Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR NEWS

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Senior PPP/C official critical with COVID-19

Friday Edition

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April 03, 2020 -Vol. 22 No. 13

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

Online readership yesterday 150,397

GECOM expected to decide on way forward today

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In wake of growing number of COVID-19 cases…

Entertainment City Council restricts 17p. spots to close public gatherings to five doors by 6pm daily persons, closes markets - Pres. Granger orders p. 16 until further notice Sale of Kingston wharf to BK International…

PPP/C says it will investigate

See separate stories on page 12

Case against elections recount…

NICIL says Legal arguments properties commence sold for this morning at Appeal Court $110M Stabroek Block produces 1.7M barrels of oil in January; Exxon collects over 1M for cost recovery p.

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The Mud Flat property in Kingston that was sold days before the March 2nd elections.

US envoy slams duplicity of “foreign interference” claims p.

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- Sustains call transparent and credible vote count

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Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

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Case against elections recount...

Legal arguments commence this morning at Appeal Court T

hree Judges will hear arguments in the case filed by the legal team of APNU+AFC candidate Ulita Moore against the nationwide recount of votes cast at the March 2, 2020 Regional and General Elections.

During a brief case management hearing at the Appeal Court in Kingston, Georgetown yesterday, Appeal Court Judges, Justices Dawn GregoryBarnes and Rishi Persaud, along with High Court Judge, Justice Brassington

Reynolds, gave a schedule for which the lawyers will lay over their submissions and present their oral arguments.

Given the urgency of the matter, the Court set a timetable to hear oral arguments from attorneys starting from 10:00h today.

Legal submissions have been made to the court via email.

Today, attorneys will each be given at least half an hour to present their submissions orally.

Based on the schedule, Moore's legal team

comprising Grenadian Queens Counsel Dr Francis Alexis, Dr Keith Scotland, Attorneys-at-law Mayo Robertson and Roysdale Forde is expected to lead off the arguments while team of lawyers for Leader of the Opposition People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Bharrat Jagdeo, led

by Trinidad- based Senior Counsel, Douglas Mendes and PPP/C Executive Anil Nandlall will follow suit.

Moore's lawyers had appealed the Full Court's decision to discard the case on the point of jurisdiction.

Justice Brassington Reynolds

APOLOGIES

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here is no plausible excuse that could justify a seemingly avoidable faux pas on a single day, much less on two consecutive days. Moreover, we here at Kaieteur News extend sincerest apologies to those whom we would have caused to suffer undue embarrassment and/or inconvenience in any way as a result of unintentional and regrettable errors.

Among those we apologise to at this juncture are, Mrs. Carol Corbin and Ms. Collette Adams.

In the Wednesday April 1, 2020 edition of our newspaper, a photograph of Mrs. Corbin was inadvertently used with Ms. Adams' name as the caption.

The article was in no way related to Mrs. Corbin. There was mention of Ms. Adams,

along with several of her comments, and the intention was to have her photo accompanying the article.

It would appear too that Murphy's Law was in full effect, owing to the fact that a similar mistake was made in our Thursday April 2 edition. On that occasion, a photo of Ms. Osa Collins, the country's third COVID-19 fatality, was captioned: Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence.

There was a late replacement of the Minister's image with that of Ms. Collins, but unfortunately the caption was missed.

C o n s e q u e n t l y, w e unreservedly apologise to the Collins family, Minister Lawrence, and all others who have been unduly discomfited as a result of such slip-ups.

Carol Corbin

Collette Adams

Osa Collins

Volda Lawrence

Justice Dawn Gregory

Justice Rishi Persaud

Moore is appealing the decision on the grounds that among other issues, the Full Court erred in law, and in fact, by finding that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear and consider the Fixed Date Application, and that the Full Court also failed to construe the legislative regime governing disputes in relation to elections and failed to consider properly, the relief sought by the application.

In a unanimous ruling on Tuesday, the Full Court, comprising Chief Justice (Ag) Roxanne George and Justice Nareshwar Harnanan, ruled that High Court Judge Franklyn Holder does not have the

jurisdiction to hear the application filed by Moore for an injunction to block the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from moving forward with plans to have a nationwide recount.

The two judges overturned a decision by Justice Holder to hear the case on grounds of the submission by Mendes who cited Section 140 of the Representation of the People Act which bars the Court from enquiring into the decision and operations of the Guyana Elections Commission.

Section 140 of the Representation of the People (continued on page 14)

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Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Oil could be our next sugar It could be safely said that this year is lost, relative to upward price flows and benefits. This is what we say. It should take a while to recover from raging global virus effects, which still has not peaked. Depressed demand is the order of the day from social lockdown and prevailing economic stringencies. The local outlook is grim.

The only thing left to curse this oil of ours is for some development, technology, product that weans and strips away at the hold of crude oil on this 21st century world of ours. Whatever it is could render that oil of ours useless.

Oil could be our next sugar. Once the latter was all about being the lifeblood, then it transformed into bad blood, bad feelings, and bad memories. For sugar is now non-competitive, and with that lots of homes and hopes, lots of hearts overwhelmed. This bottom line is incontestable: production cannot continue uninterrupted, when costs are above market price. That was the death knell of Guyana’s sugar, and with that the dirge of family, community, and large swaths of this society. That is now forever of our simmering history.

By the same measurement, this oil of ours could be subjected to the severest of tests, which has nothing to do with local politics, geopolitics, or petroleum politics. In the plainest language, it has to do with market conditions, market forces, and market prices. The same standard applies here as in anywhere else: if an entity, or a country, cannot produce at even the breakeven price, while it hopes and waits, for the usual market turnaround, then it has a problem with what was once its fabled treasure in the ground, its dreams that did not come true, and which ended up being an albatross hanging around the national neck and bending double the whole body.

It is not worth the combined expenses of producing, transporting, and marketing in the hope of selling for something that recoups some of the sunk costs, that adds to the plus side of the treasury. If anyone has heard, or knows, of any country that subsidizes its oil sector, then some sharing of that story would be welcomed. It is just not done, not at the country level, or at the corporate one.

Separately, there is news making the rounds that the Russians are moving on new oil fields, which is the Arctic frontier. It is vast and could yield countless times of our own known discoveries. That is a lot of oil, which means a lot of supply, which translates to lots of price action. Unless husbanded wisely or used to brandish ideological or commercial supremacy, then the mere announcement, the barebones news of the arrival of some of that extraordinary cargo could wreak havoc with markets and prices. Now where would Guyana be at that point and after all of the fighting and clashing and undermining that have occurred here in an endless litany of the unthinking and the national unraveling?

Chevron had come up with something sophisticated (or at least a cut above what existed) towards the end of the 20th century in its explorations of untapped Venezuelan oil basins.

Authoritative reports have made that basin into the biggest in the world. Now take Arctic oil and Venezuelan oil (both incomparable and mindboggling in the quantity possessed), and then add some new finds in those other locales where feverish efforts are in motion to uncover new reservoirs, and the once gloriously sunny outlook for Guyana oil suddenly takes on the Stygian gloom of a world living under an unending eclipse.

Now some of this is down the road, as in a couple of years. Those years could be a lifetime, or they could be as near as tomorrow. Perhaps, we would continue to be engaged and consumed with wrangling and fighting and tabulating, with claims of who is cheating and who did lay the table to cheat from the inception. The stark reality still remains: the oil is there, but it is not worth the effort and economics of carrying it away.

What is worth fighting for when these are the times and possible places that this oil could take us?

Coronavirus is stopped only by harsh measures DEAR EDITOR, Guyana must learn immediately from Italy.

Statistics show that Italy moved from having three deaths to ten thousand deaths in just two months. To date Guyana has four. It is therefore time to impose total lockdown.

It may seem harsh to lose economic ground. Many small businesses will not survive a total lockdown, but it is better than losing

thousands of family members and friends. Why members of the international community are flying home their people?

Read between the lines!

Hand washing alone in public places is only cosmetic when one considers that the germ can be on the surface of anything. All food handlers, vendors, passengers and drivers of public transportation must wear gloves and masks.

Sanitation workers and health workers must also wear

disposable coats.

To get the message to grassroot people, the authorities must share out food hampers and flyers.

Mobile speaker systems can also be used to give needed information. Night-life must be stopped. Touts must stop holding people, and shouting without masks. No church gathering. No group liming.

Only workers and those shopping for essential items must be on the road. The

pandemic will end sooner.

If the rich nations need extra help now, would they be able to help us if things get out of hand? Let us introduce the harsh measures now than be forced to do so later, anyhow. We can choose to either stay off the street or be prepared to weep. Guyana...oh Guyana!

Wisdom and prayers go together. Let’s exercise both now.

Leonard Marks

Let’s prevent the spread DEAR EDITOR, This communication is directed to all our oral health professionals including dentists, dentexes, community dental therapists, dental technicians, dental assistants as well as management and support staff within each dental clinic, whether public or private. In fact, it is directed to all the courageous men and women of our national oral health team who dedicate their lives and daily activities towards bringing quality oral health care to our population. This also serves to inform all our citizens as to the current protocols regarding dental care in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.

We are exposed to a very challenging moment internationally and more particularly at home here in Guyana in relation to the coronavirus. We are having an opportunity to learn from the other nations in terms of what initiatives are being practiced to reduce the spread of the disease.

The governing health authorities, dental councils and dental associations in countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Brazil and others have already

issued stern guidelines to oral health professionals as to the recommended protocols to be practiced especially as we seek to cooperate at the national level to contain and eventually eradicate the threat.

Like these professional health and oral health entities, we urge our professionals to avoid or suspend all elective oral health procedures especially those that generate aerosol and airborne particles in the already restricted space within the respective dental clinics/surgeries.

This initiative should remain in force until such time that we are convinced that the risk is eliminated.

There can still be some emergencies that will demand input from the professional to manage the situation and bring some relief until a final procedure can be later executed. Where possible and through a rotation schedule within the clinic where necessary, patients should still have access to the professional. Quite often some professional guidance/ orientation given by the dentist to the patient may be able to avoid the patient leaving his home to visit the clinic.

It is expected that patients

know how to contact the professional and/or clinic and as such, in a very proactive way, patients should be able to communicate with the clinic or professional through a phone call, WhatsApp, Messenger or email and should only visit the clinic after speaking to the professional.

To avoid the patient taking it for granted that the regular attendance continues, contact should be made with patients informing them of the temporary suspension of their appointments. These recommended protocols are as a result of conditions that are very peculiar and related specifically to attendance in the dental clinic setting. These initiatives represent part of our personal and professional input to contribute to the reduction and non-proliferation of the virus especially in the dental clinic where the distance between the patient and the professional especially during attendance is very small.

We want to emphasize that the professionals in the dental profession have always been, continue to be and will continue to be at the disposal of the population in order to contribute in the best way

possible towards our overcoming this difficult moment we are experiencing while we continue to promote good oral health and hygiene.

As the Dental Council of Guyana and dental fraternity accompany the developments in some other countries where the situation is in an advanced stage, we will continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Public Health’s initiatives to suspend all dental procedures that are not of an emergency nature.

We recommend to all professionals that attendance of patients be reduced or suspended temporarily with the major focus being the health and safety of the patients, the professional, the dental team and the environment. This moment demands a continuous collective effort at all levels and in all regions, as professionals and patients, as we join forces with the Government, the Ministry of Public Health, other health professionals and all citizens to overcome the current challenges.

I appeal to all professionals in the area of oral health that as a group we (Continued on page 6)

If you are going to wear a mask, wear it properly DEAR EDITOR, Kindly permit me space in your newspaper to comment on a growing concern about wearing facemasks. Currently, the vast majority of health agencies do not recommend the use of face masks by the general public who are healthy (not having no symptoms or high-risk) and not caring for someone who is high-risk.

This is mainly because there isn’t enough evidence to support its use, there are shortages, false reassurance from wearing masks, and improper use.

In spite of these recommendations, people have decided to wear masks and I’ve noticed some of my medical colleagues in Guyana

recommending the general public to use them.

By this letter, I don’t wish to debate the issue, but to offer advice to those who have already decided to wear masks.

Since hygiene and social distancing remain the most important ways of protecting yourself, you must make this a priority. Avoid leaving your home as much as possible, and try to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other people.

Frequently wash your hands properly and avoid touching your face. When you do have to touch your face, you should wash your hands before.

There are many types of masks and if you are using

one, familiarize yourself with the type you are have. Learn how to properly put it on and remove it from the manufacturer. The basic idea is to wash your hands before putting it on, put it on correctly, wash your hands before and after taking it off, and take it off in such a way that your face is not contaminated. Once off, treat it as being dirty and discard it appropriately.

Don’t wear them for long periods of time or put them on your forehead or chest as this increases your risk of being infected. Some masks such the N95 and FFP require a seal and should be fit-tested to ensure the size is appropriate for you because, depending on facial hair and structure of

your face, you may not achieve the required seal and adjustments or alternatives will have to be made.

Generally speaking, if appropriately fitted with the N95 and FFP masks you should be able to breathe out deeply without air escaping around the edges and you shouldn’t be able to smell things around you.

Finally, do not bulk buy masks as they are already limited supply and many healthcare professionals around the world who are constantly exposed to much higher risk scenarios and other infections have felt the effects of shortages. Stay safe everyone.

Kind regards, Rondell Benn

Friday April 03, 2020

Unclenching our Fists DEARGUYANESE,HERE AND ABROAD, COMRADES ALL: As a former member of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s National Congress, Minister of the Government and representative of the Guyanese Overseas, I have been moved to make the following statement regarding our current situation.

Our country has never been so existentially poised – appalling ethnic cleavages, #Covid19 and the sudden and sharply contrasting economic prospects, with their attendant social dysfunctions. And yet these very challenges can birth the seeds of an empathetic, if robustly contested, unity among our six races, that overcoming adversity can so beautifully surface.

And the principal burden must be shouldered by those who birthed this enduring blight – the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and People’s National Congress (PNC) political parties.

I am deeply concerned about the free-flow of vitriol across various media expressed by persons claiming to be supporters of

either side. The unfortunate absence of any suggestion of dissuasion from the leadership of either party is most distressing. This is a most unfortunate abandonment of the worthy objectives of inclusiveness, togetherness and social cohesion so vigorously espoused at recent campaign rallies.

I congratulate the Cde. President and Leader of the Opposition on their agreement to a recount. This is the first step and the best, perhaps only, manner in which our country could extract from this most unfortunate situation.

However, parallel to this exercise must be the dialogue between the authorised representatives of the People’s National Congress and the People’s Progressive Party under the cochairmanship of two Eminent Elders of the country to begin a process of trust-building that is eventually public and demonstrably wellintentioned. Some form, and there are many from which to choose, of competitively distributed management of society and the economy is inevitable. But first we must learn to work together, even

Rethink your decision G/T Mayor DEAR EDITOR, I am urging my friend Mayor Ubraj Narine to reconsider his decision not to implement an immediate lockdown of Georgetown.

I have been carefully monitoring the “reported” numbers of infected persons in Guyana and it is my opinion that there are many undetected Covid-19 persons out there who have NOT been tested but have the symptoms and are ignorant of the fact, or may be afraid to come forward because of the fear of being quarantined in a government facility or the fear of being ostracized by society, etc. In the past two days the number of confirmed cases have jumped from 8 to 12, an increase of 50%.

This is a very ominous development and if the previous algorithms from the

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spread of this virus are taken into account then Guyana is about to be hit by a freight train of epic proportions!

This coupled with the fact that the majority of the Guyanese society has so far shown a rather laissez faire attitude toward social distancing and even less inclination to taking precautions that would decelerate the spread of this deadly virus.

It’s a scenario that brings the old saying to mind, “it’s better to be safe than sorry”.

Please do all within your power to lockdown our capital city Mayor Narine.

The citizenry will thank you in the long run.

All the best.

Lionel Jaikaran Former Deputy Mayor Municipality of Georgetown

where we do not trust. We must be practical.

A demonstrable willingness to work beyond of pre-conceptions, is a prerequisite to ensuring that supporters can gradually replace entrenched mutual distrust and fear with a willingness to treat each other with empathy and respect.

We have witnessed that without these shared values, laws and courts have diminishing resonance or practical authority, with either party. I propose strongly that serious consideration be given to the implementation of sharing the governance of key aspects of the economy and wider society.

Sharing governance is about dealing with mistrust within a framework of rules and practices which guarantee equality of authority and protection.

Both the People’s National Congress and People’s Progressive Party have had the experience of serving in the opposition and have leadership capable of representing and protecting their Constituencies, using the institutions and offices which can be established through the mechanism that share governance.

Everyone in this our Dear Land has grown up with the dream of our huge patrimony of gold, bauxite, now oil, and most of all human capital, being used to banish poverty and ignorance - to make the Small Man a Real Man, in the language of my time, and to see our country “bust open”.

The current leadership in both parties have this unique and historic opportunity to prove themselves worthy of being successors to the mantle of leadership once worn by Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan. These principal founders of our nation had agreed on audacious, patriotic and pragmatic governance arrangements, shortly before the untimely passing of the Comrade Leader in 1985.

I so often regret, and feel ashamed, that we who were members of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s National Congress did not struggle to ensure the materialization of this (Continued on page 6)

Abuse of diplomats will harm relations with Guyana DEAR EDITOR, For several days I was at the GECOM counting center ‘observing’ the proceedings.

I attended press conferences where diplomats spoke or were present. It is most regrettable that prominent foreign diplomats, especially those from the ABCE countries, and international observers were treated undiplomatically, if not abused, post election during the counting of ballots. They (including the US Ambassador) were locked out of the command center on occasions and international observers were threatened with revocation of their accreditation.

I am ashamed of the undiplomatic or ill-treatment (hostility and insulting comments), harassment, and attempted intimidation tactics meted out to the diplomatic community during the counting of votes. Our government and our diplomats abroad should also be ashamed and condemn those who abused our guests. I doubt the diplomats and foreign observers would forget their terrible experience at GECOM by some staff and from some Guyanese who gathered outside of the counting center to support electoral fraud.

In every part of the globe, diplomats are treated with utmost respect and adulation and are held in awe especially in developing countries. And with Guyanese known world over for their warm hospitality, I was taken aback at the actions of security forces and GECOM officials to lock out or eject diplomats from the counting center. It was most shameful that GECOM officials attempted to rig the election count right in front of diplomats (and international observers). Are the counting officers and some GECOM officials and those gathered outside shameless?

D i p l o m a t s (Ambassadors) are representatives of a country to a host state accredited to further relations between states. Diplomats have diplomatic immunity, a concept taught in courses on foreign policy or diplomacy in

the field of international relations (politics). I did doctoral studies and also taught the subject. Under diplomatic immunity, a diplomat is protected by the host state against criminal charges, abuses, harassment and intimidation. The host nation must, by international law, provide protection and security to the diplomats (all envoys) and allow them to freely carry out their tasks to improve relations or protect democracy. The behaviour of the diplomats is in accordance with universally accepted rules and customs that are laid out in conventions and are necessary to further relations.

Diplomats are free to speak their mind, with some limitation, about affairs (human rights or democratic violations) in a host country.

The foreign diplomats in Guyana did not violate any rule. No one has disputed what took place at GECOM and its vicinity.

Diplomatic immunity is one of the oldest principles of foreign relations. It is in international law going back to a practice for centuries. A formal treaty was signed in 1961 known as Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic Relations, followed by another one on ‘Consular Relations’ signed in 1963, and strengthened in December 1973 in another treaty known as ‘Protection of Diplomats Convention’. These conventions formalized customary rules on how diplomats must be treated and is the same worldwide. All countries sign them. They accord full protection of all diplomats and foreign staff as well as their properties. Their personal activities are also protected.

Abuses meted out to diplomats in a host country are very rare; usually it is the

other way around. It was unbelievable that they would happen in my country. No country would want to abuse a diplomat because of the far reaching consequences to the home country – summoning of diplomats as happened to the Guyana Ambassador last week, suspension in foreign aid or loans, expulsion from international organizations, break in diplomatic relations, other sanctions.

The abuses to diplomats at GECOM created a serious threat to friendly relations with Guyana.

These diplomats are from powerful countries that can inflict tough sanctions on Guyana.

And they have already threatened serious consequences if GECOM goes ahead with electoral fraud or if a government is sworn in from that fraud.

Guyana is a small, weak country; it would not be wise to entangle in conflict with larger nations like the US, Canada, UK and European countries.

The behaviour of certain individuals and security staff at GECOM against the diplomats borders on criminal.

The abuses from GECOM and those who partook or support electoral fraud have created a serious threat to the maintenance of normal international relations with these powerful countries. Those involved in attacking the diplomats must be penalized or sanctioned by the Guyana government. The ABCE countries must also proceed with their own actions like revocation of visas including of family members and freezing their assets in the home countries. There must be consequences or there would be a repeat of such abuses.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

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Guyanese should not be taken advantage of DEAR EDITOR, The caretaker Minister within the Ministry of Public Health (MPH) reported that her ministry has used a PAHO/WHO model to project 1,400 COVID-19 cases in Guyana. This Minister has also reported that the MoPH has determined that 81% of Guyana’s COVID-19 cases will be moderate while 14% will be severe and 5% critical. I wonder how accurate these numbers are. Can anyone trust these numbers? This is the same minister who allegedly signed form 24 for Region 4 in breach of electoral laws. How can Guyanese trust this minister or any one in her government?

It needs to be pointed out that any projections generated from the PAHO /WHO model is directly dependent on the nature of information imputed into this model. The MPH needs to explain how it arrived at its figures. It is our right to know. Our lives are important.

Has the MoPH imputed any information regarding Guyana’s abnormal social, political and economic dynamics into the PAHO/ WHO model? This unique dynamic will certainly alter predictions in raising the number of COVID-19 cases.

Those numbers outputted by the MoPH has to be treated with a grain of salt. At this time,

Guyana is governed by an illegal government. There is no health minister and the mayor of Georgetown does not even understand the importance of a lock-down in saving lives. These are all variables among a slew of others which will unnecessarily cause the number of COVID-19 cases to climb.

Further, we all know that Guyana is unprepared to handle the COVID -19 pandemic largely because the illegal APNU/PNC/ AFC Government continues to deplete public funds to hire pricy lawyers in fighting a series of court cases to remain in power on rigged election figures manipulated by GECOM. Because of such cruelty, there are hardly funds for life saving medical supplies like ventilators and economic support for a necessary lock down in reducing the viral spread. This government should never be allowed to take advantage of Guyanese like this.

To this end, I appeal for sanctions to be applied to all members of the disgraced APNU/PNC /AFC government and the disgraced GECOM officials as a form of behavioural modification in bringing relief to Guyanese people.

Sincerely, Annie Baliram (Ph.D)

Unclenching our...

From page 5 agreement. Guyana would by now have grown into a truly cohesive nation.

Fellow Guyanese, we are about to enter a phase in our country in which the sharing of limited resources should not be an excuse or reason for internecine division - there will be enough for all, and some, with honest, competent and patriotic management.

Our Leaders must NOT “threaten” us with the fear of

Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

domination by either other side; rather they must face the tape using their wisdom and resolve to ensure equality and opportunity for us and succeeding generations.

In time, the practice of working together will diminish, and may eventually eradicate, mistrust and thus birth a truly united, prosperous and proud Guyana. Comrades, there is much to be done – let us get to work!

Prepared and signed by: Malcolm Parris CCH

A demand for relief during COVID-19 challenge DEAR EDITOR, We t h e P e o p l e o f Guyana have started an online demand for relief during this COVID-19 challenge.

We w o u l d b e v e r y grateful if you can kindly publish this demand so that those who call themselves “Government”

can arise from their slumber: 1) Removal of VAT on all essential and all food items for 90 days 2) 60-days relief from electricity bills 3) 60-days relief from all telephone and internet bills 4) 60 days relief from all GWI bills

5) Immediate reduction of Fuel prices 6) Waive of Rent, Mortgages, Loan Interest 7) Every “Minister” and senior functionary who receive a salary to be reduced to the minimum wage and the differential to be used to give financial relief to others.

The relief of financial burdens of the utility bills will encourage more stay-home discipline as well and allow us to utilize our scarce resources towards food and essentials.

Many thanks for your amplification of these demands.

Dr. Yog Mahadeo

We must ensure our ICJ efforts are not undermined DEAR EDITOR, Military operations by the USA have commenced in Venezuelan waters with a very strong focus on eliminating both the government and the drug traffickers, which have been viewed as one in the same. It is imperative that our major national parties take a strong dose of realism and establish a pragmatic

approach to obtaining a peaceful resolution to this year’s election process.

Ensuring a credible and acceptable democracy is established is essential to maintaining our stronghold on our territory of Essequibo.

Mr. Guaidó continues to benefit from USA support and this escalation in our Region will increase the risk Guyana

is exposed to over the coming months.

It would also be prudent to gather the immigrants from Venezuela and have them in a single location on our side of Ankoko Island. There is no need to risk having undercover Venezuelan military operatives throughout the country and especially throughout the

Essequibo county.

Now is the time for past grievances between the major parties to be set aside, even if on a temporary basis, to ensure that our ICJ efforts are not undermined.

Regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

The western nations are on the side of freedom and democracy DEAR EDITOR, The consistent feature of Kean Gibson’s writings is that they never cease to amaze the reader with her outrageous claims.

Let us take a careful examination in the first three sentences of her latest missive, “PPP and West are of the view our Supreme Court must not participate in solving electoral problem” (in another newspaper on 03-0120), where she made copious references to history to support her premises.

Gibson writes, “I have been looking on with interest at the PPP and their alignment with Foreign governments (United States, Canada,

Britain and the Organization of American states)”. “The PPP”, and “their alignment of (Western) governments” – are these not a contradiction of terms, judging from history? It is a known fact that the U.S.A. has sided with the PNC in the past, and had a strong hand in the 1964 elections that catapulted Forbes Burnham into power.

Gibson is deplored for her capricious research methods in the academic world, so it is no surprise that she omitted the European Union in her list of foreign governments to “align” with the PPP. The EU observers are a significant entity in this conversation.

Their representatives

From page 4 can be an example. I further appeal that we continue to implement the universal safety practice guidelines that we execute routinely. Let’s also maintain the safe physical distance as we proceed in our endeavours.

It is recommended that all professionals follow the communication channels, internationally and locally and

use reputable social media sources to keep ourselves informed as we divulge information with scientific background that will bring benefits to our population, our families and our team.

Let’s do what we know will bring results. Let’s prevent the spread.

Dr Meer Khan Chairman Dental Council of Guyana

were present (along with other distinguished international observers) when the commotion erupted as Mr. Mingo was manufacturing his final figures to declare the APNU/AFC party “victorious”.

Gibson claims, “Our Constitution has worked well for us in the past…”

Who is the pronoun “us” referring to? Mr. Granger and his party? The Guyanese people? A select few when it is politically expedient?

Ms. Gibson asserts that the Western nations want us to “put aside our Supreme Law and go with their own agendas.”

The ABC/EU countries (along with the OAS and CARICOM) do not have an international conspiracy for the country of Guyana to adhere to.

Instead, the international observers have had a vital role as mere observers – to oversee that the elections are free and fair and conducted transparently.

The Western nations (along with the OAS and CARICOM) are not siding with the PPP; they are on the side of freedom and democracy – entities that are treasured and apprized in the civilized world.

Yours truly, Dr. Devanand Bhagwan

Testing is the best way to fight COVID-19 Let’s prevent the...

DEAR EDITOR, The lockdown of the entire society with restricted movement only slow down the spread, it cannot stop SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Testing will be a more effective and data driven way to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Countries such as Israel and South Africa still have spreading of Covid-19 and deaths even though they have strict laws that quarantine their population.

It will be expensive to test many people from each area then zoom in on a particular area once the virus is detected. But it will pay for itself with the saving of life and the resumption of economic activities.

There is a company Biosensors in South Korea that produce 350,000 testing kits a day. Testing the blood

for an increase white blood cell count will be a preliminary test to help identify people who need confirmatory test.

It is impossible to fight an enemy you cannot see.

Testing locates the Covid-19 and can help us focus resources where it is needed.

If we do not strategically test aggressively, our health system will eventually become overwhelmed by the Covid-19 heath crisis. I use to teach graphing the spread of viruses and because they spread exponentially, containment is difficult.

Testing is our best tool to fight this pandemic. Curfew and social distancing (impossible if I live with several people) and state of emergency only slow down the spread; elimination should be the goal.

Yours truly, Brian Ellis Plummer

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 07

GECOM expected to decide on way forward today · Chair asks Commission to discuss recount · GECOM refuses to consider Lowenfield's report on contentious elections results · Lowenfield asked to contemplate operationalisation of recount to present his report, as a · Govt, Opposition commissioners in support of recount contempt motion was brought against her by the · Decision expected today People's Progressive Party break the tie. She voted against it, arguing that she was unable to allow the CEO

By Kemol King

T

he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM) is expected to decide on the way forward for the conclusion of the 2020 electoral process today.

While the Commission could have made a decision yesterday, Commissioner Vincent Alexander told reporters that his colleague, Commissioner Charles Corbin requested time to seek legal advice on the matter of a recount before the government-nominated commissioners made a decision on it.

It was previously reported that the Government-nominated commissioners caused a meeting which was supposed to have happened o n We d n e s d a y t o b e postponed. It was reported that this was because they wanted time to read the Full Court's recent judgment on the Court's lack of jurisdiction to grant injunctions barring a recount.

Commissioner Gunraj had communicated this to the public based on contents of an email message sent to him by GECOM. The governmentnominated Commissioners had come under harsh criticism from the Opposition.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting outside of GECOM's Kingston headquarters yesterday afternoon, Alexander said that the governmentnominated commissioners were misrepresented, and that that was clarified yesterday. He said that he was on standby for a meeting, and that he had been waiting on the Chair, (ret'd) Justice Claudette Singh SC, to be in receipt of the document that she said she needed for the meeting to go on. Alexander explained that the Chair apologized after the matter was clarified.

Two meetings were held yesterday at GECOM. A

Commissioner Vincent Alexander

Commissioner Sase Gunraj

release notes that Singh provided a background on the recent Court proceedings and explained that a contempt matter brought against her has not concluded, but that it has been shelved, since she has undertaken to conduct a full national recount. Given that, the Chair requested that the commission discuss the possibility of the recount within the framework of the law.

During the first meeting yesterday morning, Commissioner Robeson Benn moved a motion to begin the recount, but that motion was withdrawn in the afternoon, as the Opposition-nominated Commissioners expressed the view that the recount had already been decided on.

Thus, they posited that it did not need to be decided on again – only operationalised.

This, Gunraj said, is evidenced by the fact that Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield had already invited stakeholders to participate in the recount, including political parties and observer groups.

Another motion brought to the Commission was by Alexander, who asked the group to have Lowenfield's report on the elections results – containing the declarations by the returning officers of the ten electoral districts – presented to and considered by the Commission.

Asked why he brought this motion to the Commission, Alexander said that there is “really no impediment to that report being tabled”. However, Kaieteur News pointed out the contentions raised by the international observers and political parties about the transparency and credibility of the region four tabulation headed by returning officer, Clairmont Mingo.

Alexander responded that the international observers should have observed the elections and made their submissions from a distance – a distance he said they did not heed.

Hence, he would not be concerned with their submissions on the issue. He said he would only be concerned with the contentions raised by the political parties. However, he said he has not been in a position to make a judgment on discrepancies.

Kaieteur News had reported that, on the night of the tabulation by Lowenfield at GECOM's Kingston headquarters, Alexander would not address discrepancies raised, because he said he had only gotten there hours after the process had already begun.

On Alexander's motion, the Government-nominated commissioners voted in favour while the Oppositionnominated Commissioners opposed it. This caused the Chair to have to intervene to

(PPP) which prevented her from doing so.

GECOM reconvenes

GECOM Chair, Claudette Singh today at 10:00am. The Commissioners are expected to vote on the recount which the Chair has strongly advocated for. It is likely that a recount will have the (continued on page 22)

PAGE 08

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

US envoy slams duplicity of “foreign interference” claims - Sustains call transparent and credible vote count

By Shikema Dey

U

nited States Ambassador to Guyana, SarahAnn Lynch has called out the coalition, A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), on its claims of “foreign interference” in Guyana's March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections process.

Over the past few weeks, Guyana has been hit with several strong statements from high ranking international heads from the US, UK, European Union, Britain and Canada, carrying threats of sanctions and ostracizing Guyana, if a President is sworn into office on the basis of non-credible results.

A m b a s s a d o r Ly n c h coined the concerns by the foreign diplomats as “good democracy” and pointed out that the coalition did the same in January 2019, when they joined with twelve other countries and failed to recognize the legitimacy of Ve n e z u e l a n P r e s i d e n t Nicolás Maduro.

In her statement last evening, the US Ambassador highlighted that “in foreign policy, the difference between meddling and practicing good diplomacy is that the latter involves sticking to bedrock principles of human rights, good governan c e , a n d transparency and, whenever possible, underscoring the values that bind the country you represent to the country in which you serve.”

She pointed out that in January 2019, Guyana displayed its leadership in defence of representative government recently by joining other Lima Group members from the Americas to strive for a democratic resolution to the crisis in Venezuela.

“Along with 12 other countries, Guyana proclaimed in January 2019, “We reiterate that the electoral process that took place in Venezuela on May 20, 2018, lacked legitimacy as it neither included the participation of all political actors i n Venezuela, nor did it have the presence of independent international observers, nor did it comply with the necessary guarantees or international standards for a free, fair and transparent

US Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch election.

Accordingly, we do not recognize the legitimacy of the new presidential term of Nicolás Maduro, or his regime, which commences on January 10, 2019,” her statement noted.

Additionally, she pointed out that such statements are not branded as “foreign interference” but they amount to “good diplomacy” by members of the hemisphere's democratic club.

Ambassador Lynch stated her expectation that “Guyana maintains its good standing as a member of this club by counting all the Election Day votes through a transparent and credible process.”

According to the envoy, “Guyana is certainly not Venezuela; let's keep it that way.”

She noted that several persons have criticized the United States for speaking out and suggested that they “get their own house in order.”

To this, Ambassador Ly n c h r e s p o n d e d t h a t “democracy, or rule by the people, is almost always noisy.” “The democratic cacophony is home to our competing values and political identities in the public square. At its heart, democracy is the expression of our freedom to be represented.”

Further, she maintained that the United States Government is entirely nonpartisan about which party wins Guyana's 2020 elections.

She outlined that “the major parties along with the smaller ones offer the opportunity to continue an excellent bilateral relationship based on a shared commitment to supporting improved governance, prosperity, and security in Guyana.”

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 09

Rotational power sharing is not on the table

S

tate power has always been excessive in Guyana. This has provided currency to the argument advanced recently by one letter-writer, Ferlin Pedro, for political power to be limited before it is shared.

Pedro's argument is that a vital aspect of power is its limitations, especially powers bestowed upon the Presidency or the executive branch in general. He posited that power sharing without limitation is an oligarchical means to an end.

His contention that all democracies are prone to oligarchic rule is contestable. But that is a matter to be discussed at another time. He argues essentially that the country's political system is structured in such a way that it favours an immensely racial oligarchical system. As such, he feels that rotational power sharing mechanisms would not dismantle the oligarchic

establishment.

The notions of power sharing which have been advanced thus far – in what may be a long-forgotten debate which became more pronounced during and just after the Janet Jagan presidency – is not based on any system of rotational power.

The options which were left on the table related to models such as consociational democracy as proposed by Arend Lijphart; an adaptive model of federalism as proposed by Ravi Dev and shared governance as proposed by APNU+AFC during the 2015 elections campaign, but which it seems to have discarded.

While much of the focus on power sharing has in the past revolved around the need for it as a solution to the country's so-called political problem, not much attention has been paid to the need to limit the powers which the

Executive possesses.

Pedro deserves credit for at least reminding the nation that this is an issue which should not be swept under the carpet.

D u r i n g t h e Constitutional reform process which followed the 1997 elections, there were reductions in the powers of the President. For one, the President is now subject to sanction for acts which is done in his private capacity and his government (not him in his personal capacity) can be held liable for actions done as President.

This was one of the outcomes of a constitutional challenge which took place after the license of a broadcaster was suspended following claims that he made inflammatory statements during a national crisis.

The President was also required to consult meaningfully with the Leader of the Opposition

with respect to certain constitutional appointments.

But not even the local courts could have curtailed the abuse of this power with respect to certain appointments. It had to take resort to the CCJ to nullify an unlawful appointment as Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission.

Despite the paring down of the powers of the President, the office holder still possesses full Executive Authority. This has led to the view that unchecked Presidential power can lead to tyranny within the government, where not even Cabinet can rein in any

action he or she chooses to undertake.

There have been suggestions elsewhere made that Cabinet should have a veto on Presidential power.

This would be an important means of checking the powers of the President, which can be used to make Ministers and public officials subservient to the President's beck and call.

Executive power remains formidable. And citizens can be made to feel helpless under the yoke of this power, especially considering the costs and time involved in seeking judicial review.

From this perspective, limits on Executive power and not only Presidential power may be worth considering before any discussion about power sharing restarts. If it ever restarts....because one gets the distinct impression that both of the country's main political parties are comfortable with autocratic rule.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Friday April 03, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

APNU+AFC lost: The world's electorates are unforgiving O

ne of Raphael Trotman's closest friends met me outside Nirva Supermarket on Sheriff Street last week. I knew him as my UG student many moons ago. Since then we came to have very friendly interactions.

With piercing eyes and a large curiosity on his face, looking at me directly, he intoned; “I read you every day, Freddie, what has this government done to so earn your wrath?” I offered my explanation which is contained in these pages countless times. I have done literally dozens of analytical pieces on why the AFC became a hated organization.

I am continuing on this theme to answer some

tormenting questions that are destroying the psychological soundness of many leaders, both at the upper and secondary levels of the PNC and AFC. In fact, I received a call two weeks ago to look at an AFC television programme that was showing, in which one of its leaders pounded his hand on the desk, saying it was impossible with such a large turnout in Region 4 for PPP to increase its numbers so largely from 2015, and for the PNC to receive such a meagre increase from 2015.

I will examine why that was a reality in 2020, but first, Henry Jeffrey. He wrote on Wednesday that both parties - PNC and PPP - did irregular things with the voters' lists in recent general

elections. He described how he saw a lady who had several ID cards. This is old news. I can tell Jeffrey tall stories about this type of skullduggery. In 2015, two very good lady friends (I mean close friends) told me that they voted twice in Buxton for APNU+AFC. I believe they did. I believe PPP supporters did the same thing.

In every election these things happen in extremely safe enclaves of both parties, where the polling station is literally in control of the local party cadres. I refer to these acts as “election things.” They are little mischievous things that occurred in every poll including and since 1992.

The question is - do these

“election things” shape the final results? I doubt it.

Observers do not pick it up, because of the way it happens, and it is not done barefacedly and nationally so it can be openly detected.

The election result for 2015 was one of the closest in modern times in any part of the world. When a party wins an election by point three percent, that is thinner than a coat of varnish. Did these “elections things” produce the coat of varnish in 2015? I honestly do not know. But this I know - both PPP and PNC did “election things” in 2015. And they did it in 2020.

I looked at the numbers on March 2 shown to me in the Kaieteur Radio studio by very credible people who don't care if the PNC or PPP is in power. They observed the process, and by Tuesday evening knew the results.

The PPP's seats are 34 as against 29 for the PNC with the small parties taking 2.

I am not interested in the paranoia about Jagdeo coming back to power. There

are people who want to destroy Guyana because they don't want Jagdeo back.

Why should I support the destruction of my country because Jagdeo and the PPP won the 2020 election? If you deny the PPP its victory, then who gave you the imprimatur?

Why did APNU+AFC (according to my calculations of course) lose four seats? This is 20, 000 votes. When you leave out the seat allocation and you shape your perspective using votes as the most important variable, 20,000 is not an unusual hemorrhage. I predicted it in several columns.

How do you explain the increase in Region 4 for the PPP and the meagre take for the PNC? I will leave that for another column, in which I will reproduce the words I used to Trotman's friend.

Briefly, APNU+AFC lost because the Guyanese electorate, like most electorates in the world, have short memories, are fickle, vote emotionally and are

Frederick Kissoon unforgiving.

Barbados was doing well under Owen Arthur. But “Bajans” felt 14 years of him was sufficient. The Britons never forgave the Lib-Dem party for propping up a C o n s e r v a t i v e administration, and literally reduced them to almost nothing in the next election.

The worst beating Labour ever suffered was against Boris Johnson. Imagine a questionable politician inflicted that type of devastation. Labour lost seats in December 2019 that it held since 1932. In Ireland if the perpetual loser, Sinn Féin, had fielded more candidates, it would have won the election.

(To be continued) (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

Dem boys seh...

Free-for-all tekkin place!

Dem boys seh Soulja Bai finally wake up… but pun the wrong side of the bed. Dem boys believe that he bin still half-asleep when he announce overnight closure of bars and restaurants.

Dem boys wan feel that he nah understand the seriousness of the Coronavirus problem.

Dem boys want to know if he really believe duh is what gun mek a difference.

He gah fuh be dreaming if he think suh.

While Soulja Bai sleeping, dem others busy selling and buying state property.

Dem boys hear that Bee Kay buy prime riverside property. Dem boys nah see tender.

Dem boys nah see valuation. Dem boys nah see bid. Dem boys nah see bill.

But Dem Boys smell a big rat. It smell the same way when Jagdeo sell Sanata to he friend.

Dem boys wan believe dat the government having a free-for-all.

Is like a man who open he supermarket and call a few persons and tell dem tek wha dem want.

Dem boy seh that the property dat Bee Kay get worth more than US$200M. Dem boys seh if we get US$200M for dat property, we ent gat to ask World Bank anymore for US$5M for help fight Coronavirus.

Talk half and lef the other half fuh when Soulja Bai stop sleepwalking!

Senior PPP/C official critical with COVID-19

A

senior official of the Opposition h a s b e e n hospitalised and is critical after testing positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

According to sources within the People's Progressive Party/Civic, the 52-year-old man, a former Parliamentarian for the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), was

hospitalised at the East Demerara Regional Hospital, Diamond, until Wednesday.

He was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital on Wednesday, after his condition reportedly worsened.

There was deep worry within the party after he was diagnosed, an official told Kaieteur News.

He was reportedly

mingling with a number of top party officials, who have since self-isolated.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the closing of the borders, and curtailing of essential services, including speedboat services.

So far, 19 persons have tested positive with four dead - two of them over the last three days.

Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Friday April 03, 2020

Sale of Kingston wharf to BK International…

PPP/C says it will investigate A

decision to sell a Wa t e r S t r e e t w h a r f t o businessman, Brian 'BK' Tiwari, days before the March 2nd elections is emerging as a bitter fight now.

The People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) made it clear yesterday that it remains deeply suspicious of the transaction and whether Guyana received value for its money.

The wharf has been in the possession of BK International Inc. for over a decade. It is an area that belonged to the entity once known as the Guyana Rice Board (GRB).

H o w ev er, af ter a suspicious fire, it was leased to BK by the state's National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL)/Privatisation Unit.

Yesterday, former Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill, stated that Guyana will have to start way back when the Coalition Government was defeated on December 21st, 2018 by a

The Mud Flat property in Kingston that was sold days before the March 2nd elections.

BK International's principal, Brian Tiwari no-confidence motion.

“As a caretaker government - this was underscored by the Caribbean Court of Justice it had limited powers. It basically gifted this parcel to land to a known financial supporter, while it obviously could not do so. In fact, it was preparing for elections.”

According to Edghill, the property now would be worth tens of millions of

dollars because of the evolving oil and gas

NICIL says properties sold for $110M

T

he following is a statement issued yesterday by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) on the sale of the waterfront property to BK International Incorporated: “NICIL takes note of articles published in today's editions of Stabroek News, Guyana Times and Kaieteur News, on the sale of Mudlots 1 and 2, C u m m i n g s b u rg , Georgetown; Lot 'F', a portion of Mudlot 3 three; and Lots A', 'B' and 'D' portions of North C u m m i n g s b u rg , Georgetown to BK International Incorporated, and offers the facts below: 1. NICIL became the owner of Mudlots 1 and 2, C u m m i n g s b u rg , Georgetown via Transport No. 530 of 1947; Lot 'F', a portion of Mudlot 3 three; and Lots 'A', 'B' and 'D' portions of North C u m m i n g s b u rg , Georgetown through Vesting Order No. 43 of 2003 and 42 of 2003 .

2. On December 4, 2006, a lease agreement was entered into between NICIL and BK Inc. for a period of 20 years with an option to purchase anytime during the lease period. The purchase price was set at one hundred and ten million Guyana dollars. The option to purchase was contingent on the Lessee obtaining approval from the Mayor and City Council for its intended construction works.

This Agreement was signed by former Head of NICIL, Winston Brassington and BK Inc. and witnessed

by Marcia Nadir Sharma.

3. On November 19, 2009, BK Inc. exercised its option to purchase and ceased paying rent.

4. NICIL rejected the offer to purchase.

5. In June 2013, NICIL began legal proceedings against BK Inc. to recover the outstanding rent and the accrued interest.

6. This matter engaged the attention of the Court from 2013 to 2017.

7. Sometime during 2017, BK Inc submitted an

amended offer.

8. In August 2017, the matter was set down by the court pending settlement.

9. In October 2017, NICIL made a counter offer to BK Inc that included the original purchase price, all outstanding rent, and 50% of the accrued interest.

10. BK Inc. accepted the counter offer.

11. In November 2017, NICIL submitted to Cabinet, a request for approval for transfer by sale.

12.

NICIL was subsequently informed that an objection was raised by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure on behalf of Transport and Harbours Department, consequently, Cabinet's approval was deferred.

13. In October 2019, NICIL received approval, following which the Vesting Order was prepared, signed and gazetted.

We hope that the facts outlined above bring clarity to the absurd and crass speculation so gleefully peddled by the named media houses.”

industry.

In fact, between Stabroek Market and Kingston, it may very well be the only available riverfront property. “…and for the ordinary man, that is a golden handshake to BK Marine.

The second disturbing thing, even if is a legitimate transaction, why was there no public notice, and no public invitation or competition bidding? How are we to be assured that there was value for money in the transaction and that Guyana got a good deal?”

According to the former parliamentarian, it would be instructive to note that it was the Coalition Government which established a State Assets Recovery Agency, “with a claim that previous administrations gave away from lands below market value. They stand to be judged by that same principle.”

According to Edghill, the transaction is vulgar and reeks of mindset that has no decency and characterizes the Coalition.

“It certainly is a matter to be investigated when PPP/C takes office…along with countless other transactions we are discovering.”

Meanwhile, the transaction was defended by Lincoln Lewis, a trade union representative that once sat on the Privatisation Unit

'We will investigate': PPP/C's Juan Edghill board of directors when it was being considered to be leased. According to Lewis, the property in question was put up by the Bharrat Jagdeo government, prior to 2011 for sale.

“That property which is located in Water Street was the former Guyana Rice Board wharf which was burnt down through questionable circumstance during the life of the PPP government. Among the bids for that property was one from BK International.

Lewis explained yesterday that Winston Brassington, the former Executive Director of NICIL/PU, recommended at the meeting another

'Transaction above board': Former Privatisation Unit board member, Lincoln Lewis company the property must be given to.

“That company proposed by Brassington was registered at Phagoo Store in Regent Street and had no track record with any business. I objected, because I looked at the proposal of t h a t c o m p a n y, B K International and others, and found BK's proposal to be superior, satisfying the many requirements demanded by PPP/C government.” Lewis said that at the time, he was supported by other members of the board to favourably look at the BK proposal.

“The entire board, appointed by the PPP/C government, agreed we will (continued on page 22)

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 13

Another patient in ICU due to COVID-19 - Public Health Ministry

A

nother patient has been placed in the Intensive Care Unit, (ICU) due to COVID-19. Minister of P u b l i c H e a l t h Vo l d a Lawrence made this disclosure yesterday during her daily update on efforts to tackle the virus.

According to the Minister, the number of confirmed cases remains at 19, with one inconclusive.

“Our new deaths on April 1, 2020 were two, bringing the total number of deaths to four persons.”

“Eleven persons are in isolation. The number of persons currently on home quarantine known by the Ministry of Public Health is 121. The number of persons in institutional quarantine is

now 31.”

According to Lawrence, of the numbers above, the regional breakdown is one in region three; seventeen in region four with 1 inconclusive and one case in region six.

The total number of persons who have been tested has moved from 70 to 75 with --19 positive, 55 negatives, and one inconclusive.

While she noted that region four which is the epicentre of the Coronavirus disease in Guyana, Minister Lawrence used the opportunity to appeal to citizens and impress on them the seriousness of the situation.

“My Fellow Guyanese, I have been noticing that

despite the countless messages appealing to you to be responsible, to comply with the advisory measures that the Ministry of Public Health along with other partners has put in place in the interest of mitigating the spread of the virus and to keep us all safe, you are still breaching the protocols and behaving as if you are immune to the disease.

Let me remind you that COVID-19 has no boundaries, its firing power is aimed at all of us.”

“Therefore, I am urging you, rather I am begging you to play your civic part and adhere to all credible advisories that have been circulating in the media for your protection and for mine.

Hand washing, cough

etiquette and above all, social/physical distancing are the steps that can save our

lives.”

Lawrence reiterated the Ministry of Public Health

(MoPH)'s appreciation of the sterling efforts of the (continued on page 18)

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

Legal arguments commence this morning at Appeal...

From page 3 Act reads: “(1) 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 c o n t r a r y, n o q u e s t i o n whether any function of the Elections Commission or of any of its members has been performed validly or at all shall be enquired into in any court.”

The section further states: “(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.”

Additionally, the Court upheld the argument that Moore is not totally denied legal recourse. However, her questions should be raised in an elections petition. “It is not a case for judicial review,” Mendes had argued.

Moore had, inter alia, asked the court to inquire into the constitutionality of a decision made by GECOM to have a high-level CARICOM team supervise

a national recount of the votes cast in the March 2 elections.

In addition to ruling that the High Court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case, on Monday the Full Court also denied Moore's attorneys' application for a stay of their decision and leave to file an appeal on grounds of an unlikely probability of success at the level of the Court Of Appeal.

Moore's legal team nonetheless had noted that they reserved the right to appeal and would take the legal course of redress.

Speaking to reporters outside the Appeal Court yesterday, Attorney Forde, who is on record for Moore, stated that despite the absence of a stay, parties involved in the proceeding should be mindful of their actions, since the process of litigation is not yet complete.

“There are legal proceedings right now….so I hope the Chairman of GECOM will honour her commitment to await the procedure of the Court,” Forde said.

Attorney Nandlall on the other hand stressed, nonetheless, that with no stay of the decision of the Full Court, there is nothing preventing the Guyana Elections Commission from moving ahead with the recount.

Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Friday April 03, 2020

In wake of growing number of COVID-19 cases...

President orders entertainment spots to close doors by 6pm daily W

ith four deaths among the 19 confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases thus far, an address to the nation was forthcoming from President David Granger, and this was delivered yesterday.

In addition to assuring that Guyana did not drop the ball in its response to the disease, the President also

recognised that there is need for even more to be done if the disease is to be better controlled.

Among the key measures to help combat the novel coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan, China towards the end of last year, is regular and proper hygienic measures and social distancing.

The disease has since

made its way into more than 200 countries, infecting upwards of 1,000,000 people resulting in just over 52,000 fatalities.

In order to keep Guyana's numbers down, additional tactical measures ordered by the Head of State to promote social distancing is that entertainment spots close their doors by 18:00 hours daily, effective today at

23:59 hours.

BELOW IS THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS IN ITS ENTIRETY: “The Government of Guyana continues to work assiduously to combat the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. I addressed the nation twice before (on 11th March and

President David Granger 28th March), detailing the policies which have been promulgated and the action which has started. This is my third address to you on this disease.

I am happy that many individuals, institutions, religious organisations and business enterprises, of their own accord, have initiated action to protect citizens and prevent the spread of this disease.

I thank all who have contributed to the fight against COVID-19 through the installation of handwashing basins, or other valuable donations.

This is as it should be; fighting the pandemic requires the continuous, collective action of all citizens and the entire c o u n t r y. I t a k e t h i s opportunity to remind you of the following actions by the Government: · The extraordinary issue of the Official Gazette, published on 16th March 2020, aims at protecting the health and safety of all Guyanese and empowers the Minister of Public Health to take certain actions which are already in force. · The Ministry of Public Health, together with the Civil Defence Commission, has been engaged in mobilising medical staff and marshalling the resources and equipment needed to fight this disease. · The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) was operationalised with effect from 31st March 2020. The activation of the NEOC is aimed at ensuring the highest level of collaboration among stakeholders and to further prevent the spread, enhance preparation and strengthen national response to the disease.

· The National COVID19 Task Force headed by the Prime Minster includes the A ttorney G eneral and Ministers of Public Health, Public Security, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Education, Communities, Public Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Citizenship was established on 12th March and completed a national response to the Coronavirus disease. Some of these measures will take effect from today [Friday 3rd April 2020]. · National quarantine and isolation facilities have been established at the West Demerara Regional Hospital; the (East Bank Demerara) Diamond Diagnostic Centre; the Georgetown Public Hospital; the (Timehri) Madewini Youth Centre; the East Coast Demerara) Ocean View International Hotel; the Cliff Anderson Sports Centre and the National Gymnasium. These facilities collectively will be able to accommodate 1,000 persons.

Guyanese, I iterate the need for all citizens, in all parts of the country, to adopt the many advisories that have been issued by the Ministry of Public Health and the National Task Force, including: · Avoidance of leaving home; · Av o i d a n c e o f gatherings of more than five persons; · Avoidance of visiting sick persons; · Avoidance of touching other persons; · Avoidance of touching parts of your own faces; and · Washing of hands frequently and thoroughly in water.

COVID-19 is a global (continued on page 17)

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 17

City Council restricts public gatherings to five persons, closes markets until further notice

I

n an effort to tackle and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus or COVID 19, the Mayor and Councillors of the City (M&CC) of Georgetown has moved to implement a number of public restrictions.

In a statement the Council said that in order to safeguard the public health of the citizenry of Georgetown and the public at large, permis s ion for public gatherings of more than five persons will not be granted.

“Public places will be closed as follows, save and except essential services/essential service providers. * Bars and restaurants, except between 06:00 hours and 18:00 hours. (6:00 am – 6:00 pm). * Gymnasiums, movie theatres, libraries, play parks and other recreational facilities. * Restaurants except for take-out and/or delivery services: dining or cluster of patrons at public restaurants and bars is prohibited. ? Hotels to remain open but are required to close pools, spas, gyms, tennis courts and other recreational facilities where persons cluster; hotel restaurants and bars to only operate room service, take out and/or delivery services.”

Further, the Council

implored persons to refrain from congregating in public places, and for all public and private offices to operate for no more than four (4) hours daily.

“Limit your presence at banks and other institutions unless the transactions are absolutely necessary and continue to practice social distancing.”

“The Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown regrets any inconvenience that this may cause, (but) stands resolute with the Government of Guyana in the combat of the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus), as such, this notice is subject to change in accordance with national guidelines.”

The Council noted that this does not include the presence of members of City Constabulary and other persons engaged in essential duties.

According to the Council, essential workers and service providers include care givers, nurses home helpers, storage, purification and distribution of water staff; staff at hospitals, clinics and pharmacies; media and broadcasting services; medical and paramedical professionals; removal, handling or burial of deceased persons or disposal of dead animals; sanitation services workers; security

services (private), emergency first responders, the joint services staff; telecommunications providers; transport services and waterfront workers; supermarkets – provision of food supplies; provider of beverages and fuel service stations.

In the same vein, the Council issued a notice informing the public that with effect from tomorrow, Saturday 4th April, 2020, all

Municipal Markets will be closed until further notice.

“The closure includes Road Selling/Street Vending ( i n c l u d i n g Wholesalers/Retailers/Farme rs/Night Sellers, Snackette/Cook Shop Operators and all other category of Food Sellers and S t r e e t Ve n d o r s ) a s authorized under Sections 3(1) and 302 (31) (d) of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01.

All Markets and Street Vending operations must cease from today Friday 3rd April, 2020 at 19:00 hours (7 pm) F a r m e r s , Wholesalers/Retailers will be permitted to ply their trade at the Stabroek and Bourda Markets on Fridays Only, from 07:00 hours to 13:00 hours (1pm) as follows: a) Stabroek Market: West of the Guyana Fire Service

Building and; b) Bourda Market: On Merriman Mall between Orange Walk and Light Street.

The Friday Farmers, Wholesalers/Retailers operation will be conducted under strict guidelines for the practice of social distancing.

Additionally, no Sunday street/road selling will be permitted at the Albouystown market, until further notice.”

President orders entertainment spots...

From page 16 pandemic for which there is no vaccination or cure. At the individual level certain measures are absolutely necessary to reduce the spread of this disease.

It is now clear that several other measures must be put in place to keep the public safe. The 'National Response' to the Coronavirus 2019 has been crafted and a draft has been disseminated. The objectives of this 'Response' are to: · protect the health and safety of the Guyanese people; · protect vulnerable persons in special-care homes and shelters; · prevent community spread to local and hinterland areas; · reduce or mitigate the spread in affected areas; · restrict or halt imported cases into the country; · restrict and contain the

spread of the disease in heavily -populated areas; · ensure on-the-job safety of all medical and technical staff; · reinforce measures to mitigate the social and economic impact on the livelihood of vulnerable persons; and · coordinate the efforts of civic and non-governmental organisations.

Several measures aimed at limiting social contact are already in force: · The University of Guyana's campuses and other schools have been closed; · National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) has been postponed and new dates will be announced; · The Cheddi Jagan and the Eugene F. Correia International airports have suspended operations until May 2020; · Seaports have been

closed to international vessels except merchant ships from 21st March 2020; · Travel to countries which border Guyana has been suspended; · Public Servants have been placed on a rotational shift system of duty; · The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has waived the Value Added Tax (VAT) on medical supplies associated with the testing, prevention and treatment of COVID-19; and · Visitation at the Palms Geriatric Home; the Night Shelter; New Opportunity Corps; and the Hugo Chavez Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre has been suspended until further notice.

The measures that have already been implemented will remain in place until further notice.

Guyanese, in light of the increasing number of confirmed cases of the novel

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Guyana, and the number of projected cases, a meeting was held with partners from international and non-governmental organisations to coordinate the planning of mitigative and preventative actions against the short- and long-term impacts of the

virus on all sectors of the country.

Guyana is not alone in fighting this pandemic.

The Government, in order to strengthen containment measures, will close public gathering at places of entertainment, including bars, clubs, gymnasiums, night clubs,

restaurants and swimming pools, between the hours of 18:00 hours and 06:00 hours (6:00 pm and 6 am) with effect from midnight (23:59 hours) on Friday 3rd April 2020.

Additional restrictions to safeguard public health will be announced from time to time as the needs arise.”

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

Another patient in ...

From page 13 healthcare workers on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19.

“I encourage you not only to protect yourselves as best as you can but to work with the same vigour even as we wage the battle against COVID-19.”

“I wish to assure you that we do have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment for the various levels of staff.

These will be distributed by the hospitals and the Regional Health Officers in each region. Please note that all of your concerns are being addressed,” she said.

In addition, the Minister reminded the public that there remain special circumstances by which the persons can undergo testing for the virus.

“I wish to repeat that the MoPH continues to follow the testing guidelines provided by the World Health Organization which are as follows; Anyone presenting fever, along with one of the symptoms

(shortness of breath or a cough), does not mean that they have COVID-19.”

“What determines a person being a likely suspect is if that person and let me give you the various scenarios; If you have travelled and during the 14 days you begin to have a cough, fever or shortness of breath; If you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and during 14 days since that meeting you begin to have - a cough, fever or shortness of breath; If you visited a facility where COVID-19 positive cases have been identified and during the 14 days after that visit you begin to have a cough, fever or shortness of breath.

In order to protect our patients, all hospitals will have a mandatory test done on patients to be admitted with all the symptomscough, fever, and shortness of breath that cannot be explained from a clinical perspective.”

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 19

Magistrate adamant about lack of evidence to commit Bisram for High Court trial

M

agistrate Renita Singh yesterday reopened the Marcus Bisram case at the Whim Magistrate's Court. On the previous court date she had discharged the case for lack of enough evidence, setting Bisram free. But that freedom only lasted a few hours, as he was rearrested the same day (Monday) in Berbice, an action based on instructions from the DPP. Shortly after, the DPP released a statement to the press and outlined that after requesting the court documents from the Magistrate and “having been satisfied that there was sufficient evidence contained therein for him to have been committed”, she had “directed the Magistrate to re-open the Preliminary Inquiry (Pl)”.

However, during yesterday's court proceedings, while Magistrate Singh re-opened the PI, she has also decided to stick by her ruling - that is, to not commit Bisram for trial in the High Court. She referenced her previous ruling and noted that her decision to not commit was

- Defence seeks to have DPP's order quashed based on the prosecution's lack of enough evidence in the case.

Prior to Magistrate Singh's stance on the matter, Bisram's defence team, comprising Attorneys Glenn Hanoman, Bernard DaSilva and Dexter Todd, argued that Bisram was re-arrested and is being held in custody unlawfully.

Hanoman in his argument said that the DPP's powers are not “unfettered” and should not be exercised “whimsically or capriciously”. Later, in his arguments he told the court that the DPP has no power to “even mention the word committal at this stage…and no opinion can be formed about a view to commit at this stage”. He mentioned that their (defence's) intention is to raise the constitutional issues in the High Court.

Senior Attorney from the DPP Chambers (Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions) Stacy Goodings, representing the prosecution, in her response

Marcus Bisram

to the defence stated that the letter was clear for the PI to be re-opened and the defendant to be committed to stand trial before the high court, and that any other concerns the defence has should be put before the Court of Appeal.

Furthermore, Goodings

pointed out to the court that the defence is attempting to pervert the course of justice, and that the DPP acted in a lawful capacity when the orders were handed down to have Bisram re-arrested and committed to stand trial in the High Court.

The proceedings

prolonged with back and f o r t h a rg u m e n t s u n t i l Magistrate Singh subsequently disclosed to the court that her decision that a Prima Facie case was not made out stands, and that the court will not commit the accused. She then adjourned the matter for Monday (April

6) until further advice can be sought from the DPP. Meanwhile, the defence has indicated their intention to approach the High Court to have the order by the DPP quashed. That was expected to be filed yesterday, according to Defence Attorney Glenn Hanoman.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Friday April 03, 2020

Parika/Supenaam speedboats service suspended amid COVID-19 A The Parika/Supenaam ferry service has been closed amid fears of COVID-19. (Annette Arjoon photo)

cting on the recommendations provided by the Regional Health Emergency Committee of Region 2, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dennis Jaikaran has suspended the Parika-Supenaam speedboats service amid efforts to stop the transmission of COVID-19.

The service is a main link between the West Demerara and the city to the Essequibo coast, Region 2. A meeting was held

yesterday between the REO, the Regional Commander, Chairman of the Parika-Supenaam Speedboat Association, Otis Roberts, and other key stakeholders, where the decision was made to cease all speedboat operations from today (Friday 3rd April 2020), until further notice.

Speaking to the Department of Public Information, Roberts commended the decision, noting that it is a measure that was anticipated.

“I think it is an excellent gesture. I think it is much needed.

Overall, I would say we are in full cooperation of this gesture and the precautionary measures put in place,” the Chairman stated.

The Parika-Good Hope ferry service will continue to operate two round trips per day – one in the morning and another in the evening – with no more than 100 passengers on each vessel. This will continue unless otherwise directed by the Transport and Harbours Department.

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 21

Stabroek Block produces 1.7M barrels of oil in January; Exxon collects over 1M for cost recovery

A

ccording to the latest Report on Petroleum Production and Revenues (RPPR), the Liza Phase One Project on the Stabroek Block produced 1,745,930

barrels of oil for January 2020, or 56,320 barrels of oil per day.

Of the 1,745,930 barrels produced, the Ministry of Finance which prepared the report said that a total of

1,020 barrels was used for facility fill.

The Ministry said as a result of the first lift of crude oil in January 2020 by ExxonMobil, this volume of crude will remain in the

Govt. to collect US$1.3M royalty for first quarter by month end

F

o r J a n u a r y, Guyana has e a r n e d US$1,268,706 in royalty from the Stabroek Block, but this would not be received until April month end, according to a Ministry of Finance Report on Petroleum Production and Reserves.

The document notes that ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) lifted crude for that month which amounted to 20,506 barrels.

Government reminded on this note that it is entitled to a royalty of two percent of

all crude produced and sold.

It further stated that the cashbased value of the royalty will be determined using the average fair market price of a barrel of crude for January 2020, calculated in accordance with Article 13 of the Petroleum Agreement for the Stabroek Block.

Up to the time it published the report yesterday, the Ministry noted that the Government and the Contractor were still finalising the procedures to give effect to Article 13 of the Agreement. However, based on the current draft of the procedure, the average fair market price of crude for

January 2020 would be US$61.87 per barrel. Using this price, the value of the royalty for January 2020 would be US$1,268,706, the Ministry said.

The Ministry said that while royalties are estimated on a monthly basis, Article 15.6 of the Petroleum Agreement stipulates that the monies will be transferred to the Government quarterly, thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter. As such, the royalty payments for January, February and March 2020 will be transferred to the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) by April 30, 2020.

hose and piping between cargo tanks and the crude offloading hose point that connects to the offloading vessel.

With respect to the actual lift by ExxonMobil, the Ministry said that this amounted to 1,046,897 barrels.

This lift included the 21,592 barrels of Marine Gas Oil and Intermediate Fuel Oil that was loaded onto the Liza Destiny in S i n g a p o r e f o r commissioning activities.

The Ministry was keen to note however that the lift by ExxonMobil was completely allocated to cost recovery while noting that the American oil company is still owed a few more barrels to cover the allotted sum that was supposed to be recovered for that time.

Expounding further, the

report specifically noted that Article 11.2 of the Petroleum Agreement for the Stabroek Block, states that in any month during which crude is produced and sold, a maximum of 75 percent of crude produced after losses and operations (PALO), can be allocated to permissible recoverable costs incurred by the Contractor.

Taking this into account, it was stated that cost recovery based on the 75 percent ceiling amounted to 1,308,682 barrels, hence all 1,025,305 barrels produced and sold from the Liza field

by ExxonMobil was allocated to cost oil.

Since it did not recover the full costs, the Ministry noted that Exxon under lifted 409,251 barrels at the end of January 2020.

Furthermore, the

719,605 barrels of PALO remaining after the allocation to cost oil, i.e.

1,744,910 – 1,025,305, is referred to as profit oil, of which the government is entitled to 50 percent, or 359,802 barrels.

It was further noted that there was no change in the volume of crude used as ballast in the cargo tanks.

Additionally, there were no operational losses reported for this period and no crude was used for fuel or transportation in petroleum operations.

PAGE 22

PPP/C says it will investigate

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From page 12 recommend to Cabinet the property will go to BK. Let me make it very clear, I never knew Brian Tiwari (main principal of BK Marine) at the time, but met him subsequently at the funeral of Mr. Lewis, the original owner of Water Chris Hotel.”

The trade unionist said that what is instructive about the PPP/C is that that government took time in making sure the final and legal transfer of these properties were never brought to finality.

“The reason behind this behaviour is that if for any rea-

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VEHICLE FOR SALE

Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

One Spindle Maker. Kindly contact Jettoo’s Lumberyard & Sawmill. Tel# 226-2756/2255341 1 Male Bahir to work in the Interior, must know to bake as well between the ages 30-45.

Contact#668-4973

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Newly renovated apartment for rent, Peter’s Hall. #6481391/698-5800 (1) One & (2) bedroom apartment available in Providence. Tel#672-1906 Bottom flat fully furnish 25 Oronoque fully furnished 25 Oronoque St, fully furnished, grill/mesh windows/doors.

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son whenever one wants to approach the bank or third party to be involved in any business, it will require permission from the government to do so. As such, if the person to whom the property is given should take a position that conflicts with the government, the owner will never be able to get the support or comfort to do any business with a bank or third party.”

Lewis said that what the Coalition Government has done is complete what the PPP/C government started but for whatever reason failed to do - in moving to give legal transfer to the owner.

“I sat on the Privatisation Board when BIDCO House was transferred to Gerry, Captain Gerry Gouveia, currently Chairman of the Private Sector Commission. This property, which is situated in Duke Street, Kingston, he has converted into a business called Duke Lodge. The same principle that applied for BK getting his property applied for Gerry.”

According to the Official Gazette of March 28th, 2020, the order was signed since February 26th, 2020 by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan. Elections were a few days later, on March 2nd.

The Transfer of Property Order to B.K. Marine Inc. of Queenstown would give the purchaser absolute title to the property. The property had

been held by the state's National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited. The notice in the Official Gazette did not give a price.

The transfer of Mud Flat lands included three properties, including erections and totaling 2.553 acres.

The transaction was earlier this week described as highly suspicious, with calls for a probe.

“This obviously smells…a couple days before elections.

It is completely unacceptable,” said attorney-at-law, Christopher Ram. Ram, also a Chartered Accountant, made it clear that the transaction would be seen by some as immoral, and not

how a caretaker government should be handling the assets of the state.

“Any transactions since the CCJ ruling of last year ought to be reviewed…from a good governance stance, and of course, in the interest of protecting the assets of the state.” Attorney-at-law Sanjeev Datadin was clear, that the transaction will not withstand scrutiny.

“This is a transaction that was done by a caretaker government. How could you enter an agreement days before elections when you are just holding on for the sake of elections? Obviously, it is a transaction that will have to be reviewed.”

GECOM expected to...

From page 7 support of a majority of the Commission. Gunraj, who represents the Opposition side to the media, has spoken staunchly in support of it.

Alexander, who speaks for the government's side, said that he would support a recount, and that he would prefer it if such a recount is supervised

by CARICOM, as it was previously contemplated. He said that the Commission is leaning more to a decision to have the recount.

Alexander said that Lowenfield has been asked by the Commission to begin to

address the question of the operationalisation of the recount, if GECOM is to undertake it. A report from him on that is expected to be presented to GECOM today.

One issue that has reared its head now is the COVID-19 pandemic. The precautions being advised are sure to have some effect on the operationalisation of the national recount, if it were to happen. Gunraj said that he has considered this, and is preparing a series of proposals on this and other matters to ensure the modalities of the recount are robust.

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

Major drug bust by cops in Berbice River

PAGE 23

KEEPING IT SAFE!

- Five persons in custody; 166 kilos ganja found, boat seized

Part of the huge drug bust in the Berbice River

T

he Guyana Police Force in its quest to put a dent on the illegal drugs trade in the country has arrested five more drug dealers in another sting operation this time in the Berbice River.

The men were arrested on Wednesday in a wooden vessel with a large quantity of processed cannabis.

A c c o r d i n g t o

information, at about 15:00h, the ranks who were conducting a marine patrol in the Berbice River, intercepted the boat which was being powered by a 75 HP Mercury engine in the vicinity of Plegt Anker village.

A search of the vessel revealed one hundred and twenty-four taped parcels of suspected cannabis which when weighed amounted

to one hundred and sixtysix kilograms. The boat was seized.

The suspects are residents of New Amsterdam; No. 2 Village, East Canje; Fort Nassau, Berbice River and Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme, East Canje.

They are expected to be charged with Possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

All across the world, the moves to ensure that food and other items are safe have taken importance. This photo depicts the measures at Lethem, Region 9, when these eggs appeared to have come from neighbouring Brazil. A Port Entry staffer doing his part to ensure safety of Lethem consumers.

(Rupununi News Facebook photo)

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Tsutsumi breaks Japanese Former New Zealand batsman discus throw record in Tama Daniel Flynn announces retirement WorldAthletics - Better late than never?

Given that we haven’t reported on an athletics result in 17 days, it certainly is. Yuji Tsutsumi broke the Japanese national discus throw record at a small meeting at Kokushikan University in Tama on Friday (27 March).

In what was certainly one of the few athletics competitions on the planet that day, the 30-year-old threw 62.59m to break the previous national standard of 62.16m set by Masateru Yugami in Yamaguchi in 2018.

Tsutsumi, a six-time national champion, improved his previous best of of 61.64m by more than half a metre. Tsutsumi posted this video of his performance on Twitter last weekend but World Athletics didn’t receive confirmation from the Japanese Federation

Yuji Tsutsumi until this morning that the meeting was an official competition and that results were accepted.

Friday April 03, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Take care of your friends by supporting their ideas. Be careful that you don't automatically encourage a plan or viewpoint that you know is wrong or doomed to fail

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Aggression in your world of romance is likely, Libra.

Whether coming from you or your close partner, the tension is there and can't be ignored.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You could be teetering between the real world and a fantasy realm. The fantasy world is more than likely the one that wins out, but that doesn't mean you should lose all touch with reality.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You're anxious to make a bold move toward the love of your life, Scorpio. Love and romance are most certainly in your favor right now. It isn't surprising that you feel brave.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Nurture your loved ones.

Tonight feel free to escape into a fantasy world with the object of your desire. Make plans to set your wildest fantasy into motion.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Although you generally like to keep both feet on the ground and proceed in a stable, organized manner, Sagittarius, there's a strong force encouraging you to spread your wings.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Regardless of your situation, Cancer, you'll want to take the easy way out. There's a laziness sweeping over you, and you could be trying to find a way to sneak out of some responsibilities.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You might be frustrated with romance because it seems to be causing more tension than relaxation, Leo. No one said love was easy, but it doesn't have to be miserable. The key is to not get too stressed out about the little things.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your imagination is your best friend, Virgo. You aren't about to let anyone disturb your fantasy world. You have fit love and romance perfectly into this place, and everything is wonderful in your head.Implementing this plan and making it work in the real world are two different things

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You might be pegged as the wise guy who's unable to take anything seriously, Capricorn. Regardless of the situation, you can turn it into a joke of some sort. Your humor likely lifts the spirits of everyone around you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) One whiff of a familiar scent is likely to send your imagination running wild.

Perhaps you're suddenly transported back to when you were dating someone you adored. Once your imagination starts running, it could be difficult to slow it down.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You could come into conflict with someone who has a very inclusive attitude.

Perhaps he or she encourages a humanistic approach that you find unrealistic and even a bit offputting.

ESPNcricinfo - Daniel Flynn, the former New Zealand and Northern Districts left-hand batsman, has called time on his 16-yearlong career, at age 34.

In an international career spanning a little over five years, Flynn played 24 Tests, 20 ODIs, and five T20Is, making a combined 1325 runs, including six half-centuries.

He batted almost three hours in the second innings of his debut Test at Lord’s, his 118ball 29 helping New Zealand salvage a draw.

The early days of his international career are also remembered for him walking off Old Trafford with a mouthful of blood and two fewer teeth as a result of a vicious James Anderson bouncer that he copped during the opening day’s play.

His last international appearance came in July 2013, during a Test match against South Africa where he made a pair.

Flynn played 135 firstclass matches and scored 7815 runs, including 21 centuries, at an average of 35.04.

He featured in 100 firstclass matches for Northern Districts, leading them in 47 of them, aside from making 88 and a record 104 appearances

U.S. Soccer launches...

From page 29 “BEND THE CURVE. STAY AT HOME.” campaign is to reinforce to the soccer community that the single most important message to help us get through these challenging time is to make sure people STAY AT HOME to bend, and eventually, flatten the curve of COVID19 cases,” said U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Chiampas.

“We hope everyone in our U.S. Soccer family will join us in sharing this incredibly important message to help keep each other healthy and save lives during this crisis.”

The initiative undertaken

by U.S. Soccer includes a wealth of activities for fans, including the following: Airing classic senior U.S. National Teams and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches on U.S. Soccer channels. Free Professional Development lectures from High Performance experts. Skills exercises that can be performed at home. Trivia quizzes covering U.S. Soccer history.

For further information, please visit www.ussoccer.com.

Daniel Flynn in action for Northern Knights BCCI for them in List A and T20 matches respectively. His 20 first-class hundreds for Northern Districts are the most by any batsman from the side.

“Representing your country is the ultimate for any cricketer; it’s what you dream of as a kid, so to have achieved it is something I look back on with immense satisfaction,” Flynn was

quoted as saying by Stuff.

“The people I’ve played alongside throughout my career stand out for me; they’re not just good cricketers, but good people, who I’ve learned plenty from both on and off the field.

“Winning trophies for ND alongside these guys was always special, and those are memories that I will never forget.”

PAGE 26

Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

Koemhong: From an orphanage to Cambodia’s national team The women’s football team of Bryant and Stratton College may not be well known in USA. However, in Cambodia captain Hout Koemhong, they boast a notable player with an amazing story.

The 22-year-old midfielder joined the team two years ago as one of the college’s new recruits, and is working towards a bachelor’s degree majored in network technology.

Koemhong is now living a life that would be the envy of many other girls her age back home. A promising footballer enjoying an overseas college education, her future seems certain to be filled with opportunities.

This, however, was a situation no-one could have envisaged back in 2008, when Hout and her five siblings lived in an orphanage at Battambang, a city 300 km northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. The reason for the transformation in her fortunes between then and now, says Koemhong, is football.

“My parents divorced when I was two months old and my mom took us to the local orphanage,” said Koemhong, who is taking online classes at a friend’s home at Syracuse, New York during the COVID-19 outbreak. “I don’t remember much about the days before playing football.”

SALT Academy, a FIFAsupported NGO, then started a project in Cambodia aimed at reaching out to the local youngsters and improving their lives through the beautiful game. They organised boys’ and girls’ teams from the orphanage and little Koemhong would spend the entire day watching them

train and play. One day, Sam Schweingruber, coach and CEO of SALT Academy, asked her to join the girls’ team.

“When Sam came up to me asking me if I wanted to join them, I said no,” Koemhong recalled.

“Because I was very shy. But after I joined them, I had so much fun running around, chasing the ball and kicking it hard.”

Koemhong was obsessed. Quiet and reserved off the pitch, she emerged as a different character on the field, playing hard and competing like crazy. She discovered joy and fun she had never experienced before.

“In some ways, life actually became harder after I played football,” she continued. “My sisters and brothers didn’t like me to play.

I was the youngest of the siblings and they beat me for playing [football]. They gave me more housework. They wanted me to stop playing.

“But I couldn’t quit. I had such fun whenever I touched the ball. I focused on my play as if nothing could hurt me.”

Koemhong’s progress with SALT Academy’s Mighty Girls team certainly impressed Schweingruber.

“Koemhong was the youngest on the team but she was amazing,” he told FIFA.com.

“She was brave and was able to kick the ball further than the others. When we started playing games, she often scored from distance.”

Koemhong spent six years with Mighty Girls. SALT Academy took care of her and her team-mates, covering the expense of their accommodation, school tuition and training. It was

SALT Academy changes the lives of youngsters in Cambodia during that period that her transformation took hold.

“To be honest, I grew up with Mighty Girls. To me, all the girls were smart, strong, beautiful and we were all working hard. Together we went to school and we encouraged each other in training. We were just like a family.

“Besides my progress in football, I learned how to be a leader, a coach and even a referee. We learned to speak English. And on weekends and during holidays, we went to villages to teach children how to play football. We shared with the girls there the awareness that they have the right to do what they want to do.

“In SALT Academy, I learned the value of life. I worked hard and became the person I am today. And I am so grateful.”

Making history with Cambodia - In 2017, Koemhong left for the capital city to join Phnom Penh Crown SC, playing for the girls’ team while coaching

their U-14 boys.

When the first Cambodia women’s national team was formed, she was among the first players picked to represent that history-making side - and installed as its captain. And it didn’t take her long to showcase her abilities.

In the country’s first women’s international ‘A’ match against Timor-Leste on 30 June 2018, she scored six times and provided three assists as they won 12-0.

Now an established figure in the national team, Koemhong is seen as an icon in Cambodian women’s football, with her story inspiring youngsters across the country. Her aim is to raise the level of the game in her home nation while encouraging young girls to be independent and realise their dreams.

“The women’s game in Cambodia is not as well developed compared to other Asian countries,” she said.

“In local culture, girls are expected to stay at home, take care of housework and get

Hout Koemhong, 22, is captain of Cambodia’s women’s national team.

married at a young age. So I really want to help and contribute to taking our game to a higher level.

“I went through a lot of difficulties when I was young but I kept working hard and

things are getting better,” she said.

“I dreamed of joining the national team and now I am the captain. So I want to pass the message to other girls: don’t give up.”

#WorldCupAtHome: Relive Cristiano, Zidane and Maradona magic

With millions of views of #WorldCupAtHome content so far on FIFA’s YouTube Channel, fans have voted in their thousands once more to decide the next round of full matches to be rebroadcast.

Given a choice of games from the 1990, 2006 and 2018 FIFA World Cup™ editions and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup™, fans voted on Twitter to relive some of the most outstanding clashes in the respective competitions’ histories.

Magical moments from three defining players of their eras - Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona headline the full match replays of World Cup action.

Zizou’s masterclass in the iconic 2006 quarter-final against Brazil and Cristiano’s spectacular hat-trick showing against Spain at Russia 2018 will both be in focus.

Completing the line-up of full World Cup matches to be

shown is a famous South American duel from Italy 1990, with a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina taking on A Seleção, while the Official Film of the 2014 World Cup kicked off things last night.

Women’s football will also be in the # Wo r l d C u p A t H o m e spotlight once again, with the full match of USA’s epic 2015 semi-final against Germany to be shown, as part of their effort to reclaim the Women’s World Cup crown for the first time since the fabled ‘99ers’.

The schedule for this weekend: Thursday 20:00 CEST: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil | The Official Film; Friday 20:00 CEST: Brazil v France – Germany 2006 quarter-final; Saturday 18:00 CEST: Brazil v Argentina – Italy 1990 round of 16; Sunday 18:00 CEST: Portugal v Spain – Russia 2018 Group B; Monday 20:00 CEST: USA v Germany – Canada 2015 semi-final.

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My goal is to represent National committees have final say on qualified athletes for Tokyo Games Guyana-Sebai Invincible Talons Athens (Reuters) “All of the qualifications The IOC is also efforting FC striker Feona Benjamin Athletes already qualified for that have been achieved by to make the athletes’ village the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will need to be picked again by their respective National Olympic Committees to compete at the postponed Games in 2021, the International Olympic Committee said yesterday.

The IOC and Japanese government succumbed to intense pressure from athletes and sporting bodies around the world last week by agreeing to postpone the Games by a year to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 57% of the 11,000 athletes had already qualified for the Tokyo Games this year before qualification tournaments were scrapped as the virus spread in recent months. Those athletes, the IOC said, would keep their qualification but would need to be re-selected for next year by their National Olympic Committee again as they represented a nation and not themselves.

National Olympic Committees and individual athletes remain in place,” IOC Sports director Kit McConnell said in a conference call.

“Any athlete needs to be individually selected because they represent their NOC. In all sports the NOC retains the right to select the athletes.”

McConnell said the IOC was also in talks with world soccer ’s governing body FIFA to decide on the tournament next year, as only players aged under 23 are allowed to compete apart from a limited number of over-age players per team.

In many cases footballers will be above the age limit next year although having qualified this year. “In several sports there are specific age regulations, minimum or maximum, for health safety or to provide an age group as in men’s football with under-23.”

We are in discussions with FIFA... We have to finalize that in the coming weeks.”

available again after it was planned to be sold off as apartments after this year’s Games.

“The village is part of the first priority,” the IOC’s Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said. The village is the home away from home, a fantastic development. It is one of the very first tasks to re-secure this fantastic property. Yes, it is absolutely on that urgency list”.

Dubi said those first priority venues, including the dozens of sports venues, convention sites and thousands of hotel rooms, would need to be re-secured quickly.

“All of this has to be resecured for one year later,” Dubi said. “It is a massive undertaking to get back to fundamentals.” He added that the IOC planned to have finalised talks for those “priority” locations in a matter of weeks.

By Zaheer Mohamed Sebai Invincible Talons FC striker, Feona Banjamin has set her sights on representing Guyana’s senior female football team, the ‘Lady Jags’. At 18 year-old, Benjamin has already been making a name for her team to a number of titles in local competitions.

She is arguably Region One’s most prolific striker and has scored 14 goals in 2019 at the Heritage Games, including 10 in the qualifier and four in the finals at Everest Cricket Club ground where her team was eliminated in the semi finals.

Speaking with Kaieteur Sport yesterday, Banjamin said she started to play the sport from the age of 12 and intends to work hard in order to secure a place on the national team.

“I developed a passion for the game at an early age after witnessing other players in action, so I train everyday at

the Sebai ground in order to realise my dream and make Region One proud,” she added.

Benjamin has always been the leading goal-scorer in tournaments there and she also aims to help her team win the Heritage title.

“We have a number of talented players here, but we need more exposure. We also need more coaching, especially from higher level coaches and with this I think the authorities here and the Guyana Football Federation can assist.”

Region One has produced national players such as Annalisa Vincent and Samara Rodrigues, and while Benjamin wants to don national colours, she is calling for more tournaments there so the players can continue to improve.

“The Port Kaituma Football Foundation and the Matarkai Sports Committee are doing a fine job in

organising tournaments, but securing sponsorship is a challenge. The business community can chip in a bit more so that we can be exposed to competitive football on a more regular basis.”

While Banjamin noted that the Corona virus has put a hold on sports, she is looking forward to an opportunity to train with the national team in the future.

“Following this pandemic, I would like to hone my skills at the club level in the city. I am also looking forward to a tryout with the national team and shall be willing to attend training sessions or trial games.”

Among those athletes to have come from Region One that represented Guyana with distinction are Gwendolyn O’Neil, who became the first Guyanese woman to win a world boxing title, and middle distance runner, Cleveland Forde.

Chairman of CWI Selectors impressed by Joshua DaSilva - Says Permaul will be seriously considered Chairman of the West Indies selectors Roger Harper has reviewed some of the performances in the truncated Regional first-Class season which was called off after eight rounds due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

Harper, speaking on Tuesday night’s Mason and Guest Radio programme on the Voice of Barbados, said presently not just the cricket world has been affected and when you put it into context cricket takes a back seat to the Corona Virus.

“I have not been out of the house since I came back from Trinidad on March 15” informed Harper who stated that one of the challenges was that you expected your senior international batsmen to be more consistent and get bigger scores but their performances was a little disappointing.

Harper said it was a very interesting season and said it was pleasing to see that the fast bowlers dominated.

“The old master Kemar Roach (30 wickets in 5 matches) led from the front especially in the match against Guyana, Chemar Holder (36), Preston Mc Sween (31) and Keon Harding (29) all had very good performances and were in the top seven bowlers” Harper

Jermaine Blackwood

said.

Spinners Veerasammy Permaul (50), Rakeem Cornwall (30 wickets from 5 matches) and Akeal Hosein (36) bowled well this season but Harper pointed out while they were among the leading wicket takers it was the fast bowling that caught his attention.

“Permaul had 50 wickets in eight games which means he had six wickets per match but someone who went under the radar is Anderson Phillips who had 21 from three games, which is seven wickets per match, I think he was injured at the start of the tournament” When pressed for his view on Guyana’s Permaul, who continues to befuddle

Regional batsmen season after season, Harper, a former West Indies Vice-Captain said Permaul has put his hand up and will be seriously considered.

Spinners have done well at the Regional level and they will be given a chance. Harper noted that Cornwall has done well and when he was given the chance he has shown that can perform at the International level.

“We might need to twick their approach to bowling on flatter better pitches” Harper said of the spinners.

“Our players have to learn how to convert good starts into hundreds; it’s something we have to work on. We have to work on the mental area to

Veerasammy Permaul see why they are not converting more of their good starts” Harper noted.

“Blackwood has been in the team in past and has a Test average of 30 but has scored 768 this season with 248 in one innings and it was good see in the interview he knew what he had to do. Kyle Mayers scored 654 runs and he made two centuries and drew the attention of everyone.

But we are missing someone. Nkrumah Bonner had an average of 58 and scored two centuries and put his hands up” noted Harper.

But Harper posited that

he was most impressed by 21year-old Trinidadian Joshua Da Silva.

“He made 507 runs with a hundred and three fifties at an average of 50.7 and looked very organised against pace and spin and demonstrated good temperament under pressure…he also made a century in the super50 playing for the Emerging Players. I am very impressed with the young man.” said Harper Five-times defending champions Guyana, lost three and won three of their eight games this season and they were dethroned by Barbados.

When asked what went wrong

with the Jaguars the Chairman of selectors said the Guyanese Franchise was not as consistent as in previous seasons and did put the big numbers on board.

“Young Neil Smith started well but Permaul took the brunt of the wickets and Guyana missed their main pacers Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd. Clinton Pestano was also missing due to injury. And they did not bat well this season” Harper said.

He informed that CWI should soon have a review of the championship with the Director of Cricket and other key stakeholders.

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Belgium’s top flight season CANCELLED and Club Brugge crowned champions MailOnline - Belgian football chiefs have cancelled the rest of the season and crowned Club Brugge champions in response to the coronavirus pandemic. They have broken ranks from the rest of Europe and called an immediate end to the 2019-20 campaign with just one game of the regular season to go before the play-offs, which usually determine the championship winner and the Europa League places.

The Jupiler Pro League’s board of directors voted unanimously for cancellation in a conference call yesterday - and it is expected to be ratified by the general assembly on April 15. Brugge are 15 points clear of Gent in second - who have now claimed a place in next season’s Champions League - and claim their 16th league title.

The league, which comprises 26 teams, usually ends after 30 games before the top six enter a play-off system.

Their points tally is halved, and rounded up, for

the play-offs before they face each other again home and away.

‘The Board of Directors took note of the recommendations of Dr Van Ranst and the government that it is highly unlikely that games with the public will be played before June 30’, the league said in a statement.

‘The current situation also makes it very unclear whether and when a resumption of collective training courses can be foreseen at all. ‘Even if games behind closed doors could theoretically be possible, the additional pressure they place on health and order services should be avoided. Moreover, decisions by local authorities threaten to make a joint course of match days impossible.

‘The Board of Directors has unanimously decided that it is not desirable to continue the competition after June 30. Given the above elements, the Board of Directors has formulated a unanimous advice to the General Meeting not to resume the competitions of

Club Brugge have been crowned Belgian champions after the season was cancelled. the season ’19 -’20 and to accept the current state of the Jupiler Pro League as final classification [subject to the decisions of the licensing

committee].’

All European football, barring Belarus, has been suspended since last month due to the coronavirus

pandemic. Belgium’s move could put pressure on other European leagues to follow suit and cancel their seasons.

The Premier League is set

to hold a crisis meeting on Friday where the current comeback date, pencilled in for April 30, will be discussed.

No partiality for anyone, says ‘There may be no more tennis this committee chairman Hadad year’, says Wimbledon chief Lewis

Port of Spain, Trinidad, CMC – Chairman of FIFA’s normalisation committee for Trinidad football, Robert Hadad, says he has no vested interest in the local game and stakeholders should not expect any partiality.

In particular, Hadad stressed, neither the recently removed William Wallace administration nor their predecessors, the David John Williams regime, will receive any special treatment.

“I have a lot of respect for everybody … [but] you will always have the naysayers. I know that I’m never going to please everybody,” said the Trinidadian businessman.

“But I will need to be in touch with both parties because there are a lot of questions unanswered especially under the David John-Williams administration … so I want to have a proper working relationship with everybody.”

He added: “I can’t tell you I know one [administration] more than the other. I really only spoke to Mr Wallace [recently]. I’ve spoken to David a few times but nothing in depth, nothing to say he’s my buddy or my partner.

“I’m a very independent person and I would like to think everybody on my committee is in the same

Robert Hadad place.”

Hadad was last week named by football’s world governing body to oversee the committee which has been given charge of the T&T Football Association for the next two years.

The committee also comprises Judy Daniel who will serve as deputy chairperson along with Nigel Romano as an ordinary member, with FIFA expected to name a further two members after consultation with continental governing body, CONCACAF. FIFA controversially disbanded the TTFA board last month after concluding the local governing body was “facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity”.

Their move means that Wallace, who beat JohnWilliams in elections last November, was forced to step aside after just four months in charge.

But with the country currently under a ‘stay at home policy’ in the face of 89 recorded cases of the coronavirus and five deaths, Hadad said the normalisation’s work was in a “holding pattern”.

“We’re trying as much as possible, Nigel and myself and Judy also, sharing a lot of information and as much as we can to come up with our own plans,” Hadad said, adding he had liaised with Clinton Urling in Guyana, who had chaired a similar FIFA committee there six years ago.

“He has a lot of good information and we can probably reach out to him and get some information in the meantime. I’m planning to spend a lot of time on Skype and Zoom and have online discussions with these people but definitely we’re not going to be going to t h e o ff i c e b e c a u s e i t ’s illegal and we’ve got to respect that, so we’re going to be in a holding pattern for a couple weeks.”

London (Reuters) Tennis may not return until 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of the entire grasscourt season and most of the claycourt campaign, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chief executive Richard Lewis said yesterday.

The outbreak has played havoc with the global sporting calendar and the Wimbledon championships were cancelled by the AELTC on Wednesday for the first time since the second World War. Lewis, who is set to step down in July, said he hoped the situation will stabilise in the coming months to allow the hardcourt season to get underway before the U.S. Open begins on Aug. 24.

“The optimist in me – and I’m often not optimistic – still hopes that the American hardcourt season will take place,” Lewis said.

“One hopes that things have settled down a bit and those big 1,000-point tournaments — Montreal, Toronto, Cincinnati — can happen in the lead-up to the U.S. Open. We all know that’s probably tenuous at the moment.

“I don’t think it’s unrealistic to say that there

Richard Lewis may be no more tennis this year. But let’s hope that the U.S. Open and Roland Garros can take place.”

The French Open, originally due to be played from May 24-June 7, was postponed and controversially rescheduled by the French tennis federation for Sept. 20-Oct. 4 — a week after the U.S. Open concludes.

Top players, including eight-times champion Roger Federer and seven-times

winner Serena Williams, expressed their disappointment at not being able to play at Wimbledon this year.

The two 38-year-olds are nearing the end of their careers and Lewis is hoping they will return to the All England Club in 2021.

“We’d love to see both of them back,” Lewis said. “It’s something to look forward to, and we’ll hopefully enjoy it all the more, a silver lining to come out of it.”

Friday April 03, 2020

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Robert Kraft uses the Patriots’ plane to ship 1.2 MILLION N95 masks in from China MailOnline - The New England Patriots’ plane is hauled 1.2 million medicalgrade masks from China to Boston yesterday after team owner Robert Kraft reportedly paid $2million to help replenish Massachusetts’ dwindling supply during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Kraft covered half the cost of the sorely needed N95 masks, which were flown in from Shenzen, China to Logan International Airport and transported by the National Guard to a strategic stockpile about 30 miles west of Boston.

Kraft, a Columbia alum, has since agreed to donate 300,000 masks to neighboring New York state, where 1,941 people have now died amid 83,712 cases of COVID-19. As in Massachusetts, which has seen over 120 coronavirus deaths, New York’s health care workers are facing a desperate shortage of masks amid the worsening crisis.

Baker and other governors, such as New York’s Mario Cuomo, have complained that states are being forced to outbid each other for N95 masks, as well as other medical equipment, resulting in higher prices and shorter supplies.

Originally Kraft and his partners ordered 1.7 million masks, but only 1.2 million could fit on the plane, which was obviously built for passenger use and not shipping. The remaining masks will come in a second shipment, according to the Journal.

The plane specs were only part of the problem, Kraft explained. ‘I’ve never seen so much red tape in so many ways and obstacles that we had to overcome,’ Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, according to the Journal. ‘In today’s world, those of us who are fortunate to make a difference have a significant responsibility to do so with all the assets we have available to us.’

The Patriots’ plane was reportedly limited to just three hours on the ground in Shenzen, and needed all but three minutes of that to load the masks for the return flight.

As detailed in the Journal’s piece, the effort began weeks earlier when Baker and his staff tracked down the necessary N95 manufacturers in China. The problem was shipping them out of Shenzen amid the global pandemic and the subsequent shipping regulations.

There was even a chance that any potential flight crew

The Patriots’ plane hauled 1.2 million medical-grade masks from China to Boston.

could get quarantined in China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began. ‘I just have to get them here,’ he reportedly told Kraft’s son Jonathan, who serves as Patriots president and as chairman of the board at Massachusetts General Hospital.

It was Jonathan Kraft who suggested using one of the team’s two planes. Robert Kraft, the US State Department and Baker all followed with letters to China’s counsel general in New York to acquire the special permits, request waivers, and explain that every member of the crew

would remain on board while the plane was loaded.

After an avionics upgrade in Wilmington, Ohio on Friday night, the crew quickly scrambled to get visas by taking ID photos at a local pharmacy and sending them back to the Chinese Consulate, which opened its New York office over the weekend to accommodate the request.

Taking only mandatory rest and downtime, the crew landed in Alaska before heading to Shenzen, where one problem still remained: Who would load the masks onto the plane?

‘What we needed,’ said

Kraft Sports and Entertainment COO JIM Nolan, ‘were boots on the ground to gather the goods and get them to the right place.’

With help from intermediaries, the group was connected with executives at Tencent, a Chinese tech company, agreed to send over a dozen people to inspect and aggregate the masks. The group even stayed overnight guarding some of the shipment at the airport while manufacturers rushed to finish the rest.

When the order was complete, the Tencent team ushered the masks through

customs and onto the waiting Patriots team plane. The remaining 500,000 or so masks are reportedly being guarded by Tencent until the second shipment can be made.

The plane has since taken off on its return voyage, stopping in Alaska along the way. The Kraft family’s entrepreneurial endeavor is similar to other recent efforts made by former NBA star Stephon Marbury and current Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel, both of whom have offered to broker deals to import much-needed medical supplies, like N95 masks, from overseas.

Woods, Mickelson to play coronavirus relief match with Brady, Manning: report Reuters - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will play a coronavirus relief golf match next month with Super Bowlwinning quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, CNBC reported on Wednesday.

The report, which sourced an unnamed person familiar with the negotiations, said the charity match would be held at an undisclosed location without fans and is being organised by the PGA Tour and AT&T’s WarnerMedia.

The negotiations are still being finalised but the match pitting 15-times major champion Woods and Manning against five-times major winner Mickelson and Brady could be aired on live TV and is unlikely to be featured on pay-per-view, the report said.

“Discussions along these lines have been ongoing for quite some time, but nothing has been approved by the tour,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.

A matchup featuring two

of the most famous golfers of their era and two of the alltime greatest NFL quarterbacks would be a rare sporting event during the coronavirus pandemic which has brought the sporting world to a halt.

The event will feature a small production crew to film it and each individual will obey the sociald i s t a n c i n g recommendations to stay six-feet apart, the report said. Mickelson was asked recently on Twitter about the chances of a round of golf against Woods being live streamed in the near future, and the American replied: “Working on it”.

When another fan tweeted to Mickelson asking him not to “tease”, the 49year-old responded: “I don’t tease. I’m kinda a sure thing”.

Woods, 44, last competed in mid-February and then withdrew from a number of tournaments with a back injury before the PGA Tour decided to cancel a slew of

events because of the coronavirus.

Mickelson finished third in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February and missed the cut in his next two starts.

Woods and Mickelson played each other in a winnertakes-all $9 million matchplay exhibition in November, 2018 that was golf’s first venture into pay-per-view.

That event was hyped like a Las Vegas prize fight but proved more of a pillow fight with both golfers in jovial mood, playing for a purse that was put up by sponsors and went to a c h a r i t y o f M i c k e l s o n ’s choice.

Brady recently joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 20 years with the New England Patriots during which he won an NFL-record six Super Bowl titles.

Manning, who played for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, retired in 2016 as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns and yards and is the only five-times winner of the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

Tiger Woods, (left) and Phil Mickelson. USA TODAY SPORTS

U.S. Soccer launches “Bend the Curve. Stay at home.” campaign to fight COVID-19 Miami, Florida – On Wednesday, U.S. Soccer launched the “Bend the Curve. Stay at home.” campaign to help the American Soccer

Community in their effort to fight against COVID-19.

The campaign’s aim is to tap into the passion, dedication and commitment of U.S. Soccer fans to spread

awareness of the critical message of staying home to help stop the spread the COVID-19 cases.

“Our goal with our (Continued on page 25)

PAGE 30

Tony Lewis: Cricket statistician of the Duckworth-Lewis method dies aged 78 BBCsport - Tony Lewis, the mathematician and statistician who co-devised what became known as the Duckworth-Lewis method for settling weather-affected limited-overs matches, has died at the age of 78.

Lewis and fellow academic Frank Duckworth came together to produce a fairer method of settling such games than the controversial system which had been used at the 1992 World Cup. Their new system was first used in 1997 for a Zimbabwe v England game, and officially adopted by the International Cricket Council in 1999.

Duckworth-Lewis calculates targets based on the batting team’s remaining resources - wickets in hand, and overs in hand - via mathematical formulae.

In 2014, Australian professor Steven Stern became the custodian of the system, on the retirements of Duckworth and Lewis, and it is now known as the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern

Tony Lewis (right) and Frank Duckworth received their MBEs in 2010 for services to mathematics and cricket.(GETTY Images) (DLS) method.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement: “Cricket is deeply indebted to both Tony and Frank’s contributions to the sport. We send oursincere condolences to Tony’s family.”

From 2007: A decade of Duckworth-Lewis - Born in Bolton, Lewis was a lecturer at the University of the West of England when he and

Duckworth came together after South Africa’s target in the 1992 World Cup semi-final against England was comically reduced from 22 runs off 13 balls to 22 runs off one ball.

Duckworth explained in 2007: “I recall hearing Christopher Martin-Jenkins on radio saying ‘surely someone, somewhere, could come up with something better’ and I realised that it

was a mathematical problem that required a mathematical solution.”

Lewis and Duckworth were appointed MBEs in 2010.

Around the same time, an Irish pop group formed by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh of Pugwash - calling themselves The Duckworth Lewis Method - released two cricket-themed concept albums in 2009 and 2013.

FIFA setting out ‘Marshall Plan’ to mitigate covid-19 impact Sovccerex - FIFA is preparing a financial support plan for global soccer federations and organisations navigating the commercial fallout during the coronavirus-enforced shutdown, it has confirmed.

Soccer’s global governing body has set up a working group to explore ways to mitigate the damage that the ongoing suspension of matches could cause existing broadcast and sponsor partnerships, including a care package dubbed FIFA’s ‘Football Marshall plan’.

The proposal, which is named in reference to the US financial support package that helped rebuild Europe post-World War Two, could see FIFA dip into its US$2.7 billion reserves if it is

eventually put into action.

In a statement to Reuters, FIFA said it was reacting to ‘serious financial problems on account of the coronavirus outbreak’, which ‘threatens to disrupt and impair the ability of FIFA’s member associations and other football organisations’.

Those include leagues and clubs at professional, youth, and grassroots level, which the soccer body says are struggling ‘to develop, finance and run football activities at all levels of the game’.

FIFA says that it also foresees ‘a considerable number of persons involved in football, including both men and women players, will be left in extremely difficult economic conditions’.

Gianni Infantino While FIFA did not disclose the exact format or details of its support plan, a spokesperson told Reuters that the soccer body plans to have a scheme ‘agreed and announced in the near future’, following further consultation with FIFA’s member associations, continental confederations, and other stakeholders.

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused major disruption to the global sporting calendar, with FIFA itself set

to move its revamped Club World Cup in 2021 to avoid a clash with UEFA’s postponed 2020 European Championships.

UEFA’s decision to move the tournament was taken to allow domestic leagues more time to complete their ongoing campaigns and hopefully mitigate the financial fallout with broadcast partners.

Global digital sports broadcaster DAZN is informing rights holders that it will be withholding fees while games are not going ahead.

The German Football League (DFL) and France’s Professional Football League (LFP) are having similar conversations with domestic broadcast partners for the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 respectively to find a solution that suits all parties.

Concacaf Suspends Development Department Activities The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) has advised of the suspension of a number of its scheduled programmes, workshops and activities as a result of the spread of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic.

These initiatives were scheduled for the March – May period and included

Friday April 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

sessions at various locations across the Confederation.

In a correspondence to its Member Associations, Concacaf listed the events as follows: MARCH: Regional C License Coaching Course in Honduras, Domestic D License Coaching Course in Nicaragua, Concacaf-English FA Coach Education Mentorship Programme

Phase 2 in Grenada, Conacaf Coach Education Panel in Miami, Domestic D License Coaching Course in Puerto Rico.

APRIL: Next Play Academy Festival In Guatemala (April 4), Domestic D License Coaching Course in Dominican Republic (April 14 – 18), Regional B License Course For Technical Development Directors / Leaders of Coach

Education in Jamaica (April 27 – May 3). Concacaf said that they hope to reschedule the listed activities to alternative dates later in the year and noted that “all decisions concerning rescheduling of the above activities would be made in close consultation with all participating and hosting Member Associations for each of the respective events.”

Working capital among financial challenges: Skerritt Port of Spain, Trinidad, CMC – Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt has painted a challenging portrait of the governing body’s finances, pointing to a shortage of working capital as a continued problem while underscoring the need to secure sustainable revenue streams.

Speaking last week on the one-year anniversary of taking up the helm of the embattled organisation, Skerritt said the board had continued to suffer from a legacy of over-spending without finding a means of off-setting costs.

Additionally, vital new broadcast deals still remained up in the air, depriving CWI of key revenue, while other income had fallen short of projections.

“West Indies cricket has been suffering for some time from a shortage of working capital. Basically we spend more money than we earn most years,” Skerritt said.

“When we earn more than we spend it’s usually small amounts. We’ve had an approach where we always spent money we thought was coming in advance of it coming, and sometimes the money that came wasn’t quite what we expected.”

Skerritt, a former Tourism Minister in St Kitts and Nevis, said grants from cricket’s world governing body, the International Cricket Council, was a prime example.

“We had been told that the ICC would be granting us a total of US$128 million over a seven-year period … well the ICC earnings fell a little bit and instead of getting 128 million over seven years, we’re going to be getting 119 million over the same period,” Skerritt pointed out.

“So that means West Indies was expecting an additional nine million dollars which we probably wouldn’t get but which we’ve pretty much already spent.”

Much of the recent cost has surrounded the acquisition of the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, formerly the old Stanford Cricket Ground. CWI chief executive Johnny Grave said last month the board had been forced to use its “operating cash flow” to complete the purchase.

Skerritt explained that undertaking this venture without having a solid base of capital had obviously had a significant impact.

“Part of it (income) was spent on purchasing the

Ricky Skerritt Coolidge Cricket Ground and that money has had to go to complete the sale of Coolidge Cricket Ground,” he noted.

[The purchase was completed] without having the kind of capitalisation that we needed to have, without having any long term money so that has pulled money out of our working capital.”

CWI’s fixed costs, Skerritt explained, stood at around US$45 million and this was serviced largely by ICC monies and broadcast revenue. But with CWI belatedly entering the market to renew its broadcast deal last year, Skerritt said the board had found itself disadvantaged.

“The broadcast rights money expired in December last year and we still do not have completed negotiations with most countries …,” he said. One, you should really enter the market about two years before the end of the [deal] to start negotiating and trying to cajole and to convince the broadcasters to do business with you.

“We didn’t go to the market till around the same time I became president last year [March] so we’ve not had enough time in the market and to make it worse, the market has become very, very uncertain. “So revenues which under normal circumstances we would have already begun collecting from broadcast rights, we have not done as yet.”

Skerritt said CWI would continue to navigate choppy financial waters going forward. “Revenues continue to decline, expenses are fixed and even when you try to reduce some of the administrative or operational costs, you still have payrolls that exceed US$1.5 million dollars per month to cover players etcetera and other fixed costs that just won’t go away.”

Kaieteur News

Friday April 03, 2020

PAGE 31

Wembley Stadium, London, 1 March: The month started with Manchester City celebrating their third League Cup win in succession - and their fourth in five years - with victory over Aston Villa at a packed Wembley (Photo by Getty Images)

Coronavirus and sport: How sporting world changed during March - in pictures BBCsport - A selection of striking photographs showing how sport has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Los Angeles, United States, 26 March: People sit on a hill overlooking Dodger Stadium on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball’s opening day. (Photo

by Getty Images)

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK, 13 March: Spectators use hand sanitiser on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. (Photo by Getty Images)

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 20 March: Workers play cricket wearing face masks despite government instructions to limit public gatherings. (Photo by Getty Images)

Tokyo, Japan, 31 March: A countdown clock shows the adjusted time remaining for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games outside Tokyo station. (Photo by Getty Images)

Turin, Italy, 8 March: Ashley Young, of Inter Milan, in action during the Serie A match against Juventus played behind closed doors at Allianz Stadium. This was after the Italian Government had issued a list of new guidelines in a bid to stop the virus (Photo by Getty Images)

Porto Alegre, Brazil, 15 March: Gremio players enter the field wearing masks before the match against Sao Luiz which was played behind closed doors at Arena do Gremio Stadium. (Photo by Getty Images)

Athens, Greece, 12 March: An athlete carries the Olympic torch during the flame handover ceremony, which was the first since 1984 to be held without spectators.

(Photo by Getty Images Europe)

California, United States, 8 March: Courtmaster Jeffrey Brooker cleans an empty centre court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after the BNP Paribas Open was cancelled. (Photo by Getty Images)

Chairman of CWI Selectors impressed by Joshua DaSilva Roger Harper

Feona Benjamin

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Spo

Says Permaul will be seriously considered

Joshua Da Silva

My goal is to represent Guyana-Sebai Invincible Talons FC striker Feona Benjamin

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