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Quotes:
"Residents of Soufriere will soon be given a place of comfort. A sod turning ceremony to mark the commencement of the Comfort Centre was held last week with parliamentary representative, Dr. Walter Francois doing the honours. The facility will provide four toilets for men and a similar number for women ... The surrounding grounds will be landscaped to provide an area where the public can sit in comfort".
(Various newspapers, 19th/20th Jan.)
"But we love our hate in this island. We love the feeling of inequity, the insecurity of it".
Jason Sifflet on 'The Return of Prejudice' following the attack on the Cathedral by two men who identified as Rastas (The Mirror, 19th Jan).
"Let us replace our hate for those men, and the thirst for their blood, with a fervent desire to reach out to the folk about us who are on the verge of losing it".
Amatus Edwards on the aftermath of the Cathedral attack (The Mirror, 19th Jan).
"No excuses, but when the young fanatic, now safely locked from our sight, changed before his mother's eyes, where could she turn? ... [G]iven our sad infrastructure, our refusal to invest in the human spirit, and our constant, explicit contempt for each other, I don't know how the boy could have been saved from himself. ... Even now, what can we hold up to convince them that they are wrong, that we ourselves live closer to God? Talk is cheap but are we doing anything different now to save our society from our worst selves? So the anger builds and boils over, and soon the anarchist finds others who feel the same desperate exclusion. And maybe, he even thinks he's right, what with all the 'burn-dem-babylon-
balhead' on the national radio. So, he feels like bombing a church. Maybe it's not such a great leap after all, from contempt to conflagration".
Adrian Augier (The Mirror, 19th Jan).
"The hottest place in hell is reserved for those people who in periods of moral crisis maintain their neutrality".
Dr J. Romel Daniel on his urgent need to take an explicit moral stance now that indiscipline, disrespect and lack of caring have surreptitiously grown to the size of 'an elephant in a living room' (Various newspapers, 19th/20th Jan).
"There were some youths with spray cans the size of insecticide tins spraying fire in the air. Many people had to move. I remember standing near an elder Rasta who recoiled in horror and disdain as he protected his princess. At that point Capleton bade the band take the rhythm low and chanted: Fire pon batiman/Fire pon lesbian/Fire pon vatican/fire pon confusion. I got a bad feeling and left a couple of songs before the end. One week after some youths in Gros Islet beat up a batiman near the village gate in Gros Islet".
Travis Weekes on the Capleton concert which he attended on December 12th, 2000: nineteen days before two young men set worshippers on fire at the Castries Cathedral (The Mirror, 19th Jan).
"The United States is evidentially one of the most insane and sadistic societies".
Modeste Downes on the perceived negative influence of the US on St. Lucian youth (The Mirror, 19th Jan).
"We have laws against littering which are not enforced. The government spends thousands of dollars monthly employing persons to clean up after citizens, yet no one is charged and arrested. Why spend such large sums to clean up after people who break the law ... ?
Claudius Francis (Wednesday Star, 17th Jan).
"He acknowledged that the home affairs minister sometimes made statements that could be considered 'injudicious' but added that he also often said things that needed to be said".
Earl Bousquet on prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony's defense of minister Velon John, despite a call from the SLHTA and Chamber of Commerce for his resignation (Wednesday Star, 17th Jan).
"To help avoid problems, your dentist may request to see you more frequently during hormonal surges".
The Voice on the fact that women's oral health depends on surges in their sex hormone levels (20th Jan).
"The St. Lucia Amateur Athletics Association held a cross-country run in Vieux Fort Sunday ... John Gaston won the race, although he had no idea where the route was. It wasn't a good start for the AAA, which failed to mark the course. .... Times aren't available from the cross-country run. Following the race, the AAA's public relations officer was instructed not to talk to reporters".
(One Caribbean, 14th Jan).
"Minibus (n) - a mobile sperm distribution centre".
"Misadventure (n) - the police official excuse for a person they have murdered".
Dictionary of alternative usage (One Caribbean, 20th Jan).
"If it has not behaved as a force integral to the development of St. Lucia then it must have been doing something else".
The Star extending the logic of a conclusion from the Lucelec review commission report (20th Jan).
Dr Didier recalls a young patient diagnosed in 1999 who walked into the clinic and said: 'Doctor my finger fell off and I flushed it down the toilet'."
The Star on Dr Grandison-Didier's battle against leprosy (20th Jan).
"'We are not a modern police force', complains Fregis, 'and we are constrained by the laws under which we serve'."
Public relations officer for the Police Force Albert Fregis, commenting on minister Velon John's statement regarding "disturbing excesses of the police force" (The Crusader, 20th Jan). |
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St. Lucia to establish diplomatic ties with Libya
In the wake of Dominica's prime minister Pierre Charles having visited Libya earlier this month, St. Lucia's minister of Foreign Affairs George Odlum this week confirmed that moves are underway to establish diplomatic ties between St. Lucia and the North African nation. This is reported in The Voice. The newspaper maintains that locally, "the news excited a fair amount of comment, in view of the general perception of Libya as a breeding ground and haven for terrorists, and terrorism on a global scale". Dominicans, too, reportedly received the news with mixed feelings: eager to find the necessary help to advance the country's economy, yet concerned about a possible backlash from other donor countries, in particular the United States. According to Dominica's PM, "Very early the Americans expressed concern at my visit. In fact, I received a call from a high official from the United States Embassy in Barbados, but I told them in no uncertain terms that we (Dominica) reserve the right to establish relations with countries that we believe we will benefit from".
Dominica and St. Lucia's moves to tighten relations with Libya are not wholly unexpected, considering the fact that last year, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as a group agreed to strengthen diplomatic relations with Libya. This came about after Libya sent an ambassador to the region to express its interest in establishing such ties, and its willingness to help with the development of Caribbean countries. According to George Odlum, "within the next month or two we'll be certainly having exchanges with them, with a view to establishing the relationship".
This is confirmed by press secretary Earl Bousquet in the Wednesday Star, who writes that the establishment of formal diplomatic ties with Libya comes in OECS countries' "continuing search to replace traditional aid sources that no longer prove reliable". Grenada has reportedly already entered into diplomatic relations with the seat of Libya's government in Tripoli.
National Geographic magazine, in the cover story of its November 2000 edition gives 'the most thorough look inside Libya in many years'. [National Geographic magazine]
Located in North Africa, west of Egypt, Libya experienced ten years of rapid economic growth following the discovery of oil in 1959. However in 1969, a young army captain, Muammar Qadaffi, son of desert nomads, staged a bloodless coup and seized power. According to National Geographic, Qadaffi "gradually imposed his own brand of revolutionary theory on the country. As embassies closed and foreign companies pulled out throughout the 1970s and '80s, there was an ever diminishing number of visitors from the Western world". The magazine states that Qadaffi "gradually eliminated foreign investment, abolished private enterprise, forbade all political parties, renamed the months of the year, supported revolutionary causes around the world, implemented his own concepts of democracy, and eventually renamed the country the Great Jamahiriya, which translates roughly as 'ruled by the masses'."
In 1992, the United Nations imposed sanctions on Libya after Qadaffi refused to hand over two suspects accused of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 people were killed. National Geographic writes that Qadaffi thereby defied the international community and reinforced Libya's image as "a terrorist state, its people crushed under a dictatorial regime of unbridled repression. Qadaffi had done much to court this reputation. He was there for the Irish Republican Army when it needed him, supplying large quantities of arms in the later stages of the Northern Ireland conflict ...".
The UN boycott lasted for seven years, until 1999, when Qadaffi finally surrendered the two men for trial. But the United States continues its embargo despite the fact that over the past two years, Libya has successfully courted foreign investors, and ended its earlier, self-imposed isolation. "Is Libya truly opening up? Is the leopard changing his spots?" – this is the crucial question posed by the editor of National Geographic magazine.
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Plutonium cargo passing through Caribbean waters
A potentially deadly cargo of 230 kilos of weapon-grade plutonium, sufficient to construct 40 nuclear devices, is expected to pass through the Caribbean region anytime soon, en route to Japan via the Panama Canal. Organisations in the Caribbean, along with environmental protection organisation Greenpeace are strongly condemning the countries and enterprises involved in what they say is "a disaster waiting to happen". According to Greenpeace, a serious accident with the shipment could have "absolutely disastrous effects on the environment and public health". In St. Lucia, the Committee for the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas and Peoples of African Descent in the Americas has spoken out strongly against the shipment across the Atlantic and through Caribbean territorial waters. The cargo in question was transported to the French harbour of Cherbourg on 17th January and was expected to have been loaded onto two British-flagged nuclear freighters, the 'Pacific Pintail' and 'Pacific Teal'. Although British, French and Japanese officials are keeping the route a secret, they have admitted that the Caribbean/Panama Canal route is a possible option. According to a Greenpeace press release, the shipment of 230 kilos of weapon-grade plutonium is the second of its kind. "The first shipment, made to Japan in 1999, was involved in a major scandal: it was revealed that vital quality control data for the Japanese plutonium fuel produced and shipped by the UK government-owned BNFL [British Nuclear Fuel] was deliberately falsified". As a result, the fuel was never used in Japan and was, in fact, later returned to the UK. The UK was made to pay $60 million in compensation to Japan. Greenpeace also maintains that "despite Japanese claims that they need plutonium to fuel nuclear reactors, Japan has no operating commercial plutonium breeder reactors nor do they produce any electricity using plutonium fuel. 'Japan does not need plutonium for its commercial energy program', said Damon Moglen of Greenpeace International. 'The Japanese have no more justification for stockpiling weapons-usable plutonium than they do for threatening millions of people around the world with the plutonium and nuclear waste shipments which are involved in this program'."
Greenpeace says that because of their high-risk cargo, the two ships involved have been armed with three 30 mm cannons each and an estimated 7 tonnes of highly explosive ammunition. "It is utterly mad to put nearly a quarter of a tonne of plutonium on board a ship which will also contain a massive amount of fuel oil and some 7 tonnes of explosive ammunition", Damon Moglen is quoted as saying.
In St. Lucia, Albert Deterville has called on the people of the Caribbean region "to make their opposition heard". The Voice is the only paper to report on this matter.
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Beach vendors want stricter but fairer controls
Licensed beach vendors are calling for a stricter but fairer enforcement of the rules and regulations governing the manner in which they sell their wares to tourists - regulations which they say are currently applied too strictly to them, and not strictly enough to their unlicensed colleagues/competitors.
Following a spate of criminal incidents involving visitors, the National Conservation Authority (NCA), the body responsible for policing the island's parks and beaches, has stepped up the monitoring activities of its rangers. According to The Voice, this has led to a "tense atmosphere" between licensed vendors and rangers, especially at Reduit Beach. The Voice, Star and One Caribbean all report that licensed vendors themselves feel that the situation has been getting out of hand, yet according to The Star, several also feel that "unlicensed persons are allowed to roam the beaches and solicit tourists, while licensed vendors are being reprimanded for approaching tourists with their wares". NCA manager Egbert Eugene counters that complaint and insists that licensed vendors "are going about their business the wrong way". According to Eugene, many licensed vendors do not await customers in a fixed location with their wares displayed, but instead "often move from chair to chair soliciting visitors and this might lead to tourists being lured into areas where they are attacked". Furthermore, says Eugene, "Visitors do not like the idea of every minute somebody is in their face trying to sell them something. We are simply trying to get things back to normal and we expect vendors to stay on the beach at the delegated [sic] locations, be creative and exhibit their goods".
But vendors deny that they are responsible for the poor image painted by the NCA. According to One Caribbean, "One of the main problems, say the vendors, is that when the SLP came to power in 1997, they gave all who claimed to be vendors carte blanche, to show that they were creating jobs. What they ought to have done was to look into the background of the various individuals, for some are not genuine, but come to peddle drugs. Then there are those who do harass the visitors along the beaches, curse them if they do not purchase their goods, and others who sell to the visitors and refuse to hand over the change. All that, claim the licensed vendors, can cause bad blood and harm the industry. Now the licensed vendors are being themselves harassed by the Rangers, who insist that the vendors remain seated before their trays, must not talk to the visitors and are even being threatened to have their licenses revoked if they disobey those orders".
Further according to One Caribbean, "the very genuine licensed vendors" understand their responsibility as cogs in the works of a successful tourist industry and "would dearly like to assist the police and the rangers" in finding solutions to the problem of visitor harassment - but not while they themselves are being harassed by the rangers.
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DPP to move on Harding, Hamilton, Gilbert cases
Although early in December of last year, prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony promised results of a police investigation into the shooting death of escaped prisoner Alfred Harding within the time span of one week, it is reported this week - some seven weeks later - that enquiries are still ongoing. Director of Public Prosecutions Norton Jack however expects to be ready "to proceed by the end of next week with a directive to police". Harding was allegedly shot in cold blood by an off-duty policeman after having been apprehended by residents of La Clery.
DPP Norton Jack also expects to be able to advise the police whether charges should be laid or an inquest held into the death of security guard Anthony Gilbert, who was fatally shot (allegedly by a petrol station manager) whilst playing the part of robber during the filming of a commercial. The incident occurred on 27th August 2000. Finally, enquiries are also still ongoing into the death of Paul Hamilton, who was allegedly shot in the back by a policeman last October, while fleeing police custody after having been apprehended for using threatening language. The incident occurred on a busy Saturday morning in the centre of Castries. The Star reports this.
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Lucelec: successful at expense of customers
Without changes to the Electricity Act which in 1965 granted Lucelec a monopoly as the island's sole electricity supplier, little can be done to fundamentally lower the cost of electricity to consumers. That is the conclusion reached by both The Star and Mirror, following the presentation of the report of the Lucelec Review Commission, last Tuesday, by minister of Public Utilities, Calixte George.
The main conclusion of the report seems to be that over the years, the St. Lucia Electricity Services has been "very successful" - but that the benefits of this success "have flowed principally to the shareholders and the Government", as the Mirror puts it, with consumers left holding the rough end of the stick. High prices, uncertain billing, unreliable service, insufficient information and an arrogant response to complaints are among the public's chief concerns. The report contains several recommendations in those areas but does not, ultimately, think it wise to introduce competing electricity suppliers. Minister George, on the other hand, appeared reluctant to totally accept the review commission's argument that there are "strong reasons" to maintain Lucelec's status as a monopoly. George called this a point which he and the cabinet of ministers "will have to chew upon".
Despite not recommending changing the 1965 Electricity Act, the Review Commission does condemn some of the results of Lucelec's monopolistic position. "As a monopoly", reports The Star, "Lucelec has never needed to change or to pursue lower operating costs that would have resulted in lower charges to customers. This is because whatever the cost of the fuel, Lucelec could adjust rates accordingly - a practice also protected by the Electricity Act. Also, as the report makes clear, Lucelec is not interested in the needs of the customer, so to spend time and money pursuing cheaper fuel and restructuring generation capabilities has been seen by the company as a meaningless enterprise".
Realising the company's weak record in the field of customer relations, the Review Commission strongly calls upon Lucelec to ensure that in future, its successes should "benefit directly the customers and citizens of St. Lucia". To this end, the Commission recommends an end to the practice of estimated bills and a return to monthly meter readings, improved customer service, lower bills, greater responsibility and accountability, fewer outages and fewer surges in voltage, resulting in destruction electrical appliances. It is also recommended that Lucelec accept cash payment for bills at its offices.
Meanwhile, government has appointed a committee to determine, along with Lucelec, how the recommendations can be implemented. The committee is chaired by minister George. Besides The Mirror and Star, The Voice also carries a story on the Lucelec report.
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US military recruits young St. Lucians
Young St. Lucians, along with other Caribbean nationals in the region, are being invited to join the United States Naval forces, the US Airforce, US Coast Guards or US Military Academies under the US Service Academy foreign student programme. Under this programme, students can become recipients of full or partial waivers of fees, or scholarships. This is reported in The Star. According to a statement from the US Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, applicants can be either military or civilian, male or female, as long as they are between the ages of 17 and 23 on the 1st of July 2001, and are in good physical condition, unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal dependents or children reliant on them for support. Candidates will be required to take a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), on which they must score at least 1100 points. Applicants should send a certified copy of their SAT test to the Department of Human Resource Development, NIS Building, Castries, before January 31st.
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McNamara grants for female students in US
Six women can apply for $11,000 grants from the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund, whose purpose it is to support the education of women from developing countries who are committed to improving the lives of women and children in their home countries. This is reported in The Star. To apply for a grant, candidates must comply with certain requirements. They must not be holders of a US Green Card or related to an employee of the World Bank, they must be enrolled in an accredited educational institution in the US from September 2000, interested in issues relating to women and children, and planning to return to their homeland within two years of the date on which the grant is made. They must also be at least 26 years old by this year, reside in the US at the time of submitting the application, and demonstrate a financial need.
Applications must be received by 15th February and further information can be obtained from the ministry of Education.
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Two murders in Vieux Fort last Saturday
Two persons lost their lives in Vieux Fort on Saturday of last week, in what police believe to be cases of murder. Dead are Dorothy Boriel (47), who was found in her bedroom by her husband and their youngest daughter, having died from what appears to have been an attack with a blunt object. The other victim was a young man, Ives Deterville, who was found unconscious in Roots Alley with "marks of violence on his head". He died later that day at St. Jude's hospital. In the case of Mrs. Boriel, no suspect has yet been apprehended, although "all sorts of rumours are sweeping the town", according to The Mirror. In Deterville's case, a man is assisting police with their enquiries and a suspect "is expected to be charged soon". The Wednesday Star also reports on both cases.
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French Embassy employee arrested in US$1.1M theft
An employee of the French Embassy in St. Lucia - Jean-Jacques Dreuilhe - was arrested in Martinique earlier this week and charged with being an accomplice to the theft of 7.8 million francs (US$1.1 million). This is reported in The Mirror. Dreuilhe has been suspended from his embassy duties, which consisted primarily of advising businesspeople wishing to invest in the Caribbean. Dreuilhe reportedly assisted two men who were to deposit the money into a bank, in fleeing to Dominica on a small chartered plane, with Dreuilhe using his diplomatic passport "to avoid scrutiny by local authorities". Dreuilhe is a French national. He faces breach of trust charges and could be imprisoned for up to five years, if convicted. Officials form the French Embassy in St. Lucia declined to comment on the case, "except to say that it was being investigated by the law and justice department in Martinique and Dominica", writes The Mirror.
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Twin Peaks of Excellence: Nobel Laureates
'Twin Peaks of Excellence - The Nobel Laureates of Saint Lucia' is the title of a publication to be launched by the National Archives Authority and the Nobel Laureate Committee to mark Nobel Laureate Day, on Tuesday 23rd of January. The booklet is intended to explain the history of the Nobel Prizes, to provide brief biographies of St. Lucia's Nobel laureates Sir Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott, and to provide space to the tributes paid to them last year by Sir Vincent Floissac and Winville King. 'Twin Peaks of Excellence' will be launched at the National Cultural Centre at 10 am, under the patronage of the Governor-General, Dame Pearlette Louisy, who is also chairperson of the Nobe Laureate Committee. The book will be available for sale after the launch, at a price of $25. One Caribbean, The Mirror and Voice all report this.
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