Guyana Times - Tuesday, June 16, 2020

P18

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PPP/C vows not to let sacrifices of Enmore Martyrs be forgotten

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4318

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

Recount results credible, enable declaration – Caricom team

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P11 Schools reopen despite unpreparedness …some still without handwashing stations, clean yards

See story on page 8

Exxon cuts P18 back on offshore oil production to reduce flaring

Caricom reiterates law provides for aggrieved political parties to file elections petition

Man shot after attacking Police with P17 cutlass Speeding GDF bus slams into utility P17 pole

Transition of Govt to PPP/C should begin – OAS tells APNU/AFC

Lindener P20 jailed for armed robbery, gun possession

See stories on pages 3 and 17

…APNU/AFC went on “fishing expedition" with migrant/dead voter claims; no proof of fraud …as APNU/AFC Commissioner admits election validity a matter for courts

Recount results should constitute basis of election declaration – Commonwealth SG See story on page 7

See story on page 7

GECOM to conclude deliberations on CEO, Caricom reports today …as per gazetted order No 60 of 2020

Page 3

COVID-19 cases remain P11 at 159 …99 recoveries reported

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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, June 16 – 01:30h and 13:00h-14:30h and Wednesday, June 17 – 02:00h and 13:30h-14:50h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, June 16 – 13:20h-14:50h and Wednesday, June 17 – 14:15h-15:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery showers will give way to light rain showers in the mid-afternoon to earlyevening hours followed by partly cloudy skies. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 13:14h reaching a maximum height of 2.26 metres.

Low Tide: 06:47h and 19:07h reaching minimum heights of 0.94 metre and 0.93 metre.

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GECOM to conclude deliberations on CEO, Caricom reports today …as per gazetted order No 60 of 2020

T

he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Monday adjourned its meeting and decided to meet again today to conclude discussions on two critical reports ahead of the highly-anticipated declaration of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

According to gazetted order no 60 of 2020 a declaration is to be made today.

At the conclusion of the meeting on Monday, GECOM Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Vincent Alexander spoke to the media. Gunraj revealed that discussions were still in their early stages and were scheduled to continue today.

“Unfortunately, our discussions are not complete.

We have adjourned to continue those discussions,” he said, adding that the reports from both Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) would be discussed.

M e a n w h i l e , Alexander was asked point blank whether GECOM had the legal authority to pronounce on the credibility of an election. He admitted that to the best of his knowledge, settling the question of the credibility of the elections would eventually be a matter

GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj

for the courts.

“There are different views on the matter. The courts will have to pronounce eventually, I think,” Alexander explained. The Constitution of Guyana, in fact, makes it clear that the High Court has the exclusive jurisdiction to determine the credibility of an election.

Article 163 (b) of the Constitution states “subject to the provisions of this article, the High Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine any question whether (i) either generally or in any particular place, an election has been lawfully conducted or the result thereof has been or may have been, affected by any unlawful act or omission.”

Alexander also explained that among the things discussed were the observa-

GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander

tion reports from the recount. These observation reports were summarised by Lowenfield in the report he presented to the Commission.

However, in his report, the CEO went outside of his ambit and sided with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) when he said the March 2 General and Regional Elections lacked credibility and fairness owing to the unsubstantiated allegations of dead and migrated persons voting.

Neither Lowenfield nor the APNU/AFC produced a shred of definitive evidence to

support those allegations.

It was only a few days ago that an APNU/AFC supporter’s claim that someone was dead but had voted had to be debunked by the woman’s relatives. The death certificate the supporter produced was also denounced as fake.

This follows previous instances during the recently-concluded recount, where persons had to come forward and deny claims from APNU/ AFC that they were migrant voters.

These allegations formed the basis for the coalition arguing that the results of the elections were not credible.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

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

Eyes of the world on GECOM Chair

T

he eyes of the entire nation, the CARICOM region and the wider world are on Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice Claudette Singh, as she is about to deliver her constitutional mandate and do what is morally and legally right for Guyana.

Today, Justice Singh is expected to officially declare the results of the March 2 General and Regional Elections, more than three and a half months after the electorate went to the polls.

By any standard, this is an unacceptably long period of time for elections results to be announced, and the nation cannot, and must not, be allowed to wait any longer for a legitimate Government to be sworn in.

The entire nation and every international stakeholder know who the winner of the elections is. The National Recount which was completed a few days ago only confirmed what the nation knew since March 4; that is: the polls were free and fair and the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has emerged as the winner.

From all indications, the Commission is meeting again this morning to continue discussions on the reports made by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and the CARICOM Observer Team. We are unsure as to the reason/s for such lengthy discussions on a matter which should have been straightforward, since the results of the recount were shared with all political parties and were broadcast live for all to see.

On Saturday, Lowenfield presented his report to the Commission, confirming the figures showing a PPP/C victory.

However, in the same vein, he ventured into areas in which he has no legal authority. But, as we have come to know by now, there are some within GECOM and the APNU/AFC Coalition who have lost all rationality, decency, and sense of fair play, and would go to any length to carry out what is clearly illegally and morally wrong.

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

However, Lowenfield strayed from that mandate. Instead of presenting a tabulation of the votes garnered during the recount exercise and a summary of the observation reports, Lowenfield illegally proffered his opinion and stated that he is of the belief that the election process may have lacked credibility and fairness.

However, as expected, his “assessment” has been rejected by everyone, except the APNU/AFC. It is important to point out that the CARICOM Observation Team, which has the confidence of President David Granger, has found that the recount exercise was credible and the results reflected the will of the people. In its assessment, the Team said that the national recount process, despite some of its administrative failings, is not an indictment of the 2020 polls, “and the Team categorically rejects the concerted public efforts to discredit the 2020 polls up to the disastrous Region 4 tabulation.”

In very clear terms, the Team noted: “Nothing that we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 02, 2020 elections”.

It could be recalled that in a letter to the United States Ambassador to Guyana on 15 May, President Granger stated that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) remains “the most legitimate interlocutor in the Guyana situation”, and that “Guyana, equally, is confident in the legitimacy, credibility and competence of the CARCIOM Team to perform its task”.

Now that the CARICOM Team has submitted its report, which debunks all claims of voter fraud being peddled by the APNU/ AFC in their bid to annul the elections, we are waiting to see what the next steps of the President would be. After all, it is he who agreed, along with the Leader of the Opposition, to have the CARICOM Team come to Guyana to observe the recount process, so that the political crisis engulfing the country following Clairmont Mingo’s fraudulent declarations could be settled.

Certainly, pressure is mounting from all quarters for the Coalition Government to concede defeat and allow for the PPP/C to transition into government smoothly.

Justice Singh has the most crucial role to play today. She will do what is right for Guyana, nothing else. She has the power to stop the charade of a few who want to see Guyana go down a path of destruction.

Madam Chair, time for that lawful declaration Dear Editor, Now that CARICOM, or the most “appropriate interlocutor” of the elections, has issued its report, which upholds the integrity of the will of the electorate as exercised in the free and fair elections held on March 2, 2020, it is imperative for the GECOM Chair to lawfully declare the obvious winner without further haste.

To be clear: the winner of the people’s confidence

is the PPP/C. That seminal paragraph from the CARICOM report is worth repeating: “Overall, while we acknowledge that there were some defects in the recount of the March 02, 2020 votes cast for the General and Regional elections in Guyana, the Team did not witness anything which would render the recount and by extension the casting of the ballot on March 02, so grievously deficient

procedurally or technically, (despite some irregularities), or sufficiently deficient to have thwarted the will of the people and consequently preventing the election results and its declaration by GECOM from reflecting the will of the voters. The actual count of the vote was indeed transparent”.

It is also time for the incumbent de facto administration to finally respect the

majority will of the people and initiate that imminent process of a lawful transition.

In the interim, and as was duly noted by CARICOM: “Any aggrieved political party has been afforded the right to seek redress before the courts in the form of an election petition”.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

How low will Keith Lowenfield and APNU/AFC go?

Dear Editor, Michelle Obama famously remarked, “When they go low, we go high”.

While the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and APNU/AFC have made it extremely easy for the rest of Guyana to take the high ground, the question is: How low will they go?

If it is any indication, Mr Keith Lowenfield’s summation and unwarranted interpretation of the Observation Reports generated during the National Recount suggest there is no bottom in sight, only the abyss.

And from all accounts, Mr. David Granger and his APNU+AFC cabal appear more determined than ever to divide and destroy Guyana.

So far, their efforts have gained very little traction, but their persistence is duly noted, both at home and abroad.

By now there seems to be little doubt that Mr. Granger is complicit in the continual attempt to deny the will of the Guyanese people.

He would have known the outcome of these elections as early as March 3; and if there

were any doubts, surely, the results of the recount would have put those to rest. Despite this, unsubstantiated claims of anomalies were raised during the recount, and those were flagrantly distorted and manipulated in the tabulation report. His refusal to do the honourable thing and concede does not leave much to the imagination regarding his ultimate intention.

Additionally, Mr. Granger’s hostile demeanour following a recent call by incoming Chairman of the Caribbean Community, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, for GECOM to respect the recount, is further evidence of his reluctance to put Guyana first. And if that is not instructive, surely his intimation that a state of emergency is conceivable if the elections are annulled further demonstrates the despotic path he is hell bent on taking.

Unlike his hero Forbes Burnham, whose legacy of rigged elections is well documented, almost every shameful act done by Mr. Granger and his co-conspirators has been exposed in near re-

al-time for the world to see.

He cannot hide from it, nor should Guyanese allow him to escape it. Thus, if he honestly believes that the Guyanese people and the international community would stand idly by and allow him to disregard the true will of the people, he is gravely mistaken. There is absolutely no room for a ‘benevolent’ dictator or ‘sanctimonious gangster’ in Guyana.

It is not as if Mr. Granger is being asked to compromise. He has lost these elections fair and square. The CARICOM-observed recount of votes cast on March 2 clearly shows the winner of these elections. Also, Article 177: 2 (b) of the Constitution of Guyana is clear as day.

With Mr. Granger’s determination to hold on to power at all cost, it is now incumbent on Justice Claudette Singh to put an end to this misery once and for all. Should she vote with the APNU+AFC-appointed GECOM Commissioners to disregard the recount tabulation and illegally annul the elections, the final blow to democracy in Guyana would

have materialised before our very eyes. However, given that irrefutable evidence has flowed from the recount exercise to establish that the PPP/C has won these elections, the international community should have absolutely no problem in recognising Dr. Irfaan Ali as the duly elected President of Guyana.

What should follow thereafter are swift and decisive sanctions imposed on all those who have participated in and/or facilitated what can only be described as the most brazen election theft in recent history anywhere in the world.

Despite having a reputation for being resilient in the face of adversity, the Guyanese people have endured a lot in the last few months. In a couple of days, their faith in all that is righteous and just will be tested, or their worst fears would be realised. Whatever eventuates, history will not be kind to Mr. Granger and his APNU+AFC comrades.

Yours faithfully, Omchand Mahdu

Remembering the sparkles in your eyes on E-Day

Dear Editor, A post in a popular social media group appeared this morning - “many guesses what may transpire today!”

I listened to Timothy Jonas on Sunday and I got hope. I read Freddie K. on Monday morning and I was deflated. I wrote my comment.

At the end of the day, it’s all up to the Chair, the Honourable Justice Claudette Singh; she holds the future of Guyana in the palms of her hands.

Should it have come down to this? That’s a debate for another day.

Madam Justice Claudette Singh has been unpredictable all along. She does not appear to be executing her mandate, or doing what is in the best interest of her country; at least not initially, or she would have gone back to the Statement of Polls, tabulated them, and declared the legal winner; but her silence speaks volume.

We get it: She is in a tough spot, and is trying her best to play the nasty political game by clearly seem-

ing to be partial to one institution. Nevertheless, at this juncture, she afforded us a semi-transparent recount completed within a reasonable period of time.

Throughout her journey, Justice Singh has been fighting her demons. She likes a good legal battle for sure; so, if you can bring a good legal argument, she MAY side with you. If she is FORCED by the court, she would oblige. If she can legally get away with what she wants, she would grab the opportunity and run with it.

And don’t forget: Justice Singh is not afraid of anything, as she is a godly woman.

She seems proud that she ran a good election on E-Day, and seems proud of the team she led. It was no doubt hard work, and her efforts and those of the entire GECOM community did not go unrecognised by any political party, local or international observer, or the citizens of Guyana.

We were all proud of E-Day and the voting process.

Justice Singh also takes

the franchise seriously. She does not like to disenfranchise voters for the hell of it, hence her last ruling to include the 29 boxes. She sang the tune, “Every vote must count”, but also broke the record when she went back on her words, “Those who allege must prove”.

So, does she throw each party a bone now and then? Absolutely! Will she throw the biggest bone to the Opposition and country, which they have legally earned since December 2018?

I still can’t say for sure. She will look to the Caricom scrutineers for some comfort, and she will get it.

What I do know is that Madam Chair definitely cannot declare the incumbent the winner; there are no numbers supporting this position. So what are her options? She would have to either declare for the Opposition or nothing.

Will she hang on to the tread that a “dagger” still lies over the heads of the people, given false doubts on credibility, which have been intensified by the incumbent, and the al-

ternate reality conjured up by them?

Madam Chair, I ask that you do not be fooled by this alternate reality. It is the nature of the beast. It is always the case with any election. You cannot make everyone happy. There are graceful leaders who accept defeat, reflect on their mistakes, and come back stronger to win the people’s hearts.

The incumbent cannot ‘see their way’, but as a godly woman, you have been empowered to force them down this path. USE IT. Do not conclude that the election is inconclusive. Do not let the court force you to declare the lawfully elected president. It will not sit well in the long haul.

Madam Chair, I ask that you go back to that very sacred day in your heart and in your mind, when you knew you had run one of the best elections the world had ever seen.

Warmest regards, Bibi Ramdayal

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

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Where has all the money gone?

Dear Editor, Guyana’s elections have gripped the nation for 105 days, which is almost 30% of the year. Voting in the March 2, 2020 polls has been smooth, so much so, that all sides and the observers have declared the proceeding on E-Day as free and fair and free from fair and thus credible. The entire system broke down when Mr. Claremont Mingo attempted to fraudulently altered the results for District No. 4, by inflating the number of valid votes won by the APNU-AFC by 19,116 and pinched 3,689 valid votes from the PPPC. As a means of exposing the Mingo fraud and getting to the truth, all sides agreed to a recount process, which has now been completed. This process has produced some factual results of the aggregated tally of the valid votes found in the 2,339 ballot boxes. To the credit of the Chief Elections Officer, he provided those summary results of the tally from the ballot boxes from all of ten (10) Region by way of the ten (10) Certificates of District Tabulation. Those ten (10) Certificates which is authenticated by the GECOM Tabulation Supervisor and the GECOM District Coordinator when they both certified that “the totals were correctly complied, ascertained and verified using the Statements

of Recount received at the Tabulation Centre and are ex-

sonal opinions to that report.

Such a situation exposed his

tracted from the tabulation matrix”.

When the totals on those ten (10) Tabulation Certificates are aggregated, the summary totals illustrated that the winners of the 2020 General Elections is the PPPC with 233,336 votes while the second-highest totals belonged to the APNU-AFC which got some 15,416 votes less. The extract of the aggregated recount totals of valid votes is illustrated in the extracts from Mr. Lowenfield Report submitted on June 13, 2020: These are the facts and there is no room for innuendos, insinuations, and allegations.

But this is exactly the overtone that the Chief Elections Officer sought to insert by way of his attempt to add his per-

unprofessionalism, naked opportunism, and blind allegiance to the PNC, the mother ship in this entire attempt to rig these elections. His dishonorable performance begs the question – was he bribed to alter the facts?

I was a party to the entire recount and tabulation process and one of the few who attended every single day from the inception to the expiry of that process. What I witnessed was an overwhelming level of professionalism and commitment on the part of the stakeholders (save and except a few exceptions). But in the grand scheme of things, the recount process was credible and achieve its objective of recounting every single ballot cast.

So it is most disturbing

Lowenfield has no authority or capacity to discredit an election Dear Editor, On June 3, the APNU+AFC coalition declared that “any result emanating from this (recount) process cannot be considered credible, because of the high incidence of fraud.”

APNU/AFC’s statement is reminiscent of the coalition’s comments made during the recount process, when it argued that dead and missing persons and persons residing outside the country were found to have voted on Election Day. Although Granger declared on numerous occasions that he would accept GECOM’s decision on a winner, in a statement made on June 6, he maintained that irregularities during the voting process “appear to have been committed intentionally, not accidentally, and demonstrate a pattern of manipulation of the electoral process.”

This suggests that, although the physical recounting of votes is completed, the recount’s next stages face contention.

It is public information that Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield received 216 acres at Millie’s Hideout in Region 10 in June 2019, and 2 acres at Mocha in Region 4.

In Lowenfield’s report, he outlined statistics to represent allegations which made no sense, are unproven, and have been debunked on many occasions. Termed “anomalies” and “voters’ impersonation”, these allegations riddled the reports for all the regions I’ve seen thus far. He concluded his report by stating that, on the basis of the votes counted and information furnished from the recount, it cannot be ascer-

tained that the results of each district had met the standard of a fair and credible election.

Lowenfield knows that his stats cannot be proven, hence his conclusion. He has neither authority nor capacity to outrightly discredit an election, moreso on the basis of allegations. He has no right to be judge, jury or executioner.

Keith Lowenfield has joined Mingo, Harmon, and the cabal of many other APNU/AFC people who continue to test the intelligence of the Guyanese people. They have been consistently making insulting remarks; recklessly and blatantly making unprofessional and insensitive statements; and performing acts that emanate from their massive rigging manual.

Lowenfield had said he was prepared to hold Elections within the timeframe stipulated by the successful passage of the No-Confidence Vote of December 21, 2018, but he changed his position and put forward proposals that required approximately 181 days before he could be so ready. Elections were eventually held 437 days later.

The Granger Administration have been using Mr Lowenfield and the GECOM Secretariat to do their dirty and deceitful work, and Lowenfield has always delivered as the PNC-led APNU/ AFC regime demanded, and fulfilled what they required of him on a silver platter.

The world has been waiting for a credible declaration of the winner of the March 02, 2020 General and Regional Elections, but manufactured controversies, wickedness, and outright lies have been told to

the people of Guyana all the time. The fraudulent Mingo declarations were omitted from the Lowenfield report, and the mischievous plan for the recount to take 156 days was uncalled for. However, it backfired when the recount took only 33 days.

Does Mr. Lowenfield believe Guyanese are stupid? Are Guyanese incapable of reasoning? You have a rude awakening coming! This nonsense must stop now! we fought to have free, fair and transparent elections; now we are fighting for credible elections results, which the Caricom team would provide to the people of Guyana when its members present their report.

The propaganda and misinformation that Mr Lowenfield and the APNU cabal are spreading will be revealed for all to see. The people of Guyana expressed their will at the ballot box, and as a result, the 3-person Caricom Observer Group will conclude that the recount results are completely acceptable.

Despite concerns, nothing that the people of Guyana witnessed warrants any challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 02, 2020 elections.

The APNU/AFC are afforded the right to seek redress in an elections petition in court.

Mr Granger, please start the transition process immediately in an effort to swear in the true President of Guyana, President Dr Irfaan Ali. Sincerely, David Adams

that Mr. Lowenfield has the audacity to insert his personal prejudices into the CEO’s Report that does not accurately reflect the fact of the matters that took place during those grueling 35 days.

Nowhere in this process, were any of the APNU instigated allegations proven and for Mr. Lowenfield to jump on that train of unproven and unsubstantiated allegations exposes that he is a stranger to his mandate and is being guided by another force that does not subscribe to the principle of “one person: one vote and that every vote must be counted”. Even

the Chairman of GECOM got it when she said “he who asserts must prove” because that is the basis upon which the results for an elections are declared – facts and only facts.

Every item included in the CEO’s Report to the Commission under the heading – Summary of Observation Report are allegations and if one visits the Oxford Dictionary they will find that an allegation is a “claim that is made without proof”. You do not declare an elections on assertions or avowals or affirmations. You declare an elections on hard empirical evidence and facts. And that is what the recount process produced, Statement of Recounts (SoRs) that illustrated that the PPPC secured 233,336 valid votes and no other list of candidate secured more.

And even if you academical-

ly combined all the other tally of the other parties, it still cannot surpass the total valid votes earned by the PPPC, which confirms that the PPPC has won the majority and plurality in these 2020 General Elections and has a legal and moral right to be declared the winner.

Thus, this nation and the international community have one expectation from the GECOM Commission and in particular the GECOM Chairperson – declare the PPPC as the winners of the 2020 General Elections and Dr. Irfaan Ali as the next President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

Anything else would be a sham. The eyes of all of us are now on Claudette Singh.

Regards, Sasenarine Singh

Lowenfield indicts himself with shameless report

Dear Editor, Just when you think Mr Lowenfield cannot go any lower, he shocks you with the level of his depravity; and proves that he is a lapdog for the PNC, and not an honest broker.

How can the Chief Elections Officer, who is charged with holding free, fair and impartial elections, do all he can to frustrate and delay the process, and take sides and support all the plots in the PNC’s playbook?

When Mr Lowenfield said the elections were not credible, he was indicting himself as being incompetent; as he was given $8 billion to hold proper elections, and in his report, he said he did not hold proper elections.

The CEO wields enormous power, and the buck always stops with him; if GECOM has allegedly failed, it means that Lowenfield has failed. The question is: Should we fire him now, or would that be the first act of the incoming Dr. Irfaan Ali government?

This man Lowenfield has provided all the evidence to incriminate himself as no good, or up to no good. He was willing to demonise his own agency and all its workers, the majority of whom seemed to have done a good job and won praise from all the parties in the recount.

He has also thrown the Chair under the bus. In the original count of SOPs, no one raised any issue until the Mingo Region 4 fraud emerged, and neither Lowenfield nor the Chair has done anything about it.

Mr Lowenfield perhaps may have committed perjury, as he had endorsed the fraudulent Mingo numbers and had initially made a declaration that the elections were fair and credible and that the PNC had won. The Chief Justice directed him to count Region 4 votes using the SOPs, and his declaration was held in abeyance by the Chair. Now, when the recount has shown that the original SOPs were accurate, the PNC has changed its narrative and Lowenfield has endorsed and peddled its Anancy story.

This man has shown the greatest contempt for the Guyanese people, who are teetering on the brink, with the country being in trauma and slow torture; since the December 2018 NCV cannot hold out any longer, and Lowenfield will have to take the blame for whatever happens.

The country is bankrupt, facing a health crisis, and

there is a pending border dispute to be resolved; and the PNC and Lowenfield continue to hold this county to ransom.

The Commission must ask Lowenfield all the hard questions, and record him for his trial later. The Chair should fire him now, so he has no further involvement in the post-election process; and should direct him to revise his report, excluding all unproven allegations and PNC “Anancy” stories.

The good thing is that Lowenfield’s report has the final valid recount matrices in there, and will be the basis on which the Chair can swear in the new PPP government. The nation demands nothing less, and the Chair must be decisive on Tuesday.

The PNC, also, has crossed many red lines and seems to be a party with no redemptive value. It can never ever be trusted on anything, and is not an honourable party with which power-sharing can be discussed. The nation hopes this party would go on a long penance, and eventually self-destruct. Guyana deserves better.

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTER ON PAGE 20

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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

Page

Foundation

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

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

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

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

SCIENCE PAPER II

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

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

Be sure to answer FULLY the FOUR questions.

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

Question one is compulsory The diagram below is a system of the human body. Study it, then answer question 1.

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

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

7. Look over your work when you have finished.

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

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

(c) What is another name for the cotyledon?

(ii) From where does the product come? ____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

___________________________________________________ (1 mark)

Study the diagrams below, then answer question 2.

The diagrams below shows two types of soil. Study them, then answer question 3.

1 (a) What system of the human body is shown above? ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) (i) Name the part labelled N. ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (ii) State one function of the part M. ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (c) State the waste product stored in M by this system. (i) ________________________________________________

(1 mark)

(a) (i) Name the process shown in the diagram above. ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (ii)State two conditions necessary for this process to occur. _____________________________________________________ (2 marks) (b) On which day did the radicle emerge? ___________________________________________________ (1 mark)

3.

(a) Which soil type is clayey?

(i)_________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) State two reasons why soil B is cracked. ___________________________________________________ (2 marks) (c)Which soil type is most suitable for growing sugar cane? ___________________________________________________ (1 mark) (d) Give one reason for your answer at (c). ___________________________________________________ (1 mark)

TO BE CONTINUED

CXC ENGLISH God’s Grandeur

By Gerard Manley Hopkins

The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs — Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

1) Describe the tone of the poem Summarise the poem Discuss its form Suggest an alternative title, citing evidence from the text

NEWS

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Transition of Govt to PPP/C should begin – OAS tells APNU/AFC that there is no reason not to support the results of the recount process.

“OAS further takes note and wholly supports the find-

President-elect, Dr Irfaan Ali

T

he Organisation of American States (OAS) has called on the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) to begin the process of transition, which will allow the legitimately-elected Government to take its place.

This call came hours after the Caribbean Community (Caricom) high-level observation team said in its report on the elections recount that the process was conducted in “a professional, transparent and impartial fashion”, which allowed GECOM, political parties and other stakeholders to accurately determine the results for each polling station.

As such, the OAS reiterated

[People’s Progressive Party/ Civic} has won the favour of the majority of Guyana’s eligible voters. Their will must be respected,” the OAS stat-

“Elections are held to determine the will of the people and once the people’s wishes are clearly stated, they must be upheld – not only in instances where they favour the incumbent. In this case, the results published in the report of the Chief Elections Officer himself make it clear that the Opposition PPP/C has won the favour of the majority of Guyana’s eligible voters. Their will must be respected” – OAS ings of the Caricom team of scrutineers that the results of the recount were transparent and credible, and nothing prevents the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission from now declaring the election, based on these results,” the OAS said in its statement on Monday.

It added that elections are held to determine the will of the people and once the people’s wishes are clearly stated, they must be upheld – not only in instances where they favour the incumbent.

“In this case, the results published in the report of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) himself make it clear that the Opposition PPP/C

ed.

The OAS pointed out that the Order of the Recount as was gazetted required that “ascertained and verified” matrices of the results for each of the 10 electoral districts be submitted to the CEO, who would then tabulate these results and submit them to GECOM, along with a summary of the observation reports prepared for each district.

On Saturday, CEO Keith Lowenfield submitted to GECOM’s Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh his report on the recently-concluded national elections recount of the ballots cast at the March 2 General and

AFC secured 217,055 votes.

Change Guyana – 2607; Fed-Up Party – 153, Liberty and Justice Party – 2935; Organisation for the Victory of the People – 448; People’s Republic Party – 927; and the United Republican Party – 1369.

According to the numbers, the PPP/C is to ascend to the seat of power, while the APNU/AFC is now Guyana’s main Opposition.

Astonishing

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro

Regional Elections.

The figures presented by Lowenfield that were garnered in the recount process show the PPP/C won the March 2 General Election with 233,336 votes cast in its favour. The APNU/AFC secured 217,920 votes.

For the new parties, the numbers are as follows: A New and United Guyana – 2313; Change Guyana –1953; Liberty and Justice Party – 2657; People’s Republic Party – 889; The Citizen’s Initiative – 680; The New Movement – 244; and the United Republican Party – 360.

In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C also won with 233,661 votes, while APNU/

However, in his report, the CEO went outside of his ambit and sided with the APNU/AFC when he said the March 2 General and Regional Elections lacked credibility and fairness owing to the unsubstantiated allegations of dead and migrated persons voting.

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

OAS on Monday said that this report submitted

by Lowenfield records multiple “allegations” of irregularities by a contesting party in each district, which are then used as a basis for determining that the electoral process in each of the 10 districts was not credible.

“There is little evidence in the CEO’s report of efforts to investigate or otherwise ad-

Caretaker President David Granger

dress any of the alleged irregularities presented. His contention that the entire election be set aside on this basis alone is astonishing,” the Organisation stated.

The OAS reminded that in its statement of April 15, 2020, prior to the commencement of the recount, it had recommended the exclusion of any official who had displayed partisan behaviour during the electoral process.

“While the CEO’s approach to his report is, therefore, disappointing, it is not unexpected,” the OAS stated.

The seven-member Commission met on Monday and will continue its consideration of the CEO’s report today.

Recount results should constitute basis of election declaration – Commonwealth SG …process accurate, credible – Sir Ronald Sanders

Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland

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ommonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland on Monday urged that there be acceptance of the results from national elections recount in Guyana.

She shared these sentiments following the submission of a report from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) high-level observer team that supervised the recount process. Scotland pointed out that it was clear that the recount results were “completely acceptable” and nothing that the Caricom observers witnessed warranted a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results were acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 2 elections.

She added that President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo demonstrated “commendable leadership when they agreed to the recount

and committed to respect and adhere to the recount results.

This continued leadership and commitment is needed now more than ever. The people of Guyana have been patient and deserve finality as determined by the recount results.”

Scotland also commended the Caricom team members for their brave and selfless service while also thanking Senior Commonwealth Adviser, Dr Afari-Gyan, who remains faithful, steadfast and resilient in his professional and experienced support to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

“The Commonwealth continues to stand with Guyana and urge the leaders and the people of Guyana to live up to the lofty aspirations set out in your constitution, your electoral laws, and the Commonwealth Charter,” Scotland stated.

Democratic Government

Meanwhile, Guyana-born internationally-respected diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders has asserted that the recount of votes cast in the March 2, 2020 Elections is “accurate, credible, and is the basis for a democratic Government in Guyana”.

As such, he said he fully supported the position as set out by the Organisation of American States (OAS), which he also noted is consistent with the report submitted by the Caricom team.

The OAS has called on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change

Guyana-born internationallyrespected diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders

(APNU/AFC) to begin the process of transition, which would allow the legitimately-elected Government to take its place. This call came hours after the Caribbean Community (Caricom) high-level observation team said in its report on the elections recount that the process was conducted in “a professional, transparent and impartial fashion”, which allowed GECOM, political parties, and other stakeholders to accurately determine the results for each polling station. As such, the OAS reiterated that there was no reason not to support the results of the recount process.

Meanwhile, the Caricom report explains that there was nothing emanating from the recount activity that thwarted the will of the people who cast their ballots at the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

On Saturday, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield submitted

to GECOM’s Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh his report on the recently-concluded national elections recount of the ballots cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

The figures presented by Lowenfield that were garnered in the recount process show the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the March 2 General Election with 233,336 votes cast in its favour. The APNU/AFC secured 217,920 votes.

For the new parties, the numbers are as follows: A New and United Guyana – 2313; Change Guyana –1953; Liberty and Justice Party – 2657; People’s Republic Party – 889; The Citizen’s Initiative

“The Commonwealth continues to stand with Guyana and urge the leaders and the people of Guyana to live up to the lofty aspirations set out in your constitution, your electoral laws, and the Commonwealth Charter” – Patricia Scotland – 680; The New Movement – 244; and the United Republican Party – 360.

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

Change Guyana – 2607; Fed-Up Party – 153, Liberty and Justice Party – 2935; Organisation for the Victory of the People – 448; People’s Republic Party – 927; and the United Republican Party – 1369.

However, in his report, the CEO went outside of his ambit and sided with the APNU/AFC when he said the March 2 General and Regional Elections lacked credibility and fairness owing to the unsubstantiated allegations of dead and migrated persons voting.

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

GECOM to conclude deliberations...

APNU/AFC cast its net so far that party agents objected to a serial number that belonged to prominent Attorney-at-Law Devindra Kissoon, who was not only in the country on Election 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 across the country on Election Day including at the Enmore Community Centre Ground.

In another instance,

APNU/AFC objected to media operative Latoya Wills as they claimed she had migrated and was not around to vote. However, Wills had subsequently confirmed that she did not travel anywhere and was around to vote on March 2.

On the request of GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, Chief Immigration Officer Leslie James had provided a list of names of these alleged migrant voters who he had confirmed were out of the country.

In the wake of several denials, however, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had defended the data it provided to GECOM on the basis of per-

FROM PAGE 3

sons possibly travelling “illegally”, which the Force had said would not be recorded by the Electronic Border Management System.

The curtains on the national recount of ballots came down on Monday last. The data generated from the 2339 Statements of Recount (SoRs) shows that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won with a total of 233,336 votes.

This is 15,416 more votes than its nearest rival, the APNU/AFC, which received 217,920 total votes. When one calculates using the Hare formula, it means that PPP/C secured 33 out of 65 seats in the National Assembly and APNU/AFC secured 31.

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Recount results credible, enable declaration – Caricom team …says will of the people must be respected

The first foot…

T

he high-level Caribbean Community (Caricom) Electoral Observer Team, deemed “the most legitimate interlocutors” in Guyana’s elections standoff, has concluded that the results emanating from the National Recount of the March 02 polls are credible, acceptable, and should be the basis from which the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) declares the final results.

The report was handed over to GECOM on Monday, ahead of the meeting to deliberate on the report presented by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield.

The Caricom team comprised Sylvester King, Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI); and John Jarvis, Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission.

Barrow-Giles led the team, and in her report to the Cariom Secretary-General, she wrote as follows: “Overall, while we acknowledge that there were some defects in the recount of the March 02, 2020 votes cast for the General and Regional Elections in Guyana, the team did not witness anything which would render the recount, and by extension the casting of the ballot on March 02, so grievously deficient procedurally or technically, (despite some irregularities), or sufficiently deficient to have thwarted the will of the people and consequently preventing the election results and its declaration by GECOM from reflecting the will of the voters.

The actual count of the vote was indeed transparent.”

This report now further places CEO Lowenfield in the proverbial pickle, since he has been accused of parroting the incumbent A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) narrative of dead and migrated people voting. In his report, submitted on Saturday to GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, the CEO opined that the March 02 polls were not credible, and revised the figures to show the APNU/AFC winning the General and Regional Elections with a 2/3 Parliamentary majority.

However, the seasoned Caricom Team concluded that despite some administrative failings and the disastrous tabulation by District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, the March 2 polls were credible, and attempts to say otherwise were outrightly rejected.

Though having some concerns, the team noted that it had witnessed no situation where the acceptability of results could be challenged. “…the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of results of the March 02, 2020 elections,” the report authored by Barrow-Giles concluded.

Audit, not recount

The Caricom team detailed in its observations that the process that GECOM set out to do was in fact an audit of the polls, and not a mere recount of the ballots as agreed to by the leaders.

It is important to note that there are stark differences between an audit and recount of the polls. The mere recount would involve, as on elections night, the counting of the votes cast and tabulating them accordingly. Whereas, the audit requires a more in-depth process.

According to the GECOM-gazetted Order, each ballot box was to be scrutinised to ascertain whether the seals were intact, and that was to be followed by examination of the contents inside using a Ballot Box Checklist. This, the CARICOM Team noted, was not in keep-

D

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

ing with a recount process, since it fits the criteria of an audit.

By going on an audit disguised as a recount, GECOM contributed to prolonging of the exercise, which went way beyond the initial 25 days.

“Where there were some minor issues, the Team did not view these as sinister. Nothing we saw up to the closing days of the recount suggested that the poll workers on March 02, 2020, conducted themselves in a manner which would indicate illegality or a deliberate intent to benefit a particular list of candidates over another,” the Caricom report stated.

Each workstation was manned by four GECOM employees, and according to the team, their conduct was commendable. They noted that, for the most part, the staffers were properly trained in the execution of their basic functions, but had some time finding their footing.

This, coupled with the long list of elaborate and unnecessary steps before the actual counting began, was one of the major reasons for the extended amount of time spent on counting one box.

Throughout its report, the Caricom team maintained that the recount figures are acceptable, and should form the basis for the declaration of results.

Will of the people

At every election, people go to the polls to express their choice. This activity is coined as expressing one’s will, and what was clear on March 02, 2020 was that thousands of Guyanese went to the polls to express their will.

The will of the people, according to the figures coming out of the recount, shows an overwhelming victory for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. The PPP/C secured a victory with 233,336 votes cast in its favour, while the incumbent APNU/AFC scraped 217,920 votes. For the new parties, the numbers are as follows: A New and United Guyana – 2,313; Change Guyana - 1,953; Liberty and Justice Party - 2,657; People’s Republic Party - 889; The Citizen’s Initiative – 680; The New Movement – 244; and the United Republican Party – 360.

Those numbers are reflective of the will of the people, and the Caricom Team endorses this as being the figures to proceed with. The report added that there are obvious lessons to be learnt from this experience which, going forward, the Government and the people of Guyana must make every effort to rectify in the best interest of democratic governance.

“Many of the instances of irregularities that we witnessed can be explained by either the incompetence of some of the Presiding Officers at the polling stations on March 02, 2020 and/or the failure to give adequate training by GECOM to its staff on the varied possibilities which

may have arisen at the level of the individual stations,” the report concluded.

Most legitimate interlocutors

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

It was repeated several times by caretaker President David Granger.

In a letter to United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, on May 15, Granger said “The Caribbean Community remains ‘…the most legitimate interlocutors in the Guyana situation’ and that Guyana, equally, is confident in the legitimacy, credibility, and competence of the CARICOM Team to perform its task.”

That was in response to the ambassador’s request to have special arrangements for the Carter Center return to Guyana to observe the recount.

In another letter to the United States Congress, Granger again stated: “The Government of Guyana wishes to inform you that the Caribbean Community did send a new team, which is actually at work with the Elections Commission.

The Caribbean Community sees itself as ‘…the most legitimate interlocutors in the Guyana situation’ and Guyana, equally, is confident in the legitimacy, credibility, and competence of the CARICOM Team to perform its task.”

The recount now proves that the David Granger-led APNU/AFC was involved in some collusion with Region 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo to thwart the will of the people in favour of APNU/AFC. It is a fact that Mingo manipulated the results of his District – the largest -- to give the Coalition the victory it wanted. He did so not once, but two times. Mingo inflated the Coalition’s votes by 19,116 votes, while deducting 3,689 votes from the PPP/C. Neither the caretaker President nor his party has, to date, addressed Mingo’s glaring anomalies. Ironically, the APNU/AFC has been claiming victory, and that has been based on Mingo’s concocted numbers.

Last Sunday, during an interview with a selected group of media houses, Granger reiterated that the APNU/ AFC’s numbers were consistent with a victory. However, in what can be dubbed as a proverbial red light, Granger said he is yet to see the Statements of Poll (SoPs) the party collected from Elections night – 106 days after Guyanese went to the polls.

… (of Caricom) falls avid Granger likes to use alliterations, numbers and mnemonics, possibly as memory aids. For the systemic poverty affecting children in the poor communities, he launched, for instance, his simplistic “5 B’s” programme - boats, bicycles, buses, breakfast and books -- never mind he’d just shuttered 4 sugar factories and thrown 23,000 children of 7000 sugar workers under the bus.

Anyhow, as his myrmidons worked like little beavers to rig the elections to put him back on easy street for another five years, he came up with a 4-point summary as to what lay ahead after the recount: The numbers for the 10 districts along with the “observations” would be passed on to the Commission; They’d then hand off to CEO Lowenfield to “tabulate and summarise”; he’d do his thing and hand his report to the Chair; and lastly, the Chair would give her verdict on the whole shebang.

What he didn’t emphasise as we approached number 4, was that there was also going to be a report by the Caricom Observer Mission presented to the Commission. Working deviously and diligently through his minions to deny the Carter Center a return to Guyana, Granger had waxed eloquent on the importance of the Caricom Mission. He snarkily informed the US Ambassador, who’d intervened for the Carter Center, that CariCom saw themselves as “the most legitimate interlocutors in the Guyana situation”.

“Guyana”, he sniffed, “equally is confident in the legitimacy, credibility and competence of the Caricom team to perform its task”.

Well, they do say one should be careful what one asks for. As the GECOM Chair and Commission prepared to look at the Lowenfield “Report” - where he’d done a number 2 on Granger’s number three to make it a manual for handing the PNC the elections on a platter - the Caricom Report arrived on her desk - and on the desks of the media houses. The “most legitimate interlocutors in the Guyana situation” delivered such a report, in such plain language about the PNC’s electoral shenanigans, that it would’ve made the diplomatic Carter Center blush.

But the kick to the family jewels was their conclusion: “Overall, while we acknowledged that there were some defects in the recount of the March 02, 2020 votes cast for the General and Regional Elections, the team did not witness anything which would render the recount, and by extension, the casting of the ballot on March 02, so grievously deficient procedurally or technically (despite some irregularities) or sufficiently deficient to have thwarted the will of the people and subsequently prevent the elections results and its declaration by GECOM from reflecting the will of the voters.

The actual count of the vote was indeed transparent.”

As the lawyers say, “The thing speaks for itself”!! And makes the Chair’s task very straightforward!

…with some details Caricom and Guyana are family - that’s the meaning of “community”, ain’t it? And as such, we have the right to speak frankly to each other. If your family can’t tell you that your breath smells, who will? So, Granger and his “utensil”, Harmon, were completely out of order for suggesting that former Bajan PM Owen Arthur and incoming Caricom Chair Gonsalves couldn’t tell it like it is on the Guyanese elections.

The Caricom Observer Report was written in the same spirit of openness. They referred to efforts to have them join one party’s “tomfoolery”! As an example, they said they “viewed much of the exercise as a fishing expedition designed to gather data for a possible election petition, and which resulted in considerable time being wasted during the recount”!

Sarcastically, they added, “The net was cast extremely wide in the hope of at least making a small catch, and at times the anticipated harvest ended in slim pickings.”

Ouch!! That’s cold! even for family!!

…after the 4Cs Speaking to reporters, Granger informed that for the recount, he looked at “4Cs”: the Constitution, the Court, the Commission, and CARICOM. Well, he forgot a fifth “C” - Claudette!!

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

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GECOM “willingly & wittingly” violated Guyanese electorate’s rights in allowing broadcast of Observation Reports – Caricom team “The Team is, therefore, of the firm view that GECOM willing[ly] and wittingly violated the rights of the Guyanese electorate in facilitating these requests and in permitting the national audio broadcast of the Observation Reports. Further, the reading of the Observation Reports with the mention of the serial number of voters in the country has the potential to expose the elector to harassment and quite possibly worse, and GECOM must be held accountable for such.”

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he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was blasted by a group of distinguished regional leaders for violating the rights of the Guyanese electorate by allowing the national broadcast of the Observation Reports – a move which has the potential to expose electors to discrimination and harassment.

The Observation Reports – which included numerous unsubstantiated allegations made primarily by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition – was allowed to be broadcast countrywide, despite stern objections from almost every stakeholder.

But the high-level Caricom delegation, which scrutinised the activity, said it was “appalled” by GECOM’s decision to allow the Reports to be nationally broadcast – compromising the safety of the

electors and breaching international norms.

By doing so, the Elections Commission “willingly and wittingly” violated the rights of the Guyanese electorate, the Caricom team reasoned in the report it submitted to the entity’s Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

“For some unfathomable reason a decision was taken

by GECOM to not only display the Observation Reports during the tabulation of the SoRs [Statements of Recount] at the end of the day, but to read the contents of the Observation Reports with the identified serial numbers of the voters.

“While names were not called, anyone familiar with the OLE [Official List of Electors] which was widely circulated throughout Guyana and on display at least a week before poll day and on poll day within their respective dis-

tricts, could easily identify the voters,” the Caricom Team explained in the report.

In fact, the Caricom team said it was “appalled that an institution charged with the responsibility for the conduct of elections would in any way compromise the safety of the elector, not to speak of the violations of international norms regarding the ballot”.

The regional group pointed out that the Representation of the People Act makes “absolutely no reference” to the Observation Reports which became a focal point of the recount process.

The Caricom team said Observation Reports are administrative contraptions to chronicle miscellaneous issues and which if carefully used can derive great benefits to an Election Commission to identify possible problems and to undertake corrective measures.

However, as it were, the team noted that “these reports became integral component of the recount process and an invaluable tool for those seeking to discredit the recount”.

Violated rights of Guyanese

The team further highlighted that International Public Law (IPL) provides a number of obligations for democratic or integrity-based elections and has resulted in the development of an acceptable framework for the conduct of credible elections

based on a set of democratic standards.

Also noting that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is the most widely

subscribed treaty guaranteeing participatory rights, the Caricom team said “minimally, the political covenant establishes the three basic requirements and guarantees

for the conduct of genuine (democratic) elections and the expressed intent of the will of the people as the basis for the selection of a government.”

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Schools reopen despite unpreparedness …some still without handwashing stations, clean yards

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Lack of social distancing at St George’s Secondary

ith incomplete construction of handwashing sinks and other insufficient amenities, both primary and secondary students were still required to turn up at their respective schools on Monday to prepare for examinations.

As mandated by the Education Ministry, class sessions commenced despite an evident state of unpreparedness at many institutions. Moreover, there were gaps in implementing all the guidelines necessary to protect students from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

While parents were assured by authorities of handwashing sinks at the gates, construction workers were seen at many schools now installing the facilities.

Over at the Richard Ishmael Secondary School, the con-

crete station was being plastered with cement in the early-afternoon hours.

The promise of clean surroundings also faltered, as some schoolyards were not cleaned as yet while some were in the process of being weeded. At others, like the St Joseph High School’s, the grass was being picked up from the compound.

For students to return to school, education officials had announced that all stakeholders would be required to wear masks and practise social distancing.

But during a visit to schools within the Georgetown district, this was not completely adhered to.

In fact, many were seen outside in the schoolyard without masks. While social distancing was somewhat practised at the institutions, the scenario quickly changed

when the students departed the building. As soon as students rushed out the gates, they returned to the norm of huddling in the streets and walking in groups – defying social distancing guidelines.

One teacher, after being contacted by Guyana Times, indicated that they could not control what was done outside the school environment, but could only advise children to follow the guidelines. She urged parents to ensure that their children return home immediately

A handwashing facility being built on Monday at Richard Ishmael Secondary School

after classroom activities.

Prior to the reopening, several stakeholders, including the Guyana Teachers Union, had called for the examinations to be postponed, but this call was ignored by the Education Ministry.

With the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA); Caribbean Secondary

COVID-19 cases remain at 159 …99 recoveries reported

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hief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud on Monday announced that Guyana has seen no new cases of COVID-19 – indicating that the current figure is still 159.

During Monday’s briefing, he stated that the COVID-19 death toll remained at 12. The last increase in cases was reported last Friday when health authorities detected one new case.

To date, the total number of persons tested is 1959, with 1800 returning negative results.

Currently, 99 persons have recovered while there are 48 active cases in institutional isolation, two patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and 22 persons in institutional quarantine.

Meanwhile, for the repatriation of Guyanese being facilitated currently, Dr Persaud reminded that all persons must be tested for COVID-19 in order to return home. They must get the PCR test done since the Public Health Ministry is not accepting the results of a Rapid Test. There are also guidelines which must be followed on the aircraft to protect against any possible infection.

“As more of our loved ones prepare to return, I

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

wish to remind them of the importance of having the PCR test done; they must remember that the Ministry of Public Health is not accepting the results of a Rapid Test. Further, I wish to encourage those returning to take every precaution to remain safe on their arrival home, even as they are required to adhere to the week’s quarantine.”

With students returning to school this week, he urged parents and teachers to foster dialogue with children as often as possible to follow the stipulated guidelines.

“I encourage all students, teachers, auxiliary staff, parents and guardians to continue to have that dialogue as often as possible. Remember to fol-

The new classroom setting being used

low all guidelines to protect everyone. To you, our teachers, the Ministry of Public Health wishes to reiterate special thanks to you for responding to the call during this COVID-19 pandemic to assist in preparing our nation’s children. These exams as we know are very important as they set them on the way towards building their lives and future careers,” Dr Persaud highlighted.

If anyone is experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19, they are asked to call the hotlines, use the mobile units or one of the COVID-19 facilities.

Globally, there are 7, 690, 708 cases with 427, 630 deaths. In the Region of the Americas, the total number of positive cases is 3, 711, 768 with 199,252 deaths.

Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) exams scheduled for July and August, students have less than one month to prepare.

In a statement later on Monday, the Education Ministry said some students from the Grade Six classes were not focusing on revi-

sion since the syllabus was already completed before the lockdown in mid-March.

Vreed-en-Hoop Primary Grade Six teacher Tallmattie Yadram said that the children now had their timetables for the remainder of the week to continue working.

On the other hand, the secondary level is adapting to the new format which the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic. At the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary, students are completing multiple-choice questions so that there is greater familiarity with this new move.

Last Tuesday, Prime Ministerial Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips addressed the issue during a

radio interview on 99.1 FM, by advising the Education Ministry to take another look at its plans – which are seemingly flawed.

He highlighted that apart from the implemented measures at the schools, other factors were not taken into consideration. In fact, the Ministry failed to address transportation to and from school for these children, implying that they would have to utilise public transport. Travelling on public transportation is known to increase chances of contracting infectious disease, owing to the large number of people in confined spaces. Phillips had acknowledged that many students would be challenged in maintaining social distancing from each other.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caricom reiterates law provides for aggrieved political parties to file elections petition

…APNU/AFC went on “fishing expedition “with migrant/dead voter claims; no proof of fraud

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he Caricom high-level team, led by Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cynthia Barrow-Giles, has knocked the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change into the ground for misusing the National Recount as a fishing expedition to gather evidence for a possible elections petition.

According to the Caricom high level observation team, the constant unnecessary objections of the party agents via live broadcast, and then having that behaviour being repeated at the tabulation center, undeniably gave credence to the unsubstantiated allegations.

The team explained that the numerous requests for information on serial numbers “were so bizarre” that, on one observed occasion, an APNU/AFC agent was prepared to query the serial numbers on the Official List of Electors (OLE) in a Work Station where no one had voted. The modus operandi of the APNU/AFC was more in line with seeking information for an elections petition than for a recount of votes.

The hearing of an elections petition is done in a special court, and the burden of proof lies with the alleger. In APNU/AFC’s case, that party has been making a number of unsubstantiated allegations during the recount, but with no evidence, the team said.

The team also explained that the undecided nature of GECOM as it relates to the recount process proved that the Commission was played by the political parties, particularly the APNU/AFC in promoting the false narrative of compromised elections.

“With absolutely no evidence to substantiate the allegations, this was often the source of major contention in the work stations, as all other political parties objected to the allegations raised by the APNU/AFC agents. The counter- objections were rooted in the following: the issues were best reserved for an election petition; the objections were groundless and without merit, given that no proof was offered; the polling stations on poll day were observed by agents of the APNU/AFC, who had every opportunity to scrutinise the ballot and raise objections where necessary, and that not only….”

The Team viewed much of the exercise (of calling out serial numbers) as a “fishing expedition designed to gather data for a possible election petition, and which resulted in considerable time being wasted during the recount…

“Despite our concerns, nothing that we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 02, 2020 elections. Any aggrieved political party has been afforded

the right to seek redress before the courts in the form of an election petition,” the report stated.

Article 64 of the Constitution of Guyana states: “All questions as to membership of the National Assembly shall be determined by the High Court in accordance with the provisions of article 163.”

Article 163 says: “The High Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine any question in relation to the election of members to the National Assembly.”

Additionally, the Representation of the Peoples Act and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections Act) provide the means for an election petition to be filed in the High Court.

From the commencement of the exercise, the APNU/ AFC have levelled ‘tall claims’ of voter impersonation in the form of dead and migrated persons voting. Though these accusations have been levelled and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic accused of being complicit, the APNU/AFC is yet to publicly bring evidence to support its claims.

As a matter of fact, the Caricom team said that it observed that this activity of requesting information based on false claims became apparent and contentious in the early stages of the recount process.

It noted that these objections should have been done on polling day.

Man shot after attacking Police with cutlass

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man was shot once on Monday after he armed himself with a cutlass and attacked ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Based on Police information, the suspect is only known as “Phalai King”.

Reports are Police ranks were patrolling the area when the man emerged with a cutlass and attacked them.

In response, the officers shot the suspect once to the left leg. He was then taken to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), where he was currently a patient under police

guard.

Guyana Times understands that the man ‘habitually’ attacks persons with a cutlass or other instruments around the community. He is also suspected to be of unsound mind.

Police are gathering more details about the incident.

GECOM “willingly...

Article 25 of the Covenant clearly states that: Every citizen shall have the right and opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in Article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions; participate in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives; to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the voters.

Additionally, Articles 2, 12, 14, 19, 22, and 26, address issues of process-focused rights and individual rights and freedoms seen as vital to ensuring the will of the people.

Moreover, the Caricom team cited the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

(ICERD) which also provides core rights as it pertains to guarantees for the enjoyment of political rights and fundamental freedoms.

Guyana, the Caricom Observers reminded, is a signatory to a number of instruments of IPL including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “So too is Guyana a party to the UN Convention against Corruption,” it noted.

The group documented all of these conventions to argue the point that as a result, in the conduct of elections,

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Guyana is bound by the provisions requiring certain political and civic rights “which extend also to the rights of the will of the people to be secured in choosing their elected representatives”.

It is against this backdrop that the Caricom team expressed that it was, “therefore, of the firm view that GECOM willing[ly] and wittingly violated the rights of the Guyanese electorate in facilitating these requests and in permitting the national audio broadcast of the Observation Reports.”

The Caricom team explained that “the reading of the Observation Reports with the mention of the serial number of voters in the country has the potential to expose the elector to harassment and quite possibly worse, and GECOM must be held accountable for such.”

Discrepancies via elections petition In May 2015, the then CoCampaign Manager of APNU/ AFC, Raphael Trotman, in response to questions from the media about the concerns raised by the then governing Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) in regard to certain aspects of the elections, said that if any party wants to challenge the results of an elections, the process under the Validity of Elections law is to file an elections petition. “…and you can bring the discrepancies you feel, and the standard is that if what you have alerted or brought to the court as evidence is sufficient to materially change the results…,” Trotman said in 2015.

The APNU/AFC Coalition had, in 2015, won the elections by a razor thin majority – just over 4000 votes – which saw it gaining 33 seats while the PPP/C got 32 seats in the 65-member National Assembly.

Hours after the results were announced, in its quest to hurriedly take the reins of power, the Coalition had dismissed all concerns raised about the electoral process, and was adamant that such matters could be addressed only in the High Court by way of an election petition.

However, now that the recount has confirmed the PPP/C has convincingly won the 2020 General and Regional Elections with in excess of 15,000 votes more than the APNU/AFC, Coalition officials, including Trotman, are peddling a false narrative of voter fraud on Elections Day, and are involved in a relentless effort to have the elections nullified even before the results are officially declared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The many unsubstantiated claims being made by the Coalition include that votes

were cast in the names of dead and migrated persons.

Legal experts have argued that if the Coalition is serious about pursuing its case of voter fraud, it should approach the courts to seek redress, but the results based on the National Recount should first be declared.

Abused Observation Report It was documented that the APNU/AFC agents abused the observation report aspect of the national recount process to identify voters whom they thought had voted for the PPP/C, as well as to delay the process.

The numerous requests for information on serial numbers were so bizarre that the Caricom Team documents one instance when an APNU/ AFC agent was prepared to query serial numbers on the Official List of Electors (OLE) in a work station where no one had voted.

This was observed in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), box 5157, where there was a single elector on the list, yet the APNU/AFC agent raised five serial numbers.

On more than one occasion throughout the period of the recount, the Team observed that APNU/AFC agents requested information on more than 100 serial numbers, with GECOM providing the requested information on which the agents later launched their objections to the serial number (a voter) having cast a ballot in the March 2 elections. These challenges were often made on the grounds of either death or migration.

The team posited that the APNU/AFC seemed resolute in its contention that ghost voting occurred, as well as voter impersonation and other forms of voter fraud.

“Furthermore, the net was cast extremely wide in

the hope of at least making a small catch, and at times the anticipated harvest ended in slim pickings. In only one observed recount of a ballot box was the number of queried serials confirmed as having voted in fact significant relative to the queried number,” the CARICOM Team said in its report.

The Team’s leader received two letters from the campaign manager of the APNU/AFC, Joseph Harmon, both of which purported election fraud. The second letter, which was received on Thursday, June 11, contained more than 100 pages of documented evidence.

Unacceptable behaviour Throughout the recount exercise, the other parties’ representatives contended that the APNU/AFC agents were on a fishing expedition, as well as they were aggressive in their objections. Those representatives noted that it is one thing to be passionate, but another to be wholly confrontational – which the APNU/AFC agents were.

The Caricom Team’s report also highlighted this aggression towards the other parties’ agents. It noted that the level of aggression left much to be desired, and that the observed conduct of the APNU/AFC agents was “totally unacceptable”, resulting in the wastage of time. Additionally, the behaviour of the APNU/AFC agents lent itself to intimidation of the GECOM staffers.

However, the Team also noted that the APNU/AFC agents played an integral role as additional scrutineers.

The two other members of the CARICOM Team were Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sylvester King; and Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission, John Jarvis.

Speeding GDF bus slams into utility pole

The bus which was involved in the accident

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speeding Guyana Defence Force (GDF) vehicle was on Monday morning involved in an accident along the De Kinderen Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

According to reports around 04:30h, the bus was proceeding south along the De Kinderen Public Road at a fast pace; however, the

road surface was wet and as the driver attempted to negotiate a turn, he lost control and slammed into a utility pole and then into a nearby fence before coming to a halt.

When Guyana Times arrived on the scene, the damaged vehicle was being removed.

“The driver was speed-

ing. He been coming around the turn, and because of the speed and the road was wet, he lost control and hit a utility pole. Right after I heard the impact, I came out, and the driver done disappear and gone,” a resident told this publication.

Right after the driver disappeared, the bus went up in flames which prompted the resident to call the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).

The owner of the fence into which the driver slammed said that she was reassured by Army Chiefof-Staff, Brigadier Patrick West that her fence and bridge, which was also damaged in the accident, would be repaired by Thursday.

Only Saturday last, a Police vehicle that was reportedly transporting prisoners was involved in a smash-up with a parked trailer. (Shemar Alleyne)

18 NEWS TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ExxonMobil cuts back on offshore oil production to reduce flaring

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xxonMobil has scaled back its production of oil offshore Guyana, in a bid to cut down on harmful and much-criticised flaring, a decision it reached after a meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

This was revealed

by EPA Director, Dr Vincent Adams, in an interview with <<<Guyana Times>>>. According to him, ExxonMobil has reduced its production from 80,000 barrels per day (bpd) to between 25,000 and 30,000 bpd.

“What we did, we said they cannot stray more than (the limit). They started out flaring about 80 million cubic feet per day. And then, when they were commissioning the compressor to inject the gas, the compressor failed,” Dr Adams explained.

“So, when they were commissioning the compressor, it started working.

So, they cut back the gas flaring from 80 million cubic feet per day to 15. Then the compressor failed again. So basically, after discussions with them, they all agreed

EPA Director, Dr Vincent Adams

that they should cut back oil production…. So, they would not go above that 15 million cubic feet per day.”

When it comes to the troublesome gas compressor, Dr Adams revealed that the equipment was still giving problems and moreover, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has reported being unable to source technical assistance from the manufacturers, such as technological and engineering manufacturer Siemens.

“Well, they’re still working on it. They’re trying

to get their expertise in – Siemens and another company. But of course, the COVID-19 restrictions are preventing these experts from coming in. Some of them have to come from Brazil, Germany, etc. So, they may have to send the equipment abroad.”

This publication had contacted Exxon Public Affairs Adviser Janelle Persaud last month, and she had explained that by design, EEPGL’s operations did not utilise routine flaring. According to her, they use the gas both to power the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and to reinject into the reservoir.

“Start up for Liza Phase 1 involves temporary, non-routine flaring to fully commission the gas compression and injection systems for safe operations as outlined in the approved environmental impact assessment and permit,” Persaud said.

“The Liza Phase 1 project design eliminates routine flaring by using produced gas to power the Liza

The Liza Destiny FPSO vessel offshore Guyana Destiny FPSO vessel and by reinjecting gas into the reservoir to conserve the gas and to improve oil recovery, thereby reducing emissions compared with traditional methods.”

According to her, they had begun gas injection into the reservoir. Gas reinjection is a common process used by oil and gas operators to maintain pressure and enhance oil production by reinjecting gas back into the reservoir.

Only recently, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) had released a statement in

which it called on the company to stop flaring gas offshore Guyana. CIEL had claimed that the flaring exceeded the levels approved by the Government, a level that now puts Guyana among the top ten gas-flaring countries in the world.

“The carbon dioxide emissions from that flaring are approximately equivalent to the amount generated by Guyana’s entire population over three months,” CIEL had said in its statement. “And the problem risks getting worse over time as Exxon moves forward to extract the esti-

mated eight billion barrels of recoverable oil it has discovered off Guyana’s coast.”

Local conservationists have also been up in arms over Exxon’s flaring.

Skytruth, an international environmentalist non-profit Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), was enlisted by local environmental group Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS) to provide satellite imagery and data regarding flaring offshore Guyana. The imagery, as referenced by Skytruth, had indicated routine flaring.

PPP/C vows not to let sacrifices of Enmore Martyrs be forgotten

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ith Guyana currently facing one of the most significant periods in its political history, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has pledged to not let the sacrifices of the five Enmore Martyrs be forgotten on their 72nd death anniversary.

On June 16, 1948, Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surajballi, and Harry were shot to death at the Enmore Sugar Estate, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The five sugar workers were killed as they protested for better working and

living conditions and higher wages on the sugar estates.

In commemoration of their death anniversary, the PPP/C noted that their “fearless and selfless sacrifices” have remained relevant.

“As we remember the Enmore Martyrs 72 years after their horrendous deaths, let us be inspired by the fact that hope will never be lost and that we will endeavour together to safeguard our freedoms and rights,” the Party said in a statement.

The PPP/C recalled the silent pledge its founder, the late Dr Cheddi Jagan,

made at the graveside of the five slain workers at the Le Repentir Cemetery in Georgetown, to dedicate his entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guyanese people against bondage and exploitation. Dr Jagan subsequently founded the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in 1950.

This incident added motivation and propelled Dr Jagan and the PPP to fight against colonialism and for the betterment of the lives of all Guyanese.

According to the Party, those unrelenting struggles, during which Dr Jagan became a political prisoner,

have characterised the PPP in its efforts to advance Guyana and the lives of Guyanese as is evident from the unprecedented growth and development that hallmarked the various periods while it was in government.

“Today, those struggles continue as the PPP, along with law-abiding Guyanese and well-wishers, are fighting for the preservation of our hard-fought democracy following the glaring and unashamed attempts by the APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change) to steal the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections,” it noted.

The recently-concluded national recount of the votes cast at the March polls over three months ago show the PPP/C has won by some 15,416 votes over the incumbent coalition.

However, the APNU/AFC is claiming that the electoral process was flawed.

The PPP/C noted in its statement that the incumbent coalition has blatantly disregarded the Constitution on numerous occasions and now sought to trample upon the will of the Guyanese people in an effort to hold on to the seat of government.

“The PPP has led many struggles to oppose the brutal People’s National Congress (PNC) dictatorship, which oppressed

The Enmore Martyrs monument

Guyanese through the suppression of their freedoms and rights. The inept and corrupt PNC also mismanaged the country plunging it into bankruptcy.

Today, the PNC, in the form of APNU/AFC, is once again suppressing our freedoms and rights by strangling democracy and has squandered the country’s financial resources, once again making it bankrupt,” the Party said.

It went on to say that over the past five years under the APNU/AFC coalition, financial ruin and hardships have been inflicted upon Guyanese who have seen their standard of living deteriorate after having experienced unparalleled growth, development, and modernisation during the PPP’s 23-year tenure which followed the return to democratic rule in 1992.

To this end, the PPP/C said the sacrifices of the

Enmore Martyrs, therefore, have tremendous relevance in today’s context given renewed and unremitting struggles that intensified following the historic noconfidence motion (NCM) against the APNU/AFC Government on December 21, 2018; struggles which continue to prevent a most uncaring regime from subverting democracy.

“The PPP wishes to state that it will not only continue to honour the memory of the five martyrs so that their sacrifices will not be forgotten, but it will remain steadfast in dedicating its efforts to oppose all attempts by the illegal APNU+AFC coalition regime to oppress Guyanese and to strangle democracy,” the missive detailed.

The Party further outlined that over the past 100plus days, it has persisted in the fight to preserve our democratic gains.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Review of current composition of GECOM needed – Caricom team urges

Opposition-appointed Commissioners Robeson Benn, Bibi Shadick, and Sase GECOM’s Chair, Retired Gunraj Justice Claudette Singh

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he Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was never conceptualised as an institution which would exemplify autonomy from partisan political influences given Guyana’s political history. As such, the current composition of the Commission must be looked at going forward, the Caricom high-level team urged.

Currently, the seven-member Commission is appointed on the advice of the President and Leader of the Opposition with each submitting three names each while the Chair of the Commission is then appointed by the President from a list of six persons submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after consultation with other stakeholders. This method of appointment avoids domination by a single political party which is imperative given the nature of politics in the country.

Retired Justice Claudette Singh is the current Chair of GECOM while the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Commissioners are Vincent Alexander, Desmond Trotman and Charles Corbin; and the Opposition Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Robeson Benn and Bibi Shadick.

Because of GECOM’s composition, it escapes the problems associated with electoral bodies closely linked with and hierarchically subordinated to elected officials, but it has not been able to operate at arm’s length from partisan politics even while it has been insulated from unnecessary executive meddling associated with those election bodies embedded within a ministry.

GECOM has the power to pass an order wherever it perceives difficulties in carrying out its mandate. However, despite not being subjected to the direction of any government department or to the political executive or Parliament, GECOM is still not a truly independent body because of its very political makeup.

“While GECOM is described as an independent body, it is undoubtedly a political Commission, and herein lies most of the problems, the paralysis, and the factionalism experienced by that body,” the Caricom report stated.

The team found that the various political posturing of the Commissioners in public was on full display during the 2020 elections season and was quite unfortunate in getting the body to function properly. Additionally, the report revealed that the three-member team found that the time was overripe for the restructuring of the Commission.

It went on to highlight that Guyana needs an institution which is capable of managing its relations with all political parties in the country in a balanced fashion. Additionally, the Commission must be able to execute its functions and speak with impartiality.

“Further, given what the team witnessed during the recount process emanating from the Commission, particularly with regard to the ill-advised, nightly often contradictory media statements and posturing of some Commissioners, the disinclination on the part of Commissioners to demonstrate a modicum of independence

from the two major political parties, it is clear that a reconstituted Commission buttressed by a code of conduct are urgently required. In a nutshell, the Commission does not act impartially, given the partisan loyalty of the Commissioners,” the report stated.

The team – comprising Sylvester King, Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St Vincent and the Grenadines; Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and John Jarvis, Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission – expressed sympathy for the plight of Justice Singh, since she only assumed the post in a relatively short time.

They documented that she shared frustrations of having to walk a thin line between the two dominant political parties, since the risk of being accused of being partisan is great. The team noted that the Chair seemed to be frustrated with the inability of the Commissioners to take affirmative actions and conclude decisions.

It noted that behind the scenes, her arms were constantly being twisted by the relentless manipulation by the Commissioners. They applauded her for her steadfast leadership and commitment to respecting the laws of the land.

Without making reference to the political party, the team documented one instance of a political party bombarding Justice Singh with letters alleging irregularities and demanding that decisions be made by the

made through Republic Bank Guyana Limited, SurePay, or the Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) system.

“Once payment is made, the receipt should be scanned and emailed to bursary.fees@uog. edu.gy,” UG said.

These new measures were also disclosed by UG’s Assistant Registrar Sonia Gordon on 104.1 Lite Radio Station on June 8.

Since the outbreak of the deadly virus in Guyana, categories of UG staff and students continued to work via online platforms.

In a subsequent release, UG stated that while essential staff and specified others may return with special permission under strict protocols, a full-fledged return to face-to-face classes was not envisaged at this time.

It also said that staff and students will continue to work online as far as possible during

the pandemic until at least the end of the extended Semester 1, July 18, 2020.

“While the situation is still being observed, staff and students are encouraged to frequently check the University’s official communication channels, SRMS, HRMIS and the University’s website for updates,” the institution said.

UG further encouraged that persons take necessary precautions to protect themselves and family.

“We continue to encourage everyone to stay safe and to support the safety of others by following the guidelines of staying home, covering one’s nose, mouth and eyes and maintaining six-feet physical distance from others if they must go out.

One must also maintain good nutrition and hygiene by washing hands, feet and parts of the body including garments regularly,” the release stated.

2020/2021 applicants must submit documents online – UG

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wing to the restrictions that were implemented amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Guyana (UG) announced that applicants for the 2020/2021 academic year will be required to scan their relevant documents and submit them via email for verification.

The University has commenced registration for the new academic year, and is asking all prospective students who may have registered for the new semester to have their documents scanned and submitted via email address admissions@uog. edu.gy where the documents would be temporarily verified.

“On return to physical operations of the University, a second verification will be made of the original/hard copy of these documents,” the University said.

In a release, UG underscored that all payments of application processing fees can be

APNU/AFC-appointed Commissioners Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin

Commission.

That party was the APNU/ AFC and its agent was Joseph Harmon.

To better structure the Commission to lead fairly and report situations as is, the team recommended that it was time Guyana revisited GECOM’s system on the basis of its performance.

“We insist that to maintain GECOM in its present form would be a tragedy for the nation and the people of Guyana.

GECOM, as we indicated, is a creature of the dominant political parties and there is consequently little interest on the part of Commissioners in ensuring that elections and the electoral environment are conducive to integrity-based elections which will reflect the will of the people,” the Barrow-Giles authored report indicated.

It was noted that the structural composition of the Commission

needed to be revisited since representation by the two major political parties simply does not cut it. The current composition leads to unnecessary prolongation of issues and avenues to accuse the Chair of biases.

The team recommended that the Commission’s membership be widened to include one representative of the smaller/minor political parties, a representative of the media, and one person representing each of the social partners, namely business, civil society and trade unions.

In this way, the highly-partisan nature of the Commission can be hopefully diluted, permitting a greater level of consensus and forestalling the immobilism and blame game that constantly bedevil the Commission. In so doing, GECOM will quite possibly go a long way to inspire the confidence and trust in its operations and intent that are clearly lacking.

The high-level team said it was alarmed by some of the utterances by GECOM Commissioners resulting in them being complicit in the assault on the legitimacy and independence of the institution they are a part of.

“But what is also unmistakable is that a political audit of GECOM, (its successes and failing and the factors contributing to this), both the Commission and its administrative arm, is urgently warranted. It, therefore, behoves whichever political party emerges victorious from these elections to initiate an immediate political audit, as in a very real sense GECOM betrayed its obligations to behave impartially and independently in the best interest of integrity-based processes which did not favour any party or parties whether in terms of operational or policy decisions,” the report concluded.

20 NEWS Partially-decomposed Lindener jailed for armed robbery, gun possession body identified TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…man died from blunt trauma to head – PME

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he partially-decomposed body which was discovered at Tarla Dam, Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD), has been identified as that of 45-yearold Andy Williams, a construction worker of Lot 136 Zeeburg, WCD. Williams was discovered on June 8 at approximately 13:55h by residents with a black plastic bag over his head – which was submerged in the canal. The body was clad in a burgundy t-shirt, long white track pants, and a pair of black socks.

In an interview with Guyana Times, one of the man’s relatives stated that he recently returned to Guyana after living in Venezuela for over 20 years. She said that on June 6, Williams left home to go to work, but never returned.

However, after he did not return home on Sunday, relatives launched a search and visited a few places he frequented, but to no avail. According to the relative, on June 8 when they heard

Keon Harlequin

Andy Williams

that a body was retrieved from the canal, they had no idea that it was him until Sunday when Police arrived at their home with a photograph of him.

A Post-Mortem Examination (PME) done by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh revealed that Williams died due to blunt trauma to the head.

When contacted, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Police Commander, Assistant Police Commissioner Simon McBean stated that investigations were continuing.

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he accomplice of now dead robbery suspect Kevin Batson was on Monday sentenced to three years in prison by Magistrate Wanda Fortune when he made a virtual appearance before her at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

Keon Harlequin, also known as “Peas”, of One Mile, Wismar, Linden, was charged with armed robbery committed on Herbert Campbell which occurred on Wednesday last.

In addition, he was charged for the possession of a firearm and ammunition when he was not the holder of the relevant licence.

Harlequin, a labourer, pleaded guilty to the charges when they

were read to him and as such, he was sentenced to three years for each charge, but the sentences would run concurrently.

Harlequin was arrested by Police following the robbery which saw his accomplice, the 22-year-old Batson being fatally shot. They carried out a brazen robbery on “Sadam” hardware store.

It was reported that the now dead bandit and Harlequin went to the businessman’s store, ordered a garden rake, and opted to pay before the item was delivered.

It was then Batson reportedly whipped out a handgun and struck a salesperson to his face and head before relieving him of his valuables.

As the perpetrators were making their escape, the store owner pursued them. In an attempt to scare the businessman, Batson opened fire, but the businessman drew his licensed pistol and returned fire, hitting him.

A search was later carried out in the area, and Batson was found in some bushes. At the time, his right hand which appeared to have been bleeding was wrapped with a red bandana.

Upon searching the injured suspect, Police found the businessman’s cellphone, a sum of cash, and several other items belonging to the victim as well as a quantity of marijuana.

Dead bandit Kevin Batson

Harlequin managed to escape, but was subsequently arrested while hiding in a house not far from the scene.

Police, acting on intelligence, went to the house at Victory Valley, Wismar, where they were able to arrest the man.

Upon his arrest, a search was carried out on his person during which an unlicensed pistol with two live rounds of ammunition, a toque, gloves, dove spray, and several pieces of garments with suspected bloodstains were found. Harlequin gave a detailed account of what transpired during the robbery, so charges were instituted.

Remembering Walter Rodney Dear Editor, On June 13, the progressive and democratic forces in Guyana, the Caribbean and the wider world commemorated the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Walter Rodney.

He was just thirty-eight years old when he died.

Indeed, he has been dead longer than the period he lived.

However, the impact he had made during his lifetime still reverberates to this day.

At the time of his passing, Guyana was going through multiple crises: economic, social, physiological and political; and the PNC dictatorship was becoming more oppressive and brutal.

It had already ‘graduated’ to using murder as a political tool. Apart from shooting two youths on the Corentyne who were demanding to have the votes of the 1973 elections counted at the place of poll, others were also shot down in that period. Ohene Koama had been killed by the Police in cold blood not long before Rodney met his death.

Rodney therefore knew that the possibility of him being assassinated was great.

He had two options: leave, or face the danger posed by the PNC regime. He chose to stay and try to play a part in the fight for democracy. I believe he felt it was a responsibility as a conscious AfricanGuyanese leader.

Rodney’s killing was also a racist act. One of the reasons for his killing was that he was a black man opposing a regime that falsely gave the impression it was representing African-Guyanese interests. Like now, that racist

propaganda was resorted to for several purposes. On one hand, it allowed persons in the small cabal that led the PNC to enrich themselves through massive corruption and hope to keep the militant Afro-working class quiet, since the cabal appealed to racial solidarity and the artificial fear of “coolie domination”.

By creating the false impression that it was an African-Guyanese party, the PNC obstructed the Afroworking class and farmers from gravitating to progressive ideas; ideas of patriotism, of need for working class unity and solidary.

Those ideas were propagated by the People’s Progressive Party.

Whenever the working people became agitated because of the deteriorating economic situation, the regime responded by generating fear of the PPP as a “coolie party”. For example, this was seen when, in 1971, the workers of Linden rose up to defend their Pension Fund, and invited Dr Cheddi Jagan to speak with them; this was after Burnham had refused their invitation. The PNC responded by frightening the workers with the racial line of “coolie domination”.

Rodney understood this completely. He saw that the working people of our country were being oppressed by a small cabal whose main interest was to enrich itself at the expense of the people. He must have realised that the way forward was to break the fear factor that the PNC had used so effectively. He helped to shift the debate to issues

and principles.

The views that Rodney expressed during his efforts to bring about change were not really new. Those views were being pushed by the People’s Progressive Party in the society. Cheddi Jagan was championing similar ideas all his political life.

However, Rodney did not join the PPP when he returned to Guyana in 1974.

He knew that, had he done so, the PNC cabal would have labelled him a ‘coolie stooge’. He saw that happening all the time. As a historian he would have seen that African-Guyanese PPP members and supporters were viciously attacked and labelled “stooges”.

His first public meeting in Guyana was in Campbellville.

He spoke on the platform of Comrade Brindley Benn’s People’s Vanguard Party. It was a meeting in solidarity with the African Liberation Movement.

While Rodney was speaking, a known old PNC heckler and disruptor of PPP meetings started to heckle by shouting: “Jagan, you lie!”

That evoked a big laugh from the crowd.

However, the heckler -who at that time had never heard of Walter Rodney; never heard nor seen him before -- was recognising the message that he was delivering; it was familiar to him, thus the heckle.

The PNC cabal recognised the danger that those messages from an African-Guyanese were now espousing: The African-Guyanese masses would become more receptive to similar views that the PPP

popularised. Moreover, many progressive and democratically- minded African-Guyanese, who had witnessed the vicious attacks that AfricanGuyanese PPP members and supporters had had to endure, and who previously were reluctant to come out in support of the PPP, now had another place to go.

Many young IndianGuyanese also gravitated to Rodney. They were people who were influenced by the PPP, and had seen an opportunity of openly opposing the PNC without being branded as racists. This was seen in many of the activities of the WPA. At the height of what the WPA called “The Rebellion”, young Indian boys were often in the forefront, confronting the PNC. I saw that happening when a WPA meeting was broken up at John Forde Car Park, and when the PNC immediately thereafter held a meeting at the same spot.

The PNC could not start its meeting for quite some while, and was forced to retreat to another spot in the area.

The race card that the PNC played every time it found itself in problems was becoming ineffective, because Rodney was an AfricanGuyanese whose message was for unity of the people.

His understanding of the racial issues was deep. He did not have a “one size fits all” solution to every racial issue.

In the book “Walter Rodney Speaks”, he said he tried to make it clear that the way in which one was using the word “black” in a West Indian context must, of necessity, embrace the majority

of African and Indian populations. “And the reason I did that was because I knew that the word ‘black’ could well be interpreted in a narrow sense to mean African, and hence anti-Indian”, he explained.

The PNC regime found his ideas too close to those of the PPP, and too dangerous for them. They resorted to beating up people attending Rodney’s meetings to dissuade them from attending. They threatened people, dismissed some and jailed some; but that did not deter Rodney. To silence him, they once more took the path of political murder. On June 13, 1980, they accomplished the job by killing him.

However, what he accomplished in his short lifetime has become much more obvious today. One main contribution that he made was to help raise the consciousness of our people, to make them realise that we could not exist in the same old way; change was necessary.

He helped many Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese in particular, to break the mental chains that the PNC used to imprison their minds. He reinforced the argument that democracy was indispensable to the resolution of the nation’s problems – economic, social and political. It is only through having a democratic system that all other questions would be resolved, questions of race and ethnicity. At the heart of democracy are free and fair elections; this is inescapable.

While we observe this date, it is important to point out that we must not take democracy for granted. We

must always guard freedom as the apple of our eye. No matter what political party one may support, we would be making a big mistake to think that an undemocratic regime can bring sustained all-round progress.

The lack of democracy leads to dictatorship, and inevitably to social and economic decline and political oppression.

Few would accept that what occurred in the March 2020 Elections, in which the PNC were caught red-handed trying to steal votes, was the first time this had happened. It is clear to most that what was attempted in 2020 had succeeded in 2015. That explains why the regime was so reckless in dealing with the state’s assets and property, behaving as if it was their own. There was this mad rush to get rich quickly; they were neither accountable nor transparent.

They felt they would always get away with rigging. However, times have changed, Walter Rodney made a significant contribution to put us back on the democratic path in 1992. He lost his life fighting for democracy and integrity in public life. We owe it to him to ensure that we don’t go back to that period of paramountcy.

In the memory of all those who fought gallantly for this country’s freedom, one of whom was Walter Rodney, let us not allow undemocratic government ever to succeed.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

21

Professional Players Draft 2020-2021…

Ashmead Nedd joins Leeward Islands Hurricanes franchise V

Cricket, Jimmy Adams, said: "I am pleased to have gotten the regional franchise draft completed.

Franchises can now focus on implementing post-lockdown training to gradually build towards their full programmes. Obviously, we are all hopeful that we will soon be given the all-clear by the respective Governments to resume full franchise operations.”

ia Zoom meeting yesterday, Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosted its 2020-2021 West Indies Professional Players Draft for the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup and the West Indies Championship.

To ensure the process was carried out efficiently and smoothly, the Draft was monitored by CWI’s auditors, KPMG. Representatives of each franchise made two picks to bring their contracted squad of players to 15. The results of the process are listed below

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

Leewards Hurricanes - Ashmead Nedd

Leewards Hurricanes - Tyrone Williams Jr.

Windward Volcanoes - Kevin Stoute

Windwards Volcanoes - Larry Edwards

Jamaica Scorpions - Odean Smith

Jamaica Scorpions - Alwyn Williams

Guyana Jaguars - Ramaal Lewis

Guyana Jaguars - Tevin Imlach

TT Red Force - Bryan Charles

TT Red Force - Isaiah Rajah

Barbados Pride - Kyle Hope

Barbados Pride - Shamar Springer

In a significant move in the draft, Ashmead Nedd joined the Leeward Islands Hurricanes as that franchise’s first-round pick. This left-arm spinner who hails from Guyana was one of the West Indies’ leading performers at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.

His presence in that franchise would help to bolster its bowling stocks, as he would bring experience gained from representing the West Indies Emerging Players - winners of the

Local powerlifting season suspended indefinitely

Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup last November.

Joining Nedd as players contracted to franchises are his West Indies Under-19 captain Kimani Melius, who was picked up by the Windward Islands Volcanoes, and fast bowler Jayden Seales, who was contracted by the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.

Both Melius and Seales were acquired ahead of the draft as pre-selected players by the respective franchises.

Additionally, two experienced players have

found new franchises. Kyle Hope, who played five Test matches and seven OneDay Internationals in 2017, has moved from Trinidad & Tobago Red Force to Barbados Pride.

Kevin Stoute, a former Barbados Pride captain, who has played 76 firstclass matches since his debut back in 2007, will now play for the Windward Islands Volcanoes.

CWI’s Director of

West Indies July Test tour to UK…

Kemar Roach targets 200+ Test wickets for self, series win for team

W

T

A list of competitions that were scheduled for 2020

he novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has severely weakened health systems all around the world, forcing numerous sporting disciplines to suspend their activities indefinitely.

The Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) has become the latest local casualty of this development. In a short statement issued by GAPLF Public Relations Officer Runita White in relation to the situation at hand and the competitions that the GAPLF were planning to host, it was detailed as set out below.

“At this moment, the federation does not see any competitions happening for 2020, based on the COVID-19 situation. However, it

is possible for the decision to be changed, based on how things play out in the next few months.”

With his one-year suspension being recently lifted, an excellent opportunity for Carlos PetersonGriffith to participate in the IPF World Classic Powerlifting tournament in Minsk, Belarus has now been lost because of the menacing COVID-19 pandemic.

However, everything has been put on hold as the worldwide public generally awaits the passing of this dreaded disease.

As at June 14, 2020, Guyana currently has 159 confirmed cases of this deadly disease, inclusive of 12 deaths, 99 persons recovered, and 60 active cases.

est Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach is campaigning to take his statistics to at least 200 Test wickets at this point in his career, and also is aiming to give his side a series win against England during this upcoming three-Test series, which commences in July.

Being the most experienced member of the current West Indies bowling attack, the 31-year-old Barbadian is only seven wickets away from his goal, having thus far taken 193 wickets in 56 Tests.

However, he is hungry for much more.

“The 200-mark is on my mind; it would be an honour to get into the ‘200 bracket’ on this tour. My focus is on getting to the mark, and maybe push on to over 250 and maybe 300. The goal is to beat England; we want to win again and take back home the trophy,” he said during a media session on Sunday.

Roach was declared ‘Man-of-theSeries’ when the West Indies upset the heavily favoured England 2-1 during the latter team’s Caribbean

tour in early 2019. He took 18 wickets in three matches then, and has said he is ready for a repeat performance when the first Test bowls off on July 8.

“The 2019 series was great. We played really well, especially that match in Barbados… That was one of the highlights, especially in front of many of my fans and family (members). I rate that as number 1 in my career when it comes to (performances in) a series.

“We played great cricket, but we have moved on… We were highon then, but we’ve moved on to this

series which is ahead of us,” Roach said.

Roach described the team as working hard to shake off the rust after an extended period of inactivity caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“We haven’t played for a while.

Our last Test match was December last year, against Afghanistan in India. We have been working very hard -- and we have games coming up -- to get our bodies tuned.

I’m looking forward to it (Test); the body is feeling quite well.”

(Excerpted from Sportsmax)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

West Indies ready to defend CLASSIFIED trophy, says Phil Simmons ADS N

ot since the 1980s heyday have the West Indies won a Test series in England, but two aspects of the forthcoming three-match encounter could work in their favour, according to head coach Phil Simmons.

First, due to the behindclosed-doors nature of the Tests, which is in response to COVID-19, there will be no supporters in the stands to cheer the home side on. And

players who display symptoms of the disease.

Being the first international series to be contested since the coronavirus pandemic escalated in midMarch, these encounters promise to be a trip into the unknown for all involved.

"I don't know if it will increase our chances, because both teams are under the same umbrella, for want of a better word," Simmons said.

"The nice part for us is that

Kemar Roach was the ‘Player of the Series’ in 2019 when England visited the Caribbean

second, instead of being halfway through their summer, England have not played competitive cricket for several months.

That might "even things out a little bit", Simmons said via video conference from the team's training base in Manchester, where West Indies are currently serving a 14-day quarantine period and are continuing their preparations for the rescheduled tour, after agreeing to ECB proposals for staging "bio-secure" Test matches.

Apart from the absence of crowds, there will be significant departures from normal playing conditions, including a ban on using saliva to shine the ball, and the possibility of COVID replacements for

20,000 Englishmen raving for England, and that crowd support, it's not (going to be) there for them; so that, in a way, will help us. So, it's good from that point of view."

Asked about the standing start for both teams, he added: "It's a plus. Because England hasn't come from a tour recently, and we've just been playing cricket at home. Because, in a normal situation, we would have been coming from camps and England would have been halfway through their season, and the series would have been going on right now. So, I think that is a plus for us, because it evens out things a little bit, with the fact they haven't been playing competitive cricket for a

while also."

Having beaten England 2-1 in the Caribbean 18 months ago, a draw would be enough for the West Indies to retain the Wisden Trophy.

And while that team had travelled to the UK earlier this week without three players who had participated in that 2018-19 victory - batsmen Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer, and allrounder Keemo Paul Simmons has said he is happy with the players at his disposal.

"I think we have the best squad we can have," he said. "Unfortunately, a few guys decided not to come, but we are here with the best squad that we can

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Alzarri Joseph bowling in the Old Trafford nets

Hope, whose runs were integral to victory at Headingly in 2017, when the West Indies recorded their first Test win in England for 17

(Bravo and Hetmyer), and we know what we'll be missing; but, in situations like this, we have to work hard with the guys who are here, and make sure that what we're doing is putting them in a position to fill those two (persons’) shoes for the series,” he explained.

“Hopefully, whoever fills the shoes can go on and be as great as they want to be."

England well know the prowess of West Indies' pace-bowling resources, having been blown away for 77 in Barbados last ll dri a g ile conductin Griffith wearing PPE wh yon year, and Simmons Ra ch coa g din fiel West Indies suggested his hand years. could yet be strengthened by have here. And from the way "There's a lot of pres- the time the first Test begins we've started our work -- the sure on the batsmen to per- on July 8. guys have been putting in -- form, because the bowling Although Shannon I think we'll be ready, and unit have been carrying the Gabriel is not officially part looking to defend our trophy. Test team for a while now," of the 14-man Test squad, "Even with everything Simmons said. "It's some- he is among the back-up around, and having to be thing that we have been personnel on tour, and could conscious of the whole situ- (speaking) on a lot. Not to come into contention for seation and the way the world put extra pressure on (the lection if he could prove he is now, we still have to be team), but we need to get has recovered from an anmindful that we are prepar- that total of 400-450 in or- kle injury over the coming ing for a Test series against der to give this bowling unit, weeks. one of the top Test nations in which I think is a top-class "Shannon, as we know, the world. So we still have to bowling unit, the fast bowl- has come back from injury. put everything in place and ers especially… So we need And being a senior memdo everything correctly," he to get that 400-450 on a reg- ber of the squad in the past, said. ular basis, in order to give I think we would definitely The absence of Bravo and ourselves a chance of win- have a look at him coming Hetmyer would likely in- ning Test matches,” he de- into the (squad) if he's up crease the focus on the tour- clared. to that fitness level leading ists' batting line-up, in par"We understand the qual- into the first Test," Simmons ticular the performances of ity of these two individuals declared. (ESPNcricinfo) Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai

Accepting team’s limitations crucial to success against England, says Ian Bradshaw – former Windies all-rounder insists, “We don't have batting quality”

R

etired West Indies all-rounder Ian Bradshaw has advised the team to realistically face up to its lack of quality, all-around batting, and look to mirror approaches taken by past New Zealand squads in order to be successful on the upcoming England tour.

The West Indies will return to international cricket, following an enforced absence due to the coronavirus epidemic, with a three-Test tour to England next month; but the unpredictability of the team’s batting line-up, much as it has done in recent years, will again be a source of concern, particularly with explosive middle-order batsmen Darren

Bravo and Shimron Hetmeyer unavailable for selection, having opted out, along with all-rounder Keemo Paul, over health concerns.

The West Indies will need no further illustration than the opening Test of their last England tour for an example of a dismal batting performance. On that occasion, the team was dismissed for 168 and 137 in pursuit of England’s 514 declared.

“We've been concerned with our batting for a while, let’s just stop and be realistic. We don’t have the quality of batting that we want," Bradshaw told the Mason and Guest Radio programme.

“We don’t have the quality batsmen, but what we hope for is that, collectively, we can rally

and that we can get 300 and 350 and 400 by batting deep and by batting sensibly," he added.

"There are other teams in the world that have a similar challenge, and they manage to fight through. For a number of years, we saw that with teams like New Zealand, where each player coming to the crease understood (their) job was to build a partnership that allowed the team to put a competitive total on the board.

“Getting runs in England is important, especially in the first innings; so there is no doubt that we will have to bat deep,” Bradshaw contended. (Sportsmax)

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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

West Indies July Test tour to UK…

Professional Players Draft 2020-2021…

Ashmead Nedd joins Leeward Islands Hurricanes franchise

Pg 22

West Indies ready to defend trophy, says Phil Simmons

Pg 21

Local powerlifting Kemar Roach targets 200+ Test wickets for season suspended self, series win for team indefinitely West Indies July Test tour to UK…

Pg 21

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