Guyana Times - Thursday, September 4, 2025

Guyana positioned to be global model for rapid, fair, free democracy – Carter Center

The Carter Center, which observed Guyana’s September 1 General and Regional Elections, has said the country has the opportunity to become a global example of how democracy can develop “rapidly, fairly, and in a truly free way.”

During a post-election press conference at the Pegasus Corporate Suites, Georgetown, the mission’s leader, Jason Carter, praised the election process headed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as a strong demonstration of democratic maturity, describing the polls as peaceful, well-administered, and free of significant irregularities.

Additionally, Carter told reporters on Wednesday that Guyanese should take pride in the vibrancy of their democracy.

“We did not find any evidence that the list was manipulated. The answer to that question is no. We did not find any evidence that the list was manipulated…

With respect to civil society and the impact of this sort of newfound wealth and the new revenue streams in this country, I mentioned it at the beginning: Guyana is positioned to be a global leader in how a democracy can develop rapidly, fairly, and in a really truly free way. But it is going to require investment in the institutions that you described with respect to civil society. The Carter Center essentially is a civil society organisation,” the mission’s leader said.

The Carter Center de-

ployed 50 observers across all 10 electoral districts, covering 234 polling stations and all 17 tabulation centres. Carter noted that polling staff, party agents, and the GECOM generally conducted themselves with professionalism. Social media monitoring also reflected overwhelmingly positive assessments of election-day conduct.

He also addressed concerns about delays in tabulating results, describing the process as “cumbersome but transparent”.

“Ninety-seven per cent

of the reports that we've received regarding tabulation recorded that that tabulation was being conducted in accordance with what was good. And all of them said that they were doing it in accordance with the law. So that process is cumbersome. But it is ongoing. It is transparent, and when it's complete, I think people will have trust in the results,” Carter, the grandson of former US President Jimmy Carter, said.

Beyond Election Day, the Carter Center emphasised reforms needed to strengthen democracy in between election cycles. These include constitutional reform to build long-term trust between political parties, campaign finance laws and equal access to public information, particularly regarding contracts and decisions affecting citizens’ daily lives.

With Guyana’s oil wealth drawing global attention, Carter warned that the stakes extend far beyond the country’s bor-

ders.

Further, the Carter Center underscored that while Guyana’s democratic institutions are functioning, reforms and deeper investment in civil society will be essential if the country is to consolidate its gains.

“There’s always been a persistent complaint about the voters’ list,” Carter noted. He explained that while the Center found no evidence of manipulation during this election, steps must be taken to improve credibility, particularly by ensuring that the names of deceased persons are efficiently removed. “There are international best practices to ensure accuracy, including addressing persons who die abroad. Starting there will go a long way in building confidence,” he said.

Guyanese went to the polls on Monday for the 2025 General and Regional Elections, and while the GECOM has yet to officially declare the results, its online Statements of Poll

are projecting that the incumbent Government is leading in at least eight of the ten administrative regions.

According to the GECOM, 757,690 electors were registered for the September 1 General and Regional Elections at 2790 polling stations countrywide.

Six parties were contesting the elections.

Among them are the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C); A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); the Alliance For Change (AFC), We Invest in Nationhood (WIN); the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM). The declared results for each district published by GECOM show that President Dr Irfaan Ali is projected to take office for a second term in Government as the PPP/C heads towards a resounding victory.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, September 4 –02:05h–03:35h and Friday, September 5 – 02:45h–04:15h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, September 4 –14:20h–15:50h and Friday, September 5 – 14:50h–16:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers are expected during the day, and clear skies are expected at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 14:27h reaching a maximum height of 2.23 metres.

Low Tide: 07:54h and 20:16h reaching minimum heights of 0.93 metre and 0.98 metre.

2025 General and Regional Elections PPP/C in historic landslide victory with over 130,000 vote lead – ROs’ declarations

…APNU suffers massive losses, set to no longer be main Opposition

Official declarations from the Returning Officers (ROs) in the 10 electoral districts across Guyana confirm that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had secured a landslide victory at Monday’s General and Regional Elections, leading the race by some 133,432 votes.

While the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is yet to make an official declaration of the 2025 election results, it released the figures from the 10 administrative regions that were declared by the respective ROs between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Based on those district declarations, the President Dr Irfaan Ali; Prime Minister Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP/C have garnered the most votes – 242,498, more than double the figures of their closest political rival in this year’s elections – to secure a second term in office with a much larger parliamentary majority in the 65seat National Assembly.

This was despite a low voter turnout on Monday’s election day, which is said to be over 50 per cent of the 757,690 registered voters that were listed as eligible on the Official List of Electors.

The PPP/C was amongst six political parties that contested Monday’s polls, with the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, which was founded by United States (US)-sanctioned businessman-turned-politician Azruddin Mohamed, taking the second highest number of the votes.

WIN earned some 109,066 votes to grab the spot as the main Parliamentary opposition, demoting the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) into a minority Parliamentary opposition.

Based on the RO’s declarations, the Aubrey Nortonled APNU, whose leading party in the coalition grouping is the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), only managed to secure some 77,998 votes from the 10 regions.

Meanwhile, APNU’s former coalition partner, the Alliance For Change (AFC), which contested the elections alone, failed to obtain enough votes to earn a single seat in the House. The AFC, with leader Nigel Hughes, only got 3610 votes to the fifth spot. It was beaten by the Amanza WaltonDesir-led Forward Guyana

Movement (FGM), which received 4326 votes from the seven regions it contested.

The other party that contested the elections was the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), led by Simona Broomes, which earned 969 votes from the six regions it ran.

Landslide

In addition to recording a victory by a massive margin, the PPP/C has also won eight of the 10 administrative regions, including Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

This would be the first time in the country’s history that the PPP/C has gained control of Region Four – the largest

voting district and home of the capital city, Georgetown.

Region Four, the most populous and politically significant region, has long been considered a PNC-led APNU stronghold. But in a striking breakthrough, the PPP/C has secured Region Four with a remarkable 87,536 votes in the General Elections, while in the Regional Elections it received 87,018, earning almost twice as many votes as the APNU.

This marks a notable increase from the 2020 elections, when the PPP/C garnered 80,920 votes in the General Elections and 81,279 in the Regional

Elections – reflecting a gain of over 6600 votes.

In contrast, however, APNU has experienced a significant decline in support in Region Four, losing over 68,000 votes at this year’s elections. The PNC – rebranded as the APNU in 2011 –has traditionally maintained solid support in the region.

For instance, in 2020, when the APNU contested the elections in a coalition with the AFC, it had received 116,941 votes from the population in the General Elections and 116,403 votes in the Regional Elections.

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Rehabilitation services

The recently concluded Artificial Limb Donation and Fitment Camp at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre represents a watershed moment in Guyana’s ongoing efforts to improve rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities. Organised by the Ministry of Health’s Disability and Rehabilitation Services in partnership with the Government of India, Jaipur Foot, and Kalpataru Projects International Limited, the camp successfully fitted 105 prosthetic limbs to approximately 100 recipients, significantly enhancing their mobility, independence, and quality of life.

The benefits of the prosthetic limb programme extend far beyond immediate mobility. They speak to the restoration of dignity, the empowerment of individuals, and the facilitation of full participation in community life. Recipients from across the country, including Regions Two and Nine, have expressed gratitude for the initiative, underscoring the profound personal and social impact of such interventions. For these individuals, the difference is not merely physical – it is the ability to engage in employment, education, and daily activities without dependence or restriction.

This milestone further highlights the importance of international collaboration in health and rehabilitation. Partnerships with Jaipur Foot and Kalpataru Projects International Limited bring expertise, technology, and best practices that elevate national capacity. They exemplify how strategic global engagement can amplify local efforts, delivering results that would be difficult to achieve through domestic resources alone. However, reliance on international assistance should complement, not replace, a robust national framework for disability services. Long-term sustainability requires a deliberate policy agenda, funding, and the development of specialised personnel to ensure that such programmes are continuous.

Director of Disability and Rehabilitation Services, Dr Ariane Mangar, has rightly noted the milestone significance of fitting 105 prosthetic limbs. Her comments underscore that rehabilitation is a critical component of a healthcare system that prioritises both treatment and quality of life. Yet, the achievement also serves as a reminder of the broader structural gaps that remain. Access to rehabilitation services, assistive devices, and specialised care continues to be uneven across regions, leaving many persons with disabilities without the support necessary to achieve their full potential.

The Ministry of Health’s communication regarding the initiative, including acknowledgement of partner contributions, sets a positive example for accountability in public service delivery. It also reinforces public awareness of rehabilitation programmes and demonstrates the tangible results of Government action. Nevertheless, public awareness must be paired with policy continuity, resource allocation, and infrastructure expansion to ensure that the benefits witnessed at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre reach a wider population.

While the camp represents a substantial achievement, it also serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for sustained investment in rehabilitation services and disability support. The success of this programme should encourage continued development of infrastructure, personnel training, and community outreach to ensure that persons with disabilities across all regions have consistent access to essential services. Rehabilitation is not a one-time intervention; it is a continuum that requires sustained commitment from both Governmental institutions and international collaborators.

The Artificial Limb Donation and Fitment Camp is a demonstration of the potential of coordinated, well-resourced rehabilitation initiatives to transform lives. By restoring mobility, independence, and dignity, this programme demonstrates that healthcare extends beyond immediate treatment to the longterm empowerment of individuals. The Ministry of Health, through strategic partnerships and dedicated services, has set a benchmark for disability support in Guyana, reinforcing the principle that healthcare systems must be inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of all citizens. Continued focus on rehabilitation services will not only improve individual outcomes but will also contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate society.

What chaos at the US CDC could mean for the rest of the world

By Michael Toole

Ever since Robert F Kennedy Jr (RFK) was appointed United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been under pressure to abandon its traditional evidence-based approach to public health in America and across the world.

That pressure came to a head last week with the sacking of recently appointed CDC director Susan Monarez.

According to her lawyers, the long-time Government scientist, who had been in the role less than a month, was targeted after she refused to “rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives”.

Monarez will be replaced by Jim O'Neill, deputy director of the Department of Health and Human Services. Critics note he has no medical or scientific training.

On the same day as Monarez’s firing, three senior officials resigned. They included the CDC’s chief medical officer and two others with leadership roles in areas including vaccines and emerging diseases.

I worked at the CDC between 1986 and 1995. Almost all of my work was with activities overseas.

While the CDC is a key institution overseeing and funding public health in the US, it’s also instrumental in global health. Consequently, turmoil at the CDC could have an impact not just in the US but around the world.

Soon after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump for the second time in January 2025, threats to American public health became clear. RFK Jr was confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services in February, with authority over the CDC.

By April, 25 per cent of CDC staff had been fired, and its contract spending was cut by 35 per cent. Cancelled CDC programmes included those focused on the prevention of lead poisoning in children, environmental health, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

Notably, RFK Jr has a long history of vaccine scepticism.

In 2019–20, more than 5700 people became infected when a measles outbreak ravaged the island nation of Samoa. Some 83 persons died, most of them children.

In the lead-up, a number of ads spread vaccine misinformation on Facebook, sowing doubt about the safety of the measles vaccine. Some were found to have been funded by Children’s Health Defence, an organisation founded by RFK Jr.

RFK Jr’s department has dismissed and replaced the 17 expert members of the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices with eight new people – a number of whom have reportedly expressed anti-vaccination views.

During RFK Jr’s tenure so far, his department has: reduced access to COVID vaccines for children and pregnant women cancelled contracts to develop new mRNA vaccines worth US$500 million revived the search for a long-disproved link between childhood vaccines and autism

RFK Jr is arguably the most important figure overseeing health in the US. It’s difficult to overestimate the harm his actions will do to vaccine confidence and uptake in America and around the world.

While the CDC had long provided advice to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on malaria control, the first

major overseas initiative was as an active partner in the WHO’s successful global smallpox eradication programme. Along with the Soviet Union, the CDC initially focused on West Africa in the 1960s and then India and Bangladesh in the 1970s.

The CDC’s first international emergency health response occurred during the Biafra conflict, which led to widespread famine in the eastern part of Nigeria. In 1968, at the request of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the CDC mobilised staff to monitor nutrition and design programmes to combat malnutrition.

The agency’s largest-ever overseas intervention began in March 2014 when an Ebola outbreak occurred in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. By July 2015, the CDC had allocated 3000 staff to Ebola, with 1200 on the ground in West Africa, including neighbouring countries such as Nigeria and Senegal. CDC staff provided technical advice on strengthening laboratory diagnosis, contact tracing and surveillance.

Following the Ebola outbreak, the Global Health Security Agenda was established as a coordinated epidemic preparedness initiative with members from more than 60 countries, United Nations agencies and non-Governmental organisations. The Obama Administration funded US involvement generously, with the CDC leading US contributions.

The first sign of a US withdrawal from global health came soon after Trump’s inauguration when he signed executive orders cancelling US membership of the WHO and suspending all US foreign development assistance.

This led to the cancellation of large programmes to prevent and treat HIV and

AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

Soon after, CDC officials were ordered to cease all communications with the WHO, leading to CDC experts leaving global advisory committees, among other things.

The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has led to a loss of 83 per cent of its programmes and the cancellation of 5200 contracts. This has stymied its ability to effectively deliver lifesaving aid, including in countries devastated by conflict and famine, such as Sudan. One study predicted the cuts in USAID funding could lead to 14 million extra deaths by 2030. Budget and staff cuts have seriously reduced the CDC’s capacity to engage in global initiatives. For example, the Maternal and Child Health Branch was shut down, and all 22 staff were terminated. This branch helped low- and middle-income countries implement programmes to prevent HIV in pregnant women and their babies.

The loss of financial resources and a large number of expert staff means the agency faces an uncertain future. Interference in its procedures to develop science-based health policies will gravely affect its ability to carry out its mandate both domestically and globally. The CDC has lost the trust of the American people and is no longer regarded as the pre-eminent public health agency in the world. Governments, research institutes and health development agencies around the world must unite to decry this loss of global health expertise. Millions of lives depend on forceful action. (The Conversation)

(Michael Toole is an Associate Principal Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute)

PPP/C in historic landslide victory...

APNU’s support plummeted

But at Monday’s polls, APNU’s support plummeted to just 46,956 votes in the General Elections and 46,772 in the Regional Elections. The AFC managed only 1765 votes in the General and 1833 in the Regionals – reflecting a combined decline of more than 68,000 votes of the former coalition partners.

APNU’s control over Region Four was further weakened by the WIN party, which received 41,607 votes in the General Elections and got 41,930 in the Regionals.

In the General Elections, AFC got 1765, FGM got 2431, while ALP received 497. In the Regionals, AFC received 1833, FGM got 2690 and ALP got 549.

PPP/C’s improvements

Meanwhile, the PPP/C also made inroads in another PNC-led APNU stronghold, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), where it obtained 4260 votes in the General Elections and 4197 in the Regional Elections. In the last General Elections, it had garnered 3162 votes, while in the Regional Elections, it received 3208.

The WIN party has taken control of Region 10 from APNU. For the General Elections, WIN got 10,458 votes, while APNU received 5334, AFC 210, ALP 85 and FGM 662. In the Regional Elections, WIN got 10,262 votes, APNU 5370, AFC 224, ALP 82, and FGM 818.

The three-month-old political party also took control of Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) from the PNCled APNU. In the General Elections, APNU got 983, PPP/C received 3577, while WIN secured 5098. AFC received 415 votes, while ALP got 59.

In the Regional Elections, APNU earned 980, PPP/C secured 3508, while WIN received 5085. AFC got 414, while ALP earned 65.

In the last elections, APNU and AFC had contested jointly and earned 4,813 votes in the General Elections and 4839 in the regional.

Regained control

When it comes to Region One (Barima-Waini), the PPP/C has regained control of the region.

In the General Elections, APNU received 469 votes, AFC got 35, FGM received 75, PPP/C got 9030 and WIN earned 5716. In the Regional Elections, APNU got 344, AFC received 25, FGM got 61, PPP/C earned 9021, and WIN got 5830.

Similarly, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), the PPP/C has won the region with 17,478 votes in the General Elections, while the APNU received 1835, the AFC 91, WIN 7400 and FGM 147.

In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C secured 17,442 votes, APNU 1791, AFC 93, WIN 7433 and the FGM received 143.

The same trend was seen in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) –the home of President Ali.

Based on the declared figures, the PPP/C earned 48,055 votes in the General Elections, while the WIN got 12,969 and APNU received 8992 votes. The FGM party got 522 votes, the AFC 322, and the ALP 138 votes.

In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C secured 47,754

votes, followed by WIN with 13,020 votes, APNU with 8907, FGM with 540, AFC with 299 and ALP with 148.

For Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), the PPP/C has won the region again. In the General Elections, the PPP/C garnered 18,432 votes, APNU got 6480, AFC received 208, ALP got 58, FGM secured 128, while WIN won 5816.

In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C earned 18,273 votes, APNU got 6441, AFC received 210 votes, ALP got 59, FGM won 127, while WIN secured 5808.

The PPP/C has regained control of its stronghold in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), where the PPP/C earned 41,320 votes in the General Elections, while the APNU received 6223, the AFC 315, WIN 12,623, FGM 137 and ALP 132.

In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C secured 41,014, while the APNU got 6251, the AFC 306 and the WIN 12,580. FGM received 355, while ALP got 122.

Meanwhile, the PPP/C regained control of Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) at Monday’s polls. In the General Elections, the PPP/C earned 2872 votes, while the APNU received 276, the AFC 56, and WIN 2562.

In the Regional Elections, the PPP/C secured 2847, while the APNU got 253, the AFC 54 and the WIN 2558.

And finally, for Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), the PPP/C

earned 9938 votes in the General Elections, once again taking the region.

The APNU received 450 votes, and the AFC 192, while WIN got 4817.

For the Regional Elections, the PPP/C secured 9853 votes, while the APNU got 430, the AFC 265 and the WIN 4794.

While declarations were made in all of the 10 electoral districts across Guyana, it has received a request for a recount from APNU. That request was

granted, and the recount will be conducted today for the Region Four subdistrict of East Coast Demerara (ECD). Parties have until noon today to make recount requests for those district results that were declared on Wednesday.

Once the period for such requests expires and the ongoing recount process concludes, it is expected that GECOM will officially declare the results of the 2025 elections, which could be sometime today.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

08:00 Movie - Ponyo (2008)

11:30 TVG Music Break

12:00 News Break

12:05 Movie - Freakier Friday 2 (2025)

14:00 Jurassic World S2 E9

14:30 The Fairly Oddparents

15:00 How I Met Your Mother S3 E15

16:00 Indian Soaps

17:00 Stop Suffering

17:30 The Evening News

18:30 CPL 2025 BR vs GAW

23:00 Modern Family S1 E11

23:30 Arrested Development S3 E13

Polygons

Two polygons are congruent if their shapes and sizes are the same. The sides and the angles in one polygon must exactly match the sides and the angles in the other. Congruent polygons do not have to face in the same direction. The best way to find out if two polygons are congruent is to measure the sides and the angles in both.

MExercises:

Identify the congruent polygons

Now, take a small handful of clay and roll it between your hands and the table to create a long, thin “snake.” Coil the clay snake Coil the snake of clay around the top edge of the clay base, over the scratch marks, then

continue coiling the snake around and around.

Blend the edges

Use your fingers and a tiny bit of water to blend the edges of the clay coils together a little bit or a lot.

Add embellishments

Once you’ve made your clay coil pot as big as you would like, you can add embellishments such as spirals, flowers, or braids made out of clay.

Let it dry

Let your pot dry completely (this can take several days).

Paint it Paint the pot. (Adapted from artfulparent. com)

By Elly NilaNd

APNU, WIN call for recount after crushing defeat

…exercise begins today, to run nonstop on 25 workstations – GECOM

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Wednesday confirmed that it has approved a request from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) political party for a recount of Sub-District four of District four, with the recount scheduled to commence today at 08:00h. The electoral body noted that the recount exercise will proceed uninterrupted until completion using a total of 25 workstations.

As such, the Chief Election Officer, Vishnu Persaud, has written to all political parties informing them of the need for each party to provide at least one accredited election agent present for each workstation.

Presidential candidate for APNU, Aubrey Norton, as well as Presidential candidate for the We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) party, Unites Stated (US)sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, took to social media on Wednesday to announce that their parties have begun to request recounts in various districts.

According to Norton, APNU has requested recounts in Regions Four (Demera-Mahaica), Seven

(Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) – regions where the party would lead in previous elections but took severe losses in the September 1 polls. WIN claimed that it had submitted a request for Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday evening, GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward stressed that thus far the only approved request was the one received from the APNU for the recount of Sub-District 4 in District 4. She confirmed that a request had also been made by the WIN party; however, she explained that the request was not made by the requisite person empowered to do so.

A recount can only be requested in writing by a political party’s counting agent or candidate to the count. Each political party is allowed a number of party agents in various categories, with the duly appointed election agent being the main one. Other party agents include the Assistant Election Agent, Counting Agent, Polling Agent, Alternate Polling Agent, Candidate to the Count and Candidate to the Poll.

Nonetheless, all of the

political parties have until midday today to request recounts for any of the districts that declared results on Wednesday. All ten of the districts completed their official declarations on Wednesday.

According to the Regional Officers’ declared results, which were published on GECOM’s website on Wednesday, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has won eight of the districts, while WIN won two, and the APNU received less than 50 per cent of the votes that the party managed to garner in the 2020 elections.

The party took a massive hit in Region 10, where the party has always historically taken the win. After winning 19,169 votes in the General Election in that region in 2020, in this year’s declaration from that region the party has garnered a paltry 5334 votes. APNU was broadsided by WIN, which took the leading 10,458 votes. The PPP/C earned 4260 in this district.

Plummeted

However, the shock for APNU was Region Four, where the party had 116,941 in the General Elections in

2020 and has plummeted to 46,956 in 2025.

The PNC – which rebranded as the APNU in 2011 – has traditionally maintained solid support in the region, the most populous and politically significant region, encompassing Georgetown and its environs.

For the first time in the country’s history, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has now taken control of Region Four, earning almost twice as many votes as the APNU.

In the general elections,

the PPP/C secured a remarkable 87,536 votes, while in the regional elections it received 87,018. This marks a notable increase from the 2020 elections, when the party garnered 80,920 votes in the general and 81,279 in the regional – reflecting a gain of over 6600 votes.

Region Seven was another district that the party won in 2020, at that time amassing 4813 votes in the General Elections. In Wednesday’s declaration, Region Seven has APNU with 276 votes, WIN took the region with 2562 votes,

while the PPP/C earned 2872 votes, and the Alliance for Change was left with a paltry 56.

The party having shown low ratings during the entire campaign season, they struggled to get supporters to turn out to their public meetings and rallies. Describing the number as “implausible”, Norton said the problem is not the party’s inability to pull voters.

“We have seen in Region 4 something very implausible: that we will drop from 120,000-plus votes to 40,000. That has never happened in any election in the world. Also, in Region 10 we move from complete domination of the region to having lost the region. Something we have never seen in this country. We have asked for a recount in Regions Four, Seven and 10. We will continue to pursue these issues,” Norton declared in a video posted on the party’s social media page.

The loss has been all the more grave given that the party lost most of its constituencies to WIN, a party that was formed just three months ago. The APNU is a coalition party led by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), formed in 1957.

JetBlue passengers stranded at CJIA after deplaning twice

Passengers travelling on Jetblue flight

Passengers had to deplane the aircraft twice.

Passengers initially boarded around 15:15h but were asked to deplane be-

B6-1916 destained for New York and which was scheduled to depart Georgetown at 15: 14h on Wednesday are now stranded at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

cause the aircraft was reportedly too warm. Later, around 16:00h they were instructed to reboard, only to be asked to disembark again due to alleged mechanical issues and crew fatigue.

One passenger who reached out to this publication, said that no hotel accommodations were offered.

The traveler said that Travelers said passengers received vouchers of $2,400 for meals and were told they would need to return this morning to collect another voucher for breakfast. Passengers were also required to retrieve their luggage, leaving many stranded at the airline counter area overnight.

The airline has indicated that the flight may now depart today around 09:00h though this remains unconfirmed.

Cummings Lodge man kills wife, sets home ablaze in murder-suicide

Police have launched an investigation into an alleged murder-suicide after a 46-yearold man from Second Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), reportedly killed his wife in her bed early Wednesday morning before setting their home on fire. He later died from the burns he sustained.

Dead are 50-yearold Paula Abraham and 46-year-old Ishwar Singh. According to police, the incident occurred at approximately 01:30h.

Paula Abraham was discovered lying motionless on a sponge mattress in her bedroom. A stab wound was visible on the left side of her neck, and blood stains were present on her clothing and bed. There were no burn marks on her body or the mattress. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ishwar was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital; however, he succumbed to his injuries at around 10:10h. His body is currently at the hospital mortuary awaiting a

they had never seen an altercation between the couple or witnessed Ishwar being physically violent to Abraham.

The couple’s daughter, however, told investigators that her father was known to be abusive toward her mother, often threatening to kill her. She too described him as a habitual drinker.

Dhanrajie

Narine, who

At the time, the couple’s daughter, Preeta Singh, was asleep when she was awakened by her mother’s screams. She reported feeling intense heat and, upon investigation, discovered the house was on fire. She immediately exited through the southern door and raised an alarm, prompting neighbours and relatives to respond.

Preeta also observed a sofa chair in the hall engulfed in flames, which quickly began to spread throughout the structure. Shortly after, her father emerged from the northern door of the lower flat, visibly burnt.

Following the blaze,

post-mortem examination.

Members of the East Coast neighbourhood were left searching for answers as they tried to understand what could have led the 46-year-old to murder his reputed wife before setting the couple’s home on fire, even as their daughter and other family members were at the house.

According to the neighbours, Abraham worked as a domestic worker, in addition to managing a small catering business that provided dhal puri to clients. Singh, on the other hand, was described as an alcoholic and has been unemployed for quite some time now.

The neighbours said that

lives next door and is a relative of the couple, recalled that up to the evening before the incident, there was no indication that such an incident could unfold, particularly since there were no arguments or altercations between Singh and Abraham.

Narine explained that she had gathered with other family members at the house as the family continued to prepare for a religious ceremony to honour Singh’s late father.

Several persons in the home at the time included a number of overseas relatives who had travelled to Guyana for the funeral of Singh’s father, who had

died about two weeks ago.

Singh and his wife lived together in the lower flat of the two-storey wooden and concrete structure. The daughter, Preeta, who was at the home for the occasion, resides overseas.

“Up to last night I was over there and nothing, nothing [was wrong]. We sit down, everybody sitting down playing domino,” Narine recalled of the hours before the fatal incident.

Though the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was summoned and responded promptly to reports of the fire, most of the house was destroyed, with the upper flat of the house suffering significant fire damage, while the lower flat was partially burnt.

Later on Wednesday, Minister of Human Services and Social Security (HSSS), Dr Vindyha Persaud, visited the family, donating hampers including mattresses, and spoke to the family about ways that they could get further assistance from the Ministry.

“My heart goes out to the family. I’m here to provide whatever support I need to provide because there has been not only loss of life but also a home has been burnt, so things have been destroyed,” Dr Persaud noted.

“This is heart-breaking. When I saw it, I immediately responded because every time we lose a life, and specifically when we lose women to the scourge of gender-based violence, it is something that I take personally. The family is devastated because it’s not only the loss of life, it’s the gruesome way in which our women continue to be killed.”

The incident comes just one week after another murder-suicide in Charlotte Street, where 36-year-old Alroy Solomon murdered his wife, 36-year-old Teekadai Atiya Solomon, and wounded their 10-year-old son before killing himself.

So what… …happened?

Your Eyewitness is pecking away (desultorily) at this piece – as he compulsively scans his phone every other minute looking for some sorta authoritative pronouncement on the final figures on the elections! He knows the PPP won – big time; the PNC lost – even bigger time!! – and Sanction Man made out like a bandit – pun darn well intended!! But what’s behind this? Your Eyewitness’ enquiring mind wants to know!!

He’s seen one report that the total number of votes cast was 372,135. This means that from the OLE of 757,690 names – even if we exclude the 100,000 or so who’ve migrated – we had a very, VERY low turnout. In 2020 there’d been 464,565 voters who’d shown up –from the OLE of 661,378!! What’s behind this drop of 92,000 voters when the list had actually INCREASED by 96,000 since then?? One explanation is that historically, the PNC’s constituency always had a comparatively low turnout rate – being conditioned for decades that their leaders would rig or otherwise “fix” the results in their favour. Why bother to get your finger dirty??!! And in this go-around, the circus that the PNC had become after Norton became leader would’ve turned them off even more than usual! And this, even though, on the hustings, everybody and their uncle were in agreement that this election was gonna be one for the (history) books!!

The controversies over the leadership election –padding of party groups’ membership, sexual assault allegations, etc. – caused several of those seeking the position to quit in disgust and even launch new parties!!It’s now clear that a great number of regular supporters were even more disgusted – and expressed their sentiment by not bothering to show up at the polling stations! Others – mostly the Scrapeheads section – gave their ‘X’s to Sanction Man’s WIN not only because of the big bucks he doled out but also because of the aforementioned disgust with the party! A goodly number of mainstream PNC-ites also voted for that reason for the PPP – in addition to appreciating the inclusive developmental strategy of that party that had personally improved their lives!

Thirdly, and most significantly, the PPP’s record – and the massive tsunamis of red at their rallies – however gave their supporters an overabundance of confidence!! Their party was gonna win in any case against the anaemic PNC and dead meat AFC! They figured staying at home wouldn’t matter to the party’s certain winning!! Well, the PPP won all right – with some 36 or 37 seats, which far exceeds the 33 from 2020!!

But while their housebound supporters might’ve been right about their party winning regardless, your Eyewitness is sure the PPP’s brain trust wouldn’t have minded the certain two-thirds majority with a higher turnout!!

…about incumbency?

A report by the EU Observer Mission just crossed your Eyewitness’ feed – and as far as he can see, they got their bucktas and drawers into a knot about the “advantages” of the PPP being in office at the time of the elections!! Said they, “The President and his administration inaugurated a high number of public projects (hospitals, schools, roads and bridges) and launched several social support programmes, combining these events with campaign activities.”

So, since the President and his cabinet were seeking re-election, they were expected to hold off on these “inaugurations” – even though the accomplishments of any Government form the basis for seeking reelection?? Is this how it’s done in Europe – or anywhere else?? “Incumbency advantage” might be a threat when electoral turnover is infrequent!! But here in Guyana this Government was voted out in 2015 while running an identical “incumbent” campaign?? And won in 2020 as an opposition party without the “advantages” of incumbencies??

And what about the advantages of a billionaire candidate doling out money for votes??

…the US flotilla?

Well, the US flotilla sent down to deal with the Venezuelan cartels’ drug shipments to the States just made its first interdiction on the high seas. And literally blew it out of the water!!

GECOM’s upload of SoPs to website major improvement from 2020 elections – Commonwealth

The Commonwealth team, tasked with observing Guyana's 2025 General and Regional Elections, has lauded the uploading of Statements of Poll (SoPs) to the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) website – which it says is an improvement from the 2020 elections lending to the accuracy and transparency of the results.

At a press conference on Wednesday morning to deliver interim findings, the Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) commended the peaceful environment before and during polling on Monday’s election day, saying that the election-related procedures were largely re-

spected.

Chairperson of the Mission and Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Tonga, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, lauded the amendments to Guyana’s electoral laws that saw improvements in the counting and tabulation processes.

“We observed the counting of ballot papers. The new tabulation process for the Statements of Poll and District Tabulation Forms was followed and was well understood by party agents. The ascertainment of votes, results tabulation and verification were conducted with transparency and professionalism, and party agents were given copies of

Statements of Poll.”

“The Statements of Poll were uploaded to the GECOM website by the Returning Officers, and the Group commends GECOM on these improvements from the 2020 elections, which can improve the accuracy and transparency of the results,” the Group Chair stated.

In 2020, there were blatant efforts to rig the elections in favour of the then People’s National Congressled A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition regime, which had maintained that it had the winning SoPs but never sought to produce them to

East La Penitence man arrested with illegal gun, ammo

A28-year-old contractor of Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, is now in custody after being caught with an unlicensed 9 mm pistol and matching rounds of ammunition late Sunday night.

The suspect, Cassell Nurse, was apprehended around 23:50h on Monday in the D’Urban Backlands area. Reports indicate that lawmen on mobile patrol noticed a group of men gathered near a shop. As they approached, Nurse allegedly pulled a handgun from his waist and tossed it to the ground.

The firearm, a 9mm pistol containing 15 live rounds, was quickly retrieved by a police sergeant. When questioned, Nurse admitted that he was not a licensed firearm holder.

He was informed of the offence, cautioned, and

taken into custody. At the East La Penitence Police Station, his fingerprints were collected, and the firearm was processed for latent print comparison. A search of the area turned up no spent shells.

The nurse remains in custody pending charges.

Less than a year ago, Nurse was injured during a gunfire exchange between law enforcement officers and suspected gunmen.

According to reports from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), ranks from the Brickdam Police Station were responding to information about two armed men on a motorcycle when they spotted the suspects at Robb and Alexander Streets.

Police gave chase, and the gunmen reportedly opened fire on the policemen. While on Robb Street, in the exchange of gunfire, Nurse was struck by a bul-

let in the left thigh.

The gunmen managed to escape, and Nurse was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted in stable condition.

While police had reported that one bullet was recovered from the scene and they were reviewing CCTV footage in the area as part of the investigation, there have been no further reports on the matter.

support its claims.

However, the international community, including the Commonwealth, had played a crucial role in ensuring that democracy prevailed at those elections. At the time, Guyana was plunged into a political deadlock for five months as a result of blatant attempts to steal the elections by some senior electoral officials with the aim of keeping the Coalition in power.

In its report, the 2020 COG, led by the late former Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur, noted that despite a smooth polling day on March 2 and tabulation process, “serious difficulties” arose during the tabulation of results for the most populous district – Region Four, which led to serious credibility concerns and ultimately, to the five-month delay to the conclusion of the elector-

eration of measures to further streamline the counting and tabulation process,” the Chairperson stated, adding, “We commend the work undertaken thus far. We encourage GECOM to continue to manage the tabulation and to conduct the announcement of the results with diligence and transparency.”

Recount

Up to press time on Wednesday, declarations were made by the Returning Officers (ROs) in all of the 10 electoral districts across Guyana. However, GECOM is yet to make an official declaration of the 2025 results.

Following the district declarations, the Commission said it received a request for a recount from one of the six parties that contested Monday’s general and regional elections,

nical experts have worked with GECOM. They had made certain recommendations which were taken onboard and implemented, but the aspect of the speed at which the announcements were made is a delicate issue. There are various mechanisms involved in the ability to announce results in a timely fashion. We would encourage this to continue to be done diligently, and we would take this under advisement in the final report to make more specific announcements in relation to that,” another member of the COG, Darrell Bradley, stated.

Bradley, a former president of the Belize Senate and mayor of Belize City in Belize, went on to say, “Democracy is a process; it’s an ongoing journey. We’ve noted several improvements that have been made

al process.

Then Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland, QC, was very vocal during the 2020 election controversy, calling for local stakeholders to accept the results of the national recount that was conducted and confirmed that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic won the 2020 elections.

Commend GECOM

Since then, the Guyana Government has introduced a series of amendments to strengthen the integrity and transparency of the electoral process, but the 2025 COG on Wednesday said more could be done.

“While we applaud these significant improvements, we recommend the consid-

APNU. That request was granted, and the recount will be conducted today for the Region Four subdistrict of East Coast Demerara (ECD). Parties have until noon today to make recount requests for those district results that were declared on Wednesday.

Once the period for such requests expires and the ongoing recount process concludes, it is expected that GECOM will officially declare the results of the 2025 elections. Asked during Wednesday’s press conference about the group’s recommendations for a timelier declaration of the election results, the COG said it will pronounce on this issue in its final report.

“I know that the tech-

in Guyana over the various election cycles, and the Commonwealth continues to support Guyana in this journey.”

Ahead of the 2025 elections, the Commonwealth had fielded two senior electoral experts – Dr AfariGyan, former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, and Dr Nasim Zaidi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India –to support GECOM in its preparations.

The Commonwealth of Nations, generally known simply as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 54 member states, including Guyana, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire.

No evidence of “dead” or multiple voting on Election Day – EU observers

There was no evidence of “dead” or multiple voting on Election Day, according to the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) on Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Observer Vania Angelova, during a post-election press conference at the Pegasus Suites in Georgetown, told reporters that despite repeated claims in the pre-election period, observers on the ground saw no evidence of persons voting in the names of deceased citizens or of individuals casting more than one ballot.

“The accuracy of the

well.”

Her reassurance comes against the backdrop of years of allegations over Guyana’s register of electors, which this year contained 757,069 registered voters. Opposition parties had charged that the list was “bloated”, citing the inclusion of overseas-based Guyanese and dead persons.

But according to the EU’s preliminary findings, while those concerns were widely aired during the campaign, they did not translate into abuses on Election Day.

Also speaking at the media briefing, Chief Observer Robert Biedroń described

voter list was questioned during the campaign and the pre-election period by the opposition political parties and also by the media and different interlocutors,” Angelova acknowledged.

“However, during our observation, we haven’t seen any or heard about cases of impersonation of voters during the voting process… No, no multiple voting as

the September 1 polls as being conducted in a peaceful and orderly fashion, with high levels of professionalism by polling staff across the country.

“On 1 September, Guyana held its General and Regional Elections in a peaceful and orderly manner,” he said. “Voters queued patiently, polling stations opened on time,

and polling staff carried out their duties professionally and efficiently.”

The EU deployed 50 observers from all EU member states and Norway, who together visited more than 250 polling stations across all ten regions of Guyana, from coastal communities to the hinterland and Indigenous villages. Their wide coverage, Biedroń ex-

plained, gave the mission confidence in its preliminary conclusions.

The observers also noted that six political parties were approved to contest, providing voters with a genuine and competitive choice. In total, 2424 candidates contested, including 771 for the National Assembly, half of whom were women.

Biedroń stressed that fundamental freedoms were largely respected during the campaign and that the conduct of Election Day itself

present at every polling station observed, providing an additional layer of oversight.

Observers consistently reported professionalism among polling staff, many of whom were women, and noted that citizens turned out with patience and determination to cast their votes.

“Our observers saw professional polling staff, mostly women, facilitating the process efficiently across towns and villages of Guyana,” Biedroń said.

been publicly divided along political lines.

The mission also highlighted campaign finance as a major gap, noting that the system remains largely unregulated, allowing incumbency advantages to shape the campaign through state resources and media exposure.

The media environment was described as “highly politicised”, with many outlets aligned to political actors and independent journalists sometimes facing verbal attacks from officials.

At the same time, social media played an outsized role, both as a platform for political messaging and as a channel for misinformation.

Despite these issues, Biedroń underlined that the 2025 elections offered voters meaningful options and that the process was broadly inclusive.

“Overall, the elections were peaceful, inclusive, and efficiently organised, offering citizens meaningful choices,” he said. “Addressing challenges such as political polarisation, incumbency advantag-

reflected voters’ determination to participate peacefully in the democratic process.

The mission pointed to several safeguards that strengthened confidence in the process. Restrictions on the use of mobile phones inside polling stations were enforced to protect ballot secrecy. Party agents were

While praising the peaceful and inclusive conduct of the elections, the EU mission noted several structural challenges. He said that political polarisation continues to influence public confidence in key institutions, particularly the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), whose decision-making has

es, and legal gaps will be crucial to further strengthen trust in the system.”

The EU EOM said it will remain in Guyana as the tabulation of results continues and has pledged to publish a final report in the coming weeks, including recommendations for reforms to further improve electoral transparency and integrity.

No financial dealings with US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed – US Ambassador

…says only limited engagements if he becomes Opposition Leader

With United States (US)-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed poised to become the country’s next Leader of the Opposition, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot says her Government will have to find ways to work around the issues this situation presents.

Mohamed is currently facing sanctions from the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for alleged gold smuggling.

Speaking with reporters on the side-lines of an event on Wednesday, Ambassador Theriot indicated that the US will have to limit its engagement with the sanctioned businessman-turned-politician, who is on the way to lead the main parliamentary opposition in Guyana’s National Assembly.

“In the event that Mr Mohamed is part of the opposition or a leader of the opposition or has a seat in parliament, the US has worked in other countries with OFACsanctioned individuals in their National Assembly or their Parliament. It compli-

cates matters slightly, but it’s not a huge issue. We would just have to find ways to work around that individual, and again, reminding everyone that OFAC sanctions are specific to financial transactions,” the US diplomat stated.

According to Ambassador Theriot, however, while the US cannot engage Mohamed financially, they can still work with him on other matters.

“So being in a discussion with Mr Mohamed about Guyana’s national security or something of that nature is very, very different from signing a contract. So, really, it comes down to we work with other people in the Government when it comes to financial transactions or contracts. But outside of that, we would be able to work with them,” Theriot noted.

In June 2024, OFAC announced that it sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed, his father Nazar Mohamed and several of their companies, including Mohamed’s Enterprise.

The sanctions are related to the evasion of taxes on gold exports, with

OFAC noting that between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10,000 kilograms (kg) of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.

Since the imposition of the sanctions, the Guyana Government had suspended the licences of the Mohameds’ various businesses, highlighting that the US-sanctioned businessman is a risk and a threat to Guyana’s financial stability, sovereignty, and diplo-

macy. Subsequently, several Government entities and local businesses, including commercial banks, have cut ties with the Mohameds.

Azruddin Mohamed has since launched a political party called We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), and he contested as the Presidential candidate at the September 1 General and Regional Elections on Monday.

Prior to these elections, the US Ambassador had expressed concerns about Mohamed entering parliament.

“We have ways of working around it. We’ve done it in other countries. So, it’s not a dealbreaker in any way. We just wouldn’t be able to engage in any financial transactions with him,” Ambassador Theriot stressed on Wednesday.

While the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is yet to officially declare national results from Monday’s elections, declarations from the Returning Officers (RO) in the 10 electoral districts across Guyana show the WIN party has secured over 109,000 votes, coming second to the People’s Progressive Party/

Civic (PPP/C), which has won the elections by a landslide after taking eight of the 10 regions and is on track to a parliamentary majority in the 65-seat National Assembly.

Based on the declared figures from the 10 regions, WIN is now positioned to become the main parliamentary opposition and has effectively weakened

A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU), whose largest party is the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), grip in the House and pushed out Aubrey Norton as the Opposition Leader.

Based on the RO’s declarations, APNU only managed to secure some 77,998 votes at Monday’s poll and will now return to the National Assembly as a minority parliamentary opposition. Meanwhile, APNU’s former coalition partner, the Alliance For Change (AFC), failed to obtain enough votes to earn a single seat in the House.

In July 2023, Reuters reported that the Mohameds were being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security and other US agencies on suspicion of smuggling Colombian cocaine and illegally mined Venezuelan gold to the United States, Europe and the Middle East, according to the five sources with knowledge of the probe. According to the Reuters report, the Mohameds are also suspected of laundering money for drug traffickers and criminals, including sanctioned Russian nationals operating in the region, according to one of the intelligence reports.

GCCI urges GECOM to improve access for persons with disabilities

While the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has praised the smooth and peaceful conduct of Guyana’s September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections, the private sector body has also called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to take immediate steps to ensure persons with disabilities (PWDs) have easier and more dignified access to polling stations.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Chamber commended the electorate for displaying “maturity and stability” during the crucial democratic exercise, which international and local observers have described as free, fair, and transparent. The GCCI also lauded GECOM for executing the

voting process efficiently and without major disruptions.

However, the Chamber noted that while the process was broadly successful, significant improvements are needed to ensure inclusivity.

“The Chamber also applauds the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the execution of an efficient procedure that was without disruptions to the voting process. However, the GCCI calls on GECOM to implement systems that allow people living with disabilities to comfortably access polling stations and exercise their constitutional franchise,” the statement said.

It further recommended that GECOM undertake a stronger and more targeted voter education programme to ensure all citizens – including those who may be first-time voters or face challenges navigating the system – are properly informed about how to cast their ballots.

“The GCCI also urges GECOM to undertake a stronger and more targeted voter education programme to ensure that all segments of the population are well-informed on how to cast their ballots … The GCCI re-emphasises its call for time-

ly and credible results and for a peaceful conclusion to GRE 2025,” it concluded.

The call adds to growing appeals from civic and private sector organisations for greater inclusivity in Guyana’s electoral process, particularly as the country seeks to strengthen democratic institutions amid rapid political and economic change.

Apology

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Monday night issued an apology to persons living with disabilities, particular-

Persons living with a disability voted on Election Day

ly those who experienced tremendous difficulty accessing their polling stations during the September 1 General and Regional Elections.

Reports surfaced that several polling stations located on the upper flats of buildings were inaccessible to voters who use wheelchairs or have mobility challenges.

“I am very cognisant that this is an issue that we continue to face,” GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward told reporters. “What we are required to do legally, in the operationalisation or the place-

ment of electors to polling stations within their respective divisions and subdivisions, sometimes mandates that unfortunately members of the disability community may be placed at a polling station that unavoidably does not have features such as ramps for access.”

Ward said presiding officers were instructed ahead of Election Day to provide assistance to persons with disabilities to ensure they were able to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

Despite the shortcomings, Ward reported that

voting was conducted “smoothly” and “peacefully” across the country, with only limited reports of disruptions.

“For us, the voting process has proceeded smoothly and peacefully across the country. Where issues have arisen, they have been addressed promptly and transparently in accordance with the law,” she said.

Ward acknowledged complaints that voting was slow at some polling stations but maintained that official reports confirmed the process progressed in accordance with established procedures.

GENERAL & REGIONAL ELECTION RESULTS 2025

GENERAL & REGIONAL ELECTION RESULTS 2025

The declared General (left) and Regional (right) Election Results for District 3

GENERAL & REGIONAL ELECTION RESULTS 2025

GENERAL & REGIONAL ELECTION RESULTS 2025

The declared General (left) and Regional (right) Election Results for District 7

GENERAL & REGIONAL ELECTION RESULTS 2025

Jamaica Labour Party wins 3rd straight term

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has won the closely-contested 2025 general election, securing a third consecutive term.

Dr Andrew Holness will be sworn in as Prime Minister for another term.

The race pitted Holness and his governing Jamaica Labour Party against Attorney Mark Golding and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP). Also running were the Jamaica Progressive Party and the United Independents’ Congress.

For Jamaica’s regis-

tered eligible voters, who number just over two million in a population of 2.8 million, the question facing them was who among this year’s candidates — including some independents — was best suited to improve their economic future and address inequities. “The future of Jamaica is in our hands,” Holness said on X after casting his vote and asking Jamaicans to “keep our country moving in the right direction.”

While there are issues to review, Director of Elections Glasspole Brown said the Electoral Office of Jamaica

(EOJ) executed a very good election.

“The day started well. 99.4 per cent of our polling stations opened on time. For me, that was very good. The other aspect of it was that all our workers were in place. I think we did a very good execution of the election today. As I said earlier, there are some issues that we need to review, and we’ll do that tomorrow,” he explained.

Residents had complained about the length of time spent waiting to vote in some areas as well as the suspension of the Electronic Voter Identification System

Amazon launches Caribbean distribution hub

The Dominican Republic is set to host a historic milestone in its economic and logistical development with the arrival of Amazon as a Caribbean distribution hub.

The company’s first cargo flight landed on Tuesday, marking the official start of operations. The agreement includes seven weekly flights with a combined capacity of 770 metric tonnes.

The move positions the country as a key player in regional e-commerce, leveraging ports such as Caucedo, Haina, and Las Américas International Airport to streamline trade and reduce delivery times.

Amazon’s entry is expected to generate signif -

icant economic opportunities, boosting job creation, logistics, transportation, and technology.

Faster and more efficient deliveries could transform consumer habits, with products arriving in hours instead of days. However, the expansion also raises concerns among local couriers and

small businesses, which may struggle to compete with Amazon’s prices, speed, and direct delivery model.

While operational details remain unclear, speculation points to a hybrid system that could involve partnerships with local delivery companies. (Source: CN3, Dominican Today)

(EVIS).

Speaking after the close of polls, Brown said, “I think at the end of the day, you’ll see that we executed an

election that was free and fair and was devoid of any intimidation. We await the review of the observers. So overall, I think we did a

very good lecture in terms of our execution of the arrangement.”

(Source: Radio Jamaica Online, Jamaica Observer)

Police arrest suspect in Berbice arson, burglary probe

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man as investigations continue into alleged arson and burglary at the home of 54-year-old Helen Kashi of No. 19 Village (Reserve), Corentyne, Berbice.

According to Kashi, who is self-employed, at 19:00 hours on September 2, 2025, while she was at her mother’s residence, she was approached by a male, known as Rameshwar Ramdat, called “Kevin”, who was in the company of others dressed in a political party’s colour and engaging in celebratory activities.

During this encounter, the man allegedly abused her for supporting another political party, then threatened to burn her home.

As a result of the threat, Kashi spent the night at her mother’s residence. Returning home at about 07:00 on Wednesday, she discovered her home had been ransacked, with her belongings thrown outside.

She also noticed that one gold chain valued at $22,000 and cash amounting to $23,000 were missing.

Additionally, a makeshift table attached to the eastern wall of her residence had been scorched. Police took her statement, and the suspect was arrested. He is presently in custody assisting the police with their investigations. Police say that upon completion, an investigative file will be compiled and sent to the DPP for legal advice.

Kamla says “kill all traffickers” as Trump claims “lethal strike” on Venezuelan drug boat

Amid the heightened United States (US) mil-

itary presence in the southern Caribbean and a US “lethal strike” on September 2 that allegedly killed 11 people on a boat, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, showed no sympathy for the alleged members of the Venezuela-based transnational criminal organisation, Tren de Aragua (TDA).

“The slaughter of our people is fuelled by evil cartel traffickers. The pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all violently,” PersadBissessar said in a statement later on September 2.

“The restriction of illegal guns, drugs and human trafficking will decrease the violence in the region and in particular in our country.”

In her statement, PersadBissessar said that she, along with most of the country, was happy that the US naval deployment “is having success in its mission”.

She charged that the US Government had repeatedly said that going after the drug cartels was its objective, and it

had now begun to deliver.

“Illegally trafficked drugs and arms have caused death and destruction in our society over the last 25 years,” Persad-Bissessar said.

“Our country has been ravaged by bloody violence and addiction because of the greed of the cartels.”

Welcoming the US stance, she added, “May God bless and protect the members of the US military who are engaged in the drug interdiction mission. Their efforts will save many lives in our country and the region.”

The incident is the first military attack since the re-

cent surge of warships to the southern Caribbean region.

The US carried out the attack earlier on September 2 on the boat that US President Donald Trump had left Venezuela with illegal drugs on board. Trump said the strike was part of a crackdown on narcotic trafficking.

Meanwhile, as the geopolitical tensions between the US and Venezuela intensify, Maduro has publicly said that Venezuela is ready to respond if attacked by forces that the US Government deploys in the Caribbean territory. (Excerpt from Trinidad & Tobago Newsday)

Over 2700 Haitians detained, repatriated in Dominican Republic operations

The General Directorate of Immigration (DGM), working alongside security forces, carried out large-scale operations on Friday, August 29, 2025, that led to the arrest of 1,343 Haitians found in an irregular migration situation across the Dominican Republic.

Authorities confirmed the detentions were made in multiple provinces, while additional arrests were conducted by the army, the National

Police, Cesfront, and the Navy.

The operations received support from the Ministry of Defence, the Air Force, the Ciutran (National Commission for the Protection of Haitian Nationals), and the Digest, among other public institutions.

On the same day, another 1,413 Haitians in irregular migration situations were repatriated to Haiti. Authorities emphasised

that the operations are conducted with respect for the rights, dignity, and safety of those detained, regardless of nationality.

Special attention is provided to vulnerable groups, including women – particularly those pregnant – the elderly, and minors. Children are only repatriated if accompanied by adult parents, with additional assistance provided by CONANI. (Excerpt from CNW)

With dollars scarce, Venezuela currency exchanges turn to crypto

Venezuela’s Government is slowly allowing the use of dollar-tied cryptocurrencies in currency exchanges for the private sector, a dozen sources said, as US restrictions on oil exports reduce available foreign currency.

Sanctions by the United States (US), which the Venezuelan Government has characterised as “economic war”, prevent many business transactions, forcing companies seeking to buy raw materials from abroad to exchange local bolivars for dollars that are generated by the oil trade and foreign card transactions and are injected into exchanges by the central bank.

But oil revenue has taken a hit in recent months.

Though the US Treasury Department last month issued a new, restricted licence

to Chevron allowing it to export oil after a three-month pause, the licence blocks any payments to the Government, reducing the quantity of dollars available for exchange.

In response, the Venezuelan Government has since June allowed the use of more USDT, a digital currency also known as Tether, whose value is pegged to the US dollar and designed to maintain a stable value, according to the private and financial sector sources, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions.

The use of digital currencies helps keep the economy operating amid the sanctions, including domestic production of basic goods such as food.

Tether did not respond to a request for comment but said last year it respects the

US Treasury’s list of sanctioned entities.

Neither the Ministry of Communications nor the central bank responded to questions, but Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said during an August meeting with business people that “non-traditional mechanisms of management in the exchange market” were being implemented, without providing more details.

There are no official figures for crypto sales, but local analyst firm Ecoanalitica has estimated that $119 million in cryptocurrencies were sold to the private sector in July.

The restrictions on the Chevron licence might further reduce the availability of foreign currency, analysts have estimated. (Excerpt from Reuters)

United Oil & Gas secures key permits for Jamaican offshore exploration

United Oil & Gas Plc has now cleared all regulatory hurdles to begin its first physical exploration work offshore Jamaica, after receiving the final permit required to collect seabed samples in a basin it believes could hold significant oil and gas resources.

The London-listed company announced on Tuesday that it had been granted a “beach licence” by Jamaican authorities. This permit authorises UOG to conduct a piston core survey, a process that extracts sediment from the ocean floor, within its vast Walton Morant licence area to test for the presence of oil and gas.

This latest approval completes a key permitting phase that began earlier this year. On July 24, 2025, the company formal-

ly received a five-year environmental permit from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), which approved the plan for a suite of non-invasive surveys.

Together, these permits allow UOG to launch a technical programme aimed at de-risking the prospect – a process of gathering critical data to reduce the geological and financial uncertainty of the project.

The planned seabed sampling will search for direct chemical evidence of hydrocarbons, providing tangible clues about the potential for oil and gas reserves deep below.

This information is a crucial step in the company’s strategy to attract a partner to share the substantial costs and risks of future operations. Positive results from the sampling

are expected to be a key factor in securing a farm-in deal for the expensive process of drilling an exploratory well.

The Walton Morant licence is a 22,400 km² offshore exploration block off Jamaica’s southern coast.

The geological setting shares similarities with the prolific basins of Guyana and Trinidad, providing a compelling model for its potential.

The company has not announced a specific timeline for the survey operation to begin. Following its completion, the geochemical analysis of the samples will take several weeks, and the results will be a key determinant for the company’s decision on whether to proceed to the drilling phase for oil and gas in Jamaican waters. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Trump cannot use Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans he claims are gang members, court rules

Afederal appeals court has ruled that Donald Trump cannot use an 18th-century wartime law to speed up the deportations of people his Administration accuses of being members of a Venezuelan gang.

The ruling late on Tuesday blocks a signature Administration push that is likely to be destined for a final showdown at the US Supreme Court.

A three-judge panel of the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative federal appeals courts in the country, agreed with immigrant rights lawyers and lower court judges, who argued the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 was not intended to be used

against gangs such as Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan group Trump targeted in his March invocation.

Lee Gelernt, who argued the case for the American Civil Liberties Union, said, “The Trump Administration’s use of a wartime statute during peacetime to regulate immigration was rightly shut down by the court.

This is a critically important decision reining in the Administration’s view that it can simply declare an emergency without any oversight by the courts.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request from the Associated Press for comment.

In a 2-1 ruling, the judg-

es said they had granted the preliminary injunction sought by the plaintiffs because they “found no invasion or predatory incursion” in this case.

The decision bars deportations from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. In the majority were the US circuit judges Leslie Southwick, a George W. Bush appointee, and Irma Carrillo Ramirez, a Joe Biden appointee. Andrew Oldham, who was appointed by Trump, dissented.

The majority opinion said Trump’s allegations about Tren de Aragua did not meet the historical levels of national conflict that Congress intended for the act. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Around the World

OOIL NEWS

Oil prices drop as OPEC+ weighs another output hike

il prices fell by more than 2 per cent on Wednesday ahead of a weekend meeting of OPEC+ producers that is expected to consider another increase in production targets in October.

Brent crude fell $1.6, or 2.31 per cent, to US$67.54 a barrel by 14:11h. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell US$1.68, or 2.56 per cent, to $63.91 a barrel.

Eight members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies – known as OPEC+ – will consider further raising oil production at a meeting on Sunday, two sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters, as the group seeks to regain market share.

Another boost would mean that OPEC+, which pumps about half of the world’s oil, would be starting to unwind a second layer of output cuts of about 1.65 million barrels per day (bpd), or 1.6 per cent of world demand, more than a year ahead of schedule.

The group had already agreed to raise output targets by about 2.2 million bpd from April to September, in addition to a 300,000 bpd quota increase for the United Arab Emirates.

Actual increases from the group, however, have fallen short of its pledges, as some members compensated for previous overproduction and others struggled to raise output due to capacity constraints.

Market participants now await Government data on US crude stockpiles, due on Thursday. Soft economic data, which tends to weigh on the demand outlook for oil, also pressured prices.

Meanwhile, parts of Nigeria’s 650,000-bpd Dangote refinery were offline due to catalyst leaks and other issues, with repairs expected to take at least two weeks. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Putin and Kim meet in Beijing; Kremlin says Russia is not plotting against US

AKremlin aide has dismissed remarks by United States President Donald Trump that Russian, Chinese and North Korean leaders were conspiring against the United States, saying, “No one even had this in their thoughts.”

The comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks in Beijing on Wednesday, where both leaders praised the deepening military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim

If Trump loses tariff lawsuit, America may have to refund businesses more than US$200 Billion

The majority of the sweeping tariffs President Donald Trump imposed during his second term face one final litmus test that will determine whether he can continue to levy them – and also whether businesses are eligible for massive refunds.

That potentially dramatic turn in the tariff saga comes after a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that Trump unlawfully leaned on the International Emergency

Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose acrossthe-board duties on countries. Trump had used those powers to push import tax rates as high as 50 per cent on India and Brazil – and as high as 145 per cent on China earlier this year.

American businesses have paid over $210 billion as of August 24 to cover the tariffs that US courts have determined are illegal.

On Tuesday, Trump acknowledged that the court’s

decision, if upheld by the Supreme Court, could result in the US Treasury having to “give back” tariff revenue collected.

Trump told reporters Tuesday that his Administration is readying an appeal to the Supreme Court, perhaps as soon as Wednesday.

The Supreme Court will probably take on the case during the upcoming term, which begins next month, and the tariffs in question

will likely remain in effect while the appeal is heard, said Ted Murphy, an international trade lawyer at Sidley Austin.

If the Supreme Court also finds Trump didn’t have the legal authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA, the Administration will immediately have to cease those collections. However, it’s an open question how potential refunds would be handled, Murphy said. (Excerpt from CNN)

At least 15 dead after historic funicular tram derails in Lisbon

Lisbon’s historic Glória funicular derailed on Wednesday, killing at least 15 persons and injuring 18 more.

Footage showed emergency workers pulling people from the wreckage of the tram-like elevator, which carries people up and down a hillside in the Portuguese capital, after it crashed into a building.

It was not immediately confirmed what caused the crash. Local reports suggested a cable had come loose along the railway’s route, causing it to lose control.

Witnesses said they heard a loud noise before one of the trams began to hurtle down the steep slope, apparently out of control.

Pictures showed the carriage lying on its side on the narrow road that it travels along. Its sides and top were partially crumpled, and it ap-

peared to have crashed where the road bends. Of the injured, nine were taken to hospital, five of whom were in a serious con-

dition. A child was also injured.

Portuguese reports confirmed that foreigners were among the dead but did not specify their nationality. The funicular derailed and crashed on Rua da Glória, which runs through the heart of Lisbon’s historic centre.

Eyewitnesses described multiple problems with the funicular system after one of the two trams made a jolting stop at the bottom of the slope.

Opened in 1885, the elevator – which is one of Lisbon’s main tourist attractions and is classified as a national monument – transports more than three million passengers every year. (Excerpt from The Telegraph)

“Front runner” to be North Korea’s next supreme leader makes international debut in China

orth Korean lead-

Ner Kim Jong Un brought his teenage daughter to Beijing this week in her first public outing overseas, fuelling further speculation that she may be his potential successor in the family’s dynastic rule over the nuclear-armed state.

Jong-un, as you conspire against the United States of America.” Russian President Vladimir Putin later poked fun at Trump’s comments, saying, “Everyone knows Trump is not devoid of a sense of humour.”

Earlier, the meeting between Kim and the Russian leader was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse after the two leaders attended a military parade in central Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over commemorations in Tiananmen Square marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and Japan’s surrender. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Secretive North Korea has never revealed her name or age, but South Korean intelligence officials believe she is the daughter identified as Ju Ae by former American basketball player Dennis Rodman. Rodman spent time with Kim’s family in 2013 and described holding her as a baby.

She was seen just behind her father as they stepped off the armoured train they used to travel overnight from Pyongyang to the Chinese capital, Beijing, where Kim Jong Un attended a massive military parade on Wednesday staged by China to commemorate Japan’s surrender ending World War Two in the Pacific.

It is the first time she

has accompanied Kim Jong Un outside North Korea –an experience that neither her father nor powerful aunt ever had with their father, Madden said.

Analysts said there is no evidence Kim Jong Un ever accompanied his father, Kim Jong Il, on overseas trips. Jong Il did make foreign trips in the 1950s with his father, North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung.

North Korea’s tightly controlled state media had revealed nothing about Kim Jong Un’s children until Ju Ae was first shown to the world accompanying her father to the launch of a massive intercontinental ballistic missile in 2022. There is still little known about other Kim children.

South Korea’s intelligence agency considers

Ju Ae to be the most likely successor so far, despite questions over whether she can ultimately rise to the top of the male-dominated dynasty.

Estimated to be about 13 years old, Ju Ae has attended increasingly high-profile events, including her diplomatic debut at a Russian Embassy event in May. (Excerpt from Reuters)

SUDOKU

HOROSCOPES

Socializing will lead to chance meetings with people in a position to help you reach your aspirations. Romance and personal improvement are prevalent. Be bold, brave and proactive.

Close the door on those who take more than they give and consider your needs. Take charge of your life and incorporate more of the pastimes that bring you joy.

Raising your profile and eliminating mediators will support your objective and convince onlookers that you have more to offer. Upgrade your look to suit your goal, and you will impress someone special.

Opportunity knocks; send out resumes, set up interviews or get together with someone who can participate in your plans. Take the high road, and you’ll get positive results.

Rev up the engine and head in a direction that shows promise. What you discover will change how you approach those in a position to help you and how you can manipulate your status into something tangible.

Address your to-do list. Do the legwork yourself, rather than relying on others. Changing how you earn a living won’t turn out as planned. When in doubt, take a pass and look for other outlets.

Making time to participate in uplifting pastimes will also lead to new friendships and plans that blend business with pleasure. A lifestyle change, move or reunion is encouraged, and romance is prevalent.

Take notes, get your facts straight and refuse to let emotions interfere with common sense. Refuse to let anxiety and indulgence disrupt your day. A positive attitude and discipline will promote success.

Process your financial situation. Refuse to let minor setbacks or interference weigh you down when an unexpected change can help you turn the next page and carry on with strength and courage.

Simplify instead of intensifying situations. If you dwell on matters you cannot control, you are wasting time and energy that can lead to success. Change begins with you.

Do it. Stop waiting for someone to go first when you have the wherewithal to fine-tune what comes next to your liking. Limit spending to ensure you don’t go over budget.

Don’t grapple unnecessarily. Open a dialogue with those who rely on you, and establish boundaries to protect yourself from potential harm. Take control, and you will get your way.

Golf enthusiasts and first-time players alike are set for an unforgettable weekend as Nexgen Golf hosts the Island Green Hole-in-One Guyana Challenge at the Westside Golf Course, located just off the new highway at the Crane Roundabout. The headline attraction is the largest golf cash prize in the

country – $500,000 in cash!

In addition to the main challenge, the course will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, with chipping and putting competitions offering exciting prizes and trophies.

Guests are welcome to bring their own food and beverages or take advantage of

The Westside Golf Course is primed and ready for competition

the wide variety of offerings available onsite.

Visitors will also enjoy exclusive walkthroughs of the luxury condos and apartments overlooking the scenic course. These residences boast spectacular views of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge and the Atlantic Ocean, with special stay-and-

play packages and long-term rental opportunities available.

This event promises a weekend of excitement, competition, and first-of-itskind experiences for golfers and non-golfers alike.

For more information or to reserve your spot, please contact 645-0944.

Scott Edwards finally won the toss and wanted the Netherlands’ bowlers to, for once, bowl without dew around. But rain that fell as early as the fifth over ensured they had to contend with wet conditions anyway. They had bowled second in the first two T20 Internationals (T20Is) of the three-match series and had lost both times. The Netherlands fared better on Wednesday and managed to rein Bangladesh in after the first rain stop-

Litton scores 73 in wet finish to T20I series

page. But rain returned about two hours later to have the final say.

Bangladesh posted 164 for four in 18.2 overs, in an innings replete with stoppages. Their captain, Litton Das, got off to a rapid start. There was a lull in the middle, before Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan injected momentum at the death. Netherlands quick Kyle Klein travelled the distance, going for 53 in his four overs, but also picked up three wickets. None of that mattered in the end, and the no-result meant Bangladesh took the series 2-0, with the Netherlands’ consolation coming from avoiding a clean sweep.

A Litton knock-off of two moods With the series already sealed, Bangladesh looked at the opportunity to rotate their players ahead of next week’s Men’s T20 Asia Cup.

They rested both their openers, Pervez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan, among the five changes to their XI, and Litton walked out to open. He made his intentions clear with a clinical assault against Daniel Doram’s leftarm spin in the third over. Litton launched a four over mid-off before ending the over with 4, 4, 6 – the second of them coming off an outside edge that evaded the keeper. The first stoppage came during the next over, after Litton deposited Klein over deep midwicket. One of the floodlights at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium had malfunctioned, and play was suspended for 11 minutes. Once play resumed, Litton hit two more fours, one each off Klein and offspinner Aryan Dutt, be-

fore rain arrived. He was on 42 off 16 then, but couldn’t find his touch when play resumed 37 minutes later. When he was dismissed in the 15th over, he had scored only 31 off his last 30 balls.

One of the characteristics of Litton’s 46-ball 73 was how well he held his shape while hitting big shots. The Netherlands may have seen a lot less of this had Shariz Ahmad held on to a chance at deep midwicket in the fourth over when Litton was on 37. He was dropped again on 68 by Tim Pringle, but that did not cost the Netherlands much.

A glimmer of hope in the Netherlands’ bowling

The Shariz drop came in Klein’s second over. It might

have given him an inkling of how his evening would turn out. He bowled his heart out, but struggled for consistency. Even with a dry ball, he slipped in a beamer in the fourth over of the game. By the end of that over, he had gone for 26 in two, and Bangladesh were 56 for 1.

But the Netherlands managed to pull things back after the rain break.

Dutt and Pringle managed to extract purchases from the surface and kept even a set Litton in check.

Towhid Hridoy’s patience ran out after he had scored just nine off his first 13 balls,

and he holed out to long-on in an attempt to charge at Pringle. In the first 35 balls after the rain interval, the Netherlands gave away just 28 runs and picked up a wicket.

Bangladesh found the boundary in just four of the 10 overs after their power play and lost three wickets in that period. Then Nurul, playing his first T20I since the T20 World Cup of 2022, and Jaker joined forces to take 22 off the 18th over, bowled by Klein. They added 42 off just 23 balls before the heavens opened again. (ESPNcricinfo)

Historic Massy WCPL bowls off at Providence on Saturday

Saturday, September 6, 2025 will go down in cricket history as the day the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) makes its debut in Guyana. From 14:00h, home franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors will face former champions Trinbago Knight Riders in what promises to be a high-octane clash.

The following day, two-time defending champions Barbados Royals will make their first appearance when they bat tle the Amazon Warriors from 15:00h.

The three-team tourna ment will see each franchise play the others in a double

all seven matches will be staged in one territory — unlike previous editions, which used two venues. Matches will also be played as double-headers alongside fixtures from the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL). This unique format offers fans unparalleled access to both men’s and women’s elite T20 cricket in a single outing, doubling the action and delivering even greater value for spectators.

Adding to the historic nature of this season, both the WCPL and CPL champions will be crowned in the same territory for the very first time.

President’s Cup horse race meet set for October 26

See fixtures for the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League below:

Saturday, September 6: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders, 14:00h

Sunday, September 7: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Barbados Royals, 15:00h

Wednesday, September 10: Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals, 14:00h

Saturday, September 13: Trinbago Knight Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors, 16:00h

Sunday, September 14: Barbados Royals vs Guyana Amazon Warriors, 14:00h

Tuesday, September 16: Barbados Royals vs Trinbago Knight Riders, 15:00h

Wednesday, September 17: FINAL 1st Place vs 2nd Place, 14:00h

Poonai Pharmacy renews cricket sponsorship of RHTY&SC U13 team

The popular Poonai Pharmacy of Rose Hall Town on Saturday renewed its sponsorship of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) Under-11 and Under-13 cricket teams during a simple ceremony at the Area H Ground.

The presentation was made by the pharmacy’s Chief Executive Officer, Poonai Bhigroog, to club cricket manager Robby Kissoonlall, in the presence of team members and club secretary Hilbert Foster.

The President’s Cup horse racing meet is set to return to the Port Mourant Turf Club in Berbice on Sunday, October 26, 2025. According to the provisional programme, the day will feature 10 races with more than G$20 million in cash and prizes up for grabs.

The feature race will be open to all horses and contested over nine furlongs, with the winner earning G$3,000,000.

Following the tragic incident at the recent Guyana Cup, which claimed the life of a young jockey, organisers of the President’s Cup are expected to adopt a more cautious and organised approach to ensure the safety of all participants.

In addition to the fea-

ture race, other races on the provisional programme include the three-year-old Guyana bred, the Sprint Classic Open, the threeyear-old imported open, the G Class and two-year-old H Class non-winners, the twoyear-old Guyana and West Indian maidens, the L Class non-earners last start and first-time starters, the J2 and Lower open to H Class non-earners in the last three starts and the K Class and Lower open to two-year-old bred.

Entries will be accepted from October 13 to October 23, 2025, with forms available at Port Mourant, Rising Sun, Bush Lot West Berbice, and Georgetown.

Strict regulations will govern this year’s Cup. Horses must be saddled on

the track at least seven minutes before post time. Any horse failing to comply will not be allowed to compete. Additionally, no entry will be accepted without a completed entry form.

The Guyana Cup saw Data Man snatch the crown after the reigning President’s Cup champion, Olympic Kremlin, lost his jockey in the feature race. With all eyes now on Data Man, competition at the President’s Cup promises to be intense.

J's Racing Stables, who dominated much of the Guyana Cup, will look to extend their winning form, while Slingerz Racing Stables, Jagdeo Racing Stables, and Jumbo Jet Racing Stables will all be vying for glory.

Poonai Pharmacy first came on board as a sponsor of the Under-13 team in 2020, later extending support to the Under-11s in 2023. Since then, the Under13s have lifted the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) title four times, including a thrilling 10-run victory over arch-rivals Albion last Saturday to claim their fourth championship in six years. During that period, the side has also finished as runners-up twice.

Kissoonlall credited the pharmacy’s support as a key factor in the team’s success. He also noted that the Under-11s made history in 2023 by winning the only tournament for their age group, defeating Albion in the final at the Chesney Ground. The teams, Kissoonlall stated, have already produced over 20 players for Berbice, with several representing Guyana, including Raffel Mckenzie, Tameshwar Deochand, Trishna Hardat, and Leon Reddy.

He explained that the Under-11 and Under-13 sides serve as the nursery for the club’s senior teams, which is why significant investment has been made in their development. This includes a special batting cage, bowling machine, batting mats, a 12-foot fence around the concrete pitch, and several batting centres at Area H Ground. Beyond cricket, the club also sup-

ports players’ educational pursuits, providing personal gear, bicycles, electronic tablets, uniforms, and school supplies.

Foster, the former threeterm president of the BCB, expressed gratitude to CEO Bhigroog for his consistent sponsorship and wider support of the club’s programmes. He pledged that the junior teams would continue to uphold the highest standards. Foster also disclosed that preparations have already begun for the 2026 tournament, with a captain to be named shortly.

Team captain Jayden Ganpat highlighted that under the sponsorship, the squad has undertaken over three dozen community projects, including food hampers for the less fortunate, honouring mothers and fathers, the Republic Bank Summer Camp, school bag donations, medical outreaches, the Christmas Village, and toy distributions.

In a well-received speech, CEO Bhigroog expressed pride in being associated with the teams, praising them for representing his business brand with pride, passion, and commitment. He urged the young cricketers to strive for excellence both on the field and in their education. To loud applause, he also announced a special financial incentive

GRepublic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) saw Saint Lucia Kings beat Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) by 7 wickets with 53 balls remaining. It was an emphatic victory in Tarouba for the Kings over their nearest rivals in the competition; the victory means they are guaranteed a place in this year’s playoffs. It was a match to forget for the Knight Riders; after a five-match winning streak, they suffered only their second defeat of the campaign. They lost it with the bat; after being inserted by Kings captain David Wiese, they spluttered to just 109 all out, a total that was never going to be defendable. Tabraiz Shamsi did the damage with his fizz -

South African claimed the Player of the

were all clean bowled by Shamsi, with the first two defeated by a couple of beautiful spinning deliveries that left them bamboozled and the latter aiming a big shot across the line only to miss and have his furniture disrupted.

Tim Seifert continued his blistering form at the top of the order to break the back of the chase inside the power play, scoring 36 off 19 deliveries, followed by firepower from Ackeem Auguste (28 off 18) and Roston Chase (27 not out from 18) that saw Kings romp to victory in style and give their net run rate a shot in the arm to boot.

der.

Tim David delivered the coup de grâce in style by swatting Usman Tariq over cow corner for six to power Saint Lucia Kings to victory and a slot safely secured in the tournament’s latter stages.

The Royal International Hotel on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, was a hive of activity on Wednesday afternoon as several female cricketers from around the world arrived in Guyana ahead of the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).

For the first time in the tournament’s four-year history, Guyana will play host. The competition bowls off this Saturday, September 6, with a clash between home franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) Women and the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) Women.

As players trickled in, the Guyana Times Sport caught up with Amazon Warriors’ Plaffiana Millington, who expressed excitement at making her tournament debut.

“It’s pretty much exciting since it’s my first year. You know, the home crowd is always one of the biggest things when you’re playing

cricket, so I’m pretty excited and looking forward to the support.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s Courtney Webb, who will be suiting up for the Barbados Royals, is looking forward to adding to the tournament’s buzz as she competes in Guyana for the first time.

“I’m so excited. I mean, it’s a big journey over here, so I’m a little bit tired at the moment, but I’m so excited to meet everyone and crack into what’s going to be a really exciting tournament,” Webb told this publication.

She added, “Absolutely, I think that’s what T20 cricket is about; we want to bring flair, we want to bring lots of boundaries, lots of sixes, and hopefully, it’s lots of fun.”

Following Saturday’s opener, the action continues on Sunday, September 7, when the Amazon Warriors Women square off against defending champions Barbados Royals Women.