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Quotes:
"Very few of us will reach our 50th birthday without first experiencing heart problems, strokes or even sudden death".
Marcella Edlay, 'The Alternative Health Specialist' (One Caribbean, 7th October).
"During a press briefing held earlier this week, Director of Information, John Robert Lee and Chief Information Officer, Roger Joseph of GIS and Head of Protocol, Mr. Brian Bernard briefed the press on security arrangements, dress code, the importance of punctuality and other useful information".
One Caribbean on preparations for the conference of Heads of State (7th October).
"Date (n) - the period of forced kindness before the abuse in the relationship starts. One premonition of the intended abuse is being taken to a fast food eatery and told: imagine it as a five star restaurant".
"Defeatist (n) - A lazy person who holds the egotistical opinion that society is out to get him. Sad to say, he may be right".
"Development (n) - the construction of fisheries at the expense of the welfare of whales".
"Dogma (n) - the belief that, if Caricom unites politically, the residents of the other territories would come to take away our jobs - that of grass cutters, bellhops, waiters, toilet attendants and garbage cleaners".
Alternative dictionary of St. Lucian usage (One Caribbean, 7th October).
"It may not be right but it is OK".
Person commenting on the introduction of casino gambling in St. Lucia (One Caribbean, 7th October).
"In the banana industry the people who know about it want to keep those don't know as ignorant as possible. That is how they are able to manipulate and keep people divided".
Patrick Joseph, chairman of the St. Lucia Banana Corporation (The Crusader, 7th October).
"As Mrs. A. spoke she referred to a number of plans but clearly it was obvious these were not formatted for an exercise of this nature. This caused many of the participants to wish that they had brought a pair of binoculars with them to view the drawings"
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"With the car-park only constructed to occupy 330 cars and an equal number entering the seaports fairly regularly, one wonders what is going to happen to the increasing number of vehicles on the city's streets"
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"The officials kept on mumbling that there was no word yet on when the new city street parking rules will come into effect, but they said they expect it to come into effect in the medium term. 'How long is the medium term?' The head table officials just twisted their heads to look at each other, and mumble, 'one year or maybe six months'."
The Crusader on a meeting called by the ministry of Communications and Works and NIPRO to inform businesspeople about changes in traffic management in Castries (7th October).
"Can our countries afford the 'luxury' of quinquennial political campaigns in which adult men and women line up across a political divide, only to throw insults at each other, belittle each other's achievements and smear each other's reputation? Is there room in our miniscule societies and economies for conflicting ideologies and visions between competing political parties?"
Denys Springer on the counterproductive side of St. Lucia's political system (The Mirror, 6th October - 'quinquennial' means: 'every five years').
"I am a firm believer in the concept that the devil you know is sometimes better than the angel you don't know".
Minister Cass Elias speaking on the contribution that Cable and Wireless has made to the region (The Mirror, 6th October).
"She was a true Caribbean hurricane, with a real Caribbean character: full of bluster, grandcharge and bluff, in the end turning her back and slinking away, still muttering curses and threats under her breath; letting us know that she let us off this time, but that it was only out of the goodness of her heart. ... The only thing missing to make her indistinguishable from, say, a regular St. Lucian, was somebody holding her in a tight bodylock from behind and restraining her, while she struggled with the usual, 'Let me go! Garson, I tell you, lemme go! I gon' kill dem St. Lucians! Dey fink I fooling 'round, eh? I gon' show dem!'."
Victor Marquis on hurricane/tropical storm Joyce which threatened St. Lucia last weekend but dispersed before she could do harm (The Voice, 7th October).
"'Whenever I see him', she says, 'he shouts: 'Keep up the good work Theresa. Keep up the good work!'."
Theresa Hall, founder of the Helen Folk Dancers, on minister of Culture Damian Greaves. Hall complained on the DBS evening news last week that her dance troupe gets very little money from the ministry of Culture. "All they do is give us their blessings" (The Star, 7th October).
"There are people who need help and my task is to refer them to services where they can get that help but there are no services to refer them to".
Social worker Jennifer Joseph, based at Golden Hope mental hospital (The Star, 7th October).
"The guns are all we have".
Assistant Superintendent of Police Ethelbert Edwards on the total lack of training for police officers who are called on to restrain mentally ill persons (The Star, 7th October).
"But they all look good before you put them in power, don't they?"
Mirror editorial on rumours that accountant Jeff Stewart might become the new UWP leader (6th October).
"While so much is made of 'foreign influences', where in our Carib/African heritage does it show the origination of the death penalty? Isn't this an innovation of the very influences that are now seen with such derision? Hanging the 'boowoe' - the deviant native, is what the colonialists wanted to do all the time!"
Leevie Herelle and Samuel Bowers on Henry Mangal's commentary last week in which Mangal maintained that people who oppose the death penalty and are vigilant against human rights abuses represent neocolonialism (The Star, 7th October).
"Also approved in parliament last week was a loan to purchase a building housing the St. Lucia High Commission in London..."
Press secretary Earl Bousquet, on the approval by parliament, two weeks ago, of a commercial loan of EC$4.2 million. The Mirror reported last week that the money was for the "refurbishment" of a house in London for use as the offices of the St. Lucia and Dominican High Commission. The house in question is located at no.1 Collingham Gardens. There has been no other mention in the press of this 4.2 million dollar loan.
"7. The Commissioners were not a little astounded to discover that since 1965, there have been no additions or amendments made to the Standing Orders; almost as if the Force had stood still. What was even more surprising was that some policemen had never heard of them. To crown it all not even a single copy of this 'Policemen's Bible' so to speak, was available at any of the stations which the Commissioners visited - which amounted to all of them
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9. Not a single person could tell the Commission what was the period designated as night. A night visit according to Standing Order 217 is the visit after 10:00 pm. There was confusion also as to what constituted an inspection, and how it should be carried out; by whom and how often. Unfortunately, this lack of knowledge was shared by the Commissioner of Police and his senior officers".
Extract from the 'Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the Administration, Command and Discipline of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force' (One Caribbean, 7th October). |
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Speculation rife: who will land in UWP hot seat?
Dr Vaughan Lewis, recently nominated unopposed to lead the United Workers Party, sent shivers of anxiety and anticipation through the nation this week when, apparently out of the blue, he tendered his resignation from the top position. This move has caused intense public speculation about who will be propelled into the top UWP seat at the party's upcoming convention next week, Sunday 15th October. The names now being touted are those of accountant Jeffrey Stewart, former senator and attorney-general Lorraine Williams, former UWP prime minister Sir John Compton, interim leader Dr Morella Joseph and former president of the Chamber of Commerce, Guy Mayers. Dr. Lewis cited lack of time due to commitments with family and ongoing academic pursuits overseas as the main reason for his political withdrawal.
According to The Mirror, not even UWP general secretary Stephenson King knew that Dr Vaughan Lewis was about to resign. "The surprise threw the executive into a constitutional crisis", writes the newspaper. "How were they going to find a leader after the one they nominated and practically endorsed had suddenly resigned? Dr. Morella Joseph, who recently declined to contest the leadership with Dr Lewis, was named interim leader and is now the clear favourite of the executive".
But the situation might be more complicated than that. Further according to The Mirror, there are very influential political forces outside of the UWP executive, including Sir John Compton, Sir George Mallet, Hollis Bristol "and other 'old boys'", who "would endorse [Jeff] Stewart as the new leader".
Where does true power lie in the UWP - with the executive or with the so-called 'old boys'? Still according toThe Mirror, general secretary Stephenson King is quoted as saying that he "would hate to believe that certain powerful people in the party would sidestep the executive and perhaps even the constitution of the party in order to grease the wheels for a fast track rise to leadership for Stewart". As an aside, the newspaper adds: "Notwithstanding that that's exactly what happened the last time the UWP got a new leader". According to Stephenson King, he has not yet formally heard anything regarding a possible candidacy for leadership from either Jeff Stewart or Lorraine Williams. If the formal process is followed - with a slight modification to enable new leaders to be nominated and voted for on one and the same day - then it would appear that interim leader Dr Morella Joseph is the most logical person to succeed Dr Lewis. Especially since, as The Mirror writes, "the executive has the last word on accepting (or rejecting) new members". However, continues the paper, "if the information currently available is correct, Stewart will be sweeping into the top position of the Party on the same wings that delivered Dr Lewis four years ago".
In its editorial, The Mirror supports Stewart as "the kind of guy that everyone wants for their political leader. He's a wealth creator, not a lawyer. He is not part of the political mainstream. He says he has no hunger for power, and only wants a ten-year window, during which he will focus his energies on transforming the island into a 21st century economy". But at the same time, the editor comments: "But they all look good before you put them in power, don't they?" Furthermore, the Mirror's editor expresses reservations that a predetermined outcome at Sunday's elections may show more of the same old UWP style of choosing its leaders by 'anointment' rather than by democratic process.
The Star, in both of this week's issues, speculates about whether Lorraine Williams or Jeff Stewart will become the new UWP leader - but adds little in the way of substantial information to the debate. "Questions, questions, questions. We can but speculate", writes Rick Wayne. Perhaps the most interesting revelation in The Star is that Lorraine Williams is quoted as saying that in her view, Jeff Stewart "would make a heck of a leader for the UWP - and the country. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have as party leader at this particular time".
Comments from letter-writers, observers and other newspaper editors adopt yet another tone. The Crusader carries a letter clamouring for the return of Sir John Compton to the helm of the UWP, saying that neither Williams nor Stewart has the required political experience and stature to make a capable prime minister.
Dennis Dabreo, in One Caribbean, similarly rejects both Williams and Stewart on the basis of their alleged lack of political experience and categorizes them together with the current Labour Party government as "political children with no previous experience". In a slightly unusual twist of logic, Dabreo then calls for a team consisting of Sir John Compton, Dr Vaughan Lewis, Dr Morella Joseph and "a new team of young people", including "George Odlum and his brother" - presumably Jon Odlum.
The Voice, in an article by Denys Springer, appears to welcome Dr Lewis' resignation, saying it was time for the old UWP guard to "move over and let new blood in whether young or old". Springer goes on to say: "In the last few days we have heard names being bandied about as potential leaders. Men who have never been in politics suddenly see themselves as potential leaders to lead a country. What these people don't seem to realize is that party politics starts from the constituencies level, not on television. ... I believe that the party should look no further than Dr Morella Joseph to lead the party and have Lorraine Williams as deputy leader". Additionally, Springer also mentions the possibility that the Labour administration might well call an early election, before the UWP can get its house in order. Elections are due at the latest eighteen months from now.
Finally, a letter-writer (Michael Gustave) in The Star calls for people like Rick Wayne to stop trying to propel people like Williams and Stewart into the UWP leadership, disregarding "all the thousands of UWP supporters and members who have gone through the process".
In general, there appear to be two camps amongst the UWP-watchers divided along the lines of what qualities are most needed in a new leader: political experience and party loyalty, or a radical break with the past and the introduction of a new type of leadership, untarnished by past political involvement, yet with a high degree of business/professional experience.
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Death of Dominica's Rosie Douglas shocks Caribbean
The sudden and unexpected death of Dominica's prime minister Roosevelt Douglas at the age of 58, after a mere eight months in office, has shocked Caribbean people all around the region and beyond. Douglas was found dead on the morning of Sunday October 1st, in his apartment in Portsmouth. He appears to have died of a sudden and massive heart attack. Douglas had just returned to Dominica after a long trip overseas. Although he exercised regularly and appeared to be fit and in good health, The Star reports that he had complained to some people of "a slight chest pain".
St. Lucia's prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony, in an address to the nation last Monday, called Douglas' untimely death "a severe loss for Dominica and the entire Caribbean, at a time when our region is in a critical transition phase of our history". Dr Anthony also spoke about the "unremitting commitment to social justice which Mr. Douglas displayed at all times throughout his life, in good time as well as in periods of adversity".
As a student in Canada, Rosie Douglas was one of the activists who smashed up the computer room at Sir George William University as part of an anti-racism demonstration. Douglas spent time in a Canadian jail for this action.
"A rebel with a cause", writes The Crusader, in a particularly intimate eulogy of Rosie Douglas, the former PM of Dominica. "He looked like Chairman Mao, but had the eloquence of Louis Farakhan. ... He laughed in leisure as loudly as he scowled deeply in protest and anger. ... Restless, argumentative, iconoclastic, he had no time and patience for those whom he perceived as the bastion of the established order. ... He was indeed and itinerant warrior and his internationalist commitment became the butt of intense criticism and suspicion in his native Dominica. ... He remained for many decades in the political wilderness. A casualty of the Black Power Movement, a casualty of the Civil Rights Movement, a casualty of the Cold War and a casualty of the Grenada Fiasco, Douglas endured the same political fate as his colleagues on the Caribbean Left like Tim Hector, George Odlum, Ralph Gonzalvez and Bobbie Clark of Barbados. He had seen it all and endured it all and was slowly developing the empty vacuous stare of the small band of believers who had been to the mountain-top and seen the promise of the land. In recent months his concern had telescoped into the possibility of rescuing Dominica from the deep abyss of underdevelopment. He had started a feverish number of visits to countries he had cultivated during the years that the lotus had eaten. ... He survived the rigours of the Cold War and was geared up and hyped-up to take his country and his people on the journey of self-exploration, self-development and ultimate liberation. But alas! that mighty heart is lying still".
Following Rosie Douglas' death, deputy prime minister Pierre Charles has been appointed as acting prime minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
The Star reports that a memorial service will be held in St. Lucia to commemorate Rosie Douglas on Tuesday 10th October, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Castries. Nationals from Dominica residing in St. Lucia are especially invited. Furthermore, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States secretariat in St. Lucia will open a condolence book for persons wishing to pay tribute to Rosie Douglas from Monday 9th until Friday 13th October. The condolence book can be signed at the Central Library in Castries.
Rosie Douglas will be given a state funeral in the Commonwealth of Dominica on Saturday 14th October.
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CARICOM Governors General to meet in St. Lucia
Heads of State from eleven CARICOM countries are due to meet and discuss issues of globalisation, culture, technology, education and human rights from Monday 9th till Thursday 12th October at the 6th Conference of Heads of State, to be held in St. Lucia. Governors-general from Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as host Dame Dr. Pearlette Louisy of St. Lucia, are set to exchange thoughts on these and other issues in workshop meetings. Various position papers are to be delivered, including ones by former Chief Justice of the OECS, Sir Vincent Floissac (globalisation and social justice), OECS Director Swinburn Lestrade (globalisation and small developing states), and Monsignor Patrick Anthony (culture and national development).
Although a "final communiqué" will be presented to the press at the end of each day, the media will not get a chance to attend the meetings, ask questions or interview any of the attendant heads of state. At a press briefing preceding the conference, Government Information Service director Robert Lee explained this by saying: "We are not dealing with prime ministers here who may wish to give interviews. We are dealing with heads of state talking amongst themselves. It's like the Queen coming. After all, you don't interview the Queen, do you?" The Star reports this. The paper further quotes Lee as explaining the purpose of the conference: "It was felt by the governor generals that they should not be seen as rubber stamp entities and [they] are therefore meeting to discuss various topics".
The Crusader adds to its report on the conference in general, and the press briefing in particular, the following, somewhat puzzling, paragraph: "What is disturbing to journalists is the apparent lack of substance of such a conference. The Heads of State are in large measure regarded in the region as primarily figureheads with little or no teeth to govern. Lee supported a journalist's statement that it is a waste of the taxpayers' dollars since no major decision will come out of the conference".
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Tricia Dennis suspect gets 30 years in jail
The man who was suspected of raping and killing Tricia Dennis but who, at the time, could not be charged with this crime for lack of evidence, was on Friday sentenced to thirty years in jail for the rape of yet another woman. The accused pleaded guilty to this charge. Following his arrest, some months ago, he claimed to have drunk the pesticide gramoxone, allegedly in remorse [search news archives]. The man has already once served a jail sentence for rape. The Voice reports this.
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Castries CarPark officially opened
The Castries CarPark Facility & Conway Business Centre was officially opened to the public last Friday, providing parking space for 320 cars, as well as housing shops, a restaurant, post office and Julian's supermarket (on the groundfloor), the Audit Office (first floor), the ministry of Foreign Affairs (second and third floors), the ministry of Planning (second floor) and an open patio and entertainment area on the roof top. The Voice dedicates a special segment to the opening of the brand new multi-storey building
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AG pits lawyers against church on casino issue
Attorney general Petrus Compton is quoted in this week's Star as saying that the government's decision to ban St. Lucians from casino's on their own island was a measure designed to appease church leaders, who opposed the introduction of gambling to St. Lucia. "Even if all the members of Cabinet do not necessarily agree with the position of the religious bodies, we had to take the concern of our religious bodies into account and so we made this concession", says Compton in The Star.
Last week, the House of Assembly passed a bill which, if ratified by the Senate, will allow gaming in St. Lucia, including casino gambling. The act however excludes St. Lucian nationals from engaging in these pursuits [see last week's news].
In an move to preempt accusations of legislating a system of 'apartheid', prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony in presenting the Bill to the House last week, added a verbal promise that the exclusion of St. Lucians would not remain forever absolute. "At the appropriate time, I propose an amendment ... that will give the government the latitude, at the appropriate time, should it become necessary ... to allow certain categories of St. Lucians to participate in gaming if they so wish", said Dr Anthony.
In light of Dr Anthony's own reported concerns about the constitutionality of the Gaming Control Act, and his verbal provisions for future amendment, the attorney-general's explanation in this week's Star comes as something of a surprise, particularly since government maintained throughout the first and second readings of the Gaming Control Act that a government-sponsored survey had shown that "75 percent of Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists ... overwhelmingly favoured" the introduction of casinos in St. Lucia. This survey was an important argument used to defend the introduction of casino gambling.
Immediately following the passage of the Gaming Control Act through the House of Assembly, former attorney general Lorraine Williams and constitutional lawyer Martinus Francois announced that they intended to challenge the constitutionality of the Gaming Control Bill in a court of law.
In response, Compton concedes in this week's Star that government has no intention of "seriously" challenging a possible court ruling if it should be found that the Gaming Control Act's clause which bans nationals from casino's in St. Lucia is unconstitutional.
By adopting this attitude towards the constitutionality of an Act that has already been accepted by the House of Assembly, the attorney general effectively pits constitutional lawyers (who defend constitutional freedoms) against church leaders (who defend certain moral principles) and in effect side-steps direct responsibility for the possible negative moral, social or economic effects of casino gambling on St. Lucian society. In this scenario, it would then be the constitutional lawyers - not government - who have made it possible for St. Lucians to participate in casino gambling.
Compton as much as admits to posing this quandary when he says, according to The Star, that "if the two lawyers believe that locals should gamble as much as visitors 'we are neither here nor there on that and it is for the church to take up that point with them'."
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PM secures banana grant but lower prices ahead
While prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony has managed to secure a $1.1 million grant from the European Union to see banana farmers in St. Lucia through the remaining four months of the wet season, Patrick Joseph is warning that by next week, banana prices may take yet another nose dive. Joseph, chairman of the St. Lucia Banana Corporation (SLBC) predicts a drop of between 6 and 8.2 cents per pound, as a direct result of a decline in the value of sterling and increased fuel and freight costs. According to The Crusader, Joseph says that the SLBC will attempt to cushion the price drop by pegging it at 5 cents, even though the company has already stretched its overdraft facilities to the limit. "We are now trying to see if we can get some assistance from government to help us cover the shortfall", says Joseph. However, if minister of Agriculture Cass Elias' recent public statements are anything to go by, there is not much chance of such financial aid. Two weeks ago, minister Elias said that his government was no longer prepared to put taxpayers' money at the disposal of the banana industry and that it would no longer offer subsidies to try to stabilise this branch of the economy. Furthermore, Elias reportedly said that the SLBC must stop shifting blame for the tremendous problems facing banana farmers in St. Lucia onto the shoulders of the government and instead start using money that it has received from the trust fund, to make available loans to suffering banana farmers. The Star reported this at the time.
There is no report yet as to whether the $1.1 million secured by the prime minister might nevertheless be redirected for use by the SLBC. The PM has however announced that a price reduction in the cost of banana cartons has been negotiated with Winera, making boxes one dollar (27 percent) cheaper.
Another announcement made by Patrick Joseph is that one of the SLBC's major buyers, British supermarket chain Tesco, intends to implement stricter rules which will require that every SLBC farmer keep records of pesticide usage, where and how they stock their chemicals, and how the chemicals are used. Currently, only 100 of the 3500 farmers registered with the SLBC measure up to Tesco's environmental standards. And, says Jospeh, once Tesco makes such a stipulation, then Sainsbury's won't be far behind.
Prime minister Dr Anthony, in The Voice, calls on local banana farmers not to lose faith in the industry and urges the various banana companies to "stop the bickering", and "stop blaming external factors for things that we can control at home".
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Government studies Lucelec review report
The Commission reviewing operations of the St. Lucia Electricity Services Ltd (Lucelec) on Thursday formally presented its findings to the government and the chairman of Lucelec, Marius St. Rose. Both government and Lucelec will take three weeks to study and discuss the reportedly "voluminous" report, before making public statements about the future of Lucelec. "I wish to assure the general public that once that process is complete within the next three weeks then the report will, at the appropriate time, and I hope very, very soon, be made available to members of the public", promised prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony. Lucelec has come under heavy criticism of late, including criticism from minister Calixte George (Communication and Works), for its billing system and the calculation of a fuel surcharge. According to chairman of the Review Commission, professor Ken Julien, "the fuel question and the options that are available for rate fixing mechanisms did require special attention and review of large amounts of background material". The Mirror and Voice report on this.
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L'Express des Iles keeps growing
L'Express Des Iles ferry service between Martinique and St. Lucia continues to expand following the easing of visa restrictions between the two nations last year. L'Express des Iles now surpasses airline traffic on the same route, having attained a 58 percent market share. The number of people travelling across the Martinique Channel on board L'Express des Iles ferry increased by 35 percent between January 1st 2000 and August 31st, as compared to the same period last year, bringing the passenger number to a total of 48,000. As a result, as of December 1st, the number of trips between Castries and Fort de France will be increased to five return services per week. This is reported in the Thursday Voice.
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