Prostitution
in Montserrat'Becoming a Fun Activity'
By Merrick Andrews
Asontuwa Peters (not his real name) is a
Montserratian who lives a “happy life” with his girlfriend and two children,
but since August 2001 he has being paying to have sex – to add pleasure to his
life, he said.
Asontuwa, 27, hits the streets at around 10:00 p.m. – mainly on weekends –
to stop at the “regular sex shop” in a village that is arguably inhabited by
many foreigners.
Asontuwa said he spends at least EC$400 per month out of a salary of EC$3,250
(before tax) with prostitutes, and he thinks
“it’s OK.”
“It’s variety in your sex life – when you
take someone outside your relationship,” he said.
Asontuwa is just one of scores of Montserratians and expatriates who are
reportedly having clandestine sex with the “Ladies of the Night”. The
majority of these prostitutes are from the Dominican Republic and neighbouring
islands, said Asontuwa. “They can hardly understand what you are saying, but
upon calling them, they’ll ask you ‘how much’ (you are paying for having
sex with them), ‘where’ (you live), and ‘drive’ (if you have a car),”
he said. “These girls will tell you anything as long as they get the money.”
The situation is “steadily becoming a fun activity” in Montserrat, according
to a source, but The Royal Montserrat Police Force has not been able to gather
evidence and prosecute anyone. Superintendent Paul Morris, in charge of training
and community policing, said in a recent radio interview: “Prostitution is not
unique to Montserrat, the Caribbean or any other place in the world. It is
widespread and we have to be sensitive about it. It is very difficult at the
moment to establish evidence that is needed to carry out some prosecutions.”
But Asontuwa thinks it’s going to be hard for the police to make arrests.
“It’s a small island, but the problem, or should I say the situation, is
getting bigger than the island,” he said.
The prostitutes work on a “round-robin” basis, he said, meaning that they
stay in one island for a specific amount of time and then go to other islands to
work. “That is why it will be hard for the police officers to catch these
people, because they don’t stay one place for long. It’s not the same faces
that go through the Montserrat immigration department every week. The place they
operate from here takes in fresh women to keep the selling business vibrant and
popular,” he said.
Buying pleasure for a night is not expensive, but pricing depends on how the
prostitute looks. “The really pretty ones are more expensive, than the ones
that are out of shape, fat or not too pretty,” he said.
Prices range from EC$80 up to EC$300, he said. It will cost you from EC$200 to
EC$500 to make a prostitute stay with you overnight, he continued.
Another source, an Antiguan, who prefers to use ‘Mike’ as a disguise name,
agrees. “The prostitutes in Montserrat are available for the rich, the middle
class and the poor,” said Mike, 29, who has been buying sex since he was
living in Antigua. “While many guys will go for a drink, they want some
intimate pleasure to go with it.”
Like all the sources in this story, The Montserrat police force has not pointed
any fingers at a particular business or individual.
Sources said at least three prostitution outlets are being operated in the
island – and more could be popping up. “If the police doesn’t do anything
about the situation soon, the island will become a place for prostitutes,”
said one source.
Allegations have been circulating that police officers and top business
executives are involved in the situation. “People from all walks of life in
this island are buying sex,” said Asontuwa.
But while prostitution in this tiny island is becoming a fun activity for
married and unmarried men, others despise the act. “This is a sickening
situation,” said a source that requested his name not to be used. “These
people are turning this civilised land into a sex shop. The government is
battling to build this island, but at the same time the government is allowing
foreigners to destroy it. The government and the police need to act quick –
and now.”
But for Asontuwa, buying sex on Montserrat will continue to be his pleasure –
as long as the “Spanish girls are available”.
“There’s nothing wrong with it," he said. "Prostitution is not
different from cheating on your wife or girlfriend. Money doesn’t make a
difference either, because you give your wife money as well. As long as I am a
Montserratian I will continue to enjoy myself. It’s life man – have fun!”
Laurels
for Service to Education
These women, who were honoured for their service to education, pose with the certificates of honour and bouquets they received at a function on Friday to mark International Women’s Day. The ceremony and dinner, entitled “Women in Education,” was held at the Good Life Restaurant in Little Bay.
The women honoured, served in the classrooms and other areas of
the education sector for over 20 years. They are Rosamund Meade, Manelva
Greenaway, Jeanelda Howson, Eliza O’Garro, Mildred French, Florence Malone
(who was absent from the function) and Rosanna Ryan-Saker.
"After
Listening to the CM's Budget Message, One Wonders, Does He Live on the Island?"
It would have been great if the Chief Minister
had put some stress in his 2002 Budget speech this afternoon on the development
with which he associated that ill-used word "sustainability."
He spent very little time on the whole issue of
the airport, for which he repeated he expects construction to commence in August
this year and to be completed 16 months later, in December, 2003. He referred to
the EC$7.5 million subsidy for transportation in and out of Montserrat by ferry
and helicopter, stressing, therefore, the importance of the need for an airport.
He referred to varying available options, but if
we were wealthy we would do better than Geralds. Instead, he said, we are
accepting a "safe, reliable and affordable Geralds, with the necessary
checks and balances that would accommodate Twin Otter or similar aircraft, at a
cost of $41.5 million." To attempt any other option would be to seriously
retard Montserrat’s recovery
effort. This is just a "cop out" of a somewhat one-tracked view by
those responsible for making the decision.
We suspect that the whole truth will be aired
when the debate takes place Monday on why we could not wait to see whether the
new government support to the private sector will bear fruit before trying to
stretch an already cash-strapped people by increasing the ferry fare by 33.3
percent and increasing the weekend fare by 60 percent. It would be too painful
to try and figure the wisdom in increasing the helicopter fare by over 68
percent.
We know this is our government’s way of
confronting HMG’s squeeze on the residents of Montserrat, having forced us to
accept whatever is handed down to us.
The CM was pleased to announce that his budget
was void of any "tax increases," as his government believed that
further tax burden would only produce a far too negative effect on the economy
of an already burdened country.
With all that, however, it doesn’t change the
facts that the cost of living in Montserrat will keep going up as transportation
fares increase. That affects everything. For one thing, it will increase the
cost of exporting tourism, and import costs will go up. The comparatively high
increase in the helicopter fares will certainly restrict travel to passages paid
for by government and businessmen who will be able to pass on the costs in their
prices, which also will obviously go up.
The bottom line for travel to and from Montserrat
is that it is quite expensive, especially when you add overnight costs and
inland transportation in Antigua because of the difficulty of making
connections. Travelling to Antigua for shopping is no longer attractive, not
even by ferry, but this might give some encouragement to local merchants to
stock items they ordinarily wouldn’t for fear they would remain too long on
the shelf or in the freezer.
The return fare to Nevis in the north and to
Dominica in the south is now over $600, these being the nearest points after
Antigua (not considering the French territory
of Guadeloupe). Montserratians who wish to visit the doctor in Antigua
will find it no longer cheaper. Good travel planning will be very essential, and
it is clear that only those who can absolutely afford it, or whose travel is
sponsored, will leave the rock for whatever reason.
One expected a budget where the Chief Minister
would have called on Montserratians to strap-up for the hard times. He chose,
instead, to refer to a current level of development which is somewhat baffling,
since he didn’t point out those areas, even after he acknowledged that there
is still a housing problem. He was also upbeat about the fact that the
Montserrat Building Society, Bank of Montserrat and the St. Patrick’s Credit
Union will all be in a position to offer mortgages by the end of the year.
We also have to be patient with the fact that
those still in shelters now must grapple with
having to pay for their keep, since those who cannot afford it will be
taken care of by the Social Welfare scheme.
The government is placing great confidence in an
otherwise very quiet private sector. The CM mentioned in the budget speech that
businesses in the public sector will be passed on to the private sector. We have
heard already of some of those plans, some of which cannot be right. What will
be left is whether the spread will be sufficient to reach all the right corners
and not just the usual few, to leave the rest begging.
Except for the editorial, opinion articles
expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the Montserrat Reporter
editors, employees or advisers. Readers
are encouraged to submit commentary articles.
All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are
welcome. Send your contributions to
The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org
or monrep@candw.ag. Manuscripts
will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope.
The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.
Jus Wonderin items may be called in at telephone
491-4715 or Fax 491-2430
GOD'S GREAT LOVE
John 3:1-18
[I pray] that you…may be able to
comprehend…the love of Christ which passes knowledge
Ephesians 3:17-19
God's love for us is so deep that we have a hard
time comprehending it. It reaches down to us through the darkness of this sinful
world, even though we are hopelessly undeserving. The Bible says that before God
created our planet, He had decided to display the depth of his love for us
through His Son's death on the cross (1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8).
In my imagination I look back over time and see
the Lord raising mountains to majestic heights, cutting valleys for flowing
rivers, and stretching out vast plains. I envision Him creating the mighty
oceans and beautiful lakes. Then I see Him pause and reflect on the goodness of
His creation. He gazes at that part of the world where His Son will be born. He
knows that Jesus will be rejected and crucified. With a sweep of His hand He
could obliterate the world and spare His Son from the agony of the cross. But He
doesn't.
Because of God's love, the Son came to earth and
was slain. On Calvary He died to pay the penalty for our sins. In John 3:16 we
read, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Oh, how great is God's love for us! -DCE
THINKING IT OVER
What is your response to God's love? Have you
confessed your sin and accepted His forgiveness? Are you living in grateful
obedience to Him?
ETERNAL LIFE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY GOD'S ETERNAL
LOVE.
Montserrat Joins OECD Fight Against Harmful Tax Practices
PARIS -- The OECD announced this week that
Montserrat has made a commitment to improve the transparency of its tax and
regulatory systems and establish effective exchange of information for tax
matters with OECD countries by 31 December 2005.
The OECD said it looks forward to working with
Montserrat and encourages other jurisdictions to make similar commitments.
Montserrat was among 35 jurisdictions identified by the OECD in June 2000 as
meeting the technical criteria for being a tax haven. As a result of these
commitments, Montserrat will not be listed as an unco-operative tax haven.
Montserrat, together with the other committed jurisdictions and OECD Member
countries, will be invited to participate in the meetings of the OECD's Global
Forum to discuss the design of standards for the implementation of these and any
similar commitments.
Nagico Insurances Add New Support of Cricket
On February 17, for the second time since the
start of the year, Nagico Insurances contributed something to the sport when it
handed over a cheque of $7,000 to Roy Greaves, vice president of the Montserrat
Cricket Association, to sponsor the construction of a concrete batting strip at
Salem Park.
On January 17, Nagico donated over cricket equipments to the Montserrat Sports
Department at the Lookout Tennis Court.
Local Manager of Nagico Insurances, Judith Greer, said her company is planning
to sponsor the sport again in the near future in aim to make the sport more
“progressive.”
She said Nagico Insurances’ General Manager, Mr. Imran McSood Imjad, was also
involved in the sport. “This is one of many more things to come,” she added.
Missing Man Found In Abandoned Harris
A man who was missing for more than a week was
found Thursday by helicopter-aided police in the eastern section of the island.
Sixty-eight-year-old Simon Peter Ryan, otherwise called "George
Dowdy," was found in his abandoned home village of Harris around noon.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Morson said Mr. Ryan, who is of unsound
mind, told police he fled to his old home because people at Gerald’s, where he
now lives, were bothering him.
Mr. Morson said the man was cooperative when the police team found him, and he
was flown back to his home in Gerald’s.
Mr. Ryan is on social welfare, the Social Welfare office has confirmed.
Police said Mr. Ryan was spotted in Harris after they saw a light in a house,
about one day before the rescue mission.
By Merrick Andrews
Activity at the Soufrière Hills Volcano
decreased during the reporting period compared with that of the previous week,
the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), said in its weekly report on Friday.
The seismograph network recorded 415 rockfall signals, 56 long-period events, 49
long-period
rockfalls and 10 hybrid events the period March 1
to midday Friday, March 8, the report said.
Over the previous week, February 22 to midday, March 1, the level of activity at
the Soufrière Hills Volcano had increased 1013 rockfall signals, 101
long-period events, 124 long-period rockfalls and 5 hybrid events, recorded on
the seismograph.
Clear views of the active lava dome were seen on most days, and spectacular
incandescence was observed over large areas of the summit at night, the MVO
report said.
Growth continues to be focused towards the east, giving rise to almost
continuous rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows in the upper reaches of the Tar
River Valley. The MVO said the daytime entry zone (DTEZ) remains open –
weather permitting.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, the MVO publicly
squashed unsubstantiated reports that the village of Salem will be evacuated.
Reports circulating are that an evacuation was imminent, following news that the
Emergency Services is conducting a demographic survey of the area. The
authorities are also reviewing a draft evacuation plan.
“There have been a number of ridiculous rumors around this week that Salem is
going to be evacuated very soon, and things
like that," said MVO director Peter Dunkley:
“There’s absolutely no
substance in those rumors at all. Possibly, people are getting the wrong end of
the stick because there are two things happening. The police are going around
doing a demographic survey. They do that every year and that’s the time of
year they do that survey.”
The Soufriere Hills volcano first became active
in July 1995 with small amounts of ash and vigorous steaming from the northwest
crater, followed by many strong earthquakes and small pyroclastic flows.
The volcano’s largest devastation occurred in June 1997 when pyroclastic flow
destroyed scores of villages and left at least 19 people dead, and 10 missing.
The island’s capital, Plymouth was also destroyed.
Two
Montserratians Win Rotary U.S Scholarships
Two students, under the sponsorship of the Rotary
Club of Montserrat, have become the first students from Montserrat to be
accepted into the Georgia Rotary Scholarship Program.
The Rotarians of the U.S. state of Georgia have operated the program
since 1946 by granting scholarships to international students throughout the
world to study in the colleges and universities in Georgia.
By using the means of scholarships, the Rotarians help “to promote
international goodwill through the bonds of friendship and understanding with
one another.” The scholarships
offered are one-year, full scholarships, completely paid for by Rotary
International and the Rotary organizations within the State.
The student scholars chosen to represent
Montserrat and the Rotary Club of Montserrat as ambassadors for the island
during their full academic year’s stay in Georgia are Adrian Edgecombe, who
will attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Camille Archer, who will go to
Wesleyan College in Macon. Both schools are well-regarded, private liberal arts
institutions with national reputations for excellence.
Indicating the high regard given to our applicants’ capabilities, this
is only the second time in the Program’s 44 year history that a student has
been placed at Morehouse due to its costs and high academic admissions
standards. Morehouse is the United State’s only private, historically
black, four-year, liberal arts college for men. It houses the Morehouse Research
Institute and the Journal of Negro History. In addition, according to their
website, Morehouse is ranked number one in the Black Enterprise Day Star as the
best college for African-Americans, is the largest liberal arts college for men
and confers bachelor’s degrees on more black men than any other institution in
the nation.
Wesleyan, according to their website, is the
world’s oldest women’s college, chartered in 1836 and it concentrates its
strengths in liberal arts education by offering one undergraduate degree, the
Bachelor of Arts, in 24 areas of study. A dual degree in engineering is also
offered in cooperation with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Auburn
University, and Mercer University.
Though Adrian Edgecombe and Camille Archer are
Montserrat’s first representatives to enter The Georgia Rotary Scholarship
Program, the Rotary Club of Montserrat hopes to successfully sponsor additional
students annually. Thus, the Club
will be seeking interested applicants for the academic year 2003-04 during the
month of March. Applicants must be
between the ages of 18 and 25 by August 1, 2003, and must not have studied or
traveled in the United States previously for an extended period of time.
Students interested in applying should contact any Rotarian during the month.
Applications will close on MONDAY, 1 APRIL, 2002.
Planned courses can be for either undergraduate or graduate study.
Free Housing to End For Shelter Residents
By Merrick Andrews
Effective April 1, residents living in shelters
or dormitory units since the volcano crisis, will have to start paying monthly
rents of $175 per family, the Director of Housing, Ms. Rachael Ryan announced.
The money obtained from the new charge will be used to assist in the payment of
electricity, gas, water and management expenses, which were costing the
authorities about $300,000 per year, Ms. Ryan said.
Brades Shelters
There are currently 131 people living in housing units -- in Brades, Sweeneys
and Davy Hill -- set up by the Government early in the volcano crisis.
Ms. Ryan said the residents received one month’s notice by letter about the
new charge, and a meeting was held with them last week.
Some residents, like 54-year-old James Barzey, who is unemployed, said the
rental charge is unaffordable. “That money too big, $175, that is too much. It
should be less,” said Mr. Barzey, who said his own home, like those of many
others in the shelters, was destroyed by the volcanic eruption. He said $50, the
amount that residents in the family unit in Manjack pay, is more affordable.
Persons living in family units were also affected by the volcanic eruption, but
they are currently paying for electricity, gas and water, unlike the shelter
residents who don’t pay for these services.
However, shelter residents who show they can’t afford to pay will be assisted
under the Rental Assistant Scheme (RAS), Ms. Ryan said. For any assessment to be
done, however, residents will be required to fill out a form and be interviewed
by the authorities. Residents already on social welfare will automatically
qualify for the RAS, she said.
For 78-year-old Cornelius Thomas, who lives on social welfare, and may qualify
for the assistant scheme, it’s still a matter of concern. “What they doing
is not right,” said Mr. Thomas, whose home in the former capital of Plymouth
was destroyed by pyroclastic flows. “From I living here I never use the
kitchen, gas – nothing, not even the light.”
Ms. Ryan also said that residents would be allowed to stay in shelters only if
they obtain a license. The license is designed to keep track of the residents’
agreement to pay the new charge of $175.
“Licenses will only be renewed if the rental
charges have been properly and punctually made and if the standard of behaviour
and hygiene have been acceptable and that they can show they don’t have
nowhere else to live,” Ms. Ryan said.
She said residents could lose or have their licenses withdrawn “if a
reasonable offer of permanent housing is rejected.”
CDB Oks $200,000 For Island Projects
The Caribbean Development Bank has approved six
projects for Montserrat totalling over EC$200,000.
The projects were approved under the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) programme.
This includes a rehabilitation of the St.
John’s day care centre and a portion of the Montserrat Secondary School,
costing a combined EC$90,000.
The CDB is also financing three training programmes. These include pottery and
basketry kiln, fishnet and engine repair workshop and a basic electrical wiring
skills workshop.
Project manager Christopher King-Lee said one of the aims of the BNTF is to
improve the social and economic status of lower income communities. Therefore
local fishermen will be taught techniques in fishnet mending and engine repairs.
Mr. Lee said another project to come on stream is the training of two persons
overseas in fish processing.
MVO Quells Rumours Of Salem Evacuation
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory has squashed
unsubstantiated reports that Salem will be evacuated.
Reports circulating are that an evacuation was imminent, following news that the
Emergency Services is conducting a demographic survey of the area.
The authorities are also reviewing a draft evacuation plan.
“There have been a number of ridiculous rumours around this week that Salem is
going
to be evacuated very soon, and things like that," said
MVO director Peter Dunkley:
“There’s absolutely no
substance in those rumours at all. Possibly, people are getting the wrong end of
the stick because there are two things happening. The police are going around
doing a demographic survey. They do that every year and that’s the time of
year they do that survey.”
MVO Public Meeting At Brades on Monday
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) will
host a public meeting at the Brades Pentecostal Church at 6:30 p.m. Monday,
March 11.
Governor Anthony Longrigg, Director of MVO Peter Dunkley and the Director of the
Emergency Department will be in attendance.
The purpose of the meeting will be to present the preliminary results of the
latest Scientific and Risk Assessment of the volcano, which takes place today
and tomorrow, and to answer any questions that arise. The Emergency Department
will also provide a brief presentation on emergency preparedness plans and
procedures.
Permanent MVO Building Is Partially Volcano Proof
By Merrick Andrews
MVO building under construction at Flemmings
The permanent Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO)
building that is under construction at Flemmings is being built to withstand
volcanic eruption to an extent, said Government Architect, Mark Orme.
The new MVO is predominantly made of
steel-reinforced concrete that can withstand small pyroclastic flows or resist
blast impacts of up to 150 miles per hour, said Mr. Orme, who has been working
in Montserrat for the past 18 months.
The building will have a bunker where the
scientists will retreat to incase the “control room is compromised by volcanic
activity,” Mr. Orme told The Montserrat Reporter. A tourist facility is also
been built.
However, the building will not be 100 per cent volcano proof, said Mr. Orme.
“The design is too expensive to make it volcano proof. To make it volcano
proof, there need to be blast proof glass – which can withstand over 150 miles
per hour volcano blasts. And the building would have to be totally sealed,” he
said.
Artist impressions of the New MVO HQ
Work on the new MVO building began last year August at a cost of about EC$3
million, said Mr. Orme. The observatory is currently based at Mongo Hill in
northern Montserrat.
Director of the MVO and volcanologist, Dr. Peter Dunkley said one of the main
reasons why the MVO is now been constructed at Flemmings, is to have a clear
view of the volcano. The volcano cannot be seen from the MVO’s present
location in Mongo Hill.
The MVO moved to this site at the height of the volcano activity in September
1997 to allow continuous monitoring, according to the MVO’s website, www.mvo.ms.
The MVO was established soon after the first phreatic eruption of the Soufriere
Hills volcano on July 18, 1995 in the capital of Plymouth, which was later,
destroyed, and was initially staffed by scientists from a variety of
organisations working with local personnel.
In August 1999, the MVO became the statutory body of the Government of
Montserrat. A director was appointed with full responsibility for the scientific
organisation of the observatory.
The role of the MVO is to advise civilian authorities on the volcanic activity
and it is associated hazards. Funding for the observatory comes mainly from the
United Kingdom government’s Department for International Development.
REPORT ON VOLCANIC ACTIVITY
The level of activity at the Soufriere Hills
volcano has increased compared with that of the previous few weeks, according to
the Montserrat Volcano Observatory’s weekly report.
The report, as of March 1, said the seismograph network recorded 1013 rockfall
signals, 101 long-period events, 124 long-period rock falls and 5 hybrid events.
The MVO further stated: “Clear views of the active lava dome were seen on most
days, and incandescence was observed over large areas of the summit at night.
”Growth continues to be focused towards the east, giving rise to almost
continuous rock-falls and small pyroclastic flows in the upper reaches of the
Tar River Valley. A large, steeply inclined spine was extruded on the summit of
the dome during the course of the week. This changed in size and shape, as it
periodically collapsed or disintegrated, and grew again as fresh material was
extruded.
”On February 26, the spine had a height of 90 metres above the general level
of the summit area. At this stage the top of the spine had an altitude of 1080
metres, which is the highest point that has been measured on the dome during the
entire eruption to date. Minor episodes of ash venting occurred from the summit
of the dome throughout the reporting period.
“The daytime entry zone (DTEZ) remains open;
weather permitting. Activity could increase quite suddenly, with a dangerous
situation developing very quickly. Ash masks should be worn in ashy conditions.
“The Belham Valley should be avoided during and
after heavy rainfall due to the possibility of mudflow activity.”
Canadian Aid
Official Visits Island Tomorrow
The head of the Development Assistance Section of
the Canadian High Commission in Barbados, Ms. Joanne Goulet, will be visiting
Montserrat tomorrow.
Ms. Goulet is responsible for the Canadian Development Assistance Program in the
Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries.
During this visit she will make courtesy calls on officials and CDA Project
stakeholders. Ms. Goulet will also present a Canada Fund Project cheque for
EC$15,534.73 to assist with a special needs project for learning disabled
children. This cheque will be presented at a ceremony tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. at
the Tropical Mansion Suite.
The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) is a small project mechanism that
provides grants for projects to NGOs in Barbados and OECS countries dedicated to
poverty reduction.
These projects can be in any given sector, but are usually concentrated in basic
education, gender equity and institutional development. This event is part of
Canada’s Outreach Programme.
BOTs
Citizenship, Passport Could Take Effect by May 21
ROAD TOWN, Tortola -- The Bill to grant British
citizenship to nationals of Britain’s Overseas Territories has been given
Royal Assent,with its passage through the House of Lords February 26, bringing
it one step closer to implementation.
With the Queen has given her assent the bill
becomes law, which is is expected by May 21, according to unconfirmed reports
reaching the Island Sun.
“I expect that any day now, communication will
come saying when it is coming into operation,” Chief Minister Ralph T.
O’Neal said during a recent press conference.
The British Overseas Territories Bill, which will
make acquisition of such citizenship possible, was in the works since 1998 and
stemmed from a White Paper on a remodelled relationship between the U.K. and its
Territories.
With the coming into force of the Bill,
BVIslanders and other citizens of the renamed Overseas Territories will be able
to get British passports. Reports are that the UK government is working towards
a June 2002 timetable to set up the arrangements.
This pending law will not make it mandatory for
citizens of overseas territories to get a British passport. The BVI government
has said it will be up to the individual whether they want to apply or not. With
a British passport, citizens of Overseas Territories would be able, among other
things, to ive and work in the U.K. and the European Union without any
restrictions.
This change in the British law will apply to just
under 250,000 persons spread throughout the British Overseas Territories.
MINISTRY OF
GENDER AFFAIRS PROMOTES THE ELIMINATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
St Kitts Information Service
Minister responsible for Community and Gender
Affairs Honourable Rupert Herbert said that energies are being channeled toward
eliminating domestic violence.
He said this at the opening of the Women’s
Empowerment Conference being held today in celebration of International
Women’s Day.
Minister Herbert said that his Ministry is
committed to ending this victimisation of women because it negatively affects
the individual, their immediate circle and becomes a social, economic and health
concern.
The Minister responsible for Gender Affairs also
emphasised that women play a valuable role in society and the overall
development of a nation depends on their unimpeded contribution to society.
Director of Gender Affair’s Ingrid Charles-Gumbs
said that in carrying out its duties Gender Affairs works with several partners
including the police department and other sectors that cater to the well-being
and advancement of women.
Ms. Gumbs said that despite the large number of
females in our learning institutions, women in society continue to be
under-represented in decision making, lack personal autonomy and many are
unemployed. She quoted statistics showing the female-male poverty levels in the
Federation.
Ministry of Social Development, Community and
Gender Affairs coordinate the conference in collaboration with the Florida
Association of Volunteer Corps for Caribbean Action (FAVACA). FAVACA’s Dr.
Mary Ann Jones Director of Prevention in Education for the Sexual Violence
Prevention Programme and Ms. Jennifer Dritt Executive Director of Governor’s
Task Force on Domestic Violence will both serve as facilitators at the
conference.
Local Americans
Support Antigua Hotel Acquisition
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua -- The Antigua and Barbuda
Government's decision to acquire an American-owned hotel has generated
controversy, reaching all the way to the U.S. Congress.
But in the latest twist, U.S. homeowners on the
island are supporting the Government's move to acquire the Half Moon Bay Hotel,
which has been lying idle for seven years after hurricane damage.
The effort to retain the hotel had been stoutly
resisted by the Half Moon Bay owners and stirred outcries from the opposition.
On the influence of the owners, several American
Senators have intervened. But the local American Home Owners Association, which
has been consistent in its calls for the redevelopment of the Half Moon Bay
resort, says the American government should not be playing a role in any
decision by the government of Antigua and Barbuda to acquire the resort.
The Home Owners Association says Antigua and Barbuda is an independent state, and as such reserves the right to act as it sees fit for the benefit of its people.
St. Kitts/Nevis
Urge Regional Vigilance
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- St. Kitts and Nevis
Prime Minister Denzel Douglas has called for continued vigilance against drug
trafficking and other security menaces in the region.
Dr. Douglas says the September 11 events in the
United States are a reminder that there are forces dedicated to violence and
destruction of civil society.
The Prime Minister was addressing the police
annual officers mess dinner that included representatives of the local and OECS
judiciary.
"This new and dangerous challenge to our way
of life requires that our security services redouble all of their effort. I
stress that the enemy is ruthless, clever and resourceful," Dr. Douglas
said.
Anguillans
Sharpens Skills Against Money Laundering
THE VALLEY, Anguilla -- Staff at financial
institutions and other related agencies have been sharpening their skills at a
two-day anti-money laundering workshop held under the auspices of the
government's financial services department.
Director of Financial Services John Lawrence says it is important that all
businesses in Anguilla, particularly those operating within the financial
services sector, understand the nature of money laundering and take
measures to protect them.
"Staff should be aware of their own personal
statutory obligation and must be informed that they can be personally liable to
report information, in accordance with procedures," Lawrence says.
St.
Vincent,Grenadines Off OECD's Black List
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent -- St. Vincent and the
Grenadines will no longer appear on the OECD’s
blacklist.
The change in status was declared a few days ago
after the Government gave a commitment to co-operate in the effective exchange
of information in tax matters and transparency.
It comes almost two years after St. Vincent and
34 other offshore jurisdictions were classified as having harmful tax practices
by the organization for co-operation and development in June 2000.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines and other offshore
jurisdictions which have given similar commitments will join OECD Member
countries in meetings of OECD’s global forum to discuss the design of
standards for the implementation of these and other commitments.
BVI Chief
Minister Urges Updated Financial Services
ROAD TOWN, Tortola -- BVI Chief Minister Ralph
Oneal has called on Off Shore Financial Services Centres in the region to update
their policies and practices to meet the challenges in today's world.
The Chief Minister's comments were made at a
joint Financial Services Reporting Compliance Workshop taking place in the
British Virgin Islands.
The Chief Minister also spoke of corruption of
various jurisdictions and what it has caused in the financial services sector.
He said he would not condone any form of
corruption in government or the financial services sector in the British Virgin
Islands.
Wall Street
Journal Story Riles Antiguan
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua -- Mr. Lionel Hurst, Antigua
and Barbuda's Ambassador to Washington and the OAS, has written to the Wall
Street Journal rebutting a front page article it published on Tuesday about the
government’s acquisition of the Half Moon Bay Resort.
Ambassador Hurst contends that the article,
titled "R. Allen Stanford Casts Shadow over Antigua, Island of Sun,"
cleverly conceals the gravitas of the dispute that compels the Antigua
Government to exercise eminent domain over a derelict hotel.
He wrote that for more than six years, the
majority shareholder of the Half Moon Bay Hotel, Mrs. Natalia Querard, has
repeatedly promised to return the hotel to its operational state prior to the
1995 hurricane. The ambassador's letter says that she continuously failed, lied
repeatedly to government officials, though government has granted her several
generous packages of assistance.
The letter contends that Mrs. Querard has also
failed to pay the workers who were severed, failed to pay the social security
benefits, the medical benefits, the property taxes, the electricity and water
bills.
He said that the Majority Share Holder is out of
her depth and cannot successfully manage a property inherited from her father.
The ambassador said the article failed to report
that Mrs. Querard has even been sued by her mother and that the minority
shareholders and the neighbors of Half Moon Bay, all U.S. citizens, support the
government’s actions to restore the derelict property.
To the newspaper's assertion that Mr. R. Allen
Stanford casts a shadow over Antigua, Mr. Hurst said it displays a complete lack
of knowledge of Antigua’s history. While it recalls a few unfortunate events
in our recent past, he wrote, the article deliberately failed to report that
Antigua and Barbuda has overcome 300 years of monopoly ownership of the nation
by wealthy slaveholders and their descendants.
The country’s representative in Washington
pointed out that the article could have reported that the “50-year old Bird
regime”, democratically elected, has shown an ability to manage Antigua and
Barbuda’s affairs better than 160 other states’ regimes, as measured by the
UN Human Development Index.
His letter declared that the balance expected
from the Wall Street Journal was sadly lacking.
OECS Free Movement Consultations to Begin
By. Kendol Morgan, OECS Communications Officer
National Consultations on OECS Freedom of
Movement begin next week. The consultations give the various interest groups and
individuals in the region a chance to have their say on the new moves to deepen
the integration process, and will be conducted in all nine OECS Member States.
"We are going to commence these national consultations next week Tuesday
and Wednesday in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, symbolically because as we all
know the person who is spearheading all this is Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves, who is Chairman of a Prime Ministerial sub-committee responsible for
the economic union," acting OECS Director General George Goodwin announced
Wednesday.
"The first segment . . . will be in the Town Hall Format where it will be
opened to the public at large and we expect to have as part of the panel
interacting with the Public, the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition
and other prominent political figures, in addition to the Director General and
staff of the OECS Secretariat," Mr. Goodwin said.
"The purpose here of course is to try to answer the questions and concerns
of the public, and allay some of the fears that people may generally have when
one talks about allowing the free movement of people between countries."
The second day of the consultation on Wednesday will bring together a
representative sample of persons from the various stakeholder groups. These
include the trade unions, the private sector, the public sector, the NGO
Community, youths, the media, professional organizations, and other groups.
This session will go into more technical briefing on the issues, to bring the
stakeholder groups into the loop of understanding and promoting what is expected
in the free movement of OECS citizens and the larger picture of an OECS Economic
Union.
The economic union extends to free movement of goods and services, removal of
work permit restrictions and alien land holding licences.
St. Vincent Prison Boss Charged with Murder
KINGSTOWN, St.Vincent -- Prime Minister and
Minister of Legal Affairs Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has announced that Superintendent
of Prisons Eric Rodriguez has been arrested and detained in connection with the
shooting death of prisoner Kingsley Henry
The Prime Minister made the announcement Tuesday at a news conference. "In
my capacity as Minister of Legal Affairs, it is my duty to inform the public
that yesterday afternoon, the police under the direction of the Director of
Public Prosecution, charged the Superintendent of Prisons with the murder of
Kingsley Henry," the Prime Minister said.
Mr. Henry, a prisoner at her majesty's prison in Kingstown, was reportedly shot
at the prison compound, during an altercation on November 14th last year.
According to reports several shots were fired to restore order, one of which
struck Mr. Henry. He was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial hospital where he
died.
Dr. Gonsalves stated that for reasons of national security, Mr. Rodriguez will
not be detained in Kingstown but at Mariaqua Station, which the Prime Minister
said were were put in order for the detention of Mr. Rodriguez.
The date for his preliminary enquiry is April 22.
Nevis
Delegates View Progress on New Airport
CHARLESTOWN,
Nevis -- Members of the Nevis Island Administration Cabinet, led by Michael
Perkins, Minister of Physical Planning, Infrastructure Development, Natural
Resources and Environment, paid an official visit Monday to the new terminal
under construction at New Castle Airport.
Premier
Vance Amory noted that work at the airport seems to be progressing fairly
satisfactorily. “From the last
time we have come here, we have seen some very significant improvement.
The airport terminal is turning out to be a really attractive edifice and
we are hopeful that the contractors can deliver this building to us within the
next couple of months as they have promised,” he said.
The
Prime Minister said extra features that have been added since September 11,
2001, will make this terminal one of the better small terminals in the region.
Herald Wilson, Director of the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) based in
Antigua, echoed similar sentiments.
Mr.
Wilson was on an official visit to Nevis at the invitation of the Administration
and was accompanied by his assistant Denzil Jones, a native of Nevis.
They visited the tower, the new terminal building and the environment
around the New Castle airport.
The
Minister of Physical Planning noted that the Administration was considering a
number of future development projects at the airport, including proper access
roads to service the lands which lie just north of the airport runway, the
possibility of lengthening the runway, the lowering of Hurricane Hill just west
of the airport runway and the possibility of building a marina in the Hurricane
Hill area.
Barbados
C&W Companies Propose a Merged Operation
BRIDGETOWN,
Barbados -- The respective boards of directors of Cable & Wireless BARTEL
Ltd. (CWBARTEL) and Cable & Wireless BET Ltd. (CWBET) have approved the
amalgamation of the two companies, together with their respective subsidiaries,
Cable & Wireless Caribbean Cellular (Barbados) Ltd. (CWCC)., Cable &
Wireless Information Systems Ltd. (CWIS) and Cable & Wireless (Barbados)
Ltd., subject to shareholder and other relevant approvals.
The
amalgamated company will operate under the name Cable & Wireless (Barbados)
Ltd. and will continue the combined businesses previously carried on separately
by CWBARTEL, CWBET, CWCC and CWIS.
Under
the terms of the amalgamation, outstanding shares in CWBARTEL and CWBET will be
converted into shares of Cable & Wireless (Barbados) Limited, the
amalgamated company.
Notice
of the Special Meetings of the respective shareholders of CWBARTEL and CWBET
have been issued and at those meetings shareholders’ approval for the proposed
amalgamation will be sought. The boards consider the amalgamation to be in
the best interests of their respective companies and shareholders.
The
boards of CWBARTEL and CWBET have unanimously approved the amalgamation and
recommend that shareholders vote in favour of it at the special meetings.
St.
Lucia Proposes New Banana Pricing
CASTRIES, St. Lucia -- Minister for Agriculture
Senator Calixte George has asked the Windward Islands Banana Development and
Export Co. (WIBDECO) to abandon the fluctuating price scheme used to determine
the price per pound of fruit paid out to banana farmers and introduce instead a
fixed pricing scheme.
The recommendation was communicated to top
officials of WIBDECO and the St. Lucia Banana Co. (SLBC) in a recent meeting.
Senator George says fluctuating banana prices
limits the farmers’ confidence in the industry, adding that a fixed pricing
plan will enable farmers to make long term production plans. He acknowledges
that any agreed fixed price, while encouraging stability in the industry, must
at the same time reflect market realities.
Given that banana prices are low in the winter
months and high during the summer months, Senator George is recommending that
WIBDECO introduces two fixed price bands to coincide with this market reality.
“I want to assure the farmers that the
government is trying its very best in terms of trying to stabilise the price
structure so that at the end of the day they will be able to plan out their
business much better,” the Minister added.
Officials from WIBDECO, SLBC and the Ministry of
Agriculture will soon look at production figures with a view to determining a
fixed pricing scheme for bananas.
In his recent meeting with WIBECO officials Senator George also called for better relations between the company and banana farmers suggesting a more “grower-friendly” relationship with farmers and their respective banana companies.
Dominica
Confirms Chicken Pox Outbreak
ROSEAU, Dominica -- The Dominica government has
confirmed the outbreak of chicken pox on the island, apparently in the island's
schools.
Medical official Dr. Paul Ricketts said the Health Ministry "is in the
process of developing a document which will define the management of chicken pox
for the country."
"We haven't had a document which actually outlined this before. Primarily
because I suppose chicken pox by itself is usually a very mild disease, and most
children, who are the ones who usually come down with it, get over it without
much difficulty."
Dr. Ricketts advised "that those persons who may have been exposed to
someone with chicken pox and who go on to develop fever, headache or is feeling
unwell, within three weeks of being exposed to an individual with chicken pox,
should remain away from the public or from people who may be susceptible to
developing chicken pox for at least two days. . . .
"At the point when the rash begins to appear
I will advise that the individual seeks medical attention, and the various
options for management of the disease can be discussed with your doctor. There
is vaccination available in the country."
Blue Macaws are
Champions
By Merrick Andrews
The champion Macaws celebrating victory
In a competitive finish, Blue Macaws won the Brades Primary Sports Day on
Wednesday, March 6 at Salem Park, by 22 points.
Blue Macaws tallied 196 points, beating Green Shags with 174 and Red Cardinals
with 171.
Following the road race on February 27, Red Cardinals came into the track meet
on Wednesday with a narrow lead of 104 points, ahead of Blue Macaws (102) and
Green Shags (101). However, they were unable to measure up similarly on the
track.
Victor and Victrix Ludorum
Green Shags’ Roscoe air emerged the Victor Ludorum/champion male athlete with
17 points, while Laurell Allen of Red Cardinals won the Victrix Ludorum/champion
female athlete with 12 points.
Red Cardinals won the Tug of War and March Pass events.
Selected results from the Brades Primary School sports meet, held Wednesday,
March 6:
Final Score
1. Blue Macaws, 196 points
2. Green Shags, 174
3. Red Cardinals, 171
4x100 metres relay Class 3 boys
1. Blue Macaws
2. Green Shags
3. Red Cardinals
4x100m relay Class 3 girls
1. Green Shags
2. Blue Macaws
3. Red Cardinals
40m Tag Class 1 boys
1. Blue Macaws
2. Blue “
3. Red Cardinals
40m Tag Class 1 girls
1. Green Shags
2. Red Cardinals
3. Blue Macaws
60m Tag Class 2 boys
1. Green Shags
2. Red Cardinals
3. Blue Macaws
60m Tag Class 2 boys
1. Blue Macaws
2. Green Shags
3. Blue Macaws
80m Class 3 boys
1. Roscoe Sinclair (Green)
2. Amanya Harris (Blue)
3. Omarie Allen (Blue)
80m Class 3 girls
1. Jussonyeh White (Green)
2. Gara Anne Lee (Blue)
3. Shannel Feranand (Blue)
60m Class 2 boys
1. Julius Fergus (Red)
2. Kriston Baker (Red)
3. Khejell Kelly (Green)
60m Class 2 girls
1. Jhaqueilla Samuel (Red)
2. Jahkira Williams (Green)
3. Joy Anne Greaves (Blue)
40m Class 1 boys
1. Amani Greaves (Blue)
2. Dion West (Blue)
3. King Watts (Red)
40m Class 1 girls
1. TiVonne Howe (Green)
2. Jamara Fergus (Red)
3. Kamisha Williams
400m girls Open
1. Donnaree Daway (Blue)
2. Laurell Allen (Red)
3. Shannell Feranand (Blue)
400m boys Open
1. Omarie Allen (Blue)
2. Roscoe Sinclair (Green)
3. Ashton Langford (Red)
Egg and Spoon Class 3 girls
1. Laurell Allen (Red)
2. Valiecia Watts (Blue)
3. Jovita White (Red)
Three-legged race boys
1. Xavier Farrell/Glenford James (Red)
2. Cryston Forde/Glesford James (Green)
3. Javon Sweeney/Cedric Daley (Blue)
Frog Jump Class 1 boys
1. Amani Greaves (Blue)
2. Dion West (Blue)
3. King Watts (Red)
By Peter Adrien
Endless pressure! No, this is not about social
pressure in the East End of London in the immediate post-war period. Endless
Pressure was the title of the path-breaking sociological work done by the
respected West Indian sociologist, Dr. Ken Price. Its policy prescription was
ignored by the British authorities at the cost of bloody social unrest.
There is evidence of a growing social tension in
the English-speaking Caribbean triggered by a perceived dysfunctional selection
policy which contributes to the persistent embarrassment of the region in the
international arena. The intolerable sentiment reflects the declining state of
West Indies cricket and the near-bankruptcy of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)
at a time when Caribbean societies are afflicted by stagnation, inflation,
rising unemployment and increasing incidence of crime and violence.
It is trouble and worries for Mr. Michael Findlay
(chairman of selectors) and his other decision-makers – Joel Garner, Joey
Carew, Roger Harper and Carl Hooper. The graying of the Vincentian chief of
selectors is evidenced that he is worrying about the state of the team and the
prevailing bowling slump. But he would be much more concerned about the
selection of the certain batsmen who have performed exceptionally against the
limited regional bowling attack. These batters have cashed in on the
near-decimated bowling attack in the 2002 Busta Cup and have literally forced
themselves into recognition. Notwithstanding what the cricketing public think of
them, or whatever prejudices the selectors have cherished against them, they
have produced what is required of them in the annual trial matches for selection
onto the test matches.
The Busta Cup is the opportunity offered batsmen
and bowlers to exhibit their skills, talent and mettle. It is a platform for
players who were discarded or overlooked for one reason or another to prove by
their consistent performances, that they merit a recall.
The Busta Cup is not a trial tournament for
selection to the one-day team, the Red Stripe Bowl - the one-day competition --
which serves as the trial encounter for selection onto the one-day team. But
inasmuch as the shorter version of the game demands mastery of the skills of
batting and bowling, one who excels in the longer version of the game may be
considered for the one-day version. But the Busta Cup trial is for inclusion in
the test team. Those who perform exceptionally in the Busta Cup must graduate
onto the test team.
As at the end of the sixth round, Jamaica had
already won the Busta Cup with an unassailable 63 points. While only one bowler,
Antiguan Kerry Jeremy, stood out in the regional premiere tournament, the
batsmen had accumulated more than 14 individual scores over 100. The centurions
included Stuart Williams, Runako Morton, Junior Murray and Devon Smith. They are
all small island cricketers; that is, cricketers from the Eastern Caribbean –
the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands.
The cricketing public is demanding that the
selectors consider the notable performance of discarded test opening batsman,
Nevisian Stuart Williams; neglected former test wicket-keeper/batsman, Grenadian
Junior Murray, and the sensational youthful and aggressive opening batsman,
Grenadian Devon Smith. Even the Barbadians, who consider themselves as the
leading thinkers on West Indies cricket are calling for the inclusion of Stuart
Williams and Devon Smith.
The selectors are therefore placed under the
microscope in a way that they have never been for a very long time. The
cricketing public is looking to see whether the selection for the home tours
against India and New Zealand will be based on meritocracy or be influenced by
petty horse-trading.
The small islanders are anxiously looking to see
whether the selectors would be equally fair to players from the Campus Countries
who excel and players from the Non-campus Countries who excel. The conventional
wisdom is that the selection policy in recent times has been bias towards the
Campus Countries.
What will the selectors do with Stuart Williams,
Junior Murray and Devon Smith? The precedent was established in the 2001 Busta
Cup. Jamaican Chris Gayle, who was dropped from the team on account of his poor
performance, was recalled when he forced the selectors to recognize him with a
massive accumulation of 945 runs at an average of 63. Guyanese Carl Hooper, who
resigned from the team and migrated to Australia, returned to lead Guyana to the
finals of the Busta Cup, accumulated a massive 954 runs at an average of 95.4
with four hundreds, and was recalled to captain the West Indies team.
The selectors showed then that current form and
persistent good performances and the major criteria for selection. These
criteria must be the empirical yardstick in the selection process.
Stuart Williams has so far amassed the tournament
highest aggregate -- 701 runs. He is determined; he is fit; he is angry; he is
on a mission; and he wants to prove a point. There have been few batsmen who
have showcased their skills in such a commanding manner and who have not been
called to the test team. I can remember Antiguan Royston Otto but can hardly
recall one from the campus countries. Well, the pressure is building up Mikey!
Williams’ former test colleague, Junior Murray,
overlooked after 31 tests, has accumulated 537 runs with two centuries. He is
also fit; is in form; and is in a devastating mood.
Twenty year-old Devon Smith, who announced his
arrival in international cricket last year in England, when he unleashed his
furry against the England Under-19 team, has so far accumulated 620 runs. He
became the first Windward Islands batsman to cross the 600-run mark in regional
cricket – while only a baby!
The people wait impatiently, if not restlessly;
the people are demanding justice. The future of the selectors may be at stake!
What would you do if you were a selector? Why not
let me know via e-mail.
Peter Adrien is a Central Banker, an author, a
syndicated sports commentator, and a freelance photographer. He may be contacted
Peter at e-mail: info@adriensenterprises.com
or visit his website www.adriensenterprises.com
PHOTO CAPTION: Mike Findlay under pressure
(Photo: Peter Adrien)
WHITHER GOETH THE
PUBLIC SERVICE ON MONTSERRAT - PART 3
By Claude Gerald
The natural questions are: Will she or should she
take up the position that has become such a "hot potato" on island?
And how will that differ from the reportedly forced resignation of Attorney
General Brian Cottle, whose extended tenure was equally as controversial as the
rumored offering of the Permanent Secretary, Administration, to Mrs. Esternella
West. And significantly what is the real cause that forces her departure from
Nevis?
Mrs. West, a native of Nevis and wife of a
prominent Montserratian bureaucrat, is currently a contract officer with the
Nevis Government. Her stint there ends in July, but she is free to take up her
Montserrat appointment by April. She migrated to Nevis in January 1998 at the
height of the volcanic troubles, after serving in the Public Service and
reaching the position of Permanent Secretary, Agriculture, approximately one
year after an eternity of acting. She terminated her services, with full
benefits, en route to her homeland.
The offer to her of that important job has caused
a natural disquiet in a quiet service. The uproar varies and each position has
degrees of merit. As time progresses, it is inconceivable that anyone with
marginal attributes and lacking confidence will wish to walk into this
atmosphere, riddled with such innuendo and outright hostility, and still hope to
perform well. True, time is the greatest healer, especially in a most forgiving
society like ours, which offers the only hope.
The Civil Service Association, its President
notwithstanding, has taken a firm position at their most recent meeting against
the Government’s position. They are asking for reconsideration and possible
retraction of the appointment. The Cabinet of John Osborne is immovable on the
issue, and it is accepted that the Chief Minister is unbeatable in any contest
in which his position is made public.
It cannot be fair to Mrs. West and the country in
the current climate. If the candidate were unknown, that would have been an
advantage. People are curious to know whom they do not know and to make lasting
acquaintances. This is not the situation here. There is a growing body of
opinion, even outside the Service, that other local candidates are more
preferable and must be given priority. The possible demoralization poses a
costly risk and can be avoided.
The Permanent Secretary's job is demanding and
calls especially now for much drive, energy and innovation. Personal qualities
-- pedigree and integrity -- are as needed as skills. That exalted position
already has been watered down to one that supervises dates of holidays,
retirements and deaths, coupled with fits of actions that do not produce the
best in human relations. Confidence in the Administration of the Service is low,
with only the favoured few ever willing to sing the praises of decision-makers.
Goodies are dished out to newsmongers, friends,
and relatives of those perceived to be at the top of the social ladder. Such
decisions are personal and punitive, and hence devoid of objectivity and common
sense. A service that remains the largest employer aptly deserves the greatest
of creativity and foresight that can be found, since anything less is
counterproductive and defeats national objectives. Management is crucial.
The position seems to be curses rather than
blessed. Over the years we have had a combination of characters who have numbed
growth with undesirable results: Lack of brightness with slothfulness,
brightness with bad mindedness, and dull-wittedness with cockiness and spite.
Our society needs someone to erase those residual blemishes and provide breaths
of fresh air in that troubled Administrative hub.
The last six years have brought us to a terrible low, and the potential
to fall lower exists with the current decisions of the Governor.
At the best of times it would be difficult for
Mrs. West to rise to this occasion. This is too much to ask and we must accept
blame for pushing an individual past natural limits. What is more, the Queens
Representative knows it very well. He is believed not to have any contrary
advice really from people who matter. Behind the scene manipulators and
sponsors, who have seen their plans boomerang, now condemn the appointment. They
gambled on backing the "successful" interview in the hope that
inter-ministerial transfers will put their choice in the vacancy at
Administration. But no current Minister will countenance such a move; hence the
system is the loser.
This cannot be an easy time for the Queen’s
Representative. His situation is untenable, but his seat will get hotter in the
days ahead. He will be friendless in an ungovernable Government, again
compromising the people’s business. Democracy demands that elected
representatives make decisions on behalf of the people, and though it is his
call, we know that he knew months in advance of the wishes of the political
administration. The impasse could have been avoided, more so if the Governor had
not fallen victim to what seems less than wholesome advice that his outgoing
Permanent Secretary has rendered to a succession of Governors, making her the de
facto Governor for the duration of her stint.
Much is at stake, including personal pride. That
must be suppressed for the common good. Someone has to step down and be
encouraged to do so gracefully. John A. Osborne neither will nor should. It is
back to the drawing board.
Claude Gerald is an agricultural economist, with an abiding interest in the socio-economic and political development of Montserrat. E-mail, ceegee15@hotmail.com
By Professor Howard A. Fergus, UWI
MARGARET ROSE KELSICK PASSES
News of Margaret Rose Kelsick’s death on
Tuesday, 5 March, 2002, reached the island as the Department of Community
Services was preparing for an event to mark Women’s Day.
The news was happier 41 years ago when she made history to become the
first Montserratian woman to be elected to the island’s Legislative Council.
This may not have been a genuine break-through for women in politics, for
neither Miss Kelsick nor any other woman contested the 1966 general elections.
It was not until 1970 that Mary Tuitt followed the trail blazed by
"Miss Rose" in 1966.
In a sense, Miss Kelsick’s success at the polls
in 1961 under the Montserrat Labour Party banner illustrates, in part, the
strong political influence of William H. Bramble at the time.
Miss Kelsick was herself a genuine aspirant to political office, for she
had already contested the 1958 elections and lost.
Politics apart, Miss Kelsick was prominent as a leader in the local
branch of the British Red Cross.
In the 40 years and nine elections since Rose
Kelsick entered the corridors of council, only a paltry 11 other women followed
her footsteps into electoral politics and only seven were successful.
Like herself, two of these made it in the second attempt.
The full roll, for the record, reads as follows: Margaret Rose Kelsick,
Mary Tuitt, Mary Bramble, Margaret Dyer Howe, Vereen Thomas, Ruby Wade-Bramble,
Louella Farage (unfortunately omitted from Fergus’s book), Lazelle G. Howes,
Adelina Tuitt, Beatrice Fenton, Idabelle Griffith-Meade, Roselyn Cassell-Sealy
and Camilla Watts. The best year
was 2001 when four of the fairer sex went to the hustings.
On the surface this does not seem an impressive
follow-up to the Rose Kelsick precedent. But
compared to the rest of the British Leeward Islands, it stands out.
The British Virgin Islands, for example, did not return a woman
legislator until 1995 or 64 years after Montserrat and of 11 elected legislators
in St. Kitts-Nevis, only one is a woman. This
compares quite unfavourably with the Montserrat of today, where women comprise
half of the "cabinet" Ministers, with one on the opposition benches.
Clearly the legislature is not as male-dominated
as it was in 1961 when Rose Kelsick made that historic achievement.
She holds an honourable page in our island’s history.
My condolence to her family members.
...Going
Down the Drains
History
could condemn the leaders of Montserrat. Yes, if our leaders will not understand
the importance of acquiring and setting aside portions of land so that
generations of Montserratians could acquire property at affordable prices; then
history will not absolve them.
A
Government must be able to control the disposition of the Nation's land so as to
attract investors and to safeguard the interest of the generations to come. A
country cannot develop in these modern times if its land is in private
ownership. And if the present trend of non-land policy continues, not one of our
wealthy Montserratians abroad will return to build an office or apartment
complex if they have to purchase land at the present speculative prices. Neither
will our Government be able to attract developers or manufacturers if they have
to purchase land at the current prices.
A
people who do not adhere to modern standards of productivity will eventually
out-price their services. They will overcharge one another for inadequate
services.
A
people who do not develop and practice fair systems of taxation to enable their
nation to maintain itself will starve or beg or wander from country to country.
The
sooner we realize the truth of the foregoing, the better. Because no matter how
much each one of us selfishly clamors for personal wealth, or to return to past
positions of esteem, the island is still slipping away from us.
Yes,
while it is true that we need the return of the evacuees to create commerce,
very few will return. And no matter how much we grumble and groan about the
state of our people in the UK, they will not return to Montserrat as long as it
is easier for them to purchase property in Leeds or Milton Keynes than to
purchase a plot of land on Montserrat.
So
our people are not in the UK due to our lack of facilities for education, health
care or entertainment. No it is more about their right to a birthright at the
right price. What will determine the return of our people to their homeland is a
complete turnaround in the attitude toward land rights.
So
then, what can make us all not look so very much like going down the drain?
To
me it will be the need for our Government to recognise the importance of owning,
and holding onto land, never to resell it; but to preserve that acquired land so
that every child of Montserrat, even though unborn, could be assured of a house
plot whenever he needs it. In other words, no one should have to purchase land
10, 15 or 20 years before he needs to use that land.
Imagine
then, that Britain has given Montserrat over $600 million and we have not used
one tenth of that money to purchase land for the benefit of the people of
Montserrat; neither has the government saved one dollar of that money. Yes, of
all the millions poured into Montserrat, what will we have to show 50 years from
now? Not even one acre of government-owned land.
No,
do not tell me about consultancy fees. Six hundred million dollars is a lot of
money; but here's how it's being spent.
Every
month, you can see millions and millions going abroad. Boatloads of sand and
gravel purchased from Dominica. Tons and tons of cement purchased from Barbados.
Now we are spending huge sums of money building drains and back walls from St.
John's to Salem.
Yes,
we are pouring money down the drain as if our priority is drains and back walls.
Every
month you might see millions going out for the purchase of cars and equipment.
Soon you will see millions spent on the roads from St. John's to Salem, to
preserve the conditions of the cars.
Yes
we are pouring money down the drain, buying other people's used cars and
building immaculate roads to show them off.
No,
it was never all about consultancy fees.
Montserrat
land owners have made millions from the Volcanic sale of lands... and then
shipped the money off to Antigua.
Each
day you can see the same quasi-productive workmen building gutters and drains.
You
see the same contractors pounding nails and pouring concrete.
You
see the same trucks moving back and forth destroying roads.
Again
money going down the drain, as you see the same people putting the profits in
motor vehicles and equipment.
Not
so long ago, just before the volcano, we howled about how we mortgaged away our
lands, our birthrights, by selling plots of land to all foreign and sundry. Yet
every now and then, the Tax Department sells off the same lands to speculators;
speculators who hoard the land to sell it to the educated wealthy young evacuees
if and when they return from Britain.
Yes
here we are, no social life,
No
sustainable development plans.
No
fair system of tax collection,
No
modern standards of productivity and services,
And
no land for the future generations.
Still,
here we are building back walls, gutters and drains. Spending millions in sand
and stone from Dominica; even though our own volcano has provided us with enough
sand and stones to export to St. Martin and Anguilla.
Yes,
it's now all about building gutters and "strong strong" walls; and
building drains and back walls.
And
even though Montserrat is slipping away from us, we really do not care.
'Cause
we have money in our pockets.
That's
why I say, stupid and going down the drain.
'Management'
We're told by a recent broadcaster,
Isles Bay Beach won't be a disaster.
They’ll continue to mine,
But the beach will be fine,
The sand is meant only for plaster.
What Point of No Return?
Like the swan who abandons her cob,
One can flee to a neighboring nob,
Work at home for a while,
Till the fates again smile,
Then come back to a still better job.
Jus
wonderin' how much property taxes will go DOWN from Old Towne to Olveston
to reflect the decreased property values since last time..
Jus
wonderin' how many cases lawyers will handle if they don't......
Jus wonderin if the budget will have any love and money in it and. what surprises are going to be announced in it.
Jus wonderin if it is not the Doc. is the only person working.
Jus wonderin if the press man will take any good photos.
Jus wonderin if it is true the young lady took the old people money and if it is so what she did with it.
Jus wonderin if it is true she took the taxi man money too.
Jus wonderin if it is true he refused to prosecute.
Jus wonderin if the teacher got his Antigua money.and what role the church man play in all this money wheeling and dealing.
Jus wonderin if the family have a money or crime problem.
Jus wonderin why the scientist think only English and British scientist should work at the MVO.
Jus wonderin if they understand that we should be running our own affairs.
Jus wonderin who is really to blame for refusing the 240 persons from visiting the Day Time Entry Zone [DTEZ].
Jus wonderin if there is a breakdown in procedure as to who should decide when persons should be allowed in the DTEZ.
Jus wonderin if a the police, HE, scientist, CM, the veggie group or our government.
Jus wonderin who is the new name and face in news land.
Jus wonderin what happen to the other name and face.
Jus wonderin how the meat man running tings.
Jus wonderin what some of dem foreign woman jus do wid money.
Jus wonderin if dem really owe so much money and why dem love fu trus and no like to pay.
Jus wonderin if some people want everything and what length and breath they will do anything to get it.
Jus wonderin if wondering was a way to heaven if I would be on the list.
Jus wonderin why the St Patrick's Day program is not been properly promoted.
Jus wonderin how many of us a plan to get off this hard rock.
Jus wonderin when the government will involve the people in decision making.
Jus wonderin if there is anything to learn from Barbados.
Jus wonderin if the HE a flex e muscles.
Jus wonderin why some police personnel are breathing a breath of relief.
Jus wonderin what the lobbying was like over that
ComPolice.
Jus wonderin wey dem get de heart fu a charge soo
much fu de helicopta.
Jus wonderin if they mean only certain people
should fly on it.
Jus wonderin if they know that less people will
come and less people will go out, so they will end up getting less that before.
Jus wonderin if it will be worth de while to go
Antigua to shop now.
Jus wonderin if the politicians were still awake
at the end of the budget speech.
Jus wonderin if the speech will match the debate.
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