Guyana Times Sunday March 8, 2020

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4219 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

Sunday, March 8, 2020

PRICE

International Community mounts pressure on GECOM

Govt would be illegitimate if Region 4 votes not verified – Assistant US Secretary of State See stories on pages 9 & 15

Irfaan Ali, Opposition Leader call on supporters to remain calm Election 2020 results Front Page Comment PPP GECOM Page 7

...assert that attendance be in contempt of court Page 16

Election Results Statements from GECOM

At 20:01h on Saturday evening, this newspaper received a request from the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that we publish 10 “Form 24” purporting to declare the results of the elections in each of the administrative regions. However, because the results of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) are not verified – as attested by all international observers and the international community – and its validity is engaging the attention of the Courts, in our estimation, we would be complicit in an illegality if we were to publish these Form 24s.

Elections declaration injunction hearing

Court has a responsibility to prevent illegal swearing-in of President – T&T Senior Counsel

…as CJ to deliver preliminary ruling today

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GECOM, APNU/ AFC bear ultimate responsibility for chaos in Guyana – Nandlall P16 …says chair, GECOM officials have abdicated their responsibilities

…France warns against hasty swearing-in of President …“Every vote must be counted in presence of parties, observers” – Caricom Chair Mia Mottley …Norway, The Elders join in call for credible tabulation

Commissioners refuse CEO's request for Commission declaration meeting

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Page 3

Guyana urged to activate national pandemic P14 preparedness plans …as CARPHA declares greater threat from coronavirus Low school attendance

Parents should make judgement about children’s safety – GTU P8

International Women’s Day

Calls mount for the elimination of gender inequality …as UN works to eradicate gender-based violence by 2030

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NEWS

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, March 8 – 14:30h – 16:00h and Monday, March 9 – 05:00h – 06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, March 8 – 15:20h – 16:50h and Monday, March 9 – 16:10h – 17:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Expect sunny skies throughout the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 03:43h and 16:00h reaching maximum heights of 2.62 metres and 2.76 metres.

Reg 4 Elections declaration injunction hearing

Court has a responsibility to prevent illegal swearing-in of President – T&T Senior Counsel …as CJ to deliver preliminary ruling on jurisdiction today

F

ollowing hours of legal arguments, Chief Justice Roxane George has set today, March 8, to rule on whether the court has the jurisdiction to issue and uphold an injunction filed against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), barring the organisation from declaring unverified results.

Senior Counsel Neil Boston, who is representing GECOM, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and Region Four Returning

Counsel noted that all they want is for GECOM to follow the statutory process to tabulate the Region Four votes. According to Mendes, the purpose of their injunction and the entire case is to facilitate, not hinder, the conduct of elections in a lawful manner. He cited several instances where the conduct of GECOM breached the Representation of the People’s Act. For one, Mendes outlined the statutory process for handling Statements of

Low Tide: 09:34h and 21:59h reaching minimum heights of 0.58 metre and 0.41 metre.

Chief Justice Roxane George entering her courtroom on Saturday

T&T Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes (left) and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall as they walk towards the courtroom

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2020

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FREE TICKET

Officer (RO) Clairmont Mingo, argued in the courtroom on Saturday that this matter cannot be determined at this stage by the High Court.

According to him, the issue must be resolved by way of an election petition, after

Poll and the fact that the SOPs are considered conclusive evidence of the election results that must be verified in front of party agents.

He pointed out that Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People’s Act states: “As soon

Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

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Neil Boston, SC

SUPER PAY DAY

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

$45.27/barrel $232.56/ton $370.30/ton

Live Spot Gold

Change % -10.43 -1.41 0.00

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask $1585.50 $1586.50 Low/High $1642.30 $1692.70 Change 0.00 0.00

GECOM completes its final declaration and a President is sworn in. Boston argued that the law does not contemplate an intermediary and a final stage for addressing issues relating to elections and he cited case law from India to bolster his arguments.

However, this point was debunked by Trinidad and Tobago Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, who appeared on behalf of applicant Reeaz Hollander.

According to Mendes, there is no logic in the court intervening to reverse an illegal appointment of a President, when it has an opportunity to prevent the illegality.

In addition, the Senior

as practicable after the receipt of all the ballot boxes and the envelopes and pack-

ets delivered to him in pursuance of Section 83 (10), the Returning Officer shall, in the presence of such of the persons entitled under Section 86 (1) to be present as attend, ascertain the total votes cast in favour of each list in the district by adding up the votes recorded in favour of the list in accordance with the Statements of Poll and thereupon publicly declare the votes recorded for each list of candidates.”

Mendes pointed out that Section 1 (A) goes on to say that whenever an error is found during verification, the RO must inform the Presiding Officer for the Polling Station. After this is done, the Presiding Officer, in the presence of the original signatories, has to prepare a corrected Statement of Poll and send it back to the Returning Officer.

Mingo, flawed as it is, was a final one that must now be subject to an election petition if persons want it reversed.

However, Chief Justice George reminded him that as per Mendes’ arguments, a final declaration by the

Statutory process

Chief Elections Officer and not the Returning Officer for a single district is considered final.

Mendes himself also emphasised to the court that an election petition deals with disputed results of an election. Their application, he said, deals with the process not being followed and is merely seeking to have GECOM follow the verification process before a declaration, no matter who is determined to be the winner of the elections. He cited a case from the Indian state of Kerala to provide further precedent for his argument.

According to Mendes, discrepancies were found yet this statutory process was not followed by GECOM. He recounted that in the wee hours of March 5, the verification process was instead aborted. Rather than restart the process, Mingo came afterwards and announced he would be making a declaration, even though hundreds of ballot boxes were waiting to be verified.

Boston did not deny that the verification process was aborted. In fact, he sidestepped that issue, seeking to argue before the court that the declaration of

Region Four RO Clairmont Mingo is at the centre of the controversy for making an unverified declaration favouring APNU/AFC

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

Views 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

Guyanese pro-democracy protesters in New York

The rape of democracy by the PNC− again

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emocracy, like most political concepts, has a procedural aspect as well as the well-known substantive ones such as “citizens being involved in decisions that affect” them or “government of the people, by the people and for the people”. The procedural aspects, however, are as important as the substantive ones since they form the framework on which the substantive values are given life.

Elections are the threshold procedural aspect of democracy: it is the method by which the sovereign people elect representatives who will govern the State on their behalf. If elections are subverted, it is the will of the people that is being denied expression: it is a rape of democracy that delivers a government that has no legitimacy. In Guyana, the people fought and struggled for centuries for this right, and for which, countless lives were sacrificed. From a time when only the planters had the right to vote, the franchise was slowly enlarged after the abolition of slavery and eventually in 1950, the universal franchise was granted.

It was a blot on the face of Guyana when immediately after independence, the PNC started to rig elections in 1968, which continued in 1973, 1978 (referendum), 1980, and 1985. The methods of the rigging ranged from the abuse of the overseas votes in 1968, through the seizing of ballot boxes and unilaterally “counting” the votes by the army in 1973 at their headquarters at Camp Ayanganna; to the storming of the places of poll in 1985. The constant was the PNC’s control over the Elections Commission, through the appointment of loyalists as the Chair.

With the benefit of hindsight, if we review the history of Guyana through that period we will easily discern two seemingly inexorable developments, which are inextricably linked: the increases and concentration of the powers of the president and the creation of a dictatorship and the destruction of the economy and society. And it all began with the subversion and rigging of elections. This is not surprising, since, not having the support of the majority of the people, the rigger concentrates power in a tight circle to ensure that there is no challenge even from his supporters. This concentration of power also funnels the decision making to insiders and is the very antithesis of the distributed thinking that fuels a vibrant and adaptive economy.

Burnham introduced the ideology of “cooperative socialism” which by 1989 witnessed the implosion of the economy on all fronts and a de facto declaration of bankruptcy since the country could not pay its foreign debts.

The country fell by all economic metrics to end up just above Haiti as the poorest country in the hemisphere. Half of the population fled to neighbouring Venezuela, Suriname, the Caricom Caribbean and to the USA and Canada. Poverty and unemployment stalked the land.

If we, the people of Guyana, allow Granger to rig this election – using a method more blatant that Burnham’s – we should not be surprised that just as he is following in the footsteps of his mentor, the entire country will follow in the trajectory of Guyana under the PNC between 1968 to 1992. That is, on the road to ruin and destruction. Just as with Burnham’s insistence for making grand plans without any discipline to follow them through to completion, the Granger administration has also been characterised with the same haplessness. The new fixed Demerara Harbour Bridge, the Ogle-Diamond bypass road and restructuring and diversification of the sugar industry are only a few examples.

In terms of the despotic concentration of power, Granger has already demonstrated that he prefers to make decisions unilaterally and he is very impatient with those who have different opinions. In addition to emulating Burnham’s penchant for high handedness, he has been socialised for forty years in a military environment in which leaders are not to be questioned but to be obeyed automatically.

As the Guyanese folk saying advises: we don’t need flambeau to see in bright daylight.

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

David Granger and GECOM have failed Guyana’s democracy Dear Editor, Thanks to the internet and modern communication technologies, the uncensored attempts to rape Guyanese citizens of their democratic rights have unfolded in almost every local living room and the full view of the world.

Embarrassing electoral activities in Guyana handled by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and coupled with outlandish reactions of Mr Granger and his APNU/AFC supporters confirm a shift of focus from the subtle and sometimes glaring attempts between the two at creating incremental biased rigging advantages. It has graduated to outright public ‘thieving’ of our democracy and the clear justification of a necessity to cleanse a diseased GECOM. Mr Granger in this regard seems to assume that he speaks to the stupid, deaf, dumb and blind as he hypocritically continues to tell the world that as the leader of the Executive, he nor his party would interfere with the operations of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This is indeed far from the truth!

His party’s surreptitious plots have been long laid out, directed and activated through the coalition’s Commissioners led by Vincent Alexander and the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield who continues to act seemingly without restriction, in maintaining the imbalance of a fourth Commissioner. In the events which unfolded with the use of a contaminated spreadsheet that showed falsifications in favour of the APNU/ AFC, what are the reasons for Mr Lowenfield’s refusal to confirm its validity or clarify its origin?

Perhaps the most visible of the numerous disdainful actions by David Granger-led APNU/AFC coalition partners commenced with their support for his unilateral appointment of James Patterson as GECOM Chairman in 2015.

Unconcerned about citizens’

reactions, the recent actions demonstrate that they are unperturbed and have no limits to their relentless pursuit of rigging, and unfair advantage during the period leading up to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections in Guyana. Our nation has witnessed the haemorrhaging of decency, transparency and expected practices that have had established precedence in our general electoral framework.

The APNU/AFC and GECOM Secretariat has used almost every trick in the book of deceit and fraud while being contemptuous to constitutional requirements and rulings of the Judiciary including the Caribbean Court of Justice. It took a vigilant PPP/C Opposition supported by key stakeholders to keep keen scrutiny and react at extremely short notice, to counter deliberate efforts to allow the Register of Registrants to expire; and attempts by the PNC to remove the names of legitimate voters and other sinister manipulative adjustments. Of note, Mr Granger and his cabal’s flagrant abuse and violation of the use of State resources without care or candour in their political campaign and dances.

It is therefore unsurprising, that the PPP/C agents would have had to toil and execute over six verification exercises of the various lists due to sudden and new rules using its expenditure, although the Parliament approved over seven billion taxpayers’ money for use by GECOM. Meanwhile, the dictatorship led by Mr Granger gained grounds and weight and the illegal cabal extended its period in office. The inconsistencies have been myriad and uncertain surrounding Mr Keith Lowenfield and the GECOM operations. Further, the recent events regarding the deliberate delays invalidating the Region Four Statements of Poll have strengthened the need for forensic examination and are driving factors leading the justifications of stron-

gest the scrutiny.

Many have argued that there are local laws to rebut the blatant violations such as the courts of law when the likes of Mr Mingo as the Returning Officer for Region Four, callously decides to or is instructed by other clandestine forces to use X-Ray vision to come up with accurate final counts of the Statements of Poll. History in dealing with GECOM has proven, however, that in addition to possessing X-Ray vision, the RO’s could disappear when they have to receive the request for a recount. Such was the case of Ms Melanie Marshall in recent elections and there have been instances where forces prevented the querying parties from reaching the ROs within the stipulated timeline.

The fact that the courts have not yet addressed the PPP/C’s 2015 election petition gives testimony to the farcical nature of the process.

Anyone guesses that Mr Granger would also disassociate himself from the embarrassing fiasco articulated by his former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Karen Cummings.

In the vilest way, she attacked and accosted the international observers including representatives of the OAS, Ambassadors of the USA, the European Union, and other foreign Missions, by threatening to withdraw their accreditation to the GECOM process, and by extension, expulsion!

They have threatened the local party agents and international observers with bomb threats and using the police to forcefully remove legitimately accredited persons to the process in an attempt to find avenues to facilitate further the hijacking of our votes. Thanks to the determined strength and will of those present, they stood their ground.

How sick is this cabal?

They certainly do not have Guyana’s interest first given their willingness to expose our dear country to international sanctions. The observers have held scrutiny over the process

and provided the measures of countercheck, which indeed, confirmed the many undercurrents that the numerous shortfalls by GECOM have realised. Importantly, they have stated that without the proper verification of the Region Four’s Statements of Poll, the results lack credibility and would not be given recognition.

Mr Granger’s outright defiance of the Constitution and manipulative efforts to influence GECOM still has had its overtones, causing tensions to rise is sky-high, in particular, with the revelation that efforts are being made to swear him in as President. The ulterior motive of the GECOM administrators and some staff has certainly caused chaos. Based on public declarations of Mr Harmon, the cabal seems set to install Mr Granger as what would be an illegal President, bypassing several critical steps including the verification of the Statements of Poll in the process.

It is evident and disappointing that the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield has seemingly moved to impose many of these blatant and violating actions while usurping the authority of the Commission.

These continuous occurrences by the CEO are now clear in the eyes of the world, and he will certainly be held accountable. The actions of these fraudulent imposters have now invigorated a revolution never contemplated and one they will never overcome in their lifetimes.

We are saddened by the death of Seedat Hansraj, who died in a struggle for free and fair elections at the hands of a Guyana Police Force while protesting for his vote to be counted. His efforts will not be in vain and it puts more blood on the hands of dictator Granger.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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Our children need to see in Disappointed adults the qualities they should by the actions aspire to emulate in later life of GECOM Dear Editor, I thank you for publishing my letter last Friday and I do appreciate the feedback I received from many citizens and friends from here and abroad, who, like all of us, only wish the best for our beloved country Guyana, as we navigate through some perilous waters to arrive at a safe harbour.

As I indicated in that letter, I hold no brief for any political party but am interested in working, like many others, towards achieving an outcome from the current 2020 Elections challenges, that may not satisfy everyone but which at the very least, complies with the rule of law and the Guyana Constitution, and one which is respectful of basic human rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The scenes from across the coastal regions of Guyana, captured on video and displayed over the last seventy-two hours on television and social media, showed groups of citizens either celebrating or protesting, depending with which side of the political divide they are aligned. The sight of young men pelting bricks and bottles at ‘the other side’s’ supporters, the logs and obstacles deployed and set alight in order to block roads and other access routes, are all examples of the divisiveness in our society that seems to manifest

itself after elections, and reflective of whether or not the electoral process and/or the results, are to the liking of one or the other political camp. Such scenes are compelling as they are worrying, and more especially, when innocent children are in the crosshairs of acts of violence.

The leadership cadres of our political parties have a responsibility to manage the expectations of their supporters and while legitimate protest is a sine qua non of our human rights, this needs to be respectful of the sanctity of human life and of public and private property. There is little doubt that the delay and challenges encountered in bringing the 2020 National and Regional Elections process to a credible conclusion are a major contributory factor to the build-up of tensions and manifestations of aggressive behaviour in certain constituencies. People must not be used as pawns or cannon fodder to be manipulated in street protests while some of their leaders are comfortable in their cloistered surroundings or pontificate on television. Leadership cadres must identify on the ground with their supporters, who have been led to believe in the causes for which they are expressing either their happiness or their disgust.

Meanwhile, the security forces have a responsibility to manage such legit-

imate protests in keeping with their mandate to preserve law and order and to do so with decisiveness, yet with tolerance and restraint as circumscribed by their Standard Operational Procedures. They cannot act outside of their constitutional role and must certainly not be distracted or swayed by any other agenda or they open themselves to national and international condemnation and litigation.

In our pre-Independence history, many of our political, trade union and moral leaders were imprisoned by the colonial power for their role in mobilising, educating and motivating their supporters for causes in which they believed and for which they were engaged in peaceful protest against the colonial administration. Those protests emphasised the unity and solidarity of the working class against the injustices of the colonial administration and in pursuit of their basic human rights. Fifty-four years after Independence on May 26, 1966, instead of harnessing the collective diversity, skills and talents of our population, we are now fighting each other for political power, dominance and control.

Whatever the outcome of the decision of GECOM and whether the elections are deemed to be credible, it will not solve the extent of mistrust, fear and concerns that

stalk the land and generate disunity in our plural society.

Mature leadership reaching across the political divide must be prepared to achieve a degree of consensus in the decision-making process so that no one feels excluded because his or her party did not win the elections or is not represented in Parliament.

That reaching-out process must commence now and be sustained by leadership, both political and civil society, committed to a process that alleviates the negative feelings, concerns and fears that pervade our society. Our children need to see in us adults, those qualities that they should aspire to emulate in later life. They should draw strength and confidence from our social, economic and cultural relationships and from our political relationships in pursuit of the well-being of all Guyanese, and act in the best interests of Guyana as a nation and as a member State of the global community.

Yours faithfully, Joseph G Singh Major General (retd) Former Chief of Staff (1990-2000) of the Guyana Defence Force Former Chairman (2000-2001) of the Guyana Elections Commission

Dear Editor, I cannot help but express my profound disappointment in the actions of key members in the leadership of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) during the partially conducted verification and tabulation process in Region No 4 at the Ashmins Building. I speak specifically to Mr Claremont Mingo, Ms Roxanne Myers, and Mr Keith Lowenfield along with a small group of other officials numbering at about eight persons.

I have been active in this election verification and tabulation process for Region No 4 since March 2, 2020. Between that time and March 5, 2020, I have slept some 12 out of those 96 hours. What I saw during those 84 hours when I was present, was a systematic attempt by a gang of 8 at the apex of GECOM to arrange quite dishonestly the results for Region No 4 to the advan-

tage of APNU/AFC. It appears that these officials have prejudiced the decision-mak-

ing capabilities at the apex of GECOM clearly in favour of the APNU/AFC. The Representation of the People Act Chap 1:03, Article 84 specifically says and I quote “….the Returning Officer (RO) shall, in the presence of the persons entitled (parties, official observers, GECOM officials, etc)….., ascertain the total votes cast in favour of each list in the district by adding up the votes recorded in favour of the list in accordance with the Statements of Poll (SOPs), and thereupon publicly declare the votes recorded for each list of candidates.”

The table below illustrates that 526 SOPs were neither verified nor ascertained nor added to the tabulation in the presence of the persons entitled to witness the process.

That translates to almost 60 per cent of the SOPs in Region No 4 remaining unverified.

With regards, Sasenarine Singh

Stealing of Guyana’s elections Dear Editor, An election is being stolen in the full view of everyone, including local and international observers. People are being cheated of their inalienable right to freedom and democracy, for free and fair elections. People know they are being cheated, they feel cheated. They are outraged and are refusing to be cheated of their right by docilely sitting down. There are already sporadic uprisings. One person is now dead. David Granger wants power so badly that this unrest and whether it is one death or more are only collateral damage, no matter if blood is on his hands. He wants power, nothing less, no matter the consequences, no matter if blood is spilt, no matter if we are a rogue State.

David Granger would rather be the President of a rogue State than give up power.

But David Granger cannot steal the elections and cannot deny people their rights by himself. He needs collaborators and puppets to do his dirty work. Make no mistake, David Granger is the puppet master, no matter how much of the veneer of decency, honesty and integrity he covers himself with.

As the puppet master, he has hijacked GECOM which is his main collaborator and puppet. The Returning Officer (RO) and his staff in Region Four, willingly or unwillingly, is one of the collaborators or one of the puppets, it really does not matter which he is, the end result is that Granger’s dirty work is being done. This

RO has already illegally declared the results of Region Four with fictitious numbers, bearing no reality to the actual votes in Region Four. In effect, the Region Four RO, by creating fictitious numbers to steal Region Four, has stolen the entire March 2, 2020 elections for David Granger and APNU/AFC. He did so in front of the whole world. The other ten political parties were present, not just their representatives, but their leaders. Local observers and international observers, including former Prime Ministers, were present. The RO shamelessly declared the results, barefacedly, brazenly, he did not care.

He was in direct collaboration with Mr Granger.

The Chief Elections Officer (CEO) has been playing “good cop, bad cop”. He pretends to be helpful, pretending all he wants is to adhere to the rules, but condones and even directs wrongdoings. He is waiting for the moment of his opportunity to twist and dance to the tune of the puppet master. On receipt of the Region Four declaration, he is prepared to hand over a report declaring APNU/ AFC the winner. He is prepared even though he knows firsthand that the spreadsheet is fictitious. He himself publicly exposed the blatant thieving of the votes by asking representatives for a random set of Statements of Poll (SOPs) and checking against the spreadsheet, finding all of the SOPs prove the spreadsheet contained bogus numbers, increasing votes for APNU/AFC. The CEO has long shown he is

compromised and singing and dancing to the tune of the puppet master.

This beautiful country is still desperately hoping that the admiration and respect they have shown for Justice Claudette Singh is not in vain.

She has shown the capacity to bring things back. She has done enough to demonstrate she is not under the full control of the puppet master.

But the truth is she has been largely missing in action as her staff, led by her CEO, has clearly stolen the elections.

When the open thieving was done on Thursday, Justice Singh was totally missing in action (MIA). There is the unanswered question of whether she was MIA by choice or whether she was virtually held hostage by representatives of the puppet master. Just when Guyana needed Justice Singh the most, just when GECOM, the entity she is in charge of, was stealing the election, she was not visible, she was not in charge, she was inaccessible to the political parties, except APNU/AFC. She was inaccessible to the observers.

Thursday was a travesty and the whole world has said so.

All that day, Justice Singh was either in hiding or forcibly held in her office.

But all is not lost. There is still time to bring Guyana from the brink, to salvage the March 2, 2020 General Elections. No one is asking for a favour. Everyone, except David Granger and APNU/ AFC, is asking for GECOM to follow the rules, adhere to the laws of Guyana. All Justice

Singh needs to do is direct her staff to complete the Region Four verification and tabulation in the same manner as they did in the other nine regions of the country. In any case, there is a request for a total recount of the votes in the boxes. Justice Singh can order that the laws be obeyed.

If this is done, we will see that the PPP won the elections because APNU/AFC could not win big enough in Region Four to overcome the PPP’s advantage in the other nine regions.

Every now and then, a rare, very rare opportunity is presented for a person to determine the immediate and distant future of a country. While every citizen has a chance right at this moment to make a difference, few people have such a definite opportunity to make a difference, to determine the immediate and distant future of our country, as Justice Singh. Guyana can stay on the road to freedom and democracy and start to benefit from an economy buttressed by oil. Justice Singh can assure this.

Foreign diplomats are standing up for Guyana, trying to guide Guyana along a path that takes our country to the long-held destiny of El Dorado. There are foreign and local observers who see the ill-advised path we are on at this time. The puppet master is ensuring that Guyana’s sordid electoral history between 1968 and 1992 is restored. That disgrace we ended in 1992. The partnership between Guyanese and international partners is pres-

ently working to stop the puppet master and his team from stealing Guyana’s elections, to stop Guyana going back to that shameful time.

Hope is still alive. Even as APNU/AFC, GECOM and the

puppet master carry out their evil plan to steal Guyana’s elections, there is a movement to stop them.

Sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

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Foundation

The introverted mom G

ot kids? Got a headache? Got an urge to lock yourself in the bathroom until they’ve all gone off to college?

A home-schooling mom to three teenagers, Jamie C Martin has a new book just for you. Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy is aimed squarely at the introverted mom who's wondering if she might be in the wrong business. Offering insight, ideas, and reassurance, it’s a welcome addition to the canon of literature for introverts.

Jamie and I swallowed our introvert's aversion to the telephone for a chat about the book and the challenges and rewards of being an introverted mom.

On realising she’s an introverted mom: I found out I was an introvert when I was in high school and took a personality test. But it wasn't until I became a mom that it really hit me how much that affected me. Until that point, through school and college and getting married and my first job, there were definitely draining experiences, but you could still kind of cope with the stress to get what you needed. And then suddenly with motherhood, especially when one baby became two babies and two babies became three babies, that chance to take time for yourself was just not there anymore. That's when it really began to impact me, but I don't know that I could have pinpointed the issue. I just knew that I felt stressed and strained and exhausted, and frustrated — angry at times. I thought: Why can't I do this? I must just be a bad mom, I must not be cut out for this. And that's a big guilt-inducer, especially when you dreamed of being a mom and it's something that you really wanted.

That's why I'm so passionate about this. I feel like if moms really understood themselves as introverts before they become young moms, it would make a difference in the way they approach motherhood and they would not have to go through that painful experience of finding out.

On the challenges of being a new mom as an introvert: The noise, the chaos, and the drain of being with people all the time, and people who need so much from you. And they are not in a place where they are necessarily giving back and contributing to the relationship. It's very one-sided at the beginning of motherhood.

On having more than one child: Because my three kids are so close in age, they were a team together and they turned to each other in a lot of ways. They always had a playmate, and that might have helped with my extroverted kids. A mom who has just one child at the moment, if that child is an extrovert, might have a harder time because the child would always be “play with me, play with me, play with me.”

Of course, having more children equals more noise, but that was a trade-off that worked out.

On the isolation of being a new mom as an introvert: At the end of the day, an introverted mom is not going to want to go out, even with a close friend or to do something that might be a nurturing, fulfilling experience because she's just so exhausted. So it can lead into a cycle of depletion.

On workarounds for that: There were times I forced myself to go out at the end of the day when I didn't have the energy, and sometimes that was really the best thing I could do for myself — going somewhere where I knew people, where it was a safe space. Sometimes pushing myself was a benefit for me.

I had maybe two or three close friendships. Even being able to text these friends — it still allows you to invest in relationships. And Voxer is an audio app that allows you to send messages back and

forth. That's something I do with a best friend of mine often. It’s like phone calls for introverts. She'll send me a message and I'll get a notification, then I can listen to it whenever it fits my schedule, and then I can respond to her whenever it fits my schedule. We joke about how it’s the best app for introverts ever.

On home schooling as an introverted mom: Home schooling has so much flexibility and freedom. There are things that are very draining in the traditional school experience — the rush getting everyone out the door in the morning, the whole chore of trying to get your kids through homework and not having a lot of real quality time. There are trade-offs, but there are definitely ways to make home schooling work as introvert because you can control your schedule and your kids' schedule so much. You can build time into the day where your kids work independently.

Now, there have been many times when I’ve scoured school websites and things like that. I’m not trying to say it’s all been bliss, but it has added a lot to our family.

On kids needing to talk when Mom needs quiet: Now that my kids are a little older I can say, “I really want to talk to you about that, but I just can’t do it right now because I’ve done this and this today. Let’s make sure we meet tomorrow to talk.” In the younger years it would be more about making a plan to introduce a new activity, realizing OK, we need to wrap up this activity and say “we’re going to do this now,” or “I’m going to put on an episode of” whatever the show is, just to try to redirect the activity to things that would be better for me at that time.

On talking to the kids about introversion and extroversion: I probably first started talking about it with my son who is an introvert. He's 14 now, maybe when he was eight or nine, just mentioning it in quick moments—"that might be because you're an introvert,” or “that might be why you felt so exhausted when we finished this.” It's kind of slow growth in discussing it on a deeper level. And helping all of them see that this is the way God made you, this is the way you are for a reason, and there are really great gifts that you bring to our family and to the world through being you, so it's best you really understand yourself.’

On making sure the family introverts have quiet time: We've all experienced what happens when my son doesn’t get that, so everyone really wants him to have that. Likewise with myself. My daughter will often say, "Isn't it time for your introverted nap time?" If I can, I will take a good 20 to 30 minutes eyes closed, even if it’s not a deep sleep. It’s my reset period. It’s amazing how well that works.

Even when the kids were little, I gave it my best shot.

I encouraged them to nap as long as possible, and after they gave up naps, we still had quiet time in their rooms in the afternoon, listening to an audiobook or doing different stuff. That gave me time. That made me the best mom, so it was good for them too.

(Psychology Today)

6 tips for preventing mom burnout

By Konstantin Lukin PhD

I

carry many roles… daughter, wife, friend, therapist. But the most rewarding and greatest role is that of a mother. However, being a mom is hard! I had no idea how challenging being a mother could be, but now I experience it, and I hear it from my friends, and I work with clients who struggle with the responsibility.

Stepping into motherhood is a beautiful experience, yet there is an enormous transition from being independent to being responsible and accountable for someone else all the time.

Even if we have a partner who is supportive and shares the workload, as moms, there are many tasks that fall on us: meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, mess cleaning, playmate, and perhaps working an outside job as well. We maintain schedules and work to ensure our children are engaged and socialized. We juggle a lot, which can be physically and emotionally draining.

If you find yourself yelling more, losing patience easily, irritable, and overall feeling overwhelmed, you may be experiencing mom burnout.

Everyone experiences daily stressors, but moms share the unique experience of not having much of a chance to settle or de-stress. Whether you work during the day and come home to children or spend the day at home caring for children, many times, you don’t have much of a break until the children are sleeping.

Even then, there may be tasks to complete, like putting the dishes in the dishwasher, cleaning up toys, paying bills, finishing up work from the day, or even planning for the next day.

A mother’s job is never done.

In order to prevent burnout from motherhood stress, it is important to take steps to care for yourself. The following are eight helpful ways to reduce stress and experience the joy motherhood can offer.

1. Schedule Having and maintaining a schedule is beneficial for you and your children. Most children do better with the structure that schedules offer. For younger children (infants and toddlers), having set nap/sleep and mealtimes works wonders for ensuring those things happen without hesitation. It is also helpful for you to know that an escalating tantrum may be due to an approaching nap or mealtime.

Another benefit of having a schedule is that you know when you will have some “free time” and can plan on how to use it best.

2. Step back You don’t always have to

entertain your children. In fact, by letting your children play by themselves, you are allowing them to build up their own skills of working independently and decision making. Get out. Try to spend some time outside.

Whether you spend the day at home or work, try to spend a few moments connecting with nature… something that is much greater than you. Take a few moments to mindfully take awareness of your surroundings.

Take a few breaths of fresh air; notice the clouds, or how the breeze feels on your skin.

3. Present yourself If you’re a stay-at-home mom, it may be very easy to spend your days in sweats with no makeup, and this look may extend to outings as well. Try putting yourself together in order to present yourself to the world in a way that makes you feel good. Put some care into yourself.

4. Ask for help and say no If you notice that your list of to-dos, your schedule, or the amount of information floating in your head is becoming too great, it is time to ask for help or say no to requests. And that is OK! Ask your spouse to stop at the store after work, so that you don’t have to struggle to find time to pick up the milk. You don’t have to volunteer at the school next Tuesday… there will be other opportunities.

Make the most of personal time. When you’re lucky enough to have some time for yourself, take advantage of it, and do something that you really enjoy.

Fit in a workout, read a book, watch your favorite show, and relax.

5. Stop overthinking In the timeframe of one day, we are faced with many decisions. Do you find yourself trying too hard to find the “right” decision? As they say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Spend your energy on those choices that are important and give less of yourself to the choices that will have less impact on your world.

6. Therapy.

I’ve already mentioned the importance of asking others for help to tackle tasks, but what about asking for help with your feelings, problems, or coping skills? Having a safe place to speak to someone who is unbiased and experienced in helping people reduce stress can be invaluable.

I have worked with many moms with problems big and small. You would not be alone. (Psychology Today)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Irfaan Ali, Opposition Leader call on supporters to remain calm G

eneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said he hopes that the international observers along with the various diplomats have noted the fact that lawyer for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Neil Boston, SC, is being assisted by two candidates for the governing coalition.

He was referring to the fact that while Attorney Robin Hunte is named as Boston’s co-counsel for the matter relating to the injunctions secured by the PPP/C barring GECOM, its Chief Elections Officer and Returning Officer for Electoral District Four from declaring results, he had candidates Roysdale Forde and Darren Wade assisting him in court on Saturday.

The duo was seen briefing SC Boston on case laws, precedents and assisting him with documentation during the proceedings on Saturday at the High Court before acting Chief Justice Roxane George.

“The lawyer for GECOM was helped by two candidates for APNU – Darren Wade and Roysdale Forde.

The APNU lawyers were helping the GECOM today and this is considered in

partiality. That alone would give you the idea about the collusion of some officials of GECOM and the APNU camp to spring this fraudulent result on this country,” Jagdeo said in a video statement.

“From today’s argument, we hope that the will of the people will be addressed.

That the Court would allow the process to be completed using the same process used in the other regions…

We are hoping that the Court would allow that process that was started by the RO, stopped prematurely, restarted by the CEO when he gave that commitment,” he added.

Peace, due process

Additionally, Jagdeo appealed to the Party’s supporters to remain calm as they continue the battle to have the Region Four results declared within the ambit of what is stipulated in the Representation of the Peoples Act. He told supporters to follow the various mediums of information while remaining calm and respectful of the law.

“We have to remain calm at this point in time. We have to stay in your communities. We have to remain

Irfaan Ali

vigilant and follow everything in the news and await further guidance from the Party. There should be no act of violence and we should not break the law.

We have a strong support and ally in the international community. They were there when the blatant attempt at rigging the elections took place. As I said before they were appalled.

They could not believe that this could have happened,” Jagdeo noted.

“All of the observers, along with the statements coming from individuals have been stressing one issue and that is they have to return to a credible process of verification of the re-

Court has a responsibility...

She eventually set today, at 13:30h, to determine the preliminary issue of jurisdiction. Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, another lawyer for the applicant, further argued for the court to intervene. He referenced as precedent the previous case of Hamilton vs GECOM that was filed against the then PPP Government, which was heard by then Chief Justice Desiree Bernard.

“The arguments by Mr Boston cannot stand. We argued this identical issue in 2001, when Joe Hamilton, then a Central Executive Member of the PNC at that time, approached the court to get this very order for the verification done. And Chief Justice Bernard ordered the verification.”

“The argument then that

we advanced is the very argument they are advancing now. I appeared in that case. Mr Forde was in that case, Basil Williams was in that case. We argued that they can only come by elections petition. And Desiree Bernard said that we were wrong,” Nandlall said.

On the evening of March 5, Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield had committed to having the verification process run throughout the night until completion. However, this was never done, which was a clear violation of the law.

The injunction was sought and granted by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall after the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo attempted to declare unverified results for dis-

FROM PAGE 3

trict four from the General and Regional Elections.

Mingo, however, secretly declared the results – to the surprise of the main political Opposition, smaller political parties, elections observer missions, and the wider international community. Since then, the coalition Government has been inundated by condemnation and warnings from local and abroad, urging the Government not to proceed with the swearing in of President David Granger based on unverified and falsified results.

If the court finds that it has jurisdiction, it will then consider the substantive issue of whether or not the process for tabulating the SOPs by the RO was in accordance with Section 84 (1) above.

sults of the election and two that Granger must not be sworn in…Granger will not get away with this. He will not get away with stealing these elections. These elections have to be transparently determined, the verification has to continue, and a credible result announce based on the verification of the statements of poll,” he added.

The former President said that they have expressed concerns of the possibility of the Government developing fake Statements of Poll as was the case of the spreadsheet during the verification phase. However, the International community gave the Party all assurances that the SOPs are safely guarded and that they would be checking to ensure its integrity.

Peace and calm

Meanwhile, PPP/C Presidential Candidate echoed Jagdeo’s call for peace and calm as the process continues.

“I wish to urge you to re-

main calm and respectful for the established processes. As a law-abiding party, we have activated legal recourses to halt the attempted efforts by David Granger and some operatives of GECOM to manipulate the elections results for Region 4 and to illegally seize power. The statutory procedures were followed in nine regions to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, yet it was varied in Region 4. There is no other conclusion than an attempt to rig the elections is in play,” he said.

“We urge patience from the people of Guyana, our supporters to be calm, alert and await guidance from your party.

Our democracy is in peril, but I have confidence that our judicial process will put it back on course with the statutory tabulation of the Region 4 SOPs. I believe this is not a time for divisiveness or rhetoric which can harm the fabric of our democracy.

I urge restraint. The people of Guyana, particularly our supporters, are not alone in

Bharrat Jagdeo

the defence of our electoral process. The international community and persons of all backgrounds at home are making their voices heard resoundingly in support of our collective desire for free and fair elections,” he added.

Several pro-democracy protests erupted on Friday leaving one dead and 10 injured. Three Police officers were also injured.

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Low school attendance

Parents should make judgement about children’s safety – GTU

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s a result of the tension following the delayed announcement of Guyana’s elections result, many schools have recorded low attendance, with some even closing their doors after no attendance.

Parents, particularly in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), have made the dire decision to keep their children at home, to guarantee their safety during the politically tense atmosphere.

Following the General and Regional Elections on Monday, Principals of

schools across Georgetown reported that there has been a serious decline in the attendance of students at their institutions.

President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Mark Lyte expressed deep concern for the safety of teachers and students. Lyte has since said that even though teachers are present in schools to work, parents are keeping their children at home.

Lyte added that upon resumption of classes when the situation returns to nor-

mal in Guyana, teachers will have a heavy workload as they would have to catch up with the lessons they missed.

Meanwhile, two major examinations, the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the National Grade Six examinations are scheduled for next month.

With the protests and tautness across the country, the GTU President is urging teachers to be cognisant of their surroundings.

Lyte said if this situation persists, the GTU will have

to make dire decisions to make sure that the county’s educators are safe.

His advice to parents was: “I would advise that you pay attention to what is happening, be careful and do not follow fake news…if you feel that your children will be unsafe attending school, let them keep them home until such time.”

He added that he is hoping that the leaders of the various political parties speak to their supporters so that they will remain peaceful and calm.

The world…

G

…is watching Granger rig ranger is surely not a fan of Shaggy ‘cause he’s made sure he’ll never be able to sing the big fella’s greatest hit, “Wasn’t me!!!” When Burnham was rigging elections, Granger was in the barracks, and probably didn’t get to witness first-hand the array of slick methods the master rigger used – other than having soldiers hauling ballot boxes to their HQ. And shooting citizens who got in their way – which Granger judged to be “admirable”!!

So here it was, Granger decided to rig his first elections by a method so blatant, so…well…stupid!...he’s been left like a deer caught in headlights. Or maybe a better analogy would be like a schoolboy caught with his hand in the cookie jar!! After all, unlike Burnham, who decided not to accredit international observers – saying those from the US and UK better look after electoral problems in their countries – he allowed a veritable who’s who of Observer Missions!! US (Carter Center), EU, the big enchilada – the OAS – and the Commonwealth among dozens.

Now, for the first part of the process – compiling the voters’ list – the observers weren’t around yet, but Granger stuck to the Burnham script by trying a bit of padding (Haitians, and inflating the age of a few thousand) and a bit of messing with the PPP support base addresses etc. On the day of voting, Monday, things went comparatively smoothly. So did the long-fought-for “counting at the place of polls! So far, so good. Full marks for Granger from the Observers!!

It was the next day that Granger started to show his hand. The next step was the collation of SOPs at a Returning Officer office in each Region. Now Guyana has some far-flung regions and when the count started to come in the very next day, Tuesday, from them but not Region 4, which is the most easily accessible location of Georgetown and its environs, some old hands started to smell a rat. When the GECOM staff said they were tired early Tuesday night, even the Observers thought it was funny.

When the RO didn’t show up till past midday the next day, they knew something was definitely amiss. And so it continued. The RO falling ill, the flash drive disappearing, and then suddenly the RO finding the strength to lustily shout the “Result” from a balcony – without following the set procedures of the statute, as had the other regions, the foreign missions were up in arms for being taken for a ride.

The icing on the cake was the Foreign Minister dragging all of them into a room and saying she’d been ordered to revoke their accreditation!!

Their hackles were truly now raised!! …but now condemning Back in the day when Burnham was busy with his rigging, not even next door Caricom paid heed. We weren’t worth the bother after he’d sunk us to Haiti’s depths? Or was it the brotherhood? So maybe it’s because of our 8-billion-barrels-of-oil and counting, but as soon as it became obvious that Granger was up to no good with the Reg 4 results, all hell broke loose (when you consider how diplomats speak!!) from the Foreign Observers camp and the Embassies of the western powers!!

After all, back in Burnham days, even after Lord Avebury of the British Parliamentary Human Rights Group called his elections “more crooked than barbed wire”, their Embassy didn’t offer a squeak. But seems like “dis time na laang time”!! Guess oil talks and poverty walks!! Your Eyewitness is bowled over by the breath of the condemnation of the Granger Administration (diplomatically speaking!!) for their trying to do the dirty on the elections. The ABCE Embassies, Congressmen, Senators, US Secretary of State, Caricom, Mia Mottley… the list goes on and on.

Even Norway! …will act??

Remember that old nursery school rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me”?? Well, it was Burnham’s motto.

So the condemning countries better start thrown some sticks and stones!!

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

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Every vote must be counted in presence of parties, observers” – Caricom Chair …St Vincent Govt supports call for credible tabulation

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hair of the Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley has insisted that the verification process of Region 4 tabulation must be completed in the presence of all political parties as well as the various electoral observers.

Mottley made this statement on Saturday in which she reiterated appeals for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to complete the electoral process which was abandoned by the Region Four Returning Officer who went ahead to illegally declare the results of the region on Thursday without completing the verification process.

“The Caribbean Community calls on the electoral officials in Guyana and the representative political parties to work together to achieve a peaceful and lawful completion of the electoral process in Guyana by ensuring the tabulation of the results in all Regions using the Statements of Poll in a transparent manner in the presence of the representatives of the political parties and the electoral observers,” the Caricom Chair said on Saturday.

She went on to say that Caricom, as well as the independent Elections Observer Missions (EOM)

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves

that were deployed to monitor the March 2 General and Regional Elections in Guyana, was very clear in its position that every vote must be made to count and transparently so.

PM Mottley said she is simply asking parties to recognise that the primary consideration must not only be who will be President but, more so, who will be alive come next week or next month, for there cannot be a tolerance for any further loss of life.

Moreover, the Barbadian Head of State added that she has spoken to both President David Granger and the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, and indicated that Caricom stands ready to be able to be there

In light of protests

Police ‘show off’ new armoured vehicle

The new armoured vehicle

T

he Guyana Police Force has been examining a piece of recently acquired Public Order equipment with a view of deployment.

This is in light of recent situations across the Administrative Divisions which resulted in the death of a civilian, injuries to several Police ranks and infrastructural damages.

The Force takes this opportunity to remind the general public of its Mission

Statement which states:“The mission of the Guyana Police Force and its auxiliaries is to serve all the citizens and communities of Guyana in a professional, proactive and accountable manner. To achieve this, we will work in partnership with communities, public agencies and private bodies to enhance and support an environment where all people are preventing crime and building a safer and secure Guyana.”

to facilitate further dialogue and any actions that are necessary.

This statement from the Caricom Chair was affirmed

by Guyana’s regional counterpart, St Vincent and the Grenadines. In a statement on Saturday, the Member State joined with the elections observer missions from Caricom, the hemisphere and internationally in expressing grave concern about the processes and procedures employed in the counting of the votes in the recent Guyana elections in Region Four.

It too underscored the importance of ensuring every vote is count.

“It is imperative that the election authorities in Guyana count every vote in accordance with the established law, procedure and best practices so as to lend credibility to the results. It

has been a hallmark of our democratic Caricom that each vote be counted and that such counting be done transparently and in the presence of all competing political parties and accredited independent observers.

Anything short of this will inevitably cast doubt on the results,” the statement from the Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves-led administration stated.

The missive noted that as a founding member of Caricom, Guyana is vital to the Caribbean civilisation and as such, the St Vincent Government urge peace and calm in the country.

“This is a time for statesmanship. The Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines respects the sovereignty and independence of Guyana, and expects a resolution to the impasse over the counting of votes in

Region [Four] to be resolved impartially by the relevant institutions in Guyana,” the Caricom Member State added.

Meanwhile, the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM) has also expressed concerns over the current situation in Guyana and urges all parties to ensure that the election process is fairly and transparently completed and that the rule of law is fully respected.

“Sustainable economic growth and development rest upon robust democratic principles and the rule of law. We note with concern the reports of protest becoming violent. We urge all leaders in Guyana to support the rule of law and to restore calm for the protection of life and property,” the Dominica-based private sector body noted.

Caricom Chair and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley

CARICHAM is the representative body for Chambers of Commerce in 19 countries from across the Caribbean region, inclusive of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and our respective membership from the Private Sector.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

International Women’s Day

Calls mount for the elimination of gender inequality Granger: From tragedy to farce

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nalysing the French coup of 1851, in which LouisNapoléon Bonaparte assumed dictatorial power over the French state, Marx reflected on the role of the individual in history: "Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past."

And as we watch with horror the raping of our hard-won democracy by the PNC once again, we should analyse those “already existing circumstances” to help us chart a course, out of the quagmire.

In his own person, David Granger represents the party of Forbes Burnham and the PNC that rigged elections in 1968, 1973, 1978 (Referendum), 1980 and 1985. Chosen as a youth just graduated from Queens in 1965, he was sent as a Cadet to be trained at Mons in England.

By the time he returned Ravi Dev Burnham had disbanded the core of the army the British was bequeathing to Guyana and established the GDF. His dismissal of Major Sattaur to head his new army was a portent of things to come.

Despite his youth, or maybe because of it? – Granger played an integral part in the development of Burnham’s army, which the latter insisted should only be loyal to him and to whom all officers swore personal loyalty. As the head of the unit to promulgate Burnham’s ideas to the army, he was transformed into a living embodiment of those ideas: Machiavellian, doctrinaire and anti-democratic. Hoyte did not promote him as Chief of Staff because he was violently opposed to the dumping of “the Burnham Way”.

Granger lived through all those riggings – and remained loyal. In fact, when Rodney was infiltrating the GDF in the late 1970s, he catapulted Granger over several layers of more senior officers to lead the GDF. He would have to been briefed on the role of army sergeant Gregory Smith, who was assigned to assassinate Rodney. Granger was “Burnham’s boy” in the Disciplined Forces; one of the triumvirate of institutions – along with the PNC party and the Public Service – that were the foundation of his dictatorial rule.

And he has earlier announced that his mission is to complete the “legacy” of Burnham: he so worships that “legacy” that he gave over his own house to the “Burnham Foundation”. And so we have a man who has selfconsciously patterned himself to follow in the footsteps of Burnham who came to power through a process that involved a virtual civil war between the two major race groups of Guyana. And who brought Guyana to its knees economically, politically, socially and every other “-ally” in the book.

And we come to the rigging of elections, in which he is presently engaged to hold on to power like his mentor.

But Marx had another insight in the same work referred to above where Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon staged that coup to become Napoleon III. “ He observed that “history repeats itself – the first as tragedy and then farce”. And Granger’s rigging is pure farce – not in its consequence, which has already led to the murder of one young man – but what it reveals of “the man with the plan”.

As one wag pointed out Granger is the first who tried to rig in front of the cameras by violating the law as laid out in the Representation of the Peoples Act, Sec 84. There, it was clearly stated that “the Returning Officer (RO) shall, in the presence of such of the persons entitled under Sec 86 (1) to be present as attend, ascertain the total votes cast in favour of each the list in accordance with the Statements of Poll.” Shall we repeat that? Does that need a “gloss”, as the CCJ had archly enquired about the constitutional effects of a no-confidence vote?

And Granger expects to be made President in the farce of the GECOM staff being “too tired to count”; the RO falling ill and rushed to the hospital, but miraculously recovering to yell his concocted “count” from a spreadsheet rather than the SOPs; the GECOM Chair sequestered in a room and later also “falling ill” and having to be ambulanced. And most risibly, the disappearance of the CEO after promising the tabulation from the SOP’s would resume.

(PS: I condemn the stoning of the children’s school bus that resulted in the injury to some of the schoolchildren, as I do of the policemen who shot into crowds demonstrating against elections rigging.)

…as UN works to eradicate gender-based violence by 2030

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nternational Women’s Day is celebrated today across different nations, as calls heighten for gender equality to be promoted in society, while recognising the valuable contributions from feminine figures.

This year, the theme reads: “I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights”.

In highlighting this important day, the United Nations has annually emphasised on the importance of this day.

In their message, UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem looked upon female icons in the world, who “blazed the trail towards gender equality”. Now, the attention is placed on women who are aiding in the creation of a better tomorrow for everyone.

“Glimmers of progress – to end violence, to call out bias and discrimination, to ensure bodily autonomy and integrity, to secure equality – remind us that the path to a gender-equal future need not be long. Women are demanding that we prioritise their rights and choices and pick up the pace. It is urgent that we do so,” Kanem recognised.

She relayed that in today’s society, a large percentage of women are subjected to violence. Along with these alarming numbers, modern family planning is inaccessible to millions worldwide.

“These numbers are shocking, yet they only scratch the surface of our unequal world.

Every year, nearly 300,000 women and girls die while giving life; the vast majority of these maternal deaths could be prevented. Hundreds of millions of women and girls want to avoid pregnancy, yet are not using reliable, modern methods of family planning.”

While some women are championing the world in their fields, others are being faced with poverty, denial of information and lack of access which hinders them from exercising their fundamental rights or make choices.

“We have the power to change this. By refusing to tolerate the normalisation of violence and discrimination against women and girls, we can end it. UNFPA is working with our partners, including young activists and change-makers, to dismantle the barriers standing between women and girls and their rights and choices.”

For this, they have established goals to be achieved by the year 2030, including “zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths and zero gender-based violence”.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka recognized that it is also about mobilising to realise women’s rights – specifically in celebration of 25 years since the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

“We’re enabling women to influence the decisions about their future.

Generation equality tackles issues of

Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

women across generations, from early to late years, with young women and girls at the centre. We don’t have an equal world at the moment and women are angry and concerned about the future.

They are radically impatient for change. It's an impatience that runs deep, and it has been brewing for years,” she shared.

Through continuous efforts, there has been a 38 per cent drop in maternal deaths since 2000. Presently, more than three-quarters of countries worldwide have laws instituted against violence.

With access to education significantly improving, one in 10 young women is still unable to read or write.

Nevertheless, MlamboNgcuka pointed towards economic inequality, which contributes to these statistics.

“My greatest impatience is with unmoving economic in-

equality. Women and girls use triple the time and energy of boys and men to look after the household. That costs them equal opportunities in education, in the job market and in earning power. It’s a driver of repeating poverty. Young women raising families are 25 per cent more likely than men to live in extreme poverty, affecting millions of young children, with impacts that last into later life for both mother and child.”

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth called for countries to make this the “decade of gender equality”.

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland joined a gathering of leaders, celebrities, academics and activists in London to discuss ways to accelerate this mandate.

Despite decades of activism, only six countries across the world give women and men equal rights to work in their laws.

The Secretary General said: “Our Commonwealth Charter speaks of gender equality and women’s empowerment as being essential components of human development and basic human rights. Advancing women’s rights, the education of girls and their participation in the workforce are critical prerequisites for effective and sustainable development.”

Locally, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana (WCCIG) also sent out their message in

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland

celebration of International Women’s Day. This year, they are poised to host their Inaugural Girls Summit, targeting students aged 15-21 from secondary and tertiary institutions in Guyana. The goal is to create an opportunity for meaningful storytelling and the initiation of informal mentoring. Speakers will be both men and women leaders, locally and regionally, who are ready to share their stories of success.

“The WCCIG believes that our girls will be better equipped to handle womanhood if focus is placed on mentorship at the secondary school level with education and training that embraces student creativity and analysis of professional pathways to follow,” their missive detailed.

The Summit will be held March 21, 2020, in the Promenade Gardens, from 14:00h.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana urged to activate national pandemic preparedness plans …as CARPHA declares greater threat from coronavirus

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he Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has upgraded the risk of transmission for the Coronavirus, after the detection of several cases in the Caribbean.

Alert to the COVID-19 outbreak has been raised “Very High” as reports continue to surface of cases within the region.

In an issued statement, the agency said, “CARPHA has upgraded the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the Caribbean region to Very High. The revised risk level is based on international risk assessment guidelines, particularly in keeping with risk assessment for MERS-COV and pandemic influenza.”

CARPHA Executive Director, Dr Joy St John stated that there are reports of cases in countries in close proximity to their member states, which can be easi-

ly accessed through direct flights.

“CARPHA’s decision is also informed by reports of COVID-19 cases in non-English-speaking Caribbean countries in close proximity to CARPHA Member States.

Another factor is sustained transmission of the disease in countries with direct flights into the Caribbean region,” Dr St John stated.

Additionally, multiple countries outside the original epicentre of Wuhan City are reporting an increasing number of confirmed cases. While there has been a significant number of cases outside of China, the country is still battling with new cases.

These recent situations have triggered concerns, and CARPHA is strongly urging it’s member states to heighten their surveillance mechanisms and be ready to implement national pan-

demic preparedness plans, which have been modified to address COVID-19.

Presently, there has been no breakthrough medication to cure or prevent the spread of the disease.

Health officials are still working to develop a specific treatment as the virus spreads rapidly.

For this, the Executive Director said persons should try to limit exposure until treatment is being developed. Persons living within the region are asked to pay attention to control precautions, stand at a distance from coughing persons, wash hands regularly with soap or alcohol-based sanitisers, use a tissue to cough, discard of used tissues immediately, avoid touching sick individuals, and seek early medical care upon signs of a cough, fever or difficulty breathing. All relevant travel history should

be shared with a healthcare provider.

With this alarm, it is uncertain whether Guyana possesses the requisite testing materials and facilities to address significant cases of the COVID-19.

Over at the Guyana Public Health Corporation (GPHC), an area with 14 beds was cordoned off, should a person test positive for the virus. Chief Executive Officer of the facility, George Lewis had told Guyana Times that this facility is only for the first detected cases. Should the situation develop into an

epidemic, a decision would have to be taken at the national level.

Guyana Times sought to contact Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud for a comment on the upgraded risk of transmission and the health sec-

tor’s next plans, but calls went unanswered.

Public health authorities were monitoring 18 persons for the deadly Coronavirus, who would have entered the country from high-risk regions of the world. Some 54 persons were initially under surveillance but 36 were given clearance.

Since the commencement of active monitoring at ports in Guyana on January 18, a total of 54 persons arrived in the country with a history of travel from highrisk areas. Some 51 persons arriving from mainland China or Hong Kong were screened.

Bed-ridden couple receive timely donation

Bed-ridden couple, Priya Mangra and her husband Naresh Chunilall, with their relatives receiving the donation from the NGO

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couple, who has been bedridden since they were struck off their bicycle by a motor vehicle some five weeks ago has now benefitted from a timely donation by a recently formed Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) called the “Centre for Guyanese Progress.”

Twenty-year-old housewife, Priya Mangra, and her 23-year-old husband, who is a fisherman, Naresh Chunilall, of Pigeon Island, Chateau Margot, East Coast Demerara (ECD), were involved in an accident with a car that was being driven by an ex-cop on January 29.

As a result of their injuries, the woman and her spouse have been unable to physically care for themselves.

Over the weekend, founders of the Centre for Guyanese Progress (CGP), Gavin and Gary Alleyne visited the young couple after

learning about their situation. The CGP donated food items along with other necessities to the couple.

The founders stated that the NGO will be seeking to “lend valuable assistance” to persons who encounter and are suffering from such unfortunate situations.

Gary Alleyne pointed out that he is daunted that there continue to be several road accidents, adding that he has issued an appeal to road users to be more responsible since accidents usually have a “rippling effect.”

Additionally, Alleyne said that he was impressed with the “outpouring of community spirit in lending moral and other valuable support to the family.”

Meanwhile, Mangra’s mother-in-law Arondhatee Lall, who accepted the timely donation on behalf of her son and his wife, expressed her gratitude towards the actions of the NGO.

NEWS

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Govt would be illegitimate if Region 4 votes not verified – Assistant US Secretary of State The inevitable has occurred, the consequences are dire

…France warns against hasty swearing-in of President …Norway, The Elders join in on int'l pressure on GECOM

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ast Monday, March 2, 2020, Guyana held its national and regional elections and the country is currently awaiting an official declaration from the electoral body of the final national results. However, a series of unprecedented events unfolded which triggered strong statements from local and international stakeholders cautioning that there should be no swearing-in of any Presidential Candidate until the results for Region 4 for can be properly verified in keeping with the established statutory process.

Today’s article, therefore, seeks to address the economic implications of a Government that may not be recognised by the western world and rest of the international community including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union.

Empirical evidence of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Studies have shown that sanctions imposed by the UN have a significant influence on economic growth. On average, the imposition of UN sanctions decreases the target state’s real per capita GDP growth rate. An investigation of the dynamics of the sanction effects reveals that the detrimental influence decreases over time and becomes insignificant after 10 years.

Comprehensive UN economic sanctions—embargoes on almost all economic activity between UN member states and the sanctioned country—have the strongest influence; they trigger a reduction in real GDP growth by more than 5 percentage points.

Our results suggest that multilateral UN sanctions are indeed harmful to the target country’s economy and have a (much) stronger adverse effect than unilateral US sanctions.

Whether these sanctions are an appropriate (irrespective of their effectiveness) tool for compelling governments to comply with the UN’s interests remains unclear, especially in light of the frequent criticism that they often cause more damage to the poor than to the political elite.

Impact of the 2017 sanctions on Venezuela Weisbort & Sachs (2019) performed an assessment of the causal effects of the financial sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela in August 2017. The authors conclude that the sanctions imposed reduced the public’s caloric intake, increased disease mortality for both adults and infants, and displaced millions of Venezuelans who fled the country as a result of the worsening economic depression and hyperinflation.

The authors also contend that the sanctions have inflicted very serious harm to human life and health, including an estimated more than 40,000 deaths from 2017-2018.

Life in Venezuela Over 1 million Venezuelans have left the country; over half of the young adults want to leave the country; nearly 90% of Venezuelans live in poverty; food is largely imported in severe scarcity; the average Venezuelan lost 24 pounds in 2017 due to food shortages; child malnutrition exceeds WHO’s crisis threshold; severe shortages affecting the health care system; 1/5 of the medical personnel have fled the country; hospitals lack basic supplies and the list goes on.

Concluding remarks Guyana cannot afford to go down the path of Venezuela.

Should economic sanctions be applied in the worst-case scenario, then international trade will seize, foreign direct investment will dry up, Government will not be able to borrow externally and even the oil revenues can be frozen by the US more so – since the account for the Sovereign Wealth Fund is held at the Federal Reserve Bank in the US. The economy is too small and fragile that should international correspondent banks pull out from Guyana amidst strong sanctions, the financial market will virtually collapse, and spiral into a deep social and economic crisis within less than a year or two. In fact, the financial system can collapse within months especially against the backdrop that the Central Bank barely has less than three months import cover in reserves.

Having said that, this author wishes to plead to the authorities of the Guyana Elections Commission, to ensure that the tabulation of the disputed Region 4 results is done credibly and transparently as urged by the international observers and diplomats, and more importantly, the political leaders on both side to demonstrate political maturity and act in a manner that is in the best interest of the people of Guyana. Please restore a stable environment and peace! Whoever wins the elections, there is enough wealth and opportunities to generate enough wealth for everyone. Do not allow the foreign powers to intervene with force to restore economic and political stability, this process will lead to much adverse consequence and collateral damages. It is not too late to opt-out of this path and divert to the peaceful, honest and decent path. The world is watching.

(The author is an experienced macro-finance and research analyst, Lecturer and Business & Finance 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).

Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak

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nternational pressure continues to mount on Guyana over its controversial electoral process as more bilateral countries join calls for a halt of the swearing-in of a President and to resume the verification process of the Statements of Poll (SOP), which was abandoned by the Returning Officer who went ahead and declared the unverified results for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) – a move that has received widespread local and international condemnation.

Calls continue to emanate from the United States (US) for Guyana to verify the Region Four results before a final declaration is made.

The latest to join these calls is the United States Department of State acting Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, who also condemned the act, iterating on Saturday that Guyanese deserve a “credible election” and transfer of power that reflects their will.

“Vote tabulation irregularities marred #Guyana’s March 2 elections – our Ambassador [to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch] and many observers saw flawed vote tabulation. Irrespective of [Saturday’s] legal proceedings, any Government sworn in on the basis of that results would not be legitimate,” the State Department official cautioned.

Another US official, Tom Suozzi, who is a representative of New York's 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens – where a large number of Guyanese are – also condemned the action by GECOM. Suozzi tweeted on Saturday that he is deeply concerned about electoral fraud in the recent elections in Guyana.

“GECOM (Guyana Elections Commission) must count every certified poll statement (“SOP”) and certify the votes cast and already counted on Monday. The attempt to not count the certified votes would be a fraud…

US representative Tom Suozzi

French Ambassador Antoine Joly

Norwegian Ambassador Nils Martin Gunneng

I stand with the Guyanese people’s right to determine their leaders in a way that is consistent with democratic norms,” he posted on his social media handle.

Only Friday several US Congress Representatives had resounded similar calls.

Also on Saturday, French Ambassador to Guyana, Antoine Joly in a statement expressed his country’s deep concern at the situation in Guyana following the elections, which he said had taken place in good conditions until the results of Region Four were announced without completing the tabulation.

Citing “excellent bilateral relations”, the European nation called for a spirit of con-

ciliation and a sense of general interest in favour of all Guyanese. Ambassador Joly added that his country supports the unanimous request of the electoral observation missions, including the European Union (EU), which requested a resumption of the counting process that is verified from the Statements of Poll.

“France warns against any hasty initiative aiming for the President to be sworn in until this verified count has been completed.

Only this procedure will ensure a legitimate, democratically acceptable process and avoid the clashes which unfortunately have already started in different places in Guyana,” the French

Ambassador stated.

On the other hand, another of Guyana’s largest bilateral funder, Norway, has also joined in on the international community’s stance on the electoral controversy here.

Norway’s Ambassador to Guyana, Nils Martin Gunneng, said “Norway shares concerns expressed regarding recent electoral developments in Guyana. The final election results need to be credible and transparent.”

The US$250 million bilateral agreement between Guyana and Norway contains provisions to seek the return of this money from Guyana if its Government becomes illegitimate.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Church, PSC call for peace as tension mounts

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mid challenges and concerns over the current electoral process in Guyana, local bodies are coming forward, calling for peace and expressing concern. The latest to come

Private Sector Commission building in Kingston, Georgetown

Bishop Francis Alleyne of Guyana

out was the Roman Catholic Church and the Private Sector Commission.

The RC Church said that people are dying, people are being wounded, children are being traumatised, property is being destroyed and the nation is gripped in fear.

This, they noted, is much too high a cost for a national election and for a nation at any time.

“There are no words strong enough to express the gravity of the situation and the urgency for it to end.

To all accounts, the way forward for the restoration of peace and hope rests with a small group of persons who have been tasked with managing the whole election process. I add my voice to the many others in making strong appeal to the Guyana Elections Commission to expeditiously complete the verification process towards the transparent, formal and lawful declaration of results,” the Church said in a statement.

The statement also called for persons to be obedient of the laws and work collectively for a better Guyana.

Meanwhile, the PSC statement read, “The Private Sector Commission recognises the constitutional rights of Guyanese to peaceful protest. We condemn all forms of violent protest, destruction of public infrastructure and attack on people and children that took place on March 6, 2020. We call on all stakeholders to comply with the Constitution and laws of Guyana”.

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Election 2020 results

PPP GECOM Commissioners refuse CEO’s request for Commission declaration meeting ...assert that attendance be in contempt of court

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espite mounting international pressure and ongoing legal proceedings in the High Court, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield is forging ahead with the final declaration process for the March 2 elections results – a move, which the Oppositionnominated Commissioners at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have condemned and refuses to comply with.

Most of the political parties as well as all of the electoral observation missions, both local and overseas, have deemed Thursday’s declaration of results from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) to be lacking credibility and transparency. This was after the Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo, abandoned the verification process and went ahead and reportedly declared the results for the region.

Already, several local, regional and global bodies, as well as individual countries, have warned against the final declaration of the results of the elections and subsequent swearing-in of a President until the verification process of the Region

Four results is resumed and completed in the presence of the contesting political parties and observers.

The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has since moved to the courts to get the verification to resume and following hearing from parties on Saturday, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George is expected to rule today on whether the court has jurisdiction to hear the injunctions granted by High Court Judge, Justice Navindra Singh, on Thursday to block the declaration of the Region Four results as well as the final elections results.

However, in an e-mail dated Saturday, March 7, 2020, and addressed to the GECOM Chair, (ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh, the CEO informed that the final report for submission is ready and a meeting should be fixed with the seven-member Commission.

The e-mail, seen by Guyana Times, states: “Dear Madam Chair, I have received declarations from Returning Officers for General and Regional Elections 2020 from Districts 1 – 10. In accordance with Cap 1:03 Section

99, I have prepared the final report for submission to the Commission. In this regard, a request is made for a meeting of the Commission at your earliest convenience.”

All of the six GECOM Commissioners – both Government and Opposition nominated – were copied on the mail sent to the Chair.

However, in a joint statement on Saturday night, the three Opposition Commissioners – Sase Gunraj, Bibi Shadick and Robeson Benn – insisted that complying with the request of the CEO would be breaching the court’s orders.

“We consider this invitation to meet as a flagrant attempt to breach the Order of Court… and a naked attempt by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, to suborn us to breach an Order of Court and exposing us to liability for contempt of court. As holders of a constitutional offices, we are at all times obligated to obey the Constitution and other laws of Guyana and we consider this invitation to meet as not only a violation of our duty to uphold the Constitution but also an invitation to subvert the course of justice,” the missive stated.

The Oppositionnominated Commissioners reiterated their unconditional position that Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 1:03 of the Laws of Guyana was not complied with by the Returning Officer and therefore the purported declaration of the votes recorded for each list of candidates is invalid, null, void and of no effect.

“For the foregoing reasons, we will not respond to any such or further invitations from the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield or Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh, while the court proceedings are still extant,” the Commissioners insisted.

The Court Order issued by Justice Singh on Thursday states: “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DIRECTED THAT an Injunction be and is hereby granted restraining the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, Election District Number Four, in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and/or the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, and the Guyana

GECOM, APNU/AFC bear ultimate responsibility for chaos in Guyana – Nandlall …says Chair, GECOM officials have abdicated their responsibilities

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n the wake of protesters outraged at what played out during the verification of the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) results and the simmering tensions, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall has laid the ultimate blame at the feet of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Nandlall expressed this view at the High Court on Saturday, on the sidelines of the hearing before Chief Justice Roxane George on the court’s jurisdiction to issue an injunction against GECOM. He was asked about the current state of the country.

“GECOM, the Chairperson Claudette Singh and CEO Keith Lowenfield, are responsible for the state that we are in. They are the reason tensions are so high in this country. The governing party are also responsible because they are obstructing the electoral process from being completed,” he said.

“The whole world knows; I don’t have to take a position. Not because I’m in the Opposition I’m taking this position. Objective people, right across the region, and across the world, have tak-

GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh

en the position that the electoral process was aborted and must be resumed and completed.”

On the evening of March 5, Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield had committed to having the verification process run throughout the night until completion. However, this was never done, which was a clear violation of the law.

The injunction was sought and granted by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall after the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo attempted to declare unver-

ified results for district four from the General and Regional Elections.

Mingo, however, secretly declared the results – to the surprise of the main political Opposition, smaller political parties, several elections observer missions, and the wider international community.

Since then, there has been condemnation and warnings from local and the international community, urging the Government not to proceed with the swearing in of David Granger based on unverified and falsified results.

For its part, GECOM has been completely silent on the matter. The Chairperson has not made any public appearances or statements and Lowenfield has also been largely absent. He did resurface on Friday when party agents were called down to GECOM to open their locks on boxes containing blank SOPs, something they refused to do.

In the meantime, there has been unrest in several parts of Guyana. There have been protests in Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, and several villages in Berbice, Region Six, on Friday evening. A heavily armed riot

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

Elections Commission (GECOM), jointly and severally, either by themselves, their servants and/ or their agents, and/or by each of them, from in any manner whatsoever, declaring the votes recorded for each List of Candidates, for the said district before first complying with, or ensuring the compliance of the process set out in Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03., Laws of Guyana.”

Another order states: “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DIRECTED THAT a Mandatory Injunction be and is hereby granted compelling the Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo, Election District Number Four, in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and/or the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), jointly and severally, either by themselves, their servants and/or their agents, and/or by each of them to comply with the letter and spirit of Section 84 of the Representation of the

People Act, Cap 1:03., Laws of Guyana, forthwith and then to declare the votes recorded for List of Candidates for the said district…”

The final order obtained states: “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DIRECTED THAT an Injunction be and is hereby granted restraining the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), either by itself, its servants and/or agents, and each and every one of them, from in any manner whatsoever, declaring the total number of valid votes of electors for each List of Candidates recorded in the Guyana National and Regional Elections 2020, until and unless the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo… and/or the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield complies with and ensures the compliance of the process set out by the provision, letter and spirit of Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:03., Laws of Guyana.”

The Oppositionnominated Commissioners pointed out in their joint statement that these orders were served on all six members of the Commission.

They added that they are also aware that several attempts were made to effect service on the GECOM Chair, Lowenfield and Mingo.

As a matter of fact, it was pointed out that during Saturday’s hearing of the matter in the High Court, an appearance was entered in the court proceedings on behalf of the Chief Elections Officer and the Returning Officer – indicating that they are aware of the matter before the court.

Govt would be...

President David Granger

squad of the Guyana Police Force released teargas and later opened fire on a group of protesters.

Seven persons were shot while some were arrested, resulting in mass chaos. In Berbice, one of the protesters was killed by Police.

Police have since claimed that he attacked a police officer, forcing them to shoot him.

Throughout the countrywide protests, another group gathered at Schoonord next to the Demerara Harbour Bridge, West Bank Demerara, with placards, voicing similar calls.

Moreover, The Elders – a group established by Nelson Mandela to work for peace and human rights – joined fast-growing calls for GECOM to return to following Guyana’s laws in counting the votes from Monday’s election.

Also, in a twitter post on Friday, the organisation said “The Elders joins the [international] community in calling on all sides in the #Guyana Election to respect the rule of law and allow the electoral process to be completed without interference. Nothing but the will of Guyana’s voters should determine the country’s future.”

The Elders was founded

by Nelson Mandela in 2007 and consists of independent global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights.

Friday’s statement on Guyana’s elections was issued on behalf of Mandela’s

FROM PAGE 15

widow, Graca Machel; Nobel Peace Prize Winners Desmond Tutu, Ellen SirleafJohnson, Juan Manuel Santos; the former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson; former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban kiMoon and other global leaders.

Already, several international organisations which had observer missions here monitoring Guyana’s elections cited the lack of transparency in Thursday’s declaration of Region Four’s elections results and called for the verification process to be completed to give credibility to the full electoral process. These include the Organisation of American States (OAS), The Commonwealth, EU, Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the US-based Carter Center.

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

17

Regional

Venezuelan Govt detains US warns citizens about Haiti more than 30 PDVSA workers T

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t least 38 workers from Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela’s, including the president of maritime subsidiary PDV Marina, were detained on accusations of trafficking fuel, Venezuelan Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said on Saturday, describing the accusations as “treason.”

The move comes just days after other state officials were detained and amid a shakeup at PDVSA after President Nicolas Maduro last month named a committee to restructure the OPEC nation’s oil industry, which is struggling under US sanctions designed to force Maduro’s ouster, as well as years of mismanagement, corruption, and declining cash flow.

On Friday, the president of PDV Marina, Oswaldo Vargas, was escorted without handcuffs from the Caracas headquarters of the country’s maritime au-

State oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela

thority, the INEA, by agents from Venezuela’s military intelligence agency DGCIM, six sources confirmed to Reuters.

In addition to Vargas, agents also detained his assistant, six members from the Paraguaná refinery’s dispatch service and 30 crew members from PDV Marina’s “Negra Hipólita” tanker, the minister said during a live broadcast on

state television.

Reverol did not say whether the entire group was taken into custody on Friday, nor their current whereabouts.

“This is not simply an act of diverting fuel, it is also an act of treason (...) because people are lining up at service stations for fuel because of US empire’s sanctions,” Reverol added. (Excerpt from Reuters)

he United States has urged its nationals not to travel to the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country of Haiti, because of the high level of crime, civil unrest and kidnapping.

“Violent crime, such as armed robbery and carjacking, is common. Kidnapping is widespread. Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities. Victims have included US citizens,” the US Department of State said in a statement.

It warned that demonstrations, tyre burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent.

“Local Police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. Emergency response, including ambulance service, is limited or non-existent.”

The statement by Washington follows one issued by the US Embassy

Haiti's President Jovenel Moise

here urging the Jovenel Moise government “to meet the needs of the Haitian people by urgently addressing public security, restarting economic growth, and organising free, fair, and credible legislative elections as soon as technically feasible”.

Earlier this week, President Moise, announced the appointment of Joseph Jouthe as the third person to hold the position of prime minister since he came to power in 2017. He said the

appointment was not coincidental.

Jouthe, a trained civil engineer, is considered an experienced policymaker.

He was environment minister and interim finance minister, and also worked for the humanitarian agencies.

Washington said travellers are sometimes followed and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport. (Excerpt from CMC)

Latin American women prepare Bahamas announces travel ban for record feminist marches T

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illions of women are expected to hit the streets across Latin America on Sunday to mark International Women’s Day, against a backdrop of wider social unrest in the region.

This year’s event coincides with attempts to pass laws to penalise femicide, legalise abortion, and give women an equal voice in drafting a new constitution.

On Monday, women around the region are planning to stay home from work, school, and university to illustrate what public life would look like without them.

In Chile, some have called for men to be blocked from the planned marches.

The demonstrations are expected to be bolstered nonetheless by participants in broader protests against social inequality that began in October and at their peak included more than one million people.

A particular focus this year will be justice for wom-

Riot Police Officers detain Camila Miranda after she was shot with 6 rubber bullets, 4 of which pierced her skin during a protest which she was demonstrating at against Chile's government in Santiago, Chile

en hurt during those protests. According to Chile’s Institute for Human Rights, 439 women were injured.

It has laid six complaints against police for sexual assault.

This week, Chilean senators approved a bill aimed at giving women equal representation in drawing up a potential new constitution and Chile’s centre-right

President Sebastian Pinera signed a law strengthening punishment for femicide.

Javiera Arce, a political scientist at the University of Valparaiso, estimated there could be double the number of participants from last year’s march in Santiago, which she put at 500,000. “I don’t know a single woman not going,” she said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Jamaica ranked 42nd in global progress towards achieving gender parity

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amaica ranks highly among the countries making significant progress towards achieving gender parity, sitting 42nd out of 153 nations, as outlined in the recent Global Gender Gap Report.

Gender parity is a statistical measurement for femaleto-male ratio for indicators such as income and education.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, who

made the announcement, said Jamaica has made significant strides in reducing the overall gender gap and has, since 2006, achieved parity in educational attainment.

“Additionally, Jamaica is 24th globally in terms of economic participation and opportunity, having already closed 73.5 per cent of this gap,” she said.

The minister was speaking at a forum, dubbed: 'Empowered and Equal', which

co-hosted by the Government of Canada, through the Canadian High Commission in Jamaica, and the Institute of Law and Economics, at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on Friday (March 6).

Grange said the Government of Jamaica is committed to ensuring that there is a robust gender framework which protects and empowers the nation's women. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

he Bahamas Government has banned people who have visited Iran, Italy and South Korea from entering the archipelago as it moves to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) there.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said that based on the advice given by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the virus, which has killed more than 3000 people worldwide, has now spread to more than 75 countries.

It said that at least 47 of these countries have ten cases or less, while some are re-

porting their first cases, noting significantly, however, there is a prevalence of cases emerging in a few selected countries with almost 90 per cent of those cases are from three countries: Iran, South Korea and Italy.

“The data is compelling and out of an abundance of caution, the government of The Bahamas has decided to implement border control and quarantine measures for people coming from those countries.

Effective immediately, any non-resident who has visited South Korea, Iran or Italy in the last 20 days will be denied entry into The

Bahamas.

“These countries will be added to China, for which, we implemented such measures on January 30, 2020.

As such, Bahamian citizens and residents returning from all four jurisdictions will now be subjected to quarantine measures for a maximum of 14 days.

Non-residents currently en route to The Bahamas from these jurisdictions will be subjected to the same protocol for returning citizens and residents,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.

(Excerpt from CMC)

Tobago student out of quarantine

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fter 14 difficult days away from her family, the Tobago student who was suspected of having symptoms associated with the coronavirus, will finally be back home with her loved ones. She was discharged from an isolation unit at the Scarborough General Hospital on Friday, where she had been monitored for the past 11 days.

On Friday, Dr Tiffany Hoyte, acting County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), said the student has tested negative for covid19 and no longer needs to be quarantined. "Once she is released from quarantine, she is free to move about. She is no longer restricted at home.

"Today (Friday), is her last day, actually, of quarantine," she told reporters.

"Remember, she was tested, multiple tests, and they are negative." Hoyte spoke at a news conference at the

County Medical Officer of Health, Dr Tiffany Hoyte

Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development's head office, Wilson Road, She said the student is doing very well despite some of the harsh comments and even threats on social media. "And we have asked persons, again, to please cease and desist."

The student, who was studying on scholarship in China, returned to Tobago

on February 21 and was immediately quarantined at her home in east Tobago. Her family was removed from the premises and health officials made daily checkups on her. Three days later, she was transferred to the Scarborough General Hospital after developing a low fever, and was tested for COVID-19. (Excerpt from T&T Newsday)

18

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

OILNEWS

Coronavirus: Dozens trapped as China quarantine hotel collapses

A

bout 70 people were trapped after a hotel being used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in the Chinese city of Quanzhou collapsed.

About 40 of the 70 have been pulled from the rubble of the five-storey Xinjia Hotel, state media said.

Videos posted online show emergency workers combing through the building's wreckage in the southern province of Fujian.

It is not clear what caused the collapse or if anyone has died.

It happened at about 19:30 local time (11:30 GMT).

Chinese state media said the hotel was being used as a quarantine facility monitoring people who had had

close contact with coronavirus patients.

The hotel reportedly opened in 2018 and had 80 guest rooms.

One woman told the Beijing News website that relatives including her sister had been under quarantine there.

"I can't contact them, they're not answering their phones," she said.

"I'm under quarantine too [at another hotel] and I'm very worried, I don't know what to do. They were healthy, they took their temperatures every day, and the tests showed that everything was normal."

As of Friday, Fujian province had 296 cases of coronavirus. Meanwhile, 10,819 people have been placed

Kazakhstan set for cost-cutting with oil at $40/bbl – Minister

K Rescue workers in orange overalls clamber over the rubble as they look for survivors

under observation because they have been in close contact with someone infected.

The World Health Organisation said more than 101,000 people worldwide have now contracted

the virus.

More than 3000 people have died - the majority in the Chinese province of Hubei where the outbreak originated. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Lebanon will default on its debt for the first time ever L

ebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Saturday that Beirut will not repay a $1.2 billion Eurobond due next week and will instead seek to restructure its massive debt as the country's dollar reserves dwindle amid an acute financial crisis.

In a televised address to the nation, Diab said the "difficult decision" to default for the first time in Lebanon's history had been made in order to "secure the basic needs for people".

Lebanon is in the throes of an economic meltdown rooted in corruption, Government mismanage-

ment, a decrepit power sector that bleeds billions from State coffers and the civil war next door in Syria.

The Lebanese pound has devalued sharply against the US dollar on parallel markets, while banks have imposed informal capital controls limiting the amount of dollars depositors can withdraw as well as transfers abroad.

The decision to default on the country's debt - which Diab put at US$90 billion or 170 per cent of economic output - was taken unanimously by the Cabinet at a meeting earlier in the day, and was backed by the country's political and financial estab-

a Government.

Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for Ghani, emphasised that his side was the recognised winner of last year’s polls.

“The election season is over and President-elect Ghani was given the winner’s certificate by the independent election commission based on the outcome of the election and country’s Constitution,” Sediqqi said on Saturday.

Diplomatic sources have said the United States and other international players in Afghanistan are nervous of the prospect of parallel inauguration ceremonies. The United States has previously asked that both parties delay them.

Ghani and Abdullah are old rivals who both held roles

US net petroleum exports hit highest ever in February

Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Saturday crisis-ridden Lebanon will not make good on a US$1.2 billion Eurobond repayment due next week [Dalati Nohra/Handout via Reuters]

lishment.

Diab said the Government also planned to restructure Lebanon's banking sector - a former pillar of the economy which through its sheer size had discouraged investment in more productive sectors.

He also pledged to es-

tablish a safety net for the poorest and protect the savings of small depositors amid harsh capital controls by banks that have limited withdrawals of foreign currency to just a few hundred dollars per month. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Afghan political rivals issue parallel invites for inauguration ceremonies A bdullah Abdullah, the bitter rival of Afghanistan’s President-elect Ashraf Ghani, has issued invitations to a parallel swearing-in ceremony due next week, his spokesman said on Saturday.

A political impasse and threat of parallel governments jeopardise a nascent peace process in the nation, as the United States tries to push the Afghan Government toward talks with the Taliban.

In February, Afghanistan’s Electoral Commission announced Ghani as the winner of September’s presidential election, but Abdullah claimed that he and his allies had won the polls and insisted that he would form

azakhstan is working on measures to cut costs with oil prices nearing US$40 per barrel, Energy Minister Nurlan Nogayev told Reuters on Saturday following the collapse of international oil talks in Vienna.

Oil slid to its biggest daily loss in more than 11 years on Friday after Russia baulked at OPEC’s proposed steep production cuts to stabilise prices hit by economic fallout from the coronavirus, and OPEC responded by removing limits on its own production.

Brent futures had their biggest daily percentage decline since December 2008, falling by US$4.72, or 9.4 per cent, to settle at US$45.27 a barrel on Friday. It was Brent’s lowest closing price since June 2017.

“We have budgeted oil price at US$50-$55 (per barrel).

If it falls to US$40 and below, the Government has a plan to optimise the costs and we are already working on it,” Nogayev said.

He did not rule out another meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil producers by the end of March.

Kazakhstan’s oil and gas condensate production edged up last year to 90.5 million tonnes from 90.4 million tonnes in 2018. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani (L) and Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (R) participate in a family photo at the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland July 8, 2016

in the previous Government under a US-brokered power-sharing agreement. A former Foreign Minister, Abdullah held the specially created post of chief executive in the outgoing Government.

Diplomats and experts have said a lack of cohesion among Afghan political leaders will make it difficult for talks with the Taliban, which are due to start on Tuesday, to take place.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he United States was a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products last month, with the four-week average net imports at a negative 907,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the last week of February, the lowest ‘imports’ level in EIA data dating back to 1973, according to EIA’s weekly data on net imports of crude oil and petroleum products.

Since the start of 2020, the US was a net exporter of crude and petroleum products in each of the weeks in January and February, EIA data shows.

The United States exported more crude oil and petroleum products than it imported in September 2019—the first month in which America was a net petroleum exporter since monthly records began in 1973, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said at the end of last year.

In September 2019, the US exported 89,000 bpd more crude oil and petroleum products than it imported, due to surging US crude oil production and the lifting of export restrictions in 2015, and to continuously growing oil products output and exports, the EIA said in December 2019.

On an annual basis, the United States will become a net oil and oil product exporter this year, thanks to continued growth in production combined with slacker domestic demand, the EIA said in its 2020 Annual Energy Outlook in January.

Despite the ‘net petroleum exporter’ status, the US continues to be a net importer of crude oil—it continues to import more volumes of crude oil than it exports.

In November 2019, the latest monthly data, America imported 5.8 million bpd of crude oil and exported 3.0 million bpd of crude, the EIA said last month.

Moreover, despite the fact that the United States is now a net petroleum exporter as a whole, most regions other than the US Gulf Coast region remain net petroleum importers, the EIA noted. (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

19

NBA round-up: James, Lakers

get best of Bucks L

eBron James had 37 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 113-103 on Friday in a matchup of clubs with the NBA’s best records.

Anthony Davis scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half for the Lakers, who won their third in a row and 10th in the past 11 contests. Davis also had nine rebounds, while Kyle Kuzma added 11 points and eight rebounds.

James hit 12 of 21 shots from the floor, but missed six of his seven 3-point attempts.

He also had three steals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who lost for the second time in three games. Donte DiVincenzo scored 17 off the bench, while Brook Lopez contributed 13 points before fouling out with 1:11 left. Khris Middleton had an off-night, scoring 12 points on 5-for-19 shooting. Eric Bledsoe finished with 11 points.

Phoenix Suns: 127, Portland Trail Blazers: 117

Short-handed Phoenix rode the hot hand of backup center Aron Baynes to end a four-game losing streak with a win over visiting Portland.

Baynes, starting in place of Deandre Ayton (ankle), made a career high nine 3-pointers — five in the first quarter — and scored a career-high 37 points with 16 rebounds. Baynes’s previous career bests were 26 points and four 3-pointers.

CJ McCollum’s 25 points led the Blazers, who got 23 points and 20 rebounds from Hassan Whiteside. Damian Lillard added 24 points for Portland.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 126, New York Knicks: 103

Danilo Gallinari scored a game-high 22 points to lead six Oklahoma City players in double figures during a win at New York.

Chris Paul had 21 points and 12 assists for the Thunder, who won for the seventh time in nine games.

Steven Adams finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points.

Elfrid Payton (18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) flirted with a triple-double for the Knicks, who have lost eight of 10. RJ Barrett had 17 points, while Julius Randle finished with 12 points and

to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with dehydration before being discharged.

Assistant Ty Corbin ran the team for the rest of the game.

Malik Beasley scored a season-best 29 points on 14for-21 shooting for Minnesota, which had its two-game winning streak snapped.

D’Angelo Russell had just five points on 2-for-14 shooting.

Washington Wizards: 118, Atlanta Hawks: 112

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34), grabbing a rebound against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Alex Caruso (4) during the second half at Staples Center

eight rebounds.

Utah Jazz: 99, Boston Celtics: 94

Mike Conley scored 25 points on a hot 3-point shooting night as visiting Utah overcame a poor performance from Donovan Mitchell to beat banged-up Boston.

Jordan Clarkson added 17 points off the bench as the Jazz won their fourth straight, despite Mitchell scoring just 11 on 3-of-15 shooting. Mitchell had torched the Celtics for 37 points in a 114-103 loss at Utah last week.

Marcus Smart had 29 points on his 26th birthday, and Jayson Tatum added 18 as the Celtics lost for the third time in four games, and for the third straight time at home. Gordon Hayward (knee) and Jaylen Brown (hamstring) sat out for Boston.

New Orleans Pelicans: 110, Miami Heat: 104

Josh Hart had a double-double and Brandon Ingram made two clutch jumpers in an otherwise poor shooting night as host New Orleans ended a three-game losing streak by defeating Miami.

Hart came off the bench to score 19 points and grab 12 rebounds for the Pelicans. Jrue Holiday led the way with 20 points, and rookie Zion Williamson scored 17, breaking his string of 13 straight games with at least 20 points. Lonzo Ball added 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Jimmy Butler scored 28 for Miami, Duncan Robinson scored 24 on 8-for-14 three-point shooting, Goran Dragic

scored 15 and Andre Iguodala had 10 for the Heat, whose four-game winning streak was ended.

Orlando Magic: 132, Minnesota Timberwolves: 118

Nikola Vucevic recorded 28 points and 12 rebounds to help Orlando end a three-game losing streak with a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Markelle Fultz added 24 points on 11-for-14 shooting for Orlando, which shot 60.7 percent from the field. Magic coach Steve Clifford left the court in the third quarter due to illness, and was taken

Bradley Beal continued his torrid offensive streak, scoring 35 points to lead host Washington past Atlanta, which was playing without All-Star guard Trae Young.

Beal hit 13 of 21 shots from the field, including 7 of 10 from 3-point range, for his 30th game of 30-plus points this season. He torched the Hawks for 40 points on Jan. 26. Beal has scored 25-plus points in 21 straight games, the longest such streak in team history.

Atlanta was led by Cam Reddish with 28 points, and John Collins with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Huerter contributed 14 points and 11 assists. Young, the Hawks’ leading scorer at 29.6 points per game, was sidelined with flu-like symptoms.

Brooklyn Nets: 139, San Antonio Spurs: 120

Caris LeVert pumped in 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and distributed 10 assists to lead seven teammates in double-figure scoring as Brooklyn built a huge first-half lead and romped to a win over San Antonio in New York City.

The Nets led 41-22 after the first quarter — with that output the most by Brooklyn in an opening period this season — and never allowed San Antonio to get closer than 15 points the rest of the game.

The Nets had scored just 79 points in all four quarters in a home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

The triple-double was the first in LeVert’s four-year career, and he entered the game with just three career double-doubles. Joe Harris contributed 20 points for the Nets. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 24 points on 10for-13 shooting, adding nine assists.

Indiana Pacers: 108, Chicago Bulls: 102

Domantas Sabonis scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Indiana held on for a win at Chicago.

Victor Oladipo finished with 16 points for the Pacers, while Myles Turner contributed 15. Indiana completed a four-game season sweep of the Bulls, and won for the fifth time in its past six games.

Coby White led the Bulls with 26 points off the bench.

Shaquille Harrison added 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting for Chicago, which lost for the 12th time in its past 14 games.

Dallas Mavericks: 121, Memphis Grizzlies: 96

Kristaps Porzingis contributed six of his game-high 26 points to a 25-6 flurry that opened the second half, and host Dallas ran away from Memphis en route to a victory.

Porzingis added a gamehigh-tying 11 rebounds, and Luka Doncic complemented a team-high six assists with 21 points, helping the Mavericks post a second straight win.

Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas recorded a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. Dillon Brooks added 15 points, and Ja Morant had 11 to go with a game-high eight assists for Memphis. (Reuters)

Monterry Open tennis tourney…

Svitolina sails into semis ꟷ Konta saves 2 match points

T

op seed Elina Svitolina reached her first WTA semi-final of the season after accounting for teenager Leylah Fernandez at the Monterrey Open, while Johanna Konta prevailed in a marathon match.

Svitolina had not progressed to a semi-final since last year’s season-ending WTA Finals, but the Ukrainian ended her drought by defeating 17-year-old sensation Fernandez 6-3 7-5.

World number seven Svitolina needed 98 minutes to book her spot in the final four of the WTA International event in Monterrey on Friday, as Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands awaits.

Swedish sixth seed Rebecca Peterson was humbled 6-1 6-1 by Rus in the day’s final match.

Number two seed Konta produced a stunning comeback to trump Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 7-6 (9-7). Konta rallied from 5-2 down in the final set, and saved two match points to outlast 18-year-old Potapova in a remarkable encounter in Mexico.

Next up is ninth seed Marie Bouzkova, who beat eighth seed Wang Yafan 6-2, 7-5. (sportsmax)

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

ICC Women’s World Cup 2020 Tournament…

Blockbuster finale expected ꟷ in clash between mighty India and top-ranked Australia

O

rganisers of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2020 Tournament have been handed their dream final: between the world’s No. 1 team and hosts, Australia, and the world’s mightiest and most populous cricket nation, India.

An enormous crowd is expected at the MCG, and the ICC released extra standing room tickets on Saturday to cope with demand. With Katy Perry performing either side of a contest on International Women’s Day, it shapes as one of the seminal events in the history of sport in Australia, and of women’s sports around the globe.

But what about the cricket? Australia, grappling with tournament favouritism and a pair of ruinous injuries to Tayla Vlaeminck before the event and Ellyse Perry in the middle of it, have had the rockiest possible road to the final. They have not played their best cricket, but have instead shown forbearance, determination and big-match temperament to forge through what have effectively been four successive elimination matches, after they lost the opening game of the

tournament to India.

In Meg Lanning they have a captain and top-order batter of the highest possible quality, while in the field they have shown discipline and athleticism to defend middling targets against New Zealand and South Africa. However, fatigue, both physical and mental, would be an obstacle.

India, meanwhile, have more or less ridden the wave they caught in defeating Australia at the Sydney Showgrounds on opening night. They were neither beaten nor particularly troubled at any point in their next three group matches; then they enjoyed the benefit of a free pass to the final over England due to their higher, better qualifying position.

Shafali Verma has been the tournament’s undisputed batting star, consistently rocketing her team to rapid starts; while Harmanpreet Kaur has adroitly marshalled her spin bowlers and the mediums of Shikha Pandey.

If there are any question marks over India, they concern matters of belief, India having never played in a T20 World Cup final before, let alone won one; and also sharpness: in a

Premier League Football…

Reds back to winning ways L

iverpool recovered from back-to-back defeats to beat Bournemouth and take another major step towards a first league title in 30 years.

The result lifted Jurgen Klopp’s team 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City, who face Manchester United on Sunday in one of their two games in hand on the Premier League leaders.

The hosts fell behind in controversial circumstances at Anfield, Callum Wilson slotting home Jefferson Lerma’s low cross after appearing to shove Joe Gomez in the build-up to the goal.

But Liverpool soon hit their stride, and Mohamed Salah - making his 100th league appearance for the club - restored parity with a low finish, after Sadio Mane dispossessed Jack Simpson deep inside the Cherries’ half.

Mane latched on to Virgil van Dijk’s perfectly weighted throughball to complete the turnaround, but the hosts needed a brilliant goal-line clearance from James Milner to prevent Ryan Fraser from hauling Bournemouth back on level terms in a nervy second half.

The win means Liverpool could be champions by the time they play Everton in the league on 16 March - if Manchester City lose their next three games against Manchester United, Arsenal and Burnley.

Eddie Howe’s side remain in the relegation zone, level on points with Watford and West Ham, but with a worse goal difference than their nearest rivals at the bottom. (BBC. Mohamed Salah COM)

tightly scheduled tournament, their draw and the Sydney rain has meant that they have not played a match in more than a week. Australia, in the meantime, have played twice.

In the spotlight Against South Africa, Jess Jonassen essentially took up the bowling role left vacant

by Perry’s torn hamstring.

She shared the new ball with Megan Schutt in the powerplay, and then bowled at the death as Laura Wolvaardt threatened to perform a middle-order miracle for her side.

Jonassen also was the decisive force against India in the final of the Triangular Series that preceded the Cup proper, plucking five wickets in quick succession to secure a narrow victory for the Australians.

How Jonassen fares in concert with the other spin bowlers at Lanning’s disposal will go a long way towards deciding the outcome of this match.

Scores of 29, 39, 46 and 47, all made at whip-crack pace, have made Shafali Verma the most feared top order batter in the tournament. She is capable of either setting up a big first innings score, or supercharging any pursuit of a target.

Verma’s danger to Australia is enhanced by the lack of any top pace or bounce bowlers to challenge her on the back foot, meaning that Lanning will be relying heavily on the likes of Schutt and Jonassen to nail their lines and lengths.

The only thing Verma is yet to achieve in this event is a truly major score, leaving India to hope that the biggest innings will arrive on the biggest day.

Team news Australia will be tempted to stick with the same formula that saw them through against South Africa, although

Molly Strano’s off-spin is a worthwhile option, given the presence of India’s lefthanders and the fact that she did play in the opening match of the tournament. Georgia Wareham would be the bowler most likely to make way.

Australia (possible) team: 1 Beth Mooney; 2 Alyssa Healy (wk); 3 Meg Lanning (capt); 4 Ashleigh Gardner; 5 Rachael Haynes; 6 Jess Jonassen; 7 Nicola Carey; 8 Delissa Kimmince; 9 Georgia Wareham/Molly Strano; 10 Sophie Molineux; 11 Megan Schutt.

India have a very settled line-up, after their smooth progression through the group stage and their semi-final walkover against England.

India (probable) team: 1 Shafali Verma; 2 Smriti Mandhana; 3 Jemimah Rodrigues; 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt); 5 Deepti Sharma; 6 Veda Krishnamurthy; 7 Taniya Bhatiya (wk); 8 Shikha

Pandey; 9 Radha Yadav; 10 Poonam Yadav; 11 Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Pitch and conditions Melbourne’s forecast is mercifully fine for the final, after Sydney’s weather travails knocked out England and nearly did likewise for Australia.

The pitch itself should be hard and flat, although the ground itself has not hosted any cricket since the Australia ‘A’ Team played against the England Lions more than two weeks ago.

Stats and trivia This would be India’s firstever appearance in a T20 World Cup final. The MCG has previously hosted one Women’s World Cup final: the decider of the 1988 ODI tournament, which was won by Australia in a match against England played in front of a crowd of about 3,000 spectators.

Australia have won all of the first seven T20I encounters between these two teams, but India have won six of the past 12, and three of the past five.

Quote#1 “This build-up to the game is something I’ve not experienced before, and I’m quite glad that the final’s here tomorrow and we can say we’re involved in it.

“I always dreamed of being involved in this game. When I saw it was (being played at) the MCG and they were hoping for a big crowd, I just wanted to be involved.” Australia captain Meg Lanning.

Quote#2 “We are going to have 90,000 (spectators) in the stadium, and it’s a great feeling. We just need to enjoy the moment, because it’s a big moment for all of us.” India captain Harmanpreet Kaur. (cricinfo)

International football…

Zidane dismisses juve talk ꟷ but says there’s no long-term security at Madrid

Z

inedine Zidane has acknowledged there is no long-term security in being Real Madrid coach, but denies being approached by his former club, Juventus, about a return to Serie A. A report emerged on Friday claiming that Juventus, for whom Zidane played between 1996 and 2001 prior to joining Madrid, want the Frenchman to replace Maurizio Sarri. Such a move to Turin would see Zidane being reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zidane came back to Madrid for a second spell in charge of Los Blancos only 12 months ago, and last weekend’s Clasico win over Barcelona took them to the top of La Liga, ahead of the latest round of fixtures. However, while things may be rosy now, Zidane is realistic about the state of his profession.

“I am lucky to be able to live my passion, football, in this club,” the 47-yearold said at a news conference on Saturday to preview Madrid’s trip to Real Betis. “It is

a pride, and I take every moment that this team gives me. The players are part of this story, they write something every day.

“In football, there is no continuity of knowing what you will follow, the most important is the day-to-day.

Sure, I feel backed by the club; here we all go in the same direction, but then I know how this works. Now I am the coach of Real Madrid, but tomorrow it could change. I am here, and it is a joy,” he explained. “[Juventus] have not contacted me,” he disclosed. “There are many rumours circulating, but I haven’t received any offers from anyone.”

Madrid midfielder Eden Hazard flew to America to have an operation on his ankle this week, after fracturing his right fibula in the defeat to Levante on February 22.

Zidane remains unsure if the Belgium international will return to his squad before the end of the season, though he described Hazard as being in a more upbeat mood following surgery.

“I think he feels better now; the operation went well,” Zidane said. “Right now, he will have to work on his recovery, obviously. We can’t tell you when he will be able to return. We don’t know if he will return before the season is over, but of course we would love to have him before the season is over,” Zidane has said. (sportsmax)

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

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CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championships…

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US, Mexico buy tickets to the party T he United States of America and Mexico are on their way to the 2020 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup tournament to be held in Costa Rica and Panama.

They each recorded semifinal victories on Friday in the 2020 CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship tournament matches played at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The U.S. started the day’s action, and used a quick start to ride to a 6-0 triumph over hosts Dominican Republic. Brianna Pinto produced a hat trick by scoring two goals inside the first five minutes, in the 2nd and in the 4th. Trinity Rodman stretched the lead to 3-0 in the 16th minute, then Pinto notched her hat trick in the 41st, to give the U.S. a 4-0 halftime lead.

Mia Fishel then scored her 11th goal of the tournament in the 57th minute of play, before Rodman completed her brace in the 62nd minute to cap off the 6-0 tally.

In the nightcap, Mexico squeezed past Haiti 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a hard-fought 1-1 draw between the two sides.

The Caribbean nation was first to score, and it was no surprise that the goal came from 16-yearold MF Melchie Dumornay, who tallied her tournament-leading 14th goal in the 56th minute

via free-kick to give Haiti a 1-0 lead.

But Mexico responded by pulling level at 1-1 in the 68th minute, when a looping shot from Joseline Montoya found the back of the net.

Things eventually had to be settled in penalty kicks, and a missed attempt from Haiti’s Dayana Pierre sealed the victory for El Tricolor.

The U.S. and Mexico will square off for 2020 CU20W honours in today’s Final, with the U.S. seeking their fifth title and Mexico their second straight one.

Guyana’s ‘Lady Jaguars’ made history by first winning their qualification group round last year, and then making it to the quarterfinal round.

Of the five games they played, the Guyanese girls won three, defeating Nicaragua and Puerto Rico in the group stage, and then Cayman Islands in the Round of 16.

Their losses came to defending champions and finalists Mexico in the Group Stage, and to Haiti in the quarterfinal round.

Despite bowing out of the competition, Head Coach Ivan Joseph A glimpse of Guyana’s last CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championship has expressed pride at the game team’s performance.

Essequibo Coast T/20 Bash…

WDCA/Elroy Round Robin T20 Competition…

McGill Superstars whip La Grange All Stars in warmup match

Various teams record notable wins M A

ction in the Essequibo Coast T/20 Bash during the week just past entailed 11 matches being played at various grounds across Region Two, from which notable wins were recorded by Charity, Castle, and Bacchus Bulls, among other teams.

S c h e m e Gunners, battling Charity at the Charity ground, posted 60 all out in 13 overs, of which M. Pelly top scored with 20.

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Apply to Mima Décor, 8 Sheriff Street, Georgetown, Or Email: mimadecor12@gmail.com. Tel: 2270186/227-0176 Pump attendant -680-3863 Store helper- 624-003 Driver for water canter- 680-3863 Porter for water canter- 680-3863 House keeper- 624-0033. Call or Whatsapp.

VEHICLES FOR SALE Honda HRV 2000 Model. Excellent Working Condition, Factory Tinted Windows, Dolby Surround Sound, A.C, Vehicle Press Start, etc. This vehicle is Stick Shift and is sometimes rarely driven. Price: $2,200,000 (neg.) Tel: 683-3863.

21

Parmesh Parsotam scored 62 for the Bacchus Bulls

Charity’s Mukesh Singh bagged 4-26, while Wayne Narine bagged 2-15 and Noel Evans 2-18.

Charity responded with 66-3, made in 7 overs, with Wayne Narine contributing 47. M. Pelly took 2-24 in bowling for the Scheme.

Devonshire Castle defeated Golden Fleece in a match played at Golden Fleece ground.

Castle scored 142 in 20 overs, with 22 each coming from N. Hirilall, A. Jailall and R. Persaud.

R. Nankishore bagged 4-23 for Golden Fleece, even as Ricardo Adams returned figures of 2-18 and S. Horilall 2-25.

Golden Fleece, in reply, could register only 132 for 6 in 20 overs, with R. Goordeen contributing 46 and Gewan Singh 33.

Castle bowler Anil Persaud took 2-32.

Cotton Field Strikers, battling Aurora Knight Riders at the Imam Bacchus Ground, scored 150 for 9 in 20 overs, with Norman Fredericks producing an unbeaten 63.

A. Salim took 3-19 and Rajiv Kissoon took 2-17 bowling for the Strikers, who could make only 87 all-out in their 20 overs as they replied. Carlos Yhap contributed 25, Eion Dookie contributed 19, and Kiran Kumar contributed 18.

For the Knight Riders, Garfield Phillips bagged 3-15 and Norwayne Fredericks 2-24.

The Bacchus Bulls gored the Reliance Hustlers in a one-sided affair played out at the Reliance Ground. Hustlers posted 143 for 7 in 20 overs, with Narendra Madholall top scoring with 40 and Travis Simon contributing 24. Punraj Singh of the Bulls bagged 2-20 and Neiland Cadogan bagged 2 for 25.

The Bulls ended their reply on 144 for one made in 17 overs, with Parmesh Parsotam’s 62 and Sheldon Charles’s 57 laying the foundation for this win. Trevis Simon took the only Bulls wicket to fall, for 15.

Other victories recorded were as follows: Sparwin defeated Crown XI; Lima United defeated Rebels by 249 runs; Spartan Challengers defeated Young Achievers by 49 runs; Jaguars SC defeated Gunners by 15 runs; NOC defeated United Warriors by 5 wickets; Rising Stars defeated Reliance SC by 10 wickets, and Walton Hall SC defeated Jaguars by 5 wickets.

cGill Superstars, one of the top cricket teams on the West Bank of Demerara, recently opposed the La Grange All Stars cricket team in a warm-up match of the West Demerara Elroy Round Robin T20 Competition. This onesided contest was played at the Okoo Cricket Ground at Canal #1, West Bank Demerara.

The Canal #1-based McGill Superstars have been excelling in this ongoing WDCA T20 tournament, and their performance against La Grange All Stars in this warm-up fixture is testament to the hard work they put into training. They featured 7 youths in their playing 11, omitting 7 of their key players, whom they decided to rest.

Having won many of their encounters when taking first strike, the McGill side opted to bat first, and posted a mammoth 217-4 in their allotted 20 overs. They were especially rampant during the powerplay overs, scoring at an alarming rate when the fielding restrictions were lifted, and continuing in this vein even thereafter.

Master-blaster Balram Airan smacked the ball to every part of the ground as he compiled a handy 70 runs for his team; and Asif Mohamed chipped in with 39, Troy Persaud with 37, and Ranjiv Khusial with 27.

Needing 218 runs for victory from 120 balls at a net run rate of 10.9 runs per over, the La Grange side found themselves in a desperate struggle for relevance from the first ball bowled.

Runs became increasingly harder to get as the match progressed, while the McGill side maintained a disciplined line and length that forced La

Balram Airan top scored for McGill with 70

Daniel Basdeo bagged four All Stars wickets

Grange to choke.

La Grange thus capitulated for 90 runs made in 14.3 overs, of which K. Edwards top scored with 47.

Daniel Basdeo was the pick of the McGill bowlers with four wickets.

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COMOM

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

Sarwan calls for CWI Regional T20 tournament to spot more local talents F

ormer Guyana and West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan visited the Guyana National Stadium at Providence yesterday; and, at the lunch interval in the ongoing seventhround clash between Guyana Jaguars and Leeward Islands Hurricanes, called for the CWI to organize a Regional T20 tournament to aid in producing a larger quantity of local players.

In 2012, the local Regional T20 tournament was replaced by “The biggest party in sport”, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The 39-year-old Sarwan reasoned: “If we take the IPL, were you to make a comparison, you would see quite a few players that would have played international cricket. Those hidden talents were identified in the IPL because they have more teams and franchises participating. In our situation we only have CPL, so maybe the board can think of a Regional T20 tournament, something similar to what Stanford had, and then we should be able to see the talent in the Caribbean, and nurture them from there on,” Sarwan disclosed.

The man who had captained Guyana to a championship victory in the Stanford T20 in 2006 shared his sentiments on the current young batsmen in

Sarwan leading the Guyana team

the West Indies team.

“The player that stand out for me is young Shimron Hetmyer, who has an abundance of talent. It’s important that he gets that talent into production, and of course it’s just a matter of time to get his mind right, and we get a sort of consistency that is needed from him.

“The other guy is Shai

Pink Diamond Promotions’ sporting competition…

“Daddy and Me” for June 21 staging at National Gymnasium; registration ends on March 15 ꟷ sponsorship being sought

T

he Pink Diamond Promotions founded by Warren Wilson will be hosting its inaugural “Daddy & Me” sporting competition at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue on Father’s Day: June 21, 2020.

Updating Guyana Times Sport in this regard, Wilson said, “Well, we are coming along nicely, setting up the challenges and everything;(but) we have hit a wall: a lot of sponsors have told us that we would have to wait and see how things go after the elections tension, but we are still hoping for the best.

“We would like more sponsors to come on board, as this venture is definitely one for the future. We are reaching out to churches etc., to encourage people to sign up. We are also reaching out to sponsors to come on board and support this even.

“Registration cost will be $1000 per person, which will be read as $2000 for both father and son. The entrance fee is $500, and children under 10 will be (admitted) free (of charge).”

Wilson has explained that this competition takes the form of skills challenges, races, obstacle courses and much more.

Competing categories will be 7-11; 12-16; and 17 Open, as there will be the requisite challenges for the respective age ranges.

The rules governing the competition are very important, and fathers are required to pass a physical test to ensure they are eligible to be in the competition, although the completion is open to all fathers.

Completed registration forms must be submitted to the organizing committee with all relevant documents by March 15, 2020. All eligible participants must attend cardio and aerobics sessions which would be provided by the committee.

All participants must disclose any preceding health conditions, and the organizing committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any potential participant if he is deemed unfit.

For further information, persons can contact Warren Wilson on 627-2719, Kade Pearce on 620-0462, or Sophia on 685-6077.

Registration forms can be uplifted from the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, National Gymnasium, or Coach Scott at the Eve Leary ground.

Hope. We have seen what he is doing in the One-Day format, and I think that can be easily transferred into Test cricket.

And (then there is) Roston Chase,” Sarwan explained.

Thankful for the opportunity provided by CWI to interact with West Indies players, Sarwan opined that these players are receptive. He also shed some light on Nicholas Pooran, whom he believes has the ability to play Test cricket.

Commenting on how West Indies can improve in ODIs and

Tests, Sarwan said the players must have the best foundation and best opportunities.

He noted that these players must have the right mentality, the right facilities, and coaches to ensure their flaws are corrected. With West Indies set to tour England in the summer, Sarwan is urging the players to be mentally strong in tough English conditions.

“Once we can make that mental adjustment, our batters are equipped to score runs, and our bowlers will be able to bowl

Flashback: Sarwan rocking the maroon colours

well,” Sarwan noted.

Sarwan, who played 87 Tests and 181 ODIS, also touched on the T20 World Cup that is slated to be played later this year, and declared that Andre Russell is a match-winning asset for the Caribbean team. He also described Dwayne Bravo’s return as a plus “To have (Bravo’s) experience and ability, that is very good for West Indies,” he

said.

With the Regional 4-Day tournament currently being played, Sarwan opined that for the cricket standard to be lifted, better facilities must be in place for the Regional players.

Sarwan, who had scored 15 Test centuries and five ODI tons, also believes that West Indies have what it takes to win the upcoming T20 World Cup later this year. (Brandon Corlette)

Wendell Meusa Chess Foundation…

Packed schedule ahead T

he Wendell Meusa Chess Foundation (WMCF), located at the American University of Peace Studies on Sheriff Street Georgetown, has a mere few months within which it must prepare young chess players for international competitions, and also make competitions more accessible in Guyana.

Thus, facing tight timelines, a rigid schedule will be implemented as FIDE instructor Wendell Meusa seeks to roll out plans to improve the playing of chess among its younger enthusiasts.

The first of these plans is to host an interschool online chess championship. With the help of his World Chess Federation (FIDE) colleagues, an online app will be utilized for this competition, scheduled for later this month.

Speaking exclusively with <<Guyana Times Sport>>, Meusa shared the rationale behind such a tournament.

“Reason being we know we’ve got children in Bartica, Berbice, Lethem, and these kids play chess. However, it’s very hard to bring them to Georgetown and house them for an activity, so this first event is going to be like a test trial in which we’re going to host a live online tournament that could be viewed by many across Guyana,” Meusa explained.

Following this online tournament, an activity would be hosted at Cara Lodge to acquire funds to facilitate WMCF students participating in two international FIDE tournaments, namely: North American Youth Championship in Chicago, USA and the American Continental Championships in Santiago, Chile.

“We’re trying to take a team there, so we’re going to be hosting our annual fundraiser. The theme is “black and white” as, you should know, the chess board is black and white. We’re also going to be doing some exhibitions there, but basically it’s about honouring last year’s students who did very well, and also the parents, who have been playing a big part,” Meusa explained.

Then there is the CARIFTA Junior Chess Championships, for which Meusa is preparing his students. He shared their rigorous training schedule, and even revealed that it would be intensified as the time draws near.

“We were at the drawing board since last year, in preparation for CARIFTA. My kids are very keen to play and rep-

Wendell Meusa

resent Guyana. We are looking for medals and to do good for our country; so, right now, we’re training consistently at the National Racquet Centre. The only day of the week we’re currently not training, for now, is Sunday; but, from later this month, we’ll do seven days a week,” Meusa revealed.

With his students being his priority, the FIDE Instructor disclosed that he is working with the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) to get the nation’s players ready for the regional competition. He shared the number of participants the Federation is targeting for the event in April.

“The GCF is definitely pushing. From the last details I heard, we’re going to have approximately 100-150 kids. I think this is possible, we have a lot of kids here. So, we’re aiming for 150 along with the 250 that are planning to come here for next CARIFTA.” The CARIFTA Junior Chess Championships are scheduled for April 10-13 at the Princess Ramada Hotel, East Bank Demerara. (Jemima Holmes)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COMOM

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

Sarwan calls for CWI Regional T20 tournament to spot more local talents F

ormer Guyana and West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan visited the Guyana National Stadium at Providence yesterday; and, at the lunch interval in the ongoing seventhround clash between Guyana Jaguars and Leeward Islands Hurricanes, called for the CWI to organize a Regional T20 tournament to aid in producing a larger quantity of local players.

In 2012, the local Regional T20 tournament was replaced by “The biggest party in sport”, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The 39-year-old Sarwan reasoned: “If we take the IPL, were you to make a comparison, you would see quite a few players that would have played international cricket. Those hidden talents were identified in the IPL because they have more teams and franchises participating. In our situation we only have CPL, so maybe the board can think of a Regional T20 tournament, something similar to what Stanford had, and then we should be able to see the talent in the Caribbean, and nurture them from there on,” Sarwan disclosed.

The man who had captained Guyana to a championship victory in the Stanford T20 in 2006 shared his sentiments on the current young batsmen in

Sarwan leading the Guyana team

the West Indies team.

“The player that stand out for me is young Shimron Hetmyer, who has an abundance of talent. It’s important that he gets that talent into production, and of course it’s just a matter of time to get his mind right, and we get a sort of consistency that is needed from him.

“The other guy is Shai

Pink Diamond Promotions’ sporting competition…

“Daddy and Me” for June 21 staging at National Gymnasium; registration ends on March 15 ꟷ sponsorship being sought

T

he Pink Diamond Promotions founded by Warren Wilson will be hosting its inaugural “Daddy & Me” sporting competition at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue on Father’s Day: June 21, 2020.

Updating Guyana Times Sport in this regard, Wilson said, “Well, we are coming along nicely, setting up the challenges and everything;(but) we have hit a wall: a lot of sponsors have told us that we would have to wait and see how things go after the elections tension, but we are still hoping for the best.

“We would like more sponsors to come on board, as this venture is definitely one for the future. We are reaching out to churches etc., to encourage people to sign up. We are also reaching out to sponsors to come on board and support this even.

“Registration cost will be $1000 per person, which will be read as $2000 for both father and son. The entrance fee is $500, and children under 10 will be (admitted) free (of charge).”

Wilson has explained that this competition takes the form of skills challenges, races, obstacle courses and much more.

Competing categories will be 7-11; 12-16; and 17 Open, as there will be the requisite challenges for the respective age ranges.

The rules governing the competition are very important, and fathers are required to pass a physical test to ensure they are eligible to be in the competition, although the completion is open to all fathers.

Completed registration forms must be submitted to the organizing committee with all relevant documents by March 15, 2020. All eligible participants must attend cardio and aerobics sessions which would be provided by the committee.

All participants must disclose any preceding health conditions, and the organizing committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any potential participant if he is deemed unfit.

For further information, persons can contact Warren Wilson on 627-2719, Kade Pearce on 620-0462, or Sophia on 685-6077.

Registration forms can be uplifted from the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, National Gymnasium, or Coach Scott at the Eve Leary ground.

Hope. We have seen what he is doing in the One-Day format, and I think that can be easily transferred into Test cricket.

And (then there is) Roston Chase,” Sarwan explained.

Thankful for the opportunity provided by CWI to interact with West Indies players, Sarwan opined that these players are receptive. He also shed some light on Nicholas Pooran, whom he believes has the ability to play Test cricket.

Commenting on how West Indies can improve in ODIs and

Tests, Sarwan said the players must have the best foundation and best opportunities.

He noted that these players must have the right mentality, the right facilities, and coaches to ensure their flaws are corrected. With West Indies set to tour England in the summer, Sarwan is urging the players to be mentally strong in tough English conditions.

“Once we can make that mental adjustment, our batters are equipped to score runs, and our bowlers will be able to bowl

Flashback: Sarwan rocking the maroon colours

well,” Sarwan noted.

Sarwan, who played 87 Tests and 181 ODIS, also touched on the T20 World Cup that is slated to be played later this year, and declared that Andre Russell is a match-winning asset for the Caribbean team. He also described Dwayne Bravo’s return as a plus “To have (Bravo’s) experience and ability, that is very good for West Indies,” he

said.

With the Regional 4-Day tournament currently being played, Sarwan opined that for the cricket standard to be lifted, better facilities must be in place for the Regional players.

Sarwan, who had scored 15 Test centuries and five ODI tons, also believes that West Indies have what it takes to win the upcoming T20 World Cup later this year. (Brandon Corlette)

Wendell Meusa Chess Foundation…

Packed schedule ahead T

he Wendell Meusa Chess Foundation (WMCF), located at the American University of Peace Studies on Sheriff Street Georgetown, has a mere few months within which it must prepare young chess players for international competitions, and also make competitions more accessible in Guyana.

Thus, facing tight timelines, a rigid schedule will be implemented as FIDE instructor Wendell Meusa seeks to roll out plans to improve the playing of chess among its younger enthusiasts.

The first of these plans is to host an interschool online chess championship. With the help of his World Chess Federation (FIDE) colleagues, an online app will be utilized for this competition, scheduled for later this month.

Speaking exclusively with <<Guyana Times Sport>>, Meusa shared the rationale behind such a tournament.

“Reason being we know we’ve got children in Bartica, Berbice, Lethem, and these kids play chess. However, it’s very hard to bring them to Georgetown and house them for an activity, so this first event is going to be like a test trial in which we’re going to host a live online tournament that could be viewed by many across Guyana,” Meusa explained.

Following this online tournament, an activity would be hosted at Cara Lodge to acquire funds to facilitate WMCF students participating in two international FIDE tournaments, namely: North American Youth Championship in Chicago, USA and the American Continental Championships in Santiago, Chile.

“We’re trying to take a team there, so we’re going to be hosting our annual fundraiser. The theme is “black and white” as, you should know, the chess board is black and white. We’re also going to be doing some exhibitions there, but basically it’s about honouring last year’s students who did very well, and also the parents, who have been playing a big part,” Meusa explained.

Then there is the CARIFTA Junior Chess Championships, for which Meusa is preparing his students. He shared their rigorous training schedule, and even revealed that it would be intensified as the time draws near.

“We were at the drawing board since last year, in preparation for CARIFTA. My kids are very keen to play and rep-

Wendell Meusa

resent Guyana. We are looking for medals and to do good for our country; so, right now, we’re training consistently at the National Racquet Centre. The only day of the week we’re currently not training, for now, is Sunday; but, from later this month, we’ll do seven days a week,” Meusa revealed.

With his students being his priority, the FIDE Instructor disclosed that he is working with the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) to get the nation’s players ready for the regional competition. He shared the number of participants the Federation is targeting for the event in April.

“The GCF is definitely pushing. From the last details I heard, we’re going to have approximately 100-150 kids. I think this is possible, we have a lot of kids here. So, we’re aiming for 150 along with the 250 that are planning to come here for next CARIFTA.” The CARIFTA Junior Chess Championships are scheduled for April 10-13 at the Princess Ramada Hotel, East Bank Demerara. (Jemima Holmes)

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

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

CWI/PCL Regional 4-Day Tournament…

See story on page 23

Hurricanes grab 94-run lead after Hodge-Jangoo resistance

Wendell Meusa Chess Foundation…

Sarwan calls for CWI Regional T20 tournament Packed to spot schedule ahead more local talents See story on page 22

See story on page 22

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

March 8, 2020

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 8, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

Feature

O

ne of the foundational principles of Hindusim is good only begotten good and it is instilled in the minds of all Hindus from a young age. They are taught to do good deeds as a way of life. They are taught that oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul only attains Moksha (liberation in this life) through good karma (deeds). Around this time, we are quite often reminded about the consequences of good karma with the celebration of Holi-the festival of colours.

Holi or Phagwah as we know it is the Spring Festival celebrated on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (Phalguna Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March. There are several legends, depending on the various areas you are living in. However, the most common legend is the story of young Prahlad and his evil aunt Holika signifying the triumph of good over evil.

Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved him every time.

Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap.

For, Hiranyakashyapu knew that Holika had a boon, whereby, she could enter the fire unscathed.

Treacherously, Holika coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire. The legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her sinister desire by her life. Holika was not

the legend depicts that anybody, howsoever strong, cannot harm a true devotee and those who dare torture a true devotee of god shall be reduced to ashes.

After the fire destroyed the evil Holika, King Hiranyakashyapu became enraged and attempted to kill Prahlad himself. However, Vishnu, the god who appears as an avatar (form) to restore Dharma in Hindu beliefs, took the form of Narasimha - half human and half lion, at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashyapu at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then eviscerated and killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).

The Legend

There was once a demon king by the name of King Hiranyakashyapu who won over the Kingdom of Earth through years of prayers. He was the King of the demonic Asuras and according to the Bhagavata Purana he was granted a boon (wish) that he could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor at night, neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and neither on land nor in water or air.

After he received his boon, Hiranyakashyapu became so egoistic that he commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu-the sustainer of the universe and refused to worship his father.

Hiranyakashyapu tried several ways to kill his son

Holika Dahan

aware that the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.

Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Vishnu while in the fire with his aunt, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his extreme devotion. Thus, Holi derives its name from Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.

Holi is also celebrated as the triumph of a devotee. As

Holika Dahan or the burning of Holika will take place across Guyana on the night before the Phagwah celebrations. The festival of Holi gets its name from this very ritual of Holika Dahan. The phrase Holika Dahan literally means burning Holika. The day when Holika is burnt is also known as Choti Holi or small Holi. The people create a bonfire on this day and celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

It is stated in the Vedas that one day before the Holikotsav a sacred fire was burnt and specific mantras to ward off evil were recited during the burning ritual. The fire was burnt with the objective to destroy the demonic forces.

Some texts also mention a different version of Holika Dahan. According the texts, the parched cereals and grains are collectively called 'Holka' in Sanskrit.

It is believed that the word Holi or Holika is derived from Holka or grains.

These parched grains were used to perform 'hawana' or sacred fire.

The sacred ash obtained from this fire ritual was known as the Bhumi Hari. This ash was smeared on the forehead of the person participating in the ritual to keep away evil spirits. Till date, this ritual of offering food grains to the bonfire is followed.

The preparations of Holika Dahan start 40 days before the festival. People gather twigs, logs, dry leaves etc.

Then on the night of Phalgun Purnima, the bonfire is set alight amidst chanting of the Rakshogana mantras which help to ward off evil spirits. Next morning the ashes of the fire are collected and smeared on the body before taking a bath.

The burning of Holika signifies the triumph of good over evil and that the bad forces around you can never win if you have a strong will. Holika represents the negative forces which get burnt against the strong will of human which is denoted by Prahlad.

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 8, 2020

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

Y

ou know Phagwah is around the corner when you see brightly coloured powders for sale but nothing puts you in the mood better than hearing the distinctive voice of Bollywood legend Amithab Bachan singing “Rang barse bheege chunar wali, rang barse”.

The song from the movie Silsila is synonymous with Phagwah celebrations in Guyana and even further afield. Basically translating to “colours are showering,” rang barse is perhaps the most well-known phagwah song among Guyanese despite their ethnic or religious background.

Phagwah is a community’s exuberant expression of joy to welcome the warmth of spring. In a reflection of nature’s abun-

dance, Hindus celebrate with bursts of colour, camaraderie and shared abandon. It begins on Purnima, full moon day, in the Hindu month of Phalguna (February/March) and lasts for as long as 16 days.

On the day of Holi, people celebrate by playing, dancing and running in the streets. Water pistols are filled with coloured water and squirted on family, friends and strangers alike. Dye powders and water balloons are a big part of the play. The wise wear old clothes, usually white, in anticipation of the mess! Virtually anything goes.

Etiquette on Holi requires that one accept all overtures with an open heart, burying grievances to begin relationships afresh. People of all walks of life mingle and greet, applying vermilion on each other’s foreheads in an uninhibited exchange of goodwill.

Love, positive values and goodness are celebrated on Holi. Their triumphs over divisiveness and negative forces have been reinforced in legends, such as that of Holika and her brother Prahlad. The famous king Hiranyakashipu had earned a boon that made him virtually indestructible.

Blinded by this power, he thought he was God, the only being worthy of worship. His young son Prahlad was devoted to Lord Vishnu and refused to obey his father.

Infuriated, the king devised the cruellest punishments. In one attempt, Prahlad’s evil aunt Holika, who possessed the power to withstand fire, tricked him into climbing a burning pyre with her. Prahlad’s love for true Divinity protected him from the flames. Holika burned while Prahlad lived.

The bonfire of Holi is symbolic of this victory of good over evil.

Coinciding with the advent of spring, the festival symbolises growth and fertility of the land for many Indians. Some Jains and Sikhs also partake in the festivities. The vibrant pigments used were traditionally made of ground vermillion, turmeric and neem, but synthetic pigments are common now.

Legend has it that Krishna noticed one day how much lighter Radha’s complexion was than His own. His mother playfully suggested that He smear Radha’s cheeks with colour to make Her look like Him, which Krishna did. The strongwilled Radha gleefully retaliat-

ed, and merry chaos ensued.

Another legend has it that Krishna celebrated this festival with His friends and the gopis.

They danced and frolicked, filling the air with colour in a joyous welcome of spring.

In keeping with the essence of Phagwah, Guyanese across the spectrum take the time out to enjoy this festival. It is a time when the motto “One People One Nation One Destiny” is truly lived. Despite differences throughout the year, Phagwah day is one that would see Guyanese smearing each other with colours or dousing with water as they all celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

Evidence of the ability of Phagwah to break the ethnic barriers can be seen at the different melas, street corners and even in the homes. It is truly a Guyanese thing to see nonHindus preparing sweetmeats and having a ball of a time as Hindus would.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

Feature

MARCH 8, 2020

guyanatimesgy.com

#IWD2020 #EachforEqual

I

nternational Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2020 is, I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights. The theme is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere.

This year we will also be celebrating other major UN anniversaries, such as the 10th anniversary of the establishment of UN Women, among others.

The emerging global consensus is that despite some progress, real change has been agonizingly slow for the majority of women and girls in the world. Today, not a single country can claim to have achieved gender equality. Multiple obstacles remain unchanged in law and in culture.

Women and girls continue to be undervalued; they work more and earn less and have fewer choices; and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public spaces. Furthermore, there is a significant threat of rollback of hard-won feminist gains.

The year 2020 represents an unmissable opportunity to mobilize global action to achieve gender equality and human rights of all women and girls.

1909 The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on 28 February.

The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions.

1910 The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women's Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women's rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish Parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.

1911 As a result of the Copenhagen initiative, International Women's Day was marked for

the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded women's rights to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.

1913-1914 International Women's Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I. As part of the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists.

1917 Against the backdrop of the war, women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for "Bread and Peace" on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Four days later, the Czar abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.

1975 During International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day on 8 March.

1995 The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments, focused on 12 critical areas of concern, and envisioned a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.

2014 The 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW58) – the annual gathering of States to address critical issues related to gender equality and women’s rights — focused on “Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls”. UN entities and accredited NGOs from around the world took stock of progress and remaining challenges towards meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs have played an important role in galvanizing attention on and resources for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

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#IWD2020 #EachforEqual

Feature

I

nternational Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

The world has made unprecedented advances, but no country has achieved gender equality.

Fifty years ago, we landed on the moon; in the last decade, we discovered new human ancestors and photographed a black hole for the first time.

In the meantime, legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from accessing the same choice of jobs as men.

Less than 25 per cent of parliamentarians were women, as of 2019. One in three women experience gender-based violence, still.

Let’s make 2020 count for women and girls everywhere.

Change isn’t just about big headline moments, legal victories and international agreements: the way we talk, think, and act every day can create a ripple effect that benefits everyone.

How you can make an impact:

I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights

The theme of International Women’s Day 2020 is, I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights. The theme

is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere.

This year we will also be celebrating other major UN anniversaries, such as the 10th anniversary of the establishment of UN Women, among others.

The emerging global consensus is that despite some progress, real change has been agonizingly slow for the majority of women and girls in the world. Today, not a single country can claim to have achieved gender equality. Multiple ob-

stacles remain unchanged in law and in culture. Women and girls continue to be undervalued; they work more and earn less and have fewer choices; and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public spaces. Furthermore, there is a significant threat of rollback of hard-won feminist gains.

The year 2020 represents an unmissable opportunity to mobilize global action to achieve gender equality and human rights of all women and girls.

I Am Generation Equality

The Generation Equality campaign is bringing together people of every gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion and country, to drive actions that will create the gender-equal world we all deserve. Visit UN Women’s website for more information and multimedia content, and spread the message of gender equality by sharing to your social media accounts.

Equality through words

Given the key role of language in shaping cultural and social attitudes, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias. (unwomen.org)

A

giant portrait of Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg has been unveiled in West Yorkshire to mark International Women’s Day. The 60m (196ft) long artwork, on a playing field at Hebden Royd Primary School, West Yorkshire, has taken four days to create.

Pupils chose the 17-year-old as the woman who had most inspired them.

They also helped the creators, art collective Sand In Your Eye, put the finishing touches to the portrait.

Jamie Wardley, from the group, based in nearby Mytholmroyd, said: “Greta Thunberg has pioneered a global movement which is so relevant to the area.

“The Upper Calder Valley is prone to flood events, which some would argue have increased in frequency due to climate change.”

The work, A Girl Inspiring the World, is made of line marker paint, more commonly used on football pitches.

Commenting on the artwork, year six pupil Evie said: “We’ve chosen Greta because she stands up for what she believes.

“She is a big inspiration to me and she is not afraid to take action even if people do not agree with her.” (BBC)

The 60m (196ft) long artwork was unveiled earlier to mark International Women’s Day

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#IWD2020 #EachforEqual

I

t has been observed since the early 1900s and is now recognised each year on March 8. It is not affiliated with any one group, but brings together governments, women’s organisations, corporations and charities. The day is marked around the world with arts performances, talks, rallies, networking events, conferences and marches.

But how did the celebratory day begin – and when are women uniting against this year? Here is everything you need to know.

How did it start?

It’s difficult to say exactly when IWD (as it’s known) began. Its roots can be traced to 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding voting rights, better pay and shorter working hours.

A year later, the first National Woman’s Day was observed in the US on February 28, in accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.

In 1910, a woman called Clara Zetkin – leader of the ‘women’s office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany – tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. She suggested that every country should celebrate women on one day every year to push for their demands.

A conference of more than 100 women from 17 countries agreed to her suggestion and IWD was formed. In 1911, it was celebrated for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19.

In 1913, it was decided to transfer IWD to March 8, and it has been celebrated on that day ever since. The day was only recognised by the United Nations in 1975, but ever since it has created a theme each year for the celebration.

In 2011, former US President Barack Obama proclaimed March to be ‘Women’s History Month’.

Why do we still celebrate it?

Simply, because the original aim – to achieve full gender equality for women the world – has still not been realised. A gender pay gap persists across the globe and women are still not present in equal numbers in business or politics. Figures show that globally, women’s education, health and violence towards women is still worse than that of men.

According to the World Economic Forum, the gender gap won’t close until 2186. On IWD, women across the world come together to force the world to recognise these inequalities – while also celebrating the achievements of women who have overcome these barriers.

According to a 2017 report by the World Economic Forum,

it could still take another 100 years before the global equality gap between men and women disappears entirely.

In 2019, women effectively worked “for free” from November 14 until the end of the year because of the gender pay gap. Women are also paid less than half than men at some of Britain’s major companies, according to recent gender pay gap figures.

For the past couple of years, women’s rights have dominated the news, following a global reckoning on sexual misconduct rippling through industries. Following the outpouring of allegations against Harvey Weinstein and other prominent men in power (and Weinstein’s watershed trial), the #MeToo movement gave a voice to women on the abuse and harassment they suffer in film, fashion, music, politics and art.

There was a vocal, headline-grabbing fight for women’s rights in 2018, with female actresses donating money and wearing black at awards ceremonies in support of #TimesUp and BBC journalist Carrie Gracie publicly resigning as China editor over unequal pay.

Last year, the pursuit continued, with members of the Democratic party in the US wearing white at Donald Trump’s State of the Nation address. Plus, many donned red robes to imitate the dress of The Handmaid’s Tale, to protest the state of Alabama bringing in the strictest abortion laws in the US. With gender parity still an apparent 167 years away,

many are hoping the trajectory surrounding women’s rights climbs as the year continues.

What is this year’s theme?

The theme for IWD 2020 is #EachforEqual, recognising all of the actions we can take as individuals to challenge stereotypes, fight prejudice and celebrate women’s achievements.

The year 2020 is an important one for gender equality.

It is the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most advanced blueprint for achieving gender equality in the world. It also marks 10 years since the establishment of UN Women, and the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.

Last year, the theme was #BalanceForBetter, which aimed to encourage gender balance in boardrooms, in the media and in wealth as a way for economies to thrive. It echoed the aims of the Telegraph’s Women Mean Business campaign - which launched on IWD 2018 to help close the funding gap for female entrepreneurs in Britain. (The Telegraph)

Poem

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Sunday Times Magazine 7

#IWD2020 #EachforEqual

Feature

By Marlee Silva for ABC News

I

nternational Women’s Day was a rather foreign event on the calendar during my high school years of the early 2010s.

In fact, the only time I’d hear it mentioned was when my pubescent, male peers would make sexist jokes about us females belonging in the kitchen, or whine in the playground about the lack of an international men’s day.

I had a relatively progressive friend group at the time, but none of us ever seemed to think the annual event had much weight or meaning for us — the average teenage girls of Sydney’s suburbia — even despite our impassioned discussions about the gender wage gap at sleepovers.

Fast-forward to 2020, I’m now someone whose everyday life is focused on raising the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females through my podcast and social media initiative @tiddas4tiddas.

I’ve completed my honours study in the misrepresentation of our Indigenous women on screen, and have dedicated myself to improving the experiences and visibility of our women.

It’s safe to say a huge amount of my time is focused on thinking about woman-ness and driving action toward equality.

But International Women’s Day remains something I don’t particularly look forward to.

This time, it’s different That’s not to say there’s necessarily negative feelings that come with the day for me. I just don’t know whether it’s really something for me to participate in as a Gamilaroi and Dunghutti girl, whose tiddas (sisters) are facing a ceiling made of concrete, not glass.

Marlee Silva is a Gamilaroi/Dunghutti writer, podcast host and co-founder of Tiddas 4 Tiddas.

If you visit the International Women’s Day (IWD) official website, you’ll be greeted with plenty of photos of black and brown women on the home page posing with one arm over the other, making an equal sign, reflecting this year’s theme: #eachforequal.

Sure, it looks lovely and diverse and open armed for all,

When non-white female voices are heard and the rest of the world understand the unique challenges faced by them, they can have energy and resources directed at them.

but I can’t escape the inherent feeling of whiteness that comes with this day.

When you consider its history as a concept that emerged in the early 1900s alongside the suffragettes and other women’s movements across Europe and America — which were conducted by primarily white, wealthy women — that makes total sense, too.

Much like traditional feminist ideology, developed by white women seeking a reclaim of power for them to be equal to the white man, the story of this day does not include non-white contexts, perspectives or needs.

But despite my indifference to this annual day of female recognition and focus, 2020 has already shown me that this time it is different.

I got to kick off my IWD campaign with an event ex- Marlee Silva kicked off her IWD campaign with We Are The Mainstream, an event exclusively

Marlee Silva (left) has dedicated herself to improving the experiences and visibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

held for and run by women of colour.

clusively held for and run by women of colour held in Western Sydney.

It was called We Are The Mainstream, and there, surrounded by females and nonbinary brown and black folk from so many different communities and worlds sharing their stories and experiences when they’ve otherwise not had the chance, I found the potential for the power of this global day.

What does #eachforequity mean for us?

When non-white female voices are heard and the rest of the world understands the extra hurdles and unique challenges faced by them, they can have energy and resources directed at them to be addressed first.

In an ideal world, this will bring us closer to equality within our gender, making us

stronger and more united before we tackle the larger barrier of the gap between us and our binary opposites, males.

There’s no singular female experience or one way “to be a woman”, but our differences and what we can learn from each other can be our greatest strengths.

I am also set to participate in a series of International Women’s Day events and speaking engagements this March, in majority-white spaces — and for this, I have an infiltration plan I encourage others to follow.

I’m so privileged to be asked to enter the rooms I do, quite often as one of very few women of colour, where I am able to speak my truth, celebrate and champion the stories of the women I share on my platform every day and call attention to the elephants in the room.

So this International Women’s Day, wherever I get the chance, I will be challenging every room I address to consider not what #eachforequal means to them, but what #eachforequity means for us.

Intersectionality is non-negotiable in 2020. It’s vital that all of us understand our individual privilege in our class and race and, in turn, what our responsibilities are in making room for others, leaving open the doors we break down and generally dismantling all the inequalities that exist between us females.

So, here’s to a near future when a truly “each for equal” may exist for all, in board rooms, parliaments and all power structures across the world.

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Sunday Times Magazine

9

Health

D

ermatomyositis (dur-muh-toe-my-uh-SY-tis) is an uncommon inflammatory disease marked by muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash.

The condition can affect adults and children. In adults, dermatomyositis usually occurs from the late 40s to early 60s. In children, it most often appears between 5 and 15 years of age. Dermatomyositis affects more females than males.

There's no cure for dermatomyositis, but periods of symptom improvement (remission) can occur. Treatment can clear the skin rash and help you regain muscle strength and function.

Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of dermatomyositis include: • Skin changes. A violet-colored or dusky red rash develops, most commonly on your face and eyelids and on knuckles, elbows, knees, chest and back. The rash, which can be itchy and painful, is often the first sign of dermatomyositis.

• Muscle weakness. Progressive muscle weakness involves the muscles closest to the trunk, such as those in your hips, thighs, shoulders, upper arms and neck. The weakness affects both the left and right sides of your body, and tends to gradually worsen.

When to see a doctor

Seek medical attention if you develop muscle weakness or an unexplained rash.

Diagnosis

If your doctor suspects you have dermatomyositis, he or she might suggest some of the following tests: • Blood analysis. A blood test will let your doctor know if you have elevated levels of muscle enzymes, such as creatine kinase (CK) and aldolase. Increased CK and aldolase levels can indicate muscle damage. A blood test can also detect autoantibodies associated with different symptoms of dermatomyositis, which can help in determining the best medication and treatment.

• Chest X-ray. This simple test can check for signs of the type of lung damage that sometimes occurs with dermatomyositis.

• Electromyography. A doctor with specialized training inserts a thin needle electrode through the skin into the muscle to be tested. Electrical activity is measured as you relax or tighten the muscle, and changes in the pattern of electrical activity can confirm a muscle disease. The doctor can determine which muscles are affected.

• MRI. A scanner creates cross-sectional images of your muscles from data generated by a powerful magnetic field and radio waves. Unlike a muscle biopsy, an MRI can assess inflammation over a large area of muscle.

• Skin or muscle biopsy. A small piece of skin or muscle is removed for laboratory analysis. A skin sample can help confirm the diagnosis of dermatomyositis. A muscle biopsy might reveal inflammation in your muscles or other problems, such as damage or infection. If the skin biopsy confirms the diagnosis, a muscle biopsy might not be necessary.

Treatment

There's no cure for dermatomyositis, but treatment can improve your skin and your muscle strength and function. The earlier treatment is started in the course of dermatomyositis, the more effective it is.

Medications

Causes

The cause of dermatomyositis is unknown, but the disease has much in common with autoimmune disorders, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body tissues.

Small blood vessels in muscular tissue are particularly affected in dermatomyositis.

Inflammatory cells surround the blood vessels and eventually lead to destruction of muscle fibers.

Complications

Possible complications of dermatomyositis include: • Difficulty swallowing. If the muscles in your esophagus are affected, you can have problems swallowing (dysphagia), which can cause weight loss and malnutrition.

• Aspiration pneumonia. Difficulty swallowing can also cause you to breathe food or liquids, including saliva, into your lungs (aspiration).

• Breathing problems. If the condition affects your chest muscles, you might have breathing problems, such as shortness of breath.

• Calcium deposits. These can occur in your muscles, skin and connective tissues (calcinosis) as the disease progresses. These deposits are more common in children with dermatomyositis and develop earlier in the course of the disease.

Associated conditions

Dermatomyositis may cause other conditions or put you at higher risk of developing them, including: • Raynaud's phenomenon. This condition causes your fingers, toes, cheeks, nose and ears to turn pale when exposed to cold temperatures.

• Other connective tissue diseases. Other conditions, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome, can occur with dermatomyositis (overlap syndromes).

• Cardiovascular disease. Dermatomyositis can cause heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis). In a small number of people who have dermatomyositis, congestive heart failure and heart arrhythmias develop.

• Lung disease. Interstitial lung disease can occur with dermatomyositis. Interstitial lung disease refers to a group of disorders that cause scarring (fibrosis) of lung tissue, making the lungs stiff and inelastic. Signs and symptoms include a dry cough and shortness of breath.

• Cancer. Dermatomyositis in adults has been linked to an increased likelihood of developing cancer, particularly of the cervix, lungs, pancreas, breasts, ovaries and gastrointestinal tract. Risk of cancer increases with age, although it appears to level off three years or so after a diagnosis of dermatomyositis. Dermatomyositis can also develop after you receive a diagnosis of cancer.

Medications used to treat dermatomyositis include: • Corticosteroids. Drugs such as prednisone can control dermatomyositis symptoms quickly. But prolonged use can have serious side effects. So your doctor, after prescribing a relatively high dose to control your symptoms, might gradually reduce as your symptoms improve.

• Corticosteroid-sparing agents. When used with a corticosteroid, these drugs can decrease the dose and side effects of the corticosteroid. The two most common medications for dermatomyositis are azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran) and methotrexate (Trexall).

• Rituximab (Rituxan). More commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, rituximab is an option if initial therapies don't adequately control your symptoms.

• Antimalarial medications. For a persistent rash, your doctor might prescribe an antimalarial medication, such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil).

• Sunscreens. Protecting your skin from sun exposure by applying sunscreen and wearing protective clothing and hats is important for managing the rash of dermatomyositis.

Therapy

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor might suggest: • Physical therapy. A physical therapist can show you exercises to help maintain and improve your strength and flexibility and advise you about an appropriate level of activity.

• Speech therapy. If your swallowing muscles are affected, speech therapy can help you learn how to compensate for those changes.

• Dietetic assessment. Later in the course of dermatomyositis, chewing and swallowing can become more difficult. A registered dietitian can teach you how to prepare easy-toeat foods.

Surgical and other procedures

• Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). IVIg is a purified blood product that contains healthy antibodies from thousands of blood donors. These antibodies can block the damaging antibodies that attack muscle and skin in dermatomyositis. Given as an infusion through a vein, IVIg treatments are expensive and might need to be repeated regularly for the effects to continue.

• Surgery. Surgery might be an option to remove painful calcium deposits and prevent recurrent skin infections.

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Feature

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DOS AND DON’TS WHEN TAKING YOUR PET TO A VETERINARY CLINIC

N

ow that you have chosen your Vet (see last week’s column), I dare say you will want to continue and nurture the relationship. There are several ways to compromise or even break up such a budding friendship (yes, friendship). You are more than just a client; you and your companion animal have, from the first visit, become part of a Clinic family. It is quite amazing how that little tyke can cement an emerging bond between your Vet and yourself. Both you and your Vet want what’s best for your patient.

Having offered those opening remarks, let me make some general statements:

The visit to your veterinarian should be a pleasant experience – notwithstanding the fact that your beloved pet may be unwell, even critically ill. The scenario should not be one of confrontation. You have brought your pet to the Vet because you have confidence in him or her. In other words, your distraught and even panic should dissipate as you enter the Clinic. Under no circumstances should you allow your anxiety to change you into an ogre, which makes you push past other clients, banging on the door of the treatment room/surgery, insisting that “FIDO” is dying and must be seen before all others. That is not a good beginning!

And then there is the barking frenzy that may develop especially between two male patients and the Vet’s own dog who believes he should protect his “territory”.

In my case, our own “Patrick”, a Pom-Pek-Dachs (in other words, a cute mongrel) used to give the symbolic bark to intimate his presence to all invaders of his yard. Then he would go to the back-steps and continue what he did best, namely sleep. In the waiting area, the caterwauling (that should be dogerwauling) may, of course, continue between two or even three combatants. And just as the dogs won’t back down, so too do their owners often become assertive (and even aggressive) towards each other. Bad scene! One (the more sensible) should take his/her barking dog away from the fray. The excitement engendered by the confrontation may make the diagnosis later more difficult. For one thing, the body temperature and blood pressure will rise, and the Vet will not be sure if a fever and/or high blood pressure readings and an increased pulse rate are consequences of the excitement or are due

to an underlying ailment.

Then there is the defecation. It might be good idea to take your dog for a walk before it takes the ride to the Vet Clinic. Or, for that matter, after it has arrived at the Clinic. During the short walk, the dog is almost sure to relieve itself. (I’m not going to get into a debate as to whether you should follow the dog with a pooper-scooper, though it is a good idea). I think Vets (and other clients) just don’t like to see the dog pooping in the general area where the other animals are waiting.

Under this rubric should be placed the discussion pertaining to the unrestrained/destructive dog. (Actually this may be a reflection of anti-social behaviour). Some owners, on arrival at the Clinic, may decide to let “FIDO” run around the place freely, urinating on the flowers, digging up the kitchen garden and so on. Not a good idea!

Keep “FIDO” on a leash.

In truth, all of the above really does not bother me too much. The one thing that makes me shudder, even

after 51 years in the business, is when I see a cat being brought to the Clinic in its owner’s arms. I have visions (born of several actual experiences) of the calm and purring “FELIX” becoming an uncontrollable monster at its first perception of intimidation. It is truly not easy to pacify (and hold on to) a cat that begins to snarl, scratch and bite. So, off goes “FELIX” into the unknown beyond – with the entire Clinic (Vet, Vet’s wife and children, neighbours, other waiting clients) in chase. Notice I have omitted to mention the owner. He/she remains transfixed in fear, surprise and awe at this unbelievable development.

Confusion follows. And sadness. Rarely do we recover the cat, and guilt feelings and blame begin.

The moral of this story is that a cat must be transported in a sturdy box or cage (“Pet-Taxi”), if for no other reason than to placate your Veterinarian. Also, dogs should be on secure leashes. If you need a “carry-cage”, after you have arrived, please borrow one from the Vet’s Clinic And lastly, for today anyway, a piece of good advice to pet owners visiting Vet Clinics. If you know that you can’t stand the sight of a needle or blood or Clinic smells, please let someone of a sturdier constitution accompany you. I remember a professor telling us students (this seems jurassically long ago) that later, as Vets, we must always firstly “treat” the owners, before dealing with the patients. Well, he never mentioned actual “treatment” of clients who collapse in the Clinic during the treatment of the sick animal. Let me share this experience with you to better demonstrate the message. Some years ago, when I was practising in Germany, a 300 pound gentleman came in with his equally massive Great Dane. As I was filling up the syringe, I noticed from corner of my eye some sweat beads developing on his massive Germanic brow. I asked him if everything was O.K. He guffawed and explained that he was a butcher by trade and waded knee-deep in blood every day. As the needle touched the dog’s vein, a “Braddap” shook the Clinic when the ten-tone Teuton tumbled to the tiles. Can you imagine 120-pound me (in those days) with a Great Dane on the table and a bazodee butcher under the table? What I did is another story.

The moral here, however, is if you know that Clinics make you queasy, carry a companion with the pet to the Vet. Next week, more dos and don’ts pertaining to your visit to the Vet’s Clinic.

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12 Sunday Times Magazine

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Puzzles

ACROSS 98 Groovy 1 Meadow rodent 100 Constantly, to Poe 5 Eyed amorously 101 Tall flower 10 Let up 106 Give a ticket 16 Almond confection 108 Burned and looted 21 Ominous sign 110 Attacks on a castle 22 Corn-chip name 112 Sheriff Andy's son 23 Of yore 113 Dreaded assignment 24 Spanish hero 115 Like many a train

(2 words.)

116 Competed for 25 Monogram pt.

117 Regretful 26 Sell stolen goods 118 Fellow 27 Longs for 120 Bruce -- of film 28 Jangle 122 Boat's trail 29 Undressed 123 Growl at, perhaps 31 Winnebagos et al.

124 Fired up the hibachi 33 Ballet attire 128 -- -roaring 35 2001, to Livy 129 Annapolis grad 36 Ms. Verdugo 130 Kind of rack 37 "-- -- Her Standing There" 131 Ate for dinner 40 Capone foe 132 "-- kleine Nachtmusik" 41 Reach across 133 Kind of grin 42 Truck mfr.

135 Joule fractions 45 Eur. airline 137 Olympic site 46 Semi front 139 Soyuz destination 48 Sweet-talk 140 To date (2 wds.)

50 Raising a ruckus 142 Multipurpose truck 52 Pest in a nest 144 Buffalo-hunting people 54 Mislay 148 Danish toast 55 QB -- Kramer 150 It often splits 57 Dawn to dusk 153 Move a fern 58 Dolphin habitat 155 Agree with 59 Floats like a cork 156 Phone response 60 Slide downhill 157 Thicker, as fog 62 Cheerful 158 Cherry center 66 Phony 159 Blissful spot 67 Circus performers 160 Skilled 69 Go over again 161 Made catty remarks 71 Hold sway 162 Not long-winded 72 Bug off! (3 wds.)

163 For fear that 74 -- Maria

76 Hipbone part DOWN 78 Colossal 1 Yawning fissure 79 Game-show prize 2 Former science magazine 80 Manner 3 Aloha tokens 83 Usher's job 4 -- nous 85 Forum attire 5 Way-out 88 Madrid art gallery 6 Salad ingredients 89 Youngsters 7 Darnell or Ronstadt 90 Burma capital 8 Handy abbr.

93 Bat swingers 9 Active sort 95 Boarding school 10 Vast chasm 97 U.N. member 11 Ta-ta!

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- RAGGEDLY (RAGGEDLY: RAG-ed-lee: In an irregular or uneven way.)

Average mark 40 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 61 or more words in RAGGEDLY? TODAY'S WORD -- RAGGEDLY rage ragged raggedy rale rayed read ready real regal relay rely aery aged ager alder argyle

gage gale gargle gayer gear geld glad glade glare glary gley grade gray grey gyre earl

early edgy dagger dale dare deal dear dearly delay drag draggle draggy dray dreg dyer lade

lady lager lagged lagger lard large layer lead leggy lyre yard yare year

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.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 30 32 34 38 39 41 42 43 44 46 47 49 51 53 54 56 59 61 63

Khan of note Grounds for a suit Boredom "-- Rides Again" Chest muscles Totality Garlicky shrimp dish "Oz" role (2 wds.)

Border Merlin -- of the NFL Intuition Pre-owned Floor More than bad Foxier Seance invitee Gourmet coffee Spooky noise Gauzy trap Part of PGA North Sea platform Drink like Rover Luggage attachment Scope it out Tip over Brief upturn Lectern's place Cube inventor

64 65 67 68 69 70 73 75 77 81 82 84 85 86 87 91 92 93 94 95 96 99 102 103 104 105 107 109

Kevin of "Dave" Safe experts?

T'ai -- ch'uan Buckled down Vikings, often Rightful Fiery felony Up in arms Salt's pal Prefix for gram Choice word Violent storm Temporary peace Camel's pit stop No-see-ums Not 'neath Picture holder Not as bland Harem possessors Implored "Kidnapped" monogram Warty critter Curved molding Ms. Winfrey About that time Entered data Flying predator Hair-raising

111 114 117 119 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 130 134 136 137 138 140 141 143 145 146 147 149 151 152 154

"Terrible" tsar Mongkut portrayer Arrangement Somber evergreens Radio's PBS Into the sunset Dugong cousin Obi wearer Exposed to danger Boot part Wood nymphs Leggy waders Gulf nation Museum employee Steam or mist Canvas support Oodles (2 wds.)

Braxton or Tennille While beginning Go to earth Ben Jonson works Thrilled Bavarian peak Sixth sense Pollen spreader Summer in Savoie SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 13

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MARCH 8, 2020

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oogle is canceling its I/O developer event this year, amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Google I/O was due to take place between May 12th to 14th this year, and the cancellation comes just days after Google scrapped its Cloud Next event in San Francisco in favor of a “digital-first” event.

“Due to concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in accordance with health guidance from the CDC, WHO, and other health authorities, we have decided to cancel the physical Google I/O event at Shoreline Amphitheatre,” explains a Google spokesperson in a statement to The Verge.

Google typically uses I/O as its biggest news event of the year to introduce new changes to Android, Google-powered hardware, and even updates to services like Google Maps.

Google says it’s now exploring “other ways to evolve Google I/O to best connect with and continue to build our developer community.”

Google says attendees will be refunded in full by March 13th, and those who purchased tickets for this year’s event will be automatically granted the option of buying a Google I/O 2021 ticket.

Google’s cancelation of I/O is the latest in a line of tech events to be scrapped due to coronavirus concerns. Mobile World Congress was canceled last month, followed by Facebook’s F8 developer conference, the Game Developer Conference, and lots more. (The Verge)

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witter is updating its Android app this week to support up to five lists as alternative timelines in the main home section of the app. You can use these lists to quickly swipe between different groups of accounts that you’ve organized into a Twitter list.

It’s a far more convenient way to access lists which were previously buried inside the menu system.

This new lists support was added to Twitter for iOS six months ago, so it’s taken a surprising amount of time to arrive on Android. Twitter lists are ideal for accounts you might not want to follow on the service, or just as a way to curate a list of popular accounts for particular topics. TweetDeck, the column-based interface for Twitter, has prioritized lists for years, and now both the mobile Twitter apps will display these lists as vertical timelines that are easy to access.

Twitter’s latest Android updates follow the addition of threaded replies on iOS, which improves how standard tweets and replies are differentiated in the app. The updated app now draws a clear line between a parent tweet and the replies.

Twitter is rolled out the new lists support in Android on Wednesday, and you can grab the latest update over at the Google Play Store. (The Verge)

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icrosoft is “exploring” a new Windows 10 Start menu design that will see the company de-emphasize its Live Tiles. The potential changes were revealed in a Windows Insider podcast on Wednesday and are designed to “visually differentiate the Start menu from something that’s chaotic color to something that’s more uniform.” Microsoft is looking at reducing the color of the blocks of the tiled interface on the Start menu to simplify it and make it easier to scan for apps.

The software maker has been using Live Tiles on the Start menu in Windows 10 ever since it launched nearly five years ago, providing animated and flipping icons that were similar to Windows Phone. Microsoft has already dropped Live Tiles from its Windows 10X Start menu for dual screens, but the company claims the colorful tiled interface isn’t going away in the main desktop OS despite this new design direction.

“Live Tiles are not going away, we have not announced anything of the sort,” says Brandon LeBlanc, a senior program manager on the Windows Insider team. “Those that enjoy their Live Tiles will continue to be able to do so.”

Despite these reassurances, it certainly looks like Live Tiles will be scrapped fully at some point in the future. Not all of Microsoft’s built-in Windows 10 apps support them, and developer support hasn’t been strong either. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that a final decision on Live Tiles in Windows 10 hasn’t been made yet despite rumors, and that the feedback from the change in Windows 10X will determine their future.

The new Windows 10X Start menu looks very different to the existing menu found in the desktop version of Windows 10. It includes apps you can pin in place and a list of recent documents, and looks like more of a task launcher than what exists right now. Windows 10’s Start menu design has come into focus recently after Microsoft started rolling out colorful new Windows 10 icons. The new icons clash a little with the colorful background of the Start menu tiles, and this small design update is clearly aimed at resolving that. (The Verge)

Sunday Times Magazine 13

acebook is opening up about the behind-thescenes tools it uses to combat fake account creation on its platforms, and the company says it has a new artificial intelligencepowered method known as Deep Entity Classification (DEC) that’s proved especially effective.

DEC is a machine learning model that doesn’t just take into account the activity of the suspect account, but it also evaluates all of the surrounding information, including the behaviors of the accounts and pages the suspect account interacts with. Facebook says it’s reduced the estimated volume of spam and scam accounts by 27 percent.

So far, DEC has helped Facebook thwart more than 6.5 billion fake accounts that scammers and other malicious actors created or tried to create last year. A vast majority of those accounts are actually caught in the account creation process, and even those that do get through tend to get discovered by Facebook’s automated systems before they are ever reported by a real user.

Still, Facebook estimates that around 5 percent of all 2.89 billion monthly active users currently on the platform are fake accounts belonging to what Facebook considers violators of its terms of service. That typically means scammers, spammers, and people attempting to phish vulnerable users or use other methods of securing sensitive personal information for some sort of financial or identity theft scheme.

That’s where DEC comes in. It takes a sophisticated and holistic approach to analyzing user behavior that takes in around 20,000 features per profile; for instance, it’ll take into account the friending activity of an account the suspicious and potentially fake account sent a friend request to, and not just the suspicious account itself. The goal is to combat the ways malicious actors replicate genuine behavior. Over time, Facebook says the savvy spammers will get better and better at pretending to be real users, at least in the way Facebook’s automated systems view one. DEC is supposed to take advantage of that by looking deeper into how the accounts that account interacts with behave on the platform, too.

This will be vitally important to Facebook as the 2020 US presidential election approaches. Promoting spam and trying to scam users are just one facet of the fake account problem on Facebook. The company has already acknowledged foreign operations from Iran, Russia, and elsewhere dedicated to using social platforms to influence news narratives, voting behavior, and other integral election matters. And those operations are getting more sophisticated as time goes on.

Last year, Facebook and Twitter shut down a sprawling network of fake accounts pushing pro-Trump messaging that used AI tools to generate real-looking profile photos.

These weren’t scraped photos, but generated ones using neural networks, making them harder to flag as fake. It’s these kinds of methods that will keep Facebook hard at work trying to stay one step ahead, and the company is acknowledging that its DEC approach will need to be continually reworked to ensure that it can remain effective against the spammers’ ever-changing strategies. (The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 8, 2020

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Bollywood/Hollywood

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eena Gupta, who is a single mother to designer Masaba Gupta, has said she realised much later that she was never a single mother as her father came on board to join her in raising her daughter.

The actor claims that it was her love for her child that kept her going despite facing several hardships in life.

Talking about how things changed when her father came to support her in raising Masaba, she told Pinkvilla in an interview, “I was never a single mother. I was a single mother for maybe two years, then my dad came. He left everything and stayed with me. He looked after my household, me, my daughter. He was my man.

He was the man in my life.

God always compensates. I didn’t have a husband so he game my dad. My mom had died long time ago. And also I had no man in my life who was living with me so it was easy for him to live with me.”

She also revealed how she wished sometimes of having a normal family. “I had to lose a lot of things

while we were together, I had no time to go to a parlour, watch a movie or do womanly things,” she said.

Talking about bringing up a child out of wedlock, Neena said, “The difficult part is not making a choice of having Masaba. The difficult part is to accept what you have chosen and stand by it.” “A lot of people told me at that time - we will marry you so that your child gets a name. I said “what the f***. What name? I can earn and look after my daughter,” she said.

Neena had shared a video message on Tuesday in which she advised her female fans to never fall in love with a married man.

After talking about how women fall for married man but are forced to leave when they refuse to divorce their wives, she said, “Do not get involved in all this, do not fall in love with a married man. I have done this before, I have suffered. That’s why I am telling my friends, you all, try not to do it.”

Neena was recently seen in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan as the mother of a gay man. The film also starred her Badhaai Ho costars Ayushmann Khurrana and Gajraj Rao. She also saw the release of her short film Pinni, which is among seven short films in Zindagi inShort, a Flipkart Video original. (Hindustan Times)

ctor Sidharth Malhotra has announced his next project, a Hindi remake of Tamil hit, Thadam.

The actor took to Instagram to make the announcement and shared a picture as well.

He wrote: “Double trouble!

Excited to be a part of this ultimate entertaining thriller, in association with @bhushankumar, @muradkhetani and @v__________k. See you at the movies on 20th November, 2020 @tseriesfilms @cine1studios @tseries.official.” In a picture with the post, Sidharth can be seen posing with T Series’ Bhushan Kumar and producer Murad Khetani. The film will release in November 2020.

The film is a remake of Tamil hit Thadam and the actor will be seen in a double role.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh confirmed the news though the social media posts by Sidharth, producers Bhushan Kumar and Murad Khetani make no mention of it.

Sidharth is currently working on his film, Shershaah, which will feature him as Captain Vikram Batra of the Indian Army who was martyred during the 1999 Kargil War. The actor will be seen in a double role, playing both late Vikram Batra and his brother Vishal Batra.

“This is my first biopic and I am super excited for it. He has a brother but the film is predominately about Captain Vikram. We are planning how to cleverly deal with it (double roles). He impacted so many people in the Army. I won’t say he is a personality that everybody knows but I felt it was a story that needed to be told. I found his story fascinating,” the actor had told PTI. Thadam was a romantic action thriller, which starred Arun Vijay in the lead role. The film is centered around the mysterious murder of a man; police investigation leads them to a man, seen as the prime suspect. Matters get complicated after it is discovered that the man has a lookalike. (Hindustan Times)

Nicki Minaj might be saying yikes.

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ajol has refuted rumours of a rift with Saif Ali Khan over his comments that Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior was not an accurate depiction of history but populist. In an interview with Zoom on the sidelines of the screening of her short film Devi on Monday, she said that she was “not at all” upset with him.

“No, not at all! I think he has got a great sense of humour and he just talks and talks and talks. You are supposed to pick and choose what you want to hear out of that,” Kajol laughed.

While Kajol’s husband Ajay Devgn played the titular role in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, she was seen as his wife Savitribai Malusare. Saif essayed the antagonist, Udaybhan Rathod.

Earlier on Monday, Ajay was asked at the trailer launch of Sooryavanshi if he was upset with Saif. “Bohot naaraaz tha. Uske ghar gaya, usko maine bohot maara. Taangein tod di uski, aaj kal chal bhi nahi paa raha hai (I was very upset. I went to his house and beat him up. I broke his legs and he is not even able to walk nowadays),” he replied, sending the crowd into peals of laughter.

“Yeh sab jo khabarein aapko milti hai, pata nahi kahaan se milti hai! Iske baare mein main kya kahoon? Aisa kuch nahi hai (I don’t know where you get such news from! How do I even react to such reports? There is nothing like that),” he added.

Saif, in an earlier interview, expressed concern about the altered political narrative of films like Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. “I would really like to a part of a film industry that would take a stand that wouldn’t make mass kind of films like that. Films that would rather say ‘hey this is what history is’ rather than mould it to certain kind of belief,” he had said, adding that it was a dangerous trend. (Hindustan Times)

he rapper’s husband, Kenneth Petty, was placed in federal custody for failing to register as a sex offender, TMZ reported on Wednesday. The outlet reported that he turned himself in.

His legal troubles began after he was pulled over by the Beverly Hills Police Department in November. He was arrested and his bail was set at $20,000, per Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records obtained by Page Six. He was ordered at the time to register as a sex offender in California, TMZ reported, as he was already registered in New York State. Clearly, he failed to make the change.

Petty, 41, was convicted for the attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl.

“He was 15, she was 16 … in a relationship,” Minaj said in his defense in December 2018. “But go awf, internet, y’all can’t run my life. y’all can’t even run y’all own life.”

Minaj, 36, and Petty tied the knot in October 2019, just months before her brother Jelani Maraj was sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars for repeatedly raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter.

Still, the “Super Bass” singer seems to be in good spirits as she recently sparked pregnancy rumors after posting a video with Petty rubbing her belly.

A representative for Minaj did not immediately get back to us. (Page Six)

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MARCH ,8 2020

Sunday Times Magazine 15

Feature

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 8, 2020

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES

A secretive approach (March 21- to your plans will help you April 19) avoid unnecessary interference. Don’t let emotional issues cause uncertainty or push you in a direction you don’t want to pursue.

Discuss plans with someTAURUS one affected by the choices (April 20- you make. A romantic gesMay 20) ture will bring you closer to a loved one. Consider a move that will free up cash.

Don’t count on anything GEMINI or anyone. Take control of (MAY 28- any situation you are inJune 20) volved in to avoid a negative outcome. Safeguard your reputation; someone will try to make you look bad.

Make a statement and impress the people around you (June 21- with your concern, affection July 22) and desire to make the world a better place. Romance is in the stars.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Dilbert

Get moving and be on the lookout for exciting people, places and things to do. A trip or social event will offer unique possibilities, as long as you don’t overspend.

Get your priorities straight. You can accomplish a lot if you are organized.

The quicker you take care of responsibilities, the more time you will have for fun and games.

If you use your ingenuLIBRA ity, creative ideas will unfold.

(Sept. 23Adapt your plans to suit curOct. 23) rent economic trends. Attend a trade show or conference that will offer connections and insight.

Peanuts

SCORPIO Do what comes naturally.

(Oct. 24- Follow your heart and head Nov. 22) down the path that feels comfortable. Market what you have to offer. Romance is in the stars.

You’ll get the wrong imSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23- pression about the cost of Dec. 21) something you want to do or buy. Don’t avoid a situation, or things will escalate into an argument. Honesty is the best policy.

Play to win. Get involved CAPRICORN in activities that stimulate (Dec. 22- your mind, body and soul. A Jan. 19) change in a meaningful relationship looks promising.

Romance will enhance your life and prospects.

Calvin and Hobbes

Be up-front about your AQUARIUS past. If you have nothing to (Jan. 20- hide, it will be easier to figFeb. 19) ure out where you stand.

Think matters through and do what’s right. A change will boost your morale.

PISCES If you offer help, you will (Feb. 20- get help in return. A personMar. 20) al change will improve your life and a relationship with someone special. A financial gain is heading your way.

Romance is encouraged.