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24th June 2000:

'Kickbacks and fear undermine fight against drugs'

Failure to declare assets still awaits punishment

School of Ballet starts building its permanent home

Electoral boundaries at heart of political conflict

Sesenne 'Queen of Folk' Descartes to be knighted

Soon after strike: C'bean Postal Union sets up house

Two hundred march for decriminalization of cannabis

NIPDEC and Rochamel accused of money squandering

Teacher charged with raping student at gunpoint

Plans to build three hotels in Micoud area

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Quotes:

"The proof is in the pudding and the truth is that no one can really smell if the UWP is cooking, much less what's cooking and if anyone wants to eat it".
Jason Sifflet on Vaughn Lewis' allegation that the United Workers Party is getting ready to fight the St. Lucia Labour Party in the next elections (The Mirror 23rd June).

"He is convinced though, that Air Jamaica is going to fly circles around its competition with better in-flight service, new aircraft, better food and better connections".
Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, chairman of Air Jamaica on his airline's strategy with respect to local competitors (The Mirror 23rd June, The Voice 24th June).

"Our society never learnt how to progress without preying on someone or something else. We merely removed the laws which made the whole thing a colour issue".
Jason Sifflet (The Mirror 23rd June).

"That is one of the perennial problems facing websites today. Too many times people are simply unaware that a particular website exists where they can find specific information".
Devon Barrow on the daunting task of promoting the ministry of Planning's new website on National Climate Change (www.climatechange.go v.lc) [… and supporting the birth of SLUHOO! (www.sluhoo.com), the only search engine/ directory dedicated to St. Lucian websites?]

"To hear the stories that tumble out of local radio transmitters, behind every civil rights abuse in St. Lucia is a grinning lawyer counting his loot".
Rick Wayne on the negative public opinion that continues to exist of lawyers (The Star 24th June).

"Everyone is concerned about getting high. I've been getting high for thirty years and it has not done anything to me".
Rastafarian trying to counter some of the concerns surrounding the decriminalization of marijuana (The Star 24th June).

"It has been suggested that the world would be a very boring place without ignorance".
Henry Mangal, weekly commentary (One Caribbean 24th June).

"In it she is asking the question on all women's minds, and at the same time listing the qualifications. Towards finding that perfect companion... oops, sorry, that perfect man. Her email address is even given or sung for all those who are interested: Ladyspicelookingforago odman.com".
The Voice on Lady Spice's performance at the Calypso Monarch quarterfinals (24th June), also demonstrating that the differing formats of website and email addresses is not common knowledge.

"I asked several persons whether they had read Pat's article - none had, the reply being that they couldn't waste their time reading the words of a man (in the words of one) who seems to walk around chewing on the sourest lime there is".
The Voice on Pat Brown's article in last week's Voice, part of which appeared in last week's quotes (24th June).

"J. who pleaded guilty to the charge, told the court that the reason he chopped F. is because F. was calling him the dragon and doing Magic-Noire behind him. J. said F. slept with his (J.'s) girl and got her pregnant".
The Voice on a court case involving J., who was sentenced to five years hard labour for using a cutlass with intent to cause wounds to F. (24th June).

"Time was when an offended person would pick up the telephone receiver, dial the offending party and get whatever it was off their chest. Today, they resort to tersely written articles in, of all places, the newspapers".
Gregory Thomas taking half a page in The Voice to criticise a political opponent who took to the newspapers last week (24th June).

"But I must admire Mr. Bousquet. He is a brave man. And he expects that a civilised interview will be conducted in a civilised manner. Therefore, even if he earned it, he harboured no fear that Andre Paul will suddenly up with a cricket bat and smack the living daylights out of him. And so he decides to throw Andre a googly".
Franklin McDonald analysing a radio interview with press secretary Earl Bousquet and anchorman Andre Paul on the backpay issue (The Voice 24th June).

"Do you want to hear calypso jamming sweet enough to make you get down and whine out of your pants? Diamond Steel".
The Voice on the proficiency of the Diamond Steel Orchestra (24th June).

"Jacques Compton's 'Massa's Days Done?' in last Saturday's edition of the One Caribbean reveals in part the inevitable crop of mulattos - people of colour, shabins and shabines, products of sexual intercourse between masters and slaves, a special breed of people who have been and still is [sic], the cause of much social and political discontent in the Caribbean. ... As a shabin himself, John Compton was easily lured into the camp of those 'special breed of plantation mongrels' who used him. And it may be said that apart from seeing after his own clan, for thirty years in power, his stewardship did not result in any substantial performance index for the rest of the nation.
When the Labour Party finally won in 1979 with a working majority, the combination of Allan Louisy, a born bourgeoisie, Peter Josie and George Odlum, educated bush niggers, 'vieux negges', was the critical social component which made way for the bourgeoisie's infiltration and the subsequent downfall of the Labour government. ... [But] Compton came back with a vengeance. He lasted fifteen years. Again, Labour regrouped, won with a sixteen to one majority which could fast dwindle if we yield to personalized journalism and once more, to the power of the plantation mongrels".
St. Lucia's political history according to Pat Brown (The Voice 24th June).

Budget 2000 speeches

Casino Survey Report

Full Text of  Blom-Cooper inquiry report

Photo Gallery: "The Wrath of Hurricane  Lenny"

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REGIONAL:

'Kickbacks and fear undermine fight against drugs'

    Fear of reprisals and kickbacks from the drug trade undermine the determination and political will of politicians in the Caribbean region to effectively deal with the illegal drug trade and its associated crime. This candid view was expressed by St. Lucia's minister of Foreign Affairs, George Odlum, and is quoted in this week's issue of The Wednesday Star. The newspaper quotes Odlum as saying that "The onslaught against criminality is muted by a lack of political will that may be the result of fear in some cases. There is an element of security for the lives of the people informing, and the leadership themselves. Very often subtle threats are sent to people in authoritative positions and when their families are threatened or they are threatened individually, it dampens their ardor for fighting crime on all cylinders".
    According to The Star, Odlum said that not all regimes and politicians are prepared to go all the way in combatting the drug trade, whilst others may even be benefitting from it. "I daresay that this may in fact be the case, although I could not put my finger on any one person. I daresay the drug money is very insidious and comes in very circuitous ways, so it is possible that some are benefitting but I am unable to identify any one as such, especially in St. Lucia".
    Odlum further told the press that a lack of confidence in the region's police causes people to refrain from passing on information regarding drug deals to the authorities.
    Meanwhile, The Mirror reports that five fishermen from Vieux Fort have been missing at sea for almost a month now - since the 25th of May - and are feared to have lost their lives. The five set out for St. Vincent from Vieux Fort in a fibreglass boat, allegedly to sell "a quantity of groceries". But, according to The Mirror, fishermen in Vieux Fort say that not all the five men on board were "genuine fishermen". The newspaper rounds off its story by reporting that the Fisheries Department "is concerned about the number of young men posing as fishermen as a ploy to carry out illegal activities. This problem is rampant in the south of the island", according to The Mirror.

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Failure to declare assets still awaits punishment

    A press release published in The Mirror and The Voice this week applauds the Integrity Commission whose task it is to obtain annual declarations from parliamentarians and senior public servants with respect to their assets, for having secured the services of a secretary. This, the release anticipates, will "improve service and follow-up queries by commissioners arising from declarations". More specifically, the presence of a secretary will now make it possible for the Integrity Commission to finally take action against those people who have failed to submit declarations of their assets, liabilities and income. Such action consists, firstly of publication of their names in the Government Gazette, and secondly in forwarding their names and details to the Director of Public Prosecutions so he can start legal action.
    A "third and final letter" was sent out in September of last year when, of the 117 top officials concerned, only sixty percent had thus far submitted details of their assets. This figure increased later in 1999 but up until the beginning of this year, there were still several high-ranking public servants (including one permanent secretary) who had failed to submit their details. It was stated at the time that their names would be published in the next issue of the Government Gazette
    [see news archives]. This week's press release indicates however that, some six months later, names of these defaulters  have not yet been published in the Gazette, nor have they been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Commission apparently claims that failure to take action is "due to delays in setting up its secretariat. The appointment of Mrs. Walters is a major step in getting the secretariat up and running".
    The five-member Integrity Commission was appointed in 1998 in accordance with section 188 and 119 of the constitution. It is headed by Archdeacon Randolph Evelyn. The Commission is supposed to obtain annual declarations of assets, liabilities and income from the country's top ranking officials. The rationale behind the exercise is to prevent members of parliament, permanent secretaries, heads of government departments and others in powerful positions, from using the powers and privileges of public office to illegally enrich themselves. Defaulters risk a fine not exceeding $50,000 and imprisonment not exceeding five years upon summary conviction.

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School of Ballet starts building its permanent home

    The St. Lucia School of Ballet and Modern Dance is making a giant stride this Saturday (24th June) with the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its own permanent home at Tapion. Over two million dollars have been sourced from a variety of goodwill ventures which will enable the School to build what is intended to become a performing arts complex: a haven for artistic expression where performances and exhibitions can be staged by local, regional and international artists. The School of Ballet and Modern Dance was established in St. Lucia in 1979 by Theresa Lowrie. Its first home was the Tapion School, where nowadays the School of Music is located. The dancers then moved to the auditorium of St. Mary's College and from there to their current shelter at St. Louis Street. The school has been entering students for international examinations since 1980 and has achieved a 100 percent success rate. To date, nine of its students have become members of the world-renowned Royal Academy of Dancing. Besides classical ballet, the school also teaches jazz and tap. Recently, the school staged 'Thee Blood', a grand theatrical production involving more than 180 of its students. Tutor and director of the St. Lucia School of Ballet and Modern Dance continues to be Theresa Lowrie-Collymore. The Mirror, Star and Voice all report on the school's groundbreaking ceremony.

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Electoral boundaries at heart of political conflict

    The United Workers Party (UWP) is taking issue with the manner in which chairman of the Constituency Boundaries Commission Matthew Roberts has decided to end the business of the commission and to submit proposals to the Governor-General. According to this week's newspapers, the UWP deems Roberts' actions "provocative and authoritarian". The UWP complains that its appointed members of the Boundaries Commission were not properly informed of Roberts' decision to end the commission's work, nor of the content of the proposals made to the Governor-General. Furthermore, UWP-appointed members W. St. Clair Daniel and Darius Charlemagne object to the fact that planned field visits to some of the constituencies whose electoral boundaries were under discussion, never took place. Because of a conflict over this issue, both UWP-appointees walked out of a Boundaries Commission meeting on 18th May. Matthew Roberts and the remaining Commission members subsequently went ahead and submitted a proposal for the redrawing of the boundaries of St. Lucia's electoral districts to the Governor-General.
    In a meeting with the media on Wednesday, UWP-leader Dr Vaughan Lewis came down hard on Roberts who, incidentally, is also the Speaker of the House of Parliament. "The UWP considers ... Matthew Roberts to be in serious breach of the principles of due process and in breach of principles of natural justice", Lewis told the gathered press. "The UWP considers the attitude and actions of the chairman to be provocative and authoritarian, breaching principles of due process, and defeating the objective indicated by the prime minister and the government that the conduct of the Constituency Boundaries Commission during the Labour Party administration should be transparent in its operations".
    The Voice in its editorial and in a commentary by 'Politesse', supports the UWP's criticism, adding that: "There are politicial observers in this country who are of the belief that intense political dispute may be the order of the day if the Commission does not account for its actions". This warning, in fact, was part of Vaughan Lewis' speech to the media at Wednesday's press conference. Also in The Voice, 'Politesse' takes a personal approach by urging Roberts to 'cool down' on his alleged arrogance.
    The Mirror's editorial opts for a more pragmatic and objective approach to the issue, when it writes: "We can't argue against Dr Lewis' feelings and opinions on a matter which he, and all civic-minded people believe to be 'a matter of urgent public importance'. But we are unhappy about the delay in settling the boundaries issues. ... The current row seems to confirm that once in opposition both political parties are seriously suspicious about, and uncomfortable with, any attempt to review the constituency boundaries, and would do their best to stall or frustrate action. But the fact remains that the constituency boundaries here are in need of urgent review to correct the serious disproportion in the sizes and populations of the existing 17 electoral districts".
    According to The Mirror's editor, during the previous UWP administration, then Labour Party-appointed members of a similar electoral boundaries commission similarly complained about being frustrated by the then chairman's handling of proceedings.
    The Wednesday Star and One Caribbean also report on the row.

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Sesenne 'Queen of Folk' Descartes to be knighted

    Dame Marie Selipha Sesenne Descartes - with the bestowal of the honour of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), St. Lucia's Queen of Folk will carry the title of Dame. On the occasion of the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, Sesenne, along with ten other St. Lucians are to receive royal awards. Sesenne tops the list with an OBE, granted in recognition of her work in the fields of Folk, Culture and Art and to the Community. Other recipients this year are Cornell Waldemar James Christopher Charles, who receives the Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George award for services to Business and Commerce. Michael Peter Bartlett and George Stanley Oliver Charles receive awards of ordinary Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for services to the Armed Forces, Sports and the Community. MBE awards go to Laurie Michael Emmanuel Auguste (for service to Public Administration and Sports Development), Percival McDonald (service to the Public and Community), Martha Pierre (service to the Community and Education) and Rupert Martin Polius (service to Sports). Finally, the British Empire Medal Civil Division Award goes to Pius Bastien, Lucy Honora Gaspard and Augustus Obed Belmar Regis for service to the Community.
    The Tuesday Voice, Star and Mirror all report this.

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Soon after strike: C'bean Postal Union sets up house

    The Caribbean Postal Union will be setting up its headquarters in St. Lucia following the signing of an agreement between the minister of Communication and Works, Calixte George, and secretary-general of the Caribbean Postal Union, Edward Noble, last Friday. The news is striking in light of the fact that only two weeks ago, workers in the parcel post section of the Castries post office here in St. Lucia went on strike, causing several post offices around the island to close their doors also. The protesting postal workers received the support of the St. Lucia Civil Service Association and that union's president, at the time, said that the workers in question were "extremely frustrated". He also urged government to pay attention to their complaints. Grievances included the stoppage of overtime, general working conditions and problems surrounding the issuing of uniforms.
    According to a press release carried in the Tuesday Voice, Wednesday Star and Crusader this week, St. Lucia volunteered to house the Caribbean Postal Union back in 1997. The CPA consists of postal administrations from various regional countries including St. Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. Its aim is to strengthen and improve postal services throughout the Caribbean.

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Two hundred march for decriminalization of cannabis

    The rally for the decriminalization of cannabis in Castries last Saturday drew a crowd of approximately two hundred Rastafarians, including several women and children. The Wednesday Star reports this. Last week, commentators both within and outside the Rastafarian community spoke out against the rally for a variety of reasons, including perceived dangers of marijuana to (mental) health and the notion that Rastafarians should rally for the recognition of their faith as a religion first, before attempting to broach the subject of decriminalizing cannabis across the board [see last week's news].
    The demonstrators on Saturday marched peacefully through the centre of Castries, "singing songs of praise, holding up their messages spelling freedom and liberation: Free Our Holy Herb, Free Our Minds! Save The Herb! Save Ourselves! The Wealth Of The Nation! Free The Herb!". The Star reports this. Further according to the paper, the leader of the National Council for the Advancement of Rastafari (NCAR), Wisely Tafari, told the gathering that similar councils in other countries had been asking their governments to condone the use of marijuana for religious and medicinal purposes. "Currently this is being denied us even though the Constitution of St. Lucia guarantees the right to freedom of religious observance and practice. Currently the government of St. Lucia does not recognise Rastafari as a religious body and even this denial is a violation of our human rights".
    Therefore, Wisely Tafari revealed, the NCAR has decided to petition government, "to give immediate and due consideration to the question of hemp, marijuana and cannabis, and because of the immense suffering that the present laws have inflicted on a wide cross section of our society, to effect the decriminalization of the religious and medicinal use of this God-given plant and to pursue the economic possibilities of industrial hemp cultivation". The Star is the only newspaper to pay attention to the rally.

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NIPDEC and Rochamel accused of money squandering

    In two unrelated investigations, two large construction companies come under critical scrutiny in this week's papers: NIPDEC and Rochamel. The Wednesday Star carries a two page-report headlined 'Despite lightened load NIPDEC still crawling'. The article focuses on the delays experienced by NIPDEC in the construction of the $21.6 million multi-storey car park facility in the heart of Castries, the $14.7 million building for the Ministry of Communication and Works, and the $48 million Bordelais Correctional Facility. The last project was supposed to have been handed over to the government as a finished project six months ago, in January 2000, writes The Star. To date, however, site preparation work which was scheduled to take sixteen weeks, has stretched into sixteen months, and still NIPDEC has not yet contracted a firm to commence the actual construction work - although Norwest Holst has begun to advertise for personnel and equipment in anticipation of being awarded the contract. The Star is particularly concerned about the issue as to what these delays will come to mean in terms of cost and quality of the various construction projects.
    The Crusader, in turn, carries a two page-article headed 'Is Rochamel about to go bankrupt?' In its investigations, the newspaper is following up on a reports in the national press during late January and early February of this year, when the Chamber of Commerce and subsequently the minister of Commerce urged the Rochamel Development Company to honour its financial debts to local businesshouses. At the time, Rochamel was involved in the construction of the 300-room Hyatt Regency Hotel which has since opened its doors for business. Despite assurances from Rochamel at the time to the effect that "all construction accounts will be cleared prior to the hotel opening", this week's article in The Crusader implies that, if anything, Rochamel's debts to local businesses have only increased. "The affected companies - over 80 in all - include a number of supermarkets, hardware retailers, building materials suppliers, trucking companies ... plus insurance companies, small hotels and at least one law firm". The newspaper alleges that Rochamel's biggest creditor in the island is owed $1.5 million dollars while other businesspeople claim to be owed sums ranging from $200 to $100,000.
    To make matters worse, writes The Crusader, "no less than five companies either parade under the name of Rochamel or are in some way linked to the name". The article names these five companies and the names of their directors - several of which recur - and then concludes: "The spawning of those five companies in less than 2-1/2 years (incredibly, an undertaking perfectly legal under the Companies Act of 1996) needless to say has those of Rochamel's creditors who are aware of it scrambling to try and make sense of it all. But like muddy water, the harder they try, the murkier it all becomes".
    The Crusader does not carry a comment or explanation from any one of the directors involved with the various Rochamel companies. In February of this year, when Rochamel was also criticised for not paying its bills, a spokesman for the company was quoted to say that "like every large scale, long-term project in the Caribbean, there have been occasional cash-flow difficulties".
    At the time, the then-minister of Commerce, Dr Walter Francois (suceeded by Phillip J. Pierre) announced that he would use "moral persuasion" first, and would advise Rochamel's creditors on possible legal action only as a last resort.

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Teacher charged with raping student at gunpoint

    A teacher of the Rock Hall school was arrested on Tuesday and charged with raping a 16-year-old student of the school, allegedly at gunpoint. The man in question is currently being held in police custody pending a bail hearing on Monday. The alleged rape is said to have taken place on Friday of the week before. The accused is said to have been a teacher "for several years" and is currently in his late twenties.
    The drama follows hot on the heels of another incident that has been widely discussed in the newspapers and on the airwaves in recent weeks: that of an assistant-principal who was caught having sexual intercourse - albeit with consent - with a 17-year-old student on school premises. The Teaching Commission decided not to dismiss the man but, so far, attempts to place him at another school have failed.

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Plans to build three hotels in Micoud area

    Three hotels at Micoud in the form of a Caribbean Village centre with apartments, time-share and individual house lots, as well as a spa facility, tropical fruit museum and a Culinary and Hospitality School. That is the plan, details of which are set to be revealed this weekend at a special brunch at the Bay Gardens hotel. Developers of the idea are Duany Plater-Zyberk and Leon Krier of ESCAP Development. A public relations and project promotion exercise is planned for next month.

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