Guyana Times - Wednesday, June 10, 2020

PPP/C vows to defend Guyana’s sovereignty in border controversy case P14

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4312

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

Region 4 election recount certified, exposes Mingo’s fraud …Opposition Leader urges restraint in face of attacks on GECOM Chair

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GuySuCo P11 says no cash to run estates ...yet Govt sits on $30B bond borrowed against sugar assets

See stories on pages 3 & 9

More workers laid off by P10 Guyana Goldfields …as company officially ceases mining operations

P10 2 new COVID-19 cases recorded School reopening amid COVID-19

P7

Mingo's fraudulent declaration

Certified recount results delivered to CEO for expeditious tabulation, submission to Commission See story on centre spread

Certified recount tabulation

Lowenfield’s summary of observations cannot impact final declaration – political stakeholders Page 15

Granger responsible for APNU/AFC’s loss – party’s pollster

Page 16

“Take a second look” – Brigadier Mark Phillips tells Education Ministry

P16 Paloma MohamedMartin becomes 1st female VC of UG

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 10 – 09:00h – 10:30h and Thursday, June 11 – 09:00h – 10:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 10 – 07:25h – 08:55h and Thursday, June 11 – 08:10h – 09:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Expect sunshine during the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Westerly to North-Easterly to East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

Region 4 election recount certified, exposes Mingo’s fraud T he Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) results that gave the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic a total victory margin of more than 15,400 votes over their nearest rivals, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has officially been certified.

The certification of the results was done at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) just after 15:00h on Tuesday.

According to the certified General Elections results, PPP gained 80,920 votes in

of dead and migrated electors having voted on election day, have already been disproved.

According to the recount order, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield must now tabulate the matrices for the recount in all 10 regions, prepare and submit a report based on those tabulations by June 13, together “with a summary of the observation reports of each district, to the Commission.”

The report has to then be deliberated on by the Commission, a final report

PPP counting agent and Executive, Dr Frank Anthony signing the Certificate of Tabulation before GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

High Tide: 07:21h and 19:57h reaching maximum heights of 2.46 metres and 2.28 metres.

Low Tide: 13:27h reaching a minimum height of 0.78 metre.

Certificate of Tabulation

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$41.18/barrel

+0.92

Rough Rice

$294.21 /ton

-5.48

London Sugar

$387.30/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1718.70

$1790.70

Low/High

$1691.20

$1722.10

+4.10

+0.24%

Change

Region Four while APNU/ AFC received 116,941 votes.

Back in March, controversial Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo had fraudulently declared 136,057 votes for APNU/ AFC and 77,231 votes for PPP/C. On Tuesday, signing off on the General and Regional results certificate was representative of the main opposition PPP, Dr Frank Anthony.

Also signing were representatives of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Change Guyana (CG) and The Citizenship Initiative (TCI).

In addition, representatives of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the United Republican Party (URP) and the People’s Republican Party (PRP) signed. Not surprisingly, APNU/AFC refused to sign on to the certificate of tabulation. Ever since the certification of Region One (Barima-Waini), APNU/AFC has, in fact, refused to sign off on any certifications, even for regions they won.

APNU/AFC has raised objections to the fact that the certificates of district tabulation contain the words “valid votes”, due to their contention that there was electoral fraud. However, several of their allegations,

pursuant to Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act has to be submitted and

a declaration made within three days.

Those observation reports are, in fact, inundated with unsubstantiated claims made by APNU/AFC agents during the recount. These included that persons migrated or are dead but still voted. A number of these allegations have been disputed by persons who have come forward to prove that they were in fact in Guyana and voted in person on Election Day. In one case, APNU/AFC agents objected to the serial number of prominent Attorney-at-Law Devindra Kissoon and this objection was noted in the observation report. However, not only was it established that Kissoon was in Guyana on Election Day, but he also served as an accredited elections observer for the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Guyana).

Road to recount On March 2, the origi-

nal counting of the ballots cast had proceeded smoothly and had been completed in nine (9) regions with the PPP/C in a commanding lead. But the tabulation of Statements of Poll (SoPs) was interrupted in District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) after Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo switched from the legal procedure – which ensures transparency – whereby each SOP had to be exhibited to the stakeholders present to enable comparison to their copies.

However, Mingo diverted to a procedure where the purported numbers from the SoPs were incorporated into a consolidated spreadsheet. This led to immediate calls for transparency from both local and international observers.

This led to the High Court case, when all the parties excepting APNU/ AFC protested the sleight of hand that facilitated an inflation of the votes for that party.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 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

Global economic troubles ahead

M

ore than six months into the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the world is nowhere close to seeing the end of the virus or to finding a vaccine or a drug to treat patients. In fact, even as countries around the world are preparing to ease lockdown measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a serious warning, saying, “this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal”.

The COVID-19 caseload is approaching seven million worldwide, with nearly 400,000 deaths. WHO said more than 100,000 cases have been reported on nine of the past 10 days, culminating in the highest one-day total so far, on Sunday. Most cases came from 10 countries, mainly in the Americas and South Asia.

While the situation in Europe is improving, “globally it is worsening”, the Head of the WHO was quoted in the international media as saying. Guyana’s neighbour, Brazil, is also struggling to grapple with the rising cases of infections and deaths daily. What is certain is that the pandemic will be with us for quite some time and the massive social and economic impacts will become truly known in days to come.

The World Bank Group had made available an initial package of up to US$12 billion in immediate support aimed at assisting countries to cope with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak. This financing was designed to help member countries take effective action to respond to and, where possible, lessen the tragic impacts posed by the virus.

The financing was aimed at helping developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the pandemic; strengthen disease surveillance; bolster public health interventions; and work with the Private Sector to reduce the impact on economies.

The swift and massive shock of the coronavirus pandemic and shutdown measures to contain it have plunged the global economy into a severe contraction. A recent report by the World Bank has provided a worrying assessment of what is to come as it relates to the impact of the pandemic on economies.

According to the World Bank in its June 2020 Global Economic Prospects, the global economy will shrink by 5.2 per cent this year.

“That would represent the deepest recession since the Second World War, with the largest fraction of economies experiencing declines in per capita output since 1870,” the report states.

Among the Bank’s projections are: the economic activity among advanced economies is anticipated to shrink seven per cent in 2020 as domestic demand and supply, trade, and finance have been severely disrupted; Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs) are expected to shrink by 2.5 per cent this year, their first contraction as a group in at least 60 years and per capita incomes are expected to decline by 3.6 per cent, which will tip millions of people into extreme poverty this year.

The World Bank explained that the blow is hitting hardest in countries where the pandemic has been the most severe and where there is heavy reliance on global trade, tourism, commodity exports, and external financing. “While the magnitude of disruption will vary from region to region, all EMDEs have vulnerabilities that are magnified by external shocks. Moreover, interruptions in schooling and primary healthcare access are likely to have lasting impacts on human capital development.”

Under the baseline forecast – which assumes that the pandemic recedes sufficiently to allow the lifting of domestic mitigation measures by mid-year in advanced economies and a bit later in EMDEs, that adverse global spillovers ease during the second half of the year, and that dislocations in financial markets are not long-lasting – global growth is forecast to rebound to 4.2 per cent in 2021, as advanced economies grow 3.9 per cent and EMDEs bounce back by 4.6 per cent.

According to the World Bank, the pandemic highlights the urgent need for health and economic policy action, including global cooperation, to cushion its consequences, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen countries’ capacities to prevent and deal with similar events in the future.

The Bank suggests that “Emerging Market and Developing Economies with available fiscal space and affordable financing conditions could consider additional stimulus if the effects of the pandemic persist. This should be accompanied by measures to help credibly restore medium-term fiscal sustainability, including those that strengthen fiscal frameworks, increase domestic revenue mobilisation and spending efficiency, and raise fiscal and debt transparency”.

Commissioners, Guyana Elections Commission’s tabulation staff, Caricom Observer Team, Organisation of American States (OAS), local observers and representatives of political parties shared a photo moment on Tuesday following the certification of Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica) General and Regional Election results at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC)

Moses in the twilight zone

Dear Editor, If there was an iota of hope that Moses Veerasammy Nagamootoo, the man who claims to be an elder statesman, has any residue of dignity and honesty remaining then that hope has dissipated with great alacrity having read his “My Turn” trash in the Guyana Chronicle. Albeit, this does not surprise me at all. Since he became an APNU/AFC member all he has been doing is spinning yarn and relating tall tales to appease his PNC masters, caring less for facts and evidence, enjoying the ‘Cadillac’ lifestyle.

Nagamootoo’s latest spin reads thus, “I have admitted how ashamed I am to know that the PPP, with which I have been associated for 50 years, could become a party to blatant electoral fraud”.

He further claimed that “Jagan would have felt betrayed to see this vulgarity and betrayal” and accused the PPP/C of trashing “the principles of democracy, nationalism, patriotism and the ideals of freedom and liberty” and have joined forces with “foreign interests and agencies and local reactionaries to disrupt the national democratic order in a vulgar and desperate power grab”.

When Moses received these revelations I am sure he was not on Mount Sinai but in the twilight zone imbibing

his favourite drink.

How can Moses ignore the humongous pieces of evidence which supported the fact that the coalition on the night of March 3 at Ashmins Mall attempted to rig the 2020 elections using Mingo to fraudulently create a spreadsheet which did not match the SoPs? How can Nagamootoo now reconcile the fact that Mingo created, conjured or invoked 15,514 non-existent or ‘ghost voters’ from thin air in favour of the coalition?

How can he reconcile the fact that Mingo decreased the PPP/C valid votes by 3689? Is Nagamootoo blind to the fact that Mingo and Lowenfield disregarded a court order in order to follow the laws in the tabulation of the Region Four SoPs? Is Nagamootoo deaf to the reports of attempted rigging from all the local and foreign observers fingering Mingo?

No! Nagamootoo knows fully well the correct answers to this question but he has been utterly consumed by the acts of the ‘sanctimonious gangster’ and has become one himself.

In his world of fantasy, Nagamootoo concluded that such crass behaviours are redeemable. “We can revisit our mistakes, and we can correct them before they create schisms that we would be unable to heal, now or

in the near future”. Never before has a man written something which applies to him in its entirety than to anyone else.

His entire article can be seen as a true reflection about how he feels about himself and what he should do. He has become a party to the ‘blatant electoral fraud’ perpetrated by the coalition, and the late Dr Jagan has felt betrayed by his “vulgarity and betrayal” forsaking and kicking all principles which the PPP has stood for.

Nagamootoo now seemed to be oblivious in his haste to spin that it is the same “foreign interests and agencies and local reactionaries” which were instrumental in bringing democracy after 28 years of PNC dictatorial rule. Furthermore, it is Nagamootoo and the Granger cabal who are now engaged in “desperate power grab” not the PPP/C and that has been ongoing ever since the passing of the successful No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018.

In conclusion, Nagamootoo must admit that the PPP/C has continued to intensely and vigorously fight for Guyana’s freedom being led by a greater statesman than Nagamootoo ever was and will ever be and who has taken up the mantle from Dr Jagan. Dr Jagan would have been

proud to have such a prodigy. Dr Jagdeo has competently led his team and rescued Guyana from the brink of a worse dictatorship than that which Burnham had unleashed on this nation. In so doing he has once and for all provided irrefutable evidence to expose the PNC’s innate rigging propensities for the world to see. We will always remember that on a weekly basis he brought to light the corruption and mismanagement of the coalition. In addition, he has completely destroyed the PNC and no baptismal name changes can resurrect either the PNC or the AFC. In conclusion, Nagamootoo left the PPP to destroy the PPP not to uphold Jagan’s legacy. His hate knew no limit and could make any sacrifice. He embraced Burnham’s legacy and in the end, he has become a national and international disgrace who will be remembered for his nefarious acts to kill the same democracy which he fought to bring about. He has squandered 50 years of his legacy just to destroy the party which moulded him and fashioned him.

He now pays the ultimate price of betrayal - to be hated and scorned even in the village of his birth.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Should I risk my son’s life?

Dear Editor, I am a single parent of three children. My eldest boy is taking the NGSA examinations. He catches a bus at the top of Duncan Street, Georgetown, and

goes to Stabroek Car Park.

He transfers to another bus.

Who will help him to choose two buses where the driver and passengers have on masks? Who will give him the correct space on the

buses? Who will make sure that he has on his mask?

I have struggled to pay for extra lessons and if I don’t send him, he will be dumped in a Z grade school.

Should I risk my son’s life

and my family’s lives when he brings home the virus?

Sincerely, Sandra Grogan Concerned parent

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

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

Inclusive or exclusionary governance?

Dear Editor, The failure to concede defeat despite the urging of various individuals and groups both national and international, makes it extremely difficult to discuss inclusive governance with a party (PNCR) that has shown no serious interest in the country’s Constitution, the rule of law, and its development and welfare.

Rather, the PNCR’s neurotic pre-occupation is with power consolidation and retention. With such an embedded attitude, how could any well-intentioned party want to become part of an inclusive governance arrangement with the PNCR? They (PNCR) has shown since December 2018 why the PPP/C, the smaller par-

ties and the majority of Guyanese do not trust them.

Apart from numerous events (NCM, constitutional abuses, etc), what was also powerful in people’s minds was the dismissal of 7000 sugar workers and the closure of 4 sugar estates. They (PNCR) had promised in the 2015 election campaign that sugar “is too big to fail” and that they would give sugar workers a 20 per cent pay raise.

In addition, they promised rice farmers a rise in paddy price to $9000 per bag.

None of those promises was fulfilled. These failures firmly demonstrate exclusionary rather than inclusive governance. The combination of these with other failures has also set in motion a precipitous decline in trust for the

PNCR Administration by the majority of Guyanese.

I find it difficult to follow the existing debate on inclusive governance. However this (inclusive governance) is operationalised, its foundation (trust) is lacking.

Trust will take a long time to develop. There is a popular theory that a third political force could curb the excesses of the two major political parties, but the initial thrust in this direction, propelled by the AFC, gradually weakened and then collapsed. However, the emergence of smaller parties with many young people could revive the third force phenomenon. Inclusive governance at this point could place them at a disadvantage.

The PNCR operatives speak about inclusive governance, and yet none of them has produced a model. How can we, therefore, meaningfully debate something that is not properly defined and conceptualised?

The proponents in this inclusive governance debate should accept the following conditions first, and must also recognise the irreparable damage that the PNCR, in collusion with elements of GECOM (Mingo factor), has done to democracy and the national psyche. I begin with this caveat: The Guyanese people did not vote for Inclusive governance, whatever that might be, at the 2020 elections. Instead, they voted for a series of policies and pro-

Dear Editor, A new day is birthed, the era of waiting commences, realising a slight shrivel as the feeling of tension gradually builds to erase the temporary moment of relaxation. A light wind blows across the mighty Atlantic Ocean to quell the unsteadiness and uneasiness that is agitating a frenzied uncertainty, yet, accompanied with a soft touch of chill, it befriends a reminder to remain calm. Caught between the sky and earth is this vacuum of space, flowing freely with air but empty. Such is the life in Guyana, sandwiched between COVID-19 and the election result, survival is enjoyable yet it is saturated with dormancy.

Guyanese did not demand, request or are obliged for this unfortunate situation.

But, we have passed this milepost and are now catapulted to the rear end of this trauma and have no choice but to sit and ride out this uncomfortable journey.

There is no alternative but to tranquilise our emotions and control our thoughts and actions as we await the deliberations for what should be an obvious conclusion.

The inkling and urge to commence celebration and

congratulation may be natural and intriguingly encouraging, but should be constrained and withheld because the nation wants to show impartiality and sobriety, especially the supporters of decency and honesty. Let no one be carried away either by influence or personality and pursue any path that reflects unrighteous and unethical behaviour but, be guided by a code of conduct that endorses an exercise in a disciplined approach. There will be no loser from the repercussion of the election but a winner in each area that stems from multiple fraternities. This is a time for not jumping the gun but to be cognisant of the current pressing issues; be conscious of the sensitivity of the situation; not to overlook the fact that there is an urgent demand for reaching out; extending a helping hand to the needy sister, brother and children and most importantly, abide by the law and be willing to support and help to maintain the stability for peace in the nation.

The country’s dream is to move on a righteous road; to

fill the gap of equality, liberty and justice; to harmonise friendliness; to bridge indifferences; to unite a divided community; to remain impartial; to diffuse tension; to practice and preach one peaceful commonality; to reinstate nation building; to resuscitate a bankrupt economy; to destroy corruption; to curb crime; to encourage transparency and accountability; to interrupt complacency; to accept constructive criticism; to destabilise poverty; to solve the health issues; to control the COVID-19 problems; to invigorate a youthful drive; to remedy the employment situation; to recover control and revenue of all natural resources; to implement needed infrastructure; to revamp the education system from university to nursery; to review unmerited taxation; to review tax threshold and minimum wages for both private and public entity; to pursue the advancement and restoration of agricultural viability; to reach out to the divide; to indulge in inclusivity; to investigate fraud, collusion and criminalising of all destabilised elements; to eradicate prej-

udice and discrimination; to streamline effective and efficient administration; to promote cultural meaningfulness; to open the gate for remigration; to advertise the call for academics, intellectuals and professionals to return home to serve the nation; to balance all the disciplined forces; to instill fair employment practice; to be cognisant of priorities and conscious of insensitivities but, above all, not to follow the path that will once again destroy the umbrella of one people from one nation with one destiny but to widen the development of peace, progress and prosperity.

A nation patiently sits and waits with hope during the day after kneeling and praying in the morning and night, asking the one Almighty to guide the deliberators to bring an early end with only a justified, legal and legitimate conclusion that reflects the will of the people as they rightfully voted, counted and recounted with the world as observers, moderators, counters and auditors.

A Guyanese dream

Respectfully, Jai Lall

grammes to move the country forward.

Proponents have failed: 1. To produce their model or theoretical framework, if they have any, on inclusive governance.

2. To show how inclusive governance is superior to the “winner takes all” (WTA) system. Why do Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname that have an almost similar demographic structure as Guyana, not embrace inclusive governance? None of these countries has an ethnic majority. Additionally, these countries recognise the importance of political competition in the furtherance of the healthy growth of democracy.

3. To explain whether inclusive governance will operate only at the ministerial level rather than at all levels of governance, both central and local.

4. To acknowledge that there must be a strong parliamentary Opposition to provide checks on legislative excesses. Their discussion is silent on this.

5. To explain how the principle of collective responsibility, a bulwark of democracy, in Cabinet will be accomplished with the interplay of differing ideology and agenda.

6. To acknowledge that Inclusive governance could lead to a one-party state and dictatorship.

7. To explain why inclusive governance might be better than equality of access to opportunity? Why can’t a Government elected on the WTA system provide equality of access to opportunity?

9. To explain how inclusive governance could narrow the perceived in-

come equality among ethnic groups. How could ethnic groups other than Indians, Chinese and Portuguese become engaged in Private Sector activities? In 2015 some African leaders started the African Roundtable Chamber of Commerce.

Does anyone know of its progress under the Granger Government?

My thoughts on inclusive governance are restricted to a preliminary understanding of inclusivity as gathered from the ongoing debate. Essentially, inclusive governance in the conception of proponents, covers inclusivity (of the major Opposition party) in ministerial positions, State Boards and Commissions.

And maybe, also include some common agreement on policies and programmes.

The existing debate does not focus on inclusivity in the civil service, the army, and the police. Neither does it include people and groups at the regional (ROs) and local levels (NDCs). Hence, the dire need for a model so as to allow for a constructive engagement.

Given the full control over the past five years of the State apparatus by the PNCR, with its unchallenged agenda and ideology, why hasn’t this party been able to advance the economic status of Africans (as well as other groups), apart from a small number of political investors and cronies? Under an inclusive governance arrangement when there will be stiff internal competition for resources, how could this system work better than the WTA? Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 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 conclusion of Science Paper 2, 2011 and CXC Maths.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT

SCIENCE PAPER 2

Reading Time: 10 minutes Writing Time: 45 minutes 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:r answer FULLY the FOUR questions.

The diagram below describes a circuit.

Study it carefully, then answer question 4.

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

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

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

4. (a) What type of circuit does the arrangement represent? ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) (i) Name the part labelled X. ___________________________________________________ (1 mark) (ii) What is the function of the part X? ____________________________________________________

(1 mark) (c) What do the arrows in the diagram indicate? ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (d) Give one function of the cells in the diagram. ____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

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.

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

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

5. (a) Name the simple machine represented by the arm. ____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) Name the parts of the simple machine labelled: X____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (b) (i) Which change of state will occur when the filled tray is placed in the freezing chamber? _____________________________________________________ (1 mark) (ii) At what temperature will this change of state occur?

Y___________________________________________________ (2 marks) (c) Give an example of an object that works like the one in the diagram?

_____________________________________________________ (2 marks)

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

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

(iii) Describe two ways in which the liquid can return to its original state.

_____________________________________________________ (1 mark)

END OF TEST

CXC MATHS

1. (a) In a class of 70 students, more than half study French and Literature. The Venn diagram below shows the numbers.

U = {students in the class} F = {students who study French} L = {students who study Literature}

(i) Calculate the value of y. (ii) If Maths is the only other subject studied by this class, determine how many students study this subject. (ii) Evaluate how many students study either French or Literature only.

NEWS

School reopening amid COVID-19

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Take a second look” – Brigadier Mark Phillips tells Education Ministry

T

he Education Ministry’s decision to reopen schools has been met with strong opposition, from the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) for the threat posed by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

On Tuesday, Prime Ministerial Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, 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.

With examination students required to report for school next Monday, he highlighted that apart from the implemented measures at the schools, other factors were not taken into consideration.

In fact, the equation failed to address transportation to and from school for these children, implying that they would have to utilise public transport. Public transportation is known to increase chances of contraction, owing to the high volume of people. He also acknowledged that many students will be challenged in maintaining social distancing with each other.

Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips

“I think the Ministry of Education, perhaps, should take a second look at this. In many other countries, they’re finding alternative means of assessing students, because the fact you’re putting children back in school…We have adults who are having difficulties conforming to social distancing. Are we going to be able to have the students conform to social distancing?

And what are the other sanitary measures? All these measures must be put in place before we think about the students getting back to school,” Phillips zeroed in.

He added, “How are the children going back to

school? Are they going to travel in public transport?

Obviously. Are we satisfied with social distancing and all health protocols in public transport that we have right now? These are all things that the Ministry of Education should really think through properly.”

The decision to reopen schools has also been met with concerns from parents, many of whom have disagreed with the decision. In fact, they complained that their children would be unable to wear masks for such long periods. The PM-elect pointed out that in reality, many parents will choose to keep their children safe at home instead.

“Unless you satisfy the parents that you really have these systems in place, many of the children will not be allowed by the parents to go to school. I’m not here to tell parents not to send their children to school, but I’m just saying as a Guyanese and once you have children around you, the reality is that you have a concern.

To satisfy worries of all stakeholders, he urged the Ministry to meet with the Union and discuss the way forward. The representative body had said in a re-

Caretaker Education Minister Nicolette Henry

lease that its correspondences were unreciprocated.

“Based on what I’m read-

ing in the newspaper and even based on the action of the Guyana Teachers Union, it appears that there are still some grey areas that need to be sorted out. The Ministry of Education needs to, if they haven’t done it before, sit with the Teachers Union and come up with a plan that satisfies all stakeholders,” Phillips shared.

Teachers were asked to report to school this week in preparation for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA); Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced

Proficiency Examination (CAPE) exams.

On Tuesday, the Ministry said school staff cleaned the buildings, installed sinks, and were trained in infection prevention.

This year, the NGSA will be written on July 1 and 2, while the CSEC and CAPE exams will be administered from July 13 to August 4, 2020. For the NGSA, parents were given the choice of keeping their children at home and been awarded a school close to their home.

This does not apply to national-level schools.

Region 4 election recount...

Following the High Court’s decision, Mingo was ordered to revert to the prescribed procedure but he repeated his subterfuge in another guise and submitted totals that varied substantially from those of other parties and had the APNU/ AFC ahead rather than the PPP/C. The Chairwoman of GECOM, Retired Justice Claudette Singh agreed to a recount of the votes, which had been proposed by caretaker President David Granger and agreed to by

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo after an intervention by several Caricom leaders. Since then both leaders have recommitted to accepting the results of the recount.

The elections recount was witnessed by representatives of all the nine political parties that contested the elections, observers from the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and local observers including the Private Sector Commission

FROM PAGE 3

and American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).

As the recount process wound down, voices from the domestic and international community local church leaders, the Private Sector Commission, the US State Department, Ambassadors of the US, EU, UK, Caricom, OAS have been calling for an acceptance of the recount by all the parties, leading to a peaceful transition for the new Government that has been chosen by the people of Guyana.

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Labourer charged for murder of Port Kaituma miner

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labourer, who is accused of beating a Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) miner to death, was on Tuesday slapped with the charge and appeared at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

Godfrey Christopher Ferreira of Ogle Old Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert, who read the indictable charge. The prosecution is contending that on May 27 at Arrangay

Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), the 24-year-old man killed David James.

According to reports, the incident occurred at about 18:30h, when an argument erupted between James and another employee who were imbibing at their worksite.

Reports are as the argument escalated, the man’s colleague left but later returned with Ferreira, who attacked James. This resulted in James falling to the ground.

Police ranks were summoned to the scene where James was found dead in a hammock with injuries to his neck, face, and about his body.

Meanwhile, a post-mortem examination conducted on the body of James by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh revealed that he died from a brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head.

Magistrate Lambert remanded Ferreira to prison and the case will continue on July 7, 2020.

Post elections...

Remanded: Godfrey Christopher Ferreira

Murder charge discharged against “Duck Man” for murder of ex-girlfriend

Missing: Shawnette Savory

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hirty-five-year-old Devindra Ramdiah, who was charged in April 2018 with the killing of

his ex-girlfriend, walked out of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday as a free man after the case was discharged against him owing to insufficient evidence.

Ramdiah, also known as “Duck man” was accused of killing 37-year-old Shawnette Savory on August 30, 2016, at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the woman’s murder was conducted by Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

During the PI, the prosecution called several witnesses inclusive of Savory’s mother. However, the Magistrate found that there was insufficient evidence to commit

Freed: Devindra Ramdiah

Ramdiah to stand trial before a Judge and jury. As such, the charge was discharged.

Mechanic nabbed with 5000g ganja

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31-year-old mechanic has been arrested after cops found 5000 grams of cannabis in his possession on Sunday at the Berbice River Bridge.

Reports are that Police ranks acting on information intercepted a minibus in which the man was a passenger. Upon conducting a search, the cops discovered the cannabis concealed in three wrapped plastic parcels.

The suspect, who hails from Litchfield, West Coast Berbice, was immediately detained by the police and is being processed for court.

The 5000g of ganja that was found by cops

Savory disappeared on August 28, 2016, after leaving her apartment at Prospect, EBD. Reports are she was last seen in the company of Ramdiah. Following the woman’s disappearance, Police had also issued wanted bulletins for her best friend and her husband.

The couple’s home at Belle West, West Bank Demerara, was dug up as Police broke through the concrete floor of the one-bedroom shack after they were informed that Savory might have been buried there, however, nothing was found.

It was reported that Ramdiah had allegedly admitted to killing the woman and burying her body somewhere in Soesdyke. However, he allegedly took Police to the location, and they were unable to locate the body.

Guyanese man jailed for raping 12-year-old in Antigua

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32-year-old Guyanese man has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison in Antigua for having sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl.

According to Antigua News Room, Ramlal Piroo asked the child to be his girlfriend following several intimate encounters with her in 2018 before having sexual intercourse with her in February of 2019 at a construction site where he works in Hatton.

However, in March 2019, the girl’s sister told their stepfather that she was taking a long time to return home from school. Upon investigation, the stepfather visited the construction site where Piroo worked and warned him before informing the child’s mother, who took the matter to the police.

Piroo said while teaching the victim to use an excavator, she fell in love with him. He admitted to hugging and kissing the child but denied ever having sexual intercourse with her, but on January 27, he pleaded guilty and was on Monday sentenced to prison.

Y

...craziness our Eyewitness knew this record-breaking long count and recount were going to push some folks over the edge. But he never expected anyone to go batshit crazy like what evidently happened to Henry Jeffrey as he had to’ve suffered a meltdown while on a panel with his colleague from ANUG, Ralph Ramkarran and Bajan pollster Peter Wickham, while discussing the elections. Because the discussion was over the radio, your Eyewitness couldn’t actually see the faces of the panellists, but from the tone, he could tell that they expected Jeffrey to be immediately placed in straightjacket and committed to that facility in Berbice near the Canje Bridge!!

Yet even as they were pontificating, over at the ACCC, the long-suffering GECOM staff, Observers and other stakeholders were issuing the final CERTIFIED and VERIFIED recount numbers for Reg 4!! It was all over...after a hundred days, we were finally able to count just over 450,000 votes.

But guess what?? Jeffrey effectively endorsed what his partner David Hinds had suggested a couple of weeks ago – to burn the ballots and introduce shared governance!!

His version of the proposal was that GECOM shouldn’t do what it’s statutorily commanded to do –- have Lowenfield just total up the ten Certified recounts and present the final number of votes for each party to the Commission. But the Commission should immediately go to the Chancellor of the Judiciary. “Why,” you ask? What’s the issue over which GECOM needs judicial intervention or guidance?? Is it about some other mathematical conundrum in the political realm like the one the Chancellor last decided – that 33 wasn’t the majority of 65?? After all, the recount does deal with numbers!!

Nah...it was nothing like that. All Jeffrey wants is that the Commission should ask the Chancellor to take over the running of the country!! She should then call the PPP and PNC together and have them work out a power-sharing arrangement for the next 18 months and THEN call for new elections!! His fellow ANUG co-founder Ralph Ramkarran could only mutter incredulously as to under what authority GECOM could do all of that!

So, the question arises...what the heck were these elections all about?? GECOM didn’t need for us to shell out over $8 billion and counting – not to mention all the nailbiting by the Guyanese populace for over three months.

And why would the elections after the 18 months be any different from this one?? Jeffrey thinks the list will be “debloated”. Only to be reminded by the Bajan that his country has an even more bloated list, but they do just fine.

Jeffrey has just returned home to the PNC!! ...plain talk Even as Ramkarran was practically reduced to numb silence over the inane utterances of his erstwhile political ally, the Bajan in the room seized the opportunity to put matters in a balanced perspective. The PNC debacle had nothing to do with race or lists. But just the ineptitude of one man – David Granger. The pollster deserves to be quoted in full: “We had months and months of dithering and I have said again, one of the challenges that Guyanese have with this current president is the fact that he doesn’t seem to make decisions quickly and effectively. And that’s half of the reason why in the year that we saw the advantage that they had, small as it is, has disappeared.

“I honestly believe that based on my poll data, the outcome that is being projected based on the results is consistent with what have happened in the space of time – which is a year.”

The Bajan was the little boy who told the emperor he had no clothes on – and in fact was stark naked!! ...infighting There’s a cri de coeur circulating in the blogosphere about the PNC being hijacked by Harmon and only Basil Williams can save the day.

What about Comrade Volda, of “only PNC people can get wuk ” fame??

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

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Opposition Leader urges restraint in face of attacks on GECOM Chair …calls on electorate to await CEO’s report

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eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo is calling on the electorate to “exercise restraint as we await CEO [Chief Elections Officer Keith] Lowenfield’s expeditious submission, of a tabulation of the certified recount results from the ten electoral districts.”

This, together with a summary of the observation reports for each district, to be submitted to the full Guyana Elections Commission including Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

Jagdeo’s adumbrations came on Tuesday—100 days to the date since the March 2, General and Regional Elections and come in light of “very harsh comments by supporters of the APNU/ AFC [A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance for Change] and PPP/C directed at the Chairperson of GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh”.

“I wish to urge our supporters and well-wishers to refrain from ad hominem attacks against Justice Singh,” according to the PPP/C General Secretary.

He noted in his exaltation on Tuesday that “the last few months have been

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

a difficult period, where the Chair has had to contend with key elements within the Secretariat and the three APNU+AFC Commissioners, who are bent on undermining every effort aimed at producing a credible result which reflects the will of the electorate.”

He posited, “…the recount could not have been completed without her leadership and steadfastness.”

According to the PPP/C General Secretary, the fact that she was present at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) venue throughout the entire process, “is testimony to her commitment to ensuring its completion in keeping with the undertaking that she

had given to the court.”

Speaking in support of the GECOM Chair, Jagdeo remarked that “when President [David] Granger and I appointed Justice Singh, we did so with knowledge of her personal and professional integrity.”

According to the former Executive President and Opposition Leader, the results of the recount show that the PPP won the March 2 elections and that “we are now awaiting the official declaration.”

The recount of the votes cast on March 2 concluded on Sunday with GECOM ascertaining the contents of each of the 2339 ballot boxes used from across the country.

Region Four’s

(Demerara-Mahaica) recount tabulation, the most contentious of the 10 electoral districts, was certified on Tuesday, bringing a close to the physical recount aspect of the process.

The publicly tabulated figures show the PPP/C taking 33 of the 65 seats in the legislative assembly while APNU/AFC will take 31 seats.

The remaining one seat is expected to be held by the Joinder Alliance comprising the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and The New Movement (TNM).

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

The full Commission is expected to receive Lowenfield’s report on or before June 13. The Commission has in its Gazetted Order, on or be-

fore June 16, to make a final declaration of the March 2 polls, more than three months later—the single longest such hiatus in the nation’s democratic history.

Cop injured in ECD crash

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Lance Corporal was injured on Tuesday after he lost control of the car he was driving and crashed on the Triumph Public Road, on the East Coast of Demerara.

According to Regional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries Junor, the policeman was not on duty at the time of the accident and was the lone occupant of the vehicle. Reports are the car landed face down in a drain and is severely dam-

The car in which the cop was initially trapped after the collision

aged.

The cop was extracted from the vehicle by public-spirited citizens and tak-

en to the Dr CC Nicholson Hospital in Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara. Police are probing the incident.

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 new COVID-19 cases recorded More workers laid off by Guyana Goldfields

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wo new cases of the novel coronavirus have been detected, which raises the overall figure to 156.

Director of Primary Health Care, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton on Tuesday said that 38 tests were conducted and after two days of constant results, two samples turned up positive. Along with the 156 cases, there are still 12 deaths.

To date, the total number of persons tested is 1854, with the total number of negative cases being 1698.

There are currently 86 recoveries, 58 active cases in institutional isolation, one patient in the COVID ICU and fourteen persons in institutional quarantine.

Statistics from the region show that Guyana is among the list of three countries which continue to record increased cases. On the other hand, other countries have not seen any new cases in several days. Presently, Trinidad and Tobago have zero active cases while Antigua has not seen any new positives in over one month.

Dr Hamilton addressed, “I wish to turn the spotlight on the Caribbean. As you are aware most of the Caribbean countries managed to limit

…as company officially ceases mining operations

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the transmission of COVID-19 in their country, with Guyana, Jamaica and Haiti being among the only countries that continued to report new cases. Bravo to Barbados and Trinidad who have reported no new cases in 14 and seven days respectively and Antigua that has not reported any new cases in 35 days.”

She underscored the need to be cognisant of factors which can lower the number of reported cases. This includes: physical distancing, cough and sneeze etiquette, handwashing and most importantly, staying at home.

With cases still increasing locally, the national cur-

few and measures will expire in one week on June 17.

The National COVID-19 Task Force would have granted a two-week extension to the measures and there has since been no indication whether it will be extended for the fourth time.

As of now, the 18:00h to 06:00h curfew will remain in place until one day after the date flouted for an official declaration.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the total number of cases globally is 6,931,000 with 400,857 deaths. In the region of the Americas, there are 3,311,387 cases with 181,804 deaths.

n continuing its large-scale layoff of staff, Guyana Goldfields Incorporated on Tuesday commenced its second phase of termination of workers from the Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) operation base.

The Canada-based company, which operates local subsidiary Aurora Gold Mine (AGM), had moved to downsize its operations since May after facing constraints from the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with other financial woes. It was also linked to their transition into underground mining.

Employees were informed of the second termination phase via a circular dated June 8. Penned by Director with responsibility for People and Culture, Emma Geist, instruction was given to those who will be laid off to collect their final papers before leaving the mine site.

Their final payments, the company noted, will be deposited before June 19. It contended that these actions are in preparation for the rebound when underground mining commences.

“Following our first phase of workforce reduction, this second phase also marks another day in the history of AGM Inc where this initiative will adversely impact many lives.

While these are difficult times, we need to keep our heads up high knowing that this will lead to a brighter future when the underground operations resume at some point in time,” the circular stated.

Added to this, the company sent out a statement on Tuesday in which they announced the cessation of all mining activities and the beginning of a planned care and maintenance period.

This means that mining at Rory’s Knoll open pit and all satellite pits has ended.

“As per our previously announced plan, we will continue to process stockpiles until approximately the end of June and thereafter the mine site will go into care and maintenance. The phased reduction of

activity and employees is well underway and is expected to be completed over the course of the coming weeks.”

“Full-time security presence will be maintained at site, along with adequate crews to maintain the site, including environmental monitoring and compliance. Infrastructure such as camp, water supply, power supply and other systems will remain operational at a reduced level,” Goldfields said.

Layoffs

In a letter last month, Goldfields Chief Executive Officer, Alan Pangbourne said a reduction in the workforce will take place at all levels including both national and expatriate employees as the company transitioned its mining operation into a state of care and maintenance for an undetermined period.

“The reason our timeline is undetermined is because it depends on multiple variable factors. These factors include financial conditions, COVID-19 issues, travel restrictions, and pending approval from Guyana’s EPA of our Revised Environmental and Social Impact Assessment permit for underground mining,” he was quoted as saying.

According to Pangbourne, these factors include hindrances to mining, the loss of income projected from ore shortage in their open pits and an overall lack of funding to recommence operations in some areas. The pandemic had also forced them to stop underground mining development.

“These reasons have unfortunately made it impossible to ensure business continuity and, therefore, we have reached the point where we need to institute manpower adjustments,” the letter stated, adding that mining operations at the Aurora Mine site will be interrupted and will require some downtime to transition from open pit to underground mining, which is the future of the Aurora Mine.

When it comes to the issue of severance payments, he promised that workers’ rights and local laws would be respected. According to the CEO, these laws include the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. “The reduction in workforce is expected to take place between mid-May 2020 and end of June 2020. This upcoming timeline is driven by the completion of mining and milling activities, and subsequent preparation requirements for transitioning the Aurora Mine site into care and maintenance status. Some of you will be asked to continue with AGM during the care and maintenance period.”

No mention was made of exactly how many workers would be affected but persons have posited that considering AGM employs over 500 personnel, the number of workers being let go will be significant.

It caps a tumultuous year for the company, which has already made moves to sell its operations off to fellow Canadian mining company Silvercorp.

This deal could be in jeopardy, however, as an unnamed new company made a “superior offer” to the one they agreed upon with Silvercorp, leading to Silvercorp being given a deadline of up to today to match the offer or lose the deal.

This unknown company is, in fact, the second company that has tried to get Goldfields to abandon its agreement to sell to Silvercorp. Last month, Gran Colombia Gold Corp had made a pitch to Goldfields by proposing to buy all its issued shares.

Gran Columbia had not hesitated to call it’s offer a superior one to Silvercorp. However, Guyana Goldfields subsequently announced that its Board of Directors after careful consideration and consultation with its financial and legal advisors, had unanimously determined to reject the unsolicited proposal announced by Gran Colombia Gold Corp.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GuySuCo says no cash to run estates ...yet Govt sits on $30B bond borrowed against sugar assets

Caretaker President David Granger

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he Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has run out of cash to meet basic expenditure such as the payment of salaries, maintenance and bare essentials. The corporation is also $2.1 billion in debt without any sign of funding in the near future.

Compounding the situation is the fact that contractors that usually provide goods and services for the corporation have now begun demanding upfront payment before any supplies are given to the industry.

The state of affairs was communicated to caretaker President, David Granger

by Chairman of the Board of GuySuco Directors, James Dow. The Chairman has since penned an urgent appeal to the President “on behalf of the Board, to use your good offices to arrange for funding to prevent the impending closure of the industry.”

Dow in his missive to the Administration also reminded that without an imminent cash injection into the corporation, the effects of its now stagnant cash flow would affect the second sugar crop.

The GuySuCo official has since indicated to the President that the corporation has only ever received just about $9.7 billion of

pects of the corporation’s management—have revealed that “little or no further funds are likely from this source in the near future.

Additionally, the Chairman noted that the corporation’s business plans call for investments in critical equipment and infrastructure works to secure the future of the corporation “and these cannot be sourced from the cash generated operations.

He indicated to the Administration, in a letter on May 15, last, that the entity only has enough cash to last up to this week.

As such, the Administration has since been informed that “that cash will not be available to meet any outgoings for spares and materials for the mid-year out of crop mainte-

Skeldon Sugar factory Caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

GuySuCo projects.”

Speaking to the previous Government interventions that should have been birthed, Dow in his outreach to the Executive reminded that the Administration’s plan’s for the industry was contingent, in part, on the

Enmore Estate

nance of our factories.”

Additionally, it was noted that the inability to make the needed purchases will likely affect factory performance and inherently lead to increased factory downtimes, and reduced sucrose extraction at the milling plants in addition to lower sugar and molasses production.

Compounding the situation, according to Dow, is the backlog of some $21 billion owed to GuysuCo creditors.

Elaborating on the sug-

sale of 4650 acres of land.

This did not obtain.

Additionally, Dow noted that the creation of the NICIL-SPU saw the issue of a $30 billion, “which to our knowledge, only $17B has been raised to date.”

Dow lamented too that proceeds from the sale of GuySuCo lands by the NICIL outfit never saw that money being remitted to the sugar corporation.

He noted further that additionally, the NICIL outfit has also been selling off GuySuCo’s assets from its

ar industry’s predicament, Dow notified the President that it is unlikely that the company’s creditors will extend the facility further and that “indeed our inability to pay creditors in time has resulted in many of our most experienced contractors being unwilling to tender for

now-closed estates such as scrap iron, punts, and tractors among other assets, only to be told that the monies being raised are being used to repay the bond but with no corroborating accounting.

Dow has since requested of the Executive, an immediate provision for a subven-

Rose Hall Estate

the promised US$30 billion that was secured for the industry by the Governmentrun National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) - Special Purpose Unit (SPU).

According to Dow, recent interactions with the intermediate body—that was placed in charge of large as-

tion, acknowledging that the next annual budget for the country is still some months away given the prevailing political state of affairs.

The immediacy, Dow pointed out, is rooted in the fact that the corporation is without cash to carry it past the second week of this month.

He noted in the missive to

Wales Sugar Estate

the President that the financial situation at GuySuCo is so dire that two accountants on the corporation’s Board have since resigned.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has long criticised the coalition Administration for going ahead and closing the sugar estates without any fact-based approach which included a socio-economic impact study that was recommended by a Commission of Inquiry (CoI)

set up by this Government.

Thousands of sugar workers were fired by the APNU/ AFC Administration in what they called a ‘downsizing’ of the industry. The estates closed were Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon, in late 2017. In 2016, the APNU/ AFC Administration closed the Wales Sugar Estate.

Retrenched workers, most of whom were breadwinners of their families, are still struggling to find a steady job.

12

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 202

Certified recount results delivered to CEO for exp

The certified elections recount documents for all 10 districts have been delivered to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield f made during the recount process - to the GECOM Commission for the final declaration on or before June 16. The data generated fro Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), 217,920 votes; the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) received 2657 votes; A New and U

20 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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peditious tabulation, submission to Commission

for tabulation. He must now tabulate those results and submit the final totals - along with a summary of the observations that were om the 2339 Statements of Recount (SoRs) shows that the PPP/C received a total of 233,336 votes and A Partnership for National United Guyana (ANUG), 2313 votes; Change Guyana, 1953; People’s Republican Party, 889, and The Citizenship Initiative, 680.

14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

PPP/C vows to defend Guyana’s sovereignty in border controversy case

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he People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is not prepared to settle the controversy by way of bilateral talks over the border controversy with Venezuela.

This is the position of the party’s Prime Ministerial Candidate, Brigadier Mark Phillips. The recently concluded National Recount of votes shows that the PPP/C has won the elections by in excess of 15,000 votes, and it was on this premise of victory that Phillips addressed the party’s way forward on several matters of national importance.

During an appearance on a radio talk show moderated by Dr Yog Mahadeo, Phillips was asked whether or not the PPP/C is willing to settle the controversy as it pertains to the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between the then-British Guiana and Venezuela, outside of the ICJ. “Anything pertaining to the sovereignty, pertaining to security and the defence of Guyana is deemed a bipartisan issue...It is so respected as a bipartisan issue. The PPP/C is fully on-

Prime Ministerial Candidate, Brigadier Mark Phillips

board and fully in support of the continuation of the case before the international court,” Phillips stated.

He also emphasised the importance of maintaining

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

a united front as a country as the case, which is scheduled to be heard on June 30, moves forward.

Phillips posited, “what is important for us is as Sir Shridath Ramphal said, we have a case coming up and we cannot appear to be divided as we seek to have a final judgement on this case pertaining to Guyana’s sovereignty.” He further stressed, “It is very important that we remain united and the PPP/C will continue to support the case as it was placed before the court.”

The Prime Ministerial Candidate iterated that the PPP/C will in no way do anything that could possibly sabotage Guyana’s position. “Yes, we will have a change in Government and hopefully before the 30th of

The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in The Hague, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations

June, the next hearing on the 30th of June, we will have a new President and it will continue, because it is a case that has a lot of importance to the sovereignty of Guyana, and we will not violate or negatively affect the sovereignty of Guyana with our policies,” he continued.

The case was originally scheduled to begin on March 23 last; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions, it was postponed to the new June date. The case was filed by Guyana two years ago, on March 29, 2018. The case seeks a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award, that established the boundary between Guyana and

Venezuela, awarded the Essequibo region to Guyana.

After continuous negotiation attempts, Guyana failed to settle the matter with its Spanish-speaking neighbours and the matter was taken before the World Court. It was in January 2018 that United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in January 2018 took the decision that the dispute ought to be settled before the ICJ, but the Bolivarian Republic in response contended that the Secretary General exceeded his authority under the Geneva Agreement and that the ICJ lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on the case. The jurisdiction case comes up for hearing on June 30.

SYMPTOMS

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

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

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

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

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

(Adapted from BBC News)

Headache

Chills

Sore throat

Repeated shaking with chills

Muscle pain

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

NEWS

15

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations David Granger, step down; President Irfaan Ali, your time is here

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he people of Guyana spoke loud and clear, unambiguously – they want a new President and a new Government. More than 450,000 Guyanese went to the polls on March 2. They rejected David Granger’s demand for a second term and their voice was clear – they want Dr Irfaan Ali as their President. David Granger presented himself as a decent, honest man with integrity. His record falls short of these lofty qualities. But he has one more chance to earn people’s respect and to prove he is honest and decent and has integrity – step down and honour the voice of the people. More than 233,000 voted for Irfaan Ali and the Dr Leslie Ramsammy PPP. The ballots remain the genuine voice of the people and none of us must seek to diminish its power. For those charlatans who keep wanting to disregard the ballots, there is a word for it – dictatorship. Guyana rejects dictatorship.

It is now a hundred days since the elections. The time for a legitimate government to be sworn in is now, no more delays. The recount, through the Statements of Recount (SoRs), has confirmed that the results of the original count on the evening of March 2 and enshrined in the Statements of Poll (SoPs) were accurate and reflected no jiggery-pokery. In fact, other than determining a few rejected ballots were actual valid ballots, the recount showed that the GECOM staff and the representatives of the political parties did a remarkable job on Election Day and during the recount.

GECOM has accommodated David Granger and APNU/AFC beyond reasonableness, and it is now time for them to end the charade.

We have come to the end of this particular road and GECOM must do its job – declare the results and allow the swearing-in of President Irfaan Ali. From long before the elections, from their actions and their history, we knew David Granger and APNU/AFC would not easily demit office and would ensure they stayed in power through one or more of the ballots, bottlenecks and bullyism. The ballots did not work for them. The people of Guyana used the ballots to reject both Granger and APNU/AFC. The people used their ballots to choose Dr Irfaan Ali as their President and to have the PPP as their Government. By a clear majority, the people have spoken.

For those sycophants who now advocate throwing away the ballots and having an interim government until a new election, the ballots represent the power of the people and cannot be discarded at the whims and fancies of charlatans. When Granger was going to be sworn in on fraudulent results on March 5 and March 13, none of the charlatans spoke of interim and national front governments. What they want is to have a Granger-led government either through the ballots or through any other means. Having been rejected through the ballots, the sycophants want to use other means to their ends. But that road for them does not exist.

Granger and APNU/AFC created a multitude of bottlenecks and bullying tactics for the March 2020 elections, just in case the ballots did not work to their favour. When in June 2018 Granger illegally appointed James Patterson as GECOM’s Chair, it was a bullying tactic to ensure he controlled the electoral machinery to rig the elections. While he was forced to let go Patterson, after the CCJ declared Patterson’s appointment unconstitutional, Granger did succeed in taking control of the GECOM Secretariat. The replacement of Vishnu Persaud with Roxanne Myers as the Deputy Chief Elections Officer was designed to ensure there was a rigging cabal within GECOM. The attempted hijacking of the Region Four election results nearly succeeded because of this rigging cabal in the Secretariat of GECOM for which Mingo served as its tool.

When they brought the court into the No Confidence Motion, it was the bottleneck they created to extend their time in office.

When they sought to use the courts to abort the Caricombrokered recount, it was a bottleneck designed to keep them in office. The courts offered only fleeting delays to the recount, so they delayed the process by asking for 156 days for the recount.

That too was rejected by the vast majority of the Guyanese people who made it known on social media and in public declarations that the 156 days was like a coup. We ended up with 25 days and then an additional eight days for the recount. Now GECOM has to move on with the declaration of the winner. But we should all not hold our breath, because I am certain Granger and his cabal have more tricks in their bags of bottlenecks and bullying tactics.

Even as we await GECOM’s declaration, the majority of Guyanese expect Granger and APNU/AFC will seek to use the courts to buy them more time.

But at a time when Guyana is bleeding, our economy reeling, people suffering, too many Guyanese unemployed, businesses stagnant, when Guyana needs a legitimate government, it is time for all to see that the road to dictatorship has come to an end. The time to swear in our new President is now. Welcome President Irfaan Ali.

Lowenfield’s summary of observations cannot impact final declaration – political stakeholders

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summary of the controversial observation reports, which is expected to form part of the Chief Elections Officer’s Official Report for submission to the Elections Commission, should not have any significant impact on the official declaration of the results of the National Recount. There were a number of unsubstantiated claims made by APUN/AFC during the national elections recount.

This is the view expressed by several political stakeholders who have argued that the National Recount is “a recount of the count” of votes cast on March 2; and since most of the coalition’s claims documented during the recount exercise were based on unsubstantiated allegations, they cannot and should not affect the final result in any way.

“I don’t see how the Observation Reports would impact anything at this point,” Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman told reporters outside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Tuesday, following the tabulation of the District Four results.

“We as stakeholders at the political level, we have asked them [A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance

For Change] for proof to support their allegations, and there has been no proof whatsoever,” Shuman noted.

The New Movement (TNM) representative, Dr Daniel Khanai, added his voice, saying that the National Recount has confirmed what the nation knew along, that is; the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has won the March 2 polls and the Commission should proceed in declaring the legitimate winner accordingly.

PPP/C Executive Member, Anil Nandlall had also argued that it is the recount numbers that matters most and not the “ob-

servations”, since GECOM would have to declare a winner based on the recount figures.

“A recount is a numbers game, it’s a recount of what was done on elections night, hence the term recount…”

Nandlall argued that the law does not allow for GECOM to engage in any action that would see it conducting a probe in relation to its own conduct.

“So GECOM has no jurisdiction, no power, no authority to pronounce upon credibility, legality or validity, of its process,” the PPP Executive Member added.

Expressing similar views, Dexter George, a representative of Change Guyana, related that his party does not support these claims as documented in the observation reports.

“In relation to the anomalies proposed by the APNU/ AFC, we do not support those claims…persons had the right to vote, they came out, they exercised their franchise. And they did what was best for them,” George told media operatives.

Now that the recount of ballots has been completed, CEO Keith Lowenfield is expected to present his report to the Commission for deliberation by June 13 and the Commission would then have no more than three days from which to declare

ered with a black plastic bag over his head – which was submerged in the canal. The man is believed to be in his early 40s and is of East Indian descent.

The discovery was made at about 13:55h by residents. The man was wearing a burgundy t-shirt, long white track pants and a pair of black socks when

the discovery was made.

The police were called to the scene and have since launched an investigation.

According to information reaching Guyana Times, the body was found on the western end of Tarla Dam – the border between De Willem and MetenMeer-Zorg. At the time of the discovery, the dead man

Chair of GECOM, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

CEO Keith Lowenfield

a winner.

In addition to the tally of votes for each political party, Lowenfield’s report will also include a summary of the ‘observations’ made during the recount exercise.

The preliminary tabulated figures have so far placed the Opposition – PPP/C – with a commanding lead over the incumbent APNU/ AFC coalition.

The PPP/C is projected to take 33 of the 65 seats in Legislative Assembly, while APNU/AFC will take 31 seats.

The remaining one seat is expected to be held by the Joinder Alliance comprising the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and The New Movement (TNM).

Partially decomposed body of man discovered in Meten-Meer-Zorg canal

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esidents of Tarla Dam, Meten-MeerZorg, West Coast Demerara, were shocked when they discovered the partially decomposed body of a man in a canal on Monday.

The man, up until press time, remains unidentified and according to information, he was discov-

was facing downwards.

There were several visible marks of violence about the man’s body.

The unidentified body is presently at the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour awaiting identification and a post-mortem examination (PME).

Investigations are ongoing.

Motorcyclist seriously injured in Ogle accident nal to go.

The rider reportedly lost control and was flung across the road and ended up onto the parapet, resulting in his injuries.

Before the accident, the man was wearing a protective helmet, however, due to the impact of the collision, the helmet was flung off his head.

The motorcycle which the injured man was riding

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motorcyclist is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he collided with an SUV at the Ogle Railway, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Monday.

He has since only been identified as “Rastaman”.

The injured man was riding motorcycle CH 4902 at about 15:00h when the ac-

cident occurred. Guyana Times was told that the motorcyclist was proceeding east along the railway at a fast rate, while the SUV was proceeding south along the Airstrip Road when the collision occurred.

An eyewitness said that the motorcyclist bypassed the traffic light which signalled stop and collided with the SUV, which had the sig-

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) arrived at the scene immediately after and transported the injured man to the hospital.

Regional Commander and Assistant Commissioner, Royston Andries Junor in an interview with this publication, said that an investigation has been launched into the matter.

16 NEWS Granger responsible for APNU/ AFC’s loss – party’s pollster W WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ith the end of the recount of ballots and the certification of the results for Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), the Statements of Recount (SoRs) from the entire exercise show that A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) lost the 2020 General Election by 15,416 votes.

According to Peter Wickham, a noted regional pollster and head of the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES), caretaker President David Granger has to take responsibility for his party’s loss at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

He made these comments during an interview on News Talk radio Guyana.

Wickham pointed out that by delaying and dragging his feet to call elections throughout 2019, following the passage of the No-Confidence Motion in 2018, Granger missed a crucial opportunity to press his advantage against the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which has now emerged victorious.

“You had the necessary capacity on the ground, to call the elections. But what do you have? You had a year of dithering, where you are arguing over your right to do House-to-House Registration. You have a right to this; you have a right to that,” he said.

“You challenge the out-

come of the No-Confidence Motion. The vote of no confidence was clearly valid. The framers of the Constitution knew what they were doing.”

Wickham had previously produced a poll for APNU/ AFC early last year, which had been favourable to Granger. He has also been on record urging the care-

Granger eventually declared March 2, 2020, as Election Day - over a year and three months after losing a NoConfidence Motion.

“And I have said, I feel one of the challenges Guyanese have with this current President, is the fact he does not seem to make decisions quickly and effectively. That’s why the advantage they had, disappeared.

I honestly believe, based on my poll data, that the outcome being projected based on the results, is consistent with what would have happened in the space of time of the year,” Wickham said. “ …

Guyanese essentially saw things in President Granger that they were uncomfortable with and they felt the economy needed to move. So, I don’t buy this argument of stealing an election. I believe it’s a case where you missed an opportunity to call the election at a time when you had the advantage,” he also said.

“…Guyanese essentially saw things in President Granger that they were uncomfortable with and they felt the economy needed to move. So, I don’t buy this argument of stealing an election. I believe it’s a case where you missed an opportunity to call the election at a time when you had the advantage” – Peter Wickham taker President to call elections since 2019.

One such occasion was a panel discussion in July 2019, where he had argued that the coalition Government would have contested the 2011 and 2015 polls with the list that expired on April 30, 2019, and won same.

Naturally, caretaker President Granger did not call elections but instead, waited on GECOM. In addition, the Governmentnominated Commissioners on GECOM did little to speed up the process.

Recount

The curtains on the National Recount of ballots came down on Monday, with the results for the final district to be counted, District Four, certified on Tuesday.

The data generated from the 2339 Statements of Recount (SoRs) shows

Political Scientist Peter Wickham

that the PPP/C, whose Presidential Candidate is former Housing Minister Dr Irfaan Ali, received a total of 233,336 votes.

This is 15,416 more votes than their nearest rivals, the APNU/AFC, which received 217,920 total votes.

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

The road to General and Regional Elections was a bumpy one, starting with

the successful passage of a No-Confidence Motion in the National Assembly against the Government in December 2018 and culminating in Granger announcing the March 2, 2020 date for elections.

The APNU/AFC Government argued unsuccessfully, first at the National Assembly and then at the High Court, that the motion was not validly passed. Among their arguments was that 33 was not the majority of 65 and that Charrandas Persaud, the Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian who voted against them, was not qualified to be in Parliament.

They found success at the Appeals Court, which overturned the no-confidence vote. All the while, the constitutional deadline of March 2019, by which time Granger should have called elections, expired. But the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) upheld the passage of the No-Confidence Motion, vindicated Persaud and left the Government with little choice than to focus on elections.

While the case was being heard in the Judiciary, however, GECOM em-

Caretaker President David Granger

barked on House-to-House Registration based on an order signed by the GECOM Chairman Granger illegally appointed, Retired Justice James Patterson.

After staunch resistance by the PPP, the exercise was halted prematurely by Patterson’s successor, Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

The caretaker President subsequently announced the date for elections and the rest, including the fraudulently inflated figures Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo declared, is history.

COVID-19 pandemic

Penalties for defaulting Linden businesses

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n light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) has developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for market vendors within the mining town. As such, the municipality on Monday announced that strict penalties will be implemented against persons guilty of defiance.

In accordance with the procedures, it was noted that vendors within the township must wear face masks at all times. The town’s Mayor, Waneka Arrindell, recently noted that the municipality is seeking to clamp down on shopkeepers who do not adhere regulations as it relates to wearing face masks during hours of work, as she pointed out that there have been numerous complaints.

“We’re also facing a problem whereby some shopkeepers are not using masks...and so I know the Council is looking into having persons to observe and start to fine persons if they are not selling with their masks,” the Mayor said.

The procedures also outlined that customers must remain at least 1 metre or 3 feet apart during the process of purchasing goods.

Additionally, the allocated distance must be visibly outlined. It also states that food handling certificates and other certificates of compliance or fitness must be prominently displayed at places of business involved in the selling of food.

Workspace and equipment including knives, scales, cutting boards, and others

must be sanitised prior to being used to serve the public and every four hours after, according to the SOPs. It further encourages vendors to practice effective hand hygiene (wash hands thoroughly every two-three hours) to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as to sanitise their hands as often as possible. Ready to eat foods should also be separated from food that is likely to be contaminated, such as raw meat, fish and poultry, the municipality outlined.

Furthermore, it urged business owners to stay within the confines of their stall or businesses while outlining that random inspections will be done to ensure compliance.

Linden has recorded 10 COVID-19 cases.

Paloma Mohamed-Martin becomes 1st female VC of UG

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he University of Guyana’s Council has announced that the year-long search for the Institution’s 11th Vice Chancellor has ended.

The candidate who led the field of other stellar contenders secured the Council’s endorsement.

The successful candidate is Prof Paloma MohamedMartin, PhD, AA, the first woman to be named Vice

Professor Paloma MohamedMartin

Chancellor in the 57-year history of the University of Guyana.

The Council warmly congratulated and wished her a productive and successful tenure.

The Council also extended its sincere appreciation to all applicants and short-listed candidates, and to the Search Committee and Teams of Evaluators for their months of diligent service.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Do not take our people for granted” – Region DPP challenges Judge’s ruling in 10 Chairman warns Communities Ministry Marcus Bisram case

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egional Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10, Renis Morian has issued a stern warning to the Communities Ministry over what he said is the inhumane treatment of Strategic Investment Programme (SIP) workers.

The warning was issued during the recent Regional Health and Emergency Committee (RHEC) meeting where he alleged that the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary is delaying payment for these workers.

According to the Regional Chairman, the workers have been underpaid for some time now and has resulted in increased economic challenges for single-parent mothers.

“Several of these workers are single-parent mothers who depend on this money to take care of themselves and family, but what is heart rendering is that they are forced to wait in many cases up to three weeks for their

Regional Chairman Renis Morian

salaries and this cannot be entertained as these people are human beings,” he said.

Morian underscored that the complaints from the workers have increased significantly since the start of COVID. He added that the SIP workers should no longer have to wait more than seven days for their monies, and warned that his intervention has averted a massive protest, warning that failure by the PS to take corrective ac-

tions will result in the SIP workers in Region 10 taking to the streets to express their frustrations and displeasure.

“Let me make this very clear, I am warning the PS, Mr Garrel, that the SIP workers in this region are not prepared to wait no more than seven days because if they continue to receive their monthly salary late then there will be massive protests and we should know that protests breed trouble.

This is a warning and I trust that he pays heed to it as I do want no problem and or protest in this region. I am, therefore, appealing to him to allow common sense and a sense of humanity to take root,” he stressed.

During the meeting, the Chairman told the Committee that while he was expressing his views through the RHEC, he is prepared to take full responsibility for his comments, declaring that as the Regional Chairman, his primary ob-

jective is to look out for the region.

Expressing continued frustration, the Regional Chairman said that with increased difficulties, the Communities Ministry needs to be mindful that there will continue to be increased challenges. He added that a mere $25,000 a month is too minuscule. “… this is a bread and butter issue and some comparison should be exercised as these are human beings who are experiencing challenges. These workers can no longer wait more than seven days, and besides, three weeks is woefully inadequate,” he declared.

Morian reiterated that the workers should be paid earlier, stating that paying them earlier would help them cushion some of the economic challenges that they are experiencing.

The workers last received an increase in 2016, bringing them to a meagre $25,000 a month.

At least 20 people dead after boat sinks off Tunisia's coast

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t least 20 people have died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank off Tunisia's coast, according to local officials.

Sfax court spokesman Mourad Tourki said on Tuesday an investigation has been opened following the shipwreck off the Kerkennah Islands that killed people from coun-

tries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Tourki said a total of 53 people had set out on the boat aiming to reach Italy's coast, adding that a search operation continued for the remaining passengers.

Last month, Tunisian authorities said at least one migrant drowned and six were missing from another shipwreck. More than 80 were rescued.

According to the United Nations refugee agency, attempts to reach the Italian coast from Tunisia have jumped by 150 per cent in the first four months of the year, compared with the same period in 2019.

Last year, 86 people died when their boat sank off the coast of Tunisia's southern town of Zarzis.

The Tunisian coast has become a common launch point for thousands of migrants, including Tunisians, seeking a better life in Europe.

Tunisian National Guard spokesman Houssemeddine Jebabli laid last week that 140 undocumented migrants had been arrested. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack

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ess than one week after High Court Judge, Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall released murder accused Marcus Bisram from prison having ruled that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) acted outside of the law when she ordered Magistrate Renita Singh to commit him to stand trial for the murder of carpenter Fayaz Narindedatt, the Director of Public Prosecutions has appealed this decision.

DPP, Shalimar Ali-Hack has filed an appeal with the Full Court against this judgement. This was revealed by one of Bisram’s attorney, Dexter Todd, who told this publication that despite the appeal, his client remains free.

On March 30, Magistrate Singh upheld the no-case submission by Marcus’ battery of lawyers at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

However, his freedom was short-lived when DPP,

Chile eyes new migration law

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hilean senators on Tuesday reopened a debate over a bill to tighten migration at the behest of the government after a report last week suggested Chile could again become a migration hotspot after the coronavirus pandemic subsides.

The bill seeks to tighten rules on how prospective immigrants can enter Chile, how they are taxed, the recognition of their qualifications, and how they can be deported if they do not meet the requirements.

More than one million people have migrated to Chile since 2014, bringing the foreign-born population to a total of 1.5 million, according to government figures.

The comparatively wealthy Latin American na-

Venezuelan children hold toys next to the Chile Consulate where their parents wait for migration documents in La Paz, Bolivia, July 1, 2019

tion is a popular destination for migrants from poorer regional countries such as Haiti and Venezuela.

Migration levels fell in mid-2019 after the center-right government of President Sebastian Pinera announced a campaign to register undocumented mi-

grants and said migrants would have to obtain visas in their home countries before entering Chile.

The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown have left thousands of Venezuelans, Bolivians and Peruvians who were already in Chile without work, and many have

chosen to return home.

But a report by Chile’s Department of Migration predicted that, without the new law, migrant numbers could reach up to 250,000 people a year once the crisis is over, pointing to an International Monetary Fund report that suggested Chile’s economy would rebound quicker than most.

“The migration pressure on the country will pick up once the pandemic ends, especially in 2021,” it said.

Juan Francisco Galli, the Interior Ministry undersecretary, told local El Mercurio newspaper he hoped the legislation would be passed by the end of the year.

Legislating in the current context was “idiocy,” Hector Pujols, who heads an immigration advocacy group, said in an interview. (Reuters)

Dead: Fayaz Narindedatt

Shalimar Ali Hack instructed Magistrate Singh to immediately re-open Bisram’s case and commit him to stand trial in the High Court. This led to the Magistrate committing him on April 6 to face a Judge and jury over the death of Narindedatt.

At that time, Bisram’s lead counsel, Sanjeev Datadin, challenged the

Justice Simone Morris- Ramlall

Marcus Bisram

DPP’s instructions in the High Court and clarified that Hack acted in infringement of the statutes when she issued her orders. He contended that the DPP’s decision was unreasonable, unlawful, malicious, made in bad faith and contrary to the rules of natural justice. He also argued that there was no legal foundation for the DPP to order the Magistrate to commit his client.

Earlier this month, Justice Morris-Ramlall, concurred with the defence’s argument and quashed the DPP’s orders to commit Bisram to stand trial as well as to have the case reopened.

Justice Morris-Ramlall also professed that Bisram’s arrest and subsequent imprisonment was unlawful and ordered his release from the Camp Street Prison. This led to his release on June 2.

After unsuccessfully challenging his extradition from the United States, Bisram was sent to Guyana to face the murder charge. Bisram was accused of ordering the death of Narinedatt between October 31 and November 1, 2016. In November 2018, he was extradited to Guyana after a US Appeal Court two months prior ordered his extradition after denying both a rehearing of his appeal and a motion to stay the extradition.

18 NEWS seizes US$265M worth UK plan dropped for all primary Colombia of cocaine in shipping containers pupils to be back in school WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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olombian police on Tuesday seized cocaine with an estimated value of $265 million in shipping containers at the Pacific port of Buenaventura, a city on the Andean coun-

try’s Pacific coast, a senior official reported.

Some 4.9 tonnes of the drug were seized in two containers at Colombia’s most important Pacific port, anti-narcotics police director

General Jorge Luis Ramirez said.

While there were no arrests, the operation represents the largest cocaine seizure in Colombia this year.

(Reuters)

Dozens killed in attack in northern Nigeria

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he plan for all primary school years in England to go back to school before the end of term is to be dropped by the government.

There had been an aim for all primary pupils to spend four weeks in school before the summer break.

But it is no longer thought to be feasible and instead schools will be given “flexibility” over whether or not to admit more pupils.

Head teachers’ leaders said it had never been a practical possibility.

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock conceded at Monday’s Downing Street briefing that secondary schools in England may not fully reopen until September “at the earliest”.

Primary pupils in England in Reception, Year 1 and 6 began to return to school last week - and figures published by the Department for England have shown how many attended, based on 4 June.

It shows that about three quarters of those who could have returned to school were still at home - reflecting that almost half of schools were not open for extra pupils. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a cabinet meeting later to discuss the next steps to ease lockdown restrictions, before Education Secretary Gavin Williamson delivers a statement to the House of Commons on the reopening of schools.

There are separate rules

for managing the threat of coronavirus in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Children in England began returning to primary schools in a phased process last week, with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils heading back first.

Williamson will give an indication later of how many more pupils in England have returned, but he is also expected to say that primary schools will no longer have to prepare for the return of all pupils, as previously proposed by the government.

The “pressure” to get ready will be removed, with heads and governors being free to decide whether they can bring in more classes.

(BBC)

Mexico confirms nearly 600 new coronavirus deaths – Health Ministry

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exico’s health ministry reported 4,199 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 596 additional

fatalities on Tuesday, bringing the total in the country to 124,301 cases and 14,649 deaths.

The government has said

the real number of infected people is significantly higher than the official count.

(Reuters)

t least 59 people have been killed in a suspected jihadist attack in north-eastern Nigeria.

Gunmen entered a remote village in the Gubio district of Borno state on Tuesday afternoon, killing dozens.

The village was also razed, in what is believed to have been a reprisal attack, according to local reports.

No group has yet claimed the attack. The AFP news agency said that 59 bodies had been recovered, while Reuters reported that 69 people were killed.

Reuters reported that the militants suspected villagers of sharing information about their movements to security forces, while AFP

said jihadist fighters had been killed by locals trying to protect livestock.

While it is unclear who carried out the attack, both the jihadist group Boko Haram and an offshoot which fights under the banner of the Islamic State group have carried out deadly attacks in the north east of Nigeria.

Boko Haram, which sparked global outrage in 2014 when they abducted more than 270 schoolgirls in Chibok in Borno state, is also active in neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

In March, its militants ambushed and killed at least 47 Nigerian soldiers in the country's north east, before killing almost 100 sol-

Boko Haram's founding leader Mohammed Yusuf was killed in Police custody in 2009

diers in Chad the following day.

The group's decade-long insurgency has left thousands dead and displaced many more. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Court of Appeal orders retrial for man convicted of murdering Jamaican

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he Court of Appeal has quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial for a man previously found guilty of murdering a 30-year-old Jamaican national.

Kiari Tucker was jailed in last July for at least 25 years for the killing of Morlan Steede, a father of one. He was also sentenced to 10 years for using a firearm.

Tucker, a Bermudian who was 23 at the time of the original trial, appealed

the conviction and sentence.

The judgment on the appeal against conviction was published today.

Sir Christopher Clarke, president of the Court of Appeal, said that the panel found that the failure of Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves, a Barbadian, to point out an inconsistency in timings on the night of the crime, in November 2017, as well as his treatment of evidence related to cell site masts “compromised

the fairness of the trial and amounted to a substantial miscarriage of justice”.

Last year’s trial jury heard that Steede was chased through the Deepdale area of Pembroke parish on the night of November 3, 2017.

The gunman shot him three times in the back and once in his arm. Steede, known as Clappa, was rushed to hospital, but succumbed to his wounds.

(CMC)

Hong Kong Police arrest 53 during fresh pro-democracy protests

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ong Kong police arrested 53 people during protests on Tuesday evening that saw hundreds of activists take to the streets, at times blocking roads in the heart of the global financial hub, before police fired pepper spray to disperse crowds.

The protests, called to mark a year of sometimes violent pro-democracy rallies in the former British colony, also came amid heightened tensions due to a proposed national security bill backed by the central government in Beijing.

Police said on Wednesday that 36 males and 17 females were arrested for offences including unlawful assembly and participating in unauthorised assembly.

Protesters had defied a ban on gatherings of more than eight people introduced by the Hong Kong government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Pro-democracy demonstrators march holding their phones with flashlights on during a protest to mark the first anniversary of a mass rally against the now-withdrawn extradition bill, in Hong Kong, China, June 9, 2020

More protests are planned in coming days, with pro-democracy supporters fearing the proposed national security legislation will dramatically stifle freedoms in the city.

While details of the security law or how it will operate have yet to be revealed, authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have said there is no cause for concern and

the legislation will target a minority of “troublemakers.”

Hong Kong Security Secretary John Lee told the South China Morning Post in an interview published on Wednesday that local police were setting up a dedicated unit to enforce the law and it would have intelligence gathering, investigation and training capabilities. (Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

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Regional

Coronavirus: Brazil resumes Oil tankers turn away from Venezuela as more sanctions loom publishing COVID-19 data after court ruling T

Brazil has recorded the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world

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razil has restored a website that lists the full data on COVID-19 in the country, just hours after it was ordered to do so by the Supreme Court.

The Health Ministry stopped releasing cumulative totals for deaths and cases on Saturday, provoking uproar.

On Tuesday, a Supreme Court Judge ordered the Government to release the figures amid accusations of censorship.

Brazil has the world’s second highest number of cases –- and has now more dai-

ly deaths than any other nation.

Earlier, President Jair Bolsonaro said the change in policy was a result of actions being taken to improve COVID-19 reporting.

The Health Ministry said it would only report cases and deaths that had occurred in the past 24 hours.

But critics accused the far-right President’s Government of data manipulation, with Brazil’s national council of state health secretaries describing the move as “authoritarian, insensitive, inhuman and un-

ethical”.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes told the Ministry to “fully re-establish” the publication of COVID-19 data in the interests of public health.

Brazil has the world’s second highest number of cases, and has recently had more new deaths than any other nation.

The Latin American country has recorded more than 700,000 infections, but because of insufficient testing, the number is believed to be much higher. More than 37,000 people have died, the third-highest toll in the world.

Using data from alternative sources, Brazilian media outlets started publishing their own coronavirus figures to keep the public informed.

They criticised President Bolsonaro for his handling of the pandemic, during which he has opposed lockdown measures and downplayed the virus as “a little flu”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Haiti records 3000 virus cases in 1 month

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aiti has recorded more than 3000 cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a one-month period as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country announced that 262 cases had been confirmed over 24 hours on Monday.

The Public Health Ministry said the new cases, more than 100 per cent of the previous day’s, bring the total to 3334 since the first case was detected on March 19.

It said that in the past 30 days, there had been 3205 more positive cases and that the death toll had increased by one to 51.

The Ministry said that

there were 3259 active cases, while the number of suspected cases since March 19: is 7351 cases.

Meanwhile, the group, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said that it believed the real figures regarding the number of people testing positive for the virus “are probably much higher”.

MSF, which opened a 45bed COVID-19 treatment centre there last month, said it was currently treating 25 patients, mainly of whom were “seriously ill”.

MSF chief of mission in Haiti, Hassan Issa, said that the group was also following 60 other patients on an outpatient basis in the capital and surrounding areas.

“Some patients come to us with positive test results, and others who need oxygen or hospitalisation are treated while we send their test to a Government-run laboratory,” Issa added.

MSF said it was also concerned that many people with COVID-19 symptoms were not going to the hospital for treatment, thereby spreading the virus in communities and reducing the chances of survival for individuals.

“As the spread of the virus accelerates, so does the stigma around it,” said Issa, adding “many people with symptoms of COVID-19 are slow to come, or forgo treatment. (Excerpt from CMC)

wo tankers that were sailing toward Venezuela to load crude have turned around since the weekend and three other vessels have left Venezuelan waters as the United States considers blacklisting dozens of ships for transporting the country’s oil, according to shipping data and industry sources.

Washington is considering imposing sanctions on tankers involved in exporting Venezuela’s oil as the US Government seeks to choke off the main source of revenue for socialist President Nicolás Maduro.

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lose to 70 people, including alleged underworld figures, are now in Police custody after they were held at a gambling den in San Juan on Monday for contravening the Public Health Ordinance.

Investigators told Guardian Media that a team of officers from the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) acting on information, went to a property, which also houses a Royal Castle outlet. The building is a stone’s throw away from the San Juan Police Substation and the upstairs section where the suspects were held once housed a nightclub.

The officers found 61 men and seven women gathered gambling on the premises.

The gathering far exceeded the stipulated number of 10 people allowed to congregate under the COVID-19 restrictions. Officers have also so far recovered one illegal firearm.

Last Saturday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced more relaxed COVID-19 restrictions which kicked in from Monday, allowing barbers

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Passengers who arrived on a JetBlue flight from the United States, June 9, 2020

endured some serious situations while abroad. One couple, he said, had been stuck in the United States for about four months and were happy to be home.

The Minister said he was present Tuesday because citizens who arrived last week onboard a British Airways repatriation flight from the United Kingdom complained about the length of time it took to be processed.

Some ship operators have started diverting vessels away from Venezuela to avoid the risk of incurring sanctions that would make it harder to keep the tankers working.

Malta-flagged tanker Seadancer, operated by Greek firm Thenamaris Ships Management and chartered by Thai refiner Tipco Asphalt, returned to Gibraltar after waiting in the Atlantic Ocean for a week, according to Refinitiv Eikon tracking data.

Tipco Asphalt told Reuters on Tuesday the company had dropped plans to use the vessel. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trinidad: Cops arrest 68 in illegal San Juan gambling den

Health Minister welcomes Barbadians who were stranded in US

ealth and Wellness Minister Jeffrey Bostic said on Tuesday that any Barbadians who were stranded abroad during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have every right to be there as he welcomed home about 110 people.

The passengers arrived onboard a JetBlue flight from the United States Tuesday afternoon.

Bostic was speaking at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA), where the Barbadians were being processed before being taken to quarantine facilities. He made the point too that home quarantine was not an option except on a case-by-case basis and for medical reasons.

While noting that Barbados is still under mandatory quarantine of 14 days for people arriving there, the Minister emphasised: “We, as a country, as a Government, would never deny our citizens the right to return home.”

Bostic said a number of the passengers

Previous rounds of sanctions have reduced Venezuelan oil exports to a 17-year low while deepening the country’s economic crisis, but Maduro has held on, frustrating the Administration of US President Donald Trump.

Tighter US restrictions on shipping would make it more difficult for State oil firm PDVSA to deliver crude to refineries abroad.

Exports dropped to about 452,000 barrels per day in May, the lowest since a national strike paralysed the economy and hit exports in December 2002 and January 2003.

Bostic said Health Ministry officials met with GAIA management in an effort to alleviate the challenges experienced last week. He said in order to shorten the length of time at the airport, a swabbing centre was established whereby some passengers could be swabbed, while others were processed, then to be transported to the respective quarantine facilities.

(Excerpt from Nation News)

The officers found 61 men and seven women gathered gambling on the premises

and hairdressers to reopen along with spa and domestic workers allowed to return to work.

The Prime Minister also announced that come June 20 he will allow bars, cine-

mas and many other activities to resume operations.

However, he indicated that public gatherings of only up to 10 people would be allowed.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Only 3-4 people a class for CAPE/CSEC exams

O

nly three or four individuals will be allowed in a classroom for this year's sittings of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) due to COVID-19 restrictions.

At Monday's Ministry of Health COVID-19 update, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Roshan Parasram said this was one of the protocols they were looking at implementing as the Ministry continues to work with the Education Ministry to prevent any spread of the virus during examinations, which are scheduled to begin on July 13.

"It is more difficult for children to social distance than an adult in most instances.

In a classroom setting, we are speaking specifically about the exams going ahead in July. The Ministry of Health will be working directly with the Ministry of Education to work out protocols to ensure that there is social distance," Parasram said.

"For instance, in one classroom, there maybe three or four individuals in the entire

classroom. Of course, when school opens, that cannot be the case. We are looking at 2030 persons in a small classroom, so social distance is extremely difficult in that sort of setting.

"We have seen in other countries around the world, exams being conducted on a playfield. I saw a picture where South Korea actually used a large playfield to conduct their examination, which is open-air and they have a lot of social distance occurring in there. We are using classrooms, but we are trying to have three or four persons in those settings so that the social distance can be adhered to." Parasram said.

Handwashing, sanitisation of the surfaces before and after each examination and every time a new individual comes into a space will be done. Most important was that anyone who is ill will not be allowed into the examination area.

The Education Ministry is also expected to announce its plans for primary school pupils to write the Secondary Entrance Assessment later this week. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

20

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

Around the World

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza dies of 'cardiac arrest' at 55

B

urundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza, aged 55, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest, the Government said.

He was admitted to hospital on Saturday after feeling unwell, his condition improved but on Monday he had a cardiac arrest and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, officials say.

After 15 years in power, Nkurunziza was due to step down in August.

In 2015, the announcement that he would run for a third term plunged the

Pierre Nkurunziza took pride in the fact that he helped bring peace to the country

country into chaos.

It sparked anger as some questioned the legality of a third-term bid.

There was a failed coup attempt, hundreds of people died in clashes and tens of thousands fled the country.

After a change in the Constitution, he was able to run for a further term in last month's election but he decided to retire and was to be known as the "supreme guide to patriotism".

He was also due to receive a $540,000 (£440,000)

retirement pay-out and a luxury villa.

The official statement announcing the President's death said he was taken ill in the evening after helping out at a volleyball match in Ngozi, northern Burundi, on Saturday.

He went to hospital, but appeared to be recovering on Sunday and was able to communicate with the people surrounding him, the Government said.

His condition, however, rapidly changed on Monday.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

UN sanctions on Iran if the Security Council does not extend an arms embargo due to expire in October under Tehran’s deal with world powers to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, enshrined in a UN resolution, allows for return of sanctions on Iran, including the arms embargo, if Iran violates the deal. US President Donald Trump quit the deal in 2018, brand-

ing the accord from Barack Obama’s presidency as “the worst deal ever.”

Lavrov cited a 1971 International Court of Justice opinion, which found that a fundamental principle governing international relationships was that “a party which disowns or does not fulfil its own obligations cannot be recognised as retaining the rights which it claims to derive from the relationship.”

(Excerpt from Reuters)

OILNEWS Refineries around Asia join Chinese peers in ramping up oil output

Russia, China build case at UN to protect Iran from US sanctions threat

R

ussia and China have started making the case at the United Nations against Washington’s claim that it can trigger a return of all sanctions on Iran at the Security Council, with Moscow invoking a 50-yearold international legal opinion to argue against the move.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Chinese Government’s top diplomat, Wang Yi,

both wrote to the 15-member council and UN chief Antonio Guterres as the United States threatens to spark a so-called sanctions snapback under the Iran nuclear deal, even though Washington quit the accord in 2018.

Lavrov wrote in the May 27 letter, made public this week, that the United States was being “ridiculous and irresponsible.”

Washington has threatened to trigger a return of

India running out of hospital beds amid record coronavirus cases

A

s India reports a record number of coronavirus infections in a single day, the country's fragile health infrastructure faces a major crisis: a lack of hospital beds.

Officials in India's two largest cities - the capital New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai - have reported an alarming shortage of space in hospital intensive care units (ICUs) and general wards.

On Tuesday, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the capital will have more than half a million COVID-19 cases and it does not have the hospital capacity to handle

Health workers talk to people accompanying a patient at a hospital that treats COVID-19 patients in New Delhi

such an outbreak.

He said the city will need 80,000 hospital beds to tackle the spike.

Sisodia's warning came as harrowing accounts of

people struggling to get a hospital bed in New Delhi emerged, including some who said their loved ones died on the doorsteps of medical centres that refused

Lab. Most of the victims were black.

The dead and injured include students, parents and middle-aged workers, according to the data published in the Chicago SunTimes.

The second deadliest day in the city's history was August 4, 1991, when 13 people were killed, according to the data.

Chicago Mayor Lori

Lightfoot said that on May 31, the city's 911 emergency call centre received 65,000 calls - 50,000 more than on an average day.

Police told the SunTimes: "The level of activity experienced over the last week has been unprecedented and the Department is actively investigating multiple incidents across the city and working to determine the motives in these cases."

It added that it "is ac-

to take them in.

New Delhi's number of infected people jumped to 29,943 on Tuesday, more than 10 per cent of India's total cases, making it the third-worst-hit region after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu states.

"For Delhi, this is a big problem, if cases continue to rise," Sisodia said.

Meanwhile, India on Tuesday registered 266,598 total cases nationwide making it the fifth-worst-affected country in the world, and set to overtake the United Kingdom in few days - with nearly 7500 deaths so far. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Chicago sees deadliest day in 60 years amid protests C

hicago saw its deadliest day in at least 60 years last month, with 18 killings within a 24hour period on May 31.

The violence occurred as protests over George Floyd's death in Minneapolis also spurred rioting and looting in the Windy City.

Over the last weekend in May - a three-day holiday - 85 people were shot and 24 killed, according to the University of Chicago Crime

tively working to seek justice for all the residents impacted, especially those who have been killed or injured by these senseless acts of violence".

Chicago's murder rate, though among the highest in US cities, has fallen in recent times. In the 1990s, it was not unusual for the city to see more than 900 murders in a year. (Excerpt from BBC News)

R

efineries from India to South Korea are expected to increase output from June, joining their Chinese counterparts as the easing of lockdown measures boosts demand for oil products, industry executives said.

The average operating rate for refineries in Asia is expected to rise to 75.5 per cent and 82.2 per cent in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, from 72.4 per cent in the second quarter out of the total capacity of about 35 million barrels per day, according to energy consultancy FGE. Refineries in countries such as India, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand are also expected to pick up the pace of processing the cheap crude they purchased in recent months as economies begin to reopen and demand for oil returns.

Brent crude prices fell in April to their lowest since 1999 as strict restrictions to contain the global coronavirus outbreak heavily dented oil demand.

“Chinese refiners have already ramped up crude runs significantly in the last two months. The improvement in domestic demand will see other countries such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam gradually increase crude processing over the next few months,” said FGE’s head of Asia oil research Sri Paravaikkarasu.

Indian Oil Corp, the country’s top refiner, could see the average operating rate of its plants - the percentage of their designed capacity that is being utilised - reach 85 per cent in June, up from 80 per cent in May and 39 per cent in April, a company source said.

Paravaikkarasu also expects petroleum demand to rise in places like South Korea and Australia “where the (coronavirus) cases are broadly under check.”

Hopes for a recovery in demand have lifted stocks in some Asian refiners, with shares in India’s Reliance Industries Ltd up 14 per cent since early February and those in Taiwan’s Formosa Petrochemical Corp up nearly 10 per cent over that period. Despite expectations for higher output, refiners are concerned that their margins will remain weak if the demand for oil products does not pick up as quickly as the rise in crude prices amid restricted supply. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia agreed last week to extend record cuts in oil production until the end of July, prompting the world’s top oil exporter Saudi Arabia to raise its crude prices for next month.

Against this backdrop, Brent has more than doubled since April, squeezing refiner’s margins and limiting their ability to increase output of oil products. This could further tighten supply and add upward pressure on product prices in a selffulfilling cycle.

“Essentially, it’s forcing some refiners to limit output, reduce or even stop output until margins improve,” a Singapore-based trader said of Saudi Arabia’s price increases.

KY Lin, spokesman for Taiwan’s Formosa said almost every refiner in Asia received supply cuts from Middle East producers in June.

“We’re optimistic that margins will improve, but it’s hard to tell how much they’ll improve,” he said. “Buyers will only chase after high-price crude when margins improve.”

A mixed pace of recovery among products could also tilt refinery production more towards light distillates such as gasoline and naphtha, where demand is rebounding faster, executives said.

Diesel is weighed down by heavy inventories while jet fuel is not expected to recover this year. (Excerpt from Reuters)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

21

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

Call on experience, people who owe you a favor and your gut feelings, and you will make better choices.

Verify the information you receive from outsiders and administrative agents.

Keep your emotions in TAURUS (April 20- check when dealing with sitMay 20) uations that can influence your professional goals. Don’t let uncertainty limit what you can achieve. Focus on the facts and figures and proceed.

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Concentrate on connecting with people who have something to offer through social media. Building a core base of like-minded people will help you work toward a collective goal.

A change someone makes will be a telltale sign regarding their motives. Discard a plan that doesn’t benefit you directly. You’ll do better on your own than following someone else.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Stick to your objective and stay out of trouble. A change you’ve been considering needs to be foolproof before you proceed. Use your intelligence to gain support and sufficient help.

LIBRA

You’ll learn a lot if you observe what others do and how they respond. A quiet pursuit will help you reach your destination of choice without interference.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Take care of emotional matters. Discuss your plans with someone you love and you’ll come up with a program that encourages positive change. Romance is in the stars.

Refuse to let your emoSCORPIO tions stand between you and (Oct. 24success.

If revenge becomes Nov. 22) your motive, it will rebound.

Work hard, and the success achieved will bring results that far exceed retaliation.

Keep an open mind, but SAGITTARIUS don’t be gullible. Spend time (Nov. 23nurturing essential relationDec. 21) ships and less time listening to an outside opinion that is trying to disrupt your life.

Romance is encouraged.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) YESTERDAY'S WORD – HETERODOX

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Pick up information and improve skills that will help you excel. An unusual offer will intrigue you. Don’t waste time thinking about the possibilities; do something to initiate positive change.

Strengthen your relationship with someone close to you. Make plans to enjoy common interests and to explore a lifestyle that offers less stress. Romance will improve your personal life.

Channel your energy into something that requires you to use your intelligence, skills and experience to get ahead, and you will excel. A positive change will bring you closer to someone you love.

22

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

League One & League Two clubs set for vote after EFL framework ratified

L

eague One and League Two clubs are set to vote on whether or not to end their seasons after new regulations about how to end a campaign early were approved.

League tables will be settled by a points-per-game format, while promotion and relegation both remain in place.

English Football League (EFL) clubs approved the Board's plan after a number of alternative options and amendments failed to gain enough support.

League One and League Two teams were due to vote later on Tuesday.

Elite football in England has been suspended since March 13, because of coronavirus, with only the Premier League and Championship

so far committing to resuming their seasons later this month.

In order for a campaign to be curtailed, 51 per cent of sides in any given EFL division need to agree to it – which could pave the way for the League One season to be cancelled after teams had previously been split over a resolution.

Talks stalled after at least six clubs in the third tier, including Sunderland, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town, said they wanted to continue the season.

In a statement, the EFL said fresh proposals were submitted by Barnsley and Tranmere Rovers, while further amendments were put forward by Lincoln City, Stevenage and Ipswich Town.

as possible to the previously-agreed regulations and that there is consistency in the approach adopted across the EFL in all divisions if required."

What next?

It said the EFL Board's own framework, initially outlined on May 21, was "overwhelmingly" agreed upon by its 71 clubs.

"The Board has endeav-

oured to listen to all views and alternative approaches, but understands that the decisions taken will not be met with universal satisfaction from all clubs," said EFL Chair Rick Parry.

"Today's outcome ensures that the League and its clubs remain as faithful

The EFL confirmed that clubs in League One and League Two will now "meet by division" to "formally determine" whether or not to end the season.

If clubs in League One choose to end their season early, this is how the table will finish: Promoted: Coventry City (champions); Rotherham United Play-offs: Wycombe Wanderers v Fleetwood Town, Oxford United v Portsmouth – dates tbc Relegated: Tranmere Rovers, Southend United, Bolton Wanderers If, as they indicated in May, teams in League Two

formally end their season on Tuesday this is how the table will finish: Promoted: Swindon Town (champions); Crewe Alexandra; Plymouth Argyle Play-offs: Cheltenham Town v Northampton Town, Exeter City v Colchester United –- dates tbc Relegated: Stevenage However, Stevenage could yet be reprieved after second-from-bottom Macclesfield Town were handed a fresh EFL misconduct charge on June 1.

Macclesfield are three points ahead of bottom side Stevenage, who have a game in hand.

The Silkmen have already had 11 points deducted for previous rule breaches this season and have a further suspended twopoint penalty hanging over them if they transgress again. (BBC Sport)

Formula 1: Mercedes to conduct 2-day test Ben Stokes shouldn't be England

M

ercedes are conducting a two-day test at Silverstone this week in preparation for the resumption of the Formula One season next month.

The world champions are running a two-year-old car, permitted by F1's testing restrictions, so drivers can "blow off the cobwebs" after a three-month break.

The team will also practise the social-distancing protocols organised by F1 to ensure the season can run safely.

Valtteri Bottas was scheduled to drive on Tuesday, and Lewis Hamilton on Wednesday.

F1 has been forced to postpone or cancel the first 10 races of the season as a result of the coronavirus crisis, but has now announced the first eight grands prix of a revamped championship.

This starts with races on three consecutive weekends in July, with two events at Austria's Red Bull Ring on July 3-5 and July 10-12 followed by the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 17-19.

All will be covered by strict social distancing and coronavirus testing guidelines to ensure minimal risk.

Teams will travel on charter planes, and will be kept apart while away from the United Kingdom, staying in separate hotels from each other, with no mixing

Captain – Kevin Pietersen talks about Root missing Windies game

allowed at the track.

Team personnel and drivers will be tested before travelling to the event and every two days while there, while teams will be separated into "families" and "sub-families" to limit contact between people.

If any team member tests positive for coronavirus, all members of their "sub-family" will have to isolate until they have tested negative, a procedure that is expected to take up to two hours.

Some media will be allowed to attend, but they will be kept apart from the teams, and Journalists from the written media will not even be allowed into the paddock.

All news conferences will be virtual, even for those travelling to the race.

The social distancing guidelines will be under con-

stant review, with the potential for them to be relaxed for the subsequent races in Britain, Spain, Belgium, and Italy.

Teams returned to work this week after the end of a lengthened factory shutdown, which ran from the end of the week after the cancelled Australian Grand Prix until the end of May. A number of other teams are also expected to conduct similar warm-up tests to Mercedes in the coming days.

Testing of current cars is heavily restricted under F1's rules, with teams allowed to do only 100 kilometres a limited number of days a year.

So, two-year-old cars will generally be used for these tests as they permit much greater mileage. (BBC Sport)

F

Kevin Pietersen

ormer England Test Captain Kevin Pietersen does not want to see Ben Stokes made skipper should Joe Root miss a game against West Indies next month.

England are set to return to action with three behind-closed-doors Tests against the Windies at the Rose Bowl and Old Trafford.

However, current fiveday Captain Root may be missing for one of those fixtures as his wife, Carrie, is due to give birth, with the batsman conceding he would leave the bio-secure areas in Southampton and Manchester to attend the

birth. aren't the best captains and Root has not missed a sometimes struggle with Test since being named cap- the extra added pressure.

"As a player you are tain in 2017, but has backed current Vice Captain Stokes looked at completely difto step up should he not be ferently until that phone available. call comes and you are However, Pietersen has announced as the Test advised against having Captain.

"Responsibilities all-rounder Stokes fill the void given his own change, communication changbrief experience o f a role he had es, the way in for o n l y which you cart h r e e ry yourself Tests.

"Do I want to see Ben Stokes i n change from who he is t h e and the current playdressing er he is? Probably room changes. not, Jos Buttler "I struggled would be my with it, I absolutely hated it and guy," Pietersen, who resigned I was rubbish. You as England have to change and Captain in I couldn't command 2009, told the respect of the t a l k dressing room. You SPORT. say something " T h e and it is frowned entertainupon; it is a ers and the completely difguys that ferent story."

(Sportsmax) have to carry the mantle Ben in the team Stokes sometimes

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23

ITTF Executive Committee looking to reschedule World Team TT Championships

… after June update on COVID-19

A

n outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in South Korea has caused the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to postpone the 2020 staging of the World Team Table Tennis Championships, which were scheduled to be held in Busan, South Korea from March 22 to March 29, 2020.

However, the ITTF Executive Committee met on Thursday 4th June 2020 to discuss the latest situation for international table tennis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon receiving a comprehensive update report from the COVID-19 Task Force, which was set up to monitor the global situation closely, and after deliberations with key stakeholders, here are the key outcomes reached during the meeting: The Executive Committee agreed to ask the Local

Organising Committee (LOC) of Busan to look for new dates to host the Hana Bank 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships in the early months of 2021 due to the fact it would be unlikely that the majority of teams would be able to travel to Korea Republic in September 2020.

The ITTF will go ahead with holding its AGM on 28th September 2020. If the World Championships are postponed, the AGM will be conducted online. Once the situation regarding the World Championships is confirmed, and with the postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games also in mind, the ITTF will look at an overhaul of its original 2021 calendar planning in the coming weeks.

In terms of the 2020 calendar, the ITTF remains hopeful of staging full open international events in the last quarter of 2020. The ITTF is

The Guyana women’s senior national table tennis team: Chelsea Edghill, Jody Ann Blake, Trenace Lowe and Natalie Cummings

also investigating the possibility of holding alternative, regionally based and invitational events earlier in 2020.

After a thorough consultation process, with the active participation of the ITTF Athletes Commission, the Executive Committee ratified the qualification system ad-

Gordon: Skerritt has brought new optimism F ormer Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Ken Gordon has endorsed the current regional governing body’s head, Ricky Skerritt, as “absolutely the right man” to lead the organisation and says he has brought a renewed optimism to West Indies cricket.

The T&T business magnate, who ran the then West Indies Cricket Board between 2005 and 2007, said while there were massive challenges facing West Indies cricket, Skerritt possessed the necessary leadership skills to confront those issues.

“Ricky Skerritt is the reason why I’m more optimistic about cricket now than I’ve been for 10 years,” Gordon told i95 FM Sports show host Andre E Baptiste on Saturday night. “I think we have absolutely the right man. Mistakes are going to be made given where we’ve come from, but I think we’re very fortunate to have Ricky Skerritt at this time. He’s taking it one step at a time.

“The reality is if you’ve got the right leader. anything is possible. It’s not obvious and it’s not going to happen easily. but if you can set standards and build an environment and keep doing the right thing, you’re going to get a lot of licks. but that’s what makes the difference between ultimate success and failure.”

Skerritt, a former St Kitts and Nevis Cabinet Minister, stunned three-term incumbent Dave Cameron in elections staged in Jamaica in March last year, to take over the helm of the governing body.

However, Skerritt has found himself presiding over a cash-strapped CWI and the situation was made even worse this year with the out-

justments for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Once confirmed by the IOC and IPC respectively, these qualification systems will be formally announced.

The Guyana women’s senior national table tennis team were invited by the ITTF to participate in the tournament, and the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) had already nominated the following key players to represent Guyana: Chelsea Edghill, Trenace Lowe, Natalie Cummings, Pricilla Greaves, and Jody Ann Blake, among others.

The tournament would have constituted a key learn-

ing experience for these Guyanese players, as it was to be their first experience of representing the nation on such a stage.

The Executive Committee through its foundation, together with World Table Tennis (WTT), will be providing financial support for National Associations, players and foundation projects affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

The ITTF Executive Committee will meet again on 23rd June 2020 and will continue to provide further updates on all upcoming decisions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WI Coach Estwick full of confidence ahead of Test tour of England

W

Former Red Force skipper Denesh Ramdin (second from left) is greeted by former Queen’s Park President Ken Gordon before play at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain in 2018

break of the COVID-19 pandemic. which has forced the cessation of cricket across the globe.

In the face of declining revenues, CWI announced last month it would slash staff and player salaries by 50 per cent starting from July, in an effort to stay afloat.

Gordon, who oversaw the Caribbean’s hosting of the historic 2007 Cricket World Cup, said the issue of financing the organisation would be a “huge challenge”, but believed Skerritt’s expertise would prove vital.

“You don’t get anything that is important easily and you have to make hard decisions, and that’s why it is so important to have the right man in there now,” Gordon stressed.

“How far the new president is going to be able to persuade people to face up to that is a huge challenge, but it’s a challenge that doesn’t lend itself to compromise because you can’t make the money.

“I repeat, I’m more optimistic now than I’ve been for the last 10 years, because I think for a change, we have somebody who’s going to try to do the right thing.”

He added: “I’m not suggesting to you he’s on a bed of roses at all, but … I’m hearing good sounds from around him, some of the past players are now coming out to say he’s doing the right thing.

“Maybe all of that will swing public opinion. He has to make his own moves; he has to react to some of the openings that he gets; he has to be a diplomat; he has to be a financier and he has to pray.”

Skerritt, along with new Vice President, Dr Kishore Shallow, has made several major changes since taking over the Board, overhauling the selection structure and changing the management personnel of the representative teams.

However, the performance of the senior men’s team has remained inconsistent, and Gordon said it was an area Skerritt needed to address.

“We have to solve the problem of our team. We’ve got one or two promising people, but the reality is it is our consistency that is bringing us down, and it’s because we’ve done so little development of the mind,” Gordon noted. (TT Guardian)

est Indies Assistant Coach Roddy Estwick has made a rallying call to fans to support the Men In Maroon as they embark on an historic tour of England. The squad of 25 players for the Sandals Tour of England departed on Monday for the series to be played behind closed door in a bio-secure environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Three years ago, in 2017, it was a very, very young unit. Now we’ve got seasoned Test players, we’ve got players with 50 Test matches, so I think once we can hit the ground running and get the preparation in, get some match practice under our belts … we can be a lot better,” he said.

Last time West Indies toured England in 2017 – they pulled off a miraculous victory at Headingley which stunned the cricket world.

West Indies are holders of the coveted Wisden Trophy after beating England 2-1 in a three-Test series in the Caribbean last year.

“We’ve got youngsters coming through. We’ve got Rahkeem Cornwall, who could be a big threat in England, especially if the weather stays the way it is.

We’ve got Chemar Holder, who just had an outstanding First-Class season and we’ve got Alzarri Joseph, who’s improving all the time. If we can get scores on the board, we can really challenge

West Indies Assistant Coach Roddy Estwick

England, because I know the bowling will be good, and the three big men (Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, and Shannon Gabriel) are all in the top [20] in the world and that tells you our bowling unit is really improving.”

West Indies arrived in Manchester on June 9, and would be based in Manchester for a three-week period before moving to Southampton for the first Test at the Ageas Bowl. They will then return to Manchester for the second and third matches at Old Trafford. (Sportsmax)

TEST MATCH SCHEDULE

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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

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

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England v West Indies:

Tourists arrive for historic Test series

W

est Indies have arrived in Manchester to begin their historic Test tour of England.

They are the first international sports team to arrive in the United Kingdom since the coronavirus lockdown started in March.

The three-Test series, originally due to begin on June 4, starts on July 8 at bio-secure venues without spectators.

All 39 members of the touring party, including 25 players, tested negative for COVID-19 before taking a charter flight from Antigua to Manchester.

They will be tested again as they enter quarantine at Emirates Old Trafford, where they will spend three weeks preparing before heading to the Ageas Bowl in Southampton for the first Test.

The second and third matches will take place at Old Trafford. Both venues have hotels on site.

England v West Indies schedule

“This is a huge step forward in cricket and in sports in general,” said West Indies Captain Jason Holder.

“A lot has gone into the preparations for

what will be a new phase in the game.”

The first Test will be the first international cricket played since Australia beat New Zealand behind closed doors in a one-day international at Sydney’s SCG on March 13.

West Indies players “champing at the bit”

West Indies batsmen Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo and all-rounder Keemo Paul opted out of the tour because of coronavirus concerns.

The number of coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases is far higher in the UK

Guyana continues to represent at International Remote Archery Competition C

ontinuing in the 60x ISOL Remote Shoot Competition, Guyana fielded three archers Sunday, June 7 in the 10th stage of this novel virtual competition.

With the focus on maintaining fitness and competitiveness during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and quarantine measures, all athletes are required to maintain the strict safety guidelines while competing, either from home or other venues.

Competing in the 30m categories, Winnette Lawrence and Robert Singh were joined by Nicholas Hing, with Lawrence in the Compound Division and Singh and Hing in the Recurve Division. Both comprising two sessions of 36 arrows each.

Singh, on his second venture at this competition, scored 564/720 and placed fifth in a group of eight archers, and Hing in his first, scored 450/720 placing eighth. Singh commented that his scores improved compared with the last stage (9). This improvement he attributed to continued focus and the competitive atmosphere of the tourna-

ment. He also said that he was using this experience to improve on his consistency in scoring in his ends, thus improving on his overall scores.

Lawrence, on her third venture in this competition, scored 662/720 placing ninth in a group of 15 archers.

As previously mentioned, registration is done online and athletes choose which session and division they would shoot. Scaleddown target faces are used Archers Robert Singh and Nicholas Hing shooting at 30 to suit the specified distanc- metres in Stage 10 of Sunday’s 60x ISOL Remote Shoot es for those shooting from Archery Guyana urges archers with home with limited space. Equipment access to ranges or home facilities to inspection is done by taking a photo of participate. bow and arrows, as well as target faces All archers are mandated to oband sent online. A QR code is then sent serve their national health and safety for archers to log in and send scores afrequirements and the Pan American ter every end along with pictures of arHealth Organisation/World Health rows in target for scoring.

Organisation (PAHO/WHO) guideThe competition continues next lines for prevention of COVID-19.

Sunday, June 14 with stage 11, as

than the Caribbean.

West Indies limited-overs all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, who will be part of the BBC Test Match Special commentary team, said the statistics caused “some scepticism” about the tour among some players.

“Ultimately, everybody has been champing at the bit not only to practise, but play,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Tuffers & Vaughan show.

“It was more a case of we want to play.

However, we want to be sure of the health situation and, once we’re sure of that, we’re happy to get on the plane.” (BBC Sport)

WI Coach Estwick full of confidence ahead of Test tour of England Pg 23

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