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Quotes:
"I am satisfied that she will give you no less competent leadership than I have".
Dr Vaughan Lewis on Dr Morella Joseph, who succeeds him as the political leader of the UWP (The Mirror, 20th October).
"I genuinely believe that 'the fat lady' has not yet sung on the issue of the leadership of the UWP and that party's offering for Prime Minister".
Stephen Primus (The Crusader, 21st October).
"But that hairstyle must go. Where is she going with those goat rolls on her head?"
Stephen Primus on Dr Morella Joseph's hairdo (The Crusader, 21st October).
"If there was one surprise that day, it was that there was no surprise".
Jason Sifflet on the UWP convention (The Mirror, 20th October).
"By God's grace, I have moved on because the political powers refuse to give me a single opportunity to earn a daily bread without licking their behinds. There is no way I would have done that in God's world. I started again from scratch in America and I am not looking back. God bless America".
Former financial controller of the St. Lucia Banana Growers Association, Gregory Downs (The Star, 21st October).
"This was not Forest Gump speaking. It was the man holding the most powerful office in the land and speaking from the highest court in the land".
David Vitalis on prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony's admission, whilst presenting the Gaming Control Act to the House of Assembly, that the Bill contains a section 39 which is discriminatory and possibly unconstitutional (The Mirror, 20th October).
"I hope it ends, and soon".
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony on the continuing increases in the price of crude oil (Tuesday Voice, 17th October).
"Inaccurate reports can cause even more problems than the attacks themselves".
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony on the brutal attack on a French woman and her companion (various newspapers, 21st October).
"You have democracy. But really and truly, you have no choice".
Jason Sifflet on the current system of democratic governance in St. Lucia (The Mirror, 20th October).
"If that's not stark enough, consider the fact that a little over 50% of our population of approximately 140,000 is below voting age. Another 10,000 are unable to pursue or hold public office, either by virtue of their employment as public servants (police, nurses, teachers, etc.). Another 20,000 are ineligible because they are either too old, not healthy enough, or not sufficiently educated. When we take away those who have no interest whatsoever in holding public office, we come up with less than 500 persons who have the potential and who are willing and able to serve in public office, meaning as Members of Parliament and of Statutory Boards".
Cletus Springer on the need for a Government of National Unity (The Mirror, 20th October).
"No matter if one graduated with just one GCE Pass or none at all one was guaranteed a good paying job. A secondary school education was a ticket out of the banana fields, a means to avoid working as a store clerk, to avoid all forms of manual labour".
Anderson Reynolds on the history of the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School (The Mirror, 20th October).
"This money is for people who have been classified as paupers. About three years ago the amount given was $40 and this was increased to $60. I don't see the government increasing that figure any time soon because it took ten years for the figure to be increased to that amount, and it will probably take another ten years before it will be increased again".
Welfare officer on the ministry of Health's attempts to assist the elderly (Wednesday Star, 18th October).
"The dead do not need anywhere to live. It is the living who need the space".
Wednesday Star quoting a squatter who lives atop the cemetery at Old Hospital Road in Castries. The former burial ground now houses some 28 families, most of whom have running water and toilet facilities. The Poverty Reduction Fund is in the process of building a new footpath across the cemetery for residents (18th October).
"My mechanic never told me about the brakes".
The Star quoting a minibus driver who was fined $1500 for driving without due care and attention and for driving a defective vehicle. When flagged down by police, the man failed to stop. It was later found that his minibus had no brakes (The Star, 21st October). |
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Lukewarm response to UWP leadership choice
"A new image, if not a new soul". That sentiment, expressed by Rick Wayne in the Wednesday Star probably best sums up the general reaction in this week's newspapers to the results of the 31st annual convention of the United Workers Party (UWP) held in Vieux Fort, last Sunday. Dr Morella Joseph was elected unopposed to become the UWP's new leader. She will be assisted by deputy-leaders Marius Wilson and Zepherine Francis with Eldridge Stephens as chairman.
After weeks of mounting tension, with the sudden resignation of Dr Vaughan Lewis as leader and the appearance of various new players apparently willing to vie for the party's top position - Lorraine Williams, Jeff Stewart, Guy Mayers, even Sir John Compton - last Sunday's convention was rather an anti-climax.
But whereas observers may have deemed the developments in the country's sole opposition party uneventful, newly-elected chairman Stephen Eldridge praised the absence of "roro and cancan" as proof of the UWP's "unity of purpose".
In fact, so closed were the ranks, that voting for the executive was reportedly done in blocs. Both the Tuesday Voice and The Mirror report that the ballots for each delegation were collected (blank) and returned (completed) by the head delegates. According to Mirror journalist Jason Sifflet: "There was no concrete evidence of funny business, but some people could be heard saying that they didn't get a chance to cast their own vote. Others quieted them down, saying there was no reason to disturb things, especially since the individual would have voted the same way as the group anyway".
Although the editor in the Tuesday Voice makes a case for Dr Joseph as political leader of the UWP, saying that as a woman (the first female political leader in St. Lucia's history) she will bring compassion and understanding to politics, none of the other newspaper reporters seems as yet totally convinced of Dr Joseph's capacity to purposefully lead the UWP to an election victory at the next general elections. The Crusader is the most outspoken in its criticism - albeit with somewhat irrelevant references to Dr Joseph's hairstyle - and plainly states that "Morella is not fit for the job of political leader of the United Workers Party". The Mirror expresses concern that the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party "will take advantage of Dr Joseph's political naivety and the UWP's vulnerability as they go through the most important transition in the party's history, so far. All the talk is of early elections". Micah George, in The Voice, also raises several questions about Dr Joseph's capacity to "deliver".
More interestingly, though, Micah George finishes by asking: "Could it be possible that the election of Dr Joseph and attorney Marius Wilson to the leadership positions of the party is simply a stop gap measure and that the real generals will appear when general elections are called? An interesting possibility, wouldn't you say?"
The same suspicion of impending political surprise is voiced in The Crusader, where Stephen Primus writes: "Sir John's absence from the conference and the withdrawal of Romanus Lansiquot and Stephenson King from the race for executive positions is suspicious, to say the least. Something fishy is going on. The old guard who supported Jeff Stewart and who met in the now infamous breakfast meeting and demanded Vaughan Lewis' resignation would not so easily have walked away. I genuinely believe that 'the fat lady' has not yet sung on the issue of the leadership of the UWP and that party's offering for Prime Minister. I do not believe that the UWP will go into the next election with Morella Joseph as its leader and its prime candidate for Prime Ministership".
The other election results of Sunday's UWP convention are as follows: Bain Nathaniel first deputy chairman; Michael Flood second deputy chairman; Antoine Charles treasurer; Nicholas John election officer; Gertrude George welfare officer; Christine Mayers women's affairs; and Peter Floissac, Elena St. Jean, Condell St. Marthe, Joachim Griffith, Silvanus Fontenard and Peter 'Ipa' Isaac floor members. Rufus Bousquet, who was nominated for the posts of chairman and deputy chairman lost on both accounts (with Eldridge Stephens beating him 255 to 54).
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TQFC takes WIBDECO to court over gov't order
Banana farmers are not sufficiently concerned about the potentially disastrous impact that changes in the Europen Union's (EU) banana regime may have on their immediate livelihood. So says Peter Serieux, head of Tropical Qualify Fruit Company (TQFC), one of St. Lucia's five private banana companies. The EU recently proposed a First Come, First Serve (FCFS) ruling, which would mean that Windward Islands bananas would lose their preferential treatment on the European market completely. Although the United States and six Latin American banana producing countries have rejected the first FCFS ruling, it is by no means certain that St. Lucian - and Windward - bananas are not headed for disaster in that respect [see last week's news]. And yet, according to Serieux in the Wednesday Star: "These dynamics have never been part of the farmers' concern and I do not even believe they could entertain that".
Meanwhile, TQFC is suing the Windward Island Banana Development Corporation (WIBDECO) in a bid to stop the government from deducing 3 cents per pound from TQFC farmers' banana exports. The 3 cent levy is deducted to finance aerial spraying against leaf spot disease - something which has caused several conflicts between the various banana companies and the government in the recent past [search news archives]. TQFC reckons that it can provide a cheaper service to its clients and that its contract with WIBDECO does not allow WIBDECO to make these deductions. WIBDECO, in a response to the court action, says it has no choice but to deduct the money, since it is ordered to do so by the government. WIBDECO says it has "no problems" with TQFC and says it presumes that the court case "is aimed at the government" and that WIBDECO is only involved because it happens to be the organisation collecting the levy on behalf of the government.
TQFC boss Peter Serieux concurs with this view. "By taking WIBDECO and government to court we will obtain a ruling on the propriety of the measure that allows WIBDECO to deduct three cents per pound from the farmer without the authority [i.e. TQFC] with whom it has the contract". According to The Star, the TQFC intends to seek a refund of the monies already deducted if it wins the court case. The Star estimates this to amount to approximately EC$2.2 million (up to mid-October). Besides The Star, The Voice, Crusader and Mirror also report on the TQFC/WIBDECO issue.
Meanwhile, following last week's surprise resignation of chairman of the St. Lucia Banana Compnay (SLBC), Patrick Joseph, amidst allegations of theft and embezzelement, the only newspaper this week to report further on this is The Star, where it is announced that the findings of a full, independent audit into the SLBC's managerial troubles will be presented to the company's shareholders at a special meeting on the 20th of November.
In other banana news, prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony is set to undertake a series of official visits to banana fields this week. The PM and his entourage, made up of the minister for Agriculture Cass Elias, permanent secretary Dr Jimmy Fletcher, WIBDECO board member Julian Hunte and several others, will visit farms in Blanchard, Desruisseaux, Bellevue and Banse on Monday. On Tuesday, the government officials will visit Cul de Sac, the Roseau Model Farms and Babonneau and on Thursday they will return to the Micoud area, with visits to Mon Repos, Ti Rocher and Mahaut, followed by an open discussion at the Micoud multipurpose centre. The formal purpose of the banana field visits is to "update farmers of the latest developments in the industry and get a first-hand assessment of the conditions facing farmers in the field". All newspapers carry a press release to this effect.
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Nationwide condemnation of brutal attack in Choiseul
St. Lucia has responded with disgust, outrage and deep concern to the news that early on Sunday morning, a 24-year-old French woman was kidnapped, gang-raped and left for dead by four or five men in the Saltibus area. The woman's companion, a French-Canadian national in his fifties, was also badly beaten. The woman, who was flown out to Martinique for medical treatment, has already lost one eye and doctors are reportedly fighting to save the other.
The woman and her friend were both (temporary) residents on the island. She had just finished a nine month stint as a horticulturalist at Morne Coubaril Estate and was due to return to France this weekend. The man is an employee at Morne Coubaril. The two were on their way back from Club Med in Vieux Fort and had stopped off in Laborie, where Laborie Day was being celebrated by villagers and others. Driving back to Morne Coubaril afterwards, the couple was stopped by a hired jeep blocking the road at Ravine Navay, between Choiseul and Victoria. They were subsequently attacked. The man was badly beaten. The woman was dragged from the car, during which ordeal shattered glass cut her eyes, and forcibly abducted in the assailants' car. She was severely beaten and raped several times. The men then left her for dead in the Saltibus area, where she was later found by a resident and rushed to hospital. All main newspapers carry reports of the attack.
The violent crime has elicited strong condemnation from various quarters in society. Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony said he is "struck by the horror" of the crime and said it is "hard to understand the mentality behind that animalistic attack". He also promised the victims, their relatives and St. Lucians that the perpetrators of this crime will be brought to justice. It is reported in various newspapers that police so far have two of the alleged perpetrators in custody. The St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) decided not to issue an advisory to tourists against travelling unaccompanied to certain remote parts of the island, but the association does call for increased security measures and warns that crimes such as these may have negative long-term effects on the island's tourism industry. According to the Wednesday Star, SLHTA president Berthia Parle has repeated "her earlier warnings that if a quick stop is not put to tourism-related crime ... we can expect retaliatory moves by the governments of such countries as Canada, the UK and the United States".
French Ambassador to St. Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean, Henry Vidal, this week expressed his shock and horror over the incident and said that the victim's family "is very anxious" to see results from this investigation. According to The Mirror, Vidal has said that France will not yet issue a travel advisory on St. Lucia. "We are not at that stage. There are many French tourists who spend good holidays in St. Lucia. Travel agencies may issue certain warnings or caution visitors about certain areas, but we are not issuing any warnings. This is one case".
According to The Star, prime minister Dr Anthony has urged caution, to ensure that "whatever measures were adopted should not lead to tourism agencies painting parts of the island as enclaves of crime or dangerous areas".
Meanwhile, however, the parliamentary representative for Anse la Raye, Cyprian Lansiquot, announced this week that the tourist attraction at River Rock Falls faces possible closure due to the level of criminal activity in that area. According to Lansiquot, "The lady who is operating the facilty there telephoned me recently and indicated that she may have to give up the facility because of the criminal activities that happen around there. ... I am very concerned about it, considering the prospects that Anse la Raye has in terms of touristic development. We will have to step up the security. Probably we will have to ask the SSU and police to step up the patrolling of the area". Over the past few months, at least one tourist couple was robbed in the area in question.
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Sea eggs recovering but moratorium extended
Despite "considerable signs of recovery", the moratorium on harvesting sea eggs ('chadons') will remain in effect for another year. This is announced by the Department of Fisheries and reported in The Voice. The department states that there are greater numbers and size ranges of sea eggs found in certain coastal areas as compared to five years ago. However, the total ban on harvesting sea eggs is thought wise in order to "maximize the level of reproductive activity within the existing population [and] to allow adult eggs to remain within the marine habitat to attract new larvae to the area so as to continue boosting the local sea egg populations".
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World's largest cruise ship to visit Castries
Carnival Destiny, the world's largest-ever cruise ship, docked at Pointe Seraphine in Castries last Tuesday, where it was welcomed by tourism and port officials. The super liner will be visiting Castries every other Tuesday from 11.00 am, replacing the 'Inspiration'. The Carnival Destiny accommodates up to 3,400 passengers, excluding staff and weighs over 100,000 tons. The ship is a member of the fleet of Miami-based Carnival Corporation. The local agents are Cox & Company. The ship has the largest casino at sea on board, as well as two-level dining rooms, two-level 15,000 sq.ft. spa health and fitness facilities, four swimming pools, two swim-up bars, seven whirlpools, a 200-foot waterslide and spacious staterooms with ocean views and balconies. The Voice, Mirror and Star all report this.
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Witnesses refuse to testify: murder suspect walks
Two murder suspects walked free this week in two separate court cases, one of which was withdrawn and the other dismissed.
The Voice reports that the man who was suspected of shooting bus driver Elias Lionel earlier this year, while Lionel was taking a nap sitting in his minibus at the Gros Islet bus stand [search news archives], was let off in the preliminary inquiry because two main witnesses refused to testify. According to The Voice, "The men have changed their stories on several occasions. The men (two vagrants) continue to change their stories and have approached Lionel's family making demands in exchange for their testimony. ... The two men came forward and gave statements to the police but when they were approached at a later date they changed their stories and have been hiding from the police". As a result, the prosecution was forced to withdraw its case against the suspect.
Meanwhile, The Crusader reports that a Vieux Fort man who was charged with killing Darren Auguste by shooting him in the head in the Mangue in Vieux Fort on April 13, 1999, was released last week. According to the report, it was established in court that the suspect "although present at the scene could not under any circumstances have caused the death of Darren Auguste". The suspect, who had been on remand for more than a year, was subsequently set free.
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Online College Fair for international students
Parents and students worldwide are invited to log on to www.OnlineCollegeFair.com on Wednesday 1st November, and particpate in the first online college fair for international students. The Star reports this. Between 11 am and 2 pm, interested persons can chat live with representatives from colleges and universities across the United States. Topics to be discussed will range from financial aid and scholarships to test preparation and college counselling. The online event is organized by the National Association for College Admission Counselling (NACAC) and Interaction Software Inc.
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St. Lucian smashes religious statues in Brooklyn
A 34-year-old St. Lucian man illegally residing in New York has been sentenced to five years probation for smashing statues and other religious symbols at several Catholic churches across Brooklyn, New York with a sledge hammer. The man pleaded guilty and although pressure was exerted by the prosecutors to put the man in jail for having "assaulted the sensibilities of the Catholic community", the St. Lucian national came away with the five years on probation. In his defence, the accused said that he was sorry for what he had done and that it was reading the Bible that had led him to the attacks. According to The Mirror, the only paper to report on the case, the man had quoted a particular passage from the book of Deuteronomy, where it is said: "And ye shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods".
Meanwhile, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is deciding whether or not to deport the man back to St. Lucia.
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Double bomb threat sends CCSS students home
The Castries Comprehensive Secondary School was hastily evacuated last Wednesday following an anonymous phonecall shortly after 9:00 am announcing that a bomb had been planted on the school's premises. Students were sent home for the day but a police search revealed nothing resembling a bomb. This is reported in the Thursday Voice. According to the paper, a similar incident occurred at the Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School but there, classes continued as normal. According to The Voice, police had recommended that students at Sir Ira Simmons be sent home as well, but a spokesperson for the school said "the police did not call the school".
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'Twavay Se Zapot-la' now released on video
'Twavay Se Zapot-la' is the title of the latest video released by the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), an organization that for several years now has been working in St. Lucia towards making the bible accessible in Kweyol. The Acts of the Apostles was produced by Visual International and features Hollywood stars James Brolin as Apostle Peter, and Dean Jones as Luke. The SIL obtained the rights from the producers to develop a multi-voice narration of the video in Kweyol, which has now been released. Last year, a similar video was released on the Gospel of Luke (Louk). The narrations were done by 34 St. Lucians from 15 churches, representing 9 different denominations. The scripts of both videos are taken from the Testeman Nèf-la, which was launched in October 1999.
The videos run for about 3 and 4,5 hours each. Louk retails for $50 and Twavay Se Zapot-la for $25. The videos and the Testeman Nèf-la can be obtained at the Castries Book Salon, Sunshine Bookstore and the Adventist Centre in Castries, and at Book Nook and Shop & Save in Vieux Fort. This is reported in the Thursday Voice.
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Gaming Control Act through Senate
The St. Lucia Senate met last Friday to discuss thirteen bills, including the Gaming Control Act, which will make casino gambling legal in St. Lucia but not for St. Lucian nationals [search news archive]. Expected to be passed were the following Bills: Motor Vehicle Rental Fee (amendment), National Savings and Development Bonds (amendment), Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority, Regional Security System, Industrial Designs, and Land Registration (amendment). This is reported in the Tuesday Voice and the Wednesday Star.
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