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Frontiers in Physics Fusion Plasma Physics1.9 impact factor4.5 citescore Participating Journals Frontiers in Computer ScienceComputer Graphics and Visualization2.4 impact factor 4.3 citescore Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal Vintia, a specialist in innovative all-in-one ticketing and booking systems, has reached a significant milestone by completing its first swimming pool project in Scandinavia one of Norway’s leading suppliers of sports and swimming pool solutions opened this month and features Vintia’s advanced cashless technology The new Voldabadet swimming pool has adopted the Vintia system Cutting-edge wristbands can be used throughout the entire visitor experience from using lockers and access control gates to making purchases at cashier terminals or self-service kiosks to ensure that guests are not distracted from the breathtaking views of the Norwegian landscape In addition to providing an intuitive visitor experience Vintia technology offers operators valuable insights through its easy-to-use management system leading to more effective facility management Enviso Pay provides enhanced payment administration and reporting Vintia has laid a solid foundation for future growth in Scandinavia with Voldabadet as its first reference project in Norway.  we look forward to exploring new opportunities to transform more Norwegian swimming pools with our innovative solutions fully translated in Norwegian,” says a spokesperson from the company “We are proud of this milestone and excited about a successful future in collaboration with our partners!” Vintia recently announced the official rebrand of Michel Consulting GmbH to Vintia GmbH a leading supplier of cloud software solutions for the pool and leisure sector in the DACH region Its strategic name change is part of the group’s wider rebranding and repositioning activities Gantner Ticketing changed its name to Vintia last year The new brand joins the SALTO WECOSYSTEM and is set to advance the leisure and attractions industry with innovative ticketing and booking solutions The company is a leader in developing cutting-edge and comprehensive technologies that enhance guest experiences See also: Becoming Vintia: the changing face of the global ticketing tech supplier Get the latest attractions industry
 news direct to your inbox Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified Log in for full access to stabroeknews.com Only one active session is allowed per subscriber In a heated exchange in the National Assembly yesterday APNU+AFC MP Volda Lawrence raised concerns about the increased expenditure on security services for primary asking whether the hike would cover the entire year of 2024 and whether it included a rise in both hourly rates and the number of security personnel asking whether the funds for this increase—totalling $119,283,522 million—would come from the contingency fund and whether the increase in security staff would mean new contracts Manickchand responded that the funds were yet to be spent and that the increased number of guards was in response to the new rates agreed upon in contracts signed earlier in the year The Minister emphasized that the contracts had been publicly tendered and were in line with the rates negotiated Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul questioned the apparent discrepancy between the budgeted amount for security services and the contracts awarded pointing out that the sum of $1.142 billion allocated for security services in the 2024 budget far exceeded the value of the contracts Mahipaul raised concerns over why an additional $119 million was needed especially when the budget showed an excess of funds suggesting that the Ministry could shift money between programmes under the Financial Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) which were not reflected in the original contract amounts was needed to cover VAT costs that had not been included in the original contract terms She stressed that the contracts were signed based on rates from January and the Ministry was now obligated to meet the VAT costs which had been added by the security companies The debate took a dramatic turn when Mahipaul raised the issue of a company asking whether there were any times between  Manickchand and this company and asking whether the company had received any security contracts emphatically denied any personal ties to the company  “I have no ties to any security companies!” she protested The accusation sparked uproar in the House with MPs from both sides of the aisle heckling The MPs from the Government’s side demanded an apology from Mahipaul government ministers called for Mahipaul to apologize for implying corruption accusing him of making baseless allegations The tension escalated further when government MP Joseph Hamilton heckled Mahipaul calling him “scandalous,” prompting even louder voices from both sides of the chamber the members of the House are to ‘shut up!’” The situation  subsequently returned to normalcy A FREE roundup of top news from Guyana you might otherwise miss As a young woman uses her talent for taxidermy to “restore” the animals to their natural habitat a true search for answers begins when she starts finding something strange in the creatures whether you’re a city dweller or country folk Looking to explore the relationship between humanity and the environment in which we live Ivana Bosnjak Volda and Thomas Johnson Volda’s mesmerising short film Udahnut zivot (Imbued Life) follows a woman with a particular flair for taxidermy who finds her quest to return her creations to the wild derailed after she starts to discover something surprising within the animals it feels apt that the main quality I admired in Imbued Life was its stillness I don’t mean a lack of movement from the camera or characters (although there is a bit of that on show here) but the overriding sense of calm and patience that bleeds from every sequence even when the short is at its most strange and haunting A prime example of this is Imbued Life’s opening shot – five human figures sitting on a boat in the middle of the lake With very little happening for the first 30 seconds even when they turn their heads and look straight at us we’re as transfixed and intrigued as we are unnerved It’s the kind of slow exposition we usually recommend as being more suited to the theatrical environment than online The opening shot of Imbued Life is equal parts strange and serene this opening shot also establishes the short’s distinct tone and production as although the subject matter plays a part in setting the mood it’s the filmmaking that does a lot of the work in truly capturing it and foggy environments all playing their part From this point on things only get stranger and although Imbued Life feels like it could slip into the realms of horror filmmaking again there’s something grounded and thoughtful about where the story goes It could have easily been played for shocks but this wasn’t what the directorial duo was aiming for as they explained to S/W when discussing their motivation “We wanted to make a film which would encourage the audience to reflect about the topic of consciousness in the natural world and hopefully feel more empathetic towards it.” Keen to point out that “no animals were harmed for the production” although Imbued Life orbits themes of death and isolation – the filmmakers admit to having an interest in exploring “the borders between the animate and inanimate living and dead” in their work— this isn’t a short that leaves you feeling morbid and morose there’s an inherent beauty to the filmmaking and storytelling here that is both exciting and gratifying you won’t feel anything but joy watching this short Part of the Bonobostudio catalogue, Imbued Life had an impressive festival run, playing the likes of Annecy and Clermont-Ferrand. Ivana Bosnjak Volda and Thomas Johnson Volda’s latest short film, Remember How I Used to Ride a White Horse The media building was designed by LINK Arkitektur and completed in 2021 Volda University College has around 500 media students split between six different bachelor programmes This represents a real boost for education and the future as media plays an increasingly important role in society The building’s clear environmental focus is reflected in the choice of material for the exterior cladding – recycled Hydro CIRCAL aluminium – which has one of the lowest carbon footprints on the market One important fact to remember is that there is a difference in carbon emissions between recycled aluminium from process scrap and recycled aluminium from older buildings and this has a key impact on the total carbon footprint of a project The media building in Volda has high ceilings and large areas of glazing that create an open impression with lots of light and open views through the building The building has a clear message: It is designed to be a space where students find the perfect environment for learning and well-being In addition to this goal of the architect and developer the choice of materials is also an important factor for an environmentally friendly building that considers the future of the next generation by re-using resources The glazed walls of the new media building are constructed from Sapa Facade 4150 made from Hydro CIRCAL aluminium alloy Hydro CIRCAL is a range of prime quality aluminium made with a minimum of 75 percent recycled aluminium from post-consumer scrap such as facades and windows that have been removed from buildings and fully recycled One of the goals for Mediehuset at Volda was to achieve at least a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in comparison with a reference building that complies with current TEK requirements “The more projects that are built using sustainable aluminium solutions the more we can continually improve the environmental balance between materials and construction By using environmental product declarations and the like our partners can always feel confident in their choices,” says Johan Strand Sales Manager for Sapa at Hydro Building Systems Alloys based on recycled aluminium are now the standard solution for Sapa facades and from 2022 they will also be the standard for windows and doors The media building makes an important statement in a region that puts great value on teaching and learning Students are welcomed by an impressive and flexible 3,900-square-metre building that offers the highest standards of comfort in sound “The media professions are undergoing rapid change The new building gives us opportunities for future-oriented teaching and research in vocational media subjects,” commented dean Audhild Gregorisdotter Rotevatn in an earlier press release By | 09/20/2023 8:14 am | Be the First to Comment! Welcome to Cartoon Brew’s series of spotlights focusing on the animated shorts that have qualified for the 2024 Oscars There are several ways a film can earn eligibility we’ll be focusing on films that have done so by winning an Oscar-qualifying award at an Oscar-qualifying festival Today’s short is Remember How I Used to Ride a White Horse the third film co-directed by Ivana Bosnjak Volda and Thomas Johnson Volda the film earned its qualification by winning the Animation Avantgarde International Competition at Vienna Shorts The stop-motion short features a server who feels trapped in her daily routine A drab color palette and some clever camerawork create a sense of unease shared by the film’s well-designed characters and the audience Cartoon Brew: The background distortion and vibrations really heighten the sense of eeriness in this film Where did the idea come from to use this technique and were there any difficulties executing it Ivana Bosnjak Volda and Thomas Johnson Volda: Our intention from the outset was to create an atmosphere in the film that would enhance this feeling of unease a representation of the instability of our protagonist’s consciousness The initial idea was that the physical world around her was temporal while she remained stuck in her apathetic condition For the shots in which we offset the stable animation of the characters with the vibrating backgrounds The first was with the stable animation of the characters The set was built on wheels and had a motor with a piston to drive it backward and forward the characters were combined with layers of the vibrations in post-production It was challenging to initially configure this set-up but it was imperative for us to capture the effect on camera What was it about this story or concept that connected with you and compelled you to direct the film The initial concept for the film was inspired by our shared feelings of apathy and the melancholia brought about when one doesn’t know how to or cannot find a way to move forward hampering or completely disabling our creativity We wanted to impart these emotions into our characters and create a film that conveys this seemingly dissenting characteristic We chose to create a film that is also more minimal in its scenography detailing removing unnecessary visual distractions and focusing on the atmosphere and emotional journeys of the characters this is our most personal and self-reflective film What did you learn through the experience of making this film Remember How I Used to Ride a White Horse is the third film we have co-directed and we believe there is a visible advancement in our practical skill set compared to our earlier films aside from the craft of model-making and stop-motion animation skills our approach to the narrative and creative concept has developed over the course of making these films This film was particularly poetic and introspective and it was challenging to move further away from traditional narrative structures Being honest in the film and dealing with our inner selves throughout the production wasn’t easy Perhaps feelings of isolation and loneliness enhanced the themes in this film we learned to find the motivation to create especially when animating characters battling their own apathetic conditions Can you describe how you developed your visual approach to the film Why did you settle on this style/technique We normally start our creative process with a few visual images that persist in our minds Some of the imagery was developed over a long period It often feels that we are attempting to remember a film that already exists somewhere in our shared consciousness emotional atmosphere as the central motif guided the visual design of this film Having a rich and overwhelmingly detailed scenography normally a tradition for stop-motion films we wanted this film to be minimal and focused on our protagonist’s emotions We are inspired by the work of Andrei Tarkovsky The director whose work was perhaps more consciously inspiring for this film is Roy Andersson We wanted the atmosphere of the cafe scene and the color palette to pay homage to Andersson’s style Jamie Lang is the former Editor-in-Chief of Cartoon Brew is a woman who breathes new life into dead creatures Not satisfied with simply recreating the beautiful beasts into a static tableau of life and returning them to their natural habitats she discovers that she is able unravel rolls of undeveloped film from their minds bringing her even closer to the nature she so deeply wishes to be part of With Imbued Life making waves over the past year at such prestigious film and animation events as Clermont-Ferrand Tricky Women/Tricky Realities among many others Skwigly were keen to learn more about the pair’s process and the film’s origins Could you start by telling me a little about how each of you came to work in animation We both met at a small university animation festival in Volda, Norway back in 2010. This was where Ivana was completing her degree in animation. On the last days of the festival in Volda we recognised a heartfelt connection and spent our remaining time together sharing ideas. After the festival we were invited to work on a new stop-motion film for Bonobostudio in Zagreb From then onwards we have lived together working on various stop-motion projects including creating our own animation films You previously made another short film called Simulacra together and have worked on multiple projects together what have the benefits of this creative partnership been especially stop-motion can be a very time consuming vocation In a practical sense working together has allowed our creative process to be more productive Perhaps a more significant asset of having this creative unison has enabled us to collaborate upon film concepts developing the structure and our artistic aesthetics It is greatly beneficial to have a kindred spirit to discuss and cultivate a film with throughout its production Mood and atmosphere are key elements in your work the film’s sets and lighting approaches are just beautiful – can you tell me what influences you had for the art direction for us the atmosphere is an important facet of our films It would be hard to pin-point specific influences for the art direction; there are so many subconscious stimuli that undoubtedly make their ways into our aesthetics We have a fantastic director of photography Ivan Slipčević who made incredible work with the lighting Stop-motion and taxidermy are somewhat similar in their reposing of static creatures into dynamic poses to mimic life What drew you to both the art of taxidermy and combining it with the art of stop motion for this film Taxidermy is a fascinating discipline and conceptually there are many parallels between it and stop-motion puppet animation Philosophically the connotations of preserving and resurrecting life though the taxidermy process speak of an uncanny surrealism which is so similar to aspects of stop motion We were inspired to create this film after having a taxidermy animal sitting on our shelf in our apartment in Zagreb The pine marten was preserved in a moment; a still life staring down at us as if it were expressing a part of its self but we were unable to communicate a response With this film we sought to explore the art of taxidermy and our relationship with nature further The film primarily focuses upon our protagonist’s relationship with nature and the idea of the photography film strips originating from the brains of the animals allowed us to further illustrate her connection with the animals The films and their respective developed and seemingly abstract imagery allowed us to present this introspective reflection upon the beauty of the consciousness or life force of nature Taxidermy is often just seen as a macabre discipline There is a visceral gore accompanying the practical act of preparing the dead flesh of an animal which we wanted to significantly contrast with the memory Could you explain the process behind some of the water scenes specifically the scene in which she is rowing the animals out and the striking image of the half-animal people floating reflected in the river Water is often avoided in stop-motion films because it is notoriously difficult to achieve in a realistic manner We wanted to avoid the use of CGI effects on the water and so for those scenes we constructed a model lake which we animated the boat and girl upon The rig for the boat was submerged beneath in the cold water and required us to kneel close the lake edge and dunk our hands into the seemingly freezing water to move the boat a millimetre or two forward for each frame It was difficult at we had several set-backs during the lake scenes but ultimately we are really happy to have shot the animation puppets on real water and believe that physicality is visible in the film Our aim was to create as realistic puppets as we were able to and this is a goal which we are still striving to improve upon For the puppet skin we used silicone rubber which has an incredible translucency and stretches well There is two scales in the film for close-ups we made animation models half life-sized because we were unable to achieve a desired detail on the conventional puppet scale We used artificial fur for all of the animals dreamlike quality by combining the stop-motion puppets with the more experimental film stock animation Could tell me a little about your approach to creating and the way in which you layer up these various visual motifs in the film Finding the balance between these elements was critical to the rhythm of the film We created the animation on the seemingly abstract images by spraying bleach onto printed photographs but it was important for us that this aesthetic felt incorporated into the rest of the animation so we dissolved it into the image of the physical puppet space by taking still frames from the ends of the scenes and using the same ‘in camera’ bleach technique to dissolve them It is this dissolution of the layers of reality which appealed to us and further enunciates the concept of the film How have you found the audience and festival response to the film We are delighted with the film’s reception The film premiered at Oberhausen Film Festival back in May 2019 which was a great honour for us this festival particularly pays attention to artistic creativity and the film selection was to an incredibly high standard Since then the film has been selected for more than 70 festivals and has received several awards We are very proud and so very thankful for everyone who helped us make the film The film will be screened at a few more festivals some of which because of the current situation will be online editions We are beginning to create a new stop motion film which will be our third co-directed short and is centered upon the theme of apathy We are planning to finish the new film by spring 2022 Imbued Life is available to buy and rent via Vimeo On Demand Enter your email to receive articles straight to your inbox just a handy way for you to receive latest Skwigly content) WorkBoat+ Membership – Free to Join You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time Diversified Communications | 121 Free Street NEWS: Long-Delayed USCG Polar Icebreaker Moves Into Full Production Norway-based thruster supplier Brunvoll AS has agreed to acquire all the shares in Scana Propulsion AS including subsidiaries Scana Volda AS and Scana Mar-El AS in Norway and three sales companies located in the U.S. Brunvoll also signed an option agreement for the acquisition of Scana Volda AS Real Estate which owns the manufacturing and office facilities of Scana Volda AS a family-owned company with headquarters in Molde suppliers thruster units to the global market through an agent network in 25 countries Chairman Arthur Brunvoll expressed that the company was thinking long term in making the acquisition and wished to “participate in developing Brunvoll to meet the market with a broader product portfolio.” Scana supplies gear and propeller systems with associated propulsion control systems for ships a complement to Brunvoll’s thruster business “This acquisition is a strategic move from Brunvoll's side where the aim is to create a win-win situation for both companies which together we can offer our customers even better…comprehensive solutions for both propulsion and operation of advanced vessels,” said Brunvoll CEO Odd Tore Finnøy “We are strengthening our position in the market with this acquisition.” Scana maintains production facilities for gear and propeller systems in Volda and sales companies in the United States (Mandeville The deal is subject to regulatory approval by the Norwegian Competition Authority Become a WorkBoat+ Member This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence was today placed on $100,000 bail after appearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennon on private criminal charges including conspiring to forge documents to show a win for APNU+AFC at the March 2nd general elections The charges were filed in March by Charles Ramson Jr against Lawrence and District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo in relation to the controversial results for District Four Attempts to serve the notices on them had not succeeded appeared before the Chief Magistrate without being served and was read the indictable charge  This was confirmed by Special Prosecutor Glenn Hanoman  He also said that Mingo is yet to make an appearance The charge against Lawrence states that the she conspired with persons to forge 24 documents to show a fraudulent win for APNU+AFC in the March 2nd Elections Lawrence is also charged with procuring Mingo to She is also charged with uttering to the Chief Election Officer a Form 24 Representation of the People Act Regional Elections Return dated March 5 with intent to defraud the people of the State of Guyana Lawrence was represented by attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes who made a bail application on Lawrence’s behalf He highlighted to the court that Lawrence attended court of her own accord and that the court should take that into consideration for bail He also requested that she be placed on self-bail Hanoman told this newspaper that the prosecution did not object to bail given that Lawrence attended court He noted that the charges had been filed since March and that both accused were absent when the matter was first called Lawrence is expected to return to court on September 11th Mingo is also expected to be served by then or attend court on his own on the date fixed who is also before the court for electoral fraud and misconduct was also at court this morning His matter will be investigated by the police according to Hanoman Lowenfield who is on $450,000 bail is also expected to attend court on September 11th The Chambers of the DPP has taken over prosecution of this matter People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairperson Volda Lawrence is scheduled to report to the police today in connection with the ongoing investigation surrounding the events of the March 2nd General and Regional elections Lawrence was initially invited to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Eve Leary on Saturday afternoon to answer to allegations stemming from the probe Lawrence is already facing a criminal charge of uttering a forged document related to the polls She was previously charged alongside District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo for allegedly uttering a forged document with intent to defraud the public contrary to Section 278 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act the police announced that they had launched an investigation into the March elections and the events that occurred during the ensuing five months up to when President Irfaan Ali was declared the winner on August 2nd including several Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials have faced charges stemming from their alleged involvement in the manipulation of the elections results The most recent to be arrested as part of the investigation was Deputy Chief Election Officer Roxanne Myers who was eventually charged with two counts of misconduct in public office Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and GECOM Information Technology Officer Enrique Livan have been charged The opposition APNU+AFC in a statement issued ahead of the scheduled meeting on Saturday between the police and Lawrence had accused the police of intensifying “psychological terrorism” on the leadership of the APNU+AFC coalition by asking Lawrence to present herself to CID at 4.15 pm Saturday the police later rejected this claim and said the time was agreed on to accommodate Lawrence’s lawyer police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor said that investigators contacted Lawrence’s lawyer and invited her to the CID Headquarters to put an allegation to her in relation to the elections investigation initially indicated that Lawrence would be there for 10am on Saturday but later requested that they exercise their discretion and permit him to bring Lawrence at 4pm on Saturday instead “The police investigators had no difficulty in acceding to the Attorney’s request and so the time for Ms Lawrence to report to the CID location in the company of her Attorney was duly re-scheduled as requested,” the GPF explained  “It is evident that there is a plan to detain Ms Lawrence as others have been detained previously,” APNU+AFC  further charged has dutifully attended court as required and complied with all requirements spurious and trumped up,” the coalition had said A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has nominated former PNCR Chair and Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence for the second of two vacancies that have arisen in its parliamentary lineup APNU had earlier decided on People’s National Congress Reform Leader The matter now rests with the Representative of the APNU+AFC list He is expected to advise the Guyana Elections Commission of the replacements for former Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon and former Minister of Education Nicolette Henry did not contest for any of the positions at last December’s PNCR Congress saying that she needed rest Recently a PNCR source said that Lawrence’s experience was desperately needed in Parliament to help make the governing PPP/C accountable Supporters of the APNU+AFC coalition must be prepared to play their part at the close of polls on elections day and be ready to guard against any interference during the counting of ballots at polling stations Chair of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Volda Lawrence told a gathering at Kitty Market Square last night Lawrence told supporters that after voting for the general and regional elections is closed at 6 pm on March 2 they must be ready to work the “nightshift” and be watchful during the tabulation of ballots The party chairman informed supporters that they must not leave polling stations until the Statement of Poll (SOPs) with the results of the voting at those locations is posted outside of the building by the returning officers you have to remain there until they get it right until they have counted all ballots and the returning officer comes outside and paste up the statement of polls and then our nice strong men will be mobilised to follow that ballot box for it to go into that container and have the APNU+AFC padlock and chain placed on that container to protect our ballots,” she emphasised while noting that it is important for them to have a smooth process “Joke ah joke but them votes we na mek no joke no joke we ain’t mekking with them ballots,” she further informed the crowd which roared its approval The party chairman shared the instructions while she emceed the public meeting While Lawrence did not address the crowd like other speakers she highlighted some of the APNU+AFC government’s achievements over the last four years She also used the opportunity to educate voters on how they should vote on elections day and urged them to be cautious as votes can be easily spoiled I don’t want any spoil votes like the last time Each one must teach one; you must remind your friends and family that they have to vote two times An X at the top and at the bottom at the palm and key,” she iterated to the upbeat supporters Lawrence also cautioned that they should not write anything on the ballot papers as the votes will be counted as spoiled they wrote all sorts of things because they were filled with emotions They wrote love letters but we don’t want any spoiled votes We want everyone to know how to vote,” Lawrence said She further told supporters that they must not make the mistake to discourage anyone from voting especially persons who are mentally challenged since it is their democratic right to do so Lawrence also used to opportunity to preach a message of unity and announced that persons from any walk of life are encouraged to join the coalition “I want you to know that APNU+AFC is for everyone our doors are open…come in to the family of APNU+AFC; we want to bring this country we want each and every Guyanese feel as if they belong here,” she emphasised said that under the David Granger-led administration the city has seen development and transformation He contended that more was done for the citizenry of Georgetown in four years than when the People’s Progressive Party was in power Narine highlighted that millions were spent on cleaning up the city’s drains and alleyways and Georgetown has been on a progressive path of transformation He stated too that through grants from central government via the Ministry of Communities the city council have been able to improve the infrastructure at the La Penitence He also boasted of the free Wi-Fi hotspots available at the markets and at City Hall they should vote for the APNU+AFC government to allow progress to continue The mayor stated that should this government remain in office after March 2 they will undertake the restoration of the City Hall building and return it to its glory days APNU+AFC has made no progress towards the restoration of City Hall Narine  also stressed that there will be more creation of public green spaces and improved drainage works Narine took the opportunity to respond to the PPP/C’s Dr Vindhya Persaud regarding her claims of drug shortages in the health sector He said that while Persaud is claiming that there have been drug shortages it didn’t stop her from requesting assistance from the Ministry of Public Health to conduct her medical outreaches Other speakers of the night included Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan who highlighted the progress delivered by the APNU+AFC government and urged voters to give the administration a second chance two of them currently facing elections-related charges yesterday declined to testify before the ongoing Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the March 2 2020 elections on the grounds of avoiding self-incrimination Karen Cummings and Carol Joseph took the witness stand and declared their decision under oath Lawrence and Joseph were represented by attorney Nigel Hughes who informed the Commission of his clients’ decision “Both of them are defendants right now in criminal proceedings relating to offences related to the conduct of the elections and consequently I think they face some jeopardy if they were to testify… So they have been advised to exercise their right….not to incriminate themselves or put themselves in a position where they might incriminate themselves and consequently won’t testify,” Hughes said “The position that you adopt on behalf of Ms Joseph and Lawrence is one I am prepare to respect,” retired Justice Carl Singh told Hughes retired Justice Stanley John reminded Hughes that in response to the summonses his clients would still be required to enter the witness stand and state their position who was seated in the public gallery was escorted to the witness box She was given the Holy Bible to take the oath and she then asked Secretary of the Commission Javed Shadick “what ah swearin fuh?” before she abided Justice John then asked Lawrence to provide the inquiry with her full name and address and she responded “Good morning Sir former Chief Justice and Chancellor and on my left is Mr Godfrey Smith,” Justice John informed Lawrence who then proceeded to introduce herself As he reminded her that she appeared before the CoI in response to a summons Justice John told Lawrence “I must indicate to you that you are not bound to testify You have the right to remain silent…as your constitutional right and your right against self-incrimination….If you so do you are not required to answer any questions posed to you by any of the Commissioners Do you wish to give evidence or to be asked any questions?” Lawrence stated “Chairman of the Commission Volda Ann Lawrence wish to reserve my right to remain silent” She was followed by Joseph who also informed the CoI “I want to remain silent” Justice John also reminded Joseph of her rights and told her the Commission was grateful for her response to the summons Cummings had presided over an infamous meeting with international observers on March 5th 2020 at the Ashmins building That meeting which was later described as an attempt to intimidate observers has been the subject of testimony before the inquiry Cummings had held the meeting in her capacity as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence and Joseph are currently before the court on election fraud charges Previous witnesses who appeared before the CoI had made mention of Cummings who was the Chief Scrutineer of the APNU+AFC is accused of abusing party agents during the tabulation and verification of votes cast in Region Four loud voices could have been heard coming from outside the building where a few persons had gathered Their presence had caused an increase in the number of police  at the location and within minutes those speaking loudly departed Public hearings will  continue this morning with more persons summoned scheduled to appear before the Commission Chairman of the People’s National Con-gress Reform (PNCR) was yesterday faced with two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud She was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud at the March 2nd regional and general elections and was placed on $50,000 bail Police Prosecutor Tariq Mohammed did not object to Lawrence being granted bail but requested that bail be set at a substantial amount Lawrence is expected to return to court on December 9 when the outstanding statement will be presented to the court Lawrence is also facing private criminal charges in relation to the elections  PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence was yesterday placed on $100,000 bail after appearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennon on private criminal charges including conspiring to forge documents to show a win for APNU+AFC at the March 2nd general elections The charges were filed on March 13 by Charles Ramson Jr against Lawrence and District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo in relation to the controversial results for District Four Attempts to serve the notices on them had reportedly not succeeded Mingo and Lawrence are accused of uttering a forged document with intent to defraud the public contrary to Section 278 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act The section specifies that everyone who utters a document knowing it to be forged or altered with intent to defraud the public…shall be guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for three years According to the particulars of the offence “the accused Clairmont Mingo having been procured by the accused Volda Lawrence on or about March 5 uttered to the Chief Elections Officer (Keith Lowenfield) a Form 24 Representation of the People Act dated March 5 knowing it to be forged with intent to defraud the people of the state of Guyana.” Lawrence was represented by attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes who made a bail application on her behalf who is also before the court over electoral fraud and misconduct was also at court yesterday His private criminal charge has been taken over by the DPP’s Chambers Lawrence was greeted yesterday by a crowd of supporters notwithstanding COVID-19 social distancing requirements Barricades were placed by police for the sake of crowd control in front of the courtyard The crowd could be heard shouting “Free Volda” loudly while the matter was being heard and later cheered her on as she addressed the media Lawrence told the media that the charge is what she believes to be “a continuation of the circus that we will see under this regime…this is another set of trumped up charges I know personally that I have committed no crime I have done absolutely nothing of what I am accused of from this morning when I heard this charge is filed As a matter of fact I worked until the Monday after the third of August I left the Ministry of Public Health compound at 3.30 and at no time was any matter brought to the ministry to present to me I also was provided with 24 hours security by the Govern-ment of Guyana at my residence at La Penitence At no time anybody came there to file anything and so I believe that this is a continuation of the circus that we will see under this regime And we have to brace ourselves and we have to be strong and we have to stand up and fear no foe…” she said as she expressed thanks to her supporters APNU+AFC today said that the Chair of the PNCR Volda Lawrence has been asked to report to the police today It accused the PPP/C government and the police of “psychological terrorism” Lawrence has faced questions about her role in relations to the controversial District Four declaration She has faced private criminal charges in connection with this An edited statement from APNU+AFC follows: Today there has been an unmistakable further intensification of the psychological terrorism on the leadership of the APNU+AFC Coalition by the PPP regime and their complicit agents in the Guyana Police Force The People’s National Congress Chairman Ms Volda Lawrence has been contacted by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Guyana Police Force and told to present herself at 16:15hrs today Lawrence was previously charged by the Guyana Police Force and put before the court She has dutifully attended court as required and complied with all requirements Lawrence to present herself at the CID Headquarters must be seen for what it is – psychological terrorism against the APNU+AFC leadership It is evident that there is a plan to detain Ms Lawrence as others have been detained previously Public Health Minister and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairperson Volda Lawrence is facing scrutiny over a suggestion that party officials elected to public offices should show preference to fellow party members in hiring and the award of contracts During a presentation at the Region Four District Conference Lawrence can be heard telling attendees that they should not be afraid to give jobs or contracts to party comrades Her comments have prompted opposition leader and PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo to condemn her statements as an admission of discriminatory labour practices Volda Lawrence could be charged for this because our labour law says that you cannot discriminate against people on the basis of their gender She is making it clear that she is going to discriminate on the basis of their politics I hope we can see some private criminal charges being filed against Volda Lawrence for a statement like this,” he told a press conference yesterday Lawrence yesterday responded to the reportage on her comments but did not address the specific comments in relation to hiring party members Lawrence said she stands by her views on the issue of jobs and unemployment and that measures are being put in place for the young and industrious to be afforded the opportunity of becoming self-employed or gaining meaningful employment It also said that she wished to “shed light on the issue of attracting support from non-traditional bases” and noted that she is a Guyanese with mixed heritage The statement adds that it irked Lawrence when she gets reports that little or no work is being done in perceived strongholds of the PPP/C “The Chairman stated we must bring everyone in whether they looked like her or not,” the statement added She has also indicated that she stands by her views that party members must educate and position themselves to be among the 20% of small contractors that will be afforded government contracts and also that they must become bilingual as Guyana is fast becoming a haven for people from countries near and far Lawrence emphasised that if the coalition wants to remain in power after 2020 appears to be a charge to those who have recently won seats or have been selected to serve on local government bodies following the November 12th local government polls They were encouraged to serve with the same zeal with which they campaigned and remember that it was the party which put them in a position of power “In the past we have had persons elected to represent the party or the coalition and when they get into office they say nobody didn’t put dem deh dey put deyself…we have to hold these people accountable If you can’t work for the party resign,” Lawrence said to thunderous applause Lawrence noted that the party has found that when they “put people in office they forget is the party put them there and they go and they suck up to the other people some of them even vote with the other people,” which she said is unacceptable when the leadership say this is the party’s position so dey abstain and all sorts of thing.’ Well she coming because we will not tolerate it,’” she stressed before adding that “all of you who are going to take up office are part of the winning ticket for 2020 We will not allow you to spoil that winning ticket Lawrence is also heard addressing the PPP/C’s capture of more seats on the Georgetown City Council at the polls She said “there are 15 constituencies in Georgetown hence there are 30 seats around the Horseshoe table and the PPP ensured that they had 28 people looking like me running for Georgetown and two looking like Jagdeo… do you understand the strategy?” “We like to assume that when we see someone looking a particular way that they come from Robb Street but don’t assume that when you see someone looking like Comrade Sammy and Comrade Mahendra here I come into the party and reach comrade Sammy we have to bring more of them in and they are here they want to come in but some of us we so righteous and judgmental that the people can’t come in politics is a numbers game; there are many out there who didn’t enjoy the sweet of the PPP table and they see some good in us and our policies The PPP is afraid of social cohesion but we must embrace it so we can take back the seat on the East Bank and East Coast.”  “We don’t have to wait no three years comrades there are mechanisms for us to go back to the polls me ain’t able buse and cuss and waste me time; I lash you in you head and done the story Comrades; we have to run things in those NDCs… the same ones they say we lose I challenge those on the East Bank and East Coast to get back into those NDCs and take them over Don’t run from this stupidness—dem ain’t vote fo we because in some of these NDCs we just miss by a few votes Take the statistics which you have and start to pick them off one by one Before the three years out we must have another election going on in those constituencies They took three from us in Georgetown… they got it in names and we will take it back which is on our side and we will take it back.” She also urged the party members to be less concerned with what the PPP/C says on Facebook or on the news and be more concerned about the messages coming from their own party We got so caught up as if we are still in opposition “You see all this nonsense what going on about Harmon and Volda and Basil…All of we gon deh outside a government if you continue to be stupid This not about me and Comrade Harmon and Comrade Basil Williams This thing is about us remaining in power,” she stressed while referring to the recent contest for the party chairmanship where she emerged victorious over Harmon and incumbent Williams With the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) yet to meet and decide on a candidate to fill the parliamentary seat to become vacant when Joseph Harmon departs on March 15 some of its members are already advocating for the return of Volda Lawrence saying her leadership is desperately needed in the House She has since departed from the uppermost positions in the PNCR but serves as the Chair of the PNCR Women’s arm and leader of its Georgetown chapter “I have been working for as long as I could remember and when I was Minister I never took leave So I am just taking some time for myself and my family…I don’t want to be in this race I am tired,” Lawrence had said back in December last year having opted not to contest for the leadership of the party Lawrence was diagnosed with cancer and underwent three surgeries that year she underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy without taking a leave of absence She said that the decision took a toll on her and she was taking a step back from the leadership roles as a result Harmon and former Minister of Education Dr Nicolette Henry have tendered their resignations to the Speaker of the National Assembly and so far the PNCR has identified its Leader as a replacement for one of the vacant seats A source close to the CEC says that the opposition needs Lawrence’s leadership at this time one is by a male and the other is by a female To keep that gender balance (they) should be replaced by a male and a female The executive is now looking at it and Aubrey has been identified as one of the persons and I think the other position should be filled by Volda Lawrence “One of the things that we are absent of in the parliament is a solid person with an accountant background Outside [of] Carl Greenidge that person is Volda Lawrence,” the source said Lawrence is an accountant and served as Chair of Parliament’s Public Accounts Commit-tee It was noted that Granger is a stickler for gender balance in the National Assembly But Granger holds no position of leadership within the APNU and the PNCR so his role as the Representative of the APNU+AFC List is now seen as merely ceremonial Granger still possesses the power to name whomever he wants to sit in the National Assembly since he remains the Representative of the APNU+AFC List said that the current cadre of opposition parliamentarians lacks institutional memory and knowledge along with political astuteness “We need someone who knows how the PPP operates that could predict them and we don’t have that currently in the House Volda possesses that and I think for Aubrey Norton to go into the House his focus should be mainly on the role of the Leader of the Opposition while at the same time having a senior person from within his Party who has the knowledge of accounting and the economy who has institutional knowledge about all of these various committees of the parliament [sitting in Parliament],” the source related The current corps of main opposition parliamentarians consists of several first-timers including its shadow Finance Minister Juretha Fernandes said that Fernandes’ knowledge as a first-timer is limited and as a result the opposition’s ability to scrutinise the trajectory of the economy and government spending is severely inhibited which we just dealt with [to] identify the person to come on the Board of the Natural Resource Fund…for me the only person with that requisite background that we need that we don’t have is Volda Lawrence It doesn’t fill the vacuum that we currently have and that vacuum is institutional knowledge and somebody with some sort of economic background And even when Aubrey comes into the House he doesn’t have an economic background he can get information but you need somebody who’s there leaving the parliament and having a caucus as to how we should approach this and so and that is Volda Lawrence,” the senior PNCR executive said The source was hopeful that Lawrence is named to fill the vacant parliamentary seat and comes out of her hiatus to steer the coalition in a direction where it can better scrutinize the government and represent its supporters Norton is currently overseas and expected back on March 18 after which the CEC will meet to decide on the person to fill the vacant seat Volda Lawrence was minutes after midnight today declared the new Chairman of the PNCR She was in a tight race with incumbent Basil Williams and Joseph Harmon The final result at PNCR Headquarters at Congress Place came more than six hours after it had been expected Her victory will be seen as a major defeat for the incumbent Williams who is the country’s attorney general He had held the post of Chairman for two terms APNU yesterday remained mum about its 22 members for Parliament even as a row raged across social media about concerns that PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence was surprisingly not on the list its coalition partner the AFC named its nine members retaining its key ministers from the last administration APNU party leader and representative of the list former President David Granger has reportedly compiled a list of parliamentarians which excludes several executives of the PNCR including party chair Lawrence James Bond who has worked closely with Lawrence confirmed to Stabroek News yesterday that the long-time parliamentarian had been informed that she would not be returning to the assembly “Only David Granger can tell you the full list but I can confirm that Comrade Lawrence is not on the list,” he told this newspaper Bond later went live on his Facebook page to bemoan “the poor leadership” of Granger and accuse him of betraying those most loyal to the party such as Lawrence “There was no consultation…she was summoned to a meeting and told she is not going to parliament,” he lamented adding that the party deserves a leader who will listen He explained that many of the party’s candidates including himself learnt that they were not parliamentarians from media reports Basil Williams and Amna Ally will not be returning to the Assembly Lawrence and Ally while Williams asked the newspaper to direct all questions to Congress Place Attempts to contact Congress Place via phone and email proved futile Lawrence is immensely popular among PNCR constituents in Georgetown and this helped to propel her to the chairmanship of the party The governing PPP/C is still to identify its own parliamentarians Stabroek News understands that the party has scheduled an executive committee meeting for today at which the 33 candidates who will hold seats in the assembly will be finalized Providing that both the PPP/C and the coalition submit their list of names today the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will finally be able to gazette the results of the March 2 polls Normally lists of parliamentarians are to be submitted within 15 days of a declaration of results; those 15 days expired yesterday The Alliance for Change (AFC) last evening announced that five of its former ministers including party leader Khemraj Ramjattan will be returning to the National Assembly for the 12th Parliament They will be joined by newcomers Sherod Duncan party executive  Cathy Hughes stated that the former ministers are expected to use their experience to influence the legal and policy framework of the energy and other vital sectors as Guyana becomes an oil and gas producing state Those returning are Ramjattan the former Minister of Public Security Hughes the former Minister of Public Telecommunications as well as the former Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson  In total the junior member of the APNU+AFC Coalition will hold nine of the 31 seats won by the party at the March 2 polls Notably the party has committed to a “rotation of seats” where at the midterm other members will be considered to replace seated parliamentarians in the initial list This practice of rotation was first initiated by the Benschop for Mayor Group at the Georgetown City Council following the 2016 local government elections at which they won a single seat It has been replicated by the three parties which formed a “joinder list” ahead of the March 2 elections The three parties have committed to “sharing” the single seat over the next five years and identified leader of the Liberty and Justice Party Hughes explained that her name and that of Ramsaroop were extracted from the Region 4 lists while Sears will be representing Region 10 All other names were extracted from the National Top Up list It was noted that executive member Valerie Lowe “expressed a desire to serve in the Party’s rebuilding” Lowe formerly served as Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs No mention was made of former members such as the former Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo but Hughes acknowledged that the party could have chosen many more who were worthy of a seat in Parliament before explaining the intention to rotate the seats “We are excited that our list also includes new faces with an emphasis on youth and gender representation We are confident that our new Parliamentarians will advocate policies that are of special relevance to youth women and our Indigenous population,” Hughes said of the new members before concluding that her party looks forward to working with APNU towards the fair and equitable distribution of Guyana’s newfound wealth and opportunities to all its citizens “We will also fight for the establishment of good governance and the fair application of Guyana’s laws for the benefit of all its citizens,” she concluded today criticised statements by PNCR General Secretary Volda Lawrence among which were that only PNCR people would be getting jobs Lawrence made the comments at a Region Four conference and later apologised for any offence caused but not for the actual statements the WPA also called for more “inspired” leadership from its fellow governing coalition partner  The WPA is not surprised by the public condemnation and criticism of Minister Volda Lawrence given the volatile nature of her unfortunate remarks at the recent PNCR regional conference As a member party of the APNU and the coalition government the WPA came under tremendous pressure from our members supporters and the public to speak out on this matter It must be highlighted that Minister Lawrence’s statement came after the shock in the PNCR leadership from the party’s poor showing in the Local Government Elections (LGE) and amidst known concerns among many  APNU+AFC members and supporters of their exclusion from employment opportunities and access to government contracts We are also cognizant that the Minister has recently ascended to the “Chair” of her party we felt that some space should be given to Minister Volda Lawrence and her comrades in the PNCR to reflect on the political consequences APNU/AFC Coalition and the country of their decisions leading up to the LGE In doing so we refrained from giving an earlier response WPA believes that the Minister’s apology should have been forthwith It is appropriate that the Minister has found the maturity to accept responsibility for her utterance and the political damage to the Coalition and the Government commitments to national cohesion a non- racial/non- partisan approach to governance We note the virtual silence of the Minister’s party on the matter which suggests the PNCR seems unable to demonstrate the necessary leadership initiative consistent with a party that wastes no time in proclaiming its paramount importance and its rights to political hegemony but at the same time aggregating its responsibility to lead by example The WPA and its members like other small parties in the APNU  has the first-hand experience with the logic that is inherent in the Minister’s stated employment philosophy which was consistent with an earlier statement by Minister Amna Ally General Secretary of the PNCR We would be politically naïve not to infer the political message inherent in these statements While not contesting the race factor in Minister Lawrence’s statements more disturbing to the WPA is that the almost identical remarks have been uttered by African and Indian leaders of the PPP/C with no reprimand from its leader and Head of State The WPA is of the view that Minister Lawrence’s statement has contributed to the further fragmentation of the coalition which we believe will continue to happen unless serious attempts are made to resolve the political discrepancies that have been allowed to grow and manifest itself in ways that are detrimental the WPA demands a more inspiring leadership from the senior party in the APNU and the Coalition One that is consistent with our Manifesto’s commitments to the Guyanese people And is reflective of a political leadership that is mindful of winning the 2020 General and Regional Elections Peab has been commissioned to build a new school building for the media program at Volda University College in western Norway The customer is Statsbygg and the contract is worth NOK 123 million The media program at Volda University College has been the leading program in Norway for almost 50 years When the building is finished it will house 500 students and 50 employees The new school building will have a net area of 4,000 m2 “I am incredibly pleased that we were entrusted to build the new school building Building schools means building for society and it is a source of motivation and pride for our entire organization,” says Kjetil Nordang Peab won the building’s design and formation contest which started the project off A phase where Peab will further develop construction plans together with the users will start in April 2019 and construction will begin in the third quarter of 2019 The project will be completed in the spring of 2021 The project will be order registered in the first quarter of 2019 Peab is a leading Nordic construction and civil engineering company with about 15,000 employees and about SEK 52 billion in net sales The Group has strategically placed offices in Sweden Company headquarters are in Förslöv on Bjäre Peninsula in southern Sweden The Peab share is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm Volda Lawrence was just after midnight today declared the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairman beating out Joseph Harmon by  59 votes in a  win that President David Granger believes is one for women everywhere When the results were officially announced sometime after 12:30 am Returning Officer Hewley Griffith declared Lawrence the winner and informed that she had secured 346 votes against Minister of State Harmon’s 287 Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams received 183 votes Griffith said Williams’ result would represent a major defeat for him and the hope of being considered as a likely successor to President Granger President Granger was returned unopposed as  leader while Ronald Bulkan was also returned as the Treasurer unopposed the President gave the charge to the new executive Granger stressed the importance of gender equality and said that he feels that a female Chair and Vice Chair is a signal of the direction the party is going where women are taking up more leadership roles I am the first President to introduce senior counsel for females…for the first time this year 2018 there have been more national awardees who are women I can’t overrule democracy but I try very hard to ensure that women are well represented at all levels of the party That is my general philosophy,” a beaming Granger stressed “I can’t say ‘Don’t put this person because he is a male’ but the people understand what I want what the party wants and what the party is calling for So I am very satisfied that I have a female Chairman and a female Vice Chairman,” he added Lawrence told the President that she understands his vision for women and will make right by him as she executes  her duties championing the rights of the underprivileged but what I bring you is a heart for the people of Guyana I promise to walk the walk and talk the talk I pledge to walk the walk and to talk the talk to ensure that we remain in government for the next 5 the next five… I also pledge to work with our leader to ensure that we address the needs of our people and that we all work together in unity and as we leave—- all are members of the greatest party in this country Let us walk with purpose and dignity and show the Guyanese people that this is the party to be a member of,” an emotional Lawrence said to screaming supporters who stayed to celebrate with her “I will walk side by side with you and I will bring the women with me and we will carry you and this party onwards.” Granger said that he believes that the elections were demonstrative of democracy and while the process might have been slow and difficult Voting started sometime after 11 am and this newspaper was told that it was because there was a power outage Later in the afternoon there were periodic announcements on the Public Address system for persons to behave orderly Voting ended sometime after 6pm and the counting of the ballots began immediately after Emotions ran high for Lawrence’s supporters who could not contain themselves with joy and continuously screamed her first name as they formed the letter for it with their index and middle fingers “This is what I am talking about and I have waited for years to see Here we have a woman as Chairman and should be taken as a signal that we can have a women as our presidential candidate and President of this country,” Cullen Moore said “The process was long but it was worth every minute of it,” he added Granger added:  “Political office is not a glamorous affair …At the end of the day we are one party and our party is very important not only to us but to the country The persons who have been elected understand this duty And each elected member is a member of my cabinet Rivals in the campaign but they are colleagues and they will all be at cabinet on Tuesday morning We in the PNC know who we are and we know what we have to do and we know where we are going We have a team and under my guidance will work together I have worked with them as shadow ministers We have a mission and what occurred over the last few days is an indication of our commitment The people have seen democracy transparency …We are going to the future with eyes wide open” “ …I ask you the members of the public to keep faith with us the same with us over the next two years and beyond and we will lead you to that promised land We are all working for a common destination,” he added For Williams and Harmon there is no animosity and it is now time to join forces with Lawrence as the party strategizes and plans for the November Local Government Elections I think that this is a historic moment in our party when we have an opportunity to work together to build our party I don’t see a defeat here I see that we have all won out of this.”  “It has mobilized our base so you can feel the energy in here Volda Lawrence on her victory and I want to congratulate all the other members; the Vice-Chairmen…two of the persons who scored very high were on my campaign team,” Harmon added Williams said that “It is the time for women the woman has won and I will support the woman It is a great win and we will move forward together.” Griffith also gave the results of all the other persons who had contended for position of Vice Chairman Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Volda Lawrence was yesterday arrested and placed on $100,000 station bail by the Criminal Investigation Department Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said:  “Ms Lawrence was arrested in relation to post March 2 events Police interviewed her and conducted other aspects of the investigation and placed her on substantial bail to return tomorrow to the CID headquarters,” he explained Harmon accused the police force of engaging in harassment in an attempt to legitimize spurious charges “There was no reason for her to be rearrested…it appears the police wanted to have her placed in the lock ups overnight as was the case with Ms [Roxanne] Myers [Deputy Chief Election Officer] and others,” Harmon claimed Stabroek News was informed that Lawrence was asked to report to the police on Monday instead police spokesman Assis-tant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor said that investigators contacted Lawrence’s lawyer PNCR Chairman and Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence today issued an apology over controversial statements she made at a PNCR event on November 25th which included that `jobs would only go to PNC people’ The apology posted on her Facebook page follows: I have given service to my people and country I have fought for my fellow countrymen and women known and unknown The rhetoric attributed to me over the last few days is not reflective of who I am as a person or leader I have learned that as a leader I must be cognizant of what I say and do and must not allow emotions or political fervour to get in the way So to all those whom I have offended in one way or another Volda Lawrence yesterday turned up at the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) to answer questions regarding monies transferred from prominent PNCR member as the agency continues to probe the NICIL  lands deals at Peters Hall Sources close to SOCU told Stabroek News that Lawrence was called in after SOCU investigations revealed that bank transactions showed that monies were transferred from Bond’s account This newspaper understands that SOCU had contacted Lawrence When contacted by this newspaper for clarity over her visit declined to comment on her visit but emphasised that she voluntarily visited SOCU’s offices as she noted that her visit had become a “sensational news piece.”  Lawrence spent approximately 10 minutes inside the SOCU building Sources disclosed that she refused to give a statement and subsequently left SOCU has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the land deal in which Bond is a key financial beneficiary Bond was arrested and placed on $200,000 bail after being detained for 72 hours While in police custody he was questioned about the award of state lands at Peters Hall The transaction which saw the monies deposited into Bond’s account pertains to a Caribbean joint-venture for a chemical storage facility between GLASS Holdings and Trinidadian Lennox Petroleum was the recipient of some US$952,800 for the sale of lease rights for the Peters Hall lands it was leased 20.8 acres in four plots by National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) – three at 5 acres and the other at 5.8 acres The lands were not advertised and as such there was no Board or Cabinet approval of the deal The date of execution of the lease was stated as 9th May The annual cost for the lease was US$16,224 it would mean that the company would have been required to pay US$324,480 No restrictions were applied and the business sold its leasehold rights of 10 acres to GLASS Holdings Inc on October 10 GLASS Holdings paid the sum in two installments of US$195,000 and US$757,000 and according to the terms of their agreement with ARKEN was given an irrevocable Power of Attorney They were required to continue payments and meet the terms of the lease according to Managing Director of GLASS Holdings Inc when he went to pay his lease fee he was shocked to learn that the deal had come under scrutiny “The Lease Agreement and all documents and procedures to effect the transfer of the Leasehold/ Lessee rights from ARKEN to GLASS Holdings were prepared and processed in compliance with the lease (number provided) and the general rules governing the lease transfer,” Low-A-Chee wrote to new NICIL Chairman Radha Krishna Sharma as he enquired about the purchase of the lease “Pending the completion of the documentation process we had visited NICIL in early March and again in August 2020 in an attempt to pay our lease fees as the new Lessee and we were advised by Mr Accounts Receivable Clerk in the Accounts Department that there was a pending jurisdictional/ restructuring issue between NICIL and Ministry of Business regarding the collection of lease fees and as such our payment was not accepted/processed We were advised to follow up at a later date regarding the payments,” he explained to Sharma Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence yesterday announced that the number of confirmed novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country remained at five The announcement was made during an update for a second successive day by the minister after promises of daily updates She noted that four persons remain under institutional isolation by the ministry as she clarified that persons under quarantine are those persons who have been exposed but are not sick while persons in isolation are those persons who have been exposed and tested positive for the virus the minister also noted that the public health ministry has four facilities ready to provide services for 350 persons “After the 14 days of quarantine persons will be evaluated by a medical officer and based on the review will be cleared or placed on additional days of quarantine they will be reevaluated after seven days,” Lawrence said as she explained the steps to be taken after quarantine if no new symptoms develop within three days prior to the 15th day the minister said they will be tested twice in 24 hours If the results return positive they will remain in further isolation and if negative they will be cleared In relation to reports of a case of COVID-19 in Region Nine “This is not a case for Guyana” as she stated that the persons in question did not visit Guyana for the last two weeks prior to his confirmed status or even after it was discovered Lawrence mentioned that the health ministry is aware of a relative of the man who is also under quarantine in Brazil “Both individuals are in Brazil,” she said while adding that health officials in the region have begun contact tracing in a letter yesterday from the Regional Executive Officer of Region Nine Carl Parker it was noted that six relatives of the individual who has been confirmed to have the coronavirus in Bon Fim have informed the region’s emergency response committee that they had been in contact with him ‘Cops to enforce social distancing campaign’ the minister also urged persons to observe preventative measures which included social distancing hand washing and cough etiquette and for persons to call the COVID-19 hotlines if they feel they may have symptoms of the coronavirus following a “virtual meeting” of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) it was announced that in an effort to promote social distancing the Guyana Police Force is expected to commence a campaign to advise persons against gathering in public spaces and to discourage persons who are found doing so The NCTF further urged persons to “decluster” and refrain from socialising the Task Force also commended the actions of the Guyana Association of Bankers on its decision to reduce banking hours the task force again urged owners and operators of businesses to adopt reasonable measures to discourage persons from gathering in large numbers and engaging in socialising not to enter Suriname illegally by boat,” the statement said as it noted that those persons who do so may be subject to seizure of the vessels It was further noted that those persons who are deported would be subject to mandatory quarantine protocols and the task force and the government cannot commit to making representation on their behalf for the return of their vessels Volda Lawrence has been declared the new Chairman of the PNCR following elections yesterday at the parties 20th biennial congress The victorious Lawrence is at left in this photo Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence yesterday played up developments in her ministry boasting that tenders for drug supply for 2018 had already been opened  while PPP/C MP Vindhya Persaud lamented the state of the sector Lawrence told the House during yesterday’s budget debate that the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in an effort to improve accountability and transparency following  recommendations of the Public Procurement Commission and the Public Accounts Committee This includes the computerization of the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies management system for the first time tenders for 2018 have been opened already this has never happened in the health sector This is the efficiency that the APNU+AFC Government speaks of,” Lawrence said Vindya Persaud in her rebuttal questioned how Lawrence who was also a past chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee can say tendering has already begun since the budget has not been yet been formally passed Persaud condemned the state of health care in Guyana saying that based on observations made during visits to several health facilities “The shelves are bare in the bond; the equipment has not been working in 2016 and there has been a severe shortage of human resources to say that things are all hunky-dory and rosy and all of these things have not been dealt is definitely misinforming the House… We have had the opportunity to visit and see and make recommendations which to date have not been dealt with… When I am to consider that the minister is saying that the delivery of health care will improve with a new building are we to assume that all we need is a building and that is the only thing to help us deliver services to the People of Guyana Lawrence had found herself in hot water over drug purchases by the GPHC but has since been cleared in the matter PPP/C MP Bheri Ramsaran said that under the tenure of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) there was massive infrastructural expansion this does not seem to be the case with the current administration as he accused it of lacking continuity and momentum “We are critical of this budget and we frown on it in many areas because there is no continuity; you may spend $40 million on the C C Nicholson Hospital which I personally made a project of my own and of course massive changes in Moruca,” Ramsaran a former Minister in the Ministry of Health  said That is what we are critical of…don’t think of only building a $40 million addition to CC Nicholson we would like to see the 100-150 patient beds at Diamond You can’t say in your budget speech that you want to protect the Georgetown Public Hospital from pressure and you are going to put a few more beds at Nabaclis You need to do what the PPP had envision[ed] and what we were speaking about regularly at this level which was very much known,” he added my constituents have pointed out something I think it was 71 million on an inauguration campaign and fiesta you can’t have money to do the real things to go to a higher level and the higher level would have been providing the East Bank area with a full-fledged hospital,” Ramsarran posited not that we are saying what we did shouldn’t be continued but we are frowning on your failing to have a vision for failing to have leadership,” he continued He also critiqued the administration’s approach in addressing mental health saying that they are misguided in their decision to separate mental health from the other Non-Communicable Diseases (NDCs) he suggested that more emphasis be placed on mental health training at the grassroots level suicides starts with fighting depression at the community level…,” he added Lawrence in her address said the 2018 National Budget provides the platform for the achievement of the common good and for the journey of the good life to proceed She noted that the Ministry for the period under review has embraced the President’s vision of providing the good life for all Guyanese by prioritizing the delivery of health care and health services in all of the administrative regions in the country though the Ministry has had its challenges Lawrence said it has kept the momentum of focus on goal number three which seeks to ensure the health and wellbeing of all it was explained that the Ministry has sought to establish a “much needed” Human Resources Department in collaboration with the Public Service Ministry and international partner Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Lawrence said the Ministry continues to operate efficiently with a small division managing a work force of approximately 3,000 employees Another area on the ministry’s radar is the statistical department she said is currently deficient in terms of its human capacity to provide up-to-date reports needed for forward planning plans are underway to strengthen the department with equipment and human capacity so that pertinent information can be accessed in a timely manner and the department can function at a greater level of efficiency and effectiveness “It is the ministry’s perception that informed decisions must be made on evidence based data and GHIS [Geographic Health Information System] has been identified as the integrated electronic platform GHIS will enable standardized and complete documentation of patient’s health information in order to increase capacity for civilians reporting and decision making activities among others there has been the acquisition of two programmers with the help of our partners PAHO and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],” Lawrence explained “There will also be a stakeholder’s communication plan to initiate and engage in consultation for e -Health legislation with a view to identify advantages and disadvantages and ramifications of the proposed storage use and accessibility of the health records and it is expected that the pilot will begin at the East La Penitence Health Centre between December 8 and 14 of this year Our priority is to ensure that our people’s health comes first,” she added the Minister made mention of several capital projects including the construction of a new Public Health Head Office complex  to accommodate all departments at a cost of $243 million and the construction of a modern food and drug facility for testing food and other commodities to ensure that the items meet  the required standards