Guyana Times - Wednesday April 16, 2020

Nearly 1000 Americans stranded in Guyana taken home P12

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

Issue No. 4257

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Taxpayers paying for PNC/APNU/AFC lobbyist ...exposes Granger as US citizen

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Sanctions will turn Guyana into int’l pariah – financial P10 analyst

…lobbying lawyer represented Sudan’s “genocidal government” – former Congressman See story on page 7

Granger uses public funds to peddle erroneous narrative to US Govt – PPP See story on page 7

Former cop, others in P12 custody for kidnapping Tiger Bay man

…not only breach of procurement laws, but is criminal fraud GECOM, APNU/AFC destruction of democracy: Day 45

GECOM Chair promises complete recount by month-end See stories on pages 9, 11 and 13

Pensioner attacked, robbed by bandits

P8

3 charged for Republic Park P8 robbery

…remove officials with “partisan behaviour” from recount – OAS …Guyanese need Govt elected on credible count – US diplomat COVID-19 outbreak

7 new cases in 24 hours …Guyana’s confirmed cases now at 55

Page 3

Execution-style killing

Linden P11 clothes vendor shot 7 times – PME

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 outbreak

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, April 16 – 01:00h-02:30h and 13:00h-14:30h and Friday, April 17 – 02:00h-03:30h and 14:30h-16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, April 16 – 12:00h-13:30h and Friday, April 17 – 13:05h-14:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day. Clear skies are expected in the evening.

Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 11:33 reaching a maximum height of 2.04 metres.

Low Tide: 17:52h reaching a minimum height of 1.12 metres.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020

7 new cases in 24 hours …Guyana’s confirmed cases now at 55

A

s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases reached two million worldwide, Guyana’s number continues to climb, with the country now recording 55 confirmed cases of the infectious disease. This figure means that there have been seven new cases in 24 hours.

This was revealed

by Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud, who did the Public Health Ministry’s daily update on Wednesday.

He disclosed that while the death toll remained the same at six, the total number of persons tested for COVID-19 from February 26 to date is 250. With 55 persons testing positive, the number of persons who have tested negative totalled 195 while eight persons have since recovered from the virus and were released from institutional isolation.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

positive.

Meanwhile, calls to the COVID-19 hotline has amounted to 1966 – a figure which Dr Persaud said the Ministry was “extremely happy” about. He reminded persons to also use the

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$28.61/barrel

+3.32

Rough Rice

$256.77 /ton

+0.37

London Sugar

$342.70/ton

-0.72

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USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

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$1730.20

Change

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According to Dr Persaud, there are currently 25 and 41 persons respectively in the Ministry’s quarantine and isolation facilities. He added too that the number of persons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) still stood at five.

Of the 55 positive COVID-19 cases, four are known to have a travel history and are considered “imported cases”, while the other 51 persons contracted the novel coronavirus disease in Guyana.

The CMO explained that Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) still accounted for most of the cases in the country with more than 80 per cent in Georgetown.

It was reported earlier this week that two per cent of the COVID-19 cases was found in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and five per cent in Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Currently, testing is only conducted at the National Reference Lab at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to Dr Persaud, males represent most of those who have tested positive for the deadly virus to date.

In the over-50 group, he noted, males and females are almost equally affected. However, the CMO explained that in the 30 to 49 age group, the ratio was almost 4:1 when comparing males to females who tested

COVID-19 app as well as the hotline in their respective regions to seek information on this disease.

According to international reports on Wednesday, the total number of confirmed cases globally have surpassed two million, with more than 130,000 deaths.

In the Region of the

Americas, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 644, 986 confirmed cases with some 25, 551 deaths.

The CMO reminded that persons with underlying conditions are more at risk at contracting the infectious disease. These, he noted, include chronic lung diseases such as asthma & bronchitis as well as those associated with smoking; high blood pressure and heart diseases; diabetes; high blood sugar, and diseases associated with immune compromised conditions such as HIV, cancers on treatment, and lupus among others.

Dr Persaud noted that in Guyana, a large proportion of adults as early as those in their mid-twenties are affected by these conditions and are at a high risk for developing the more serious forms of COVID-19 which result in hospitalisation, ICU care and even death.

As such, he stressed that, “No one is exempted.”

“Let me remind you that there are no vaccines nor WHO approved medications to treat the coronavirus disease, [and] the medical personnel will treat you according to the symptoms you present, so do not wait to report,” he added.

He urged persons who display signs and/or symptoms, especially if they have those underlying medical conditions mentioned above, to use the app, call the hotline or contact the nearest health facility for further information.

“Let us all play our part.

If you must, absolutely, leave your home, remember to cover your nose and mouth.

And remember, wash your hands properly, cough and sneeze into elbows or a tissue that you must discard carefully. More importantly stay six feet apart from each other,” he implored.

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

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

COVID-19 and pensions G

uyanese are very dissatisfied with the manner in which pensioners are currently being treated, considering the health situation we are facing at the moment due to the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

One would have thought that from the time there was evidence of the coronavirus being present here, the authorities would have sprung into action to protect every citizen, especially the most vulnerable section of our population – the elderly - from being infected, since they are the ones most likely to succumb to the disease.

To the surprise of many, however, in spite of certain measures being put in place to prevent the further spread of the disease, such as physical separation and ‘stay at home’ orders etc, some pensioners were made to stand in long lines and in very close proximity to each other at the Bourda Post Office without any concern that they could contract the virus.

Similar situations existed at other post offices and National Insurance Scheme offices in various parts of the country. It was only after a huge protest via social media posts by various persons that the authorities made some intervention. Even at this stage, however, there seems to be no concrete measures in place to ensure that the elderly receive their pensions in a timely manner and with less hassle, taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date, it is not clear what sort of measures were put in place by those who were tasked with managing the distribution of pension payments as it relates to the adjustments in the administrative system to cater for the COVID-19 pandemic. All we have seen so far are brief notices that post offices would be closed and further guidance would be issued to pensioners soon.

It would be good if the authorities were to relook at the entire issue of pension distribution and come up with ways in which pensioners would not have to endure all this hassle to collect what is rightfully theirs. For too long, pensioners have had to travel long distances and join long lines, sometimes just to hear there are no funds available, or return another day.

Now, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, there must be much care and concern taken to ensure that these pensioners are not exposed to the virus. While other longterm options must be explored, there are immediate steps which could be taken to assist pensioners. For example, there were suggestions made for pensioners to be paid at least two months in advance, so that this would minimise the number of times they have to leave their homes.

When the APNU/AFC were in Opposition, they used every opportunity at their disposal to lambast the then PPP/C Administration for not adequately taking care of the older folks, and for being oblivious to the needs of pensioners. They had vowed that they would have taken drastic measures to ensure that older folks are fully taken care of and are given the resources to live the remainder of their lives in comfort.

However, if we are to assess their performance in terms of how they have responded to the needs of the elderly, they would score very low.

The APNU/AFC have boasted about “massive increases” in pensions etc; however, it is clear that life has become more difficult for older folks, as is the case for all citizens under the Coalition Administration. While our senior folks are grateful that they have indeed received increases in their pensions over the years, other means of support, such as the electricity and water subsidies which had been started under the PPP government, were taken away by the Coalition. Even after huge public pressure for the Coalition to restore the water and electricity subsidies, they bluntly refused to do so.

Once a new government is in place, it must continue exploring ways and means of creating a more comfortable life for the elderly. For example, in addition to paying a better pension, there is need for special care homes, retirement homes, special transportation, and priority treatment for our elderly. Also, there must be increased focus on long-term health care of older adults suffering from mental disorders, as well as to provide caregivers with education, training and support.

99-year-old former Brazilian WWII combatant Ermando Armelino Piveta gestures as he is being discharged from the Armed Forces Hospital in Brasilia, April 14, 2020, after being treated for the coronavirus (COVID-19)

A gifted scholar and maker of bright memories Dear Editor, I would like to pay tribute to my esteemed and cherished colleague Dr Michael Gilkes, who died in London of the coronavirus.

Michael spent a year at the University of Warwick’s Centre for Caribbean Studies in 1986/7, and his scholarly presence gave a tremendous boost to the newly established Centre.

Apart from his inspirational lectures and seminars on Caribbean Literature for undergraduate students, he was instrumental in organising the Centre’s first international Conference

on the work of Wilson Harris, working closely with the Centre’s Director, the late Professor Alistair Hennessy. The collaboration between these two outstanding minds resulted in a magnificent publication, edited by Michael, entitled ‘The Literate Imagination: Essays on the Novels of Wilson Harris’ (Macmillan, 1989).

Essayists included luminaries like Jeremy Poynting, Mark McWatt and Stephanos Stephanides. The cover of the book was designed by the great Aubrey Williams.

Without doubt, the most memorable lecture Michael

gave at Warwick was in December 1986, the Annual Walter Rodney Memorial Lecture. His subject was entitled ‘Creative schizophrenia: the Caribbean cultural challenge.’

Michael had a stage presence, being an actor and playwright. He ‘performed’ the lecture, combining dramatic delivery with high scholarship, the result being mesmeric and thrilling. Even today, as I write, thirty-four years after the event, I can recall being there, sitting at the back of the Lecture Theatre spellbound, and also immensely proud that my fel-

low Guyanese was not just educating, but enchanting the large audience, many of whom( including the then Vice Chancellor)were unfamiliar with the genius of Caribbean writers.

Again, his lecture and subsequent plaudits helped to put Caribbean Studies on the academic map at Warwick.

Yes, Michael, you were a gifted scholar and maker of bright memories!

Sincerely, Emeritus Professor David Dabydeen University of Warwick

David Hinds, stop polarising people along racial lines!

Dear Editor, Self-styled intellectual and executive of the Working Peoples Alliance, Dr. David Hinds’ call to scrap the elections, destroy the ballot boxes, install an Interim Government led by David Granger as President and the PPP man as Prime Minister, and divide the cabinet equally between the two sides is a cloaked attempt to maintain the status quo of the illegal cabal squatting in Government since the successful passing of the no confidence motion in November, 2018.

It is a most vicious at-

tack on the established democratic pillars enshrined in the Guyana Constitution for the electing and of the swearing in of a President.

His call has no place in civilized society and modern-day democratic governance, and must be rejected outrightly.

To understand this gentleman, one has to look at his inherent mindset, albeit the truth is very messy. His dedicated life’s work and activism in Afrocentrism “black power” does not allow him to think outside of the box. Mr. Hinds can be termed an “Afrocentric ex-

tremist”, and is imprisoned as such. His world accommodates no other ethnicity; he is a downright racist, and must be labelled as such.

So, whatever spews from his mouth will always be promoting that dominance of his ethnic ilk, even skewing of Guyana’s history and excusing his Afro brothers for committing heinous crimes. He has excused them for the death of his party’s founder, Dr. Walter Rodney; for banishing him from the Chronicle, and for fraud and rigging of the March 2nd, 2020 General and Regional elections; hence his desper-

ate fanatical racist call for the man who lost the elections, David Granger, to remain as President.

What a travesty and despicable act this intellectual advocate champions on the will of the peace-loving Guyanese people. His adding of Dr. Irfaan Ali (President Elect) as Prime Minister and an inclusive cabinet is just a cosmetic gimmick to make it appear as if he is fair- minded, when in reality he is totally the opposite, promoting his racist ethnic underpinnings.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

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

Excuses for inaction have worn thin

Dear Editor, Winston Jordan was not invited to attend the IMF’s Managing Director’s Virtual Meeting with Western Hemisphere Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors, held on April 14th; Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr Gobind Ganga, was our nation’s sole representative.

The Guyana Elections Commission; its Chairman, Justice (retd) Claudette Singh, and the Secretariat

headed by Keith Lowenfield have effectively made pariahs of the Government of Guyana, and have placed the citizens in a vulnerable position during a global pandemic.

The excuses for inaction have worn thin, and the countless delays over inanities have pushed the boundaries of patience to their limits.

Mr Keith Lowenfield demonstrated great logistical ability to prepare over

two thousand three hundred polling stations, complete with staff, signage, ballot papers, minutely-labelled envelopes, training of thousands of Presiding Officers and polling-day staff, stamps, transportation, meals… You name it and Keith Lowenfield and the GECOM Secretariat thought of it, and spared no expense in delivery.

That this same man and Secretariat are now finding a challenge in preparing

David Hinds, stop...

Granger and the PNC’s honouring of the Cummingsburg Accord signed with the AFC in the run up to the 2015 elections, prescribing forty percent stake for the latter and the major roles for Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, are well known and documented. All consumed by the rampant same old racist PNC. In his world, there is only place for people of his ethnic origin, no accommodation for any other ethnicity. He sees everything through the eyes of race, and will never see beyond that; not in this lifetime. He is restrained within that corrupt mindset, but earns handsomely in a white-dominated environment.

What a shame! Would he ever risk his dirty interactions in that country?

The answer is a resounding NO! the stakes are too high, and the fear of being investigated is much too great.

He professes to be an intel-

lectual, but unleashes his Afrocentric extremist agenda on the nation of his birth.

Mr. Hinds, Guyanese are intelligent people, and know fully where you stand. You are part and parcel of the elite mastermind grouping that has unleashed the present calamity on Guyanese people by Granger, APNU/ AFC (WPA included) rigging cabal, aided by the co-conspirators in the GECOM. Unashamedly, you now present yourself as an intellectual outsider with a workable solution. Which right thinking Guyanese would buy that and take you seriously? You are defeating the very purpose you claim to represent; and, sadly, you have proven to be an embarrassment to that undertaking.

Come on, Mr. David Hinds, here’s an open challenge: think it over, repent for your actions, grasp this opportunity to redeem yourself, show some remorse, stop polarising the people

Dear Editor, From the time the curfew had been instituted, it had been noticed that some members of the populace were not complying with the curfew order.

The curfew is effective from 18:00h to 06:00h daily.

This means that at 18:00h, residents, except for personnel of essential services, should be off the roadways and streets. If the need arises for one to be outdoors between the curfew hours, permission and approval should be sought from the relevant authorities.

Of course, emergency situations might attract a different consideration.

Invariably, vehicles can be heard and seen traversing the roadways at all hours of the night, and even before the official end of the curfew period. The re-

cent fatal hit-and-run accident in the Corentyne area, which occurred during the curfew period, is a case in point.

There was another fatal accident recently, involving a victim who was returning home from a birthday party, also during the curfew period.

Regrettably, it does not seem we are fully cognizant of the curfew measures, its meaning, and the consequences for violating or not adhering to the terms and conditions of this lawful order.

Greater enforcement is needed, and/or education.

Maybe the suddenness of the implementation of the curfew is responsible for this recalcitrant attitude.

Greater enforcement of curfew is needed

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

FROM PAGE 4

along racial lines, and accommodate lovingly all the races in Guyana as a people. Remodel your perception of people outside of your ethnic bedrocks; come out of your narrow, suffocating world; step out of your narrow strip, and be on the decent side of history.

Support the GECOM recount of the votes cast on the 2nd March, 2020 General and Regional Elections on live broadcast. Let the verified results be announced and the declaration made.

Let the President Elect be sworn in. Then, and only then, can we all talk in a civilized way of a new governance structure and constitutional reform laid out in Parliament for scrutiny before it becomes law. That is a workable solution right now.

Respectfully, Parasram Persaud

twenty workstations, taking envelopes with votes already separated and counting them, beggars belief.

Mr. Lowenfield must not take the nation for fools any longer.

Guyana needs a legitimate government based on credible verification of the Region Four votes; the prevarication is vexing and will inevitably cause loss of lives.

One person has lost his life as a result of the fraud

attempted by GECOM. I am certain that as Devon Subhan lay bleeding in the street, his last thoughts were curses on many of the familiar names. I am also sure these persons are unbothered by such thoughts, and will be until it is their kith and kin that are lying on gurneys gasping for breath as COVID-19 fills the lungs with mucus and slowly chokes the life from their bodies.

But the actors at

GECOM, without ill-intent, need not worry; for they may find comfort in Proverbs 26:2, “Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight”. For those who have acted in bad faith and continue to do so, may a thousand sparrows alight upon your house!

Yours respectfully, Hemraj Vishaul Kissoon

Making excuses for delay is not good for Guyana Dear Editor, Why should anyone apologise to Mr Lowenfield at GECOM, for pointing out that 156 days to recount the ballots is excessive? Any apology that is necessary is to the people of Guyana, for the anguish they face by the delay in completing the count for Region 4.

Everyone who is contributing to the delay by any manner of wickedness should apologise to the nation and show their determination for the earliest declaration of the election result. And those asking for apology to Mr Lowenfield should offer suggestions on how to reduce the time for the count.

Making excuses for the delay is not good for the country.

The pairing of the commissioners will assure supporters of AFC-APNU and PPP/C that the count will

take place with their representatives present. This adds transparency to the process.

Though there are only three pairs of Commissioners in the Commission, many more pairings can be made up of additional members from both the AFC-APNU and PPP/C. To cut the time further, this should be considered: Complete Region 4 count. At the end of this, if agreement is not reached on the final outcome, then other regions could

be selected for recount in order of the impact they may have on the final declaration.

The selection of the next region is easily done by looking at the returns submitted by the Regional Officers.

It is assumed that everyone wants to see the election over and done with as soon as possible, with the duly elected Government in place.

Sincerely, Faiyaz Alli

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Page

Foundation

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

This is the third start of Science Paper 1, 2011

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT

SCIENCE

TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes 1. WRITE YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER ON THE ANSWER SHEET AND UNDERLINE THE SUBJECT.

then choose the one which you think is BEST. On your answer sheet, draw a heavy black line through the letter you have chosen.

2. This test contains 40 questions. You are required to answer ALL questions. Four responses are given for each question. The responses are A, B, C and D. Only ONE response is correct.

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

3. If you are not sure of the answer to a question,

Here is an example done for you.

Carbon dioxide is a

The water cycle is described in the diagram below. Study it carefully, then answer questions 26 and 27.

(A) mixture (C) gas

(B) liquid (D) solid

ANSWER SHEET A B C D

A heavy black line has been drawn through the letter C on the answer sheet because gas, the correct answer, is next to C. 5. If you make a mistake, erase the line cleanly, then draw a heavy black line through the letter next to the answer you have now chosen.

(C) precipitation.

(B) evaporation.

(ID) transpiration.

28. Which is insoluble in water?

(A) Table salt (C) Fine sand (B) Brown sugar (D) Kool Aid The diagram below shows the results when a mixture is filtered. Study it carefully, then answer question 29.

26. Which process takes water from the seas to the upper atmosphere?

(A) Condensation (C) Precipitation (B) Evaporation (D) Freezing is

27. The process that supplies fresh water to the land (A) condensation.

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

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

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

29. The mixture being filtered is most likely (A) sand and water.

(B) sugar and water.

(C) salt and water.

(D) kool aid and water.

30. Which action would result in a faster melting of sugar?

(A) Increasing the temperature (B) Increasing the amount of water (C) Decrease the amount of water (D) Leaving the mixture to stand 31. Which features describe a reptile? i scaly body ii lays eggs iii breathe by gills iv cold blooded (A) i, ii, iii (B) ii, iii, iv (C) i, ii, iv (D) i, iii, iv 32. ich. are methods of infection by HIV? i Unprotected Sex ii Transfusion with infected blood iii . Mother-to-child transmission iv Using utensils used by infected person (A) (I), (ii) and (iii) only (C) (ii), (iii) and (iv) only

(B) (I), (ii) and (iv) only (D) (i), (iii) and (iv) only

33. If all of Sita's incisors are missing, which would be a difficult task for her to do?

(A) Bite a banana (B) Tear meat from a bone (C) Chew peanuts (D) Crush boiled channa The diagram below shows parts of a flower.

Study it then answer question 34.

34. If the structure labelled (r) was removed from the flower, which process would be affected first?

(A) Fertilization (C) Fruit formation (B) Pollination (D) Seed germination END OF TEST

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Granger uses public funds to peddle Taxpayers paying for narrative to US Govt – PPP PNC/APNU/AFC lobbyist erroneous …not only breach of procurement laws, but ...exposes Granger as US citizen is criminal fraud …lobbying lawyer represented Sudan’s he Opposition Peoples Progressive Party on “genocidal government” – former Congressman Wednesday called

Caretaker President David Granger

C

aretaker President David Granger has hired a United States-based lobbying firm to engage the US State Department on behalf of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) in a contract paid for by

Government.

Documents seen by this newspaper show that the contract was engaged by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, and involved Washington DCbased lobbying firm JJ&B LLC. The firm bills itself as an investment bank based in Washington DC that lists its services as specializing in “assisting small and medium sized enterprises, serving as a one stop shop for finance, law, lobbying, and public relations.”

That contract is dated March 26 last for an initial retainer of US$40,000 for the month of April.

Under the terms of the agreement, the US-based lobbying firm is expected to make contact with officials in the executive and legislative branches of the US Government in order to seek resolution of disputes regarding’s Guyana’s recent presidential elections.

Additionally, the company, as part of its modus operandi, has employed a ‘Guyana Situation’ in a Guyana Dossier Elections

2020 that was prepared by JJ&B LLC for the Guyana Government.

Included in the dossier seen by this publication is a series of correspondences that indicate the brief on Guyana was submitted to the US Lobbyists by a Michael Granger, and claims that should the Opposition -Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) take the reins of power as a result of the March 2, Elections, then Russia and China will be in control of Venezuela to Suriname.

The document is said to be prepared on behalf of Guyana, according to LL&B, whose principals are listed as John M. and James J. Albertine, and Bart S. Fisher.

The document seen by this publication states pellucidly, “this material is distributed by JJ&B, LLC

on behalf of Guyana.”

It bears however, the ‘Palm and Key’ logo for the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC).

According to the correspondence documented along with the dossier, ‘The Guyana Situation’ that was sent to the firm by ‘Michael Granger’ on March 30, 2020.

It was later forwarded from Albertine to Michael Horder—the Legislative Director in the Office of Congressman Kenneth Michael Conaway.

According to which timestamp insignia on the document seen by Guyana Times, it was received by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit of the United Stated National Security Division on March 31, 2020.

Granger claims in the document that after a “free and fair’ elections, it was the PPP which sought to derail the elections results.

Presenting an APNU+AFC vantage for the US Government, the ‘Guyana Situation’ presented by Michael Granger alleges that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

has been working actively to undermine US interests and has been seen as allies to both Venezuelan Leaders Nicolas Maduro and the Late Hugo Chavez.

This, in addition to promoting Chinese interests in Guyana, such as with the allocation of one million hectares of forest lands to Chinese businesses.

Notably, the document names President David Granger as a US Citizen, and states that the APNU/AFC Government is pro-US States Friendly Government, pointing to a news report referencing Donald Trump lauding Guyana for its democratic values.

Lobbyist represented genocidal Govt

In an article published by the Washington Post on December 14, 2011, it was stated that the Obama Administration had allowed the Republic of Sudan to hire its first US lawyer in years, prompting strong objections from human rights groups and some members of Congress.

According to the Washington Post article, Bart S. Fisher, an international trade lawyer, was being paid US$20,000 a month by Sudan to help the strife-torn African nation in its attempts to have US economic sanctions lifted and be removed from the State Department’s list of terrorism-sponsoring governments, according to federal registration documents.

The hiring had angered US human rights activists and some lawmakers because of the Sudanese regime’s history of alleged genocide and other atrocities against its citizens during a decades-long civil war, the Washington Post article stated.

According to the Washington Post article, fighting had flared again in 2011 along the border with newly independent South Sudan, displacing an estimated 400,000 people and prompting new accusations of indiscriminate bombing and illegal killings by the Khartoum government.

The article stated that: Rep. Frank R. Wolf (RVa.), a longtime critic of the Sudanese regime, attacked Fisher in the House and during a news conference… for agreeing to work for “a genocidal government” that “has blood on its hands.” “I don’t know how Mr Fisher sleeps at night,” Wolf said on the House floor Tuesday, adding later: “If he has received one penny from the Government of Sudan, he should return it immediately.”

T

out the David Granger-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition for using public funds to produce and disseminate an utterly erroneous narrative of what transpired in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections to the US Government.

The party, in a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, said it is compelled to respond to a preposterous document titled “DOSSIER Guyana Elections 2020”, bearing the insignia of the APNU/ AFC on its face. This dossier was prepared by a Michael Granger, and sent via email to Joseph Albertini, a principal of a US company called JJ&B LLC. Michael Granger, according to documents filed with the US Department of Justice, is an investment advisor for the Government of Guyana, and was paid US$8000 for his services, which will be rendered parttime.

Fraudulent misrepresentation

According to the PPP, the use of public funds to pay for the promotion of a party brief is not only in violation of the Procurement Act, but constitutes a fraud under the ordinary criminal laws of the country.

It noted that the retained US firm and its principals, who assisted in the preparation of the APNU/AFC Dossier, may be guilty of fraudulently misrepresenting to the US Government that their client is the Government of Guyana, when in fact it is a political party.

“This firm may now have not only implicated itself in a conspiracy to disseminate false information to US lawmakers, but also may be implicated in a criminal enterprise to misappropriate public funds”, the PPP has said.

Freedom House

According to the PPP, the document prepared by the company “is nothing but a tissue of lies, which descends to such levels as peddling and promoting ethnic, religious and racial hostilities…This is the dangerous extent to which these political tyrants are prepared to travel so that they can continue to squat in government.”

As such, the party sad it comprehensively rejects the diatribe, and informed that it is in the process of preparing a detailed response, “not because the dishonest Dossier is worthy of it, but only to set the public record straight.”

According to the PPP, all the accredited international and local observers (including the Organisation of America States (OAS), European Union (EU), the Commonwealth, the Carter Center, Caricom, Amcham, the local Private Sector Commission, and the Guyana Bar Association), the Diplomatic Community, the Governments of the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean Community and the United Nations – all issued reports and public statements “condemning the naked and vulgar attempts by the APNU+AFC, acting in collaboration with the Guyana Elections Commission, to declare false results for Region Four, the most populous of the ten electoral districts.”

The party noted, too, that several individual gov-

ernments and international organisations have also publicly stated that any government sworn in on the basis of these results, which lack credibility, will not be recognized as a legitimate Government, and would face sanctions.

Additionally, the PPP drew reference to the fact that the Chief Justice of the country also delivered a written judgment in litigation filed on behalf of the PPP/C, declaring the tabulation of the said Region Four results as fraudulent and illegal, and directed that those results be tabulated in accordance with law.

The PPP is adamant that the world knows the uncomplicated truth about the rank fraud which permeated the declaration of the elections results for Region Four.

It further lamented that the Government is able to fork out thousands of US Dollars “to spread absolutely misleading information on behalf of the APNU/ AFC, so that they can continue to hold on to power illegally and in defiance of the Constitution and every democratic principle known to the free world”—in face of combatting the COVID-19 disease.

Government, the party reminds, is continuously pleading a lack of resources to confront the deadly dilemma, yet the Ministry of the Presidency is able to fork out money to the US firm to do work on behalf of the party.

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Pensioner attacked, robbed by bandits

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66-year-old woman of Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) had to seek medical attention after she was attacked and robbed by two men on motorbike.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at approximately 10:00h at Bagotstown, EBD. The elderly woman was walking home when the duo pounced upon her, slit her wrist with a knife, and snatched her handbag which contained money, a cellular phone, and other valuables.

Guyana Times understands that several employees at the nearby M&M Snackette witnessed the in-

cident and rushed to the woman’s aid.

However, the perpetrators had already made good

their escape.

The workers tended to the woman and assisted in getting her home.

The woman was later taken to the Diamond hospital for medical treatment owing to the severity of the cut on her wrist.

In an invited comment, the pensioner’s daughter expressed fear that her mother could have died since the knife could have struck a vital artery.

The matter has since been reported to the Police.

3 charged for Republic Park robbery

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hree of the four persons arrested for the daring robbery of a businessman at his Lot 335 Republic Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home were on Wednesday arraigned at the DiamondGrove Magistrate’s Court.

Godfrey Lynch, called “Follower”, 25, of Lot 54 Fifth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown and Anthony Johnson called “Big Life”,20, of Lot 89 Second Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown were charged with two counts of robbery under arms committed on businessman Ryan Rajmangal, and his nephew, Nicholas Prince.

Thirty-five-year-old Gregory Boyce of Lot 86 Durban and Smyth Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, who is also the brother of Lynch, was charged with receiving stolen property that is one gold chain, which belonged to Rajmangal’s wife.

The trio appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the DiamondGrove Magistrate’s Court.

Lynch and Johnson pleaded not guilty and

were remanded until May 15, 2020.

Meanwhile, Boyce also pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of $75,000. His matter will also be called up on May 15.

Initially, three masked men were captured by Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras carrying out the armed robbery, but according to Regional Police Commander, Senior Superintendent Kurleigh Simon, the cops were informed about others being

involved in the crime.

Four suspects were then arrested, including one man who is believed to have been the driver of the motor car that was used as the escape vehicle after the crime was committed.

The Police were able to locate the car, which had a fake licence plate number at the time of the robbery.

A quantity of gold jewellery was found in the vehicle.

Last Thursday, at approximately 07:58h, gunmen stormed the home of Rajmangal and held him

and his children at gunpoint.

The incident was seen via a hidden camera in the home by the man’s wife who watched helplessly.

Reports are Rajmangal’s wife suspected that something was amiss after she called her husband’s cellular phone, but did not get a response. She then checked the security camera which was remotely connected to her mobile phone.

Upon seeing what was occurring in her home, she contacted the Police and a relative.

The bandits tied and gagged Rajmangal along with his maid. The gunmen escaped with about $1.5 million in cash, a large quantity of jewellery, and several electronic devices, including iPads and cellular phones.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

The extremists…

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…of the PNC are back s the PNC circle the wagons to hunker down and ride out the fire-storm they unleashed upon themselves when they Mingoed the Reg 4 SOPs, their old hardliners are coming out of the woodwork to throw in their 2 cents’ worth. Leading the pack was Hamilton Green - all newly decorated with an “Order of Roraima”, and sustained with a princely pension of $2million monthly – who cussed out the Carter Center even before they landed in Guyana to observe the elections!!

He insisted that coming from the American Deep South (Atlanta, Georgia), they were a bunch of Rednecks heading down in their white sheets and peaked white masks to have us start pickin’ cotton again!! Green, of course, never forgot or forgave Carter for standing him down when he and his goons attacked the Elections Center in 1992 to stop the counting.

Burnhamite Vincent Alexander, neutered by Robert Corbin back in the day, has sewn on a pair to wage guerrilla warfare for the PNC from within GECOM. There are other fringe players from the Alexander faction – like James McAllister - who’d also cut and run, but now see an opportunity to get some oil money by doing what the PNC does best: insist that bellicosity and bullyism are democracy!! Another one is one Lurlene Nestor, who just penned a philippic to the GECOM Chair: “Recount of votes is akin to elections petition through the backdoor”, in the Chronic.

She thought she was clever to throw shade on some who’d criticised the PNC’s blatant rigging: “Madam Chairperson…I am no retired army brigadier/former chairman of GECOM, nor am I some former ambassador or knighted professor. I am no wealthy businessman, neither am I some presidential hopeful, minister or former minister. I have never been president or opposition leader of Guyana. No, I am not one from the recognised prestigious social classes. I am no former TV station owner, nor do I own or have friends in the print or electronic media. Madam Chair, I am not deeply connected to the “power brokers” of the land, and I’ve never set my eyes on $34 million US dollars. Justice Singh, I am an ordinary person who understands right from wrong.”

What she didn’t say was that she was a PNC MP who was quite hysterical during Hoyte’s “slow fyaah; mo fyaah” attack on our democracy circa 2001. She returned to the fray after Corbin stepped aside for Granger, and in 2014 launched “Operation Sus-Out and Boycott”.

She demanded that “every business in Guyana to place a banner or a placard on their business which reads: ‘WE SAY NO TO PPP/C DICTATORSHIP” Or else they’d be boycotted!

That’s democracy for the PNC!! …PNC argument for rigging Nestor champions a new twist by the PNC, that goes beyond the “recount” PNC leader Granger called in Caricom to witness, and to which the GECOM Chair and Commission have agreed. Not so incidentally, she avoided being snarky about the Caricom leaders who brutally condemned the Mingoing – like Mottley and Golding.

These hardliners are still hoping Caricom leaders would cleave to the fraternity of the skin and turn a blind eye to the PNC’s shenanigans – as they’d once done for Burnham.

They’ve gone past Alexander and company’s outlandish “audit”, and want the PPP to protest via an elections petition!! She’d know, of course, that the PPP did file such a petition on the 2015 elections – which still hasn’t been heard in the courts!! These extremists’ argument is that there has been a declaration of the results in all ten regions – which was submitted to the CEO. And what about the Mingoed Reg 4 numbers?? For which he faces contempt of court charges?

Not to worry! That’s PNC democracy for you!! …are lobbying After cussing out the US Ambassador for “daring” to talk about democratic norms to a sovereign nation, the PNC hired a US lobbyist to calm feathers. Using taxpayers’ money!

Wouldn’t it have been easier to just show those SOPs??

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

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Remove officials with “partisan behaviour” from recount – OAS …Guyanese need Govt elected on credible count – US diplomat

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

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s the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is still working out the logistics for conducting a recount of the March 2 vote, the observation mission of the Organisation of American States (OAS) has joined mounting calls for partisan officials to be removed from the recounting process.

The OAS Elections Observer Mission (EOM), which was in Guyana in March to oversee the election process, has been vocal about the lack of credibility in the declaration of the Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) results by controversial Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.

Delay concerns

Chief of the Observation Mission, former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding, in a statement on Wednesday,

expressed concerns that after more than six weeks since Guyanese voted, there was yet to be an accurate and credible result that would allow a duly-elected government to assume office.

However, as the Elections Commission prepares to undertake the national recount, the Mission is urging GECOM to ensure that the procedures for the recount are transparent and consistent, that the instructions to election officials conducting the recount are unambiguous and based on the provisions of the relevant laws, and that the public be fully informed of the methodology to be used.

More particularly, the OAS observers requested, among other things, that GECOM ensures “…the officials to be engaged in the recount are selected based on their impartiality and those who have displayed partisan behaviour are excluded”.

This call by the foreign observation mission comes on the heels of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) pushing for the removal of Mingo as well as Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and his deputy, Roxane Myers from the national recount.

In fact, the party’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo last week said, “We’re arguing that the compromised staff of GECOM must not be part of this process and there are about four or five persons

we have identified… So, we would not like these people to be present, because they will undermine the recount as they undermine the process of declaration.”

Nevertheless, the OAS EOM further asked that

ber of persons recorded as having voted, and that the result of the recount for each polling station is compared with the Statement of Poll (SOP) signed by the Presiding Officer.

Unacceptable

democracy and would be unacceptable under any circumstances,” it noted.

To this end, the Mission commended the seven-member Elections Commission for ordering a revised timetable.

According to the OAS Observer Mission, it is committed to ensuring that the will of Guyanese prevail and that Guyana’s position as an internationally respected democracy is restored and preserved.

Several international organisations, including the 35-member OAS, and bilateral partners including powerhouse United States have said that any government sworn in based on non-credible results would not be recognised as legitimate and some have even warned of “serious consequences” as well as sanctions Guyana could face.

Citizens need creditable Govt

GECOM ensure that the duly authorised representatives of political parties and accredited observers are allowed to see (but not handle) each ballot; the legal provisions for challenging the determination of ballots are fully respected; an ascertainment is made as to whether the number of ballots cast corresponds with the num-

Meanwhile, addressing the 156-day proposal by Lowenfield for the recount to be conducted, the foreign observer mission noted that this was unacceptable.

“The proposal by the Chief Elections Officer that would have required five months to recount less than 500,000 ballots is unheard of in any

In fact, following the statement by the OAS Mission on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, also lamented that Guyana is yet to have a credibly elected Government.

“It has been 6 weeks since elections were held in #Guyana with no result. The US stands with @OASofficial in urging GECOM to conduct a recount as soon as possible. Guyanese citizens need a government

Head of the OAS EOM, former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding

elected based on a credible count of their votes now more than ever,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the OAS Mission, in its missive, said the political crisis in Guyana was not intractable. It noted that after a peaceful and transparent voting and counting of ballots on March 2, all that remained was for the count from each polling station to be accurately tabulated and declared, but there was an abundance of evidence that this was not done in the case of Region Four, which has ultimately led to the decision that all ballots in the 10 regions would be recounted.

The OAS Mission noted the current impasse was “especially regrettable” in light of the global health crisis that requires every government to take decisive actions and to be able to command the confidence of its people in order to mobilise them in thwarting the spread of the coronavirus.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Sanctions will turn Guyana into int’l pariah – financial analyst

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here is no future scenario to contemplate where a positive can come about from undemocratic rule, and Guyana under an illegal government will become a pariah state, subject as a country, but not limited to, expulsion from the international and regional communities.

This is according to Financial Analyst and former President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the former Vice Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) of Guyana, Deodat Indar.

The local business leader and financial analyst was at

the time weighing in on the likely impacts of international sanctions on the country as a result of the current political impasse.

Indar, in a recent warning from the business community, said the status quo would attract sanctions in addition to those which have been threatened against individuals that are found to be complicit in electoral fraud.

He said an expulsion of Guyana would lock out the country from accessing finance from international funding agencies such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-

Deodat Indar

American Development Bank, among others.

“Needless to say, this would drastically retard development and severely damage, with all of its social ramifications, the way of life of the Guyanese people,” he explained.

He said, too, that “sanctions will further manifest themselves by global banks being issued instructions from the US Treasury Department’s enforcement arm, the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), to bar financial transactions from being routed thru the USA.” Indar has since posited that other countries,

such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union, “will put similar arrangements in place to bar wire transfers of funds from being routed thru their registered banks and jurisdiction(s) which they control.”

According to the local analyst, “The isolation of Guyana will result in a suffocation of business to their death. Payments for imports will not be able to be completed, thereby starving Guyana of essential materials for plant and machinery, branded goods, parts for manufacturers and retailers, trucks, cars, clothing, and all other forms of imported goods we use and consume as citizens.”

Speaking further to the implication of international sanctions being applied to Guyana, Indar warned that trading of Guyana’s gold on the world market can be frozen, and remittances from countries such as US, Canada, UK and EU would be prohibited.

He said that, faced with the sanctions and international isolation, Guyana will be forced to use up the little reserves we have at the Central Bank, which is approximately 2.5 months of import cover based on the reserve level at the Bank of Guyana.

At this point Guyana, he said, “will find itself bereft of the kind of resources’ levels to sustain the needs of businesses and their operations…Businesses in Guyana may be expected to die out within six months to one year.”

Additionally, he suggested that “when this kind of shortages of goods and currency are imposed on an economy, it results in un-

manageable inflation, escalating further and deeper into hyperinflation, driving the poor to the brink of mass starvation.”

The chain reaction, he argues, will trigger mass migration out of Guyana, thereby weakening local demand and resulting in the ultimate destruction of the entire fabric of the Guyanese society.

“A frightening scenario exists where Government starts to nationalise private institutions. At this point the decay of the economy starts to accelerate. This acceleration, in most cases, leads to rationing of goods and services. We saw this in Guyana in the early days of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Other countries, such as Germany in 1923, experienced a loaf of bread costing 10 billion German marks due to hyperinflation.”

According to Indar, despite the hardships and woes that will befall the nation, “national debt has to be repaid, Government apparatus and budget agencies will have to provide some services to citizens. This is expected to be paid for thru taxes.”

Taxes, he said, will then strangle businesses, as there will be a sharp reduction in business without the corresponding reduction in costs.

According to the former business representative at the PSC and GCCI, “Further joblessness will follow, as businesses wind up. People will take to the streets in desperation, put down by politically directed police and military serving an illegal government. The sum of all of this will be an economically and politically bankrupted Guyana.”

2 charged for Timehri murder

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wo men were remanded to prison after appearing before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charge of murder.

It is alleged that 22-yearold farmer Winston Long and 19-year-old Jermey Small, both of Timehri Base Road, East Bank Demerara, murdered Lawrence Benjamin on April 5, 2020 at Timehri.

They were not required to plead to the indictable charge, and were remanded to prison until May 27, 2020.

Benjamin, 24, of Ice House Road, Timehri, was reportedly attacked by three men in the vicinity of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Sunday, April 05. Based on information received, Benjamin was stabbed at least three times -– once to his neck and twice to his chest -- by his assailants.

After the stabbing incident, Benjamin, the father of a five-month-old baby, went to a nearby shop and sat on a chair. He was seen

panting for breath, and died subsequently.

Althea McPherson, a sister of the dead man, had told Guyana Times that she was at a friend’s house in the area when she received the news that her brother had been stabbed to death. She immediately rushed to the scene, only to see her brother’s motionless body in an upright position on the plastic chair.

Prior to his death, the young man had reportedly told his mother, “Yuh gon cry fuh meh”. The sister noted that her mother did not bother to enquire what he meant, since he had left in haste.

According to information received, Benjamin was walking the streets of Timehri on Sunday morning “picking trouble” with everyone. He had been a known substance user, and it is believed that he had taken an illegal substance prior to his death.

A few days later, the Police arrested the duo, who subsequently confessed to the murder.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Recount delayed as GECOM Commissioners disagree on logistics …to meet again today

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he Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) is now split in three different directions when it comes to the number of workstations that will be used during the recount of all votes for the March 2 General and Regional Elections. This time, two Commissioners and the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) have all presented different proposals.

The Commission held its second meeting of the week on Wednesday when CEO Keith Lowenfield was expected to present a revised version of his previous unacceptable 156-day proposal.

While Lowenfield’s new proposal omitted mention of the number of days the recount would take, it proposed the use of five workstations. It is a minuscule improvement on the previous proposal of three workstations that Lowenfield had submitted.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj, on the other hand, has proposed that 20 workstations be used to conduct the recount. Gunraj, who on Wednesday went on a site

visit to the intended recount venue – the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), emphasised that his proposal was a workable one and would, moreover, drastically reduce the time needed for the recount.

“The renewed proposal from the Secretariat had five workstations. I don’t know what informed that decision, but clearly five stations, the time it will take to conclude this process using five stations will be an

GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj

the word confirmed at the back of the ballot paper and where he disagrees with the decision of any presiding officer as regards any such ballot paper, he shall write the word varied at the back of the ballot paper.”

Eight stations

The site for the recount: the Arthur Chung Conference Centre

inordinate time. And we have seen as well, the comment from the OAS observer team that said they are (in disagreement) with the proposal that will take six months,” he said.

“Five stations, moving up from three stations, does

Execution-style killing…

Linden clothes vendor shot 7 times – PME

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indener Glenroy Chapman, who was killed execution-style on Monday evening, was shot seven times about the body, a Post Mortem Examination (PME) has confirmed.

The PME was performed on the body of the 43-year-old clothes vendor

by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary on Wednesday.

Dr Singh gave the cause of death as multiple gunshot injuries.

Meanwhile, Police continue to hunt a lone suspect in the shooting death of the father of 8.

Chapman, also called “G”, of Lot 130 Half Mile, Wismar, Linden, was shot and killed just after 18:00h as he sat in front of his yard chatting with a friend.

According to Police, at the time of the incident, the father of eight was seated outside his yard on a bench underneath a shed in the company of a male friend when the lone gunman approached them and discharged several rounds in his direction. The friend managed to dash to safety.

At the time of the incident, Chapman’s common-law wife and their children were inside the house; however, no one else was injured.

When Police arrived at the scene, the body of the clothes vendor was examined and multiple gunshot wounds to the upper

not in any significant way reduce the time (the recount) can be done. So, I want to reject those five stations. I believe the 20 (work stations) I proposed are very, very easily achievable,” Gunraj also explained.

Gunraj also addressed questions about the manner in which the recount would be conducted. While there have been suggestions that it was not a simple recount, Gunraj cited Sections 84 (6), 87 and

Dead: Glenroy called “G”

Chapman,

torso were visible. He was transported to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, Police Commander of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Superintendent Hugh Winter, on Tuesday said Police responded to the report after receiving information about what had transpired. They arrived to find the body lying motionless outside of the yard.

Winter indicated that several persons were questioned in relation to the incident. However, the male suspect remains at large.

The suspect was reportedly clad in a white T-shirt, was slim built and approximately 6’5” in height.

At the scene, Police discovered five suspected 9mm spent shells and a warhead.

Investigations are continuing.

89 of the Representation of the People’s Act, which the lawyer noted details the way in which a recount is done. According to him, Commissioners on the other side have proffered their own interpretation of what the recount will be.

For instance, Section 84 (6) states “Where a general final count is conducted, the returning officer shall review all used ballot papers, including rejected ballot papers, received from all polling places and where he agrees with the decision of a presiding officer as regards any questioned or rejected ballot paper, he shall write

Gunraj’s colleague on the other side of the aisle, Government-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander had a different view of how many workstations could be used.

According to him, he made a proposal for eight workstations to be used at the ACCC, in keeping with his observations during the site visit.

“I have made a recommendation for eight workstations. I recommended two workstations in the eastern wing auditorium, with the Secretariat occupying the third part of the auditorium. I recommended two workstations in the western wing. I recommended a workstation in the dining hall. I recommended a workstation in the western half of the courtyard,” he said.

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

“I recommended that dining should be done in the eastern half of the courtyard. And I recommended that further consideration can be given to the possibility of two workstations, one on the eastern patio and one on the western. Those who are proposing 20 workstations are saying, ‘let’s (also) work in tents in the yard’. I have a difficulty with that.”

Alexander further explained that they have agreed to four GECOM persons, as well as the relevant party representatives, a Caribbean Community (Caricom) representative and one observer, at each workstation. He explained that each party was entitled to one representative.

“In the case of observers, it is not the individual teams that will field observers. The teams have to come together and, among themselves, identify one person (per workstation).

Essentially, the decisions to be made have to do with duration. And duration is tied to the number of workstations,” he said, also informing that GECOM will meet today at 09:00h.

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

It has already been over a month of controversy and a credible winner for the 2020 General and Regional Elections is yet to be declared. After two discredited declarations from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, which lacked transparency, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and caretaker President David Granger had agreed to have Caricom oversee the recount.

That agreement was derailed when A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) candidate Ulita Moore moved to the courts and secured an injunction against the exercise. That injunction was discharged by the Full Court and on Sunday, the Full Court’s decision was upheld by the Appeals Court.

However, Appeal Court Judges Rishi Persaud, Dawn Gregory and Brassington Reynolds ruled that Caricom’s supervision of GECOM’s recount would be unlawful. GECOM has nevertheless re-invited Caricom.

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Former cop, others in custody for kidnapping Tiger Bay man

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controversial former Police Officer, a businessman, and his security guards are in Police custody following the kidnapping of a Tiger Bay, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown man.

According to reports, those in custody are a former policeman – who had shot a teenager in his mouth in 2013 and pulled an unlicensed firearm on his wife in 2018; a 33-year-old businessman; and two of his security guards.

Based on reports, the men abducted 26-year-old Chris Etwaroo from his home at 17:30h on Sunday after he was accused of stealing several items from a Waterloo Street, Georgetown business place.

Guyana Times was told that the man was placed in a white Tacoma pickup (registration provided) and taken to the business place where

he was chained and beaten with a cutlass, a piece of wood and a chain.

Reports are that following the beating, Etwaroo was later placed in the trunk of another vehicle (registration provided) that was driven by the former Policeman. The chains were removed from his hands and feet.

He was then taken to an East Bank location, but managed to escape. He told Police that he ran towards the public road, stopped a minibus and went home. He said he related what had happened to his aunt, who then took him to the Police Station where an official report was made.

According to a Police source, detectives are awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to determine the way forward. Investigations are ongoing.

Nearly 1000 Americans stranded in Guyana taken home

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he United States Embassy here has assisted close to 1000 Americans who were stranded in Guyana amid the COVID-19 pandemic be repatriated home.

The Embassy had secured permission from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for another relief flight to transport Americans who wanted to return home.

The Miami-destined Eastern Airlines flight de-

To see these persons off, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, and Deputy Chief of Mission, Mark Cullinane, were at the CJIA on Tuesday.

One of the persons who left on that flight was one of the Embassy’s US Marine guards, who ended his duty with recognition. In fact, Sergeant Coleman received an honorary certificate from Ambassador Lynch at the airport.

In a social media post

US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch with the US Marine who completed his tenure in Guyana

Ambassador Lynch with Deputy Chief of Mission, Mark Cullinane seeing Americans off at the CJIA on Tuesday

parted the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Tuesday.

the following day on the Embassy’s Facebook page, it said: “The Embassy

has helped nearly 1000 Americans and their families return home through these repatriation flights over the last few weeks.”

The US Embassy facilitated some 800 citizens here to return home last month.

The last batch to leave Guyana was on March 28 via a chartered Eastern Airlines flight, which has a capacity of 200 passengers per flight.

According to a recent social media post by Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, more than 60,000 Americans have been repatriated from more than 90 countries around the world

since January 29.

Meanwhile, Canada and the United Kingdom have also been taking steps to repatriate their citizens from Guyana in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two foreign missions have been capitalising on the Eastern Airlines flights, urging citizens to catch the flight to the US and then take a connecting flight home.

Earlier this month, the Canadian High Commission facilitated the repatriation of 28 citizens on two chartered Trans Guyana Airways flights to Barbados, from where they connected to Canada via an Air Canada flight.

CORONAVIRUS HOW TO HANDWASH? (COVID-19) WASH HANDS OR USE HAND SANITISERS

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

People who think they may be affected by coronavirus need to call the Public Health Ministry hotline 227-4986/624-3067 for further advice.

They should not go to their GP, A&E, pharmacy or hospital.

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

(Adapted from BBC News)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

45 days after General Elections

GECOM Chairwoman now optimistic of timely conclusion of recount T he Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) on Wednesday conducted a site inspection of the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, where the Commissioners, GECOM Chairperson and staff were able to scope the structure with a view to determining how they would do the recount of ballots cast in the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The site inspection was supposed to help in deciding how many persons would be allowed during the recount, as well as how many work stations would be operated.

There has been concern that because of the pace at which GECOM is moving, the four-month deadline for reconvening Parliament

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield (centre) makes a point to Chairwoman Claudette Singh and Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn before the start of the inspection on Wednesday

Police destroy over 50kg cannabis

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Wednesday destroyed more than 50 kilograms of processed cannabis during two drug eradication exercises conducted at Gateroy and Bartica villages on the Berbice River.

According to Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Jairam Ramlakhan, the ranks destroyed several acres of cannabis cultivation along with makeshift tents.

In addition to the 50 kilograms of cannabis found, there were approximately 18,000 plants between one foot and six feet in height that were destroyed.

The operation, which lasted for more than 10 hours, was commanded by a Gazetted Officer. The Police say no arrests were made.

Earlier this month, Police conducted a similar narcotics eradication exercise in the Berbice River, when they destroyed two camps, over 27 kilograms of dried cannabis, and approximately five acres of cannabis cultivations with more than 25,000 plants.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday last, Islington, East Bank Berbice resident Rakesh Sookram was arraigned for cultivating cannabis at Gateroy Village.

According to reports, on

April 9, he was found at a farm in Gateroy which had a camp and approximately 15,000 plants. Sookram pleaded not guilty to the charge, and was placed on $150,000 bail.

would be exceeded.

After the inspection, GECOM Chairwoman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, expressed the view that the recount could be completed before the deadline, which incidentally is April 30, since Parliament was dissolved on December 30, 2019.

“Of course it would!

Once it starts, it would be finished,” the Chairperson, a retired Judge, said.

According to her, she does not envision a constitutional crisis if the recount exceeds the four-month deadline.

Importantly, she also sought to dispel any worry that the previous declarations would be used. The retired Justice noted that once a decision is taken to do a recount, the previous

declarations are no longer relevant.

“When we would have gone into the recount stage, we will no longer come back to those declarations,” Singh explained.

Meanwhile, GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, in an interview with the media, was of the view that there is more than enough space for counting stations to be set up both inside and outside the Convention Centre.

“I’m heartened by what I see here. This facility has been around for a while.

Seeing the floor plans, having a walk through with my colleague commissioners, we’re actually seeing on a first-hand basis the possibility of holding, fixing counting stations,” he declared.

“As you look around, you can see areas that are very readily available (and) can be utilised within the building. And that is without even considering the extent to what is available outside the building,” he continued.

Gunraj, along with fellow commissioners Bibi Shadick and Robeson Benn, had submitted a recount proposal to counter the one that entailed a 156-day recount, which was previously submitted by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield.

According to their proposals, which cater for a 10day recount using 20 work stations, their expectation is that those entitled to be there under Section 86 of the Representation of the People’s Act Cap 1:03 will

be catered for. Such persons include party agents and observers.

Their plan specifies that each tabulation workstation shall be comprised of authorised GECOM staff as well as representatives from each of the contesting political parties and accredited observers, with the original Statement of Recount (SOR) being used to tabulate.

“The original SOR is taken by the DRO to the Tabulation Workstation or desk to be manually and electronically tabulated by a team of Authorised GECOM staff, which shall be observed and verified by Party Representatives and accredited observers. Each SOR and the accumulated totals shall be continuously projected for public scrutiny and transparency,” the plan states.

In the plan, the commissioners laid out the resources and support that would be required to complete the exercise. These include checklists for the ballot boxes, Statements of Recount (SOR), tally sheets and ballot box seals.

In addition, they noted that additional equipment would have to be rented to establish additional workstations. When it comes to moving the ballot boxes from GECOM Headquarters at High and Cowan Streets, Kingston to the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, they noted, arrangements must be made for the Guyana Police Force to accompany the boxes as well as staff participating in the recount.

14

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Helping in fight against spread of COVID-19 Volunteers countrywide continued the distribution of face masks and food hampers under the People’s Progressive Party National Stakeholder Forum COVID-19 initiative

NEWS

15

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WHO voices 'regret' at US DPP given more time decision to halt funding Marcus Bisram committal petition…

to make response

DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack

Marcus Bisram

Dead: Fayaz Narinedatt

he Chamber of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been given more time to file a response in the Marcus Bisram committal

a judge and jury in the High Court.

Magistrate Singh had refused to commit the USbased millionaire, saying that she had already ruled that there was not enough evidence, but State Prosecutor Stacy Goodings argued that the Magistrate is a creature of the statutes and is obligated to adhere to the instructions of the DPP. The Magistrate, after seeking guidance, committed Bisram four days later; but Bisram’s lawyer subsequently filed a petition in the High Court, challenging the committal.

Those proceedings came up before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall on Tuesday.

Before Bisram’s committal, the DPP had sent two letters to the Magistrate, one instructing her to reopen the trial, and another instructing her to commit Bisram to stand trial.

In his petition to the High Court, the petitioner is asking the Court to squash the first letter and is also contending that the second letter cannot substitute the first letter.

When the High Court held a virtual sitting on Tuesday, the DPP asked for more time to file a response, and was given until next

Monday.

Bisram is accused of ordering the death of Narinedatt, a carpenter of #70 Village Corentyne, on November 30, 2016.

Narinedatt’s death was initially reported as a suspected hit-and-run accident, but it was later reported that Bisram had made sexual advances to Narinedatt and was rebuffed.

Bisram was initially charged here in absentia, while five others: Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, HarriPaul Parsramand and Niran Yacoob, have also been committed to stand trial for the murder.

That trial is now in the High Court.

On March 7, 2017, an arrest warrant was issued for Bisram, who was in the US at the time. The warrant was issued on the allegation that Bisram instructed five other men to kill Narinedatt because the carpenter had rebuffed Bisram when he had made sexual advances to him.

In November 2018, Bisram was extradited to Guyana after a US appeal court had two months prior ordered him to be extradited after denying both a rehearing of his appeal and a motion to stay the extradition.

T

Attorney Sanjeev Datadin

petition filed by Attorney-atlaw Sanjeev Datadin.

Bisram has been committed to stand trial in the High Court for the November 2016 murder of Corentyne carpenter Fayaz Narinedatt.

Bisram, who was extradited from the United States, was freed of this murder charge on March 30 after Magistrate Renita Singh had upheld a no-case submission made by the defense. However, hours later he was re-arrested, and made a court appearance three days later as the DPP had asked that the case be reopened and Bisram committed to stand trial before

Global coronavirus cases surpass 2 million

T

he global tally for confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 2 million on Wednesday, just four months after it was first detected in China.

A tally kept by Johns Hopkins University placed the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases Wednesday morning at 2,000,984 worldwide, with at least 128,071 deaths.

More than half a million people worldwide have recovered.

However, the figures understate the true size of the crisis, in part because of limited testing and concealment by some governments.

The United States remains the hardest-hit country by the virus, with more than 609,000 confirmed infections and at least 26,059

deaths attributed to the virus in all 50 states. The majority of the cases and deaths have occurred in New York, which is considered the country’s epicenter.

The number of cases and deaths in parts of Europe continues to increase, with Spain recording 523 new deaths attributed to the virus in the past 24 hours.

Spanish health officials said 5,092 new infections - or a 3 percent day-to-day increase - brought the total of confirmed cases to 177,633. The country's overall death toll

stood at 18,579, the world's third-worst behind the U.S. and Italy.

Italy, Spain and France have more than 55,000 virus-linked deaths among them, according to Johns Hopkins.

China, where the virus was first detected in its southern city of Wuhan, has reported 83,355 confirmed cases and at least 3,346 deaths attributed to the virus. However, international experts have questioned the credibility of the tallies.

(MSN)

T

he World Health Organization voiced "regret" Wednesday at US President Donald Trump's suspension of funding for the UN agency over suspicions that it had mismanaged the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump's shock move late Tuesday came as a patchwork of countries experiment with loosening lockdown measures, ushering the planet into a new and uncertain phase of a pandemic that has killed more than 125,000 people worldwide and infected at least two million.

"We regret the decision of the president of the United States to order a halt in funding to the World Health Organization," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news conference in Geneva.

He said the agency, which counts some 7,000 employees worldwide, was reviewing what the cut by its longtime biggest donor would do to its operations.

"WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of US funding and will work with our partners to fill any financial gaps we face and to ensure our work continues uninterrupted," he said.

Trump has ordered the

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

US to freeze funding pending a review into the WHO's role in "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus".

He charged, among other things, that the outbreak could have been contained "with very little death" if the WHO had accurately assessed the situation in China, where the disease broke out late last year.

During Wednesday's news conference, WHO officials rejected claims that the organisation had underestimated the severity of the outbreak, pointing to increasingly urgent warnings about the situation, starting in early January.

Emergencies director Michael Ryan said he found it "strange" to have to mount a defence in the middle of the crisis.

Tedros meanwhile stressed that the organisation's actions would be thoroughly evaluated.

"In due course, WHO's performance in tackling this pandemic will be reviewed by WHO's member states and the independent bodies that are in place to ensure transparency and accountability," he said.

"This is part of the usual process put in place by our member states," he said.

Tedros insisted that WHO since the beginning "has been fighting the pandemic with every ounce of our soul and spirit," but acknowledged that "no doubt, areas for improvement will be identified and there will be lessons for all of us to learn".

"But for now," he said, "Our focus, my focus, is on stopping this virus and saving lives."

He said that he hoped the WHO could continue to count the US as a "generous friend", and said the organisation would "continue to work with every country and every partner, to serve the people of the world".

(AFP)

US COVID-19 deaths set singleday record as total hits 28,300

U

S coronavirus deaths have risen by a single-day record 2,228 to top 28,300, according to a Reuters tally, as officials debated how to reopen the economy without reigniting the outbreak.

The United States, with the world's third-largest population, passed a second milestone late on Tuesday with over 600,000 reported cases, three times more than any other country. The previous single-day record was 2,069, set last Friday.

The increase of 2,228 deaths excludes a revision

by New York City to include deaths presumed to be due to the novel coronavirus but never tested dating back to March 11.

Officials reported 3,778 "probable" deaths, where doctors were certain enough of the cause of death to list it on the death certificate, and 6,589 confirmed by a lab test. Combined, that would put the total fatalities in the city to over 10,000.

As the numbers continue to rise, officials debate over how and when to reopen the US economy and start easing restrictions. The coronavirus restrictions put in place to contain the spread of the virus have crippled the economy, with businesses forced to close and millions of Americans losing their jobs.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr Anthony Fauci speaking during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House [Leah Millis/Reuters]

President Donald Trump has floated a May 1 target for restarting the economy, which his top infectious disease adviser said on Tuesday was "overly optimistic" after a battle erupted between Trump and state governors over who had the power to lift restrictions aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic.

Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said public health officials must be able to test for the virus quickly, isolate new cases and track down new infections before social-distancing restrictions can be eased.

"We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on, and we're not there yet," Fauci told the Associated Press news agency. Trump,

a Republican running for re-election in November, lashed out at Democratic state governors, suggesting they were "mutineers" after New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would refuse any order by the president to reopen the economy too soon.

"If he ordered me to reopen in a way that would endanger the public health of the people of my state, I wouldn't do it," Cuomo told CNN earlier on Tuesday, referring to Trump.

At a news conference later, Cuomo said Trump was "clearly spoiling for a fight on this issue" and that he did not want a partisan battle, but added, "We don't have a king in this country, we have a constitution and we elect the president." (Al Jazeera)

16 NEWS PAHO warns Caribbean to prepare for full COVID blast P THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

an American Health Organisation (PAHO) director and the World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for the Americas, Dr Carissa Etienne, says they neither anticipated nor were they prepared for the magnitude of the current COVID-19 pandemic. She is also warning the region to prepare for a full blast within the next few weeks. She made the comment during a virtual press briefing yesterday on PAHO’s response to the pandemic and the evolving situation of the virus in the Americas. Eitienne admitted that the rate and magnitude of the transmission surprised PAHO although it began looking at it late last year. She said in November 2019 the organisation felt it was time to review pandemic planning and called up emergency personnel to ‘dig up’ pandemic plans. In the first week of December 2019, those plans were presented to an advisory group and PAHO’s executive management. “Our instruction was to go and work with every member state to revise their plans and to begin to plan,” Etienne said.

Noting it was difficult to predict the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, she

added, “This pandemic has really surpassed all of the others we have had in terms of its magnitude. I was also surprised by our inability to provide for the resources in terms of PPE’s (personal protective equipment), masks and tests. And the almost market failure concerning those required resources.” At the press briefing, which was streamed live from PAHO’s headquarters in Washington, Etienne said COVID-19 was yet to hit with full force in the region, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean and PAHO expected it would intensify in the next few weeks. “The rise in hospitalisations and deaths we see in countries highlights how quickly the situation could change,” she said. “We must act with urgency before the storm hits most of our countries, to protect ourselves, families and communities.” She stressed the cost of any inaction at this time could not be greater and immediate action was required to address both structured and long-term needs.“In the short term, there is a dire need to expand ICU capacity in the region,” Etienne said. Regarding long-term planning, Etienne said countries needed to guaran-

tee that drugs and vaccines that are being developed would be accessible to all in the region, especially in the most vulnerable communities. Etienne said focusing on social distancing remained countries’ best bet to reducing transmission and slowing the spread of the virus. “It prevents hospitals from being overwhelmed by too many sick people at the same time and it also keeps doctors and nurses from having to make a terrible choice about which patients receive care and which patients do not,” she said. “It is also a way to buy time for new treatments, medicines and vaccines that will allow us to fight COVID-19 and recover from it.” She added, “There is no one size fits all approach. It’s impossible to apply the same measures from Alaska to Tierra del

Coronavirus: Trump says peak is passed and US to reopen soon

US President Donald Trump

P

resident Donald Trump says the US has “passed the peak” of new Covid-19 cases and predicted some states would reopen this month.

At the daily White House virus briefing, Mr Trump said new reopening guidelines would be announced on Thursday after he speaks to governors.

“We’ll be the comeback kids, all of us,” the president said. “We want to get our country back.”

The US has nearly 635,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and over 28,000 deaths. “The data suggests that nationwide, we have passed the peak of new cases,” Mr Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden on Wednesday.

“Hopefully that will continue, and we will continue to make great progress.”

The president said 3.3m Covid-19 tests had been conducted and antibody tests would soon be available.

These developments, he said, “put us in a strong position to finalise guidelines for states reopening”.

The Trump administration had previously pencilled

in 1 May as a possible date to reopen the nation, but the president said some states may be able to return to normalcy earlier than that.

“I think that will be a very exciting time, indeed,” he said.

When questioned about the dangers of reopening the nation too soon, Trump said: “There’s also death involved in keeping it closed.”

He cited mental health issues, saying suicide hotlines were “exploding” as the economy freezes.

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs due to lockdown measures across the country, and unemployment numbers are at record levels. (BBC)

news@guyanatimesgy.com

Fuego; however, countries need to keep that in mind.

They need to ensure that many of our countries in the region who have already implemented community-wide social distancing, that they are allowing health services to operate within the capacity. This is encouraging but it

must be sustained over a period of time for it to be effective.” Etienne said economic activity could only return in full swing when people feel safe and confident that their governments are doing all they can to protect them and their loved ones. “I urge the leadership in our region to earn this confidence by being rigorous, evidence-driven and transparent in the fight against this pandemic. Only by implementing the interventions required for each setting guided by science and solidarity, can we slow down and ultimately break the spread of COVID-19 in our region.

And then together within and across the countries, we can safely get back on our

feet,” she said. She made a special appeal to the private sector, saying it had to be an integral part of the response to COVID-19 and must to work with governments to make resources available to support the response. “As the pandemic proceeds and millions are economically impacted, I would like you (private sector) to work with our partners and with governments to strengthen the safety net for all, in particular for the most vulnerable,” she said. “We need the might of the private sector if we are going to effectively address COVID-19. It’s only in a unified manner that we would be able to successfully confront COVID-19.” (T&T Guardian)

20,000 jobless in Antigua from COVID-19

A

ntigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has estimated that around 20 thousand people in the tourism sector have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19.

“In the case of Antigua & Barbuda we have estimated that over 20 thousand people would have lost their jobs directly or indirectly as a result of the closure of the hotel sector and even the lock downs which have been taking place in order to protect our citizens,” Browne said.

He said, “those lock downs as well would have impacted on the operations of many businesses and put people out of work.”

The prime minister said revenue from tourism has cease “and in addition to that we would have a situation where the actu-

Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne

al revenues collected by government’s would have plummeted.”

Browne was speaking on television last night ahead of a emergency CARICOM Summit today.

He said the impact of

COVID-19 especially on tourism dependent economies will be much more severe than predicted.

He wants a rescue plan to be put in place to help countries within the Caribbean.

(Antigua News Room)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

17

Regional

“It's COVID! Stay away!” Latin America's Bolsonaro expected to fire defiant Brazilian health workers face rising hostility

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hoved to the ground, splashed with bleach or glared at on public transportation, health workers face a growing tide of hostility across Latin America for potentially spreading COVID-19.

For Sandra Aleman, a nurse in the city of San Luis Potosi in central Mexico, the attack began when a group of children sprayed juice and soda on her white uniform, shouting, “It’s COVID! Stay away from us!”

Aleman was then hit in the face by a woman who she believes was their mother, making her crumple to the ground.

“Trying to defend myself for proudly wearing my white uniform, I broke two fingers on my right hand.

I can no longer do my job,” she told Reuters, adding that she had not, in fact, treated any patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.

Reuters spoke to 16 nurses and health workers with similar stories of hos-

tility and aggression across Latin America, even as they are publicly lauded as heroes, fighting the virus with limited resources.

So far, more than 72,000 people have been infected and 3241 people have died from the pandemic in the region.

“We couldn’t do anything without health workers,” Mexico’s President Andres

Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday, echoing other officials’ condemnation of the attacks.

“I respectfully urge the whole population to take care of health workers, to respect them, to love them.”

Nurses represent 80 per cent of the staff in Latin America’s public hospitals, according to medical unions, making them indispensable

in the response to the pandemic, which has infected more than 2 million people worldwide.

In Colombia’s capital of Bogota, home to nearly half of the country’s 2979 people with coronavirus, anaesthesiologist Santiago Osorio, 36, said he can no longer use elevators or common areas at his apartment on orders from the building administration, which is concerned he could infect the neighbours.

Maria Jose Colina, a doctor and spokeswoman for the Argentina Integral Network of Doctors, said several colleagues have received aggressive messages and comments, including threats, even at their homes.

In some parts of Panama and Chile, drivers have banned nurses from public transportation. In areas where they allow them, other passengers often give them dirty looks and move away, medical groups say.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

ing the economic crisis in Venezuela.

Municipal social workers who were moving families to new shelters to avoid crowding during the coronavirus epidemic found the baby had a cold and took her and the mother to a hospital 12 days ago. The baby tested positive for the virus on Monday.

Health experts and anthropologists have warned of the danger of the pandemic decimating Brazil’s

850,000 indigenous people because they have no immunity to external diseases and live in communal homes where social distancing is not possible.

So far, the indigenous health service Sesay has reported three deaths from the coronavirus among Indigenous people, including a Yanomami youth aged 15 in the northern state of Roraima, bordering Venezuela.

The Manaus mayor’s of-

fice said in a statement it was not known where the baby contracted the virus.

The father has been isolated and other Warrau in the shelter are being monitored, it said.

Manaus, a city of two million in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, has been particularly hard hit by the epidemic. Deaths in the state doubled in five days to 106 by Wednesday, Brazil’s Health Ministry said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Medical personnel board a bus from a hospital, arranged for their personal safety, after finishing their shifts, as the Mexican Government declared a health emergency and issued stricter regulations to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Mexico City, Mexico April 14, 2020

Venezuelan Indigenous baby tests positive for coronavirus in Brazil

A

two-month-old baby born to Warrau Indigenous refugees from Venezuela has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the mayor’s office in the Brazilian city of Manaus said on Wednesday.

Some 600 Warrau, a tribe from the delta of the Orinoco River, live in shelters in Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas state, where they started arriving in 2018 after escap-

Health Minister

Brazil's Health Minister, Luiz Henrique Mandate gestures during a news conference, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Brasilia, Brazil, April 15, 2020

B

razilian health officials braced on Wednesday for President Jair Bolsonaro to fire his health minister over disagreements on how to handle the coronavirus outbreak, with at least one secretary offering his resignation in protest.

In a defiant news conference, Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandate acknowledged his differences with Bolsonaro and said he had discussed a search for his replacement with the presidential chief of staff.

Bolsonaro and Mandate have been at odds over the handling of the coronavirus epidemic for weeks, as the president played down the gravity of the outbreak, touted unproven drugs and attacked Governors over lockdown orders applauded

by Mandate. Two Governors have tested positive for the disease.

“The President has made clear that he would like a different position from the Health Ministry,” Mandate said in televised remarks.

“I’m offering a way forward

based on science. Outside of that, you’d have to find alternatives.”

Mandate said he had refused the resignation of Wenderson de Oliveira, secretary of health vigilance, a key figure in the fight against the epidemic. In a note to his team seen by Reuters, Oliveira said that Mandate, his boss, would likely be fired “in coming hours or days”.

Mandate told his aides on Tuesday evening that Bolsonaro was likely to fire him this week, according to two people familiar with the matter. Mandate told his team he planned to remain in the job until Bolsonaro had chosen his replacement, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Mandate emerged from relative obscurity with technocratic daily briefings on the coronavirus presenting the latest science, stressing the need for social distancing measures, and earning praise from across the political spectrum. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Cuba develops vaccine to combat COVID-19 18 more call centre workers

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he Director of Research at the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Cuba, Dr Gerardo Guillen, says a clinical trial is now being held for a vaccine aimed at activating the immune system to combat COVID-19.

Speaking during a recent television interview, Guillen said that the drug, called CIGB 2020, is undergoing trials at the Luis Diaz hospital in Havana with volunteer patients suspected of being carriers of the disease.

Dr Gerardo Guillen

He says the drug is nasally and sublingually administered to strengthen these areas and encouraging results have already been observed regarding the activation of the innate immune system, which is very important to successfully combat this disease.

He added that CIGB 2020 is a drug that is inserted, along with another Cuban vaccine developed by Finlay Institute, in a field of research that has been much debated in contemporary science, which is the development of specific

vaccines to stimulate innate immunity, which is powered by the new coronavirus.

“Our researchers have been able to make lab technologies available to this research in record time and after these first results we will continue with the trials and analyse the results,” Guillen said.

Meanwhile, up to Tuesday, there were 766 positive COVID-19 cases across the island.

According to the Public Health Ministry, 599 out of those 766 patients are in stable condition. (CMC)

5th person dies as Bermuda extends lockdown to May 2

B

ermuda Premier David Burt has announced that the 24hour lockdown in Bermuda will be extended for a further two weeks until May 2.

Burt, who also announced the death of a fifth person from COVID-19,

made the announcement at a news conference late Tuesday.

He said Cabinet had decided to take the shelter-inplace regulations into next month on the advice of the public health emergency response team.

Burt added he was “keenly aware” of the impact that the extension, which will start on Saturday, would have on the way people lived and worked.

But he insisted: “As a people, we must make this sacrifice, a sacrifice which

is based on compassion for those of us who will die if they contract COVID-19.”

Bermuda has so far had 57 confirmed cases of the virus. The fifth person to die was an elderly resident at a care home. (Excerpt from CMC)

test positive for COVID-19; Jab’s tally now 125

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he Ministry of Health and Wellness says an additional 20 Jamaicans have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The additional confirmed cases include five males and 15 females. Two of the cases are imported – one is a two-year-old male from St James and the other is a 43-year-old female from St Catherine.

The other 18 individuals are from St Catherine and arise out of an investigation of BPO site, Alorica, from which there have been 33 prior confirmed cases, the health ministry informed.

This brings to 52, the number of confirmed cases working at Alorica. There are 47 individuals from St Catherine, three from Kingston and St Andrew, one from Clarendon and one from Portland.

According to the Ministry, there are now 33 imported cases, 34 cases are contacts of a confirmed case, six are local transmission cases not epidemiologically linked and 52 cases are under the Alorica investigation. Some 51 (41 per cent) confirmed cases are male and 74 (59 per cent) are female, while the ages of all confirmed cases range from two to 87 years old.

The health departments across the island are currently tracing approximately 432 close contacts of the confirmed cases.

The National Influenza Centre has also advised that to date, a total of 1391 samples have been tested including those for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) resulting in 1258 negative and 125 positive, with eight samples pending. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Around the World

Coronavirus: Germany planning to lift some restrictions, global death toll tops 131,000

G

ermany on Wednesday unveiled plans to lift some restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming the first major European nation to take on the delicate task of reopening without triggering a new wave of infections.

As US President Donald Trump came under increasing fire for ordering a freeze on American funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Group of 20 (G20) announced a one-year debt moratorium for the world’s poorest nations.

The number of COVID-19 cases around the globe soared past two million, meanwhile, according to an AFP tally, and the death toll topped 131,000.

Germany was the largest of several European countries announcing tentative steps on Wednesday to reopen their economies and societies.

Denmark began reopening schools for younger children after a month-long closure and Finland lifted

A full-scale return to normality still appears a long way off in countries including Italy

a two-week rail and road blockade on the Helsinki region.

Lithuania said it would allow smaller shops to reopen from Thursday.

Other countries are also tweaking confinement rules, with Iran set to let some small businesses reopen and India allowing millions of rural people to return to work.

In South Korea, people went to the polls on Wednesday and delivered a

strong show of support for President Moon Jae-in, commending his handling of the epidemic.

Once home to the world’s second-largest outbreak, South Korea has largely brought the virus under control through widespread testing, contact-tracing and social distancing.

Yet a full-scale return to normality still appears a long way off in most other countries.

Harvard scientists have

warned that repeated periods of social distancing could be needed as far ahead as 2022 to avoid overwhelming hospitals.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has allowed work to restart in some factories and building sites, warned that “nothing will be the same until a vaccine is found”.

Belgium extended its stay-at-home order until at least May 3 and banned mass gatherings until the end of August.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced first steps in undoing coronavirus restrictions that have plunged the economy into a recession.

Most shops will be allowed to open once they have “plans to maintain hygiene” although schools must stay closed until May 4 and a ban on large public events will remain in place until August 31.

“We have to proceed with extreme caution,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.

(Excerpt from AFP)

Coronavirus: Trump’s WHO de-funding “as dangerous as it sounds”

U

S President Donald Trump has been heavily criticised for halting funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO) amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

Philanthropist Bill Gates, a major funder of the WHO, said it was “as dangerous as it sounds”.

President Trump said on Tuesday that the body had “failed in its basic duty” in its response to coronavirus.

The head of the WHO said it was reviewing the cuts’ impact “to ensure our work continues uninterrupted”.

“We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a halt in the funding to the WHO,”

Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference, adding that the US has been “a long-standing and generous friend... and we hope it will continue to be so”.

Earlier on Twitter he said the agency’s “singular focus” was to stop the outbreak.

UN Secretary General António Guterres said it was “not the time” to cut funds to the WHO, which “is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against Covid-19”.

Trump has accused the WHO of making deadly mistakes and overly trusting China.

“I am directing my administra-

tion to halt funding while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organisation’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

A White House statement on Wednesday said the agency had “failed” the US people.

Trump has been under fire for his own handling of the pandemic. He has sought to deflect persistent criticism that he acted too slowly to stop the virus’s spread by pointing to his decision in late January to place restrictions on travel from China. (Excerpt from BBC News)

India allows farmers 12 dead or missing as migrants returned to back to work Libyan capital – UN agency A day after extending a nationwide lockdown, India has relaxed restrictions on farming, banking and public works, but transport services and most businesses remain closed.

The rules, which come into effect on April 20, are expected to ease the supply chain and alleviate economic impact.

The lockdown which began on March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus will now end on May 3.

India has reported 9756 active cases and 377 deaths so far.

Although the country recorded its first case at the end of January, the numbers began to spike only by early March.

It was one of the first countries to impose heavy travel restrictions, including suspending most visas and eventually stopping all international flights. It also banned trains and flights within the country when the lockdown be-

gan.

But the continued restrictions will likely prove to be a challenge to implement.

The news of the extension on Tuesday prompted thousands of migrant workers to take to the streets in some cities, demanding they be allowed to return home to their villages.

Apart from the restrictions on both international and domestic travel, schools, colleges, malls, cinema halls and most businesses – except those providing essential services such as groceries and pharmacies will remain shut. All public gatherings – social, political or religious – are also still banned.

But the government has said it will allow agricultural businesses to open.

This includes dairy, aquaculture, tea, coffee and rubber plantations, as well as shops selling farming products – such as fertilisers or machinery. (Excerpt from BBC News)

A

t least five migrants died and seven were missing when the coast guard returned 49 others to Libya’s capital Tripoli on Wednesday as fighting there raged, the United Nations migration agency said.

A Maltese commercial vessel rescued the migrants from an inflatable boat and handed them to Libya’s Coast Guard, which brought them to a naval base in Tripoli where they were allowed to disembark after a delay of several hours, the International Organisation for Migration said.

There has been uncertainty about whether migrants intercepted by Libya’s coast guard would be able to dock in Tripoli. Last week, a group of about 280 migrants were prevented from disembarking overnight because of shelling

in the port city.

“We have no clarity as to the procedures that are followed or will be followed from now on,” the IOM’s Libya office said in an email.

Hundreds of migrants continue to attempt crossings from Libya towards Italy, though Italy has declared its ports unsafe in the coronavirus epidemic.

After a relative lull in crossings, numbers had started to pick up in the first two months of the year only to fall back in March as Italy was hit by the coronavirus.

The group that disembarked on Wednesday were of Eritrean and Sudanese nationality, and included eight women and three children.

They were taken to one of several detention centres in Tripoli, IOM said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

OILNEWS IEA predicts “worst year in the history” of oil sector

T

he coronavirus outbreak will slash global oil demand in 2020 to erase a decade of growth and set up “the worst year in the history” of the sector, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday.

Demand is projected to plummet by a record 9.3 million barrels per day (mbd) for the year as a whole, with 29 mbd in the month of April, and 26 mbd in May – “staggering numbers”, according to the agency’s executive director, Fatih Birol.

“I believe in a few years’ time, when you look at 2020 we may well see that it was the worst year in the history of global oil markets,” he told reporters on a teleconference.

“During this terrible year, the second quarter may very well be the worst of the lot and... April may very well be the worst month.”

The projected figures for this month were last seen in 1995, said Birol, describing this as “Black April in the history of the oil industry”.

The global economy has been hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak, with many industries brought to their knees and air, rail and road traffic slashed as non-essential businesses were closed and hundreds of millions of people around the world placed in lockdown.

The epidemic has killed more than 123,000 people since it first emerged in China in December.

The IEA said measures taken by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries-plus (OPEC+) group and other oil producing nations to cut output should allow demand to start exceeding supply again by the second half of 2020, assuming population lockdowns to curb virus spread are lifted.

“Once the declines in oil demand start to reduce and once the impact of the production cuts from the OPEC+ agreement and non-OPEC producers start to bite, we start to see a recovery in the second half of the year,” Neil Atkinson, head of the agency’s oil division, told the briefing.

“But obviously there’s still a long way to go before we reach that point.”

Decade of growth lost In total, producers have undertaken to cut supply by about 12 million barrels a day in May, Atkinson said, including 9.7 million mbd pledged by the OPEC+ group.

G20 countries have agreed to support the OPEC+ cuts.

The combined effort “takes us right back to below 90 mbd a day which is a level of production for the world which we haven’t seen since back in 2011,” said Atkinson.

On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the coronavirus pandemic was pushing the world into its deepest recession in a century, with economic output expected to shrink three per cent.

This means that “COVID-19 results in one year of growth lost of the global economy and almost a decade of growth lost in global oil markets”, said Birol.

“The volatility we are seeing in oil markets is detrimental to the global economy at a time that we can least afford it.”

Oil prices extended their slump Wednesday, with WTI hitting the lowest level since 2002 as the output cuts were deemed not enough.

The benchmark WTI contract tumbled to US$19.20 per barrel, it lowest level in 18 years.

The IEA report said the OPEC+ and G20 actions “won’t rebalance the market immediately”.

“But by lowering the peak of the supply overhang and flattening the curve of the build-up in stocks, they help a complex system absorb the worst of this crisis, whose consequences for the oil market remain very uncertain in the short term.”

“Economic meltdown” Birol said the oil price crash would likely to cause a “huge decline” in global emissions of planet-warming carbon emissions this year.

“But in my view, this is not a reason to celebrate, because this decline is happening because there is an economic meltdown, the energy industry is in many parts almost collapsing and many people are losing their lives.

“We shouldn’t forget that if there is a rebound of the economy... we may well see a big rebound of emissions as well.”

In 2009, after the global economic crisis, emissions declined by 0.4 gigatonnes only to rise again by 1.7 gigatonnes the following year – the highest increase in the last 50 years, said Birol. (Excerpt from AFP)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

19

ARCHIE

ARIES

Keep moving until you have finished what you started. Adopting a responsible attitude and offering a helping hand will lead to a more significant opportunity. Romance is in the stars.

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Have patience, take your time, consider alternatives and do your own thing. Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself.

(March 21April 19)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Pursue your dreams. You can't stop doing the things you love just because someone wants you to stick to his or her schedule. Do what you enjoy most and explore new possibilities.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Concentrate on what you are trying to achieve. Refuse to let someone lure you into something that will make your life complicated. Learn from the experience and do what makes you happy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Make positive changes to the way you live, but don't try to change the way others do things. A broad-minded attitude will help you keep the peace.

LIBRA

Choose budget-friendly options to make a move or lifestyle change. Draw on your resources and skills to help save money. Discuss your intentions with a loved one.

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

To avoid being misinterpreted, you'll have to spell out what's on your mind.

Take nothing for granted and avoid contentious situations that could lead to an argument.

Don't let what someone SAGITTARIUS tells you depress you. Go di(Nov. 23rectly to the source and find Dec. 21) out precisely what transpired. Honesty and integrity are your best route to peace and good relationships.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Don't get involved in other people's problems. You will encounter problems if you end up going to functions by yourself. Opportunities for romance will be plentiful.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Don't get involved in conversations with people who don't listen. Constructive projects will offer the highest satisfaction. Don't make a change at home without getting the necessary approval first.

Dig in and don't stop until you reach your goal. A personal change you make will turn out well and encourage better relationships with the people who share your space. Romance is featured.

A chance to do something worthwhile for someone will bring unexpected returns.

Don't be afraid to do things differently or to choose the road less traveled.

20

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

Coronavirus effect on cycling…

T

he postponed 2020 Tour de France will now start on 29 August, following the French Government's extension of a ban on mass gatherings to mid-July because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cycling's biggest event, won by Team Ineos' Egan Bernal last year, was originally scheduled to run from June 27 to July 19.

"Holding this event in the best conditions possible is judged essential, given its central place in cycling's economy," said the UCI, the sport's governing body.

Many large-scale sporting events scheduled to take place this summer have either been called off, such as Wimbledon, or pushed back by a year, such as football's European Championship and the summer Olympics.

Four-time winner Chris Froome is set to return at this year's Tour, which is set to start in Nice, after he missed the 2019 race following a high-speed accident in which he broke his neck, femur, elbow, hip and ribs.

He tweeted: "The news many of us have been waiting for. Some light at the end of the tunnel."

Geraint Thomas, the Briton who won the Tour de France in 2018, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Hopefully, those dates can go ahead.

I'm super excited about that. The Tour is the pinnacle of the sport. If you ask anyone in the UK for three words to do with cycling, they would be: Tour de France. It would be great for the riders and the teams if it can go ahead. This is why teams exist, and that's why sponsorship comes into the sport."

He added: "The calendar needs to be ironed out. Once we know that we can get back racing again, then talks can get under way between everyone. The Tour has to take priority. That's the main event in cycling, and then hopefully we can fit other races in

The women's version of the Tour, La Course by le Tour de France, was initially scheduled to take place over one day on 19 July on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

But Tour organiser ASO said it would also be postponed and instead take place "during the Tour de France 2020".

Analysis

The 107th edition of the Tour will start in Nice and finish in Paris

around it."

Cycling's two other three-week Grand Tour races have also been rescheduled for later this year, as part of a plan by the UCI to stage all major cycling races this season.

The Giro d'Italia - which was scheduled to take place in May - and the Vuelta a Espana, originally set for September, will now be raced after September's World Championships.

The championships, which will be held in Switzerland, remain in their 20-27 September slot, which means the Tour de France will finish on the same day the weeklong championships begin.

That means the men's World

Championship road race will take place one week after the final day of the Tour.

The postponed 'monument' one-day races - Milan-San Remo, Liege-Bastonge-Liege, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix - "will all take place this season, at dates still to be defined", added the statement.

The UCI cautioned that the calendar will remain dependent on the "world health situation", with the body's president, David Lappartient, saying, "We still have work to do to finalise the establishment of an entirely revised calendar".

On 10 April, the UCI furloughed staff and cut the salaries of senior employees as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Matt Warwick, BBC Sport, said: “As determined as the UCI is, it is hard to see how cycling's governing body is going to fit all these races into this season.

It appears officials believe the financial implications for cancelling races in 2020 could be so detrimental - to teams and organisers - that they will instead try to push all major events back as far as they can.

“But what is realistic in such an unpredictable situation as the coronavirus crisis evolves? Cycling could yet benefit commercially from being one of the few major sports not to call off much of its 2020 schedule until next year. However, if those events - having been moved - are then cancelled at a later date, there must be further financial implications.

“And there is already much to sort out on the calendar, so when does the UCI think it can fit in a further six weeks of Grand Tour competition and five 'monument' one-day races around October and November, when most of Europe gets seriously cold and wet?”

(BBC Sport)

Coronavirus and European football…

F

ootball will "no doubt" return behind closed doors, but it is "impossible" to know when that will be, says the body that represents Europe's top leagues.

Alberto Colombo, the Deputy General Secretary of European Leagues, said the suspension of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic was "a huge crisis".

"The vast majority" of the association's members, which include the Premier League and the English Football League, are prioritising a return to action, he said.

But he admitted that "a small number" of countries, including Belgium, were now considering cancelling their campaigns.

Football is suspended indefinitely across most of Europe because of the continued spread of COVID-19.

Premier League clubs are scheduled to meet tomorrow (Friday) to discuss the situation, but there is unlikely to be a resumption any time soon to a top-flight season that still has nine rounds of fixtures to play.

Last week, hopes were raised when German clubs became the first in Europe to return to training, albeit with precautionary measures in place, with talk of a resumption as

Paris St-Germain beat Borussia Dortmund in March in a Champions League tie, held behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic

soon as May. But Colombo has urged caution, adding: "The priority so far has been on focusing on creating conditions to

be able to resume competition during the summer, should we be able.

"You need to resume training and develop your own protocols. There's

no doubt it will be behind closed doors, so the competition organisers have to develop medical protocols, training protocols, match-operation protocols.

"But, of course, it's impossible to answer the question: 'When will we be back playing?' Nobody has these answers. Ultimately, we all know the governments of the countries are the ones in charge of lifting the various restrictions that apply to sport."

Germany has carried out more diagnostic swab tests - to establish whether an individual is infected with coronavirus - than other major European countries.The Italian Football Federation hopes to begin testing players for the virus at the start of May, in preparation for the season to resume."There is no doubt that players' health comes first, and also the health of all those involved in matches - staff of clubs, media, everyone has to be safe," said Colombo.

"Doing testing is an important component part of these health measures, but at the moment there is not a common position in every country."

Belgium's Pro-League has annoyed European football's governing body, UEFA, by cancelling its season over health concerns and finan-

rat-

cial issues, although ification is pendand a decibeen detil April

still ing final sion has layed un24.

"We know there are other leagues, but really a small number, that are having these considerations," said Colombo.

"The vast majority has been focusing 100% on the resumption of their competitions. One of the reasons for us to maintain [this] as a priority…is to safeguard the integrity of the competitions.

"And of course we have to avoid jeopardising the excellent work and co-operation we have developed with UEFA during the past weeks."

Colombo added that while restarting competitions would be "good", they would respect "whatever decision a league may take".

UEFA is set to hold a video conference meeting next week to decide on the next stage in its handling of the crisis. (BBC Sport)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

21

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L

ike the fabled legend Heracles, Carlos Brathwaite dutifully completed the impossible task of lifting a seemingly downand-out West Indies team to an unlikely triumph over England at the 2016 T20 World Cup final.

In its aftermath, much like the mythical Greek hero, he would soon after happen upon a poisoned cloak of his own unrealistic heavy expectations, which have so far proven to be his undoing.

Needing 19 off the last over, and with the ball in the hands of a capable Ben Stokes, few would have picked the Windies to be triumphant.

Four straight sixes later, however, the shrill blast of commentator Ian Bishop sang, ‘Remember the name!’ after the muscle-bound Brathwaite brutally battered Stokes, announcing a new West Indies star had been born.

Gleefully looking on, fans secretly hoped perhaps the player was from the same mould as legends like Viv Richards or Chris Gayle.

O f course, Brathwaite’s trajectory never hit such heights, the fateful T20 World Cup represente d unprecedented heights, and his descent seemed just as rapid as his rise.

Perhaps he just hit the sky too fast too soon.

Less than two years later ‘Remember the

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name!’ became a term of derision, not inspiration, uttered whenever the behemoth wafted powerfully but failed to connect, or managed to move the ball just feet after a blustery swing.

The man who had delivered a victory for the West Indies, the hero of the 2016 battle at Wankhede, went from being captain to being left out of the squad entirely. He went from being a well-soughtafter T20 name in most major leagues to reserve spots or replacement selection.

Ironically, Stokes, whom the big West Indian had left deflated on his haunches, went on to become one of the world’s best players, and is likely to be at the next World Cup, while Brathwaite is almost certainly guaranteed to not be there.

In fact, his failure on the biggest of stages in the end seemed to serve as a benefit, as the Englishman rebounded from his lowest point to achieve great heights.

For Brathwaite, it was the opposite. With only eight T20 matches under his belt, he was named the West Indies captain later that year. In the IPL, he went from a modest US$30,000 base price to being signed for US$626,000 Carlos Brathwaite by the Delhi Daredevils. It was a whirlwind couple of months for the player who was expected to now dispatch bowlers every time he went out to bat, while at the same time ensuring the Windies lived up to their billing as world champions. Neither happened.

Brathwaite was also added to the ODI squad, went on to play seven matches, was called to the CPL, and played a Test against India in Antigua.

The rest, as they say, is unfortunately history.

In the end, it seems the weight of the expectations proved too much for the player. Brathwaite had been pushed too far, too high, too soon.

When we saw him at his best, the moment for which he would forever be immortalized, very little is anything was expected of him, and he was free to swing for the fences. Who knows what he might have become had he, like Stokes, failed to deliver on the big occasion? (Sportsmax)

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S

am Clayton Jr., who was a member of the Jamaican bobsled team in the early days of the programme leading up to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, died on March 31 in Kingston after being infected by COVID-19.

Clayton, who was 58 when he died, did not make the team that was eventually selected to compete at the Winter Olympics, but his contribution to the programme was significant.

Devon Harris who, along with Dudley Stokes, Michael White and Freddie Powell, went on to make history and inspire the Cool Runnings movie, was crestfallen at the news of Clayton’s passing.

“I am saddened by the news of the passing of my teammate Samuel Clayton. I haven’t spoken with him in many years, but news of his untimely death was a punch to the gut,” said Harris. “Although he never made the Olympic team, Sammy was an integral part of the Jamaica bobsled team. He was among the very first four selected to spearhead Jamaica’s entrance into Winter sports and the Winter Olympics.

“The first time I ever went down a bobsled run, Sammy was the driver. We had some fun. He was my roommate, we became friends and he was definitely a trailblazer, a patriot

who competed fiercely while representing Jamaica, and (he) obviously went on to blaze a trail in the music industry as well. He was an amazing human being who will be sadly missed.”

President of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Association, Chris Stokes, whose brother Dudley was eventually selected to be the driver at the 1988 Olympics, lauded Clayton for his bravery as one of those taking the first step to get the programme off the ground.

“Not everyone is going to be willing to get into a bobsled and drive down a hill at 70mph.

That, to me, takes tremendous courage,” Stokes said. “He didn’t have a long history of people doing it, and he agreed to that which set the pace for the team going towards the Olympics.

“Sammy was loved, and made a tremendous contribution; so we say, ‘thank you’ for that. He was willing to take the first step.”

After leaving the bobsled programme, Clayton delved into the music industry as a producer, sound engineer and manager, while working with Harry J Studio. His widow Annie, a daughter, three sons and three grandchildren survive him.

So far, five Jamaicans have died after being infected by the coronavirus. (Sportsmax)

son, Barnwell had the most runs for Guyana Jaguars. He accumulated 351 runs at a stunning average of 43.87, with a high-score of 89, including three half-centuries. That season’s performance came on the back of a strong Super50 season in 2018, when Barnwell scored 282 runs for Jaguars at an average of 47. He had a high-score of 99*, including two half-centuries in that season.

The dominant Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) player has certainly been a quiet achiever at the Regional level for Jaguars in recent times. If Barnwell's three strong Super50 seasons were to be combined, he scored 873 runs at an average of 46.29 with seven half-centuries.

He took this strong performance into the red-ball format.

This lad, who has Christopher Barnwell batting in the Regional 4-Day

G

uyana Jaguars senior all-rounder Christopher Barnwell has been chalking up some strong performances with the bat in the Regional 4-Day and Regional Super50 tournaments.

Barnwell, in recent times, looked a more controlled batsman who goes about his business in a positive manner. When on sound, he's a treat to watch.

In the recently concluded 2020 Regional 4-Day tournament, Barnwell was one of the two centurions for Jaguars. The 33-year-old Barnwell scored 435 runs in the eight matches in the truncated 2020 season, with a highscore of 107, including one century and two fifties. He had an average of 33.46 batting in the middle-order.

In the 2019-2020 Regional Super50 sea-

played o r S t L u c i a Zouks in the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League, has been enjoying this second coming at the Regional level.

At this time in his career, Barnwell has matured into a solid middle-order batsman who has been capable of playing the big shots. He has 61 first-class matches under his belt, with 2406 runs, including two centuries and 12 fifties.

Barnwell, who played six T20 Internationals for West Indies between 2011-2013, has 85 first-class wickets with three five-wicket hauls.

In his List A career, he has 1467 runs in 59 matches at an average just below 30.

Barnwell has dominated local cricket in Guyana, and has established himself at the Regional level. Of late, his bat has been doing the positive talking. (Brandon Corlette) f

22

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Boxers in Cuba…

A

group of local boxers and their coach, who are currently stuck in Cuba owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions, are said to be in good health and are doing well; but are holding on to the hope that they will have the opportunity to return home soon.

The group, which had departed Guyana on January 4, was initially supposed to spend three months in Cuba for an Olympic Qualifier preparatory training stint. Their return was scheduled for the end of March, but with Guyana having its first confirmed case of coronavirus on March 11, President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, got to work in an effort to bring h i s boxe r s Colin Lewis

home, but it was a little too late, as the Guyanese authorities had made the decision to close the Eugene F. Correia and Cheddi Jagan International Airports.

With the initial period for the closure coming to an end on March 31st, there was a sliver of hope for the athletes, but the closure was then extended to May 1.

Guyana Times Sport caught up with one of the boxers, team captain Colin Lewis (attached to the Guyana Defence Force Boxing Gym), who shared a little bit about the team’s experience in the Spanishspeaking island.

Lewis said the boxers were moved to Havana, Cuba to stay at the Guyanese Consulate. And while he explained that there isn’t much for them to worry about, he disclosed that their main priority is to get home at the soonest possible time.

“The place (the home) is comfortable…but the stay is getting to us now.

We need to be home, because we still have to be in two-week lock down before we go out to our family,” Lewis told this publication.

Delving deeper into their

The four boxers before their departure for Cuba

situation, Lewis shared that being in a foreign country for as long as they have is beginning to become frustrating for the group.

“We’re here uncomfortable and want to come home.

We’re in a country that we don't know their language… hoping that the airport can open on the first for us to come home,” Lewis said.

When probed about their

fitness and training, the boxer went on to share that although they are doing what they can to stay fit, their training schedule has been restricted by the current situation.

“Yeah, we’re training, but not as usual as when we first came,” Lewis revealed.

The four boxers are Colin Lewis, Keevin Allicock, Desmond Amsterdam and

Dennis Thomas, and their coach is Terrence Poole. They have reportedly made great strides in Cuba. Under the watchful eye of Cuban coach Francisco Roldan, the group is more than ready for the Olympic Qualifiers, which were scheduled to be held from March 26 to April 4 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

(Jemima Holmes)

FIFA/Coca Cola rankings…

O

ne of the world’s most loved sports has come to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the FIFA/Coca Cola Rankings have seen little to no changes, with the Guyanese National Men’s Team remaining ranked at 166th position.

With the Golden Jaguars playing a string of international games in the last quarter of 2019, much had been expected to be declared in the rankings, reflecting the fair performances that the National Team had recorded during that time.

Guyana’s last international game was a 1-0 loss to Jamaica’s ‘Reggae Boys’ in the CONCACAF Nations’ League. Before that, the local boys had defeated Aruba and Antigua and Barbuda, and were scheduled to take o n Guyana’s Senior National Men’s Team, the Golden Jaguars

Barbados in a home and away fixture on March 29th and 31st respectively, in hopes of qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. However, those plans were prematurely halted as the Coronavirus made its way to the Caribbean region in early March.

Given the National Team’s inability to make an

international appearance this year, their rankings remained at 166 out of 210 countries, with 988 points. Belgium currently occupy the top spot with 1765 points.

“A whole raft of international fixtures, including qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup™ and other major tournaments, were postponed, while dates were redrawn for showpiece men’s events such as the Olympic Football Tournament, CONMEBOL Copa America and UEFA EURO.

Amid this upheaval, the Ranking was impacted by just four matches - all friendlies - and, as such, remains all but identical to the previous edition. The solitary change sees South Sudan move into joint168th position with Bermuda, after the latter dropped a Ranking point thanks to a 2-0 defeat in Jamaica (48th, unchanged) on 11 March.

The five other teams involved in friendly matches since the global ladder’s last update were Panama (played twice – 81st, unchanged), Uzbekistan (85th, unchanged), Belarus (87th, unchanged), Guatemala (130th, unchanged) and Nicaragua (151st, unchanged),” the FIFA release detailed.

A new system, titled “SUM", was introduced for the calculation of positions in the world rankings. It relies on adding/ subtracting points won or lost for a game to/from the previous points totals, rather than averaging game points over a given time period, as in the previous version of the World Ranking.

The points which are added or subtracted are partially determined by the relative strength of the two opponents, including the logical expectation that teams higher in the ranking should fare better against teams lower in the ranking.

While the next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking is expected to be published on June 2020, much cannot be expected to change, as the coronavirus continues to hold the world hostage.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

23

Corlette's new players to watch (Part 2)…

By Brandon Corlette

W

ith this Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) Academy programme in full swing and producing players for the Guyana Jaguars Franchise, players are waiting at the edges of their seats for selection.

Given that the Jaguars will lose some senior players in the future due to higher representation, the future bowling department looks a revitalizing force.

In this second part of the “new players to watch” presentation, the four players examined are solid left-arm bowling options.

Gudakesh Motie is no stranger to ‘List A’ and first-class cricket, and he certainly is one for the future, as are the other players being examined. Guyana has been a land blessed with left-arm spinners; Anthony Adams has also been a seasoned player, but he is simply awaiting another opportunity.

Under-19 duo Ashmead Nedd and Kelvin Umroa are the other bowling options.

the U-15 level to the U-19 level, where he dominated the opponents with his accurate bowling.

In Nedd's most recent World Cup outing, he played six matches, claimed 11 wickets, and he had an economy rate of 3.54.

Before participating in his final Youth World Cup, Nedd rocked the maroon colours for the West Indies Emerging Players, where he played matches and grabbed 11 wickets as well. His economy rate was supreme at 3.27, and his best bowling figure was 4-29.

The 19-year old left-arm spinner has also been around the Guyana Amazon Warriors camp in the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Nedd should be invested quickly, and he deserves a taste at first-class cricket any time soon.

dominance, he has also adde d to his CV the elevation to being a Level T w o Coach. In the last CGI 50-over franchise, Adams struck two fifties and claimed 13 wickets, demonstrating a rich level of consistency.

Gudakesh Motie

Gudakesh Motie

Kelvin Umroa

Kelvin Umroa

Anthony Adams

Anthony Adams

Ashmead Nedd

Ashmead Nedd

West Indies U-19 player Nedd has shown great skill at a tender age. The lad from Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) has played at the Youth World Cup twice. He came through the ranks for Guyana from

A humble lad from Essequibo, Adams led his county to three-day and 50-overs championship wins. This 27-year-old, who played for Guyana U-19s, has dominated local cricket but had been one of those unlucky players to be given limited opportunities. With the senior Jaguars spinners reaping success, Adams took the back bench in terms of selection.

In the 2017-18 season, Adams had one taste on Regional 4-Day cricket. Adams has since toiled away at the local level with

$100,000+, 2 pennyweights of gold, other prizes up for grabs

T

he highly anticipated FIFA 20 eSports tournament, ‘League of Champions’, which is being hosted by iBet Supreme, has received a tremendous boost through additional sponsors who have joined the team.

This means that more prizes would be there for the taking, as 32 contestants will go head-to-head through online clashes on 8 playing days across two weeks.

Local grill The Smoke Shack will be providing a trophy for the winner, while A&A Game Spot has put up two pennyweights of gold as an additional incentive for the outright winner.

Camex Restaurants, through their Church’s Chicken franchise, will also be supplying meals for the top three finishers in the tournament.

Meanwhile, television and radio broadcasting giant the National Communications Network will be playing their supporting role with a live broadcast of the semi-finals and final of the tournament.

In addition to a trophy, a special meal package from Church’s and two pennyweights of gold, the winner will pocket $50,000 and a case of Monster energy drink, while the runner-up will receive $25,000 and the same prizes as the winner

(excluding a trophy and the gold). Third place will walk also away with $15,000 and the corresponding prizes.

The initiative was launched as a means of helping to enforce the fight against the global pandemic COVID-19. Through this tournament, iBet Supreme is looking to provide entertainment while reinforcing the necessary measures needed as part of its corporate responsibility.

The ‘League of Champions’ will be played online, so that participants won’t have to leave their homes, thus adhering to the laws governing the current COVID-19 situation.

The criteria for interested persons is as follows: provision of name, address, date of birth (must be 18 or older), PSN ID, Internet Connection Type, Team to be played with (no international teams, strictly club team to be used throughout the entirety of the tournament).

Registration is already open, and for additional tournament information, iBet can be contacted on telephone number 608-7036. The first match day is slated for Saturday, April 18, 2020.

Albion has been the place of production of the high-profile left-arm spinner. Guyana U-19 spinner Umroa has been among the latest of these productions. Umroa has come through the ranks from Guyana U-15 to Guyana U-19, and is now an Academy player. Umroa, who narrowly missed out on selection for the West Indies U-19, reigned supreme in inter-county tournaments. In his final junior inter-county tournament, he claimed 31 wickets, the most by a bowler in 2019.

This lad had also featured in West Indies Youth camps, and with the guidance of his clubmates Motie, Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo, he is likely to develop into a future Jaguars player.

Motie is the most seasoned campaigner among these players examined. At 25 years old, he has a lot of cricket in him. He played 29 first-class matches and has 100 wickets, while he played 11 ‘List A’ matches and has 10 wickets. The lad from Albion has been dominating at local levels, but of recent his opportunities have been limited.

Given that Motie continues to work hard and remains patient, he will be a longserving player for the Jaguars when the senior players call time on their careers. Motie may suit as a like-for-like replacement for Permaul when the time is necessary. He will certainly lead the spin attack in the near future.

A

ndre Russell might be Wisden’s 2019 T20 Cricketer of the Year, but the power-hitting Jamaican has no intention of resting on his laurels.

This all-rounder who said he was honoured by the accolade, by virtue of his posts on Instagram, seems to spend much of his time in lockdown, honing his already considerable skills in anticipation of a resumption in play in the T20 leagues across the world and the T20 World Cup in Australia in November.

“My main focus currently is ensuring that I perform to the best of my ability every time I am given the opportunity to play cricket. With the World T20 swiftly approaching, I just want to take things one day at a time and give myself and my team the best possible chance of winning that tournament,” Russell said.

After an outstanding 2019, during which he scored more than 1000 runs at a strike rate of 182, Russell believes he can do even better than he did last year. “ M y body feels amazing, and things are really going well for me out in the middle.

I n the past, I was able to win a lot of matches with brute force; however, I have made strides in regard to my timing and technique. I am very excited for the months ahead,” he confessed.

Andre Russell

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

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