Guyana Times - Wednesday, May 20, 2020

See Region 4 SoRs comparison with released SoPs on pages 16 to 19 All SoRs are available on our website Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4291

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

APNU/AFC agent admits party has no evidence of migrant voters

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

125 COVID-19 cases now recorded in P11 Guyana

See story on page 3

…but wants GECOM to still probe ‘hearsay’ claims

GECOM not doing enough to expedite recount – Jagdeo Page 9

…says Region 4 recount being starved of resources to cause delay

US Govt further supports Guyana’s COVID-19 fight …donates $3M worth of supplies to CDC

Jagdeo rejects Granger’s P7 excuse for barring Carter Center …reaches out to Caricom’s SG to extend observers' stay

NA man arraigned for friend’s murder

P8

NGSA to be P10 held in July Page 2 US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch hands over the supplies to CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig

National elections recount

PPP/C PM candidate calls for more counting stations to accelerate exercise Page 14

…refutes COVID-19 claims

Stranded Guyanese in US beg Govt for help in returning home Page 14

…after being rejected several times …agree to abide by COVID protocols

Brazilian P14 miner dies after engine fan cuts off right leg Linden toddler drowns in P14 bucket

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US Govt further supports Guyana’s COVID-19 fight …donates $3M worth of supplies to CDC

T

he Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Tuesday received a donation of several items from the Government of the United States of America

and its military.

The donation, which consisted of sanitisation, personal care and hygiene items as well as baby supplies, was valued approximately $3

million (US$15,000).

During the simple handing-over ceremony, CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig thanked the US Ambassador

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch and CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig inspect the supplies

to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch for the timely supplies, which would be used at the quarantine and isolation facilities around the country.

“There are quarantine and isolation facilities not only in Georgetown but you also have on the East Bank of Demerara and in the various regions. So, these items will be used by persons in those facilities to make their stay there as comfortable as possible,” he stated.

The US Ambassador, in an invited comment, expressed satisfaction to be part of the exercise. She remarked that COVID-19 does not “see borders and does not see different peoples”.

Some five days ago, the US Government – through the Department of Defence’s Humanitarian Assistance Programme, donated to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies valued at more than US$3000.

These supplies, consisting of masks, gloves, hand sanitisers, wrist monitors, and other items, were procured locally and are part of the larger US efforts to assist the local authorities in confronting the COVID-19 global pandemic.

On April 23, the US Embassy here announced

that as part of the ongoing commitment to Guyana through the US Caribbean Resiliency Partnership, the Regional Caribbean Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was releasing US$475,000 to help address Guyana’s priority areas of laboratory diagnostics and systems strengthening and supplies, surveillance, infection prevention and control, and emergency operation centres.

Several days later, the US announced an additional US$1.7 million ($357 million) to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean.

NEWS

3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, May 20 – 03:30h – 05:00h and 14:30h – 16:00h and Thursday, May 21 – 04:00 – 05:30 and 14:30h – 16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, May 20 – 15:20 – 16:50h and Thursday, May 21 – 16:00h – 17:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Expect sunny intervals and light cloud during the morning hours followed by light rain showers for the rest of the day. There will be light rain showers and partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly to East North-Westerly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 15:22h reaching a maximum height of 2.50 metres.

Low Tide: 08:57h and 21:10h reaching minimum heights of 0.68 metre and 0.71 metre.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020

LOTTERY NUMBERS I

03 06 09

19 20 21

FREE TICKET

7 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

01 14 16 24 25 LUCKY 3

7

0

0

2

Afternoon Draw

1

2

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01

12

13

14

15 16 21

PAY DAY

SUPER PAY DAY FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020

01 04 08 12 14

08 12 15 19 21

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$34.65/barrel

-0.46

Rough Rice

$290.16 /ton

+0.28

London Sugar

$363.60/ton

+0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1744.60

$1745.60

Low/High

$1726.40

$1748.70

-0.10

-0.01%

Change

APNU/AFC agent admits party has no evidence of migrant voters

…but wants GECOM to still probe ‘hearsay’ claims

T

he coalition A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has, over the past two weeks of the national recount exercise, repeatedly claimed to be in possession of “evidence” that persons who had migrated ahead of Election Day had their names listed as voted, calling into question the authenticity of the votes recorded as cast for the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

This, in addition to “evidence”, to support its claims that dead persons also voted.

It turns out, however, the coalition does not have any evidence to support these claims and is in fact calling on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to investigate its ‘hearsay’ claims.

The confession was made

by APNU/AFC counting agent Ganesh Mahipaul, during a media engagement on Tuesday on the sidelines of the national recount exercise underway at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

Mahipaul told media operatives that the coalition did not in fact have access to the immigration records.

According to the APNU/ AFC representative, the information was instead gathered through field work done by its membership which was then consolidated into a list of likely suspects.

These names, he said, are then checked against the serial numbers on the Official List of Electors (OLE), in order to have the recount supervisor ascertain whether the names had been ticked off as having voted.

Asked to present the media with some form of evidence for which the APNU/ AFC is making its ‘credible claims’, Mahipaul told reporters: “Not going to attempt to present what is to be presented, because we have to confirm first in the counting stations that the persons voted by way of having their names ticked.”

According to Mahipaul, at least one death certificate has been submitted to GECOM and other agents are in possession of hundreds.

He was unable to identify the name on the certificate that has been presented.

Asked about the ones that the coalition plans to submit as part of its future objections, he told media operatives, “I will explore the option and I will happily come back once I have a certificate to present.”

Adamant that the populace must not be misguided into thinking that the coalition was not in fact making baseless allegations,

APNU/AFC counting agent Ganesh Mahipaul

but asked again to provide any sort of evidentiary material to support his claim, Mahipaul responded “I will come back to you.”

Despite telling media operatives of being in possession of hundreds of death certificates that he intended to produce to the Commission, he told media operatives that he did not in fact have any with him at the time and that these could be produced at a later time.

He then went on to disclose that at the counting station he is working – counting station five – he has not in fact made any objections based on allegations of dead voters but rather those alleged to have migrated.

Asked to address those claims being made against persons who were alleged to have migrated, Mahipaul told media operatives this information came to the party “based on our field work where their own family members would have confirmed to us”.

Asked specifically whether he or the coalition was in possession of any immigration records to support the repeated claims, he responded in the negative.

According to Mahipaul,

“what I presented to the station were the serial numbers and the date when they left the country”.

Pressed again for the supporting evidence for the claims being made, Mahipaul told media operatives “the time for evidence will come”.

According to the APNU/ AFC agent, it is for GECOM to now decide what it will be doing with the observations and “if GECOM says that they want this evidence, then we will have to get the evidence”.

He suggested too “if GECOM says that they will do an investigation, they will do an investigation.”

Conceded

The APNU/AFC agent conceded that an opportunity is provided for by GECOM to submit evidence, but this has not happened “because we have gotten the information from field work; we do not have access, at least I do not have access to immigration records, nor do I have access to any other

physical evidence.”

He was adamant, however, “what I have is confirmation from family members of these people that are on the list and they said that their family member was not in the country to vote.”

Additionally, Mahipaul confessed that none of the death certificates purportedly in his possession have been submitted to the Commission as yet, since when the checks were made, it is determined that the listed names were not in fact registered as having collected a ballot to cast a vote.

This, after telling media operatives that he was yet to make an objection based on the death of a person.

He was adamant, nonetheless, that as it related to the migration records for which the claims were being made, the Commission was empowered to source those documents on its own, based on the ‘hearsay’ allegations being made.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 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

Double standards by Granger with Carter Center and International Republican Institute

Dear Editor, President Granger must be highly commended for taking the nation’s physical, mental and emotional health seriously.

What is confusing, however, is that President Granger does not see it fit to use the

same COVID-19 argument applied to the Caricom observers and oil workers, to also permit representatives from The Carter Center and International Republican Institute to come to Guyana and complete their work; and also bring an early end to the

election deadlock.

President Granger can show even greater concern for the people’s welfare by his full support for the recount period to be reduced to the minimum.

Better still, President Granger can agree just to have Region Four first-count

completed from where Mr Mingo went astray. The recount has so far proven that the actual election outcome is nowhere else but in those Statements of Poll.

Dear Editor, Confusion and rumourmongering have become the order of the day, following the results of votes tallied at the ongoing recount, for political parties that participated in the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

APNU/AFC’s switch from the mantra that they won to sustained attacks on the credibility of the elections highlights the real indecency of David Granger and his crew.

The revelations from ballot boxes recounted over the past eleven days have confirmed the authenticity of the Statements of Poll the PPP/C and other parties signed and received after the counting process on March 2, 2020.

More importantly, it continues to expose the vulgar plot of election fraud orchestrated by the condemned agents of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), in tandem with the Granger-led APNU/AFC cabal.

Leading their inexplicable conflict-driven, partisan and conveniently delaying strategy at GECOM is Vincent Alexander whose sand dancing must now be halted. Alexander’s inconsistency since the passing of the No-Confidence Motion in the National Assembly on December 21, 2019, has defined him as a stranger of rationality and revealed the truth of who has set out to

prove that the law is an ass.

It is pellucid that Vincent Alexander has failed, battle with the lists, ID cards, and House-to-House Registration are among many other shenanigans designed to frustrate the constitutional functionality of GECOM, and serve the sole interests of the PNC and APNU/AFC. After the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, he has continued the whimsical idiotic displays which have long now eroded a sense of rationality, making him a laughing stock internationally and at GECOM. By the accommodation of his shenanigans for too long, Chairwoman Mrs Claudette Singh has now put herself in a position where she must definitively divorce from the skullduggery or face the impending penalties. As Mr Bruce Golding, the lead person of the Organisation of American States (OAS) observer mission aptly articulated, he has “never seen a more transparent war to change the results of an election, albeit, the existence of such definitive paper trail of evidence.”

It is widely known that GECOM was able to conduct a free and fair election process in facilitating the will of the voting public on March 2, 2020. All present, observer groups attested to this and contesting parties including the APNU/AFC. However,

the PNC cabals set in motion a plot to blatantly disrupt the tabulation and count in Region No Four after they found that they lost the elections by ‘four’ seats.

What took place halfway through the process of Region No Four’s tabulation attracted the attention and ire of the world. The most blatant cheating unfolded after the geriatric Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo feigned sickness and allowed the rigging cabal of the PNC to produce a fake spreadsheet to purportedly represent a tally of the votes accounted for by the Region No Four Statements of Poll. The flagrant abuse of power and falsifications obviously resulted in massive confusion as they tried to replace the legitimate Statements of Poll.

It was quite disappointing that GECOM Chairwoman did not demand a resolution of the matter by enforcing the production of the original Statements of Poll, lending to wide suspicions of a cover-up. It necessitated court actions and instructive decisions of the Chief Justice and the Court of Appeal to direct actions that could have simply completed with assertive actions at the level of the Commission.

The Chairwoman of GECOM must ease the pressure from Guyanese by realising the official Statements of Poll.

Other columnists have argued in previous editions that there is no need for GECOM Chairwoman to depend on the approval of the National COVID-19 Task Force, to move ahead with setting up the appropriate number of counting stations that would speed up the recount. Of course, GECOM has the constitutional authority to address this matter with alacrity and prudent judgment, given that the greatest threat to the nation has emerged from the absence of a legitimate Government. As the recount slowly moves on, it is proving that the Statements of Recount are corresponding with the original SoPs. It confirms that the SoPs in the possession of the PPP/C are true and correct and that GECOM must use these Statements of Recount as the basis to swear Dr Irfaan Ali as President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. If there is any shred of decency in Mr Granger, then at some point he should save face by conceding since he is aware of the true results.

The drowning APNU/ AFC cabal must stop the sand dancing and clutching at straws, since Guyana desperately needs a stable political environment and a legal Government.

Mental health and the pandemic Drowning cabal clutching at straws need to stop now!

W

ith the end of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic being nowhere in sight, many countries are bracing themselves to deal with a host of accompanying social and economic problems which no doubt will take a toll on communities everywhere.

The lockdowns implemented, even though they were necessary to contain the further spread of the virus, come with their own challenges, and countries, including Guyana, must immediately plan how they will address the huge negative social impact this will have on people as much as possible.

We had already reported on the notable spike in cases of domestic violence due to increased tensions in the household resulting from the huge impact the virus is having on families. The United Nations recently pointed to reports from countries around the world which suggest that “restrictions in movement, social isolation, coupled with increased social and economic pressures are leading to an increase in violence in the home”.

According to the UN, women across the world are suffering even more now due to the extra economic and social stresses caused by “a radical shift away from normal life”.

Data also confirms that medical professionals and other key frontline workers are experiencing significant mental health problems linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, there were reports in the international media on a few of them committing suicide as they were unable to deal with the pressures.

According to the UN guidelines, depression and anxiety before the COVID-19 pandemic cost the global economy more than US$1 trillion per year. Depression affects 264 million people in the world while around half of all mental health conditions start by age 14, with suicide the second leading cause of death in young people aged 15 to 29.

It should be noted that here in Guyana, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, households were experiencing extremely tough economic times. In addition to the destruction of the mining, rice and manufacturing sectors, the coalition Government’s closure of the sugar estates had caused thousands to be jobless and in poverty. This resulted in a host of social problems affecting communities across the country.

Now with the political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic, one can only imagine the difficulties families are faced with in their efforts to cope with the present realities, especially considering the fact that the Government has offered no tangible support for families to weather the storm.

Due to all of these pressures, experts have predicted that there will be huge mental health problems facing communities.

How persons respond to the lockdowns due to the virus can depend on various factors including their background, the things that make them different from other people, the community they live in, and the kind of support network they have.

The UK Guardian newspaper carried a report recently which quoted the Royal College of Psychiatrists as saying that people with no history of mental illness are developing serious psychological problems for the first time as a result of the lockdown, amid growing stresses over isolation, job insecurity, relationship breakdown and bereavement.

Eight weeks into lockdown measures, the Royal College of Psychiatrists warned that services in the United Kingdom could be overwhelmed by “a tsunami of mental illness”. It also pointed to a survey it undertook of psychiatrists across the UK which revealed that families were experiencing significant tension as a result of staying at home.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) explained that fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. It noted that stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include: fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones, changes in sleeping or eating patterns, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, worsening of chronic health problems, worsening of mental health conditions, and increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

A key part of the UN appeal is for mental health care to be incorporated into all Governments’ COVID-19 strategies, given that national average expenditure on it is just two per cent.

That said, our hope is that Governments and the international development partners will do much more to protect all those facing mental pressures during and after this pandemic.

Sincerely, Faiyaz Alli

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

GECOM needs to ensure the return of The Carter Center Dear Editor, In a previous letter, I pointed out that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has a role in ensuring the return of the international Election Observer Missions (EOMs). With The Carter Center’s request to return to Guyana being rejected by the APNU/AFC coalition, it is important that this role is recognised.

Secondly, the coalition’s leader, David Granger, should not be allowed a free pass when he insists that his Government is not weaponising COVID-19 to block scrutiny of the National Recount by international EOMs. Using COVID-19 as an excuse is not acceptable to the majority of Guyanese, particularly when more than half a dozen flights, with persons from various countries, were allowed entry to Guyana in recent weeks.

While the return of the Caricom team is welcomed,

the fact is that team consists of three people.

Why can’t members of The Carter Center or other international EOMs be asked to follow the guidelines that the Caricom team was asked to follow – that is ensure that they are medically cleared by undergoing WHO-approved PCR COVID-19 tests in their respective home country and once those results are negative they could be permitted entry to Guyana.

Also, it is worth repeating that the role of international EOMs in the National Recount was reflected five times in the May 4, 2020 Recount Order signed by the Chairperson of GECOM, Claudette Singh.

The Recount Order said: “…the recount process shall be conducted in the presence of representatives of political parties that contested the said elections and observed by international and local observers accredited by the Guyana Elections Commission and ad-

visors to the Guyana Elections Commission. “…the following persons are entitled to be present: representatives of political parties that contested the said elections, the Caricom scrutinising team, international and local observers accredited by the Guyana Elections Commission “…the Statement of Recount shall be signed by the person conducting the recount and by the representative of each contesting party present, in the presence of the Caricom scrutinising team, representatives of political parties that contested the said elections, international and local observers accredited by the Guyana Elections Commission, “…the tabulation of the Statements of Recount generated after the aforementioned action at paragraphs 6 and 7 will be done at a central tabulation centre in the presence of the Caricom scrutinising team, representatives of polit-

ical parties that contested the said elections, international and local observers and advisors to the Guyana Elections Commission “…the supervisor for tabulation shall ascertain and verify the entries therein and calculate totals for each column therein, in the presence of the Caricom scrutinising team, representatives of political parties that contested the said elections, international and local observers accredited by the Guyana Elections Commission.”

Finally, GECOM needs to explain why there was no follow-through on the commitment to re-engage the international Election Observer Missions, even though a role for them, as well as their importance, was reflected in the Recount Order.

Yours sincerely, Nalinie Singh, PPP/C national candidate

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

5

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

Diversionary tactics would not neutralise impact How to rig an election of Mingo’s electoral fraud nor a PPP/C victory Dear Editor, Does the litany of changing narratives by the PNCR/ AFC‘s members signal the internal contradictions that afflict this party, which has been wobbling under pressure to prove its claim (by Joseph Harmon and Raphael Trotman on 3/26/20, along with others) that it won the 2020 National and Regional Elections? There has been a continuous outflow of inconsistent and conflicting statements from PNCR/AFC operatives. One wonders if their struggle to retain political power has smothered their reason!

With the exposure of GECOM’s Mingo fraud, the PNCR party is now making a bold but incoherent attempt to discredit the election process by alleging Election Day irregularities, for which they have been challenged to produce credible evidence. It will be recalled that on March Four, 2020, Mr David Granger announced: “the National and Regional Elections were free, fair and orderly.” This position was supported by all the observer teams and diplomats.

But now that the recount is unravelling Clairmont Mingo’s voter tabulation

fraud, the PNCR/AFC could no longer depend on Mingo’s fraudulent declaration for Region Four to claim victory.

Mr Bruce Golding, Head of OAS observer mission levelled a scathing attack on GECOM’s Clairmont Mingo’s Region Four declaration. “I have never seen such a transparent effort to alter the results of an election.” (5/13/20). And Kit Nascimento, a PSC observer also succinctly captured the moment. “...in all my life and career in and out of politics in this country, I have never seen such a barefaced, ugly and deliberate attempt to rig an election. “(KN 3/14/20) The plan to install Mr Granger on March 13, 2020, collapsed not necessarily because of the electoral fraud but mainly because of the fear of sanctions being imposed on all those individuals who benefit from electoral fraud. Granger made a u-turn on March 14, 2020, when, with the concurrence of the Opposition Leader, Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, Mr Granger invited Caricom to overlook the recount, but much to the dismay of top PNCR officials, who swiftly challenged that in court, but were not successful.

With the numerous exam-

GECOM must do better!

Dear Editor, As if the global pandemic COVID-19 is not enough to do battle with, Guyanese have to fight tooth and nail to get the Guyana Elections Commission to declare the results of an election held 77 days ago which in itself is a major failure of the Chairperson and her Commissioners. It is extremely disgraceful when one considers just over 450k people voted. Now having dilly and dallied for close to a month, they set a timeframe of 25 days to recount the ballots. With ten counting stations, they counted 643 boxes at the end of 13 days, averaging, say 50 boxes daily or 5 boxes per station. This means in the other 12 remaining days of their target date, they have to count 1696 boxes, or, say, 141 boxes daily. What does GECOM, a constitutional body that failed the people to deliver the elections result after 77 days now do? Add a princely two more stations which at the current rate will now average 60 boxes daily and if they don’t further increase the counting stations or the duration of the workday, they will take another 28 days to finish the recount, making a total time of 41 days when their estimate was 25 days. GECOM can and must stick to their timeline of 25 days!

Many people in this country cannot provide food for their family as they are out of jobs, businesses are closed, people are fed up, frustrated, downright demotivated and depressed. Yet GECOM is limping along without any urgency! They are woefully behind schedule and what do they do? Close the stations at

5 pm and 05:30 pm? What is wrong with the Chairperson and the Commission? Don’t these people have any sense of responsibility to this country?

It is simply ludicrous that instead of increasing the hours, they are reducing it.

GECOM must do better!

The country cannot afford to wait another 28 days with just 2 more stations added. They must add another 4 more stations to take it to 16 stations.

Even with 16 stations with an average of 80 boxes daily will take us 21 more days from May 19. And pray, can someone explain why they did not allocate the 2 more stations to Region Four? At the end of day 13, Region Four still had 714 out of 879 boxes or approximately 81 per cent to be counted. We will end up exactly where we started. All the regions would be completed and Region Four would remain and this is where the elections fiasco started. Seems the Chairperson and the Commission have not learned anything or are going where they want to be. It is extremely difficult to figure out the happenings at GECOM. The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce is urgently calling the Chairperson, Justice Claudette Singh, and the Commission to put an additional 4 more stations and also increase the hours up to 09:00 pm. At least these two measures would take us not too far away from the original 25 days for the recount.

Yours truly, M Raffik President – Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce

ples of Mingo’s voter tabulation fraud for Region Four, the PNCR/AFC has been forced to resort to a disinformation campaign against the PPP/C that takes two formats, namely, (1) alleging election irregularities; and (2) vilifying the PPP/C as undemocratic, anti-America, anti-West, pro-Russia, pro-China, corrupt, murderers and drug dealers.

The PNCR/AFC has hired the sanctions-busting Washington firm of JJ & B LLC to help them with this campaign. They hope that the West will buy into their story and turn the other side in their (coalition) attempt to kill the bedrock of democracy in Guyana by robbing the PPP/C of its victory. Grenada’s Senator Chester Murphy asserts: “this [election impasse] is simply a fight against fraud and not against American imperialism.”

The recount has illustrated so far that the figures contained in the verified and signed SoPs (that are posted on the PPP/C website), are authentic. As of May 17, 2020, in Region Four, a recount of 47 ballot boxes were completed.

It shows that the PNCR/AFC votes were inflated by 2625 and the PPP/C votes were reduced by 705. It’s obvious from the scope of this fraud, that others are implicated.

While hesitatingly acknowledging that there is truth in PPP/C’s claim about Mingo’s fraud, Khemraj Ramjattan also sought to neutralise the impact of Mingo’s fraud by repeating their novel claim that there had been election irregularities, and sought to blame the PPP/C for these. And PNCR candidate Roysdale Ford has now accused the Elections Commission of fraud.

The PNCR/AFC leadership has begun to distance themselves from GECOM’s Mingo‘s voter tabulation fraud. The PNCR/AFC does not view themselves now as perpetrators or as beneficiaries of fraud, but rather, as victims of election irregularities.

In assuming this new posture, they are also saying that their 2000-plus party agents and thousands of GECOM staff had allowed irregularities, if any, to happen. Unbelievable!

After several conflicting statements from PNCR leaders about the viability of the recount process, Mr David Granger reported on May 17, 2020, that he would accept ‘any’ declaration made

by GECOM to determine the outcome of the elections.

However, one cannot read too much into this coded language.

PNCR member Bro Joshua Emmanuel asked: “if (Joe Harmon) so believed that the coalition won the elections, why did our party engage in court cases to block the recount? Why is our party opposed to releasing their SoPs to back the claim of victory?” Bro Emmanuel concluded: “we (coalition) lost the elections.”

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali has called upon PNCR/AFC to “cease creating false narrative(s) and spreading propaganda.” Caricom Ambassador to OAS Noel Lynch made a poignant observation: “at the end of the recounting process democracy must be the winner.” (Jamaica Observer: 5/15/20). And we say: “democracy dictates that the winner of the 2020 polls is the PPP/C.” Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

A small step forward, one giant leap backwards Dear Editor, She finally showed her hand on additional recount stations, taking the decision while the body she deferred to for a decision dithered. But no sooner the hand fell with her decision on allo-

cation of these stations. One small step forward, one giant leap backwards. And the recount days just keep rolling on.

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

Police intervention in protest was political

Dear Editor, Last Saturday I was looking at a protest by PPP supporters outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on YouTube. From my observation, it was peaceful and the participants were obeying the COVID-19 rules.

These people had the right to protest against a caretaker Government which refused entry of The Carter Centre team. It was alarming to see so many policemen appearing at the scene, some wearing riot gear, and they broke up a peaceful protest. I no-

ticed one person being arrested for reasons unknown. I am sure this was a call made by someone in the caretaker Government. These people weren’t rioting or carrying weapons. They were exercising their democratic rights.

The police should be embarrassed of themselves for their actions because it was seen all over the world. I had never seen such a thing in my adopted country in the past forty-four years.

With regards, Kenneth Singh

Dear Editor, The PPP/C has won the elections held on March 2, 2020, that has already been proven by the official documentation of the Statements of Poll or commonly called SoPs, and to date by the recounted SoRs, yet there is no legitimate Government in place. And the simple reason is that the losers, in this case, APNU/AFC, refuses to accept and concede defeat. Their objective at this time is to drag this process on right to the very end - well, of course, I should say “rig” the process at the very end.

Now, the grand scheme to rig the election has already been mapped out but the actual route to get to that final place of declaring APNU/AFC a winner is yet to come to fruition – the rough edges have to be straightened out – and Granger is getting nervous and impatient. Because with each passing day of the recount, PPP/C advances closer and closer to victory while that rigging plan becomes more and more obscure. So, let us do a quick recap of the events of this record-breaking election fiasco: 1. A disastrous and fraudulent declaration by Clairmont Mingo, thereafter triggering some bruising court battles to defend it, or to discard it (depending from whichever end of the argument you are viewing it). Nevertheless, we are now witnessing a recount.

2. The recount is in full swing and the Statements of Recount (SoRs) expose Mingo’s fraud in a clear, transparent and revealing way.

3. Things are not looking good for Granger and something has to be done, so he makes some startling moves.

He sends Harmon across to be the CEO of the COVID-19 Task Force.

4. The Task Force is now packed with party hacks, persons with a prescribed political mandate. This personnel are there to do the expressed will of Granger. I am talking about political activists with vested interests – the likes of a Volda Lawrence, Joseph Harmon, Moses Nagamootoo, Karen Cummings and other known minions.

5. The Chairwoman asks permission of this politically-aligned Task Force to increase the workstations. After a little brouhaha, they finally give the green light for the establishment of two more stations. This means that there would be an upsurge in the number of boxes counted and the place where a winner would be declared. But this is not going down well with the PNC, things are moving too quickly for their liking, so wait for the backlash.

6. Granger visits Arthur Chung Convention Centre: Granger finally comes out of hibernation to register his disgust at the rapid pace of the recount, things are moving too fast and his coalition is at the edge of a precipice. He is about to lose the election with all certainty. So he summons a private meeting with GECOM to lay out his plan.

7. He emerges from that meeting to face the press and answer a few questions. He an-

swers “honestly” and “truthfully” saying all the right words to please the public. He comes across as this old, pious, God-fearing, upright and decent leader – God save the President – as he rehashes his script “I will abide by the rulings of the recount” or is he?

8. Reports are that soon after his visit, there should have been a total shutdown of the Arthur Chung recount centre due to COVID-19 scare, and a swear-in based on Mingo’s declaration. But, that was not immediately acted upon due to the fact that it would have been too blatantly obvious. So, a resort to plan (b).

9. The repositioning of the controversial IT technician Enrique Livan as supervisor of the recount for the very same Region Four for which he was implicated in voter tampering. He is again strategically placed to administer the “finishing touches” to the figures as they are presented to the Chief Elections Officer, Mr Lowenfield.

10. At this stage of the rigging apparatus, Livan would get down to the business of doctoring the figures just as he did at the Ashmins building. Figures would metamorphose as they are presented to Lowenfield for the final tally.

Well, the question was asked how could he pull that off seeing the final tally for the region would have to be announced to all the stakeholders present and any discrepancies would be met with a blunt refusal. So, to avoid a repeat of the Ashmins fiasco, Lowenfield would hold the results in abeyance just as he did with the SoPs for that region.

11. At this stage, there would be a strong protest for the Region Four declaration to be made public. When there is no let-up in their agitation, the police would be called in to clear the building of all the protesters. This is how the election thieves plan to pull off their rigging stunt.

The point is you keep your enemy talking and the truth will eventually come forth. I must tell you that this is exactly what I did. This is the rigging plan produced and packaged by the bullying PNC partner of the coalition, something they wish to pull off right before our very eyes. However, as much as it seems to be airtight, there are two major hurdles they must surmount (a) How to govern a populace that has seen their rigging through and through? Well, the answer is, rule with the strong-arm of law enforcement never mind the protests and social upheavals, you just have to return to the old system of Burnhamite law.

And the second point is, how to convince the international community that there should not be the immediate implementation of sanctions? After all, The international community will not accept those results, which means that Guyana is rushing headlong into the fold of nations that are called pariah states.

Respectfully submitted, Neil Adams

6

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

Page

Foundation

Guyana Times is pleased to publish the Education Ministry’s National Grade Six Assessment Past Papers. Below is Mathematics Paper 2, 2013.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT 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.

MATHEMATICS

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

Note: You must answer ONLY FOUR questions.

Be sure to answer FULLY the FOUR questions.

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

1. (a) Divide 4.8 by 1.2.

4. Answers MUST be written in complete sentences where possible.

5. Each step of your work MUST be CLEARLY shown in this booklet.

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

8. DO NOT take away any part of this booklet.

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

7. Look over your work when you have finished.

(b) Five packets of parboiled rice cost $4280. How much will 25 packets cost?

4. (a) How many children like Mathematics and English?

(1 mark) (b) How many children like Mathematics only?

(1 mark) (c) How many children do not like Mathematics and English?

(1 mark)

(2 marks)

(3 marks)

(b) Find the value of 68 x 2.4. Round your answer to the nearest whole number.

3. A farmer had 40 tomatoes in a basket. 18 tomatoes were green and the rest were red. (a) (i) How many tomatoes were red?

(1 mark) (ii) What fraction of the tomatoes was red?

(d) How many children are in Grade 5?

(2 marks)

Total (5 marks) Study Figure 2, then answer question 5.

(1 mark)

(b) (i) What is the ratio of red tomatoes to green tomatoes?

(2 marks) (3 marks) Total (5 marks) 2. (a) The length of a ribbon is 4/5 metre. How many 1/5 metre pieces can be cut from the ribbon?

(ii) Write your ratio in its simplest form.

(1 mark) Total (5 marks) The Venn Diagram in Figure 1 shows the number of children in Grade 5. Study the diagram, then answer question 4

5. (a) How many triangles are there in the figure?

(3 marks)

(2 marks)

(b) How many lines of symmetry are there on the figure?

(2 marks)

Total (5 marks) Study the diagram of a house, garage and lawn shown in Figure 3 carefully, then answer question 6.

6. (a) Find the area of the house and garage.

(3 marks) (b) Find the perimeter of the lawn.

(2 marks)

Total (5 marks)

END OF TEST

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jagdeo rejects Granger’s excuse for barring Carter Center …reaches out to Caricom’s SG to extend observers’ stay

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

O

ne day after the caretaker Government’s announcement of permitting over 100 Guyanese stranded overseas to return home, People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo has rejected caretaker President David Granger’s decision to exclude The Carter Center from returning to Guyana. He has since called on Granger to reconsider his stance against The Carter Center's return.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo made this statement during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

While he expressed happiness that Guyanese are being allowed to return, he questioned the motives behind refusing The Carter Center’s entry.

According to Jagdeo, it is now difficult for the Government to defend denying The Carter Center observers entry, particularly since they are willing to take the necessary COVID-19 precautions.

The General Secretary posited that the most logical conclusion to draw was that the Government's motive to keep The Carter Center out is a political one.

"He [Granger] said he has nothing against The Carter Center. So now that his Government has approved, just yesterday, over 100 persons, mainly Guyanese… they agreed to them coming in. He would have a very difficult time now justifying why they can't allow four international observers." "[They] are prepared to take the test and follow the same protocol like the Caricom team did and the same protocol that many of those who are coming home will follow," Jagdeo also said.

Another point made by Jagdeo was the fact that the Government rejected the requests of several United States (US) Senators for The Carter Center to return.

He pointed out that one of those legislators, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, has since been made Chair of the Senate Intelligence

Chairperson of The Carter Center Board of Trustees, Jason Carter

Committee, one of the most important roles in Washington.

"He [Granger] has owned the issue. It was at his insistence that the letter was written rejecting them. Now clearly, the duplicity of the Government's position on this matter will wind it's way up to Washington."

"And in fact, we will point this out to the international community. That on one hand [the Government] is saying they're concerned about the safety of Guyana and cannot allow four persons in. And on the other hand, they're allowing hundreds to come into the country."

Approvals

It was announced on Monday that the National

COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) met and granted approval for a number of things, including the repatriation of Guyanese students stranded overseas and the return of the body of late union leader Komal Chand.

The Guyanese who will be allowed to return home include 19 Guyanese students from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and 70 Guyanese cruise ship workers attached to Royal Caribbean.

In addition, the Task Force approved applications from four Guyanese in St Vincent to return home via SVG Air. Applications from 10 Guyanese in St Maarten to return were also approved.

These approvals came just a day after the caretaker APNU/AFC coalition Government denied a request by the United States Embassy in Georgetown to repatriate its citizens stranded here amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Carter Center and the International Republican Institute (IRI), meanwhile, also remain barred from entering Guyana to continue their observation of the National Recount being conducted by the Guyana Elections Commission.

Last week, it was revealed by US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch,

Caretaker President David Granger

that her office, as well as The Carter Center from the US, had made a second but unsuccessful request to the Guyana Government for the organisation’s Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) as well as IRI advisors to return to Georgetown.

Caricom

When it comes to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) team currently in Guyana, Jagdeo said he is in support of the team staying on for the duration of the recount. In fact, he noted that he has requested this from Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque.

"I was told Mr Granger expressed a desire to have them remain in the country throughout. I have no doubts

Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque

that there are elements within APNU who would like the team to disappear. Because the Caricom team here is a major safeguard."

"So I'm happy Granger said he wants the team to remain. This morning I called the Secretary General of Caricom and I thanked him for the patience they have expressed and the work of the team thus far. I also shared with him our desire to have the Caricom team remain for the duration of the exercise."

Jagdeo noted that if one is to take the President's word at face value, then he would be happy to write a joint letter with Granger to the Caricom Secretary General, formally requesting the team to extend their stay.

APNU/AFC now objects to its own voters

– FITUG calls for recount to be hastened

A

s the National Recount of the votes cast at the March 2, 2020 elections continues at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, APNU/ AFC agents have objected to their own votes.

According to reports, a coalition agent (name withheld) objected to 24 names of persons that supposedly voted at the Belladrum Secondary School, West Coast Berbice.

The agent objected on the grounds that the persons, whom he identified by the corresponding GECOM serial number, were, in fact, out of the country. it was eventually discovered that the ballot box in question contained 250 votes for APNU/AFC while the PPP had only gotten three votes from that constituency while two other parties contesting the district secured a combined total of three.

It would mean that the APNU/AFC agent could only be objecting to at least 19 votes cast for the APNU/ AFC. Additionally, reports that a couple from Berbice, who was listed as voted on Elections Day but were not in the country, turned out to be fictitious when media reports surfaced that the couple was, in fact, in the country and spent the day at home after voting.

Region Four continues to be the electoral district with the highest number of ballot boxes to be recounted, now standing 708.

Hasten counting

There were separate reports of a similar nature, including one where an APNU/AFC agent objected to a vote that was cast by an individual who turned out to be an open supporter of the coalition, as evidenced by photographs of the person gyrating on stage at an APNU/AFC rally.

The APNU/AFC agent at the counting station had earlier in the exercise made an objection, claiming that the person had, in fact, migrated.

The Region One resident was later found to have never left the country.

PPP/C counting agent Anil Nandlall later lamented the state of affairs and quipped that it appears to be a competition now between the various APNU/ AFC agents “to outmatch each other with these allegations and objections.”

He suggested, “it is as if there is a competition to see who will raise or who will manufacture a more bizarre objection because as

the process unfolds, the objections are becoming more and more outrageous.”

Day 14: 76 boxes

At the end of the day— day 14 of the National Recount Exercise—GECOM managed to complete 76 boxes, its single highest number of ballot boxes recounted in a day since the exercise commenced.

This was credited to the coming on stream of two additional workstations, bringing the total to 12 stations accommodating the recount exercise at the ACCC. With Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Two completed, GECOM recounted a total of 18 boxes for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 14 from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 18 each for Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), while an additional eight ballot boxes were recounted for Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Meanwhile, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) on Tuesday also lamented the slow progress being recorded as it regards

the National Recount of ballots cast in the 2020 National and Regional Elections.

The Union umbrella body observed that “with the process now beyond the half-way intended timeline, it is disconcerting to record that about a quarter of the ballots cast have actually been counted.”

As such, FITUG has since called for the recount

process to be hastened while ensuring that its transparency and credibility are maintained, saying “our nation and its people should no longer be held hostage by the absence of credible electoral results. We have several challenges confronting us and we should not continue to be stymied by the absence of a legitimate Government.”

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NA man arraigned for friend’s murder

C

aptured murder accused, 29-year-old Donald Sheriff was on Tuesday arraigned for the murder of Keron Nicholson when he made a virtual appearance before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.

Sheriff was captured on Saturday at Stone Creek Backdam, Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) – one day after the Police issued a wanted bulletin for

Murder accused: Donald Sheriff at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday

his arrest.

However, the suspect was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that between March 8 and 19, 2019, he murdered Keron Nicholson at Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

It was reported that on March 8, 2020, the suspect and Nicholson were engaged in a heated argument that escalated into an altercation.

However, Nicholson re-

portedly left the scene and was heading to Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, when he was attacked and beaten by the suspect with a piece of wood.

Nicholson was initially taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, but was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The father of one was remanded to prison and will return to court on June 25.

Bartica woman found at mining pit died from strangulation – PME

A

post-mortem examination has revealed that the 28-yearold woman who was found at an abandoned mining pit at Three Miles, Karrau Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), died as a result of strangulation.

Rosella Smith of Bamford Point, Bartica, was found at the site last Friday.

Investigations revealed

that when Smith’s camp was visited, it was found to be ransacked and persons saw a man leaving the Backdam with a bag and bucket at about 11:00h on Friday.

Smith was found face down by a 23-year-old miner at about 12:30h.

At that time, there were no marks of violence on her body but blood was seen around her nostrils.

The body was taken to Bartica Regional Hospital and was later escorted to the Lyken Funeral Home.

Police said at the time of her death, she was selling groceries from a makeshift camp.

The Guyana Police Force later indicated that they are on the hunt for a man, identified only as “Blackboy” of Onderneeming Sand Pit,

Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

He was last seen in the company of Smith before her demise.

She was last seen at about 20:00h on May 14 at her camp in the company of “Blackboy” and according to Police, “she was last heard laughing and talking with the said Blackboy”.

Moon ah run…

T

…till day ketch am he folk wisdom, “Moon a run ‘till day ketch am”, pronounces on the inevitability of natural processes unfolding according to innate natural laws. Most of us transfer those processes into the workings of our own lives, and in the case of this aphorism, conclude that no matter how bleak and dismal things may look today, there’s an end to it all. “Day will ketch am” with the brightness of sunshine!! And, of course, the blatant and shameless rigging by the PNC comes to mind.

But your Eyewitness is reminded of the insight of Marx’s old teacher Hegel, who made the seminal distinction between “events” and “actions”. “Events” are things happening in nature – like the earth orbiting the sun and the moon orbiting the earth and we see each at their predetermined times. Newton, and others following in his footsteps, discovered “laws” that control these events – and so it was with everything else in nature.

“Actions”, on the other hand, describe what man does as he reacts to events or actions around him – and there’s no law to describe these actions. Man has something called his “mind” which intermediates between action and reaction. And this is where it is impossible – forget “psychology! – to predict what exactly folks will do – even when they may face the same circumstances. One economics fella calls it “reflexivity” – and used it to explain why no social scientists – no matter how much they boast about being “scientific” can ever predict what even a single human will do!! Humans aren’t subject to the premises of “ergodicity” – go look that up, Dear Reader!!

And we return – after this looong detour – to look ahead as to what the PNC may do as its rigging efforts collapse in ignominy as Mingo’s inflation of PNC’s votes – even more spectacular than in the first few seconds after the Big Bang! – is exposed. Some folks might assume, for instance, that Granger, his minions and his myrmidons will hang their heads in shame and resign, after what happened yesterday.

Mechanically obeying his instructions that there must be objections to at least 20 “emigrated” or “dead” to every box, the PNC agent called out 24 objections. Only to discover that the PNC got 250 votes, the PPP 3 and two small parties another 3. If he’s to be believed, the PNC received 18 of those emigrated voters!! But this is where you can’t predict man’s actions: the PNC’s blithely proceeding with its narrative that it won the elections!!

So, what’ll happen after the recount?? Nothing’s sure, but your Eyewitness’s betting the PNC will not go quietly into the night. The international community will have to pry them out!! …till race catch up As your Eyewitness’s been complaining, the international community’s been huffin’ and puffin’, but the PNC’s brick house hasn’t fallen down. And they continue by outrageously sticking their middle finger into the US’s eye. The latest was the announcement by the NCTF – headed by the ex-US citizen, Lt Col Joseph Harmon – that several planeloads of Guyanese citizens will be allowed in in the next week or so. But no Carter Center!!

So, what about the fears that opening up our airspace will unleash a wave of COVID-19 infections? “COVID-19 is real!” insisted Granger, unctuously! Well, PNCites will say those who’re coming in will have to be tested and shown to be negative before they enter. But hold it!! Wasn’t this what the Carter Center also promised? Doesn’t matter.

As explained by Burnhamite Hamilton Green OR – the first to be honoured by fellow Burnhamite Granger – the Carter Center’s coming from the racist Deep South.

Never mind that Carter put religion and fighting racism at the centre of his life!! His sin is, he thinks democracy matters!! …sanctions catch am Granger wants evidence of wrongdoing before sanctions are imposed. So, not calling out Mingo for padding PNC’s votes isn’t a “wrongdoing”??

Granger would know there are also sins of omission, which earn the same punishment!!

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

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GECOM not doing enough to expedite recount – Jagdeo …says Region 4 recount being starved of resources to cause delay

T

he Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) decision not to add extra workstations to the Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) recount is an inexplicable one, that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo believes played right into the hand of APNU/AFC agents intent on delaying the recount.

Jagdeo expressed this view during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. He pointed out the fact that Region Four, the largest electoral district by far, still has a large number of ballot boxes to count. However, it only has three workstations.

Despite this, GECOM Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh strangely decided to add extra workstations to other regions with far less ballots to recount.

“We thought that the additional two working stations that they put in place today, would be assigned to Region Four. But for some strange, inexplicable reason, the Chair decided she would assign one to Region Six and one to Region Seven.

So she’s opened up a new region, when the idea was to consolidate.”

According to Jagdeo, the completion of recounts in Region One and Two show that the figures match the declarations of the Returning Officers almost

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

perfectly. He noted that there were never any major issues with counting in any other region except Region Four.

“Region Six, with just half the number of boxes remaining for Region Four, has three workstations and Region Four, with double the number of boxes, also has three workstations.”

“Over 40 per cent of the boxes not counted as yet, are from Region Four. So you would assume that about 40 per cent of the resources would be put towards the recount in Region Four. But they are continuing with three workstations.”

Jagdeo described it as part of A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change’s (APNU/AFC) plot to slow down the recount in Region Four.

“That’s why we’re watching it closely, to see if there is no sinister plan, after the other regions have been counted and declared, that they want to create some shenanigans or try to tamper with Region Four.”

Jagdeo’s view is similar to that expressed by GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj.

Speaking with reporters at the conclusion of day 13 of the recount exercise, Gunraj used the occasion to remind that Region One (Barima-Waini) was completed on Friday which led to the beginning of Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and with the completion of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Monday.

As announced by the GECOM Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, one of the new counting stations would be assigned to Region Six while the other would be assigned to Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

According to Gunraj, this would mean that three stations would be addressing Region Six and a singular station to recount the ballots for Region Seven.

He noted too that even more worrying is that of the remaining 1700+ ballot boxes to be counted, in excess of 700 are from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) but the Secretariat maintains the three counting stations

for that region.

According to Gunraj, the combined number of ballot boxes for the Regions Seven, Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) did not amount

to more than 725.

He was adamant that it would have made more practical and logistical sense to have the new counting stations assigned to the ballot boxes for Region Four.

At the end of Tuesday, GECOM had counted a total of 76 boxes. This includes 14 from Region Four, 18 from Regions Three, Five and Six and eight from Region Seven.

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NGSA to be held in July T

he National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will be written in July, after being postponed from April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Caretaker Education Minister, Nicolette Henry made this announcement on Tuesday, as reported by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

According to Henry, this will grant candidates enough time to be prepared for the examination – a benchmark set to allocate students to the secondary education programme.

“The technical officers are working on that… they’re

planning to roll it out and to get the students to write that examination [soon],” Henry was quoted as saying.

After the timeline is finalised, it would have to be approved by the National COVID-19 Task Force and the Public Health Ministry.

With this being said, schools will not be reopened before June 3, owing to the imminent threat brought on by the coronavirus. The NGSA was originally set for April 8 and 9, covering four subject areas namely English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.

After the closure of schools in March, parents

were encouraged to continue working with their children in preparation for the examination, as well as students in other grades, by work-

ing practice test papers and tuning into educational programmes.

Before taking a decision to shut down these schools,

the Ministry had initially advised persons to take the necessary precautions as advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in relation to COVID-19 but later recanted their decision of keeping these institutions open amid the threats.

In March, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) had also proposed a July 2020 timeline for the sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). Registrar of the Council, Dr Wayne Wesley

had stated during a virtual press conference that the Council formulated a revised strategy for the May-June examinations, making the health and wellbeing of involved stakeholders the priority.

As such, they planned to administer one common paper; that is, the multiple-choice, along with School-Based Assessments (SBAs) to determine the final grade. For modern languages, Human and Social Biology and Visual Arts, other modalities would be followed.

The decision to relocate the examination to another time circulated around the increasingly worrying circumstances brought about by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

UG yet to select new VC

A

lmost one year after former Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Ivelaw Griffith ended his contract, the institution is yet to select someone to fill the position.

The University in a recent statement said that the process is still ongoing.

Presently, the Transitional Management Committee (TMC), headed by Professor Paloma Mohammed, is managing the affairs at the University.

In June of 2019, Griffith withdrew his request for the renewal of his contract. This decision came amid pressure from the University of Guyana Unions. Based on reports received, the University of Guyana Council convened to make a determination on the matter of the renewal or non-renewal of Griffith’s contract, but during such, a correspondence was received indicating that he no longer wanted his contact to be renewed. The Council accepted his withdrawal, which meant that as of June 14, 2019, he ceased to hold the position.

Griffith had come under grave criticism early in 2019 after the UG Unions stated that his performance was dismal among other accusations of financial mismanagement. That February,

a group of employees attached to the Turkeyen Campus picketed the ViceChancellery, calling for audits into the spending of the University as it was allegedly unable to properly account for its expenditures and more so, offer a salary increase to its staffers. This was despite the fact that tuition fees increased annually and there were additional fees for some services.

In another encounter, the Union President told media operatives that the University has rejected their proposal for an increase in salaries, saying that the institution has a deficit. Thomas had accused the University of wasteful spending, explaining that they have been hosting talks and events to accommodate various speakers, some of whom the University does not even know of, and funds go towards their accommodation, food and travel.

Pro-Chancellor of the University, Retired MajorGeneral Joseph Singh had told this publication shortly after that the process could take anywhere between six to nine months. However, this period has already elapsed.

The next VC will be the 11th Vice Chancellor at the University.

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

125 COVID-19 cases now recorded in Guyana

Director of Primary Health Care Services, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton

G

uyana’s COVID-19 cases have reached the 125 mark, with the inclusion of a new case on Tuesday.

Director of Primary Health Care Services, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton in her update highlighted that some 51 tests were done in one day, to which this one showed positive results. The day before, there was an increase of seven cases.

“Today [Tuesday], sad to say we are reporting yet another case bringing the number of positive cases to 125. I am quite sure that you, like me, are worried about our numbers which keep climbing,” she stated.

As of Tuesday, 1269 COVID-19 tests were conducted and from those who tested positive, there were 46 recoveries. Dr Hamilton pointed out that these persons can be re-infected if they do not follow the outlined measures.

“Recovered cases refer to persons who were af-

fected with the disease and who now have been cleared with two negative results 24 hours apart and with no signs and symptoms of the virus. These individuals can no longer infect others, however, they can be re-infected if they do not take precautions,” she highlighted.

Nevertheless, there are 69 active cases in institutional isolation and three patients in the COVID-19 ICU while deaths remain at 10.

The Director appealed to citizens, “I appeal to you that even as we applaud the untiring efforts of these faithful workers, that we think of our actions that are contributing to the rise in our numbers. Unless we change our behaviours, not only will our numbers increase, but our return to normalcy, our fellowship, our social gatherings, our hang on the seawall will be unnecessarily long and stressful.”

Globally, there are 4,618,821 cases of the virus with 311,847 deaths. In the Region of the Americas, the total number of cases is 2,017,811 with 121,609 deaths.

Chief Medical Technologist Nataline Seepersaud

Chief Medical Technologist at the National Blood Transfusion Service, Nataline Seepersaud also zeroed in on the importance of donating blood in the time of a pandemic.

“Since blood has a limited shelf life, the need for blood always exists. The need for blood donations from voluntary donors will remain throughout the pandemic to continually replenish the

blood supply and ensure the availability for our patients in need,” Seepersaud detailed.

She cited that at this time, the National Blood Transfusion Service faces a critical situation where blood drives are being cancelled. However, there is still a need to fill across the health sector.

“It is important to emphasise that the need for blood remains essential during the pandemic as countless patients across the nation will continue to rely on blood donors to help provide a lifesaving component for sickle cell patients, thalassemia patients and patients who require major surgeries and high-risk pregnant mothers.”

According to her, there are measures in place to protect the safety of donors and staffers at the blood bank.

“Measures are in place at the blood bank and blood collection sites that are designed to provide the highest

der the Racial Hostility and Representation of the People Acts, as well as the country’s Cyber Crime Laws.

The ERC continues to monitor Facebook and the various social media platforms,” the release stated.

Presently, it has closed its doors but continues to operate via virtual means due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the body deals with complaints and matters of discrimination along the line of ethnicity, it said that complaints can still be filed by filling out an online form on their webpage: erc.org.gy or by downloading the My ERC app.

There has been a proliferation of racially-divided remarks in the last few months, mainly brought on by the electoral process.

In February, political parties contesting March polls would have signed a Code of Conduct which governed the way it operated on the campaign trail.

The Code of Conduct, which was prepared by the ERC, was signed by all 11 parties, and appeared at a time when there were mounting concerns about the provocative language being used by political leaders at public rallies ahead of the March 2 polls.

Blood donation needed

Desist from making racially inclined remarks – ERC

T

he Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) is calling on Guyanese to steer away from “racially motivated” statements towards other ethnicities, as it continues to monitor social media platforms for such content.

On Tuesday, the Commission said that a probe was launched into a Facebook video posted over the weekend, that was “laced with racially insensitive” remarks. It stated that such acts can contribute to unnecessary tension during this time and its Investigations Unit has been looking into the matter.

In the video which has been making the rounds with thousands of views, a woman was observed making statements which go against the ERC’s code. As such, the entity said its officers are scouring other platforms to detect cases where such materials are uploaded.

“The ERC is reminding citizens to desist entirely from making racially motivated remarks which can incite others. In fact, the Commission wishes to point out that persons can be prosecuted for offences un-

level of safety and infection control. In addition, blood collection sites throughout the country are taking extra precautions to help ensure the safety of both blood donors and staff which include implementing social distancing practices between donors, furniture, and equipment; and increasing the frequency of sanitising for all surfaces, equipment and common areas,” the CMT assured.

The National Blood Transfusion Service is located at Lamaha and East Streets in the Georgetown Public Hospital compound with other collection sites at Suddie Regional Hospital in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); West Demerara Regional Hospital in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); New Amsterdam Regional

Hospital in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Lethem Regional Hospital in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper

Essequibo) and Linden Hospital Complex in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

12

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

13

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Miner stabbed by Doctor granted $400,000 bail for fatal accident reputed wife during row over cellphone

A

miner is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital after he was reportedly stabbed by his reputed wife during a row over a mobile phone on Sunday.

Twenty-two-year-old Riley Auther of Micobie Village, Potaro River, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) is reportedly in a serious but stable condition.

Based on reports received, the couple had been recently separated but Riley had borrowed the woman’s cell phone and failed to return same.

However, on Sunday at about 02:00h, the woman went to Auther’s home to collect the phone but he refused to hand it over and as such, an argument erupted between them.

The argument escalated and it was at that time that Riley dealt the woman several slaps.

In retaliation, the woman went home, collected a knife and returned. She reportedly stabbed him several times about the body before making good her escape.

The injured man was picked up and rushed to the Mahdia Regional Hospital but due to the severity of the wounds, he was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted.

Police have since visited the scene but could not locate the weapon which was used to commit the crime but the woman was taken into Police custody and is assisting with the investigation.

Charged: Giresh Sadeo

T

hree months after an accident at Bush Lot, Corentyne, Berbice, which left one dead, a medical doctor was slapped with a causing death by dangerous driving charge on Monday when he appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

Thirty-one-year-old Giresh Sadeo

of Lot 196 Section B Number 78 Village, Corentyne, appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh and pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

Police stated that on February 15, 2020, he drove motor car PXX 5165 in a dangerous manner, thus resulting in the death of Alyia Mohabir.

It was reported that on the day in question, the now dead girl and her 14-year-old sister, Aneela Mohabir, both of Number 46 Village, Corentyne, and another child, 9-year-old Roshone Mohan of Bush Lot Village, were walking along the parapet of the Bush Lot Public Road when they were struck down by the motor car driven by Sadeo.

As a result of the impact, one of the two sisters fell on a pedal cyclist while the other was flung into the air, landed on the car, and then onto the roadway.

The three injured children were picked up and rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital but Alyia was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital

Dead: Alyia Mohabir

Corporation (GPHC) where she succumbed to her injuries. The other two girls were discharged from the hospital after spending a few days.

Meanwhile, in court on Tuesday, Sadeo was placed on $400,000 bail and was ordered to lodge his passport. He will return to court on June 4, 2020.

14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Stranded Guyanese in US beg PPP/C PM candidate calls Govt for help in returning home National elections recount

for more counting stations to accelerate exercise …refutes COVID-19 claims

P

rime Ministerial Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Mark Phillips, has denied reports that he was tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The PPP/C’s Prime Ministerial Candidate gave the candid disclosure on Tuesday when he met with reporters encamped in the makeshift media centre outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

Phillips indicated that it was his first visit to the venue for the recount of the votes cast during the March 2, General and Regional Elections.

Addressing the reports that he contracted COVID-19, Phillips told reporters “I was not ill to any extent where I had to do a COVID-19 test.”

He stated further that to date “I have no reason to do a COVID-19 test” and pointed to the onsite COVID-19 screening that is done at the ACCC venue.

Timeline remains questionable

Providing an update on the recount exercise, Phillips lauded the progress made to date but lamented that with 25 per cent of the total ballot boxes counted so far, completing the exercise within the 25-day timeline remains questionable.

“As it looks now, it appears that we will go beyond 25 days.”

PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate Mark Phillips

According to the PPP/ C’s PM Candidate, “frankly speaking the position of the PPP is that we should be counting boxes at a faster rate” He noted that the party was heartened to see the establishment of two additional stations.

“It is our hope that this recount process will arise as a solution to this over two months delay in the final declaration of the General and Regional Elections 2020.”

He did, however, note that his party is hoping that in addition to the two counting stations, additional counting stations will be added.

The additions, he noted, would, of course, be in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines “ensuring that the exercise is conducted in

a safe manner adhering to all the new regulations.”

According to Phillips, “we have to respect the protocols but we are hoping that we can increase the number of counting stations so we can have more boxes counted per day.”

Phillips surmised that the rate at which the counting is being done at the ACCC venue could be done at a faster rate which would facilitate completing the exercise within the envisioned timeframe.

According to Phillips, “by my calculation, we should be counting somewhere about 93 or more boxes per day.”

This, in order to meet the deadline. He told media operatives “based on what I saw today I think it is feasible, possible, but it is not for me to determine where the stations are to be placed, this is a big facility.”

The PPP/C’s PM Candidate used the occasion to downplay what was perceived as a public absence in light of his portfolio.

According to Phillips, “there are many things happening within the PPP/C and some of us are high profile with our work and some of us are not so high profile with our work.”

He drew reference too to the COVID-19 guidelines currently enforced across the country such as remaining indoors and at home, adding, “I have been working behind the scenes.”

Linden toddler drowns in bucket

P

olice in Linden have launched an investigation into the death of a 10-month-old baby whose lifeless body was found in a bucket of water on Tuesday.

The child, Keron Abrams, was left in the care of his siblings at their Section A West Watooka, Wismar, Linden home as his 24-yearold mother, who is a security guard, went to work.

The baby’s older sister reportedly told Police that she left him to play in the bottom flat of the house with his younger sister and went to answer a telephone call.

Shortly after, she went back to the lower flat and it was then she saw her younger sister coming through the front door with the lifeless baby in her hands. The sister related that the child fell into a bucket of water.

He was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body was reportedly examined at the medical institution by the police, who reported that there were no marks of violence.

The child’s body is presently at the Pensioners’ Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem as investigations continue.

day in question, De Andrade was at his mining pit in the Oku Backdam area when he allegedly attempted to jump over one of his Jet FourCylinder engines which was in operation at the time.

However, in the process of jumping, his right leg came into contact with the engine’s fan.

According to the Police, workmen who were present on site when the incident occurred rushed to De Andrade’s assistance and managed to turn off the engine.

He was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to his camp which is said to be a short distance away.

The Brazilian miner succumbed to his injury at the mining camp before he was taken to a medical facility for emergency treatment.

His body was escorted to Bartica Regional Hospital mortuary and later transported to Lyken’s Funeral Home, where it was awaiting a post-mortem.

Investigations are currently ongoing.

…after being rejected several times …agree to abide by COVID protocols

Caretaker President David Granger

A

number of Guyanese stranded in the United States (US) have reached out to the Guyana Government and its diplomatic representatives, in the hopes that they too can be permitted to return home.

In a letter cosigned by over two dozen persons, they revealed that their previous attempts to secure permission to return were refused by the various authorities, including the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF).

“Multiple requests for our return were made to various Ministries in Guyana as well as the NCTF and also via the Embassies in Miami, Washington and New York, but they have all been rejected thus far,” the letter seen by this publication stated.

It noted that the Government of Guyana has indicated on several occasions that efforts are being made to facilitate “our return, most recently today when approval was given for the return of various groups of citizens stranded in the Caribbean.”

They pointed out that while they understood the need for travel restrictions, Guyanese stranded in the United States are also faced with the difficult task of rebooking a flight home within 24 hours.

According to them, previous attempts to organise such flights have proved futile. It was, therefore, their hope that the Government, through its Consul Generals,

could help to organise such a flight; the costs of which the passengers would bear.

The group acknowledged that they understand the conditions the Task Force has laid out for persons to be able to return home, including pre-testing. According to them, they are willing to abide by all established protocols in order to return.

“There are multiple testing sites established across the US where we can access the PCR test, the results of which will be available within the stipulated 48 hours of travel. Only those persons who are negative for COVID-19 will be allowed on the repatriation flight that can be organised by the Consul, with Eastern Airlines, only for citizens of Guyana, at a cost to us.”

“Upon arrival in Guyana, we assure you that we are fully committed in satisfying any requirements by the NCTF and the Ministry of Health.

“Among us, there are persons who also need medical attention from their health care providers in Guyana and some are left without prescription medications for chronic illnesses, since they do not have health insurance in the United States.”

They added that there are students, doctors, engineers, pregnant women, who merely went on vacation or business trips, and with all intentions to return home within one month or less.

According to them, there are two individuals in their group who would have indicated that they have pregnant wives left all alone in Guyana and, therefore, in need of their support.

“We are worried about our families that desperately need us to return home, since many of us stranded here are the sole breadwinners of our household and we now risk losing our jobs in Guyana. Many of us fear that we may be forced into poverty and bankruptcy should we remain here any longer,” the letter stated.

Mechanical engineer Brazilian miner dies after found hanging engine fan cuts off right leg

A

65-year-old Brazilian national died after his right leg was severed while he was working in a mining pit in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

It was reported that the man was unable to seek medical attention in time to save his life.

The dead man has been identified as Taburcio Valeriano De Andrade, also called “Netto”, of Boa Vista, Brazil, and of Oku Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.

According to reports received, around 08:00h on the

T

he lifeless body of an engineer was found hanging from a rafter of the ceiling of his Lot 39 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) home on Tuesday.

The man has been identified as 25-year-old Lamont Franklyn Fraser. The discovery was made by his reputed wife shortly after 12:00h.

The couple had been together for more than three years. Fraser reportedly sent a suicide voice note to his spouse which the Police

Dead: Lamont Fraser

are analysing. He was employed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) up to the time of his demise.

Caretaker Prime Minister and NCTF Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo

“There are persons who have now become financially paralysed as a result of being compelled to live in a foreign land, with no source of income since we cannot legally work here, and hence are on the brink of starvation. Some persons are left with no other option but to solicit financial aid from relatives and friends.”

According to the group, they are in as much risk from mental health problems brought on by worries over their family in Guyana, as they are at risk of contracting COVID. They noted that some in their group have had to impose their time in the homes of relatives and friends and would have overstayed their legally permitted time in the US. “Due to the continuous extension of border restrictions, some persons have either overstayed their permitted time with a few who now have expired visas and are impelled to be illegal in the United States, since most persons cannot afford to apply for extension of their visas.”

The missive was addressed to caretaker Prime Minister and NCTF Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo, the Task Force’s Chief Executive Officer Joseph Harmon, caretaker Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence and caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister, Karen Cummings.

Also included were Guyana’s Ambassador to the US, Dr Riyad Insanally and Consul Generals Ramzan Ali and Barbara Atherly.

It was announced on Monday that the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) met and granted approval for a number of things, including the repatriation of Guyanese students stranded overseas and the return of the body of late union leader Komal Chand.

The Guyanese who will be allowed to return home include 19 Guyanese students from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and 70 Guyanese cruise ship workers attached to Royal Caribbean.

In addition, the Task Force approved applications from four Guyanese in St Vincent to return home via SVG Air. Applications from 10 Guyanese in St Maarten to return were also approved.

NEWS

15

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Caricom sends Election Observation Rogue GECOM elements still working with APNU/AFC's cabal

T

here is little doubt anymore that the APNU/AFC's rigging cabal has worked through a rogue band at GECOM. Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer for Region 4, is the poster child for the rogue band at GECOM. But he was merely carrying out a plan hatched

by APNU/AFC with support from the GECOM rogue elements, several more senior than Mingo. Their plan after March 2 was to manipulate the Region Four results by inflating APNU/AFC's votes and deflating the PPP's votes to overcome the massive almost 18,000 win of the PPP. The plan was to add votes to APNU/AFC in as many boxes Dr Leslie Ramsammy as possible and to subtract votes from the PPP, in as many boxes as possible. It is the reason why GECOM's and APNU/AFC's Statements of Poll (SoPs), public documents by law, have disappeared. There is something they are desperate to hide.

An examination of 47 random boxes from the Region 4 Recount has shown that the Statements of Recount (SoRs) accurately reflect the SoPs that were generated on E-Day, March 2. But when compared to the numbers that Clairmont Mingo used for Region 4, were wildly off. These 47 boxes showed that Mingo gave APNU/AFC almost 2700 more votes than they obtained, an average of almost 50 more stolen votes per box.

At the same time, Mingo reduced the PPP's votes in many of these boxes, showing a reduction of over 700 PPP votes. Taken together, Mingo stole 3,400 votes with just these 47 boxes on behalf of APNU/AFC. Mingo's spreadsheet, which also is a hidden document, increased APNU/AFC's votes and reduced PPP's votes in between 350 and 400 of the SoPs from Region 4. That is why we will never see the SoPs from Region 4. But the SoRs are showing the votes in the boxes reflect exactly what the SoPs say, proving Mingo's numbers were bogus. Even if just Mingo's manipulated numbers from these 47 boxes are taken into consideration, the PPP at this moment has already won the elections, even if the rest of the bogus numbers are allowed to stay.

The big question presently is, given the recount is already proving a crime was committed by Mingo and his cohorts, have the rogue elements at GECOM given up? Far from it, the rogue elements are still busy finding a way to manipulate the results.

The recount is presently painfully grinding along in its 15th day, 60% of the 25-day timeline has elapsed, but less than 30% of the 2339 boxes have been recounted. APNU/AFC have ensured their representatives create as much disturbances as possible to slow the process. GECOM has allowed APNU/AFC to dictate the proceeding during the recount. The Caricom team within the last 48 hours have expressed concern about the slipping of the timeline, since they came here for a 25-days long timeline.

GECOM has added two counting stations, but at the same time has slowed down the pace. On Monday, one work station with a new supervisor counted only two boxes. The complicity to slow down the process between APNU/AFC and GECOM's rogue elements is vividly explicit.

APNU/AFC has handpicked trouble-makers as their representatives at the recount. Their plan is to stall the process, ensuring that the timeline is dragged on. They have ensured that no international observers are present, essentially using the COVID Task Force to ban the Carter Center and other observers.

Their task now is to ensure they run out the clock on the 25-days timeline, hoping that Caricom leaves. They cannot get rid of the PPP and the ten new parties. They cannot get rid of the local observers, but they are gambling it becomes their words against their "opponents", bundling everyone with the PPP. GECOM on Monday last promoted one of the persons fingered in the crime of manipulating the Region 4 results when the tabulation was occurring at Ashmin's Building to be the supervisor of one of the Region 4 recount stations. This station counted two boxes the first day he assumed the supervisor role.

The plan clearly is not just to delay the overall recount, but to ensure that Region 4 is not completed before the others. There is a plan for the rogue elements at GECOM to change the final figures for Region 4. The rogue GECOM band and the APNU/AFC rigging cabal have not yet given up.

This is the reason why APNU/AFC is sending mixed messages.

One set insists the recount is illegal, another set insists they will accept the results of the recount. One set insists there are too many dead people and immigrants who have voted and another set insisting that the "flaws" identified are not enough to affect the credibility of the elections. They need to ensure, should they succeed in the final manipulation, the elections are credible, but, in case they fail, they can stay in power on the premise that the elections were not credible. It is an obscene plan. It failed the first time. It failed the second time. It will fail again.

Mission to Suriname

I

n response to the request from the Government of the Republic of Suriname, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) has fielded a Caricom Election Observation Mission to monitor the general elections which will be held on May 25.

According to the Georgetown-based Caricom Secretariat, the four-member Mission, which arrived in Suriname on Monday, May 18, 2020, will be headed by Supervisor of Elections of St Vincent

and the Grenadines, Dora James, who has served as a member of Caricom Election Observation Missions to other Caricom Member States.

The Caricom Election Observation Mission proposes to meet with the electoral officials, leaders of political parties and other stakeholders of the Republic of Suriname, and will monitor the electoral process including the opening of the poll, the voting process, the closing of the poll and the counting of the ballots.

Head of Caricom’s EOM mission to Suriname, Dora James

Christiana Munsami, both of Lot 27 Auchlyne Village, Corentyne, were jointly charged for having 705 grams of cannabis in their possession on May 14.

Both parties pleaded not guilty to the charge

(GPF) acting on information received, went to the home of the man. As the ranks approached the house, Derrick was seen in his yard in the company of two females with two bulky bags in his possession.

For Caricom, election observation serves as a platform to support existing democratic traditions within the Caribbean Community as part of its wider policy of supporting democracy and good governance.

On Monday, Guyana’s National COVID-19 Task Force announced that it had approved an application from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for a team of officials based in Guyana to travel to Suriname to observe the Surinamese election.

Berbice couple slapped with narcotics trafficking charge

A

Christiana Munsami

Derrick Narine Munsami

man and his wife of Auchlyne Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), were on Monday arraigned for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when they appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court.

Forty-year-old Derrick Narine Munsami, a farmer, and 26-year-old

quantity of ganja was unearthed.

The two women who were left standing in the yard were arrested. The man was later nabbed in the community and taken into custody.

At court on Monday, the couple was released on $300,00 bail each and will make their next court appearance on July 5, 2020.

The ganja which was seized

when it was read to them by Magistrate Renita Singh.

The court heard that on the day in question, ranks of the Guyana Police Force

However, upon seeing the Police, the man dropped the bags and fled the scene.

Ranks retrieved and opened the bags during which the

125 food hampers distributed to Essequibo Coast residents

T

he Jay & Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation, through Sergeant Gladwin Hanover of the Police Training School and Neil Sukhlall of Impressions, distributed 125 food hampers to the less fortunate persons across the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

The distribution exercise was conducted on Monday and targeted the communities of Sandpit and Red Village.

The hampers included food items such as rice, salt, potatoes, oil, as well as other necessities like toilet paper.

Sergeant Hanover, who was the recently awarded Best Cop, told Guyana Times that he decided to embark on this initiative following a conversation with a friend.

“She [the friend] said that she met with her neighbour’s daughter and the daughter seemed hungry and my friend was having lunch. So, she called the child and gave the child a plate of food, halfway through the food, the child asked my friend if it is okay for her to take the other half for her brother at home,” Hanover explained.

He noted, however, that it was more than the child’s brother who ended up eating the remaining food.

“So right away, I thought of all the other persons that cannot take care of

The Jay & Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation through Sergeant Gladwin Hanover of the Police Training School distributed 125 food hampers to the less fortunate persons across the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam)

themselves, or provide for themselves and their families,” he noted.

With this in mind, Hanover submitted a proposal to the Jay & Sylvia Subhraj Foundation for this initiative. It initially intended to target 100 homes, but according to the Police Officer, the Foundation was “gener-

ous enough to add 25 additional hampers”.

Going forward, Sergeant Hanover said he is working to determine how best the hamper drive can be continuous as well as to explore other ways in which other vulnerable groups in the region can be assisted.

16 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

17

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

18 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

19

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

DISTRICT 4 STATEMENTS OF POLL RELEASED BY PPP/C

STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

20 ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

ELECTIONS 2020 RECOUNT

21

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

STATEMENTS OF RECOUNT

22

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

Seize the moment and take control. If you want something done, do it yourself. Don’t let the changes or decisions that others make disrupt your plans. Aim for stability, not for chaos.

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Discipline will get you where you want to go.

Whether it’s a work-related or personal victory you are after, your focus and determination will affect the outcome.

(March 21April 19)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

A different approach to a pending problem is favored.

Limit how much you spend and don’t commit to something you cannot provide.

An offer will come with some troubling baggage. Make positive adjustments before you proceed.

Handle a sensitive issue carefully. If you act impulsively, you will have trouble reaching your objective.

Charm and reaching out to someone who owes you a favor will pay off.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Collaborating with people who have similar goals will speed things up and encourage success. Distance yourself from anyone causing problems or looking for an argument.

LIBRA

Information that interests you will come your way. Before you spread the word, verify the facts. Your reputation will depend on what you do and say. Selfimprovement is encouraged.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Be aware of what others are doing. Someone you deal with won’t have your back when you need support.

Don’t let disappointment bring you down. Be prepared to do things on your own.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Adjustments will help ward off an unnecessary argument. Joint finances or shared expenses will be a problem if you and your partner don’t have the same values and ethics.

Evaluate the way othSAGITTARIUS er people treat you and how (Nov. 23well you are taking care of Dec. 21) yourself. Put your health and well-being first. Walk away from debilitating situations.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

A change will be useful for you. Adjust your schedule to include the things that bring you the most joy.

Don’t forgo what’s best for you just to appease others.

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Stick close to home and take care of personal matters. Don’t be fooled by what others do or say, or get into a senseless argument over something that you cannot change.

Refuse to give someone who has disappointed you a chance to do so again. Focus on what you can do to make your life and environment better.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

CLASSIFIED ADS ASTROLOGY & SPIRITUALITY

Having Problems with Marriage/ Love Relationships, Health, Job, Money, Removal of Obstacles of any kind. Meet me once and change your life. Call 688-2135

FOR SALE Mixed-Breed Puppies for Sale.

Contact: Tel- 253-3114/692-0126.

SERVICE Washing Machine Repairs.

Mahaicony/Berbice/Corentyne area.

232-0616/638-1829

TAXI SERVICES GR TAXI, 24 HOURS. PHONE: 225-7878, 219-5000, 227-2100

TO RENT Bottom Flat to Rent, Fully Furnished, window/door mesh, grill, Business / Domestic, 25 North Rd. Oronoque St. Bourda. 226-7012

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GBA, Bris O Promotions looking to supply more hampers F

ollowing their initial phase of distributing hampers to members of the boxing fraternity, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) and Seon Bristol of Bris O Promotions are examining more ways in which they can collaborate to help cushion the economic effect of Covid19 on the local boxing fraternity.

Just over a week ago, the two bodies combined forces to provide food hampers to boxers, referees, judges

and coaches. Bristol who resides in New York stated that he will be exploring the possibility of supplying another set of hampers in the near future.

He, however, insisted that this venture will become a reality if there is support from persons and businesses both Guyana and the USA. Bristol and GBA President Steve Ninvalle also took the opportunity to extend gratitude to businesses and individuals who played an instru-

mental role in acquiring items for the first wave of 65 hampers. Those persons who for assisted in making the first set of hampers available include: Bounty Farm Ltd, Ivan and Pamela Evelyn, Dwayne Chase, Associated Packers, Reverend and Chaplain Dr. Orin Lewis, Randolph Lewis, Deborah and Vanessa Bristol, Daphne Hoppie, Lynette Philadelphia, Orin Van Rossum and Green Path Foundation and Alford McDonald among others.

NOW!

GBA President Steve Ninvalle

Grenadian 400m CWI already in process of altering worrisome financial runner Taplin practices – Skerritt banned for 4 years

C

ricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt has insisted the organisation is in process of implementing several recommendations of a recently commissioned audit, which promises to deliver on previously stated targets of governance reform and financial transparency.

Recent reports had pointed to financial irregularities discovered after an audit of the CWI balance sheets, which pointed to what was deemed to be among other things, improper handling of funds in a recent transfer.

According to Skerritt, however, issues that have affected the organisation as it relates to governance structure and financial management systems were already being address in two previously commissioned reports. The Accounting and Management Consulting firm of Pannell Kerr Foster (PKF) was employed to examining the organisation’s financial practices with a task led by Senator Don Wehby expected to review governance systems. The CWI president pointed out that PFK had already flagged several issues and the recommendations suggested were already being adopted by the organisation.

“In carrying out its assessments PKF uncovered some illustrations of questionable executive standards and practices.

It verified and emphaCWI President Ricky Skerritt sized the need for drastic operational reorganization and realignment, with an urgent need for improved risk assessment and cash flow management. The PKF consultants accordingly presented their report in person to the CWI Board of Directors in December, and their twenty-eight (28) recommendations were unanimously adopted,” the release stated.

Skerritt has insisted the organisation did not consider the report for general release because it was an internal matter. The CWI will now decide whether to release it in full. According to the president, the recommendations from the Wehby report will be known in a few weeks. (Sportsmax)

Premier League: 6 positive coronavirus tests across 3 clubs

T

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

23

here were six positive tests for coronavirus across three Premier League clubs on Sunday and Monday, as the top flight prepares to resume in June.

The unnamed players or staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for seven days.

A total of 748 players and staff from 19 clubs were tested. The remaining club did their tests on Tuesday so will be included in Saturday's results.

Squads are starting non-contact training from Tuesday.

The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 92 fixtures remaining.

The league had previously identified 12 June for matches to possibly start again, but there is now an expectation this will need to be pushed back.

"The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purpos-

A total of 748 players and staff from 19 clubs were tested

es of competition integrity and transparency," it said in a statement.

"No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the league and results will be made public in this way after each round of testing."

Clubs were permitted to test up to 40 personnel and some did not use their full allocation, while some samples are still to be processed.

At Monday's "Project Restart" meeting, English top-flight clubs agreed to stage one of the return-to-training protocols.

As well as training in small groups of no more than five, sessions must last no longer than 75 minutes for each player. Social distancing must be adhered to.

Official protocols sent to players and managers last week, and obtained by the BBC, revealed corner flags, balls, cones, goalposts and even playing surfaces will be disinfected after each training session.

Ongoing measures in further guidance include twice-weekly testing as well as a daily pre-training questionnaire and temperature check. (BBC Sport)

T

he Court of Arbitration for Sport has thrown out the appeal of Grenadian quarter-miler Bralon Taplin’s against a four-year ban for intentionally avoiding a drug test in April 2019. The athlete will now serve a ban set to end in September 2023, when he will be 32 years old.

Taplin, 28, who was seventh in the 400m final in Rio, four years ago, was sanctioned by the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization in November 2019 for avoiding a drugs test.

The sanction stemmed from an incident at the Grenada Invitational on April 13, 2019, when Taplin won the 400m at the Grenada Invitational.

Following the race, Taplin left the stadium without completing doping control even doping control officers had informed him that he was to undergo a drug test. Reports said he left the island early the following day.

According to a summary released by the CAS, Taplin was notified on August 20, 2019, that he was being charged with intentionally evading sample collection on at the 2019 Grenada Invitational.

Following an investigation, the Caribbean RADO Panel issued its decision on

November 8, 2019, in which it found, “to its comfortable satisfaction”, that Taplin sought to evade the chaperone and doping control officers and that he was guilty of the offence of evading sample collection.

He was banned for four years.

However, in his appeal to the CAS, Taplin requested that the decision be set aside and that he be declared immediately eligible to compete on the grounds that he had not been properly notified that he had been selected for the doping control test.

The CAS arbitration was conducted by Canadian The Honourable Hugh L Fraser, who held the hearing at the offices of the Grenada Olympic Committee on February 27 and 28, 2020.

The sole arbitrator found that Taplin’s evidence that he was never approached, followed, or accompanied by anyone from the Grenada NADO to be implausible.

The arbitrator stated that he was comfortably satisfied that Taplin was guilty of the offence of evading sample collection and confirmed the four-year period of ineligibility, which commenced on September 25, 2019, the date on which the provisional suspension began. (Sportsmax)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

GBA, Bris O Promotions looking to supply more hampers Page 23

Pg 23

Pg 23

CWI already in process of altering worrisome financial practices – Skerritt

Grenadian 400m runner Taplin banned for 4 years

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.