, as top-order batters, to get

guys (Bravo and Hetmyer), they play a big role in the team; but it's more the performances that we're going to miss, because they could be here and it just doesn't go their way. That's how cricket goes sometimes. We really just want someone to put their hands up -- and I want to stress that -- just keep making sure that we, as batters, put those runs on the board," Hope explained.

West Indies’ training at Old Trafford was interrupted by rain on Tuesday, but Hope has said the players have settled in well, and would be hoping to turn the heat up on England by the time the first Test rolls around on July 8.

"We expect the seamers to bowl some fire in the series. Pitches have been pretty decent, it's just trying to acclimatise to everything, get used to the conditions, and I think we're settling in nicely." (Espn cricinfo)

− but “runs are key to beating England" Trophy. In recent times, however, Brathwaite has not been scoring as heavily as he

and will now be looking to distinguish themselves in the testing conditions that obtain in England.

By Brandon Corlette

A

n opening batsman is often tasked with seeing off the new ball and laying a platform on which the others can build a challenging score. West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite has been doing exactly that over the years, and remains focused on applying this approach in the upcoming Test series against England, which starts on July 8.

In his virtual Zoom conference with the media on Wednesday, the determined Brathwaite disclosed that he is looking forward to this series.

"I am focused on seeing off the new ball and laying the foundation," he said.

In a recent interview with the media, West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons had called on batsmen to return huge scores, being convinced that those are critical to the Windies’ retaining the Wisden

Brathwaite et al arriving in England

would have liked, although this right-hander has not really been under pressure.

"You can't always do well. I know my role: focusing on each ball and laying that foundation for my team, and I am up for the challenge," Brathwaite has posited.

Brathwaite and his opening partner John Campbell had decent partnerships against England in the Caribbean,

"I know we will do well; we just have to stick to our plans and enjoy it (cricket). England is a lovely place to play cricket, and you get value for your runs," he opined.

Experienced as an opener, with 59 Test caps ‘under his belt’, Brathwaite does not regard the absence of special batsmen Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer as placing added pressure at the top of

the order.

"The guys here can do well,” he declared. “We have a good batting line-up, and the boys are rearing to go."

The West Indies would be focused on taking the sheen off the new ball, and Brathwaite, the most experienced among the lot, had great memories of the last time he had toured England: he had scored a century, and had followed it up with 95 in the ‘Headingly magic’.

He thinks that navigating the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer necessitates ‘holding a level head’, and maintaining discipline. "You just got to put away the bad balls," he declared.

As captain of the Barbados Pride franchise team, Brathwaite had found his feet in the latter part of the truncated Regional 4-Day season, aggregating 268 runs. Questioned about his form heading into this series, Brathwaite declared: "Runs anywhere (are) runs. It's not added pressure; I'm just here to do my job and keep it simple."

Brathwaite has said he enjoys plying his trade in UK

conditions, although the pitches here are challenging.

T h e r e has been some objection to his being selected to participate in this tour, but the Barbadian is determined to silence his critics.

"Once I can do my job, I'll be happy. I've got six innings on this tour potentially, and I'm aiming to do my job in all six," he declared.

The watchful opener, sharing how he developed this approach Brathwaite celebrating his Headingly ton in West Indies’ magical script in to his game, noted that 2017 he began playing threeday cricket at a tender Brathwaite has posited that age. mental strength is important to With the fearsome Jofra curing that defect. He has had Archer set to play against the distinct benefit of acquiring some of his ‘Bajan brothers’, valuable tips on batting from Brathwaite has acknowledged former West Indies opener that the speedster is ‘quality’, Barbadian Desmond Haynes. although he has never played “Runs on the board” is the against him. dream the West Indies are The general consensus is seeking to make a reality when that batting is the Achilles’ the first Test match bowls off on heel of the Windies team, but

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020

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

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− but “runs are key to beating England”

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“Because I know I can get it done”

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