Guyana Times Saturday June 27, 2020

Guyana’s political impasse

CCJ commits to timely conclusion of matters Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4329

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

US Senators call on Granger to concede Page 3

...want transition of power to begin

Senator Marco Rubio

P14

Senator Jim Risch

Senator Ben Cardin

Senator Bob Menendez

Lowenfield lies about being a "constitutional" officer …no law gives CEO power to invalidate a single vote – PPP/C

Nagamootoo criticises US, West for speaking out against Lowenfield's fraud Page 10

PRICE

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P13 15 new COVID-19 cases recorded in Region 1

Over 50% of businesses laid off staff – P11 GMSA

P12 Limited incoming international flights at CJIA to start next week

Lax border P12 control reason for COVID-19 spike – GGDMA

See story on page 9

“The truth hurts” – PM Mottley on attacks from APNU/AFC

Fire destroys ND&S factory, furniture store

P11

Page 7

Declaration based on recount results must be made without delay – Mandela's The Elders Pages 7 & 13

…spare Guyana further shame – former diplomat says Caricom should tell Granger

Energy Dept shortlists 19 to sell Guyana’s share of oil P15 Lowenfield should be ashamed to say he supervised “tainted” P15 elections – regional political analyst

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, June 27 – 09:30h – 11:00h and Sunday, June 28 – 10:30h – 12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, June 27 – 08:25h – 09:55h and Sunday, June 28 – 09:30h – 11:00h.

US Senators call on Granger to concede ...want transition of power to begin

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

WEATHER TODAY

Expect sunshine during the day. There will be partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly to East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 09:09h and 21:48h reaching maximum heights of 2.46 metres and 2.40 metres.

Low Tide: 15:14h reaching a minimum height of 0.76 metre.

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Senator Marco Rubio

Senator Jim Risch

Senator Ben Cardin

Senator Bob Menendez

hairman of the United States’ Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues, Marco Rubio, on Friday called on caretaker President, David Granger, to concede an elections defeat.

The Republican Senator from Florida noted in a joint missive from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that “recent reports suggest questionable manoeuvres by interested parties designed to continue forestalling a final declaration of results, which members of the press say indicates a defeat for the incumbent Government.”

As such, the Foreign Relations Committee said, “President Granger should honour the will of the Guyanese people and concede.”

The missive noted that it is nearly four months since the national elections were held on March 2, last, and “the Guyanese people are still waiting for an official result following the general and regional elections in their nation. This is unacceptable.”

Rubio, in the joint statement, noted that the US Senators and the Foreign Relations Committee, “share in the frustration expressed by the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the Organisation of American States (OAS), and other international stakeholders, and call on the Guyanese authorities to issue an official election declaration

that reflects the results of the March 2nd election, which were confirmed in the official recount by Caricom’s observ-

Risch and Bob Menendez, chairman and ranking member respectively, of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; as well as Ben Cardin, in releasing the statement encouraging Guyanese authorities “to begin a democratic transition of power that reflects the results of the March 2nd general and regional elections” The US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee headed

by Rubio had last month written to Granger at the beginning of the recount of the ballots by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)

to place on record its support for a fair and transparent recount of the March Presidential election “to allay any concerns among the Guyanese people in the integrity of their democratic institutions, in line with Guyana’s successful democratic electoral transitions of the past three decades.”

Rubio, in addressing Granger at the time, had noted: “Your leadership in this critical moment is crucial to Guyana entering this new era with confidence and hope among all Guyanese for a better future.”

Caretaker President David Granger

er mission.”

The grouping of US Senators has since extended publicly, “our support and solidarity to the people of Guyana, who have borne more than their fair share of patience during this process.

For their sake, the future of democracy and the rule of law in our hemisphere, the ongoing uncertainty and gamesmanship must end.”

Rubio was joined in the missive by Senators Jim

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 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

Truth indeed hurting APNU/AFC

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upporters and members of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) have launched an attack on the international community; Caribbean Community (Caricom) more so Caricom Chair Mia Mottley; and the members of the high level Observer Team as they all take a firm stance on ensuring that democracy prevails in Guyana. In quite a proverbial slap in the face, Mottley on Friday, in responding to the critics in Guyana, directly told the APNU/AFC that the “truth hurts”. PM Mottley has been playing an integral role in Guyana’s prolonged electoral process, leading a high-level delegation of Caricom Heads of State back in March to discuss the impasse. She and the Caricom team were described by the very APNU/ AFC administration as the “legitimate interlocutor” in Guyana’s electoral process. It is distressing that caretaker President David Granger sits silently as members and supporters of his party try to drag the reputation of such a distinguished daughter of the region through the mud.

APNU/AFC are offended that Mottley and Caricom are standing “to aspire to a very high level of behaviour with respect to free and fair elections, and with respect to giving full effect to the will of the people.” This is not the first time within the past months of elections turmoil in Guyana that the APNU/AFC, which appears to be in selfdenial mode, has launched vile attacks on honourable regional leaders. As a matter of fact, since the recount results showed that the party was ousted, the APNU/ AFC began the trend of robustly unleashing attacks on anyone who comments on the humiliating political situation in Guyana. No other than the former Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, attacked incoming Chair of Caricom, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, after the St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister made it clear that CARICOM would not tolerate the stealing of an election, nor would the regional bloc allow the results from the Recount Process to be set aside. As this newspaper has previously said, everyone – whether it be the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, Commonwealth, Organisation of American States, or everyone else – has had an attack propelled on them for ‘interference’ in Guyana, all because these nations have called for a democratically elected Government to be installed in Guyana. Another perverse attack was launched on the notable sons of the region, Former Bajan Prime Minister Owen Arthur and former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Like the others, they, too, called out APNU/AFC and certain senior officials from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on their malfeasance.

There is no doubt that the recount proved beyond reasonable doubt that the David Granger-led APNU/ AFC was involved in some collusion with Region Four Returning Officer Mingo to thwart the will of the Guyanese people in their favour. The constant cry by the APNU/AFC is a clear indication that they have no respect for democracy, and moreso the will of the Guyanese people. Since March 2, they have fooled and manoeuvred their supporters into believing that they were in some way short-changed, despite the international, regional and local observers pointing to the fact that the elections were free and fair. This has now taken on new life, and in their bid to cling to power, they are ruining Guyana’s diplomatic relations. Again, this newspaper will ask: Where is caretaker President David Granger? Doesn’t he, as Head of State, see what his hard-core officials are doing to Guyana’s image? Why can’t he stop it? But rather, does he want to stop it?

Open letter to Keith Lowenfield, Chief Elections Officer, GECOM Dear Mr Lowenfield, I write to you as a fellow Guyanese directly and publicly in the interest of our nation, in the name of justice and democracy for all of our people.

I have been a politician for many decades and have witnessed much with regards to elections in our country.

I have experienced the rigging of the referendum in 1978, the rigged elections of 1980 and 1985 and the first free and fair elections of October 1992, as well as the elections of 1997 and 2001, which were marred by violence. I have witnessed the 2006 elections, which were held during the most violent crime wave our country had ever experienced, and, the elections of 2011 and 2015.

Rigging with stuffed ballot boxes, denial of people to vote, dead voting, and all the shenanigans from 1968-1985 to steal the right of Guyanese to choose their representatives to govern are outrages I have witnessed.

However, during the last 115-plus days, nothing has prepared me for what I have witnessed in these elections.

Nor may I say, has the majority of the population been able to wrap their heads around what has been transpiring openly and brazenly before their eyes like a never-ending ghoulish suspense thriller.

The March 2, 2020 General and Regional Election Day demonstrated and fortified our belief that all the strenuous and dedicated efforts by many across the political divide over many years to bring in a legal architecture that enshrined the will of the Guyanese people to vote at free, fair and transparent elections, under the management of a constitutional body, the Guyana Elections Commission, had been proven unshakeable.

The integrity of the election machinery and the process is like oxygen for our nation, for the well-being of our nation. It is what separates us from the descent into anarchy.

This principle has been upheld repeatedly by outstanding Guyanese jurists, who underlined the sacrosanct nature of the right to vote and the will of the people to choose their representatives to govern them at periodic intervals. Thus no one has the authority to undermine, remove or tamper with their votes as defined by law.

Yet following the count at the 2339 Polling Stations on March 2, 2020, and the tabulation of 9 of the 10 Electoral Districts, the unimaginable started to unfold and has continued before our very eyes.

What is clear is that high officials within the GECOM Secretariat, the body that has been entrusted by the people and the Constitution to protect the will of the people, are the very source of election fraud.

You, sir, as the Chief Elections Officer, have on four separate occasions contrived to derail the election results of March 2, 2020, and produced fraudulent results in order to shepherd the loser, the Granger-led APNU/AFC coalition, back into office.

On March 6, 2020, you

quickly moved to prepare the declaration based on the fraudulent spreadsheet by the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. You and Mr Mingo were stopped by an injunction and ordered to comply with the law.

Mr Mingo’s fraudulent declarations on March 5, 2020, and, again, on March 13, 2020, were rejected. The March 13, 2020, fraudulent declaration removed 3847 valid votes from the PPP/C and added some 19,070 mystic voters for the APNU/AFC coalition. Still, you hurriedly repeatedly these results on March 14, 2020, despite the Chief Justice’s ruling and condemnation from the international election observer missions, the local observers and the contesting political parties.

The presence of the Caricom Chair and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, with four Heads of Government a few days before, did not dissuade you from committing such an affront.

Each of the international election observer missions – the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States (OAS), the European Union, Caricom and The Carter Center – included in their reports that Election Day and the counting of the votes at each Polling Station the same night were free and fair, but the process of the tabulation of the results of one Electoral District, District Four, was not credible and must not be used to swear in a new Government.

The Head of the OAS election observer missions, former Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, in reporting to the OAS Permanent Council, stated that he “had never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.”

He proceeded to demonstrate that the SoPs and SoRs during the recount were exposing the fraudulent figures of the RO for Electoral District Four.

“You know it takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictitious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists,” Mr Golding asserted.

Yet on June 12, 2020, on the eve of when you were required to submit the report of the results of the recount (in keeping with Order No 60/2020), de facto President Granger informed the public that he was satisfied with the accuracy of the Mingo figures and your March 14 results.

You submitted, on June 13, 2020, a report to the Chair of the Elections Commission that presented the tabulated results of the recount of the General and 10 Regions signed by the GECOM staff and political party representatives.

But then you did the unthinkable you then arrogated to yourself god-like powers and disenfranchised 275,092 valid voters purely on what are mere baseless and unproven allegations of the APNU/AFC! You reduced the total number of valid votes recounted from 460,352 to 185,260 and then awarding 125,010 votes (67.5 per cent) to the APNU/AFC coalition and 56,627 votes to the PPP/C (30.5 per cent) with the

remainder allotted to the other parties. This irrationality can only be described as akin to the work of the archetypal mad scientist.

You appropriated to yourself powers that no Chief Elections Officer in the world has dared to do even in the most undemocratic regimes.

May I add in fact no court of law nor Head of State or Government has that power to do what you did.

The Caricom scrutinising team’s report on June 15, 2020, concluded that the “Team was of the unshakeable belief that the people of Guyana expressed their will at the ballot box on March 2 and that the results of the recount certified as valid by the staff of GECOM led to an orderly conclusion on which the declaration of the results of the election would be made.”

You refused to obey the instruction of the Chair of the Commission to produce the results of the recount with regards to seat allocations on June 18, 2020.

Clearly not confined in any way by the report of Caricom, the legitimate observer mission, you proceeded (while a stay from the court was in effect) to present a new set of figures to the Chair again on June 23, 2020, in which you adjusted your own figures and reduced the numbers of disenfranchised valid votes from 275,092 to 115, 844!

On what unfathomable, inexplicable, grounds were you able to do this?

Prime Minister Mottley on June 24, 2020, in her broadcast on behalf of the Caribbean Community, poignantly said, “Therefore we must ask – on what grounds and by what form of executive fiat does the Chief Elections Officer determine that he should invalidate 1 vote, far less over 115,000 votes when the votes were already certified as valid by officers of the Guyana Elections Commission in the presence of the political parties.… any attempt to provide numbers different from those certified by the staff of GECOM has left many in shock and wondering what next will happen to frustrate the will of the Guyanese people.”

On June 26, you issued a press statement in which you stated that “ While the Commission makes certain policy decisions and provides guidance to the Chief Elections Officer for implementation by the Secretariat, I have to execute my duties as a constitutional officer, particularly in the conduct of elections.” In fact, you are a statutory officer you are not a constitutional officer. You serve the Commission not the other way round.

But tell me how is it in the 2015 elections as Chief Elections Officer, during your announcement of the results, you said you had some concerns with some counterfeit Statements of Poll from districts across the country; some of the statements that were delivered to GECOM were not of the same quality of paper on which the original Statements

were printed and the ones that the Commission approved and a few Statements of Poll were void of specific security features that characterise GECOM’s official paper. However, you proceeded to say that the votes contained on those statements were not enough to change the outcome of the elections (note this was a close run race with less than 1 per cent difference of votes between the PPP/C and the APNU/AFC). Both you and the Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally were quoted in the media as saying that the votes reflected on those statements could not change the overall outcome of the elections, “no change would deprive APNU/ AFC of a victory.” Is that why you used every legal opportunity to block the PPP/C election petition from being heard over the last 5 years?

Sir, you are guilty of embarrassing our people, our nation in front of the entire Caribbean and the world. You have committed a crime - election fraud; this is wicked, immoral and criminal. Your acts are those of “high crimes and misdemeanours”, of misconduct by a public official; you have committed “a crime of an infamous nature contrary to public morality”.

I have tried to analyse what kind of person, what kind of mind, would do this to his own people, his own nation, to take away their right to choose. Knowing that by these very actions you pitch Guyana and its people into a dangerous path, destroying the very foundation of our nation.

This is a level of depravity that few can imagine. It is the working of a sinister mind of such enormous proportions that we mortals cannot fathom. I have tried to reach into the depths of my mind and try to comprehend how another human who holds public office, who people have placed their trust in could do this.

Some have said that it is because of political partisanship, others because of corruption, promises of rewards when the deed succeeds and the APNU/ AFC coalition’s Presidential Candidate is sworn in.

I cannot understand how anyone could sell their integrity, their very being, to derail an election and disenfranchise thousands of people who innocently and freely and fairly exercised their right to choose on March 2, 2020.

When the chips fall, you sir will bear the full responsibility for the direction Guyana descends to, a rogue state, a dictatorship. Are you willing to live with the consequences of your deeds on innocent people and children?

It is time for the sake of all of our people, our nation, to redeem yourself and obey the Constitution and laws of Guyana which protect every voter and every vote. To do otherwise is your choice and the people will judge you for generations to come. Is that the legacy you want to leave to your children and their children?

Sincerely, Gail Teixeira

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 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

This is a new era, Mr Lewis Dear Editor, I have noted with much concern the recent comments made by Mr Lincoln Lewis - General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, with regards to the comments made by Prime Minister Mia Mottley who is also the Chairman of Caricom in relation to the ongoing elections situation in Guyana.

Mr Lewis seems to be of the opinion that both Ms Mottley and Caricom do not reserve the right to comment on the negatives of the elections that have placed not only Guyana but as she stated the rest of the region in a bad light.

Since Ms Morttley’s statement, there have been a lot of derogatory comments on social media levelled at her, many coming from the very quarters that before now have applauded her for her esteem leadership to the extent that she was awarded our country’s highest award - The Order of Roraima - earlier this year.

However, it is seemingly now the belief of some that her comments and reprimand on the recent General and Regional Elections held on

March 2 and which is yet to have a declaration made after over 100 days is out of order and baseless. That she like so many others have no right in Guyana’s political affairs.

Mr Lewis seemingly feels that as Head of Caricom, Ms Morttley has compromised her position and the process by speaking on the issue since it is awaiting a hearing before the CCJ. That Guyana will not tolerate what he termed as the disrespect of Prime Ministers Mottley and Gonsalvez and any other Caribbean leader, political interference and diplomatic bullyism and that we deserve the right to resolve our conflicts judicially.

It is obvious that Mr Lewis since after receiving his national award - the Arrow of Achievement - went into a deep slumber or self-quarantine. It is hypercritical of him to lash out at Caricom or any other organisation for that matter, which stands up for the preservation of democracy. Where was his voice when this despicable cabal unleashed its venomous tentacles on the electorate of our country by openly engag-

ing in fraudulent actions to deprive the will of the people to prevail. Where was his voice when this uncaring cabal used the COVID-19 pandemic situation to invent laws that had nothing to do with the health status of the nation but rather as a political tool to aid and abet fraudulent political schemes.

Many workers are at home, unable to earn an income to meet the basic needs of their families, yet the nation heard nothing from him. As General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), one would have felt that there would have been the call from the GTUC for an engagement with the relevant personnel to find a way to bring some level of assistance to workers across the country and to plan a way forward to deal with crisis situations that will certainly arise in the aftermath of this pandemic.

The silence of Mr Lewis on these important issues is deafening, disgusting and unacceptable for someone who is known for venomous attacks on some of our political leaders. Are we to assume that his

recently bestowed national award has now transformed him from boisterous and aggressive to silent and petrified? Mr Lewis is known to accuse persons, especially trade unionists, of self-aggrandisement and jumping onto the gravy train. Sadly, he has found himself in that very situation to the extent that he has been elevated from the status of a passenger to that of train conductor on that very train since the bestowing of the national award.

The unwarranted attack on Caricom leaders by Lincoln Lewis leaves much to be desired coming from one who served as the General Secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labour some years and who during that tenure lobbied Caricom to give Labour a seat on that very organisation. In like manner, his reprehensible comments directed to Prime Minister Mia Mottley must not go unnoticed. Lincoln Lewis needs to understand that Caricom is not GTUC which he has over the years removed from the status quo of a public entity to that of private property, his private property where he is

Dear Editor, In the 2020 elections campaign, the PPP promised an honest, decent Government, one with integrity. APNU/ AFC campaigned, not on a Government of decency and honesty, but for a man of decency, honesty and integrity.

David Granger himself asked people to vote for him because of his decency, honesty and integrity.

APNU/AFC did not campaign on its record in Government or on their plans for the next five years. Their whole campaign was selling Granger as a man of honesty, decency and integrity. In January, I denounced APNU/AFC’s and Granger’s claim of decency, honesty and integrity. The Ministry of the Presidency demanded I apologise. I refused and, in response, explained why.

I never heard again from the Ministry of the Presidency.

Just since March 2, he has had multiple opportunities and every time he has chosen indecency, dishonesty and no integrity.

The latest example is the response and treatment of the Honourable Prime Minister of Barbados. Mia Mottley is the Chair of Caricom. Granger was a part of inviting Mia Mottley to send a supervising team to observe the recount of the March 2 ballots, deeming them the most “legitimate interlocutor”, even as he personally banned The Carter Center and other international observer groups from the recount. Granger himself approved a Caricom team to observe the March 2, 2020 elections.

Both those teams reported that the March 2 elections were free and fair, representing the will of the people and that the recount reflected the actual results of the elections, not different from the Statements of Poll produced

on March 2. Prime Minister Mottley, on March 17, was forced to conclude there were forces in Guyana committed to preventing the recount, after the Caricom team stood helplessly by when one of APNU/AFC’s member challenged the recount in court.

Just a few days ago, she had to issue a statement condemning efforts by the Chief Elections Officer to arbitrarily disregard the ballots from the elections and making up his own numbers, totally throwing away the recount numbers from the Statements of Poll which were confirmed by the Statements of Recount from a recount conducted by GECOM itself and witnessed by all political parties, local observers and the Caricom “best interlocutor” team.

For speaking the truth, Prime Minister Mottley has come under the most despicable, brutal attack from APNU/ AFC and its sycophants. One of Granger’s former MP insulted PM Mottley, speaking about her sexuality. The sycophants have alleged the Prime Minister was “bought” out by Bharrat Jagdeo. The daughter of the late dictator, Forbes Burnham, Granger’s hero, threatened that the PNC/APNU/AFC is not afraid of PM Mottley because, as her father once said, their “sword is sterner than steel”.

The attacks have been nothing short of vile, much of which cannot be repeated in forums like this. Granger has said nothing to discourage his sycophants. In fact, Granger himself condemned Prime Minister Mottley. Far from discouraging his supporters from any vile attack on the PM of Barbados, by his own statement, he has encouraged the vicious personal attacks on PM Mottley. The personal attacks on PM Mottley show indecency, dishonesty and a total lack of integrity.

Previously, there were personal attacks against Bruce Golding, former PM of Jamaica, who headed the OAS team, Owen Arthur, former PM of Barbados, who headed the Commonwealth team and PM Ralph Gonsalves, the PM of St Vincent and the Grenadines, who accompanied PM Mottley to Guyana and the next Chair of Caricom.

There have been personal attacks against diplomats, the local Private Sector and anyone who dares to point out that the election results must be honoured.

Granger has personally made claims of winning the elections. He was ready to be sworn in on three separate occasions, on fake declarations. But he has admitted he has never seen his party’s copies of the Statements of Poll. He claimed to have seen a spreadsheet, presumably Mingo’s bogus spreadsheets.

He has refused to instruct the release of his party’s copies of the SoPs. He is ready to accept Lowenfield’s fraudulent results. He agreed to a recount and promised he will “totally accept the recount results, whatever it is” and that he will accept whatever GECOM says. Yet he allowed his party to challenge the recount, he has gone along with deeming living Guyanese dead and Guyanese at home as not being at home. He has time and again disavowed his own words. He has shown total dishonesty, indecency and has acted with no integrity throughout his five years as President of Guyana.

Two weeks ago, Bharrat Jagdeo admonished supporters of the PPP and others for making disparaging remarks relating to Justice Claudette Singh. He was not chastising anyone for being critical of how Justice Singh has managed GECOM and the March

2 elections. But he requested all supporters of the PPP and others to be respectful of Justice Singh and to avoid personal attacks.

PPP supporters have many reasons for frustration with Justice Singh and, therefore, it is not shocking that some of these supporters have been brutal in their “cussing” down of Justice Singh. But Bharrat Jagdeo made a public statement asking them to desist from disparaging Justice Singh. In spite of his own misgivings about Justice Singh’s management of the elections, Bharrat Jagdeo still made a call to the PPP supporters to desist from uncivilised behaviour. This is what honest, decent leadership is. This is leadership with integrity.

Bharrat Jagdeo does not wear these values on his sleeves. He does not sell himself as an honest, decent leader, one with integrity.

Instead, he leads by example. He leads with hard work and demands the same from those who serve with him and follow. It does not mean that he will not act and behave in ways that some persons might disagree with. But one has to admit that he provides leadership to his supporters and for his country.

Bharrat Jagdeo understands that Guyana must defend its democracy. He understands that Guyana is a member of the regional and global family, that Guyana has obligations as part of our regional and global memberships. It is the reason the world looks to him as a “Champion of the Earth”, while, as a respected former Barbadian Ambassador surmised, many in the region regard Granger as a “sanctimonious gangster”.

Honest, decent leadership with integrity – Granger offers none, Jagdeo shows how

Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

the alpha and omega.

He must also come to terms with the reality that Prime Minister Mottley in her capacity of Chairman of Caricom is one of our region’s top women in leadership and by way of her office reserves the right to speak out and call a spade a spade.

He must also come to grips with the glaring reality that stares him directly in his face that in this day and age, many women in leadership on attaining high office will not stand idly by and allow egotis-

tic, arrogant and chauvinistic men like himself to transform them into women of tokenism and window dressers whilst he carries on his charade.

This is a new era.

The role of female leaders is more critical than ever before and when afforded the opportunity to lead it must be done without fear or favour.

They are expected to deliver and deliver is what Prime Minister Mia Mottley did.

Yours sincerely, Gillian Burton Persaud

Granger, APNU/AFC used “wilful ignorance” to create political problem Dear Editor, When Caricom Chair Mia Mottley stated “four Prime Ministers accompanied me to talk to both sides and to urge patience especially after the death of one person (in elections unrest)” it encapsulated the main reason why the Guyanese populace has been so far restrained and have quietly endured the painstaking recount of all ballots cast in the election. It would be fallacious to think that this status quo will be maintained indefinitely.

David Granger and the APNU/AFC leadership have used “willful ignorance” to create a political problem for which they will accept no judicial solution. The APNU/ AFC’s intent is clear, a frustration of the declaration of the results of the elections in the hope of forcing negotiations for shared governance and/or fresh elections. The earlier Granger and his cohorts are disabused of these notional fantasies the better it will be for all concerned.

David Granger will not accept a judicial solution to his manufactured political problem; He (Granger) has dug his heels in and there will be no voluntary movement forward. To avoid a (looming) civil strife, Caricom got involved and has failed; the civilised world has threatened sanctions but is lulled into stasis by the lotus of the courts. The struggle is firmly in Guyanese hands, as is our destiny.

A period of non-cooperation with the Granger Administration must begin

immediately. Law enforcement agencies must be made aware of the consequences of following orders that result in repression of public dissent and/or injury to citizens; Those hurriedly accepting large Government contracts can take it as a promise that those will be closely examined and (they) should be prepared for prosecution for any corrupt acts. The COVID-19 Task Force must be declared invalid as it is being used to repress Guyanese, it (the Task Force) is headed by party apparatchiks, and Regions One and Nine are being made to pay for the exercise of their democratic franchise. Today the entire staff of GuySuCo found out there is no salary, tomorrow it will be the turn of other workers in other sectors, hunger is once again stalking Guyana.

When this crisis is over and the unrest is all settled, Guyanese will have to face the fact that our society has lost its moral compass and must engage in a mighty struggle to regain bearing on true north. We must ostracise those who have shown contempt for honesty, decency, and morality; it cannot be “forgive, forget, and embrace” after this almighty struggle with evil is over. One young person, 18-year-old Seedat “Devon” Hansraj, has already died in the struggle for Guyana’s freedom in 2020, he may not be the last on this road to perdition upon which we are set.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Lowenfield has been notoriously delinquent, culpable Dear Editor, Mr Keith Lowenfield, the CEO of GECOM, has been notoriously delinquent and culpable in executing his job responsibilities and should be replaced urgently.

His responsibility has been to present the total votes deemed “valid” at the end of the recount process by the officers of GECOM. This process was carefully observed by representatives of various political parties as well as local and international observers. Mr Lowenfield simply has had to present the summary of these numbers; it is not within his purview to interpret what may be question-

able or disputable. If the process has been deemed fraudulent by any entity, including the CEO, it must be taken to the court as an election petition.

Since Mr Lowenfield has failed so ignominiously, the Chairman of GECOM should fire him immediately for not fulfilling his duties. The buck stops with the Chairman, as she is ultimately responsible for having the March 2 elections declared.

Therefore, it is time for her to make critical decisions at this juncture and replace the CEO immediately.

Yours truly, Dr Devanand Bhagwan

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTERS ON PAGES 17 & 18

6

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

Page

Foundation

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

Below are the second part of Social Studies Paper 1, 2009 and CXC Maths.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT

SOCIAL STUDIES

1. WRITE YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER ON THE ANSWER SHEET AND UNDERLINE THE SUBJECT.

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

3. If you are not sure of the answer to question, then choose the one which you think is BEST. On

your 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 YOUR ANSWER SHEET. Here is an example done for you.

1.The capital of Guyana is (A) Linden (B) Georgetown (C) Rose Hall (D) Lethem

Study the information below then answer question 25.

(A) (B) (C) (D) A heavy black line has been drawn through the letter B on the answer sheet because 9, the correct answer, is next to B. If you make a mistake, erase the line cleanly, then draw a heavy black line through the letter next to the answer have now chosen.

Study the picture below, then answer question 28.

28. The best reason for the girl's refusal i because she does not (A) know the boy. , (B) like the I?p's language.

(C) like cigarettes. (D) take harmful drugs.

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

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

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

Study the map of the world below then answer questions 31 and 32.

25. The information refers to (A) earthquakes.

(C) hurricanes.

(B) floods.

(D) volcanoes.

26. A fisherman going out to sea would not be affected by (A) bright sunshine. (B) heavy rainfall.

(C) high tide. (D) strong wind.

27. If Mary's parents criticize her regularly, thervshe would'most likely be affected (A) economically. (B)- emotionally.

(C) physically. (0) culturally.

Study the picture below, then answer questions 29 and 30.

29. The traffic rule observed 6y the pupii is (A) walk on the right hand side ohe road .

(B) cross the road near to a police officer.

(C) practise the kerb drill when crossing a busy street (D) use the pedestrian crossing when crossing the road.

30. To which group of road users is the traffic police signaling?

(A) Taxi drivers, motor cyclists and pedestrians.

(B) Minibus drivers, taxi drivers and school children.

(C) Drivers, cyclists and motor cyclists.

(D) Horse carts, pedestrians, school children.

31. Countries located just north and south of the equator will experience i hot and warm climate. cold and humid weather., iii mostly rainy and dry conditions. iv cool and cold weather.

(A) i and ii only (B) ii and iii only (C) ii and iv only (D) i and iii only 32. If a person travels from A to B, then that person will be moving from (A) hot to cold (B) cold to cold (C) cool to warm (D) warm to cool

TO BE CONTINUED

CXC MATHS

NEWS

7

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“The truth hurts” – PM Mottley Declaration based on recount results must be made without on attacks from APNU/AFC

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hair of the Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom), Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, has retaliated that the “truth hurts” in response to criticisms against her coming out of the APNU/AFC camp.

PM Mottley had earlier this week joined calls for the results from the National Recount, which were certified by a special Caricom team, to form the basis for the declaration of the election results -- a statement for which she has come under a barrage of attacks by the caretaker APNU/ AFC, which had previously deemed Caricom as the most “legitimate interlocutor” in Guyana’s electoral process.

In response, however, the outgoing Caricom Chair posited that the Community should never avoid upholding its shared principles.

“The truth hurts, but what we must never do in Caricom is avoid the truth and avoid our principles,” she said briefly at a press conference on Friday in Bridgetown.

After Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield had submitted his final elections report to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), in which he invalidated over 115,000 votes, PM Mottley on Wednesday had questioned his action.

“On what grounds and by what form of executive fiat does the Chief Election Officer determine that he should invalidate one vote, far less 115,000 votes?” she asked.

The Caricom Chair said it is regrettable that the Community is now witnessing an unprecedented level of “gamesmanship”, that has left much to be desired.

Later on Wednesday night, while speaking on a Trinidad and Tobago programme hosted by Hema Ramkissoon on CNC3, Mottley said that while the elections situation in Guyana is “a little bizarre”, Caricom must stand for something.

“The Caribbean

delay – Mandela's The Elders

I

Caricom Chair, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley

Community must stand for something with respect to the pursuit of these goals and with respect to the values that have made us stand up as a beacon in the global community…There is a Charter of Civil Society within the Caribbean Community that causes us to have to aspire to a very high level of behaviour with respect to free and fair elections and with respect to giving full effect to the will of the people,” the Barbadian leader contended.

However, in a statement that night, which was subsequently withdrawn, the APNU/AFC said “We call on Prime Minister Mottley…to refrain from enabling those who are seeking to impose fraudulent elections results on the people of Guyana and subvert the true will of the electorate.”

The Coalition went on to say, “We believe that Prime Minister Mottley’s statement is both ill-informed and ill-advised… We view the Hon. Prime Minister’s statement as not only untimely, but in fact as interference in a matter on which the Constitution of Guyana is clear.”

PM Mottley had played an integral role in Guyana’s prolonged electoral process, leading a high-level delegation of CARICOM Heads of State back in March to discuss the impasse.

At the time, President Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had agreed to a National Recount under the auspices of the CARICOM Chair, who then facilitated a special

news@guyanatimesgy.com

team of observers to monitor the exercise. But this activity never got underway after APNU/AFC support Ulita Moore challenged the recount in the court, forcing the team to depart.

PM Mottley had said at the time, “It is clear that there are forces that do not want to see the votes recounted for whatever reason.”

Subsequently, Caricom agreed to field another team upon the invitation of GECOM to scrutinise the National Recount, which ran from May 6 to June 8, 2020.

In its report to GECOM last week, the Caricom team said “Nothing we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of results of the March 2, 2020 elections.”

Despite this, however, and the fact that President Granger as well as several senior officials of his party had deemed the regional team as the most “legitimate interlocutor” in the recount process, the APNU/AFC officials as well as their supporters have also attacked the special team, which comprised Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sylvester King; Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission, John Jarvis; and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cynthia Barrow-Giles.

nternational pressure continues to mount for Guyana to declare the results of the March 2 elections, with Nelson Mandela’s The Elders Group now joining calls for the figures emanating from the national recount process to be used as the basis for the declaration.

In a social media post on Friday, The Elders Group pointed out that it is nearly four months since Guyana’s elections have been held, and results are yet to be declared.

To this end, the Group called for the will of the Guyanese people, which was expressed at the March 2 polls and subsequently certified during the National Recount, to be respected.

“The will of the people, expressed in the elections and confirmed in the recount, must be respected. An electoral declaration based on the recount should be made without delay,” The Elders tweeted.

The 34-day recount ex-

votes cast” is being challenged at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) by the PPP/C, which has contended that the Court’s pronouncements have “plunged the law in total confusion, and it is now no longer clear how an election of members of the National Assembly is to be challenged and how the election of the President can be challenged.”

“The will of the people expressed in the elections and confirmed in the recount must be respected. An electoral declaration based on the recount should be made without delay” – The Elders ercise shows a landslide victory for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), with a lead of more than 15,000 votes over its main political rival, the caretaker A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition, which has since challenged the results.

Last week, after GECOM had decided to go ahead with the declaration of the elections based on the recount results, the APNU/ AFC, through its supporter Eslyn David, approached the Court of Appeal.

Now the Appeal Court’s ruling that “more votes cast” means “more valid

That matter has been fixed for hearing on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

The Elders is an international non-governmental organisation of public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates, who were brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007. They describe themselves as “independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights”.

This is not the first time

the Group has spoken out on Guyana’s protracted elections. In two previous statements, the recent being earlier this month, the organisation called for the rule of law to be respected, and for the will of the Guyanese people to determine the country’s future.

“The will of the people must be respected through the swearing in of a legitimate Government based on the recount’s results,” The Elders had stated in a tweet on June 2.

However, the Group’s recent statement on Friday comes on the heels of mounting international pressure for a declaration to be made based on the certified results from the recount exercise.

Among those from the international community that have spoken out this week are: the Organization of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Kingdom of Norway, high-profile United States (US) officials, and the ABCE diplomatic community – those are, the Heads of the United States, British, Canadian and the European Union (EU) missions in Guyana.

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Body pulled from Berbice River

Boyfriend arraigned for murder of pregnant teen

Dead teenager: Melissa “Lisa” Soman

T

wenty-two-year-old Dickwan Nigel Adams was on Friday arraigned for the murder of his pregnant teenage girlfriend when he appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.

Adams, of New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), was not required to plea to the indictable charge which alleged that between June 17 and 18, 2020, at Gateroy

Village, Upper Berbice River, he murdered Melissa “Lisa” Soman.

As such, he was remanded to prison until August 7, 2020, when he is scheduled to make his next court appearance at the Kwakwani Magistrate’s Court, Upper Berbice River.

Days after the incident, the accused had confessed to the heinous crime during Police interrogation.

He reportedly told detectives that an argument erupted between him and the mother of one during which he assaulted her. In a bid to escape, the young woman jumped overboard and never surfaced.

He accused Soman of Lot 58 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), of being unfaithful with a relative.

It was reported that the suspect’s uncle, who was the captain of the boat at the time the woman jumped to her death, initially told in-

Murder suspect: Dickwan Nigel Adams

vestigators that Soman confided in him about the constant fights between his nephew and her.

He noted that after the teen plunged overboard, the suspect went to save her but it was too late. The 48-yearold labourer was nevertheless taken into custody shortly after the girl’s lifeless body was discovered.

However, the suspect in his confession to the police claimed that he had found out about the teen’s infidel-

ity and started beating her while travelling in the small wooden boat.

He told Police that the now dead teen jumped overboard to save herself from him but the boat captain rescued her.

He admitted that as they reentered the boat, he beat both of them and for the second time, the teen plunged overboard but the result was different this time around.

Her body was found floating 16 hours later, some 50 miles up the Berbice River.

Soman left her Stanleytown home in March to spend time with her boyfriend and returned briefly for the funeral of her boyfriend’s mother in May. She had left her two-year-old son with her parents.

An autopsy performed on the remains of the dead teenager proved that she drowned and suffered blunt trauma to the head. During the post-mortem, it was revealed that the teen was pregnant.

Duo gets 2 years each, fined $99M for cocaine trafficking

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ore than three years after being charged for cocaine possession, 47-year-old John Da Silva, of Grant Strong Hope, Lower Pomeroon River, and 36-year-old Kevin Fitz Gordon of Lot 18 Jib Housing Scheme, Essequibo, were found guilty by Magistrate Esther Sam. The verdict was handed down after the completion of the trial at the

Suddie Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Initially, the two men pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail in the sum of $1 million each. Police stated that on July 20, 2017, the two men had several well-wrapped packages with the illicit substance aboard a vessel along the Pomeroon River.

The vessel was intercepted and a search was conducted by the Guyana

3 on bail for Berbice River ganja bust

T

Alkevin Anthony

hree men from Georgetown were on Friday released on bail when they appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh via Skype, for narcotics trafficking.

The trio – 40-year-old Collin Denny, a mason of Lot 41 Howes and Charles Streets Charlestown, Georgetown; 48-year-old Herbert Bartholomew, self-employed of Lot 35, New Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, and 43-yearold Alkevin Anthony, an electrician of Lot 377 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown – pleaded not guilty to the charge on Friday which stated that on June 24, 2020, at the Canje River, Berbice,

Collin Denny

they had 103 kilograms of cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

According to the prosecution’s case, members of the Guyana Police Force were conducting a river patrol in the Canje River when they intercepted a wooden vessel in the vicinity of Sandaka with four males including the captain, who goes by the alias “Royo”, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

A search of the boat revealed nine taped and compressed parcels; each containing cannabis.

The men were all arrested and escorted to New Amsterdam along with their boat which was powered by a

Herbert Bartholomew

60-horsepower outboard engine.

However, while the police were able to apprehend them and the illegal drugs, one of the men jumped overboard with one of the officers during the arrest.

Reports are while in the vicinity of New Forest, West Canje, the captain suddenly held on to one of the ranks and plunged overboard with him; the policeman was quickly rescued but the captain swam ashore and escaped.

They were released on $350,000 and the case will continue on August 12.

Meanwhile, the police issued a wanted bulletin for Elroy Oral Bristol.

Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard, during which the cocaine was unearthed. The substance totalled to 209 pounds or 94.954 kilograms.

However, during the sentencing, Gordon, via Skype, indicated to the court that he is in Aranka and could not attend court. He was, nevertheless, instructed by the Magistrate to present himself to the nearest police station so that he can begin serving his sentence.

Gordon was previously charged in 2015 for the trafficking of narcotics. It was alleged that on January 28, 2015, at Sheriff Street, Georgetown, Gordon, along with Adrian David, 25, of D Field, Sophia; Carl Roberts, 27, of 62 Duncan Street, Campbellville, and Fabian Gonsalves of Pomeroon River, had in their possessions 11.150 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

It was reported that on the day in question, the quartet was apprehended on Sheriff Street by CANU ranks with a five gallon container which had 10 bricks, suspected to be cocaine inside.

That matter was, however, dismissed due to lack of evidence.

The Burnham stride…

W

…continues

hen he was alive, Burnham’s vanity knew no bounds. Rodney once quipped that the main reason for the plunge in the educational standards of Guyanese students by the 1970s was because Burnham insisted on having his visage plastered on every single “exercise book”. Could you imagine what it’ll do to children having to stare at the face of the man who caused them to go hungry and barefooted to school day after day??

He once issued a book called “The Burnham Stride”, detailing all the titbits about Burnham that he figured Guyanese just needed to know – like that his favourite colour was purple!! Yup!! You don’t need to be no Freud to see that connection – purple is the colour of royalty!! Yes… just as how Dessalines destroyed the dreams of Tousssant and the Haitian revolution, Burnham destroyed Jagan’s dreams of a truly independent Guyana because he really wanted to become king.

Remember him riding his horse to the Hope Coconut Estate, where senior civil servants – who would’ve looked down at him while he was a student at Queen’s – had to weed grass and clean canals?? And don’t forget him strutting around with the uniform of a two-star general – him who’d never even been a Boy Scout!! The only thing that stopped him from crowning himself was, at the same time, he wanted to pose as a Third World revolutionary, which just didn’t go with monarchies!!

And we know that President’s College was launched when the Board of Queen’s College refused to change the name to pander to his megalomania. Anyhow, his vanity didn’t end with himself – he wanted even his children to be known by future generations – hence, for instance, “Roxanne Burnham Gardens”! Roxanne, of course, was one of his daughters who got married to a doctor Van West-Charles, who promptly was made a Senior Health Minister in his government. He got carried away with his affiliation to the “Kabaka” and was dubbed “Baby Jesus” for his pretentions to walking on water – at which, of course, Burnham claimed to be quite adept!!

Anyhow, your Eyewitness was hurtled on this trip down memory lane because, after decades of silence, Burnham’s daughter Roxanne suddenly surfaced to launch a fierce attack on Mia Mottley for daring to point out the obscenity of Granger and the PNC imitating their founder leader Burnham in the rigging area. Obviously, Roxanne was stirred into action by Mottley’s scornful dismissal of her father’s most famous legacy!!

But what struck your Eyewitness (pun intended) was Roxanne’s reference to the phrase Burnham made famous just before having Rodney assassinated: “Our steel is sharper”!!

Really?? Those who oppose the rigging will have to be assassinated?? Good grief!! From tragedy to farce!

…and the state of the rig

So, we’re now in, what? ...117 days since the elections?

We need to look at the situation as more like 480 days since the No Confidence Motion, ‘cause that’s the real beginning of this “war of attrition” in which we’re presently mired.

But wars of attrition are very messy affairs, not least because, in being dragged out, they affect not just those on the front lines, but even those who see themselves as merely “supporters” behind the lines. Wars of attrition are “total wars”.

And this is the greater danger posed to our country than the nasty power grab by the PNC. That’s doomed to failure you can be sure, but at what cost will come the victory for democracy? For us in Guyana, our war of attrition will inevitably set back race relations for decades.

Your Eyewitness is pretty sure those who might’ve experienced the virtual civil war in the sixties never expected this level of bitterness in the 21st century.

The fulfilment of Burnham’s legacy??

…and Caricom

The Caribbean was the raison d’etre for Burnham’s success against Jagan. The latter could never sell his rejection of the Federation – which sealed the departure of the African segment to Burnham’s PNC. And now the PNC’s cussing Caricom out??

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

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Lowenfield lies about being a “constitutional” officer

…no law gives CEO power to invalidate a single vote – PPP/C

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reaking his silence on the controversy surrounding his “fraudulent report” submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has defended his actions – and in so doing, blatantly lied about being a constitutional officer.

The embattled CEO, in a press release issued

by GECOM Secretariat on Friday, said, “While the Commission makes certain policy decisions and provides guidance to the Chief Election Officer for implementation by the Secretariat, I have to execute my duties as a Constitutional Officer, particularly in the conduct of Elections.”

Lowenfield, however, is not a constitutional office holder, as he claimed. The Office of the CEO is not created by the Constitution of Guyana; it is created by the Representation of the People Act, and the CEO is hired by the Commission.

In fact, this was highlighted by the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) which, in a detailed press statement, chastised the CEO for his “blatant and public attempt at elections rigging”.

According to the PPP/C, Lowenfield is a “statutory contractual officer of

The Party added that, “he has no power to invalidate a single vote, moreover 115,000 votes. Even the Commission has no power to invalidate votes. That is the preserve of the High Court moved by an election petition after the declaration of the final results upon the presentation of evidence.”

More untruths

General Secretary of PPP/C, Bharrat Jagdeo

the

the Commission, and his mandate is to only act upon the directions of the Commission”.

The CEO was on June 16 instructed by the GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, to prepare a final elections report based on the recount figures (which show the PPP/C winning the March 2, 2020 elections).

Lowenfield, however, eventually submitted a report with concocted figures invalidating over 115,000 votes, to award the “victory” to APNU/AFC coalition.

The CEO claims that by disregarding the directive from the Commission, he acted in “conformity with the laws”.

But the PPP/C has argued that “no law gives Mr. Lowenfield the power to do what he attempted to do, a fact he well knows.”

In fact, the PPP/C highlighted additional untruths in Lowenfield’s statement, contending that “he falsely claims that the Elections Commission’s function is to provide “policy” and “guidance to the Chief Election Officer for the implementation of the Secretariat.”

The Party pointed to several Articles in the Elections Amendment Act as well as the Recount Order which clearly states that the CEO is subject to the direction and control of the Commission at all material times.

Section 18 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act 2000 states: The Chief Election Officer and the Commissioner of Registration shall notwithstanding anything in any written law be subject to the direction and control of the Commission.

Additionally, Order 60/2020 states: “The Commission shall, after deliberating on the report at

paragraph 12, determine whether it should request the Chief Election Officer to use the data compiled in accordance with paragraph 12 as the basis for the submission of a report under section 96 of the Representation of the People Act Cap 1:03, provided that the Commission shall, no later than three (3) days after receiving the report, make the declaration; and “For the avoidance of any doubt, the Chief Election Officer and every person appointed or authorized to perform any act or functions by virtue of this Order are, and shall remain, subject to the general supervisory power of the Commission.”

Moreover, the PPP/C argued that Lowenfield’s reliance on the Court of Appeal’s judgment is also “conveniently misplaced in furtherance of his scheme to defraud the electorate”.

The Party pointed out that at no point did the Court of Appeal rule that the CEO could unilaterally determine the valid votes cast in the election.

“The Court of Appeal certainly did not empower Mr. Lowenfield to disenfranchise voters,” the PPP/C contend.

In fact, it reasoned that “as much as we have an issue with the Court of Appeal’s ruling, to their credit, Justice Reynolds resided the power in the

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

Commission, not the Chief Election Officer, to determine final and credible results”.

The PPP/C therefore posited that, in any event, the Court of Appeal’s decision was stayed and was not in effect at the time.

“Accordingly, on those bases alone, Lowenfield’s attempt to hide behind the Court of Appeal’s judgment in committing electoral fraud must be discarded,” the PPP/C asserted.

Conspiracy to commit fraud

The PPP/C has argued that Lowenfield is acting in concert with the APNU/ AFC, and that he is “part of a larger conspiracy to commit elections fraud”.

“APNU/AFC is clearly part of Mr. Lowenfield’s scheme to commit these criminal acts. The Attorney

General, who ought to be an independent and impartial constitutional officer holder in the current proceedings at the CCJ, as part of that conspiracy, attempted to justify Mr. Lowenfield’s conduct at yesterday’s [Wednesday] CCJ hearing, showcasing to the world the conspiracy at work,” the PPP/C reasoned.

It further noted that this latest incident is merely only a part of “APNU/ AFC, and now their surrogate Lowenfield’s sordid history, in attempting to justify their actions under the colour of the law and constitutionality”.

“The unilateral appointment of the Chairman of GECOM (Justice James Patterson), later declared unconstitutional and illegal by the CCJ; the several attempts to unlawfully remove tens of thousands of Guyanese electors from the national database, and the attempt to use Mingo’s spreadsheet as an instrument to fraudulently gift to APNU/AFC over 20,000 votes are just some examples of such, and they were all declared unlawful by the court,” the PPP/C stated.

But the Party assured that, like all the above unlawful excesses that have failed, “We promise the people of Guyana that we will do everything possible to ensure that this latest attempt suffers the same fate”.

10 NEWS SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Nagamootoo criticises US, West for speaking out against Lowenfield's fraud C aretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has criticised the international community for speaking out against Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield fraudulent election report.

Nagamootoo has asserted that the western powers and regional partners are now part of a grand orchestrated scheme to use Guyana as a pawn in a global political game of chess aimed at toppling the Nicolas Maduro Government in neighbouring Venezuela and are not really interested in democratic elections.

Nagamootoo has claimed that the international community has somehow been trying to influence the out-

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch

come of the elections against A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC), which the re-

count shows that the PPP won by over 15,000 votes.

Nagamootoo’s latest foray against the growing voices in the international community that have called for the results of the recount of the March 2 poll to be used to declare the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration the winner came as he was speaking during an online broadcast. He was at the time defending the report submitted by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield which discards in excess of 115,000 votes from tabulated results to give an APNU/ AFC victory at the polls.

The caretaker Prime Minister in adumbrating the coalition’s newest position said he was offended “that you have foreign powers using us as pawn in a geopolitical game.”

Nagamootoo in responding to the growing international voices of condemnation of the APNU/AFC and Lowenfield has evidently initiated a shift to a new narrative to deflect criticisms of his Government’s insistence on refusing to accept the results of both the count and recount of the votes in the March 2 elections, by claiming that the west, especial-

Caretaker PM, Moses Nagamootoo

ly the US, is not really interested in democracy but in Guyana being used in a plot to overthrow Maduro.

Taking great effort not to name the USA directly, from his accusations there can be no doubt about the object of Nagamootoo’s strident attack. According to Nagamootoo as he danced between the raindrops, “you have foreign powers using us as a pawn in a geo-strategic game that they have mapped out in their own interest.”

Honing in on his allegations against the United States, Nagamootoo was adamant that now “suddenly, you have a change of geo-

strategic focus by a big power who has an agenda.”

This, he posited to be, “a regime change, in a nearby country with which we have diplomatic relations but we don’t have friendly relations, Venezuela; so, Guyana has been used as collateral damage in an obsession to effect a regime change in a neighbouring country.” It is no secret that several American Administrations, especially the incumbent one under President Donald Trump have insisted that the Maduro Administration must be removed for their domestic democratic violations and their international adventurism.

Nagamootoo’s statement comes on the heels of a recent statement by US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, who in responding to claims of US interference had pointed out that Guyana had joint up with other Lima Group members from the Americas to strive for a democratic resolution to the crisis in Venezuela.

It was noted that along with 12 other countries, Guyana proclaimed in January 2019, “we reiterate that the electoral process that took place in Venezuela on May 20, 2018, lacked legitimacy as it neither includ-

ed the participation of all political actors in Venezuela, nor did it have the presence of independent international observers, nor did it comply with the necessary guarantees or international standards for a free, fair and transparent election.”

Guyana at the time had signed off saying, “accordingly, we do not recognise the legitimacy of the new presidential term of Nicolas Maduro, or his regime, which commences on January 10, 2019.”

The US Ambassador had noted that such statements are not foreign interference but rather amounts to good diplomacy by members of the hemisphere’s democratic club.

She had at the time noted that “Guyana is certainly not Venezuela; let’s keep it that way.”

Most recently, several US Senators have called directly upon caretaker President Granger to respect the will of the Guyanese people as expressed in the March 2 elections and to allow a transition to democratic governance.

It is to be seen whether Nagamootoo’s “feral blast” will be echoed at the latest US calls for democracy in Guyana.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 50% of businesses Fire destroys ND&S factory, furniture store laid off staff – GMSA M

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s the business sector continues to face serious blows from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has positioned that over half of the local establishments have resorted to a partial opening with others signalling the intention of relieving staffers.

The Association would have conducted a survey among its members to assess the impact of the pandemic on the business community and the areas where intervention is needed. It was found that 50 per cent of businesses are now operating partly; while over 50 per cent have already or plan to let go of employees.

Some of the main challenges at present circle around a lower demand than normal; inadequate cash flow to maintain operation; disrupted supply chains and affected customers.

Addressing the situation, GMSA President Shyam Nokta said that the COVID-19 crisis has significantly affected businesses globally, and in particular, Guyana.

“The sub-sectors of the GMSA and the business community as a whole are suffering immensely in this challenging period and urgent actions are needed to provide support to keep businesses going,” Nokta said on Friday.

Nokta went on to say that concerns continue to surface about the incomplete electoral process, and the GMSA is “anxiously” awaiting the election of a democratic Government based on the recount results. He insisted that the will of the people must be respected.

“I note with concern the further delays to the conclusion of the elections process. We are anxiously looking forward to having a democratically elect-

GMSA President, Shyam Nokta

ed Government in place, based on the results of the recount process and reflective of the will of the people, and with whom we can start to work with immediately to discuss interventions to support the manufacturing and services sector,” he asserted.

Last month, Guyana Times reported that many small businesses are struggling to survive.

This publication made a visit to the business hub of Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), where businessmen and women decried the present economic crises in Guyana. The public health ordinance for COVID-19 states that only “essential businesses” are allowed to operate but according to them, this has made it harder on them to make ends meet.

The GMSA is made up of numerous stakeholders who have said that the political uncertainty combined with the coronavirus threat is creating hardship for all.

illions of dollars in furniture and equipment were destroyed when the ND&S furniture store and factory, located at Lot 40 B and C Gap Road, La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD), went up in flames.

Guyana Times understands that the flames erupted at about 11:00h on Thursday evening in the factory and quickly razed the three-storey building which housed the furniture store, the factory, and a living quarter for the owner.

When this publication visited the scene, the proprietor, Parasram Mahadeo, was being comforted and supported by relatives and neighbours who had rendered assistance to help save items from the burning building.

Mahadeo stated that he was asleep but was awoken by his neighbour who saw smoke emanating from the factory.

The remains of the building after the inferno was extinguished on Thursday evening

that he managed to escape in the nick of time after realising that the building was engulfed.

“I then made a dash upstairs to get some documents, and when I come out there was spoke in front, so I had to use another entrance but that had smoke also, so I come at the front of the veranda and use a billboard to slide down,” He explained.

The distressed businessman

The ND&S furniture store and factory, located at Lot 40 B and C Gap Road, La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD)

“Soon as I open the door, there was a fire below the factory, so I rushed down here and asked him to call the fire service.”

Mahadeo further stated

stated that he is at a loss as to what may have caused the fire, noting that millions of dollars in investment has been lost.

“There is a lot of unfinished and finished products, there is

a lot of materials, hardware and also a lot of equipment.

Some of that equipment we cannot replace them; so, some of the furniture the guys working on is 80 per cent finished some are 10 per cent, so it is hard to calculate,” the man noted with tears in his eyes.

Mahadeo also pointed out that he is concerned about his 32 members of staff, who are now out of jobs. Nevertheless, he elucidated that he will be working to have the business back in operation as soon as possible.

Firefighters who responded managed to save only part of the building’s lower flat since the raging fire quickly demolished the factory and upper apartment of the three-storey building.

This is not the first time the building was gutted by fire. Last year February, the same building was reduced to debris after a fire of unknown origin had ripped through the two-storey concrete and wooden structure. (Shemar Alleyne)

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Limited incoming international flights at CJIA to start next week

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he second phase of reopening the Cheddi Jagan International Airport is set for July 1 and officials are pleased with the established measures to protect against COVID-19.

Health and aviation officials would have completely assessed the facility to ensure that all COVID-19 regulations have been put in place. Next Wednesday, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority will move to employ Phase Two – whereby limited incoming international travel will be facilitated.

Reopening the aviation sector meant establishing selective measures to ensure social distancing, temperature checks or screening, and proper protective measures. The CJIA was reopened in the past weeks to facilitate the repatriation of stranded Guyanese.

Director of Air Transport Management at the GCAA, Saheed Sulaman positioned that the measures can be tweaked to address any faults.

“There are some areas that we need to tweak a little but by a large, we are pleased with what we’ve

Director of Air Transport Management, Saheed Sulaman

done…We’re very much concerned about public safety as well. We are now in the third month of the COVID-19 period and we have issued about maybe five directives dealing with public safety,” he explained.

Phase One would have included plans to open international travel through the development of regulations and engagement with stakeholders.

In explaining the second phase, Sulaman said, “Phase Two, which we have slated to start from the July

1 will see citizens, permanent residents, international workers, diplomats coming to the shores of Guyana and we’re working to make sure we have all the systems in place, the airline understands what will be the new requirements to operate into Georgetown and the airport is also prepared to facilitate the movement of passengers safely through airport and then into Guyana.”

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud insisted that travellers will have to exercise a little more patience when passing through the facilities and checkpoints.

“Some of the important areas we looked at required a little bit more patience on the part of travellers as part of their need for compliance with these guidelines. We know there might be a little bit more than you usually experience along with all those security measures so we’re pleading with everyone to really work with us,” the CMO informed.

From the health point of view, any official or individual within the confines of the airport that experiences

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri

symptoms will be checked and screened.

Travellers coming into

Guyana are required to undergo a PCR test before their flight, and this must

show negative results. If persons are not well, they are advised not to travel.

Lax border control reason for COVID-19 spike – GGDMA

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he alarming hike in COVID-19 cases across several mining communities in Guyana is solely linked to illegal border traffic into the country.

This was the position shared by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), which on Friday stated that it is concerned about the surge in cases relating to the novel coronavirus.

The GGDMA expressed, “It appears that the COVID-19 is being spread at our borders which remain porous because of lax enforcement of crossings and other border control measures, this must be addressed immediately by the authorities,” the Association stated.

The mining organisation went on to say that these positive cases are coming into the country through illegal crossing through mining landings and dwellings. Itinerant workers, the Association noted, are also passing through these regions and contributing to the increased cases.

“Activities at landings and camps that promote the spread of the disease and contribute to the disobedience of the curfew and COVID-19 guidelines must stop. There can be no compromise to ensure the safety of all workers on the mining

GGDMA President, Andron Alphonso

camp,” the GGDMA said, adding that it recognises the increasing spread of the virus and would like to be engaged by the COVID-19 steering committee on whatever decisions are being made for the gold and diamond mining industry to help alleviate this disease.

The statement went on to say that registered businesses and other stakeholders within the mining districts need to abide by the established COVID-19 guidelines and curfew to prevent other hotspots from emerging.

Additionally, miners were urged to continue ad-

herence to the measures and avoid congregating in large numbers. Illegal shops were reminded not to encourage mining workers to flaunt these guidelines, as authorities were called in to remove these establishments.

“Specifically, shops are reminded that no social gatherings or the consumption of food and drinks are to be allowed on premises, customers must purchase and leave…These illegal shops must be removed. We call on the relevant authorities to assist in this regard,” GGDMA stated.

Earlier this month, President of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), Andron Alphonso insisted that mining has to continue.

He had disclosed that the mining sector is currently working along with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to establish long-term protocols that will guide the industry’s operations with the aim of protecting both its members as well as vulnerable hinterland communities.

Among these protocols was enhanced testing for miners heading into mining sites and for those already at those locations, the GGDMA President noted. He explained that the Association had started to put together something initially but recognised that medical expertise was needed to tackle this pandemic.

This guideline will be completed by next week.

The mining official further revealed that the GGDMA is also in talks with the Public Health Ministry to potentially purchase testing kits not just for miners but also residents of these vulnerable mining communities.

There have been calls by hinterland communities as well as human rights bodies for mining to be removed from the list of essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic amid raising fears that persons travelling from the coastland would transport the virus to their villages.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Spare Guyana further shame – former diplomat says Caricom should tell Granger

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aribbean Community (Caricom) leaders should be firm in telling President David Granger that he has lost the elections and should spare Guyana “any further shame” by conceding defeat rather than tightening his grip on power through fraudulent elections results.

This view was expressed

by John Beale, a former Ambassador of Barbados to the US and Permanent Representative to the OAS, via an opinion piece published by Caribbean News Service on Thursday.

According to Beal, the attempts by the incumbent APNU/AFC coalition to “steal the elections” have not worked, since based on the evidence that has been presented so far, it is clear that the Opposition PPP/C has convincingly won the March 2, General and Regional Elections.

“Granger should be told by all Caricom leaders that all attempts to steal the elections have failed and are over. He should go now, put an end to the abuse of the court system, and spare Guyana any further shame,” Beale wrote in the opinion piece.

Beale added that the “dark forces” in Guyana must not be allowed to “contaminate or disgrace” other countries in Caricom that value democracy and free and fair elections.

“This Guyana elec-

Former Ambassador of Barbados to the US and Permanent Representative to the OAS, John Beale

tion has brought shame on Guyana, and risks tainting all of Caricom. The matter has now been taken to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) from which the people of our region expect fairness and justice,” he added.

The former diplomat reminded that Guyana has been known for election-rigging going back to the days of Forbes Burnham, the first leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), which is the main party in the APNU/AFC coalition.

Beale said that the name Clairmont Mingo has already been carved in infamy in the history of Guyana.

Mingo was found to have heavily inflated votes in favour of the APNU/AFC so that the coalition would have surpassed the PPP/C’s overall lead and be declared the ‘winner’.

The former Ambassador also waded into Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, whom he said is now rivalling Mingo for “infamy.”

He noted that Lowenfield, along with President Granger, on the day of the elections, proclaimed it to be “free and fair” and all of the Elections Observer Missions agreed.

Beale explained that all that was left to be done was for the votes in each electoral district to be counted and a winner declared. He said with the PPP/C ahead after 9 of the 10 districts were counted, Mingo appeared with his “magical numbers”.

Beale related that so far, between Mingo and Lowenfield, the officials of GECOM have produced four different sets of figures at different times, not one pairing the other, but none of them matching the total votes as reflected in the Statements of Poll from each of the Electoral Districts on March 2.

He posited that Lowenfield was given the opportunity to provide a report to the Commission, in which he bold-facedly stated, with no evidence, that 115,587 votes were fraudulent, and he handed a “victory” to the APNU/AFC. Only on Friday, Chairman of Caricom, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley fired back at her critics, telling them

Caricom Chair, Mia Mottley

bluntly; “the truth hurts, and what we must never do in Caricom is avoid the truth and avoid our principles.”

Mottley was at the time responding to a question

from the Barbados media in relation to the unwarranted attacks she received for her strong stance against attempts to alter the results of the March 2 General and Regional Elections in Guyana.

In a video statement earlier in the week, PM Mottley had asserted that Lowenfield’s numbers cannot vary from those coming out of the National Recount.

However, immediately after her comments were made public, the APNU/ AFC coalition went into attack mode against the Bajan PM, as they have done with all other stakeholders who have called for the results to be declared on the basis of

Caretaker President , David Granger

the National Recount.

The Caricom scrutineers had certified that the PPP/C won the elections by over 15,500 votes.

2 charged for armed robbery committed on businessman

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wo men who executed a daring robbery on a businessman at Friendship, Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara (ECD), were remanded to prison when they appeared at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Andrew McPherson, 23, of Princes Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, along with 22-year-old Alex Joseph of D’Urban Street, Georgetown, were not required to plea to the charge when it was read to them

by Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

Reports are that on June 17, 2020, the businessman was sitting under a shed chatting with friends when McPherson walked into the yard and demanded that he hand over his cellphone.

After some resistance, McPherson relieved the businessman of his cellphone and

Andrew McPherson during the robbery

made good his escape in a white 212 motor car driven by his accomplice, Joseph.

Magistrate Azore remanded both men to prison until June 29, 2020.

15 new COVID-19 cases recorded in Region 1

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nother 15 new COVID-19 cases were recorded as of Friday, which moved Guyana’s total statistics to 230. Alarmingly, all of the new cases were detected in Region One (Barima-Waini) – a new hotspot for the novel coronavirus.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud shared these figures during the dai-

ly briefing, where he confirmed that deaths remain at 12. Guyana Times understands that the new infections were all from one family.

Within 24 hours, 68 tests

were conducted and 15 returned positive. The previous day, six cases were confirmed. This means that in just two days, Guyana saw an upsurge of 21 coronavirus cases.

At present, a total of 109 persons have recovered while there are 109 active cases in institutional isolation, 16 persons in institutional quarantine and one

patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit. Health authorities have conducted 2423 tests with 2193 of those being negative.

The CMO recognised the work of frontline work-

ers in Regions One (BarimaWaini) and Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) – both of which have witnessed a surge in positive cases.

He added, “Our workers are continuing to put themselves at risk to ensure that we can detect this disease early and isolate those persons who are sick so that we can contain this pandemic.”

He called on the residents of Moruca and those of mining communities in Region Seven to heed the warnings broadcasted to them from the Ministry. Dr Persaud reminded that the disease is easily transmitted when you are in close contact with someone who is positive.

“We have indicated that a large number of positive cases in both of these regions have no signs and symptoms, so they are what we call asymptomatic. These persons can transmit this disease and you will not even know that they are sick because there is no sign to tell you this. I continue to urge you to wear a mask and observe the physical distance guidelines provided.”

Meanwhile, Toshaos and Village Councillors were reminded of their role during the pandemic to ensure that villagers abide by measures intended to protect them.

He said to the village leaders, “We need you to im-

and encourage as you prepare them mentally for the two days of exams,” he suggested.

According to the World Health Organisation, the

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud

press upon your villagers and workers the importance of what we are saying. All of the evidence points to the fact that if the guidelines are followed, the disease will be contained.”

For examination students and school activities, the CMO clarified that parents have to adopt the new rules when sending their children to school. On July 1 and 2, students will be writing the National Grade Six Assessment exam.

“Parents, you cannot enter the compound with your child, that they will be sitting at some distance away from each other and that during the breaks they will not be allowed to congregate with their friends. Over the weekend, please support

total number of cases is 9,296,202 with 479,133 deaths. In the region of the Americas, the number of cases is 4,604,134 with 230,165 deaths.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana’s political impasse

CCJ commits to timely conclusion of matters

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he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has committed to ensuring there is a timely conclusion to all the matters brought before it in relation to the current political impasse in Guyana following the March 2, General and Regional Elections.

During Thursday’s case management conference, which was held via video conference, CCJ President Justice Adrian Saunders said the Court would deal with the issue of jurisdiction and all the substantive matters on Wednesday, July 1 at 9:00h.

Justice Saunders outlined four core issues which he said are before the Court.

Firstly, whether the Court of Appeal had jurisdiction to entertain the application that was made to

it.

Secondly, if the Court of Appeal lacked such jurisdiction, what is the consequence of this in relation to the proposed appeal to the CCJ? Thirdly, if the Court of Appeal had rightly assumed jurisdiction, what is the consequence of that in relation to the proposed appeal to the CCJ? And fourthly, if the Court of Appeal rightly assumed jurisdiction, and it exceeded its jurisdiction, what is the consequence of that in relation to the proposed appeal to the CCJ? Justice Saunders indicated that, in the interest of time, all the issues would be consolidated into one. The Court also set strict timelines for the various parties to make their submissions

CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders

ahead of Wednesday’s marathon hearing.

PPP/C’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali and PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, through a battery of lawyers, led by

Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes and including Attorneys Anil Nandlall, Devindra Kissoon and Sanjeev Datadin among others, had approached the CCJ on Tuesday for special leave to challenge a decision of Guyana’s Court of Appeal, which asserted jurisdiction and ruled in the Eslyn David matter on Monday that “more votes cast” means “more valid votes cast” in the context of the recount order.

The PPP/C is contending that the Appeal Court’s pronouncements have “plunged the law in total confusion and it is now no longer clear how an election of members of the National Assembly is to be challenged and how the election of the President can be challenged”.

Among the respondents in the case are: A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) supporter

Eslyn David, who is represented by a legal team led

by Senior Counsel John Jeremie; Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield; GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, represented by Attorneyat-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas; Attorney General Basil Williams, who appeared in person; and representatives from the newer political parties – the joinder parties (A New and United Guyana, Liberty and Justice Party and The New Movement) represented by Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran; as well as Change Guyana and The Citizen Initiative, represented by Attorney Kashir Khan – that contested the March 2 polls.

Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice Claudette Singh, had instructed the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, to submit his

filed report based on the figures emanating from the National Recount, which show the PPP/C in a landslide victory with over 15,000 votes more than the incumbent APNU/AFC coalition.

However, before Lowenfield submitted his report last week, he was served with the Eslyn David Notice of Motion.

After the Appeal Court’s majority ruling on Monday that is has jurisdiction to hear the case, the CEO went ahead and submitted his report to GECOM, disenfranchising more than 115,000 voters. This was despite the Court of Appeal staying its judgement for three days.

The CCJ has since issued an order preventing GECOM from declaring the results of the March 2, 2020 elections until the hearing and determination of the questions raised before it.

2-year-old still missing after boat capsized Mother of 2 disappeared without

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s the investigation continues into the disappearance of twoyear-old Nandra Albana, who fell into the Kukui River, Upper Mazaruni, a team of police ranks revisited the scene on Friday but came up empty-handed.

Despite hours of searching, the detectives were still unable to locate the child’s body.

The child, of Phillipai Village, Upper Mazaruni River, went missing on Tuesday last at about 16:30h after a canoe capsized. At the time of the incident, the child’s parents and five others were travelling in the ca-

a trace almost two months ago

T noe when it allegedly came into contact with an object, thus causing it to topple.

It was reported that after everyone reached the shore, they realised that the child was missing.

Efforts were made by the toddler’s father and other relatives to find her, but they were futile.

CORONAVIRUS

(COVID-19) INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

It has now been four days since the child went underwater and didn’t resurface.

Regional Commander Linden Lord told Guyana Times on Friday that since the toddler fell into the river, searches are been done daily to retrieve her body.

Investigations continue.

he family of a South Ruimveldt, Georgetown woman is fearing the worst after she disappeared without a trace more than a month ago.

Missing is 23-year-old Queen Esther Cooke, who went missing in May. Cousin of the woman, Lanthee Moses told Guyana Times that Cooke was living home with someone for the past few months. However, when efforts were made to contact her via her mobile phone, family members

SYMPTOMS

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

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

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

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

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

(Adapted from BBC News)

Headache

Chills

Sore throat

Repeated shaking with chills

Muscle pain

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

Missing: Queen Esther Cooke

were met with hostility by a man on the other end of the line. The voice, family members stated, is not known to the family.

“When they called her phone, even when her grandfather called her phone, a guy answers the phone and cuss them up,” she said Binta Moses, an aunt, related that it is highly unlikely that her niece would leave and not reach out to her family since they had a good relationship.

The woman, who lives

abroad, explained that she last heard from her niece in May when she called desperately pleading for money for personal reasons. The aunt noted that she sent the money but it was never uplifted.

The missing woman’s two children have not heard from her either.

“All we are asking is for her to make contact with us, just so that we can know that she okay… that’s our concern, we just want to know if she is in any danger, because we don’t know exactly what is happening with her.”

The police have launched an investigation but were unable to locate the mother of two. The family is now relying on the public to assist them in locating the woman.

Anyone with information about Cooke’s whereabouts is asked to contact the family on telephone numbers 6133277 or 6754612 or the nearest police station.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Lowenfield should be ashamed to say he supervised “tainted” elections – regional political analyst

Regional Political Consultant Peter Wickham

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egional Political Scientist Peter Wickham has blasted Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield over his recent report, in which he is not only making claims of unsubstantiated irregularities, but has also discarded over 115,000 valid votes.

According to Wickham, if this is indeed the case, then it is an indictment on not just Lowenfield’s part, but also the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) – the agency that was responsible for supervising the elections and of which the CEO is a staff.

“So, is Lowenfield saying

that he supervised an election in which 50 per cent of the votes cast should not have been cast. What about his scrutineers? What about his teams? What about the electoral ink? Is he suggesting that he himself… and others were responsible for a tainted process in which persons were able to subvert the regulations that he put in place?” Wickham has asked.

“Let’s be clear: elections are supervised by GECOM. If there is a failure regarding that, it’s GECOM’s failure, and I think they should be holding their heads in shame to suggest that they supervised an election in which half of the people who voted should not have voted. That’s my concern, it’s a self-indictment, the gravity of which we have not previously heard in the Caribbean,” Wickham asserted during the regional programme: “The Week That Was with Zerith McMillan”.

Elections a simple process

The regional political analyst pointed out that the elections process is a simple one, whereby the party with the most votes is declared the winner, and any-

one who objects can do so in an elections petition after a declaration of those results, which is the practice throughout the region.

The recently concluded Caribbean Community (Caricom)-supervised National Recount shows the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic in a landslide lead with over 15,000 votes more than the caretaker APNU/AFC Coalition. As such, Wickham has made it clear that this prolonged electoral process should come to an end based on these results, so that citizens would be able to move on with their lives.

While the Coalition has since challenged the outcome of the 34-day exercise, the regional political scientist contended that now is not the time to do this.

“We have rules regarding the management of an election. We have rules going in that…this is the agency that will manage the election and the person that gets the most votes wins. We also have a rule that says if someone is able to subvert that process, and if that process does not stand up to scrutiny, there is an Elections Court that will sit. They will

2 in custody for Enmore hit and run

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olice have two persons in custody following a hit and run along the Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), that has left 16year old Sheldon Cleon Major dead, and 14-yearold Christopher Pollard hospitalised.

Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Andries Junor confirmed to Guyana Times that indeed a suspect was arrested, and a vehicle impounded, as the probe into the accident continues.

On Sunday, at about 19:00h, the two teens were found by a passerby lying motionless on the northern edge of the road. Pollard was in a semi-conscious state at the time.

Both of the young men had visible injuries about their heads and bodies and were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where Major was pronounced dead on arrival.

Government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on Friday confirmed that the injuries Major sustained are due to the impact of a motor vehi-

Dead: Sheldon Cleon Major

Injured: Christopher Pollard

cle.

The teen’s aunt, Jaisa James, on Monday, told Guyana Times that she left the teens at home just a few hours before the accident. At that time, Major was helping his mother with her cleaning.

She said that she subsequently received a phone call informing her that the teenagers were involved in

a serious accident.

Upon arriving on the scene, James said she found the two boys lying motionless on the road.

She added that relatives were told by persons on the scene that a silver car hit the young men, but no one could have identified the driver.

The family is calling for justice for the two boys.

Aroaima man jailed, fined $2.8M for narco-trafficking

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man, who failed to make a virtual appearance before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Friday was sentenced to

three years’ imprisonment together with a fine of $2,088,450 after he was found guilty of narco-trafficking. Brentnol Shultz of Landerville, Aroaima, Upper Berbice River, was

caught by Police with 1923 grams of cannabis sativa at Ituni, Upper Berbice River, on March 6, 2019.

He was sentenced in absentia.

hear the evidence and decide the way it goes. That’s the way it has always been, and that’s the way in has been in the last 40/50 years in the Caribbean,” Wickham explained.

Unacceptable

According to the regional political scientist, it is unacceptable the way events have unfolded since the completion of the recount exercise, which has been certified by GECOM as well as overseas observers.

“I do agree that the Guyana elections situation is something that clearly needs attention, but I also agree that this GECOM is not the agency that should deal with it. You need rootand-branch reform. Clearly, it has to come from somewhere else, but in the meantime, follow the rules of the

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

game that says the person that gets the most votes wins,” he posited.

Despite being asked to prepare a report based on the results of the National Recount, Lowenfield submitted a report to the seven-member Elections

Commission in which he invalidated more than 115,000 votes based on unsubstantiated claims of irregularities.

But Wickham has argued that even if the votes were indeed tainted, the credibility of the Chief Elections Officer and his Secretariat has been destroyed, and as such, they should never be trusted to manage the country’s electoral process ever again.

“Keith Lowenfield said a lot of things. Keith Lowenfield also said that he had Statements of Poll (SoPs) to support the suggestion that a different result was cast earlier. So, his reputation is being thoroughly destroyed as far as I’m concerned… Why (should) we put confidence in them to hold another election? For them to supervise it in the same way?” he stressed.

Energy Dept shortlists 19 to sell Guyana’s share of oil

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uyana’s Department of Energy (DoE) has shortlisted 19 top global petroleum commodities’ traders to submit formal proposals for consideration to market and sell Guyana’s entitlements of crude oil from the Liza Destiny in the Stabroek Block.

The announcement was made by the Department on Friday, and those shortlisted include ExxonMobil (USA), Lukoil Oil Company, Petrobras Global Trading BV, and Glencore Limited, among others.

On May 21 last, the Department had disclosed that 34 companies had submitted Expressions of

Interest for the “Provision of Marketing Services for Guyana’s Oil Entitlement from the Lisa Destiny FPSO Vessel.”

The companies had been informed that the shortlisted companies would be notified in June.

To ensure adequate expertise in the shortlisting process, the DoE’s Head, Dr Mark Bynoe, had also disclosed that experts were being sought to help to evaluate the prospective marketers.

As such, the DoE stated that Guyana “intends to hire an oil marketing/trading company in 2020, for the marketing services of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana’s Crude

Oil Entitlement from the Liza Destiny FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) Vessel”, and that as part of the process, a five-member Evaluation Committee was formed to shortlist the companies from the initial list of 34.

The members of the Committee were not identified at the time by the DoE. It was explained that there were detailed checks of “each firm’s Expression of Interest for general and technical data in relation to qualifications and experience pertinent to the assignment at hand.”

The gamut of shortlisted companies announced by the DoE includes:

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dharmic Sabha calls The long-term health for accountability impacts of the coronavirus from GECOM …condemns attacks on Caricom Chair

Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) President, Dr Vindhya Persaud

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he Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) has called for democracy and accountability to be respected by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the declaration of the March 2 elections results, which it said must reflect all the votes cast and the will of the Guyanese people.

In a statement on Friday evening, the religious organisation lamented the fact that there is yet to be an official declaration of the elections results almost four months after Guyanese voted.

“The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha commends our Guyanese brothers and sisters for their patience throughout this period… We must continue to insist on respect for democracy and accountability from GECOM in the declaration of the elections results reflecting all the votes and the will of the Guyanese people,” the missive detailed.

The GHDS further expressed concerns over the developments surrounding Guyana’s protracted elections process.

A Caribbean Community (Caricom)-supervised National Recount shows a victory for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). But despite being instructed to conduct his final elections report based on the recount figures, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield went ahead and invalidated more than 115,000 voters in his recent report.

To this end, the GHDS reminded that the lengthy recount exercise was observed by all parties and the results were described by the special Caricom observer team as being acceptable and constituting the basis for the declaration of credible results of the March 2, 2020 elections.

In fact, it was noted that even the international community has also joined calls for a declaration of the results on the basis of the recount, with Caricom Chair and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados being one of those prominent voices.

On this note, the local religious organisation called the attacks on PM Mottley reprehensible.

The GHDS contended that as a Head of State, the current Caricom Chair and an outstanding Caribbean woman, Prime Minister Mottley has the inalienable right to express her views on the current untenable post-election state-of-affairs in Guyana. It further noted that the report, prepared by the high-level Caricom team that observed the recount process at the behest and approval of President David Granger, has provided the basis for PM Mottley, as the sitting Chair of Caricom, to give a statement on Guyana’s unresolved elections.

“To spew vitriol and offensive remarks on this distinguished leader for speaking in her characteristic forthright manner about the “bizarre” nature of the post-elections period, as well as the attempt by CEO of GECOM to manipulate the elections results by disenfranchising thousands (115,000) of voters is offensive and disrespectful,” the organisation asserted in its statement.

According to the GHDS, PM Mottley’s comments mirror the sentiments of many Guyanese, global leaders, international organisations and the diplomatic community.

“In the zeal to disagree politically, people must not degenerate into indecency and flagrant disrespect. Leaders must be responsible and set a good example for their supporters. Everyone is entitled to express their views and differ but spewing hate is not going to change the fact that Guyana still remains in limbo four months after elections with a stagnant economy, concerns related to COVID-19 and many challenges facing our nation and its people as a result of this impasse,” the local religious body posited.

Against this backdrop, the GHDS urged persons to let their words and conduct be free from hatred, resentment and ill-will, as it reminded of the utmost importance that all Guyanese stand together as Guyana prepares to present its case on the border controversy with Venezuela before the International Court of Justice on June 30.

Dr Tariq Jagnarine BSc, MD, MMed FAM Medicine, CCFP

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here is growing concern about the potential longterm consequences of COVID-19, with reports of symptoms lingering for weeks and even months. Survivors want to know how long these afflictions will last or if they will ever completely go away, not to mention what might be waiting around the corner in the months Dr Tariq Jagnarine and years to come.

While it might feel like we have been in collective quarantine forever, COVID-19 is still a very new disease that has only been present in humans for over six months. That means long-term studies of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and subsequent infection are in their infancy. However, experts can take clues from other viral illnesses to try to predict how survivors might fare one, two, five, or 10 years from now.

Lungs One of the primary concerns after a respiratory infection like COVID-19 is whether lung function will be permanently altered.

Whether it is a typical pneumonia, an influenza pneumonia, or even a COVID-19 pneumonia, once persons were not sick enough to be hospitalized, there is the likelihood that they are going to bounce back to a normal pre-illness status. It may take four to six weeks even after the recovery has begun for the X-ray to get back to normal, but very often it will in those more mild and moderate cases.

However, there is a risk of scarring and more permanent lung damage in people who are hospitalized and ventilated. Many times, the post-recovery chest X-ray and CAT scans of the chest will show areas of scarring that may never really completely improve. That is going to have to be taken as a potential sign that they will not be able to get back to the lung function they had prior to the illness, leaving a fair amount of impairment.

Heart Over the past two months, one of the deadliest effects of COVID-19 that has emerged is its impact on the heart. Research indicates that 20% to 30% of hospitalized patients experience heart problems, and cardiovascular complications contribute to 40% of all deaths.

It is unclear of the cause of the different cardiovascular symptoms such as: heart failure, heart attacks, myocarditis, and treatment are undiscovered as well. In some cases, the persons who are experiencing heart problems with COVID-19 already had underlying high blood pressure or heart disease issues, but in other instances, there were no known risk factors.

Cardiovascular complications are not unique to COVID-19.

Many viral infections can cause myocarditis — the technical name for inflammation of the heart — which is typically thought to be a side effect of the body’s inflammatory immune response. Most people recover from myocarditis on their own, but some people do experience permanent damage to the heart muscle.

There is also a known link between heart disease and respiratory infections, with a 2-6 fold increase in the risk for heart attack and stroke up to a month after having the flu, although the risk is highest in the first week. Even blood clots are not unheard of with other viruses, doctors saw similar evidence of blood clotting during the 2003 SARS outbreak. Once caught early, these complications can be treated with medication. However, another follow-up study of recovered SARS patients showed that 44% had various cardiovascular abnormalities 12 years after infection.

Immune system Another consideration is the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on a person’s risk for other infections. In a recent study, researchers found that 20% of people with COVID-19 were also infected with other viruses, including influenza, rhinovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus.

Typically, the presence of one virus decreases a person’s risk of another infection because the immune system is already activated.

A type of protein called interferon is released with the first wave of the immune response and interferes with the virus’s ability to replicate and fight off other viral infections.

One reason the novel coronavirus is so pernicious is that it appears to suppress these interferons, meaning that not only is the COVID-19 infection worse, but there may also be a heightened risk for future infections. The virus teaches the cells, to stop making interferon, and so it actually reduces ones immunity either to second infections [of SARS-CoV-2] or potentially to even other viruses. While the research on the novel coronavirus’s impact on interferons is preliminary, SARS and MERS had a similar effect on the immune system, and there are several cases of people infected with MERS also contracting influenza and tuberculosis.

Neurocognitive and mental health impacts COVID-19 also seems to affect the central nervous system, with potentially long-lasting consequences. In one study from China, more than a third of 214 people hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 had neurological symptoms, including dizziness, headaches, impaired consciousness, vision, taste/smell impairment, and nerve pain while they were ill. These symptoms

were more common in patients with severe cases, where the incidence increased to 46.5 percent. Another study in France found neurologic features in 58 of 64 critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Looking back to SARS and MERS suggests that COVID-19 patients may have slightly delayed onset of neurological impacts.

Which appeared in patients 2 to 3 weeks into the course of the illness. These included muscular weakness, burning or prickling, and numbness, and the breakdown of muscle tissue into the blood.

Neurological injuries, including impaired balance and coordination, confusion, and coma, were also found with MERS. Long-term complications of COVID-19 — whether caused by the virus itself or the inflammation it triggers — could include decreased attention, concentration, and memory, as well as dysfunction in peripheral nerves.

There are other cognitive implications for people who receive intensive treatment in hospitals. For example, delirium, which is an acutely disturbed state of mind that can result in confusion and seeing or hearing things that are not there. It affects a third or more of ICU patients, and research suggests the presence of delirium during severe illness predicts future long-term cognitive decline.

Previous research on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) more generally may also provide clues to what neurological issues critically ill COVID-19 patients might see after leaving the hospital.

Research shows one in five ARDS survivors experiences longterm cognitive impairment, even five years after being discharged.

Continuing impairments can include short-term memory problems and difficulty with learning and executive function. These can lead to challenges like difficulty working, impaired money management, or struggling to perform daily tasks.

ARDS survivors frequently have increased rates of depression and anxiety, and many experience post-traumatic stress. Although it is still too early to have much data on COVID-19, during the SARS outbreak, former patients struggled with psychological distress and stress for at least a year after the outbreak.

Childhood inflammation, male infertility, and other possible lasting effects The novel coronavirus continues to frustrate scientists and patients alike with its mysteries. One of these is a small but growing number of children who recently began showing up at doctors’ offices in Britain, Italy, and Spain with strange symptoms, including a rash, a high fever, and heart inflammation.

On May 4, the New York City Health Department noted that at least 15 children with these symptoms had been hospitalized there, too. These cases present like a severe immune response called Kawasaki disease, where blood vessels can begin to leak, and fluid builds up in the lungs and other major organs. Children who survive the Kawasaki-like conditions can suffer from myocardial and vascular complications in adulthood. Nevertheless, it is too early to know how —COVID-related cases will develop. Many of the small number of reported cases appear to be responding well to treatment.

Researchers are now, suggesting that COVID-19 may pose particular problems for men beyond their disproportionate mortality from the illness. The testicles contain a high number of ACE2 receptors resulting in a theoretical possibility of testicular damage and subsequent infertility following COVID-19 infection.

A recent study shows that in 81 men with COVID-19, male hormone ratios were off, which could signal trouble for fertility down the line. After recovery from COVID-19, young men who are interested in having children should receive a consultation regarding their fertility.

Moreover, it is just the beginning of figuring out what this complex infection means for other organ systems and their recovery.

Overall well-being A final consideration is the consequence of hospitalization or weeks of being bed-bound on the body’s recovery. The consensus is that people with weak health systems prior to contracting COVID-19, will be more severely affected and take longer to recover and regain strength.

Post-viral fatigue syndrome is one potential explanation for the chronic fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pain, and cognitive fuzziness that can linger after a viral illness.

Post-intensive care syndrome and post-viral fatigue syndrome are general terms for the physical and cognitive impairment, that can follow serious illnesses, which are both concerns with COVID-19. With post-intensive care syndrome, being sedated and bed-bound in the ICU can result in muscle atrophy, problems with memory and concentration, and even emotional issues similar to post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Even in people who were not hospitalized for COVID-19, recovery can be a long, slow journey, as indicated by the experiences of post-infected persons. Post-viral fatigue syndrome is one potential explanation for the chronic fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle pain, and cognitive fuzziness that can linger after a viral illness.

Doctors are not entirely sure what causes the syndrome, naming a lingering infection, inflammation in the brain, or an overreaction of the immune system as possible sources. There are also no real treatments for the condition, and while symptoms often resolve after a few months, some cases may be permanent.

Since so little is unknown about the novel coronavirus, its symptoms, and the potential for long-term consequences. It is imperative that survivors volunteer to be part of scientific studies about the illness. We are still in the early phase of understanding this virus and its impact on the growing number of COVID-19 survivors and symptoms they might expect to have, how long it might take them to get back to feeling normal or if they ever will, and other precautions that might need to be in place.

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 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

PM Mottley did not “direct” or “sought WPO condemns to direct that GECOM use invalid disrespect of Prime votes” to declare the elections winner Minister Mia Mottley

Dear Editor, The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) recently held its case management proceeding for the pending Eslyn David matter. Reference is made to two separate articles on June 26 in the Chronicle, reporting on what transpired at the court.

First, in “No external pressure,” we are told that the CCJ said its work will be unaffected by external comments; those are, from CARICOM leaders as to our elections. A complaint was raised by one of David’s attorneys.

In singling out the Prime Minister of Barbados, Caricom Chair Mia Mottley, the Chronicle said: “Mottley, as recent as Wednesday, delivered stinging criticisms against the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield and sought to direct that GECOM use invalid votes to declare the March 2, 2020 elections.”

Prime Minister Mottley did not “direct” or “sought to direct that GECOM use invalid votes” to declare the elec-

tions winner. Her now famous speech is available online for verification.

One can only conclude that this is part of an ongoing campaign that Congress Place has initiated to discredit the CARICOM observers’ report and the CARICOM Chair, for accepting the truth that the Coalition lost a free and fair election. This campaign will fail. Indeed, it is already failing, as the prime minister has rebutted: “The truth hurts.”

In a second article titled, “PPP/C in failed bid to block CEO’s report,” the Chronicle joyfully noted that the CCJ did not substantively address the GECOM CEO’s report prepared in breach of the stay issued by the Court of Appeal in the David matter.

While the CCJ remarked that the CEO was conspicuously absent from court, the Chronicle, in a praiseworthy manner, said that Guyana’s Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams, “in offering clarity, pointed out that the CEO’s re-

port was submitted ahead of the order issued by the CCJ.” But the Chronicle did not say that the AG was the first party to defend the GECOM CEO and his report which shows that the Coalition won the elections, making the AG a direct political beneficiary of the CEO’s action and his report. The AG attempted to bypass this by noting that he spoke in the interest of justice.

Be that as it may, when an AG defends a chief elections officer whose action seeks to unlawfully disenfranchise at least 115,000 electors, such defense cannot wholly be “in the interest of justice.”

Something else is at work.

After all, reading the CEO’s own words, he ought to have been in court. On June 26, he responded to a news item as follows: “While the Commission makes certain policy decisions and provides guidance to the Chief Election Officer for implementation by the Secretariat, I have to execute my duties

as a Constitutional Officer, particularly in the conduct of Elections” (see SN 6/26).

The court proceeding is entirely about elections that he supervised. He allegedly was provided multiple notices of the proceeding, yet he was conveniently absent.

Or, as counsel for Messrs Bharrat Jagdeo and Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Douglas Mendes, SC, stated: “Obviously, he has deliberately stayed away.”

If, as the AG noted, he was not a “messenger” when asked by Mendes to convey a message to the CEO; that is: to withdraw the report, why was he eager to speak in defense of the CEO’s absence or the issuance of the report? Is that not like bringing a message?

One would think that is a reasonable inference. Said another way, the AG arguably defended the missing CEO and that notorious report because he had motive.

Dear Editor, It has been over 110 days since Elections Day when 464,565 Guyanese stepped forward to cast their ballots on March 2, 2020. As this nation found out from the Elections Day count and the recount exercise conducted at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, 460,352 or approximately 99.1 per cent of them successfully completed valid votes while 4213 or approximately 0.9 per cent of them saw their votes rejected for a variety of reasons by the GECOM staff under observation by the relevant stakeholders. Those Elections Day activities and the subsequent recount exercise produced a clear winner – the PPP/C. It has become apparent that the only reason Mr Mingo chose to alter the vote count of the PPP/C by decreasing their tally by 3847 valid votes (see table - Column J less Column I) was to give a fraudulent advantage to the APNU/AFC at these elections. But when you think Mr Mingo appears to have characteristics of an electoral racketeer, one is now faced with the figures offered by Mr Lowenfield.

Because of Mr Mingo’s

fraud, we had a recount exercise, which lasted some 34 days. During that process, the GECOM staff counted, ascertained, and verified the votes from the 2339 ballot boxes and the totals were compiled on Statements of Recount, which were then aggregated into ten (10) District Tabulation Certificates authenticated by the GECOM staff. The outcome of that exercise illustrated that the APNU/AFC received 217,920 valid votes, which translate to 31 seats, while the PPP/C received 233,336 valid votes, which translate to 33 seats.

However, what has happened since that recount exercise is that the CEO of GECOM unilaterally chose to abrogate the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) to firstly invalidate 275,092 valid votes (Column A less Column C) on June 18, 2020, and then again on June 23, 2020, he attempted to invalidate 115,844 valid votes (Column A less Column D). What is absolutely clear in law is that he cannot legally proceed upon such a path and only an elections court has the authority to inquire into and to pronounce upon the validity of votes al-

ready counted and certified under the ROPA. And such a court can only be established after the swearing-in of the new President. So Mr Lowenfield is out of order and can be accused of being delinquent, grossly negligent, and insubordinate in following a direct instruction from the Madam Chairperson of GECOM. In the Termination and Severance Pay Act, such an action on the part of a worker necessitates summary dismissal and even criminal proceedings being instituted against him under the electoral laws.

What constitutes a rejected vote or for want of a better word, invalid vote, is clearly outlined in Article 87 of the ROPA. Under the law, an invalid vote is one that does not bear an official mark (eg the six-digit stamp), unmarked or voided for certainty, marked for more than one party symbol and marked so that the elector can be identified. In the final analysis, a credible and transparent process witnessed by all the relevant stakeholders identified and categorized 4213 rejected ballots. What this nation does not know is what sort of illegal process Mr Lowenfield's

secretly utilised to personally invalidate 115,844 valid ballots.

It is clear as day that the CEO of GECOM has chosen to do his own thing with a national process and in so doing has chosen in his hallucination to repeal and annul the Constitution, the Rule of Law, the work conducted by hundreds of Guyanese and non-Guyanese in that 34 days recount exercise and most importantly to actively engage in electoral malpractice and voter suppression which is a criminal act. It is now clearly established that the GECOM Secretariat has officially gone rogue on this nation.

It is the sacred duty of the madam Chair as the Head of the GECOM Commission to prevent this nation from sinking into the abyss as a renegade nation that subscribes to a dictatorship rather than the principles of one person: one vote. I am trusting that after she has had an opportunity to gather the right knowledge during the recount process, she will use such knowledge to do right by Guyana; that is my prayer.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

Voter repression

With regards, Sasenarine Singh

Dear Editor, The Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) condemns the disrespect of Prime Minister of Barbados and current Chairwoman of Caricom, Honourable Mia Mottley. Mr. Granger must stop the name calling and insults hurled at the Honourable Mia Mottley.

The March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections were deemed free and fair by APNU+AFC and by local and international observers. The tabulation of the votes came to an abrupt end on the 5th March, 2020 when Mingo attempted, several times, to declared APNU+AFC the winner of the elections. This resulted in several court proceedings, which paved the way for a recount of the ballots. This process was observed by a high-level team from Caricom, which disclosed that the People’s Progressive /Civic won the elections by over 15,000 votes over the incumbent.

Due to the impasse, Mr. Granger invited CARICOM to mediate a way forward, which resulted in Hon. Mia Mottley and four Prime Ministers from the Caribbean visiting Guyana. This paved the way for the Recount of the Ballots.

One hundred and sixteen (116) days after the Recount of the Ballots, the CEO of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, has so far prepared and submitted two reports to the Chairperson of GECOM. The first report disenfranchised over 250,000 voters, and the second report disenfranchised over 115,000 voters. In both reports, Lowenfield changed the results of the Recount and attempted, like Mingo, to declare APNU+AFC as the winner of the elections.

Mr Granger has so far refused to concede, even though the coalition lost the election.

The International Observer Teams, which included the ABCE countries, the OAS, the Commonwealth, CARICOM and other countries, including local observers and the Private Sector, have been very loud and clear in their condemnation of the rigging and disenfranchisement of Guyanese voters. They all demand that ‘All votes must be counted and declared’ and no voter to be disenfranchised.

Recently, this was echoed in a video statement by the CARICOM Chairwoman, Hon. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados.

Mr Granger refused to concede, while he and his coalition partners continue to mislead their supporters into believing that APNU+AFC won the elections. This resulted in the character assassination and abuse of international leaders by APNU+AFC operatives both at

the executive and local levels.

This pretensive caretaker president, because of his lust for power, has continuously violated the Constitution since the No Confidence Motion, and has manipulated the law at every level to stay in government.

Mr Granger has conveniently forgotten the accolades he showered on Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados on February 3, 2020 when she was awarded Guyana’s second highest national award. He said, “Prime Minister Mottley, you have distinguished yourself as an ardent advocate for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). You have combined your almost 30 years of political activism with your personal enthusiasm and your country’s legendary leadership in regional integration.

We applaud your leadership, we applaud your stewardship, and we applaud your willingness to partner with Caribbean States”.

With this same respect, he invited Hon. Mia Mottley, as Chair of CARICOM, to send a team of persons to observe the Recount of Ballots. The CARICOM Observer Team submitted its Report to the Commission upon completion of the recount. Upon recognizing that the report submitted for declaration by GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield was contrary to the findings of the Recount, the CARICOM Chair spoke out. She demanded that every vote must be counted and a winner to be declared based on the results of the recount. Ever since, government officials and supporters have gone on a rampage to assassinate the character of the Honourable Prime Minister.

The WPO calls on Granger to concede to losing the elections and to stop all those associated with him and his Coalition from maligning the good name of the CARICOM Chairwoman. WPO Further encourages Granger to stop lying to his supporters and to respect the Constitution of Guyana.

The WPO calls on the Women and Gender Equality Commission, other women’s organisations, and on all who cherish the rule of a law and democracy, to condemn the attack on the Hon. Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

WPO calls on GECOM Chairwoman to use the powers invested in her to declare the elections based on the numbers of the recount, so that Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali can be sworn in and a legitimate government can manage the affairs of Guyana.

Sincerely, Women’s Progressive Organisation

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

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

GTU’s Mc Donald has CCJ may hold the key to succumbed to political pressure Guyana’s elections declaration Dear Editor, Call it what you will!

Mini-series, circus of clowns, voting from the grave and the blind leading the blind – The election drama in Guyana continues one hundred and seventeen days (117 days) since voters here went to the polls and cast their votes to elect a new President. Even though Guyanese know the true winner of the election, we are yet to officially declare Dr Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s next President.

Guyana must end up in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest election ever. Today it’s obvious that “the CCJ may hold the key to Guyana’s elections declaration”. The CCJ had ordered GECOM not to issue any results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections until the regional court hears and determines an appeal by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic.

The Guyana Elections Commission and its officers and agents will take no step to prejudice the fair hearing of this application, including but not limited to issuing a declaration of the results of the elections held on March 2, 2020, until CCJ issues final orders following the hearing on July 1, 2020, which will be more than 122 days post-elections and counting.

Here we are again with yet another court battle waging, new drama for the people of Guyana. They have gone through enough at the hands of the APNU/ AFC’s “power-drunk” caretaker Government despite the fact that a certified recount of the election results from March 2 shows that the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won the elections with 233,336 votes while

the A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) garnered 217,920 votes.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic is the clear winner by a difference of 15,416 votes. There is enough evidence that APNU/AFC will do anything to remain in power to make sure that their leaders and cabals benefit from our country’s wealth of its newfound oil sector. This result was certified by the Guyana Elections Commission in its recount, overseen by international and regional observers, including Caricom scrutineers.

But GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, intentionally missed a deadline to submit an official report on the official numbers of the election recount as a Guyanese national and supporter of the APNU/AFC party filed a court order in the Guyana Appeals Court that blocked the official announcement of the report. Miss Eslyn David had asked the three Justices to decide on two main points of law – whether it has the jurisdiction to hear the case and whether the order issued by GECOM for the National Recount of the votes granted the statutory body the power to decide on the credibility of the elections. By 2-1 on Monday, June 22, the Guyana Court of Appeal issued an order that the words “more votes are cast” in the Constitution of Guyana should be interpreted to mean “more valid votes are cast.” The Court of Appeal, however, declined to issue other orders which had been sought by David against the GECOM, including various orders restraining Lowenfield from presenting a final report.

Following the Monday ruling, CEO Lowenfield dis-

obeyed a three days court order (stay), submitted what he claimed to be a new report of the “valid and credible votes” at the March 2 polls to the GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh and its 6 Commissioners, showing uncertified recount results with a victory for the APNU/AFC. This was with total disregard for the Appeal Court, blatant and bare-faced dishonesty to the Guyanese people.

In his report, he reportedly invalidated almost 25 per cent of the votes cast at the March 2 polls, Lowenfield’s new numbers show a total of 171,825 votes were cast for the APNU/AFC, compared to 166,343 for the PPP/C and 3348 for a joiner list of new parties. As a result, with an electoral quota of 5300, the coalition would be awarded 33 seats and the PPP/C 31 seats, and the joint list would get one seat, according to the latest Lowenfield report, however, this fictitious report made no sense and it is not clear where these new figures for valid votes originate as it does not align with the numbers previously submitted by Lowenfield on June 17, 2020, more than a week ago. Editor, allow me to offer our esteemed General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo our appreciation for his astute and steadfast leadership in these times of great challenges and in making the correct anticipated move prior to the report’s submission. The PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo and PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali immediately served notice of an appeal of the Guyana Appellate Court’s ruling to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). With that came drama which has

since spilt over into the local and Diaspora Guyanese community, where ugly racial rhetoric is rearing its head in Facebook chatrooms and pages, as the race pits the largely APNU supporters who are largely from the old guard of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), against the predominantly PPP/C supporters but while many Guyanese bicker daily on the global scene, the PNCR, APNU/AFC leaders and their cabals are fast becoming a global joke on social media with some sad musing gaze which is characterised by reflection. It was Dr Bharrat Jagdeo who is dear to our hearts that reminded us during one of his presentations that “in 1953, the people of Guyana were allowed for the first time to exercise their democratic franchise under universal adult suffrage to elect the Government of their choice. Today, 67 years later, our country has learned, through the painful experience of misrule and mismanagement, the vital importance of democracy to our future as a nation.” We recognise that to foster development, reduce poverty and safeguard human dignity, democracy must be allowed to grow and take root.

Having laid the basic foundation for good governance through free and fair elections, we now face the task of building a more prosperous and just society for every Guyanese. The electoral process in Guyana must be brought to an end, based on the results of the National Recount, and a declaration must be made with respect for the will of every Guyanese and their valid votes cast on March 2, 2020.

Sincerely, David Adams

How credible is ‘credible’, or how valid is ‘valid’?

Dear Editor, After an attempt to rig the election on March 3 before local as well as international observers, it was agreed upon that we shall have a recount of the votes.

That recount reasserted what was on the original SoPs which show a clear win for the Opposition PPP/C. The recounted SoRs for all ten administrative regions were credible and were stamped under the certified seal of GECOM as valid votes. Those valid, certified, credible - whichever term you would like to affix to it - showed the Opposition PPP/C winning the election by some 15,416 votes. I am talking about the winner PPP/C 233,336 votes and the loser incumbent APNU/AFC 217,920 votes. The empirical evidence before us shows that

the PPP/C is emphatically or undeniable the winners of the March 2, 2020 elections.

It is now the statutory duty of the Chief Elections Officer to go through the formalities of tabulating those votes and presenting same to the Chairwoman of GECOM for declaration and the swearing-in of the winner.

Instead, the CEO took upon himself to sit with his comrades at Congress Place and alter the figures and present these to the Chairwoman.

Now my question is this, why did the Chairwoman countenance such a report in the first place? From the moment Lowenfield presented or attempted to present such a report, he should have been met with a warrant for his arrest.

What the CEO did was barefacedly sourcing a fraud,

that is, falsifying or tampering with publicly certified documents. This constitutes open fraud and should have been dealt with jail time, swift and condign. Why toy around with a public officer who is deeply steeped in fraud, one who is resolutely poised to place his political party in office come what may? That answer can only be made by the Chairwoman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, who from all appearances seems to go along with this foolishness.

How can a public officer vest unto himself powers that make him the Judge as to which votes are valid and those that are not? Who gave him such powers, are his votes valid, stamped and verified by the Commission?

How can valid certified votes be discarded and the valid

ones discarded? This is reprehensible, and if this is not fraud then what is?

To add to this asininity, a politically-aligned Court of Appeal then gave credence to Lowenfield’s foolishness by rewriting the Constitution inserting the word “valid” before votes to be counted. This is utter trash and should be rejected forthwith.

I guess the next question will be, how credible is credible, is it 100 per cent, or 75 per cent or 25 per cent, which is it? Questions and more questions? Then, we should ask ourselves why have elections in the first place when a single person in the CEO can alter an election to suit his own personal wishes? I rest my case.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Dear Editor, I was scrolling through Facebook yesterday (June 24, 2020) and saw an interesting debate between former Minister Priya Manickchand and GTUC President and GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald as it relates to a statement issued by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) on the current political situation.

Ms McDonald, who is also a candidate of the APNU/ AFC, was very critical of the Federation’s sentiments, which reflect the thoughts of a large cross-section of the rational thinking Guyanese nation. The learned lady has obviously thrown away her trade union cap and has become, it appears, a full-blown politician. Of course, that is her right, though she should not seek to masquerade as something she is not.

In clutching at straws, like many of her political colleagues, she sought to castigate the FITUG for remaining silent on other matters.

As someone who tries to follow the news regularly, and I do not believe I am losing my wits as yet, at least, I felt Ms McDonald was barking up the wrong tree. However

not to be mistaken, I decided to do some research.

Indeed, I am happy to report my memory is intact.

My search informed me that the FITUG has been very much vocal on matters of workers’ concern. I saw that when Ms McDonald’s teachers were striking, the FITUG lent its voice. That organisation also lent its voice and bodies to stand up with the RUSAL workers, and, more recently, expressed its concern about the teachers returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But apart from that, I saw the FITUG making several positive recommendations to the Government as it relates COVID-19 assistance, and prior to that, spoke up for workers during its engagements on the budgets with the Finance Minister.

I must add that I didn’t see Ms McDonald as vociferous as she is now on those matters. Clearly, it seems to me that Ms McDonald, who I felt had a bright future as a worker’s leader, has lost her way and has succumbed to political pressure, and abandoned her cause.

Yours sincerely, Patricia Persaud

NICIL has ignored the plight of sugar workers Dear Editor, I was taken aback by a statement from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) as it sought to defend a flurry of land sales in recent days.

According to the state-owned holding company, the haste arose from the need to provide immediate funding to the GuySuCo. The NICIL said it was concerned about the sugar workers’ wellbeing.

I take this explanation with a pinch of salt. I say this taking into account that NICIL, a few weeks ago, admitted that the land sales’ finalisation was necessary to meet an upcoming payment to the NICIL $30B bond which has been as the centre of controversy. So, I believe NICIL should drop its act.

The reality, as I understand it, is that GuySuCo will receive whatever is left back from the land sales’ proceeds.

But if it were that the NICIL was really concerned about sugar workers and their families, it would have aggressively and proactively sought to revitalise the sugar industry with the money it apparently has in its coffers.

It would not have starved the GuySuCo and reduced it to begging for money after NICIL had confiscated its assets. To put into context what NICIL has gained at GuySuCo’s expense, I have learnt that it would only require the sale of some 1,200 acres of land along the East Coast to fully finance the

bond.

On this score, it appears that plans to sell East Demerara Estates have been shelved as the NICIL has decided to promote the City of Ogle. I recently saw a video presentation by NICIL depicting an artist’s rendering. Indeed, it is impressive, and one may be tempted to say it’s heaven on earth.

But after looking at the video, I wonder what is there for Guyanese.

It seems the NICIL, rather than putting our people to work in a productive manner, is intent on creating a nation of servants, maids, janitors and security guards.

While those are decent jobs, shouldn’t our people be able to aspire for higher rungs of the ladder? One friend even remarked to me, after seeing the NICIL presentation, whether Guyanese would be required to have a visa to step foot in the glamorous City of Ogle.

The reality is that NICIL has ignored the plight of the sugar workers and the industry. For those who lost their jobs, the heirs of the slaves and indentured servants who toiled and shaped those lands that NICIL is now selling, they remain languishing, facing hardship and difficulty every single day. I hold that NICIL should drop its feigned concern and do what is right and decent.

Yours faithfully, Liebert Alleyne

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

19

Around the World US imposes visa restrictions on Chinese officials

U

S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday Washington was imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials responsible for restricting freedoms in Hong Kong, but he did not name any of those targeted.

The move comes ahead of a three-day meeting of China’s parliament from Sunday expected to enact new national security legislation for Hong Kong that has alarmed foreign governments and democracy activists.

The US visa restrictions apply to “current and former” Chinese Communist Party officials “believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy,” Pompeo said, without naming them.

Last month, President Donald Trump responded to China’s plans by saying he was initiating a process to eliminate special economic treatment that has allowed Hong Kong to remain a global financial center since its handover by Britain in 1997.

Pompeo’s announcement represents the first concrete U.S. step in response to China’s moves, but Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies,

said visa restrictions were largely symbolic and the fact that no names were given could lessen their impact.

A State Department spokeswoman said relatives of designees could also be barred. A Bloomberg columnist quoted a department official as saying the number of officials targeted was “in the single digits.”

Chinese embassy spokeswoman Fang Hong said China “opposes the U.S. side’s wrongful decisions,” and added that China’s legislation targeted only “a very narrow category of acts that seriously jeopardize national security.”

“We urge the U.S. to immediately correct its mistakes, withdraw the decisions and stop interfering in China’s domestic affairs,” she said.

Wall Street’s major indexes tumbled on Friday after a Wall Street Journal article said U.S. “meddling” on issues like Hong Kong and Taiwan could jeopardize Chinese purchases under a Phase 1 trade deal Trump agreed with China in January, spooking investors already worried about a surge in coronavirus cases.

Pompeo’s announcement comes at a time of intensified U.S. rhetoric against Beijing as Trump

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gives a news conference about dealings with China and Iran, and on the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Washington, US, June 24, 2020

campaigns for re-election.

Opinion polls have shown voters increasingly embittered toward China, especially over the coronavirus, which began there.

“President Trump promised to punish the Chinese Communist Party officials who were responsible for eviscerating Hong Kong’s freedoms. Today, we are taking action to do just that,” Pompeo said.

He accused China of pressuring local authorities to arrest pro-democracy activists and disqualify electoral candidates, and added: “The United States will continue to review its authorities to respond to these concerns.” (Reuters)

Mexico City Police Chief shot in assassination attempt, blames drug cartel

M

exico City’s Chief of Police was shot and injured and two of his bodyguards killed in a dramatic assassination attempt early on Friday that he quickly blamed on one of Mexico’s most powerful drug gangs, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

The city’s Public Security Chief Omar Garcia Harfuch suffered three bullet wounds as he and bodyguards came under heavy fire around dawn in an upscale Mexico City neighbourhood, where the attack was captured on security cameras.

Some three hours later, apparently from his hospital bed, Garcia sent out a message on Twitter blaming his injuries and the death of two bodyguards on a “cowardly attack” by the CJNG, a gang notorious as one of the most violent in Mexico.

A 26-year-old woman travelling in a car with relatives to sell street food nearby was also killed in the gunfire that ripped through the Lomas de Chapultepec neighbourhood.

The area is home to many

Coronavirus spreading in Brazil’s interior, threatens to “boomerang” to major cities

T

he novel coronavirus, now spreading through the smaller towns of Brazil’s interior, risks returning to major cities in a socalled “boomerang effect,” as a lack of specialised medical treatment forces patients into larger urban centres.

The impact of a potential second wave of new cases in urban centres could complicate attempts to reopen businesses and get the economy going again, experts said.

Brazil, home to the world’s second-worst coronavirus outbreak behind the United States, has over 1.2 million cases of the virus, which has killed nearly 55,000 people.

On most days, it is spreading faster in Brazil than in the United States, the top country by cases.

The virus initially came to

Brazil through airports and spread mostly in its largest cities, but since late May it has been spreading faster in the interior of the country.

As the virus spreads outside of Brazil’s cities, doctors are facing constraints. Only about 10 per cent of Brazil’s municipalities have intensive care units, according to public health institute Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz). That means seriously ill patients need to be transported to cities.

“The disease is now feed-

ing off people’s movement,” said Gonzalo Vecina Neto, a public health professor at the University of Sao Paulo. “It goes to the interior with truck drivers, it goes to the interior with people who come to the large cities to buy things to resell in the interior. That’s the path.”

The patterns are causing concern about overlapping curves, as cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro pass their peaks and fall, while smaller cities are still on the rise. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Coronavirus: US has “serious problem”, says Fauci

U

S infectious disease chief Dr Anthony Fauci said the nation has a “serious problem” as 16 states reel from a spike in COVID-19 cases.

At the first White House task force briefing in two months, Dr Fauci said: “The only way we’re going to end it is by ending it together.”

As health experts said more must be done to slow the spread, Vice-President Mike Pence praised US “progress”.

The US hit an all-time daily high of 40,000 new infections on Thursday.

There are 2.4 million confirmed infections and 124,749 deaths nationwide - more than any other country.

During Friday’s briefing, the White House task force also urged millennials to get tested, even if they are

Dr Anthony Fauci briefs media at the White House as US Vice President Mike Pence listens in the background

asymptomatic.

Pence said the President requested the task force address the American people amid surges in infections and hospital admissions across southern and western states.

In Texas, Florida and Arizona, reopening plans have been paused due to the spike.

While some of the increase in daily cases recorded can be attributed to expanded testing, the rate of positive tests in some areas is also increasing.

Health officials in the US estimate the true number of cases is likely to be 10 times higher than the reported figure. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Venezuela is a health “time bomb,” Colombian President says

Police officers arrive at the area where a shooting took place in Mexico City, Mexico, June 26, 2020

wealthy people and has ambassadorial residences.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the attack showed that authorities were putting pressure on criminal gangs in the capital, which has rarely witnessed such brazen outbreaks of violence.

Separately, fast-arriving police could be seen shouting and moving towards the high calibre gunfire that rang out for several minutes just af-

ter 06:30 am local time/1130 GMT. Garcia was wounded in the shoulder, collarbone and the knee, Security Minister Alfonso Durazo told a news conference.

Led by a former police officer and based in the western state of Jalisco, the CJNG has been blamed for fueling record levels of violence in Mexico during its battles to eliminate rivals for control of drug trafficking and crime rackets. (Excerpt from Reuters)

C

olombian President Ivan Duque on Friday called Venezuela a public health “time bomb,” and said the lack of reliable information about the status of its neighbour’s coronavirus outbreak was a worry as his Administration tries to control its own infections.

Colombia has long been the top destination for Venezuelans fleeing years of social and economic upheaval in their home country.

Asked if he was worried about Colombia’s lengthy borders with Venezuela and Brazil as a conduit for the virus, even though they are officially closed, Duque told Reuters he was, and said the

issue with Venezuela was a lack of information.

“In the case of Venezuela the information is non-existent,” Duque said in an interview. “There’s not good hospital capacity or good epidemiological capacity, for a long time they haven’t had serious vaccination programs.”

“I think Venezuela is a time bomb from the public health point of view.”

Venezuela has acknowledged just 4600 coronavirus cases and 39 deaths, while Colombia has reported around 80,600 confirmed cases and more than 2600 deaths.

Venezuelan President

Nicolas Maduro has insisted his country has managed the outbreak better than other Latin American nations and says most cases can be traced to migrants returning from Colombia and Brazil.

Venezuelan doctors, however, have decried insufficient hospital beds and supplies, limited use of face masks in public spaces, and the use of low-budget hotels to quarantine patients.

Colombia last month sent more soldiers to its border with Brazil to stop informal crossings, after sparsely-populated Amazonas province saw a spike in cases. (Excerpt from Reuters)

20

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

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You'll have what it takes to make things happen, as long as you don't allow temptation or peer pressure to lead you astray. Make your health and success priorities.

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Share your thoughts, and you will get the support you need to make a long-overdue transition. Explore your options and put your plans in motion.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

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Check out what's doable and set your expectations high. Your drive and ambition will make it easy for you to relay what you have to offer.

Don't let your ego get in the way of your success.

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Check out the online job listings and redo your resume to fit what's available.

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Help others while getting better acquainted with people who interest you. If you ask the right questions, you will receive helpful answers. An adjustment will improve your life.

Channel emotional energy into personal perfection. Get in shape, change your image or pursue a creative outlet. You can boost your confidence and enthusiasm.

Speak up, share your thoughts and learn. How you interact with others will influence an idea you have and how you progress. Set reasonable expectations.

Pour your heart and soul SAGITTARIUS into what you do best. Take (Nov. 23the initiative to make your Dec. 21) life better. Don't let anyone meddle in your personal affairs. Spend some time with an admirer.

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You may thrive on change, but before you decide to make a move, consider the potential financial ramifications. You are best off waiting for a better deal.

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21

-Klopp vows champions will improve on stunning season

M

anager Jurgen Klopp has vowed that Liverpool will not stop after winning the Premier League, but will continue to improve.

‘The Reds’, who have enjoyed a sensational season, wrapped up their first English title in 30 years on Thursday when Chelsea defeated second-placed Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Having won the Champions League last season as well, Klopp is overjoyed at Liverpool's progress under his stewardship.

However, he does not see it as the culmination of his efforts. The German is stressing that there is much more to come from his players.

"The last 13 months were pretty special for us, it's true," he told reporters.

"I would like to involve the year before, because it was an incredible time in my football life. I didn't experience it before - not that good - the consistency the boys show is so exceptional.

"We will not stop. We really have to stay focused, because we see the opportunity. I will promise we will improve,

P

akistan's cricketers will arrive in England as planned on Sunday, despite 10 of their players testing positive for coronavirus.

England are set to face Pakistan in three Tests and three T20 internationals across July and August, but the tour was thrown into doubt over the past week as the initial 29-man touring party was struck by a raft of

COVID-19 cases.

Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan and Wahab Riaz have all tested positive for the coronavirus.

The ECB said in a statement that players testing positive will not be allowed to travel with the advanced group, but the status of Hafeez is unclear after the all-rounder tweeted a picture of a negative test and claimed he

Jurgen Klopp

but this will not mean we will win everything, but that we will improve. City is exceptional, so I cannot promise that we will win something.

"If you ask my team at Mainz, they worked hard; Dortmund as well. This group is a mix – we have a lot of world class players, but other clubs do too. The consistency comes from the mix of determination, buy-

had received the all-clear.

Test captain Azhar Ali, white-ball counterpart Babar Azam, and the remaining players will use Worcestershire's New Road as their training base during their mandatory 14-day isolation period, before transferring to Derbyshire's

County Ground.

Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz have been named as reserves for the Pakistan squad, and could make the trip subject to returning negative coronavirus tests.

The start of England's home season has been delayed by the global pandemic, but England will host West Indies at the Ageas Bowl next month in the first of three Tests.

(Sportsmax)

ing into ideas, attitude, character, personality. That's what makes this group special.

They are confident because we won, but they are humble. If they stay humble, we have a good chance to be successful.

"It helped massively that we won the Champions League. It helps from a confidence point of view – from the nearly man to a winner.

"We get a super push from our supporters. Every two weeks, we have the best atmosphere in football. We have a good situation; we use our history, instead of being held back by it. We will make sure we are still good from now on," he declared.

Klopp knows that with Pep Guardiola at City at a time when Chelsea and Manchester United are looking resurgent, the champions will face fierce competition going forward.

"If you want to win the league, it's pretty much not allowed to lose a game," he added. "City have never stopped since Pep was there. We will try not to stop, to improve, to make things special. Tomorrow we train, that's how it is.

"We have a common dream. We have big dreams. The more people dream, the more important and stronger it gets. So, we will not stop.

If you really go into detail, you'll see we have been doing this for three, four years.

The intensity was never less, we were not as successful.

"The boys are more experienced, more convinced, but we know other teams are there, and will do a lot to improve their situation.

"There will be hard fights, and the hard fight starts now." (Sportsmax)

E

ngland wing Jonny May has agreed to extended terms with Gloucester two months after rejoining the club from Premiership rivals Leicester Tigers.

The 30-year-old's new deal will see his "long-term future" being secured at

Kingsholm.

"I've already really enjoyed being back in the Gloucester Rugby environment, and it's great to be able to commit my future here," May said.

Hooker James Hanson, 31, back-row forward Lewis Ludlow, 25, and lock Alex Craig, 23, have also signed new deals.

Jonny May first joined the club on a short-term deal in 2017, and has played 32 games so far.

"We were aware that he had been exploring options with other clubs, but when we sat down with him and outlined our vision for the future, and the part we saw him playing in it, it was clear that he wanted to stay," said chief executive Lance Bradley.

Ludlow, who played his 100th game for Gloucester against Wasps this season, said: "Playing for Gloucester Rugby has always been a true honour for me, and there's nowhere I'd rather play my rugby."

Meanwhile, back Tom Marshall and South African forwards Franco Mostert and Franco Marais are all leaving at the end of June to play in Japan.

New Zealander Marshall, 29, has been a regular this season, scoring seven tries in 17 matches, and only signed a new contract in February.

Springboks lock Mostert, 29, and hooker Marais, 27 both joined in 2018. (BBC.COM)

22

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TAXI SERVICES

A

ustralia and New Zealand will host the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA has announced.

The joint bid got the nod ahead of Colombia, which was the only other rival in the running, after Brazil and Japan dropped out of the race earlier in June.

The 2023 version will be the first in the women’s game to feature 32 sides, up from the current 24. The competition is scheduled to take place during the months of July and August 2023.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "The bidding process was highly competitive.

We would like to thank both of the bidders for their remarkable work. It was really, really well

lower score in FIFA's technical evaluation of each bid. Colombia received a score of 2.8 out of 5.0, while Australia-and-New Zealand was marked 4.1 "These (technical bid) reports have to mean something," said Infantino.

UEFA said its members voted for Colombia as it "represented a strategic opportunity for the development of women's football in South America".

Infantino also suggested the women's tournament could be staged every two years, and he is keen for South America and Africa to stage it.

Infantino also announced a funding boost for the sport.

"We have decided to award $1bn (£805m) to the development of women's Australia (FFA), said the forthcoming competition will be "ground-breaking". He added: "Not only will it be the first ever co-confederation hosted FIFA World Cup and the first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in the AsiaPacific region, but we will unlock the huge potential for growth in women's football in the AsiaPacific region."

The president of New Zealand Football, Johanna Wood, said: "We believe we have been given a treasure, and we will look after that treasure. We will work towards putting women's football even more front and centre on the world stage."

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prepared.”

The Australia-and-New Zealand bid received 22 of the 35 votes cast by the FIFA Council members, with Colombia getting 13 votes. Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke voted for Colombia, as did the other eight UEFA members.

Infantino said he was "surprised" by UEFA members voting for Colombia, despite the

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football in the coming four years," he said. "We experienced last year in France a fantastic Women's World Cup. It broke all records. It brought women's football to a truly global stage."

Australia-and-New Zealand's joint bid The joint bid from Australia and New Zealand promised “an unprecedented level of investment” in the tournament.

F

ormer Windies fast bowler Franklyn Rose says he is concerned about the fitness of compatriot pacer Oshane Thomas, as he believes Thomas is overweight.

Rose, who played 19 Tests and 27 One-Day Internationals (ODI) for the Windies between 1997 and 2000, says he is concerned about the burly pacer, and what kind of impact his current fitness situation could have on his longevity in the game.

Thomas picked up just two wickets in two innings in the just-concluded West Indies inter-squad practice match at Old Trafford, and Rose believes the speedster needs to do some more work if he is to prolong his blossoming international career.

“I am a bit concerned because he looks overweight to me,” Rose said.

“I never met the guy, but I know he has a lot of talent, and that’s why the Windies has taken him to England on tour. But he needs to keep working hard and be hungrier for success.”

CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Thomas’s rise to prominence came during the 2017 Caribbean Premier League, when the Melbourne CC fast bowler regularly clocked over 90 miles per hour while taking wickets at will for the Jamaica Tallawahs.

His exploits put the 23-yearold straight into the senior Windies set-up, where he has so far

This will be the first World Cup hosted across two of football's continental confederations (Australia are in the Asia confederation, while New Zealand are part of Oceania).

Chris Nikou, President of Football Federation

played 20 ODIs and 12 Twenty20 Internationals.

Rose, who played just t h r e e years for the West Indies, says he wants to see the young speedster maximise his true poten- tial.

“If I come on the scene b o w l i n g 90 miles per hour, I would want to maintain that for anoth- er five years,” Rose said. “The q u e s t i o n is: Can he maintain that speed at the highest level if he is not at peak fitness?”

Rose admitted that during his career, he wasn’t the hard- est-working fast bowler in the W i n d i e s set-up. He said he wished he had put in some more work to pro- long his international career.

“I was a lazy cricketer, and I realised later on that it’s all about hard work,” he said. “Sometimes, as fast bowlers, we get up and don’t feel like training; but you have to think about the big bucks and the s u c c e s s that’s ahead of you, and you have to have self-motivation and discipline to push on.”

Rose says he is more than willing to give advice and help the young pacer if requested.

“Of course I would love to coach him!” Rose said. “I can see that he has a lot of talent. And let me be clear: this is not about b a s h i n g Oshane Thomas; it is about h e l p i n g him to achieve his optimum in cricket.”

O

n e o f the most iconic figures in T20 cricket will be missing from this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), as legendary batsman Chris Gayle has decided to bypass this year’s tournament, slated to take place from August 18 to September 10 in Trinidad & Tobago.

The self-proclaimed “Universe Boss” told the St Lucia Zouks that he wants to spend more time with his family, and will not be available for the Caribbean T20 showpiece.

This latest development has surely disappointed captain Darren Sammy and the new St Lucia Zouks owners, KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, who brought over Gayle as their marquee player from the Jamaica Tallawahs following his acrimonious separation from his home franchise.

SUPPORTING HIS DECISION

Sammy told The Gleaner that the franchise will find it difficult to replace Chris Gayle, while adding that he and the organisation are in full support of the player’s decision.

“I support and respect his decision, especially as athletes; we hardly get time to spend with our families. It is even more import-

The countries have proposed to stage matches at up to eight grounds in Australia: * Stadium Australia, Sydney (the final), capacity: 70,000 * Sydney Football Stadium, capacity: 42,512 * Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, capacity: 30,052 * Brisbane Stadium, capacity: 52,263 * Perth Rectangular Stadium, capacity: 22,225 * Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, capacity: 18,435 * Newcastle Stadium, capacity: 25,945 * York Park, Launceston, Tasmania, capacity: 22,065 And five stadiums in New Zealand: * Eden Park, Auckland (opening game), capacity: 48,276 * Wellington Stadium, capacity: 39,000 * Christchurch Stadium, capacity: 22,556 * Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, capacity: 25,111 * Dunedin Stadium, capacity: 28,744 (BBC.COM)

ant in this COVID situation, where Chris has not seen his family for a while. I would definitely give him my blessings and support, and hopefully, he gets the quality time with his family that I have been getting with my family here in St Lucia,” said Sammy.

The Zouks were banking on Gayle’s big bat for this year’s tournament, which looks likely to be held solely in Trinidad & Tobago once government approval has been granted. Gayle is still rated as one of the most destructive batsmen in T20 cricket, having scored the most runs in the format as well as the most centuries.

Sammy says the franchise will be scratching their heads to find a replacement for Gayle.

“It’s always going to be difficult to replace a player of Chris Gayle’s calibre, especially (in) the Zouks team, which was so excited to have Chris, who would have brought his experience and match-winning abilities. The show still has to go on; and hopefully, we can find someone who can come in and have an impact for us,” added Sammy.

The Zouks will complete their roster following today’s draft, having retained seven players. The retained signings are captain Sammy, Andre Fletcher, Kesrick Williams, Obed McCoy, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kimani Melious and Kavem Hodge.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Kingston/Tiger Bay/New Market Street community to benefit

Junior Forrester

T

he Kingston Football Development Academy (KFDA) has undertaken an initiative to provide COVID-19 relief hampers to residents of the community spanning Kingston/ Tiger Bay/New Market Street in Georgetown.

Accordingly, persons and businesses in the targeted area have been approached for assistance to produce 200 hampers for the less fortunate residents of the community, and many immediately responded in a positive way.

Showing their gratitude for the responses received, the KDFA has said, “On behalf of our K.F.D.A and our Kingston community, we are very grateful to all our sponsors

and contributors who have supported so far: Digicel Guyana; SuperBet; Toucan Distributors; The Outdoor Pet Store and Pet Shop; Alex Bunbury (USA) and ABSAA Inc; Simone Gaskin Lashley (USA), CEO of “Sim Concept Travel”; Ann Knights; Donna’s Grocery Store; the Hennessy Family; Patricia Brown; Keiona Porter; Malinda Lawrence; Andy Atkinson; Junior Forrester; Paul Persaud….

NB: The KDFA will not be taking photographs of anyone actually

collecting the hamper.

Distribution of these hampers will be done today, starting at 16:30hrs. The team will be distributing 30 hampers to families in the Kingston community. This weekend’s distribution will amount to a total of 120 of the targeted quantity of 200 hampers for KFDA COVID-19 relief hampers.

Anyone wishing to contribute to this ongoing COVID-19 Kingston initiative is invited to contact Junior Forrester, Organiser of the drive,

nance from that Ashes series. His genuine pace and high skill have been admirable, he West Indies Cricket Team are in and with most of the West Indies touring England preparing to face that team in party being players from Barbados, “the the first of three Test matches, which Archer contest” will be a gem of a battle. is to be played on July 8; and there has cerWest Indies’ premier seamer, Barbadian tainly been a lot of talk about England quick Kemar Roach, had earlier indicated that the Jofra Archer and the way things will play West Indies players would not be extendout against the West Indies, especially since ing any overtures of friendship towards pace he comes from Barbados. sensation Archer.

The 25-year-old Archer has to date played Batsman Roston Chase seven Test matches for England, and has is eager to perform well impressed with 30 wickets. against this right-arm During the Ashes sequick. Five years ago, ries, when England he had faced a fiopposed the mighty ery 20-yearAustralia, Archer made old Archer in an “announcement” a club game by picking up wickin Sussex ets and scaring some when he had world-class batsmen. turned out At one point, when for Cockfield the world's in the Sussex best Test batsPremier man, Steven League in Smith, was una game stoppable, it a g a i n s t was Archer Middletonwho threw on-Sea. He ‘a knockout was trapped punch’ and lbw off the forced Smith first ball to retire.

Archer had The Aussies sent down. had certain"I knew Jofra ly encountered [before]. I did play nightmares of against him in the Archer in a full league in Barbados.

Test series.

He was quite young Here come though, playing for the West Indies the Barbados school in England, with team. He was always Bajan boys flooda good talent, but he ing the squad; was not always that and Archer will fast. He had some certainly pace, but he wasn't Jofra Archer and Matthew Wade face want to exas rapid as he is off tend his domi now," Chase has said.

on 592-696-0658; Aubrey Denny, another Organiser, on 592-698-

7194; or Joseph Alexander, yet another organizer of the initiative.

By Brandon Corlette

T

Archer takes down Steve Smith

West Indies assistant coach Roddy Estwick also noted that Archer is a fine talent, but said Archer has made his choice to play for England.

The Archer topic was often thrown in for discussion throughout the virtual press conferences that featured West Indies players and coaching staffers. Besides Roach, Chase and Estwick, another Bajan boy, Shane Dowrich, also shared some sentiments on Archer.

Asked if he would have liked to have Archer in his line-up, Dowrich said he is happy with the West Indies’ pace attack, and that Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach are among the finest bowlers in Test cricket currently.

Born in Barbados to an English father and Bajan mother, Archer had thrice played for the West Indies U-19 Team before moving to

England. In the year 2013, Archer played for West Indies U-19, but suffered a back injury.

In that batch of U-19 players were Shimron Hetmyer, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Ramaal Lewis, Alzarri Joseph, Fabian Allen and Gudakesh Motie.

Archer then went to England and secured a contract from Sussex. In his first-class debut in 2016 against Pakistan, he took four wickets. In his limited overs debut, he struck 72 in batting at number eight against Essex, thereby announcing himself as a complete player.

Playing in seven Test matches, Archer took 30 Test wickets at an average of 27.40.

He has three five-wicket hauls, with a best bowling figure of 6-45. He also took 6-62 against Australia in the Ashes. In only 36 first-class matches, Archer claimed 166 wickets, with eight five-wicket hauls

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2020

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Kingston/Tiger Bay/New Market Pg 23 Street community to benefit

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Hero Caribbean Premier League 2020 tournament…

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here will be Indian flavour for the first time in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), as leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, at the age of 48 is, in a historic move, set to play for the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the 2020 edition of this prestigious tournament.

With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not allowing any of their players to play in franchise tournaments outside of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Tambe’s inclusion in the CPL has created a lot of attention.

Guardian Media Sports understands that Tambe

was picked up in the draft on Wednesday by the TKR management. Tambe, a late bloomer, was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2 0 2 0 Indian Premier

League (IPL), but was denied the chance to be associated with the team as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) disqualified him.

According to the Cricket Times, the reason for Tambe’s disqualification was his involvement in T10 League, a ten-over format tournament in the United Arab Emirates, launched and owned by T Ten Sports Management. As per the rules of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a player can participate in the overseas league only after his retirement, and Tambe did retire in 2018 by informing his state board, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). Therefore, he was legally ready to participate in the T10 League.

However, after the conclusion of the 10-overs competition, Tambe came back and withdrew his decision.

IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has informed the KKR franchise about the decision regarding Tambe. However, this year, he then joined another 536 players who threw their hat into the ring at the CPL 2020 draft, and was successful.

Leg-spinner Tambe had never even played for his City before he was plucked out of obscurity by the Rajasthan Royals in 2013. He was 41 years old at the time, and was very prolific in T20 and T10 tournaments. He switched from medium pace to leg-spin and

this changed the fortunes of his career.

After making a great IPL debut in 2013, club cricketer Tambe went on to become the leading wicket-taker in the Champions League T20 later in the year. He picked up 12 wickets in the tournament at an average of 6.5. His performances that year earned him his maiden callup for the Mumbai team in the 2013–14 Ranji Trophy.

In the 2014 IPL season, Tambe picked up a brilliant hattrick against Kolkata Knight Riders, and has ever since been on the KKR radar; but when picked up by the franchise, he was denied permission to play by the BCCI. In 33 IPL matches, he has taken 28 wickets at an average of 30.46 and an economy rate of 7.75.

At 48, Tambe became the oldest player to be bought at the IPL auction when KKR snapped him up for a base price of US$27,000. Tambe has already featured in the tournament, with a total of 33 appearances over four seasons (2013 to 2016) for three different franchises Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Lions, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has a tally of 28 wickets, 15 of which he picked in the 2014 season while turning out for Rajasthan Royals.

Tambe follows former Test player Yuvraj Singh as the second Indian player to play in T20 leagues outside the country.

Pravin Tambe celebrates a wicket

Yuvraj played in the Global T20 tournament last year in Canada.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who hasn’t played for India since 2016 but is yet to retire, has his name in The Hundred draft in England. However, just before the draft, he took his name off the list in favour of continuing to play for CSK in the IPL. Pakistani-born American player Muhammad Ali Khan has also been snapped by at the CPL draft, and will return to the TKR

for his third season. This fast bowler, who has won the hearts of the people in Trinidad, will be keen to play again, as all the matches are carded for play in Trinidad & Tobago.

The CPL is scheduled to be held between August 18 and September 10 behind closed doors in T&T. On Thursday, the Cabinet was due to consider note and final approval is expected to come shortly. (TT Guardian)

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