Guyana Times Tuesday March 3, 2020

Observer missions report P8 high voter turnout Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4214

THE BEACON OF TRUTH TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

PRICE

Elections 2020

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Returning Officers to have final results by midday today – GECOM CEO ...Guyanese flood polling places to express constitutional right

…unrest at Good Intent, Mon Repos hours before close of polls on pages …voting on ECD marred by party colour woes See3, stories 9, 10 & centre …rule applies to emblems, not party colours – GECOM

First-time youth voters turn out to have voices heard

Family feud lands 4 P2 women in hospital with stab wounds

Labourer knifed to death after card game

P7

Teen killed after defending P15 mom from cutlass, knifewielding relative

Page 9

OAS flays GECOM over failure to implement elections recommendations See story on page 7

…says delayed results court mistrust, provide fertile ground for conspiracy theories

Voters affected by limited ferry services on P5 E-Day

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

General and Regional Elections

Political leaders cast ballots PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali with his wife, Arya Ali after casting their votes

M

onday’s sunrise was accompanied by scores of voters from across the country exercising their franchise, as the much-awaited General and Regional Elections got underway.

With the purpose of electing a new Government, the communities were awakened early and many were at their polling places sharply at 06:00h – the time when Polling Stations would be unlocked.

There, many ventured out to their houses and lined up at their respective stations, awaiting their turn to mark their ballots.

Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali went to the Leonora Technical and Vocational Centre in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) where he

would exercise his franchise. There, Ali expressed total confidence that his party would emerge victorious in the electoral race. This is prophesied, he noted, because of the significant voter turnout recorded across the country.

“Well the process was a very simple process and it went very smoothly. I was able to cast my ballot.

The report from around the country is that the day started with a good turnout early in the morning…We’re very confident,” he told media operatives.

He urged Guyanese to trust the process and be respectful of the results.

According to Ali, cooperation is needed to lift the country in an upward trajectory.

Ali is contesting the polls alongside retired Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier

PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate Mark Phillips with his family

Polling Station.

Credible elections

APNU/AFC Prime Ministerial Candidate Khemraj Ramjattan

Mark Phillips. He was among the first to show up at the Diamond Secondary School on the East Bank of Demerara to exercise his franchise.

Phillips, who was with his family, dubbed the process as a smooth one after exiting his respective

Meanwhile, incumbent President David Granger cast his vote, as he expressed confidence in the process and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for delivering credible elections.

Granger, who was the first to cast his vote at the Pearl Nursery School on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), was accompanied by First Lady, Sandra Granger, and one of his daughters.

After exiting the Polling Station, he told reporters that the process was very efficient.

The President went on to iterate his confidence in not only his party – the APNU/ AFC coalition – winning the polls but also of the electoral process.

During that interaction

APNU/AFC Presidential Candidate David Granger at the polling station

with media operatives, it was pointed out that these elections are being viewed outside of Guyana as important given the country’s new lucrative oil and gas sector. However, President Granger explained that economic issues have no bearings on the democratic process, something which his coalition Administration has been committed to since taking office in 2015.

Throughout the day, both Ali and Granger visited several areas on the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara as well as along the West Coast of Demerara to monitor the voting process.

His prime ministerial counterpart from the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan cast his ballot at the Rama Krishna Primary School in Campbellville, Georgetown.

Brandishing his ‘ink-

stained’ index finger after voting – as he indicated for APNU/AFC – the prime ministerial hopeful qualified his magnanimous projection by pointing to what he called an energised voter base, as was evident by the size demonstrated at the various rallies.

The Prime Ministerial Candidate told media operatives he did not anticipate any upheavals, saying “people now appreciate the fact that it must be peaceful and that the political will of the people is going to be heard… so I don’t see any security issues whatsoever.”

This contradicted several disturbances on the East Coast and West Bank of Demerara where the Guyana Police Force was summoned to quell the situation.

Family feud lands 4 women in hospital with stab wounds

A

n ongoing family feud between two siblings and a female duo intensified on Monday morning when a verbal row between the young women escalated to them stabbing each other during a heated argument at Quamina Street, Georgetown.

The injured women have been identified as 35-yearold Shavel Accra, a hairdresser of Lot 92 Block E South Sophia; her cousin, 25-year-old Toshawn Jiles of Lot 28 Holmes Street, South Cummingsburg, together with 21-year-old Niketa Lewis and her sister Stacyann Chandra, 24, both of Lot 12 A Queens Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown.

According to Police reports, at about 11:45h Chandra, her sister Lewis and their mother, Marlyn Chandra were heading home after casting ballots at a nearby Polling Station when they were approached

by Accra and Jiles.

This newspaper was told that in the process, the older Chandra was allegedly assaulted by Accra, which resulted in the two having a heated exchange of words

The bloody scene at Quamina Street, Georgetown

after which the two siblings departed.

However, the sisters did not let the alleged assault on their mother slide as they later allegedly armed themselves with knives and confronted the cousins, who were also armed with a cutlass and knife respectively.

This quickly escalated into a fight as the young women stabbed each other.

Chandra received injuries to her hands, right foot and back while her sis-

ter suffered injuries to her head and foot. Both young women were rushed to the Woodlands Hospital where they were admitted and are being treated. On the other hand, Jiles and Accra both suffered injuries to their hands and are currently patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Their conditions are listed as serious but stable.

Police investigations are ongoing.

NEWS

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

Tuesday, March 3 – 10:30h – 12:00h and, Wednesday, March 4 – 01:00h – 02:30h and 12:00h – 13:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Berbice – Tuesday, March 3 – 09:35h – 11:05h and Wednesday, March 4 – 11:00h – 12:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 10:20h and 23:14h reaching maximum heights of 2.22 metres and 2.11 metres.

Low Tide: 16:34h reaching a minimum height of 0.99 metre.

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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 Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

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Elections 2020

3

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Returning Officers to have final results by midday today – GECOM CEO

F

ollowing Monday’s polling, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is expected to have results from the Returning Officers (ROs) of votes in each of the 10 administrative regions in Guyana by midday today.

This is according to Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, at a press conference on Monday evening to update the public.

Asked about a timeframe for final results, Lowenfield said he will not commit to a specific date and time. “…It is the Commission’s desire to have final declaration of results in the earliest possible time… [But] as the process moves, I’m strongly assuming by [today] midday all the ROs would have had their declarations in the respective districts,” he stated.

The CEO explained at the time that counting was taking place at various Polling Stations and ROs were expected to start declaring results from their districts (Regions) by 22:00h.

Prior to that, however, the ballots were counted at each Polling Station after which the Statements of Poll were posted outside the Polling Stations by the Presiding Officers. Those statements from each Polling Station will then be uplifted by the Deputy RO and taken to or forwarded to the RO. The Returning Officer (RO), after posting the final results of his district, will then pass the statements on to the CEO. “Our own plan is to ensure that that process commences and concludes as far as practicable this evening. Whether it’s concluded or not this evening, Statements would be received by Returning Officers, who will all commence a public verification process which includes the public display of each Statement in every district and that process will continue until all of the statements for those particular districts are concluded.

Once that is completed, the ROs will declare the results in the respective districts… whilst that is happening the Returning Officers will ensure the Statements for the CEO is forwarded and/or escorted to his office,” Lowenfield explained.

In the meantime, GECOM provided updates as information trickled in from the various districts on a secured platform that was established: www.guyanaelections.com Additionally, periodic updates were also posted to GECOM’s Facebook page.

On the other hand, reflecting on the day’s voting process, both the Chief Elections Officer and the Chairperson of GECOM, (ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh, lauded the process.

“I’m very pleased today.

I’ve visited several Polling Stations. Of course, there were long lines but GECOM’s senior officers came forward and assisted. And quickly, the lines disappeared…” the

From left: GECOM PRO Yolanda Ward; GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh and Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield

GECOM Chair stated.

She went on to caution the media not to sensationalise reports coming out of the voting process, noting that the country is in a “charged atmosphere”.

“We have to be careful how we go about spreading stories. We must always verify our stories before we publish them… One has to be careful because these things can escalate into mistrust and even violence. So let us avoid those things,” Justice Singh stated.

But even as the GECOM Chair urged verification of issues, the Commission was evasive in responding to queries about several incidents that occurred across the country throughout Monday’s polling day.

Regarding the tense situation at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, the CEO said that GECOM is awaiting investigations on the “standoff”. He indicated that while the police are handling the matter,

GECOM will look into the cause of the matter until after its agents are done with their tasks of counting ballots.

However, he confirmed the arrest of an individual, who allegedly attempted to vote twice on the East Coast of Demerara. The CEO did not confirm the gender of the individual or the location where the incident occurred. But earlier in the day, information had surfaced that a woman had attempted to vote twice at Mon Repos.

Lowenfield also confirmed reports of a standoff at Sisters’ Village, West Bank Demerara, as well as a build-up of persons at Patentia, also on the West Bank of Demerara.

Another issue which the CEO acknowledged is the displacement of a “handful” of voters. He explained that these persons were captured during the scrapped Houseto-House Registration and during the crossing matching exercise, which was done over-

seas, but their data was unrecognisable due to the poor standard of service provided.

“We tried our best to minimise the quality and so on.

But at the end of the day, the quality of prints was so bad that we could not have truthfully identified who some persons were. That led, despite our efforts, to some persons being displaced – a situation that the Commission is not very happy with, notwithstanding that it was just a handful of that category,” he stated without giving an exact figure.

As a result of this, persons would have shown up at their listed Polling Station only to be told that they had to go elsewhere, in some cases in other Regions.

Nevertheless, Lowenfield noted that “corrective actions” were taken by GECOM and arrangements were made to facilitate those persons to vote.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

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

The people have voted

A

year after they were constitutionally entitled to vote in General and Regional Elections due to the successful passage of the No Confidence Motion of Dec 21, 2018, the people of Guyana were finally able to exercise their franchise yesterday, March 2, 2020. It was not an easy road they were forced to travel to get there, after the APNU/AFC government fought a Sherman-like scorched earth campaign in the Courts and over the conduct of the elections arrangements by the putatively independent Guyana Elections Commission – GECOM. But the day for what was billed by some as the “mother of all elections” finally arrived and the elements cooperated since most of the country experienced very salubrious weather. The air was pregnant with expectancy when the polls opened at 6am to long lines in most polling stations.

There were some hiccups on the East Coast of Demerara where some tents to accommodate polling stations previously located in private homes were only assembled by 9am.

There was a steady procession of voters throughout the day with a few glitches surfacing. There were several reports that the numbered inked stamp manually applied to ballot papers were missing digits but upon being brought to the attention of the GECOM Officials, they assured the public that the problem was rectified. It is hoped therefore, that no one were disenfranchised during the counting of the polls last night due to this mechanical malfunction.

There was one instance where a person on the East Coast was taken into custody for allegedly attempting to vote with an ID, not her own. However, as the day progressed there were two incidents where the police had to intervene where there were allegations made on ID cards. On the West Bank of Demerara, at the Goed Intent/Patentia Polling Station a person was accused of assisting persons to vote with fake ID cards, but when investigated by the Police, the accusation was found to be false. There was an unruly crowd build up that took the Police some time to disperse.d More alarmingly, over on the East Coast Demerara, in a face to face confrontation, there were allegations by senior APNU/AFC officials to a senior PPP official that he was “distributing ID cards”. He immediately rubbished the claim whereupon it was stated that there was a photo to prove their allegations. The photo was never produced and and new tack was taken to claim that PPP supporters were seen changing their shirts, presumably to change their appearance. However, there were several instances officially reported by the CEO of GECOM that some persons were turned away because they were sporting party colours, but not with party insignias and were not campaigning. It is more likely that persons so garbed from both sides of the divide might have changed their outfits to pre-empt ejection.

By and large, the Observer missions reported that were pleased with the conduct of the elections, save for some administrative lapses. The Carter Center remarked on the large turnout while the OAS remarked on the same while noting they detected some Presiding Officers not being equipped with some necessary materials. The OAS also encouraged GECOM to announce the results without too much undue delays, even though they acknowledged the geography of Guyana was challenging. They suggested that GECOM might not have to wait until they physically have all the statement of polls before announcing results, since modern technology now permits electronic transmission of documents instantaneously.

However, at their Press Briefing after the close of polls, the GECOM CEO sought to dampen expectations of an early declaration. All he would confine himself was an opinion that by midday today, the Returning Officers in all ten districts should be in possession of all the Statement of Polls (SOP’s) in each of their districts.

Because of the heightened enthusiasm following General Elections, there is obviously great anxiety for the results to be declared. But we advise patience, especially after the extended period we have already had to endure.

Age could not stop this 100 and this 94-year-old voters from exercising their democratic right to elect a Government. In photos are (left) a resident of Georgetown being escorted to the Enterprise Primary School in Durban Backlands and (right) Cornelius Jacobus being escorted to the Diamond Secondary School

Surfaces? Sneezes? Sex? How the coronavirus can and cannot spread

W

hat you need to know about how the virus is transmit-

ted.

A delicate but highly contagious virus, roughly one900th the width of a human hair, is spreading from person to person around the world. The coronavirus, as it’s known, has already infected people in at least 60 countries.

Because this virus is so new, experts’ understanding of how it spreads is limited. They can, however, offer some guidance about how it does – and does not – seem to be transmitted.

If I cross paths with a sick person, will I get sick too?

You walk into a crowded grocery store. A shopper has coronavirus. What puts you most at risk of getting infected by that person?

Experts agree they have a great deal to learn, but four factors likely play some role: how close you get; how long you are near the person; whether that person projects viral droplets on you; and how much you touch your face. (Of course, your age and health are also major factors.)

What’s a viral droplet?

It is a droplet containing viral particles. A virus is a tiny co-dependent microbe that attaches to a cell, takes over, makes more of itself and moves on to its next host. This is its “lifestyle”, said Gary Whittaker, a professor of virology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

A “naked” virus can’t go anywhere unless it’s hitching a ride with a droplet of mucus or saliva, said Kin-on Kwok, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care.

These mucus and saliva

droplets are ejected from the mouth or nose as we cough, sneeze, laugh, sing, breathe and talk. If they don’t hit something along the way, they typically land on the floor or ground.

To get access to your cells, the viral droplets must enter through the eyes, nose or mouth. Some experts believe that sneezing and coughing are likely the primary forms of transmission. Professor Kwok said talking face-toface or sharing a meal with someone could pose a risk.

Julian Tang, a virologist and professor at the University of Leicester in England who is researching coronavirus with Professor Kwok, agreed.

“If you can smell what someone had for lunch – garlic, curry, etc – you are inhaling what they are breathing out, including any virus in their breath,” he said.

How close is too close?

Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the World Health Organisation, said it’s best to stay three feet from a sick person.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that standing within six feet could carry risk.

How long is too long to be near an infected person?

It’s not yet clear, but most experts agree that more time equals more risk.

Will you know a person is sick?

Not necessarily.

Keep in mind that if you do get sick, most symptoms are as mild as a cold or the flu. Still, others who are infected with coronavirus never fall ill at all. (Technically, COVID-19 is the name for the sickness caused by the respiratory virus.)

But the flip side of this is that it can be hard to tell who is capable of spreading coro-

navirus.

In a growing number of cases, people without symptoms have infected others. The WHO still believes that most of those who have spread coronavirus were clearly ill at the time of transmission, Lindmeier said.

onto a product you’ve ordered that’s made in China, don’t worry. In the time it takes to get to the United States, you should be safe, and if you are really concerned, you can clean the surface with a disinfectant or wash your hands after touching it.

Can the virus last on a bus pole, touch screen or other surface?

Does the brand or type of soap you use matter?

Yes. After numerous people who attended a Buddhist temple in Hong Kong fell ill, the city’s Center for Health Protection collected samples from the site. Restroom faucets and the cloth covers over Buddhist texts tested positive for coronavirus, the agency said.

Technically, the virus widely known as the coronavirus is just the latest of many similarly shaped viruses. (Coronaviruses are named for the spikes that protrude from their surfaces, which resemble a crown or the sun’s corona.) A study of other coronaviruses found they remained on metal, glass and plastic for two hours to nine days.

Whether a surface looks dirty or clean is irrelevant.

If an infected person sneezed and a droplet landed on a surface, a person who then touches that surface could pick it up. How much is required to infect a person is unclear.

Coronaviruses are relatively easy to destroy, Professor Whittaker said.

Using a simple disinfectant on a surface is nearly guaranteed to break the delicate envelope that surrounds the tiny microbe, rendering it harmless.

As long as you wash your hands before touching your face, you should be OK, because viral droplets don’t pass through skin.

If you are concerned about getting sick from someone who might have sneezed

No, several experts said.

My neighbour is coughing. Should I be worried?

There is no evidence that viral particles can go through walls or glass, said Dr Ashish K Jha, Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute.

He said he was more concerned about common spaces than dangers posed by vents, provided there is good air circulation in a room.

An infected neighbour might sneeze on a railing and if you touched it, “that would be a more natural way to get it from your neighbour”, he said.

Can I get it from making out with someone?

Kissing could definitely spread it, several experts said.

Though coronaviruses are not typically sexually transmitted, it’s too soon to know, the WHO said.

Is it safe to eat where people are sick with coronavirus?

If a sick person handles the food or it’s a high-traffic buffet, then risks cannot be ruled out – but heating or reheating food should kill the virus, Professor Whittaker said.

Dr Jha concurred.

“As a general rule, we haven’t seen that food is a mechanism for spreading,” he said. (Excerpt from New York Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

5

News

Voters affected by limited Trial into murder of Police ferry services on E-Day Sergeant resumes today

A

n abrupt decision to limit the ferry services across the Essequibo River on Elections Day affected scores of voters who had planned to utilise that mode of transportation to get to their respective polling places to exercise their franchise.

The Transport and Harbour Department (T&HD) had announced that a decision was taken to limit ferries travelling the Parika route to Supenaam, Leguan and Wakenaam. Vessels leaving Parika to Supenaam, Supenaam to Parika, along with the Leguan and Wakenaam services were restricted to only one trip at 16:00h. Along with that, no ferry services were available between Parika and Bartica.

Commenting on the issue, Presidential Candidate of the People’s

Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Irfaan Ali said his party had to put systems in place to help voters travel across the river to access their polling places.

“A decision was taken for the Essequibo boat not to do its normal trips today so we had to put some systems in place to assist voters who want to get back to Essequibo to vote… From the requests we would have had, we had some hotline numbers to assist people. From that intervention, there were a lot of requests. So, I can’t tell the extent to which people would have planned to utilise the boat to get back to Essequibo to vote but from what we put out there to help voters, we had enormous response from last night to now,” Ali explained during an interview with reporters after he cast his ballot at the Leonora Technical

Institute, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

Additionally, the Public Health Ministry ceased the ferry service between Guyana and Suriname from February 29 to March 7, due to the increase in coronavirus cases.

“The Ministry of Health believes that since our security will be dispatched for the General and Regional Elections, travel activity at this soft entry point can increase significantly, thus posing a threat to the citizens of Guyana,” the Ministry said in a correspondence to the Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

On Monday Ramjattan commented on the issue, saying: “Lots of countries are making certain prohibitory orders in relation to entry to your country and that’s what we are doing.”

However, lots of Guyanese were left stranded and stakeholders believe the move was a deliberate attempt by the Government to disenfranchise those individuals.

A

12-member jury was empanelled before Justice Sandil Kissoon for the commencement of the trial into the March 1, 2016 murder of Police Sergeant Leonard La Rose, who was brutally stabbed to death while attempting to arrest a murder accused.

It was reported that the now dead Guyana Police Force (GDF) rank along with Constables Lewis and Schultz went in search of the accused, Dennis Marks after reports surfaced that he raped a young girl in Matthews Ridge, Region One (Barima-Waini).

However, during the apprehension process, the accused attacked the ranks, stabbing Sergeant La Rose to his neck with a knife, while his two other colleagues were stabbed to their chest and hand respectively.

The trial being heard before Justice Kissoon is expected to see seven State witnesses taking the stand, as its proceedings resume today.

The State Prosecutors

Deceased: Police Sergeant Leonard La Rose

are Tuanna Hardy, Tiffini Lyken and Nafeeza Baig, while the accused is being

represented by Attorneyat-Law Rachael Bakker.

6

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

Page

Foundation

The wisdom of friends

O

ften what you look for in your best friend is good judgment. Jackie, 14, said the nicest thing a friend did for her was to tell her mom a secret Jackie had told to her friend — that she was extremely depressed.

“My friend was scared and even though I told her not to tell anyone, she knew she had to,” Jackie said.

“She ended up saving my life, and I am grateful.”

Not everyone thinks it’s important to have one best friend. Molly, 14, said that together her friends make up all the aspects of what one “true friend’ would be.

“I have friends who I would confide anything in and trust them to keep it all a secret,” Molly said. “I have smart friends, funny friends, goofy friends, ‘bodyguard’ friends (aka. the friends who will stick up for you no matter what), and just friends who are there on the weekends who want to hang out.

So really, no one person can fill every void in your life.”

“Friends are kind of scary”

Friendship isn’t easy. To hear many of you tell it, making a good friend is almost like adding a new family member. It comes with risk and responsibility.

“Friends are kind of scary,” said Mary, 14, who has trusted some friends with secrets and regretted it. “Not them in person, but the thought of them in general. It’s almost like you are investing in this one person, whoever it may be.”

Sometimes what a good friend needs from you is brutal honesty, not a cheerleader. Gretchen, 15, said: “A true friend is a person who would really tell you how bad you look in that bright pink spandex suit, even though you really like it.”

Friends aren’t always forever. Angelica tells the story of a friendship that began in kindergarten. She remembers

how close they were back in the days when she helped her friend cope with diabetes, sat with her after her appendix was removed, and listened to her as she struggled with family problems.

But her friend moved away recently and hasn’t returned her calls. Angelica has heard that her friend now hangs out with kids who drink and do drugs. “I know what these things can do to you,” Angelica said, “and I could help her again. But I feel too far away.”

Romance, like distance, can complicate things. Many teens told of friendships that soured after their friend began seeing someone.

“I think the nicest thing a friend ever did for me was to decide that she would still be my friend this school year even after I dissed her to hang out with all these cute guys,” 14-year-old Darilynn said. “I love her for that ... I’ve learnt my lesson.”

When friends move on

Many of you learnt the true value of friendship after it was gone. Lots of you urged people to work at their most important friendships, rather than letting them fall apart after a fight or fade away.

Roxanne, 15, said her closest friend committed suicide recently. Her advice on how to treat your friends? “Cherish them like you only have one last day with them.”

And for some, it was OK if good friends only accompanied them for part of their journey in life. People grow and change, and so do their friends. Lily, 14, said her best friend will be moving away this year. Lily will try to stay in contact, but she is realistic about the prospects.

“Friends come and go,” she said. (Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

I

n Goin’ Someplace Special, Patricia McKissack writes about a young girl, Tricia Ann, who is on her way to a special place… the library.

For Tricia Ann, the library is a friendly place that she looks forward to visiting.

Is there a special place that you like to visit?

Why do you like it?

It doesn’t have to be far away, it could be in your own backyard, or down the street, or wherever. The important thing is that this place, and maybe the people there, are special to you.

Write a report telling us all about it and/or draw a picture if you like. (startwithabook.org)

NEWS

7

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

OAS flays GECOM over failure to implement elections recommendations

…says delayed results court mistrust, provide fertile ground for conspiracy theories

H

ead of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Elections Observer Mission, former Jamaican Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Bruce Golding has lamented the fact that many of the recommendations coming out from that body over the years continue to go unimplemented.

Golding gave the damning report when he took a break from the election observer process while at the South Ruimveldt Secondary School, to engage with media operatives and to give an initial assessment.

He told media operatives that “regrettably” only two of the recommendations coming out of the OAS’s previous two missions for the 2015 and 2011 elections were partially implemented.

According to Golding, “a lot of the recommendations

made by [the] mission in 2015 and even in 2011 those are still languishing.”

He suggested, “…we may very well find ourselves in [the] position where this mission is going to have to restate those recommendations because they are still valid.”

Courting mistrust

In another swipe at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Golding told media operatives that the mission had urged the entity to seek to ensure that the results of Monday’s poll are communicated in a timely manner.

He told media operatives that this was a matter that was raised with the Commission which was experienced in Guyana in previous years – the time that it takes for the results to be announced.

According to the OAS

Mission Head, “it is not good to have an election on Monday and several days

retreated to their homes.

However, Price stayed.

Sometime later, his reputed wife who heard of the altercation became concerned after he did not return home. As such, she went in search of him. By that time, public-spirited citizens noticed Price on the roadway and contacted the Police.

An alarm was raised and persons in the area rushed to the scene, including the man’s reputed wife.

An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) crew attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital arrived at the scene shortly after and Price was pronounced dead. His body was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

When contacted, Police Commander of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Sub-division A (Georgetown), Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas said that the investigation into Price’s death was being pursued from two angles. However, Thomas told this publication that he would not expound on the angles so as to not compromise the probe. He, however, noted that information received indicated that the altercation Price was reportedly involved in prior to his death led to his demise.

However, no suspect has been taken into custody as investigators are still in the process of obtaining statements.

Head of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Elections Observer Mission, former Jamaican Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Bruce Golding along with a team of OAS observers on Monday

Labourer knifed to death after card game

A

29-year-old labourer was found dead early Monday morning in the vicinity of Mandela Avenue and Princes Street, Georgetown with several stab wounds after an altercation during a game of cards.

Dead is Aubrey Price of Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown.

Reports are that between 00:10h and 03:00h on Monday, Price was in the company of friends and they were playing a card game in his street when an argument erupted between him and another man. Guyana Times was told that the argument escalated. This reportedly prompted the men to end their card game and most

can pass before the people of Guyana can know what the outcome of those elections are….that is courting mistrust, it is providing fertile ground for rumours and conspiracy theories.”

Golding sought to point out that it must be borne in mind that given the geography of Guyana, there are remote polling locations where it would prove to be challenging to have the results conveyed at times by boat or plane.

“Time will have to be allowed for that to be done and care will have to be taken to ensure that in that process, whether they are being flown or being conveyed by boat that the ballot boxes and the Statement of Polls are carefully protected and the integrity is preserved.”

He was adamant, however, that results from the elections can be communi-

cated as they are tabulated and that the Commission does not have to wait until the final box of ballots has been counted before releasing any reports.

Golding posited that even with the situation of results having to be conveyed by boat and aeroplanes, “we feel that you don’t have to wait until the last box or last Statement of Poll has come in, results can be sent to the people as they come.”

This, he said, could serve to reassure the electorate that the process is in fact working and that the results are not being deliberately delayed to facilitate anything that would be inimical to the free expression of the will of the people. ” The Head of the OAS Mission expressed a level of optimism when it comes to GECOM and its ability to mitigate the risk of a fraudulent election process.

“The system is very robust, the system as it is designed with the checks and balances that are there is very robust.”

He cautioned, however, “no matter how robust a system is it can be overturned if the conditions allow it.”

Golding used as an example a hypothetical situation of persons overrunning a Polling Station and said: “if that happens all of those robust systems are at risk, that’s part of the reality of democracy.”

No poll book, time consuming

Speaking to other concerns, Golding observed that at least one Polling Station began the day without a poll book and that the Presiding Officer had to resort to inno-

vative ways of recording occurrences with the intent of having these transcribed to official stationery at a later time.

He said it was observed too that at some Polling Stations, the process of identifying the voters and issuing the ballot paper was more time consuming than others and posited that this may have to do with the level of experience of the persons who were working at the Polling Station.

Golding suggested that this occurrence could very well form part of the team’s recommendations with a view of having the process expedited within the ambit of what is catered for in the law.

The former Jamaican Prime Minister reported that generally speaking, “things have gone well.”

He told media operatives that at none of the Polling Stations “we visited did we encounter any disruption, people were very peaceful, they were very orderly, I did not detect any tension among the persons waiting to vote even though I am sure they represented different parties.”

According to Golding, queued voters “all seem to have been prepared to wait and prepared to exercise their franchise in a dignified manner.”

This, he called a credit to all Guyanese people since “they have a great deal of investment in this process and in this elections.”

He expressed the hope that the same level of civility, tolerance and consciousness will govern the process of tabulating the votes after polls have closed.

8 NEWS Observer missions report high voter turnout C TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

hairman of the Board of Trustees of the Carter Center, Jason Carter, along with Former Senegalese Prime Minister, Aminata Touré, on Monday reported that it is clear that there is an excitement and it is clear that people are showing up and interested in exercising their right to vote.

The duo were the co-leaders of the Carter Centre Observer Mission in Guyana and was at the time referencing their initial observations of the March 2, General and Regional Elections held in Guyana.

This year’s mission is the fifth to be fielded to Guyana since the 1992 General and Regional Elections.

The former Senegalese Prime Minister along with Carter provided an update for members of the media while at Campbellville Secondary

to splitting its team thinly, in order to cover more ground.

EU observers

Former Prime Minister of Senegal, Aminata Touré and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Carter Center, Jason J Carter on Monday

day [Monday] observing the process, over the next few days we will be collecting those reports and will be issuing recommendations with respect to this elections,” he said.

“….our main interest is that Guyana and Guyana’s democracy will develop further so that the rule of law will be strengthened and the real political will of Guyanese people can be expressed freely without any fear or any other problems,” – EU School, Georgetown, where it was reported that the team observed a noticeably large turnout at many of the Polling Stations they visited.

It was pointed out that the mission is fielding a team of more than 40 individuals, spread across each of the 10 administrative regions in Guyana – some in Guyana for some months now.

The team declined to provide any specific details regarding concerns or aspects of its observations, noting that the reports from each of the regions would first have to be assimilated into a single amalgamated report.

“We have teams in every single region of Guyana to-

Chief of Mission for the European Union’s (EU) Elections Observer Mission, Urmas Paet – while at the Six Head Lewis Boxing Gym in Albouystown, Georgetown – lauded the professionalism and attitudes observed during the first half of the day since the opening of polls.

He reiterated that the most important thing on Elections Day is that the exercise was professionally organised and also the population was professional, “so that the real will of Guyanese

According to Carter, his family “…has a very personal connection to this country, we are committed to this democracy and have seen today (Monday) the people of Guyana are also committed to democracy and that is an exciting moment.”

Democracy

Meanwhile, the former Senegalese Prime Minister in her remarks shared that Elections Day, “is a big day for Guyanese democracy.”

According to Touré, “… we do know that through democracy we build our nation as one nation”.

She used the occasion to urge patience, “because elec-

Some of the members of the European Union’s Elections Observer Mission chatting with head of the OAS mission, Bruce Golding

tion is also about being patient and hopefully everybody will be able to express themselves in their right to vote.”

With more than 40 individuals scattered across the country, she reported that the teams commenced yesterday’s process at 5:30 am, since “we wanted to witness from the opening.”

She said too that the Carter Center will have a team that will be on the ground 24 hours, and that they will “be there for the counting, the closing, the calculation, and the tabulation [of votes]” It was reported to the media that the Carter Center has been liaising with other International Observer Missions in Guyana for the historic elections, in addition

people will be clear as possible.”

Speaking to the importance of observer missions, Paet told media operatives these are needed for Guyana, since “Guyanese people also need assurance from neutral observers that everything was done correctly and if not, this was what was wrong.”

He said too observer missions are “also important for the future legitimacy, your political life and future political development that’s why it [is] mostly important for Guyana”. Paet noted also that the process also served as an important tool for the EU, since “our main interest is that Guyana and Guyana’s democracy will develop further so that the rule of law will be strengthened and the real political will of Guyanese people can be expressed freely without any fear or any other problems.”

Speaking to the process being used by the EU, he reported that the team had been paying attention to not only the Elections Day activities but also situational developments before Elections Day and activities on Elections Day, “how the performance of elections is going on at Polling Stations” in addition to the tabulation of the results.

Fielding a 55-member delegation, Paet told media operatives that while there were no negative reports at the time from Polling Stations across the country, the team had some concerns related to the campaign period.

The specifics, he said will be dealt with on March 4, 2020, when the EU presents its final report, complete with recommendations.

The election…

Y

…is over our Eyewitness wasn’t taking any chances. He made a beeline to his polling station even before daybreak to ensure that he’d get his shot at choosing the next government. His forefathers have shed their blood to earn him this right, and he’d be damned if he was going to mess around with it!! But when he reached to his polling tent – yes, he was one of those who’d been relegated to a tent in the middle of a cow pasture – there was already a long, straggling line ahead of him.

Being a strategic thinker, he looked around somewhat anxiously to see if the GECOM brain trust who’d decided on this bucolic locale where he could hear the call of the wild, had catered to what were certain to be calls of nature.

They hadn’t!! He was immediately seized with a wave of anxiety that triggered peevish resentment at this whole tent business.

If GECOM felt that folks shouldn’t vote at private residences – whether or not prompted by the Carter Center in 2015 – they had five years to seek alternative arrangements! As the earthy folk saying advised literally on his predicament, “yuh nah wait ‘till yuh wan’ fuh sh*t fuh buil’ latrine”!! And so for polling places!! But what the hell?

The die was cast and he’d have to just hunker down and tough it out!!

Your Eyewitness decided to make small talk with his fellow early birds, as the line started to stumble forward.

The lady in front was convinced this tent decision wasn’t happenstance. “How come dis only happen in abee area?” she demanded snappishly. “Abee ah animal?” To be honest, the question had struck your Eyewitness when he’d reviewed the list of the areas to be serviced by tents. They were mostly in what would euphemistically be described as “PPP areas”. But while he chose not to go down that road, your Eyewitness was convinced there was a plan afoot to frustrate Opposition supporters from voting. If “one, one dutty buil’ dam”, then one, one opposition voter who quit in disgust would certainly ensure the razor-thin margin was maintained.

By now he’d reached the tent, and felt like Lawrence of Arabia finally getting to an oasis!! He was surprised at the relative youth of the GECOM staff and wondered what happened to all the “old heads”. With Guyana as divided as it is, he was also surprised that almost all of them were from what is (again) euphemistically called “the PNC constituency”.

As he dropped his ballot into the box, he marvelled at the obduracy of the GECOM HR to allow this state of affairs after the caution by the ERC. Another cog in rigging? …considered Your Eyewitness is hoping the count will be over by the end of the day and we’ll all know which of the parties will form the new government. But from what he witnessed yesterday – on blogs, social media, and on TV – he’s gonna go out on a limb and predict that absolutely nothing will change from the pattern of voting established half a century ago: we’d have gone down the ethnic line one mo’ time!!

He looked at the video of an incident at Patentia where in this normally peaceful and placid rural community, there was suddenly an explosion of a cacophony of abuse and pillorying by APNU supporters; with shouts of “We want Granger”!! And what precipitated this was a PPP elections agent assisting a supporter with some difficulty he had with his ID!! Rumours of a busload of fake IDs being distributed filled the air for an hour or more.

Point is, this is a community that all suffered from the shutdown of the sole employer – Wales Factory.

But the divisions remained! …and fashion One of the thoughts that crossed your Eyewitness’ mind was what was going to happen with all those green/yellow and red T-shirts and caps, after the elections.

Will we still wear our tribal loyalties on our sleeve?

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

NEWS

9

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Elections 2020

First-time youth voters turn out to have voices heard

Marcia Ramjohn

Satram Mohammed

Unique Bremner

Andy Alfred

Latifah Henry of Belfield

Anjalie Ramraj

By Lakhram Bhagirat

ed. Throughout the count, youths encouraged each other and even went as far as accompanying their friends to the polling places.

Guyana Times caught up with a number of those youth voters who related their experiences. The overall report that came from them was that the process was fairly smooth and the jittery feeling of marking their ‘X’ next to the political party of their choice was “totally worth it”.

First-time voter, Satram Mohammed made voting his first priority on Monday. He shared the special moment with his mother in tow as he made his way to the La Grange Primary School on the West Bank of Demerara.

“To me, the process was pretty straight forward. I went to query and then was

directed to the right room to vote... I've noticed that mostly the older folks were confused and pushed from room to room though which was a bit troubling,” he related.

Another excited first-timer was Andy Alfred. The youth said as a first-time voter, his expectations of a lengthy process was high but he was in for a surprise.

He thoroughly enjoyed the ability to exercise his franchise in choosing the leaders he wants to represent him as Guyana develops into one of the frontier nations in the western hemisphere.

“I voted at the Novar Nursery School and the process was quite simple to follow. As a first time voter, I thought the process would have been more lengthy and difficulty but it was the op-

posite. Within five minutes I was in and out of the Polling Station,” he recounted.

Marcia Ramjohn, who was an eligible voter since the last elections, chose this critical elections to exercise her right to vote. She, as a first-time voter, found the process to be very simple and encouraged her fellow youth to ensure that they always exercise their democratic right to vote. She noted that having the ability to show leaders of Guyana that they need to be servants of the people and not the masters is one that she will forever hold in high regard.

“It was a distinct honour to be given the right to vote, since citizens in some countries aren't given the opportunity to vote. The voting process at Mc Gill Centre, Canal No 1 can be described

as peaceful and smooth flowing. Although I won't disclose the political party I voted for, I'll say I voted for a prosperous Guyana.

To the party that wins, I hope you uphold your promises in the manifesto to improve the daily lives of every Guyanese citizen because we the youths are watching you,” first-time voter Anjalie Ramraj said.

In the mining town of Linden, Region 10, the youths were seen at the polling places throughout the day. Guyana Times caught up with Unique Bremner, who explained that the process was very straightforward for her. She related that she was afforded the opportunity to be a part of the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) training as a Polling Clerk,

hence the ease in which she cast her ballot.

“It is my first time voting. It was easier than I thought it would be as a first-time voter. I was expecting more like a whole long process but it was quite simple. Vote because your voice is being heard. I believe this is the opportunity to choose the President you think is best to rule our country,” she said.

On the opposite side, the East Coast of Demerara, the youngsters were also out in their numbers. They joined their elders in the tradition of beating the drums and blowing the horns to awaken the village. This practice is an age-old tradition on Elections Day and serves as an alarm for eligible voters.

C

asting your first ballot as an eligible voter is one of the most memorable parts of being an adult and on Monday, thousands of youngsters made their maiden voyages to various polling places across Guyana and marked their first ‘X’ cementing their status as an eligible voter.

Guyana hosted its long-overdue General and Regional Elections on March 2, 2020, and one thing that was clearly visible was the enthusiasm of the youth voters.

The youngsters made the effort to get up a bit earlier, since it was a National Holiday, and join long lines of voters just for the opportunity to ensure that their choices were not-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Voting on ECD marred by party colour woes …rule applies to emblems, not party colours – GECOM

P

ersons turned out in their numbers to vote along the East Coast of Demerara on E-day on Monday, but voting was not without some hiccups.

The voters in Enmore complained of being turned back wrongfully by polling agents.

The controversy was sparked at the polling place located in the empty lot next to St Mark’s Anglican Church in Enmore, where 693 electors were scheduled to vote. This publication spoke to several persons, as well as representatives from both the People’s Progressive Party and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change.

According to PPP/C representatives and other supporters of the party who were present at the scene, several persons were told to return home and change when they showed up wearing party colours.

“When we go in there, them a turn back everybody with coloured clothes. And go see, they got scrutineers in there with their green jerseys. And we supporters can’t get on, them a put them out,” one resident who identified himself as a PPP representative explained.

According to Nirmala Sukhnanand, who was with the PPP representatives,

serial number of the ballot paper. By tearing out the counterfoil, GECOM would be unable to account for the ballot paper.

Voting at Enmore next to the St Mark Anglican Church

she was turned back from voting because she had on a plain green blouse. She explained that she was left with no choice but to leave the venue and change her clothes.

“The scrutineers are there with [party colours].

Why people can’t go in with their clothes? Look they had people come from till over there so. They had to go back home, to change their clothes and come back… about 10 or 12 of them,” another agitated resident said.

APNU/AFC representative Orin Nelson revealed that the party’s supporters also experienced hurdles at the polling place. These hurdles include persons being turned back due to the colour of their clothes.

“What we learned is that persons could have worn any colour jersey of their liking, without the

slogan of any political party. But by doing so, people were turned back because the jersey might be a little red or green or yellow. Even some persons with multicoloured clothing were turned back,” Nelson said.

“We were made to understand on the news that once there is no slogan on your jersey to depict any party, you could vote. Because every party has a colour. Now I am seeing, people are being turned back because they are wearing [clothing of a certain colour]. “People had to go home, people had to come bring clothing for them,” another concerned citizen said.

“Another thing that concerns me is whereby persons are given counterfoil to vote. And then they say sorry. That is bad,” she added. Counterfoil is the part of the ballot paper, usually left intact, that contains the

From the scene, this publication made contact with GECOM PRO Yolanda Ward, who promised to clear up the matter. She as-

sured that electors wearing colours associated with a party can vote, once their attire does not have the party emblem.

10 NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Elections 2020

Unrest at Good Intent, Mon Repos hours before close of polls and the estimated 10 ranks resorted to calling backup to get the situation under control.

Backup came in the form of the Riot Squad, which quickly retreated after assessing the situation.

By Lakhram Bhagirat

A

mere few hours before the curtains were drawn on what could have been a mostly smooth elections, two bouts of unrest erupted at Good Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD), and Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, after accusations of voter fraud went flying.

At Good Intent, WBD, the protests started just after 14:00h when residents there began alleging that a man had been distributing fake ID cards as well as attempting to assist and/or vote for persons with the alleged fake IDs. This caused the residents - about 50 - to pounce on the individual, resulting in the police officers providing security at the polling place located in the

Fake IDs

Police Commander McBean

Simon

escorted out of the polling place and he departed. He was an agent of the political party. He went to vote at the Polling Station at the [Good Intent] Nursery School. He is registered and I would not be able to say [if he was able

Over at Mon Repos, there were several allegations levelled at members of both the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).

Voters were accusing the APNU/AFC side of in-

Mon Repos resident “Fazy”

compound of the ToevlugtPatentia Neighbourhood Democratic Council calling for backup.

About 10 additional police officers arrived at the scene and tried valiantly to control the crowd.

Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara)

to vote],” McBean explained.

The police tried for over two hours to get the crowd under control but they continued chanting slogans and directing expletives at the enforcers. Persons were also seen liming in the polling place even after they had voted in spite of the

Residents at Good Intent, West Bank Demerara

Police Commander, Simon McBean related to Guyana Times that they were called shortly after 14:00h and informed of a large crowd outside of the Polling Station.

“The crowd had alleged that there is someone assisting people to vote in front of the polling place with illegal ID cards,” he related.

However, McBean related that they have been unable to corroborate the allegations, adding that the man is registered to vote at the Good Intent Nursery School, which is in the same compound as the NDC Office.

“They pointed out an individual. The individual indicated that he is a working agent and as a result, he was

law mandating that no one should be within 200 yards of a polling place unless they are there to vote.

timidation while another set accused former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall of distributing fake ID cards.

Nandlall denied the accusations and amounted them to the modus operandi of the PNC. He also accused the party of attempting to incite hostility.

“I want to denounce as absolute lie, a video that I see circulating on Facebook in which Amna Ally and Basil Williams have made accusations against me that I am involved in the distribution of ID cards. It’s preposterous, it’s ridiculous and Basil Williams and Amna Ally know that they are lying. I was called minutes before to that very location by my candidates who informed me that a crowd had gathered from another community and that crowd was misbehaving and was making a lot of accusations and they were cursing and abusing persons who were going to vote. It is my duty and my responsibility to go there to investigate that. I went there immediately as I am entitled to do,” Nandlall

PPP/C candidate Anil Nandlall with others at Mon Repos

Eventually, the crowd increased to over 100 persons,

said.

Nandlall added that he

More drama would follow in the proximity of Mon Repos Primary, as crowds gathered while GECOM was tabulating

initially did not understand what the protesters were saying and it was only until shortly after he became aware that he was accused of committing ID fraud.

According to Nandlall, he ignored the accusations and went into the polling place and requested reinforcement from the police since the protesters were blocking voters from entering.

There were international observers at the polling place who were monitoring the conduct.

“I remained silent, I didn’t react because I’m experienced in these matters, I know if I say anything it will make it worse. When Basil Williams and Amna Ally entered, I thought I was talking to intelligent, mature, experienced politicians who would have been able to rise above the foolish fray, and lo and behold, they

try, we are citizens for this country, people vote for who they want to vote for, you cannot tell us or anyone to

The Police Commander speaks with the international observers on the West Bank of Demerara

vote who they must vote for.

You have a choice who to vote for. They stopped her

Police and residents at Good Intent

were mouthing the identical accusation. These people are absolutely ridiculous. Where and what would I do with ID cards?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, according to one voter, persons were on their way to cast their ballots at that location when a minibus driver abruptly swerved his vehicle in their path, barring them entrance to the polling place.

Moreover, “Fazy”, a resident who lives in Mon Repos, said that her cousin was one of the affected electors whose democratic right had been in jeopardy.

“I didn’t expect this because we were hoping to have a very peaceful election, and this not something that I look forward for, what happen here this afternoon…they stopped my cousin from going to cast her vote. This is our coun-

drama and tension at Mon Repos after the close of polls, when GECOM agents were tabulating results.

and send her home back… what they are doing here is totally wrong, we are here to represent our country and our village. We can’t take it

anymore and we won’t take it anymore,” the distressed resident indicated.

More tension

There was to be more

As GECOM did its work, steadily increasing crowds began to gather around the polling place.

Crowds of persons, some of whom appeared to be from various sides of the political divide, assembled on Mon Repos’ railway line. Some residents alleged that the gathering of strange persons in their community prompted their own decision to come out and assemble.

This publication witnessed senior police officers pleading unsuccessfully with some of those assembled to step back outside the 200-yard stipulation. A contingent of heavily armed police backup soon arrived on the scene and stood guard as GECOM did its work in the polling place.

GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer (CEO)

Keith Lowenfield told reporters at a press conference that the Commission was awaiting the outcome of an investigation into the matter.

11

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Elections 2020: Guyana votes

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

Elections 2020

Guyanese flood polling places the community’s Primary and Nursery Schools which were used as polling stations.

Other persons were seen double-checking to verify that their names were on the list before joining the lines.

One of the community’s oldest residents, 80-year-old Daphane Archer voted early and related that the process was a smooth and easy one.

Meanwhile, it was a similar atmosphere over at neighbouring community Kuru Kururu where persons were also in their numbers waiting for their chance to cast a ballot.

This publication caught up with differently abled

A number of Kuru Kururu residents in line waiting to vote

By Lakhram Bhagirat

H

undreds of thousands of Guyanese flocked their respective polling places on Monday to vote for the political party they believe is better equipped to lead Guyana into the future

Ivor Glenn was one of the first to cast his ballot at the Vive La Force Primary School and hailed the process as a smooth one.

“I get up early and come here to vote. I don’t make joke with voting, boy, and I want everybody to know that

Additionally, several persons reported concerns when it came to identifying their polling stations since the information provided by GECOM’s Information Clerks was very vague.

In Parfaite Harmonie – one of the country’s largest housing settlements, voting was a celebration. The residents there blasted music and brought out the alcohol.

The vibe was encouraging to voters who stood in long lines while braving the scorching heat.

A voter from Enmore, ECD

as an oil-producing nation.

Guyana’s General and Regional Elections were closely monitored by record numbers of international elections observers. All eyes are on Guyana because of its estimated 8 billion barrels of oil.

With over 600,000 Guyanese on the Official List of Electors (OLE), there were many reasons for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to encounter major issues, but based on information gathered, there were very few.

Voters gathered at their polling places from as early as 03:30h to cast their ballots and just enjoy the rest of the day off. The excitement was profound with long lines of eager young voters and the experienced ones offering words of advice.

West Bank of Demerara

On the West Bank of Demerara, the voter turnout was high as most of the polling places were packed to capacity from as early as 05:00h.

The mixture of young and old was clearly visible as many braved illnesses and physical challenges just for the chance to have their voices heard and issues addressed.

The importance of voting and electing a Government was surely not taken for granted by the ‘West Siders’.

we have to vote and make sure that we put the people in there who can do the job. We don’t want to have the wrong

Nolene Frazer from Victoria on the East Coast of Demerara

set of people in government,” he said.

The sentiment was the same at the La Grange Primary School as the compound was packed from as early as 04:00h. The elderly were given first preference by the younger generation and those who had physical challenges were automatically placed at the front of the queue.

One of the major issues throughout West Demerara was the glaring lack of provision for the differently abled and the elderly. The elderly were forced to climb the long stairs at the La Grange Primary just to cast their ballots in the School’s upper flat.

cess commenced. Within the first hour, observers from the European Union (EU) showed up to scrutinise the activities, ensuring that the process was fair.

Meanwhile, at the Windsor Forest Primary, Hemchand (only name) indicated that he decided to show up very early to vote. According to him, the polling agents were helpful in the smooth process.

“It was very smooth and quiet. The process was very nice. The polling agents were very nice, giving the (ballot), and voting very quietly.

There was no difficulties,” the man expressed.

In the crowded polling stations, some individuals indi-

everything is just running smooth.”

Few to no hiccups were experienced at the polls in both communities.

East Bank Essequibo

West Coast of Demerara

Moving on up to the West Coast of Demerara, Guyana Times observed some of the activities throughout that section of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), which mostly recorded a smooth process.

Over at Crane Primary School, lines extended beyond the corridors in the upper and lower flats, and a slow pro-

A family after casting their vote at

Melvin Singh after voting at Parika Nursery School, EBE

cated that they would like to see positive changes in their communities, which for some time, have been plagued with issues.

Basdeo Sahadar from Anna Catherina voted at the Leonora Secondary School. As a person who would always go out to vote, he indicated that his village has been plagued with a high crime rate.

“The process was nice… smooth. Everybody want development. Everybody want good things for the country.

The crime situation in Anna Catherina is a thing here and we want to see it change,” he shared.

On the other hand, Amir Khan from Cornelia Ida told this publication, “It was calm and everything going well. I come out since 06:00h. A lot of things not going right in this time, so we come out to vote now to see how things will work out this time around.

Yarrowkabra, SoesdykeLinden Highway

The voting process in the community of Yarrowkabra, along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway was deemed a very smooth one by residents who came out in their numbers early Monday morning, to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

When Guyana Times visited the area, a number of villagers were in queues at

Barring a few minor hiccups, it was generally a smooth and simple process for voters along the East Bank Essequibo (EBE), who turned out in large numbers during the early-morning hours to cast their ballots.

In many of the polling stations visited from Tuschen to St Lawrence, East Bank Essequibo, voters were seen queuing from as early as 05:30h to cast their ballots.

Many voters expressed the view that they wanted to come out early and vote to avoid the rush and get back home early.

Farmer Razack Salim from Parika Backdam was ecstatic to cast his ballot.

Mark Anthony voted at Vergenoegen Nursery School, EBE, and was the first to cast his ballot

resident 56-year-old Steven Williams, who was able to vote with the assistance of his sister. He noted that the process was a smooth one, and lauded the courtesy of the polling officers.

“The voting process was very smooth. There were a few people before me, but I was here since six and I already finish. The polling officers were very courteous and

“I went over the polling station like 05:15h; at that time, it had about 10 persons there. I had to join the line and wait until 06:00h and after they ready for we.

We went in and find everything so simple and easy that we didn’t had no problem; up to when I leave there, it was no problem at all,” Salim remarked.

Speaking with this pub-

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| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

13

to express constitutional right

the Golden Grove Primary School

lication, Tuschen/Uitvlugt Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman Vishal Ambedkar noted that there was a lot of “displaced voters”.

There were also some local and international observers who were making stops at

ers saw generally slow traffic throughout the day. A lot of elderly persons, many of whom are physically challenged, turned up to vote and related that the process was generally fast-paced, as no one objected to them being given first preference. One

Razack Salim voted at Blake Primary School, EBE

80-year-old Daphane Archer displaying her inked finger

(EBD), scores of excited voters lined up before the opening of polls, eager to cast their ballots.

However, that excitement was soon quelled as electors waited for long periods until they were able to vote.

In fact, there was confusion among several groups regarding at which polling station they should vote.

In some cases, persons ended up waiting in the wrong line for several minutes until they realised that they needed to be at another polling station.

This publication witnessed one lady, in all her frustration, about to go home

the various polling stations to see how the process was going, but they refused to give a comment, only stating that they were only “observing the process”.

Georgetown

Meanwhile, in Georgetown, the process was generally smooth-flowing as most persons knew their polling stations and how to vote. Even the first-time voters were prepared having learnt about the process from the GECOM Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and from their parents.

Many voters indicated that they had checked the GECOM website to get their polling stations, but others failed to do the same and had to move from one polling place to another to cast their votes.

At some locations, there were long queues, but at a press conference Monday evening, GECOM officials explained that in some cases those persons were lining up at the information desk to find out which polling station they had to go to. It was noted that senior GECOM officials were deployed on the ground to fast-track that process at those locations.

During the mid-morning hours, only a few polling stations were packed – oth-

line up to vote.

Similar situations occurred at other polling places, like the Eccles Nursery and Houston Secondary Schools.

However, not everyone had a bad experience. Some were lucky enough to exercise their franchise within minutes.

Junior Simon of Nandy Park, EBD, was one such person. He told this newspaper of his expectations of the new government.

“We hoping for enhancement, a better economy, better salary and wages,” Simon said. “A man must be eligible enough to buy and drink a case of beer he desires, knowing that he could pay he house rent and send he children them to school.

“Social and economic issues need to be dealt with, so people can have money to fluctuate within their homes,” Simon stated.

56-year-old Steven Williams after voting

process was ok,” he said.

Nolene Frazer, a resident of Victoria, said that she was pleased with the number of voters who turned out this year compared to 2018’s Local Government Elections.

While visiting the Golden Grove Primary School’s poll-

ing station, were asked about their voting experience.

The family said: “It is very peaceful and calm.”

(Additional reporting by Rupa Seenaraine, LaWanda McAllister, Leah Hernandez, Shemar Alleyne, Vahnu

Essequibo Coast

Premnuth Seepersaud and Seekumarie Seepersaud after casting their ballot at Vive La Force Primary School, West Bank Demerara

elderly woman, who is turning 101 years old today, was wheeled by relatives to the Enterprise Primary School in D’Urban Backlands to vote.

East Bank Demerara

At the Diamond Primary School, East Bank Demerara

without voting because she was unable to find her name.

Luckily, a fellow elector used her mobile phone to help the woman locate her polling place – which was right at the Diamond Primary School.

The woman eventually found where she was supposed to

Polling day on the Essequibo Coast was quiet during the day; most of the residents turned out and cast their votes during the morning hours at the various Places of Polls. They braved the occasional rain to ensure that their voices were heard.

About 19:30h, a group of A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) supporters flocked the polling station at the Nursery School in Lima Housing Scheme. The Police had to intervene and remove the crowd.

While visiting several locations on the East Coast of Demerara, residents of a few communities expressed their satisfaction on how the voting process was going.

One resident of Enmore, who cast his ballot at the Enmore Community Center, said that he did not encounter any challenges.

“I came and went to the polling station, I tell the person who checked the list, they say ‘go in the middle; if there is no one there, go to the polling clerk’, so I did that. The

75-year-old Lackrajee Heeralall is flanked by Lucien Thomas and Navindra Jaimangal after voting at the Wales Primary School

ing station, a family who had already cast their ballots and were seen leaving the poll-

Manikchand, and Devina Samaroo)

14 NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

High young voters’ turnout recorded in Linden, Berbice amid minor hiccups

D

espite minor hiccups, the general atmosphere in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) was calm and peaceful as residents took to the polls on Monday when Guyana hosted its General and Regional Elections.

It was the same situation in outlying areas across the Upper Berbice River areas.

From all reports received, the polling stations in the Region opened at the stipulated 06:00h.

Many of the voters turned up at their respective polling stations early Monday morning to exercise their franchise. Some were reportedly at the polling stations as early as 03:00h and 04:00h, waiting in anticipation for them to open.

Guyana Times spoke to several voters who explained that the process was smooth and easy while pinpointing several minor hiccups as it relates to finding their polling places. These issues were subsequently resolved.

This publication visited the New Silvercity Secondary, Wisroc Nursery,

First-time voter, 21-year-old Lindener Jermaine Benjamin after voting at the Linden Foundation Secondary polling place at Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden

slowed down tremendously.

However, as it came down to the afternoon period, voters were out in their numbers to cast their ballots.

Shauna Beckles was one of the first persons to cast her ballot at the Wisroc Nursery School polling station and noted that the experience was quite accommodating.

“The process was easy.

Everything seems as though it’s working to order. I’m here since about 4 something (in the morning). I just come to make sure everything go alright. No problem, no scene and by God’s grace, everything worked

The elderly voting at the Linden Foundation Secondary polling place at Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden

Wisburg Secondary, Middle Street Nursery, Christianburg Community Centre Ground and the Linden Foundation Secondary to get a firsthand experience among voters.

The youths, elderly, differently abled, pregnant women and party officials lined polling stations and by midday the process had

all right,” Beckles told this publication.

Beckles was in the company of her 20-year-old daughter, who is a firsttime voter. The young woman also explained that the process was very easy and quick.

This newspaper also spoke with an elderly couple at the same location who

explained that the process was very smooth, as they noted that they had no complaints. The elderly woman indicated that she assisted her husband in getting out to the polling station and that they had been there since around 05:00h. She further explained that they walked some distance since there was no transportation available at that time. “...because, we live a good way, you know. So, we had to walk down. Nobody come for us, so we walk...”, she said, adding that it was not an issue for them.

Eighty-nine-year-old Beryl Bentick, who was taken to the polling station in a wheelchair, noted that it was not the first time that she voted since being wheelchair-bound, so she had transportation readily available.

Lindener Yowell Hinds, who assisted his mother Della Hinds in getting to the polling station situated at the Wisburg Secondary School at Wismar, explained that though there were minor difficulties they managed to get through the voting process.

“It had a kind of mixup with the crowd and so, but so far everything all right...a lot of elderly said that in the earlies they used to just walk in and cast their ballot and then walk out back... now you got to verify and in order to do that you still have to wait in the line. Sometimes you in the wrong line. There are people directing you, but not for all the stations and sometimes the person busy with

somebody else, so you have to find your way around,” Hinds said.

An elderly voter told Guyana Times that she was on the road waiting for transportation for a long time in order to get to her polling station at the Wisburg Secondary as she was unaware of any special transportation system in place.

A physically-challenged young man said he was standing in line for some time and could not find his name at the location. He noted afterwards that he was told to go elsewhere.

As such, he shared the view that there should be a special system in place to assist differently abled voters to

Leader of the Federal United Party, Chandra Sohan at his polling station

really excited about the process, as he noted it could have been executed in a timelier manner.

“There’s a lot of people there and there’s a lot of places that don’t have peo-

Two elderly women making their way down a polling station steps after voting

vote at a particular location where they can receive special assistance.

“Why they don’t got a system where the differently abled can vote alone?

Then got to stand up in the line and just wait in line.

Sometimes you come and you don’t even find your name, then you (have to) go somewhere else,” he noted.

The young man added that he believed in change and progress, hence it was important for him to vote.

Some voters also complained of being in the wrong line at a polling place and being redirected after some time.

First-time voter, 21-yearold Jermaine Benjamin, who voted at the Linden Foundation Secondary polling place, said he was not

ple. So, I think they could have separated it in a better way so that people can go in and get out as fast as possible. That was the only issue,” he said.

Benjamin noted that apart from this, everything went well for him.

Also speaking with this publication was Linden Mayor Waneka Arrindell.

She stated, “Most wonderful, persons were walking through the community this

125 polling stations across the Region with 33,808 persons on the Official List of Electors. Regional Commander Hugh Winter noted that over 180 Joint Services ranks were dispatched across the Region to provide security.

Meanwhile, in the Ancient County of Berbice, there were only a few issues that were raised during the electoral process.

A total of 99,131 electors were listed to cast ballots at 378 polling stations throughout the Region.

On the East Bank of Berbice, the voters’ turnout was reportedly around 80 per cent.

The shutting down of Guyana’s eastern border by the Government two days before E-Day was a concern expressed by one political party.

Hundreds of Guyanese living in Suriname who were planning to come to Guyana to cast their ballots were deprived of doing so.

However, as the polls opened on the Corentyne, in New Amsterdam and also in East Canje, many of the polling stations were crowded, persons sought to cast their ballots early and return home.

At the Berbice Educational Institute in

An elderly woman being assisted with the voting process at the New Silvercity Secondary polling station at Wismar, Linden

morning shouting ‘Come out and vote!’ So, everybody is up, everybody is excited...”.

Arrindell described the voting process at the location as very smooth, noting there was no confusion. She also noted that transportation was not an issue as there were vehicles transporting persons to and from the polling places.

Another issue highlighted involved persons registered to vote in Linden who resided in Georgetown and they being unclear about where to go.

According to information from GECOM, there were

New Amsterdam, Police had to be called in to disperse a group of persons who had gathered and were not from the community.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan, who went with his family to the Viola Nursery School in the country's oldest town, New Amsterdam, stated that the process was very slow.

The same sentiments were expressed by Leader of the Federal United Party, Chandra Sohan. At the close of polls at 18:00h, the general sentiments were that the process was smooth with few or no hiccups in Berbice.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen killed after defending mom from cutlass, knife-wielding relative

A

n 18-year-old labourer was stabbed to death while trying to protect his mother from a cutlass and knife-wielding relative at his Clyde Roopchand Drive, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on Sunday night.

Dead is Daniel Akeem Amore of Section 20 A Friendship, Buxton, ECD. Reports are that at about 21:30h on Sunday, two brothers were imbibing when an argument ensued and quickly turned physical. Amore’s mother, Mellisia Garraway, who is married to one of the brothers, intervened and attempted to bring peace between the duo.

However, another brother of Garraway’s husband, identified as the 25-year-old

alleged murderer of Amore, entered the yard after hearing about the commotion and a second confrontation began.

The suspect had a heated row with Garraway’s husband and then left their residence. This newspaper was told that shortly after, the 25-year-old returned armed with a cutlass and a knife,

and proceeded to use his cutlass to deal Garraway several lashes.

This prompted the woman to once again intervene as she attempted to prevent her younger brotherin-law from inflicting more wounds on her husband but the suspect then turned his attention to her and used his weapons to injure the

First-time youth voters turn...

The beating of the drums and blowing of the horns are powerful enough to penetrate the walls of the community’s houses and wake up its inhabitants. The activity would start around 03:30h, which would allow the eligible voters time to prepare themselves before they head to the polls for 06:00h.

Latifah Henry, a firsttime voter who cast her ballot at Belfield, ECD related: “You know like long ago your parents use to tell you that is always about this whole big fuss and ranting?

To me it’s really very peaceful, you just go in and do your thing and that it. It's like saying ‘I am a taxpayer, finally’. It feels so good, it is

FROM PAGE 9

a good experience honestly. My PO was really good, I didn’t have an ID card, it was not as hard as people would expect it to be.”

Over at Golden Grove, Rickell Seaforth said he was very excited to be able to vote for the first time. He voted at the Golden Grove Secondary to a fast process.

“It was my first time vot-

Coronavirus deaths in US rise to 6

S

ix people in the Seattle area have died of illness caused by the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, as authorities across the United States scrambled to prepare for more infections with an emphasis on increasing testing capacity.

Dr Jeff Duchin, health officer for the Seattle and King County Public Health agency, announced the rise in fatalities from the previous two in Washington state.

Eight of the 14 total cases in his jurisdiction are linked to an outbreak at a nursing facility in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, including four deaths, Duchin said at a news conference.

At least four of the six people who died were either elderly or had underly-

ing health conditions or both, Duchin said.

Nevertheless, Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at a White House briefing, said the risk to Americans from coronavirus remained low.

Earlier in the day, two senior officials said the Trump administration was weighing whether to have the president issue an emergency declaration to help cover state and local costs of responding to the coronavirus.

Further tightening of travel restrictions on countries hard-hit by the virus also were under consideration, President Donald Trump said during a meeting with pharmaceutical company executives.

Food and Drug A d m i n i s t r a t i o n

Commissioner Stephen Hahn said he expects that by the end of this week close to 1 million coronavirus tests will be completed.

The total number of cases detected by the public health system in Washington state now stands at 18, the most of any state. In addition to the 14 King County cases, four residents of nearby Snohomish County have tested positive for the virus, officials said.

“We expect the number of cases will continue to increase in the coming days and weeks, and we are taking this situation extremely seriously,” Duchin said.

However, he also said the vast majority of diagnosed patients have mild to moderate symptoms and do not need hospitalization. (Reuters)

Colombia's Constitutional Court rules against legalising abortion in first 16 weeks of pregnancy

C

o l o m b i a ’ s Constitutional Court ruled on Monday against legalizing abortions in up to the first 16 weeks of pregnancy and said the procedure would continue to be allowed in just three specific cases.

The decision dashed the hopes of those who had looked to see abortion legalized in Colombia. The Andean country is part of a region that has some of the world’s strictest reproductive rights laws.

The court rejected a case that looked to return

the country to a ban on the practice in all circumstances, but also said it would not make abortion legal during the first four months of pregnancy.

As before, abortion will only be allowed if a mother’s life is at risk, if a fetus is malformed or if the pregnancy is a result of rape.

The decision was met with outcry by human rights organizations and women’s advocacy groups.

“Today’s decision by the Constitutional Court was a missed opportunity to stand on the right side of history to

fingers on Garraway’s left hand.

The teen rushed to his mother’s aid and confronted the suspect, who dropped the cutlass in their yard and exited the residence. Amore then pursued the 25-yearold and eventually apprehended him.

However, his step-uncle allegedly used the knife he still had in his possession to stab Amore to his chest and make good his escape on foot.

The bleeding teenager was picked up by his relatives and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police are presently on the hunt for the 25-year-old murder suspect.

provide Colombian women and girls safe access to abortion,” Paula Avila-Guillen, director of Latin America Initiatives at the Women’s Equality Center, said in a statement.

Amnesty International accused the court of turning its back on women.

“We regret that the court has decided to continue restricting women’s sexual and reproductive rights instead of setting a positive example for the region, “said Amnesty International Americas Director Erika Guevara Rosas. (Reuters)

ing and It was very simple.

I was a little nervous since it was my first time. The process was what I expected. There were no problems at all”, he explained.

Over 600,000 eligible voters were on the Official List of Electors. (Additional reporting by Utamu Belle and LaWanda McAllister)

Coronavirus: Twitter tells staff to work from home

T

witter has told its employees to work from home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

In a blog post, the social media giant said it was mandatory for staff in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea to work remotely.

The company also said it was "strongly encouraging" all of its 5,000 employees around the world to not come into work.

It comes a day after the firm banned all non-essential business travel and events for its workers.

The company had already announced that it was pulling out of this month's South by Southwest media conference in Austin, Texas.

Twitter's head of human resources Jennifer Christie said: "Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus for us - and the world around us." The post also highlighted that Twitter has been developing ways to work from home for some time: "While this is a big change for us, we have already been moving towards a more distributed workforce that's increasingly remote. We're a global service and we're committed to enabling anyone, anywhere to work at Twitter."

Twitter's chief executive

Jack Dorsey has long-supported remote working and in November announced plans to live in Africa for up to six months of this year.

The move is similar to measures put in place by many companies in Asia as the virus sweeps the region, but goes further than most big American businesses as they respond to the outbreak.

Other leading technology companies, including Facebook and Google, have postponed or cancelled conferences in the US. Facebook has also joined Twitter by pulling out of South by Southwest.

Staff at Google's European headquarters in Dublin will work from home on Tuesday as the company tests its preparedness for a potential outbreak in Ireland, but most of the 8,000 workers are expected to return to their desks on Wednesday.

At the same time companies, including telecoms operator A&T and banking giant Citigroup, have restricted international travel, especially to Asia.

The announcement comes as deaths due to the coronavirus around the world have passed 3,000 as the outbreak spreads from Asia to the US, Europe and the Middle East. (BBC)

16

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

Regional

Haitians lynched Coronavirus: Ecuador 4after being accused reports 5 new cases of kidnapping E F cuador has confirmed five additional cases of the new coronavirus, Health Minister Catalina Andramuño said.

The announcement brings the total number of infected patients in the country to six.

The five people newly infected with the virus had all had direct contact with an elderly woman who was the first to be diagnosed in the country.

The woman – an Ecuadorean citizen who lives in Spain – flew to Ecuador from Madrid without presenting symptoms.

She started to feel ill shortly after her arrival and was sent to one of the public hospitals equipped to deal with the virus.

The five people had “mild symptoms”, said Andramuño, adding that a further 177 people who may have come into contact with her were being monitored by authorities.

The elderly woman remains in critical condition, in quarantine and under observation.

The five people newly infected with the virus had all had direct contact with an elderly woman who was the first to be diagnosed in the country

Security official Franklin Bajaña said that the five people were in quarantine at home, according to the InfoBae website. This treatment plan would continue while their symptoms remained mild, he added.

Elsewhere in Latin America, five

cases have been confirmed in Mexico, and two in Brazil.

Worldwide, there have been almost 90,000 confirmed cases, with the numbers outside China growing faster than inside China. (Excerpt from BBC News)

our jailed Haitians who were accused of murdering an individual they allegedly kidnapped last month were lynched after an angry mob descended on a police station in “Grabay”, a locality in the commune of BoucanCarré, a Justice of the Peace has confirmed.

The JP, Osnack Degrave, said that six other prisoners took the opportunity to flee the Police Station during the unrest.

Media reports said that the four men – identified

as Joseph Paul, Louis Willy and brothers Rodrigue and “Sayofè” – had been arrested by the Police.

They were being investigated on charges of abducting a hostage (whose name was not disclosed), and later killing the hostage despite a “large ransom” being paid.

Degrave confirmed that following the arrests, a group of residents, angry and determined to do justice, broke into the Police Station and seized the four accused whom they then lynched and burnt alive. (CMC)

Moise names new Prime Minister

Jamaican Govt committed to strengthening drug policies – Minister

M

inister without portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Matthew Samuda, says the Government is committed to strengthening policies under the Drug Control Act. Samuda was speaking on Monday at the 63rd Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna,

Austria.

Samuda, who is representing Jamaica at the fiveday commission, expressed appreciation to those countries which have so far contributed to the work of the CND and lauded the work of the Commission and its role in ensuring that the international drug control architecture is robust and effective.

“Jamaica’s tenure will be marked by its commitment towards advancing the mandate of the Commission and contributing to developing policies on drug control to make it a more effective commission,” Samuda said.

Last year, Jamaica was elected to the United Nations CND to serve a four-year term until 2023.

The Ministry said on the Government’s agenda is the treatment of cannabis.

Samuda noted that the Government was disappointed that the World Health Organisation’s recommendations on the scheduling of cannabis were not considered for adoption. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Mexicans eager to see Pena Nieto P probed for corruption – poll

Prime Minister Jouthe Joseph

T

he vast majority of Mexicans want former President Enrique Pena Nieto to be investigated for corruption, a poll showed on Monday, offering a potential winning issue for the current administration, whose popularity is starting to fade.

A February 25-29 survey of 1200 adults by newspaper Reforma showed President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s approval rating fell by 19 percentage points to 59 per cent over the past year, the latest poll pointing to his waning appeal.

Buttressed by soaring popular support, Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018 vowing to root out corruption, lift the economy, and reduce record levels of violence.

Since then, homicides have broken new records and the economy has tipped into a mild recession, chipping away at backing for the veteran leftist, who has sought to blame previous governments for Mexico’s problems.

The Reforma poll showed 88 per cent of respondents

Mexico’s outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto arrives to the Congress for the inauguration of Mexico’s new President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in Mexico City, Mexico, December 1, 2018

favoured opening a corruption probe against Pena Nieto. He has always denied any wrongdoing, but his government was seriously tainted by graft allegations by the time he left office.

One of Pena Nieto’s erstwhile top aides, Emilio Lozoya, a former boss of State oil firm Pemex, is wanted in Mexico on corruption charges.

Lozoya was arrested in Spain last month, and media reports suggest other senior figures from the Pena Nieto Administration are in the sights of Lopez Obrador’s investigators. (Excerpt from Reuters)

resident Jovenel Moïse on Monday said he had named Environment Minister Jouthe Joseph as the new Prime Minister, replacing Jean Michel Lapin.

“Following consultations I had with different sectors of the country, I chose Citizen Jouthe Joseph as new Prime Minister,” Moise said in a brief statement, adding that Joseph is being called upon “to form, as soon as possible, a Government of openness and consensus, capable of responding to the emergencies of the day”.

“I want to thank the former Prime Minister Jean Michel Lapin and his government for the services rendered to the nation. I especially want to congratu-

Canadian couple drown at Cumana, Trinidad

T

he Coast Guard has recovered the body of a Canadian man who drowned at sea with his wife on Sunday.

According to reports, at approximately 16:00h on Sunday, 34-year-old

David Francis and his wife, 33-year-old Jessica Francis, were bathing at a beach in Cumana, Toco, when Jessica got into difficulty. David attempted to save her; however, they were both taken by the wa-

ter.

Guardian Media understands the couple came into Trinidad on Carnival Friday and were staying at a house on O’Halloran Trace in Cumana.

The woman’s body was

found around 05:00h on Sunday.

Police, Coast Guard, and fisher folk from Toco, assisted in the exercise to recover the bodies. (Trinidad Guardian)

late Mr Lapin for his commitment, his loyalty, his patriotism and his spirit of sacrifice after a year spent at the Prime Minister’s office,” Moise said.

Lapin, the former Culture and Communications Minister, was named acting Prime Minister on March 21 last year, three days after the Chamber of Deputies voted to censure the Government of former Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant.

Lawmakers overwhelmingly voted for Ceant’s resignation, saying he had failed to improve conditions in the six months since he took over at the Head of Government.

Lapin was the third Head of Government under President Moise who has led the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country since February 2017.

Opposition parties have been staging widespread demonstrations accusing Moise of corruption since he came to office.

Moise has called for a government of national unity, but the Opposition has dismissed the call, instead calling for him to step down. (Excerpt from CMC)

guyanatimesgy.com

OILNEWS Oil surges more than 4% in best day since September

O

il prices rose on Monday, reversing an earlier fall to multi-year lows as hopes of a deeper cut in output by OPEC and stimulus from central banks countered worries about damage to demand from the coronavirus outbreak.

Brent crude rose 4.3 per cent, or US$2.20, to trade at US$51.87 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude gained US$1.99, or 4.45 per cent, to settle at US$46.75 per barrel.

It was the first gain for both benchmarks after six sessions of losses triggered by coronavirus worries. The virus, which originated in China, has killed nearly 3000 people and roiled global markets as investors brace for a steep knock to world growth.

Equities underwent their biggest rout since the 2008 financial crisis last week although European and Asian shares steadied on Monday.

The scale of losses last week led financial markets to price in policy responses from the US Federal Reserve to the Bank of Japan, which indicated on Monday it would take necessary steps to stabilise financial markets.

“The comments of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Russia will keep cooperating with OPEC and its allies, are also helping ahead of the important oil producer meetings at the end of this week,” UBS oil analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

Data released over the weekend by China, the world’s top energy consumer, dragged on oil prices earlier in the session.

Factory activity in the country shrank at the fastest pace ever in February, underscoring the colossal damage from the coronavirus outbreak on its economy.

However, several key members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are mulling an additional production cut in the second quarter, with fears the virus outbreak will erode oil demand.

The previous proposal was for an additional output cut of 600,000 bpd.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday that Moscow is evaluating the smaller oil production cut proposal made by OPEC+, adding it had not received a proposal for deeper cuts.

OPEC oil output fell in February to the lowest in over a decade as Libyan supply collapsed due to a blockade of ports and oilfields and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf members over-delivered on a new productionlimiting accord, a Reuters survey found.

Oil prices have fallen more than 20 per cent since the start of the year despite OPEC and its allies including Russia, a grouping known as OPEC+, curbing oil output by 1.7 million bpd under a deal that runs to the end of March.

“Inaction by OPEC+ would likely trigger another potentially severe bout of selling,” analysts at Fitch Solutions have said.

They said that although current prices would incentivise Russia to agree to further output cuts, they would likely be of a short duration, for example, three months, with the barrels brought immediately back to market thereafter. (Excerpt from CNBC)

OPEC tries to head off oil glut as coronavirus saps demand

R

ising expectations that some of the world’s major oil producers will agree to production cuts appeared to steady oil prices on Monday. But as the coronavirus continues to fan out across the globe, sapping economic activity, analysts were doubtful that a cut in production of as much as one million barrels a day would be enough stem a weekslong slide in prices.

Officials from the OrganiSation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia are expected to meet in Vienna this week to try to halt plunging oil prices, which sank about 14 per cent last week alone.

The spreading coronavirus epidemic is cutting into demand for oil and weakening OPEC’s clout, but the meeting will still be watched closely by market participants because countries representing roughly half of world oil supplies will be present.

Hopes that the gathering will lead to new and deeper production cuts helped lead to price rises on Monday, ending last week’s slide.

President Vladimir V Putin of Russia bolstered those hopes by suggesting on Sunday that his country was willing to work with OPEC to try to stabilise prices. The markets have been unsettled in recent weeks

by Russia’s reluctance to join OPEC in an emergency meeting to discuss output trims to offset the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

Putin told a group of energy officials on Sunday that although Russia had sufficient financial reserves to weather upcoming economic storms, the country’s three-year alliance with OPEC had “proved to be an effective instrument to ensure long-term stability on global energy markets,” Reuters reported.

In 2014, after failing to bring Russia and others on board for production trims, Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s de facto leader, walked away from market management efforts, leading prices to eventually fall below US$30 a barrel. That rupture led to the 2016 accord between OPEC and Russia that helped prop up the markets for three years.

On Monday, for instance, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said that if the outbreak swept widely through the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and North America, global growth could fall to 1.5 per cent this year, half of the 3 per cent it had projected before the virus surfaced. That puts pressure on prices, and OPEC, despite all the barrels it commands, will struggle to reverse the trend, analysts say.

(Excerpt from The New York Times)

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

17

Around the World

Coronavirus spreading fast, but stigma is more dangerous – WHO

C

oronavirus now appears to be spreading much more rapidly outside China than within but can still be contained, and stigma is more dangerous than the disease itself, the World Health Organisation said on Monday.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said almost nine times as many cases had been reported outside China as inside in the previous 24 hours, adding that the risk of coronavirus spreading was now very high at a “global level”.

He said outbreaks in South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan were the greatest concern, but that there was evidence that close surveillance was working in South Korea, the worst affected country

outside China, and the epidemic could be contained there.

He said the fight against the coronavirus should become a bridge for peace, com-

mending the United States for supporting sending medical aid to Iran despite the tensions between them.

The global death toll exceeded 3000, with the num-

ber of dead in Italy jumping by 18 to 52 and Latvia, Saudi Arabia and Senegal reporting cases for the first time.

A senior US official said he was concerned about a likely jump in the number of cases in the United States, which has had more than 90, with six deaths.

There was also a steep fall in new cases in Hubei, the province around Wuhan, but China remained on alert for people returning home with the virus from other countries.

Only eight cases were reported in China beyond Hubei on Sunday, the WHO said.

Outside China, meanwhile, more than 60 countries now have cases, with more than 8700 infected and more than 100 deaths. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ing “Thank you” and a heart emoji. He fought Israel’s third election in less than a year under the cloud of corruption charges, which he denies.

The four-term Prime Minister, who heads the right-wing Likud party, had failed to secure a governing majority in the legislature in elections held in April and September.

Opinion polls in the final days of campaigning had predicted further deadlock. But polls broadcast by Israel’s three main television channels after voting ended showed Likud pulling ahead of the centrist Blue and White party led by former general Benny Gantz.

All three exit polls gave Likud and like-minded

parties 60 of Parliament’s 120-seats, just one short of a majority. During the campaign, right-wing and religious parties had pledged to join a Likud-led coalition Government.

Actual results, which have differed in the past from exit polls, will be released today. (Excerpt from Reuters)

People wear protective face masks as they take their lunch breaks at the financial Central District, following the outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Hong Kong, China, March 2, 2020

Israeli exit polls show election victory within Netanyahu’s grasp

V

ictory in a cliffhanger Israeli election on Monday seemed to be within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s grasp, with exit polls showing him just one seat short of a governing right-wing bloc in Parliament.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, responded to the projections by tweet-

Afghan conflict: Taliban to resume attacking local forces after deal with US

T

he Taliban are to resume attacks against Government forces, just days after signing a deal with the US aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan.

The hard-line Islamist group had observed a “reduction in violence” in the week leading up to the agreement.

The deal included a commitment to hold peace talks with the Afghan Government.

But the group’s spokesman said on Monday the talks would not go ahead if 5000 Taliban prisoners held by the Government were not released.

The release formed part of the agreement signed on Saturday in Qatar with the US.

Taliban militants and villagers were pictured celebrating the peace deal on Monday

But on Sunday, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani told reporters his Government had agreed to no such release.

The Taliban have previously refused to negotiate with the Afghan Government, so Saturday’s deal was just

with the US, which invaded Afghanistan weeks after the September 2001 attacks in New York by al-Qaeda, then based in Afghanistan.

The Taliban were ousted from power but became an insurgent force that by 2018 was active in more than two-

thirds of the country.

Saturday’s agreement included the withdrawal of US troops and its Nato allies from Afghanistan within 14 months - if the militants hold up the deal.

About 12,000 US troops are still stationed in the country.

Trump said 5000 US troops would leave Afghanistan by May and he would meet Taliban leaders in the near future.

He added that US troops had been killing militants in Afghanistan “by the thousands” and now it was “time for someone else to do that work and it will be the Taliban and it could be surrounding countries”. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Saraqeb: Situation in flux as Syrian forces, rebel groups battle

C

lashes between Syrian Government forces and armed opposition groups are ongoing in the northwestern strategic city of Saraqeb in Syria’s Idlib province amid heavy Russian bombardment.

On Monday, Syrian state media SANA said Government forces had wrested control of the city back from the rebels and pledged to “confront the flagrant Turkish aggression”.

Syrian forces, backed by Russia, entered Saraqeb and exerted control on February 8, before Turkish-backed

armed opposition groups reclaimed it last week on February 27.

According to a SANA correspondent, Government forces entered Saraqeb on Monday “after they fought fierce battles against the terrorist organisations supported by the Turkish regime” and are working “to comb the city from the remnants of the terrorists”.

However, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Idlib, Adham al-Hussam, said street battles in Saraqeb continued, with neither side able to hold the city in a decisive way.

“It’s a very fluid situation,” al-Hussam said, speaking from the nearby town of Binnish. “The rebel groups are in control of the western area of Saraqeb and can’t get to the area on the eastern side known as the industrial zone, where the Syrian Government forces have positions and have been in control.”

On Monday, Turkey’s presidential office confirmed that a meeting between Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin will take place in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the developments in Syria. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Look to friends for advice. A personal change will give you the confidence to step outside your comfort zone and try something new.

Keep passwords and private matters well-hidden.

Concentrate on professional gains. Do whatever it takes to raise your profile or update your qualifications.

An opportunity to earn more money could develop. Make a positive lifestyle change.

Don’t make unrealistic promises. If you are misleading, you will be held accountable. Make personal improvement, fitness and better health your priorities. Problems will arise while traveling or dealing with bureaucracy.

Change may cause uncertainty, but, in the end, you will benefit from what transpires. An open mind will lead to knowledge that will help you take advantage of an opportunity.

Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. An unpredictable situation will leave you questioning where you stand and what’s going to happen next. Observe how others respond before you take action.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Stand up for what you believe is right and make your voice heard. You can and will make a difference.

Charm will be your secret weapon. If you listen attentively, you’ll find out information that will help you navigate a tight situation.

Leave nothing to chance.

Be the best you can be.

Engage in exercise or in any other activity that will make you feel stronger, better and ready to conquer whatever comes your way.

SAGITTARIUS Treat domestic matters carefully. A mistake will be (Nov. 23emotionally and financially Dec. 21) costly. Consider your options and search for a realistic compromise. Focus on accumulating cash -- not on spending it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

If you consider what the people around you want, it will be easier to persuade them to see things your way.

You’ll profit from someone else’s reluctance to recognize a decent offer.

AQUARIUS

If you make a positive lifestyle change, it will put your mind at ease. Face facts and strive to incorporate things into your life that will result in better health.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

The less running around you do and the more time you put into getting things done, the better off you’ll be.

Take better care of money matters.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

19

LeBron, Lakers NBA round-up: outlast Zion, Pels

L

eBron James had a triple-double as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-114 on Sunday night.

Davis, who averaged 36 points as the Lakers won the first three meetings with his former team, sat out because of knee soreness one night after a 105-88 loss at Memphis in which L.A. had a season-low point total.

James, who had 40 points in a 118-109 home victory against the Pelicans on Tuesday, finished with 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma added 20 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13, and Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Markieff Morris had 10 each.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with a career-high 35 points, marking his 11th consecutive game with 20-plus points. Lonzo Ball scored 19, Brandon Ingram had 15 on 5-of-23 shooting, Derrick Favors had 12 points and 14 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 11 and Nicolo Melli added 10.

Los Angeles Clippers 136Philadelphia 76ers 130

Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points, and Los Angeles rallied for a victory over visiting Philadelphia.

Paul George, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams each scored 24 points for the Clippers, who won their fourth in a row. Williams also had eight assists, while Harrell pulled down nine rebounds. Reggie Jackson added 13 points.

Shake Milton scored a career-high 39 points by making 7 of 9 3-pointers and 14 of 20 shots from the floor for the Sixers, who dropped their eighth straight on the road. Former Clipper Tobias Harris contributed 25 points, while Alec Burks added 15 points. The Sixers lost starting guard Josh Richardson early in the second quarter to a concussion after initially terming the injury a nose contusion.

Milwaukee Bucks 93Charlotte Hornets 85

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 41 points to go with 20 rebounds as Milwaukee defeated host Charlotte.

Antetokounmpo sank 17 of 28 shots and added a teamhigh six assists and 18 rebounds. Brook Lopez added 16 points, and George Hill had 11 for the Bucks, who won their sixth straight.

Devonte’ Graham’s 17 points paced the Hornets, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Terry Rozier had 13 points, P.J. Washington scored 12, Cody Martin had 11 and Willy

Harry Giles contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, Harrison Barnes had 10 points and Alex Len powered for eight points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.

Christian Wood led the Pistons, who have lost eight of their past nine games, with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Brandon Knight had 16 points and seven assists.

Detroit point guard Derrick Rose left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. He finished with nine points.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots over New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the fourth quarter at the Smoothie King Centre

Hernangomez added points and 13 rebounds.

10

Denver Nuggets 133Toronto Raptors 118

Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, Jamal Murray used a hot start to finish with 22 points, and host Denver beat Toronto.

Torrey Craig had a season-high 17 points off the bench, Jerami Grant scored 16 and Gary Harris finished with 15 for the Nuggets, who had eight players score in double figures.

OG Anunoby had a career-high 32 points, Norman Powell scored 24, Kyle Lowry added 17 and Pascal Siakam finished with 16 for Toronto.

The Raptors have lost three straight for the first time in nearly three months.

Dallas Mavericks 111Minnesota Timberwolves 91

Kristaps Porzingis scored 38 points, Seth Curry added 27 points, and Dallas beat Minnesota at Minneapolis.

The Mavericks played without All-Star Luka Doncic, who wore a splint on his thumb in a loss Friday at Miami. Doncic injured the thumb on Feb. 26 against San Antonio. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith grabbed 11 rebounds for the Mavericks.

D’Angelo Russell led the Timberwolves with

16 points and flirted with a triple-double, registering nine rebounds and seven assists. Russell led four Timberwolves in double figures scoring, with Malik Beasley adding 14 points, Juan Hernangomez hitting for 12 points, and Jarrett Culver adding another 12 off the bench.

Sacramento Kings 106Detroit Pistons 100

De’Aaron Fox had 23 points and seven assists as Sacramento won for the fifth time in six games by downing visiting Detroit.

Buddy Hield supplied 19 points and six rebounds, and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 15 points for the Kings.

Washington Wizards 124Golden State Warriors 110

Bradley Beal broke the franchise record for consecutive 25-point games with his 18th straight, a gamehigh 34-point performance that lifted Washington over host Golden State in San Francisco.

Beal shot 10 for 24 from the field and 7 for 9 on 3-pointers for the Wizards, who are 1-1 on a four-game Western swing. He broke Walt Bellamy’s record of 17 games, set in 1962, and also had a team-high eight assists and five steals in 35 minutes.

Andrew Wiggins had a team-high 27 points for the Warriors, who were seeking their first winning streak since the last time they saw — and beat — the Wizards on Feb. 3 in Washington.

(Reuters)

F1 organisers insist Australian Grand Prix will go ahead despite coronavirus

T

he season-opening Formula One race in Australia will go ahead despite the increasing threat from the coronavirus, organisers have stated.

The Chinese Grand Prix has already been postponed because of the outbreak and infection from the virus has now spread throughout Europe where the F1 teams are based. The Australian GP is due to take place on 15 March and with teams and equipment set to leave this week, a definitive decision on staging the race needs to be made within days.

Air freight including cars for the Melbourne meeting are expected to leave on Wednesday and Thursday with team personnel flying out shortly afterwards. F1

management and the FIA state that they continue to monitor the coronavirus outbreak, insisting that the safety of teams, staff and fans is paramount.

On Monday the chief executive of the Australian GP, Andrew Westacott, stated that at this stage he was confident the race would take place. “We are all systems go and gearing up for the 25th Formula One race in Melbourne next week,” he said. “The finishing touches are being put on the circuit, F1 freight and personnel are arriving in the coming days.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation in the lead-up to the grand prix and are taking guidance from subject matter experts, including Victorian and National

Chief Health Officers and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. At this stage there is no indication of further travel bans, nor is there any indication that Formula One and the teams will not be arriving as usual. Formula One has again confirmed overnight that the

Australian Grand Prix is going ahead.”

The spread of the virus in Italy and Japan remains a major concern. Ferrari, AlphaTauri and tyre supplier Pirelli are all based in Italy, while engine manufacturer Honda is based in Japan.

They supply power units to

Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

Australia has already imposed strict controls on entry from China and Iran, with foreign nationals required to spend 14 days in a third country before entering. Currently Italy and Japan are not subject to such restrictions but Italy has experienced a surge in cases of infection.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is set to be held one week after the Australian GP and there has been speculation that it might be held behind closed doors.

However, with the volume of personnel from teams, F1, broadcasters and media for a race running into the thousands such a measure would be of limited effectiveness. It is understood that F1 management is not considering

closed-door meetings as an option.

Organisers of the Vietnam Grand Prix insist it will still take place on 5 April.

However, on Monday authorities announced that 115 people were now suspected of having the virus in Vietnam.

In response the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Italian nationals will no longer be granted visa-free entry to the country.

The MotoGP series has postponed its scheduled second race of the season in Thailand set for 22 March because of the coronavirus. The opening meeting in Qatar has already been cancelled due to travel restrictions put in place on entry from personnel from Italy and other countries.

(The Guardian)

20

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Watford winger Deulofeu Joshua to defend IBF title to undergo surgery on against Pulev in June ACL injury

G

erard Deulofeu is to undergo surgery on the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and torn meniscus injury he sustained in Watford’s surprise win over Liverpool.

The Spanish winger twisted his knee in the first half of the 3-0 triumph over the Premier League leaders at Vicarage Road on Saturday, following a challenge with Virgil van Dijk.

Watford provided an update on Twitter, which

read: “Gerard Deulofeu is set for surgery after scans confirmed a ruptured ACL and torn meniscus suffered during the first-half of our win over Liverpool.

“Come back stronger, Geri, we’re all with you!”

Hornets boss Nigel Pearson, during an interview with Sky Sports on Sunday, had confirmed the former Barcelona forward would play no further part in the 2019-20 campaign.

“Unfortunately for us, the scan results really

show he is probably going to be out for the rest of the season,” Pearson said.

“The initial scan results show that he has got an ACL [rupture], which is a really bad thing for us, because he has been such an important player for us.”

Watford’s win over Liverpool, which was the Reds’ first Premier League loss of the season, lifted Pearson’s men out of the bottom three on goal difference. (sportsmax)

Sturridge “devastated”

B

ritish boxer Anthony Joshua will defend his IBF World Heavyweight Title against the Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on June 20 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England.

Pulev, the IBF’s mandatory challenger for the belt, announced on his Facebook page that the contracts for the fight had been signed, and Joshua also confirmed the date on his social media accounts.

The Bulgarian had previously been scheduled to fight Joshua back in 2017, but an injury he suffered had led to Carlos Takam

replacing him in a fight the Briton had won in 10 rounds.

There had been talk of Joshua eschewing his defence against Pulev to fight Tyson Fury following his compatriot’s stunning win over Deontay Wilder last month, which saw him claim the WBC title.

However, Wilder’s decision to exercise his rematch clause means a third bout with the American will be Fury’s immediate focus.

That fight is likely to take place in July, with Joshua’s meeting with Pulev to be held a month earlier in London.

A post on Pulev’s Facebook account read: “The contract between the two countries is now officially signed, and the battle between the Bulgarian boxer, who is the mandatory challenger for the belt of the IBF, and the British is guaranteed!”

Pulev added: “I am happy to have the opportunity to show the world how strong I really am.”

The 38-year-old Pulev had fought Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF title back in November 2014, but had suffered a fifth-round knockout in a one-sided contest. (Sportsmax)

Stafanie Taylor ruled out of final Group B match

A

“ d e v a s t a t ed” Daniel Sturridge has maintained his innocence after he was given a worldwide ban from football for a breach of betting regulations.

Sturridge was initially banned for two weeks and fined £75,000 last July, after a regulatory commission had ruled that he had provided inside information to his brother Leon over a possible transfer from Liverpool to Sevilla, which did not materialise.

The Football Association (FA) challenged that punishment, in the belief that it was too lenient, and an independent Appeal Board hit Sturridge with another two charges, which had originally been dismissed.

Sturridge has now been banned from all football-related activities until June 17, and had his fine doubled to £150,000.

The 30-year-old revealed on Monday that he had cut short his spell with Trabzonspor because he is unable to play, and he says bookmakers should not be allowed to take bets on

transfer moves.

In a video posted on Instagram, he said: “I just want to say it’s been a very long, drawn-out process over the last couple of years, and (it’s) difficult to concentrate on my football.

“It’s also been a crazy few days. I’m going to continue to campaign for professional footballers to be able to speak to their families and close friends without the real risk of being charged.

“I feel it’s the betting companies and the process of people being able to place bets on players moving (to) clubs [that] has to be stopped.

“And although the appeal panel had recognised that I

hadn’t bet, nobody else had bet, I was still charged, so it was very disappointing and upsetting for me to hear the news that the appeal panel had overturned the original highly-qualified panel’s ruling.

“With that being said, [it’s] devastating for me, and I’m absolutely gutted about it. My season’s over and [I’m] devastated.

“I feel uncomfortable, and I just don’t think it’s the right thing for me to be able to continue accepting wages from a team that I can’t contribute to due to being banned, and I have come to a mutual agreement with Trabzonspor to terminate my contract.” (sportsmax)

S

YDNEY, Australia: Captain Stafanie Taylor has been ruled out of the West Indies Women’s final ‘Group B’ match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup against South Africa, being played today, Tuesday March 3, at the Sydney Showground in Australia.

Taylor has suffered a right-side groin strain,

which forced her to retire hurt in the West Indies

W o m e n ’ s match against England at the Sydney Showground on Sunday night.

No replacement player has been requested, and Taylor will stay with the West Indies team to travel home together to the Caribbean at the end of their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

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21

Munroe hails Burnham Memorial tournament as a success

A

t conclusion of the annual Forbes Burnham Memorial Table Tennis Tournament, Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) President Godfrey Munroe described the activity as a success and said he is optimistic of what the future holds for tennis.

In conversation with Guyana Times Sport, Munroe was asked how he regarded the tournament, and he responded, “The tournament was quite a successful one, filled with keen rivalry (and being) very competitive. (There was) a high level of skill displayed, and exciting matches (were)

played in the spirit of great sportsmanship, which truly augurs well for the development of the sport.

“It forms part of the G T T A ’ s Strategic Plan: to have more competitions so as t o

provide an environment for players to continue to nurture and harness their skills; and (it serves) as (a) variable in our selection process and as a supplement for their training in preparation for keen international competitions for those players that are eligible for national selection.”

GTTA President Godfrey Munroe

Munroe also said the goal of the GTTA is to host more domestic competitions to aid in sending better and more competitive units at tournaments.

He further relayed that National Team preparation for the key Caribbean Junior Championships which are to be held in the Dominican Republic is scheduled for April 16 to 29th, 2020. The GTTA will then go on to prepare the athletes for the Olympic Trials set for April 14th to 19 in Rosario Argentina; Senior Caribbean Championships, set for April 2nd to 8th 2020 in Cuba; the World Championships, for

which en’s the womteam has now qualified, and which have been shifted to June 2020 in South Korea; and the Caribbean Mini and Pre-Cadet Table Tennis Championships and the Hopes Training Camp and Challenge, which are to be held from August 14th to 29th 2020 in Guyana.

Munroe has noted that it is the GTTA’s goal to continue developmental programmes in schools and communities and have a focus on the development of club structure.

“Hit It For 50” schools' windball competition…

Lady Trojans triumph!

T

he Lady Trojans team of the University of Guyana (UG) have won the National Sports Commission/AL Sports & Tour Promotions/FBFsponsored round-robin schools windball tournament.

They won all of the five matches they contested as action in this tournament unfolded at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

In their final game -against Camille's Academy -- these Lady Trojans batted first and scored 1460. Then they restricted Camille’s Academy to 1051. The Lady Trojans were led by Akaze Thompson, but Keisha Fraser hit 87 (6s-10), which combined with MVP Akaze Thompson’s 42 to take them to their mammoth total. Shoalin Raghoo, with 52, and Tamika Simon, with 30, were the scorers

for Camille’s Academy.

In the third-place playoff, Cummings Lodge Secondary were able to post 74-2, with Erica Mentore contributing 38. Needing redemption, Camille's Academy raced to their target effortlessly, and ended their innings on 76-2. Tamika Simon top scored with 34.

In the male category, the New Central High posted 89-4 against The Business School. Although Deonarine Tiwari top scored with 32, their innings were restricted

by Ezekiel Wilson, who bagged 3-14.

Chasing such a small total, The Business School raced to a 92-0 victory, with Jeffrey Blair leading from the front with 62.

The New Central High then went on to battle Cummings Lodge Secondary in an encounter in which they posted 91-

In picture, the Lady Trojans' Captain is seen receiving the trophy from FBF Chairman Vincent Alexander and AL Sport official R Gordon

1. Deonarine Tiwari again led with the bat in scoring 60. However, a determined Cummings Lodge Secondary easily chased

down that total to end their innings on 95-2, of which Josh Alves scored 58.

Play in this tourna-

ment is set to resume on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 with the knockout stage being featured.

West Indies Tour to Sri Lanka…

“I felt I hadn’t scored enough,” says Shai Hope

W

est Indies batsman Shai Hope wants to score more runs for his team and help them to record more wins. He made this frank disclosure on Sunday night, after the West Indies went down to Sri Lanka by just six runs in the final One Day International match to be played between these sides on the West Indies Tour to Sri Lanka.

The match, played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in the central town of Kandy, was another nail-biter of a loss to Sri Lanka. It was the second close finish to the three-match series, following the one-wicket heart-breaking defeat in the opening match played at the Sinhalese Sports Club in the capital city of Colombo.

In that first match, Hope top scored with 115. In this last match, he again was the leading man with 72. In the second contest, he had made

51. That’s a total of 238 runs at the impressive average of 79.3 runs per innings.

Hope kept wicket for all 150 overs Sri Lanka batted, and also held eight catches behind the stumps. He batted most of every innings, so he was on the field more than any other player in the series.

Nevertheless, in his eyes, there is still a burning desire to do more.

“I feel like I haven’t scored enough runs! I’m just trying to do my job for the team. My job is to bat long and score runs, and it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get the wins in this series.

They say there’s a learning curve for eve r y thing; s o , hopefully, we can learn f r o m this as quickly as possible and move on from there,” Hope said.

He was speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the final match. According to the 26-year-old, there is no shortage of hope and belief in the West Indies dressing room as they prepare for the Shai Hope T20I Series, both match-

es of which will be played at the picturesque Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, March 4 and Friday, March 6.

“We just have to continue believing in what we know we can do and what the team can achieve. We’ve done enough to get here, and we just need to tick a few more boxes to get us across that line.

“We’ve had a decent run of form in the past few ODI tours that we’ve had; so, yes, it’s a 3-0 loss and a setback for us, but there’s a lot to look forward to.

“We can say we ticked some boxes in this series, but having said that, there’s a lot that we can work on. So, we’re looking forward to see what we have in store for the next series,” he said.

With dynamic all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell in the squad, West Indies will be forceful as they

look to build momentum towards the ICC T20 World Cup tournament, which will be played in Australia later this year.

Each of the abovenamed players is a two-time world champion, having played vital roles in the teams which won the titles under captain Daren Sammy, in 2012 and again in 2016.

“I’m pleased to be back in the T20 squad. I played one game against Afghanistan in India, and I always want to play every format, if I can.

I’m just glad to be here again.

They (Russell and Bravo) have been playing T20 cricket for [a long time] now and they have a heap of experience. I’m sure that the new guys in the team, like myself, can get some knowledge from them, and hopefully they can continue doing what they do best and we can win this upcoming series,” Hope has said.

22

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Milo U-18 Schools Football Tournament…

Golden Grove, Tucville, New Central are latest winners

G

olden Grove Secondary, having on Sunday afternoon registered their first win in the Milo Schools Under-18 Football competition, have been joined in the winners’ circle by Tucville Secondary and New Central High School, who have also each bagged their first win of the 2020 tournament.

A hat trick from Golden Grove’s Calvin Richmond in the 26th, 52nd and 67th minutes enabled the East Coast team to brush aside St. John’s College in a 3-2 encounter.

S h e m Joris had initially put St. John’s in the lead in the 10th minute, then Richmond equalized, and David Xavier added St John’s second in the 38th.

The Georgetown side were, however, unable to find the ultimate equalizer to Richmond’s goals.

Tucville Secondary thumped the Bishops’

H i g h School 3-0, subjecting them to their second loss in

this year’s tournament.

Simeon Benn opened the scoring in the 6th minute, and teammate Shawn Lewis followed in the 19th for a 2-0 score by the half. Benn added another to Tucville’s tally in the 51st minute, while Bishops’ could not find a single response to this dominance.

It was another oneman performance in the final encounter of the day, this time coming from Garfield Caesar as he led New Central H i g h School to a r e sounding 3-1 victory over Queenstown Secondary.

Caesar found the back

WDCA Beacon Café 50-Over Competition…

CICC topple Windsor Forest A in 8th round clash

A

ction in the West Demerara Cricket Association’s Beacon Café 50-Over Cricket Competition continued over the weekend with the Cornelia Ida Cricket Club battling the Windsor Forest A Team at the Meten-Meer-Zorg Cricket Ground.

This was part of play in the 8th round of the tournament, and it turned out to be a one-sided affair, as the CICC were able to defeat their opponents by 91 runs.

The match commenced with the CICC squad laying the platform to defeat their much weaker opponents. They made good use of the powerplay overs, and set themselves up to register a big total, but the loss of a few quick wickets managed to throw them off course.

The Windsor Forest bowling pair of Kishaun Tracy and Maniram Ragnauth troubled the CICC batsmen with their

lengths, which were virtually impossible to read. But assistance came in the form of Harrinarine Bissondyal, Muhamad Wazidali, Arshad Azim and Vaickesh Dhaniram, who were able to dig their

of the net in the 42nd, 60th and 61st minutes; while Queenstown’s consolation goal came off the boots of Jose Lawson in the 49th.

Action in the Milo Under-18 tournament will resume this weekend

team out of trouble.

Bissondyal led from the front with 66; while Wazidali supported with 55, Arshad Azim contributed 33, and Vaickesh D a n i r a m chipped in with a quickfire 31 runs, to take their total to 244 all out in 48.1 overs.

The Windsor Forest bowlers Kishaun Tracy and Maniram Ragnauth bagged 4-32 and 3-23 respectively.

Although they needed only 245

runs for victory, Windsor Forest ‘A Team’ struggled from the get-go, failing to sustain any partnership that would give their squad a crucial boost.

Deoram Chanderbir with 45 and Abdullah Wazidali with 30 were the only players to make a meaningful contribution.

The other players succumbed to scoreboard pressure and ‘choked’ in the most important part of the game.

In the end they were bowled out for 153, scored in 28.5 overs.

Bowling for CICC, Arshad Azim and Harrinarine Bissondyal each bagged 3 wickets.

Secondary at 13:45hrs; and Friendship Secondary will oppose Ann’s Grove at 15:30hrs. all games will be played at the usual venue, the Ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Women's T20 World Cup 2020…

Hapless Windies seeking consolation win against roaring South Africa

H

Muhamad Wazidali and Harrinarine Bissondyal were the top performers for CICC

with three games, slated for play on Saturday, March 7. Cummings Lodge will battle Vergenoegen Secondary at 12:00hrs; Uitvlugt Secondary will take on defending champions Christianburg Wismar

aving lost their last two matches -- against Pakistan Women and England Women respectively -- West Indies Women will be looking to end their campaign on a winning note when they come up against the roaring South Africa Women.

The Proteas have thus far been exceptional in this Women's T20 World Cup tournament, having won each of their three matches.

South africa women

South Africa come into this final group stage match knowing they have already qualified to play in the semi-finals, and a win would see them top the group and face Australia in the semis, while a defeat would see them stay in second place and play India.

Having won all three of their matches in the tournament so far, the South Africans would be keen to maintain this momentum by beating West Indies.

They are coming off a 17-

run win over Pakistan, and some of the weaknesses at the top of the order have again been highlighted.

They brought Marizanne Kapp back into the starting line-up to face Pakistan, and the likelihood is that they would name the same eleven as they look to build continuity and improve their individual performances.

West Indies Women

It has been a hugely disappointing tournament for the West Indies. They were eliminated following another defeat at the hands of England last time out, and they have performed nowhere near to expectation coming into this World Cup tournament.

They are beset by a whole host of problems coming into this match, with skipper Stafanie Taylor being unlikely to feature after being stretchered off with injury against England; while Britney Cooper and Chinelle Henry are both

carrying injury.

Taylor has led the team in runs and wickets taken, so her absence would severely weaken them further, although coach Gus Logie would almost certainly use this match to give playing time to some of the fringe players.

The prediction

There is nothing much riding on this game, other than to decide whom South Africa will face in the semi-finals. They face a West Indies side which have been hugely disappointing and are in complete disarray coming into this final game. The Windies are beset by injuries, and have played so far below their best form that the prognosis does not bode well for this final game.

The expectation is that South Africa would be keen to maintain the momentum they have built, and thus should be able to brush aside this under-par Windies side.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

23

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2020 tournament…

Nedd, Sinclair, Yadram part of CWI Emerging Players pool ...Keagan Simmons returns

T

he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will again work with Cricket West Indies (CWI) to ensure that the best young players from across the region would be in CPL squads during the tournament. They would also ensure that these talented youngsters are given game time.

These players include the likes of Guyanese Ashmead Nedd, Kevin Sinclair and Bashkar Yadram. Also returning for the second stint is Amazon Warriors player Kevin Sinclair Keagan Simmons.

The list of 20 players that has been providThere are also on the list ed by CWI includes seven players who five of the players appeared at last w h o year’s CPL in did so these develwell for opmenWest Indies during tal spots: the recent ICC Under-19 Amir World Cup campaign in South Africa. Kimani Melius,

Shamar Springer (Jamaica Tallawahs) and Keagan Simmons (Guyana Amazon Warriors). The teams can choose to retain these players or draft or sign another player from the list.

There will be two spots in each squad set aside for these

Ashmead Nedd

Jayden Seales, Ashmead Nedd, Nyeem Young and Kirk McKenzie are now in with a chance to again show what they are capable of doing, this time at the CPL.

Jangoo (Trinbago Knight Riders), Leniko Boucher (Barbados Tridents), Jeavor Royal, Roland Cato (St Lucia Zouks), Dominic Drakes (St Kitts & Nevis Patriots),

players. It means that there will be a minimum of 12 West Indies qualified players who are under 23 years old taking part in the CPL. Each team will have to

field an emerging player a minimum of five times across the tournament: either one player making five appearances, or a total of five appearances between the two players. This means that not only would they get the experience of training with the best players and coaches from across the Caribbean and from around the world, but they would also be given the chance of playing in the CPL. Michael Hall, the CPL Tournament Operations Director, has said: “The CPL takes its mandate of providing meaningful opportunities for the next generation of West Indies cricketers very seriously, and we are happy to have again collaborated with Cricket West Indies on the Emerging Players initiative. It is now up to the players to make the most of it.”

Jimmy Adams, CWI Director of Cricket, has said: “I am delighted that the Emerging Players programme will continue into its second season, as it allows us to once again identify our best young talent and provide them with a programme that would hasten their step up to the professional game.

“We have selected another talented group of young regional cricketers, out of which 12 players will be drafted into the CPL two per franchise. This group will also have the benefit of participating in a specialized high-performance camp in Antigua prior to going off to the tournament.

“Later in the year, the programme would again be using the Super 50 Cup to provide a competitive One-Day environment for the best young regional talent, (who) would not otherwise get an opportunity within the franchise system.

“I am grateful to the CPL and the Franchise owners for their continued support to develop our young talent.”

The full list of players is as follows: Player Home Territory 1. Alick Athanaze Windwards 2.

Joshua Bishop Barbados 3.

L e n i k o

Bashkar Yadram

Boucher* Barbados 4. Keacy Carty Leewards 5. Roland Cato* Windwards

Keagan Simmons

6. Joshua Trinidad 7. Dominic Barbados 8. Amir Trinidad 9. Nicholas Barbados 10. Mikyle Leewards 11. Kirk Jamaica 12. Kimani Windwards 13. Ashmead Guyana 14. Jeavor Jamaica 15. Jayden Trinidad 16. Keagan Trinidad 17. Kevin Guyana 18. Shamar Barbados 19. Bhaskar Guyana 20. Nyeem Barbados

da

Silva

Drakes* Jangoo* Kirton Louis McKenzie Melius Nedd Royal* Seales Simmons* Sinclair Springer* Yadram Young

Lady Jags advance to U-20 Championships’ quarter-finals

T

he Under-20 Lady Jags Team members are continuing to rewrite Guyanese football history, as they have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championships.

These Under-20 ladies on Sunday evening achieved a feat that has never previously been accomplished in women’s football in Guyana when they came up against the ladies from the Cayman Islands -- who themselves were making history by making it thus far in the competition -- at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, D o m i n i c a n Republic.

In that encounter, the Lady Jaguars starting XI, consisting of Anessa O’Brien, Jenea Knight, Anaya Johnson, Brianne Desa, Jade Vyfhuis (C), Serena Mc Donald, Tori De Nobrega, Samantha Banfield, Nailah Rowe, Shanice Alfred and Aubrey Narine, controlled possession in the earlier minutes of the encounter, but the

Cayman Islands put up a strong front to restrict the Guyanese girls.

However, it all went up in flames for Guyana’s opponents when a long ball came up from the defense and was collected by

When you couple that with a sound defensive line, we’ll have our work cut out for us,” Joseph stated.

“We’ve watched the scouting tape, and we’re now in the process of developing a game plan to get them in; but, again, do we have the athletes to really compete? that will be the tale of this game.

Nailah Rowe. Crossing the ball in, Shanice Alfred took her shot at the goal from just outside the 6-yard box.

The ball bounced off the side bar and eventually made its way into the net, to record Guyana’s first goal of the encounter in the 24th minute.

The first half of play expired without further in-

cident, but the Cayman Islands returned in the second segment with renewed vigour. Their ramped-up plays made way for more tries at the goal, but Anessa O’Brien jumped and leapt to keep Guyana’s slate clean.

However, in the 55th minute, Aubrey Narine saw an opportunity when the Cayman goalie Satiah Miller squandered the collection just in front of the

goal, and Narine executed a perfect toe-in for Guyana’s second goal, the winner of the match.

With the victory, Guyana have now advanced to the quarterfinal segment, and will come up against powerhouses Haiti on Wednesday, March 4.

In a correspondence with media operatives, Head Coach Dr Ivan Joseph shared the threat that Haiti will pose to Guyana’s chanc-

es of advancing. “ A s we move on to the quarterfinal, Haiti will be another tough match.

They’re a team that is physical; athletic; (and are) very, very proficient scorers.

Number 10 and Number 7 have scored a bucket full of goals, so they’ve got multiple scoring threats, which will be hard to contain.

“You will look for us to have a low-pressure defense, clearly not the same as when we played Mexico. You have to be able to score, so look for us to find wherever that balance is in the game,” the Head Coach detailed about Guyana’s upcoming game plan.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2020 tournament…

Page 23

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Nedd, Sinclair, Yadram part of CWI Emerging Players pool ...Keagan Simmons returns

Lady Jags advance to U-20 Championships’ quarter-finals

Women’s T20 World Cup 2020…

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