Guyana Times Wednesday March 25, 2020

Navratri greetings May victory of good over evil inspire towards betterment of Guyana – Dr Irfaan Ali P4 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4236

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

GECOM, APNU/AFC destruction of democracy: Day 23

If court has jurisdiction to hear recount objection, it has jurisdiction to produce CEO’s SoPs – PPP See story on page 3

UK Govt warns of “serious consequences” for noncredible elections results Dr Yesu Persaud to Granger: “You still have the opportunity to redeem yourself” Page 11

Page 7

Guyana still awaiting additional COVID-19 testing kits – DCMO Page 10

…testing critical in fight against disease – WHO

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Bandits caught red-handed at Mc Doom

P8

COVID-19

NA municipality imposes P13 curfew for businesses

4 nabbed for P8 ganja in hire car

Coronavirus

High Court adjourns all cases for 1 P14 month …only urgent matters to be addressed …Magistrates to sit 1 day per week

Not enough inspectors to enforce labour law – State P15 Dept report COVID-19

Pensioners urged not to congregate at Post Offices

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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

Wednesday, March 25 – 05:00h – 06:30h and Thursday, March 26 – 05:00h – 06:30h.

If court has jurisdiction to hear recount objection, it has jurisdiction to produce CEO’s SoPs – PPP

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, March 25 – 17:05h – 18:35h and Thursday, March 26 – 05:10h – 06:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light cloud will prevail during the day. There will be partly cloudy to clear skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly to North-Easterly to North North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 17:28h reaching a maximum height of 2.70 metres.

Low Tide: 11:03h and 23:17h reaching minimum heights of 0.50 metre and 0.55 metre.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020

LOTTERY NUMBERS L

09 13 15 17 21 23 05

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Bonus Ball

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020 DAILY MILLIONS

08 19 22 23 24 LUCKY 3

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1

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Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

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SUPER PAY DAY FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2020

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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

US$ $27.15/barrel $239.72 /ton $344.40/ton

Live Spot Gold Bid/Ask Low/High Change

$1625.90 $1556.50 -10.10

Change % +0.44 +0.24 0.00

USD Per Ounce $1630.90 $1689.80 -0.62%

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

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ore than three weeks after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, Guyanese are no closer to hearing a declaration since litigants on both sides of the issue in the current court hearing in the matter have now challenged the jurisdiction of the court to even hear several pertinent matters.

Attorneys for Lowenfield on Monday objected to the application by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, to have the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, tender as evidence the entity’s Statements of Poll for Region Four and questioned the court’s jurisdiction to accommodate the request.

Lowenfield’s attorney, Neil Boston argued that the question of admitting the SoPs must be dealt with by way of petition.

Having heard GECOM challenge the court’s jurisdiction, attorneys for the Opposition countered their position and, in turn, challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter which was brought by A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) candidate,

Ulita Grace Moore. That is, for the recount not to be consummated.

The Opposition Leader’s formal submissions were made by Attorney-at-Law Douglas Mendez via Skype from neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago.

Another of Jagdeo’s lawyers, Anil Nandlall subsequently briefed media operatives on the decision to challenge the court’s jurisdiction and told media operatives that it was Moore’s attorney that first raised the issue of the court’s jurisdiction “about whether the court can order the SoPs and then we countered with a jurisdictional issue ourselves.”

He said the court will at some point in time have to entertain the notion of whether it could, in fact, hear the case brought by Moore.

According to Nandlall, “that matter questions decisions made by the Elections Commission and decisions made by the Elections Commission under the Statute—Section 140 of the Representation of the People Act—is precluded from inquiry by any court.”

Section 140 (1) states: Except to the extent that jurisdiction in that behalf has been conferred, and the exercise thereof is required, by the Constitution or any law made under Article 3 thereof (which provides for the determination by the Supreme Court of Judicature of questions as to membership of the National Assembly and elections thereto) and save as hereinbefore provided to the contrary, no question whether any function of the Elections Commission or of any of its members has been performed valid-

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield Justice Franklyn Holder

ly or at all shall be enquired into in any court. (2) No evidence of any deliberations of the Elections Commission or communications between members of the Commission regarding its business shall be admissible in any court.

He was adamant that “Ulita Moore’s entire case rests upon questioning, or asking the court to overrule decisions made by GECOM and to enquire into how those decisions were made and those things cannot be enquired into according to the Representation of the People Act.” He said were the court to rule that it did not have jurisdiction to entertain the matter brought by the APNU/AFC candidate, then that would negate the need for the application by the Opposition Leader.

Nandlall surmised too that were the Judge to rule in favour of hearing the matter by Moore then he would also have to entertain the request by Jagdeo.

Seeking to rubbish GECOM’s defence, Nandlall told media operatives “we were able to show by statute that the same way that the Returning Officer (RO)— Clairmont Mingo—decision conduct and tabulation ex-

ercise was enquired into by the Chief Justice; it’s the same enquiry that we are asking the court to embark into in relation to the March 13 declaration of the RO.” Meanwhile, Boston—in defence of the Commission’s position—told media operatives that Justice Holder in his decision yesterday opted to determine the court’s jurisdiction before proceeding to hear any of the substantive matters brought by Moore, Jagdeo and Holladar.

Justice Holder will be receiving submissions today and tomorrow from the litigants in order to determine jurisdiction into the Ulita Moore case.

As such, the determination of whether the SoPs can be tendered into evidence on discovery or not will be heard until after a decision into whether the court can entertain the case by the APNU/AFC candidate in the first place.

Jagdeo’s attorney, Douglas Mendez has since been directed to file his arguments on jurisdiction today after which GECOM will file its response on Thursday.

The hearing has since been scheduled to resume on Friday for further arguments to be made before Justice Holder.

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

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

The TB fight is important too

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he world is currently engaged in a fierce battle to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, which has so far resulted in thousands of deaths and infections worldwide.

Many countries have shut off their borders and have been calling on their citizens to heed the health warnings and practise social distancing, etc, to bring a halt to the disease. At the moment, fighting the virus is the number one priority for Governments and health authorities, and resources are mostly channelled in this direction. It is no wonder why World TB Day, which was observed yesterday (March 24), passed with little or no attention being paid to its significance.

March 24 marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease. While the coronavirus pandemic has caused great panic and worry and brought into focus the capacity of health systems in various countries, the TB epidemic is also a serious health concern which cannot be taken lightly.

The reality is that TB is one of the top 10 causes of death and the leading cause from a single infectious agent, even though the disease is curable and preventable. For this reason, every opportunity must be used to increase public awareness about the devastating health, social, and economic consequences of TB. The stats in relation to TB are staggering. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), worldwide, a total of 1.5 million people died from TB in 2018 (including 251,000 people with HIV). In 2018, an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB worldwide – 5.7 million men, 3.2 million women and 1.1 million children. There were cases in all countries and age groups.

However, globally, TB incidence is falling at about two per cent per year. International health partners say this needs to accelerate to a four to five per cent annual decline to reach the 2020 milestones of the End TB Strategy. An estimated 58 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2018.

At a United Nations gathering recently, global leaders had agreed to: scale up access to prevention and treatment; build accountability; ensure sufficient and sustainable financing including for research; promote an end to stigma and discrimination, and promote an equitable, rights-based and people-centred TB response.

The WHO has launched a joint initiative “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership, with the aim of accelerating the TB response and ensuring access to care, in line with WHO’s overall drive towards Universal Health Coverage.

Even though Guyana still has a far way to go, this country can boast of tremendous progress made in its fight against TB; and all efforts must be made to ensure these gains are not reversed. It could be recalled that the actual number of new TB cases diagnosed by the National TB Programme (NTBP) rose steadily throughout the 90s. However, with some key interventions by health authorities; annual cases declined from 2008 and stabilised for four years thereafter due to further Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) expansion.

Based on official statistics, the case notification rate over the past five years decreased from 92 per 100,000 in 2012 to 70 per 100,000 in 2017. This is quite an achievement and kudos must be given to all the stakeholders that are working to further reduce TB cases in Guyana.

Some years ago, the DOTS system was successfully implemented in all the regions of the country and has been essential to ensuring case detection, standardised treatment, with supervision and patient support.

Funding also remains a crucial component. All partners can help take forward innovative approaches to ensure that everyone suffering from the disease has access to TB diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Governments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) may have the best ideas to tackle TB, but it makes very little sense if there are inadequate financial resources to ensure their effective implementation.

Ending TB will only be achieved with greater collaboration within and across Governments, and with partners from civil society, communities, researchers, the Private Sector and development agencies. This means taking a whole-of-society and multidisciplinary approach, in the context of universal health coverage. While fighting the spread of coronavirus is crucial at this time, the battle against TB must also be maintained.

Navratri greetings

May victory of good over evil inspire towards the betterment of Guyana – Dr Irfaan Ali

O

ne of the most auspicious Hindu festivals “Navratri” is dedicated to goddess Durga. It was brought to Guyana by our fore-parents from India 182 years ago. During the nine-nights festival, different forms of the goddess are

worshipped by the devotees.

As per legends, goddess Durga killed evil Mahisasura - a demon who attacked Trilok (Earth, Heaven and Hell) - by taking several forms during this period (Navratri).

May the energy of the

universe bless you and most importantly, may the victory of good over evil inspire you towards the betterment of our beloved country Guyana.

Happy Navratri to all Guyanese, especially to our Hindu community.

Fortunately, 2020 is not 2015 Dear Editor, For the conspirators and colluders across GECOM and the leadership of the PNCR/ APNU/AFC coalition, our 2020 elections was to be a rerun of their 2015 arrangements.

Fortunately, those arrangements have been exposed by the anticipation and much greater preparedness of us PPP/C and a greatly changed mood within and without Guyana.

A few nights ago, I passed by the TV and saw Mr Michael Carrington, a former MP of the AFC and two others planting and reinforcing in the minds of their viewers that it was the PPP/C causing all the delays and troubles, in declaring the results of our 2020 elections just as they did in 2015, alleging rigging and blaming and maligning GECOM. On Saturday, March 21, our Guyana Chronicle led on its front page, “Stop attacking GECOM”: Don’t attack GECOM when we all know that Mr Clairmont Mingo the RO (Returning Officer) for District (Region) Four, even after very explicit orders from the Chief Justice to display each SoP (Statement of Poll) full square, as its results were to be read and entered faithfully into the spreadsheet, was still seeking ways to subvert and frustrate those orders; and after a pause of enough hours, GECOM shifted the process from the Ashmins building to its Head Office where it had prepared a place for a most bizarre farce, projecting parts of altered SoPs unto a purposed makeshift screen to which no one was allowed to draw near enough. Don’t attack GECOM!? Mr Mingo and many others in GECOM must be blamed for being willing tools in a cabal that undoubtedly included a number of the leadership elite of the PNCR/ APNU/AFC coalition and their operatives.

Mr Carrington’s words kept jolting my memory.

Recall that in 2015 (as now in 2020), going against all expectation and with no explanation, the declaration of the election results for District Four was greatly lagging the declarations from the other nine, more distant districts. Someone (whom I haven’t ever recalled) telephoned me to say, “Eh, eh: like you all PPP/C win again by 1400 votes.”

However, instead,

the official declaration for District Four some 18 hours later gave the APNU/AFC coalition an overall win of less than 5000 votes. My caller could have been mistaken or I could have heard and remembered wrong. I have never before mentioned that call.

That was private: but in the public domain, recall that we PPP/C had spotted and sought to draw attention to about 4 boxes wherein the spreadsheet tabulation, the much larger vote for the PPP/C had been switched with the much smaller number for the APNU/AFC coalition – a clever move which keeps undisturbed the reconciliation of the ballots provided and doesn’t risk that the number of persons claimed to have voted, would exceed the number of persons listed in the OLE (Official List of Electors). There were other problems - bogus SoPs had been spotted, and so on. Our people raised these discrepancies early next morning with GECOM, and received a commitment to have the six boxes we indicated, checked as a sample, which might have led to a decision to recheck all the boxes for District Four. But in the evening, GECOM denied us the sample recheck and we had to satisfy ourselves with filing an election petition which has been languishing to this day in our courts and will stay that way.

What was different in our May 11, 2015 election? We did not in 2015 anticipate and were not prepared for such skulduggery. But most of all, the mood all-around within and without our country was quite different, as is reflected in the “Future Notes” Column of Dr Henry Jeffrey in the Stabroek News of Wednesday, May 27, 2015, (16 days after the elections) entitled “Dear PPP: No One Cares”. No one cared about those indications of rigging. Public opinion then was in no mood to entertain our after-the-fact complaints.

In 2015 there were strong sentiments that win or lose it was time for the APNU/ AFC to have a go at the batting, and show what they could do sitting in the seats of Government. It was only fair: the PPP/C had been at the wicket monopolising the batting since 1992.

Some have argued also that a sixth successive PPP/C win in 2015 with such a small margin (1400?) would have been

followed in our Guyana, by events much worse than those which followed the second successive PPP/C win of December 1997. (It is remarkable how repeatedly, the PPP later the PPP/C, is expected to forego and pay the price of avoiding a conflagration in Guyana and for keeping our country whole).

It was with feelings of great hurt and sadness that we PPP/C accommodated ourselves to the questionable loss in 2015 – we accommodated and made the best of it. It was not the end of the world. We began even then, preparing for 2020, much more thoroughly, strongly and completely, with heightened vigilance, awareness and suspicion so much so that at times some would have accused us of paranoia.

We, PPP/C, have been in the field and out of Office over the last five years – we did not do badly. It might have even been a blessing in disguise: - Guyanese, and indeed the world, have had an opportunity to compare the priorities, budgeting preferences, style, performance and achievements of the PPP/C in office, with that of the APNU/ AFC coalition. I believe we came out much ahead.

- Our successes in bringing back Guyana from where it was in 1992, bringing all our people and country to some new level of prosperity had at the same time taken us beyond the simple, lean puritan lifestyle of Cheddi Jagan which our whole country knew and understood. A period in retreat and reflection would have brought us securely back to the ground.

- We shed the dross of 23 years of incumbency and are now in 2020 recharged and refreshed with many new and young Guyanese enlisting themselves: all of us eager to serve our people and country in the Offices of Government.

- The charges of widespread, pervasive, systemic corruption have been shown to be of little substance.

Former President, Mr Donald Ramotar has been vindicated in his saying that we PPP/C were humans (and Guyanese at that) and whilst it was likely that there had been some amount of corruption (instances of allegations would have to be investigated to establish the substance in each) even so, the allegations were grossly exaggerated.

Fortunately for us PPP/C

and indeed for all Guyanese and Guyana, 2020 has not been 2015. We had been alerted to rigging. We would have been reminded, if we needed reminding, by Dr Henry Jeffrey’s “Future Notes” Column in Stabroek News of July 15, 2019, entitled “Elections Commissions and Rigging”, of the notion that the road to rigging these days, is to capture the machinery of the Elections Commission. In 2020, we have been vigilant enough to spot and shine the light on rigging as it was occurring.

Fortunately too, the mood of public opinion now in 2020, is quite different. The PNCR/ APNU/AFC having entered the seats of Government soon began destroying their “darling” appeal with their actions and in their manoeuvring since the just and successful NCM of December 2018, their many appalling distortions in their readings and interpretations of our laws and various court rulings disrobed them of their claims of great credibility, honesty, decency and integrity.

We can imagine their chagrin that they have not been able to pull off in 2020 what they did in 2015!

Where do we, where does Guyana go from here? There must be a true declaration of the results for District Four and then for our country as a whole. For me, the time for being bashful is long past – our (PPP/C) copies from GECOM’s books of multiple copies of the SoP for each ballot box give us 34 seats (anyone can check by concluding the tabulation of votes cast in District Four utilising the images of the SoPs which we uploaded to the internet).

In recent weeks, many Guyanese have affirmed properly, that we could not move forward on the subverted results of the purported declaration of Mr Mingo; and our General Secretary has repeated the position, that having concluded Elections 2020, citizens would be called upon to discuss and consider possible arrangements for our better governance.

We Guyanese may yet be approaching our moment of truth and reconciliation.

Sincerely, Samuel AA Hinds Former President and former Prime Minister

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

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

Why the resistance to holding a recount of all 10 districts?

Dear Editor, My friend and long-time political colleague, in a letter published in the Stateowned Guyana Chronicle (March 21, 2020), said that “recent statements…of mine has been cause for worry and disbelief”. I know that the Chronicle will not publish my response and I ask, therefore, that the independent media do so.

It does not surprise me that Hammy, as is his right, will defend the interest, as he perceives them, of APNU/ AFC, but I am appalled that he has descended to attacking me racially. Because I am of Portuguese descent, Hammy has suggested that I am somehow less entitled to speak my mind on national affairs than he is as a Guyanese of African descent.

Then, perhaps, we should all pack up and leave Guyana to its Indigenous people.

Of all the people that I have known well and respected throughout my, admittedly, long life, in and out of politics in Guyana, Hammy Green is the last that I would have expected to question who I am, as always first, a Guyanese.

It must be that when I served in the Cabinet alongside Hammy for eight years under Forbes Burnham, I was a “good Guyanese Portuguese”.

It must be that when our country’s reputation was seriously threatened and under siege from the American media from the Jonestown massacre, when I was assigned

by President Burnham to speak for Guyana in the US, on NBC’s Today Show hosted by Tom Brokaw, on the Walter Cronkite Newscast and some other 20 odd television interviews in the space of one week, I was a “good Guyanese Portuguese”.

It would not be lost on Hammy, who likes to recall the past, that while I was defending Guyana’s honour before the American media,

our Minister of Information, Shirley Field-Ridley, his wife, at home, made herself totally unavailable to the international media.

It must be that when I joined Forbes Burnham’s delegation, at his invitation, on his first official visit to the US after Independence and helped write his first speech as Guyana’s Prime Minister to the Washington Women’s Press Club on July 22, 1966, that I was “a good Guyanese Portuguese”. There is much more on that visit that I could relate.

It must be that when I compiled Burnham’s most critical speeches to tell his story with the assistance of Reynold Burrows, published as A Destiny to Mould in 1970 by Longman Caribbean and which remains the only major publication documenting his speeches and public statements from 1955-1969, I was a “good Guyanese Portuguese”.

It must be that when I came home from New York and was appointed by President Desmond Hoyte to serve as the Head of the Guyana Public Communications Agency and as his special advisor for three years, I was “a good Guyanese Portuguese”.

It must be, however, that now when I speak out against an unvarnished, ugly and barefaced attempt to rig the election results, I have become “a bad Guyanese Portuguese”, according to Hammy, one with “disdain for certain ordinary folks” and with “deep-seated prejudices”. No Hammy, I am the same man just speaking the truth and the same man that I know you recently recommended to receive the Golden Arrow of Achievement.

Hammy refers me to the confrontation between Jonathan Yearwood (ANUG’s Observer) whom he describes as a “Portuguese - local white” (who happens to be Guyanese) and Carol

Joseph whom he describes as “a small built Afro Guyanese female” and asks why not a word of condemnation from me.

I was there as an accredited Observer when Carol Joseph arrived at GECOM. She immediately, in a loud and exceedingly offensive tone, proceeded to direct the Returning Officer as to how he should be conducting the process. She then proceeded to hurl insults and threats at the Local Observers and Party Agents in the room who sought to challenge the Returning Officer’s presentation of the count. I heard her threaten to stamp Yearwood in his mouth.

I had left the room when the incident between Yearwood and Joseph occurred. From the video I have seen, it appears that both of them are at fault and should have known better.

Hammy accuses me of “suggesting that APNU/AFC is trying to rig the elections”.

I have not said that but, as Forbes Burnham often used to say, “who the cap fit let him pull the string”.

Hammy further cautions that I “should know that you don’t make statements of that kind without credible evidence”. I was there at GECOM. What more credible evidence do I need than my own eyes and ears?

I witnessed the GECOM Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, present a series of alleged numbers of votes recorded to each of the political parties from a spreadsheet, not the Statements of Poll, which bore no resemblance to the SoPs in the possession of the Observers and Party Agents present in the room.

When the Party Agents sought to point out the discrepancies, Mr Mingo simply ignored them, his officers continuing with the count at a pace that was almost impossible to follow.

The diplomatic community and International

Observers also in the room, recognising the pretence at following the Chief Justice’s (ag) directions to Mr Mingo to resume the count from the SoPs had become a farce, left the room. I left shortly after.

If Hammy and his APNU/ AFC comrades need further credible evidence, I suggest they read the statement from the Commonwealth Observer Group to Guyana deployed here by Secretary General Patricia Scotland herself, which amongst other things, points to: * “The unlawful declaration made by Mr Mingo on the 5 March at about 2 pm, despite the tabulation process being halted. * The continued failure of the Returning Officer, Mr Mingo, to comply with the 11 and 13 March orders and judgments of the Acting Chief Justice. On 13 March, the Chief Justice made patently clear that actual Statements of Poll should be shown to entitled parties present. For the avoidance of doubt, the Acting Chief Justice demonstrated herself how this should be done and enquired ‘what was the difficulty in doing so’ during the contempt of court proceedings. * However, on resuming the tabulation after leaving the Court on 13 March, Mr Mingo refused all requests from those entitled to be present to view the actual Statements of Poll and did not display the spreadsheet being populated. This compromised the process of ascertaining the credibility of the Statements of Poll relied on by Mr Mingo to tabulate the results: and, it was impossible for the Party Agents and those entitled to be present to observe that the numbers being called out were being accurately entered on the spreadsheet. * In some cases, the tabulation totals announced by Mr Mingo on 13 March reflected more votes than were

President Granger’s lies have no boundaries Dear Editor, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” – Joseph Goebbels.

Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man and Minister of Propaganda of the Third Reich.

• Since his ascension to office, President Granger has embarked on a series of ill-conceived decisions and declarations which have ranged from ineffective to bizarre to downright comical.

Here are some examples: • GECOM is the constitutional body which can declare the results of the election; yet after Region Four RO, Mingo’s APNU victory

declaration, Mr Granger is still unmoved---not a single utterance of impropriety.

• The appointment of 85-year-old James Patterson as Chairman GECOM reeks of the dictatorial penchant of…

• His acquiesce to the No-Confidence Motion in December 2018 then a back somersault where his legal cohorts questioned whether 33 was greater than 32; and which took 12 months and 5 Judges in Trinidad to decide.

• The summary termination of 7000 sugar workers without any supplemental, alternative income.

• The alternative income for the jobless sugar workers was the manufacture of pepper sauce and plantain chips.

• The needless creation of 4000 military and para-military jobs for one kind of personnel.

• His address to civil violence in Region Five distances his party supporters who physically evicted PPP

Commissioners and Observers from the ACCC and who constantly harassed the media in front of the GECOM offices.

• Granger also stated that GECOM must be allowed to function independently of political interference and influence yet the Guyana Police Force, an arm of the State, and personnel from the presidential guards descended to whisk away the Returning Officer for District Four and the Chairman of GECOM when Observers pointed to the deliberately erroneous tabulation of Region Four results.

• His call for all Guyanese to obey the law yet the Head of State is more guilty than his flock in not performing according to the rule of law.

• Mr Granger committed to a vote recount, conducted by Caricom, now his party has filed a court petition to block the recount.

Nothing strange here as he perpetually trumpets the accomplishments of his mentor

Burnham.

• Mr Granger repeats ad nauseam his shallow and insipid snippets which only he and his claque seem to believe.

• The fact that Mr Granger incessantly directs his declarations towards the responsibility of GECOM to pronounce the election results is akin to a captain sending in his batsmen to the wicket and declaring ‘don’t worry about getting out!’ No need to mention who appointed the umpire!

Mr Granger will not give up the presidency easily; he and his gang are waiting for a flashpoint, street protests, civil disobedience, property destruction etc to allow him to invoke provisions of the Constitution to declare a state of emergency…and continue his short-lived illegitimate rule.

Sincerely, Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine New York

entered on the list of eligible electors for certain Polling Stations. * At no point did the leadership of the Guyana Elections Commission halt or rectify these blatant instances of disregard for the rule of law and electoral ethics, despite its vested authority to independently ensure credible elections”.

Hammy is pretty good at his history but I must point out to him that the Melvilles and the Harts involved in the Rupununi uprising in 1969 were not of Portuguese descent. My brother, Martin Nascimento, who was a Captain in the GDF at the time, incidentally, was actively involved in putting down that contemptible rebellion. My brother also played a commanding role in defending Guyana against

the Surinamese invasion at the New River Triangle.

I end by asking a simple question. If indeed the APNU/AFC believes that the declaration of the results in other Regions such as Three, Five and Six, are questionable, then why the resistance to holding a recount of all 10 districts under the supervision of the Caribbean presence?

I feel certain that when a recount is held and the facts established, that my small part in seeking to defend what is right against what is wrong, will be vindicated and, hopefully, Hammy Green and I will resume our friendship.

Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento

We must not falter or waver

Dear Editor, The letters being written about the election impasse are being done with the best of intentions and are written to try and persuade caretaker President David Granger to do the right thing. We are all writing from the position of our own sense of morality and patriotism, and with a conscience about what is just, fair, and right.

The shameful events that have unfolded over the past three weeks and which are likely to continue for even more weeks make it very clear, however, that we are not dealing here with men and women with any such moral suasion or any such sense of fairness and justice.

There are no shared values here and no commitment to the common cause that puts country first. Our appeals are therefore not likely to make any impact or bring about the desired result.

With our country in the grips of a pandemic which requires our concerted energies and our cooperation with the rest of the world, there is the further shame that we have to expend valuable time dealing with this quite unnecessary election crisis. It is enough for the watching world to ask: what manner of people are these?

By now, it is clear that Granger, the PNC, and their partners in GECOM and the Guyana Police Force do not want the results of the general election to be verified since this will confirm their loss at the polls. To this end, they are willing to use the courts to create obstacles to the electoral process and to try and undermine the rule of law.

Fascism, autocracies, and dictatorial regimes do, often, find some measure of success for years even decades until they implode or are overthrown whether by internal struggle or by such struggle with help from external forc-

es. Since the PNC appears to be a prisoner of its history, its leaders and supporters perhaps embarked on their current course of action believing that their party’s “success” in the past as a dictatorship will be tolerated in 2020 and beyond.

They have gone down their chosen path too far to turn back now, and how and when all this will end is anybody’s guess. Our country has never faced such a situation before. In fact, I do not know of any country where an election result had been held up for weeks and months because of the arrogant recalcitrance of a losing party which lacks the grace and decency that befit true leadership.

However, this is where we are and this is the time more than ever for every one of us who wishes to live in a democracy where the rule of law is upheld to stand together. We cannot surrender to the evil that threatens the values we hold dear or to the bullyism that wants to be rewarded for its disgraceful behaviour. If we give up or give in to any of it, all will be lost.

I wish to thank: the GoDs (Guardians of Democracy) for keeping watch over the people’s votes; the PSC especially Mr Kit Nascimento and Capt Gerry Gouveia for refusing to be intimidated; the privately-owned media for continuing to bring us the news despite the threats and harassment they face; the political parties that are leading the fight for our votes to be properly counted; and the international community for standing with us in our struggle to prevent our fledgeling democracy from falling into the hands of a minority undemocratic group.

No matter how long this fight, we must not falter or waver. Too much is at stake.

Sincerely, Ryhaan Shah

SEE ADDITIONAL LETTERS ON PAGE 16

6

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Page

Foundation

Guyana Times is pleased to publish the Education Ministry’s 2020 National Grade Six Assessment Practice Tests, complete with answers. This is the second part of Social Studies Paper 1 and the answers to the first 20 questions.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT PRACTICE TEST 3

SOCIAL STUDIES

1 hour and 10 minutes READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY 1. This test has 40 questions. You have 1 hour and 10 minutes to answer them.

2. Each question has four suggested answers: (A), (B), (C) and (D). Read each question

carefully then choose the correct answer.

3. On your answer sheet, find the number that matches the question you intend to answer.

4. Shade the circle with the same letter, (A), (B), (C) or (D), that matches your answer for each question.

Sample Question The capital of Guyana is

22. Which of the following shows the correct sequence of Guyana’s political development?

(A) Republic → Independence → Self Government → Colony (B) Colony → Self Government → Independence → Republic (C) Self Government → Colony → Independence → Republic (D) Colony → Independence → Self Government → Republic 23. Which institutions are associated Government? (i) Town Council (ii) Auditor General’s Department (iii) Regional Democratic Council (iv) Neighbourhood Democratic Council (A) i, ii and iii (C) i and iv only

with

Local

ANSWER SHEET (A) Linden.

A B C D (B) Lethem.

(C) Rose Hall.

(D) Georgetown.

The correct answer is “Georgetown”, so (D) has been shaded.

5. If you want to change your answer, erase it completely before you fill in your new choice.

(D) students performing better in school.

27. Members of a School Co-operative Thrift Society can obtain all of the following benefits except that of (A) acquiring the habit of saving.

(B) purchasing consumer items cheaply.

(C) practising arithmetic and accounts skills.

(D) acquiring skills to conduct orderly meetings.

Study the information below then answer questions 28 and 29.

30. Which group of countries can be found in the continent labelled Z? (A) Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela (B) Brazil, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago (C) Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago (D) Canada, United Sates of America, England

(B) i, iii and iv (D) ii and iii only

24. Before the National Assembly starts the Sergeant-atArms places the Mace on a table in the Chamber. This informs the National Assembly that (A) Parliament is in session.

(B) the Speaker is on his way.

(C) the President will address the Assembly.

(D) the Prime Minister will chair the session.

25. The main function of the Guyana Elections Commission is to (A) elect the president.

(B) carry out a census.

(C) conduct elections.

(D) appoint the minority leader.

26. The abuse of drugs would most likely result in (A) strong and healthy bodies.

(B) injury to our bodies and minds.

(C) people forming lasting friendships.

6. When the supervisor tells you to begin, turn the page and work as quickly and as carefully as you can.

7. If you try a question and find that you cannot answer it, go on to the next one. You may return to that question later.

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

31. Savita is moving from continent ‘Y’ to continent ‘Z’ which set of clothing will be best for her to take?

(A) Gloves and Vest (B) Sweaters and Coats (C) Sweaters and Gloves (D) Short pants and T-shirts 28. What is the name given to the document shown above?

(A) Invoice (B) Prescription (C) Medication Sheet (D) Hospital statement

Study the Map of Guyana below then answer questions 32 and 33.

29. How should the patient take the medication?

(A) One teaspoon before meals (B) Two teaspoons after each meal (C) One teaspoon every four hours after meals (D) Two teaspoons three times daily before meals Study the globe below then answer questions 30 and 31.

32. The shaded area is most populated because it (A) has valuable forest.

(B) is the largest natural region.

(C) has more educational and job opportunities.

(D) has several waterfalls and important mineral resources.

33. A person who is born on the western side of the river marked Z would most likely be a (A) Guyanese.

(B) Brazilian.

(C) Surinamese.

(D) Venezuelan

SOCIAL STUDIES PAPER 1 ANSWER KEY

1. A 2. D 3. A 4. C 5. A 6. D 7. A

8. A 9. B 10. A 11. D 12. B 13. C 14. C

15. D 16. D 17. D 18. A 19. B 20. C 21. C

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dr Yesu Persaud to Granger: “You still have the opportunity to redeem yourself” …warns of impact of intl sanctions on business, vulnerable Guyanese

Local business tycoon, Dr Yesu Persaud

P

ressure continues to mount on caretaker President David Granger, over the current electoral deadlock, this time with local business tycoon, Dr Yesu Persaud calling for remedial steps to be taken to restore Guyana’s democracy in order to avoid global condemnation and international sanctions.

In an open letter to the Head of State on Tuesday, Dr Persaud noted that following the March 2 polling day, Guyana should have already had its elections results and a duly elected democratic Government in place.

However, he noted that it was “really unfortunate” that after the oth-

er nine districts had their results tabulated and declared without contention, the Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, abandoned the standard electoral process and even failed to comply with the directions of the (ag) Chief Justice, and instead, went ahead to foist unverified numbers into the process and subsequently declared results for the region, which gave the caretaker APNU/AFC coalition overall victory.

Pointing to the fact that the Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) tabulation process has been deemed by all international and independent observers as “deeply flawed”, Dr Persaud con-

tended that Guyana needs to take corrective actions and find a solution immediately so that a democratically elected Government can be in place.

“You and the Leader of the Opposition agreed to a recount of the ballots under Caricom [Caribbean Community] supervision but that too was aborted by shenanigans including an injunction by one of your party candidate[s]… In [this] context, we need to take remedial steps to restore our democracy and the will of the people,” he asserted.

According to the pioneering businessman and philanthropist, failure to do this will result in Guyana facing global condemnation and not being recognised as a functional democracy.

This, he posited, will have the most impact on vulnerable lower-income citizens as well as the business activities which they depend on.

“In my experience as an entrepreneur, businessman and analyst, sanctions can have dramatic impact not only on politicians but the general economy and the people of Guyana. It will bring tremendous hardships to businesses; create huge unemployment, high-level

President David Granger

inflation and currency depreciation. Such a situation will mostly impact on the livelihood of the vulnerable lower-income citizens as they are dependent on the commercial and business activities,” Dr Persaud, the former Chairman of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Group, explained.

He reflected on his younger days and the many challenges he faced in his business and personal life, which he triumphed over, noting that he has worked outside of the business to create opportunities and jobs for ordinary people – all on the basis of humanity and in an effort to benefit Guyana and Guyanese.

To this end, the pio-

neering businessman urged stakeholders, including the President, to find an amicable solution to this situation at the earliest in the interest of all Guyana.

“You still have the opportunity to redeem yourself…,” he said to the Head of State in the open letter.

On the other hand, Dr Persaud went on to highlight the need for constitutional reforms, pointing out that the current form is not “an ideal one” as it gives unlimited power to an individual, which is not good for any democracy.

“Our Constitution must not only be defended by political parties and our citizens, but also by democratic norms, or unwritten rules

of tolerance and restraint.

Without robust norms, constitutional checks and balances do not serve as the bulwarks of democracy we imagine them to be. Instead, institutions become political weapons, wielded forcefully by those who control them against those who do not. This is how elected autocrats subvert democracy, and other neutral agencies. This requires to be amended immediately which will benefit all stakeholders and not only the political parties,” the Guyanese tycoon insisted.

Only in October, Dr Persaud had outlined that the local electoral process should have been much easier especially with Guyana’s small population.

He was at the time speaking at an event, where he noted that the lack of a smooth electoral process highlights the fact that the country is yet to ‘grow up’.

“In Guyana here, we have land. A large landmass with a small population. There has been so much dithering over elections, which should have been an easy process for a small population. That need not be. It shows us we’re not grown up. We have a long way to go, to grow up,” the businessman had stated.

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bandits caught red-handed at Mc Doom Phillip Azore, told Guyana Times that “the men removed the window panes from the one-storey building. They made their way in and they removed some val-

uable items such as watches, gold chain, along with some other stuff. Ranks were called in and they were caught red-handed in the yard”.

4 nabbed for ganja in hire car The two men who were caught by Police in the act at the Mc Doom residence

T

wo bandits were nabbed on Tuesday morning in a daring break and enter in which they robbed a family of Mc Doom village, East Bank Demerara (EBD), Police confirmed.

The two men are aged 22 and 27. Reports are the men poisoned the owner’s dogs on Monday night and returned

on Tuesday to commit the crime.

However, their plan was foiled after they were caught red-handed by residents in the Mc Doom home.

Police were alerted and the men were handed over to law enforcement. When contacted, acting Region Four (A) Police Commander

The marijuana that was found in the hire car

F

our persons have been arrested following the discovery of over three kilograms of marijuana in a hire car.

Reports are that at approximately 15:00h on Monday, Police ranks intercepted the vehicle in the vicinity of the Sparendaam Police Station, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The ranks subsequently conducted a search and found four parcels of cannabis concealed in the trunk.

Four persons, including the driver of the vehicle, have been detained pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). All four persons denied knowledge of the illegal substance.

Only a few weeks ago, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) had swooped down on a vessel and discovered over 27 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the bow at the Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Following the bust, CANU Deputy Head, Leslie Ramlall had a strong message for drug traffickers, stating that “we (CANU) are here to ensure the eradication of narcotics and Guyana remains free of the flow of narcotics and so we will be going after all the other associates who have intentions to threaten CANU ranks.”

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Cabal…

A

…of one s the days of rigging stretch out in the Courts (three weeks and counting!), there’s some talk about a “cabal” in the coalition doing the dirty while Granger wants to do the right thing!! Now, your Eyewitness ain’t having no truck with such foolishness.

And foolishness to the nth degree it is!!

Why this “hard line”? As Julie Andrews advised us in the “Sound of Music”, let’s start at the very beginning. This rigging plan was launched the moment Granger started to play ducks and drakes over the selection of the GECOM Chair – and then showed his hand when he unilaterally chose James Patterson. Wasn’t no cabal controlling him then, was there?? Ramjattan tried to brown nose him when he simpered later that he’d advised the latter it was OK constitutionally to do so. But the CCJ bitch-slapped Granger on that issue – and we don’t hear no talk about Ramjattan being no cabal, do we??

Granger’s been cogging Burnham’s playbook on rigging: if Burnham had two Chief Justices (Jackman and Bollers) to orchestrate his rigging in GECOM, by golly, he was going to do the same!! Even though the law had been expanded to “or any other fit and proper person”, Granger stamped his foot and insisted it HAD to be a judge!! And when the Court interpreted the Constitution differently, that was just their PERCEPTION! And even if it meant Patterson claiming that his claim to’ve been a Chief Justice in Grenada was a “slip of the pen” when he filled out his application!!

Patterson didn’t disappoint Granger as he slipped in the H2H to fix the rig. Wasn’t no cabal in sight then, was there?? Naah! Then it was Granger who fobbed off Claudette Singh on the PPP, to try and prevent the PPP juggernaut from cleaning up the lists and stymieing even the new Chair’s attempt to throw a spanner into the works with the “merging” of apples and oranges!

And we arrive at the Mingoing of the Reg 4 SoPs count. This had to be done to save GRANGER’s grand plan to do a Burnham to get back into power. As far back as 2017, he’d told an Atlanta PNC audience (in confidence he thought!) that he was going to do as his mentor had done, in 2020. There was no cabal in Atlanta winding him up, was there?

He called in Mottley and Caricom ‘cause he was certain they would turn a blind eye to the rigging, as they’d done for Burnham.

But he was just too barefaced. Mottley was trying to save his blushes when she mentioned “forces” trying to stop the recount.

The only force is Granger!! …or tendency of kith and kin??

Another myth that has to be debunked if we’re to even get out of this political mess we’ve been mired in for the past 60 years is the conspiracy theory that there’s a cabal, not only in the coalition, but in the entire state system that favours the PNC. Kinda like the “deep state” Trump keeps complaining about in the US, that’s working to do him in.

Our situation is a tad more complicated than that.

It’s not a “cabal”, but a “tendency” arising out of the existential fact that the entire state is dominated and staffed from the PNC’s traditional constituency. There’s a sympathy for each other’s position that arises from their common identity and assumptions about politics.

Take the Police who looked the other way when APNU supporters were harassing media workers and PPP supporters at Ashmin’s and later at the GECOM HQ. No one from the Police Top Brass had to tell them to do that: they were expected to look aside. It’s a “we” thing.

That Commander who bucked the tendency had to go. …and COVID-19 But for sure there seems to be a cabal in charge of the country’s reaction to the COVID-19 crisis that’s about to sweep over us like a tsunami.

We need a NATIONAL, BI-PARTISAN RESPONSE. Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

9

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS Guyana still awaiting additional COVID-19 testing kits – DCMO WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…testing critical in fight against disease – WHO

T

he additional testing kits that are necessary to ascertain cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) are yet to arrive in Guyana. This is according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr Karen Boyle who when asked for an update on the status of the testing kits said that Government is optimistic that these important kits will be in the country in the near future. The kits were supposed to have arrived last week.

“The kits haven’t arrived as yet,” she said in response.

“They were supposed to arrive by the end of last week. So, I’m hoping [they arrive] before the end of this week.”

While Guyana has had five confirmed cases of the coronavirus, it had previously been reported by this publication that the authorities were monitoring a number of persons for signs of the disease after they would have arrived from highrisk countries. One person has since died and four of her family members have been quarantined.

When asked by this pub-

lication, however, Dr Boyle could not say how many people the Public Health Ministry currently have under surveillance but rather said that the number of people under surveillance is “constantly updated.”

Boyle was previously quoted in sections of the press announcing that the country only had 20 available testing kits.

It had also been reported a few weeks ago that more testing kits were on the way to boost the Government’s capacity to fight the virus.

All testing for COVID-19 is done at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) compound.

Testing critical

The World Health Organization said only two days ago that testing people with symptoms of the coronavirus lies at the heart of fighting the pandemic.

Al Jazeera in a report noted that while this is so the world is fast running out of

The National Reference Lab

testing kits and laboratories do not have enough supplies or the capacity to detect suspected cases. Experts say the result could be catastrophic.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in an assessment ranked Guyana among the few countries in the region least prepared to deal with the effects of the coronavirus epidemic, particularly

the negative effects it will have on the economy and tourism.

In the assessment, the IMF rated countries in the Americas from red (least prepared) to green (most prepared). Countries like the United States and Canada were in the green zone.

However, Guyana, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras are listed as red.

Some measures have been taken locally to slow the spread of the virus. These measures include closing schools and the Bank of Guyana interceding with local banks to make conditions favourable to allow customers to stay home and practice social distancing without a financial blowback.

A less popular measure taken by caretaker President David Granger was the Public Health Ordinance, which gave the Public Health Minister and other officials, draconian powers to confront the pandemic, including the right to destroy property of those

infected by the virus. The Ordinance signed by Granger has no direct measures listed to combat the deadly disease since it was just “copied and pasted” from a 1945 health ordinance by the coalition Government without being revised. This view was expressed by former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament, Dr Vindhya Persaud during an interview with Guyana Times where she explained that no changes were made to the ordinance, which, according to her, becomes evident when both the 1945 and present-day edicts are examined and no direct measure for COVID-19 is found listed but rather those for other infectious diseases.

According to the World Health Organisation, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Local health authorities have advised that if anyone is experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, they should contact the hotline on 231-1166, 624-3067, 624-2819 or 6246674 and a team would be sent to their location.

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

UK Govt warns of “serious consequences” for non-credible elections results

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab

S

tark warnings from the international community continue to mount on Guyana, with the United Kingdom (UK) now putting the country on notice of “serious consequences” that will follow if a new Government is formed from non-credible elections results.

This announcement was made by Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, in response to the situation in Guyana following the March 2 General and Regional Elections, for which Guyanese are yet to get results from a credible and transparent tabulation process after the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) figures declared by the Returning Officer (RO) were discredited.

In a statement on Tuesday,

Secretary Raab said that the transition of Government in Guyana should only take place in line with transparent and democratic principles that lead to credible results.

“Any Government sworn in on the basis of non-credible results will face strong international condemnation. If the situation continues to deteriorate, this international response will include a range of serious consequences for those concerned,” he posited.

Nevertheless, the British Foreign Secretary, who according to UK reports will substitute for Prime Minister Boris Johnson if he is tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said that the UK remains ready, along with its partners, to assist in ensuring a credible process that provides the democratic outcome that the Guyanese people deserve.

Just over three weeks ago, Guyanese cast their votes in what was described by international and local observers as an almost smooth polling day process but this was followed by several disruptions and delays to the tabulation process in Region Four. Despite the other nine districts declaring results without any contention, Region Four’s, the largest voting district, declaration was marred with controversy and “credible allegations” of fraud from most of the parties that contested the elections and even the observers. They are all pushing for a recount of

the votes cast in the region.

An attempt by the Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, last week to supervise a national recount, which was requested by caretaker President David Granger and agreed to by the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, had to be abandoned after an injunction was obtained to block the Guyana

Elections Commission (GECOM) from moving ahead with the recounting process. That interim injunction, which is currently before the court, was secured by an APNU/AFC candidate.

This warning by the UK comes on the heels of repeated similar threats from the United States (US). Only last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the North American powerhouse is close-

ly monitoring the tabulation of votes here. “…it’s important to note that the individuals who seek to benefit from electoral fraud and form illegitimate Governments, regimes will be subject to a variety of serious consequences from the United States,” Pompeo had also said.

The US Secretary of State supported the positions taken by the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, the European Union (EU), Caricom and others – who had fielded election observer teams to Guyana and have all said that the Region Four vote tabulation and declaration by the RO was not credible and as such, called for an accurate count.

Meanwhile, both the UK and US diplomats here in Guyana, who were also accredited elections observers, have lamented the lack of transparency and credibility in the Region Four tabulation process.

In a joint statement with the Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee, the Ambassador of the European Union (EU), Fernando Ponz-Canto, the British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, and US Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynch, it was said that: “We must be clear that in the absence of a credible process, as directed by the Honorable Chief Justice [Roxane George],

Caretaker President David Granger

it is our view that any results for Region 4 which will impact the overall results of the 2 March elections will not be credible and a President sworn in on the basis of those results will not be considered legitimate.”

Reminding that they are all long-standing friends of Guyana and have supported development here over many decades, the foreign envoys cautioned against leading the country into isolation.

“The betterment of Guyana and its people has always been our interest. In that spirit, we urge all parties to not do anything which could lead to Guyana’s isolation,” the joint statement from the ABCE diplomats detailed.

12 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Ballot boxes are our last string of hope” – persons watching ballot boxes …PPP urges persons to safeguard against COVID-19

A

group of Guyanese has been continuously keeping watch of the containers which have the ballot boxes from the March 2, 2020 elections, that are being stored at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Head Office in Kingston, Georgetown.

These persons have set up camps at the corner of Cowan and Fort Streets, Kingston, Georgetown, as well as at Cowan and High Streets, Kingston. They are out there all day and night, using a shift system for different groups.

On Tuesday Guyana Times visited the area and spoke with the persons on the day shift. One such person, Asif Mohamed, told Guyana Times that on March 2, Guyanese exercised their franchise and it is their democratic right to have those votes counted in a credible and transparent manner as

was done in the other nine districts in Guyana.

He noted that they are at a loss as to why there are delays in the recounting process.

After the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, went ahead and declared discredited results, which many of the parties that contested the elections said was marred with fraud, the Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, intervened and fielded a five-member high-level regional team to supervise a national recount that was requested by President David Granger and agreed to by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

However, that regional team was forced to withdraw from Guyana after an injunction was obtained by APNU/AFC candidate, Ulita

Some of the persons outside GECOM, who are continuously keeping watch on the containers, in which the ballot boxes are stored, at GECOM Headquarters

Moore, blocking GECOM from conducting the recount.

That interim injunction is currently being heard in the High Court, thus putting a hold on the recounting process.

As such, all of the containers with the ballot boxes were taken back to GECOM

Headquarters and while one representative from each party is allowed inside the compound to watch over the containers, Mohamed insisted that extra vigilance needs to be taken.

He went on to point out that this step to guard the containers is much more re-

quired since the events that played out after the March 2 polling day has resulted in a decrease in confidence of the Elections Commission.

Nevertheless, Mohamed posited that while it is not easy being out there day in and day out since many of them have jobs and families at home, the sacrifice now is worth it rather than having to suffer in the long run.

“You might be suffering a little now but losing this would mean suffering, and your children’s children would be suffering for decades to come. So I think this sacrifice, even though it’s hard, it’s worthwhile. I would do it and stay here to the end… We are committed to the end to ensure our votes are counted. That is all we are asking for. Let our votes be counted,” he maintained.

Meanwhile, another person, who was also camped outside GECOM, Cedrick Castello related to this newspaper that it is the duty of every Guyanese to ensure that the integrity of the ballots is preserved and that Guyana continues to be a country that rules on the rule of law.

“I am acutely disappointed at the way things have turned out. It has seemed that there was a flouting of the law that amounts to the abuse of the intelligence of the citizens of this country and in particular, the members of the opposition [parties] and the foreign observers, who were invited to see that the elections and the elections process is well done… We know it is embedded in the Constitution of this country, the way the elections should be run, even the way the votes should be tabulated and the verification processes involved.

Because there was an abortion from that and a direct deliberate departure from it, we know that something was terribly wrong there,” he asserted.

On the other hand, Linden Jemmott, who is also on ‘container watch’ duties said that he just wants to see the truth come out from this entire process so that the country, which is at a standstill, can continue to progress. Jemmott, who is a sculptor, lamented on the

fact that business has been slow and almost non-existent since the start of the year. He noted that it’s not just with him but even the stores and commercial businesses have had similar complaints.

“Mr Granger is tightening the noose around our necks, I don’t know if he knows it. But if he should operate according to the slogan that he used for the elections: ‘honesty and integrity, transparency’ – this is what we’re hoping to achieve. We are holding Mr Granger right now to his own words. We’re nailing him to his word. We are demanding honesty from him and integrity. If he was honest with himself and he knew that he won that election, he would have shown us the figures… So why can’t he display a ticket to show us the numbers and the tickets, in this case, are the SoPs, which are the legal documents that would verify that he won the elections?

Why he cannot show that…,” Jemmott insisted.

However, even as these persons are committed to continue keeping watch of the ballot containers until a recount is done, concerns have been raised over their public gathering with the coronavirus pandemic.

Guyana has confirmed five cases to date with one death and authorities have advised against large gatherings.

But according to Mohamed, they are taking every precaution they can in their situation. He noted that businesses have donated sanitisers and other disinfectants, which they are using to protect themselves.

Safeguard against COVID-19

Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), while cognisant of the support to protect the integrity of the ballot boxes, on Tuesday urged that not more than 25 persons gather there at any given time.

Instead, the party is advising persons interested in supporting the initiative to visit its headquarters – Freedom House on Robb Street, Georgetown, so that they can be scheduled with the teams that are deployed to keep watch of the containers.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19

NA municipality imposes curfew for businesses

T

he New Amsterdam municipality has announced curfews for various types of businesses operating in the township.

In an effort to ensure that measures are put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country’s oldest town - New Amsterdam - the municipality has embarked on a campaign of sensitising business operators on new closing times for all businesses including restaurants and bars.

Supermarkets in the town will have to close their doors by 19:00h. Previously, some operated until 22:00h.

This was disclosed by Mayor Winifred Haywood on Tuesday. Business operators were on Monday told of the new timings of operation as the Council seeks to implement measures to prevent a possible outbreak of COVID-19 in New Amsterdam.

While the supermarkets will be allowed to go until 19:00h, restaurants will

Mayor Winifred Haywood

have to close earlier.

“For eating houses, we

Handyman in Aubrey Barker hit and run identified

T

he male pedestrian, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident on the Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, in the wee hours of Saturday, has been identified as 56-yearold Oswald Straker of Lot 2191 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Jairam Ramlakhan shared with Guyana Times on Tuesday that the deceased was iden-

tified on Monday by his brother, Colette Straker, and daughter, Shondell Straker.

This newspaper had previously reported that just before 04:00h on Saturday, persons in the area heard a loud crash and upon inspection, saw the motionless body of the man lying on the roadway as a 212 motor car sped away from the scene.

When investigators arrived at the scene, the victim was unconscious and bore multiple external inju-

ries. He subsequently died.

Persons in the area had referred to the now dead man only as “Dennis” and “Presy” since he was known as a handyman in the South Ruimveldt community.

The body remains at Lyken Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, the police are on the hunt for the driver of the vehicle that struck the man. CCTV footage from security cameras in the area is being reviewed.

are asking that they can close at 18:00h, but then if it is that persons will have to get meals, they can offer a take-away service or they can also do delivery,” Mayor Haywood said.

All bars and liquor restaurants are being required to close by 18:00h.

The Mayor said bars are also being asked to pay attention to the recommended social distance to be kept.

As a result, some bars were advised today to reduce their seating accommodations.

On Tuesday the Council went on a walkabout to sensitise business operators of the new arrangements which have been put in place for three weeks.

Speaking with this publication, the Mayor said members of the business community were very receptive. She noted that some

were also appreciative of the measures being implemented by the municipality to ensure that the town is safe.

According to Mayor Haywood, persons are being advised to place safety first.

The municipality is also calling on persons not to go on the road if it is not out of necessity. However, if they have to, they must use all safety measures possible.

The Mayor said the arrangements as they relate to these new operating hours have been discussed with the police regarding enforcement. Haywood said the police have come on board to assist.

“They have said to us that if there is any challenge they will come out and give us the necessary backup that we might need in the town.”

The banking industry has already indicated re-

duced banking hours for commercial banks. There are three banks in the town: Republic Bank, Citizens Bank and Scotiabank.

Meanwhile, several business persons who own restaurants, supermarkets and boutiques all decided to close their doors one week ago.

The move is being appreciated by the Town Council.

Meanwhile, the Regional Health Authority met with vendors in the market and explained the importance of maintaining social distance and the regular washing of hands. The vendors were told that it will be better if they can say at home.

The Municipal Market has been closed today to facilitate a sanitising excise.

The new hours the market will be from is 07:00h until 14:00h.

14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Coronavirus

High Court adjourns all cases for 1 month …only urgent matters to be addressed …Magistrates to sit 1 day per week advised that only urgent matters will be heard, but the designated hearing Judge will make the determination on the urgency of the matter.

Magistrates’ Courts

The statement noted that Magistrates will be sitting one day per week in each district. As such, all other cases except maintenance,

reasons, to the Chief Justice or Chief Magistrate as the case may be, for consideration of an earlier hearing.”

These hearings, including bail applications and remand of prisoners, will be done via E-mails, telephone conference calls, Zoom/Skype where possible. However, in cases where “in-person” attendance is allowed, only at-

need not attend court to request adjournments. Email/

letters/telephone calls can be utilised. Where the court

COVID-19

Acting Chancellor, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards

A

s the battle against the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) continues, an additional list of precautionary measures to be implemented within the law courts of Guyana was on Tuesday announced by the Office of the Chancellor as an effort to prevent the rapid spread of the virus.

The Chancellor’s Office announced that with effect from March 23, subject to the decision of the hearing Judge, all pending High Courts matters within all three counties are adjourned for at least one month to a date on or after April 20.

With the one-month adjournment of cases, it was

Demerara High Court

has issued adjournments, the adjourned dates will be communicated to attorneys-at-law via email, telephone, Skype or other electronic means” the statement detailed.

The media fraternity was also urged to choose senior journalists to attend court and share information when covering cases.

Moreover, the opening of the Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice Criminal Assizes for April will be postponed for a month as enhanced cleaning and fumigating of all courts and offices continue.

Pensioners urged not to congregate at Post Offices Georgetown Magistrates' Courts

domestic violence and related matters will be refixed to April 20.

Meanwhile, relevant stakeholders are urged to note that where cases or hearings have been adjourned for the one-month period, if an urgent situation arises “an application must be made by letter, with

torneys-at-law, persons and witnesses connected with the matter will be allowed to enter the courtyard or courtroom, with each maintaining a distance of at least 3 feet.

“Attorneys-at-law are encouraged to only file matters that they deem urgent at this time. Attorneys-at-law

Pensioners at the Bourda Post Office

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o protect senior citizens during this period when they are most vulnerable to the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) is vehemently encouraging senior citizens to refrain from visiting the post offices during the first two days of the month unless it is absolutely necessary since vouchers can be cashed throughout the month.

This comes in light of thousands of senior citizens who are usually congregated at the various post offices to access their pension payment every first and second day of each new month.

As such, GPOC stated that it is working to implement standardised measures across its offices in the ten administrative regions to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

Moreover, the company

stated that it will be enforcing a minimum distance of three feet between persons accessing services. Persons will be asked to sanitise their hands upon entry at post offices and those who are coughing or have a cold will be provided with a face mask.

Furthermore, GPOC stated that it has provided its staff with all the necessary resources to ensure that they are protected from the virus.

“Our public areas will be sanitised intermittently throughout the day. Our customer service agents, postal clerks and postmen and women have all been provided with face masks and gloves to use while attending to our valued customers,” GPOC stated.

To this end, the GPOC has confirmed that the option of authorising a family member to uplift pension payments is available and urged pensioners to join in the fight to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

NEWS

15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Jagan, Rodney fought rigged elections, now some of their disciples are the riggers

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his past week, we observed the birthday anniversaries of two of Guyana’s greatest heroes – Cheddi Jagan and Walter Rodney. On March 22, we observed the 102nd birthday of Cheddi Jagan. On March 23, we observed the 78th birthday of Walter Rodney. These two men were leaders in the fight against dictatorship, against rigged elections. Walter was assassinated by the riggers when he was still a youth.

Cheddi lived long enough to lead the fight for the restoration of democracy on October 5, 1992. He lived long enough to steer Guyana back onto the road of development and ensured Guyana stayed on the path of freedom and democracy.

Moses Nagamootoo and [Khemraj Ramjattan were disciples of Dr Leslie Ramsammy Cheddi Jagan. Clive Thomas, Rupert Roopnaraine, and David Hinds were leaders alongside Walter Rodney, not just his disciples.

Today, Cheddi’s country, Walter’s country is back where we started from – back to the days of rigged elections. The old People’s National Congress, in its first chance since 1992, is back to its evil ways. It hides its identity, calling itself APNU+AFC, but its DNA is still the same, its stripes still visible. But among the riggers are some who were nurtured in the bosoms of Guyana’s heroes, people who once promised that they will never betray the values and principles of their mentors, people who promised that they will never permit rigged elections in our country.

On Walter’s birthday, Rupert spoke out. This is a really good time for him to redeem himself. He betrayed his brother and his friend. He joined those who were responsible for the murder of his friend and leader, Walter Rodney. He found out early that they had not changed, that their stripes, their DNA were the same as in the 70s and 80s. But the allure of power seduced him and imprisoned him. Still, one would have hoped that there was a red line he would not cross – rigged elections. It is not that he does not know. He is an intelligent man. He must understand that all the shenanigans and machinations to hide the Statements of Poll (SoPs) and their morbid fear of counting the ballots in the box must be for a reason. Who would not want to have it seen clearly if they won? Rupert remained silent for too long. I have heard Rupert often, passionately, talk about freedom. I have heard him say many times that evil does not manifest because of evil people, but because of the many good people who remain silent. This is Rupert’s time to speak up and speak out. I am glad he did. For all those who still believe in Walter Rodney’s dreams, Rupert’s speaking out brings hope.

But Clive Thomas is still screamingly silent. I have watched Clive Thomas betray his friend and leader. Like Rupert, he joined those who were responsible for the murder of Walter Rodney. I wanted to believe that both of them joined the party that murdered Walter, because they believe people change.

But when Granger and APNU/AFC rejected the Commission of Inquiry into Walter’s assassination, I thought both Clive and Rupert would have spoken up. When Granger and APNU/ AFC terminated the CoI and when they would not release the report, I hoped against hope that they would speak out.

Neither of them did. In fact, Rupert voted to not release the report. But I was still hoping that Clive, like Rupert, who were once freedom fighters alongside Walter Rodney, would never support rigging an election. Clive Thomas is an intelligent man.

He knows the truth, that the PPP won the election and that APNU/AFC is using GECOM to thief the election. But he is quiet, choosing silence. I had hoped that Clive is an honourable man.

I still want to believe that both Clive and Rupert are honourable men. But I regret that too many of Walter’s former brothers and sisters, too many of his disciples, one-time freedom fighters, have become part of the riggers. It is time Clive redeem himself.

Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan are beyond redeemable. They are not just part of the rigging cabal. They have become ardent apologists for the riggers, hate-spouting riggers. Power has not only seduced them, power has totally enslaved them. To hold on to power, they are willing to be hatchet men. They have used their intelligence to find creative, even stupid ways to justify rigging. They even admit rigging, but justify it by insisting that it is GECOM doing the wickedness and that the law says they must accept what GECOM hands them.

David Hinds is nothing but a racist. His position is that AfroGuyanese interest can only be protected by the PNC and that this justifies rigging the election. His position is that he sees the rigging, but can accept it because the PPP has no right to govern Guyana, even if the people chooses the PPP. In a week when we remember our heroes, Cheddi and Walter, men who were by their sides have become a part of what both fought against. Guyana’s freedom, the dream and passion of Walter and Cheddi, is today the victim of their disciples.

Not enough inspectors to enforce labour law – State Dept report

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uyana has labour laws, but enforcing them is another matter entirely. One of the State Department’s findings in its 2019 report on human rights in Guyana is that the Labour Department does not have enough inspectors to enforce the law.

The report notes that while the responsibility for enforcing the law lies with the Social Protection Ministry, the Ministry is hampered not only by a lack of inspectors but also insufficient penalties for violations.

Labour inspections carried out during the year

targeted all sectors, including agriculture, mining, and construction, the report stated, adding that the Ministry follow-up of labour inspection findings varied, and compliance among employers was also inconsistent. Enforcement of minimum wage legislation was not effective, it added.

According to the State Department, local trade unions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) also reported that the Social Protection Ministry lacked sufficient resources to enforce occupational safety and health laws adequately.

“The Government reported 189 workplace accidents, of which 102 were investigated. There were 18 fatal workplace accidents reported as of October,” the report explained.

When it comes to minimum wage, a finding of the State Department was that enforcement of the minimum wage legislation was not as robust as it should have been. The report acknowledged the various provisions in the law for minimum wage earners.

According to the Department’s report, other provisions are for a normal workweek of 40 hours, distributed over no more than

five days per week. The law, it noted, also prohibits compulsory overtime.

It was only in November 2019 that various unions had expressed concern about the extent to which the Department of Labour, headed by Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle, was understaffed.

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) had been quoted in the press expressing concern over the situation. In their statements on the issue, FITUG had said that a number of qualified staff had left the Department over the years for various reasons.

Bus conductor remanded for raping young girl

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wenty-two-year-old Telvin Wilburg was on Tuesday charged and remanded to prison for the indictable offence of rape when he appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The bus conductor, of Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), was not

Body found in Church Street identified

O

Dead: Rown Tappin

ne week after a male body was found in a Church Street, Georgetown trench, in close proximity to Peter Rose Street, he has been positively identified as Rown Tappin of Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The man’s body was identified by his wife. This is according to Commander of A Division, Phillip Azore.

Tappin was clothed in a white T-shirt, pants, and boots.

According to reports, at about 17:45h on March 17, the police received a 911 call about a body in a trench.

A post-mortem examination was conducted on the body and the cause of death was given as drowning.

However, Azore stated that the investigation continues into the man’s death as the police are seeking to determine what led to the drowning.

required to plead to the charge, which read that he engaged in sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16.

During the in-camera proceedings, Magistrate McGusty remanded Wilburg to prison. The case will continue on May 18, 2020.

Wilburg was recently arrested after evading Police apprehension for some time after committing the offence.

16

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

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

Mr Granger, you have the call to make Dear Editor, Existing business operators, whether private or public, are candidly aware that the accurate forecast is critical to stability in the existing financial and economic framework. It lends to decision-making informing their profitability, adjustments to threats or sometimes-mere survival. For those involved in trade and other tax-related activities, the alarm bells have been sounded in the statements of de-recognition and exclusions by the ABCE countries, OAS, Caricom, the Commonwealth the European Union to name a few. There has emerged a most potent threat in Guyana from the position justifiably taken by these states, aside from the Covid-19 virus.

Although local corporate or public agencies have not said much recently, one could feel their discomforting apprehension in their fiscal relationships. This relates to the threats of real international sanctions should the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) swear in Mr Granger as President without properly adhering to transparent and credible electoral procedures. I will address some of the likely effects for a few key public and private agencies, given the political scenario as another critical factor in the framework.

Notably, overwhelming facts in the public domain confirm that APNU/AFC, while in Opposition (2011 to 2015) used their one-seat parliamentary majority in excessively undermining the PPP/C development trajectory. They persistently disrupted the economy which would have long crumbled, were it not for the strengthened foundation of the PPP/ C’s developmental policies.

When they governed following the May 2015 Elections, their uncaring actions served as pivotal underdevelopment tractions making it difficult to crawl out from the self-created holes.

In essence, the current political environment is characterised by globally observed dubious and fraudulently aligned decisions from GECOM, with President Granger and APNU/AFC on one side, and the political Opposition together with the rest of the world including our largest trading partners and donors on the other, following the March 2, 2020 Elections. There are obvious and significant consequences that at this point have drawn overwhelming condemnation.

In the inherently clear power-grabbing attempts through sickening and undemocratic approaches, the situation exacerbates the level of self-created volatility which when coupled with possible sanctions, will ascertain Guyana’s swifter developmental regression. A look at a few of the expected changes at the Guyana Revenue Authority as the Government’s main revenue-collecting agency and their relationship with the tax base including the private sectors paints a picture.

This is given that taxes collected and paid into the consolidated fund by the GRA for use by Government, has a correlation with imports in terms of the applicable customs duties, excise and value-added taxes imposed. For statistical purposes, the Guyana Bureau of Statistics (GBS) categorises imports into Consumer, Intermediate and Capital Goods. In this regard, however, the USA and Trinidad and Tobago account for over 65 per cent of our imports

followed by China (6.9 per cent). It is of note that the top ten countries with whom we do business account for over 89 per cent of the goods imported overall.

On the export side, local manufacturers and producers utilise imported goods in the GBS intermediate category to produce finally consumed locally or exported products informing the basis for local individual and corporate income taxes. In effect, these mechanisms have a direct relationship with job creation that has been woefully wanting in all sectors under the APNU/AFC’s approach. According to the data provided by the Guyana Bureau of Statistics over 90 per cent of our exports were made to nine countries, most of whom have or are parts of international groups that expressed disgust regarding the approach of President Granger and his supporters in these elections.

It follows that in the event of President Granger and GECOM’s actions forces our trading partners and these countries to de-recognise the Guyana Government, a few of the short and medium-term hard impacts would be as follow: 1. Immediately, revenue collections that currently exceed 85 per cent of the total Government’s approved budget are likely to reduce by less than half based on the lack of availability of materials. In the medium-term, major exporters can expect to become unprofitable due to the loss of international markets forcing total shut down and loss of jobs.

2. In public sector organisations like the GRA, it will become inefficient to maintain the high volume of staff to address, monitor and collect lower levels of taxes.

Ultimately, there would be

massive retrenchments and job losses.

3. In cases where some countries may not support a fully imposed trade embargo or economic sanction by the developed countries, the costs associated with transferring finances are likely to increase exponentially, coupled with significant increases in freight. This obviously will result in unaffordable goods and medicines.

4. International aid received from donor agencies and trading partners currently equates to more than 10 per cent of the national budget. The associated projects are likely to be withdrawn as public sector priorities shift.

5. The situation will force current foreign investors conducting business in the country to withdraw, realising fewer taxes and higher levels of unemployment.

On the other hand, the Government will not be able to attract further investments in the medium-term.

6. Developed scarcity of basic commodities will encourage higher levels of smuggling and intensity of other criminal behaviours.

7. The alternative mandatory turn to agriculture will also be a significant challenge due to the lack of the usually imported fertilisers, herbicides, and pesticides.

8. Citizens who have completed university programmes will become an exhaustive resource as everyone tries to leave for want of better opportunities overseas.

9. The promise of significant profitability may not be sufficient to keep a productive partnership with ExxonMobil in the event of an embargo. Even with a greater level of investments in Venezuela, this company

Dear Editor, Mr Hamilton Green, onetime PNC strongman, wrote recently in the press of the need for our political leaders to “mend not rend”. As he waxed on this theme, Mr Green noted that as a people, “we need to have the good sense to learn from the horrors of earlier experiences.” However, the horrors he cited were very selectively cherry-picked to further the PNC’s narrative and silence other experiences. I do not believe it is helpful to cite these now because it is clear from the elections results, which Granger’s PNC is hell-bent on subverting, that a significant section of the Guyanese populace has moved on.

The truth is that in the ’60s, our country was in an unsettled state and racial animosity amongst our people was rife. Many studies have been done to examine those circumstances. The rea-

sons and the key players in the events of that period are well documented and known.

However, as Mr Green expounded on his “mend not rend” theme, he made a quantum leap and shifted his focus to the International Observers for the 2020 elections who are here in Guyana.

To be fair to Mr Green, his resentment and/or objection to International Observers in our “ongoing 2-week old elections” is a matter of public record. He offered his justification for his objection to their presence in Guyana thus: “ these outsiders or observers or what have you, can do little to be a real bridge over troubled water, because they do not know all our history.

I notice the battalion of observers, some who don’t understand our culture and the tricks of the trade, feel duty-bound to speak.”

Well, I think not only the foreign observers but all

right-thinking people know and understand that our waters are troubled, because there are local forces who do not want an honest, verified and accurate tally of the votes for District Four, in the March 2, elections.

They know that Guyana’s waters are troubled, because one man, with statutory responsibility, which he is expected to exercise honestly and fairly, has defied the orders of the Chief Justice and has purported to execute his functions in a shockingly unacceptable manner, devoid of fairness, honesty and transparency in the face of his principals, who seem to have been struck dumb.

One need only to read the Commonwealth Observers report. And that leads me to wonder, what “tricks of the trade” Hammie believes the foreign observers do not know? Is it the falsification of electoral results on a spread-

sheet so as to favour APNU/ AFC? Is it to do everything possible to avoid the production of Statements of Poll in the election results verification? Is it the various clumsy and bungled efforts to rig and cheat at these elections? I believe “these outsiders or observers” as Hammie describes them, are on top of the game, they know about “the tricks of the trade”. They continue to document them. Were it not for the foreign observers and the wider international community, the APNU/AFC would have already defied the will of the majority of the people of Guyana and would have fraudulently imposed themselves on the people of Guyana.

This, however, is 2020.

We shall see what we shall see.

Foreign observers do not know the "tricks of the trade" – Hamilton Green

Sincerely, Selwyn Persaud

did not stay operating under the currently imposed sanctions. Consequently, there would be no oil money but significantly greater levels of inflation and hardships.

10. Overseas Government assets are likely to be frozen.

Although the foregoing is by no means exhaustive, the inherent and inexorable breakdown in acceptable social strata would naturally be counter with increased militarisation establishing the pariah/Police state.

If the foregoing is not instructive enough to allow our citizen's votes to be counted in a truly transparent and democratic manner, it follows that all other options would have to be considered in driving a corrective revolutionised front against the looming dictatorship. Mr Granger, you have the call to make.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

There is no basis for power-sharing between PPP and PNC

Dear Editor, Suggestions for power-sharing usually emerge when the PPP wins an election. And the idea is usually to appease the PNC or else there will be trouble, instability, fear, panic, and gridlock.

During 1964-1992, when the PPP realised the PNC would never give up power as Burnham and his PNC routinely rigged elections, Dr Cheddi Jagan, father of the nation, had suggested a National Front Government.

The PNC was never interested; Burnham wanted absolute power and even gave himself a two-thirds majority of the votes at one “election.”

In 2015, the PNC promised constitutional reform but did zero to move that forward once they got in.

In 2016, the PNC lost the Local Government Election (LGE) by 25,000 votes. In 2018, it lost the LGE by 45,000 votes. In December 2018, the PNC was defeated in a No-Confidence Motion.

In none of these defeats did the PNC and its cohorts call for power-sharing with the PPP. The PNC with a oneseat and one vote win (in Region Eight it won by one vote and no recount was allowed), governed in a triumphalist manner. With no sensitivity to diversity, it fired many supporters of the PPP, hired its own supporters and stacked all the State Boards and Commissions with its own people, largely locking out the PPP and allowing it token representation.

In the regions that the PPP won, the PNC appointed its own REOs who created gridlock and stymied efforts at regional development, especially in Region Five.

So, while it’s a good idea, any calls for power-sharing is premature as the pre-conditions and foundations for such an advanced political structure simply do not exist. The PNC did not keep its promise to its main partner, the AFC, which caused them to win the 2015 election. Apart from many sirens and outriders, PM Moses got larwah. In the 2020 election, the distrust for the AFC was so bad that the PM running

mate had to sign that he cannot become the President.

That led to an agreement that was so bad, it was kept a secret. The PNC also did not keep its promise with its first coalition partner, the UF (United Force).

There is nothing in the PNC’s history and current behaviour that shows it is interested in power-sharing. The PNC has always been interested in “power” not “sharing.” Mr Granger at a meeting said they were “born to rule.” The PNC thinks that because it dominates and controls all the State agencies, including the coercive arms of the State - the Guyana Police Force, the Army and various military forces, and GECOM, that it does not have to win, that it can simply seize power, knowing that its control of the State apparatus will guarantee that they stay in power. That worked before for 28 years, and in 2020 the PNC is hoping to pull that same stunt again.

Any attempts to have power-sharing is tantamount to a “shotgun marriage” that is doomed to failure. The PNC is not amenable to sharing; they want complete domination. We should not support power-sharing simply to avoid the PNC’s propensity for “mo fiah, slo fiah” strategies.

Power-sharing should flow from proper Constitutional frameworks and a national discourse with all stakeholders and parties.

In the current fiasco created by the PNC and PNC alone, the only solution is for the GECOM Chair to do her job and ensure the laws are followed in finishing the Region Four count using the Statements of Poll, as they were doing. All parties have copies of the SoPs given to them by GECOM, and those show the PPP winning 53 per cent of the votes. The task is to urgently swear in the PPP as the new Government. The PNC has done well too and should work harder to win the next time. We are now in the era of “vote them in, vote them out.”

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

17

Regional

As São Paulo goes into coronavirus Coronavirus in South America: lockdown, China offers to help Brazil How it became a class issue

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B

razil’s President Jair Bolsonaro patched up a diplomatic spat with China on Tuesday, agreeing in a call with President Xi Jinping to fight the spread of coronavirus together as Brazil’s largest city went into its first day of lockdown.

The dispute began last week when Bolsonaro’s son blamed Chinese authoritarianism for preventing faster action against the coronavirus, drawing blistering comments from China’s Ambassador to Brazil and entangling the upper reaches of the Brazilian Government in the row.

Coronavirus deaths in Brazil on Tuesday rose to 46 from 34, and cases rose to 2201 from 1891, according to Government figures.

Wanderson de Oliveira, a Health Ministry official, told reporters Brazil would vastly expand testing in the coming days.

Economic prospects are worsening for Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, amid the pandemic as data showed consumer confidence falling to a three-year low in March. Retail sales in January declined at the fast-

A woman wearing a protective face mask walks in front of Banco do Brasil (Bank of Brazil) cultural building during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in São Paulo, Brazil, March 24, 2020

est rate in over a year, indicating consumer spending was off to a weak start in 2020, even before the coronavirus outbreak.

Two of Brazil’s top airlines said they would cut more than 90 per cent of their domestic flights until at least May. The slowdown is set to worsen as São Paulo, Brazil’s economic powerhouse, began a two-week lockdown on Tuesday. The state Government ordered all non-essential services and businesses to close in the

country’s largest city.

During morning rush hour the city’s streets, usually gridlocked with some of the worst traffic on the continent, were quiet. The offices and shopping centres of financial artery Faria Lima were closed.

Buses still ran and construction was allowed to continue in a bid to avoid complete economic collapse in Brazil’s financial hub.

Restaurants were open for takeout and delivery workers whizzed through the thinning traffic on bikes and scooters.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

C’bean urged to develop strategies for food security amid COVID-19

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he Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, says the coronavirus pandemic provides a situation for the Caribbean to develop food security strategies and greater efforts to increase self-sufficiency.

“Approximately 20 countries in the hemisphere are net importers of food. Each year the Caribbean Region alone draws a cheque for six billion US dollars to feed 44.5 million people,” Otero said, adding, “we must again reassess the role of family

farmers, who, ironically, although pivotal in ensuring food self-sufficiency, are the adjustment variable in times of economic uncertainty”.

“These farmers supply close to 60 per cent of the food demand in the hemisphere. This situation requires us to focus on policies that benefit these producers, emphasising areas such as associativity, extension services, access to technology and agricultural insurance.”

But he warned that the new generation of pests, and diseases affecting men and women, crops and animals, such as Fusarium on ba-

nanas, locusts, and African Swine Fever, create the need for sophisticated surveillance and agricultural quarantine services, as a means of reinforcing the importance of health intelligence and prospective monitoring.

Otera said that the world was witnessing the spread of a new pandemic and less than four months since it first erupted, “this emergency is rocking the world, and we are not yet able to foresee what life will be like in a few months, when this dramatic event is finally over”.

(Excerpt from CMC)

razil got its first case of coronavirus just after Carnival.

The man, who had visited Italy, returned with symptoms and went straight to Albert Einstein hospital, a world-class institution in the southern hemisphere’s biggest city, São Paulo.

In the beginning, many of the cases followed a similar pattern, affecting Brazilians who can afford to travel abroad and pay for treatment in private hospitals.

And it is a pattern that is replicated across the Region too. The first case in Ecuador was somebody returning from Spain. In Uruguay, media reported

last week that half of the country’s coronavirus cases could be traced back to a single guest at a glamorous party who had just come back from Spain.

This has not escaped the notice of poorer Brazilians either, many of whom share the view that the virus is coming over from wealthier people who have been on holiday abroad.

Maria do Rosario Silva is a 50-year-old housekeeper who lives and works in the south of São Paulo. She was alarmed by the pattern of transmission she was hearing about on the news, but has now been sent home by her employer on full pay to stay safe.

“I’m not just a bit scared,” she says. “I’m terrified, especially for older people and those who are who are vulnerable. If we don’t control it, it will end in panic.”

The story of the first person to die of the coronavirus in Rio de Janeiro has fuelled this fear. Just a few days ago, the investigative journalism website Publica reported that a 63-yearold housekeeper’s employer had gone to Italy and came back with symptoms – and didn’t tell her housekeeper she was ill. Fast forward a month, and the housekeeper is dead. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Trinidad Govt defends decision to bar citizens

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he Trinidad and Tobago Government on Tuesday defended its decision not to re-open its borders to accommodate 35 nationals stranded in Barbados, insisting that the measure is part of an overall effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) there, as four more persons tested positive bringing the number of cases to 57.

“The only way a country has a chance to beat this, to keep the curve down, is to take some of the difficult decisions and the measures we have done are on the advice of medical experts,” National Security Minister Stuart Young told a news conference.

“So whenever we shut our borders…it is not something that we want to do, it is not something we take pleasure in doing, but the reason for it is to protect you, the remaining population in Trinidad and Tobago and every person we allow in now presents a risk potentially,” he said, adding

National Security Minister Stuart Young

that the Government had announced last week the intended closure of the borders and that there were still available flights for nationals wanting to return home.

Young told reporters that he had been in discussions with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her Attorney General, Dale Marshall, on Monday regarding the Trinidad and Tobago nationals, describing the deliberations as “a very Caricom conversation”. ” I emphasised what our position was and they understood,” he said, add-

ing that Barbados already has in place mandatory self-quarantine or quarantine period of 14 days.

“The Prime Minister of Barbados and the Attorney General pointed out that Barbados has a mandatory quarantine or quarantine by the State of 14 days. That is their attempt to try to protect their population. They understand what is taking place and we went a step further and closed our borders, not because we want to keep any Trinidadian out; that is not the reason.”

(Excerpt from CMC)

State of emergency for largest island in Belize Jamaica: Brother kills brother, uncle kills G nephew, as 8 more murders recorded in 24 hours

overnor General Sir Colville Young has signed a statutory instrument bringing into effect a state of emergency for Ambergris Caye, the largest island of Belize, located northeast of the country’s mainland, after it recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

Under the regulations for the state of emergency, people on the island are expected to practise social distancing. Travel to and from the island has also been prohibited for the next 72 hours and gatherings have also been limited to 10 people at any given time within public and private spaces.

The authorities say an-

Prime Minister Dean Barrow (Photo: CMC)

yone who comes down with flu-like symptoms and who may have had contact with someone afflicted with the virus must immediately inform the Health Ministry.

People found in contravention of the regulations are liable for imprisonment for up to one year.

“In terms of the measures that we have already

implemented and the fact that we now need to make absolutely certain that people comply, I will tell you that already the Solicitor General is in the process of drafting regulations that will impose a penalty on those that don’t comply with the measures that we have prescribed,” Prime Minister Dean Barrow has said.

He said the oversight committee will look at possibly an even broader canvas and while he does not want to supersede the committee, “I believe it’s safe to say from now that bars, clubs, casinos… I don’t see how those can be allowed to continue to open”. (Excerpt from CMC)

I

n the period following the announcement that Jamaica had recorded its first positive test for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), there were no murders across the island in 24 hours, sparking hope that the criminals had gone into hiding.

But since then, the bloodletting has resumed with a vengeance, with at least 16 murders recorded by the Police in the past 48 hours.

Following reports of eight murders in the 24hour period between Sunday morning and Monday morn-

ing to start this week, there were eight more murders on Monday.

These included an incident where a man is alleged to have bludgeoned his brother to death, and an uncle is the main suspect in the fatal shooting of his nephew.

The killings on Sunday included a triple murder in South St Andrew where a state of emergency is in place.

Westmoreland and St James are also under states of emergency. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Around the World

OILNEWS

Oil prices are set to plunge again

O

il prices have been on the slide for more than two weeks now, and they will, in all likelihood, continue downward despite the respite from the United States legislators who raised hopes that they could agree on a US$2-trillion economic stimulus package in response to the pandemic. But will this be enough?

Reuters' John Kemp wrote in his latest column on hedge fund oil positions that global consumption of fuels had dropped by as much as 10 million bpd. He also said hedge funds had tried to feel the inflexion point for oil prices twice since the crisis began and had failed both times. The final nail in the coffin of hopes: the economic situation, according to Kemp, is the worst since the Second World War. What this means is that recovery will take a while and it may well be a long while. Governments in Europe, like Washington, are announcing recovery plans, and central banks are planning stimulus packages. Yet, it would be unrealistic to imagine that the economies forced to the brink of a complete shutdown will suddenly flourish from the Government financially supporting those hardest hit by the crisis. Let's not forget, after all, that besides the slump in consumption driven by the outbreak, we also live in a world of oil oversupply driven by a lingering imbalance between supply and demand, and most recently by Saudi Arabia's plans to boost production substantially as a way to force Russia to rethink its position on deeper cuts.

In this context, some hedge funds got swayed by wishful thinking and the generally solid reasoning that prices have fallen so far they must begin to climb back up soon, as Kemp noted in his column. Generally solid reasoning, however, does not work 100 per cent of the time, and, to be fair, a lot of the buying hedge funds were reducing their short positions, according to Kemp.

The oil industry, meanwhile, is preparing for oil to slide further.

Shell, Total, Eni, Exxon, and Chevron have all announced plans to cut their budgets in response to the price situation. Now, it's one thing if independent E&Ps in the US shale patch announce spending cuts. It's another thing if the supermajors start cutting. When the supermajors start cutting, the situation becomes alarming. The world's largest vertically integrated oil companies are invariably much more resilient to price shocks and recession than smaller players. If oil majors think the situation is critical enough to revise spending plans and suspending share buybacks, then it must be horrible.

Unfortunately, it could get even worse. The imbalance in demand and supply also concerns oil in storage, which, because of this imbalance, has been growing. According to OilX, there are about 750 million barrels stored on land and offshore. This inventory could increase to 1 billion barrels, according to analysts.

Meanwhile, the pandemic is still in full swing, with a second wave of new cases grips some Asian countries.

China itself reported 78 new cases this week after several days with no new diagnoses. Most of these were "imported” and came from people returning from abroad. A second wave of the disease could cripple transport industries even more severely, further delaying the recovery. It will also deepen the oil market imbalance.

While "the anticipated lengthy absence of air traffic presents a significant obstacle in its own right," the expected ramp-up in supply will fill storage quickly and cause prices to plummet as physical demand continues to evaporate, AxiCorp's chief global market strategist Stephen Innes told Reuters.

If this happens, no amount of production cuts would help oil as the fundamentals once again trump hopes, plans, and speculation. Even an oil alliance between Saudi Arabia and the US won't be able to do much when storage space fills up while demand continues gasping for air. (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

US could be next “virus epicentre” as India locks down, global recession looms

T

he United States could become the global epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday, as India announced a full 24-hour, nationwide lockdown in the world’s second-most populous country.

India joined the ranks of Britain and other countries clamping down to hold back the virus as business activity collapsed from Japan to the United States at a record pace in March.

The highly contagious coronavirus has caused entire regions to be placed on lockdown. In some places soldiers are patrolling the streets to keep consumers and workers indoors, halting services and production

A lone person walks in the rain in a mostly deserted Times Square following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, March 23, 2020

and breaking supply chains.

Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world exceeded 377,000 across 194 countries and territories as of early Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, more than 16,500 of them fatal.

Over the previous 24 hours, 85 per cent of new cases were in Europe and

the United States, and of those, 40 per cent were in the United States.

As of Monday, the virus had infected more than 42,000 people there, killing at least 559.

Asked whether the United States could become the new epicentre, Harris said: “We are now seeing a

very large acceleration in cases in the US So it does have that potential.”

Some US state and local officials have decried a lack of coordinated federal action, saying that having localities act on their own has put them in competition for supplies.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the Government would impose a nationwide lockdown from midnight for 21 days.

On Tuesday, Modi, leader of the world’s biggest democracy, went further, saying nobody would be allowed to leave their homes.

India has so far reported 482 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and nine deaths.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

More than 60 people found dead in cargo container in Mozambique

M

ore than 60 people have been found dead in a cargo container in Mozambique's northwest Tete province, according to reports.

The cause of the deaths is suspected to be asphyxiation, a senior hospital official, who asked not be named because

he does not have the authority to speak to the media, told AFP news agency on Tuesday.

"A truck transporting illegal immigrants from Malawi, suspected to be Ethiopians, was stopped at the Mussacana weight bridge in Tete, and 64 people were found dead," the official said. "Only 14 sur-

vived."

The victims were discovered in a blue cargo container loaded on to a haulage truck, according to pictures seen by AFP. Mozambique is generally seen as a smuggling corridor for migrants seeking to make their way to South Africa.

South Africa, the continent's most industrialised country, is a magnet for poor migrants not only from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe but also from nations further afield, such as Ethiopia. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Italian coronavirus deaths jump, dashing hopes that worst was over

F

atalities in Italy from coronavirus have surged in the last 24 hours, the Civil Protection Agency said on Tuesday, dashing hopes the epidemic in the world’s worst-hit country was easing after more encouraging numbers in the previous two days.

The death toll rose by 743 on Tuesday, the second-highest daily tally since the outbreak emerged in northern regions on Feb 21, and up steeply from the 602 recorded on Monday.

Italy has seen more fatalities than any other country, with latest figures showing that 6820 people have died from the infection in barely a month.

The total number of con-

firmed cases hit 69,176 on Tuesday, but with Italy testing only people with severe symptoms, the head of the Civil Protection Agency said the true number of infected people was probably 10 times higher.

The latest data comes as a disappointment to a country that has been in lockdown for two weeks, with schools, bars and restaurants shut and Italians forbidden from leaving their homes for all but essential needs.

On Monday the Government closed all businesses not deemed to be essential to the nation’s supply chain of vital requirements, and after the latest figures, Prime Minister Giuseppe

Medical workers in protective suits treat a patient suffering with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in an intensive care unit at the Casalpalocco hospital, a hospital in Rome that has been dedicated to treating cases of the disease, Italy, March 24, 2020

Conte stiffened fines for people leaving their homes to up to 3000 euros (US$3225) from a previous maximum of 206 euros.

“Every one of us must play our part,” he told reporters at a news conference held by remote video link to

avoid contagion.

“If everyone obeys the rules they don’t only protect themselves and their loved ones, but they will enable the whole national community to come out of this emergency.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bangladesh scientists create $3 kit.

Can it help detect COVID–19?

A

group of scientists in Bangladesh has developed a US$3 testing kit they claim can detect coronavirus in less than 15 minutes.

The South Asian nation's pharmaceutical regulator - the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) - gave its green light for the mass production of the kit last Thursday, saying it would ease the pressure on the pathology services struggling with coronavirus detection.

Bangladesh's largest vernacular daily Prothom Alo reported last week that only 1732 testing kits are available in a country of nearly 180 million people.

Most private hospitals that have ICU facilities are refusing to admit patients with even mild symptoms amid the COVID-19 scare.

The kit developed by Bangladesh's Gonoshasthaya-RNA Biotech Limited is similar to one developed in January by scientists in China as the

coronavirus outbreak intensified in the Chinese province of Hubei.

Some experts say that because the kit looks for antibodies produced by the white blood cells in response to the virus rather than the virus itself, there is a margin of error where it could return a false negative if used at the wrong time.

The standard laboratory test for coronavirus is known as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which de-

tects the virus's genome rather than antibodies produced to fight it.

Dr Sil invented a similar kit for detecting the SARS coronavirus while working in Singapore during the outbreak of the respiratory disease in 2003. The Chinese Government later bought the patent of the kit he developed as it was proven to be effective in detecting the SARS coronavirus "in most cases". (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

19

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

DILBERT

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

Make calls, do research and close deals. Don’t rely on someone else to take care of your affairs. If you want to change, make it happen.

Take responsibility for your life and happiness.

Refuse to give in to someone pressuring you. Avoid being taken for granted.

Don’t let frustration and anger mount because you are trying to accommodate everyone.

Your memory won’t let you down. The lessons of experience, coupled with a unique approach to getting things done, will help you excel. A romantic gesture will brighten your day.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Don’t limit what you can do by taking on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. Choose how you spend your time and use your talents carefully. Learn from experience.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

A last-minute change of plans will lead to an unexpected gain. Join forces with someone who has as much to offer as you. Don’t ignore a professional opportunity.

LIBRA

Use your imagination, fine-tune your ideas and make your move. Think big, but don’t go overbudget. Be willing to bargain for what you want.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

You’ll get further if you are kind. Someone may irritate you, but if you respond with a positive attitude and sound suggestions, you will avoid a senseless argument.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

An attitude adjustment will give you the boost you need. Someone who wants to team up with you will point out a talent or skill you didn’t realize you possess.

Be aware of false adverSAGITTARIUS tising. Not everyone will be (Nov. 23honest or honor their promDec. 21) ises. Stick close to home and to the people you know you can trust.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Don’t act on an assumption, or you will end up paying the price. If you connect with people who share your mindset, you’ll be able to bring about change that will make a difference.

Dig up an old project and give it a face-lift. Approaching an old idea with a fresh attitude will lead to a prosperous venture. Someone who falls outside your age range will provide insight.

Acceptance will be the key to getting ahead. Size up what’s going on around you and use whatever you can to your advantage. It’s time to take the lead.

20

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

Uefa postpones Tokyo 2020: Olympic Games European club finals postponed because of coronavirus U T he Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed until next year because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

The event, due to begin on 24 July, will now take place "no later than summer 2021".

"I proposed to postpone for a year and [IOC] president Thomas Bach responded with 100% agreement," Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.

The event will still be called Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021.

In a joint statement, the organisers of Tokyo 2020 and the IOC said: "The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world deteriorating.

"On Monday, the director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is 'accelerating'.

"There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.

"In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today (Tuesday), the IOC president and the prime

ing on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

BOA chairman Hugh Robertson had already said Great Britain was unlikely to send a team to Tokyo this summer.

How did we get to this situation?

The Olympic Games were due to begin in Tokyo on July 24

minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community."

The IOC had given itself a deadline of four weeks to consider delaying the Games but there had been mounting pressure from a host of Olympic committees and athletes demanding a quicker decision.

Canada became the first major country to withdraw from both events on Sunday, while USA Track and Field, athletics' US governing body, had also called for a postponement.

The Olympics have never been delayed in their 124-year modern history,

though they were cancelled altogether in 1916, 1940 and 1944 during the two world wars.

Major Cold War boycotts disrupted the Moscow and Los Angeles summer Games in 1980 and 1984.

The Tokyo 2020/IOC statement continued: "The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.

"Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020."

The agreement comes as the British Olympic Association (BOA) was meet-

On 22 January, Olympic qualifying events in boxing and women's football that were due to be held in Wuhan, China - the centre of the coronavirus outbreak became the first to be moved or postponed.

Nine weeks later, now in the midst of a global pandemic, the IOC has agreed to postpone the Tokyo Olympic Games until 2021.

The decision comes just a day after the IOC said it had given itself four weeks to decide the future of the event.

Japan's Prime Minister Abe was adamant earlier this month that the Olympic and Paralympic Games would go ahead.

Canada became the first major country to withdraw on Sunday, while the British Olympic Association and US and Australian governing bodies announced their intention to follow suit.

There have been almost 400,000 recorded cases of the virus worldwide, with the number of deaths approaching 17,000. (BBC Sport)

efa could authorise one-legged knockout matches for some Champions League and Europa League ties after postponing the finals of all this season's major competitions.

With European football suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, there was no possibility of the competitions reaching their scheduled conclusion at the end of May. It is still hoped to play the respective finals on 27 June and 24 June, potentially at the end of mini tournaments to be played in Istanbul and Gdansk.

T h e W o m e n ' s Champions League final - originally scheduled for 24 May - has also been postponed.

There is no guarantee of these matches taking place though and work is now being undertaken to try to work out a formula that would allow the competitions to reach a conclusion.

One obvious difficulty is that matches in the men's competitions are at different stages and countries may be allowed to restart profes-

sional football at different times.

In the Champions League, four last-16 ties have been concluded, while the second legs of the other four are still to take place. In the Europa League, six firstleg ties have been played but two remain outstanding.

While it is hard to see Uefa ruling out the second legs of ties that have already started, they may be willing to let the ones that have not - both involving Spanish sides playing Italian ones - be decided by a single game, with the venue to be decided by the toss of a coin.

Quarterfinals and semi-finals could also be played over a single game.

It has already been agreed that European club matches could be played on a weekend and it is also understood there is no longer any imperative for the Champions League to be the last club game of the season, raising the possibility of the qualifying rounds for the 2020-21 tournament beginning before the major leagues have concluded.

(BBC Sport)

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Hendricks earns CSA national contract, Steyn & Amla left out B

euran Hendricks, the left-arm seamer who made his Test and ODI debuts for South Africa in the past season, is the only new name on the national men's contracted player list for the 2020-21 season. Meanwhile, pacer Nadine de Klerk, who was part of South Africa's squad at the T20 World Cup earlier this month and wicket-keeper Sinalo Jafta have been added to the women's national contracted squad.

Both lists include the same number of players as least season - 16 men and 14 women - with the option of a 17th men's player being contracted through the season.

Anrich Nortje, Rassie van der Dussen and Dwaine Pretorius are all examples of players who did exactly that.

The trio were not originally named on the 2019-20 contract list but were upgrad-

Beuran Hendricks and Quinton de Kock celebrate the end of Jason Roy's knock (Getty Images)

ed over the course of the previous summer by virtue of the number of matches they played for the national side.

All three have been contracted for the 2020-21 season. Top-order batsman Theunis de Bruyn has been dropped from the men's conSaracens won their third European Champions Cup in 2019

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21

Champions and Challenge Cups postponed due to coronavirus outbreak

R

ugby union's Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals and finals have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The finals of both competitions had been scheduled for the weekend of 22-23 May in Marseille.

European rugby chiefs say they remain committed to completing the campaigns this season.

"It is planned to reschedule the quarter-finals, semi-finals and Marseille finals," a statement said.

The quarter-finals of both competitions, scheduled for the first weekend of April, had already been called off, with all rugby union across the continent on hold.

The Pro 14 - featuring sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales - has been indefinitely suspended, but the English Premiership still hope to resume their campaign, even if matches need to be played behind closed doors.

European rugby organisers say they will work with the leagues in order to "restructure a conclusion to its season as part of a wider rescheduling of the remainder of the season in Europe".

A statement added: "All contingencies are underpinned by the requirement to protect the health and welfare of players, club staff, match officials, supporters and the wider rugby community.

"It is planned to reschedule the quarter-final and semi-final matches, as well as the Marseille finals, in line with fixtures in the professional league competitions, subject to advice from government and local authorities."

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) ended the season for all levels below the top division on Friday.

There has been no professional sport in England since 15 March, and there has been no top-flight rugby union in England since the weekend before.

Premiership chief executive Darren Childs has suggested multiple matches could be played behind closed doors at one venue to get the campaign finished.

Many of the Premiership's 12 clubs have asked their players and staff to take 25% pay cuts because of the impact of the outbreak. (BBC Sport)

tract list, while Dale Steyn, who remains available in white-ball formats, has been excluded and Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander have retired. Offspinner Raisibe Ntozakhe and allrounder Zintle Mali are the two women's players who no longer have contracts.

Faf du Plessis, who stood down as Test and T20 captain last month, has been re-contracted and remains available to play for South Africa in all formats suggesting his retirement is at least a year away. Du Plessis was part of the ODI squad that traveled to India earlier this month and has committed himself to his role as a senior player and in assisting his successor. While Quinton de Kock has taken over as white-ball captain, South Africa have yet to name a Test captain.

Contenders are believed to include de Kock, Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram who remains on the contracted player list despite missing most of last season on the sidelines.

Markram broke his wrist during the October Test se-

ries in India, a self-inflicted injury caused by "lashing out a solid object," after bagging a pair in India. He recovered in time to play the 2019 Boxing Day Test against England but fractured a finger in the match, ruling him out of the rest of the summer's internationals. Markram returned for his franchise, the Titans, in late February and scored two hundred in six one-day cup matches before the competition was suspended.

Markram's replacement at the top of the order in the Test XI, Pieter Malan, has not been contracted. Neither has his brother Janneman Malan, who scored a century while opening the batting in his second ODI. Also missing from the list are Heinrich Klaasen and JJ Smuts, who have both been part of South Africa's white-ball squads this summer and have both had decent returns, and Zubayr Hamza, who played in the Test team. However, all of them have the opportunity to earn a contract in the coming season.

South Africa's men's team

has a busy schedule and are due to play away tours in Sri Lanka (white-ball) and West Indies (two Tests, five T20s) between May and August, although the future of those trips will hinge on the impact of COVID-19, which has already seen two men's ODIs in India postponed. That will be followed by the men's T20 World Cup in Australia and the home season, which sees visits from Sri Lanka (Tests), Australia (Tests), Pakistan (T20) and India (T20). The women's team is due to travel to West Indies and England over the winter - tours that may prove unlikely - and will then turn their attention to the 2021 ODI World Cup. They automatically qualified for the event before their home series against Australia, due to take place this month, was forced to be rescheduled because of the ongoing pandemic.

Last Monday, all activity in South African cricket was put on hold for 60 days, after South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster as a result of the coronavirus. Although the impact on the season has been minimal - with the semi-finals and finals of the one-day cup and two rounds of first-class cricket unable to be completed - it does mean that off-season camps, aimed to upskill South Africa's cricketers, will have to wait.

Behind-the-scenes, CSA are continuing to plan for next summer and now that the central contracts have been announced, the six domestic franchises are expected to finalise their player pools in the coming week.

(ESPNcricinfo)

22

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TTFA lawyers demand retraction of FIFA letter appointing normalisation committee L

awyers representing the ousted executive of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) are demanding that FIFA withdraw their letter appointing the normalisation committee following their failure to respond to correspondence challenging the legality of said committee and the appointment of an interim manager.

They also declared that Tyril Patrick’s decision to remove himself as interim manager of the TTFA further strengthens their position.

On March 21, 2020, Patrick, who was the accountant employed by the previous TTFA administration, responded to the attorneys’ assertion that his appointment was invalid, stating that he was no lon-

ger accepting the appointment and that he had informed FIFA of his decision.

The lawyers, Matthew Gayle and Dr Emir Crowne, in a series of letters to Member Association Services Manager Sofia Malizia, questioned the motives behind FIFA’s installation of the normalization committee that replaced the executive that was constitutionally elected in November 2019.

“The political backdrop of this matter is not lost on those we represent,” Gayle wrote. “The ‘existing debt of at least USD 5.5’ was wholly accumulated under, or as a consequence of actions taken during the previous TTFA administration.

“That notwithstanding, FIFA stood idly by and took no punitive steps whatso-

ever. Now, in the face of a new administration with less than three months substantive tenure, which now threatens to uncover the rank impropriety of the previous administration by installing a regime of financial probity, the FIFA steps in an attempt to prevent this.

“It is passing strange that you purport to have installed Tyril Patrick, the accountant who oversaw at least in part the amassing of the very debt that the FIFA now complains of.”

Gayle and Dr Crowne also questioned the veracity of FIFA’s decision.

“The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association is a sovereign body established by an Act of Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago by way of Act 17 of 1982, The Trinidad and

TTFA Interim Manager Tyril Patrick

Tobago Football Association (Incorporation) Act, 1982.

“The duly elected executive or any individual member may only demit office by operation of the constitution of the TTFA, which makes no allowance for the appointment of yourself or any other person to ‘oversee’ the day to day affairs of the TTFA as the FIFA let-

ter purports to do or in any other capacity in place of the duly elected executive.

“It is, therefore, our client’s respectful view that the FIFA letter is null, void and no legal effect. It is not in any way binding on them.”

FIFA had until 8:00 am Monday, March 23, to respond to the lawyers but

did not, which prompted the lawyers to draft another letter stating their position.

“As you will no doubt we aware by this point, Mr. Patrick has declined to accede to your unlawful and/or void and/or improper and/or unconstitutional attempts to interfere in the day-to-day running of the TTFA by the duly elected executive, led

by President Mr. William Wallace,” Mr Gayle wrote.

“Our client’s respectful view is that your failure to respond by the stipulated deadline, coupled with Mr. Patrick’s clear indication that for his part he recognises the sovereignty of the TTFA, is a clear indication that FIFA itself has acknowledged the sovereign nature of the TTFA, ought rightly to put this matter to an end.” (Sportsmax)

McLeod "devastated" but on board with WADA to continue testing "where decision to postpone 2020 Games possible" amid coronavirus

J

amaica’s Omar McLeod says he is devastated by the news that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed despite the fact that the decision was taken in the best interest of all concerned.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed the move on Tuesday following discussions between its President Thomas Bach, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Games' organisers.

It means that for the first time since the Second World War, the Olympic Games will not go ahead on schedule.

The spread of COVID-19 has halted sport across the globe and it had become apparent that a start date of July 24 for the Olympic Games was too close for comfort.

McLeod, the Rio 2016 110m

Omar McLeod was the first Jamaican man to win a sprint hurdles gold medal at an Olympic Games

hurdles champion, says he feels for the athletes who have been preparing for the quadrennial competition.

“I am devastated and truly feel for all us athletes who have been working tirelessly to accomplish the goals we’ve set for this year,” said McLeod who is based

in Jacksonville, Florida, with the Tumbleweed track group. “One of those common goals is obviously the Olympic Games.”

Notwithstanding the disappointment, the 2017 World Champion said he is on board with the decision by the IOC to postpone the Games.

“I do understand, though, that our health comes first and we cannot be naive into thinking that this coronavirus pandemic isn’t something serious,” McLeod said.

“So, personally, I do believe that postponing the Games to 2021 is the best solution for all athletes. We just have to stay motivated and keep aspiring. God bless and wash your hands!”

McLeod was the first Jamaican man to win a sprint hurdles gold medal at an Olympic Games.

(Sportsmax)

T

he World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Monday that it would continue to test “where possible” while remaining in line with protocols set out by governmental and health organisations amid a coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the global sporting calendar.

“We will get through this situation and everyone hopes that we can return the global anti-doping system to full power as soon as we emerge,” WADA President Witold Ba?ka said in a written statement.

The coronavirus outbreak upended many upcoming international sporting events, most recently casting doubt on whether the Tokyo Summer Games could advance as scheduled.

Chair of the WADA Athlete Committee Ben Sandford said while the situation “goes well beyond anti-doping and sport,” the organisation

WADA President-Elect (Reuters)

Witold

Banka

would continue to pursue testing to ensure clean sport.

“It is important to ensure the integrity of the overall system is maintained as much as possible,” said Sandford. “WADA will continue to identify any gaps in the program.”

(Reuters)

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

23

GOA welcomes Olympic rescheduling

L

ike many other National Olympic Associations around the world, the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) has welcomed with open arms the International Olympic Committee’s decision to reschedule the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, in wake of the global spread of the COVID-19 virus.

GOA President KA Juman-Yassin noted that the decision to host the Games no later than the summer of 2021 is in the best interest of the athletes involved and the viewing

public.

The correspondence from the GOA President stated, “I participated in a video conference call today with the other members of the executive of PanAm Sports and we all agreed with the decision of the IOC. The decision of the President of the IOC and the Japanese Prime Minister of Japan was as a result of the information emanating from the WHO that although there was a decrease of the cases of coronavirus in China and Asia; there was, however, an acceleration of cases in oth-

GOA President KA Juman-Yassin

er parts of the world and as such, there should be a re-

Ninvalle gives update on boxers in Cuba

P

rior to the COVID- 9 virus becoming a pandemic, four Guyanese boxers, along with their coaches, were scheduled to return home from Cuba on March 23, following a threemonth training stint, in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

However, with recent developments not only are the Olympic Games now rescheduled, but the Guyanese team in Cuba have found themselves in a pickle, unable to return home as scheduled. However, all hope is not lost as the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA); the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) have all joined forces to ensure that the Guyanese return home in a timely manner.

Sharing a comment on the situation with Guyana Times Sport, GBA President Steve Ninvalle revealed, “They (the boxers and coaches) are well accommodated and awaiting a flight back to Guyana.”

Addressing the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect it has had on international travel, Ninvalle explained that the stakeholders would not rest

the IOC and International Federations will have to determine. I do believe that it may be unfair to ask for re-qualification, but those athletes may have to show that they are still active and not resting on their haunches. The question of litigation may arise from some unhappy qualified athletes if they are requested to again qualify.

“Another issue to be determined by the IOC and Olympic Solidarity is whether the scholarships which end just before the Olympics will continue until the new date in 2021. I do expect that there will be a continuation as the policy and principle for the scholarships is to assist athletes financially so that they can train and be competitive for the Olympic

Games.

“There are several issues that the IOC and PanAm Sports will have to determine and these will be dealt as the time goes by. Among the issues are the availability of the hotels in Japan, the continuation of sponsorships worldwide from companies and entities, the rescheduling of Games and availability of athletes, etc.”

Nonetheless, the media release noted that the GOA will be looking at all relevant issues and will endeavour to do what is best for the Olympic hopeful athletes.

It went on to note that consultations with sporting associations and athletes will be conducted, so as to arrive at decisions that are in the best interests of athletes and Guyana.

Elroy Round-Robin T20 Competition…

V&V All Stars defeat Belle Vue to take title T The Guyanese boxers in Cuba

until the athletes were back on Guyana’s shores safely.

“It’s not easy as a number of airlines are grounded and several borders are closed. Nevertheless, all hands are on deck to have their unintentional stay in Cuba over as soon as possible,” Ninvalle stated.

He also assured of the GOA’s and NSC’s involvement, extending gratitude for their assistance.

“We are in constant contact with the National Sports Commission. Both the GOA and NSC are playing a great part in getting the boxers back safely.”

Meanwhile, with the Summer Olympic Games now rescheduled to 2021, Ninvalle shared that he was comfortable with the deci-

sion, noting that the health and safety of athletes was the utmost priority.

“I am happy with and support anything that is to protect the athletes and their interests,” he said.

The group of Guyanese boxers – Keevin Allicock, Colin Lewis, Dennis Thomas and Desmond Amsterdam, along with Coaches Terrence Poole and Sebert Blake – departed Guyana on January 4 for the three-month training stint, which was geared at preparing the team for participation in the Americas Boxing Olympic Qualifiers in Argentina, which have since been cancelled. The GOA had contributed US$15,000 to the Cuban trip, while the NSC had made an initial donation of G$1 million.

St Cuthbert’s Pakuri Warriors overcome Eccles

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scheduling of the Games.

“It was decided that the Olympic Flame which had arrived in Japan would remain there and be kept lit until the Games begin.”

However, Juman-Yassin was keen to share some areas of concern that he and the Heads of the other organisations may have with the logistics of the now 2021 Games.

“The question that will have to be determined is what will be the position of those athletes who have already qualified for the Games. Will they have to go over the qualifying tournaments again or will their qualification be allowed to stand. About 57 per cent of athletes who have to qualify have already done so, and this is a question that

he action continued at the St Cuthbert’s Cricket Ground as the St Cuthbert’s Pakuri Warriors battled Eccles in a thrilling T20 affair in their bid to take their cricket to the next level.

St Cuthbert’s won the toss and chose to bat first. Opening batsmen David Frances and Ronnie Simon took to the crease; however, Simon fell soon after, taking the score to 1-4. Stollone Simon then fell to leave the Warriors in a heap of trouble.

The arrival of Wendell Williams upped the tempo and along with Frances, he carried the score to 94 in a partnership of 80 runs.

Frances made an aggressive 55 (3×4, 4×6), but was undone by George (only name given) in the 15th over.

Eccles’ last five overs went for 59 runs with aggressive batting and the main contribution was from Williams, who made 36 (3×4, 3×6), supported by Julio Ferreira (22) and Timothy Andrews (14) as the home boys closed their innings at 153-7. The chief wicket-taker for Eccles was George, who bagged 3-31.

With a target of 154 to get off 120 balls, the opening Eccles batsmen came out with all guns blazing and got their team off to a perfect start.

But Elroy D u n d a s , Chavez Schuman bagged 4-11 who was given the fourth over to bowl with the score on 42, struck with his second delivery to make the breakthrough. Ferreira and Chavez Schuman then tormented the Eccles batsmen with some top off-spin bowling, Eccles only managed 103 all out in 16 overs. Schuman ended with figures of 4-11, and he was supported by Ferreira with 3-14 while Andrews, Ronnie and Dundas bagged one wicket each to defeat their much-seasoned opponents from the East Bank of Demerara.

he grand finale of the Elroy Round-Robin T20 Competition was played last Sunday at the Belle Vue Community Centre Ground on the West Bank of Demerara between the home team and the V&V All- Stars Team.

This was not the first encounter that these two teams have had against each other. They recently met in the Selwin Super-10 League in which the V&V All Stars held the upper hand. Heading into this finale, Belle Vue had the opportunity to get revenge, but once again they were bested by their senior opponents.

V&V All Stars posted 228-5 in their 20 overs, in the process showing drastic improvement in their cricket. They did nothing wrong in the batting department, but played with aggression and class. And although a few wickets did fall as their innings was coming to an end, they managed to rally

The victorious V&V All Stars

through to post a respectable total. The top batsmen were Q Yusuf with 57 (5x4) (5x6); Ershad Ali with 46 (4x4, 2x6); Anand Bharrat with 42 (2x4, 2x6) and M Dhanpaul, 24 not out (2x6). Bowling for Belle Vue were Colin Boucher (2-33 off 4 overs); Randy Ramrup (2-37 off 4 overs) and Ryan Seecharran (1-26 off 2 overs).

In reply, Belle Vue were bowled out for 126 in 17.3 overs. Belle Vue suffered a bad day at the office as

they attempted to chase the mammoth total, but, alas, they were outclassed. They were pressured by the huge total, which forced them to switch gears and as a result, they failed. The top scorers were Kerwin Bennett with 39 not out (1x4, 3x6); Paul Ashby with 20 (1x4, 2x6); Colin Boucher with 15 (1x4, 1x6) and Ryan Seecharran, 12 (1x4). Bowling for V&V All Stars were R Sargeant and Reaz with two wickets each.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Tokyo 2020: Olympic Games postponed because of coronavirus Page 20

Hendricks earns CSA national contract, Ninvalle gives update on boxers in Cuba Steyn & Amla left out Page 23

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