Guyana Times Monday April 13, 2020

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4254

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

PRICE

GECOM, APNU/AFC destruction of democracy: Day 42

Guyana’s opportunity to be int’l leader being squandered – FIU academic

– by election crisis, threats of sanctions & illegitimate Govt See story on page 3

10-day recount proposal

Caretaker President plans “unprecedented spending” to fight pandemic Page 7

...but no Budget in sight

Body found in barrel

Proposal Suspect envisions improved nabbed oversight by GECOM hiding under Commissioners – daily reports on count to Chairperson, Page 15

media briefings by Chair, Commissioners

Page 16

Canje Bridge

No arrests in Republic Park robbery

See story on page 17

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GECOM still P16 to officially gazette ‘recount’ decision

Man arrested after attempting to throw bag into Lusignan Prison compound P17 Father of 2 P8 commits suicide after row with reputed wife

P7 Taxi driver attacked, chopped by cutlass-wielding duo Man wanted P8 for discharging loaded firearm nabbed in Sophia

Police capture man who brutally assaulted exP14 partner

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, April 13 – 09:00h – 10:30h and Tuesday, April 14 – 10:00h – 11:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, April 13 – 08:00h – 09:30h and Tuesday, April 14 – 09:10h – 10:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Expect sunny intervals during the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly to North North-Easterly to Northerly between 1.34 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 08:01 and 20:39h reaching maximum heights of 2.47 metres and 2.24 metres.

Low Tide: 14:08h reaching a minimum height of 0.77 metre.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020

LOTTERY NUMBERS I

03 06 09

19 20 21

FREE TICKET

7 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

01 14 16 24 25 LUCKY 3

7

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2

Afternoon Draw

1

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01

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PAY DAY

15 16 21 SUPER PAY DAY FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020

01 04 08 12 14

08 12 15 19 21

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

Guyana’s opportunity to be int’l leader being squandered – FIU academic …by election crisis, threats of sanctions & illegitimate Govt

I

n January of this year, Guyana was the Chair of the G-77 and was considered the world’s top source of oil finds for 2019. Fast forward to now and Guyana finds itself under international pressure and the threat of sanctions to conduct its own election in keeping with democratic principles.

Wazim Mowla, a Guyanese American academic and researcher in African and African Diaspora Studies at Florida International University, posited in a recent missive from NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) Global Americans that Guyana was wasting the advantageous position it held prior to the 2020 election controversy.

“Before its political crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic – which is (likely) to worsen the country’s economic situation –Guyana was positioned to assume key hemispheric and international leadership roles due to oil discoveries off its coast and its subsequent oil wealth.

“The oil discoveries set the stage for Guyana to use its newfound wealth and influence to play an increased role in the Region and globally.

Currently, Guyana is the Chair of the Group of 77, a forum within the United Nations it could use to enhance its standing as a spokesperson for the developing world,” Mowla said.

However, he pointed out that Guyana has now become subsumed in controversy over its election results – over a month after they were held. Mowla pointed out that election observers from around the world have said that the tabulation process done by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) lacked credibility.

This is compounded by the warnings from several Governments, including the United States’, that officials could face sanctions if President David Granger is sworn in based on this questionable process.

Researcher Wazim Mowla

“Guyana’s international possibilities have been hampered by its domestic politics.

At a time when the Guyanese Government should capitalise on the international attention it’s receiving to bolster the country’s image, the current political instability is taking the focus off of its newfound influence.

“The focus will continue to shift with an illegitimate government in place, and it will strip Guyana of its chance to promote its own narrative.

If this is the case, Western countries are likely to categorise Guyana as a pariah state, like Venezuela,” he stated.

This, according to Mowla, will hurt Guyana’s chances to acquire Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), forge bi-lateral partnerships with other countries, and obtain future leadership roles in regional and international organisations.

Mowla noted that the crisis also has implications for Guyana’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which postponed its adjudication of Guyana’s border controversy with Venezuela following the coronavirus outbreak.

“International question-

ing of Guyana’s Government is especially important as the country heads to the International Court of Justice… Guyana cannot afford to risk its international approval as it will be vital if the current Venezuelan regime does not agree with the ICJ’s final ruling, should it favour Guyana.”

Nor is Guyana the only country likely to be affected by sanctions. With the promise of oil wealth, there was also the likelihood of Guyana becoming the regional economic powerhouse. This could have led to Guyana being a powerful regional advocate.

“The Region is facing herculean challenges, such as climate change, crime, asymmetries with the United States and China, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of these problems, Guyana’s new oil and gas wealth – and the strength that wealth provides –gives it the capacity to lead regional cohesion in promoting the Caribbean’s interests, thus bringing international attention to a consistently overlooked region.

“With a region representing 14 votes at the OAS, and in other international institutions, a unified Caribbean could become more effective in advocating for, and receiving, better attention to

its pressing issues. However, this is going to prove difficult if an illegitimate government takes power in Guyana,” he stated.

He noted that Caribbean Governments that choose to recognise an illegitimate government would also come under international scrutiny and hamper their own chances of aid. According to him, the withdrawal of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) delegation and subsequent statements from Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, on the issue are worrisome. As many have done, Mowla attributed much of the responsibility for fixing the mess Guyana is in to the President.

“Guyana cannot afford to end up isolated, especially with falling oil prices and potential suspensions from the OAS and the Commonwealth… There are local and regional leaders that are committed to a transparent electoral process in Guyana.

“Even so, the decision is ultimately that of President Granger. If Guyana can assure the March elections are credible, it will have the revenue, the will, and the support of the Caribbean to become a leading voice in the hemisphere,” the academic posited.

COMMODITIES Indicators Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

US$

Change %

$31.48/barrel $261.45 /ton $348.50/ton

Live Spot Gold

-4.32 +1.47 +2.68

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask $1685.60 Low/High $1698.60 Change +0.00

$1686.60 $1647.40 0.00%

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 13 , 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

Easter Monday hopes

T

oday is Easter Monday, the day after Easter Sunday traditionally regarded by Western Christians as the day Jesus Christ rose and ascended into Heaven after being crucified on the cross by the Romans. For Eastern Christianity, it will be commemorated next Sunday. Because of Guyana’s history of colonisation by Europeans, who had been Christianised in the first millennia, Christianity became the State religion of Guyana. It was introduced to the Indigenous peoples, as well as the freed slaves and later the Chinese and Indian indentured servants. The Portuguese were already Christianised.

Easter is consequently a festival familiar to all Guyanese, if not in its religious aspects, certainly in the secular customs that became associated with it through the ages. Amongst these was kite flying, which is a particularly Guyanese innovation, that brought out families into the open spaces with their picnic baskets and kites of all shapes and sizes.

It was always an exhilarating experience, especially to the young and the young at heart, to get that kite soaring into the skies. In a sense, it symbolised the yearning of the spirit of Guyanese, out of slavery and indentureship, to break free from the shackles of their still quotidian struggles.

This year, however, most of us will not even be able to experience that symbolism because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced us into isolation and lockdown, just as the PNC-led Government is attempting to break the Guyanese spirit as they had done between 1968 and 1992. During those years, when fellow West Indians would boast about the challenges of living with disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes, Guyanese would quietly oneup them by noting they had to deal with Burnham and the PNC. This time, however, when the entire world has been hit by COVID-19, we have the double tragedy of confronting another PNC grab for power.

What has been especially ironic this Easter in this iteration of the PNC-as-tragedy for Guyana, has been their insistence that their leader David Granger is a “Christian” man. In fact, this claim formed the centrepiece of the image he projected to the nation to convince Guyanese that he was an “honest and decent man with integrity”. But that was all it was: a projection, like the shadows in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. But sadly, like the prisoners chained to the walls of the cave who insisted the shadows were reality, so it is that so many supporters of the PNC have been chained by the fears the latter have invoked and refuse to accept that those fears have no basis in reality.

The PNC and its putative Christian, “honest and decent leader with integrity” have tried to rationalise their clumsy and heavy-handed attempt at rigging the elections to their supporters by swearing that if the PPP were to get back into office, they could never be ousted and this would be a threat to the very survival of those supporters. But if the PPP’s record were such as to support that narrative, the PNC should have no reason to rig, since a significant percentage of the latter’s “constituency” would not have had any reason to switch their votes. As they have evidently done. That significant section has become wise to the nature of the shadows that have been projected to keep them in thrall.

The diplomatic community and the international observers have not been chained to any wall and have uniformly condemned the PNC’s antics in counting and frivolous recourse to the courts. While the US Ambassador declared that her country is simply interested in democratic governance in Guyana, which coincides with their interest, on Easter Sunday, Executive member of the PNC, Aubrey Norton crassly attributed their condemnation of the rigging as a result of them being bribed. He wrote in the State newspaper: “All and sundry are aware that the PPP had, and continues to have, a deliberate policy of using their illgotten gains to fete, entertain and influence some diplomats in Guyana.”

We hope today, Easter Monday, the PNC would repent and let Guyana be free.

Priest Lorenzo Fedele leads an Easter Sunday Mass on the roof of the Santa Maria della Salute Church, for the locals to participate from their balconies and windows, as Italy remains on lockdown to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Naples, Italy, April 12, 2020 (Reuters/Ciro De Luca)

Implement sanctions against this illegal Granger Administration now Dear Editor, It has now been over 37 days since General Elections took place in Guyana and to date, we are no closer to getting a bona fide result. All local and international observers have declared Region Four results as highly fraudulent.

The western countries have condemned the results and proclaimed that they would not recognise a transition of Government based on fraudulent results and threatened sanctions against Guyana. Influential western Governments of the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Caribbean have condemned in the strongest possible terms that they will not tolerate a dictatorship or a coup d’etat in Guyana.

Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State pledged US support towards ensuring a free, fair, transparent and credible recount of the ballots. But this illegal cabal headed by Granger and his functionaries within GECOM continues to frustrate the re-tabulation process.

The time has now come for this illegal cabal of the PNC/APNU/AFC to personally feel the consequences of holding an entire country at ransom. We, therefore, call on all western powers to immediately start implementing ‘soft’ sanctions against Guyana directed specifically to this criminal cabal, their families, relatives and vocal supporters living in western countries. We specifically urge the following: 1. Rescind all visas held

by the caretaker President and his entire family and relatives including children, in-laws, and others. Freeze all assets held by the entire family including monies held in bank accounts, shares in companies and property assets. Cancel all their student visas and ask the students to return to Guyana.

2. Repeat the above to all his illegal Ministers including the caretaker President’s fraudulent functionaries in GECOM. 3. Rescind all dual citizenship granted to vocal supporters of relatives of the PNC/APNU/AFC cabal living in western countries and ask them to return to Guyana. Specifically, remove the dual citizenship of a prominent columnist (if he has one), for the Kaieteur newspaper, who has called

for the destruction of ballot boxes and the swearing-in of Granger as President based on fraudulent results. He should be charged for inciting criminal behaviour and destruction of election material.

4. All oil receipts for Guyana held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or any other banking institution in the world should be frozen and not be disbursed to this illegal Government.

These are the beginning of sanctions to be levied against this criminal cabal and will continue to escalate from ‘soft’ to ‘severe’ should the situation deteriorate and Granger is transitioned into swearing-in as President.

Dear Editor, The December 2018 successful No-Confidence Motion against the APNU/ AFC-led Government spawned unprecedented political, constitutional and legal challenges, most of which ended, either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, by the courts, or with the pronouncement of, and gazetted date for the new elections. However, a scrutiny of the tactics employed by APNU and GECOM during the course of 2019, as well as those that have been springing up in the wake of the March 2, 2020 General Elections reveals a common trend, the elements of which have comprised the behaviour of influential international conglomerates and multinational corporations.

In light thereof, it would not be unreasonable to infer foreign influence on our sociopolitical and legal landscape from January 2019 to

the present. While such influence may not necessarily stem from direct involvement of foreign power(s), it may have emanated from the behaviour of the big league corporations and conglomerates over the last few decades.

Time and again, they find themselves facing new regulations and other real and perceived domestic and international challenges, such as interference with their profitability, or perceived unfriendly political changes/regimes. In such instances, these big-league entities would resort to self-preservation mechanisms, such as, (a) endurance and delaying tactics which include the use of expensive legal resources to prolong litigation by raising as many motions and technicalities as possible; (b) continuous lobbying and the use of corporate wealth and political connections to undermine the will of legislators and regulators

to enact and or enforce the legal provisions; (c) tactics of secrecy and deception about ownership and control, and ‘sweetheart’ deals and contracts to prevent exposing the violations and make them more difficult to prove; and (d) threats of economic consequences to the local communities and the national economy.

Anyone examining the tactics used by foreign corporations should not find difficulty in establishing the close resemblance and similarities to the tactics and mechanisms applied by APNU and GECOM. In addition to the blatant disregard for the constitutional provisions and regulations governing the electoral procedures, they have resorted to tactics of deception, endurance and delays. They have refused to complete the verification and reconciliation of the Statements of

Poll, and they have been running to the court for flimsy reasons. Furthermore, it is believed that they have engineered the circulation of messages informing/warning Guyanese about the consequences of international sanctions, and encouraging them not to support calls for sanctions.

By way of conclusion, it is unfortunate for Guyanese that the coronavirus epidemic hit at this time; it is helping the APNU-GECOM delaying tactics. These political and legal deceptive and delay tactics have tested our tolerance over the last year, and continue to do so today.

In essence, these foreign orchestrated tactics have stalled progress and prolonged our political and economic agony.

Sincerely, Harry Beharry London

Political and legal manoeuvres in Guyana reek of foreign influence

Sincerely, Ronald Singh, LLM, MS Barrister and solicitor

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 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

David Hinds, stop polarising the 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 with 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 attack 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 a civilised society and modern-day democratic governance and must be rejected outright.

Dear Editor, There are some people who will tell you that they do not eat stale bread – bread just one day old on the supermarket shelf. I wonder how many of these same people who, in the midst of the passing pandemic, are gracious enough to thank God for bread that may be two days or perhaps one week or two weeks old in their freezers.

This bread about which I write will be eaten and, after it has run its intestinal course, will be emitted into the toilet bowl. But there is bread – a bread divine in character and epiphany – that will never become stale and will last forever. It is the Bread of Life: Jesus, son of the one, true and living God. Every day Jesus declares at John 6:35 of the Holy Bible to all nations: “I am the bread of life.” He echoes this divine statement with another more expansive one about who he is at John 6:51 “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

There are some of us throughout the world who listen to these words of Jesus and accept them in humility and trust in His Lordship.

Unfortunately, there are others who fail both to hear and listen to Jesus.

As a born-again Christian – snatched from the tentacles of sin and death – I wish to

encourage everyone to recognise that no matter what we think of Jesus we cannot change who he is.

Regardless of our learning, logic and scientific reasoning, we cannot change the truth that he died for all of us sinners and rose triumphantly on Easter morning.

Regardless of our disregard of him in favour of other deities, we cannot change the truth that he lives and continues to perform miracles of healing, deliverance, provision, conversion, transformation, power and authority over natural phenomena.

Jesus is the bread we all need for perpetual life.

Born 2020 years ago, He is still as fresh as the morning breeze, the rising sun, the bright morning star, the lily of the valley, the Rose of Sharon, dawn of justice. He is the eternal father, mighty God, prince of peace, wonder counsellor, model of obedience, treasure of the faithful, author of life, crown of all saints and more….

If you are looking for always-fresh-bread, seek Jesus and he will let you find him waiting for you with loving arms. He will allow you to consume of him and from him as would satisfy you.

You will never grow hungry with him as your daily bread. The more you enter intimacy with him, the more he will use you as a vessel of his love to draw souls to him and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Fresh bread

Sincerely, Rommel

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 out of the box.

Mr Hinds can be termed an “Afrocentric extremist” 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, for fraud and rigging of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, hence his desperate fanatical racist call for the man who lost the elections, David Granger, to remain as President. What a travesty and despicable act this intel-

lectual 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.

Granger and the PNC honouring of the Cummingsburg Accord signed with the AFC in the run-up the 2015 elections prescribing forty per cent stake for the latter and the major roles for Prime Minister Moses Nagamottoo 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 environ-

ment. 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 intellectual 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’s 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 chal-

lenge, think it over, repent for your actions, grasp this opportunity to redeem yourself, show some remorse, stop polarising the people along racial lines and accommodate lovingly all the races in Guyana as a people.

Remodel your perception of people outside of your ethnic bedrock, 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 March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections on a live broadcast. Let the verified results be announced and the declaration made.

Let the President-elect be sworn in, then and only then we can all talk in a civilised 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.

Dear Editor, As of April 11, 2020, we recorded 45 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Guyana. This is indeed sad for our nation. I would like to indicate to your readers that GTU has issued a statement on their social media page, asking for full salaries for teachers.

There is nothing wrong asking for full salaries to be paid during this time, since we all need to eat and ensure our households are well equipped with sanitising products. However, one may/or can ask the following questions: If teachers are to receive full salaries, will all health

care workers have a 200 per cent increase in salaries?

Our health care workers are risking their lives more than anyone else is right now, and have a measly 30k of risk allowance (doctors).

If teachers receive full salaries, will the law enforcers also receive an increase in salaries? Since they are also risking their lives, and enforcing the curfew?

What about the fire service workers?

What about the staff at our airports/weather forecasters?

I have the utmost respect for our educators, some of my schoolmates went on to become educators and I

know this dire time where all of our lives are at risk, this is unfair, because I am not sure if all teachers are teaching from home via the internet. If they are, how can we be so sure that each student has access to a laptop and/or internet access?

(The one laptop per family initiative would have been so useful now.)

We are slipping rapidly down the wormhole because of the coronavirus and because of the slow movement of GECOM to make a decision to go forth with a recount. The ones in office are trying and they waited until they were criticised before making decisions that

were to be made in the first place, only now. If we had a competent Government, I am sure each Guyanese would have benefitted from some sort of stimulus package and our teachers would not have to be asking for full salaries, our health care workers would be compensated handsomely for their hard work, as well as all other essential workers.

Kindly remember to stay at home unless absolutely necessary, sanitise and wash your hands as much as possible and most of all, stay safe!

Respectfully, Parasram Persaud

Full salaries for workers

Sincerely, Katrina Niamatali

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

Page

Foundation

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

This is the second part of Maths Paper 1, and the first start of Maths Paper 2, 2011.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. 1. WRITE YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER ON THE ANSWER SHEET AND UNDERLINE THE SUBJECT. 2. This test contains 40 questions. You are required to answer ALL questions. Four responses are given for each question.

MATHEMATICS

The responses are A, B, C and D. Only ONE response is correct.

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

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

35. Set A intersect set B can be described as all girls with (A) neither long hair nor blue ribbons.

(B) long hair and blue ribbons.

(C) with ribbons.

(D) long hair.

Here is an example done for you: 1. The opposite of interior is ANSWER SHEET A B C D (A) inside (B) outside (C) below (D) above A heavy black line has been drawn through the letter B on the answer sheet because Georgetown, the correct answer, is next to B. 5. If you make a mistake, erase the line cleanly,

(A) $208 (B) $2080 (C) $11 920 (D) $15 080 40

Use the graph below to answer questions 39 and

then draw a heavy black line through the letter next to the answer you have now chosen.

6. REMEMBER, each answer MUST only be shown by a heavy black line on your Answer Sheet 7. Remember only one answer must be provided for each question.

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

Maths Paper 2, 2011 Question one is compulsory 4 1/ 5 + 1/ 3 - 1 2/ 6 (b) (7.2 + 5) x 0.6

36. How many girls have neither long hair nor blue ribbon?

(A) 10 (B) 8 (C) 6 (D) 5

(2 marks) (3 marks)

2. (a) After travelling 60 km, a motorist still had 50% of the journey to travel.

What was the total length of the journey?

(2 marks) (b) If the motorist took 3 hours for the whole journey, calculate his average speed.

(3 marks)

37. Lisa shared 120 stickers with her two sisters in the ratio 4:3:1. How many stickers make up the largest share?

(A) 128 (B) 60 (C) 45 (D) 15

Use the Table below to answer question 3

38. The marked price for the dress above was $13 000. if 16% VAT is calculated on the marked price, what amount was paid for the dress?

39. Amelia picks and then sells vegetables from her garden at a roadside stand. Howmany cabbages were sold?

(A) 6 (B) (C) 10 (D) 12 40. How many more pumpkins than squash did Amelia sell?

(A) 9 (B) 10 (C) ‘’I (D) 12 END OF TEST

3. (a) What is the difference in mass, between Sunita and Nancy?

(1 mark) (b) Between which two children is there the smallest difference in mass?

(1 mark) (c) Which two children will give a total of 85 kg?

(1 mark) (d) (i) Between which two children is there the greatest difference in mass?

(ii) What is the difference in their mass?

TO BE CONTINUED

NEWS

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caretaker President plans “unprecedented spending” to fight pandemic ...but no Budget in sight

G

uyana’s fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) poses a difficult journey, one that will require “unprecedented expenditure and outlay of resources to enable identification and testing, isolation, protection and treatment.”

This is according to Head of State, President David Granger, in an address to the nation over the weekend, more than a month after the March 2, General and Regional Elections.

Presently, Guyana is supposed to have in place an Appropriation Act or national budget for 2020 in addition to the setting up of the Twelfth Parliament by the end of this month.

The Guyana Elections Commission is not only still to declare a result for the recently held election but is also yet to commence a publicly committed recount.

However, according to the caretaker President, “we are becoming better prepared to provide proper personal protective equipment for the medical staff doing the testing and treatment tests and the materials and equipment such as beds, respirators and ventilators for those who become critically afflicted”.

He said too that the capacity for infrastructural and institutional accommodation is being expanded.

Granger in his address insisted that persons who become ill should have access to the best care in the shortest possible time, to ensure their recovery and re-

habilitation.

At the time, Guyana had officially recorded six deaths with 45 others testing positive for COVID-19.

He used the occasion to “implore all Guyanese and residents to adhere to the emergency measures which have been promulgated by the Ministry of Public Health and published by the Government in the Official Gazette”.

Under those executive orders, citizens and residents have since been subjected to a range of restrictions including a national curfew.

President Granger’s exhortations of unprecedented spending to tackle COVID-19 comes on the heels of previous directives that permitted expenditure related to the pandemic by the Ministries of Public Health, Citizenship, Finance and Education among other budget agencies.

The executive order issued by the President under the Public Health Ordinance permits the Finance Minister expending from the Consolidated Fund, such sums of money as may be necessary for the effectual carrying out of identified measures to be undertaken by the various Ministries.

The order states that the “President considers that immediate action is necessary to address COVID-19 and declares COVID-19 as an infectious disease” warranting the special orders.

According to the Official Gazette, under the order, the Public Health Ministry

shall take measures to “restrain, segregate and isolate persons suffering from the disease, or who may be likely from exposure to the infection suffer from the disease.”

Additionally, the Public Health Ministry shall speedily bury or cremate the corpses of persons that died as a result of the coronavirus in addition to providing curative care.

It said too that the Public Health Minister may “remove, disinfect, and destroy the personal effects, goods, buildings and any other article, material or thing exposed to infection from the

disease”.

The Minister has also been empowered to prohibit or restrict the movement of persons within, to and from an infected area.

The order also empowers the Minister to call on the Guyana Police Force to provide enforcement assistance, as it relates to its duties under the order.

The order has also called on the Ministries of Education and Health to take measures to control the spread of COVID-19 across educational institutions and with respect to immigration matters.

“All Government agen-

Caretaker President David Granger

cies and Local Government authorities are urged to render assistance and cooperation to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 threat.”

Additionally, it encouraged all citizens, residents,

tourists, and members of the Private Sector to “act in accordance with the law and to comply with any lawful directives and advisories issued by appropriate Government agencies to prevent further transmission of the COVID-19 and ensure the safety and well-being of all.

Taxi driver attacked, chopped by cutlass-wielding duo

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41-year-old taxi driver is now nursing chop wounds to his shoulder while his wife has been left traumatised after they were attacked by two cutlass-wielding men on their way home on Friday morning.

Injured is Navin Katwaroo of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Based on reports received, Katwaroo and his wife were heading home in their motor car and as he slowed down to navigate a turn, the two men rushed towards the vehicle.

One of the men went to the driver’s window and started chopping. Katwaroo was injured to the shoulder and in an attempt to

The vehicle Navin Katwaroo was driving when the cutlasswielding men pounced on him and his wife

protect himself, he jumped over to the passenger's seat of the vehicle but the other man took the opportunity to fire chops through the other open window.

The incident happened in front of a taxi base located on

the public road in Tuschen, EBE. While the incident was taking place, businessman Deodat Indar, a witness to the act, decided to intervene to prevent the assailants from inflicting more injuries.

In the process, one of the suspects broke the windscreen mirror of Indar’s vehicle and dented his car.

After realising that they could no longer continue their assault uninterrupted, the two men ran towards the taxi base but they were pursued.

They, however, managed to escape. The matter was reported to the police and Katwaroo was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was treated.

Regional Commander, Assistant Police Commissioner Simon McBean when contacted explained that the identities of the two men are yet unknown but the police are continuing their investigations.

8 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Father of 2 commits suicide after row with reputed wife

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Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) man took his own life in the wee hours of Sunday following an argument with his reputed wife.

Dead is 29-year-old Andy Bobb, formerly of Foulis Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), and of Alliance Road, Timehri, EBD. Based on reports received, on the night in question, the now dead man and a few relatives were imbibing at his home where he lives with his reputed wife and two children.

Dead: Andy Bobb

However, during the drinking spree, his reputed wife reportedly made a statement that angered Bobb thus resulting in an exchange of words. During the argument, the young father of two got up and walked to the back of the yard.

At that time, his relatives thought that he went to “cool” his mind but soon after, he was seen walking out of the yard and went to his mother-in-law’s home.

There, his brother thought that something was amiss since the scent of a

known weedicide was high.

Upon checking, he realised that the man had ingested the poisonous substance.

Bobb, however, walked back to his house and subsequently collapsed. After raising an alarm, his reputed wife attempted to resuscitate him by breaking eggs into his mouth but was unsuccessful. He succumbed about 20 minutes later.

The police at the Timehri Police Station were contacted but the ranks claimed that they did not have a vehicle to travel to the area.

As such, a private vehicle had to be sent to transport the ranks to the scene where one of them pronounced him dead.

At the house later that morning, residents and relatives had gathered and were left in shock. The young man was described as a very quiet person who worked with one of the Fernandes on his poultry farms.

Persons in the area told Guyana Times that arguments between the now dead man and his wife was normal and as such, was surprised that he took his own life on this occasion.

He leaves to mourn his reputed wife, Felicia Borrow, two children, other relatives and friends.

Man wanted for discharging loaded firearm nabbed in Sophia

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Sophia, Greater Georgetown resident, who was wanted for discharging a loaded firearm was on Saturday arrested and is being processed for court. The man was accused of committing the act on April 9, 2020, at a Sophia residence.

Based on information received, ranks were patrolling E Field Sophia Access Road when they recognised the wanted man.

However, upon seeing the police, the man attempted to escape but quick action by the police resulted in his arrest.

A search was conducted on his person and an unlicensed pistol with six rounds of live ammunition were discovered.

An accomplice who managed to escape on a motorcycle is being sought by the police as they continue their investigations.

Singing…

M

…for his pension oses Nagamootoo is still taking his “turn” every Sunday in the Chronic to sing for his pension.

Since he was never really the Prime Minister, but a glorified door mat for Granger, he’s petrified the $2 million monthly pension he was promised might disappear when the PNC ship inevitably ends up on the rocks.

Even though he and Ramjattan have frantically avoided being in front with the kamikaze operatives plunging into the quicksand to defend the PNC’s heavy-handed rigging, you could tell that some serious pushing from behind outed them into some real surreal situations. There was Ramjattan with his yarn about Russian “operatives” coming in with “hacking equipment” to corrupt the March 2 elections! Folks are still scratching their heads about how that would’ve been achieved, seeing that our elections aren’t electronic but “pencil and paper” affairs!

And now comes Nagamootoo insisting that there’s nothing untoward about the 156-day timeline for the recount!! Said he, “That was how it had been after the contentious 1997 elections. Then, after Mrs Janet Jagan was sworn in as President, a re-count of the ballots took place. Called a forensic audit, that process lasted some 97 days after which the court vitiated the results of the elections as having been obtained by fraud.” Now, seriously folks, is this how Nagamootoo thinks he’ll escape the personal sanctions that are about to be slapped on his sorry a55??

Or is it he’s already senile?? First of all, the “forensic audit” of the 1997 elections ballots only came about because the PNC came out into the streets in violent protests to inflict mayhem, arson and beatings on perceived PPP supporters’ persons and property. Ulric Cross conducted the audit on behalf of Caricom, which had been called in and had brokered the Herdmanston Accord, because the PNC cried “fraud”. While Cross did find some “discrepancies” he absolutely and conclusively denied there was any “fraud”.

The audit was in no way connected to the case brought in the courts by PNC surrogate Esther Perreira – claiming that the demand that IDs be used by voters violated the Constitution. Never mind that the PNC, the PPP, the UF and the WPA had all UNANIMOUSLY amended the Representation of the People’s Act to require IDs for voting.

It was just the wrong procedure – since they could’ve used that unanimous vote to amend the Constitution to begin with – and which was done afterwards!!

The Court – in the person of Claudette Singh – ruled that the elections was vitiated because of the ID faux pas, NOT from any audit or count.

Your Eyewitness knows that Nagamootoo acquired his law degree in his dotage, but surely, he can’t be this dense? …for Granger In the struggle to justify the present rigging, PNC sycophants have been forced to denounce Desmond Hoyte, in every which way, since he’d refused to buckle to the pressures from within to continue with the rigging in 1992. Hamilton Green, of course, was the leader of that particular pack, but was outmanoeuvred by Hoyte, and eventually ousted. Burnham’s two major ideologues of his co-op panacea – Elvin McDavid (for the bureaucracy) and David Granger (for the Disciplined Forces) were also cardcarrying members of the Burnhamite squad.

McDavid was banished as Ambassador to Zambia and Granger was made “Security Advisor” whose advice was never sought. Granger has never forgiven Hoyte for choosing Joe Singh ahead of him to become the Head of the Disciplined Forces. But Hoyte was no fool: he knew that Granger would have definitely staged a coup from that perch – because the former had dumped all of Burnham’s socialist cant.

In this Sunday Chronic, one Milton Bruce claimed that Burnham had been planning to banish Desmond Hoyte to China!!

How petty can Granger get?? Wasn’t honouring Green enough?? …for democracy?

Did the Chronic’s bosses miss the irony of publishing Bruce’s letter which also claimed Hoyte “was not astute enough” to maintain the Chronic’s press monopoly in Guyana!!

Ahh…the wet dream of the dictator!!

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

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12 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Relief flight” to take home stranded US citizens tomorrow

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he United States Embassy in Guyana has secured permission from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for another ‘relief flight’ this week to repatriate citizens currently stranded here amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The Miami-destined Eastern Airlines flight has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2020, and will depart via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at 16:30h.

In a social media post, the Embassy said “We strongly encourage any US citizen wishing to depart Guyana to utilise this option or prepare to shelter in place. Eastern Airlines has opened reservations on their website for direct booking on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

The foreign mission, which has now closed its office and whose staff are working from home due to COVID-19, had encouraged persons to take advantage of this flight since it will not continue to offer these relief flights indefinitely.

Already, the US Embassy has 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 for 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, over 50,000 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 its citizens from Guyana in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two foreign missions have been capitalising on the Eastern Airlines flights, urging their citizens to catch the flight to the US and then take a connecting flight home.

In fact, the Canadian High Commission has urged its citizens, who fulfil the US entry requirements, to take advan-

tage of Tuesday’s flight to return to North America.

Only last Saturday the 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.

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn in a social media post is also calling on UK citizens wanting to return home to also capitalise on the upcoming chartered flight.

“In recent days, the British High Commission has been working closely with the Embassy of the United States of America who have arranged this flight. We strongly recommend that you take this opportunity if you can.

Further flights from Guyana are unlikely in the short term,” Quinn implored in the message on his Facebook page.

The British High Commissioner has cautioned, however, that persons who have been to the UK, European Union Schengen Area or the Republic of Ireland in the last 14 days will not be able to transit the US. He noted that persons will also require an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) to travel, which costs US$14 and can be applied for at https://esta. cbp.dhs.gov/ “Please remember that in addition to this booking, you will need to book onward connections from Miami. You should be aware that this is a commercial arrangement and as such we cannot be responsible for delays or cancellations that might take place.

We will, of course, let you know without delay should we hear anything that might impact your journey,” Quinn added.

British citizens who have decided to go ahead and book Tuesday’s flight, are asked to inform the High Commission here via email: returnfrom. guyana@fco.gov.uk Like the US Embassy, staff of the British High Commission are currently working remotely at the office but are available 24/7 via the office lines.

NEWS

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“I don’t know about that”— Karen Cummings

…denies reports she was fired as Foreign Affairs Minister

C

ontrary to reports that she was given marching orders by the caretaker Government, former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Karen Cummings denied such reports and maintained she was still the Minister.

Reports in sections of the media had asserted that Dr Cummings was let go shortly after the March 2 General and Regional Elections. When contacted by Guyana Times, however, Cummings denied the reports.

“Who’s the source? I don’t know about that,” she said, adding that nothing had changed and she was still the Foreign Affairs Minister.

Previously, the Minister was criticised after video of an exchange between her and leader of the Commonwealth Observer Mission, Owen Arthur, made its way to the media on March 5. Prior to that exchange, the former Minister had hinted that the observers could have their accreditation revoked.

She was accused of trying to intimidate the international missions that are keenly observing the electoral process in Guyana.

Dr Cummings had told the international observers that she was instructed to withdraw their accreditation, but she was not in agreement that it should be done; she did not reveal who gave her those instructions and why.

However, her comments were quickly countered by observers in the room, who argued that her remarks were considered a form of intimidation “It comes across as intimidation, that you are trying to intimidate the observers when you speak about taking away accreditation,” one of the observers was heard saying.

Thereafter, she had attempted to apologise, saying “the last word you are hearing from me is to continue doing your job.” To

Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Karen Cummings

which, the person responded by saying that “it doesn’t take away from the fact that you made a threat that you were told to take away accreditation”. At that point, Arthur had intervened and confronted the former Foreign Affairs Minister.

“I speak on behalf of the Commonwealth, the largest organisation of people in the world, and I am not going to have, not me, the Commonwealth disrespected by a threat to take away the accreditation,” Arthur had declared.

Dr Cummings had then attempted to apologise.

But Arthur posited that “I am going to speak to the Commonwealth Secretary General shortly … and I have a duty to her to report accurately and I cannot now avoid speaking accurately.”

Moreover, at one point, Arthur held out his accreditation badge to Dr Cummings, saying that he would hand it in voluntarily. As the Head of the Commonwealth Mission continued speaking, Dr Cummings was handed a cellphone by Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers.

The video had showed her speaking with someone on the line and then she was heard saying, “okay, I am coming out.” Dr Cummings had then exited the room.

The reports follow on the heels of similar reports that her predecessor, Carl Greenidge, was also let go from his position as Foreign Secretary. Neither Greenidge or the Foreign Affairs Ministry itself has confirmed or denied these reports.

At present, Guyana and the status of the Government remain in limbo as the country awaits the conclusion of elections that were held since March 2, 2020, but for which a winner is yet to be declared.

The Government’s standing was in fact on shaky ground long before that, after it fell to a no-confidence motion in 2018, but failed to call elections within the three-month time frame set out in the Constitution.

14 NEWS Police capture man who brutally assaulted ex-partner MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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fter evading lawmen for more than a month, Brian Hutchins of Uitvlugt Side Line Dam, West Coast Demerara, who was wanted for brutally beating his ex-partner, was captured on Sunday morning.

According to reports received, Hutchins attacked Amrita Persaud on March 7, 2020, while she was return-

Captured: Brian Hutchins

ing home from work.

During the attack, he dealt Persaud several blows to her face and body. The incident was witnessed by the woman’s 14-year-old nephew.

Prior to that, Hutchins was accused of constantly abusing the young lady, causing her to end their 10year relationship. It is believed that during the 10

After Amrita Persaud was assaulted in March

years, Persaud was constantly abused.

When contacted, Commander of Region Three, Assistant Police Commissioner Simon McBean stated that the young man is known to the police.

In fact, the Commander explained that there were several reports lodged at the police station for Hutchins which does not include assaulting Persaud.

Prior to the assault on his ex-partner, the suspect was known for verbally abusing Police ranks.

NEWS

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10-day recount proposal

Proposal envisions improved oversight by GECOM Commissioners – daily reports on count to Chairperson, media briefings by Chair, Commissioners

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he proposals submitted by one half of the Commissioners to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for a recount envisions a greater degree of transparency and reporting than has previously occurred during the more controversial attempts to tabulate the votes.

For one, the proposal submitted by Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Bibi Shadick and Robeson Benn, contain suggestions that Commissioners report daily to GECOM Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, on the status of the count.

A frequent criticism has previously revolved around Singh’s absence and lack of appearances during some of the controversies over the past few weeks. Not only will the Chairperson be in daily briefings with her Commissioners, but she will also hold media briefings before, during and after the recount along with them.

“At the end of the recount exercise, the Chief Elections Officer or any such person duly authorised and designated by the Commission or the Commissioners,

The six GECOM Commissioners with Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh (centre)

shall prepare a report pursuant to Section 96 and in terms of Section 99 of [the Representation of the People Act] for the benefit of the Commission which shall be the basis for the Commission to declare and publish the elections results under Section 99.”

“Chairman and Commissioners to provide a media briefing before, during and after the national recount exercise is completed and all press releases being issued by GECOM must be cleared and approved by the Commission; Chairman

and Commissioners will provide periodic briefings to Diplomats and accredited observers on the progress of the national recount,” the proposal also states.

In the plan, the Commissioners laid out the resources and support that will be required for 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 will have to be rented to establish additional workstations. When it comes to mov-

ing the ballot boxes from GECOM Headquarters on High and Cowan Street, Kingston, to the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, they noted that arrangements must be made for the Guyana Police Force to accompany the boxes, as well as arrangements for staff participating in the recount.

It has already been over a month of controversies and a credible winner for the 2020 General and Regional Elections is yet to be declared. GECOM and the Chairperson came in for much criticism for allowing Region Four’s (Demerara-

Mahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, to make two declarations which lacked transparency and fairness. In fact, the first declaration was thrown out by the court and the second one was eventually thrown out by GECOM itself.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and caretaker President David Granger came together and agreed to have the Caribbean Community (Caricom) oversee the recount, in a deal brokered by Caricom Chairperson Mia Mottley.

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 injunc-

tion has since been discharged by the Full Court and preparations were moving ahead for that recount.

More controversy erupted last week when a draft work plan for the national recount was presented

by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, which proposed a staggering 156 days to recount the ballots.

The proposal was immediately criticised by many including one half of the commission, the political Opposition and civil society.

In its defence, the GECOM Secretariat had said that the added oversight needed to count the ballots had driven up the duration of the recount. However, Lowenfield has since returned to the drawing board to revise his plan.

GTT Mobile Money partners to make life easier, safer – reminds customers of MMG payment option for all bill payments

6-year-old Linden girl did not die from COVID-19 – Dr London …samples may have been compromised – DCMO

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he test results of the six-year-old girl who died last Wednesday in Linden has proven that she was not a victim of the deadly coronavirus.

The test, which was conducted on the remains of the dead girl, was done after the Linden Hospital Complex had reported that she had demonstrated severe symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

However, Acting Medical Superintendent of the Linden Hospital, Joseph London confirmed that the results were negative but noted that her cause of death would be listed as respiratory failure or Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, clinically diagnosed as viral.

Prior to the child’s death, an emergency meeting was held after she was rushed to the Emergency Room suffering from respiratory challenges and by the time the medical staff was able to have her transported to Georgetown, she succumbed.

Further, Dr London had stated that the girl was taken to the hospital for a mild fever, shortage of breath along with abdominal pains.

He said that the paediatric team immediately conducted some X-Rays and other tests, after which it was recommended that she be

Several nurses at the Linden Hospital Complex urging residents to stay home to curb the spread of COVID-19

transferred to Georgetown for a higher level of care.

He went on to reveal that within 90 minutes of arrangements being made, the child subsequently died while in the Emergency Room (ER).

“While we were waiting to transfer her, she was not maintaining oxygen over 70, which made her unstable for transfer. She was resuscitated to comfortable level and her condition continued to worsen resulting in her dying. Her condition was suspicious; however, we were unable to conduct a test on her,” Dr London had reported.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen Boyle, who had spoken at the very meeting, told those in attendance that it’s important that a test should be done to ascertain if she indeed had COVID-19 or not. She had warned that

because the dead body was taken to the morgue minus the test, there is a possibility that after the samples are taken the results may return as negative, warning that even if it is negative it doesn’t mean that the girl did not have COVID-19.

“It was important for the medical staff to have tested her within 24 hours after she would have died but taking into account that they may have already been taken to the morgue where she is in the fridge, I am not sure if the samples being taken off will yield a proper results,” she said.

She urged the medical officials to have a test done to be able to better understand if the symptoms were true as a result of COVID-19. “I would like to urge the medical team to conduct a test and even if it comes back negative this can be because the sam-

ple may have been compromised and not a case whereby, she is negative. With one confirmed case and a possible case within a day of each other it is important that the residents of Region 10 and health authorities here enact their plan immediately as it is evident that COVID has already entered.”

The samples from the dead girl were taken some 36 hours after she was placed in the morgue.

According to some medical sources, this may have affected a true result, noting that the samples may have been compromised, a point that Dr Boyle had suggested when the matter was first brought to her attention. She, however, had stressed that the test should go ahead, nevertheless.

“The results are that the child did not die from COVID-19 and while the samples were taken off some hours after and there are several speculations, we cannot say that it was COVID-19 as the results says negative. We will nevertheless have to continue being vigilant and should we be confronted by a similar situation we are cognisant of the procedures that must be followed in taking off the samples,” he said.

A

s Guyana continues to face the global pandemic of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) has established new partnerships with several businesses to help reduce movement in public spaces.

In light of the restrictions on the public and the call for citizens to stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary as the nation battles to reduce infection rates – Bounty Supermarket, Hero Cart, and Onecart have moved to use MMG as a convenient payment option.

GTT’s Public Relations Manager, Jasmin Harris said, “The collaborations are timely, especially since staying home is ideal to flattening the curve and ensuring the health and safety of all Guyanese.”

The PRO reminded persons of the multiuse of MMG to make bill payments from the convenience of their homes. She said, “We want to encourage persons to utilise this service, not only for the ease of transaction but also for their safety, by avoiding crowds during this time.”

Customers can avoid the lines with Bounty Supermarket’s delivery option and top up their wallets with Hero Carts and

Onecart.

“We are making life easier for customers through partnerships; if a customer needs to load their MMG wallet they can call Hero Carts on 623-3500 or Onecart on 627-3977; if they need groceries, they can order from the nearest Bounty Supermarket and pay with MMG. Utilising these options means we are all doing our part to flatten the curve and combat this virus,” Harris noted.

Customers desirous of using Bounty’s delivery option can utilise the following branch, delivery number, and merchant code: Branch Number Merchant

Code Stabroek 226-5877 08236 Bourda 225-4738 08235 Kitty 2252457 08233 Grove 2663556 08234 Those who do not have an MMG account can register online at www.mmg.gtt. co.gy/register and be able to access their account within 24 hours.

The MMG service, which is Guyana’s first mobile financial service introduced in 2013, enables users to purchase credit, send and receive money in addition to paying bills using their mobile phones.

16 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Body found in barrel

Suspect nabbed hiding under Canje Bridge

The woman’s boyfriend and main suspect, Suraj Veersammy

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ne day after the battered corpse of a woman was found in a barrel at Belvidere, Corentyne, Berbice, her alleged boyfriend was arrest-

ed while hiding under the Canje Bridge on Sunday.

The suspect, Suraj Veersammy, also called “Radesh”, a labourer of Hampshire had reportedly introduced the now dead woman to his family a few days ago.

While investigators have not yet identified the woman, residents said that the deceased only moved to the village three months ago with Suraj Veersammy, a known substance abuser.

Neighbours told Guyana Times that the couple had little communication with them but confirmed that the woman was regularly verbally and physically abused. However, the couple was not seen for some

tified as “Vanesta”. Prior to the discovery, Veersammy, who is employed at a poultry outlet, showed up for work and requested his wages, claiming that he was travelling to No 63 Village.

Police are interrogating the suspect with the hope of getting a confession. The woman’s body is currently at Bailey’s Funeral Home awaiting proper identification and post-mortem.

South Ruimveldt fatal shooting

The barrel in which the woman’s decomposed body was found

time prior to the gruesome discovery.

Meanwhile, upon his arrest, there were visible marks of violence about his body - marks that were consistent with a fight.

It was reported that the woman’s body was discovered in a blue barrel in

a trench. Persons thought that the barrel was filled with garbage but after a foul stench started to emanate, a check was done and the body was discovered.

According to information received, the body matched the description of the suspect’s wife, who was iden-

Family of miner calls for swift justice as shooter roams free

GECOM still to officially gazette ‘recount’ decision

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he Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) has, through its Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, agreed to a national recount of the March 2, General and Regional Elections but the decision is yet to be concretised by being published in the Official Gazette.

Compounding the situation is the fact that GECOM’s records currently reflect regional declarations from at least nine regions in addition to the controversial results purported by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

Speaking with members of the media following the last meeting of the Commission, Governmentnominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander told media operatives that the regional tabulations of the declarations made by the various ROs have not been formally placed before the Commission by the Chairperson.

“She seems to have some reason why she is not; I don’t quite agree with her but she seems to have a reason why she is not bringing them,” said Alexander.

He said, however, that at the end of the proposed

Dead: Mark McLean

Sister of the deceased: Rachel McLean

ne week after 46-year-old Mark McLean of Lot 681 Toucan Drive, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was shot and killed by a serving member of the Guyana Police Force, his family is calling for justice to be served.

The incident took place two Saturdays ago as the now dead man was visiting a shop at Stevedore, South Ruimveldt.

It was reported that the deceased and the shooter got into a heated argument which stemmed from old grievances. It was during the exchange of words that the cop drew his service weapon and shot McLean several times about his body.

However, the police have painted a different picture.

The police accused the now dead man of attacking the cop and his friends as part of an attempted robbery. They claimed that he was carrying a firearm.

Further, Police stated that McLean then advanced on the policeman, pointing a pistol at him, but in retaliation, the cop drew his service pistol and discharged four rounds in the direction of McLean, who fell to the ground and remained motionless.

No charges were thus far instituted against the shooter.

The dead man’s reputed wife of six years, Amanda McDonald told Guyana Times that the police are giving the family a hard time to access information as to what really transpired on the night of the fatal shooting.

“I have not heard anything from the police. I was at the station just to do the signing of the statement and we received the body from the post-mortem and that is about it. When I asked who

is in charge and if anything lodge at the station they said I have to check back sometime during the week because the Inspector wasn’t there,” McDonald stated.

In fact, the dead man’s family is contending that the police are covering up the matter. As such, the family is pleading for justice.

According to his niece, Onika McLean “the policeman shot him first in the side, one to the head and then to the back. If somebody go to rob you, why would you shoot them to the head? They wrong my uncle and we need justice. He was wrong deal. He didn’t approach nobody to rob them.”

The dead man’s sister, Rachel McLean, made a special call for a thorough investigation into her brother’s murder and for the culprit to face the full force of the law.

“I am simply saying that Mark McLean was murdered since he was shot multiple times and we need justice. We need someone to look into this,” the younger McLean posited.

She stated that in March 2019, McLean was charged for the cultivation of illegal plants and narcotics trafficking.

“A few weeks ago, that same officer shot behind my uncle but my uncle ran. Now the boy that shot him is the children mother’s cousin. We need justice for [him] and the police ain’t saying nothing. We don’t know Mark to be in any robbery story. The most does be weed, to be honest,” the woman added.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Public Relations Officer of the GPF, Senior Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan could not confirm whether or not the police rank who was involved in the shooting was placed under close arrest. (Shemar Alleyne)

O

Government Commissioner Vincent Alexander

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

recount, it is those declarations that will be put to the Commission for approval and conceded that the recount would firstly have to be published in the Official Gazette.

Asked about the fate of the existing declarations, Alexander told members of the media “that matter has not been discussed.”

He posited nonetheless, “implicit in the order [to be Gazetted] depending on how it is crafted may, in fact, nullify those results.”

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Commissioner to the elections body speculated that the order for the recount and

its implication should be published and would be done once the Commissioners have finished working out the modalities of the recount.

Asked about the formal gazetting of the recount decision and the official scrapping of the existing declarations from ROs, Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Commissioner, Sase Gunraj told media operatives, “I am hoping that can

in addition to sections of civil society and the business community.

During a marathon meeting held at the Commission’s Kingston headquarters at the end of the week, the Opposition Commissioners presented their counter-proposal which demonstrated how the countrywide recount could be done in a shorter period of time.

Lowenfield’s work plan had contemplated using

be done as immediately as possible.”

The Commission is set to meet again this week when it is expected to consider an amended proposal by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield for a national recount of the elections.

The GECOM CEO had originally proposed to have the recount done taking just over five months (156 days)—a proposal that had been widely rejected by the PPP and other political parties contesting the elections

three work stations and had allotted two hours each per ballot box.

The Opposition GECOM Commissioners’ plan, however, proposes as many as 20 work stations so as to fast-track the process, with regions being tabulated simultaneously.

The two Commissioners, following the meeting, both spoke to the fact that there had been consensus on a decision to have the formal recount and that the Arthur Chung Conference Centre would be used.

news@guyanatimesgy.com

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

17

News

Civil society organisations collaborating to assist vulnerable groups

No arrests in Republic Park robbery

– pooling resources, aiming to reach persons in all 10 regions

I

n the wake of the coronavirus threat and the need for persons to stay home in order to practise social distancing, a number of civil society organisations have begun collaborating to see how they can pitch in to help Guyanese across the country.

A major player in the collaboration is Voices GY, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with a background of helping migrants and refugees in Guyana to assimilate into the new culture.

In an interview with one of its founders, Charlie Tokeley, he explained, “Voices has been leading the organisation of a civil society response forum, in the context of coronavirus. We have met to discuss collaboration and different ways we can assist our target population. Different vulnerable including abused children, LGBT, migrants and refugees.”

“So far, a few different initiatives have come out of it. Organisations have said they have people on the ground in Region Seven, but they don’t have resources.

Then someone else would say, well, they have the resources, but they don’t have people on the ground and they can’t get them to you.

Then someone else would say, ‘well’ we can get the re-

A class for refugees learning English which was conducted by Voices GY

sources out to you’.”

According to Tokeley, the organizations involved in the collaboration are Food For The Poor, the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO); the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC); the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD); Catholic Charities GuyanaMigration Support; Humanity First Guyana; Deaf Association Guyana; and Blossom Incorporated.

In addition, representatives from the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO); the International Organisation for Migration (IOM); the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and ChildLink were also cited for participating in discussions.

“We work closely with the groups we try to service.

And we have a closer connection to them than maybe the Government or international organisations do. And so, we’re more attentive to some of their concerns and the specific shortages in their communities. That’s kind of why we’re trying to collaborate.

“So, we are working to alleviate the situation, deliver food hampers and hygiene products, these kinds of things. These meetings are on Zoom, because of social distancing. But nonetheless, we’re doing things,” he added.

It was only recently that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) began distributing hampers to persons across the country. Besides the supplies it provides, the Commission had also urged persons or businesses willing to make donations to do so at the CDC’s Headquarters at Thomas Road, Thomas

Lands, Georgetown or make cash or cheque deposits into the CDC’s Republic Bank account 962356519938.

It had also noted that donations can be broken down into food supplies, personal hygiene care, sanitation supplies, and monetary support. Additionally, the CDC has been offering to deliver items that were sent by persons to their relatives in quarantine at no cost.

Persons who are desirous of sending items to their relatives in institutional quarantine or isolation were asked to do so through the CDC Headquarters. This is due to the high risk of exposure to families and friends of persons in institutional quarantine or isolation.

Among the calls made by the CDC was for persons and organisations who are doing distributions to communicate their locations to the Commission, so as to make sure that one person did not benefit twice from the efforts. Tokeley noted that they were indeed going to ensure that such information is collected.

“We’re going to create systems so we can collect information on who’s doing what in different regions, so that we can ensure no one is duplicating efforts,” he said, adding that the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

Man arrested after attempting to throw bag into Lusignan Prison compound

A

f o r t y - y e a r old labourer of Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, was on Sunday arrested after he attempted to throw a bag containing cellular phones, 104 grams of cannabis and other items into the Lusignan Prison compound.

Based on reports received, he was seen by two Prison Officers who were patrolling the outer perimeter of the facility at about

06:30h on the day in question.

The suspect upon seeing the officers reportedly dropped the bag and quickly fled the area on a motorcycle.

An alarm was raised and he was apprehended on the Lusignan Embankment and subsequently handed over to the police.

He is being interrogated

by Police and is expected to be charged shortly.

The items that were in the bag

One of the bandits in the house on Thursday last

P

olice are now hunting three men who executed a daring robbery on a Republic Park, East Bank Demerara family a few days ago.

Reports revealed that the gunmen broke into the home of Ryan Rajmangal in the wee hours of Thursday and robbed him of cash and other items. The incident was caught on a hidden camera in the home.

The man’s wife thought that something was amiss since she kept calling out to her husband and was not getting any response.

It was then that she decided to check her security camera, which was remotely connected to her mobile phone, and became aware of the invasion.

The woman said that after seeing strange persons in her home she decided to call the police and a cousin.

At the time of the robbery, Rajmangal was at home with four of his children, aged five to 11-yearsold.

He recalled that it was about 07:58h on the day in question when he was leaving the house that he saw the men scaling the fence. They were reportedly dressed in construction clothing, complete with the reflector vests and even masks to protect them from the coronavirus.

He noted that two of them were armed with handguns.

Upon gaining entry into the yard, the armed men held Rajmangal at gunpoint and took him into the house and quickly rounded up his four children.

According to the businessman, the men had no clue that a hidden security camera was capturing their every move.

In the CTTV footage captured, the men were seen stuffing items into a bag.

Also, one of them was seen leading three children from a table in the living area where they were placed on a chair.

The gunmen later tied up and gagged Rajmangal along with his domestic worker.

The businessman, without hesitation, complied with the orders of the men who demanded cash and jewellery.

Rajmangal told Police that the men escaped with millions of dollars in jewellery and cash. They also left with bags of items they gathered up including cell phones and iPads.

The businessman also confirmed that while the robbery was going on, his wife was franticly calling him but he held out that he had already left for work.

Meanwhile, Rajmangal noted that upon realising what was happening, his wife contacted the police and a relative. Upon arriving at the house, the relative continuously pressed the buzzer. This prompted the men to rush towards the gate where they held up his wife’s cousin and relieved him of his phone and the jewellery he was wearing at the time.

They then made their way into a waiting motor car which sped off the scene.

Regional Commander Simon McBean, when contacted on Sunday, told Guyana Times that no arrests were made in connection with the robbery but the police have since reviewed the CCTV footage and have dusted the area for fingerprints. Investigations are ongoing.

From an empty church, Venezuelan Bermuda's COVID-19 Cardinal leads Instagram Easter Mass cases rise to 50

V

enezuelan Cardinal Baltazar Porras led Easter Mass on Sunday from an empty church, offering a sermon that was broadcast over Instagram to hundreds of people quarantined in their homes because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Standing before 510 empty seats at the Immaculate Heart of Mary church in the upscale El Rosal neighbourhood of Caracas, Porras’ prayers were transmitted by three church associates who among them held four cellphones and a small tablet

computer.

A similar trend has taken place in many parts of Latin America, which has one of the world’s highest concentration of Roman Catholics, as social distancing measures have made traditional church services impossible.

“I’m like a little kid with a new toy,” Porras, 75, said of the newfound use of social media.

“I’ve seen the enormous possibilities that this offers us, with a few simple cellphones,” he said in an interview at the church, a modern building with an

angular roof and decorated with statues of saints and purple-trimmed tapestries of Jesus.

He and other church leaders were preparing another Instagram broadcast in which they planned to make virtual contact with a cardinal in Peru.

Venezuela has been under quarantine for a month.

President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday extended the measure for another 30 days to prevent the spread of the disease.

Sofia Fernandez, 58, a lawyer, watched the Mass

with her husband, Raul Rodriguez, a management consultant and retired navy officer, in her Caracas apartment on a phone set up on a coffee table next to a wooden crucifix.

“Receiving Mass on the phone is something that has allowed us to deepen our knowledge of the faith,” said Fernandez, donning a white face mask.

In Argentina, many parishes have held Mass and even choir performances online in the week leading up to Easter. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bermuda has now risen to 50.

Health Minister Kim Wilson in making the announcement late Saturday, said that to date, 28 people had recovered, eight were hospitalised and were still under public health monitoring, but did not need hospitalisation.

“The good news is that three persons who were previously hospitalised have now been discharged from hospital, giving us all hope

that recovery can be possible,” she said.

She added that the Ministry had been given a total of 47 test results since Thursday, with 45 of them clear.

One of the new cases came in from abroad and other had been in contact with an infected person.

The age of COVID-19 patients in hospital ranged from 58 to 78, she said.

So far four people have died in Bermuda, which is under lockdown, from the virus. (Excerpt from CMC)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

Around the World

Boris Johnson says medics saved his life as UK deaths pass 10,000 mark

B

ritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson left hospital on Sunday and thanked staff for saving his life from COVID-19, but his Government was forced to defend its response to the coronavirus outbreak as the national death toll passed 10,000.

The sombre milestone came after Britain reported two days in a row of hospital deaths increasing by more than 900. Friday’s death toll of 980 surpassed the highest daily total recorded in Italy, the hardest-hit country in Europe so far.

Reflecting the gravity of the emergency, Queen Elizabeth issued the first Easter message in her 68year reign. “Coronavirus

will not overcome us,” the 93-year-old monarch said in her second address to the nation in a week.

Johnson, 55, was taken to St Thomas’ Hospital in London on April 5. He was

moved into intensive care the following day and remained there until April 9.

He named and thanked nurses who had cared for him, with a special mention for two of them, Jenny

from New Zealand and Luis from Portugal, who he said had stood by his bedside for 48 hours “when things could have gone either way”.

Johnson wore a suit and tie and spoke in his usual upbeat manner. In characteristic fashion, he made a joke, thanking the doctors who had cared for him, “several of them for some reason called Nick”.

He will continue his recovery at Chequers, the official prime ministerial country residence northwest of London, his office said. Health Minister Matt Hancock said there was no advice on when he would return to work and it would be a clinical decision. (Excerpt from Reuters)

pital a day after he tested positive for COVID-19 in the town of Jowhar, the administrative capital of Hirshabelle.

Ali Gudlawe Hussein, Vice President of Hirshabelle, confirmed his death.

According to local me-

dia, Tohow, who was Somali-British, travelled to the United Kingdom in February before he came back to the Horn of Africa nation.

Somalia registered its first death from coronavirus on Wednesday.

The patient was a

58-year-old man, Minister of Health Fawziya Abikar Nur said in a Tweet without giving additional details.

According to the Ministry of Health, the country has 21 confirmed coronavirus cases, including several Government employees.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech to British citizens after being discharged from hospital, in London, Britain, April 12, 2020, in this screen grab taken from social media video

Somali State Minister dies from coronavirus

T

he Justice Minister of Somalia's autonomous Hirshabelle state, Khalif Mumin Tohow, has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the second recorded death in the country.

Tohow died on Sunday in Mogadishu's Martini hos-

Libyan hospital treating coronavirus patients attacked

A

rmed fighters loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar have attacked medical warehouses belonging to a hospital in the capital Tripoli that is treating coronavirus patients, the UNrecognised Government of National Accord (GNA) has said.

The attack targeted depots of the Al-Khadra Hospital in al-Swani in the capital, Tripoli, with Grad missiles, according to a statement by the GNA. Last week, the UN condemned heavy shelling of the hospital in which at least three civilians were

wounded, calling it a "clear violation of international law".

The North African country has so far reported 25 cases of the coronavirus and one death.

Since 2014, Libya has been split between two rival administrations: the GNA led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj is based in Tripoli while the House of Representatives, allied to renegade military Commander Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), is based in the country's east.

In an interview with Reuters news agency in

HRW said Libya's healthcare system was “battered by intermittent armed conflicts and political divisions since 2011”

March, the head of the Libyan National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Badereldine al-Najar, said: "In light of the lack of preparations, I now consider Libya not in a position to confront this virus."

Last week, Libyan authorities announced the release of more than 450 pris-

oners as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

The detainees were in pre-trial detention or had qualified for conditional release, according to a statement by the internationally recognised Government's Justice Ministry. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

“We are social animals”: Hong Kong residents flout virus rules to throng popular sites

P

eople in Hong Kong thronged beaches, ferries and outlying islands on Sunday, many of them violating a ban on gatherings of more than four people aimed at containing the spread of the new coronavirus.

Clear blue skies lured people to popular areas across the territory over the long Easter weekend and many of them were without surgical masks. People in the city of 7.4 million have made a point of wearing masks in the past months.

“We always stay at home and it is quite boring,” said Banny Mak, 24, a local resident.

People wearing face masks are seen at Cheung Chau island during Easter weekend, amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Hong Kong, China, April 12, 2020

“We are social animal(s), we need to go out for some fun. I think with proper protection [for] ourselves and to protect other people. I think it is already ok to go out.”

Hong Kong has record-

ed 1005 cases of COVID-19, which has killed four people in the city.

It banned public gatherings of more than four people for 14 days from March 29, after recording the big-

gest daily increase in new COVID-19 infections, and later extended that restriction until April 23.

While Hong Kong, along with Singapore and Taiwan, have been held up as examples in their efforts to curb the coronavirus, the widespread flouting of social distancing rules over the weekend threatens to derail the city’s efforts so far.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Chineseruled city’s leader Carrie Lam urged citizens to comply with social distancing orders in restaurants and said the Government would ramp up checks. (Excerpt from Reuters)

OILNEWS Record deal to cut oil output ends price war

O

PEC producers and allies have agreed on a record oil deal that will slash global output by about 10 per cent after a slump in demand caused by coronavirus lockdowns.

The deal, agreed on Sunday via video conference, is the largest cut in oil production ever to have been agreed.

OPEC+, made up of oil producers and allies including Russia, announced plans for the deal on April 9, but Mexico resisted the cuts.

OPEC has yet to announce the deal, but individual nations have confirmed it.

The only detail to have been confirmed so far is that 9.7 million barrels per day will be cut by OPEC oil producers and allies.

US President Donald Trump and Kuwait’s Energy Minister Dr Khaled Ali Mohammed al-Fadhel tweeted the news, while Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry and Russia’s state news agency Tass both separately confirmed the deal on Sunday.

“By the grace of Allah, then with wise guidance, continuous efforts and continuous talks since the dawn of Friday, we now announce the completion of the historic agreement to reduce production by approximately 10 million barrels of oil per day from members of ‘OPEC +’ starting from 1 May 2020,” wrote Dr al-Fadhel in a tweet.

Global oil demand is estimated to have fallen by a third as more than three billion people are locked down in their homes due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Prior to that, oil prices slumped in March to an 18-yearlow after OPEC+ failed to agree on cuts.

Talks were complicated by disagreements between Russia and Saudi Arabia, but on April 2 oil prices surged after President Trump signalled that he expected the two countries to end their feud.

The initial details of the deal, outlined by OPEC+ on Thursday, would have seen the group and its allies cutting 10 million barrels a day or 10 per cent of global supply from May 1. Another five million barrels were expected to be cut by other nations outside the group such as the US, Canada, Brazil and Norway.

It said the cuts would be eased to eight million barrels a day between July and December. Then they would be eased again to six million barrels between January 2021 and April 2022.

Independent oil market analyst Gaurav Sharma told the BBC that the deal agreed on Sunday was “marginally lower”, compared to the 10 million barrels per day that was originally announced on Thursday. Mexico had baulked at making these production cuts, which delayed the deal being signed off.

Then on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that Trump had offered to make extra US cuts on his behalf, an unusual offer by the US President, who has long railed against OPEC. Trump said Washington would help Mexico by picking up “some of the slack” and being reimbursed later, but he did not detail how the arrangement would work.

“Now a rehashed deal placating Mexico has resurfaced to calm the market, yet, look closer and the doubts surface,” Sharma said.

“The bulk of the output cuts are predicated on Russia and Saudi Arabia cutting 2.5 million barrels per day from agreed and somewhat inflated - levels of 11 million barrels per day.

More importantly, for most of 2019, Russia displayed very poor form in complying with previously agreed OPEC+ cuts.

So the market is unlikely to take the announced cut at face value.”

He added that forecasts for a drop in demand in the summer appear to be “dire”, with even the most optimistic forecasts pointing to a reduction of 18.5 million barrels per day.

Sharma said: “The announcement can stem the bleeding, but cannot prevent what is likely to be a dire summer for oil producers with the potential to drag oil prices below $20 (£16; €18).” (Excerpt from BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

19

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Your emotions will be running high. Don’t say something you will regret.

Concentrate on personal improvement instead of to change others. Avoid joint ventures.

Be receptive to change and explore the unfamiliar.

What you learn will help you adjust to inevitable situations. Don’t overreact. Be a teacher, not a tyrant.

Take on realistic projects and be ready to adjust to changing rules and regulations. How you handle others will determine the results of your efforts. Take action and honor your promises.

Explore what life has to offer. A change you make today will be an investment in your future. Don’t limit what you can do or deny yourself something you deserve.

LIBRA

Don’t let anyone interfere with your plans. Take care of responsibilities quickly and move on to what matters most to you. Your dedication and determination will help you reach your goal.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

LAST PUBLISHED WORD - CLOTURE

Be open to suggestions.

Expanding your knowledge and outlook will encourage growth and a better understanding of what makes you happy. Let your curiosity lead you in a new direction.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Pay attention to detail and be precise about what you are willing to contribute. Handle matters personally. Don’t let someone take credit for something you did.

Set off on a journey that will help you discover more about yourself, your family and the changes you need to make to find peace of mind and happiness.

Ask questions, verify inSAGITTARIUS formation and take care of (Nov. 23business. Rely on experience Dec. 21) when it comes to partnerships and how you live to ensure that you avoid unnecessary emotional or financial mistakes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Don’t give in to temptation or risky offers. If you desire change, do something that makes your space more comfortable and stressfree. Focus on fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Plan your schedule carefully. Don’t neglect to take care of what’s essential.

Spending time and money on what makes you happy isn’t a waste. Romance will improve your life.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Be suspicious of anyone pushing you to do something you don’t want to do.

It’s OK to say no and to do your own thing. Trust your instincts.

20

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

B

ritish motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss has died at the age of 90 following a long illness.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, even though he did not win the World Championship.

Moss retired from public life in January 2018 because of ongoing health problems.

"It was one lap too many, he just closed his eyes," said his wife Lady Moss.

Moss previously spent 134 days in hospital after suffering a chest infection while on holiday in Singapore in December 2016.

Moss' former team Mercedes said motorsport had "lost not only a true icon and a legend, but a gentleman", while 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill said Moss "launched all the other careers of British racing drivers who went on to become world champions".

Three-time F1 world champion Jackie Stewart, who came into the sport shortly after Moss' retirement in 1961, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "He walked like a racing driver should walk, he talked like a racing driver, he looked like a racing driver and he set a standard that I think has been unmatched since he retired."

Moss won 16 of the 66 F1 races he competed in from 1951 to 1961 and became the first British driver to win a home grand prix in 1955 at Aintree.

He famously lost out on the F1 title in 1958 to compatriot Mike Hawthorn after vouching for his rival and preventing him being disqualified when he was accused of reversing on track in the late-season Portuguese Grand Prix.

Four times a runner-up in the F1 drivers' championship, he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1961 and was knighted in 2000.

Together with his fine F1 career, Moss was regarded as a motor-racing all-rounder and racked up a total of 212 victories in all competitions.

He was an outstanding rally driver and in 1955 set a

new course record in winning 1,000-mile race around Italy.

Moss was effectively forced to retire from top-level motorsport in 1962 after a crash at Goodwood left him in a coma for a month and partially paralysed for six months.

However, he continued to race in historic cars and legends events until the age of 81.

Moss is survived by his third wife, Susie, their son Elliot, and daughter Allison from an earlier marriage.

the famous Mille Miglia, a

pet-

The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) said "no-one could have been prouder" to be part of the organisation than Moss, who was its longest-serving member.

"In the history of motor racing, not just in his home country but also wherever he raced around the world, Sir Stirling held a unique status, which continued throughout his life, long after he retired from his front line racing career," said the BRDC. "He was universally recognised, following the retirement of the great Juan Manuel Fangio in 1958, as the racing driver who set the standards by which all other drivers were judged, whether in Formula 1 or international sports car racing.

"His versatility and competitive instincts made him a formidable comitor in any race." (BBC Sport)

T

ennis great Billie Jean King on Saturday said that despite the myriad of setbacks facing female athletes due to the coronavirus pandemic, they should not lose sight of the need to continue their push for equality.

Speaking on an online panel event titled #WeKeepPlaying hosted by King’s Women’s Sports Foundation and Yahoo Sports, the American said she hoped to provide comfort and encouragement to the thousands who tuned in to view it.

“But I also want them to think about the future as well,” said King, the 12-time Grand Slam champion who famously waged a decades-long battle for equal pay in professional tennis.

King said her early goals for women’s tennis were to make sure all girls would have a place to compete, that women would be valued more for their accomplishments than their looks, and to ensure female

Schofield, an Olympic gold medalist who played for NWHL’s Minnesota Whitecaps.

“Until we can show young girls the dream of growing up to be a professional athlete who can make a living doing it, our goal has not been met,” she said.

The formation last year of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association is a good

Former tennis player Billie Jean King

athletes e a r n e d

enough to make a living.

“Many of these athletes still do not have the dreams and the opportunities that they deserve,” she said.

While strides have been made toward pay equality in tennis, women’s ice hockey still has a long way to go, said Kendall Coyne Schofield, a forward for the United States women’s national team.

“Right now the professional landscape of women’s hockey is a disaster,” said Coyne

step that will help the players speak with one voice as they fight for a sustainable professional women’s league that pays living wages, she said.U.S. national team soccer midfielder Carli Lloyd said her World Cup-winning squad’s ongoing lawsuit against their federation over allegations of gender discrimination and lower wages is already having a positive ripple effect.“Obviously we’ve been very successful over the years on the field but more importantly what we’re doing off the field has been so powerful,” she said.“We are empowering so many other women across the globe to fight to make things better.She said some international players are pushing to get better collective bargaining agreements and are starting to see more investment in the women’s game.“When you hear about that investment, you are seeing the product on the field,” she said.

“So we need to continue to do that for women’s soccer.” (Reuters)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

21

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PL 2020 is on the line and there is no saying when the 13th season will actually take place. In fact, even the BCCI President, Sourav

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IPL 2020 came to a grinding halt due to the outbreak of Coronavirus. The BCCI and Indian Premier League committee took the decision to postpone the date from 29th March to 15th April.

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Ganguly, does not have an update unless his meeting with the office bear-

Additionally, Sourav Ganguly says that right now the world is at a standstill. Therefore, in a situation like this sports events like IPL 2020 do not take precedent over normal living conditions.

“In my 46 years of life, I never ex- at home. I don’t. That has changed. perienced anything like this. Not just I’m doing some BCCI and ICC work. that, the world has never seen any- I rest, watch a bit of TV, do a bit of thing like this. And I hope nobody sees this situation again. The entire world is thinking how many people may die in the next two weeks! It’s unbelievable.”

Former Indian skipper sheds light on his daily routine during lockdown Furthermore, he adds that even his normal life is not the same.

Previously he did not stay at home but instead he was always working for the BCCI and ICC. Right now, his daily routine includes working from home, working out at his home gym, and spending time with his family.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly “Locked down like everyone else, I am at home with family. These are rare moments fitness training at the gym I have at in the sense that others normally stay home.” (Essentially Sports)

L

iverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish has been released from hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.

Dalglish, 69, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday for treatment of an infection which required intravenous antibiotics.

He was routinely checked for coronavirus and tested positive despite showing no symptoms.

The former Celtic and Scotland forward is now recovering in self-isolation at home.

"Thank you for all of your well wishes over the last few days," said Dalglish. "I'm delighted to be back home with the family after receiving brilliant care from the NHS, which we appreciate now more than ever.

"Marina and I would like to express our immense gratitude to the medical staff who cared for me and

Sir Kenny Dalglish smiles and raises his hands at the unveiling of the stand at Anfield bearing his name (Getty Images)

who continue to treat countless others throughout the country during an incredibly challenging period.

"We will now be in full lockdown for the recommended amount of time in order to protect the lives of

others."

Dalglish won the Scottish league title four times at Celtic before moving to Liverpool in 1977. At Anfield his honours included eight league championships as a player and manager and three European Cups.

He was manager at the time of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, when 96 Liverpool fans died as a result of a crush at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Dalglish helped ensure the club was represented at all of the fans' funerals and attended many of them in person. He and the 96 victims were awarded the Freedom of Liverpool in 2016.

He also won the Premier League as Blackburn Rovers manager in 1995. (BBC Sport)

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D

arren SammyFormer West Indies captain Darren Sammy believes his contemporary, white ball skipper, Kieron Pollard is right for the job but needs time to get his team going.

According to Sammy, Pollard always wants to win and that is the mindset that is needed from the leader of a team if it is to be successful.

“I think what Pollard will bring is that attacking mindset,” said Sammy.

“I think his mindset is always geared towards winning and I think that’s what a leader’s mindset should be,” he said.

However, the mindset alone will not be enough to give the West Indies the edge they need to successfully defend their T20 World Cup set for November.

“He needs time. They need time

to learn as a playing group,” said Sammy.

According to the only skipper to lead a team to two T20 World Cup titles, he benefitted from that time ahead of the team’s first World Cup title win.

“I am only talking from experience, from captaining in 2010. By the time 2012 came I knew so many Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy of those guys, what situations to ferent situations,” said Sammy. use them in and from constant diWhile he is aware that his playalogue, how I would go and who I ing days with the West Indies are would want to execute for me in dif- over, Sammy, who said he had a

vision of being part of a successful T20 World Cup title defence, still wants to contribute to Pollard’s rise.

(Sportsmax)

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

A

female sport personality, a University student and one of Guyana Jaguars' biggest fans, Natisha Mokutnauth reflected on the team’s recent Regional 4-Day season. During her extended analysis, she had mixed emotions.

"While I am not utterly disappointed – they have won five consecutive seasons –- I still expected a better perfor-

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

mance. I think the team lacked consistency in both our batting and bowling departments – one more than Anthony Bramble scored two out of the other, of course." the four centuries in the 2018-2019 "In regards to the season batting, they needed to do more. In previous years, 2018-2019 perhaps, we had four centuries, two coming from the same batsman.

This year we had two batsmen scoring a century each, so that says a lot," Mokutnauth stated.

In the 2018-2019 season, Anthony Bramble was the batsman Leon Johnson scored one with two cenIn of the two centuries this turies. season

Natisha Mokutnauth

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est Indies Test captain Jason Holder has admitted that losing the captaincy of the region’s One Day International team has not been easy for him.

Holder was replaced as

to Pollard had caught the former by surprise, learning of it during last year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League, a tournament he went on to win as captain of the Barbados Tridents.

"Yeah, it was an inter-

Jason Holder holds a team talk before a West Indies ODI game

captain of the ODI team last September by Kieron Pollard but was retained as a player. According to the former skipper, the transition from that leadership role has been tough.

"To be quite honest, it has been tough transitioning back just as a player," Holder said on TalkSPORT recently.

According to the former skipper, first he had to contend with getting back into the team.

"In hindsight, it has been tough trying to understand how to get back in as just a player," he said.

The switch from Holder

esting time for me. I had found out earlier in the tournament that we have moved as one-day international captain. For me, it was just trying to win it [the CPL]," he said.

Just prior to the switch and since, Holder has not proven very effective in the ODI version of the game, but says this is not a bother for him because he is acutely aware of his own ability.

Many had suggested that Holder’s place in the team was in question and he would not be in it were he not captain.

To date, Holder has taken 136 wickets in 111 in-

nings at an average of 36.38, but in his last eight innings with the ball, he has not been able to get near those figures.

In 10 innings prior to losing the captaincy, Holder had seven wickets at an average of 69.85, while in the eight he has played since, he has picked up six at an average of 66.16.

"Performances obviously haven't been there as I would've probably liked, but I'm not too disheartened," Holder said. "I don't beat myself up. I don't get too worried because I know my ability. I know what I can produce. I just know that an innings is around the corner, a bowling effort is around the corner."

According to the Test skipper, he may have been suffering from a bit of burnout, having played 62 matches in 2019.

"I felt I needed the break after the India series [in December] particularly, just to refresh," Holder said.

"I had played every single series in the entire year, I played county cricket as well, and my batteries needed a little bit of a recharge. Obviously, I needed some time to go and think about how I wanted to go forward as a player and try to work out again how just to be a player as opposed to being the captain."

(Sportsmax)

C

the 2020 season, Leon Johnson and Christopher Barnwell were the only two centurions.

"Now, when we have a weak batting departChristopher Barnwell ment, that auscored a counterattacking century this t o m a t i c a l l y pressures the season bowlers, because they only have so much to defend, or they might bowl a team out cheaply, but have to be back out soon after bowling because our team followed suit. In this department, I had higher expectation, because our batting lineup did not have any major changes or any at all in some games. These are seasoned players and when we

hief selector Roger Harper believes West Indies still have “a good shot” at winning this October’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, even though their recent form has seen them slump in the international rankings.

West Indies are the lowest ranked of all the major Testplaying nations at tenth in the rankings, only above the likes of minnows Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland.

Inside the last two years, the reigning T20 world champions have won just two of nine series and won just eight of 26 matches.

“We have to be realistic here. We are the defending champions, yes, but at the same time we are not the number one ranked team in the world so that in itself tells us what has transpired since we won that last World Cup,” Harper said.

West Indies … have a good shot at winning the T20 World Cup. “While my memory doesn’t tell me where we ranked [when we won the 2016 event], I’m sure we were ranked much higher.

“That team we put out for that World Cup was filled with a lot of very experienced T20 specialists and now we have a little blend of a few of the experienced T20 players in there and some of the young guns coming through.”

a r e o n l y scoring 94 in a Four-Day game, it leaves a window for disappointment in fans,” she noted.

Expanding on the bowling unit, she had this to say: "now for the bowling camp, while we had the top bowler in terms of wickets in the form of Veerasammy Permaul (who came in second last year, so it’s no surprise or big change), we still lacked consistency from the other bowlers.

“We have Nial Smith who started the tournament brilliantly, picking up wickets while bowling at decent speeds. However, he failed to carry the momentum through and was eventually out of the squad.

Consistency is key in anything we do."

"Now they just need to regroup (whenever that is safe to do), go back to the drawing board, and come better next season. I’ll be rooting for them," the super fan concluded. (Brandon Corlette)

He added: “But don’t get me wrong, I still think that we have a good shot of winning the tournament but I don’t think we’ll be going into the tournament as the overwhelming favourites.

“It’s a matter of getting what we think our best squad would be together, picking our best XI for each game and looking forward to them performing at their best and making smart decisions, and winning the critical moments of the game.”

West Indies underwent a change of leadership last September when seasoned campaigner Kieron Pollard replaced Carlos Brathwaite as captain. That move is yet to reap dividends, however, with West Indies winning just one in four series.

Significantly, since the successful 2016 campaign, the Windies have undergone several changes in personnel with Andre Russell often sidelined with injury, and questions remaining over the fitness of superstar opener Chris Gayle and off-spinner Sunil Narine.

In fact, of the XI which featured in the 2016 final against England, only Lendl Simmons and Russell featured in the most recent series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Harper said any squad chosen for the October 18 to November 15 event would comprise a blend of experi-

enced a n d emerging players.

“We have a lot of young players in the squad – relatively young compared to the T20 champions of 2016 – but we also have a few of those champions in the team and I think they understand that part of their role is to nurture the young players and bring them on and guide them,” Harper explained.

“And I think the coach (Phil Simmons) and the captain and the senior guys understand that and they are trying to do just that. But this break [for the coronavirus pandemic] has come and they won’t have the opportunity of playing a lot of those games where they would have the opportunity to learn more in competitive situations from those guys.”

The coronavirus has brought all major sporting events across the globe to a standstill and has raised serious doubt over the staging of the T20 World Cup. Australia has reported nearly 6300 infections and 56 deaths, has also closed its borders and enforced strict social restrictions to mitigate against the spread of the virus. (CMC)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

W

hen a visiting team enters Providence for a Regional 4-Day match against the Guyana Jaguars, they often wonder if that orange stand is filled to capacity.

The support that pitches from that part of the Stadium is striking, because there’s only one man in that entire stand. It's Norman “Juice Man" Welch, one of the biggest, if not the biggest supporter of the Guyana Jaguars.

Welch witnessed most of the Jaguars home matches and at first hand, he was able to give an analysis of the team's performance in the 2020 Regional 4-Day season. He

the coming of Kevin Sinclair.

Welch explained that Sinclair has shown great promise with the ball, but the talented lad will also get better with bat in hand.

players stand out on a consistent basis in terms of scoring the most

Kevin Sinclair appeals for a wicket

disclosed that Jaguars lacked mental strength in a rare ordinary season.

"Jaguars trained well— that's the first thing, but the mindset was not up to scratch. You have to leave a few mature players in the team to bring the youths

runs every season. Welch was delighted with Veerasammy Permaul's show, season after season.

"He is number one in the Caribbean. I am still wondering the criteria Cricket West Indies

Veerasammy Permaul

them along," Welch explained.

He added that Captain Leon Johnson is one such player, who he described as a great leader.

"When Jaguars lost, they did not lose in cricket; it was their mentality, we (Jaguars) can play, but the mindset played a role in the defeat." The Juice Man is calling for some players to act in a more professional way and show more support.

Welch, who is often seen as the ultimate 12th man of the Jaguars team and has been around training sessions, has called for players to desist from name calling which he described as immature.

He noted that Jaguars had won for the past five seasons because of the collective team effort. However, not many

(CWI) are using to select, but this has to be a plot, to keep this youngster out. What more Permaul has to do?” Welch asked.

Permaul has been churning out strong performances with the ball and he took 500 FirstClass wickets this season. The adamant cricket fan is asking for Permaul to get another opportunity to further develop into the Test spinner that he is.

Recalling Jaguars’ eighth and final round clash, which was played at Providence in a daynight encounter, Welch disclosed that the team were rocked mentally which resulted in the loss, further affecting the team’s self-confidence.

While Welch is calling for some players to make room for new blood, he is impressed with

"He a l s o need to calm the proverbial butterflies, especially when he appeals for a wicket."

Welch will continue to roar for the Jaguars when the next regional tournament commences.

Norman "Juice Man" Welch

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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

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West Indies chief selector Roger Harper

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