Caribzone News Highlight

By Caribzone.com

Haiti

The death toll from the coronavirus(COVID-19) climbed to 73, last week as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country continues to grapple with the pandemic that has resulted in 4,309 people testing positive for the virus.

The Ministry of Public Health said that three new deaths were recorded in the Artibonite and in Grand’Anse over the past 24 hours. It said that 144 new cases were recorded on Sunday and that Delmasa commune in the capital and Port au Prince were the leading areas where the virus has taken hold since the first positive test was detected on March 19.

According to the Ministry, the two areas had 862 and 815 confirmed cases respectively. It said that the number of active cases stood at 4,212 while the number of suspected cases investigated over the last three months was 9,006 cases.

Meanwhile, the Haitian Youth Observatory said it is urging young people to participate in a survey by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the situation of youths during the COVID-19 pandemic.

--00—

Guyana

The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) reported last week that the Organization of American States (OAS) has called on the Guyana government, “to begin the process of transition, which will allow the legitimately elected government to take its place” as the country awaits the official announcement of the winner of the disputed March 2, regional, and general election.

In a statement, the OAS, which was among international and regional organizations that sent observers to monitor the polls, said elections are held to determine the will of the people and once the people’s wishes are clearly stated they must be upheld, not only in instances where they favor the incumbent.

Last week, at the end of the recount process, the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfiel, said that the results did not meet the standard of fair and credible elections.

He said approximately 55 percent of all votes cast for general elections stand to be impacted due to “either anomalies and/or voter impersonation or unreconciled ballot boxes.

In its statement, the OAS said that the decision by GECOM to proceed with the national recount and the eventual initiation of the process on May 6, were welcome developments in the ongoing electoral process in Guyana.

The OAS said that on June 4, it issued a statement in which its observers present on each day of the national recount have reported that the process was conducted in a “professional, transparent and impartial fashion, which allowed GECOM, political parties and other stakeholders to accurately determine the results for each polling station.

“OAS reiterates that there is no reason not to support the results of the recount process. OAS further takes note and wholly supports the findings of the CARICOM team of scrutineers that the results of the recount were transparent and credible, and nothing prevents the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission from now declaring the election, based on these results,” it added.

The PPP/C said that following the end of the national recount on June 9, it had won the polls by more than 15,000 votes while the ruling coalition, a Partnership for National Unity (APNU) claimed there were many irregularities and anomalies.

--00—

Jamaica

A couple of veteran Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) legislators were last week recalled and given key assignments in the Andrew Holness Administration.

First, Holness surprised 78-year-old Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew North Central Karl Samuda by announcing that Samuda would become a full-time minister of education, youth, and information with immediate effect.

He made the announcement at the council meeting of the controversy-ridden Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).

The vacancy was left by former senator Ruel Reid, who was forced to resign last October after several scandals at CMU over alleged malpractices linked to budget spending which created a national outcry.

Then came the news later yesterday that Clarendon Central MP Mike Henry who turned 85 years old last week, accepted an invitation from Holness to take over the Ministry of Labour and Social Security following the May 29 passing of St Ann North Eastern MP Shahine Robinson.

--00—

Regional

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland yesterday warned that the “invisible infection” of corruption could undermine the response of countries to the novel coronavirus as well as meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their long-term development.

Addressing the annual conference of the Commonwealth Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies (CCAICACB), Scotland said criminal acts such as fraud, bribery and theft have a devastating impact — both in financial terms and in human costs.

She told the conference that it is estimated that every year, one trillion US dollars is paid in bribes globally, while an estimated US$2.6 trillion is stolen annually through corruption — a sum equivalent to more than five per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).

She said illicit financial flows cost developing countries US$1.26 trillion per year, enough money to lift 1.4 billion people out of poverty and keep them there for at least six years. While the United Nations Development Programme estimates that in developing countries, funds lost to corruption are 10 times the amount dispersed in official development assistance.

Scotland said Transparency International states corruption in the health sector alone costs US$500 billion every year, more than the amount needed for worldwide universal health coverage.

The secretary-general said corruption would not only undermine efforts to defeat the novel coronavirus pandemic, but also deprive vulnerable communities of vital funding for social and economic development.

She said the “corrosive cancer” of corruption is one of the major impediments to achieving the SDGs and called for “swift and decisive action” to improve transparency and accountability, and build confidence that institutions and systems are corruption-free.

“Our Caribbean region is now confronted with the triple impacts of the global pandemic, climate crisis, and a potential economic tsunami because of the lockdown measures necessary to fight coronavirus.

--00—

Regional

Eight Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries are participating in an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) initiative aimed at identifying business models to transform and revitalize the tourism sector.

The IDB said that The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago are among 15 countries in Latin and Central America that are participating in the IDB innovative challenge being launched through its innovation laboratory, IDB Lab, and in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

It said, to this end, it is launching the challenge to which both public and private sector organizations may apply until July 31.

The IDB said that the requests for non-reimbursable financing for technical assistance can go from US$250,000 to US$500,000, adding that in the case of loans, amounts can range from US$500,000 to US$2,000,000.

It said applicants will be expected to contribute at least 50 percent of the project's total budget.

--00—

Sports

Captain Jason Holder said West Indies were committed to the global fight for racial justice, and will stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement during the current three-match, Test tour of England.

The Caribbean side is in England for their three-Test series which will be played against the backdrop of fervent protests across the world, in the wake of the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, United States.

Protests engulfed London and several other cities here last weekend while West Indies remained in quarantine at Old Trafford.

“We as a team have had a few discussions around it and as to what exactly we're going to do, and I think come July 8 and the first Test match we will show our support around the world towards our solidarity with the movement.”

Global sporting icons such as Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua have already thrown their weight behind the Black Lives Matter movement, during the current protests.

--00—

Robert Lewandowski said Bayern Munich had proved they are the best club in Germany after securing their 

eighth-straight Bundesliga title last week, as the Poland striker's first-half volley saw them claim a 1-0 win at Werder Bremen.

Bayern was confirmed German champions for the 30th time in the club's a proud history, maintaining their iron-grip on the Bundesliga shield in recent years.

Lewandowski struck two minutes before the break with a brilliant chest and low strike, but Bayern had to endure a nervy final 11 minutes after teenage left-back Alphonso Davies was sent off for a second yellow card.

At the end of a first 45 minutes dominated by Bremen's dogged defending and pouring rain, Bayern broke through when center-back Jerome Boateng chipped over the top for Lewandowski to score.

It was the Poland striker's 31st league goal of the season, a career-best, keeping him on course to be named the league's top scorer for the fifth time.

Elsewhere in Europe, the 2019-2020 Champions League, suspended since March because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will be completed in a “final eight” format in Lisbon in August, UEFA said yesterday.

Europe's top club competition will be decided by a series of one-off matches from the quarter-final stage beginning in the Portuguese capital on August 12, with the final on August 23, European football's governing body confirmed following a meeting of its executive committee.

Similarly, the Europa League will be completed with a “final eight” across four German cities, with the final in Cologne, on August 21.

--00--