Guyana Times Sunday June 28, 2020

P Mother of 10 forced to break curfew to keep food on family’s table

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Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4330 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

Undemocratic Govt can lead to freezing of personal bank accounts, visa revocation – Washington consultant

…US takes threats to democracy seriously …as visa restrictions slapped on Chinese officials restricting democracy activists See story on page 3

“Deliberate fraud” a serious offence – Carter Center warns Page 2

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Deliberate P21 invalidation of votes violated Constitution – GCCI warns Lowenfield

“We have P21 descended to the lowest low” – URP to APNU/AFC Essequibo P8 Coast toddler, farmer drown 3-year-old P12 tests positive for COVID-19 in Bartica …testing suspended, lab non-operational for weekend

…says “unusual” for Govt to block int’l observers

Parents, teen son die in Cummings Lodge fire

Employees P8 confess to beating, robbing employer Armed bandits P11 invade Mon Repos cellphone store

Page 9

Granger should concede for good of Guyana ꟷ US political consultant Page 7

Gunman nabbed after injuring self in robbery

P10

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NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Deliberate fraud” a serious offence – Carter Center warns …says “unusual” for Govt to block int’l observers

Carter Center representative, Dr David Carroll

T

he A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition’s decision to bar international observers from coming to Guyana to observe the recount exercise was “unusual”.

This is according to the Washington-based Carter Center, whose observer team was twice denied permission to return to the country amid the closure of the airports due to COVID-19.

Director of the Center’s Democracy Programme, Dr David Carroll told Guyana Times that while the organisation respects the Guyana Government’s decision, it was unusual to not want such an important exercise

witnessed by credible international observers.

“We really thought it would be important for us to be there because the recount was a vital part of bringing clarity to the overall results, and we took our observation accreditation invitation seriously and our mission to see this process through to its conclusion. So, we wanted to be there, we hoped to be there,” Dr Carroll explained.

Despite pressure from local and international stakeholders to allow The Carter Center team to return, the David Granger Administration was resolute in its position to block the international group from observing the recount, citing the COVID-19 restrictions.

In the same vein, however, the coalition Administration was allowing other personnel to fly to Guyana. In fact, they granted the Caribbean Community (Caricom) observer team permission to land in the country.

“We noted that there were others coming and so we found it unusual,” Dr Carroll expressed.

“It would have been, from my perspective, better to allow other observer groups to return under the same conditions that were allowed for Caricom,” The

nothing that would have amounted to a “systemic, large problem on Elections Day”.

“Deliberate fraud”

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo

Carter Center representative explained.

“I understand that there was a special role created for Caricom … but I think it would have been a better decision to allow any of the accredited observers to come back as long as they strictly abided by any of the public health COVID-19 protocols that were established and we were willing to do that.”

Nevertheless, The Carter Center representative said he respects the Government’s decision.

However, Dr Carroll noted that not being able to be in Guyana to first-hand observe the recount has proven to be challenging.

He explained that The Carter Center has stayed

in touch with people locally and its members keep abreast with the news as it continues to observe the electoral process from afar.

Notwithstanding, The Carter Center said it has full confidence that the Caricom team – which was on the ground for the entire recount exercise, did a “thorough job”.

Dr Carroll believes that the recount results, as certified by Caricom, is a good basis to declare the official results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

In fact, he highlighted that its own observers, who were on the ground up until mid-March, observed

The APNU/AFC coalition is being accused, largely by the PPP/C, of attempting to rig the elections.

The process started in the tabulation centre for Region Four where the Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo used inflated figures to hand the victory to the APNU/AFC – which was quick to celebrate a win on those concocted numbers despite objections from all local and international stakeholders.

After those attempts were thwarted by the PPP/C which had approached the courts, a countrywide recount exercise eventually got underway.

During that activity, which confirmed that the PPP/C won the elections, the APNU/AFC began to make unsubstantiated allegations that the elections were not credible. They claimed votes were recorded in the names of dead and migrated persons – allegations which were debunked by members of the public.

Now, through the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, the APNU/AFC is being handed a “victory”

Caretaker President and leader of APNU/ AFC, David Granger

after he manufactured votes in their favour. In so doing, Lowenfield disenfranchised over 115,000 voters – a move which has resulted in major backlash including from the Caricom Chair, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

Asked about consequences for those suspected to be involved in electoral fraud, The Carter Center said “I think it should follow the rule of law, what is established in the Guyanese legal framework.

Dr Carroll posited that: “obviously deliberate fraud is a serious offence and whatever the Guyanese legal framework calls for, should be pursued.”

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, June 28 – 10:30h – 12:00h and Monday, June 29 – 11:30h – 13:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, June 28 – 09:30h – 11:00h and Monday, June 29 – 10:40h – 12:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery showers and light rain showers will prevail during the day. There will be light rain showers at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 10:15h and 22:51h reaching maximum heights of 2.40 metres and 2.40 metres.

Low Tide: 16:17h reaching a minimum height of 0.81 metre.

COMMODITIES Indicators

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Undemocratic Govt in Guyana can lead to freezing of personal bank accounts, visa revocation – Washington consultant

…US takes threats to democracy seriously …as visa restrictions slapped on Chinese officials restricting democracy activists in Hong Kong

W

ashington-based political consultant, Jose Cardenas, who has worked with the US State Department, has urged Guyana to be cognisant of the seriousness of even the threat of sanctions and the United States’ (US) resolve to use it in extreme scenarios that can include freezing of oil funds.

According to Cardenas, who was speaking during a Zoom interview with several local reporters on Saturday, the use of sanctions is intended as a disincentive against persons who have malignant motives. Cardenas also addressed comments made by US attorney Bart Fischer, who said recently that talk of sanctions against Guyana was nothing more than “loose talk.” He added that the inter-American Democratic Charter calls on all countries to be active in defending democracy. “When it comes to the United States, for good or bad the United States has unique capabilities to discourage bad actors from undermining democratic processes,” he said.

“I know Fischer made a comment, not just about prematurity but that the United States has no authority to impose sanctions. I think that’s completely erroneous. In fact, it’s rather stunning that a Washington attorney would make such a statement. You would have practically had to sleepwalk through the last 10 years when it comes to Venezuela, to question Washington’s authority to effect sanctions,” Cardenas added.

Cardenas served in senior positions in the US Department of State, the National Security Council, and the US Agency for International Development, where he served as Acting Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Visa restrictions Cardenas pointed out that the national elections recount had demonstrated that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is the winner of the General and Regional Elections. He spoke of some of the different forms sanctions can take, including visa restrictions, which can be applied if the democratic will of the people is thwarted.

“If there is someone that contrives to thwart the will of the Guyanese people, Washington has measures it can impose on that individual, that relate to their ability to have a bank account in the United States or otherwise do banking in their private lives that touch the US economic system,” the former State Department official said. He added that such persons also can lose their ability to travel to the United States. “Their visas to travel can be revoked. And

Former US State Department official and Washington consultant, Jose Cardenas

if there is determined to be a Government-wide conspiracy, just speculating here but it’s important to understand the options, absolutely the US can impose sectoral sanctions which can threaten the oil patrimony that Guyana now possesses.”

Serious consequences Sectoral sanctions, Cardenas explained, can have serious consequences for Guyana and its ability to earn money. It was noted that Guyana currently banks its oil revenues in the US Federal Reserve. According to him, there are implications for this.

“Those possibilities will be driven by events in Georgetown. If those funds sit in a US institution, they can be frozen,” Cardenas said. “I don’t know in-depth enough about the contracts Guyana has signed with Exxon, but I expect it’s always a possibility that the current Government and Exxon can be prohibited from further exploration and moving oil to the internation-

al markets.”

Guyana only began producing oil last year, with its first oil revenue-based earnings deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in March of this year. That money, $11.4 billion, came from Guyana’s initial million-barrel oil lift. An additional sum of $7.3 billion was subsequently deposited, as well as royalty payments.

This money is still sitting in the fund, earning interest.

Cardenas pointed out that the US takes threats to democracy in the western hemisphere more seriously than it takes such threats in other parts of the world, since countries in the hemisphere are expected to reflect democratic principles in governments. Continuing his hypothesis, Cardenas noted that even if Guyana were to seek allies in countries at odds with the US, this will be a complicated and expensive road to travel.

According to him, sanctions are a last resort and the US will likely work with organisations like the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to find a less acrimonious resolution to the situation in Guyana.

Visa restrictions on Chinese officials Only on Friday, Reuters reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said 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

Caretaker President David Granger

Sunday expected to enact new national security legislation for Hong Kong that has alarmed foreign governments and democracy activists.

According to Reuters report, 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.

Pompeo’s announcement, Reuters stated represents the first concrete US step in response to China’s moves.

US Senators to Granger Chairman 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.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

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

Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Lowenfield’s fraudulent overreach S

ince the manoeuvres by his Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo and underlings at the GECOM counting office, CEO of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield’s profile has inexorably moved from the sidelines of the scandalous attempt to rig the March 2 elections to its centre. He maintained a stubborn silence that gave implicit approval to the transgressive steps involving spreadsheets, flash drives, and eventually a soiled bedsheet under a tent at the GECOM HQ. The bed sheet was a fitting metaphor for all that had transpired to that point – a dirty cover for a fraudulent rigging exercise.

Lowenfield then gave explicit approval of what was to be confirmed in the subsequent recount process as a massive inflation of APNU/AFC’s votes and a reduction of the PPP’s

by Mingo, to deliver a concocted “victory” for the former, when he incorporated Mingo’s numbers in his statutorilymandated report to the GECOM Commission. The Grangerinitiated National Recount exercise was duly conducted by Lowenfield’s Secretariat under a Gazetted order 60: 2020, under Article 162 of the Constitution, and Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act. Over the next 33 days, the recount results were summarised by “Statement of Recount” for each of the 2339 ballot boxes, and then further tabulated as “Certificates of Recount” for the ten Regions, to allocate the explicitly stated “valid” votes garnered by each of the participating political parties.

Lowenfield was now required to prepare his Report from these figures; which he did, showing the PPPC winning the elections by 15,416 votes. However, he embarked on his own explicit descent into fraud when, without any authorisation, he also gratuitously summarised the “observation reports” that collated APNU/AFC’s unsubstantiated claims of “irregularities”, such as deceased and migrated persons voting, and declared that the numbers did not meet the “standard of fair and credible elections”. This had been the contention of the APNU/AFC while the Chair had declared that such claims and objections were constitutionally mandated to be dealt with through an elections petition.

The GECOM Commission then deliberated on Lowenfield’s report; directed him to use the Recount numbers for his final Report, and submit it by a designated date and time when the Commission would be meeting. Lowenfield, however, never submitted the stipulated Report at the designated time, contending instead he had been served with a Notice of an action filed with the Court of Appeal to block the declaration of the elections.

A “Notice” by a Court, unlike an “order”, did not prevent Lowenfield from presenting his Report. The Chairwoman also genuflected to the notice, and did not demand the Report to proceed with the declaration.

The Court of Appeal, through a strained interpretation of Article 177 (4), assumed jurisdiction and took cognisance of the action that had been filed by an APNU/AFC supporter.

However, among several orders sought, the CoA merely ruled that in determining the Art 177 (2) requirement, that a president is deemed elected when “more votes are cast” for a list, the standard should actually be “more valid votes cast”. However, even though the CoA placed a three-day stay of any further action on the matter, Lowenfield than unilaterally compiled a Report in which he moved from “more valid votes cast” to “more credible and valid votes” cast, to assert that APNU/AFC had won the elections, even though he invalidated the valid votes of 115,000 citizens who had exercised their franchise through his unilateral assessment of the APNU/AFC’s unsubstantiated claims.

The Opposition parties had immediately moved to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) following the CoA’s decision, where they questioned the latter’s arrogation of exclusive and final jurisdiction on the matter. The CCJ immediately announced through a notice – most pertinently, before Lowenfield’s assuming the powers of an elections court - that they were going to issue an order the following morning; yet, unlike his action on the CoA’s notice, Lowenfield went ahead with his Report.

It is clear that Lowenfield has gone rogue, and condign action must be taken by the Commission immediately.

Unshackle our people; let us breathe again, Mr Granger Dear Editor, Mr David Granger knows very well that the PPP/C won the elections. He knows that his APNU+AFC Coalition lost the elections. He and his party, like the PPP/C, would have known the results from their polling agents in the 2,339 stations from all the Statements of Poll when the count was finished on the night of March 2, 2020.

If Presidents Hoyte and Ramotar could have known within 3 days of the elections, in 1992 and 2015 respectively, with less available technology, there is no way that Mr. Granger does not know the results. That is why his party, in cahoots with GECOM’s Lowenfield, has refused to release its Statements of Poll, and GECOM has also refused to do likewise, as it would have ended, once and for all, the suffering and anxiety that the people of this country have endured for the last 118 days.

Mr Granger knows the results of the recount done 3 weeks ago, which proved for the second time that the PPP/C won the elections with 233,336, some 15,416 votes more than the APNUAFC Coalition. Twice has he and his Coalition been defeated in the last 118 days.

He does not have to wait for the official results.

Were he a man of honour and valour, he would have acted in a principled and dignified manner by accepting that he and his party have lost the elections. But no, that has not happened; the opposite has happened.

He has dug his heels in, and intends to remain in office “come hell or high water.”

As l write this letter, his leaders are out in the field and the social media, deliberately misinforming their supporters by using Lowenfield’s fraudulent figures of the recount.

After the end of the recount on June 9th, Granger gave away his game plan during the June 12th interview, when he said, “We are also committed to ensuring that every legitimate vote is counted, but at the same time, we’re committed to removing the illegitimate votes. We are committed to ensuring that bogus votes, that people who were not in the jurisdiction, people who have no form of identification, will not be allowed to vote…It is my hope that the report of the CEO to the Commissioners would indicate that there has been a number of irregularities, and those irregularities have impaired the credibility of the electoral process”.

This “dog whistle” to Lowenfield was fulfilled the next day.

The June 15th report of the CARICOM Observer

Team caused a problem to Granger’s plan, as it concluded that “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 the results of the March 2, 2020, elections”.

This was greeted with icecold silence from the de facto President Granger, who had personally taken credit for bringing the CARICOM Observer Team to witness the recount, and had baptised the CARICOM as the “legitimate interlocutor.”

Following this report and June 24th statement by the Head of the CARICOM, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, on June 24th, Granger let loose his party “bulldogs” to accuse PM Mia Mottley and the CARICOM, like all others before, of “foreign interference in the internal affairs of Guyana.”

Again, intransigent in holding on to power, Lowenfield, on June 23rd (despite a stay of execution), produced a new set of figures, giving Granger 33 seats in the legislature, while disenfranchising 115,000 voters.

Mr. Granger has pretended to be above the fray, while in fact he has been directing the show from behind the scenes. His paranoiac, delusional state cocoons him with the belief that defeat is not an option, as he has some special entitlement.

He has won, and is entitled to remain in office regardless, and the whole world is against him and his party.

One only has to recall that, at his swearing-in ceremony on May 16, 2015, he quoted from the Psalms, “As the Lord hath called me to triumph, this is the day which He hath appointed for that purpose.” Few noticed the Messianic choice of words.

He has been impervious to the findings of the international and regional electoral observer missions on the March 2, 2020 elections and its aftermath, the appeals and repeated cautionary statements of the various political leaders outside the region: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Kozack, US Congressmen and Senators; the UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, as well as statements by the highest officials in international and regional bodies, such as the OAS, CARICOM, the European Union, and individual countries; as well as highly respected non-governmental organizations such as the Carter Center and The Elders.

Calls by old friends such as Sir Sridath Ramphal to comply with the rule of law for Guyana’s sake have been

disregarded.

Dominic Gaskin, his sonin- law and leader of the AFC, has exposed the real danger: “The APNU+AFC has no intention of relinquishing control of government…”

Even in the height of this uncertainty, President David Granger has remained silent; and, from all indications, has not changed his position by conceding defeat and allowing the PPP/C, who are the legitimate winners of the elections, to be sworn in. Gaskin has proven to be a man of honour and valour.

Mr. David Granger had known all along that the 4,500 votes (less than 1% more votes) that put him in office on May 16 2015 were at best tenuous, and therefore his chances of winning in 2020 would be very slim.

The fact that the PNC alone has never won an election prior to, and since, independence could not have escaped him. Thus, the conspiracy to tamper with the 2020 elections began in earnest long before the No Confidence Motion. It has failed. He now bears full responsibility for the present loss of his and the Coalition’s fate.

We, and the rest of the world leaders who have spoken, have had enough of this deception that has ensnarled our people in a state of mental anguish, economic uncertainty, and increasing poverty in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not the first time we, as a country, have transitioned from one ruling party in government to another. President Hoyte relinquished to Dr. Cheddi Jagan following the first free and fair elections on October 5, 1992; and President Ramotar handed over to David Granger on May 16, 2015. These former Presidents proved that they were far superior in their commitment to democracy and nation than Mr. Granger.

On October 7, 1992 (2 days after the elections), the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Ambassador Rudy Collins, publicly reported that, with 95% of the ballots counted, the PPP/C had won 54% of the votes.

On the same day, Chief Elections Officer Stanley Singh had reported to the Chair and the Commission the results and the seats’ allocation. The PPPC with 163,579 (28 seats), the PNC with 136,403 votes (23 seats) and one seat each for the TUF and the WPA. The other 12 seats would come from the regional seat allocation.

That very afternoon, a 2-man transition team was set up - comprised of Ambassador Cedric Grant, appointed by President Hoyte, and Dr. Roger

Luncheon, appointed by President-Elect Dr. Cheddi Jagan – and began meeting the next day.

On the same day, October 7, 1992, Hugh Desmond Hoyte issued a statement, as President of the Republic of Guyana and Leader of the People’s National Congress, from the Office of the President, in which he declared “…on the basis of the numbers supplied to the PNC Campaign Headquarters by our agents, it appears that the People’s Progressive Party will have a majority, and it does not appear that votes not counted would materially alter the outcome….

“In keeping with the requirements of democracy, the People’s National Congress will accept the results of the poll…

“In the meantime, I would urge all Guyanese, in keeping with our democracy, to accept the results of the elections. We were determined to ensure their transparency, and we have succeeded.

I expect all citizens to accept these political developments, maintain a peaceful and harmonious climate in the society, and keep the welfare and the good name of Guyana foremost in their minds”.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan was sworn in on October 9, 1992.

Following the May 11, 2015 elections, CEO Lowenfield, on May 15th, 2015, during his announcement of the results, admitted he had some concerns with some counterfeit statements of polls from districts across the country. Some of the statements that were delivered to GECOM were not on the same quality of paper on which the original statements were printed, and some were void of specific security features that characterize GECOM’s official paper. However, the Chief Elections Officer said the votes contained on those statements were not enough to change the outcome of the elections (note, this was Lowenfield’s position in a close-run race, with less than a 1% difference of votes between the PPPC and the APNU+AFC).

Both CEO Lowenfield and GECOM 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.”

As a result of the closeness of the votes, President Donald Ramotar called for a full recount, and subsequently, on May 15, 2015, called for recount of 30 boxes. Both requests were rejected by the Chairman and the GECOM. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 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

Lowenfield is not the all-powerful unbridled horse he thinks he is Dear Editor, Today marks one hundred and eighteen days during which Guyanese have been waiting for the results of the General and Regional Elections of March 2. Guyana wins hands down the prize for the longest delay in the declaration of the results of any elections anywhere in the world and the elections with the most number of attempted declarations. The first was

by Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo at the Ashmins building and then there was Mingo at the GECOM Headquarters. Then there was the first of four by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield in March which GECOM is holding in abeyance. Then on the June 13, Lowenfield submitted what amounted to three declarations – one a tabulation of the valid votes giving the PPP/C a clear victory; a second, narrative report in which he stated that the results of the elections could not be ascertained because of anomalies and impersonation; and yet another where he adjusted the tabulation by deducting 275,092 votes or close to 60 per cent of the votes cast, thereby giving the APNU/AFC a huge victory.

Then taking his cue from

a Court of Appeal decision which he appeared to have anticipated, he made a further declaration citing the COA’s decision. This time, in an act of generosity with which he was not usually credited, Lowenfield re-enfranchised 159,248 of the 275,092 which he had previously disenfranchised. What is remarkable is that within one day, Lowenfield was able to review the entirety of the 275,092 votes which he had previously rejected to make such a wonderful change. And he did this all by himself, no observer, no instruction and no assistance!

What a man, what a feat! He will either end up among the pantheon of election geniuses or in jail.

Then taking its cue from Lowenfield’s later figures which give them a narrow one-seat majority, the APNU/AFC has been going around their strongholds with Lowenfield’s declaration. The APNU/AFC, having previously failed to convince even its diehard supporters of its victory, now hopes to feed them the Lowenfield lie. All of which only serves to make the options facing Guyana being civil unrest if the PPP/C comes out the winner or sanctions if the APNU/AFC manages to have Granger sworn in.

This is the background against which the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will be hearing arguments in an appeal brought by Bharrat Jagdeo and Irfaan Ally against a decision of the Court of Appeal in yet another matter brought by Eslyn David, a supporter of the PNCR/APNU with the sole purpose of delaying the results of the March 2, 2020 elections. The substantive matter is an action brought before the Court of Appeal in which the APNU/ AFC succeeded on a 2:1 vote, as it did in the GECOM Chair James Patterson and the No Confidence/majority of 65 case. In each of these cases, the decision of the Court of Appeal was overturned but once again, Attorney General Basil Williams exudes tremendous confidence, telling the CCJ that it has no jurisdiction in the matter! He is not only an optimist but a masochist basing his argument on Section 4 (3) of the Caribbean Court of Justice Act and completely overlooking Section 6 of the very Act. There is a lot of talk and much hope for a decisive outcome from the CCJ in this matter. I am less optimistic.

The first has to do with my own experience with the CCJ in the No-Confidence Motion

and I recall the absence of precise, definitive and clear orders which the APNU/AFC used to perpetuate itself in office.

Had there been a clearer judgment by the CCJ, the current issue might not have arisen in the first place.

In this David’s case, the CCJ has to consider essentially two matters: whether the Court of Appeal had jurisdiction to hear the case and second whether the court’s insertion of the word “valid” in Article 177 of the Constitution of Guyana in the context of “more votes are cast” really adds anything as Williams, Lowenfield and the APNU seem to think.

There are a number of possible outcomes in this matter, including holding that only one or the other issue stands.

For example, the CCJ can rule that the COA had jurisdiction but that it exceeded its powers or wrongly decided the interpretation issue under Article 177 (4) of the Constitution.

Or it can rule that given the absence of any legislation to give effect to Article 177 (4), the COA had no jurisdiction.

If the CCJ finds that the COA had no jurisdiction or its in-

“APNU/AFC will not allow a democratic transition”

Dear Editor, Lowenfield's claptrap declaration report to the Commissioners on June 23, 2020 is an extension of transparent attempts at rigging Guyana's March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

From the twice-proffered bingo numbers for Region Four offered by undergraduate Mingo, to the incomprehensible computations by self-promoted constitutional office holder Mr. Keith Lowenfield, the duo has made inapplicable any floor to irrationality. In straining to stain some valid votes as not credible, while other valid votes passed his smell and word tests, Lowenfield has taken the meaning of words to new depths; he has shown that foolish acts are not constrained only to stupid peo-

ple, with his pronouncement that only 344,508 were valid votes, instead of the approximately 460,000 valid votes as per the Statements of Poll and Statements of Recount.

Lowenfield's bizarre and perverse actions invalidated 115,787 votes, which he conceived and calculated as falling within his self-inflated constitutional authority. The computations by Lowenfield, if having a shred of logic, would have stunned the Greek mathematician Pythagoras, and certainly surpassed in their stupidity and crassness Guyana's 2019 global math farce - that 33 is not a majority of 65.

We all know that Mingo and Lowenfield were not acting alone, and we also know these individuals are not stupid. They are simply part of a rogue group that is trying to

steal the elections and disenfranchise over 233,000 voters in a manner similar to what Prime Minister/President Burnham did multiple times during his governance, based on rigged election results using any means necessary.

Those were done in just as callous, crass and clumsy a manner as President Granger is attempting to do now.

President Granger may consider this comparison to President Burnham as a compliment! Such is the pervasive syndrome of an entitled mind.

Damn the disenfranchised!

As we abide by the orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and await the rulings from Justice Adrian Saunders, President of the CCJ, we look forward to rulings that have all the necessary gloss and detailed points to present an iron wall against

Unshackle our people, let us...

On May 15th, President Ramotar made a public announcement, wherein he stated, “The results of the 2015 General and Regional Elections have been declared by the Guyana Elections Commission. Unfortunately, these results have been shrouded in controversy…

While we are disappointed, hurt and aggrieved, I urge you to remain calm in the face of widespread provocation associated with triumphalism…

“My Party remains convinced that a recount would

have proven beyond any shadow of doubt that the electoral processes had been compromised and the PPP/C would have won… We have agreed to pursue options for the redress under the constitution and the law, including an elections petition.”

A large Transition team was set up, and commenced meeting on Monday May 18th, headed by Dr. Luncheon for the outgoing administration and Mr. Joseph Harmon for President Granger.

This is the third transition of government.

word-twisting and deliberate misinterpretations by our "Caretaker Government".

P a t r i c k Wintour, Diplomatic editor of the UK Guardian newspaper, noted on Saturday June 27, 2020 that: “There are signs that Granger will not recognise the court’s jurisdiction, placing the international community in a dilemma.” My belief is that major enablers in the Caretaker Government have never agreed with President Hoyte accepting defeat in Guyana’s 1992 General Elections; and sanctions or no sanctions, will not allow a democratic transition of governance to the PPP/C, the party that clearly won the March 2, 2020 Elections based on valid votes cast.

Sincerely, Nigel Hinds

FROM PAGE 4

Mr. Granger must live his owns words of June 14th: “My concern is for Guyana, what is best for Guyana. I would swim any river, climb any mountain, go into any alleyway, to ensure that the interests of the Guyanese people are protected. The welfare of the Guyanese people is my greatest concern. I am Guyanese…I want to see future generations happy.

Guyana is my whole life.”

If these words are true, Mr. Granger must now tell his supporters and the country the truth, no matter how

much it hurts. By this act alone, Mr. Granger will release GECOM from the tentacles of the rigging cabal and allow it to execute its constitutional duties unhindered. It will allow for the transition preparations to commence.

There is a small window left, Mr Granger; unshackle our people, let us breathe again. The people and country will thank you; your legacy will be redeemed.

Sincerely Gail Teixeira

sertion of the word “valid” in excess of its jurisdiction, then Lowenfield’s June 23 report also fails. Of course, the CCJ’s own jurisdiction in this matter is being called into question, a position which I think will not succeed. Now, having stated that I am less than optimistic, I do find it hard to see the CCJ ignoring the impasse which has now gone on for three months or the results of the recount in which the region’s legitimate interlocutor participated and concluded as constituting valid votes.

Whichever way the Court goes, however, the matter will go back to GECOM which has a constitutional duty over elections, including powers to exercise control over the Chief

Elections Officer. Lowenfield is not the all-powerful unbridled horse that he thinks he is, nor can those who benefit from his misdeeds make him immune to the consequences of his misadventures.

For now, Guyana remains a constitutional democracy and all Guyanese have an interest to see that it remains that way. Lowenfield’s/APNU/ AFC’s alternative is far too frightening to contemplate and must be avoided at all cost. It would not only be the end of democracy as contemplated by our Constitution, but the very end of our country as we know it.

Sincerely, Christopher Ram

No end in sight to the election debacle Dear Editor, It is clearly evident that the APNU/AFC is using the judicial system along with the most imbecilic issues to remain in office, or declare the elections null and void.

The present scenario of more than half of the country’s ballots deemed fraudulent by GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Lowenfield obviously serves to propel the APNU to call for fresh elections. The salient question is: Does the CEO of GECOM have the wherewithal and authority to condemn over 260,000 votes?

And now he has produced yet another grotesque set of figures, setting aside over 115,000 votes as not valid. Fifty-five years after Independence, and 4 months after elections were held, the nation is besieged, and is still grappling with vote count, miscount, recount and discount of votes.

But this is Guyana, which has a huge problem to count 460,000 votes. Are we to believe that the powers that be would not have the same problem to count the proceeds from 8 billion barrels of oil?

The worst aspects of this election were the bogus declaration of the results by the CEO, and the decision rendered by the Justices of the Appellate Court. It must be remembered that in one of the worst decisions made by these Justices, the same court had ruled that 34 votes were needed in the 65-member National Assembly to pass the “no confidence motion” a year ago.

As for the declared results based on the Statement of Recount, the PPP has won by

a 15,000-vote margin over the APNU coalition, with 233,000 votes for the PPP and 217,000 for APNU. The numerical majority indicates the winner in Guyana’s election; however, we are witnessing the emergence of the GECOM CEO declaring APNU+AFC the winner.

In whatever manner, the Guyanese nation expects fairness in this election, but their aspirations seem to be more altruistic than pragmatic; because fair, free and transparent elections exist in a democratic system, but not in Guyana, where there is a grab for power because of greed, selfishness, and by not putting the interests of the people and country first.

It is my belief that President Granger is enjoying this state of affairs, as it bolsters his ego and makes him a man of great importance. That is a truly narcissistic mindset, reminiscent of the man he idolises, Forbes Burnham. Or perhaps the pressures from his cabal at Congress Place have caused his psyche to deteriorate into a mentally strained and ineffective Head of State.

Whatever decision he makes, if it is contrary to the recount results, the international community has already signalled to him and the hierarchy of APNU+AFC that it will not stand idly by and see the will of the electorate being thwarted.

However, it does not seem likely that this election debacle will end anytime soon.

Sincerely, Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTERS ON PAGES 24 & 25

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Granger should concede for good of Guyana – US political consultant

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ashington DC-based political consultant and former State Department official José Cárdenas has urged caretaker President David Granger to concede defeat and begin the process of getting his party ready, so he can compete fairly and freely in the next elections.

Cárdenas made this statement on Saturday, during an interview with reporters from various news outlets in Guyana. Asked what are his expectations for Guyana and the A Partnership for

National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) leader, Cárdenas was hopeful.

“When I see Granger, I think this is a man who has dedicated his life to Guyana.

I think he has a lot of pride…

I hope in the end, President Granger does what is best for his country. And I think that is to understand that the people have spoken.”

“Whether you believe there were problems with the elections, my humble advice, with thoughts to what is best for the Guyanese people, is for President granger to

Caretaker President David Granger

Undemocratic Govt can lead to...

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.” 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 observer 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.”

Elections were held since March 2, 2020, but a winner is yet to be declared. After controversy erupted when the Region Four Returning Officer twice subverted the process and declared fraudulent numbers, a recount was done that showed that the PPP/C won the elections by 15,416 votes.

But in a report done by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, it was claimed that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coali-

FROM PAGE 3

tion garnered 171,825 votes while the PPP/C gained 166,343 votes. This means that Lowenfield fraudulently invalidated more than 115,000 votes.

How the CEO arrived at those figures is unknown, since the certified results from the legally conducted recount exercise supervised

by GECOM and a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) pellucidly show that the PPP/C won with 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC garnered 217,920.

In all of this, the unified international community including the US, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union, have made it abundantly clear that they will not stand for the will of the Guyanese people being subverted. There has been talk of various consequences if Guyana departs from democracy, ranging from sanctions to expulsion from Caricom.

concede and on day two begin the process of competing fairly and freely in the next elections, with an eye to rectifying any discrepancies or problems they saw in the last elections, so it doesn’t happen again.”

Cárdenas used the example of the 2000 US Presidential Election, one of the most contentious in recent history where former President George W Bush lost the popular vote but was able to clinch the presidency after the intervention of the US Supreme Court.

“In democracy, it calls for very tough decisions person-

President Granger. I think his career, his public service, is admirable. But we’re at a point now where, for the good of the country, he should concede. And his coalition should start immediately preparing for the next election, for another shot at [the Presidency].”

Cárdenas also noted that the US has a vested interest in making sure that Guyana develops and the oil wealth makes a difference in the lives of Guyanese. According to him, once this happens Guyanese won’t have to leave their countries in search of a better future.

the National Recount was carried out and from the votes counted, it is clear the PPP/C is the winner.

As such, he had urged that PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali be sworn in without delay.

Sharma had also called the last 108 days exhausting and said that the people are starving and suffering, due to the COVID-triggered economic slowdown.

Granger’s own son-in-law, former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, also made a statement on the same day as Sharma, in which he conced-

“In democracy, it calls for very tough decisions personally for the good of the whole. When we went through this process in 2000 with George W Bush and Al Gore, there were a lot of people egging on Al Gore to continue to fight the uncertainty over the 2000 election. To his credit, he conceded. Because he did not want to put the country through any more uncertainty. That should serve as a model for President Granger.” – José Cárdenas ally for the good of the whole.

And so, when we went through this process in 2000 with George W Bush and Al Gore, there were a lot of people who were egging on Al Gore to continue to fight the uncertainty over the 2000 election. To his credit, he conceded,” Cárdenas said.

“Because he did not want to put the country through any more uncertainty. That should serve as a model for President Granger. I respect

It was only recently that coalition partner Justice For All Party (JFAP) founder CN Sharma, broke away from APNU/AFC’s dogged refusal to accept defeat in the March 2 polls. In a statement, he made it clear that enough was enough and it was time for the country to move on.

He had chastised those bent on dragging out the process and extended congratulations to PPP/C on their win.

Sharma had pointed out that

ed that APNU/AFC lost to the PPP/C and called out his party’s leadership for fooling supporters.

And incumbent Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was caught on a recording, conceding defeat to his Ministry staff, during a farewell speech he had given.

In that speech, Ramjattan had acknowledged the PPP winning by some 15,000 votes and had told the gathering he was willing to move on.

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Essequibo Coast toddler, farmer drown

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family of Charity Squatting Area in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) is mourning the death of their three-year-old daughter, who allegedly drowned in a four-gallon bucket of water.

Dead is Sitana Alexander of Charity.

Mother of the child, Vanessa Alexander told Police at about 10:53h on Friday, she left the toddler in the house and went outside to do laundry. She said that upon returning, she realised that the child was not in the house and begun searching for her. However, the mother confronted her worst fear when she found the child motionless in a four-gallon bucket of water.

The child was removed

from the bucket of water and rushed to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital, Charity, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The body is presently at the Suddie Public Hospital, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, also on Friday on the Essequibo Coast, the body of 48-year-

old Rajanauth Daljit was fished out of a trench at New Road village.

Reports are at about 17:00h, the labourer of Lot 32, New Road, Essequibo Coast, was spotted in the trench.

Karran Koomar, a farmer and friend of the now dead man, told Guyana

Times that he left Daljit washing some paddy bags at the trench. He said that when he returned, he didn’t see Daljit. Upon searching, he discovered the labourer’s lifeless body floating in the trench face down. An alarm was raised and neighbours and relatives rushed to the scene.

According to residents, Daljit was an alcoholic, who lived alone and suffered from epilepsy.

The body was removed from the trench and the police were notified of the incident.

The body was taken to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital, where the labourer was pronounced dead.

Investigations are ongoing.

Employees confess to beating, robbing employer

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anks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have apprehended three pitmen for the alleged beating and robbing of a Brazilian businessman, which occurred on Friday.

According to reports, the incident occurred at about

17:30h.

The gold miner, 62-yearold Adam DaSilva of Boa Vista, Brazil, was beaten and robbed of a quantity of raw gold at the Sandhill/ Oku Landing, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) He suffered a fractured leg and multiple lacerations about his body. Adams has been admitted to the Bartica Regional Hospital, where he is said to be in a stable condition.

The three employees – aged 19, 20 and 23 – were caught and detained hours after the incident. They con-

fessed to the crime.

All three pitmen resided within the East Bank Essequibo and Essequibo Coast area. They reportedly told investigators that they committed the act after being unpaid for work done.

Police are still investigating the matter.

What’s ahead…

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…for Guyana s the PNC stubbornly holds on to power, some folks are wondering why all the fussin’ and fightin’ when they know they’ll have to give it up sooner or later. But clearly, they’re thinking “later” …maybe not as “late” as the tyrants of Haiti have strung out their rule (some 200 years!!), but late enough to make themselves set for life.

But, in their regime’s death throes, the PNC are setting into motion forces that may stunt our development for as long as the Haitian nightmare. One of these forces is the signing of various contracts wherein thousands of acres in the Ogle area, near the airport, are being given up. Before the elections, they were boasting of the “development” to create a futuristic city in the abandoned sugar fields.

But why should the development of a new city be a force for backwardness? For the answer, we should look over in Equatorial Guinea, which, after their oil discovery at the turn of the century, as an impoverished country with a comparable small population like ours, they suddenly possessed the “highest per capita income” in Africa!! Comparable to the US!! In the first decade, more than US$100 billion in revenues were generated, but the Equidorians remained as impoverished as ever. What happened? We will just look at one description of the enclave outside their capital of Malabo…much like what’s promised at Ogle, compared to the squalor of, say, our Albuoystown, to suggest a modern “tale of two cities”.

“Meanwhile, on the border of (the) city next to the airport, the gates and walls of private oil industry compounds open onto manicured lawns, landscaped hedges and flowers, paved roads with speed limits and fire hydrants, stately suburban homes with SUVs in garages, and sprawling office and industrial complexes.

The largest complex by itself generated enough electricity to power the entire country’s electricity needs 24 hours per day every day. Food to feed expatriate employees was shipped from Europe and the United States. The luxurious homes in which expatriate management lived were serviced by their own sewage and septic systems, and appointed with flat screen televisions, wireless internet, and landline phone service with Houston area codes. Each house had an Equatoguinean maid, and the office complexes had Equatoguinean janitorial services. The compound also included pools, gyms, basketball and tennis courts, restaurants, bars; and at one, a movie theater and small golf course. Malaria, endemic to the Equatorial Guinea just on the other side of the wall, had been all but eradicated on the compounds. Management-level expatriate oil workers and their wives living in these lavish ‘suburbs of Houston’ received a 75 percent salary increase for working in a ‘hardship’ post.”

That’s the PNC vision for Guyana. …at the CCJ It’s not difficult to predict what’ll happen next Wednesday at the CCJ. As the CCJ legal luminaries had to ruefully remind the PNC when their “33 is not the majority of 65” was supported by our Court of Appeal, the answer in the Constitution really needed “no gloss”. But it’s not “gloss” the PNC was looking for, was it?? They were just trying a thing – to delay matters – like now.

But clearly, our Appellate Court Justices have no pride as legal professionals, after they were rapped on the knuckles by their superiors!! It’s not that they’re gluttons for punishment – just gluttons, period!! The Jurisdictional bar raised by the PNC will be summarily brushed aside, since the CCJ Act of 2004, Sec 26 – which is its “limiting clause” – explicitly only saved DECISIONS by the CoA made BEFORE 2004. It doesn’t apply prospectively!!

On the substantive matter of what are “valid votes”, the criteria for the recount will be referred to.

And for any other C&O, the PNC will be pointed to an elections petition!! But the PNC will find some other technicality!! …in Guyanese race relations In the past, after our polarising elections, we went along as if nothing happened; since, generally, our opinions remained private.

But that was before Facebook, wasn’t it?

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

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Parents, teen son die in Cummings Lodge fire T ragedy struck in the East Coast Demerara village of Cummings Lodge on Saturday afternoon when a mother, father and their son died after being trapped in their home when fire engulfed the building.

Dead are Beverly Miller, 40; Martin Lewis, 46 and their 14-year-old teen son Dawall Ifill, all of E-Half Sixth Street, Cummings Lodge, ECD.

Firefighters combing the rubble to find the bodies

Relative: Coretta Woolford

Reports are the fire started at about 17:45h in the building which housed several apartments.

Initially, no one suspected that anyone was trapped in the building.

However, it was after the occupants of the home started inquiring if everyone was safe that relatives began looking for the couple

and their son.

When this publication arrived at the scene, firefighters were attempting to recover the charred remains of the trio.

Cleon Williams, nephew of the dead woman said after he realised that his aunt and her family were trapped in the building, he tried everything he could to save them but there were too many grills for him to be able to break in and free them “I really tried, I really tried but I couldn’t,” the man said, still in shock.

Also, speaking with Guyana Times, Lewis’ sister, Coretta Woolford said that she was in front of the house selling at her “stand”, when she heard someone screaming and it was then that she noticed that the

house was on fire.

“I run and I run and take

to do and I break out the neighbour fence to push my children and the children from the upper flat into the neighbour yard,” the shaken woman said.

The building was divided into nine apartments, with 28 persons living there.

As tears flowed down her face, Woolford said, “My brother, his wife and their son get trapped and they burn to death.”

At the scene, relatives and neighbours all gathered in disbelief as they consoled each other.

The family only moved into the apartment in March. Another relative

owner who died recently.

A man who was said to be the landlord’s grandson, who was seen earlier at the

rived to remove the family’s bodies, they were found clenched together, as though they were hugging.

Undertakers removing the charred remains of Beverly Miller, Martin Lewis and their son Dawall Ifill

out my baby and my stepdaughter. I couldn’t run to front…I start to think what

told the media that the property was in dispute between the relatives of its

apartment where the fire started has been arrested.

When undertakers ar-

The Guyana Fire Service have since launched an investigation.

10 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gunman nabbed after injuring self in robbery

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22-year-old robbery suspect is currently seeking medical attention under Police guard after he injured himself while committing a second robbery.

According to Police information, the first robbery

Fire ravages Sophia home, 3 homeless

occurred on Monday and CCTV footage from a nearby building captured the entire ordeal.

The victim, an Albuoystown resident, was seen riding his motorcycle when two men rode up alongside him and pushed

The bandits caught on camera during a robbery

him off his bike.

The man laid on the ground as the pillion rider jumped off the motorcycle and took his bag while brandishing a firearm. The duo then made their escape mo-

ments later.

Police said they received information that the suspects attempted the “same stunt” after the first robbery, but they fell off the motorcycle while committing the act.

As a result, the gunman sustained serious injuries and is seeking treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital under Police guard.

His accomplice, a resident of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, escaped from the scene and is currently being pursued by law enforcement. Police are continuing their investigation.

The wooden single storey house that was burnt in A Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown

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family of three on Saturday was left homeless after a fire ravaged their one storey wooden home in Lot 197 Section A Field Seven South Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, a neighbour, who gave his name only as Randy, said that he was at home at about 16:30h when he heard explosive sounds.

The man related that

shortly after he saw the house in flames.

“Everything they lose, they weren’t able to save anything, because nobody was at home at the time. The house is small so it burned very quickly,” the neighbour related.

Efforts by neighbours and firefighters to save the house proved futile. The Guyana Fire Service have since launched an investigation.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Armed bandits invade Mon Repos cellphone store

Anti-Indian racism in Guyana

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ast week, we wrote about anti-African racism, which was birthed coevally with African slavery in the 16th century, and, during the European Enlightenment, given an ideological scaffolding that was universalised with the acceptance of westernisation as “modernisation”. The Christian “great chain of being” was secularised, with Europeans at the pinnacle of human evolution and Africans at the bottom. Other “races” were positioned along the “chain” by the Europeans - the arbiters of all things under the sun.

But in the lived reality of the ideology of modernity, with its inbuilt anti-African racism, in Guyana, after the abolition of slavery in 1834, a shift occurred when other “racial” groups – Portuguese, Indians and Chinese - were introduced to perform “slave labour”. In the British racial classification of the “six races” of Guyana, the Portuguese were disjunctured from “Europeans”, with whom they were phenotypically identical.

However, they persevered Ravi Dev socially and culturally on the back of their economic success after their indenture to finally be considered by other Guyanese groups as “near whites”, on par with the Coloured strata by the 20th century. The number of Chinese was comparatively small, and they also used business success to blend in with the Coloured strata.

The indentured Indians, however, presented a classificatory challenge to the Europeans. Unlike in Africa, where they were positioned as “middle men”, above Africans, in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean, they were relegated to the bottom of the totem pole. In 1832, the “Macaulay Minute” to the Indian Parliament had established the basis of a new form of conquest of those peoples who might believe themselves to be “civilised”.

All of their libraries, for instance, were not worth one shelf of European learning, and were to be discarded as they were now to strive to become “Brown Englishmen”.

For the British planters, who imported Indian indentureds, they were initially lauded as docile and willing to work for far less than the ex-slaves demanded. Never mind Indian peasant farming and their cotton industry were destroyed to create famines and joblessness for untold millions, who had no alternative to migration – both domestic and overseas. In Guyana, then, even though the ex-slaves utilised the opportunities available through abandoned plantations to move out of the sugar industry and found the “Village Movement” by 1848, Indians were blamed and derided for “undercutting” wages in sugar.

It was at this stage of our history that anti-non-African immigrant racism was birthed, which sedimented as anti-Indian racism. It is a historical irony that more indentureds came from Africa and the West Indies (55,867) to undercut sugar wages than Portuguese and Chinese combined (44,874) – but the former blended in, unremarked, with the freed slaves. After antiPortuguese riots in 1848, 1856 and 1889, their economic success eased their social constraints, and anti-Indian racism by African/ Coloured Guyanese became the predominant social cleavage. On account of their sheer numbers, which facilitated their cultural retention on the sugar plantations where they were sequestered, Indians presented a visible social group that could be “othered”

by African and Coloured Guyanese, who had previously been placed at the bottom of the social ladder.

In addition to the earlier mentioned willingness to perform “slave work”, Indians were scorned by the latter groups for not being “civilised” – i.e. not practising “British” culture; for being “pagans and heathens”; for being “dirty” and “unkempt”; for being “misers”; and for being “shifty” and “cheating” as they entered commerce by selling milk, vegetables, and eventually rice. By the beginning of the 20th century, as the majority of Indian immigrants decided to remain in Guiana, their numbers were seen as an incipient threat to the political aspirations of the African/Coloured leaders, even though, under the restricted franchise, as late as 1910, only 188 Indians qualified for the franchise out of a total of 4,104 (4.6%).

Anti-Indian racism expanded from the social and cultural spheres to the political in the 1920s, when the sugar planters attempted to recruit additional Indian labour following the abolition of Indentureship in 1917. African organisations insisted that recruitment be conducted from both African and Indian; and in the end, though the numbers were small, more labour came from Africa.

The PPP attempted to address this inchoate fissure in 1950, but Burnham’s split, in 1955, to form the PNC rekindled it by explicating the African Security Dilemma. Anti-Indian racism ensured that the PNC was allowed to exclude the PPP – supported

by Indian Guyanese - between 1968 and 1992.

And which is once again being attempted today.

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anks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are searching for two suspects who robbed a cell phone store and gun butted two employees on Friday.

The armed robbery occurred at the Celltronicx store at Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) at about 14:30h.

According to Police, the two men entered the store pretending to be customers, and as one of the employees was about to assist them, one of the suspects whipped out a handgun, demanding that the staff

The suspects robbing the cellphone store at Mon Repos, ECD

remain quiet.

CCTV footage that was

sent to Guyana Times shows one of the suspects holding

a female staff at gunpoint, before escorting her further into the store.

Both she and a male employee were placed on the floor as one of the bandits entered the office. The second suspect was seen opening a bag and placing several cellphones from the glass case and cash in the bag.

The two employees were also gun-butted in the process.

This publication was told that the men escaped with over 20 cellular phones, and about $1 million. Police probe into the robbery continues.

12 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3-year-old tests positive Religious bodies call for for COVID-19 in Bartica Granger to concede defeat …testing suspended, lab non-operational for weekend …say action causing mistrust, hate and fear

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three-year-old child is among the recent persons who tested positive for COVID-19 in the mining town of Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

On Saturday, Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region Seven, Dr Edward Sagala disclosed that they recorded four new cases in the region, including the toddler. These persons all came into contact with Bartica’s first COVID-19 victim, who tested positive on Wednesday.

After the detection of the first case, health officials mobilised to test 10 persons and four returned positive.

They are all related to the Region’s first case.

While these persons have been placed in institutional isolation for 14 days, another 16 individuals, including healthcare workers, have been tested and are awaiting their results.

Dr Sagala emphasised that they are faced with resistance from the public to wear masks, practice social distancing and other measures. Additionally, children continue to wander on the streets unsupervised despite warnings.

“What is sad and of increasing concern is the fact that Barticians are continuously ignoring the advisories that the Health Department, time and time again, has been preaching,” he expressed.

The RHO urged residents

of Bartica and by extension, Region Seven, to stay at home during this time, abide by the curfew and ensure children are kept safe.

Testing suspended

It was announced on Saturday that the National Reference Laboratory will not be operational throughout the weekend, thereby putting all tests on hold.

In a notice, the National COVID-19 Task Force informed that the building would be temporarily closed to carry out electrical works throughout the weekend. This laboratory is the only public facility to facilitate COVID-19 testing in Guyana.

“Please be advised that there will be no testing for COVID-19 today, Saturday, June 27th and tomorrow, Sunday, June 28th as the National Reference Laboratory is closed for electrical works to be done,” it was announced.

This development comes at a time when the country has seen an increase of 47 cases within the past week

– a majority of which were from Regions One (BarimaWaini) and Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Other than this facility, the Eureka Laboratory and St Joseph Mercy Hospital aid in private testing. However, many have complained about the steep costs attached.

The most recent statistics show that there are currently 230 detected cases locally, which has been tallied since the country’s first positive on March 11.

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.

According to the World Health Organisation, the total number of cases is 10,008,027with 499,102 deaths. In South America, the number of cases is 2,058,912 with 79,958 deaths.

s pressure continues to mount for a creditable declaration of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections based on the results from a National Recount which show a victory for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, several religious organisations have now joined calls for caretaker President David Granger to concede his defeat.

Among the organisations calling for the coalition leader to accept defeat was the Arya Samaj community of Guyana.

In a statement issued on Saturday by President of Guyana Central Arya Samaj, Dr Kumar Sukhraj, and President of the Berbice Central Arya Samaj, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo, it was emphasised that the recount was well-executed under the watchful eyes of the representatives of several local and international organisations and from which a winner has been identified.

“The winners have been identified. Even GECOM

has made a decision to accept the recount results, that is that the PPP/C has won the elections. The entire

President of Guyana Central Arya Samaj, Dr Kumar Sukhraj

world through its individual and collective representatives is calling on you to accept the results of the March 2nd General Elections as was revealed by the recount.

Elections are held every five years in a democracy and must reflect the will of the people. A true leader recognises and lives with this,” the statement identified.

Misleading loyal supporters

The religious body further contended that the current stance taken

by Granger does not encourage better relations among the Guyanese people, nor does it promote peace.

The organisation said to the caretaker Head of State, “By unlawfully holding on to power and misleading your loyal supporters, you are creating an atmosphere of mistrust, hate and fear. When this is over, we as Guyanese will have to live together, help one another and be there

for each other…Your present posturing does not bode well for relations amongst Guyanese, for peaceful co-existence and love for each other. It is instead causing more pain especially to your loyal supporters, who are still holding on to your words as a beacon.”

Meanwhile, the InterReligious Dialogue also shared their input in the current crisis, recognising the PPP as the “clear winner”. As such, calls mounted for Granger and his party to concede with dignity.

Its missive read, “It is without a doubt that the incumbent APNU/AFC party has lost the elections, status as Government and the presidency.”

The IRD backed its position by referring to a summary of the tabulated recount data, which showed the parliamentary Opposition securing a landslide victory over the APNU/AFC. It also quoted the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Observer Mission which shared, “Despite our concerns, nothing that we witnessed warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 02, 2020 elections.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha had expressed similar sentiments, calling for democracy and accountability to be respected by the Guyana Elections Commission and to ensure that all the votes cast and the will of the Guyanese people be reflected in its declaration.

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mother of 10 forced to break curfew to keep food on the table …risks life and arrest to catch “creck-a-teh" every night

By Andrew Carmichael

A

mother would do anything and possibly break every law to ensure that her children are taken care of. She would go to any extent to make sure they receive at least one meal per day, while she, herself, would go hungry.

For Tarmilla Bhagrat, no one told her about the challenges of motherhood. No one told her that she would be breaking the law to ensure that her family is fed and taken care of. But here she is, breaking the Government-imposed curfew every night and risking not just arrest but her life.

The 35-year-old mother of 10 does whatever it takes to feed her family and would continue doing so. She ventures into communities every night with two of her teenaged sons to scavenge the drains and trenches for shelled snails or as we Guyanese call it – “creck-a-teh”.

She has been doing this for years as a means of supplementing the income of her sickly husband so when the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) decided to impose a nationwide curfew from 18:00h to 06:00h to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, the mother knew she would have to resort to breaking the law.

She had to and still has to choose between whether her children go hungry or being dragged before the courts and every day she chooses the former and risks the latter.

Tarmilla Bhagrat

Bhagrat and some of her children

ning water or electricity. Despite this, they still have to pay rent for the house or face the threat of eviction. However, for now, they aren’t paying rent owing to the lack of the basic utilities and the landlords have agreed to let them stay there for the while.

When the Sunday Times sat down with

The house the family currently lives in

Bhagrat is the mother to 10 children aged 19, 18, 16, 14, 13, 11, 10, 7, 4 and 1-year-old.

The family lives in poverty since the battle to survive is constant. They were forced to move from their house which was falling apart to Fort Ordinance in East Canjie, Berbice, into a house where there is no run-

the overwhelmed mother, she explained that because of the number of children she has, it is hard to instil some form of discipline in them. She said that while they are helpful, there are times when they would act out and “do what they want.”

Nevertheless, the mother said her children need her constant attention and she tries to provide that to them every day.

When the Sunday Times sat down with her at her home, she was surrounded by her children while the smallest was inside napping.

However, after some time, the child started fussing and it was not because the child was hungry rather the child just wanted to be with the mother and have her undivided attention.

Bhagrat begins her day as early as 02:00h and it ends after midnight every day.

Rest is limited as she is constantly working to provide for the family. Her husband is hypertensive and cannot do much work so the majority of the responsibilities fall on her alone.

Bhagrat’s 16-year-old daughter preparing a meal for the family She related that her hus-

Market where she sells them. However, on Saturdays, she would leave home at 02:00h for the market since it is the busiest day.

“Creck-a-teh" is great demand and Bhagrat has customers who would travel all the way from Georgetown to Port Mourant so they can purchase the snails. The earnings from those sales go directly towards the household and taking care of the children.

The mother has been trying to get a house lot to move her family to their own place but to date, she has been unsuccessful.

She related that every time she visits the Housing Authority she is told that there are no house lots available and she would have check back. She said that the place they are currently living in is not safe for her chil-

band used to work in the interior but he recently contracted malaria which limits his ability to work now. He has resorted to inland fishing but some days are better than others. Apparently, inland fishing is not a lucrative business and coupled with the father’s medical complications, it results in little to no money being earned.

“Because of the sickness he does hardly go out to work,” the mother stated.

Bhagrat breaks the curfew by going out at night and then has to break it again early in the morning to get on the road before daybreak. Not only that, but she also takes some of the children with her in the evenings to catch “creck-a-teh".

“Nighttime we does fishing for the “creck-a-teh" and we does got to take them out of the shell and put them on ice so they can stay fresh,” Bhagrat’s son shucking the creck-a-teh’ she explained.

She furthered that it is not dren since it would be inundated every time a simple job since the family would have to it rains. venture into communities where they are When schools reopen, six of Bharrat’s attacked by dogs and risk being bitten by children will be attending, which would snakes while they scavenge the drains for make it even harder for her. In the past, her the creatures. neighbours have provided some assistance "06:30 to ensure the in the afchildren get ternoon to school but w h e n with the panthe place demic and lack start to of work, she is get late, not hopeful. me and H e r me two 16-year-old sons, we daughter does go left school in around Grade 10 and in the now plays the scheme role of ‘assisand use tant mom’ a torchsince there are light to needs to be pick the met and sacri“creckfices have to be a-teh",” made. she furFor her, ther exCOVID-19 plained. makes no difAfter ference becollecting cause there Three of Bhagrat’s children the creaare more imtures, she mediate things that she has to take care of would sit for hours and shuck them out of on a daily basis so she will continue risking their shells to wash them. That runs her late her life and being arrested to ensure that into the nights and then she would get up her children are taken care of and can go to early to leave at 05:00h for the Port Mourant bed with their stomachs full.

14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE DAY

By Utamu Belle

W

hile some people might be demotivated by restrictions put in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 35-year-old Linden mother of 3 Onika Paddy is utilising this time to work on establishing her own cupcake business.

Like many, she was recently forced to stay home from her regular job due to social distancing guidelines but decided to redirect her energy to one of her long-time skills. Paddy, who presently operates from her home at the Constabulary Compound has been in the business of making cupcakes for approximately 2 years but she related that at first, it was just an activity which she enjoyed doing for close family and friends.

Today, “Love at First Bite” cupcakes is quickly becoming a household name for those seeking unique and delicious cupcakes for any event.

"I never really had the time to put all my passion and my love into it because I was working. So, now that I am home I decided to just go forth with it. I was very overwhelmed with the support that I got from my friends and my family, so I continued", Paddy told the Sunday Times Magazine.

Baking has been one of her pastimes ever since she was a little girl. It is a skill which was taught to her by her mother who also enjoyed baking and being around the kitchen.

"I started baking bread and my mom, she always in-

stilled these things into us since we were like around 12, 13...she too has some catering experience and she would teach me a few things like making pastries", Paddy related.

W h e n asked about the catchy name behind her line of cupcakes, the businesswoman explained that it was created through input and inspiration from one of her close friends.

"I came up with a name and then I threw it to her and she advised me that when you're naming a business you name it with an affirmation... and so she just changed it around a bit and we started to call it 'Love at First Bite' and indeed it ended up being love at first bite", she noted with a chuckle.

Paddy aims to be unique and creative in the presentation and flavour of her cupcakes.

Customers have the opportunity to choose their own unique designs and colours as they see fit and can place orders the day prior to delivery. They also have an option of ordering alcohol-infused or just regular cupcakes.

I

" I try to be more colourful and try my best to do my own designs and stuff... I operate from within my own kitchen. At first, I started selling drinks and then I decided to start baking and selling", she explained.

The mother of 3 hopes to one day expand her services outside of Linden as she has her eyes set on offering services to areas such as Georgetown and Berbice.

This move, she explained, presently has its challenges owing to the pandemic.

In the meantime, she is organising and exploring the possibilities with the help of a friend.

She is also working on having her own establishment and to also incorporate the usual cakes into her line of work.

"I'm really trying to

b e different, like stray away from what everybody else is doing... So I'm trying my best to stick to cupcakes but I see myself in the future doing cakes as well, in a more different and fun and creative way. I'm just giving myself some time to develop a little bit more and then everything else will fall into place", Paddy said.

For anyone with a passion that might be pondering with their ideas, the mother of 3 advises them to be encouraged.

"My advice to them would be to believe in yourself. As long as you have the vision, the only way that it can be manifested is through you. So just take one step. Sometimes you may not get the results that you're looking for the first time, but just continue pushing, continue believing in yourself and continue trying. Eventually, you will get there, but first of all, ask God to guide you", she said.

Overtopping of sea defense

nternational Climate Change Day is celebrated every year on June 21. This year, the theme is “Climate Change and Environmental Challenges”. Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and we are at a defining moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly.

The evidence of climate change is compelling: sea levels are rising, glaciers are retreating, precipitation patterns are changing, and the world is getting warmer. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions is likely to cause average temperatures to rise by 0.2˚C per decade, reaching, by 2050, the threshold of 2˚C above pre-industrial levels. Yes, we know that climate change is global, but its negative impacts are more severely felt by poor people and poor countries. They are more vulnerable because of their high dependence on natural resources, and limited capacity to cope with climate variability and extremes. Restoring and maintaining key ecosystems can help communities in their adaptation efforts, and support livelihoods that depend upon the services of these ecosystems.

Yes, climate change is one of the major challenges of our time, and adds considerable stress to our society and to the environment. Yes, climate change is a serious risk to poverty reduction, and could undo decades of development efforts.

But we, as a people and a country, need to move t o w a r d s low-carbon societies that can help reduce greenhouse Mangroves are a natural defense against the rising tide and absorb greenhouse gases gas emissions, which can, in turn, improve human health and well-being and create green jobs. Climate change impacts can be mitigated by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and by enhancing the capacity of Earth’s land surface to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

While the Office of Climate Change, the Guyana Energy Agency, and other government agencies, along with private sector companies, work to combat climate change on a national level, there are simple, everyday actions you can take to join the effort.

Individual actions to reduce climate change impacts Reference https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climatechange/ https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/chapter-3/ Abbs, D., and T. Rafter, 2008: The Effect of Climate Change on Extreme Rainfall Events in the Western Port Region. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Aspendale, Australia, 23 pp Brovkin, V., T. Raddatz, C.H. Reick, M. Claussen, and V. Gayler, 2009: Global biogeophysical interactions between forest and climate. Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L07405 Cameron, D., 2006: An application of the UKCIP02 climate change scenarios to flood estimation by continuous simulation for a gauged catchment in the northeast of Scotland, UK (with uncertainty). Journal of Hydrology, 328(1-2), 212-226 Christidis, N., P.A. Stott, and S.J. Brown, 2011b: The role of human activity in the recent warming of extremely warm daytime temperatures. Journal of Climate, 24(7), 1922-1930

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Being a pharmacist is not just a job, it is my life – Ameenah Khan

By Lakhram Bhagirat

L

anding your dream job and excelling at it is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It shows that dreams do come true if we work hard enough, if we just push a little more when we are close to quitting.

Not every day is going to be the best, but it is the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve impacted someone’s life that gives you the drive to go on. It is said that pharmacists are our friendly neighbours who have our best interest at heart. It is the community pharmacist who is there for us when we are ill and in need of care.

It is this very need to give back and serve the community that led Ameenah Khan to choose the pharmacology field. She saw the need for more community pharmacists who have the best interest of those they are bound to serve at heart and she answered the call.

Ameenah runs her own pharmacy at La Jalousie on the West Coast of Demerara, but the journey to get where she is today has not been a smooth ride in the park. In fact, she has been preparing for a profession in the medical field for all her life. She knew that it was the only sector she would really be comfortable working in.

To understand Ameenah’s fascination with the medical sector, particularly pharmacology, one would need to venture back into her childhood growing up in La Jalousie near her grandparents.

Being both the eldest child for her parents and the eldest grandchild meant that Ameenah was wellloved and afforded the opportunity to be with her grandparents quite often.

She had a particularly special bond with her grandmother, who had taken care of her when she was very young. Her childhood was filled with fond memories of her grandparents taking her and her two siblings on trips across the country and invoking the love of travelling in her.

Throughout her travels, she would see her grandparents and other persons with bags of medication, and it was then a curiosity about medication was birthed.

“As I was growing up, I saw the amount of medications my grandparents consumed and wondered as to why all these were needed and what was the purpose of taking them.

Thus, my love for the profession emerged.

I always wanted to help my family first, as I believe they deserve to have the best of treatments, but in order for me to do so, I knew I needed to gain knowledge,” she said.

Thus began her educational journey. She never allowed herself to falter, because she knew that she needed to be on top of her game to achieve her goals so she worked, and worked

hard.

She attended the Windsor Forest Primary School, where she wrote the Secondary School Entrance Examination (SSEE) and was awarded a place at the West Demerara Secondary School. Throughout her school life at West Demerara Secondary, Ameenah was a high achiever.

She worked hard to make herself the person to compete with.

However, in her final year at West Demerara Secondary, she left the school to complete her secondary education at a private institution. There she wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

She emerged as the top student with passes in eight subjects.

Ameenah had the ability to write and pass many more subjects, but she decided on the core subjects to propel her towards her end goal in the medical field. At 13, she decided that she wanted to be in the Sciences Class at West Demerara Secondary School and worked towards achieving that.

After secondary school, she enrolled at the University of Guyana in 2009 and graduated at the top of her class with distinction and an Associate Degree in Pharmacy in 2012. She would later return in 2018, after gaining some experience in the field, and read for her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy. Again, she graduated with distinction.

“I always knew I wanted to study pharmacology, as I love the pharmacist profession. My family always supported me in whatever I chose to do, but more so, I chose to be a pharmacist not because of any special person, but because I saw the need for patients who deserved to understand their medications and conditions. They should not just be told how to take their medication, but as to the explanation of why, when, and the necessary precaution they need to take when consuming prescription meds,” she notes.

After graduating from UG in 2012, she started to work at various hospitals in their pharmacies where she had interactions with patients. She says the satisfaction of knowing that she was able to explain the medications to her patients and have them understand the reason they were taking them was second to none. It was

those interactions that led her to choose to become a Community Pharmacist.

However, she knew that she needed more knowledge and experience. During her experience-gaining phase, Ameenah was employed at the Suddie Hospital in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), where she moved from being a mere pharmacy staff to being a supervisor with the responsibility of managing the Hospital’s pharmacy along with the drug supplies for all of the Health Centres in the Region.

It was after she gained that experience she ventured into aiding in the setting-up of a number of Community Pharmacies.

“I hope to become a pharmacist who is not just a person that patients visit for their medication, but someone who will provide a listening ear, be a friend and a confidante. I hope to be someone who will make my community a better place and be there to provide excellent care and quality service to my patients,” Ameenah said.

For her, the goal was always starting her own pharmacy after gaining eight years of experience in the profession. In the year 2017, she helped to set up her uncle’s pharmacy and then decided that after completing her bachelor’s degree, the next step would be to open her own pharmacy and

give back to the community.

“In January 2020, I officially opened my business under the name Ameenah’s Pharmacy and Variety Center at La Jalousie on the Public Road, West Coast Demerara. This has been a very rewarding journey as I believe everything happens in its own time.”

She sees her role as a pharmacist as especially important now that the world is battling the coronavirus pandemic. She explains to her customers the necessity of wearing a mask, washing or sanitising their hands frequently and using vitamin supplements to boost their immune systems to fight off any infection during the pandemic. At Ameenah’s Pharmacy, she also tries to ensure that her customers can have quality and affordable products.

“My advice to aspiring pharmacists is to strive to always love what you do, then it would not just be a job but a profession in which you will give your all to help patients in need. Medicine is ever-changing, so being a pharmacist means that there is always room for learning. This is not an easy profession. We have to be patient and empathetic towards our patients. I love my career choice.

It enables me to reach out and help persons in many ways. So, for me being a pharmacist is not just a job, but it is my life,” she says.

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18 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“TOILET TRAINING FOR PUPPIES” O

ne of the frequently asked questions about puppies, after they have been brought home to their new families, is how to approach their toilet training.

Today’s answer to that important question comes from a Trinidadian veterinary colleague, Dr KristelMarie Ramnath, who has kindly given us the written permission to reproduce two of her copyrighted contributions on this subject, which have previously appeared in the Trinidad Sunday Guardian newspaper, under the caption: Toilet-training puppies – Part 1.

A common problem experienced by owners of new puppies is that of training the puppy where is acceptable for them to toilet or potty.

Sadly, often the most frequent advice given is that of taking the puppy to the mess and rubbing his nose in it. If anyone tells you to do this to your dog, make a mental note that that person is someone who abuses animals.

Like babies, puppies are incapable of holding in urine and stool – when they have to go, they go. Bowel and bladder control in dogs does not start to develop until around 12 weeks of age, but in some breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers, this ability can take 6 months to 1 year to fully develop. This means that the puppy is not messing everywhere to spite you or because he is naughty, but because he genuinely cannot help himself.

Toilet training includes the word “training” for a reason. Work is involved – don’t be lazy, you have to teach the puppy, not expect the puppy to read your mind. There are two key times to focus your training sessions – after the puppy has woken up and after the puppy has eaten.

Believe it or not, dogs are sanitary when it comes to not messing their dens or living space. You will notice that your puppy rarely messes the area where he is being fed or where he sleeps, but instead he chooses to toilet as far away from these areas as possible.

You can use this natural instinct to your advantage when teaching your dog where to toilet by simply feeding him in the areas you do not want him to go.

If you are keeping your puppy in a room, leave food/water bowls, bed and toys in one half of the room and place newspaper or urine pads in the other half. You should find the next morning that he has messed on the paper or pads. You will also notice af-

ter a few nights that the poop is confined to a particular region of the newspaper/pad areas. At this point, you can cut back the sheets laid down to just that region.

If he continues to target the newspaper, you can progress to gradually moving the location of the newspaper/pad towards the door and finally placing newspaper/pad outside, in the area of the garden you want him

to toilet.

He will transfer the newspapers/ pad association to outdoors, and you can then phase out the newspapers or urine pads so he is going in the grass.

Alternatively, you can confine the puppy to a crate or kennel at night.

Remember that you should never

kennel a dog for more than a couple of hours at a time for the psychological welfare of the animal.

Right before you go to bed, take the puppy outdoors to give him the chance to run around and empty his bowel and bladder. When you initially kennel him overnight, you will likely find a messy kennel in the morning. However, the puppy will gradually start to hold in overnight, as his bowel and bladder control develop. In addition, he will not want to mess his sleeping area, because then he will have to spend the rest of the night with it. After a few nights, you should find no poop in the mornings.

The first thing to do every morning is take the puppy out to the garden on a harness and leash and wait with him until he goes. Reward him and use a word such as “potty” to form an association. If you are consistent with the verbal command as well as repeatedly taking him to the same spot, your dog can learn to urinate or defaecate in that specific area on your command.

Do not let him out in the yard without accompanying him – to show him where you want him to defaecate and urinate. Express your approval and reward him when he follows your advice.

(Dr Kristel-Marie Ramnath for the Trinidad Guardian) Next week, we shall continue by looking at the importance of establishing a regular routine after mealtimes.

The paradoxical evolution of the contextualisation of the term “Sovereignty” in an ever-increasingly globalised world:

P

understanding the paradigm shift of this phenomenon

oliticians and sections of society have been using the term “sovereignty” conveniently in different contexts, particularly in the case of Guyana, wherein there is rising political tension. The country is yet to conclude its general and regional elections held on March 2, 2020. Notably, a number of advocacies within certain spheres of the political spectrum and the citizenry have been calling for the non-interference by foreigners, and even Heads of Government in the Caribbean Community, on the Guyana elections fiasco.

In these respects, this author is of the view that there are symptoms mirroring the prerequisites of those which might enable a forceful illegal imposition of an official dictatorial regime. This assertion is premised from having carefully assessed the events that are unfolding within the political economy, which are all well documented in the public domain, in official media houses and on various social media platforms. It is against this background that I have produced this article, to examine the various contextual constructs of the term “Sovereignty of a State”, and to bring about an understanding of the legitimate basis upon which the international and regional players have integral roles to play in ensuring that a government is elected on strict adherence to democratic principles, especially those bordering respect for the rule of law.

The concept of sovereignty is not neutral. Rather, in a variety of contexts, it is used as a tool by political agents to establish and preserve their rule.

Instances of competition and interdependence are relevant, because they potentially threaten state survival. In these two instances, for example, there are five distinguished uses of sovereignty. Firstly, states use sovereignty for competitive advantage in situations of internal competition; secondly, sovereignty is used to temporarily subordinate the interest of citizens to those of the state in situations of external competition; thirdly, some states use sovereignty to reduce situations of interdependence. In a globalised world, however, this is rather less, or infeasible. Fourthly, sovereignty is sometimes used to conquer interdependence, yet this may only be effective when a world-state is created; and fifthly, states use sovereignty to manage interdependence (Veen, 2007).

The illustration below shows how some states choose to use sovereignty.

The plotted positions do not imply that these different uses are mutually exclusive. Nonetheless, the conduct of some states suggests that they have a preferred usage of sovereignty as a tool (Veen, 2007).

Globalisation is a historical process that has offered an abundance of opportunities and rewards in the past, and continues to so do today (Sen 2002a, cited by Khan, 2019). Economically and culturally, the modern world system existed Source: more thanVeer five centuries The late (2007), ago.

College ofnineteenth Europe century was characterised as the period of intense globalisation; when millions migrated, trade greatly expanded, and new norms and organisations emerged to govern international conduct (Khan, 2019). Scholars have argued that the movement of people, goods, and finances across national borders was at least as free and significant then as it is today. Hence, today’s meaning of globalisation imposes limits on the power of governments (Micklethwait, 2000, cited by Khan, 2019).

The international system has become less a state-centric, coordinative mechanism than a collectivity of specialised transnational regimes that penetrate into the political constitution of domestic polities. Technological advancements have accelerated the migration and transplantation of legal rules and practices. Nonstate actors and cross-border social movements have become significant actors in international governance. They have assumed the power to create transnational laws that govern many dimensions of the political economy that was previously monopolised by the jurisdiction of the sovereign state. Sovereignty is at the heart of both public and international law, and the legal constitution of territorial state. Substantive changes in the international system unavoidably affect the shape of sovereignty and the future of state law (Khan, 2019).

Notwithstanding, cognisance should be considered wherein states have a broader role to play in order to achieve the most benefits from the process of globalisation. Countries therefore may require extensive institutional reforms to so do. Underdevelopment, for example in the case of Guyana, is the result of misuse of natural and human resources. Globalisation, in many cases, offers the opportunity to reduce the misuse of resources, and promotes their efficient use. At the end, however, proper development still remains in the hands of the people and the states, whereas the process of globalisation can serve as the ultimate catalyst (Khan & Alam, 2015).

In forthcoming articles, the author would examine the impact of globalisation over the last two or three decades in Guyana, and the future prospects of globalisation in shaping a transformed economic landscape from a developing economy to a developed economy.

About the Author: JC. Bhagwandin is a macro-finance and research analyst, lecturer and business & financial consultant. The views expressed are exclusively his own, and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper and the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@ gmail.com.

Footnotes:Eric. C, 2010, Globalisation and the future of the law of Sovereign State, Oxford University Press and New York University School of Law. Khan. A & Alam. M, 2015, Rethinking Nation-State in Era of Globalisation, Journal of International Relations, Vol. VI, No.6.

Veen. V, 2007, the Valuable Tool of Sovereignty: its use of situations in competition and interdependence, College of Europe.

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FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 28 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

INGREDIENTS 1 large onion, cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick 2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, thinly sliced 3 tbsp butter 3 tbsp flour 1 cup milk 3 sprigs thyme 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp black pepper

Ingredients 1/4 cup Chinese plum sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails removed Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon peanut oil 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts kept separate) 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Ingredients 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 cups shredded Cheddar 1 cup hot sauce 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 16 corn tortillas 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

1/2 tsp salt 1 cup grated sharp cheddar or gruyere cheese INSTRUCTIONS In a small pot over low heat melt butter. Add flour and whisk smooth and cook for about 2 minutes. Add milk and cook until sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic powder and grated cheese. Remove from heat.

Brush an 8 x 8 baking dish with butter. Place half of the potatoes in one layer and then top with half of onion slices, thyme leaves, salt and black pepper. Top with half of cheese sauce.

Layer remaining half of potatoes and onion, thyme leaves, salt and black pepper then top with the rest of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle grated cheese on the top. Cover dish with foil and place into an oven preheated at 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes covered.

Test the potatoes to see if tender, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. (Jehan Can Cook)

1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar Cooked white rice, for serving, optional Directions Stir together the plum sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.

Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer to a plate.

Add the scallion whites, garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until soft, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and scrape up any brown bits that cling to the bottom of the skillet. Add the plum-ketchup sauce and bring to a simmer. Return the shrimp to the skillet along with the scallion greens and give the skillet a swirl to bring everything together. Divide among 4 plates and serve with white rice if using.

2 tablespoons blue cheese dressing Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Mix the chicken, cream cheese, 1 cup of the Cheddar, 1/3 cup of the hot sauce, white parts of the scallions and cumin in a large bowl until well combined. Stir together the butter, remaining 2/3 cup hot sauce and 3 tablespoons water in a medium bowl.

Microwave the tortillas in batches until warm, softened and foldable, about 30 seconds. Keep warm between damp paper towels.

Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla and roll up. Place them side by side, seam-side down, in the prepared pan.

Pour the hot sauce mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Cheddar and the blue cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

Drizzle the blue cheese dressing over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the scallion greens. Serve with more hot sauce.

Ingredients Kosher salt 1 pound thinly-sliced chicken cutlets, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips 3 tablespoons olive oil 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed 6 cloves garlic, sliced 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup dry white wine 12 ounces angel hair pasta 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus the juice of 1 large lemon 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Ingredients Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1-pound ground lamb or beef 1 onion 2 red finger chili peppers or 1 large jalapeno pepper 4 large cloves garlic 1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) cumin seed 1 teaspoon caraway seed 1 teaspoon pimenton or paprika A little freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon Salt and pepper 1 can (7 ounces) chipotle in adobo 1 can (14 ounces) crushed or diced fire-roasted tomatoes 1 can (14 ounces) tomato sauce or 2 cups passata A drizzle of honey, optional 3/4-pound brick feta in water 4 to 6 large eggs

Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Sprinkle the chicken with some salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the oil. Working in 2 batches, brown the chicken until golden but not cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic just begins to turn golden at the edges, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until very al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta and 3/4 cup pasta water to the skillet along with the chicken, lemon zest and juice and the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Return the skillet to medium-low heat and gently stir the pasta until the butter is melted, adding the remaining 1/4 pasta water if the pasta seems too dry.

Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle with the grated cheese and parsley and toss before serving.

To Serve: Garlic naan bread 2 tablespoons butter, melted Greek yogurt, optional Cilantro leaves, picked 2 to 3 scallions, finely chopped Directions Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra virgin olive oil to the pan, 2 turns of the pan.

Add ground meat, crumble and cook until the pink color goes away and meat is lightly browned.

Peel and chop onion, seed and finely chop the peppers and chop or slice the garlic. Add onions and peppers to the meat and stir to soften a few minutes. Add seeds, spices and garlic; stir.

Puree in food processor a can of chipotle in adobo. Add 2 tablespoons to pan and the rest to a bag to freeze and store for another use. Add tomatoes, honey if using, feta and stir. Make 4 to 6 nests in meat sauce using the back of a wooden spoon and drop eggs into them. Transfer pan to oven for 8 to 10 minutes till eggs set.

For naan, heat a griddle over high heat. Scatter a little water onto skillet and griddle the bread to blister, then flip.

Brush bread with melted butter and cut into pieces/wide strips. Garnish eggs with dollops of yogurt if using, cilantro leaves and scallions.

20 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ACROSS 1 Balmy 5 Whodunit award 10 Ducky dad 15 Right on time 21 Tommie of baseball 22 Indian leader 23 Moray pursuer 24 “Becket” actor 25 Sly tactic 26 Goes nowhere (2 wds.)

28 Electron or muon 29 Mr. Milquetoast 31 Poet’s jet?

32 Jipijapa leaf hats 34 -- Jima 35 Cyclopean (hyph.)

37 Travel on snow 39 Patch a highway 40 Mover and shaker 41 In -- (behind) 43 Stop working 45 Ocasek of The Cars 46 Sorts 47 Popsicle holder 49 Fumble the ball 51 Pandemonium 53 Poker winnings 57 Sailing vessel 59 Sandals’ lack 61 Ms. Thurman 62 W-2 collectors 65 Furry Jedi allies 67 Mother - 69 “Fish Magic” artist 71 Evening star 73 Hazards 75 Agreement 76 Blondie’s shrieks 78 Walkway 79 Operated a ferry 81 Green-eyed Thai cat 84 Fell on -- ears 86 Chow - 87 So long!

89 Prefix for “trillion” 91 Appreciate 93 Chimney deposit 95 Sgt.’s status 96 Cheryl or Alan 98 Sugarcane liquors 100 -- Philippe watch 102 Meatloaf servings 104 Image, in combos 106 A little sweat 108 Melville captain 110 Fragrant shrubs

113 Big scissors 115 Type of terrier 117 Stratum 119 Woodworking tool 120 Part of CST 121 Cause a blister 123 Livy’s “Lo!” 125 Tie-dye cousin 127 Borscht veggie 128 Left or magnetic - 130 Port near Kyoto 132 Moss and Capshaw 134 Bridge expert 137 Common Market, briefly 139 Entree choice 141 Tall cactus 145 McClurg or Brickell 146 Prima -- evidence 148 Dweeb 150 Eight-footers 152 Jarrett of NASCAR 153 Nail part 155 Diner sign 157 Part of AEC 158 Type of pool 160 Veiled woman (2 wds.)

163 Transvaal settler 164 Familiar with (2 wds.)

165 Blank a tape 166 U of the U.N. 167 Flying piscivore 168 UPS customer 169 Forfeits 170 Submarine 171 Jade

DOWN 1 Traveler -- Polo 2 Edible lizard 3 Minor 4 Even more profound 5 Pleads with 6 “The,” to Wolfgang 7 Clarified butter 8 Djellaba wearers 9 Ballet’s -- Nureyev 10 Morning phenom 11 Do a farm job 12 Lead to the - 13 Sharper-edged 14 Mercurial 15 -- front or bear 16 66 and I-80 17 Caveman from Moo 18 Gesture 19 Did a snow job 20 Quartet members

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD -- PLEURISY (PLEURISY: PLOOR-ih-see: An inflammation of the lung lining.)

Average mark 39 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 55 or more words in PLEURISY? TODAY’S WORD -- PLEURISY

peril pier pile pliers plies plus prey pries pule pulse pure purely purl purse

pyre lieu lire lisp lues lure lyre espy uprise user rely reply rile ripe

ripely rise rule ruse isle sire sirup sirupy slier slip slue slur slurp slyer

spiel spile spire spry spur suer super sure surely surly syrup yelp yule

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4.

Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

27 30 33 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 53 54 55 56 58 60 62 63 64 66 68 70 72

Golf’s “Slammin’ Sammy” Nay opposites Incan city -- Picchu Bore Part of a yard Bad-mouth Dip of ice cream Appear Aussie marsupial Brownie maker Volcano goddess DJ gear Vim and vigor Feel grateful Attacked underwater Black & Decker rival Legendary -- Bill Nut, actually Numb Heirloom Shorthand taker Gill opening Purse holder Just scrapes by Face the target

74 77 80 82 83 85 87 88 90 92 94 97 99 101 103 105 107 109 111 112 114 116 118 122 124

Crystal gazer Rayburn and Spade Trounce Filmdom’s Gardner Utter, as devastation Brimming over Unbridled delight Basin occupant Singing brothers Fix up Opossum’s gripper Double helix Quaff with sushi Arctic canoe Blurt out Sen. -- Hatch Painter van -Alpha followers Ernesto Guevara Arm the alarm Author Grafton Green sci.

Rudner and Moreno Sheepish comment Diplomat Abba --

126 Frat bash (2 wds.)

128 Retainer 129 Loudness unit 131 Correct 133 Hearts or clubs 134 Mental giant 135 City in Denmark 136 Broken in, as a horse 138 Roman orator 140 Save your --!

142 Sun-dried bricks 143 Hitchhiking fish 144 Where dawn arrives 146 Commotion 147 Las senoritas 149 “Tiny Bubbles” crooner

(2 wds.)

151 Mountainside debris 153 Pigeon coop 154 Otherwise 156 Final Four org.

159 Spooky, maybe 161 Da or ja 162 U.K. part SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 21

NEWS

21

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Deliberate invalidation of votes violated Constitution – GCCI warns Lowenfield E

mbattled Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield continues to come under fire over his fraudulent elections report in which he invalidated over 115,000 votes, with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) joining calls for him to withdraw the document.

In a letter to Lowenfield on Saturday, GCCI President Nicholas DeygooBoyer said “Mr Lowenfield, your actions have violated Sections of the Constitution in a deliberate overt act to overthrow the core principle of the sovereignty of the people and the electoral system of Proportional Representation. Your reports seek to install a Government that has not been democratically elected by the will of the people.”

The recently concluded National Recount shows a landslide victory for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) with some 15,416 more votes than the caretaker APNU/AFC coalition. As such, the CEO was instructed by the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, to compile his final report us-

GCCI President Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer

ing the recount figures.

Instead, he invalidated over 115,000 votes to give the APNU/AFC a win with 171,825 votes while the PPP/C was given 166,343 votes. The recount exercise, which was certified by not only by GECOM but a Caricom team as well as other local and international observer groups, put the PPP/C in the lead with 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC got 217,920.

Despite facing backlash from numerous credible local and international organisations, Lowenfield on Friday defended his move to invalidate over 115,000

votes, claiming he acted constitutionally.

However, Boyer in his letter pointed the CEO to Section 177 (b) of the Constitution at the third and fourth paragraphs which say, “We, The Guyanese People,...Forge a system of governance that promotes concerted efforts and broadbased participation in national decision-making in order to develop a viable economy and a harmonious community based on democratic values, social justice, fundamental rights and the rule of law.”

Further Section 9 reads, “Sovereignty belongs to

the people, who exercise it through their representatives and the democratic organs established by or under this Constitution.”

According to the GCCI President, Lowenfield has violated these Sections by taking away the rights, afforded under Section 160 (b) to all citizens, especially those 115,000-plus persons who have been disenfranchised by him.

Boyer informed the Chief Elections Officer that the repercussions of his actions will be severe for all businesses in Guyana, the entire economy and social wellbeing for the country’s collective future.

He further noted that Lowenfield’s actions can be “construed as treasonous” under Section 318 of Chapter 8:01 The Criminal Law (Offences) Act, which states that “Any person owing allegiance to the State who, whether in Guyana or elsewhere - (a) forms an intention to levy war against the State or to overthrow the Government or the Constitution of Guyana by force and manifests such intention by any over act;” would have committed treason.

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

“Despite all the forgoing Mr Lowenfield, you may be presented with one final opportunity to redeem yourself. If the Caribbean Court of Justice overrules our local Court of Appeal’s ruling, and you withdraw your report, then you should submit the correct report, which is in keeping with the will of the people. The treasonous one you have submitted, if it is allowed to stand, shall have one of the most lasting negative impacts on our society and future generations, as well as your legacy,” Boyer stated in the letter.

The GCCI President went on to say that given all

the rhetoric from the international community, most of whom have stopped using diplomatic nuances and instead are being forthright, there is little probability that Lowenfield’s treasonous action will be successful.

“Rest assured that when all of this comes to an inglorious end, you will face the consequences of the law if you dig your heels in to plunge off a cliff with our country in tow; instead you can change course and do the right thing to let our nation move forward with a genuinely “credible” election cycle and heal,” the GCCI President posited.

“We have descended to the lowest low” – URP to APNU/AFC

T

he United Republican Party (URP), one of the smaller parties that contested the General and Regional Elections over three months ago, has urged President David Granger to concede defeat and let the country move on.

URP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Vishnu Bandhu made this call in a statement on Saturday.

According to Bandhu, it is long past time that the elections should have concluded. He questioned what it would take for Guyana to redeem itself on the world stage.

“The Head of Missions of the United States of America, Sarah-Ann Lynch; the British High Commission, Greg Quinn; the Canadian High Commission, Lilian Chatterjee, the delegation of the European Union, Fernando Ponz-Canto, the OAS (Organisation of American States) and (others) have expressed deep concern over allegations of electoral fraud.”

“We have also heard from the sitting Chair of Caricom who said the Caribbean Community (Caricom) is concerned at reports that the Chief Elections Officer has submitted a report to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) which is contrary to the results of the recount and does not reflect the will of the electorate.”

According to him, it

is time for right-thinking Guyanese to make their voices heard and make it clear to the APNU/AFC party that they want “true democracy”, not the one being foisted on them by rogue elements in GECOM. “The electorate of Guyana went to the poll on March 2, 2020, and voted for their party of choice in the General and Regional Elections. After more than 100 days elapsing which included legal battles, a recount of ballots, injunctions, the frustration of the Guyanese electorate, and most worrying, the degeneration of the racial and social fabric of our country which has done nothing else than to divide our people more.”

He added that Guyana has descended to “the lowest low in the political spectrum to our Caribbean brothers and to the world, we are seen as a nation incompetent of making our own decisions. I am calling on all responsible for this current crisis, to do the sensible and right thing in this situation and let our country move forward.”

Elections were held since March 2, 2020, but a winner is yet to be declared. After controversy erupted when the Region Four Returning Officer twice subverted the process and declared fraudulent numbers, a recount was done that showed that the PPP/C won the elections by 15,416 votes.

But in a report done by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, it was claimed that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition garnered 171,825 votes while the PPP/C gained 166,343 votes.

How the CEO arrived at those figures is unknown, since the certified results from the legally conducted recount exercise supervised

by GECOM and a high-level team from the Caribbean

Community (Caricom) pellucidly show that the PPP/C won with 233,336 votes while the APNU/AFC garnered 217,920.

It was only recently that coalition partner Justice For All Party (JFAP) founder CN Sharma, broke away from APNU/AFC’s dogged refusal to accept defeat in the March 2 polls. In a statement, he made it clear that enough was enough and it was time for the country to move on.

He had chastised those bent on dragging out the process and extended congratulations to PPP/C on their win. Sharma had pointed out that the National Recount was carried out and from the votes counted, it is clear the PPP/C is the winner.

Granger’s own sonin-law, former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, also made a statement on the same day as Sharma, in which he conceded that

APNU/AFC lost to the PPP/C and called out his party’s leadership for fooling supporters.

And incumbent Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was caught on a recording, conceding defeat to his Ministry staff, during a farewell speech he had given. In that speech, Ramjattan had acknowledged the PPP winning by some 15,000 votes and had told the gathering he was willing to move on.

22 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

55 arrests, 27 new trafficking Mayor Rajendra Prabhulall eyes cases investigated in 2019 – major development for Anna Regina US TIP Report

By Mohanlall Suelall

L

F

or the fourth consecutive year, Guyana has maintained its Tier 1 ranking in the 2020 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report of the US Department of State, which disclosed that local authorities investigated 27 new cases last year.

According to the report, which was released last week, among the 27 new cases reported by the Guyana Government, 25 were for investigations into sex trafficking and the other two for labour trafficking. This is a decrease from 30 new investigations recorded in 2019 and four in 2018.

It was noted too that the Police made 55 arrests in these cases of sex trafficking and labour trafficking, while they continued investigations into 19 trafficking cases initiated in 2018.

Guyana reported three new prosecutions of suspected traffickers in 2019 – one for sex trafficking and two for labour trafficking.

This represents a decrease from 11 prosecutions in 2018 and 17 in 2017.

The US report outlined that authorities convicted one trafficker for sex trafficking of a minor and an adult female, compared with one conviction in 2019. The court sentenced the convicted trafficker to 10 years’ imprisonment for trafficking a minor and an additional five years for trafficking an adult victim – a total of 15 years.

It was noted that the government did not report any new investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees complicit in trafficking offences, although the Government screened Venezuelan women and children who experienced human rights abuses, including sexual exploitation

by Government officials.

Meanwhile, the appeal of a 2017 case in which the Government required the trafficker to pay restitution without imprisonment, a penalty inconsistent with the law, was still pending at the end of the reporting period.

“Observers noted there were frequent widespread reports of physical and sexual abuse of children, and allegations that some Police officers could be bribed to make such cases “go away”,” the US report detailed.

It added that the Guyana Government did not report on the appeal of a former Police officer convicted of sex trafficking and released on bail in 2016.

The matter was still pending at the end of the reporting period.

Despite training for some judicial, prosecutorial, and law enforcement officials, the US 2020 TIP Report found, trafficking and other major criminal prosecution cases took an average of two years in process, and pretrial detention averaged three years.

Moreover, it was highlighted that Government trained 221 law enforcement officers on trafficking victim identification and referral procedures, and judicial officers on standard operating procedures for prosecuting human trafficking cases with the assistance of international organizations during the reporting period.

Additionally, immigra-

tion officials at major transit points are now required to screen all arriving and departing migrants.

According to the TIP Report, the Guyana Government maintained minimal law enforcement efforts. To this end, the US State Department made a series of recommendations.

This include: Reduce delays in court proceedings and pretrial detention of suspects; Vigorously investigate and prosecute sex and labour trafficking cases under the TIP Act, including those involving child victims; Hold convicted traffickers, including complicit public officials, accountable by investigating, prosecuting, convicting, and imposing sufficiently stringent sentences; Hold Police and law enforcement officials accountable for abuse of vulnerable individuals and intimidation of victims in shelters; Provide additional protection for victims to testify against traffickers in a way that minimises re-traumatisation; and track and report data on trafficking cases reported to the trafficking hotline and by labour inspectors.

The Combating Trafficking of Persons Act of 2005 (TIP Act) criminalized sex trafficking and labour trafficking, and prescribes penalties of three years to life imprisonment.

These penalties were sufficiently stringent, and with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape.

eading has always been a part of Mayor Rajendra Prabhulall’s life ever since he was a child.

Being the eldest child meant he led his siblings through their childhood. Being a teacher saw him leading his charges through their educational journey, and now being Mayor sees him leading the Essequibo Coast township of Anna Regina.

Mayor Prabhulall has a big vision for the township and he thinks that it is achievable through greater cooperation and the steadfast leadership he has been providing. He assumed the role of Mayor following the November 2018 Local Government Elections and ever since he has been working towards the development of the Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) town.

Anna Regina is the capital of the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region of Guyana and was once a Dutch plantation before the British took over in the 1800s. It sits on the Atlantic Coast, northwest of the mouth of the Essequibo River, 19 kilometres north of Adventure. Anna Regina was established as a town in 1970, and currently has a population of just about 15,000 people.

Prabhulall said that as Mayor, his only wish is to empower the people of the township and provide them with key services. Some of his plans include the construction of a new and modern market facility so that all vendors can ply their trade in an organised fashion. In addition, he hopes to outfit the township with proper medical facilities so that better service can be delivered to the residents of the Region as well as the interior locations.

Coming from a teaching background has instilled in Prabhulall the necessity of having sporting and recreational facilities and he

Mayor Rajendra Prabhulall

hopes that the town can get a few of those.

“I want to also clear all roadside vending, get better roads and drainage system, regulate the car parks, provide training and create a more vibrant Constabulary so as to provide better security within the township.

We need to work more closely with the business sector so as to provide more services and create more job opportunities,” he said.

Sharing a bit of his life with the Sunday Times Magazine, Prabhulall said that for one to achieve their goal in life, they have to start from the bottom up, have great respect for others, be honest with themselves, and give of their best to serve with pride and dignity.

Going back in time, Prabhulall related that he started his schooling at the St Laurence Anglican School in Hampton Court, Essequibo Coast where he wrote his School Leaving Exams and was successful and went on to write the then College of Preceptors (CP) exam and the General Certificate of Education (GCE) O Levels to complete secondary school.

As the eldest child, Prabhulall joined the teaching profession almost immediately out of school at the age of 17 to assist his parents. He was from a family of nine so finances were scarce and that also fuelled

his drive to begin earning.

He commenced teaching in 1976 at the Fisher Primary School in Golden Fleece and had to travel over 10 miles each day to and from where he was living in Devonshire Castle with his parents and siblings. After teaching at the Fisher Primary School for four years, in 1980, young Prabhulall had no other choice but to seek transfer to the Port Kaituma Primary School because his father, who was an Agricultural Officer with the then Government, was transferred to Port Kaituma. The family had no other choice but to move.

At Port Kaituma, he was given the opportunity to teach at the secondary department where he gained more experience in the world of teaching. In 1985, the family came back home to Devonshire Castle on the Essequibo Coast, where Prabhulall decided to get married to his longtime sweetheart and best friend, Jenetta, and started his family.

He was placed at the Sparta Primary School then the St Laurence Anglican Primary School in Hampton Court, which by then had a name change and became the Hampton Court Primary School.

Now with a wife and living on his own, he had to choose between doing what he loved and earning more money to sustain the family. He chose the latter since teaching paid poorly. He took up the lucrative job of Manager of the Lima Fish Port Complex in 1992 where he worked until 1997.

In 1997, the late Regional Chairman Alli Baksh saw his ability and offered him the position of the Regional Information Officer where he worked until his retirement in 2015. He is also a pastor at the Voice of Faith Ministries, where he leads a congregation of about 200 persons.

LIAT to be liquidated and new airline formed – PM Gaston Browne

T

he Prime Minister said there will be a meeting of all shareholders shortly to discuss collapsing LIAT. A new entity will be formed.

“COVID would have actually, let’s say increased the losses exponentially, so whereas in all of 2019 LIAT made a loss of about EC$12 million, that was within the means of the shareholder governments to subsidize,” Browne said on local radio in Antigua.

“You would have found that since COVID, the planes have been grounded, they have to pay the lease payments and they are not getting any revenue.

“A decision will have to be made to collapse it and

then maybe the countries within the region will have to come together to form a new entity,” Browne added.

The Antigua and Barbuda leader says he cannot see the region moving forward without a form of connectivity and you cannot have an integration movement if people cannot con-

nect.

Browne said the new entity will require full cooperation with a mixture of public and private capital.

“What I’m hoping that we do not have going forward with the new entity, is any squabble over the location of the headquarters,” Browne said. (Antigua News Room)

NEWS

23

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana-Venezuela border controversy

Venezuela officially informs ICJ of non-participation in hearings …case to be called up on Tuesday

V

enezuela has officially informed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it will not be participating in the oral proceedings when the case into the 1899 Arbitration Tribunal ruling on the Guyana-Venezuela Border, set to begin on Tuesday, June 30, with oral proceedings on the issue of jurisdiction, commences.

This was disclosed on Friday by the ICJ, which in announcing the date for hearings reported that “the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has informed the Court that it will not participate in the oral proceedings.”

The case, which will open at the Peace Palace in The Hague, will see Guyana making its arguments for the Court’s jurisdiction in

the case concerning the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899, from 14:00h to 17:00h.

Last Monday, Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza shared a Venezuelan communique on his official social media account, saying “Venezuela informs that, in accordance with its historical position and in strict adherence to the 1966 Geneva Agreement, it will not attend the unusual and irregular hearing called for June 30 by the International Court of Justice.”

Since June 2018, the Bolivarian Republic had signalled its intent not to participate in the court proceedings.

During a meeting two years ago with the ICJ and a Venezuelan delegation, Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs

Minister, Jorge Montserrat, informed ICJ President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf that they would be boycotting the proceedings on the basis that the ICJ lacks jurisdiction to deal with the matter.

“The Venezuelan delegation has since informed the President of the Court, through a letter signed by the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro Moros, of its sovereign decision not to participate in the procedure that Guyana intends to initiate, since the Court manifestly lacks jurisdiction over an action unilaterally proposed by the neighbouring country, which does not have the consent of Venezuela,” the Venezuelan Government had said in a statement.

The country’s position on the case was further ce-

The International Court of Justice, Hague, Netherlands

mented back in November when they failed to notify the Registrar of the Court of their participation by the allocated November 20 deadline.

The case was filed in March 2018, and seeks to have the world court confirm the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899

DDL donates sanitisers to 128 schools ahead of exams

D

emerara Distillers Limited (DDL) has once again pledged contributions of alcohol-based sanitising cleaner to the Education Ministry, to assist secondary schools as they prepare for the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

The company announced that 128 secondary schools across the country will receive 19 litres each of the Environ cleanser, to be used by examination students. This is solely to safeguard against the spread of COVID-19 among these stakeholders.

ered to the Ministry for distribution.

DDL’s Chairman Komal Samaroo in response to their efforts said, “The students who are about to write these examinations are our next generation of leadership and COVID-19 is the most recent addition to the challenges that they face on the road to development.

As a company, we have remained focused on supporting education so this was an obvious decision for us to respond to the COVID-19 challenge that our current students face.”

The company is now working on arrangements to provide similar support to schools at other levels prior to the expected reopening in

Brand Manager Larry Wills with Head Teacher Nathram Raghubansi of St Joseph High School

to these. In addition, the sanitising cleaner was distributed to agencies that provide public services to assist

in keeping counter surfaces clean, mainly: post offices, police stations, health centres, and public hospitals.

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

Arbitral Award regarding Guyana’s boundary with Venezuela.

The move to the world court had come on the heels of a decision by the then UN Secretary General to choose the ICJ as the next means of resolving the controversy that arose as a result of the Venezuelan contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899 about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela was null and void.

The Court also noted that “in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the hearing will take place in the Great Hall of Justice via videoconference. Some members of the Court will be physically present, the others will participate remotely, and the representatives of Guyana will address the Court by video link.”

The case was originally scheduled to begin on March 23 last; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions, it was postponed to Tuesday.

Domestic troubles

At present, however, both Guyana and Venezuela are in the throes of domestic troubles of their own. In

the case of Venezuela, its economy has collapsed under the Nicholás Maduro regime and sanctions imposed by the United States over Maduro’s undemocratic grip on power based on elections widely panned as lacking credibility.

The Venezuelan President has even been charged in the US for narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and corruption.

Meanwhile, Guyana is without an official declaration by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), three months after elections were held.

The past few months have been marked by court cases and attempts by certain officials to rig the elections in the favour of the APNU/AFC.

Guyana warned of sanctions

Officials in the US and other countries have already warned that Guyana could be sanctioned and isolated on the world stage if the legitimate results are not used to swear in a President, a situation that analysts have said could impact Guyana’s case at the ICJ. The border controversy gained new life when oil giant ExxonMobil announced in 2015 that it had found oil offshore Guyana. Venezuela had inexplicably been against oil exploration in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, where multiple oil deposits were found by ExxonMobil, and had laid claim to the Essequibo region, which represents two-thirds of Guyana’s territory.

After some two years of mediation, the UN announced back in 2018 that it had sent the matter to the ICJ after careful analysis of the good offices process.

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:

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF? Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms: The sanitisers being handed over to Richard Ishmael Secondary Head Teacher, Melanie Jones

The first donations were delivered directly on Friday, to three secondary schools within the Georgetown district: St Joseph High, South Ruimveldt Secondary and Richard Ishmael Secondary.

The remainder will be deliv-

September.

This donation of 2500 litres to secondary schools adds to a previous one of 15,000 litres in March to senior citizens’ homes, orphanages, night shelters, prisons, and other facilities similar

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

24

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

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

Lowenfield and GECOM spent over G$15bln without audit Dear Editor, Any fair-minded examination of the tortuous path the PPPC endured towards the revelation of the true results of the Guyana March 02, 2020, General and Regional Elections would confirm, among other things, the strong self-determination of its leaders and the massive support of the Guyanese people.

It would also certainly highlight the humongous magnitude and significant achievements against the odds of extreme handicap created by what effectively was the imposition of Keith Lowenfield as a fifth hidden PNC Commissioner at the head of the GECOM Secretariat.

Indeed, the accomplishment cannot be simplified to just a measure of over 15,000 more valid votes than APNU/ AFC as its closest rival, but one that must be recognised for the party’s demonstrated will to fight for all Guyana in a field booby-trapped by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and his cohorts, using our taxpayers' money.

Lowenfield’s signals were very clear from early in the setting, but he had several layers of covering that he cunningly utilised to camouflage his always suspicious but now exposed wicked intent. The clear irrationality of Lowenfield’s previous actions and hypocritical incremental manipulations of GECOM’s policies and procedures must be seen in the light of their full worth concerning the partisan advancement of the PNC’s interests.

Mr. Granger’s illegal imposition of James Patterson as GECOM Chairman offered him shade, and the likes of Vincent Alexander at the level of the Commission went overboard to protect his cover when Patterson was disposed of because of the CCJ’s ruling. It is recalled that when

Lowenfield’s contract came up for renewal last December, Vincent Alexander argued against the PPPC commissioners’ recommendations, stating that it would not have been fair to let the CEO go into these elections with uncertainty about his fate in that post.

Along the way, while taking cover under the political climate and the PNC/APNU/ AFC shade, he played his hands, sometimes surreptitiously and on other occasions glaringly. His role in using GECOM funds to defend challenged illegalities: such as the High Court hearing of the No-Confidence Motion in which GECOM should have been neutral; the CCJ matter against Patterson; as well as the commencement of the partisan house-to-house registration, was openly condemned.

There is now little doubt, if any, that he is one of the key conspirators in the Region 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo’s flagrant breaching of the rules and shameless attempt to suppress the will of the Guyanese electorate at March 02, 2020 General and Regional Elections. Keith Lowenfield, while possessing the original Statements of Poll, knowingly and deliberately used the false calculation by Clairmont Mingo on two occasions. Further, he went on to use the falsified calculations on June 13th, and again on June 23rd, to mislead the Guyana Elections Commission in his attempts to influence GECOM to declare the Granger cabal as the winner of the 2nd March 2020, General and Regional Elections.

The Guyanese public and the world at large have lost confidence in Keith Lowenfield as the CEO of the GECOM Secretariat. There is an abundance of guilt displayed with him putting forward artificial figures to the

GECOM Commission, and the obvious deliberate insubordinate demonstration when he did not submit his report to the Chairman and the Commission on time.

Absolutely, he has no authority to deny the vote of any person, much less attempt to disenfranchise more than 115,000. The recent rantings that he has no obligations to take any instructions from the GECOM Commission are contemptuous, and emphasise his usurping of the role of the Commission, as well as his outright disrespect for Chairwoman Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh.

More serious is the fact that Keith Lowenfield was responsible for overseeing the spending of over fifteen billion dollars over the past three elections, without allowing the Auditor General’s Office the liberty to audit the GECOM Office.

Lowenfield and the others at GECOM Secretariat are guilty of a serious financial and electoral crime. It is quite alarming that Keith Lowenfield recently used the GECOM platform to make a deceitful press release, claiming, “I have to execute my duties as a Constitutional Officer, particularly in the conduct of Elections.”

Lowenfield’s deceit and fraudulent concoction cannot be disguised any longer. It is a fact that he is not a constitutional office holder as he claimed. This is because the Office of the CEO is not created by the Constitution of Guyana; rather, it is created by the Representation of the People Act, and the CEO is hired by the Commission.

He is a “statutory contractual officer of the Commission, and his mandate is to act only upon the directions of the Commission”.

Given his continued brutal delinquency, I recommend that the Commission take swift steps to remove this

proverbial can of worms from their employ.

As the nation suffers from the dreaded CORONA-19 virus, the more serious dictatorship disease of the GECOM/APNU/AFC rigging virus has been unleashed.

However, evil will not overcome good, and our Guyanese brothers and sisters must be commended for their patience. After more than eighteen months since the passing of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM), and particularly more than three months after free and fair elections were held, they are awaiting peacefully for the final declaration and the swearing of Dr. Irfaan Ali as the ninth Executive President of Guyana.

As Guyanese, we highly appreciate the unflinching support of the many imminent leaders and powerful international and local organizations that are supporting the cause and demanding that the result of the Recount be accepted, and GECOM must declare the winner of the Elections.

Notably, we vehemently condemn the vicious and outrageous attack on prominent personalities and sister states caused by the uncaring APNU/AFC cabal. They simply do not care about the negatively created international image. Our people will travel all over the world, and the world must not shun them when they turn up at various airports. We can still remedy some of the negative feelings and sharp unwanted criticisms caused by the insults by a few APNU misguided supporters to leaders and prominent people around the world.

Guyanese are anxiously awaiting the swearing in of the next Executive President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali.

Dear Editor, I studied and taught American politics and history, especially on disenfranchising black Americans.

Lowenfield’s report disenfranchising 115K voters is reminiscent of what used to happen to black Americans, descendants of African slaves.

Racism was exposed and condemned during the American Civil Rights Struggle, and the right of minorities to vote was enforced by the white-dominated courts and election commissions.

And to think that elements of Jim Crowism could play out in faraway Guyana, where the CEO (leaving out Region 4’s Mingo for now), one descendant of slaves, has attempted to disenfranchise other descendants of slaves, indentured servants, and indigenous people, whose ancestors were decimated by

European conquerors, is so unjust and immoral.

Lowenfield is attempting a legal means of voter fraud (thanks to an opening

by Court of Appeal ruling).

White judges in courts in the US struck down fraud against blacks. What kind of a character would want to deny people their right to a vote to which they are entitled and earned? This is not different from what took place under Burnham-Hoyte dictatorships, when voters were disenfranchised.

The right to vote and have such vote counted is sacrosanct, and is a cornerstone of a democracy. Yet, in several parts of the US, voter suppression and vote invalidation against blacks occurred in elections until recent times. When I was a student in college, especially when I was elected to student governments, serving in

various positions as Senator, Vice President, Councillor, President, Treasurer, I championed funds to combat voter fraud, and also personally joined the battle against voter suppression of minorities.

The nation must come out strongly against voter fraud and disenfranchisement, like not counting 115K votes.

Lowenfield was CEO; he was responsible for election day activities. He must be held accountable for errors and problems of the day. He had a duty and obligation to speak out against irregularities at that time, not three months later. (He did not condemn other attempted vote count frauds of Mingo).

After a count and recount that validates votes, issues pertaining to irregularities can only be brought up in an election petition in the High Court.

In taking a personal deci-

sion of what is a valid vote not allowed by law, Lowenfield has rolled back people’s rights as voters. He is engaged in an arbitrary interpretation of valid votes not different from red neck white racists in America, who took similar actions to disenfranchise blacks to hand favoured white candidates victories.

Lowenfield’s action must be condemned by all supporters of democracy, regardless of political affiliation. He is no different from red neck whites. GECOM Chair Claudette Singh must not tolerate this fraud, and must move quickly to sanction Lowenfield and dump his fraud. And the CCJ must immediately reverse the ruling that Lowenfield feels gives him an opening to practise Jim Crow fraud.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Hello, PNC friends; God does not perform miracles of fraud Dear Editor, Again, I want to add to what Brother Bob said, and reach out to my PNC brethren who are grasping at straws and acting in irrational and delusional ways, having been battered and beaten down by the overwhelming defeat inflicted on them by the PPP. The first point you need to know is that God does not perform miracles of fraud, and does not condone stealing. “Thou shalt not steal” (Commandment 7), and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s goods” (Commandment 10).

In fact, God abhors those who commit, aid and abet evil-doing; so, no amount of Christian sloganeering, such as “No weapon formed against the PNC or Granger shall prosper” etc., will change the results of the March 2, 2020 elections, where a valid, credible count monitored by CARICOM showed the PPP won by 15,000+ votes.

Remember, on election night, when they counted SOPs, all the paperwork was there, and there were no problems reported. The recount numbers matched the SOPs, so there is no fraud. Mr. Lowenfield has to answer what happened to the paperwork. We are being seriously misled if we think that the Lord Jesus would stand on the side of fraud and wickedness and alter results at our whims and fancies. Don’t be fooled by those with sinister agendas who tell you that!

I noticed some church people are telling you not to give up; to pray harder, longer, and louder that somehow God will deliver a miracle in favour of the PNC. My brethren, I regret to tell you that that will not happen.

The PNC has already been

judged by God, and we have been defeated. We have to do the right thing and concede defeat.

I am quite disappointed that our sanctimonious leader, Bro. Granger, has been quite silent, and has not stepped up to say he has accepted the CARICOM observer team’s report, as he said he would do.

In the meanwhile, our people are divided further, and our bankrupt country goes downhill as our PNC does last-minute looting on its way out, doling out lands and contracts to its rich friends.

My brethren, the notion that the PPP rigged the election through dead voters and overseas voters, and bought out GECOM workers, is a lie from the pits of hell. You know that we in the PNC own all the patents for rigging; we invented it. It is as preposterous as it is ridiculous to say the PPP rigged when our Apostle Mingo, Bro. Lowenfield, GECOM, the Police, the COVID Task Force, and the courts were the ones working very hard for us. That is not true that the PPP rigged, but some of our people are riding that propaganda horse. I say to you: that horse is dead, and when the horse is dead, we should dismount. Beating the dead horse harder, buying a stronger whip, or changing riders will not make the argument any better.

It’s our PNC versus the rest of the world, and people laugh at us when we say the PPP rigged the elections.

We control everything, don’t we?

Another thing, brethren, we cannot be cussing out everyone who has made honest statements that the PPP has won the elections.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Rigging an election GECOM must not allow Lowenfield’s Jim Crow fraud is not winning

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

Dear Editor, The Sanctimonious Gangster did not want Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) to be recounted; instead, he wanted all 10 regions to be counted.

His slogan was “each box, each ballot, must be counted”. He personally invited a special team from CARICOM to conduct the recount, but yet has not accepted their report.

How can you convince me, or any other civilised person, to accept this behaviour as that of a leader who wants to govern Guyana?

In two years and counting, we, the people, have been fighting for you to upkeep your own slogan of honesty and decency! From one court room to another, citizens are just waiting for you to uphold the constitution. At this point, you have dragged

us through the longest wait for Elections results. Don’t Guyanese deserve better than this?

We have been hit by the deadly pandemic COVID-19, and to date, there is no proper plan set in place to fight this pandemic. People have lost their jobs during this pandemic. Our funds are drying up! I’ve seen firsthand how people are being beset by poverty.

While the Sanctimonious Gangster hid through this pandemic, people like me and others have been foot soldiers, helping as much as we can.

Let Democracy prevail, and have the correct numbers from the recount used to swear in the rightful President.

Sincerely, Georgieana George

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

25

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

Lowenfield has gone completely rogue, and is “jukking” us in our eyes Dear Editor, Keith Lowenfield, the Chief Elections Officer, has gone completely rogue, rigging the elections’ results on behalf of APNU/AFC in open defiance of GECOM. In the process, Lowenfield is thumbing his nose at GECOM, and is "jukking" all of us in our eyes.

The truth is that Lowenfield went rogue long before the elections. He now feels emboldened to come out in open defiance, even claiming powers no one has bestowed on him. The rigging cabal might have convinced him he has nothing to fear; and so Lowenfield, with clearly fraudulent reports, is telling Guyana and the world -- projecting to the courts, including the CCJ -- that the constitution empowers him to pick and choose which votes are valid and which are invalid.

In short, why hold elections? The constitution gives him, Lowenfield demands, the absolute power to name a winner, regardless of whom the people voted for. In Lowenfield's rogue world, he is the Police, the prosecutor, the judge and the jury. He is

Emperor Lowenfield.

He claims that, as a "constitutional" officer, he can act independent of GECOM. I find nothing in the Constitution of Guyana and the Representation of the People's Act and the Recount Order remotely close to the Chief Elections Officer being a constitutional officer. He is a statutory officer, appointed by GECOM and reporting to GECOM. He has no independence to act outside of instructions from GECOM. I have no idea which constitution gives him the title of "constitutional officer". I do know it is not the Constitution of Guyana.

Lowenfield submitted to GECOM a report on March 14, showing APNU+AFC won with 237,000 votes.

It was a report based on Mingo's fraudulent Region 4 results, even though Lowenfield knew that Mingo did not prepare his declaration in accordance with the law. Lowenfield never presented to GECOM the 2,339 Statements of Poll that presiding officers prepared on March 2. Had GECOM been given those 2,339 SOPs, they would

have seen that Lowenfield's March 14 report was based on fraud, because those SOPs would have shown that Mingo generated bogus numbers for most of the polling stations on the East Bank and East Coast Demerara. Three commissioners formally requested those SOPs, and were illegally refused.

On June 12, after the completion of the recount, and in accordance with the Recount Order, he presented the results of the recount, which showed virtually the same results the SOPs from March 2 produced: that the PPP won with 233,000 votes, more than 15,000 votes ahead of Granger's APNU+AFC. But Lowenfield proceeded to provide a second set of tables, disregarding the certified recount results and substituting them with another set of results that gave Granger's APNU+AFC a two-thirds majority, winning more than 67% of the votes. It was an act the Commission rejected.

Then, on June 22, he produced another report, this time insisting, oops he made a mistake and

APNU+AFC won by about 3,000 votes, winning just over 50%. There was one election on March 2, but Lowenfield has produced four different results.

Lowenfield has no right, legal or otherwise, to pick and choose which numbers he wants to use. On E-Day, each voter had to undergo rigid scrutiny before he or she was allowed to vote.

One GDF officer tried to vote more than once, and was apprehended. It is virtually impossible for anyone to vote more than once, or to vote for someone else.

Each presiding officer, together with other GECOM staff and together with party representatives, ensure that every person who enters to vote is a legitimate voter.

On E-Day, no one, not anyone in GECOM or from a political party -- no observer -- identified a single instance that a person showed up to vote who was not entitled to. In fact, David Granger himself, the GECOM Chair, Lowenfield, and every observer group testified during E-Day and subsequently, on March 3, that E-Day was of the high-

est quality.

The responsibility to count votes was that of the presiding officers, witnessed by the counting agents of all political parties. The presiding officers prepared SOPs and posted those up for the public to see. The results from each presiding officer were used by the Returning Officers from each Region to tabulate the total votes for each party in their respective regions. By Tuesday night, March 3, nine Returning Officers completed that tabulation with no problem. It was the RO of Region 4 that held up the national results. He aborted the tried and tested method and replaced it with a bogus spreadsheet with fraudulent results.

On March 5, Lowenfield was willing to accept the fraudulent results. If it were not for the intervention of the Chief Justice, David Granger would have been sworn in on a fraudulent result. On March 13, Mingo again produced a fraudulent Region 4 result, and Lowenfield promptly utilised that bogus Region 4 result to prepare his first

report, showing APNU/AFC won with 237,000 votes.

There has since been a recount which showed the real results, totally consistent with the SOPs of March 2. What has Lowenfield done with those SOPs? He has not provided those for examination

by GECOM. Just as those SOPs were disregarded, the SORs are now being thrown into the dustbin, because Lowenfield has arrogated to himself the responsibility to tamper with the recount and decide which vote he would accept and which he would not accept. The law provides no such power to Lowenfield. His job is simple: tabulate the certified results from the ten regions to determine the total national vote, and calculate the seats allocation based on the total votes.

Lowenfield has openly gone rogue. The time has come for GECOM to act and end this travesty. Fire Lowenfield, call in the Police, and charge Lowenfield. Thieving people's votes is a criminal act.

Dear Editor, In view of the current political stalemate and anticipated crisis in Guyana, where there is a barefaced and prolonged attempt to steal the will of the Guyanese electorate by the losing coalition in order to impose itself on the people by remaining in power, we, the defenders of democracy, plead with all the ABCE, EU, OAS, CARICOM countries and likeminded others to stay the course you have been engaged in since March 2, 2020 in you strong defence of democracy in Guyana.

We further plead with you to request your respective governments to impose immediate and harsh personal sanctions against all already identified participants and enablers currently engaged in the rigging of elections in Guyana.

We are aware of, and support, an earlier hand-delivered petition by the late Randy Depoo to the US Embassy in Georgetown, calling for personal sanctions.

Sanctions were promised, must continue to be on the table, and must be applied without delay.

The 6500 signatories to Mr. Depoo's petition must petition in vain.

You must be aware that since elections were held, there were no less than four documented attempts by the compromised Elections Secretariat (GECOM) to

submit fraudulent tallies of votes cast to the Elections Commission in disgraceful attempts to declare the losing coalition the winner of the March 2nd. elections.

None of those four submissions of the Secretariat matched the certified SOPs and certified SORs of the election, which were observed by accredited and independent local and foreign observers. Every observer mission stated that valid votes were placed in the ballot boxes.

Ignoring every call to submit the valid votes cast as per the recount, the Chief Elections Officer now claims that it is within his authority to prepare and submit his final report using his own made-up bogus numbers, and that he is answerable to nobody. They are hell bent on stealing the election.

No more precious time must be wasted, as the incumbent administration has, to date, shown no sign of wanting to peacefully concede power. In fact, the coalition seems to be digging in deeper, as their propaganda machinery is currently telling the Guyanese people across the country that they have won the elections, in addition to instigating hate and disunity among the peaceful people.

Manifestations of unrest are beginning to appear.

Personal attacks and ridi-

cule are being directed brazenly at anyone, including diplomats and foreign leaders, who dares to speak the truth about the coalition's ongoing rigging exercises.

It was only recently that the squatting Prime Minister was on social media, making false accusations against the United States, of all countries. It is widely believed in Guyana and in the diaspora that local democratic forces alone will not be able to have a democratically elected Government installed in Guyana. The entire world must act decisively, and act now to help out.

When one observes the recent actions/inactions of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and, to some extent, recent rulings of the Judiciary, one cannot help but be suspicious of certain biases in favour of the coalition. The hopes and trust of the people are all but lost.

And one cannot ignore recent statements of the caretaker President in addressing the Military, when he talks about loyalty. (loyalty to who or what?)

Many thanks are extended to all the foreign diplomats who have been fully engaged and proactive thus far, and to the CCJ, which has exhibited impartiality and professionalism. there is a ray of hope, albeit not guaranteed, that democracy will succeed in the end.

The helping hands of all democratic Governments and democratic institutions are essential for democracy to remain alive and to prevail in Guyana, as the coalition could well disregard any judgement of the CCJ against them. Another Venezuela-like situation must not be allowed to fester in this beautiful republic. Guyana needs you now. Do not be dissuaded

by the vile attacks of a few, as many around the world are behind you with their strong support.

Currently circulating on change.org are two petitions originating out of Brampton ON, dedicated to this struggle: “Supporting the foreign diplomats championing democracy in Guyana” http:// chng.it/FBbFBmjVPh with over 3250 signatures, and

“Fire or suspend Keith Lowenfield as CEO of GECOM”, with over 4700 signatures and growing.

Let democracy triumph.

Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

Defend democracy, do not back off Sincerely, K. Ramprashad; N. Megnauth; S. Bernard; H. Ragnauth; R. Persaud, S. Alexander; N. Hanif, A. Singh; B. Benimadhu.

Brampton/Toronto ON

Hello PNC friends, God...

Why are we cussing out diplomats, international organizations, CARICOM leaders, and anyone else giving honest opinions and facts? Do you think this is right? What example are we showing to our young people in our Sunday school and youth groups?

A Sister Helena Armogan put it well when she said, “I have never seen so many Christians invoking the Name of Jesus while celebrating election fraud in Guyana. The body of Christ in Guyana has obviously revealed the extent of our moral convictions, and it is no wonder the Church has not made inroads into the multi-religious, secular culture…. And we wonder why we have not seen a revival.”

Another Brother said to me, “I am so ashamed to be a Christian and a pastor,”

as he lamented that the Christian leaders, especially in the Pentecostal and evangelical churches, are in hiding, just like our Bro. Granger.

Most of all brethren, we bring much disgrace to the Name of Christ by our deeds. What are we saying to our Hindu and Muslim brethren in Guyana; that Christianity supports fraud and wrongdoing?

How will they respect us and listen to us when we take the gospel to them?

Right now, is our PNC showing a good example of Christ, as we claim to be a Christian party? Is it okay for Sister Burnham to tell a Prime Minister our “steel is sharper?” That’s what our Founder Leader Burnham said prior to Dr. Rodney’s assassination, when he also said to the opposition leaders, “Make your wills.”

FROM PAGE 24

Some of our leaders have quietly accepted that we lost, but some are soldiering on, like Don Quixote striking at windmills. The latter make us look foolish, clownish, and pathetic.

Finally, my brethren, I trust the decent ones among us will follow our Bro. Granger’s son-in-law’s example and come forward to publicly and honestly tell you that we lost, that the Lord raised our PNC up, and now he has brought us down because of our great iniquities. This is the right thing and Christian thing to do. Please look at the bright side – we still won 31 seats honestly, without rigging. We must now choose decent people to represent us in the Opposition. Let’s honour God in all we do.

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

26

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Mexico launches raids after assassination attempt on Police Chief

M

exican authorities have carried out a series of raids while investigating the attempted assassination of Mexico City's Police Chief, according to local media.

Omar García Harfuch was shot several times during an ambush on Friday, though his injuries are not said to be life-threatening.

Two of his bodyguards and a female passerby were killed.

The attack is believed to be linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Police said cocaine was found during raids on three

locations, according to El Universal newspaper on Saturday.

García Harfuch - who

was shot in the shoulder, collar bone and the knee - tweeted after the attack, laying the blame on the car-

tel. "Our nation must continue to confront the cowardly organised crime," he wrote.

More than a dozen arrests have been made since the attack on García Harfuch's car, investigators say.

The alleged mastermind of the plot, José Armando Briseño, known as Vaca (Cow), was detained on Friday night.

Ulises Lara López, a spokesman for the Mexico City prosecutor's office, said the group of assassins was hired three weeks prior to the attack and was divided into four different cells to

cording to the World Health Organisation.

The British drugmaker is already carrying out large-scale, mid-stage human trials of the vaccine, which was developed by researchers at Oxford University.

Elcio Franco, Brazil’s No 2 public health official, said in a press conference that the country will initially produce some 30 million doses of the vaccine, half

by December and half by

January of next year.

Franco said Brazil is paying for the vaccine but is aware of the risk, in case the vaccine does not pass all necessary licensure requirements or another vaccine obtains approval faster.

The vaccine will be produced by Brazil’s Fundação Osvaldo Cruz, also known as Fiocruz, the country’s leading public health organiSation, Franco said.

Brazil is the world’s second most affected coun-

try by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 1.2 million confirmed cases as of Friday and more than 55,000 deaths.

Right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has been widely criticised for this response to the pandemic. He has dismissed the severity of the disease and has shown indifference to the rising death toll while also pushing treatment using an unproven anti-malaria drug. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Soldiers have been deployed to guard the scene of the crime

Brazil signs agreement to produce AstraZeneca's experimental COVID-19 vaccine

B

razil announced on Saturday that it had signed a US$127 million agreement to start producing locally an experimental vaccine developed

by AstraZeneca that has shown promise to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is considered the world’s leading candidate and most advanced in terms of development to obtain licensure and become an official vaccine against the disease, ac-

PAHO Chief urges Caribbean to prepare to manage COVID-19 for next two years

D

irector of the Pan American Health Organisation, Dr Carissa F Etienne is urging Caribbean countries as well as those in the Americas to prepare to manage the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic closely for the next two years.

“In the absence of effective treatments or a widely available vaccine, we expect that over the next two years the region of the Americas will experience recurring COVID-19 outbreaks, which may be interspersed with periods of limited transmission,” said the Dominicanborn Dr Etienne.

PAHO said cases of COVID-19 in the Americas

Dr Etienne said flexible responses are key, stating that “public health measures, as well as social protection efforts, will need to be reviewed regularly to minimise the impact of the virus in our societies”

have topped 4.5 million, with 226,000 deaths as of June 23. It said since last month, cases have tripled in Latin America and the Caribbean from almost 690,000 on May 23 to more than two million.

PAHO said member states discussed a resolution that “seeks to balance the triple threat this pandemic represents to the health of our people, our social welfare and to our national economies”.

Dr Etienne urged countries to adjust and coordinate their COVID-19 response based on increasingly detailed data.

Dr Etienne said flexible responses are key, stating that “public health

measures, as well as social protection efforts, will need to be reviewed regularly to minimise the impact of the virus in our societies.

She said more investments in human resources, supplies, improved surveillance, and development and adoption of new tools will be needed.

Dr Etienne also called for concerted regional cooperation against COVID-19.

“Though we rejoice when one country successfully flattens its COVID-19 epidemic curve, the risk of re-emergence will always remain unless we flatten the curve regionally and globally,” she said. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Tribe says two Yanomami men killed by illegal miners in Brazil

T

wo Yanomami men who were killed recently were illegal gold miners on their reservation in the northern Amazon region, according to a statement released by the tribe, the largest in Brazil that is relatively isolated from the outside world.

The two men were killed with shotguns after a group of Yanomami approached the miners' camp

on June 12 to ask for food in the mountainous Serra de Parima region, a remote corner of the vast reservation on the Venezuelan border in Roraima state, the Hutukara Yanomami Association said on Saturday.

The tribe is imploring Brazil's Government to evict more than 20,000 miners illegally prospecting for gold on their land in

the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 160 people and killed five members of the tribe.

One young tribesman was killed as the group departed from the camp and another died after a chase by armed miners, the statement said.

The tribe's leadership only learned about the June 12 clash on June 23 and the

circumstances are being investigated by the Federal Police, who went to the area where the bodies of the men, aged 24 and 20, were still lying in the rainforest.

"They were killed for no reason," Junior Hekurari, head of the Yanomami health council, Condisi, told Reuters news agency.

"It is so sad to die on your own land." (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

carry out the act. They were given ski masks and weapons the night before the assault, he said.

Three separate ambush points were then set up,

including an unused one that was one block from the city's central "Angel of Independence" monument.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Curfew lifted in B’dos; borders reopen July 12

B

arbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Friday announced that from July 1 there will be no more curfew restrictions in Barbados in the first sign that the country is seeking to reopen activity following COVID-19 restrictions.

In addition, Mottley said physical distancing will now be one metre (three feet).

The Prime Minister also announced that commercial air traffic will resume on July 12 with Air Canada being the first to return to activity at the Grantley Adams International Airport. She said British Airways will restart on July 18 from Gatwick; Jetblue from JFK in New York on July 25; Virgin Atlantic on August 1 and American Airlines on August 5. She said it is anticipated Caribbean Airlines will resume in mid-July.

Attorney General Dale Marshall also announced the following measures: All daycare centres will reopen to full capacity from next week.

Sporting events will be able to have spectators, once physical distancing and wearing of masks are observed. Indoor events will be

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley

subject to density requirements.

The limit for outdoor entertainment and social events has been raised to 500 people, and those indoor will be subject to density capacity.

From July 15, once the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit approves, that limit can go above 500.

The one-hour limit for church services will also be lifted, and baptisms will be permitted once people wear gloves, but the other protocols remain. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

UN body warns of effects of dust on Caribbean

T

he World Meteorological Office (WMO) on Friday said the massive dust storm, currently blanketing many parts of the Caribbean, is posing a significant threat to regional health and has revealed the importance of having effective warning systems in place.

The storm arrived in the eastern Caribbean from North Africa last week, affecting a wide area so far, spanning from the northern coast of South America to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Although dust blows from Africa across the Atlantic every year, the UN weather agency said this year's event has been particularly intense and extensive.

The dust storm has darkened skies, contaminated rainwater and greatly reduced visibility. It also poses a significant health hazard.

Countries such as Martinique, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico have reported air quality levels in the

“hazardous” category, with record values of PM10 —a particulate matter which can cause respiratory problems and disease.

Concentrations reported in Puerto Rico are at the highest level observed in the last 20 years.

Sand and dust storms are common in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. They are usually caused by thunderstorms, which create strong winds that can transport large amounts of sand and dust thousands of kilometres away.

The WMO said every year, around 2000 million tons of dust enters the Earth's atmosphere. While much of this occurs naturally, a large part is due to poor water and land management.

WMO on Friday released the latest edition of its annual Airborne Dust Bulletin which found that mineral dust concentrations last year generally were similar to 2018 levels. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

Around the world

OILNEWS Oil dips on rise in US coronavirus cases, set for weekly fall

O

il prices settled lower on Friday as new coronavirus cases spiked in the United States and China, and on growing concerns about rising US output ticking up while crude stockpiles sat at record highs.

Brent crude futures settled down 3 cents at US$40.91, falling 1 per cent on the week. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 23 cents to US$38.49, down 1.6 per cent on the week.

Earlier gains, supported by optimism over rising road traffic boosting fuel demand, were erased in US trading on fears that spiking COVID-19 infections in large gasoline-consuming US states could stall the demand recovery. Cases have risen sharply in California, Texas and Florida, the three most populous US states.

Friday morning, Texas Governor Greg Abbott reversed the state’s reopening plan, ordering most bars to close due to the surge in cases.

That could undermine the steady increase in refining output, with US refiners now operating at nearly 75 per cent of their capacity, according to Government data.

“Employers are delaying the return of their employees back to the office and that will impact the return of gasoline demand,” said Andrew Lipow, President of Lipow Oil Associates.

The global economic outlook has also worsened or at best stayed about the same in the past month, a majority of economists polled by Reuters said, and the recession underway is expected to be deeper than earlier predicted.

A Dallas Federal Reserve Bank survey of executives in the top US oil and gas producing region found more than half of executives who cut production expect to resume some output by the end of July.

US and Canadian energy firms cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating to a record low again this week, according to data from Baker Hughes. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Russia denies report spy unit paid Taliban to attack NATO forces

R

ussia and the Taliban have denied a media report saying that a Russian military intelligence unit had offered money to Taliban-linked fighters to kill US troops and other members of the NATO coalition operating in Afghanistan.

The New York Times report says that US intelligence officials concluded several months ago that the Russian unit had last year secretly offered rewards to the fighters in return for successful attacks. The information was later independently reported by the Washington Post.

The officials said the Taliban-linked fighters, or elements closely associated with them, are believed to have collected at least some reward money from the Russians, although it remains unclear what attacks were connected to the scheme, according to the report.

27

Russia on Saturday denounced the accusations, with the Russian embassy in Washington, DC calling them "baseless and anonymous".

The tweet added the claims had "already led to direct threats to the life of employees of the Russian Embassies in Washington DC and London".

M e a n w h i l e , Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied to the New York Times that the group has "any such relations with any intelligence agency" and called the report an attempt to defame the armed group.

In 2019, 20 US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan but there have been no reported Taliban attacks on the US positions since the two countries reached an agreement in February that paves the way for the US to withdraw from the nearly 20-year long conflict.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Coronavirus: Florida and Texas reverse reopening as infections surge

F

lorida has reported a new record in COVID infections, amid a surge in cases in southern US states that have allowed businesses to re-open in recent weeks.

On Saturday, Florida reported more than 9500 new cases, up from almost 9000 on Friday, the previous record.

The spike has led state officials to tighten restrictions on business again - as Texas also did on Friday.

The official number of coronavirus infections across the US is expected to surpass 2.5 million over the weekend.

More than 125,000 COVID-19 patients have died nationwide - more than

Restaurants in Florida were allowed to re-open in May

in any other country.

On Friday the leading government adviser on coronavirus, Dr Anthony Fauci, said the US had a "serious problem".

Speaking at the first White House coronavirus task force briefing in two

months, Dr Fauci said the current rises were due to regions "maybe opening a little bit too early" and to people themselves not following guidance.

"People are infecting other people, and then ultimately you will infect some-

Britain left the bloc on Jan 31. A transition period, during which Britain remains in the European single market and customs union, expires on Dec 31 and pressure is mounting to agree on a free trade deal before then.

With the two sides still far apart, a round of “in-

tensified negotiations” is due to start next week.

“He (Johnson) said the UK would negotiate constructively but equally would be ready to leave the transition period on Australia terms if agreement could not be reached,” Johnson’s Downing Street office said in a statement.

one who's vulnerable," he said.

Many other southern and western states have reported record spikes as they moved to reopen and people from other areas poured in in recent weeks.

Earlier this week Texas, Florida and Arizona put re-opening plans on pause in an effort to tackle the outbreak.

The surge in cases was being driven by young people testing positive, especially in the south and west of the US, said the head of the CDC, Dr Robert Redfield.

The White House has stressed that the situation is stabilising in most of the country. (Excerpt from BBC News)

UK ready to quit EU on “Australia terms” if no Brexit deal, Johnson says

B

ritain will be ready to quit its transitional arrangements with the European Union “on Australia terms” if no deal on their future relationship is reached, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki on Saturday.

Australia does not have a comprehensive trade agreement with the EU. Much of EU-Australia trade follows default World Trade Organisation rules, though specific agreements are in place for certain goods. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Martin named new Irish Prime Minister, vows to tackle deep recession

I

reland’s Parliament picked veteran opposition leader Micheál Martin as Prime Minister on Saturday to head the first coalition uniting the two parties that have battled each other for power since a civil war nearly a century ago.

He pledged to rescue Ireland from the “the fastest-moving recession ever to hit”, brought on by the coronavirus crisis.

Martin’s Fianna Fail party was forced to join forces with its foes Fine Gael, after a surprise election surge for leftist Irish nationalists Sinn Fein left neither of the traditional centrist parties with enough support to govern on its own. They are joined in coalition by the en-

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, leader of the Fianna Fail party, leaves the Convention Centre, en route to the President's residence to receive his seal of office in Dublin, Ireland June 27, 2020

vironmentalist Greens.

Martin is expected to step aside halfway through the five-year term to al-

low Fine Gael’s leader, outgoing Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, to return to the post.

To overcome the recession “we must act with urgency and ambition”, said Martin, close to tears as he thanked his family who were unable to travel from his native Cork due to coronavirus restrictions due to be eased on Monday.

He was elected by 93 votes to 63 after also securing support from some independent members of parliament.

The appointment represented a turnaround for Fianna Fail and Martin, who was a member of the Government that signed up to an EU/IMF bailout a decade ago and led to an unprecedented 2011 electoral collapse just after he took over as leader. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Coronavirus: Delhi struggles to cope with COVID-19 surge

T

he Chief Minister of India's capital Delhi has said the speed at which coronavirus has spread has severely challenged its health system.

Arvind Kejriwal said a surge in cases in early June had led to a shortage of hospital beds and rising fatalities.

Delhi is now the country's worst-hit area, with about 73,000 recorded cases of COVID-19 and at least 2500 deaths.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India was "much better placed than many other nations" to tackle the virus.

In a virtual address, he said this was due to a strict nationwide lockdown ordered in March and various measures taken by people.

More than 500,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded across the country.

About 15,000 people have died after testing positive for the virus.

But infections in Delhi a city of some 20 million people - have been rising much faster than in the rest of the country. About of third of the total number of infections there have been reported in the past week alone.

Delhi authorities have begun mass testing to determine the extent of spread in the capital.

In early June - four months after its first recorded COVID-19 infection - India emerged from

one of the world's harshest lockdowns. Most businesses were allowed to re-open.

But the easing of the lockdown led to a surge in new infections. India now has the world's fourth-highest number of confirmed cases, behind Russia, Brazil and the US. However, with a population of more than 1.3 billion, it still has a low rate of infections per capita - fewer than 400 per million people.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

28

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Keep your thoughts to yourself until you are sure you are ready to share.

What you say will lead to a change you may not be prepared to accept.

TAURUS You’ll be inspired by (April 20- what someone shares with May 20) you. Start a new project that will help you achieve peace of mind. A program that encourages better health, diet and fitness is supported.

Follow through with your GEMINI plan. It’s one thing to talk (MAY 28about what you intend to June 20) do, and another to physically make it happen. Step up, accomplish your goal and be proud.

CANCER Say what’s on your mind.

Positive change is within (June 21reach, but first, you have to July 22) make choices and take the necessary action to turn your plan into something concrete.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

You’ll fall privy to inVIRGO side information if you at(Aug. 23tend a virtual get-together Sept. 22) with people from your past.

The information you gather will change your mind about something or someone.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Peanuts

Do what feels right and best for you. Put your heart and soul into achieving a physical or personal goal that will result in additional confidence.

Take a secretive approach to whatever you choose to do. The less information you share with others, the easier it will be to get things done.

Discipline and hard work will lead to success.

SCORPIO You’ll have a better idea (Oct. 24regarding your next move.

Nov. 22) Start putting your ideas and plans down on paper in preparation to make your move when the time is right.

SAGITTARIUS Making changes at home (Nov. 23can be costly if you trust Dec. 21) someone else to take care of the details. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Take care of matters personally.

Live life your way. Make CAPRICORN adjustments at home that (Dec. 22complement the things you Jan. 19) enjoy doing the most. A heart-to-heart discussion and an affectionate gesture will improve a stressful relationship.

Calvin and Hobbes

The effort you put into AQUARIUS making your surroundings (Jan. 20comfortable and user-friendFeb. 19) ly will pay off. Reward yourself. Personal improvements will boost your ego. Romance is in the stars.

PISCES Put more thought into (Feb. 20- what you want to pursue.

Mar. 20) Pay attention to detail to avoid making a mistake.

Refuse to let anyone take advantage of you physically, financially or emotionally.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

29

Wolfsburg: nil, Bayern Munich: 4

Muller makes history as champions celebrate 100-goal title triumph

Thomas Muller

T

homas Muller made Bundesliga history as Bayern Munich capped off their triumphant campaign by defeating 10man Wolfsburg 4-0 on Saturday.

Having clinched an eighth straight title 11 days earlier, Bayern finally got their hands on the trophy, following a comfortable victory at the Volkswagen Arena on the final day of the season.

Muller laid on a record 21st assist of the season, as Kingsley Coman got Bayern up and running before Mickael Cuisance doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Josuha Guilavogui was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Cuisance, and Robert Lewandowski scored the resultant penalty in the 72nd minute, with Muller adding Bayern's 100th Bundesliga goal of the season in the closing stages.

With second-placed Borussia Dortmund defeated at home

by Hoffenheim, Bayern finished the season with a 13-point cushion, and Wolfsburg slipped to seventh and missed out on automatic Europa League qualification.

Coman got the celebrations started in the fourth minute, latching on to a brilliant throughball from Muller and guiding a fine finish across Koen Casteels and into the bottom-left corner.

Manuel Neuer kept out Josip Brekalo, and Casteels made a good save from Serge Gnabry at the other end. Lewandowski was denied by Casteels, but there was nothing the Wolfsburg goalkeeper could do to stop Cuisance's left-footed, 20-yard curler from finding the top-left corner.

Casteels survived a VAR review of a potential handball outside the box, while the video assistant upheld the decision to rule out Daniel Ginczek's stoppage-time goal at the end of the first half for a foul on Alvaro Odriozola.

After being denied by Casteels again, Lewandowski finally hit the target in the 72nd minute. The Poland international scored his 34th league goal of the season after Guilavogui felled the impressive Cuisance.

Bayern made the most of their numerical advantage by scoring a fourth seven minutes later, Muller drilling home at

the back post; and the celebrations stepped up a gear after the final whistle.

Bayern maintain momentum A treble is well and truly on the cards for the Bavarian giants, who extended their club-record winning run to 16 games.

However, after the DFB-Pokal final next weekend, they face a month off before continuing their Champions League campaign with the second leg of their last-16 tie against Chelsea.

With teams from the Premier League, Serie A and LaLiga having far less time to rest before Europe's premier club competition returns, Bayern will hope to continue riding this wave during their break.

History for Muller Hansi Flick has brought the best out of Muller since taking over at Bayern. The World Cup-winning attacking midfielder surpassed Kevin De Bruyne's Bundesliga record of 20 assists in a single season by setting up Coman for the opener.

Gnabry not on form There was nothing riding on the game for Bayern, but it would have been a far more comfortable finale had Gnabry been able to finish the chances that came his way. He missed a pair of great openings in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

What's next?

Bayern will aim to seal the second part of a prospective treble when they face Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal final next Saturday. (Sportsmax)

Travelers Championship Golf Tourney: ‘Arjen, follow your heart'..

Robben hopes to Denny McCarthy make comeback withdraws after testing with Groningen positive for coronavirus A

A

merican Denny McCarthy withdrew from the Travelers Championship golf tournament before the start of Friday's second round, after testing positive for coronavirus.

McCarthy, 27, is the third player to test positive since the PGA Tour restarted on 11 June.

"I was feeling pretty tired and sore after the round yesterday, but didn't think much of it, because I had practised a lot Monday to Wednesday," said world number 180 McCarthy, who shot a firstround three-under-par 67.

"Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night with additional aches and soreness, and sensed something was off."

McCarthy will self-isolate for 10 days, according to Tour protocols.

Under the PGA Tour's response plan, 16 tests will be administered for those who had close contact with McCarthy.

England's Matt Wallace and American Bud Cauley, who played the first round

with him, tested negative, but Cauley also withdrew and Wallace missed the cut. Their caddies all tested negative.

Cauley, who tested negative twice on Friday, said he withdrew "out of an abundance of caution for my peers and everyone involved with the tournament".

American veteran Phil Mickelson holds a onestroke lead heading into the weekend in Connecticut, after a seven-under-par 63 took him to 13 under.

American Will Gordon and Canada's Mackenzie Hughes trail the 50-year-old fivetime major winner in tied second; while world number one Rory McIlroy is four shots off the lead at nine under, after his second-round

68.

However, Justin Rose missed the cut, after a 73 on Friday took him to level par, as did fellow Englishmen Danny Willett and Matt Fitzpatrick, and Scotland's Russell Knox.

Nick Watney withdrew from the RBC Heritage after testing positive last week, while Cameron Champ did so at a pretournament screening before the Travelers.

World number four Brooks Koepka and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell also withdrew from the tournament in Cromwell, Connecticut as a precaution after their caddies tested positive.

(BBC.COM)

rjen Robben plans to come out of retirement to play next season for Eredivisie side Groningen, 18 years after he left the club to join PSV Eindhoven.

The 36-year-old, who made 96 appearances for the Netherlands national team, played his last match for Bayern Munich in May 2019, ending his career by citing the toll injuries had taken on him.

Robben spent a decade at Bayern after spells at Real Madrid and Chelsea, who bought him from PSV in 2004, two years after

he joined the Dutch giants from his hometown club.

After a year in retirement, he has expressed his hope of helping Groningen during the coronavirus crisis, fitness permitting.

“I was 12 when I started playing in FC Groningen’s youth academy,” he said in a video posted on Groningen’s Twitter account.

“I made my home debut against Feyenoord when I was 16.

After two years I made a transfer to PSV Eindhoven.

After a wonderful adventure of 18 years, we’re coming home.”

(Guardian)

30

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

Sir Andy Roberts: ‘Oshane Thomas will CLASSIFIED be the 1st name I’d pencil in on this tour’ ADS

F

Sir Andy Roberts

ormer West Indies fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts has said Oshane Thomas is the first name he would “pencil” in for West Indies’ final Test squad for the three-match series in England, which begins in Southampton from July 8.

Speaking to his former West Indies team-mate Michael Holding, Roberts also predicted that the young pair of Alzarri Joseph and Chemar Holder could grow to become the “backbone” of any West Indies’ fast-bowling attack “within the next five-six years.”

All three fast bowlers are part of the enlarged squad of 25 players that landed in Manchester on June 8. But while Joseph and Holder are part of the 14-man primary squad, Thomas - along with Shannon Gabriel - is part of the 11 reserves.

According to Roberts, Thomas has the most basic skill of fast bowling, and at the same time it is also unique: “pace”. Roberts believes pace could be turned into a “weapon” when used wisely.

“Oshane Thomas would probably be the first name I would pencil on this tour, because he has what others want; he has pace,” Roberts said in an episode on Holding’s YouTube channel aired on June 20. “And you should always have somebody like that on your team, so that he can create uneasiness amongst batsmen,” he continued.

Holding himself had said recently he was “a little bit surprised” to not find Thomas among the primary Test squad of 14, especially after he had gained prominence as one of the fastest bowlers in the previous year.

Thomas has also talked up his desire to make his Test debut because that is the format in which “greats” are recognised.

The current West Indies fast-bowling contingent, led

by Kemar Roach, includes captain Jason Holder and Gabriel. However, it is the pool of young fast bowlers like Joseph, Chemar

and Thomas that has given the Caribbean selectors renewed hope that West Indies’ pace attack could be built into the sort of formidable unit that was once championed by Roberts and Holding.

West Indies’ highly regarded bowlers were discussed ahead of the Test series with England. “I am glad to see there is a sort of a resurgence in the last couple of months; not years, just the last couple of months.

There are some youngsters coming through, and I hope that we don’t try and expect too much of them too soon,” Roberts said.

He also had a word of advice for the young fast bowlers: use your pace smartly, and do not let it go to waste.

“Alzarri is a good youngster coming up. He has some pace, but I don’t think (that) at the moment he is bowling genuinely fast,” Sir Andy Roberts said. “At the [Under-19] Youth World Cup (2016) I think he was bowling faster than he is now. Maybe if he has some experience and he can bowl within himself and produce the odd fast ball which is required. Because I don’t think anyone should try to bowl every ball at 90 mph.

“I would like to see the youngsters learn (that).

If you have a 95mph ball in your armoury, that is a weapon, and you need to use (it) sparingly. You need to have the batsman just guessing, ‘When is this faster ball going to come?’

“Then there is young Chemar Holder. I saw a bit of him and I think he, to me, along with Alzarri, will be the backbone of West Indies fast bowling within the next five or six years. I’m hoping that I don’t talk too soon, but you need to have two genuine fast bowlers who can bowl in pairs,” Sir Andy has said.

Roberts said Roach was a certainty, along with Jason Holder, to lead the fast-bowling attack. He was unsure whether Chemar would be ready to be blooded on this tour, but felt Thomas could compete with Gabriel for a

slot in the team.

“I don’t know how fit Gabriel will be, because he hasn’t played since last September,” Sir Andy said.

“And he is not one of the most athletic of our bowlers.”

Holding asked how West Indies could retain the Wisden Trophy, and Roberts said that was possible only by playing “good all-round” cricket.

According to Sir Andy, West Indies’ batting remains a concern, especially against the “short” delivery.

“I hear many people are talking now about the strength of the fast bowling unit, but then we cannot forget the bating, because we are not playing against ourselves,” Roberts said.

“And England, at the moment, have some very good fast bowlers. Along with the two old stagers (Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad), they have two youngsters in [Jofra] Archer and [Mark] Wood. We have to be very careful, because you know some of our young-

sters in the region don’t play the short ball as well as we think they should. And so, first, the batting has to come good on that tour.”

The West Indies Selection Panel led by former off-spinner Roger Harper was forced to ring in some last-minute changes after Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer had opted out of the England tour because of health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently Holding said it was “unfortunate” for both batsmen, especially Bravo, who has struggled to find consistency, to miss out on the England tour.

Roberts agreed, saying: “They would have played an integral part of the batting.

As much as we don’t like the way Hetmyer has been playing, he is one of the batsmen for the future. But somebody has to get into his head and let him realise that you can’t score runs sitting in the pavilion.”

According to Roberts, the challenge for most West Indies batsmen was: they “don’t really train and practise enough to work the ball

into gaps. We believe in boundaries.”

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons recently acknowledged that batting is an area the West Indies need to strengthen in order to compete in England.

A key concern for Simmons would be the form of his two senior batsmen: vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope - both of whom were the best batsmen on West Indies’ previous visit to England, which they lost 2-1 after a thrilling victory in the second Test in Leeds.

While Hope has failed to score another ton, after becoming the first batsman to record twin centuries in the same Test at Headingley, Brathwaite has averaged 25.33 in his last 20 Tests.

“If our fast-bowling unit can click, then maybe we have some hope, but I am not going to put too much emphasis on our batting,” Roberts said.

“Speaking just by listening, watching and hearing people talk about these batsmen that we have there isn’t much to shout about.”

(Cricinfo)

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Seifert replaces Ramdin at TKR

N

ew Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert has been chosen as the replacement player for Denesh Ramdin, who was not retained by the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Guardian Media Sports has been made to understand on Friday that Seifert was picked up in the draft that was held on Wednesday.

Nicknamed the Flinstones, this player is a ball-beater and one who has been compared to a young Brendan McCullum, the TKR coach.

On T20 international debut, the youngster ran down the pitch and clobbered Indian pacer Buvneshwar Kumar for six. In facing only

Indian Premier League (IPL) player Praveen Tambe will also feature for the TKR this year.

The tournament is yet to be given the green light by the Government of T&T, but sources close to the situation say it is just a matter of time before it is approved. CPL has given to the Government a proposal which includes 33 matches in this country, and the games are to be split between Brian Lara Cricket Academy and the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.

in being done in conjunction with Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram on the protocols needed for such a situation.

With CPL allowing teams to choose their foreign players, it means that players will be coming from all parts of the world -- areas that are considered COVID-19 hotspots and others that have dealt with the dreaded virus well.

T&T has dealt well with the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 123 cases and

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his third ball, he crashed it down the ground for another boundary. He counted 84 on debut against the Indians, and this only required 43 balls.

Seifert’s news comes on the heels of news that

They are also looking to create a bio-secure environment at the Hilton Trinidad for all teams and officials.

The latest checks by Guardian Media Sports are that cabinet is yet to receive the note to approve, as work

eight deaths. Community spread is not evident, and this makes the twin-island Republic safe at this point.

The CPL is expected to be played from August 16 to September 10. (Guardian TT)

Circulation Department on

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SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

31

Paul will be missed, but bowlers on tour are capable ꟷ Joseph

By Brandon Corlette

T

he West Indies seam bowling attack is being led by the accurate and highly skilled Kemar Roach and features “Mr. Accuracy”, Jason Holder; the aggressive Shannon Gabriel, and the promising Alzarri Joseph, who has been the talk of the town.

These pacemen are considered to be one of the better bowling attacks in Test cricket currently. However, the man who moves the ball more than these four is Guyanese Keemo Paul, who opted out of the tour owing to health and family concerns.

Equipped with the skill of swing and seam, Paul will be missed on this England Test tour. Responding to a Guyana Times Sport question, Joseph noted that Paul will be missed.

“Keemo is an addition to any team. He will be missed, but at this very moment he decided not to come, so we have to make do with what we have. We have more than capable players to put out a strong team,” Joseph posited on his former West Indies U-19 team mate.

The 23-year-old Joseph, who played Under-19 World Cup with Paul back in 2016, had the opportunity to tour England back in 2017, but had had a challenging tour during that period. Joseph has since evolved into a stronger bowler in recent times, and this was evident in the recent practice match, wherein he had a good outing in claiming four wickets.

Joseph noted that experience played a role in his success.

While emphasising consistency, he believes that his role is to back up the sen i o r bowlers in the squad, penetrate the middle order, and hold one end for the team.

Before West Indies play the first Test on July 8, they will conclude their final match preparation with a 4-day intra-squad match from June 29.

Flashback! Joseph and Keemo Paul celebrate a wicket in the U-19 World Cup

Joseph, who played in the series against England in the Caribbean last year, and peppered the Englishmen with some bodyline bowling, noted it is time for the bowlers to assess the different conditions that ob-

tain in England.

While some teams would see Joseph as the weak point in the Windies’ four-pronged pace attack, the key for Joseph is to take wickets in England, hitting a good area and extracting the seam movement on offer.

“I can use this (teams seeing me as the weak point) as an advantage for me to get on top of teams, because I know my capabilities,” Joseph echoed.

The right-arm speedster has declared he is aiming to help the West Indies move

higher in the rankings, if given the opportunity.

The Antigua native has looked to former West Indies quick Kenny Benjamin for advice, and has proven to be mentally fit after losing his mom in the home series against England. He disclosed that he remains strong and made memories on that day, while playing for the West Indies.

With the batting group being the weak link in the squad, Joseph, who had an opportunity to bowl against some of them in the first

practice match, noted that the batsmen are equipped and capable to make strong batting statements.

This series will be played behind closed doors, and Joseph is unfazed at playing in an empty stadium. He noted that this is similar to the Regional 4-Day tournament in which stadiums are mostly empty.

This humble lad has nine Test matches under his belt, with 25 wickets to his name.

He is yet to pick up his maiden Test five-for, but brings a lot to the proverbial party.

Guyana Golf Association partners with Holder suffers ‘niggle’, the Scouts Association of Guyana to Gabriel close to 100 per cent fit - Phil Simmons launch Nexgen Golf Academy

I

n recent years, the sport of golf has risen to new heights, and the newly formed Guyana Golf Association, in coordination with NexGen Golf Academy, has seen the opportunity to use this developing arena to create a special programme that would encourage persons of all ages to engage in physical activities.

The first facility is located at the Scouts Association of Guyana ground on Woolford Avenue, and a second is scheduled to follow shortly after. The GGA hopes to establish three regional locations by end of year, so that more persons can be exposed to the sport.

President of the Guyana Golf Association, Aleem Hussain, was demonstrably excited in his announcement of the project, “I see the benefits of exercise in combating the effects of stress, diabetes, and hypertension. The fact that many people are not into team sports prevents them from getting involved in physical activities, and this is a solution.”

More than three-year ago, Hussain discussed the idea of this project with major companies, and it became a subject of considerable interest, but logistics and implementation were concerns.

“Today we have resolved those issues, and I am proud to be in a position to launch the programme as soon as things return to normal,” he said.

“This is not traditional golf!” said Rudy Ramalingum, the Academy’s Director. “It is a way to learn the sport, interact with family and friends, and have lots of fun while getting some exercise. At the same time, for experienced golfers, it provides them with the opportunity to sharpen their skills and prove to their friends just how good they really are!”

The Academy plans to add floodlights to the ground, which will be open daily and will have extended hours late at night, to accommodate persons who prefer to practise in the cool evening breeze, besides hotel guests, students, and business owners.

There will be lots of prizes if persons can hit the targets, and the Academy plans to have players hit unlimited balls for a small fee (children and beginners free of charge), and will provide access to coaching for all interested persons.

Use of the equipment will be without charge, and partnerships with local suppliers means that tasty food and all types of healthy beverages will be available for visitors who want to play, or simply spectate.

The goal of the Academy is to have at least 300 students actively involved in the sport by year end, and there are hopes of fielding an Olympic team in the next five years.

It is important to note that golf is a recognized CAPE subject that is now approved for teaching in all schools, and the Academy hopes this would lead to an increasing number of students from all over the country getting involved.

President of the Scouts Association of Guyana, Ramsey Ali, said, “I am a fan of golf but never played, and now this gives me and a lot of other interested persons the opportunity to start. I also learnt that scholarship opportunities are available, especially for girls and women who are involved in golf and feel they should take full advantage of such.”

Members of Team Macorp, Marriott, New Trend Auto, Assuria General Insurance and other major supporters of the academy will be on hand for the upcoming launch, to demonstrate their skills for the crowd.

For more information on how to sign up for the Academy, visit their Facebook page Nexgen Golf Academy, or call 645 0944.

D

espite picking a minor injury during the West Indies squad’s match at the Emirates, team skipper Jason Holder is expected to be fit in time for the start of the first Test in the #RaiseTheBat series on July 8.

Holder did not bowl on Thursday when his team fielded for the second innings of the match. He was also not required to bat. Head coach Phil Simmons has offered assurances that the allrounder would be fine.

“Jason has had a slight niggle on his ankle, and that is what has held him back from bowling,” Simmons said. “He will be back to bowling in the four-day game, and should be bowling his full quota.

As for the batting, if you get one ball and you’re out, that’s all you can do.”

Simmons also provided some positive news on fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who is returning to his first team action following ankle surgery.

“He looks ready, that was evident here. When you see how he bowled in the first innings, then again yesterday (Wednesday), and even more so this morning (Thursday), you could see he’s close to 100 per cent. Now we want to get him up to 100 just before the Test match.”

West Indies will have a four-day warm-up match starting June 30 at Emirates Old Trafford, before they travel down to Southampton for the first match at the Ageas Bowl, starting July 8. (Sportsmax)

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

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Guyana Golf Association partners with the Scouts Association of Guyana to launch Nexgen Golf Academy

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