Articles published on Thursday, March 5, 2020
Carter Center Statement on Region 4 Election Results GEORGETOWN — The Carter Center is deeply concerned about the events that took place today at the Office of the Returning Officer for Region 4 and the decision to announce results that had not been verified.
The envoys of the US, UK, Canada and the European Union today said the full count of Region Four’s elections results was not completed and they questioned the credibility of the results released today by GECOM.
Amid mounting chaos in the verification of the election results for Region Four, the Head of the Commonwealth observer team, Owen Arthur this evening said final results for the general elections have not been tabulated and he urged all of the stakeholders to ensure full compliance with the law.
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) this evening said it is appalled at the “blatant and deliberate attempts by GECOM to destroy our democracy” by derailing the counting process for the 2020 elections results and attempts to subvert the will of the people.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has released to the media, results for Region Four in the General and Regional Elections and if certified would see the incumbent APNU+AFC winning the general elections by around 7,000 votes .
Lawyers associated with the PPP/C today secured an injunction against GECOM, the Chief Election Officer (CEO) and the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo from declaring the election results from Monday unless done in compliance with the law.
The Guyana Government today expressed regret over any `misunderstanding’ of comments made by Foreign Minister Dr Karen Cummings to international elections observers which were construed by some of them to constitute a threat to strip them of accreditation.
The Giftland Group of companies’ owner Roy Beepat today said that unless all internationally accepted elections practices in relation to elections results are followed and accepted by the international observers he will close the Giftland Mall until such time as the laws of the country are complied with.
Unrest is continuing at the Region Four Returning Officer’s office on High Street where the votes for the region are still being verified.
Foreign Minister Dr Karen Cummings was today accused of threatening to take away the accreditation of foreign observers amid mounting chaos in the verification of Region Four votes and her words drew a sharp rebuke from the Head of the Commonwealth observer mission, former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur.
Verification of the statements of poll (SoPs) for Region Four is to resume today following a major commotion this morning that saw the Police being called in to investigate reports that a data entry clerk had a suspect flash drive and lap top in his possession.
LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain’s Flybe collapsed today after a plunge in travel demand, making the long-struggling regional airline one of the first big corporate casualties of the coronavirus outbreak.
(Reuters) – Two years into an ambitious growth plan to revive earnings at the largest U.S.
(Trinidad Guardian) Moves to increase the efficiency of the protection order system are in the works.
Nine of Guyana’s 10 electoral districts have officially declared the results of the Regional Elections contested on Monday and the opposition PPP/C was leading the incumbent APNU+AFC by over 51,000 with only Demerara-Mahaica to be verified.
Verification of Statements of Poll (SoPs) for Region Four was on hold last night after some staff said they were exhausted, compounding hours of delay earlier in the day when a questionable spreadsheet of results triggered a major controversy and an emergency GECOM meeting.
International observer group, the Carter Center, has called on everyone including political parties to refrain from declaring elections results while the country waits for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to official announce them.
Head of the CARICOM Election Observation Mission to Guyana’s March 2 elections, Cynthia Combie-Martyr has expressed dissatisfaction that previous recommendations to reform the electoral system were never implemented even as Monday’s polls were deemed free and fair.
President David Granger last evening urged supporters to remain patient and await the official declaration of results from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as no one knows the “final scores.”
First Head of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Guyana, Urmas Paet yesterday cited the APNU+AFC coalition and opposition PPP/C for utilising state resources to campaign for the March 2 general and regional elections.
In a judgment released by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday, a special-leave application to appeal a decision of the Guyana Court of Appeal was rejected in a property case between Rafudeen Nizamudin and Chandroutie Persaud and their son, Javen Nizamudin.
The police in Region 3 are probing the landing of a helicopter at the Ruimzigt, West Coast Demerara seawall and a man who exited the aircraft has since been taken into custody.
Tevin Imlach returns to the Guyana Jaguars squad, replacing the injured Chandrapaul Hemraj for tomorrow’s seventh round clash against Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Providence in the West Indies Championships.
Former army Chief of Staff Gary Best, who allegedly struck down and killed cyclist Jude Bentley almost one month ago, has been granted his release on $500,000 bail after being formally charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.
The Guyana Cricket Board/Superbet senior female Inter-County tournament is expected to bowl off today.
Echoing a recommendation made over previous electoral cycles, the Commonwealth elections observation mission has called for the reform of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and has also urged that any election-related dispute be expeditiously addressed through appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms.
A 59-year-old gold miner succumbed at a city hospital on Tuesday, days after he was beaten and robbed at Mahdia, Region 8.
Plans are on stream for the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) to stage a two-day meet dubbed the ‘Early Season Classic’ for juniors and seniors at the National Track and Field Centre from March 14.
The Lady Jaguars were dumped out the CONCACAF Women’s U20 Football competition losing to heavyweight Haiti by a 0-3 scoreline yesterday at the Estadio Panamericano, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.
A young man now faces sentencing after admitting to raping a 10-year-old girl in an attack in August, 2015 Appearing before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow yesterday morning at the Sexual Offences Court of the High Court in Georgetown, the young man pleaded guilty to two counts of having raped the child on two separate occasions.
Two Sergeants have been charged with defrauding the Guyana Police Force’s Finance Office of over $12.5 million.
KANDY, Sri Lanka, CMC – Speedster Oshane Thomas conjured up a stunning maiden five-wicket haul while opener Lendl Simmons hit a measured unbeaten half-century, as West Indies celebrated captain Kieron Pollard’s 500th Twenty20 with a clinical 25-run victory over Sri Lanka here yesterday.
Dear Editor, “To Everything, there is a season; and a purpose to everything under the heaven.”
The Bar Association of Guyana is praising the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for a job well done and is urging electors to exercise patience and allow the Commission to complete its work.
(Reuters) – Opener Janneman Malan struck a sparkling unbeaten century to guide South Africa to a six-wicket win over Australia in the second one-day international in Bloemfontein yesterday which sealed victory in the series.
SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – Shemaine Campbelle has climbed eight places in the Twenty20 batting rankings, despite West Indies’ poor showing at the ongoing Women’s Twenty20 World Cup here.
An Albouystown vendor, who is accused of having 30 grammes of cannabis in his possession for trafficking, was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $30,000 after denying the charge.
Dear Editor, My grandfather used to say that he doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry when presented with some quite serious situations.
Clavil Graham, the 71-year-old mother of a murder convict, was yesterday brought to a city court on a charge of assault after she allegedly threw a liquid at the state prosecutor who secured the conviction.
BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Over the past year Brazil exported thousands of cargoes of wood from an Amazonian port without authorization from the federal environment agency, increasing the risk they originated from illegally deforested land, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Dear Editor, The Ethnic Relations Commission, (ERC), having observed the electoral process in some Polling Stations in parts of Regions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10, has found it, despite some minor hiccups in a few instances, to be free, fair and transparent.
(Reuters) – West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard became the first player to play 500 Twenty20 matches and only the second player to amass 10,000 runs in the format during their 25-run win over Sri Lanka in Kandy yesterday.
LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – The U.S. death toll from coronavirus infections rose to 11 yesterday as new cases emerged around New York City and Los Angeles, while Seattle-area health officials discouraged social gatherings amid the nation’s largest outbreak.
MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – Nestle SA is launching a reforestation project to plant at least 3 million trees in Mexico and Brazil in the next year and a half as the Swiss food group strives for carbon neutrality by 2050, executives told Reuters.
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts yesterday issued an unusual rebuke of “dangerous” comments by top U.S.
Dear Editor, The Guyana’s Elections Commission (Gecom) charged with responsibility to conduct elections is definitely broken.
(Reuters) – Team Ineos are withdrawing from racing after the death of sports director Nicolas Portal and amid coronavirus concerns, the British cycling team said yesterday.
SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australia’s hopes of retaining the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup in a blockbuster final on Sunday could fall foul of the Sydney weather, with heavy rain threatening to wash out today’s semi-finals.
CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela has arrested the head of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela’s lubricants division on corruption allegations, according to a statement read on state television yesteday.
Dear Editor, I say in advance that this writing may be dated by today.
LONDON, (Reuters) – The global release of the new James Bond film “No Time to Die” was postponed yesterday by seven months amid the coronavirus disruption that has closed movie theaters in China and caused widespread headaches for other Hollywood productions.
Groundhog Day is a critically acclaimed comedy film about a weary American weatherman caught in a time loop, repeatedly reliving mistakes and events.
Caris LeVert scored a career-high 51 points, 37 from the fourth quarter on, as the Brooklyn Nets rallied from 21 points down to stun the host Boston Celtics 129-120 in overtime Tuesday.
(Trinidad Express) The couple who faced 46 charges in relation to alleged sexual abuse of a 16-year-old have been denied bail.
Dear Editor, March 3rd 2020 USA Super Tuesday. Polls closed 9.00 pm.
LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – A resurgent Joe Biden rolled to victories across the South, Midwest and New England on the biggest day of voting in the U.S.
Internet users are increasingly becoming younger. Many more young people and children are online everyday than adults and more than likely this will grow as time advances.
Dear Editor, Can you imagine that because the Region 4 Returning Officer was hospitalized that the count stopped and there was no one in place to carry on immediately?
