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Odlum, Compton and Joseph stand up for Alliance
Ex-minister George Odlum, former UWP prime minister Sir John Compton and current UWP leader Dr. Morella Joseph together announced the launch of the National Alliance for Unity (NAU), during a joint appearance on DBS television show 'Talk' with Rick Wayne on Thursday evening (29th March), belying the 'death of a dream' - the alleged premature death of the NAU which had been headlined in The Mirror newspaper only last week. As a result of his commitment to the new political movement, Odlum resigned from his post as minister of Foreign Affairs in the St. Lucia Labour Party government. According to Odlum, he voluntarily resigned from his ministerial duties on Thursday, 29th March at around 5:00 pm - only to be presented with a letter of dismissal from prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony at around 6:00 pm. Odlum further stated that Julian Hunte has been recalled from his overseas post to take over the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Odlum's resignation or sacking had been widely anticipated.
The NAU suffered a false start only a week ago, after Odlum appeared on the television talkshow 'Talk', but could not confirm then - as had been expected - his commitment to the movement. The reason for his reluctance at the time was, as Odlum explained to his parliamentary colleagues in the House of Assembly (on Tuesday 20th March), that he saw "signs of conflicting perceptions which might not augur well for the success of the venture". Following this, the public launch of the NAU, which had been announced to take place on Tuesday 20th March, failed to materialise. These two non-events, coupled with the continuing anonymity of the people behind the new political movement led most newspapers last weekend to conclude that the NAU had suffered a cot death.
But Thursday evening's edition of 'Talk' leaves little doubt that Odlum, Compton and Joseph have now thrown their weight behind the attempt to fight together in the upcoming general elections, alongside a number of other candidates whose identities are yet to be revealed. Two weeks ago, the UWP announced that it was interested in working together with the movement to establish a government of national unity and this position was underscored during Thursday's 'Talk', when Dr. Morella Joseph was presented with a large bouquet of flowers allegedly sent by the UWP executive, accompanied by a card with words to the effect that: 'Morella, we love you, and we fully support the new alliance'.
What the response of the government and the St. Lucia Labour Party will be to the new alliance of former politicial opponents will probably become clear in this weekend's papers but last week, when the initiative was thought to have 'crashed without a proper take-off', staunch SLP supporters responded with jubilation.
Tennyson Joseph, the administrative attaché to prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony, for instance, explained the movement for national unity away as "a thinly disguised opportunist attempt to undermine the SLP government by persons pursuing the narrow project of political power, but masquerading under the moral façade of the need to unify the country", and "nothing more than an attempt by the UWP to redefine itself following its defeat in 1997". Although Joseph's scepticism about the motives of the NAU's main characters - former UWP prime minister Sir John Compton, current SLP minister of Foreign Affairs George Odlum, and UWP-convert Peter Josie - was shared by several other commentators, unlike them, Tennyson Joseph did not concede that in principle, a less divisive form of political life would be desirable. Instead, the PM's attaché pitched "the old colonial cabal" (which he described as "a certain class of persons, descended from the old colonial regime, and whose wealth and power was derived from the colour of their skins, and the exploitation of the shoeless and shirtless plantation labourers") against "ordinary St. Lucians and the rural masses" - whose cause, he claimed, is championed by the current SLP government.
Rather than restate such alleged dichotomies in society, other commentators continued to suggest that there is, in fact, a need for a less divisive, more unifying approach to the governance of St. Lucia's human and other resources.
David Vitalis, for instance, in The Mirror, while rejecting the proposed trio Odlum/Compton/Josie as credible leaders for a Government of National Unity, did concede that such a government "is a great ideal" - albeit one that will be hard to bring about in real life. In Vitalis' analysis of the rise and fall of the National Alliance for Unity, he sees "two concepts moving parallel. One is an attempt to fashion an opposition front to unseat the Labour Government. The other, as proposed by Odlum, is the development of 'something that brings together the entire country'. ... The application of the former idea (an alliance) in the wider region has been an unmitigated disaster. The latter, as it now stands, will remain a virtual 'Tower of Babel' until it is worked into a blueprint with concrete phases of implementation."
The editor of The Mirror seemed clearly disappointed at the Alliance's alleged failure, last week, to "get its act together" and concluded that as a result, prime minister Dr. Anthony "may be laughing all the way to the next elections". Unhappily, The Mirror editor wrote: "The dream of national unity and healing in this country died these past days. ... So we are now back to the fighting and quarrelling that we seem to revel in, destroying ourselves and our country gradually, but certainly. St. Lucia at this time finds itself in almost tragic circumstances. On the one hand we have a Government that boasts of achieving much, but a population that claims conditions in the country are deteriorating day by day. On the other we have an Opposition Party that does not excite, and which no one gives a chance of unseating that Government because it has not done enough since 1997 in terms of re-floating and rebuilding. This is precisely what made the prospect of the 'Alliance' so interesting".
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PM's wife arrested during Barbados student protest
St. Lucia's First Lady was arrested in Barbados last Wednesday during a protest staged by students at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies. The protest was against inadequate security on campus, poor lighting, and a decision by the Registrar to scrap the annual UWI Carnival celebrations. At the time of her arrest, Dr. Rosemarie Antoine-Anthony was advising demonstrators of their rights - and limitations - in staging a peaceful demonstration. According to reports in all newspapers, some 300 students, all clad in red t-shirts, had blocked the main access road to the Cave Hill, St. Michael campus, from about 6:00 am on Wednesday morning. "Bearing placards, singing, and chanting, the students charged that their complaints were falling on deaf ears", according to an article in the Nation Newspaper, reproduced in One Caribbean. "Tempers flared as about 50 police officers, some armed and wearing full riot gear, attempted to remove students from blocking the university's entrance", the same report continues. "It included more than 50 heavily armed officers, along with khaki-clad members of the gazetted ranks and more than 15 vehicles".
A few scuffles allegedly ensued when policemen pushed their way through the crowd of demonstrators, "causing students to react verbally", according to The Mirror. Television images broadcast on the St. Lucian evening news subsequently showed a number of demonstrators being manhandled by four or five police officers. One male student was punched and roughly forced down to the ground. Dr Antoine-Anthony was also manhandled and half-dragged, half-carried to a police vehicle. She was shown sitting on the ground next to the vehicle, shoeless and with her hands handcuffed behind her back. In all, eight women and two men were arrested and charged later that day for such offenses as resisting arrest, assault, malicious damage and obstruction. After spending some five hours under arrest at the District 'A' police station, the ten were later allowed out on bail of Bd$1,000 each. Arrested and charged were, besides Dr Antoine-Anthony, St. Lucian student Tanya Melicia John, Pearnel Charles Jr (22, son of former deputy-prime minister of Jamaica), Peta-Gay Levy (21, Jamaican), Elsworth Nathaniel Jonson (31, Bahamas), Antoinette Eugene Goddard (39, clerical worker), Ali (20, Trinidadian), Tasha Manley (16, Jamaican), Karen Elizabeth Gonzalez (19, Trinidadian), and Karen Lorraine Duncan (Barbadian). The accused will appear in court on 28th May but they have already announced that they, too, will be seeking legal action. Several of them complained of various minor injuries. Dr. Antoine-Anthony complained of injuries (bruises) to her spine, arms, knees, legs and right hand.
Prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony, in a first reaction on Wednesday, said that he had spoken with his wife "and she assured him that there was no need for him to come to Barbados since she was very capable of taking care of herself and the situation she found herself in". The Thursday Voice reports this. However, permanent secretary in the ministry of Education, Didacus Jules, flew to Barbados on Wednesday afternoon to assess, first-hand, the situation involving Dr Antoine-Anthony and St. Lucian student Tanya John.
The Star reports that: "Television footage of the arrest was beamed across the Caribbean this week, unleashing a wave of outrage and criticism of the heavy-handed manner in which the Barbadian police handled the situation. Prime Minister Anthony refrained from intervening, explaining that 'while as a husband, I am naturally concerned about my wife', he did not find it necessary 'to prejudice the situation at this point'.
Minister of Education Mario Michel, at a Wednesday press conference, stated that he did not expect the event to disrupt St. Lucian-Barbadian relations.
The arrest of the ten demonstrators sparked off much support for the students and their cause. Solidarity actions followed at universities in Jamaica and the Bahamas, and according to The Star, the Barbados campus administration has announced that all of the students' demands will be met - save for the resignation of the Registrar. The Voice reports that Grantley Watson, the Barbados police commissioner, has promised a report and a review of the police action at Cave Hill last Wednesday, and also announced that any complaints made against the police will be investigated in a "professional" manner.
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Island placed on drought alert
Continuing dry weather in St. Lucia is causing concern amongst the managers of the island's water at the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) and has resulted this week in the announcement of a 'drought alert'. The Star reports this. In a bid to prevent a hazardous situation from arising, St. Lucians and visitors are being asked to use water cautiously and sparingly. At the same time, WASCO has begun to ration water in several communities, particularly those at high elevations. The number of hours that water is supplied, will be decreased and a system of total shut-off will be alternated islandwide, announced WASCO general manager Martin Satney at a press conference earlier this week. If the dry spell continues for much longer, there is a possibility that the minister of Communications and Works will declare a state of emergency. Satney, in the meantime, reminded residents of the economic, financial and social importance of conserving water. "We are still in the height of the tourist season and water is definitely an integral part of that sector. If hotels and cruise ships are not getting sufficient water, then it simply means that the quality of their product is being undermined. Similarly in our agricultural sector, particularly in irrigation, we could expect diminishing returns. But probably more important is the potential impact that this may have on our health".
Meanwhile, The Voice carries a page-long article on water management, spelling out the do's and don't's in time of drought.
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Royal Castle on Bridge Street closes down
Royal Castle, the Trinidad-based fast-food chain that opened a branch in September of 1999 on Bridge Street in the heart of Castries, has closed its doors. Local partner in the project, Minvielle & Chastanet Ltd, explained in a press release that to their "deep regret", the restaurant failed to meet its objectives, while at the same time, the parent company in Trinidad needs to concentrate on its core business. The restaurant employed some 32 staff. "Some dislocated employees have been employed elsewhere in the group and we will endeavour to help others seek alternative employment", the press release states. The Star adds that when Royal Castle opened in Castries, "owners said the decision to invest in St. Lucia was based on 'the vibrancy of the economy and its potential for growth'. The restaurant chain had also pledged its support for local poultry and vegetable farmers".
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Unconfirmed news: Sarah Flood has baby girl
'It's a girl!', shouts the Wednesday Star, announcing the birth of Marie Josephine, daughter of Minister of Health Sarah Flood-Beaubrun and her husband Clive - albeit from unconfirmed reports. None of the other newspapers - not even the weekend editions - mention a word about the birth, which represents a first in the history of St. Lucia, where never before has a minister of government given birth. The baby was born, according to the Wednesday Star, by caesarian section, and weighed about six pounds. The silence and reportedly "tight-lipped reaction from hospital staff" may be the result of a controversy which has raged over the past three weeks "over whether the minister should be afforded preferential treatment including furniture and facilities not available to average St. Lucian women".
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Odlum big loser in boundary realignment
Seventeen not nineteen constituencies, but with George Odlum as the biggest loser - is the end result of the approval, last Tuesday in the House of Assembly, of a redrawing of electoral boundaries in St. Lucia. Prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony used his privilege to modify a proposal made by the Electoral Boundaries Commission. This proposal had suggested an increase in the number of constituencies from seventeen to nineteen, but Dr Anthony deemed that this would place too great a financial strain on St. Lucia in terms of the required salaries and administrative and other expenses. Furthermore, Dr Anthony felt that a more equitable distribution of voters could be achieved by realigning the boundaries in the greater Castries area differently to what the commission had proposed. The basic problem appears to be that the voting population of Castries Central has decreased greatly over the past decades, causing a significant imbalance. At the last elections, Castries Central had a mere 2,600 voters left, with Castries North-East and Castries East each having approximately 12,000.
Following Tuesday's amendment, however, as the Thursday Voice reports, "The Castries North-West portion of the Babonneau/Castries North-West constituency will be sectioned off and annexed to the existing Castries North-East seat. This will leave Babonneau as a constituency on its own. Sans Souci, part of Vigie, La Clery, La Pansée, Morne Dudon, New Village etc. will be removed from the Castries North-East/North-West amalgamation and annexed to Castries Central. The resulting constituency will then be known as Castries North. Castries Central will thereby have its boundaries considerably extended. In addition, parts of the constituency of Castries East will also be annexed to Castries Central, namely part of the Marchand area, Waterworks Road, Leslie Land and environs. As a result, Castries Central will have jumped from a total electorate of approximately 2,600 registered voters to approximately 9,000. The changes in voter registration by constituency, in the new formation, will be, in approximate figures: Babonneau - 5,000; Castries North - 9,000; Castries Central - 9,000; Castries East - 10,000".
Besides Castries, minor modifications were made to boundaries in Dennery and Vieux Fort. The area including St. Jude's hospital and environs was removed from Vieux Fort North and annexed to Vieux Fort South. The Voice, Mirror and Thursday Voice all report on this.
Everybody, including George Odlum himself, seems to recognize that he is the main casualty in the boundary realignments. The Mirror writes that Odlum made "a brief and grim contribution" to the debate in the House of Assembly, stating that some of his strongest areas of voter support are now being transferred to Castries Central. "He said the changes would affect him more than any other candidate and, clearly using a pun to convey what he believed to be the intention of his colleagues, a beleaguered Odlum was thankful for the retention of George Charles Airport 'so that I can fly in votes' and 'Choc Cemetery so that I can canvass the dead'. The remarks were an obvious indication of Odlum's suspicion that his Cabinet and Party colleagues were working to engineer his electoral downfall at the next general elections, constitutionally due by August [2002], but expected to be called later this year."
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Debate on homosexuality after gay cruise ship
The arrival of the 'Norwegian Majesty', a cruise ship carrying a predominantly homosexual clientèle, at Pointe Seraphine in Castries on Friday of last week, met with hostile reactions from several taxi drivers and other tourism industry workers, some of whom blatantly refused to work for the tourists. "They can all burn in hell for all I care. It is not natural and right. They are all batty-boys and they should stay away", one taxi driver is quoted in the Wednesday Star. Others were reportedly more tolerant.
Following the controversy, the Catholic church issued a press release decrying the "total disregard shown by the tourism authorities for the religious sensitivity of the majority of St. Lucians", and the "secrecy and calculated surprise" with which the cruise ship appeared in Castries. However, the Catholic church at the same time categorically denounced acts of discrimination against the gay tourists, stating that the church is "against discrimination of any kind whether it be based on race, class, sex, colour, creed, political persuasion or sexual orientation. Anyone is free to visit St. Lucia expecting to experience the island's traditional hospitality once they break no laws, cause no scandal, nor behave in a manner injurious to the values and customs of the host country".
In the release, Monsignor Patrick Anthony, as Archdiocesan press officer, also reiterates the church's official point of view on homosexuality, which is that while it "abhors the sin", it does "not condemn the person". "[T]he Church believes that many persons do not choose their homosexual condition and for them it is a trial. They, like all others, are called to chastity, and must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided".
The DBS evening news showed numerous same-sex male and female couples departing the ship and a clip of two young men holding hands, smiling and swinging arms, was played repeatedly during the segment. St. Lucians interviewed for the news displayed varying views, ranging from strongly negative to disinterestedly neutral. The passengers themselves similarly gave varying views, as is also the case in the Wednesday Star. One gay tourist found St. Lucia "a great place" and St. Lucians "perfectly hospitable". "We don't generally have problems when we go to foreign countries. If there is any animosity the people obviously keep it to themselves which is the best you can hope for in most places". However, another couple found St. Lucians' response to their presence "very intimidating". "We have never experienced such overt homophobia. Many of the people we have spoken to have been very intimidating and obviously have some real problems with gay people. I personally find this hard to understand. It's not like we have come here with the express purpose of converting all the island's young people into homosexuals - we have just come here on a holiday, to see the sights and spend out money like anyone else".
Least tolerant is former director of Government Information Services and preacher, John Robert Lee who, in a letter to The Mirror, claims to write in support of the statement made by the Catholic church "on the arrival .. of a boatload of homosexual passengers". However, contrary to Monsignor Anthony who denounced the discrimination of persons based on their sexual preference, Robert Lee explicitly supports the taxi drivers who refused to transport the gay tourists. Furthermore, although stating that he respects the "right of anyone to choose their lifestyle", Lee goes on to paint a scenario whereby the attack on the Castries Cathedral pales into insignificance in light of the "backlash" that will surely come in the wake of tolerance towards homosexuals.
Lee states that: "It seems to me that the danger facing St. Lucia now is the institutionalization, and the official acceptance of practices that are denounced by the majority of our people. Whether or not homosexual practice is now politically correct, and demands tolerance, it is a corruption and perversion of normal, human sexual behaviour. ... For us in St. Lucia, the question is: ... [a]t what point do we seriously begin to defend our small, vulnerable society from those influences that will certainly destroy it? Are we now prepared to allow anything in exchange for dollars? Will we now expose our children, sons and daughters, to the most vicious and corrupt predators? Do we not already have enough overwhelming problems to deal with at home? Must we now introduce into our streets open, corrupting homosexuality? Is it worth the consequences to prove to the world how liberal, tolerant and sophisticated we have become? And have we already forgotten the flaming message of the Cathedral incident? Do we not understand that we have all been given a wake-up call? And will we now release, against ourselves and visitors, whoever they might be, a backlash that will be worse than the events of December 31st, 2000?"
John Robert Lee derives the foundation for his beliefs from the Bible and, he claims, anthropology and sociology. As he states: "The Bible, which carries the weight of religious authority for Christianity, clearly denounces homosexuality and lesbianism. This is true in both Old and New Testaments. The divine judgements that fell on Sodom and Gormorrah, those 'gay' cities, are a matter of historical record. Any study of human society will reveal that homosexuality has always been taboo behaviour, subject to severe punishment by the guardians of that society".
Lee's last claim, is belied by a page-long article in The Voice on the age-old phenomenon of fa'afafine, fakaleiti and mahu, which is a tradition of transgender behaviour in the Pacific Islands whereby men dress, act and have sexual relationships just like women. According to that article, men who act like and consider themselves women "even teach in Sunday schools". "Whatever they wear, many still stay at home to do household chores and are highly valued for their contribution to the family. 'Whatever they do, they maintain a level of excellence in their work that exceeds the norm. They are feminine men who can do both (male and female) sets of chores, which is one reason they are adored by their families', says Palantina Toelupe, Head pof Samoa's Health Education Unit. In Tonga, the Tonga Leiti's Association, which has as its Patron the eldest grand-daughter of the King, does a lot of care work in the community. 'We reach out to our communities and work together with them in cleaning the elderly peoples' homes and villages, helping the handicapped children's school, joining the National Youth Congress and also other community services such as the Tonga Red Cross, Tonga's Women's Association and other non-governmental associations', says Joey Mataele, the Kingdom's most famous queen, leader of the Tongan Leiti's Association and creator of the annual Miss Galaxy Pageant".
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Policewoman freed of drug charge despite evidence
A female special police constable who was caught at George F.L. Charles airport with 18.6 kilos of compressed marijuana in early February, was released on a technicality last Tuesday - despite what Magistrate Frazer deemed was "overwhelming evidence". However, a team of three defence lawyers profitted from a flaw in the prosecution's case, claiming that he analyst who tested the substance and confirmed that it was in fact marijuana, was not at the time of the test authorised to do so. That is: the man had been appointed to the post of analyst but by law, his appointment was required to be gazetted subsequent to his appointment. In reality, it was gazetted on the same day that the appointment was made - something which is forbidden by law.
The Wednesday Star reports that following Magistrate Frazer's ruling, "Hoots of joy erupted", and the defendant "fell into the arms of her family". Outside the courthouse, "there was much jubilation" as well, according to the Wednesday Star. The newspaper also carries a photograph over two columns of what it dubs, for reasons not otherwise explained, the 'Dream Team': defending lawyers Jeannot-Michel, Marcus Foster and Richard Frederick, with arms around each other and with smiles on their faces.
Against this backdrop, it is a moot point that in February, The Voice reported that the accused woman in question was at one time a regular police officer but had voluntarily resigned from the force, "allegedly because of suspicion of an association with an individual reputed to be involved in drug-related activities. Upon cessation of this supposed relationship, she applied for and was employed in her present position as a Special Police Constable".
Back in February, following the woman's arrest at George Charles Airport with an estimated EC$96,000 worth of illicit drugs, The Voice further reported that in an attempt to restore confidence in the already battered image of the police force, "the police are scrutinizing, with particular closeness, all facets of this present drug incident".
The Thursday Voice also reports on the dismissal of the case but adds that the prosecuting team "was so distraught by the ruling [that it] adjourned all the other matters set down for hearing on that day".
One Caribbean chooses to condemn the magistrate's decision to dismiss the case because of what it deems "a formality of such little import, relative to the gravity of the charge" and hopes that the government will appeal.
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Chris doing well after second operation
Chris Jn Charles of Anse la Raye is reportedly "recovering satisfactorily" after a second operation, last Saturday, to relieve a build-up of fluid in her face, after an earlier operation last week during which the hard part of a brain tumour was successfully removed. According to the Wednesday Star, Chris, who is undergoing treatment in Barbados, is doing well and on Monday was "sitting in a chair and giving everybody lots of jokes". The doctor in charge reportedly thinks that the 12-year-old girl's prognosis is good, and that she will have lots of options for further treatment. Chris' medical care is being paid for by the generosity of St. Lucians who came out en masse following a pledge to donate money by a caller to Rick Wayne's show 'Talk', some weeks ago. Last Monday, the Chris Jn.Charles fund stood at $39,617.84.
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Civil servants to learn Kwéyòl
Some 95 public servants in the ministry of Education will be taught to read and write Kwéyòl in a special Kwéyòl literacy programme designed by the National Enrichment and Learning Programme in collaboration with the Folk Research Centre and publishing house An Che Nou. Tutor of the course is Michael Walker, who is a world expert on the teaching of a second language and author of over 500 books on the subject. He has worked assiduously in the promotion of Kwéyòl literacy in St. Lucia. According to articles in the Wednesday Star, and Tuesday Voice, the programme is intended "to enhance the capabilities of public servants with the language, particularly those who deal extensively with the general public".
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