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Lowell Lewis Ousted, John Wilson Raised

Chief Minister John Osborne moved quickly and decisively to snuff out a challenge to his leadership by Dr. Lowell Lewis, the deputy Chief Minister and Minister of  Communications and Works, reporting to outside news media CMC that “party delegates objected to the way Dr. Lewis had acted and agreed that disciplinary action would be taken against him.”
The news came as a surprise, that the well-known surgeon Dr. Lewis on Tuesday reportedly pre-empted moves by Chief Minister John Osborne to sack him from his Cabinet by tendering his letter of resignation from the post as Minister of Communications and Works.

However reports from the Government Information Unit state that the Chief Minister said Tuesday that “a Party Committee at a caucus meeting Monday night had advised Dr Lewis to tender his resignation to the Government leader by midday on Tuesday.”

The GIU report said that Mr. Osborne confirmed that Dr Lewis tendered his resignation to him early Tuesday.

Just after mid-day Tuesday, Deputy Speaker and member of the Legislative Council John Wilson, was immediately sworn in as Dr. Lewis’s replacement during a short ceremony at the Governor’s office in Olveston.

The resignation/firing of Dr. Lewis came following a week of several high-powered caucus meetings of the NPLM party, a caucus which Dr. Lewis takes credit of putting together less than a month after the announcement of general elections in 2001.
Reports coming out of the meetings claim that Dr. Lewis was being accused of being party to and prepared to support the “No Confidence Motion” being tabled by the Hon. Chedmond Browne for the next sitting of the Legislative Council. The motion, which was announced last week, asks that “the Honourable House declare no confidence in the Leadership of the Honourable Chief Minister to carry out the functions for which his government has been elected.”

It is little secret that despite the pledged support and loyalty of Dr. Lewis to the Chief Minister, whom he joined to contest the 2001 elections, that he has hinted his own dissatisfaction with the leadership of Mr. Osborne and that he expected the Chief Minister to step down, as he had promised, from the leadership.

It was widely known that the Chief Minister, prior to and after the 2001 general elections, had announced that he would relinquish the leadership of the government after only a short period in office, at times mentioning six months. Elected members and members of the caucus have admitted that the CM had expressed this even to the Governor, but some say now that “no one should trust anything the Chief Minister promises.”

Dr. Lewis has said that he learnt that while he and the Chief Minister were in Trinidad, the CM had given instructions to offer Dr. Lewis’s Ministry to Mr. Wilson. Other unconfirmed reports also claim that the offer had been made as early as last year. But on Thursday last week, Mr. Wilson said that he was not willing to participate in “any matters of convenience,” as he commented on the offer that was made to him.

On Saturday evening he told The Montserrat Reporter, “I have decided to act on the offer as I think that Dr. Lewis has given the Chief Minister some unreasonable ultimatums.”

Everyone expected that the duly appointed deputy chief minister, who received the most votes in the new-style general elections in 2001, would have been fired for his stance against the Chief Minister’s leadership, in light of the CM’s reporting, that “a special caucus of the ruling party on Monday night objected to the way Dr. Lewis had acted and agreed that disciplinary action would be taken against him.”

However, by midday Tuesday Dr. Lewis, according to the Chief Minister, had tendered his resignation from the post.

Mr. Osborne also said that Dr. Lewis’s would take up the role of backbencher, adding, “he has pledged that he will remain a strong supporter of the party and will do whatever he has to do to promote the image of the party.”

Dr. Lewis reportedly left the island on Wednesday and has not been available for comment, but just before press time presented to The Montserrat Reporter a statement which includes his letter to the Chief Minister which speaks clearly for itself. That Statement forms part of this issue as a paid for publication. In that letter Dr. Lewis speaks to the reservation of rights to “to express differences of opinion in appropriate for a…” He also states: “I will continue to act in ways that I consider to be in the interest of the people of Montserrat, and will remain committed to unity, equity and justice for our people.”

In the letter or his statement does he does not promise to do any thing to “promote the image of NPLM.”

MP Chedmond Browne, who himself was thrown out last year from the NPLM party, has expressed surprise at the events of Dr. Lewis’s resignation and Mr. Wilson’s acceptance of the post. He says that his “No Confidence” motion will continue in spite of reports that the Honourable Speaker of the Legislative Council, Joseph Meade, who is reported to have participated actively in the recent NPLM caucus meetings, is believed by some to have a say as to whether the motion goes forward or not.

Meanwhile Mr. Wilson said at his swearing-in, following the CM’s statement that “based on certain things that happened over the last four weeks the party has advised me that I should appoint Mr. Wilson in the post of Minister of Communication and Works”:

“It is an honor, of course, to be able to serve the country. . . . I have no other ambition than to serve and try to serve well.”

John Wilson Takes Oath As New NPLM Minister

His Excellency Governor Anthony Longrigg swore in MP the Hon. John Wilson as the new Minister of Communication and Works during a short ceremony at Lancaster House (the Governor’s Office), in Olveston on Tuesday morning.

The new Minister, a businessman, former national cricketer, and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative House, replaced former Minister of Communication and Works, Dr. Lowell Lewis, who resigned from the ministerial post. Both are members of the New People’s Liberation Movement (NPLM)

Dr. Lewis, a very well known surgeon by profession, held the post since the ruling NPLM government swept to power during the April 2001 general elections with seven of the nine seats at stake.

Chief Minister the Hon. John Osborne, the Hon. Idabelle Meade, Minister of Education, Health and Labour, and the Hon. Margaret Dyer-Howe, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Housing, were on hand with the media to witness the swearing-in ceremony.

Commenting on his new position, Minister Wilson said, “It is an honor, of course, to be able to serve the country and my one desire in driving politics is to serve, I have no other ambition than to serve and try to serve well.”

Noting early public sentiments about his new position, on the point of his allegiance to the Party, Mr. Wilson explained that in any association, upheavals are to be expected and like any other, the NPLM has had theirs, “but that does not necessarily mean that we would have a collapse or breakdown or anything . . . we have to agree to disagree,” he said.

Mr. Wilson only a few weeks ago in January said he was asked by the Chief Minister to apologise for statements he made at the last sitting of the Legislative Council on December 23 last year, when he was critical of the political leadership of the country. At the swearing-in he pledged his allegiance to the party and said he is fully supportive of the Chief Minister and the Government of Montserrat, “As a Minister of the Government, my allegiance must be to the party.”

Mr. Wilson, who received strong public support at the time of his statement, had said in part: “I am disappointed in the fact that over the year, I have not had much of that strong political leadership, which I think that this country needs. We have not had sufficient cooperation among us to provide that strong political leadership that Montserrat requires. Strong political leadership that will take Montserrat where it ought to go.”

The new Minister Wilson stated that the comments he made about his dissatisfaction with the Chief Minister’s leadership qualities have been resolved. “The Chief Minster and I have had more difficult situations. . . . I think maybe we’re men of the same type, we’re strong-minded men, we also have something in common,” he said.

The Chief Minister followed up Mr. Wilson’s December statement by saying he felt such a statement was a personal attack on him and demanded an apology. Following that a statement signed by the other three ministers of Government, including Dr. Lowell Lewis, and MP Claude Hogan declaring their “full support” for their party leader and Chief Minister John Osborne, declaring him, “the best (leader) we’ve had in this country for the last several years.”

Pic in new Folder: Swearing in of John Wilson –Min of Com and Works 8

Pic in new folder: Swearing in of John Wilson-Min of Comm and Works 4

EDITORIAL

"When You Call us ‘Resilient,’ Is That A Compliment or Puzzled Criticism?"

There is hardly a speech made in connection with Montserrat, more particularly by visitors and visiting officials and on few occasions by Montserratian politicians and speakers, that the word ‘resilience’or reference is not made to it and the “resiliency of Montserratians.”

But from here we think the time has come for serious thought to be given to our use of the word and probably discourage its use, question its use, or even challenge the user to explain the meaning they are attaching to it. Quite often there are those of us who do use words that carry a different context from the meaning of the word.

British Minister George Foulkes said of Montserrat: "I think they are really great, they are resilient, they have gone through a terrible time and they are optimistic.”

That was back in 2000 and CM David Brandt was then making the case for improved assistance from British purses controlled by Mr. Foulkes at the Department for International Development (DFID). What was Mr. Foulkes saying?

Speaking at an OECS meeting our current Chief Minister said: “But we are a resilient people and are rebuilding and repositioning ourselves to play an even more active role in the region . . . as we reflect, we must also look at the lessons learnt over the years. Indeed these must guide us as we sail the perilous international seas with economic selfishness and self-survival.”

MP Claude Hogan, commenting at the Bhutan vs Montserrat football match, said: “Since 1995 it's been one struggle to the next. We can show the world that we are a strong, resilient community. That we can rebuild Montserrat, just like people here can modernise Bhutan."

These two comments of resiliency really speak more to a plan to show resiliency than that we are ‘resilient.’

What are we resilient about? A determination to prove that we can make a livelihood in Montserrat? Or merely that we can live here in spite of an active volcano, which we are told will not affect life in the north of Montserrat?

Jack L. Rozdilsky of the Department of Resource Development Urban Studies, at Michigan State University, wrote an article in 1999, “Disaster Recovery in an On-Going Hazard Situation on Montserrat: The July 20, 1999, Volcanic Dome Collapse,” in which he said:

“This author would be remiss not to acknowledge the high degree of resiliency observed amongst Montserratians.”
He writes about his observation of various recent cultural artifacts related to the volcano. Material culture items included a school-based multimedia project with volcano posters, and shirts depicting the new post-disaster housing areas. Non-material cultural items such as personal stories of emergency evacuations and string band musical renditions of volcano stories were also observed. These items and artworks all illustrated the degree to which the volcano disaster was incorporated into human culture, not viewed as a destroyer of human culture.

He continues, “Few nation-states have endured such multiple catastrophes on such a wide scale. The recent volcanic crisis has ingrained a unique set of characteristics into Montserratian society involving the ability to recover from misfortune and easily adjust to change.” There is an argument for resiliency that we can accept.

Prime Minister Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts/Nevis spoke in September 2002 of the (economic) resiliency of his people as he made reference to the shocks within a five-year period:  five hurricanes, a flood; the external impacts of the September 11 disaster in New York;  the intra-Caribbean commerce as a result of the contraction of the banana industry within CARICOM (the Caribbean Community) and in particular within the OECS sub region;  and challenges to the development of their offshore sector and to the future viability of its sugar industry

All these he said had halted economic growth and pushed many people below the poverty line.
”But,” Mr. Douglas said, “throughout the difficult period, the people of the twin island Federation stood strong and were resilient.”

That comment made with proof of resilience.

An article which appeared under the title “Montserrat gone mute,” by ‘The Intellect’  in The Montserrat Reporter last July said, “Yet while a few things remain the same, most have steadily grown worse.  Ironically, in regard to its characteristic resilience, Montserrat is to be acknowledged.  Although, in some instances, Montserrat’s resilience shows forth more prominently in the ‘negative’ perspective than it does in the ‘positive’ perspective, they are still a resilient people.”

Now here is a description of resiliency by Montserrat’s Dr. Christianna Allen-Thorne, who hails from Cudjoe Head but for some time has been residing in Boston. A clerk from M S Osborne Ltd., Police Headquarters and Administration at Government Headquarters in Plymouth, she wrote in her dissertation on her way to a PhD., quoting Masten, Best and Garmezy (1990), and defined the concept of resiliency as the “capacity for or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances.”

Another quote: the “capacity to spring back, rebound, successfully adapt in the face of adversity, and develop social competence despite exposure to severe stress."

Her definition in the dissertation dealing with the Characteristics of English-speaking Caribbean middle and high school students: “a person who is successful in the face of challenges, environmental adversities, obstacles, threatening circumstances or stress is resilient.”

The discussion here then is, can the people of Montserrat really claim to be resilient except in a very limited way, beyond the fact that we are still living in Montserrat and life goes on? There certainly needs to be a discussion, because of the complacency that prevails, while the very strong, the few assisted by the very top as they wheel and deal and expose us to what is not much better than slavery, brandish control and subjection.

Take the events of the past few weeks and particularly this last week. Was their resiliency by the people of Montserrat? Of course not, but there was resiliency, only it was not for or by the people of Montserrat.

SCRIPTURE VERSE THIS WEEK

Truth Always Triumphs – 2 Corinthians 13:1-10

“For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.” (V.8)

 We are saying that the question “Who told you?” is the great ideological question -- the truth question. It reminds us that our thoughts and ideas have consequences -- for good or ill.

Consider, for example, the poisonous ideas that festered in the minds of  the pioneers of Naziism. The Jewish thinker Abraham Heschel, reflecting on the fate of his people, said: “Instilled with the gospel that truth is mere advantage, and reverence, weakness, people succumbed to the bigger advantage of a lie – ‘he Jew is our misfortune’.” Heschel went on: “The roar of the bombers over Rotterdam, Warsaw, London was but the echo of thoughts bred for years by individual brains, and later applauded by entire nations.”

The psychiatrist Leo Alexander, who led the U.S. medical team at the Nuremberg trials, explained that: “It all began when it was believed that there was such a thing as a life not worthy to be lived.”

Of course, it works the other way too. The Czech president, Vlocav Hovel, said that what enabled him and his friends to survive under communism and eventually overthrow its oppressive system was that the Soviet regime was shot through with lies and propaganda, whereas Havel and his friends were determined to tell the truth, and live by truth, come what may! Against that the Soviet system had no defense. Solzhenitsin, the great Russian writer, said it well when he made the point that “One word of truth outweighs the world.” Our text for today puts it even more forcefully when it tells us that we cannot do anything against the truth but only for it. Truth always triumps. Perhaps not today, but always tomorrow. 

Heavenly Father, I see that nothing can work successfully against the truth. May I belong to the community of those who tell the truth and live by the truth. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A Police Inspector Draws High Praise

Dear Editor,

There are people you know not but seem to know well, though you have not discoursed with them to any measurable degree. Often their worthiness is taken for granted by many.

Inspector Ezra Greer strikes me as an especially special fellow, even for a top Policeman, given the generally unwholesome view of the Police. He seems calm, collected and yet professional, not prone to mischief, and a people’s person, who is approachable and cheerfully engaging. Though seemingly shy and reserved, he impresses with the potential to settle disputes in an amicable manner without resorting to litigation, in line with the trend in many legal jurisdictions in the Commonwealth.

I returned from university in the late 70’s with an air of inflated importance. Of lowly rank then, he had occasion to intervene after a citizen complained that I had wronged him. He read my body language as uncompromising and dismissive of this “who are you” intruder into my affairs. With mannerisms, not unlike the current United Nations’ Kofi Annan, he proceeded to weave a beguiling magic of charm and council that becalmed. With eyes focused, shoulders still, lips protruding with words just oozing, Greer brought me down to earth. Those traits remain to this day and are of singular importance to the workings of a Police Force and its relationship to the citizen.

I silently endorsed his ascension in the Force and recalled that earlier seminal event. But I was favourably moved, as I am every time I hear him on radio, when he rendered a prayerful oratory at a “can’t remember now” event that was broadcast on radio. It was viscerally moving as he gripped with words of substance, clearly deeply felt by him, and lacking the rhetoric that envelops many in similar situations. He is an effective communicator with untapped potential and the Force needs to use his resources to enhance itself.

He has noticeably taken to walking, clearly to enhance his physique, primarily as he seeks to rub shoulders with fellow officers like the toned and chiseled Kenny Henry or even the ‘natural’ Inspector Duberry, who may need some shoulders and chest to accompany his flattened lower torso.

I hail Inspector Greer as a citizen of difference with qualities that could make a difference in a new Montserrat.

Claude Gerald

NOT EXCELLENT YOUR EXCELLENCY

By Howell R. Bramble

A senior member of the last British Parliamentary delegation that visited Montserrat, was certain that Great Britain’s contribution to these islands to date adequately compensated for the miseries of slavery and colonialism. “We have given you a system of administration which is second to none and you can never compensate us for that,” he said. It is too late to dispute the merits of the Parliamentarian’s claim. It is never too late to examine the integrity of the “system of administration.”

In Montserrat and other British Overseas Territories, established civil servants and employees of statutory bodies are constitutionally barred from being duly nominated for a general election. When the bug that propels them towards seeking elected office overwhelms public servants, they are required to resign their positions prior to Nomination Day.

If it is a constitutional imperative that a person who holds an office of emolument under the Crown must effectively sever that connection in order to be duly nominated for election, by what ham-fisted process does a government, its Public Service Commission and its Governor appoint an Airport Project Manager from among the persons who were duly elected at the polls and officially sworn in as members of the Legislative Council?

The justification and explanation seem equally mind-boggling. We are being told that the impact of the volcanic eruption created a shortage of talent and that the Legislature, in its wisdom – or lack of it – passed legislation which gave special permission for the peculiar appointment. That any such bogus legislation gained the assent of the Queen’s representative and has been un-noticed by his superiors at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is even more mind-boggling.

The ham-fisted approach to constitutional matters is an awful stain on Montserrat. It reflects poorly on our understanding of Parliamentary practice.  It indicates that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can select as its supreme enforcer of good governance men who are not steeped in the principles of British Parliamentary democracy. Given the awesome powers attached to the office the harm could be incalculable.

If the utility of talent argument is taken seriously, the current regime could be allowed to appoint from the ranks of its elected members a Chief Medical Officer, a Financial Secretary, an Accountant General, a Port Manager, a Marine Adviser and a Chief Engineer. Can anyone who understands the ethical problems which will be created by conflicting interests take such a scenario lightly?

We have been led to believe that it is only the Saddam Husseins of this world who can by decree appoint judges from among the spouses of their henchmen and attest to the purity of their judiciary. Why should Montserrat seek membership in such a weird league?

A government Minister, presumably the Minister for Communications and Works, must report to the Legislature on matters relating to the Airport Project. When the Legislature places one of its members in the position of airport project manager, an awkward situation arises. If by any chance some aspect of Project management cries out for official investigation, how will the public and the powers that be separate the airport management from the Legislature? Moreover, should a crisis arise and the Chief Minister see fit to replace the holder of the Communications and Works Portfolio with the holder of the office of Airport Project manager, would not that situation be the signal for political bacchanal? It ought to be pointed out that the current holder of the office of Chief Minister has been around for a long time. He, even more than a green horn Governor, should know better.

Her Majesty’s Government, it must be recalled, rolled back our constitution to place international finance under the Governor’s Portfolio. HMG affronted our dignity by insisting that a Montserratian Chief Minister who was swept to power by his offer to do the job without any salary ought not to be trusted with international finance. It was HMG which ordered the toughest bulldogs at Scotland Yard to subject ex-Ministers to the indignity of criminal prosecution. How can HMG, which made T. Erskine May the high priest of Parliamentary practice, allow the ham-fistedness to stand?

The volcanic eruption is no excuse for the fundamental departure from constitutional and parliamentary practice. The volcanic eruption destroyed many things; but it made no assault whatsoever on common sense and decency. I therefore call on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to insist that the Governor perform excellently. If he does, the Chief Minister and his colleagues will fall in line.

Supt. Morris Responds To ‘Concerned Reader’

Dear Editor,

I am pleased that the issues of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence continue to be aired through your weekly publication. That “concerned reader” talks, in last week’s letter column, about the “needs of the victim” is a shared aspiration of all those dealing with these hitherto disguised, protected and ignored issues.

Last year we saw a 30-percent rise in the levels of reporting and already this year we are seeing an alarming further increase.

It is the approach of the RMPF and other agencies that is enabling victims to have an improved confidence to come forward. Our strategy as highlighted in the Commissioner’s Mission Statement is one of being “victim focused.” We try as best we can to respond to the needs of the victim by offering them a number of options for dealing with their particular needs.

This does include the offer of professional counselling or other contact with a person of their choice, whether it is a professional, clergy, teacher, or indeed the list of volunteers. I think if  “concerned reader” knew who these volunteer’s were he or she would be very impressed with the professional and personal qualities of the persons we have managed to assemble.

I do hope, though, that his or her old fashioned categorisation of the role of police as simply “bringing an offender to justice” can be softened. The police are moving, through community policing, to a position of problem solving. This may or may not involve use of the judicial system. That may or may not be the requirement, needs or wishes of the victim. Also I hope and believe that victims can feel comfortable talking to the police; 178 did last year.

We have a long, long way to go before we can claim success, with lots of improvements needed along the way. However, we hope we have started on the right track.

To “concerned reader” and others who have similar interests or concerns about Domestic Violence or Child Abuse, please contact the Family Centre on tel: 491 4899 or myself at the Police Headquarters. We will be pleased to arrange a visit to the Centre and explain our work. “Concerned Reader,” continue to probe and question. It is healthy for our further development and will ultimately be to the benefit of the victims we all wish to assist.

Statistics and Volcanic Decision-making Process

Dear Editor,

I would like to "weigh in" with some thoughts about the latest volcanic crisis and Dr. Krebs's astute analysis.  He most correctly points out how the use of statistics has been corrupted and misused in this case.  The result is misleading and prevents a true informed decision as to what to do with the area currently under evacuation.

One fact that seems to be getting little attention is that for all the "science" thrown around, the assessment of what the actual risk may be is a highly subjective affair.  As Dr. Krebs pointed out, we are dealing with a situation for which we have such small experience that we cannot confidently use statistics to predict anything at all.  The governor and the authorities are relying totally on the judgment of the MVO scientists for guidance.  But upon what is their judgment based?  It certainly cannot be an exhaustive analysis of numerous previous events, for that sample size, both on Montserrat, or even worldwide, is extremely small.  It cannot be on the basis of the actual data gathered.  The non-events of the mountain since October is proof of that.  It cannot be on the basis of dramatic new advances in the data-gathering process.   Many of the tools currently being used are still being developed and tested.  The truth is that the MVO scientists, or anybody else, are guessing what will happen next.  It may be an educated guess, but it is still just that.  Even the fact that the "risk" is arrived at by committee just makes it a group guess, not fact.  One might argue that the group approach even introduces more error.

What is deceiving to the public at large, and to those charged with their protection, is that these guesses have been presented statistically as having a certain level of confidence and factualness that is simply not there.  Decisions are being based on this bad science.

I am not criticizing the scientists at the MVO.  I am sure they are doing all they can, but they have been put in the untenable position of the all-knowing oracle of Delphi, at least volcanically.  Their mission has been corrupted and they have gone from the collectors and analyzers of data to policy makers, a role for which I doubt they are qualified.  Unfortunately, those who should be making the decisions are abdicating their responsibilities, and failing to ask the kind of tough questions that need to be asked when analyzing any data.  How reliable is the data?  How are the conclusions offered supported by the data?  What is the data's true predictive value?  From where I sit, there is a disturbing lack of rigor about how the volcanic data is being used and the conclusions drawn from it.

Clearly, there are political factors at work here as well, which no one seems to be acknowledging.  Those in charge, and those working to gather the information to make decisions, clearly do not want a catastrophe "on their watch," and this inevitably leads to a great deal of caution, justified or not.  Since we have made the MVO the new oracle, we have also afflicted them with responsibility should something bad happen.  Naturally this leads to a committee so that no one has to actually assume responsibility personally for the outcome of their decision, and, for example, to the recent statements by the director (his support of that statement wasn't included).  I sincerely doubt that Governor Longrigg wants to have his career ruined by accusations that he wasn't proactive enough in the event of a catastrophe.  Under these circumstances, how could the MVO and the Governor not over-react to every little twitch of the mountain? 

What all this pseudo-science and political posturing does, however, is to obfuscate a forthright and open discussion of the risks involved in living in the Belham Valley.  We are absent the hard, reliable, reproducible, ruly predictive data that we need.  We all need to recognize that the decision will be made not based on science, but on judgments that are subjective, and political.  The risks need to be kept in perspective.  Is the Belham Vlley any less safe than other places, like any large American city in this current world situation?  Personally, I would prefer that everyone involved be honest about it and not hide behind the misuse of statistics and the misapplication of what data we actually are collecting. 

LOCAL NEWS

St. Augustine School Holds Its Sports Day

Yesterday the St Augustine Primary School hosted its annual school sports day at the Salem Park, which gathered parents, teachers and as well as students from other schools.

The opening ceremony commenced with a prayer by Mr. Kenneth Lee, who was also the commentator for the events.

Students who participated in the different events performed a march past which was led by Mr. Odingo Gordon. Mr. Hilton Howson, manager of MONLEC, accepted the salute.

 Three houses, Red, Green and Blue, competed in the various events; Sprint Race, Partner Race, Baton Relay, Three-legged Race and Skipping Race, for the winning position.

 Mr. Joseph Lynch, Mr. Stanford, Mr. Winston Scotland and Ms. Valerie Samuel were the judges for the different activities.

Medals were distributed to the various house members and house, for their outstanding performance in the events.

The school’s headteacher acknowledged contributions made by various business places and individuals including; Western Union Ltd., Royal Montserrat Police Force (RMPF), Montserrat Red Cross, Montserrat Electricity Service, Montserrat Water Authority Service, Bank of Montserrat, M.S. Osborne, Mr. Herman ‘Cupid’ Francis, Sports Department, Parent Teacher Association and Parents.

Minor Traffic Accidents Mar Weekend Traveling

Last weekend, within 24 hours from Friday to Saturday evening, a series of accidents occurred.

On Friday evening on the Sweeney’s main road near Arrow’s Man Shop, a green Suzuki Jeep and a black Honda Prelude collided whilst traveling northward, damaging the Honda’s rear and its entire front section.

The Jeep sustained minor damage to its rear bumper.

No one was reported injured.

On Saturday evening, a red Suzuki Vitara, a blue Nissan lorry and a grey Suzuki Jeep

collided on the Brades main road near Ashoke’s Super Market.

The accident allegedly occurred when the southbound lorry attempted to overtake the Vitara and struck the other two vehicles.

The three vehicles suffered minor damage.

Just hours later, a green Toyota Corolla rolled off the side the left side of the road in the Woodlands area, damaging its left front fender and front bumper. 

No injuries were reported in either accident.

The Police said they are continuing their investigations.

Commissioner John Douglas said that most of these accidents are attributed to careless and reckless driving and as a result the Police would be placing greater emphasis on these areas of traffic.

He added that they are considering the possibility of increasing the speed limit in the Little Bay area and on the road leading to the Lookout Community to 30 mph.

Speed limits will also be increased in the Fogarty area to 25 mph. but will remain 20 mph. within the Lookout Community.

In their drive to reduce traffic accidents, Commissioner Douglas said, the Department is in the process of erecting traffic mirrors in areas such as the entrance of Lookout, the road leading to the Public Works Department in Woodlands and Carr’s Bay area.

Churches’ Men’s Organizations Discuss Male Empowerment

On February 22, the Methodist church in the Caribbean and Americas (MCCA) hosted a men’s workshop at the Lookout Community Centre under the theme, “Empowering Men to fulfill their role in a changing environment.”

It was organized by the Methodist Men’s Commission in Montserrat, due to observations made by the church.

According to Mr. Elijah Silcott, Labour Commissioner, it has been widely observed that men are marginalized, they don’t seem to be taking up their responsibilities as fathers and husbands to their families, and because of this the church targets men, to help them realize their role in society and the importance of that role.

He said this target approach was taken up after the creation of the women’s liberation movement.

Reverend Franklyn Manners, Secretary of the MCCA Connectional Council based in Antigua, facilitated the event.

Thirty-three men from various church organizations in Montserrat attended, among them were: Church of God of Prophecy -- Fishers of Men; Anglican -- The Brotherhood of St. Andrews; Pentecostal Assemblies, Wesleyan Holiness Church, Bethany Men’s Fellowship, Salem Men’s Fellowship, and Bethesda Men’s Fellowship.

The workshop dealt with the following topics:

·                  Do you agree that young men are under achievers?

·                  If so what do you think are some of the factors contributing to this?

·                  What could be done to solve the problem?

·                  What can we as men of the churches do to help the young men of our society to become more positive and to better contribute to the well being of our society?

The individuals were divided into five different groups, to discuss factors contributing to the problems and the solutions.

Recommendations were made by the men to send copies of the information acquired during the seminar to schools, to the media and the Ministry of Education.

The Church of God of Prophecy will be hosting a follow up meeting in June under the slogan, “Men moving in the right direction.”

Senior FCO Official Visits

Director General for Public Services at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Mr. Graham Fry visited Montserrat for the first time this week.

Mr. Fry told The Montserrat Reporter that he was here on a familiarization tour and visiting Montserrat for the first time, his personal impressions of the island, “were very heart rendering,” especially after seeing the devastation of the Plymouth.

He said he was “pleased with the kind of optimism shown by the residents in getting things going again in the safe part of the island (Montserrat’s redevelopment) and their desire to get the economy going again.”

His tour of the island included the new airport site at Gerald’s and the Lookout Community.

Mr. Fry also said that FCO would also be closely involved in the Constitutional Review, “I hope it’s going to be discussed and debated in Montserrat, as there will be discussions between the FCO and the local representatives.”

According to an earlier Government House press release, Mr. Fry, the former High Commissioner to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been with the FCO for over 30 years and has previously worked in Tokyo and Paris.

His other responsibilities have included Head of the Far Eastern Department, and Director, Northern Asia and Pacific Command.

Mr. Fry was expected to with His Excellency Governor Anthony Longrigg, Chief Minister Mr. John Osborne and other Ministers of Government, the Leader of the opposition as well as visiting FCO and DfID funded projects to see the progress being made on the island after the volcanic eruptions.

Pic in new folder: Mr. Graham Fry

Lookout Primary Pupils Compete in Day of Sports

On Wednesday, March 5, the Lookout Primary School hosted a day of sports at the Salem sports ground.

Reverent Florence Daley offered the opening prayer to begin the activities.

The opening ceremony involved a march past by students attending the school, led by Mr. Odingo Gordon. The Hon. Joseph Meade, Speaker of the Legislative Council, took the salute.

Mr. Gregory Willock, Chairman of the Festival Committee, delivered the feature address, in which he encouraged teachers and students to do their best in whatever they do.

Parents, teachers and students from the Montserrat Secondary School supported the primary school event.

The different divisions of houses competed for the winning position, they were, Brown, White and Grey, with boys and girls from classes one to three participating.

Among the activities were the sprint race, relay race, tag relay, for both boys and girls, and a Tug-of-War.

The day ended with a prize ceremony for the winners of the various houses.

The school organizers acknowledged financial contributions from Delta Petroleum, Judith Greer and Association Incorporated.

Parents made other contributions, as did Ms. Julia Nicols and the St Augustine School.

PWD Dump Truck Flips, Narrowly Missing Driver

Mr. Sebastian Celestin, an employee of the Public Works Department (PWD), might be lucky to be alive.

On Friday afternoon, February 21, Mr. Celestin was driving the Department’s dumper, number G 4239 when it ran into the cliff south of Runaway ghaut and overturned.

Eyewitnesses at the scene of the accident said the driver was traveling southbound quickly as he made the sharp turn around the corner when the door on the driver’s side fly open causing him to fall out of the vehicle as he tried to close it.

The truck crashed into the side of the cliff, causing the diesel tank to rupture as it overturned, very narrowly missing the fallen driver.

Mr. Celestin was taken to the casualty ward of the St. John’s Hospital where he was treated for injuries to his right hip and elbow.

A passenger, whose name has not been disclosed by the Police, is said to have sustained minor injuries to his left hand and fingers.

As a result of the accident, traffic moving in both directions was delayed for about half an hour until the Police arrived on the scene, with the truck lying on its side and across the narrow roadway.

Drivers later managed to drive through the narrow space between the truck and the grassy embankment on the side of the road as the truck lay across the road.

Many drivers who were delayed on the scene commented that the side of the cliff should be excavated to make the road wider, as it is challenging when passing larger approaching vehicles maneuvering around the corners in that area.

The police investigation continues.

 Pic found in new folder: PWD truck accident 4 

Montserrat Due to Host Next ECCB Monetary Council

Montserrat is scheduled to host the next meeting of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), slated for July, Trade Minister Margaret Dyer-Howe has said.
However, she said the venue was still to be confirmed by the ECCB.
Minister Dyer-Howe and Financial Secretary John Skerritt returned home at the weekend from St. Kitts after participating in the 47th meeting of the Council, which is the ECCB's highest decision-making body.
The Minister, who also has responsibility for the portfolios of agriculture, housing, lands and the environment in the John Osbourne administration, said all member territories of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) were "strongly urged to exercise prudent fiscal measures in order to combat the current economic situation".
"Member countries were also encouraged to take measures that would not bring about severe hardship to the people of the sub-region," she added.
The Montserratian Minister said that the ECCB was also requested by the members to start public education and awareness programmes across the Currency Union.
She said the long-term objective was to develop a more financially literate populace in the ECCU, adding that savings and investments should lead the public education and awareness programme.

Airport Project Tenders Outlined to Contractors

On Monday morning, speaking during a brief ceremony at the Police Headquarters conference room at Brades, ahead of a mandatory site visit for the tenderers, which included 10 foreign contractors from Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad and Europe and five potential local sub contractors, Chief Minister John Osborne stressed the importance of Montserrat’s having an airport as “the loss of the old airport was one of the main engines of the economy.”

This was a pre-tender meeting for the main contract for the Gerald’s Airport Project, with the Contracting Authority, the Government of Montserrat and the Project Supervisor, the Halcrow Group.

The Chief Minister, hoping that this venture would be a successful one, said he was very surprised that “a project like this, in a small country like Montserrat, could have attracted such interest, and that he looked forward to doing business with the contractors.”

He said that he does not see Montserrat being able to survive without the airport and stated, “Whatever happens, there is a great emphasis on starting the airport and finishing it within the time.”

He explained to the contractors that whoever wins the contract, the Government expect them “to make as much use as possible of all the local machinery that is available on the island.”

“Montserrat does not have any big companies employing large numbers of people and so it is important to share and spread the economic benefits to be derived from the airport project,” the CM said, adding that he did not see “any need for any contractor . . . be it from Europe or the Caribbean to load machinery into Montserrat in terms of earth moving equipment."

He pointed out that locally, there are at least three major heavy equipment companies, and even then he was still hopeful that room would be made to accommodate other heavy equipment operators and truckers.

Following the CM’s presentation, the contractors were informed of the procedural matters, tendering procedures and the scope of works.

In the afternoon, they were taken on a site visit, after which local representatives of the Department for International Development (DFID) gave them an oversight of the project.

Airport Project Manager Claude Hogan, Stephen O’Driscoll of the Halcrow Group, Ken Cassell of the local architectural firm KJ Cassell Consultants, Rob Worthington, the local architectural partner for Halcrow, Assistant Resident Engineer Deon Weeks, quantity surveyor from the Ministry of Communication and Works, and Ian Young, DFID’s Engineering Sector Manager, were the resource persons at this meeting.

On February 3, this year, the publication of the notice of tender for the main contract at Gerald's Airport was made public and was advertised throughout the Caribbean and in 17 countries of the European Union (EU).

Tenders for this main contract for the project will close on May 7, 2003, and will be opened on the same day by the Central Tender Boards.

The contract is expected to last 392 days. Contractors were advised that failure to complete within the specified time would result in an EC$17,000 per day penalty fee for the non-fulfillment of contractual obligations.

Chief Minister Osborne confirmed the total cost of the Gerald’s Airport Project as EC$42.6 million, with DFID and the European Union (EU), through its Regional Economic Development Section, providing the funds.

The Airport Project represents the largest financial output from the declining aid framework, which was given to Montserrat for the period 2001 to 2006.

There still remains objection to the construction of the Gerald’s Airport, led by the Committee for the Redevelopment of Montserrat (CRM), which maintains the argument that the planned airport will be unsafe and will not enhance the economy and the future of Montserrat.

Pic in new folder: airport contract meeting 2 (Caption: Government Ministers and contractors pay keen attention to the Chief Minister)

Pic in new folder: airport contractors survey site 1(Caption: Contractors survey site at Geralds.)

Pic in new folder: airport contractors survey site 12 (Caption: Contractors listen keenly to Stephen O’Driscoll, Halcrow’s representative).

Montserrat to Hail 10 During International Women’s Day

Montserrat will join the rest of the world in recognizing International Women’s Day tomorrow by honoring 10 local women.

Under the local theme “The Contribution of Women to Nation Building: Women in Politics,” the women who have contributed to this aspect of nation building will be honored during a special awards ceremony organised by the Ministry of Education, Health and Community Services at the Lookout Community Center, which will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Mrs. Margaret Dyer-Howe, Mrs. Idabelle Meade, Mrs. Roselyn-Cassell Sealy, Mrs. Adelina Tuitt, Miss Lazelle Howes, Mrs. Ruby Wade-Bramble, Mrs. Mary Tuitt, Mrs. Camilla Watts, Mrs. Vereen Thomas-Woolcock and the late Rose Kelsick (posthumously) will be honored.

Community Services Development Officer Joy Pond told The Montserrat Reporter that this is the fourth year the Department has been giving out awards, under different themes.

Previous themes included: “Women in Education” and “Women in Non-traditional Occupations,” Miss Pond said.

She explained that the theme was chosen because “we see more and more women occupying high positions in the public and private sectors, and as such we’re highlighting the contributions they have been making in the redevelopment of Montserrat.”

Land Development, Housing To Form Single Organization

Manager of the LDA Charlesworth Phillip has announced that in a matter of weeks the Land Development Authority (LDA) and the Housing Unit will be merged to form one entity, the National Housing and Development Corporation.

“Government has already agreed that the LDA as it stands and the Housing Unit will cease to exist, and a new organization will be formed that is going to be responsible for the functions they now perform,” Mr. Phillip said.

He explained that the organization will be government owned and will be operating under conditions the same as the two units currently operates.

The LDA manager said, “The new company will have the independence to go out and do other things that it couldn’t do as a statutory body. Instead of seeking the approval of the Executive Council to do all these things, the manager can take the necessary steps to exact the money, as if it is a privately owned company.”

This comes in light of the situation whereby the LDA is presently faced with the problem of delinquent tenants living in their estate housing units of Lookout, St. Peter’s and Manjack.

The new company will have a lot more flexibility, “it will solve the problem of people sitting down in government houses saying they are not paying the government.”

He pointed out that the company would open a wide range of opportunities for a lot of tenants, as they plan to offer all the houses in Davy Hill for sale.

Mr. Phillip explained that by selling these houses, those persons who are unable to go to the bank or other institutions because they are close to retirement and cannot source a loan will be able to purchase a house much easier: “What we can do as a public company is to offer them a mortgage finance loan ourselves, so instead of paying rent to us, they pay a mortgage instead,” he said.

Prior to the volcanic crisis, Mr. Phillip said, the purpose of the LDA was to develop land for farming and to a lesser extent subdivide lands for housing estates, but due to the onset of the crisis, the role of LDA changed dramatically.“Its function is more concentrated in managing government housing estates,” he said.

He also stressed that these properties are not owned by the LDA, who is simply paid a management fee for collecting the rent and paying for maintenance schedules.

Mr. Phillip said the LDA also administers, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, a materials grant program, where persons who have been evacuated from the exclusion zone can acquire or seek assistance in building a permanent house.

“A single mother can get materials to build a two bedroom house with a value of EC$41,800, a couple with a child can get a three bedroom house valued at EC$50,800 or a childless couple or single person can get a one bedroom house valued at EC$ 33,000,” Mr. Phillip said.

He said that once the materials grant has been approved, people can come and we will provide them with local purchase orders, after which they can go to merchant hardware stores and take material to assist in construction their own homes.”

He added that the LDA also offers technical support via their technical staff, who advises on the design and structural requirements of the building to ensure that the monies provided are not wasted or inferior construction techniques are engaged because, “we can appreciate money is tight and people would want to cut corners and so on,” Mr. Phillip said.

Festival Queen Maudella Daley Enjoys ‘Great Time’ In Mustique

Reigning Festival Queen Miss Maudella Daley and her chaperone, Mrs. Eslyn Samuel, last week visited Miss Daley’s sponsor Basil Charles in Mustique, a small island in the Grenadines.

To get to Mustique they said, is not unlike getting to Montserrat. They traveled via SVG Airways out of Antigua to St. Vincent,where they found that the way to Mustique is either via a nine-seater aircraft or the ferry “Glenconner.”

It takes the aircraft nine minutes to get to Mustique, while the ferry takes two hours.

Miss Daley said that upon arriving in Mustique they were met by Mr. Charles, his girlfriend and staff, who greeted them warmly.

For the duration of their five-day stay, the queen and chaperone were duly treated like royalty. They were taken on tours, proudly introduced to family, friends, business associates, and the local fishermen, all of whom asked them to stay. They were also treated to the island’s culinary delights.

Miss Daley was happily fed on whatever took her fancy, particularly lobster and shrimps.

Over the weekend, a tour of the island took them to areas where personalities such as Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger own beautiful homes. They were particularly impressed by two villages. The first, a community where only Mustiquans live; the other a Caribbean Village called Grand Bay, where building contractors live in houses named after all the islands of the Caribbean.

They said the island’s most famous beach, called “Macaroni Bay,” is a sight to behold.

Colin Tennant bought the island of Mustique in the 1950’s. It is now run by the Mustique Company, which is owned by a group of homeowners.

Basil’s Bar, is the island’s most famous day or nightspot.

On St. Vincent, Mr. Charles owns a chain of businesses in and around the Grenadines. He also owns a few stores in Mustique, including The Mustique General Store, Forever Art, and Basil’s Boutique. He employs an all male staff at the Bar and an all female staff at the Boutique.

Mr. Charles begun working as a bartender and quickly proceeded to own one of the Caribbean’s hottest bars.

He has a charity in St. Vincent called The Basil Charles Educational Foundation, which has benefited many students since its inception in 1996. The Foundation is funded mainly by monies from his businesses and revenue raised at his annual Blues Festival, and other activities organised by himself and his team.

Before his success in Mustique, Mr. Charles lived on Montserrat for one year in 1970. He worked at Mickey’s Garage as a mechanic, along with Wilford ‘Moose’ Meade. He was then employed for a short while with Wang Morson.

He fondly recalls the many Saturdays he and his friends traveled to St. John’s to purchase goat water from “the best goat water cook in the north, Mrs. Ann Morgan.”

He also recalled treasured moments spent with friends such as Errol Eid, Justin Cassell, Arrow, Kenneth Allen, Dasha and others.

Mr. Charles thanked his friend Jadine Glitzenhirn in a special way for giving him the opportunity to contribute to a country he loves.

Miss Daley said, “A heartfelt thank you to Basil for sponsoring me, and to Jadine for getting him to do so. I want to also thank in a special way the Montserrat Festival Committee and especially its Chairman, Mr. Gregory Willock, for giving me the chance to participate in the Festival Queen show. Thanks again to everyone who helped in one way or another.”

New Vessel for Royal Montserrat Police Force

A new vessel for for the Royal Montserrat Police Marine Unit is under construction and is due to arrive in Montserrat in early April, according to Government House.  The vessel is being built at the Ambar Marine yard in Theodore, Alabama, USA.

It is being paid for by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office under its Good Government Fund. Technical advice is being provided by the British Military Advisory & Training Team (BMATT), Antigua.

The press release stated that a group of marine experts, including members of the RMPF Marine Unit and BMATT, recently visited the yard and declared themselves very satisfied with the vessel’s progress.

According to BMATT, the new boat, which will be named Shamrock like her predecessors, offers exceptional value for money and comes with a very generous support package, including a spare set of twin 225-horsepower outboard engines, and lifting harness and cradle for storage during hurricane seasons and maintenance periods. It is specifically designed for the demanding duties of Military, Coast Guard and Marine Police Units and has an impressive array of equipment to match.

Efforts to obtain a new vessel have been ongoing for sometime, but the unfortunate accident earlier this year in which the previous Shamrock was wrecked lent even more urgency to this issue.

Commissioner of Police John Douglas said he very much welcomed the new craft. “The new vessel will once again give the RMPF Marine Unit invaluable search and rescue capabilities and allow us to resume regular patrols to maintain safety at sea and to counteract any illegal activities.”

(photo)

The new 33ft Shamrock in the paint shop at the Ambar Marine Yard

Work Begins on Expanding Prison in EC$1.6-million Job

Construction for the extension of the new EC$1.6-million prison in Brades began earlier this week.

Superintendent of the Prison Peter White said local contractor  Phillip Walter was awarded the contract for the project, which is to be done in three phases.

He said phase one of the project involves the removal of the topsoil and the erection of the 17-foot-high security fence, while phase two will be construction of a new cellblock, which will have 16 new cells, each fitted with its own toilet and face sink. The present building, referred to as the Remand Center, will also be refurbished with the same fittings as the new cellblock.

Mr. White said that the cellblocks will be divided into two; one to house juveniles and women, and the other for more difficult cases, such as the mentally challenged.

He said that the central control point would be located between the present Remand Center and the Police Station.

The third phase of construction will house the administration block, including a visitors area, a workshop area and a classroom, which will be used to assist the prisoners in their rehabilitation.

The construction of the new prison is one of many projects outlined by the Government of Montserrat for Montserrat’s redevelopment.

Pic found in new folder: Prison extension begins 1, 2, 3 or 4

REGIONAL NEWS

Trade Preferences Still Delay ACP/EU Economic Agreement

ST. LUCIA (CMC) -- African, Caribbean and Pacific States, at the end of talks here with the European Union, have expressed concern over the slow pace of  negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements, as well as persistent differences in the points of view of both sides on the objectives and contents of the EPAs.
The ACP Ministerial Trade Committee met here from February 27-28 under the chairmanship of Bouba Bello Maigari, Cameroon's Minister of State in charge of Industrial and Trade Development.
The meeting preceded the fourth session of the ACP-EU joint Ministerial Trade Committee on Saturday, at which the European Union delegation was led by Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy.
The Ministerial Trade Committee's mandate is to ensure follow-up of the EPA and World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations, as well as application of the trade provisions between Europe and its former colonies.
Some ACP countries now question the advisability of launching the second phase of the negotiations at the level of ACP regions, scheduled for September 2003.
A release issued by the ACP Secretariat said the grouping of 77 developing countries would need to review the progress achieved in the negotiations before the September deadline.
It said ACP apprehension was "all the more keen now that the preferences accorded the Group in its trade relations with the European Union have been weakened by successive attacks from third parties that the European Union does not seem prepared to resist.
"These include the attacks on the Sugar Protocol of the Cotonou Agreement and preferences accorded the ACP on the EU tuna market," the release said.

St. Vincent PM Not Yet Sold On US$2-billion Stanford Bid

ST. VINCENT (CMC) -- Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has expressed some reservation about a US$2-billion regional investment proposal presented to him on Tuesday by the Texan billionaire Allen Stanford.
After meeting with Mr. Stanford on the proposal, Dr. Gonsalves described it as "interesting and in some ways revolutionary" but said he was not yet sold on the entire idea.
The chairman of the Stanford Group of Companies, which already has significant business interests in the Region, is looking to set up the Stanford Caribbean Investment Fund as a new investment vehicle through which major investments would be made in tourism-related projects and infrastructural development.
The Fund would consist of initial seed capital of US$100 million from Stanford himself, with a further US$900 million expected from other investors; $700 million from conventional financing; along with anticipated concessions valued at $300 million from participating countries.
Mr. Stanford told reporters development of the Fund was in keeping with a dream of his, of transforming a number of Caribbean islands from developing to first world status.
He envisages that projects such as roads, piers, bridges, schools and low-income housing would be financed and built by the Fund with permanent financing and sale to third party or parties as an exit mechanism for the Fund.
But Dr. Gonsalves said: "I am not sure that we can participate in this aspect of the Fund".
"The reason being, with a return on investment of 14 percent being demanded, we can get loans at between 7 and 10 percent and so that would not make good economic sense," he explained.

Police Commissioner Calls 2003 TT Carnival ‘Safest Ever’

TRINIDAD, CMC - Police Commissioner Hilton Guy has described the 2003  Carnival as the safest and most peaceful one ever, with lawmen reporting that over 200 arrests were made between Carnival Monday and Tuesday for a range of criminal offences.
Speaking at a press conference here Wednesday Commissioner Guy also commended for their work, army personnel who were engaged in joint exercises with the police over the festive season, as well as the Magistracy for having magistrates available 24 hours to deal with Carnival cases.
He said the majority of the arrests made were for possession of illegal drugs and weapons. Of the total number of 201 arrests, 87 on Carnival Monday alone related to possession of offensive weapons and firearms, while 44 persons were held for possession of drugs.
A smaller number of these offences was detected on Carnival Tuesday, with lawmen making 23 arrests on the final day of the celebrations. Two persons were also arrested for larceny of vehicles.
The other arrests made over the two-day period were for robbery, wounding and ticketing offences.

EC Moves for Ratification Of Cotonou Pact with ACP

BRUSSELS (CMC) -- The European Community has deposited the necessary instruments of ratification, clearing the way for the Cotonou agreement with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states to come into force on April 1, 2003.
During a brief ceremony held at ACP House on Thursday, the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, on behalf of the Community, deposited the instruments of ratification for the ACP/EC Partnership Agreement.
With the signing of the accord at Cotonou on 23 June 2000, covering a 20-year period, the Agreement needed to be ratified by two-thirds of the ACP States (52 of 77), and the 15 member states of the European Union and the Community.
However, most of the provisions of the Agreement were already being implemented by virtue of a decision of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers.
The Cotonou Agreement bases the new partnership relations between the European Union and ACP States on the fundamental concept of the latter's ownership of their development strategy. It establishes poverty reduction and the integration of the ACP economies into the global economy as fundamental objectives for the partnership.
The first financial protocol of the Cotonou Agreement, covering a 5-year period which began in March 2000, is endowed with 13.5 billion euros (US$14.5 billion) of which 1.3 billion (US$1.39 billion) is allocated to the regional envelope, and 2.2 billion (US$2.36 billion) to the Investment Facility.
 Following completion of the ratification procedure by both sides, the Cotonou Agreement will come into force on 1 April 2003.

Jamaican Accused of Kidnapping, Torturing a Woman for 10 Years

JAMAICA (CMC) -- A Jamaican man, accused of kidnapping and torturing a woman over a 10ear period, has been remanded to jail and is due to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
However, 49-year-old Carol Lynn Clarke was told by Resident Magistrate Jennifer Straw when he appeared in court on Friday that she did not believe he had a mental problem and was fit to stand trial.
Mr. Clarke was arrested and charged last Sunday, six days after his neighbours found the woman, Melanie Wallace, chained to a tree at his house in the community of Union Gardens, Kingston 13.
The residents heard cries coming from Clarke's house and upon investigation found Ms. Wallace shackled to the tree in the yard.
After freeing the victim, residents took her to a nearby police station.
At the time she was found, she was malnourished with bruises all over her body and had to be hospitalised.
However, Mr. Clarke told the Magistrate that Ms. Wallace was insane and insisted that she chained herself to the tree. He also maintains that over the 10-year period the two shared a common-law relationship and at no time did he abuse her. 

Barbuda Begins Registering Voters for March Elections

ANTIGUA (CMC) -- Governor General Sir James Carlisle issued a proclamation Thursday announcing February 28 to March 4 as the period for registration of eligible voters in Barbuda.
The registration of voters will facilitate them going to the polls on March 24 for the Local Government Elections.
Members of the Barbuda Council recently objected to the registration of new voters, claiming that prospective candidates should face the electorate using the old list of 2000.
Government, however, went to Parliament and made amendments to the Representation of the People Act, which facilitates the registration of new voters, on the basis that every eligible Barbudan must be given a chance to exercise his/her constitutional right to vote in an election.
The Electoral Commission also appointed on Thursday Candace Beazer as the Registration Officer and Jacquiline Beazer and Mulvane George as the Registration Clerks.
Meanwhile, Acting Supervisor of Elections Lorna Simon outlined that registration was being conducted between the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the five days prescribed for registration.
She also stated that prospective voters must appear in person at the Registration Centre located at the former Barbuda Police Station to be registered.  Persons whose names are already listed on the Register of Electors in Barbuda need not re-apply, provided that their nationality and place of residence have not changed, as to disqualify them for retention on  the register.Two political parties are expected to face the electorate on March 24 to elect members to the Council.

Looming War Prompts CTO To Devise ‘Tour Assurance’

BARBADOS (CMC) -- The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is recommending that a regional policy on hotel, airline and cruise cancellations be implemented in the event of conflict in the Middle East.
The recommendation follows a recent meeting in Trinidad of Ministers and Directors of Tourism and CTO officials to discuss various tourism matters, including an Emergency Response Management and Communications Plan, developed by the CTO.
This was followed by an Emergency Strategy Meeting at the offices of USA Today in New York at which more than 50 participants representing Ministries of Tourism, National Tourist Offices, public relations firms, hotels, airlines, advertising agencies and tour operators discussed launching several specific initiatives.
The proposed Caribbean Postponement Assurance Programme would form part of a
proactive strategy for the region in the event of confrontation in Iraq.
CTO has taken the lead in framing the course of action that the region should follow in the event of a war or other issue that may present a threat to Caribbean tourism.
"The purpose of this proposed 'Caribbean Postponement Assurance Programme' is to instill confidence in the marketplace so that consumers will continue to book their vacations to the Caribbean during this peak travel period," said Jean Holder, secretary general, CTO.
CTO is also encouraging hotels, tour operators, airlines and cruise lines serving the Caribbean to devise clear policies for accommodating and repatriating travelers who have to make changes to their travel plans.

Turks and Caicos Islands Have Improved Dental Care

GRAND TURK – Within the last four years, the Dental Department of the Turks and Caicos Islands has undergone a steady growth, with a new Chief Dental Officer and a  Dental Officer in place.

They are Dr. Poornachandra Revanna and his wife Dr. Chandini Revanna, who will serve Grand Turk and Providenciales respectively, who came to TCI from Montserrat to take up their residencies.

Dr. Revanna told Government Information Officer Courtney Robinson about the inner workings of the Dental Department and what new procedures were introduced to the government-run clinic.

Services provided at any Turks and Caicos Dental Clinic are extremely economical and budget friendly.  All patients under the age of 18 and those over 55 receive free dental care. During the initial visit, the patient must pay an examination fee of $2 for a Belonger or $10 for a non-Belonger. 

Services range from teeth cleaning), fillings, extractions, x-rays, cosmetic fillings (for the front teeth), and issuing of prescriptions and medical certificates.  Teeth bleaching was introduced in November of 2002, for which Belongers pay $50 and Non Belonger pay $100. 

Both Drs. Revanna conducts major gum surgery, removal of impacted wisdom teeth and endodontic treatment, depending on the condition of the tooth and the systemic condition.

Since Dr. Revanna became Chief Dental Officer in 1998, the patient ratio, the number of services offered, and revenue generation have increased more than 110 percent.

Trinidad/Tobago Says Jamaica Must Buy LNG at World Prices

TRINIDAD (CMC) -- Trinidad and Tobago says it is prepared to sell Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) neighbour Jamaica, but only at world market prices.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning told reporters at the end of the weekly Cabinet meeting Thursday afternoon that many CARICOM states did not understand the intricacies of his country's energy sector and, as a result, were making assumptions that were not based on fact.
Mr. Manning had decided earlier this month against providing CARICOM countries with a cheaper oil price in the event of a war in the Middle East involving Iraq and United States forces.
"Even with the best will in the world, the proposition is difficult to entertain, given that Trinidad and Tobago imports 50 percent of the crude that it refines and is also subjected like everyone else to the vagaries created by the escalating conflict," he told fellow Caribbean leaders at their recent Inter-Sessional Summit here.
But he indicated that his administration's plans for constructing a pipe line to provide natural gas across the region was still on the table for discussion.
Jamaica says it would be constructing a LNG-receiving terminal by 2006 and senior Jamaican officials said they hoped Port of Spain would provide concessions to its regional neighbour.

Barbados Trade Union Calls C&W Layoff s Unacceptable

BARBADOS (CMC) -- The Barbados Workers Union (BWU) has described as unacceptable plans by Cable & Wireless to lay off over 100 workers here.
Union Boss Sir Leroy Trotman also warned of possible protest action against the company unless it rethinks its plans.
"We hope that consultation will take the order of the day and that the high road of discussion would prevail. In the event that discussions cannot be found then we would have to make our protest known in another fashion," he said.
He further accused the company of reneging on a promise of no further layoffs after it retrenched 250 workers two years ago.
On Wednesday, the British telecommunications giant said that 65 workers will be sent home as part of measures to streamline its operations, while stating that another 60 were likely to go home later this year.
A statement from President Donald Austin said the employees who are leaving the company will be offered attractive packages, provided with counselling on coping with change, given training in personal financial management and assisted with job placement where necessary.
The Union boss said he understands that the layoffs were due to start March 15 and called on C&W to meet with the local Sub-Committee of the Social Partners to justify its move.

Barbados PM Responds To Calls for Resignation

BARBADOS (CMC) -- Prime Minister Owen Arthur, responding to mounting opposition calls for his resignation, has sought to clarify recent statements made concerning the employment of "illegal" Guyanese labour at his private residence.
In separate comments carried in both leading dailies on Friday, Mr. Arthur said the undocumented Guyanese used to build cupboards at his home were not hired by him, but were brought in by a private contractor.
He also said that the work was contracted back in 1992 when he was a member of the Opposition.
The Prime Minister was responding to calls by Senator Clyde Mascoll, President of the parliamentary opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP), for Attorney General Mia Mottley to investigate reports that Mr. Arthur used undocumented Guyanese to carry out repairs on his private residence.
Speaking during the recently concluded Caribbean Community (CARICOM) intersessional meeting in Trinidad, Mr. Arthur revealed that he had conspired with Guyanese to break the law when they built cupboards at his home. He later sought to justify his statement saying it was for the larger cause of the free movement of labour in the Caribbean within the context of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), for which he has lead responsibility within CARICOM.

Dramatic Rise in Remittances To Latin America, Caribbean

WASHINGTON (CMC) -- Latin American and Caribbean immigrants living in industrialised nations sent more than $32 billion in remittances back home in 2002, a 17.6-percent increase over the previous year, the Inter-American Development Bank's Multilateral Investment Fund has announced.
"The volume of remittances has grown dramatically. Latin America and the Caribbean is now the number one destination for remittances worldwide," said MIF Manager Donald F. Terry.
"The rate of increase nearly doubled in 2002 and we are getting a more accurate picture of these capital flows because reporting and tracking is improving."
Last year, Latin America and the Caribbean received about 31 percent of the $103 billion sent by immigrants from developing countries around the world to their home countries.
Nearly 78 percent of the remittances to this region came from the United States. Japan, Spain and Canada are other major sources of remittance flows for Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Mexico continued to be the largest recipient in this region, garnering $10.5 billion, or about one-third of the remittances received by Latin America and the Caribbean. Central American countries received a total of $5.5 billion, Caribbean countries received $5.45 billion and Andean nations received about $5.4 billion.

Dominica Public Workers Won’t Be Paid for Strike

DOMINICA (CMC) -- Acting Prime Minister Charles Savarin has confirmed that public officers, who recently took strike action, will not be paid for the weeklong period they were off the job.
Referring to a joint agreement signed with the workers' bargaining agents on Thursday  ending the strike, Mr. Savarin told a news conference on Friday that no commitment was given by government to pay the workers.
The document was signed by acting Cabinet Secretary Felix Gregoire and General Secretary of the Public Service Union Thomas Letang, after the workers embarked on protests over proposals for reducing the government's wage bill.
The two sides have agreed to establish a joint task force, which also comprises representatives of other interest groups on the island to continue negotiations on the matter.
Meanwhile, government issued a statement on Friday, informing all public officers that "due to the current economic situation and the recent strike action by public officers, salaries for the month of February will not be paid on time."
The statement from the Ministry of Finance said government would commence payments in the shortest possible time.

Canadian, U.S. Firms to Put US$100 million into St. Kitts

ST. KITTS (CMC) -- St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas has welcomed plans by a joint Canadian-American team to invest close to US$100 million here as part of his administration's ongoing economic diversification programme.
Jonathan Chin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chin Richardson Spencer & Partners, said his company was prepared to make between a US$50- and US$80-million investment.
The plan is to construct a plant to produce a dietary supplement on the island. The project is expected to employ close to 100 persons initially and will require between 50 to 100 acres of land to build a processing plant and other facilities.
 "Production equipment will come from China initially and in the process there will be substantial creation of employment for local people. We are prepared to spend the money and open up foreign markets because our product has been marketed in several countries and sold in Canada and Germany, but we are not able to produce enough," said Mr. Chin.
Connie Liesman, President of Atlanta-based Life-line Solutions LLC, said her company proposes to construct a US$17-million to US$20-million pharmaceutical plant in St. Kitts to manufacture IV solutions for the Caribbean.
She said all the plants are built to United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA) or European Union (EU) regulations as well as ISO9002 standard. Each plant would employ between 60 to 100 persons per plant working two shifts per day.
Lee Kennedy, President and CEO of Life-Line Solutions, said a typical pharmaceutical plant makes about 10 million IV units per year and employs 60 to 100 people with volume depending on making three or four products per plant. 

Caribbean Seeks High-level Meeting To Address Drugs Pandemic in Region

OTTAWA, Canada (CMC) -- The Caribbean on Monday called for a "meaningful response" by the international community to its request for a high-level meeting to address the drugs trafficking pandemic in the Region.
"With the best will in the world, Caribbean countries will not win this battle against drug trafficking and all its pernicious consequences, unless they receive meaningful support from the international community, particularly those countries whose demand for illegal narcotics sustains and enlarges the traffic," said Sir Ronald Sanders, the deputy chairperson of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).
Addressing an international conference here on "Crime in the Caribbean Basin: Options on Transnational Crime," Sir Ronald also warned that failure to address the region's drug problem "will occasion a further increase in crime that will cripple the area and threaten others far beyond its shores.
"The Caribbean has shown itself willing.  The international community, especially its closest neighbours, should do no less," he added.
The concerns raised at the meeting, hosted by The Canadian Foundation for the Americas, follow release of a recent United Nations report on Caribbean Drug Trends 2001-2002 which reveals that the Region is emerging as a major supplier of drugs to Europe as the total income generated from the illicit drug industry in the Caribbean last year totalled more than US$3 billion..
With regard to the United States, the Report also stated that while cocaineuse in that country decreased, cocaine exports transhipped through the Caribbean to the U.S. market rose from 29 percent in 1990 to 48 percent in 2001.

Over US$5 million in corporate income taxes collected in Antigua in January

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC - The Antigua and Barbuda government is reporting a collection record of EC$13.7 million (US$ 5.07 million) in corporate income taxes during the month of January.
Minister of State with responsibility for Finance, Senator Asot Michael, has commended the efforts made by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue and tax consultants working in the Inland Revenue Department, noting that the amount was the highest ever collected by the Department in a single month.
"This was achieved by sustained efforts made by the Commissioner and the Tax Consultants, resulting in one case of payment of tax arrears for three years amounting to $10 million  (US$3.7 million) by a major construction company.
Instead of accepting payment in cash, the Government permitted an exchange of cheques offsetting towards Government obligations to the company," a government news release issued on Wednesday said.
Minister Michael also thanked the construction company for clearing its substantial tax arrears in just one month and for being an example of good corporate citizenship for other companies to emulate.
Another company, which had reported losses amounting to more than $30 million (about US$11 million) for the last five years, has, after intense scrutiny of its financial statements by the tax experts, also paid about $1 million (US$0.37 million) in settlement of its corporate taxes arrears, the statement said.
Minister Michael also expressed concern at the sluggish collection of Property Tax and the two per cent turnover tax for this year so far.
He asked the Commissioner to strengthen collection efforts in this direction.  It was noted that many professionals and lawyers were not paying taxes owed to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.

PUP wins historic second consecutive term

By Patrick Jones

BELMOPAN, March 6, 2003, CMC - The People's United Party (PUP) was swept back into office in general elections here on Wednesday, scoring a historic victory over the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP).
Chief Elections Officer Myrtle Palacio made the official announcement shortly after midnight, even though counting was still ongoing in several constituencies.
An official tally, released by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) around 8AM Thursday, confirmed the PUP victory by a 22 to 7 margin over its main rival, sealing the party's place in the history books with an unprecedented second consecutive term.
The PUP also appeared to have taken the municipal elections, which took place simultaneously, even though the results were still being calculated.
The EBC is yet to say how many persons cast ballots in the general election, although analysts believe the turnout was lower than that of the previous election in 1998 when 92 per cent of the registered voters exercised their franchise.
With 126, 000 persons eligible to vote in Wednesday's poll, the result was almost identical to 1984 when the UDP won by a 21 to seven margin over the PUP.
Shortly after the official confirmation that the PUP had earned the majority seats needed to win the elections, Prime Minister Said Musa went on national radio and television to address the nation.
Musa told the nation that it was a bittersweet victory and that while he was saddened by the loss of some the PUP candidates, he expected to win, adding that, "it is a great victory for the people of Belize".
Said Musa: "Your vote of confidence in the PUP has placed a tremendous responsibility on our shoulders and we are ready for it. We will accomplish our manifesto promises.
'When we took office in 1998, all we had to share was hard time ... now after having grown the economy we will make it that every Belizean gets a share of the pie," he added.
Traditionally, the Belize Rural South constituency has been a PUP stronghold but this time around it went to the UDP whose candidate Manuel Heredia won by a comfortable margin toppling the PUP's Patricia Arceo. Heredia got 1539 votes while Arceo tallied 1430 votes.
Another surprise seat that went to the UDP was the Port Loyola division of former Minister of Human Development, Women and Children and Civil Society Barderamos Garcia conceding defeat to Anthony Martinez of the UDP.  Martinez scored 2386 votes to Garcia's 1565 votes.
"The PUP pledge to you is that we will do even more to bring good government to Belize ... We thank the Almighty God most of all and we thank you the voters of Belize for giving us this great victory. We thank the Belizean people who's enthusiasm and encouragement inspire us ... Let us return to our homes and our families proud...good night and may God bless all of you," added Musa.
Earlier in the evening, the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Dean Barrow, having won his own seat in the Queen's Square division, told CMC that Wednesday's success at the poll was the sweetest victory of his political career.
This, he said, was because despite the fact that the government spent millions of dollars to help his opponent Richard Bradley, the people rejected the PUP candidate.
But while Barrow basked in the joy of his own victory, he conceded early in the evening that he had lost the general elections.
Barrow said that he was disappointed by some of the results, especially in the north, where except for one seat, the PUP won seven seats.
"The people are sovereign," Barrow told CMC, "we wholeheartedly accept their decision and whatever the final results are, we will be happy with the gains we have made."
As in previous elections, the participation of 17 independent candidates had virtually no effect on the outcome.
Election Day 2003 was generally incident free, with police reporting that two people were shot dead in unrelated incidents.

Youth Vibration

Presented By Tomeika Jeffrey

MSS Debaters Return to Praise For Performance in St. Kitts

Members of the Montserrat Secondary School’s debating team returned home on Monday from St Kitts where they competed in this year’s Leeward Islands Debating competition from February 27 to March 2.

The dynamic Montserrat duo of Gerren Gerald and Jamiel Greenaway put up a sterling performance on the opening night of the competition, but their Antiguan counterparts were adjudged winners with a total of 651 points to Montserrat’s 530.

Among the Montserratians who witnessed the debate and congratulated the MSS team  for its strong performance was the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Trade and the Environment, Margaret Dyer-Howe.

Minister Dyer-Howe was in St Kitts to attend the 47^th meeting of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) which was held on February 28.

Jamiel Greenaway, the second speaker for Montserrat, was awarded ‘best speaker’ when Antigua and Montserrat debated the moot: “ Poverty is the Prime Cause of Teen Violence in the Caribbean.”

The team of Gerald and Greenaway were commended by Justice Mitchell after the debate for their performance, especially for their broadening of the definition of poverty to include spiritual, economic, intellectual and social poverty.

The other members of the MSS Debating team were Nadia Duberry, Alison Skerritt and Leandre Tuitt.  The staff sponsor was MSS English teacher  Yasmin White.

A large contingent of MSS students accompanied the debating team to St Kitts. 

The home team St Kitts emerged overall winners, defeating the 2002 champions Anguilla in the final on Sunday night.

The moot for the final was “ The Greatest Threat to Caribbean Children is Society’s Failure to Protect Them from Sexual Exploitation.”

Nevis was the other team in the competition.

FEATURES

Tourism Highlights

Tourist Facility To Be Built At Jackboy Hill

Work has begun at Jack Boy Hill for the construction of a tourist facility to include a viewing platform, concession area, toilets, seating areas and a coin-operated telescope.  This Facility was transferred from the chosen site of Garibaldi Hill, which became inaccessible following dome growth to the northwestern side of the dome and the subsequent closure and relocation of persons on Isle Bay Hill and surrounding areas.

Jack Boy Hill is currently one of the best places on the island to view the volcano, whether at night or day.  Views from this location include the destroyed eastern villages, the damaged airport, and the volcano itself.

!!!TIME CAPSULE, 2003!!!

The public is asked to remember to visit the banks, the public library, the brades police station and the montserrat national trust to submit suggestions of items to be placed in the time capsule, which will be mounted during tourism week 2003.

Suggestion boxes are currently available at these locations.  

COMMENTARY

IRISH COMEDY FROM PLAYREADERS

By Cathy Buffonge

Montserrat Playreaders go back about 40 years by my reckoning. Starting in the 1960’s as the Play Reading Group, play readings were held at members’ homes every month. By the ‘90s they had evolved into stage productions at the Golf Club, and (after a gap caused by the 1997 evacuation of Old Towne) the Vue Pointe Hotel. With the hotel once again off limits, this year’s play reading was held at the home of producer/ director Dorothy Burbank and her husband Bob, a setting which seemed to be just made for a stage performance.

“Lafferty’s Wake” is an Irish comedy (perhaps coincidental to St Patrick’s Week), set in a village pub in Ireland. Lafferty has died, and his wake is being held in the pub (his favourite drinking place), with his coffin sitting on cases of whisky. Lafferty’s widow Kathleen (played by Bridget Beattie), alternates between sadness, bitterness and anger at her husband’s past life, during which they had 13 children. Giving her comfort is her eldest daughter (Tammy Foote), while son in law (Kurt Foote) hands round the whisky to drown everyone’s sorrows, and the pub keeper (John Beattie) and priest (Richard Hermany) try to keep everyone happy with stories about Lafferty’s life.

The audience fulfilled the role of the other mourners, and were involved by joining in the singing of rollicking Irish songs and being called on by the actors for various other comical purposes. Lafferty himself (played by Donald Brandt) appears in ghostly form now and then to act out some of the stories that are being told about him. When an apparent  “other woman” in Lafferty’s life (Harriet Peakes) appears unexpectedly at the wake, anger erupts until the two women find out that they knew each other at school (St Fidgeta’s, for hyperactive children) and become friends for a while.

Religious intolerance rears its head when the Catholic priest reveals that he has discovered Lafferty was a Protestant, so can’t be buried in the Catholic cemetery as expected by his widow, prompting amazement and more anger. There’s a twist at the end of the play when it turns out that the coffin is empty, and Lafferty is not dead at all, but is in America collecting an inheritance of millions from his late uncle there. All his past sins and troubles are immediately forgiven and everyone ends up happy.

What could have been quite a tiresome story, with endless Irish jokes and songs, was brought to life by enthusiastic acting. Bridget Beattie threw herself into the part of the widow in her many moods, while Tammy, Kurt, John, Richard and Harriet all did a great job keeping the laughs going and the audience in a jolly mood. Producer/ Director Dorothy Burbank and stage manager Adele Reid made sure everything ran smoothly. If one wants to look at the serious side (probably not intended), there’s Ireland’s religious intolerance, women’s inequality (a woman raising 13 children and neglected by her man), and the probable stereotyping of Irish culture and ways. However this was a romp enjoyed by both actors and audience.

David Brandt Calls for Better Governance

My fellow Montserratians and friends of Montserrat, greetings.

In this past week we have learned of the filing of a vote of no confidence in the Honourable Chief Minister John Osborne by the Honourable Chedmon Browne and seen the demotion and firing of the Honourable Dr. Lowell Lewis, from the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Montserrat. These two serious developments underscore the grave problems that are rocking the New PLM government and all of Montserrat. Some serious effort need to be made to address these problems.

Let me make it perfectly clear that I’m not against the New PLM Government. As you know, I worked hard to help get them elected to office. So much so, that almost everyday now, people call or come to my office to ask me, ‘Mr. Brandt what is this you have gotten us into?’ So I’m not here to tear the government down, but to ask it to give far more serious consideration to the serious business of governing, particularly in the situation we find ourselves in on Montserrat.

We have very little margin for error, but almost from day one, the John Osborne government has continuously made bad moves. The first was caving in to the British to build an airport that no Montserratian wants, particularly after promising so faithfully during the campaign that they had what it would take to get Britain to agree to build an airport whose safety no one would have to question. No one was more insistent in this promise than the Honourable Claude Hogan. But he was no sooner elected than he saw an opportunity to make big money as the manager of the airport project, and quickly abandoned his promise to the people of Montserrat. He is now the man heading up the project to build the airport that nobody but the British wants.

The next bad move involves the Lady Minister Mrs. Annie Dyer-Howe and her water bottling operation. Now, I want you to understand that I’m a strong advocate of entrepreneurship and I believe everyone has a duty to be as enterprising as he or she could be. But a minister, particularly in our current situation, has an even greater duty and it is to share whatever little opportunities that exist. What is the Honourable Lady Minister doing with a water bottling business that so many other capable and needy Montserratians would have been glad to get the opportunity to own? And the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the business are not good. First we heard that a Montserratian, forced to move to Anguilla, had sent to ask for concessions to start a business bottling water. Then the next thing we knew, Mrs. Dyer-Howe was herself bottling water and selling it. We have already put her in a good job that guarantees her a good pension. It would have been a display of good leadership to allow the water bottling business to bring some Montserratian back home or to make it possible for someone to stay who might otherwise be forced to leave to earn a living.

But by far the worse move by a member of government is the recent acquiring of the new gas station by the Honourable Chief Minister Dr. John Osborne. People are asking with every good reason, what does John Osborne want with a gas station? There are many others who expressed an interest in the gas station, who have experience in this line of business, who would have welcomed the opportunity to provide a much needed service and earn a livelihood in the process. Let’s take a man like Nick Ryan for example. I don’t know if Nick had put in a bid for the gas station, but I know it makes a great deal of sense for the gas station to have gone to him. For many years in the old Montserrat, he earned a living for himself and his family by operating a gas station. Since the eruption he has been offering all the usual services of a gas station except the selling of gas itself. He already has a suitable location that people go to for car services. Why not grant him the opportunity to again be a full-service gas station, as he was in Montserrat for at least the 30 years prior to the eruption of the volcano?

As simple an act as that would have contributed to a feeling of normalcy and that would have been good for all of us.  But no, the Chief Minister who does not need a job, who has no experience in the gas business, who we all know is a very wealthy man, could do nothing better than grab the new gas station for himself. We elected Mr. Osborne and gave him a good livelihood with a wonderful pension to look forward to, so he could spend his time helping to find work and business opportunities for us, but unfortunately, it gets clearer every day that his main concern is with himself and with stuffing his pockets, even more, at our expense.

I would bet, given the family connections, that Nick voted for him, and even if he didn’t it makes no difference. Nick is the logical person for the gas dealership to have gone to. If it had been offered to him we all would have understood why and would have applauded the decision. And if for some reason Nick didn’t want it, there are any number of other people who would have welcomed the opportunity to own the gas station.

And look at where the Chief Minister has chosen to put his gas station. Another bad move. Not only is it in a most awkward location for motorists to use, it is right in the midst of wooden houses and close to the health center in St. Peters. So, God forbid, if a fire should brake out, you know what would happen.

For John Osborne to have hijacked the gas station and to be able to erect it at a location that makes it such an endangerment to peoples’ lives is a gross abuse of his power and authority.  This is the type of behavior that fuels the island-wide conviction that we have elected a gang whose motto is: Let’s look after ourselves first and foremost and to hell with every body else.

And, as if all of this is not bad enough, government is set to make a move, so bad, that by comparison all of its other bad moves begin to seem like simple misdemeanors. At a time when the economy is the worse it has ever been, when young and old are literally bawling murder for hard times, the John Osborne government has announced the largest pay raise for any government in the history of our island. With the economy as bleak as it is, how can any responsible government treat itself to such an enormous increase in emoluments?

How enormous?

Let me tell you. 

Currently, the Chief Minister is paid a salary of $7, 203 per month. In addition, he gets a duty allowance of $3,000; Entertainment allowance of $1,000; travel $1,500; housing $2,000; and telephone $35; for a grand total of $14,738 per month or $176,856 per year.

Under the proposed new arrangement, this is what he will get: A salary of $8,000; duty allowance of $5,000; Entertainment, $1,000; travel, $1,500; housing, $5,000       and telephone, $300. In addition, Mr. Osborne is the first Chief Minister to employ a maid to work in his private home that the people of Montserrat have to pay for. For this service to the Chief Minister, we put out an additional $1,000 for a total monthly emolument of $21,800. This represents a monthly increase of 47.92% percent for a total payment of $261,600 per year.

The Chief Minister has said the reason why he wants this raise is because some heads of government in the region are getting paid more than him. He has also said that some of the British civil servants are getting more than $3,000 for rent, which is more than he gets and as Chief Minister he should get the best and the most.

These are not good reasons for a salary increase because they are altogether the wrong kind of yardstick. You can’t say Prime Minister Lester Bird is getting X amount in Antigua so that means I should be raised to the same amount as well. The question you have to ask is can our economy support such a raise just as you would have to ask in the private sector if a given business could support a given raise. And if, as is true of Mr. Osborne, you had done absolutely nothing to stimulate or grow the economy, you should know right away that any raise ought to be out of the question.

Also, if he believes foreigners are getting what they are not worth he should reduce what they are getting, not rush to claim he should get more than them because he is the Chief Minister. 

The question he should be asking is this: If I John Osborne can’t live on $15,000 per month what about the woman who is making only $600 per month, or the man with a family of six. How can they make it? And what can I do to help them improve their lot in life, instead of always grabbing greedily for every penny I could get for myself?

Of course, all of the other members of the Legislative Council: the three other ministers, the five backbenchers, the speaker, the Attorney General and the Financial Secretary, will also receive a hefty raise. The question is, where is the money going to come from to pay for these raises? Certainly, not from Britain. Certainly, government has introduced no new economic activity to generate income. They have created no new jobs that would increase the amount of income tax collected. So where then is the money going to come from? Again, let me tell you. It will come from only one source: you and me. Small wonder then that there is so much talk about an increase in property taxes. Our government is putting the squeeze on us to stuff their pockets at our expense.

Let me say, I’m not against politicians or anyone else earning a decent wage. But as anyone in the private sector will tell you, if wages paid are not linked to productivity and income generated, you are courting disaster. Certainly, no one in the private sector is likely to get a huge increase unless there is some reasonable justification for it. And herein lies my biggest problem with the government’s gargantuan raises. They have done nothing in almost two years in office to merit it.

Also, these huge raises could not have come at a worse time. A time when almost every tax and utility is on the way up. Water rate is going up, electricity rate is going up, the cost of fuel is going up and telephone rates are going up, too. Imagine that! At a time when telephone rates all over the Caribbean and the rest of the world are going down, ours in Montserrat are going up. And as if that is not enough, property taxes are also going up.

Let me point out to you how calculated and deliberate these huge raises for government are. The Chief Minister has said that when the civil servants got their increase last year the government got no increase so they are now entitled to an increase, making it sound reasonable and justifiable. Well, it isn’t. Traditionally, raises for government were tied to raises for civil servants and both were calculated on a most equitable basis. Those persons with the lowest wages got the highest percentage increase and those with the highest wages got the lowest percentage increase.

For example, in the wage increase that occurred when I was last in office, the lowest paid workers received a 30% increase and the highest paid, such as the ministers of government, received 6%. And it’s worth noting that the economy then was not nearly as bad as it is now.  In fact, there was so much work available that we relaxed our immigration and labour laws to allow our CARICOM brothers and sisters to come here to work and assist in the rebuilding of our country. By not taking a wage increase when the civil servants got theirs, government was able to depart from the equitable practice that governed wage increases and propose inequitable increases for itself. In the case of the Chief Minister, as I’ve already pointed out the, increase is a whopping--almost 48%, and for the other ministers, the overall increase is about 25%. We must not sit by idly and allow this to happen.

So I’m calling on Chief Minister John Osborne to follow the example of the great United States of America. During those times that the economy is slow, every effort is made, not to increase the tax burden but to decrease it, and in so doing to help stimulate the economy.

I will also be happy to give to him the telephone number of my good friend, The Honourable Dr. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, Cariacou and Petite Martinique, for some good advise on how to handle this matter. Not so long ago, Grenada went through a tough economic period and this is what Prime Minister Mitchell and his ministers of government did: they voluntarily cut their own salaries. Make a note of that. They didn’t ask the people of Grenada to tighten their belts while government continued to live high on the hog. They didn’t turn the screws on their people by increasing their tax burden. The first thing they did was to reduce – REDUCE, not increase – their own salaries. That is what is called leading by example. And their people’s lives and their economy have not been thrown completely topsy-turvy by an erupting volcano as is true of Montserrat.

It is extremely unlikely, given their actions to date, that it will do much good to ask Chief Minister John Osborne, Lady Minister Annie Dyer-Howe or back-bencher Claude Hogan, to introduce any measures of reform. But the same is not true of the others. The Honourable Cheddy Browne made it clear from early that he is not prepared to go along with the nonsense and greediness that we are seeing, so he is now separated from the group and I feel certain he will support a movement for reform.

The former Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Lowell Lewis, the new Deputy Chief Minister John Wilson and the Honourable Minister Idabel Meade, to the best of my knowledge, are guilty of no excesses and remain committed to giving good service to Montserrat. So I’m asking them to reconsider whatever support they may have given to these exorbitant raises and to withdraw their support. It is not too late to do what is right for our country.

Dr. Lewis has already gone on record as supporting these huge raises, but now that he has more time for reflection I’m asking him to reconsider and to withdraw his support. As a trained physician he has acquired great skill and expertise in bringing relief from pain to the human body. I believe he can draw on this background to help bring economic and social relief to our troubled land. The fact that we gave him the highest number of votes in the last election, makes him, in a way, the people’s CHIEF MINISTER and is testimony to the high regard and confidence we have in him to do what’s right. But this was also bound to get him in serious trouble with Chief Minister John Osborne. So it comes as no surprise that the CM, who has not been calling regular meetings, either of his colleagues in government or of the party, called an extraordinary meeting of the party last Monday and ousted Dr. Lewis as both Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Government.

I’m told that someone on the Electric Evergreen asked why was Dr. Lewis sacked? And someone else replied: ‘could it be because he was too effective and not self-motivated enough?’ 

I am, as am sure most of you are, sorry to see what has happened to Dr. Lewis. Whatever his shortcomings he is a hard worker, and his loyalty to Montserrat was never in question. So I’m asking you Dr. Lewis, even if it has to be from the back bench, please keep making the case to the Chief Minister and your other colleagues for responsible and effective government. And please ask them to join you in backing away from the huge wages that have been proposed.

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Honourable John Wilson on his ascendancy to the position of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Communications & Works.

Mr. Wilson and I have been very good friends from the days when we both represented Montserrat as cricketers and I believe I know him well. As a backbencher he did not flinch from being objectively critical of Chief Minister John Osborne and from pointing out some of the wrong moves his government has been making. Clearly, in his new position he cannot be expected to do anything less than serve as a force for reform and for persuading the CM that the timing of his huge raises is altogether wrong. Mr. Wilson, I urge you to do just this.

Mrs. Meade is the daughter of the late Robert ‘Marse Bob’ Griffith who would turn in his grave at the thought of her being part of any government that would betray Montserrat. I feel confident, also, that she of herself will never do any such thing.

The Honourable Ruben Meade is already on record as disagreeing with the raises and I believe that the Honourable Roselyn Cassell-Sealy also disagrees with them. The raises are a very bad move that all right thinking members of parliament can agree to work collectively to reverse.

An increase, aligned to the civil service increase, could be considered, but the proposed wages are unreasonable and shouldn’t see the light of day. People everywhere are saying this. Pay attention. Please.

Thank you and God bless.

Poems

VISIT MARVELOUS MONTSERRAT

1. See a cloud covered hilltop.
2. Be told it is a volcano. (5 percent of the time you can discern the hazy suggestion of the true volcanic peak. Rarely can it be seen clearly).
3. See million-dollar villas left to decay in the "danger zone" due to forced evacuation.
4. Thrill to the unfettered freedom of hungry, abandoned cattle, pigs, donkeys and goats. See their contribution to pruning gardens.
5. Trudge up the Clare Short Expressway to visit Duck Pond Park (a park created by Montserratians and ex-pats - truly excellent views).
6. Admire the persistence of local farmers who must hand-carry produce down the mountain due to the lack of a passable road.
7. Be impressed by the new MVO center, where bricks replace brains.

EXPERIENCE THE CHARMS OF A POLICE STATE

1. See the chain barriers that bar you from the "danger zone". Be told they are saving your life.
2. Meet the death-defying challenge of a visit to the "danger zone." The volcano is turned off from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm several days a week.
3. Enjoy a leisurely rest while the police create and check redundant lists. Observe them break the record for inefficiency set by the KGB at Checkpoint Charlie.
4. Discuss the economic chaos created largely by scare tactics and sudden, needless evacuations ordered by the British Government.
5. Marvel at the system whereby the MVO imagines an event, advises the Governor of this "scientific" observation. He orders an evacuation of a safe area and threatens police enforcement