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Quotes:
"I have nothing to say".
Minister of Legal Affairs, Velon John, on the escape of prisoner Alfred Harding who in July successfully sued the government of St. Lucia on the grounds of torture (Thursday Voice, 23rd Nov).
"As my mother used to say, 'poor me, all over'."
Cletus Springer on the fact that he has come under heavy fire from SLP stalwarts for having advocated a Government of National Unity (GNU). According to Springer, his pleas have been mistakenly interpreted as support for an alleged third political party, the Movement for National Unity (The Mirror, 24th Nov).
"That's not procedure. I have taken your statement and that is all I can do."
Policewoman at Gros Islet police station responding to a call from a woman requesting immediate police assistance as she witnessed a burglary-in-progress. The robbery occurred at 1pm at a location less than ten minutes away from the police station. Although the police was provided with the robber's name and place of residence, a week later, no arrest had yet been made (Wednesday Star, 22nd Nov).
"How can things be bad when some of them are buying all the BMWs? Cement is always in short supply and businesses are expanding".
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony countering allegations that the economy is in crisis. The BMWs in question were recently imported duty-free for the conference of Governors-General and subsequently sold. (The Star, 22nd Nov).
"'As your prime minister after the next general elections, when I am called upon to serve as prime minister of our beloved country, I will serve you with honesty, honour, integrity and compassion'.
Yeah right!"
The Star, quoting UWP leader Dr Morella Joseph and adding its own comment (25th Nov).
"To me, the whole thing seems fishy".
Lawyer Mary Francis on the circumstances surrounding Alfred Harding's escape from prison (The Star, 25th Nov).
"I think the reason that Velon John is not speaking out is because he does not know what to say".
Person's response to The Star's question: 'What do you think about Minister for Legal Affairs Velon John's silence on the escape of prisoner Alfred Harding?' (25th Nov).
"And they did so, grabbing almost everything they could lay their hands on. ... During the raging fire on Thursday afternoon, looters were able to steal items such as watches and cassettes from a shop near Valmont's".
The Mirror on the "scores of people of Soufriere" who on Thursday and Friday of last week "trampled on each other" in their haste to steal the remaining stock from Valmont's hardware and drygoods section, after it burned to the ground (24th Nov).
"As has been warned in that great book the Bible, 'many will come in my name saying I am me'. Be careful with whom you get into bed. Not all persons wearing a red shirt or singing the party's song has your interest at heart. Expect surprises. Expect betrayals. Prepare yourselves for disappointment. The enemy is not asleep".
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony addressing the St. Lucia Labour Party convention (The Crusader and Voice, 25th Nov).
"There is a growing sense that globalisation is a non-territorial form of imperialism".
Professor Kari Polanyi Levitt, at the annual Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Lecture. Levitt argued that regulations of organisations such as the World Trade Organisation increasingly invade the sovereignty of developing countries, constraining their autonomy to determine their own domestic, social and economic policies (The Star, 25th Nov).
"Count on it, there will be more prison breakouts, with or without official assistance".
Rick Wayne (Wednesday Star, 22nd Nov).
"A shop selling alcohol next to a rehabilitation centre and a mental hospital? 'Absolutely', affirmed Mr Philip, 'The patrons would drunkenly urinate on the fence in full view of my patients, many of them alcoholics. I complained. I wrote a letter to the Commissioner. Nothing happened. I finally boarded up the fence with galvanised roofing'."
The Star in a critical article on the various unsolved problems faced by the island's only mental hospital, Golden Hope, and alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation centre Turning Point. Philip is director of the latter.
"'A woman in her mid-twenties comes in here. She has four children, by four different men. She has no education to speak of, no life or social skills. She was abused by her adoptive father in her early teens. She has a pending court case for assault. She is unemployed. She is addicted to alcohol and/or crack. This description fits the profile of ninety percent of women who come in here. In this society that births these problems, we need solutions, both on a social level, and in the government's policies and priorities".
Desmond Philip (The Star, 25th Nov).
"That escape route has been the one most used by prisoners for a long time".
Tuesday Voice on the route taken by escaped prisoner Alfred Harding (21st Nov).
"According to St. Hill, gone are the days when subordinate staff took orders from supervisors or managers".
Deputy director for Finance and Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, Felix St. Hill, on the government's programme to promote participatory management (Thursday Voice, 23rd Nov).
"James started crying before the court, saying that he was fed up with the 'prison thing'."
17-year-old accused of assault with a deadly weapon. The case was adjourned. He had already been on remand for six and three months on two other charges (Thursday Voice, 23rd Nov).
"Teddy Theobalds may well be, unwittingly, the worst threat to the government's public image. On the flimsy premise that he is not like that other fellow who 'loves to interrupt and cut people off', Theobalds weekly permits to pass as fact during his 90-minute, allegedly educational programme, some of the most misleading notions ever to fall out of a human orifice".
Rick Wayne on Radio St. Lucia's talkshow 'In the Public Interest' – IPI (which Wayne has dubbed 'Insane Perpetuation of Ignorance' or, in the past, 'Insignificant Party Insects'). (Wednesday Star, 22nd Nov). |
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Harding shot dead by police - inquest announced
Alfred Harding, the Barbadian prisoner who escaped from prison last Sunday (19th Nov) was shot dead by a policeman on Tuesday (28th Nov) after residents of La Clery, Castries, had reportedly captured and immobilised him. The dubious circumstances of Harding's death have finally prompted minister of Legal Affairs Velon John to break his silence on the matter of the Bajan prisoner. He announced on Wednesday (29th Nov) that an inquest will be held into the circumstances of Harding's escape and subsequent death. The team of investigators will be made up of persons from abroad and will not include any members of the St. Lucia Police Force, the minister further announced.
Alfred Harding (47) made headlines in July of this year when a judge ruled that his ten-month continuous restraint in shackles amounted to "torture" on the part of St. Lucian authorities. He was subsequently awarded $25,000 in damages. Following his escape, Harding's lawyer Martinus Francois infuriated members of the Prison Officers Association and Attorney General Petrus Compton by suggesting that Harding may have been helped - or at least allowed - to escape.
"I believe there was some sort of collusion between Harding and some prison officers", Francois is quoted as saying in the Wednesday Star. "He was in a cell with five other persons. Why was it that only Harding escaped? He was a very smart man. A meticulous planner. ... Why was the security on Alfred Harding so lax after the chains came off?"
Francois was supported in his allegation by another human rights lawyer, Mary Francis. Francois' and Francis' accusations come against a background of recent disagreements between prison officers and the Superintendent of Prisons, Victor Pierre. Last week, a delegation of officers presented a petition to minister Velon John, asking that Pierre be removed from his job. According to The Mirror, Francois/Francis claim that "officers at the prison may have deliberately allowed Harding, 47, to escape as part of their ongoing campaign to get reforms at the facility". Mary Francis is quoted in The Star: "To me, the whole thing seems fishy. I believe this is an effort to embarrass the administration".
But Attorney General Petrus Compton has dismissed Francis' and Francois' allegations, saying that they are "dangerous" and "foolish", unless backed by evidence. Similarly, the Prison Officers Association is considering suing Francois/Francis for the accusation, which it deems "malicious".
But public opinion appears to remain divided on the issue of Harding's escape and – now – his death. According to the Tuesday Voice, a "crucial error" was made by prison officials. The paper alleges that on the Sunday in question, three prison wardens called in sick and that as a result of this shortage in staff, the armed guard who is usually at the hole in the prison wall leading to Ferrands' Dairy, was not in place that day. Harding - who according to the Wednesday Star "for weeks" had been in possession of a cellular phone - seems to have been aware of the guard's absence and managed to leave his cell, cross through the Condemnded Section and scale the prison wall leading into Ferrands' Dairy. It was, as the Tuesday Voice writes, "the escape route [that] has been the one most used by prisoners for a very long time".
Following Harding's escape, Attorney General Petrus Compton announced that an investigation into the Bajan's escape had been ordered and that "all stops" will be "pulled out" to bring Harding back alive, so that he can finish his five-year-sentence. But the Wednesday Star suggests that Compton's words are hollow and quotes an anonymous senior police officer who reportedly said: "You will hear that a number of police officers are now looking for Harding, but it's not a priority". The idea that Harding's escape was orchestrated by persons in authority also appears to be based on the fact that Harding had been awarded $25,000 in compensation for having been kept unlawfully shackled while serving his five-year-sentence for illegal possession of a firearm. The two men successfully sued in that case were Attorney General Petrus Compton and Superintendent of Prisons Victor Pierre [search news archives].
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Moscow State Ballet to perform in Castries
The Moscow State Ballet at the National Cultural Centre in Castries, St. Lucia - an improbable announcement, yet one which is nevertheless true. What is arguably the world's most renowned classical ballet company is set to perform at St. Lucia's national cultural centre on Barnard's Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday (27th and 28th) of this week, as part of a fundraising drive for the St. Lucia Red Cross. According to articles in various newspapers, the Moscow State Ballet is currently on a tour of the Caribbean and Latin America, having already captivated audiences in Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia and in Barbados, Aruba, Antigua, Dominica, St. Kitts, St. Vincent and other islands in the region. The performance scheduled for this week is called 'The Best Ballet in the World' and on the programme are act two of the famous 'Swan Lake', followed by act three of 'Don Quixote'. According to The Voice, "this is the art of dance at its finest and highest standard", having been described as "a unique blend of classical ballet technique and marvellous characterizations, creating a theatre of fantasy, magic and vivid imagery". The paper deems it a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity.
The show starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets are available at the St. Lucia Red Cross (tel. 452-5582) and cost $70.
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SLP and UWP leaders far from ready to unite
With the debate about a possible Government of National Unity slowly turning sour, the leaders of St. Lucia's two main political parties, Dr Morella Joseph (UWP) and Dr Kenny Anthony (SLP) were at each other's throats this week, with each declaring the other unfit to successfully govern the nation and each accusing the other of saying one thing, and doing another.
On Sunday, the St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and held its Annual Conference of Delegates, with speeches from several party leaders and a guest appearance by Bahamian prime minister Hubert Ingraham. Prime minister Dr Anthony lambasted the "flambeaus" (UWP's), saying: "That flambeau was vicious. It was a flambeau that hated the freedom of the press. It closed down radio stations. It threatened newspaper editors. It fired media managers. ... The flambeau we defeated did not consider the development of the poor. Everything in the country was for the rich. Castries was developing and the rest of St. Lucia was stagnant. Even today, the flambeaus hate us for helping the poor. They criticize our STEP programme. And they criticize our three million dollar Christmas job package. Any and everything to do with the poor they hate and criticize. They hate PROUD because it provides title to land to those who have squatted on Government land. They attack Belfund because it makes loans to small people to enter into business. The Poverty Reduction Fund is now their target".
On the idea of dismantling bi-partisan politics as it stands today, Dr Anthony said it is "ironic" that "today" he should "hear people speaking about a government of national unity. How else would you describe the government that assumed office in this country on May 24th, 1997?"
He continued: "We had persons from varying political perspectives coming together in the interest of rescuing this nation from the clutches of a discredited group, whose graft and greed resulted in a total loss of focus and public confidence. Are you telling me now that the only way forward is to again involve that group in the decision making process of this country? Sixty percent and more of the people of this country voted for this St. Lucia Labour Party government to lead St. Lucia into the 21st century. What other mandate do they want? Others have run their course and their job is ended. They must know when to hang their gloves up and walk away, and if they do not know, then they must get back into the ring, put back on their gloves and prepare themselves for another drubbing, whenever the bell is rung".
Dr Anthony dismissed the notion that St. Lucia had entered an economic crisis under his leadership. He cited several construction projects currently underway, including M&C's Home Center, a new shopping mall at Bois d'Orange, an extension of Julian's Supermarket, a new warehouse for Sunbilt, expansion at Carasco and Company, a new building for Cox & Company and extensions at Sandals La Toc and LeSport, to underscore that the economy is not at all in "a state of decay", as several businesspeople and commentators have claimed over the past year or so. Dr Anthony went on to say: "It is well and good for persons in high positions to preach gloom and doom, but there is nothing about the lifestyles that they lead to suggest that their own businesses are under pressure. When business is down, businessmen and their families stop travelling. Their children cannot afford extravagant vacations. They resort to having single vehicles in their yards and they cut out the cocktail parties and wine and lobster fetes. Have you seen any of that going on in this country? Those who are shouting that things are hard are continuing to lead lifestyles that have been taken from the pages of Robin Leach's 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'. They are saying one thing and their bankers are experiencing another. Their concern is that they are not making all the money that is to be made and that they are seeing too many small, ordinary St. Lucians participating in the economic life of this country. They consider that the business lines in the banks are too long because too many persons looking like you, and you, and you are standing tall as businesspersons, transacting major business on a daily basis".
United Workers Party leader Dr Morella Joseph, who made her maiden speech on television on Thursday night, in turn accused Dr Anthony of saying one thing, while "the people are experiencing another".
"My fellow St. Lucians, my name is Morella M. Joseph and I am the Political Leader of the United Workers Party, having been so elected at the 30th Convention of the Party on October 15, 2000".
This is how the new UWP leader opened her maiden speech to the St. Lucian public. The former school-principal, whose appointment to succeed Dr Vaughan Lewis after his surprise resignation as party leader last month was met with disappointment in some UWP quarters, went on to criticise the Labour Party government on several issues.
"For the past three and a half years", Dr Joseph alleged, "there has been more rhetoric than real performance in this country. This has been a period of serious uncertainties for most St. Lucians, for the private as well as the public sector. ... Now, three and a half years later, the country is experiencing not only an economic crisis, but a crisis of confidence in which the Prime Minister says one thing, but the people are experiencing another".
Dr Joseph criticised, amongst other things, the government's handling of the banana industry and the tourism sector, providing figures to support her claim that both are in decline. She also called for a Commission of Inquiry into the state of affairs in the banana industry.
Only The Voice carries the full text of Dr Joseph's speech, while The Star carries just a short report. The Star describes Dr Joseph's maiden speech as "stale fish, freshly wrapped" and judges that "Joseph jumped from one topic to another, over and over she told how bad things were but offered very little by the way of possible solutions".
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ARC 2000 sets off from Las Palmas with good winds
With "an impressive" 215 yachts leaving Las Palmas in Gran Canaria last Sunday, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) got underway with good weather and a strong breeze. The first yachts are expected to arrive at the Rodney Bay Marina in St. Lucia in two weeks time. Already, the St. Lucia Tourist Board has shifted into high gear to make the ARC the usual high-profile pre-Christmas activity that it has become famous for over the past fifteen years. This year, yachts come from 18 different countries, with the UK contributing 97 boats, Germany 37, and Norway 18. Other countries participating in the race across the Atlantic Ocean are Brazil, Canada, Greece and Australia. A full program of activities awaits the some 1,000 yachtsmen and -women and their families. Both The Star and Mirror report on the start of the ARC 2000.
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Ten kilo cocaine/heroin bust in Mon Repos
Eight kilos of cocaine and two kilos of heroin - valued at half a million dollars - were seized by police last Wednesday following the arrest of two men in Mon Repos (near Micoud): one a St. Lucian and the other a Colombian. According to police superintendent Albert Fregis, the drugs were probably meant for distribution and use within St. Lucia. According to The Mirror - the only paper to report on the drug bust - heroin is a relatively new drug in St. Lucia and is generally considered an "expensive" drug. Fregis, however, revealed in The Mirror that recently, there was "an incident" where "there seemed to be a lot of heroin on 'the block' in Gros Islet". According to The Mirror, this would indicate that heroin "might not be the 'rich man's drug' which people often think it is". The police superintendent could not confirm whether in St. Lucia, heroin is predominantly used intravenously or whether it is taken through the nose. Contrary to the St. Lucian experience, in Europe and North America, heroine has for decades been considered the 'cheaper' drug and cocaine the 'rich man's drug'. Because it tends to be used intravenously, unlike crack or cocaine, one of the worrying complications of heroine use is its contribution to the spread of HIV/AIDS, as well as hepatitis and other viral diseases. According to an article in the Tuesday Voice, AIDS is already the leading cause of death in the Caribbean for persons between the ages of 15 and 44 years.
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Cabinet to consider Lucelec report 'out of town'
An extraordinary session of the cabinet of ministers is planned for this Friday, 1st December, at a venue outside of Castries which is, as yet, undisclosed. At the special cabinet retreat, ministers will consider proposals for the reform of the public and health sectors, as well as the transformation of the postal services and the report and recommendations of the St. Lucia Electricity Services (Lucelec) Review Commission. That last (voluminous) report was submitted to cabinet some weeks ago and has since reportedly been studied by the individual ministers. According to a cabinet spokesman quoted in The Star, Friday's meeting will be held at a venue outside of Castries because, "Given the nature of the topics and their importance to the country, a venue out of town will provide for the sort of atmosphere that will be more conducive to the consideration of all the reports". The Voice also reports this.
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Extra US$3 million for C'bean students in USA
Almost US$3 million in student loans has been secured by St. Lucia's representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Sonia Johnny. The loans are for Caribbean students who are adequately backed by guarantors. As a result, more Caribbean students studying in the United States for a Bachelor's or Master's degree will be able to secure individual, interest-free loans of US$15,000 for their last two years of study, says Johnny. The Wednesday Star reports this. According to the paper, "interested students from St. Lucia currently studying in the US, who wish to take advantage of this opportunity, should contact Alphonsus Antoine, National Office Director at the OAS Office, on telephone (758) 452-4330". Information about the loans can also be found at www.oas.org
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Nuns build old people's home in Faux-a-Chaux
The Missionaries of Charity Mother Theresa of Calcutta are building a multi-million dollar home for elderly St. Lucians in Faux-a-Chaux. Already, the team of four religious sisters runs a sick and shut-in visitation programme in Lastic Hill, La Pansée and other communities around Castries. The nuns, named Christa Seerika, Yasna, Yothisna and Serika, have been in St. Lucia for four years. This is reported in the Wednesday Star.
The new senior citizens home will house up to 22 senior and abandoned citizens while the basement will be used as a soup kitchen for impoverished children. Construction of the new home, which was started last July, is expected to be finished in April. The newspaper quotes one of the nuns as saying: "We have no securities, we are depending on divine providence and trust that the Lord will provide what we need". Volunteers are invited to donate time and/or materials to building the new Faux-a-Chaux home.
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Fair trade bananas slowly making headway
Slowly but surely, the export of fair trade bananas from farmers in the Windward islands to supermarkets in the United Kingdom is expanding - with weekly shipments having increased from 3,000 boxes (of 40 pounds each) to more than 5,000 boxes per week. The first-ever shipment took place in the middle of July of this year - an event described at the time in The Voice and Crusader newspapers as "a major triumph". The shipment followed five years of intensive discussions between WINFA, WIBDECO, several banana associations and companies in the islands, the Fairtrade Foundation, UK Geest and various marketing agents and supermarket chains in the UK, including Sainsbury's. According to an article in this week's Wednesday Star, coordinator Renwick Rose of the Windward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA), there are indications that the demand for fair trade Windwards bananas is greater than the volumes being supplied. Rose explains that because of depressed market conditions, the prices being fetched for fair trade bananas are not quite as good as they could be - although the fair trade label guarantees farmers that they always receive a price that is not below their production cost, and that an additional US$1.25 per box is paid to their farmers' association for social projects. Farmers, in turn, must comply with certain social and environmental practices in producing the fruit.
In July, it was reported that there were 377 registered farmers from fifteen farmers' groups in St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Dominica involved in growing bananas under the fair trade label. According to the Wednesday Star, this number is now 486, but "Rose said many farmers still sell under contracts with WIBDECO", while "other have adopted a cautious attitude waiting to see how the process would develop".
Besides weekly shipments of bananas, WINFA is also feeling out the UK fair trade market for export of oranges grown in the Windward Islands. According to the Wednesday Star, an initial shipment of 524 boxes was recently sent to a non-governmental group called Banafair.
In recent years, the concept of buying goods produced under the fair trade label has gained considerable support in European countries. Although consumers pay a slightly higher price for fair trade products, it allows them to have a clean conscience about the circumstances under which these goods have been produced. Already, more than five percent of total European sales come under the heading of fair trade, encompassing not only bananas but also coffee, tea, honey and several types of manufactured items, including clothing. Besides the Caribbean, producers in Asia, Latin America and Africa are also benefitting from fair trade agreements - particularly women.
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