Guyana Times - Thursday, June 4, 2020

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

Issue No. 4306

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020

More legitimate voters discredit Top Cop's immigration records

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P10 Guyana could be expelled from Commonwealth, OAS ꟷ diplomat …if fraudulent results used to swear in President

…contradict APNU/AFC claim of being ‘migrant’ voters See story on page 7

APNU/AFC’s new list of ‘migrant voters’

“I was shocked!” – after claims of not being in Guyana on E-Day Page 9

GECOM cannot legally use Top Cop’s falsified records ꟷJonas

Guyanese P2 votes held hostage – Dr David Lewis

See story on page 8

APNU/AFC recruits Stanley Ming to discredit elections – Ram Page 3

...this move "dangerous", "irresponsible"

326 ballot boxes left to be counted Page 11

Order gazetted for sitting of NGSA, CXC P12 exams …teachers worried dates too early

Region 10 records 10th COVID-19 P11 case P8 Atlantic Gardens businesswoman bludgeoned to death– PME

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyanese votes held hostage – Dr David Lewis F

ormer Assistant United States Secretary of State for Caribbean Development in Puerto Rico, Dr David Lewis, in an opinion piece published in the Miami Herald, said a constitutional crisis loomed over Guyana as the will of the people was being held hostage.

Dr Lewis, in the piece published on Wednesday, said that Guyana has been in a prolonged constitutional crisis since December 2018.

“That’s when the Government of President David Granger and his ruling coalition, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) lost a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) vote against it in the National Assembly, then failed to step down within three months as mandated by the Constitution and a ruling of the regional Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).”

He added that the constitutional crisis endured throughout all of 2019, with various legal disputes, and effectively launched the country into an election campaign.

Eventually, per a Supreme Court decision, General and Regional Elections were held on March 2, 2020. “Those elections were held, but three months later, remain undecided,” Dr Lewis said in his article.

Dr Lewis is Vice President of Manchester Trade Ltd, an international business advisory firm in Washington, DC and also an adjunct professor at the Florida International University (FIU) School of Business.

He said following the massive offshore discoveries in Guyana, one

Former Assistant United States Secretary of State for Caribbean Development in Puerto Rico, Dr David E Lewis

hoped that betterment would have come. However, it is five years later and those “hopes are on the verge of turning to despair as a persistent political conflict sparked by the ruling party threatens to deteriorate into a full-blown democratic crisis”.

According to the votes tabulated on the night of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, the APNU/AFC Government was headed for defeat with the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) headed for a clear victory.

“But, in a highly unusual move, election authorities delayed posting the results for the country’s most populous voting district, known as Region Four. All previous elections in Guyana have been

determined by the voter turnout in this area. As Region Four goes, so goes the election victory. Region Four voters were effectively and arbitrarily disenfranchised by the Guyana Elections Commission.

“Despite strong criticism from domestic and international observers for a lack of transparency, the Elections Commission released results to the media on March 13. The results show a win by the APNU– AFC coalition by 59,077 votes, which would give APNU/AFC a one-seat majority in the National Assembly,” Dr Lewis noted.

He, explained to his readers, that the various international observer missions, including the European Union; Organisation of American States (OAS); the Commonwealth and the Carter Center concluded that “the tabulation of results for the election in Region Four was interrupted and remains incomplete”.

The United States, United Kingdom, European Union and Canada have monitored the process closely. They have made clear to all parties, including the Elections Commission, the need for a free and fair transparent recount process to ensure the legitimacy of the victor and the subsequent government.

Clearly following the process as well, Dr Lewis wrote that following the court battles and decisions, the current recount was integral in expressing the will of the people. He saved no words for GECOM which he noted could not even meet its own 25-day deadline for the recount. Moving on, he is hopeful that the anticipated June 16 declaration comes to fore and the re-

sults of the elections would be announced.

“The Opposition has expressed “grave doubt” concerning the lack of transparency in the process so far and questioned the Commission’s credibility in conducting the recount fairly and transparently. The recount observation process includes only one high-level three-person delega-

Fund predicts that by 2030, the Government’s share of earnings from oil could reach $10 billion in real terms. The figure is more than twice the country’s current GDP,” he explained.

Democratic breakdown

Dr Lewis noted that Guyanese people were unlikely to benefit as long as the country remained mired

“The international community has an essential role to play in demanding and accepting nothing less than a transparent and credible recount process to ensure the will of the Guyanese people is honoured in their next government. Guyana stands at the threshold of an entirely new future. Its people deserve political leadership that looks to the common good over narrow interests” – former Assistant US Secretary of State for Caribbean Development tion from Caricom and a local OAS presence — enough to cover only a fraction of the counting stations.

The Granger Government denied requests by the Carter Center to return to observe the recount.

“Suspicion is that the Granger Government wants to cling to power because of the revenue experts project will be generated by ExxonMobil for oil exploration in a series of offshore wells being developed. As a result of the oil windfall, the World Bank projects Guyana’s GDP [Gross Domestic Product] will grow by 51.7 per cent in 2020 and the International Monetary

in a political crisis with a disputed Government in power warning that it has all the makings of another democratic breakdown as witnessed next door in Venezuela.

“The international community has an essential role to play in demanding and accepting nothing less than a transparent and credible recount process to ensure the will of the Guyanese people is honoured in their next government.

Guyana stands at the threshold of an entirely new future. Its people deserve political leadership that looks to the common good over narrow interests,” Dr Lewis posited.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, June 4 – 03:30h-05:00h and 14:30h-16:00h and Friday, June 5 – 04:30h-06:00h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, June 4 – 15:25h- 16:55h and Friday, June 5 – 16:15h-17:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals will prevail during the day interrupted by late-morning rain showers. There will be clear skies followed by partly cloudy skies and light rain showers. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 15:36h reaching a maximum height of 2.65 metres.

Low Tide: 09:09h and 21:24h reaching minimum heights of 0.44 metre and 0.58 metre.

COMMODITIES Indicators

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$397.22 /ton

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USD Per Ounce

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$1701.60

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APNU/AFC recruits Stanley Ming to discredit elections – Ram

...this move "dangerous", "irresponsible"

O

utspoken political commentator and attorney-at-law Christopher Ram says it appears as though businessman Stanley Ming is being recruited to peddle the APNU/AFC’s attempt to overturn the 2020 elections.

According to Ram, this is something that can have violent consequences, as have occurred in Guyana’s past, particularly at the 1997 elections. “…Joining in the attempt to overthrow the elections is dangerous, dishonest and irresponsible. We’ve had this situation in 1997. If there is unrest and worse, sparked by the narrative of the APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change) that the PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/ Civic) rigged the elections, I hope that my friend Stanley Ming would be prepared to come out publicly and claim ownership of consequences, if only indirectly,” Ram contended during a televised programme hosted by Kit Nascimento on Wednesday.

The political activist’s statement comes on the heels of Ming, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – the leading party in the APNU fraction of the Coalition -- stating during a recent broadcast programme that the Official List of Electors (OLE) that was used to conduct the March 2 elections was a “recipe for chaos”, since it contained some 660,000 electorates when Guyana’s population is about 750,000.

However, Ram lambasted the popular businessman for attempting to stir up mischief during the current prolonged electoral process, pointed out that it is dangerous to conflate the two.

“Stanley Ming’s ignorance, oversight, dishonest attempt to conflate the Official List of Electors with population; that’s what he’s doing… It’s our worldwide population that has found itself onto registration [which includes Guyanese who have registered but are living overseas]… The danger with what Stanley is doing, he’s conflating the two, and that is dishonest; that’s unforgiveable… I think Stanley has been very dishonest in that regard, and he ought to correct himself,” Ram asserted.

While it is the law for Guyanese who die here to be removed from the list once it is recorded with the Registrar, Ram explained that the same does not apply for Guyanese who die overseas.

According to Ram, with the businessman’s omissions in his analysis, he is guilty of not providing the “whole truth”.

He went on to say that

Businessman Stanley Ming

in his attempt to discredit the elections, Ming is focusing on the list, and not on the voting. However, Ram explained that while the voters’ list was high, voting patterns at the recent elections have not significantly increased.

“I think he has selected information that is dangerous,” Ram posited.

Moreover, Ram, a chartered accountant who also shares a cordial relationship with the prominent businessman, called him out over his duplicitous stance on the contentious electoral process, especially regarding his silence on embattled Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo’s “most blatant, bizarre and barefaced electoral fraud”.

“I think Stanley should have said and should have called on the [APNU] party publicly… and to encourage the party or GECOM – with their influence at GECOM – to arrest and investigate Mingo. What this says about

our country is you could commit a political crime, no matter how consequential, once you got a party behind you, you are protected. Because that’s the only thing I can see protecting Mingo. But the fact is I believe Stanley Ming ought to have said something about it…,” Ram argued.

Ram further outlined that the former parliamentarian was also silent for more than one year while caretaker President David Granger ignored the December 2018 No-Confidence Motion (NCM) and the constitution by remaining in office illegally.

The ongoing National Recount has revealed that RO Mingo had heavily inflated figures in favour of the APNU/AFC Coalition to give the party a landslide lead over the Opposition PPP/C. Since this fraud has been unearthed, the Coalition has been changing its narrative, claiming now that votes were cast in the names of dead and migrated persons.

However, it is constantly being proved that many of the persons whom the APNU/ AFC is claiming were not in the jurisdiction and their votes cannot be valid were in fact in the country and did

Political commentator and Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram

vote on March 2.

“Here it is Ming is being active and is being recruited, and that’s why I’m disappointed in Stanley; he’s being recruited by the PNCR to lend his image as an independent businessman to this notion, this plot by the APNU/AFC to overturn the results of the March 2, 2020 elections. It is left to be seen whether the consequences of the evil but unfoldingly clumsy attempt on this occasion will be any less dire,” Ram asserted.

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020

Views Pseudo-intellectuals trying to incite APNU supporters 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

Outlandish claims

I

t is now coming down to the end of the National Recount, which started thirty days ago; and as each day passes by, the fraud committed by Clairmont Mingo is being unravelled.

As many have expressed, the fraud perpetrated by Mingo, reportedly with directions from elements within the electoral machinery and the APNU/AFC, was not only clumsy in content, but also daring in modus operandi, since it was committed in full view of the world.

Certainly, these elections will be remembered as being the most controversial, especially considering the fact that it is now more than three months after voting occurred and a credible winner is yet to be announced. With just a matter of days left before the final overall tabulation of the elections results is announced, the incumbent APNU/AFC Coalition is attempting to use every method possible to cause delays and create confusion in a bid to have the elections nullified.

The writing is as clear as day: the APNU/AFC has lost the elections. The Coalition’s overtures to continue to insult the intelligence of Guyanese and other international stakeholders by making wild and ridiculous claims that persons who are dead and migrated voted on E-Day are clearly not working.

Many watched, in disgust, the virtual presentation by Joseph Harmon on the eve of Independence, as he continued to push the false narrative that the March 2, polls were rigged in favour of the PPP. This continual stream of allegations of electoral fraud is contrary to the position taken by President David Granger, who told the world on March 3, 2020 that the elections were “free, fair and orderly.”

It should also be mentioned that the credible and transparent conduct of the elections was reinforced by GECOM Chairperson Justice (rtd) Claudette Singh, all the accredited observer groups (OAS, Commonwealth, EU, Caricom, Carter Center, PSC), as well as the diplomatic community.

Several other respected individuals representing various reputable organisations had expressed similar views in their initial observations of the conduct of the polls. Many of them had pointed out that while polling day activities were generally smooth and free and fair, it was the tabulation of the District Four results which landed the country into the present political crisis.

Barbados Ambassador to the OAS, Noel Lynch, had confirmed this during his report to the OAS Council. He was quoted as saying: “Irregularities occurred, not in the system by which the Guyanese electorate cast their votes on March 2nd, but in the presentation of the count afterwards”. However, hardcore elements within the PNC are so immersed in holding on to power that they have become consumed in it, and, in the process, have lost rationality, fairness, compassion, and morality.

Over the past few weeks, APNU/AFC officials have been making a number of unsubstantiated claims, and have been demanding the indulgence of the GECOM Chair to “investigate”.

Legal minds have proffered that GECOM cannot probe its own conduct; these are matters for the court, and this could be done via an elections petition after the elections’ results would have been declared.

Unfortunately, based on the actions of the GECOM Chair recently, she could easily be accused on acting independent of the Commission when she decided to write the Commissioner of Police to investigate the claims by APNU/AFC that persons who were out of the country voted in the elections.

That said, the claims being made by APNU/AFC are baseless, and are a clear attempt to create confusion. To begin with, it is difficult to believe that those “irregularities” would happen in spite of all the various party agents, Observers and GECOM staff being present at each polling station. For something like that to occur, it would require a great deal of collusion between everyone present. This, we know, is almost impossible, considering Guyana’s political climate and the level of distrust between parties.

Over the past few days, various political stakeholders have found that many of the persons whom the APNU/AFC claimed were out of the jurisdiction but voted were in fact present in Guyana at the time of the elections. Several of the persons have since come forward and presented their stories to the media.

Now that all of the allegations that dead and migrated persons ‘voted’ have been debunked, we are almost certain that the APNU/AFC would dig hard to find other means of creating mischief in its quest to hold on to power.

The incumbent Coalition has lost the confidence of the majority of Guyanese a long time ago, and it is only harming itself by pushing a false narrative of fraud, which no one believes.

Dear Editor, I have noticed, with increasing alarm, Dr Henry Jeffrey’s attempt to accuse the PPP of rigging the elections (Stabroek News, Wednesday, 03 June 2020).

Firstly, if Dr Jeffrey was to say this in front of an educated readership, he would be laughed out of the room.

Who would believe that a party that has been out of power for 5 years, and was unable to force the ruling party to have an election in spite of the No Confidence Motion which was passed in December, 2018, would suddenly develop the apparatus to rig? Nobody seriously accused APNU/AFC of rigging in 2015.

Also, what were the APNU/ AFC election agents doing when the ‘rigging’ was happening? If they were there but were so incompetent that they did not figure it out, then the entire party should shoulder the blame and concede defeat.

Those who cannot train their

own agents to pick up basic electoral fraud are certainly incapable of running the country.

It should be pointed out that Dr Jeffrey contradicts himself in his column when he posits that one should not speculate whether rigging took place, but rather it should be verified factually. He says, and I quote: “Whether or not this has taken place is not a matter for speculation, but can be, and must be, sufficiently verified factually”. But after saying that one should not speculate whether there was rigging, Dr Jeffrey then went on to speculate that there may have been widespread rigging when he wrote, “If a factual investigation finds that not only 1 or 10 or even 100 migrants and/or dead person ‘voted’ in the elections, but hundreds and over 1,000 did; and that this did not happen in one or two regions, but in every region of the country, what are we to conclude”?

Dr Jeffrey then went on to base his entire column on this

mere speculation that there was widespread rigging, and attempted to make a comparison between Guyana’s and Suriname’s electoral systems.

But speculations cannot be assumed to be facts, and Dr Jeffrey knows this well. If Dr Jeffrey, or anyone else, strongly believes that there was electoral fraud, regardless of its magnitude, then he has every right to file an elections petition and let the court decide.

But Dr Jeffrey is wrong, and perhaps disingenuous to suggest that GECOM should investigate these speculations before making a final declaration. Therefore, as adumbrated by former Attorney General Mr Anil Nandlall, GECOM conducted these elections and therefore GECOM cannot now decide to investigate itself.

GECOM is not a court or a tribunal, and it does not possess the constitutional powers to function as one, which would include summoning witnesses and examining evidence.

Dr Jeffrey, in his article, tries to suggest that both parties are guilty of rigging, but he fools no one by his pathetic attempts. He is obviously trying to get back into the PNC’s good books; or worse, he is trying to incite the PNC followers to not accept the results.

I can’t agree more with Mr Freddie Kissoon when he says that Dr Henry Jeffrey benefited from both parties (Kaieteur News, Wednesday, 03 June, 2020). I would like to take this argument further and ask: How many pensions does he get? Is he entitled to more than one? Did he get those pensions while he was employed as a minister with the PPP? Dr Jeffrey is one of the biggest soup drinkers among the pseudo-intellectuals, and is using his column in trying his best to incite the APNU supporters against accepting the election results.

Dear Editor, A definition of apartheid is, “My right to rule due to my belief that my race is superior.”

My perception is that less than 10% of my African brothers and sisters want to rule the more than 90%

of the remaining Guyanese.

It must be that they do not subscribe to democracy, and their mental makeup is similar to that of White South Africans during Apartheid.

The PNC and some have made it no secret that they represent the Africans of

this country. The Africans are said to be 29%. I think that at least 9% of Africans voted for other parties, leaving 20% to be reckoned with; and of this 20%, more than 10% are God- fearing, decent and honest people, with integrity;

resulting in less than 10% wanting to rule the remaining 90+% by Apartheid in a David Granger dictatorship.

Kind regards, Shazad Sookram

Are we marching into apartheid?

Yours sincerely, Mohamed Fazadh Khan

What problems does Green have with “democracy”?

Dear Editor, The PNC strongman, in a letter to the media headlined, “No diplomat or realist can say that it is impossible to cheat”, said, “I am surprised, if not saddened, by the strong statement made by the EU Ambassador Fernando Ponz-Canto.”

And social media was quick to condemn Mr. Hammy Green, former strongman of the PNC, currently enjoying a special hefty pension awarded by the PNC when it got into power in 2015 (Hopefully, the new PPP Government will undo this sin and contempt for the nation perpetrated by Mr. Granger’s Government.

Can a Government also take back the high national honour given to this feared strongman?).

Blogger “radar 21” said, “Hammie knows a lot about

cheating, since he was part of the PNC when it rigged numerous elections. He was Burnham’s muscle. I don’t think reading comprehension is his forte, so I feel obligated to help Hammie. The EU Ambassador was saying that they did not see any evidence of cheating on election day.

The PNC, GECOM, and all observers agreed with that assessment. The PNC has since decided that there were irregularities, (I suspect that you are part of that strategy, Hammie), but they have no proof. Even employing the various apparatuses of the Government, they are unable to come up with evidence. What the PNC has been successful at is showing why it should never be allowed to ever govern again.

Blogger Mike Persaud said, “Let me summarize: This is not

just about pressuring GECOM to produce a credible result. It is about one race group using its “control over all organs of the State, including the Courts” to set-up a long run dictatorship in the State.”

Mr Green, who was upset that Mr Hoyte (who later banished him) agreed to free and fair elections in 1992, should know a lot about rigging; and as one of the remaining old guard PNC henchmen, should write a book on how it can be done similar to O.J. Simpson, who wrote a book, “If I did it,” in which he detailed how he would have killed his wife Nicole Simpson, if he were to do it.

A washed-out politician, who was pretending to be religious, as Granger is doing now, should just stay in the background, and not open his mouth and do the same dam-

age he did to the country in the days when the PNC ruled supreme over our destruction. He has no relevance today.

It’s the PNC versus the rest of the world. We all saw Mingo’s “transparent” attempt to rig the Region 4 votes to make the PNC win. How about that, Mr. Green? Do you think that happened?

Mr Green’s voice or presence gives chills to those who remember him in his heyday.

He should be atoning for his sins, not stirring the pot.

The EU Ambassador has the admiration of all freedom loving Guyanese, and we applaud his stand for democracy in Guyana. What problems does Green have with “democracy”?

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

Comical and contradictory

Dear Editor, I was recently perusing the print media on the post-election and recount imbroglio and listening to stories from the Recount Centre, and it struck me that UG students could have interesting material for MA theses. They could analyse the comical and contradictory incidents and statements, as well as the contradictory ones.

Actors and observers could immortalise themselves by writing their experiences, which could be used as primary material.

I will give a few examples of the comical and contradictory:(i) One political party loudly proclaims it had won the Elections, but equally loudly proclaims that the same Elections were fraudulent! (ii) One female politician, while admitting that the adversarial party had won the Elections, claimed that they did so by rigging, and the method used was to make hundreds of exact replicas of GECOM ballot boxes and then switch the genuine ones at the end of the Election.

(iii)One political party claimed that over 8200 of the Joint Services votes were disqualified because the ballot papers did not have the polling station stamp. This claim was due to ignorance of the voting procedure, and, in any case, only less than 100 votes were spoilt because of being unstamped, and none of them was Joint Services'. Joint Services personnel smile at the ignorance of politicians, who often treat them as intellectual inferiors. (iv) One party has been

making claims that thousands of dead or emigrated persons had voted, but these names were taken up at random.

Eventually, that party even begun to put its own supporters as dead or emigrated! "Moon jump jump til he carry day".

Such studies would contribute to a new area to historical, political and sociological research, and UG would gain international recognition.

Yours sincerely, Paul Vallidum Ramlochan

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 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

Inclusive Governance: The path GPHC must restart family is laced with several hurdles planning services ASAP Dear Editor, A colleague says emphatically, “I am all for inclusive governance, but to the exclusion of the PNCR riggers.” I asked rather sarcastically: “But who are the riggers?” He retorted: “Everyone knows they are attached to the governing party.”

The PNCR-AFC’s (referred henceforth as PNCR) operatives are making it very difficult for any party or group to embrace them in any inclusive governance arrangement.

A debate on inclusive governance is restricted by some conceptual problems, such as the lack of trust among parties; the proliferation of disparate ideas that are not part of any coherent model on inclusive governance; failure to show how inclusive governance would be better than the existing system; and ignoring the importance of attitudinal transformation.

In the early stages (first year in office) of the APNUAFC Government, former US President Jimmy Carter encouraged both President David Granger and Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo to engage in talks regarding inclusive governance. Both leaders agreed in principle, and President Granger named Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo as his chief negotiator. The PPPC immediately rejected Moses’s candidacy, saying that he was a ‘rubber stamp,’ and couldn’t therefore make any meaningful decisions to move the process forward. Negotiations never happened; they collapsed

because of a lack of trust.

It’s not that the PPPC are averse to inclusive government; rather, they stated publicly that they embrace some form of inclusive governance, and have included it as an important promise in their manifesto. But the PPPC have insisted that the 2020 elections results must first be declared on the basis of the recount before talks on inclusive governance could proceed. However, proponents believe that the conversation on inclusive governance should begin now, probably to get a headstart in developing a model!

Apart from the lack of trust, the debate on inclusive governance has been devoid of a conceptual framework or model, as I have stated before. (My letter of 5/22/20: Elections Results First: Inclusive Governance Afterwards).

There is also a huge difference between power sharing/shared governance and inclusive governance.

The former, as conceived by proponents, is essentially grounded in power distribution proportionate to electoral or numeric strength. The latter (inclusive governance) is based on the majority party determining, after consultations with stakeholders, their level of participation in the power structure at every layer of governance.

Here are some nagging issues: (1) How do we know that inclusive governance would lead to better and more responsive government? (2) How do we know that inclusive governance would produce equality of

opportunity and the good life for all? (3) How do we know that inclusive governance would heal the social and ethnic divisions of Guyanese society? (4) What is the compelling evidence for inclusive governance? (5) Should one rely only on ideology or political polemics to push forth inclusive governance? (6) Or is inclusive governance being advanced only because the current “winner-takesall” (WTA) system has not worked well to solve or mitigate the country’s problems? (7) Is the failure to produce beneficial results under WTA due to systemic defects or to management ineptitude?

It’s also important that, for the introduction of any new system of governance, the players should go through a process of orientation. Attitudinal transformation is an important pre-requisite to the establishment of a new system of governance. While some old ideas may be useful, these should not necessarily be the foundation of a new system, and any new system must be integral to constitutional reform.

My model of Inclusive Governance if adopted, would ensure that an effective opposition is in place to help check governmental excesses. Without this opposition, a dictatorship could easily creep into the system. At the conceptual and analytic level, there is still much work that has to be done to set the stage for inclusive governance.

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter to remind the management and directors of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) about the crucial importance of sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Weeks ago, in the initial phases of the coronavirus pandemic response, a decision was made to stop providing family planning services at GPHC. While one appreciates the caution being exercised in this challenging time, the fact is that family planning is an essential health service, and access to contraceptives plays a crucial role in women’s physical and mental wellbeing.

Numerous research studies have shown that access to contraception improves women’s lives in innumerable ways: child spacing ensures healthier pregnancies; there are fewer childbirth complications for both mother and infant; and there are less unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions; while simultaneously, female empowerment is boosted by allowing women the opportunity to fulfill their educational potential and become active participants in the workforce.

Access to contraception and family planning services has also been shown to greatly improve the quality of life of women/girls living in poverty and experiencing abuse and violence -something which remains epidemic in Guyana. When women and girls have bodily autonomy – that is, con-

trol of their reproductive choices and the ability to make independent decisions about if, when, and how many children to bear -- their mental health also improves and there is less stress, depression, suicidal ideation, etc.

For all these reasons, it is essential that women and girls of reproductive age have consistent and affordable access to sexual and reproductive health services. This is even more important in this time of the coronavirus pandemic, when many women’s lives have gotten even more difficult than usual, with many experiencing significant loss of income, more interpersonal violence, increased caregiving challenges, and additional stresses. The last thing most women need now is to worry about how and where to obtain contraception and family-planning services.

It is not enough to simply refer persons to community health centres; those who were accessing these services at GPHC have had their reasons for choosing that location over others, and it’s important that those decisions be honoured.

Sadly, the public health system of Guyana has long failed to meet all the needs of Guyanese women and girls. One glaring failure is the lack of safe abortion services at most public health facilities nationwide. The fact that this essential reproductive health service remains unavailable in eight of the ten

regions of Guyana twenty-five years after abortion was legalised speaks volumes about the low level of respect for women’s health, lives, and wellbeing among those with the authority to effect systemic change. The irony, however, is that access to contraception and family planning services can help reduce the demand for abortions. It is therefore imperative that GPHC resumes provision of these key services immediately.

It is clear that the coronavirus will be with us for the foreseeable future, and our task at this point in time is to figure out how to navigate this new normal.

Months into the pandemic, we now have a much better understanding of how to deal with the virus, and there is no reason why the family planning clinic at GPHC cannot be re-opened as long as proper sanitation and physical distancing measures are put in place.

Women and girls are both the foundation of a healthy society, and the most vulnerable, and it is important that Guyanese women and girls are able to obtain the information and tools they need to make the best decisions for themselves in terms of their sexual and reproductive well-being. With or without the coronavirus, this must be a priority for those who care about creating a better Guyana.

Sincerely, Sherlina Nageer, MPH

Food for thought to revamp our economy under a Dr Irfaan Ali presidency Dear Editor, As I pen my letter, Guyana is on record as having lifted its second million barrel of crude oil. While this is surely good news for us all, the true benefits are yet to materialise. Viz, new roads and bridges are yet to be built, schools and hospitals to be constructed, and wealth is yet to be created for the ordinary man and woman.

Of course, with our growing need as a nation, and more so due to the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 virus on our economy and society as a whole, the most pragmatic fiscal response would be to increase government spending. This approach may further find favour among policy makers, given that our economy is highly indebted, key production sectors have shrunk, unemployment is high, and businesses are reeling.

In fact, across the spectrum, household income has, on average, surely tanked; and let’s face it:

there is little hope of an imminent rebound if the current situation perpetuates.

As a nation, our only hope at this time is our hard cash windfall accrued through crude oil sales and royalty, which is sitting in the Federal Reserve Bank.

However, like any responsible government, the thought of intergeneration wealth, absorptive capacity, exchange rate appreciation, crowding out of private sector, and so on, may question our rationality to engage in 0-100 under 5 seconds spending spree. More so, we have been awash with tales of the Dutch disease involving countries such as Nigeria and Venezuela, coming to mind, where more than 50% of the population are still fettered to absolute poverty.

Like the motivational adage of “seek the light in every darkness”, our current economic quagmire could serve as the light in ensuring maximum economic returns, stability, and robustness. As earli-

er stated, absorptive constraint is one of the likely impediments that may hinder our developmental endeavour; engendering a burgeoning non-traded sector, the very element that sits at the core of the Dutch disease theory. Countries where absorptive capacity is a problem may see a rapid escalation in prices, especially of labour in the non-traded sector (services). At the sectorial level, labour would become more inclined to relocate from traded (manufacturing and agriculture) to non-traded.

For private businesses, it means that the cost of operation would certainly increase, placing a downward pressure on profit and the likelihood of any expansion.

Higher prices would mean lower disposable income (undermining purchasing power), appreciation of real exchange rate, and reduced demand for all exportable goods (gold, rice, bauxite, timber etc). Of course import would become cheaper, but, at the same time, local-

ly produced goods would become obsolete. In the long run, our reliance or dependence on oil revenue would escalate; exposing us to the very volatility in oil prices and other negative external shocks we so dearly endeavour to mitigate. In short, we would be no better than Nigeria or Venezuela in combating the Dutch disease.

The million-dollar question is: Are we in position to ‘spend our way’ out of the crisis without jeopardising our economic wellbeing in the long run? I think the situation could not have been more ideal. High unemployment, large debt, low revenue, ailing business sector, low household income creates, create the prefect environment for us to floor the gas pedal and circumvent the predicament of not having the requisite absorptive capacity. What follows supports my stance.

As far as the literature goes, the benchmark prescription of managing natural resource windfall is

the permanent-income rule. The idea under this approach is that revenues should be invested abroad, ideally in an intergenerational SWF (Sovereign Wealth Fund), and that judicious borrowing and saving policies must guide both private and public consumption, while keeping real exchange rate in check so as to avoid large swings in the relocation of factors of production from tradable to non-tradable sectors. Of course real exchange rate may appreciate quite modestly, which may lead to a symmetrical contraction of the traded sector and expand the non-traded sector. However, a key point to note is that while this policy direction may appear appealing for developed countries, such an approach for developing countries like Guyana is not advisable.

There are several reasons why this may be the case.

First, we have relatively less access to future markets and financial derivatives. To counter stochastic

volatility of oil prices, we must instead institute a stabilisation fund. The brute approach is that government should focus heavily on the establishment of a stabilisation fund so as to smooth out consumption, and less so on an intergenerational fund (SWF). At this point in time, consistency of revenue stream is crucial to avoid excess borrowing, and hence overheating of the economy.

Second, relatively speaking, we are faced with high cost of borrowing and low level of investment. And these levels are likely to be exacerbated in the coming months. This is the ideal time to use our windfall to not only cut the cost of borrowing, but alleviate capital scarcity and boost domestic investment.

Investing in foreign assets at this time would be less rewarding.

So, Dr. Ali, my advice to you is ‘floor it’!

Sincerely, Mike Rishad

6

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020

Page

Foundation

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

Below are the conclusion of English Language Paper 1, Paper 2, 2012 and CXC English.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. 1. WRITE YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER ON THE ANSWER SHEET AND UNDERLINE THE SUBJECT. 2. This test contains 40 questions. You are required to answer ALL questions. Four

responses are given for each question. The responses are A, B, C and D. Only ONE response is correct.

3. If you are not sure of the answer to a question, then choose the one which you think is BEST. On your answer sheet, draw a heavy black line through the letter you have chosen.

4. BE SURE THAT THE QUESTION NUMBER IN THE BOOKLET IS THE SAME AS THE ONE YOU HAVE USED ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET.

CONTINUED

Read the poem below, then answer questions 36 to 40.

I wonder what my kite can see, So high above the world and me; And if the birds are friends to him, As I am friend to Jack and Jim, 5 And are the clouds just really rain, That melts and pours all down again?

Oh, he must know a thousand things, As much as schoolmasters and kings; But will he breathe a word to me?

10 No, he's as quiet as quiet can be.

Anonymous 36. The word wonder in line 1, can be replaced by (A) am curious.

(B) am doubtful.

(C) am certain.

(D) am surprised.

37. Who are the poet's friends?

(A) Jack and Jim (B) The birds (C) Schoolmasters (D) Kings 38. Which line tells us that the kite is knowledgeable?

(A) 1 (B) 4 (C) 7 (D) 9

Here is an example done for you.

ANSWER SHEET 1. Red is Tim’s colour.

A B C D (A) favrite (B) favarite (C) favourite (D) faveriteu

A heavy black line has been drawn through the letter C on the answer sheet because favourite, the correct answer, is next to C. If you make a mistake, erase the line cleanly, then draw a heavy black line through the letter

6. REMEMBER, each answer MUST only be shown by a heavy black line on your Answer Sheet.

7. Remember only ONE answer must be provided for each question.

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

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 2

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

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

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

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

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

OR 2. In about 120-150 words write on ONE of the following:

39. The poet wants to know if (A) the world is below the sky.

(B) clouds are made up of rain drops.

(C) his kite knows everything.

(D) his kite is allowed to tell all it knows.

(A) Write a composition on "My favourite dish." In your com position, say how the dish is prepared.

40. The kite was “as quiet as quiet can be" (line 10) because it (A) knew how to keep a secret.

(B) was afraid of saying anything.

(C) did not know what to say.

(D) was not capable of speaking.

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

END OF TEST

next to the answer you have now chosen.

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

(D) Write a story based on the picture on the following picture. Give your story a title.

END OF TEST

CXC ENGLISH The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her Son

By Lorna Goodison

Her son was first made known to her as a sense of unease, a need to cry for little reasons and a metallic tide rising in her mouth each morning.

Such signs made her know That she was not alone in her body.

She carried him full term tight up under her heart.

She carried him like the poor carry hope, hope you get a break or a visa, hope one child go through and remember you. He had no father.

The man she made him with had more like him, he was fair-minded he treated all his children with equal and unbiased indifference.

She raise him twice, once as mother Then as father, set no ceiling On what he could be doctor, earth healer, pilot take wings.

But now he tells her he is working for you, that you value him so much you give him one whole submachine gun for him alone.

to him she is wondering what kind of father would give a son hot and exploding death, when he asks him for bread.

She went downtown and bought three and one-third yards of black cloth and a deep crowned and veiled hat for the day he draw his bloody salary.

She has no power over you and this at the level of earth, what she has are prayers and a mother’s tears and at knee city she uses them.

She says psalms for him she reads psalms for you she weeps for his soul her eyewater covers you.

She is throwing a partner with Judas Iscariot’s mother the thief on the left-hand side of the cross, his mother is the banker, her draw though is first and last for she still throwing two hands as mother and father.

She is prepared, she is done.

Absalom.

He says you are like a father (a) Explain Lines 1-2 (b) Summarise the poem (c) What is the aim of the poet? (d) Discuss TWO devices used in this poem (e) Describe the overall mood of this poem, citing evidence from the text (f) Discuss with, examples from the text, how the poet uses allusion (g) With evidence from the text, suggest another name for this poem

NEWS

7

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

More legitimate voters discredit Top Cop's immigration records …contradict APNU/AFC claims of being ‘migrant’ voters EBE; Sheik Ameer Mohamed and Akash Ramoutar, both of Tuschen New Housing Scheme, EBE, as well as Roberto Narine of MetenMeer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD), also made similar oaths of declaration.

Allegations debunked

Police Commissioner Leslie James

M

ore persons have come forward denying that they were out of the country on Election Day when they voted, contradicting claims from A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) and the information supplied by Chief Immigration Officer and Police Commissioner Leslie James.

Sursattie Ramnarine, of Lot 70 Philadelphia, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), had her name included on the list of 172 persons that the Police Commissioner forwarded to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) of persons who were out of the jurisdiction on March 2, Election Day. However, according to her, this is far from the truth.

“I voted at Philadelphia Nursery School…I didn’t leave the country,” Ramnarine said in a video broadcast. Ramnarine also drew up an Affidavit of Confirming

Kaminie Singh

Presence, in which she asserted that she was present in Guyana on March 2, 2020 and that she voted.

In it, she also cited the Statutory Declarations Act, Chapter 5:09, which provides for persons to make declarations before a Commissioner of Oaths and makes false declarations a criminal offence.

Shafeek Kumar, of Lot 367 North New Scheme, Zeelugt, also swore under the Statutory Declarations Act, Chapter 5:09, that he was in the country on March 2 and physically voted in the elections.

Anna Persaud of Tuschen,

These denials follow on the heels of similar denials from a number of other people. For instance, 30-year-old Kaminie Singh, in an interview with Guyana Times, expressed shock over the allegation against her, since she has not left the country in more than five years.

According to Singh, the last time she left Guyana was back in 2014, when she travelled to the United States. She confirmed that she was present and voted on March 2 in person at the Cornelia Ida Nursery School, WCD. “I was in the country and I voted on that day…Cornelia Ida Nursery School, that’s where I voted. I don’t know [why they’d say] I was out of the country, but I did travel in 2014 to the United States.

That was the last time I travelled,” Singh said on Tuesday.

This publication was also shown Singh’s passport details, confirming the trip to and from the US in 2014.

“I stayed in New York, a little less than three weeks. And I did return, I’ve been living in Guyana since then. I got married, had a family, family business, I am working at a school,” she emphasised.

Meanwhile, another voter whom APNU/AFC claimed migrated, Nishani Bissessar, presented an Affidavit of Existence and Presence on Tuesday to attest to her physically voting. She denied the claim that she was out of the country.

“On March 2nd, 2020, I present-

ed myself to Vergenoegen Nursery School, which I had identified through GECOM advertisements, as the polling place where I was to vote. I used my identification card to identify myself and I voted.

I complied with all that GECOM asked of me before, during and after I cast my ballot,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sydney Douglas Jones, who was also listed as migrated, has also confirmed that he was in Guyana on Election Day and voted at Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The 75-year-old man on Tuesday was in the presence of his nephew, where his identification card was displayed.

Kimbelie Karishma Raghunandan as well confirmed her presence in Guyana on Election Day and voting in person.

APNU/AFC has cast their net so far that on Tuesday, party agents objected to serial number 157 in ballot box 4497. It turns out that this serial number belongs to prominent Attorney-atLaw Devindra Kissoon, who was not only in the country on Election

Syndey Douglas Jones

Kimbelie Karishma Raghunandan

Amos Bhola

Sursattie Ramnarine has denied claims that she is a migrant voter

Day, but he also voted at the African Heritage Museum in Bel Air Park, Georgetown.

To compound the inaccuracy of the objection, the prominent lawyer was an accredited observer for the American Chamber of Commerce Guyana Chapter (AmCham). He was seen by numerous witnesses at several polling stations --- including the Enmore Community Centre – across the country on Election Day. In another instance, APNU/ AFC objected to media operative Latoya Wills as they claimed she had migrated and was not around to vote. However, Wills has since confirmed that she did not travel

Shafeek Kumar’s Oath of Confirming Presence

anywhere and was around to vote on March 2.

And on Monday, Compton Bacchus and Amos Bhola of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) had cause to deny the allegation that they were migrant voters, after their names appeared on the list sent by APNU/AFC to GECOM.

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

It turns out that APNU/AFC

Media operative Latoya Wills

Attorney-at-Law Devindra Kissoon

has sent another set of lists to GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, of persons it claimed voted without identification cards and Oaths of Identity, persons who migrated but are alleged to have voted, and allegedly dead voters.

It remains to be seen whether the Chair will also seek an investigation into these claims. However, the Chair has already come under fire for seeking an investigation into the list of 207 alleged migrated voters, since several legal minds have opined that these are matters APNU/AFC should raise in an election petition.

Compton Bacchus

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GECOM cannot legally use Top Cop’s falsified records ꟷ Timothy Jonas

N

ot only are the immigration records supplied by the Commissioner of Police to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) being discredited as false, the electoral body cannot legally or morally use the information that was supplied.

This is according to Chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Timothy Jonas, who on Wednesday questioned the issue brewing over the 172 names supplied by the Commissioner of Police as being out of the country, since, according to him, the recount exercise currently shows the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party with a lead of 15,000 votes over the incumbent.

Speaking with reporters in the makeshift centre outside of the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, the attorney-at-law recalled that GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, had in fact called on persons making allegations to prove them.

This he juxtaposed with APNU Aubrey Norton’s position that the coalition will make its allegations and that GECOM must prove the assertions.

Jonas was adamant that GECOM is not a court of law, and as such could not examine, cross-examine of take evidence from persons in regard to their immigration status on Elections Day. According to the lawyer, the local courts of law have already determined that being outside of the country does not preclude a person from voting.

The ANUG chairman was adamant that the commission could not take extraneous information and try to incorporate it into its records.

Telling reporters that ANUG was taken aback by the Chairperson’s request — not surprised — Jonas was unyielding that the information supplied by Police Commission Leslie James count not be incorporated

ANUG Chairman Timothy Jonas

into GECOMs records at this stage.

Additionally, the ANUG Chairman pointed to the fact that the information supplied by James was generated using information inputted into a computer system, and he juxtaposed this with the nation’s experience with the computer-generated spreadsheet that was used by Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.

“Whatever response comes from James can’t be relied on by GECOM; its external to GECOM and is something that somebody said,” according to Jonas, as he reminded that computers do not generate information by themselves.

According to the ANUG Chairman, “We can’t blindly accept a statement from James to say these people were out of the country…remember a document printed that was called a spreadsheet that was relied on by Mr Mingo?”

Additionally, Jonas noted that as the information in the list supplied to the GECOM Chairperson became public knowledge, people started coming forward to debunk the claims in the information provided by the Police Commissioner.

He drew reference to prominent attorney-at-law

Devindra Kissoon, who was registered as an observer and worked on Elections Day in addition to participating in several of the elections-related court cases that had been filed.

Jonas called the allegation on the part of the APNU/AFC counting agents hilarious, and pointed to the fact that the coalition agents would raise as many as 140 names for persons purportedly related to a particular ballot box.

He told media operatives that if six of those persons listed were found to have voted on that day, the APNU/AFC agent would object and commit to providing evidence at a later date.

This, he called a pattern in regard to the objections.

Again questioning the information supplied by the Police Commissioner, Jonas asked rhetorically what was the use of the spreadsheets and their reliability, given the experience with Mingo.

What difference?

He, at this stage, questioned the spectre being raised over the 172 names supplied on the list by the Top Cop by pointing to the fact that: “Right now it looks like as if the PPP will win the recount” by as much as 15,000 votes. As such, he questioned the difference 172 votes would make, even if the allegations were proven true.

Jonas has since posited that the entire process of raising scores of objections to migrated voters together with accessing the record by the police is meant to undermine the process.

According to Jonas, the actions on the part of the APNU+AFC agents are in fact “designed to confuse and undermine what is a good process.”

Decrying the use of the already questionable information supplied by the Top Cop, Jonas suggested, “One spreadsheet should not be replaced by another spreadsheet.”

Additionally, the ANUG

All for…

I GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

Chairman drew reference to the fact that with the recount exercise now focusing attention on the contentious Region Four boxes, his party will be paying particularly close attention to those ballot boxes.

According to Jonas, ANUG will be pushing to have discrepancies unearthed through the recount in regard to the figures used

by Mingo being recorded.

He explained by saying that where the recount finds 70 votes for the incumbent in a particular ballot box but the figures declared by Mingo are in fact 170 votes for the incumbent, this must be recorded in the observation reports.

Jonas was adamant this would be done in part, since Mingo’s figures are in fact part of GECOM’s official records, and are not extraneous to the electoral body.

Seeking to add weight to his emphasis of the stage at which the recount is at, Jonas told reporters, “If I was anxious to not have Mingo exposed, now is the time to interrupt or slow down the process.”

ANUG, he said, is keeping a close eye with the process being in the homestretch, where it is the contentious ballots left to count.”

One box remains to be counted for Region 7, and one box remains to be counted for Region 10.

Atlantic Gardens businesswoman bludgeoned to death – PME

A

post-mortem examination conducted on the body of 61-year-old Sattie Monica Beekharry, who was brutally murdered at her Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on Monday found that she was struck multiple times to her head and right side.

The examination was performed by Government pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary.

The body of the woman has since been handed over to relatives for burial.

The businesswoman was on Monday murdered in her Lot 152 Atlantic Gardens home by a man, who was identified by neighbours as her ‘close friend’.

At approximately 15:00h on

Dead: Sattie Monica Beekharry

Monday, neighbours heard the woman and the suspect arguing over a loan.

It was shortly after this argument

that the woman began screaming for help. Neighbours immediately called the Police, but by the time ranks arrived at the scene she was already dead.

Beekharry was found by Police with a slit throat and injuries about her head and body. However, the suspect was still hiding in the house and the cops managed to apprehend him after firing tear gas into the building.

The 61-year-old mother of four lived in Canada for several years and had only returned to Guyana in February 2020.

However, due to the closure of airports amid the coronavirus pandemic, the woman was left stuck in the country. During her time in Guyana, she sold clothes and jewellery at the Stabroek Market.

…the (PNC) cause magine, a Commissioner of Police and Head of Immigration signing off on Harmon’s enumeration of folks who supposedly voted even though they were out of the country, when they had to’ve known that assertion had no basis in reality. How can that schoolteacher who hadn’t travelled to “foreign” in five years be on our immigration records as having been out around March 2??

What does it say about their records, if in fact they did check the said records??

While they were at it, maybe they could have dug up the records of that Russian pencil-and-paper hacker whom Ramjattan claimed he’d nabbed and expelled??

Every party agent observing the recount has reported that the APNU agents are simply plucking numbers at random from the list of electors from the boxes under scrutiny. How could their “field agents” have received such consistent misinformation from “relatives and friends”? In one instance, the PNC’s REO for Reg 3 was called out as a “migrant” voter - even though she provided evidence of her voting for herself. Didn’t their “field agents” know this very high-profile party person, and know they would be embarrassing her??

But, to return to the question posed above, we’re seeing beyond a scintilla of doubt how Granger and the PNC have followed in the footsteps of their founderleader Forbes Burnham and subverted the professionalism of state institutions. With the Immigration Dept, as soon as the 2015 elections were over, Granger hived it off from Home Affairs Minister Ramjattan (renamed “Public Security”) and handed it to Winston Felix, who’d been heavily compromised as a PNC operative when he was the CoP. Felix would approve any PNC hanky-panky.

And we arrive at the Police Commish. We should all remember that the entire top brass of the Police Force was decapitated in one fell swoop after Granger appointed a one-man CoI to investigate why an “assassination plot” against him wasn’t investigated “more diligently”. Never mind that the incumbents’ professional opinion was that the whole affair was a tempest in a teapot. It was just a ruse for Granger to have his own way and have all officers of the Disciplined Forces swear personal loyalty to him like they’d done for Burnham.

We saw how Granger had also corrupted GECOM, and if we were to scratch the surface of any state institution, we’d discover the rot that has been introduced. It will be impossible for any new administration to accomplish any initiative in such a set-up. And this, of course, creates a dilemma for the PPP when they try to clean up matters.

“Ethnic cleansing!!” shall be the cry, as it was in 1992!

…sharing the corn It’s remarkable how the PNC claimed to be Marxist under Burnham, but didn’t accept Marx’s position that the society had to undergo a capitalist phase so that wealth could be accumulated from the most efficient production mechanism mankind had ever experienced - which could then be shared after proletariats take over. He insisted he’d share immediately using some cockamamie “cooperative socialism” strategy he insisted was native to all our peoples during colonialism!!

The moment Granger took office, lo and behold, he didn’t even introduce a cover, like Burnham’s cooperative panacea, but plunged immediately into sharing the corn to his supporters; and feigned ignorance when business activity fell into the doldrums and money ceased circulating. Take his closure of half the sugar industry.

While he allocated billions and billions in grants to AfricanGuyanese villages to resuscitate agriculture, he borrowed $30 billion on sugar assets, but refused to use it to support the fired workers to get into agriculture and also produce.

In the meantime, the communities around the closed estates imploded.

But maybe they don’t need corn?

…opening up The lockdown was extended to June 17. Is it a coincidence that the final results of the recount have to be announced the day before?? Or is it to permit disgruntled losers to express themselves in the streets?

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

NEWS

9

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

APNU/AFC’s new list of ‘migrant voters’

“I was shocked!” – after claims of not being in Guyana on E-Day

A

fter claims of not being in Guyana on E-Day, Nizea Bacchus, 29, was completely shocked when she saw her name in the newspapers as one of the persons whom the APNU/AFC claimed were out of the country on Elections Day. Late last month, the APNU/AFC Coalition had submitted a list of some 200 names to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), claiming that those individuals were not in the country on March 2, and therefore any votes cast in their names would be illegitimate.

GECOM Chairperson Justice Claudette Singh then wrote Police Commissioner Leslie James, seeking to determine whether those individuals were indeed out of the jurisdiction.

The Top Cop replied, indicating that based on records from the Immigration Department, 172 persons from the APNU/AFC list were not in Guyana on Elections Day – an assertion which has since been proven false, as scores of people are coming forward to refute the information.

New list

Pushing its agenda, the APNU/AFC again submitted another list of over 200 additional names of persons it is claiming were not

Nizea Bacchus’s name appeared on the new list submitted to GECOM

by APNU/AFC

in Guyana on Elections Day. That party also submitted a list of persons it claimed were dead but yet votes were recorded in their names.

The new list sent to the GECOM Chairperson was sent by Joseph Harmon, who is acting as an election agent for the APNU/AFC. A copy of this list was also sent to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield.

Shocked

Bacchus’s name is among those on the new list of persons the coalition is claiming were not in Guyana on Elections Day. But according to the woman, she was in the country on March 2 and voted at the New Diamond/

Grove Primary School. She said siblings and parents can attest to this fact.

Further, her passport – which was seen by this publication – indicates that she last travelled out of the country in October 2019, to Suriname, and she returned the same month.

“So, I was shocked this morning (Wednesday morning),” Bacchus said, referring to when she saw her name in the list which was published in one of the local newspapers.

She believes politicians need to stop “just putting random people’s names” in the public.

“We [Guyana] are just going backward, backward

all the time,” she expressed.

Bacchus is among many other persons who have come forward after seeing their names on the APNU/ AFC list as having migrated or been out of the jurisdiction on Elections Day. Testimonies of these individuals not only discredit the APNU/AFC’s list, but also the list submitted

to GECOM by the Police.

The Guyana Police Force has since sought to clarify why the list it provided to GECOM has what appears to be numerous inaccuracies.

According to the Force: “Migration Data produce by the Immigration Department of the Guyana Police Force is generat-

ed through its Record system, which includes an electronic Border Management System. This system, however, does not record persons who travelled illegally.”

The Police Force is therefore saying that these persons would have left Guyana “legally” but returned “illegally”.

US Embassy requests permission for 8th relief flight

W

ith Guyana further extending its COVID-19 emergency measures, including the closure of the airports to incoming commercial flights, the United States Embassy in Georgetown has requested permission for another relief flight to repatriate its citizens stranded here amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a notice on the Embassy’s website, “the US Embassy in Guyana requested authorization for a commercial relief flight on Saturday, June 6th, operated by Eastern Airlines,

Consular Chief at the US Embassy, Karen Wiebelhaus

departing at 3:30 p.m. fro m Cheddi Jagan Internatio nal Airport with direct service to Miami International Airport.”

It was noted that US citizens, legal permanent residents, and third-country nationals with a valid visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTAs) for transit will be eligible to purchase tickets directly from the Eastern website.

During a virtual interview with local online entity, News Source Guyana, Chief of the Consular Section at the US Embassy, Karen Wiebelhaus,

disclosed that special permission for this flight was sought on Wednesday, after the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) announced the day before that the emergency measures would be extended until June 17.

Since the closure of Guyana’s borders, including its two international airports, in March, the US Embassy has been successful in seeking special permission from the NCTF to have seven relief flights to date to take home American citizens and their families.

TURN TO PAGE 12

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana could be expelled from Commonwealth, OAS - diplomat …if fraudulent results used to swear in president

S

ir Ronald Sanders, a Guyana- born internationally-respected diplomat, has warned that Guyana could be expelled from the Commonwealth and the Organization of American States (OAS) if a government is sworn in on the basis of fraudulent elections results.

He made this assertion from Washington DC on the radio programme Room 592 aired locally. During the interview, the diplomat cited the fates of countries like Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Fiji, who all breached the Commonwealth Charter.

“Guyana is a member nation of the Commonwealth.

What happens in the Commonwealth if a country runs afoul of the Charter of the Commonwealth, which every member of the Commonwealth says it adheres to, there will be a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.”

He added that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group is authorised by the heads of government to look at situations in countries and determine whether those countries have violated the charter in such an egregious way that it warrants action being taken against that country.

According to Sanders, Guyana in itself has participated in this group when

do not produce a government that reflects the majority vote, then I’m afraid Guyana will go before the Commonwealth Ministerial Committee,” Sanders said.

OAS

Guyana-born diplomat and academic, Sir Ronald Sanders

action was taken against other countries who ran afoul of democratic principles. He noted that the same fate could be meted out to Guyana if it does not follow the democratic path.

He pointed out that, “Now Guyana itself has been a member of that Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group in relation to other countries. And, as you know, the Commonwealth has suspended Pakistan in the past. It suspended Pakistan twice. It suspended Zimbabwe, which remains suspended to this day. It suspended Fiji twice. For elections and military coups, for putting in place governments that were not elected.

“And if it turns out that the results of the recount

In similar fashion, Sanders noted that the OAS can have Guyana brought before the Permanent Council of the OAS if the final results of the March 2 polls, currently being decided by the National recount, are not deemed credible.

“Guyana risks also being suspended from the Organization of American States, but not just being suspended, the Organization of American States will also have to determine what other action it may take at a bilateral level of its 33 Member States acting against Guyana”.

Sanders warned, “It will only take one or two of those countries to decide that sanctions should be imposed -- and remember, both the United States and Canada are members of the OAS -for other countries to follow.”

It has already been over three months of controversy and a credible winner for the March 2 General and Regional Elections is yet to be declared.

After two discredited declarations from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica)

Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, which lacked transparency, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and caretaker President David Granger had agreed to have the Caribbean Community (Caricom) oversee the recount.

That agreement was derailed when A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) candidate Ulita Moore moved to the courts and secured an injunction against the exer-

cise. That injunction was discharged by the Full Court; and later, the Full Court’s decision was upheld by the Appeals Court, paving the way for the National Recount to proceed.

Since the recount started, the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has put the coalition on blast because the numbers being uncovered were vastly different from those declared by Mingo.

In fact, the PPP has contend-

ed that Mingo not only inflated the number of votes in favour of APNU/AFC, but that he also subtracted votes from the PPP. A unified international community has already warned Guyana that it could be isolated, and even sanctioned, if a President is sworn in on the flawed results, resulting in an uneasy standoff between the international community and the Government.

Bidding war over Guyana Goldfields commences … Silvercorp given 5 days to match offer

A

bidding war has commenced over who will own Guyana Goldfields, after an unnamed new company made a “superior offer” to the one that had been agreed upon with Silvercorp, leading to Silvercorp being given a deadline to match the offer or lose the deal.

This was communicated by a press statement on Wednesday, in which Goldfields announced the terms of the new offer and the fact that they have postponed the Annual General Meeting, when they were originally supposed to confirm their agreement to sell to Silvercorp. According to Goldfields, this new, foreign-based company wants to acquire all issued and outstanding common shares it does not already own.

Pursuant to the terms of the new offer, the company's shareholders would receive cash consideration of C$1.85 for each common share, valuing Guyana Goldfields at approximately C$323 million.

“The New Offeror has also agreed to provide the Company with a US$30 million secured loan facility to finance ongoing operations of the Aurora Gold Mine and to fund other liquidity needs of the company (the "New Facility").

“Except for the amount of the New Facility, the loan agreement proposed to be entered into between the company and a wholly-owned

subsidiary of the New Offeror is substantially similar to the loan agreement between the company and Silvercorp dated April 26, 2020 (the "Silvercorp Loan Agreement").

This is an improvement on the Goldfield’s agreement with Silvercorp, since that agreement had included up to US$15 million in interim loans. This money was supposed to go to various corporate expenses, as well as their underground mine.

According to Goldfields, the new offer in fact is a 35 per cent premium on the implied value of Silvercorp’s proposal.

The press statement added that commensurate with the increase in consideration, the proposed arrangement agreement with the new offeror provides for an increase in the termination fee to C$11.3 million, which is payable by the company to the new offeror in certain circumstances.

“The proposed arrangement agreement with the new offeror also includes a reverse termination fee in the amount of C$11.3 million, which is payable by the new offeror to the company in certain other circumstances,” Goldfields stated.

In accordance with the Silvercorp Agreement, the company said it has notified Silvercorp that it considers the new offer to be a superior proposal and “that the five business day match-

ing period has commenced , during which Silvercorp has the right, but not the obligation, to propose to amend the terms of the Silvercorp Arrangement Agreement in order for the New Offer to cease to be a Superior Proposal (the "Match Right").”

According to Goldfields, this matching period expires on June 10, 2020 at 16:30h.

Goldfields noted that if Silvercorp does not use the matching period to better its offer, Goldfields will enter into an agreement with the new company. In the meantime, they noted that they will be taking steps to postpone the June 29 meeting that would have confirmed Silvercorp’s agreement with them.

This is the second company that has tried to get Goldfields, which has already commenced laying off staff, to abandon its agreement to sell to Silvercorp.

Last month, Gran Colombia Gold Corp had made a pitch to Goldfields by proposing to buy all its issued shares.

Gran Colombia had not hesitated to call its offer a superior one to Silvercorp.

However, Guyana Goldfields subsequently announced that its board of directors, after careful consideration and consultation with its financial and legal advisors, had unanimously determined to reject the unsolicited proposal announced by Gran Colombia Gold Corp.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

326 ballot boxes left to be counted …all counting stations to now focus on Region 4 T

he recount of ballots cast during the March 2, General and Regional Elections continued on Wednesday with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) completing another 84 ballot boxes.

This leaves 326 more of the total of 2,339 ballot boxes to be recounted at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) venue by June 13, after which the Commission would have three days to declare a final result for the 2020 polls.

With Regions Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) scheduled to be completed recounting today, each of the 12 stations at the ACCC venue will begin focusing on Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica).

Tabulation of the National Elections Recount

Votes tabulated thus far from across the regions

place the opposition Peoples Progressive Party Civic with

a more than 13,000 votes lead with more than 80 per cent of

the process completed.

The PPP/C has so far had 187,519 of its votes in the General Elections tabulated, while the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) has so far had more than 174,000 votes recounted in its favour.

The joinder parties — A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM) -have so far seen the recount verifying more than 4,400 votes for their tally.

The results, according to political pundits, would see a likely seat allocation favouring the PPP/C with 33 seats, while APNU+AFC would secure 31, with the joinder parties taking a seat in the next Parliament at their first showing at an

election in Guyana.

Change Guyana (CG), headed by Robert Badal, has so far failed to reach the 2,000 votes mark, amassing just over 1,600 votes countrywide.

The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) is yet to secure more than 1,000 votes, managing to get just over 550 so far.

Other parties contesting the 2020 General and Regional Elections include the United Republican Party, which is still to get 350 votes countrywide, while the Peoples Republican Party (PRP) has secured just over 700 votes from the regions in which it contested.

Just about 370,000 total votes have since been found to be valid, while another 3,400 were said to be rejected for various reasons.

Region 10 records 10th COVID-19 case …no new cases for 3rd consecutive day

T

he Public Health Ministry has reported that no new cases were recorded for the third consecutive day this week as the country’s confirmed cases remain at 153.

During the daily coronavirus disease (COVID-19) update on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle disclosed that of the 27 new tests done, there were no positive results.

Like the country’s COVID-19 cases, the death toll also remains unchanged since Sunday – at 12.

To date, the total number of persons tested is 1699, of which 1546 returned negative results.

There are currently two patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital, while the number of persons who have recovered from the life-threatening disease is 70.

Meanwhile, 71 active cases are in institutional isolation and another 25 persons in institutional quarantine.

The DCMO used the opportunity to explain the difference between these two facilities. “…isolation and quarantine facilities are not the same. Everyone who receives a positive test result will be placed in isolation. Persons in quarantine are those persons who were in very close contact with someone who tested positive, persons returning to Guyana, and someone who is a suspected case awaiting results to confirm his/ her status. The duration of someone’s stay in isolation is not fixed; it depends on how fast the body fights off the virus. All persons in isolation are cleared after having two negative tests 24

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Karen Boyle

hours apart,” she stated.

Dr Gordon-Boyle went on to urge the public to refrain from discriminating against recovered COVID-19 patients.

“Persons who are cleared and allowed to go home are not infectious, which simply means that they cannot transmit the virus to anyone else, because the virus is no longer active in their body. With that, we ask that you show some compassion to your brothers and sisters who have recovered from this disease. Their journey was not an easy one and they need your support,” she stressed.

Waini); Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

In fact, Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region 10, Dr Pansy Armstrong disclosed that another new case was recorded.

This new case, which is among the country’s 153 total, now brings the Region’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 10, with one death in early April.

Of the existing cases, there were two more recoveries which take the Region’s recovered cases up to three.

At a recent meeting at the level of the Regional Health and Emergency Committee

(RHEC) of Region 10, grave concerns were expressed over the public’s lack of fully understanding the dangers posed by the disease.

Several members, including the RHEC Head Orrin Gordon demanded that there be increased stringent measures to combat the situation.

“We must understand that the curfew-related measures are not permanent and it must be adhered to irrespective of who it is,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, during Wednesday’s daily COVID-19 update, the RHO of Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Dr Afarah Khan disclosed that they have introduced a strong screening system across different areas in the Region,

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

including the Supenaam ferry, Government buildings and all health facilities across the Region.

With Region Two, along with Regions Five (MahaicaBerbice) and Eight (PotaroSiparuni), not having recorded any coronavirus cases thus far, Dr Khan, who is also the Co-Chair of the Region’s RHEC, credited this to the combined efforts of all stakeholders within the Region.

“My final appeal is for all the residents of the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region to take all measures as a form of preventing any situation in our Region,” she implored.

Region Two’s efforts were lauded by Dr GordonBoyle, who noted that it was evident with adherence to

the guidelines put forward by the Ministry, the ability to contain this disease was possible.

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

Region 10’s new case

Meanwhile, as health authorities tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana, focus continues to be placed at the regional level with emphasis on preparedness and response to the virus.

As of Wednesday, seven of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions have recorded COVID-19 cases. These include Regions One (Barima-

Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region 10, Dr Pansy Armstrong

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.

(Adapted from BBC News)

Headache

Chills

Sore throat

Repeated shaking with chills

Muscle pain

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

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Order gazetted for sitting of NGSA, CXC exams …teachers worried dates too early

T

he order to facilitate the sitting of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examination, Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) has been gazetted.

Signed by caretaker Education Minister Nicolette Henry, the order stipulates that public schools will be opened from June 8 to August 15, to prepare students for the sitting of the examinations.

The order addresses the public health protocols which will be implemented for the examinations.

NGSA was scheduled to be held on April 8 and 9, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, the Education Ministry announced the timetables for NGSA, CSEC, and CAPE. CSEC has been set for July 13 –August 4, 2020, while CAPE examinations

have been set for July 13– July 31, 2020.

Following the announcement, President of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mark Lyte, expressed concerns on behalf of teachers countrywide.

Panic among teachers

Lyte said the GTU membership believes that the timeline for the examinations is too soon, since there is no decrease in spread of the novel coronavirus in Guyana.

“It created a bit of panic among teachers. Our concern is the state Guyana is in in relation to us having positive cases being identified almost on a daily basis… that is a cause for concern, because here we are, asking primary school-age children to come out to get whatever prepping they need for July 1 and 2”, the GTU President told Guyana Times.

Africo Selman, a Grade Six teacher and Grade Sixlevel supervisor at the Success Elementary School,

also expressed concerns over the dates of the examinations.

“This is an important exam. It is a competitive placement exam, it determines a child’s future, more or less; and against that background, I am concerned about the children, as a teacher. Some children can be at a peak and with uncertainties they can diminish…

July 1, July 2nd in my view is too early,” she said.

The union is scheduled to meet on Friday to further discuss the issue.

APA concerned

Additionally, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has also expressed concerns about the move to have the exams written at such short notice.

APA had said it is very concerned about indigenous and hinterland students who have been heavily impacted by the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. “…for almost three months, children nationally have not been in schools and have been negatively im-

pacted. For hinterland students and the delivery of education, the impact has been even more severe. Many communities do not have a reliable source of electricity, or none at all. In some cases, communities cannot access regional radio stations, let alone television station. Many students have had to stop whatever form of classes they have been accustomed to attending and therefore have been without teaching and learning sessions for about more than two months,” the APA said.

the hinterland region, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has approved flights that will transport national examination papers and scripts between the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (ECIA) and 16 locations.

Schools in Guyana have closed their doors since March 16 due to the outbreak of the deadly virus. Compared to private schools, which have been facilitating online learning, public school students, especially those in the hinterland, have faced challenges in doing so, this is due to the lack of internet connection and access to smart devices.

Suspects in Plaisance shooting yet to be identified US Embassy requests permission...

T

wo suspects who fled the scene after inflicting gunshot injuries on two youngsters at Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) are yet to be identified and arrested.

East Coast Police Commander Royston Andries-Junor has confirmed that “no one knows who the men are”. He said that although the culprits were still at large, efforts were being made by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to identify and apprehend

Flights for exam papers

Meanwhile, to facilitate the sitting of exams in

FROM PAGE 9

them.

On Saturday evening, the suspects shot and injured Kevin Bernard Jr and a friend, who was only identified by Police as “Johnson”.

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

Reports are Bernard was shot in the face while Johnson might have been shot to his body. When the shooting occurred, no

Critical: Kevin Bernard Jr

one was able to identify the suspects as they made good their escape on the motorcycle. Just after the shooting, the victims were rushed to the hospital, where they were currently in critical condition. It is still unclear what led to the shooting, since residents and family members are still tight-lipped. Further, attempts made to contact the relatives of the men for a comment proved futile.

In fact, the Mission has assisted over 1000 US citizens as well as others, including Canadians and British citizens, to fly to the US. Wiebelhaus explained during the interview that the consulate team at the US Embassy worked tirelessly to complete and expedite as many visa transactions as they could have before the Department of State ordered worldwide suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She noted that for persons who are expected to fly within a specific timeframe, such as immigrant visa holders, seats had been set aside for them on the past seven relief flights.

Immigration (permanent) visa has a six-month limit from date visa is granted, during which holders are required to travel – something which has been challenging for Guyanese, especially with the closure of the airports.

“We recongised that we had a number of immigrant visa holders that could possibly be stranded in Georgetown. We did every-

thing we could to expedite their cases, and we made arrangements so that on the seven commercial relief flight that we requested special permission from the Government of Guyana to operate – we made sure that space was available for those immigrant visa holders so that they could travel to the United States and successfully emigrate.

“Unfortunately, there were a few individuals that were caught out for various reasons, and we’ll continue to work with them so that we can get them on their way,” she stated.

The Consular Chief added that if the six months’ limit expires for any immigrant visa holder, then that person needs to contact the embassy at visageorge@state.gov in order to get guidance on the way forward, which would include reapplying for the visa.

These immigrant visa holders would also have to look at the expiry date for their medical examination, and if this is expired, then a new medical would have to be obtained. The same goes for the police clearance as well.

Wiebelhaus further pointed out that validity of these two documents will determine whether a person would have to go back into the Embassy to have their visa reprinted.

Meanwhile, with regards to non-immigrant visa applications that are pending, it was explained that the visa fee is valid for one year, and so persons with appointment dates can reschedule their appointments online to a later date. The same applies for immigrant visa applicants who also have appointment dates upcoming.

On the other hand, for those Guyanese who are

stranded in the US on a non-immigrant visa, that is, tourist/visitors’ visa, and were unable to travel back to Guyana before their approved stay period was up due to the closed airports, they would need to make contact with the US immigration via their website, or apply for an extension of stay. This also applies for those who are approaching their stay limit.

However, this service carries a fee of some US$300, which some Guyanese who are stranded in the US say is too high a cost to pay.

There are over 100 Guyanese currently stranded across the US, and they have been pleaded with the Guyana Government to grant special permission for them to return for weeks now. However, last week, the NCTF announced the approval of some 300 Guyanese to return from the US and other countries.

Nevertheless, Wiebelhaus went on to say that the Consular officers at the Embassy would consider the circumstances of the pandemic for those who have lengthy stays in the US when they go in for renewal of their visitor’s visa.

“I just want to reassure… that our Consular officers will definitely take into consideration the pandemic as a reason why someone has a rather lengthy stay…,” the Consular Chief posited.

With the embassy closed and staffers working remotely, Wiebelhaus said it is unclear when visa operations at the Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown office would return to normalcy, since this is a decision that would have to be taken by the Bureau of Consular Affairs in Washington.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ganja, illegal firecrackers unearthed during Berbice raids

One of the cannabis farms which Police found in Canje Creek

Fire burning ganja plants found at New Forest, Canje Creek, Berbice

P

olice have unearthed narcotics and illegal firecrackers in separate raids in Berbice.

Reports are that the Police conducted a narcotics eradication exercise at New Forest, Canje Creek, Berbice, during which they found about an acre of cannabis cultivation with approximately 400 plants which measured between two to six feet in height.

Police say a nursery with about two thousand seedlings and a makeshift camp were also found at the same location.

“Everything found was photographed and destroyed

by fire,” the Police have said in a statement.

No arrest was made, but the coordinates of the area were mapped with a view to tracing ownership of the land, the GPF noted.

Meanwhile, at about 14:30h on Wednesday, Police arrested an occupant of a minibus in New Amsterdam, Berbice with 8,500 grams of suspected cannabis.

The suspect, a 36-yearold security guard of Buxton, ECD, is being processed for court.

Police also conducted a narcotics eradication exercise at Ekura, Canje River,

Berbice. During the 12 hours of operation, the team found and destroyed three fields of cannabis with an estimated total of 13,000 plants measuring between two and five feet in height, a nursery with about fifteen hundred seedlings, and three camps.

“No arrests were made, but efforts are currently being made to trace the ownership of the land,” Police say.

Additionally, Police conducted a raid at Corentyne and arrested a businessman who had a quantity of fire crackers at his Corriverton home.

Reports are that, on Wednesday afternoon, Police were conducting an operation for arms, ammunition, stolen articles and wanted persons.

At the Number 78 Corriverton premises, which is owned by a 45-year-old businessman, a search was carried out in the ceiling of

the upper flat of his home, and 30 boxes of Crazy King firecrackers, 19 boxes of Crazy Parities fire- crackers, 204 Crazy Too fire crackers, 40 boxes of morning glory firecrackers, 13 boxes of scratch bomb Toro, 336 jumping jack, 156 Golden Sparkles, 72 sunflower, 108 Electrical Crocodile, 492 whistling double tinder, 486 Magic shots, 17 Bar Rome, 2000 coloUrs shots, 206 Big big brothers and 400 Little Shark were found.

The man was arrested and taken to Springlands Police Station along with the fire crackers. He is expected to be placed before the court today.

Some of the firecrackers that were found in the ceiling of a Berbice businessman’s home

SBM Offshore donates gloves, masks to CDC

LINMINE distressed over dumping of garbage in Linden

T

he Linden Mining E n t e r p r i s e (LINMINE) has raised concerns over the indiscriminate dumping of garbage in key locations in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara–Berbice).

General Manager of LINMINE, Emmet Alves, has said he blames the thoughtless dumping of garbage by Lindeners for the hastening deterioration and stymieing of repair works to key bridges in the bauxite-mining community. Alves said he is outraged by the oxen-like stubbornness of residents who turn a deaf ear to repeated pleas by officials of the Mayor and Town Council (M&TC), the Bridge Committee, and LINMINE. “We have…identified an area, not very far away, that the Council provided for residents to dump their garbage and the Council can remove it weekly. This suggestion has not been taken on board, so we continue to struggle with getting residents not to dump around the bridge,” he said.

LINMINE has said that restrictions imposed by the Public Health Ministry to counter the contagious and deadly COVID-19 pandemic have stalled plans by the Upper Demerara/Berbice (Region Ten) Bridge Committee.

The intervention of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) to help the

General Manager of Linden Mining Enterprise (LINMINE), Emmet Alves

LM&TC to solve the garbage crisis has borne little fruit, Alves admitted.

The General Manager said this is done every month to the tune of three to four million dollars to helping the Council with its upkeep of the town.

“Nothing has materialised,” the disappointed LINMINE official said. “We have even suggested for the strategic placement of large bins…for residents to use; but the Council, while embracing the idea, informed us that they have no place to access such bins,” Alves explained.

Alves underscored that a contractor is currently manufacturing skip bins, which hopefully residents would use to dispose of household refuse.

The wanton dumping of

garbage helps hasten the rotting of structures and delays effective and efficient maintenance of bridges, Alves explained, referring to the Linden-Wismar Bridge linking the two Region 10 communities.

So far, officials are maximising on the ongoing national COVID-influenced curfew to fix the problem.

“We have fewer people on the road, and more are using the bridge; so the situation will afford us an opportunity…to be able to better monitor what goes on around the bridge. The public must understand that their actions have long term and significant impacts on the bridge’s operation,” the LINMINE official argued.

He warned residents that the company would be forced to use tougher measures to ensure compliance with the rules and help preserve the life of the bridge.

The Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge, which is just over 50 years old, was last repaired in 2005. Earlier this month, Alves had reported that as repairs were being done on the bridge, the discovery is that more repairs are needed at various sections of the structure.

The vertical supports and horizontal beams under the carriageway are in very bad shape due to age, and they need urgent attention, but the vagaries of the weather have been exacerbating the situation.

Country Manager of SBM Offshore, Herve Laurioux, hands over the items to Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig

S

BM Offshore has donated a quantity of gloves and masks to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) as part of efforts to

aid in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Country Manager of SBM Offshore, Herve Laurioux, handed over the items to

Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, at the company’s Prashad Nagar, Georgetown office.

“The safety and health of everyone during this pandemic is a top priority. SBM Offshore is happy to provide personal protective equipment to the CDC to help with its important COVID-19 response in affected communities,” Laurioux said during the handover.

Lieutenant Colonel Craig said the CDC welcomes the donation from SBM Offshore and that the supplies would be distributed to frontline workers.

The supplies included 15,000 masks and 15,000 gloves.

Vendors urged to take COVID-19 measures seriously to contain spread

C

ity vendors are being reminded to follow the necessary precautionary guidelines set out by the Public Health Ministry to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

During a walk-about in the Stabroek Market area on Wednesday morning, Mayor Ubraj Narine implored both vendors and shoppers to realise the need to always wear a face mask when venturing out and to practise hand washing and social distancing measures.

The Mayor also used the opportunity to distribute face masks to the staff of the Solid Waste Management Department.

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) recently announced that it was stepping up efforts to ensure that both shoppers and vendors comply with the nec-

Vendors in the vicinity of Stabroek Market

essary measures to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

A few days ago, 51 vendors, who were found operating without a face mask, were fined $5000 each.

These vendors were found operating at Albouystown, Stabroek, and Bourda Markets.

Also, last week, officers of the City Constabulary Department arrested 41 persons for allegedly breaching the 18:00h to 06:00h curfew.

These persons were placed on $10,000 station bail each, and were expected to appear in court to answer the charges.

14 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

16 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

18 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

20 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020

Around the World

OILNEWS

George Floyd's death: New charges for all 4 sacked officers

N

ew charges have been announced against all of the sacked Police Officers present at the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The charge against Derek Chauvin has been elevated to second-degree murder, court documents show.

The other three officers, previously uncharged, face counts of aiding and abetting murder.

Floyd's death has sparked huge protests across the US against racism and the Police killings of black Americans.

The vast majority of demonstrations over the past eight days have been peaceful, but some have turned violent and curfews have been imposed in a number of cities.

Announcing the new

charges, Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison said that they were in the interests of justice.

Chauvin had initially faced charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. These will stay on his charge sheet.

The other three sacked officers are Thomas Lane, J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao. They all face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said on Twitter that the latest charges were "another important step for justice".

Floyd family lawyer Benjamin Crump said in a statement: "This is a signifi-

US to ban passenger flights from China

T

he United States is to ban passenger flights from China from June 16, in the latest sign of tensions between the two economic giants.

The Department of Transportation said it was punishing Beijing for refusing to let US airlines resume flights to China as its pandemic subsides.

In recent weeks, the countries have sparred over coronavirus and China's policies in Hong Kong.

But Washington said it would continue to "engage" on the air travel issue.

The Department of Transportation order applies to four airlines – Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines – which have continued to fly between the two countries during the pandemic, although at reduced levels.

It needs final approval from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly accused China of engag-

ing in unfair trade, and in recent weeks criticised its handling of coronavirus and protests in Hong Kong.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment. Officials have previously said its restrictions, which were introduced to control coronavirus, were fair since they apply to all airlines.

Beijing in March said domestic and foreign airlines could operate no more than one weekly flight between China and any given country, adding that carriers could not exceed the level of service they were offering on March 12.

The Department of Transportation said the March order had effectively banned US airlines, which had voluntarily suspended service between the two countries in February due to the pandemic and Trump's order barring entry to the US for most Chinese travellers. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Oil falls back on large fuel build

A

Protesters lie down for a minute of silence in the position George Floyd was in when he died during a rally in Seattle, Washington (Reuters)

cant step forward on the road to justice and we are gratified that this important action was brought before George Floyd's body was laid to rest."

But he later told CNN that the family believed the charge against Chauvin should be first-degree murder

and that they had been told that the investigation was ongoing and the charges could change further.

At a press briefing, rights activist Rev Al Sharpton said that the Floyd case must lead to a national federal act.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

British PM Johnson to host global vaccine summit, calls for funding

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ritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a global vaccine summit today, urging nations to pledge funding for vaccinations against infectious diseases to help the poorest countries tackle the coronavirus crisis.

Representatives of more than 50 countries, including 35 Heads of State or Government, will come together virtually in London to raise funds for the GAVI vaccine alliance, a public-private global health partnership.

The summit aims to raise at least US$7.4 billion for GAVI to immunise a further 300 million children in the world’s poorest countries by 2025 against diseases such as polio, diphtheria, and measles.

Meanwhile, Business Secretary Alok Sharma is self-isolating and has been tested for coronavirus. He began feeling unwell earlier Wednesday while speak-

ing at the despatch box in the House of Commons.

Home Secretary Priti Patel earlier confirmed new quarantine measures on international travellers from June 8.

Prime Minister Johnson has urged people not to go inside others' homes as parts of the UK brace for wet weather.

Italy is lifting restrictions on domestic travel, allowing people to move between regions.

The World Health Organisation is resuming its trial of hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment.

Global passenger traffic rose 30 per cent in May, from a very low level in April, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said.

Globally, there have been almost 6.4 million confirmed cases and 379,000 deaths.

(Excerpt from BBC News and Reuters)

Haiti records 3 more Mottley repeats deaths from COVID-19, call for global 281 new cases leadership initiative

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aiti continues to record high numbers of positive cases of the coronavirus, with the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country recording 281 cases over Sunday.

The Public Health Ministry said that as a result, the country now has a total of 2507 cases of the virus that was first detected in China last December.

The Ministry also reported that three more deaths had been reported, for a total of 48 since the first case of the virus was detected there on March

19.

The number of active cases is now 2435 with the Public Health Ministry indicating that there were 5562 suspected cases.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the National Police of Haiti, Rameau Normil, said that since the pandemic at least six Police Officers have died from the COVID-19.

He said that the authorities would continue to provide medical and social services to Police Officers as the country deals with the spread of the virus.

(Excerpt from CMC)

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arbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on Wednesday said the Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping is vulnerable to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and appealed for a truly global response to the pandemic that has killed more than 370,000 people and infected 6.7 million others worldwide since it was first detected in China last year.

Mottley, who is also the Chairman of the 15-member regional integration grouping, during her address to the extraordinary Inter-Sessional Summit of the Organisation

of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) on transcending the coronavirus pandemic, renewed her call for multilateralism and a global leadership initiative that brings together not just governments, but other people of influence, insisting that it is the behaviour of individuals that has to change.

The one-day event is being held under the theme “Transcending the COVID-19 Pandemic: Building Resilience through Global Solidarity” and consists of a dialogue by the Heads of State and Government of the OACPS. (Excerpt from CMC)

day after the American Petroleum Institute (API) surprised market yet again with a crude oil inventory draw, pushing prices up, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) also reported an inventory decline, at 2.1 million barrels for the week to May 29.

At 532.3 million barrels, the authority said, crude oil inventories were 12 per cent above the five-year average for this time of the year. Analysts had expected an inventory build of 3.3 million barrels, after last week the EIA reported a substantial inventory increase, at 7.9 million barrels, for the third week of May. Last week, gasoline inventories rose, however, by 2.8 million barrels, following a modest draw of 700,000 barrels a week earlier. Gasoline production over the last week of May averaged 7.8 million bpd, up from the previous week, when the average was 7.2 million bpd.

In distillate fuels, the EIA reported an inventory build of 9.9 million barrels for the week to May 29. This was up from an inventory increase of 5.5 million barrels for the previous week. Distillate fuel production averaged 4.7 million bpd last week, compared with 4.8 million bpd a week earlier.

Refinery runs averaged 13.3 million bpd in the last week of May, compared with 13 million bpd a week earlier, signalling the continued improvement in fuel demand as the United States emerges from lockdowns.

Prices this week have been on the climb, even before the API reported its estimate of a crude oil inventory draw. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at US$39.36, after touching US$40 for the first time in months on Tuesday, and West Texas Intermediate was changing hands at US$36.87 a barrel.

There is growing optimism that the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)-plus club will later this week agree to continue cutting production at the current rate of 9.7 million bpd even beyond the end-June deadline for the deep cuts. There is also optimism, although more guarded, about the global economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Both have contributed to a more bullish view on oil prices. (Oilprice.com)

Daily record toll puts Brazil's deaths past 31,000

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razil has registered another record number of new daily coronavirus deaths. The 1262 new fatalities put its overall death toll at 31,199.

The jump comes as several major cities start to open back up. In Rio, people were seen on the beaches and in São Paulo some commerce has opened.

Marcos Espinal, Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis at the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), said it was difficult to see how the virus would be contained in Brazil unless restrictive measures and more testing were used.

Brazil has 555,383 confirmed infections, second only to the US. The country is deeply divided over how to respond to the crisis, with health specialists and local governors arguing for a lockdown while President Jair Bolsonaro says an economic crisis would be more harmful than the virus itself.

Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the head of Brazil’s

Brazil recorded fatalities

1262

new

top electoral court will hear arguments on Tuesday related to two cases seeking to nullify the 2018 presidential election which was won by current President Bolsonaro, the court said in a statement on Wednesday.

The cases, which have moved in fits and starts since November, were brought by leftist election rivals Marina Silva and Guilherme Boulos and relate to alleged cyber-attacks committed against Bolsonaro’s campaign rivals. (Excerpt from BBC News and Reuters)

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Expect no recrimination ꟷ CWI on players declining to participate in tour to UK

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WI will not hold anything against three selected players who have each declined an invitation to participate in the West Indies tour to England.

The three are the Guyanese pair of Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul, and veteran Trinidadian batsman Darren Bravo. They will not be subjected to any backlash from Cricket West Indies (CWI) over their refusal to join the team for the three-Test series in July in England.

Starting July 8, the West Indies will play three Tests in defence of the Wisden Trophy, which they won by defeating England 2-1 in the Caribbean in early 2019. For reasons that were not made public, these three players declined invitations from CWI to join the squad. However, according to CWI, their decision not to participate in that tour is fully respected.

“CWI will not hold this decision against these players when considering future selection,” the board said on Tuesday.

The West Indies 14-man squad and the 11 reserves are expected to arrive in

Guyana to host CARIFTA Chess Championship in 2021 ꟷ all activities postponed indefinitely

Batsmen Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer have opted out of the Wisden Series tour to England

England on June 9, and spend the next four weeks preparing for the series in a bio-secure location that is intended to protect these visiting players and support staff.

Fast bowler Chemar Holder and middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner have received their maiden invitations to the regional team, and Jermaine Blackwood has been recalled to the squad. Fast bowlers Shannon Gabriel and Oshane Thomas have been included in the 11man reserve squad.

WEST INDIES TEST SQUAD: Jason Holder (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, and Kemar Roach.

RESERVE PLAYERS: Sunil Ambris, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shane Moseley, Anderson Phillip, Oshane Thomas, and Jomel Warrican.

Spanish football to resume a day early

ꟷ with 2nd half of abandoned match

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he COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we interact, and has everyone thinking more about their family’s health and well-being. This shift in mindset means the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) will have to adapt to this new norm and seek to sustain cost effective solutions to maintain the interest and to further the development of chess in Guyana.

The GCF executives have begun discussions in this regard, and are seeking virtual solutions to formalise plans going forward. In the coming weeks, they will be launching a number of innovative virtual initiatives for tournaments and training, a draft of which would be available for review by June 15, 2020.

It had been decided to postpone all official GCF events until the health situation normalises; however, it is already June, and the health situation in Guyana has worsened, while there are noticeable improvements in other parts of the world; thus FIDE has announced the postponement of the events cycle of the World Championship, Absolute and Feminine, to the year 2021.

Forecasts in regard to the evolution of the pandemic in Guyana are not encouraging, and the situation has been exacerbated by the current political dynamics. Based on those considerations, all CCA events, both Pan American and regional, including CARIFTA, have accordingly been postponed to 2021.

In the same way, the 2021 calendar passes to 2022, and the allocation given by the last Continental Assembly for the Pan American Youth 2022 to the USCF passes to 2023.

The events marked for the remainder of this year but were already postponed would remain until further analysis of the situation is done on September 30th. It should be noted that Guyana was able to negotiate, and was given, the opportunity by CCA to host the CARIFTA Chess Championship in 2021.

Roman Zozulya joined Albacete after Rayo Vallecano cancelled his loan spell from Real Betis in 2017

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panish football will return a day earlier than planned, when the second half of a second division match that was abandoned because of offensive chanting is played on June 10.

Rayo Vallecano fans chanted that Albacete's Roman Zozulya was a "Nazi" during their match on December 15. It was goalless when the match was abandoned at halftime.

La Liga will resume on June 11, while the Segunda Division will properly restart the following day.

Ukraine forward Zozulya joined

Rayo on loan in 2017, but the deal was cancelled after some fans said the town was "not a place for Nazis". He has always denied links with far-right groups. In an open letter to Rayo fans in 2017, Zozulya claimed "a misunderstanding by a journalist who knows very little about the reality of my country and my own career" led to the belief he was involved in the farright movement in Ukraine.

Rayo were fined 18,000 euros and given a two-match partial stadium closure. (BBC Sports)

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Test squad without Guyanese announced

ꟷ Hetmyer, Paul, Bravo decline call-up

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he Selection Panel of Cricket West Indies (CWI) yesterday named a 14-man Test squad and an 11-player reserve list to participate in the proposed Sandals Tour of England 2020.

Subject to the final approval of the UK Government, the West Indies will defend the Wisden Trophy in three back-to-back Test matches to be played behind closed doors starting on July 8. The touring party, whose members will all be tested for COVID-19 this week, are scheduled to fly to England on private charters on June 8.

The West Indies squad will live, train and play in a “bio-secure” environment during the seven weeks of the tour, as part of the comprehensive medical and operational plans to ensure player and staff safety. The bio-secure protocols will restrict movement in and out of the venues, so the selection panel has also named a list of reserve players who would travel to train and help prepare the Test squad, and ensure replacements are available in case of any injury.

Darren Bravo, Shimron Team West Indies Hetmyer and Keemo Paul have each declined invitation likely to be warmer, which will allow the itor with both bat and ball – qualities that will to travel to England to particsquad more of an opportunity to play its add great value to the team. ipate in the tour, and CWI has best cricket.

“Shannon Gabriel is working his way back said it fully respects their deci“I think we have a squad that will to full match fitness, after his ankle operation sion to decline. be very competitive. More than half of last year. The four weeks leading up to the first “As previously stated, CWI Keemo Paul the squad were involved in the victori- Test will be of tremendous benefit to him. A will not hold this decision ous Test series against England in the fully fit and firing Shannon adds great potency against these players when Caribbean last year, so they will bring to the bowling attack, so it is important to have considering future sethat experience, that knowledge and be- him back at his best.” lection,” the CWI has lief, with them and marry it to the enthuWest Indies are scheduled to arrive in said. siasm and vitality of the newcomers.

Manchester on June 9, and will be based in The two new“The experience of the players who Manchester for a three-week period before comers to the Test squad toured England before in 2017 will also ben- moving to Southampton for the first Test are middle-order batsefit the squad greatly. I expect that the bowlman Nkrumah Bonner and ing unit will once again provide a serious chalfast bowler Chemar Holder. lenge for England, and our batting will have to T h e 22-year-old Holder deliver. England is a tough team when play(not related to captain Jason ing in home conditions; however, I think the Holder) has been the leading fast bowl- West Indies has a good chance of retaining the er in the West Indies Championship, taking 36 Wisden Trophy. We will have to bat consistentwickets in eight matches at 18.91 each, and be- ly well to do so.” ing on the successful ICC U-19 World Cup winHarper added: “Chemar Holder is an exning side in 2016. citing young fast bowling talent who is coming Bonner, 31, will be making off an excellent domestic first-class season. He his debut in the Test squad af- should enjoy bowling in English conditions. He ter being one of the leading bats- could prove a real asset to the team in England. men in the 2020 West Indies “Nkrumah Bonner is an unflappable charChampionship with 523 runs a c ter. His ability to hold the innings toin seven matches, at an average gether and bat through tight situof 58.11. ations could serve the team very He previously representwell. ed the West Indies when he “Jermaine Blackwood replayed two T20 Internationals turns by sheer weight of perforback in 2011 and 2012. mance in the domestic firstclass season. His patience West Indies test squad: and application were eviJason Holder (Captain), Jermaine dent, and that resulted in Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg much greater consistency, Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, which I look forward to him Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane taking back into the Test Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri arena. His experience of Joseph, Raymon Reifer and Kemar Roach Pg 23 playing Test cricket in RESERVE PLAYERS Sunil Ambris, England should stand Shimron Hetmyer Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon him in good stead.

Harding, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, “Raymon Reifer Marquino Mindley, Shane Moseley, Anderson has been around for Phillip, Oshane Thomas, Jomel Warrican a while, and has “The new cricketing environment will proved to be take some getting used to. However, bea real ing in England and working together for c o m four weeks before the first Test will give the petsquad opportunity to get acclimatised and, hopefully, mentally and technically adjusted to the demands of the new environment. Playing in July could be a blessing, as the weather is

Darren Bravo

at the Ageas Bowl. They will then return to Manchester for the second and third matches at Emirates Old Trafford. All these matches will be played behind closed doors, and are still subject to UK Government approval.

Proposed match schedule

July 8-12: 1st Test at Ageas Bowl, Southampton July 16-20: 2nd Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester July 24-28: 3rd Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

Guyana to host CARIFTA Chess Championship in 2021 ꟷ all activities postponed indefinitely

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