THE STAR Monthly Review - Issue 01

$2.75 www.stluciastar.com

MONTHLY REVIEW NOVEMBER 21, 2020

So Who’s The Real Tropical Trump?

Is Section 361 On Comeback Trail?

St. Lucia’s COVID-19

Chastanet Unmasked In-Depth Interview!

IS PANDEMIC THE NEW SODOM & GOMORRAH?

Economy

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02

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

We’re Back— Determined to hang in there!

L

ong before COVD19, the business of publishing had been fighting for its life. Online publishing was the enemy. As newspaper after internationally famous newspaper succumbed for lack of advertising support, combined with a growing world-wide inclination to read as little as possible, we in these islands did our utmost to hang on for dear life. We read about leading magazines biting the dust, almost weekly. There were horror stories about the massive losses suffered by giants such as the New York Times.

Across the pond the UK was taking similar potentially deadly blows. The once upon a time money factory known as the News of the World published its last issue on July 10, 2011. Several lesser publications also perished, while others took their chances with online readers.

A massive well-funded campaign by politicians in the United States and Russia was dedicated to killing public faith in what they dubbed “the mainstream media.” Targeted were TV networks and such as CNN and the New York Times.

Their reporters came under violent attacks.

There was also the redefining of truth by the then underestimated Trump election machine. By their millions readers and TV viewers moved to other sources for their news. Fox News, once hardly talked about, became the place to go for “what’s happening now” and journalism “fair and balanced.”

Whenever a reporter or a news outlet erred, their mistakes were offered as further proof that the mainstream media’s sole purpose was the manufacturing and selling of lies.

For a time publications in small cities, towns and villages survived. Many publishing companies took to giving away their product while trying to make ends meet with the little they collected from long-time empathetic and now bleeding advertisers.

In the Caribbean, hardly surprising,

life was a lot more difficult. The available advertising revenue, never a massive amount, slowly but surely dwindled. It became impossible after a time for the STAR to publish three issues a week, with at least two other newspapers and an increasing number of TV outlets, all undercutting one another as they competed for the same slim slice of cake.

We are happy to say three or four local companies, with whom the STAR had enjoyed a mutually rewarding relationship for some thirty years, did all in their power to keep us afloat.

And then came COVID-19, about which I need say little, save that it quickly demonstrated its capacity for spreading unabated at lightning speed and killing everything in its path. Life as we used to know it has undergone a sea change from which there seems to be no recovery.

Hundreds of thousands have lost their lives to the virus. Countless long established businesses worldwide have bitten the dust, millions of employers and employees forced on the breadline, many homeless.

Meantime in Saint Lucia we’ve not been spared. Some of our staunchest supporters in the business community are barely surviving. But they, like many others, have been encouraging us to bring back the STAR. Believe it or not a sizeable number actually have told us they miss having us around, whether to love us or to hate loving us. We’ve also missed ourselves. Online reporting does not begin to offer the kind of journalism, the level of analysis, for which the STAR has for years been loved—and dreaded!—depending on your propensity for truth or propaganda.

And so, we’re back—in a new format, stapled and all. It is our plan at this time to publish monthly but much will depend on how we deal with COVID-19. Wish us luck, fellow Saint Lucians in distress—on all counts!

---Rick Wayne, Publisher

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Printed & Published by STAR Publishing Company Ltd. Cover Photo: Daniel Marcion

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

01

Will COVID-19 Prove St Lucia’s

Sodom and Gomorrah?

by Rick Wayne

A

s Aesop observed: “A liar will not be believed even when he speaks the truth!”—possible confirmation that even the worst liars can occasionally be truthful, if only by accident. Not so with that breed of prevaricator whose special assignment in this especially silly season of COVID-19 and general elections is to pollute the atmosphere so that truth is all but indiscernible. Fortunately, most of the referenced bad news bears reside outside the borders of the land that gave them birth and so must depend on Facebook to spread their peculiar strain of virulence.

Rain or shine, they blame Saint Lucia’s prime minister. Either he has somehow caused the sun to be too sunny or the rain to fall too heavily, or not often enough. No surprise, then, that they would attempt to make Allen Chastanet responsible, if not for creating the coronavirus at the island’s barely functional crime lab, then for its consequences that they associate with the govrrnment’s “over-dependence on tourism at the expense of agriculture.”

02

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

It’s as if Saint Lucia had once prospered from agriculture—at best Anansi folklore. The sad but undeniable truth is that without much foreign assistance we could not have produced, let alone sold at a profit, the bananas that represented local agriculture, and which we hyperbolically referred to as “green gold.” In all events we could not resist turning banana production into yet another internecine Lilliputian war. No need on this occasion to revisit the regrettable history that underscores our reluctance, if not our inability, to help ourselves. Oh, but what great warriors we are when it comes to fighting ourselves.

Allen Chastanet has been accused by his blinkered detractors of putting “all our eggs in one basket.” Seldom are the eggs classified. Truth be told, we’ve never demonstrated any love for agriculture. Suffice it to say those who have studied the phenomenon attribute our demonstrated distaste for working the land to our “close connections with plantation slavery.” Others cite the patience synonymous with regular agriculture and which we have so little of. Then there are the problems associated with competing with countries several times our size for the same market. A long time ago we developed an appetite for imported, irresistibly packaged, deadly junk food. We plant barely enough to feed ourselves.

Our countless tax-funded “eat what

you grow” campaigns were always doomed, at any rate following the arrival of supermarkets and fast-food restaurants.

But back to the Lilliputians and their war over which end of the egg should be broken first. Soon after the WHO declared the coronavirus on its way to becoming a pandemic, Saint Lucia’s prime minister convened an urgent meeting of health personnel, and other departments of government, in a determined effort to keep the unfamiliar virus at bay. An attendant MP and deputy leader of the opposition party declared the meeting productive and reassuring. He confessed on-camera that his earlier “trepidation” had proved unfounded. Now he was happy to declare Saint Lucia’s state of preparedness, notwithstanding meager resources, “world class.” Two or three days later, his party leader contradicted his review. Despite that he had not personally participated in the discussions, he declared Saint Lucia “the worst prepared” to combat the virus—by which, advertently or not, he pronounced his second in command a tartuffe.

We need not detail the disdain showered on the prime minister for every action by his government to protect the country from the coronavirus that already had claimed thousands of lives in China, the United States and the UK. Never before had the matter of constitutional rights been as widely discussed, thanks in large

part to opposition leaning media outlets opposed to state of emergency restrictions.

Every promise of COVID-related assistance by a campaigning Donald Trump to his countrymen was echoed around our own impoverished island, accompanied by mindless encouragement to make near impossible demands on our meager treasury. Income support applications came in from all quarters. Never before had there been as much demonstrated interest in the operations of the National Insurance Corporation. Not unexpectedly, there were bellicose voices of opposition to every government project, regardless of when undertaken. Some demanded that funds conditionally borrowed for specific purpose be used instead as relief for the poor, the sick, the unemployed, and businesses long on the brink. In the season of elections logic and reason had never stood much chance against desperation and fear, warranted and otherwise.

It was bad enough when the island could congratulate itself on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 protocols— despite the blatant efforts at sabotage by known opponents of the administration.

There were protest demonstrations, north and south, that challenged the efforts of the chief medical officer. When the prime minister carelessly permitted himself to be pictured sans masque at gatherings, detractors labeled him pharisaic and unfit to lead. Every COVID-related smart bomb

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Chief Medical Officer Belmar George (pictured) is widely appreciated for her efforts at limiting the spread of COVID-19 but there are those who persist in their efforts to turn her into a puppet manipulated by Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.

fired at Donald Trump by the American media was quickly rerouted to target the prime minister.

The CMO was excoriated, on the baseless premise that she was more loyal to Allen Chastanet than to her oath of office. Unfounded reports were widely disseminated by sections of the media about the island’s quarantine arrangements—as well as the government’s desperate decision to welcome tourists from the United States, epicenter of the pandemic. And then, came the opposition party’s protest demonstration, first advertised in July with the promise it would be the largest ever seen in Saint Lucia, further “proof of the power of the St. Lucia Labour Party.”

Just days earlier, opposition MPs had walked out while the House was debating an urgent COVID-19 Prevention & Control Bill. A scheduled related Senate sitting had to be canceled for lack of a quorum, thanks to the coincidental absence of opposition and reportedly sick independent senators. Temporary replacement senators had to be sworn in before the COVID bill passed into law.

The opposition was handed another ticket to ride when the government announced new measures to discourage illicit sea traffic to and from COVID-ravaged Martinique, including a week’s suspension of regular fishing here. The anticipated fall-out was not to be. Before the end of the week the fishers’ representatives met with government officials. Arrangements satisfactory to both sides were adopted,

reportedly without rancor.

In March there were just four active cases. On September 25, the announced figure was 27. Two weeks after the October 4 opposition rally, the official number of active cases was 28. By 4 November 73 cases had been recorded.

As I write two deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, with 60 active cases hospitalized and some 600 in quarantine.

There has been no official announcement as to what may be responsible for the rapid increase—but the usual bad news bears are busy speculating and recommending their gwen en bas feuille panaceas, including the once decried lockdowns and “unconscionable” curfews.

Some are making suspicious demands on the prime minister to ban all flights from the United States, even as they give thanks to the devil that forced Boris Johnson controversially to lockdown the United Kingdom, next to the U.S. Saint Lucia’s main source our tourism dollars.

The following from a familiar tale comes to mind: “My dear turtle friend,” laughed the scorpion, “if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you and drown as well. Now where’s the logic in that?”

“You’re right,” said the turtle, “hop on.”

We know only too well how that story ended. Hopefully it won’t be long before our warring homegrown Lilliputians learn that when we engage one another in lose-lose battles we only create bigger problems—for ourselves.

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NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

03

The A-Z on Jack Grynberg (RSM) v the Government of St. Lucia: Then and Now!

by STAR Reporter

M

arch 29, 2000: RSM Productions Corporations and the government of Saint Lucia entered into an exclusive oil exploration license, which license covered a specified area off the coast of Saint Lucia.

March 29, 2012: RSM instituted arbitration proceedings against Saint Lucia for breach of the agreement. This was due to a boundary dispute which developed, affecting the specified area, particularly in relation to Martinique, Barbados and St. Vincent and which prevented RSM from initiating exploration. RSM contended that the agreement was still valid and invoked the force majeure principle. Saint Lucia contended that the agreement expired.

September 6, 2013: Saint Lucia filed an application for RSM to pay security for costs in the form of an irrevocable bank guarantee in the sum of USD750,000.00 and for RSM to also pay all costs advances.

August 13, 2014: Pursuant to the application filed by Saint Lucia RSM was ordered to pay all costs advances and to pay security for costs in the form of an irrevocable bank guarantee in the sum of USD 750,000.00 within 30 days.

December 15, 2014: RSM informed of its inability to pay the security for costs as ordered.

December 24, 2014: Saint Lucia then filed for the discontinuation of the arbitration proceedings in light of RSM’s inability to pay.

October 13, 2015: Although RSM was given an additional six months to pay, RSM continued not to make the requisite payments for security for costs.

July 15, 2016: RSM’s inability or failure to pay the security for costs in the matter resulted in RSM’s claim being dismissed.

November 12, 2016: Being dissatisfied, RSM appealed the matter challenging inter alia the powers of the Tribunal.

April 29, 2019: Consequent on the challenge, an ad hoc Committee of the Tribunal decided the following: a) The Tribunal’s Award is partially annulled to the extent that it concludes that RSM’s prayers for relief are dismissed with prejudice. b) The costs covering the ad hoc committee members’ fees and expenses, the ICSID

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NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

RSM CEO Jack Grynberg: Will he drop his multi-dollar breach of contract suit against the government of Saint Lucia or will the oil speculator let bygones be bygones?

administrative fees and either direct expenses, as determined by the ICSID Secretariat shall be borne on the basis of one third to be paid by Saint Lucia and two thirds by RSM. c) RSM shall bear its own legal costs and expenses and one third of the legal costs and expenses of Saint Lucia.

The determining issue which was challenged had to do with the decision by the Tribunal to “discontinue the proceedings with prejudice.” The Committee found that while the Tribunal had the power to discontinue the claims for RSM’s failure to pay security for costs, doing so “with prejudice” effectively constituted a dismissal of the claim on the merits. Therefore, the Committee found that the Tribunal exceeded its powers, since: A tribunal has no power under the ICSID Convention and the ICSID Arbitration Rules to dismiss a case on the merits without having heard arguments on the merits; and a claimant who has had proceedings dismissed for failing

to provide security for costs, could have the merits of its claim heard by another tribunal, provided that he pay the costs associated with the initial proceedings and properly provide security for costs in new proceedings. This in effect means that RSM is entitled to refile arbitration proceedings against the Government of Saint Lucia provided, however, that it must discharge the costs of the dismissed arbitration and provide proper security for costs for any new proceeding.

Consequent on the decision, RSM is responsible to pay two-thirds of the costs and Saint Lucia one-third. ,The costs have been calculated as and amounts to US$679,041.64 by counsel for Saint Lucia. RSM, however, on the 29US$ January 2020, proposed paying the sum of US$230,730.41 within one week, which to date has not been paid, despite banking details being provided. Nor has RSM refiled any arbitration proceedings.

That the issues between RSM and Saint Lucia are yet to be determined on

their merits, means that although the RSM matter has been dismissed, RSM— by reason of its ability to refile fresh arbitration upon paying the necessary costs continues to have some leverage over Saint Lucia. Saint Lucia contends that the agreement which was initially for four years and thereafter extended to three years has expired. RSM, on the other hand will likely continue to invoke the force majeure clause, which, according to them, continued the validity and binding effect of the agreement, even though the boundary dispute of Martinique, Barbados and St. Vincent has been settled since 2017.

As a result, the fact that the matter was dismissed “with prejudice” means the possibility of future action can result in some uncertainty for prospective investors.

That component cannot be overlooked.

From all indications and general discussions, RSM continues to have an interest in oil exploration in Saint Lucia.

The RSM matter must be concluded and brought to finality. Failure to do so may give rise to the possibility that, if fresh arbitration is filed and an award is made in RSM’s favour upholding the validity and existence of the agreement, Saint Lucia could be in breach of the agreement.

The uncertainty regarding the existence of the RSM agreement adversely affects Saint Lucia’s ability to negotiate with any other oil developer. This uncertainty cannot continue indefinitely.

The Government of Saint Lucia has also been legally advised of the possibility of introducing oil exploration legislation as a strategy to provide a more robust framework for future exploration discussions and agreements.

In this connection, while the risk of a fresh arbitration still exists, it is also likely that given RSM’s dilatory conduct in the first arbitration and its failure to prosecute that arbitration in a timely manner, will likely disqualify them from obtaining interim relief against the Government of St. Lucia in the form of (a) an injunction to prevent further oil exploration agreements with different partners or (b) specific performance of the agreement with RSM. It is also, therefore, reasonable to conclude that if a new tribunal considers the merits and finds that an agreement exists between RSM and the Government of St. Lucia, RSM’s remedy will likely sound in damages.

Did You Know?

A

fter the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, policies throughout much of the U.S. supported racial segregation. In Plessy v Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that separate facilities for black Americans were acceptable and afforded equal protection under the 14th Amendment.

In 1951 a group of parents of African American schoolchildren filed suit in federal court against Topeka, Kansas Board of Education, asserting that segregation provided an inferior education. The court ruled against the plaintiffs, holding that black and white schools in Topeka were equal in all regards.

On appeal by the plaintiffs, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that state laws establishing separate schools for black and white students were unconstitutional, thereby reversing its decision on Plessy. The court cited several secondary sources in its decision, including: Gunar Myrdal’s An American Dilemma: the Negro Problem and Modern Democracy (1994). Doll test studies by psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, who argued that segregation had a negative emotional impact on black schoolchildren.

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John Balik offers his ironic perspective of the recent election of Joe Biden as President of the United States.

by John Balik

J

oe Biden said: “This is not who we are!”

Unfortunately, for our country and its place in the world, it is who we are.

The parallel universe continues and in fact becomes more divergent.

This is driven by more than racism, this is powered by an existential fear of the “other!” The other is the overpowering feeling that you are losing control and it is because of them—the other; they are the cause. The feeling of control is everything; without control you are drowning.

The GOP throws a lifeline to those drowning people! A sociopath tells them exactly what they want to hear.

Trump is the perfect messenger.

Obama Campaigning; Black Lives Matter; Equal justice demonstrations;

The Lincoln Project; Thousands of Endorsements; Brilliant Editorials; Saturday Night Live;

Countless Parodies. None of it diluted the elemental fear fueled by the GOP! Logic did not begin to overcome emotion.

Rather than energizing the Democrats, it energized the fearful masses. (The “elites” are all laughing at us, we’ll show them!

Deplorable? Thanks for the energy!

A little irony: The USA offers Cubans asylum from Communism! The Cubans vote for fascism!

How do we move forward?

The author is an American, resident in Los Angeles. He was for several years the publisher of legendary Iron Man magazine. He is also a respected photographer.

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NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

05

So now, who’s the real Tropical Trump?

Did this have anything to do with the abruptly increasing active cases of COVID-19? The author has no doubt and believes at least half of St. Lucia share the conviction but are too scared to say what they know that you know that I know!

By Cockadoodle Doo

S

o much to think about these days, don’t you agree? More than ever, some say. For me, there’s too much that boggles the mind, especially regarding the political goings-on both on the home front and abroad. In particular, the parallels between the enigmatic USA and our own Sainte Lisi have surely not escaped us. And, for that, we have both the allencompassing backdrop of the pandemic, in conjunction with the atmosphere of elections to thank for coughing up and highlighting many of those.

Well, let’s start at the top with the Prime Minister and the LOO (Leader of the Opposition). Two more different personalities you could not find anywhere, just as Biden and Trump. But let’s see if the parallels pan out as one might expect them to. Our PM: calm, collected, clear, pleasant, confident, focused, reassuring. The LOO: het-up, confused, aggressive, unpleasant, not credible, uninspiring. Who, one asks, is more Trump-like? That’s easy. Clearly not the one whom the LOO’s party refers to as Tropical Trump. Rather, the incumbent/ opposition comparison is without doubt turned on its head there—bigly!

Before moving on, we really must refer to one of the LOO’s more recent foot-in-mouth, Trump-like statements.

At a press conference a couple of weeks ago, it was incredible to hear our LOO proudly trumpeting to the nation that he never goes to the supermarket uhn; we’d never find him in a supermarket tee-hee-hee-hee-hee! All I can say is that his followers must have been really

06

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

elated to hear that unfortunate example of underling distancing from their emperor, for which, by the way, the pandemic is totally innocent. Naiveté at its most naïve, I do declare, and à la Trump’s countless offerings of similar ilk.

Now one would have thought that a party in opposition would find common cause and demonstrate certain common traits with other opposition parties most everywhere. But no, once again the parallelism is turned on its head and we find that our LOO and his band of messy men seem to have actually been taking lessons from Tutor Trump and studying from his playbook. The illustrations abound and are uncanny, so let’s list just a few as you put the meat on the bones.

I must commence with that unwise, inopportune rally which no one can tell me was not the source of the first instance of community spread locally, which has today passed the hundred mark. Trump to a T: selfish, must and will have that rally, never mind the advice of those who know better. What about the disrespect shown for the virus itself and the shameful takedown of official government experts trying so hard to educate the people as to the seriousness of the pandemic? Who shamefully excoriated the exemplary CMO and her team, accusing her of playing politics and being the PM’s puppet? Who resented so deeply the innocuous “best CMO ever?” (Actually, I say, she’s “simply the best!”) The answer is, once again, as the LOO and his party regarding Dr BelmarGeorge, so Trump and his cronies regarding the much-maligned Dr Fauci, counterpart to our own CMO.

The pattern continues: the wholesale

mistruths and ‘distruths’ (my word, no need to look it up!); the poor johnnyone-note response to everything (“you want to make us cry; we have to cry; we must cry”); the absolute baseness of the othering and the level of coarseness emanating from their “surrogates” (like “vindictive,” another of the LOO’s favourite words); the sheer mass of hypocrisy exhibited by party officials in every step they take, every move they make. Again, Trump and his minions to a T. Don’t get me wrong. Exaggerations, us and theming and calling out exist in all parties and no doubt go on to some extent with Biden’s people, as with the UWP. But the unbelievably shameless, common-as-muck brand that emanates from the likes of Trump, as well as the SLP and its apostles, is just plain shameful.

By contrast, witness the classiness of “Keeping it Real,” a joy to tune in to. The worst, however, is when their vileness is done against country, designed to hurt the interests of us all, even our very existence, that is for me the pits. It tears me up every time. Really, are they so shortsighted that they cannot see that that kind of gutterlevel conduct and its consequences will come back to bite them in the butt too?

Can they not see they put all of Saint Lucia in serious jeopardy? Don’t they care?

There are so many parallels one could continue to cite but I leave them to you to discover for yourselves if you haven’t already. Oh, I’ve one more that I should not let go by the board. It’s that, as I write days after Biden’s election, Trump still cannot bring himself to do what all decent, and even some lousy loser-leaders do—just because it’s the done thing. Have you

guessed what it is? It is, of course, the fundamental, the releasing, the accepted act of making that call of concession and congratulation to the one who, through the will of the people, has replaced you at the top. Trump can’t bring himself to do it, and well, I leave the second half of the equation for you to complete. Local history has recorded it for all time.

And what about the current LOO? What do you think? Believe it or not, when his time comes, I actually think he would, or should I say will, differ from Trump and his own predecessor in such an instance.

How about that! For sure, we can all say that our current PM Allen Chastanet would never bring himself to stoop so low. Nor, of course, would President-Elect Joe Biden.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m with the decent folk—from all rungs of the society. It’s a no-brainer, and it is for the good of our nation. The signals, little and big, are there in our faces, warning us, beckoning us to be on the right side of history for our sakes and the sake of our dear Saint Lucia. As in the USA, this COVID-19 pandemic is bringing a lot to light and opening our eyes even more than usual. Continue to look for the parallels, uncanny, ironic, and expected though they may be. You’ll find them!

Oh, one last thought: I bristle when I hear lots of otherwise smart people say there is no ideological difference among political parties of the Caribbean. (I would suppose they are referring always to the English-speaking Caribbean). I do believe even you, Mr Rick Wayne, have voiced such an opinion. I do not subscribe to this notion. Not one little bit. But as they say, “that’s for another show!”

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

07

Should Chastanet Revive Kenny’s Section 361?

by Rick Wayne

A

lmost two decades ago an honorable member, while referencing a controversial House bill, emphatically stated: “Mr. Speaker, we are the government. We are here to govern. We are the protectors of the people by virtue of our collective and individual wisdom.

We know we are on the right course and this bill in its totality attests to this vision and this commitment to protect. That, as I see it Mr. Speaker, is the end of the matter.

Anything else is a clash between the sublime and the ridiculous in the theater of the absurd.”

So much for contending ideas. The House had convened the remembered November 25, 2003 session to debate two of the day’s most contentious issues, one being Section 166 of the St. Lucia Criminal Code, commonly referred to as “the abortion bill,” the other, well, better to hear about it from the honorable gentleman who by his own admission harbored little regard for opposition opinions.

“Mr. Speaker, we shall at this time focus some attention on Clause 361 that creates the offence of willfully spreading false news that causes, or is likely to cause, injury or mischief to a public interest. There are those who hold the asinine view that this provision constitutes a violation of their constitutional right to freedom of expression.”

Just perchance some of his colleagues did not quite get his meaning, the MP elaborated: “By a constitutional right, they mean a right enshrined in the constitution to say what they want where they want, regardless of the negative or positive consequences of their utterances, published or otherwise.

“How can one draw a meaningful line of demarcation between freedom and license?” he asked rhetorically. “On what level can one perceive an essential dichotomy that we do not see? We do not think, Mr. Speaker, that the answer lies in the realm of etymology.”

Close to an hour into his speech, the learned honorable gentleman further informed the House that his “philosophical exposition placed in sublime context the very essence and purpose of Clause 361,” which was “a legislative restriction mandated by the exigencies of societal living. It addresses the various and varied interests that constitute our socio-political existence.

“It is not the right of ministers that is being protected,” he assured his fellow MPs. “It is not the interest of politicians that is being preserved. It is the continued survival of our society and civilization that is being enshrined, that is being protected 08

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and defended from the unscrupulous and malicious. Those whose moral anchor lies in the stygian darkness of the deep, detached, disconnected.”

He introduced the mother of all nightmares: “Mr. Speaker, considering this scenario, what if one were to maliciously and spuriously publish in one of our tabloids that we had cases of cholera or yellow fever, tuberculosis, even SARS, in Saint Lucia? What would be the ripple effect in our society? What would be our situation in terms of travel? What would be the state of our economy?”

He reassured the House that the clause at the center of the debate would not trample on the rights of the press, in particular their right to freedom of expression, even though he had “seen instances of media terrorism in this country” that fortified his government’s “belief in the rectitude, sanity, and logic of this clause.” No one had a license to say or to publish with impunity whatever suited their purpose, he said, “particularly involving vital public interest, private concerns and reputation. Clause 361 shall be the law. So, let us govern ourselves accordingly.”

Even those who may have listened half asleep must’ve noted the MP’s jarring contradictions. On the one hand Clause 361 had nothing to do with protecting the rights of ministers or politicians. Its sole purpose was to protect “the vital public interest” from spurious and malicious tabloid publications that could have negative impact on “our tourist industry, our economy.” On the other hand the bill was designed to protect “private concerns” and the “reputation” of citizens.

There had been earlier contradictions.

The mover of the bill had introduced it as the creator of a new offense. He read in the tone of a judge delivering a death sentence: “Everyone who willfully publishes a statement, tale or news that he or she knows is false, and that causes or is likely to cause injury or mischief to a public interest, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.”

He emphasized that the referenced mischief had to be against a public interest—not against a person. Replacing the document on the table in front of him, he turned his attention to the chair: “Now tell me, Mr. Speaker, what could be wrong with that?”

Plenty, as it turned out. Not long after his addition to Saint Lucia’s long list of largely un-policed criminal offenses the day’s prime minister set out during a TV interview to justify his action. “What you need to do is look up the history of 361,” he advised his interlocutor. “The

Initially he insisted Section 361 was not for the protection of individuals, politicians, MPs or companies. And then it was.

government has a right to protect the reputation of individuals in the society, including public functionaries. And of course it has to protect the matter of a national interest.” He said he was “at a loss to understand why the press feels it is in the public interest to peddle untruths and calumny” but offered nothing supportive of his allegation.

Interviewer: But aren’t citizens, including those you refer to as public functionaries, already protected by our slander and libel laws?

P.M. Not in the public interest!

Asked to define public interest, the prime minister recalled “a brilliant illustration” that one of his MPs had proffered during the earlier recalled House debate: “Say a newspaper were to publish what it knows to be a lie about a health matter. And don’t forget the court will require the prosecution to prove the paper knew it was lying. I’ve heard people argue that it will be impossible to secure a conviction under Section 361. Of course I’ve learned to laugh at some people’s interpretation of law. How could I not, after Rochamel? Parliament has passed a law and it is the job of the Director of Public Prosecutions to take action on behalf of the state. That is why it’s a criminal

offense. Libel laws do not answer injuries to a public interest.”

As to how a public interest might be injured, the prime minister, in private life a lecturer in constitutional law, said: “The right to a fair trial, in whose interest is that? You seem to be searching for a definition for public interest. In whose interest is the fundamental right to free association?”

He seemed at a loss to explain the connection between constitutionally guaranteed rights long ago established and his latest addition to the Criminal Code of Saint Lucia. As if swimming in treacle, he added: “People have to understand that while they have the right to criticize politicians, equally it cannot be the case to injure the reputations of politicians with impunity. The very business of democracy and of politics and the protection of the public interest require that politicians also have a right to protect their reputations.”

Not one word about SARS, tuberculosis or injury to the tourism industry that was the beating heart of the island’s economy. What the prime minister said further contradicted the bill (cont’d on page 9)

Will 2021 be Martinus Francois’ year of victory?

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pre-trial review for Martinus Francois’ constitutional claim over Parliament’s failure to appoint a deputy speaker, is scheduled for early next year. This comes after many adjournments and setbacks. The attorney argues that the failure to elect a deputy speaker is a breach and violation, and he is seeking a declaration as to the meaning, interpretation and construction of Section 36 (1) of the Constitution. Francois is also seeking a mandatory order to adjourn future proceedings of the House until a deputy Speaker has been elected.

The matter has been ongoing from February 2019 and the attorney was last in court on October 29, 2020. In keeping with COVID-19 protocols, High Court judge Rohan A. Philip presided over the matter via Zoom. Attorneys Dexter Theodore and Seryozha Cenac appeared on behalf of House Speaker Andy Daniel. In the end, the parties agreed to a pre-trial review on January 28 2021.

During an interview with the STAR that day, Francois said that the journey to the High Court is a long one. The pandemic slowed down the process even further, he noted. “These things take time,” he said. “I mean, I’ve got the time, I know I’m actually right in terms of what I’ve been saying all along. What the government is doing is a clear breach of the Constitution and I have no doubt about that. I mean, I would bet my life on that, I’m not stupid!”

He remains resolute: “I know they’ve done wrong and they know it too. The time will come when they’ll have to account, they’ll have to account for it. And the people will know that what they did, it was completely wrong, unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional.”

The Government and Opposition have maintained their stance that a deputy speaker will not be appointed from their ranks. Francois is determined to press forward despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They never believed that somebody would challenge them. Trust me, the matter is very much alive! it’s back on the front burner and we have to face the issue!”

presenter’s assertion that Section 361 was “not about criticizing some public figure . . . not about reputations,” that it was all about “willfully publishing statements or news known to be false and likely to cause injury to a public interest.”

Not long after the prime minister’s revisted TV appearance, his government determined the new law that carried a two-year prison sentence was “unprosecutable”—and repealed it.

It should be said that many, including most media houses, had earlier considered Section 361 a good and necessary law. No surprise then that in this time of COVIDrelated fake news and its possible impact on imminent elections, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet is under pressure by close associates to revisit the discarded Section 361.

The campaigners for the law’s resurrection point to a multiple times repeated announcement by a notorious broadcaster that the day’s government had failed to report an outbreak of the coronavirus at a prominent hotel—strongly denied by the identified resort and the St. Lucia Hotels & Tourism Association.

Many are urging the prime minister either to bring back an appropriately modified version of Section 361 or add teeth to his own recently enacted COVID-19 (Prevention & Control) bill.

Under Section 62—pulled shortly

before the COVID-19 bill was passed—“a person shall not publish or cause to be published, posted or re-posted over a media platform inclusive of social media and purported news or report, or purported statement of fact, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that the news, report or statement is untrue or false and may incite public fear, panic or ethnic hatred.”

As for the government’s last minute decision to pull Section 62, the prime minister said in an interview shortly after the earlier cited troublesome announcement that the last thing he wants is to curtail the people’s right to free speech. He appealed to the media to police itself, to be more responsible when reporting COVID-19 news, in particular information not endorsed by the office of the Chief Medical Officer.

With many counting on the killer virus to deliver their election dream, it remains conjectural whether the government will be pressured into taking retaliatory action “in the best interests of the nation.” Remarkably, the opposition leader Philip J. Pierre has publicly appealed for more cooperation between his own party and the government in the fight to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

At the same time he openly condemned fake news, especially relating to the killer coronavirus!

Vacancy Announcement U.S. Peace Corps in the Eastern Caribbean Applications are invited from qualified persons to fill this position with the U.S. Peace Corps Position Title:

Peace Corps Response Coordinator (PCRC) Salary is based on U. S. Mission Local Compensation Plan

Closing Date:

December 15, 2020

Position Summary: The Response Program Coordinator agrees to provide the United States Government (Peace Corps/Eastern Caribbean) with services at the Peace Corps office in either St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent & the Grenadines or Dominica, West Indies. Location depends upon the country of residence of the candidate. The incumbent is the primary point of contact for the Response Program, and as such closely coordinates with Program Managers on each of the Post’s islands, ensures that assignments meet Peace Corps’ standards for programming, liaises between Post and Peace Corps Response/Washington, and represents the Response Program to host organizations.

Attorney Martinus Francois is determined to see his case against the government to the end.

The incumbent is under the direct supervision of the Director of Programming and Training (DPT) and performs the duties of the position in coordination with Program Managers, the Training Manager and Program & Training Specialist, and the DPT. Additionally the Safety and Security Manager (SSM), PC Medical Officer and the Country Director (CD) play key roles in the development and approval of assignments. A solid grasp of community and organizational development principles and effective communication/ coordination between offices and countries is essential for successful performance.

MINIMUM/REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Education • Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Literacy, or related degree; or degree in Program Management, Organizational Development, or related degree Work Experience • At least three years of work experience in international or community development.

Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (KSAs) A. Experience in project design, implementation/management, and monitoring/evaluation.

B. Experience working in the education sector.

C. Experience in adult learning and training.

D. Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to coordinate among offices, units and entities.

E. Must possess IT skills and demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office products.

F. Familiarity with Eastern Caribbean culture, communities, and geography.

G. Must be a licensed driver.

ADDITIONAL/PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: • Demonstrated ability to successfully lead and support Volunteers in a team environment.

• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team well independently.

• Cross Cultural Experience in the workplace.

• Strong interpersonal skills to foster positive working relationships with community partners, government representatives and members of the Peace Corps/Eastern Caribbean team.

• Positive attitude and commitment to high standards of ethical conduct.

• Ability to identify potential sites for Volunteer work assignments and make recommendations based on established Agency criteria.

• Demonstrated ability to research, design, write, and deliver technical training to groups of varying size and educational backgrounds.

SALARY RANGE AND BENEFITS Grade 9: XCD $63,998 - $95,998 Salary determination will be fair and reasonable relative to stated range and preferred candidate’s qualifications.

Benefits include health and life insurance, US and local holidays and paid annual leave among others.

LOCATION The PCRC will be located in one of the Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean Post’s offices--St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent & the Grenadines or Dominica. Location will be determined in negotiation between the candidate and Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean based on the candidate’s residence and the Post’s needs.

BACKGROUND CHECK This position is subject to a security background check through the US Embassy. It requires a review of police records from all communities of residence (past and present) and takes several months to complete.

APPLICATION PROCESS 1. A brief letter of interest/cover letter.

2. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Professional Resume that directly addresses the requirements listed above, identifying where and when you gained the experience or competency. Your submission must address the Minimum/Required Qualifications (education, work experience and KSAs) and should further address the Additional/Preferred Qualifications.

3. The names and contact information of three (3) professional references.

Please submit your cover letter, CV, and references by email to LC-HR@peacecorps.gov. Subject line of the email should read PEACE CORPS RESPONSE COORDINATOR. No phone calls please. All applications must be received via email. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. For additional information, email: LC-HR@peacecorps.gov The closing date for applications is DECEMBER 15, 2020.

For additional information regarding Peace Corps, please visit our website at https://www.peacecorps.gov/eastern-caribbean/.

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Travis Chicot pleads for Unity as he bows out of PWA!

by Joshua St. Aimee

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fter serving one term as president of the Police Welfare Association (PWA), Travis Chicot will not seek re-election when Saint Lucia’s police officers vote for a new executive in January/February 2021. The president reflected on his 4-year tenure in an exclusive STAR interview.

He first became involved in the PWA about 13 years ago, when Martin James was at the helm. At the time Chicot was a young officer in the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), and a board member on the Constables Branch Board. He recalled taking a 2-year break, after which he returned as the Public Relations Officer under former president Cameron Laure. He served in that position for four years and was then elected President in March 2017.

Chicot explained that when an individual is called to lead, there also comes a time when it is incumbent on that person to allow younger, and more vibrant and experienced persons to take up the mantle. “I am not saying that I am not experienced enough,” he said, “but I believe there are a lot of police officers who have a contribution to make. I believe it is indeed fitting that as the president who’s served for four years, I ought not to partake in any form of elections at this point in time.”

Reflecting on accomplishments, Chicot noted that during his tenure the PWA was very aggressive in advocating for better working conditions for officers. He highlighted the completion of works at the Soufriere Station and the relocation of the Vieux Fort Station.

However, Chicot was especially proud of one endeavor: convincing police officers to better themselves academically.

He is pleased that a number of them are registering for various bachelor and associate degrees. One of the PWA’s greatest successes over the last four years, he said, is that nearly four hundred cops received training in various programs.

One such initiative, saw Howard University professor Dr. Edwin Powell visit Saint Lucia in 2019 to provide human rights training to officers. Chicot thanked Commissioner Severin Moncherry and his deputy Milton Desir for their support in making this possible.

As for the things he failed to accomplish, the president indicated that one of the Force’s biggest issues is a lack of unity. “Our morale is low,” he said, “we are very much segregated. As the president, one of my greatest challenges was really getting to understand what can

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PWA President Travis Chicot has decided there needs to fresh leadership for the union.

be done to unite the police.”

Providing one example, he lamented that there are cases where there is a death in an officer’s family, and only a handful of colleagues would lend support. The president says that there ought to be a coming together to ensure that they are each other’s keeper. Chicot urged officers to support each other, provide morale and psychological support, and to put an end to gossip, backbiting and negativity.

“I believe that a lot of good things can come out from the RSLPF but it all calls for us to unite as a body, to support from the top and the bottom,” Chicot said. “Now a lot of the times we call for the bottom to unite but this is a special call for the top, the executive of the RSLPF, to unite. The tail never wags the head, the head must wag the body for the tail to move.”

He continued: “So we call for the top to unite and then filter it down so we can have a peaceful police force, ensuring that everybody is on board. So this is my greatest challenge but I have no doubt that one day we will be united as a body.”

The issue of working hours continues to concern the PWA. Referencing the “high

stress period” of COVID-19, Chicot stated that working hours needs to be adjusted.

He says that the long hours contribute to more stress for officers, and that the PWA will continue to dialogue with Commissioner Moncherry. The orgainsation prefers that an officer works a maximum of 48 hours a week.

Notwithstanding, he asserted that they will continue to play their part in the fight against the deadly disease.

“We understand that we are needed, we understand that we play a vital role in being the sole apparatus with the responsibility for national security in this country, but we ought not to abuse or burnout our police,” he advised.

Then there is the pressing issue of the 2010-11 alleged extra-judicial killings, the imposition of the Leahy Law by the United States of America, and the subsequent report by the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS). He lamented that this is one of the orgainsation’s biggest challenges, and repeated his plea to the authorities to deal with the matter once and for all.

Said Chicot: “We know the saying

justice delayed is justice denied. These men, for eight years, have been toying through the rank and file, they come to work but yet still they’re not sure whether tomorrow morning they will be arrested and charged for murder. This is a sad day for the RSLPF.” (In June National Security Minister, Hermangild Francis, stated that work is ongoing in this matter. “I am sure that at the end of the day, before the next election, we would’ve done something in relation to the IMPACS report,” the minister said.)

In closing, he declared that he has faith the RSLPF will succeed, and wished the other PWA officials all the best. Chicot — who says he owes everything he has to RSLPF— will continue to serve as an officer after his tenure. He called on Saint Lucians, especially young people, to join the RSLPF because, “the best thing a man can do is serve and to serve the country with the highest level of pride and dignity.”

The outgoing president encouraged all those who are aspiring to serve on the new executive to put their best foot forward, declaring that “service is not really about you, it’s about the people!”

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NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

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Allen Chastanet:

INTERVIEW

‘Nothing Beats Talking One On One with fellow Saint Lucians!’

For a while it seemed our promised interview just wasn’t going to happen. Several times appointments had to be postponed in favor of more pressing matters, some life and death situations. What follows took three sittings, during breaks in the most recent session of Parliament.

STAR: For a while it seemed we were doing well against COVID-19, then suddenly the figures started mounting. How depressing has that been?

world will not fall apart after all. My dream is that before long we’ll be back to near normal.

STAR: How has COVID-19 impacted the tourism revenue?

PM: We’ve taken a huge hit. It has been devastating. But now we are seeing signs of an uptick. It made tourism possible the moment countries adopted a policy of quarantining to protect their own borders. The United States never closed its doors. The UK was trending well, then unexpectedly decided to shut down its borders. Canada, Europe have followed suit. So, clearly the fall-out has been significant. Sadly, we are now realizing tourism is an industry not easily be substituted. Even throughout the region there’s no travel. The damage has been grave but if we can stick to the protocols I think we can have the industry back, perhaps stronger than it’s ever been.

STAR: How is your government helping businesses survive this pandemic?

STAR: We’ve recently been hearing about the possibility of a vaccine by year’s end. How optimistic are you about that?

PM: Clearly working with the banks on getting the loans moratorium has been a lifesaver. Two, the deferment of taxation. But most important for everyone is to get the economy going. We have seen the plan of re-opening our economy working. It has not solved all our the problems, of course, but many businesses have been able to see recovery and are learning to co-exist with COVID-19. We’ve helped with staffing in terms of NIC support for workers, the informal sector support for the workers. I keep saying to the businesses that it’s not just about re-opening their doors. The stimulus comes in the way of construction, the call centers, getting the hotels to re-open, all of that is about getting money back into peoples’ pockets. This helps with the purchasing of goods. It’s one thing to say you are open but if people didn’t have the income to make purchases opening would be pointless. Our strategy has worked. However, we still have a way to go to see the entire re-opening of the economy.

PM: I always was confident the scientists would find a way out of this. So the vaccine is great news. There’s now light at the end of a very dark tunnel. It’s wonderful to know the

STAR: How do we get Saint Lucians back into the work force? And what are you doing for employment of the youth?

PM: Not enough to deter me and our team. We were always well aware of the dangers, which is why we continued to remind our people to be on guard—even when we had no active cases. Our proximity to Martinique and Guadeloupe made us especially vulnerable, particularly after they were hit by the so-called second wave. We knew it was only a matter of time before we saw the negative changes. I’ll admit it can be frustrating for the government, our CMO, the health department and other front-liners when it seems, despite our efforts, people continue not to take COVID-19 more seriously. We’ve seen the effects when the protocols are followed and when they’re not, but some people just don’t seem to understand it’s a life and death matter.

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PM: Some businesses chose to pay-off people and some who never saw the opportunity for a career change are doing so now. Some hotel workers have gone into call centers, call center workers have gone into the hotels, cruise ship workers have come back and have been a godsend for the hotel sector that now has a bigger pool of trained personnel. We see people being quite creative and opening their own businesses. Also there’s the money we put into the SLDB, the SMEs, the tax incentives. The online training programs now allow access to online learning. In life there will be unavoidable crises. You either give up and get buried or you make adjustments and emerge stronger than before. In terms of young people, the COVID-19 crisis has shown that the digital economy is coming. Their awareness of it, their embracing of it is huge. For example, Microsoft says all persons working at home now will continue to do so post-COVID. Jobs that may not have been available to Saint Lucians pre-COVID will be post-COVID. Equally, a person who is now going to work remotely, which has now become a common term, all of a sudden Saint Lucia becomes a great option to work in.

The vision we have had as a government is to have a globally competitive education system, so that an international student being here loses nothing by being educated in Saint Lucia and similarly Saint Lucians are thinking in a global context. Affordable quality healthcare, security for all, together with infrastructure; those four things are what’s required for us to take advantage of this working remotely. Then there’s our Headquarters Act. All of these things were done before COVID. So we are way ahead of the game; the key is to keep that momentum. What I want to say to Saint Lucians is, gain market share. Crying and lamenting and regretting, will get you anywhere. Fix things that require fixing, be self-confident, grow and gain market share globally. We will have moved up the ladder significantly despite this crisis.

STAR: Since we’ve realized tourism is not the Teflon industry some imagined it was, what steps have you taken to diversify the economy?

PM: For some people, diversification means less emphasis on tourism and more on something else unidentified, as

the more goods are going to come here. The stronger the pound and other currencies get to the U.S. dollar, the more expensive it becomes for Americans to travel. And because we are pegged to the U.S. dollar we always remain on parity. I think that the prognosis is good.

STAR: What are our expectations for 2021 and the immediate future of the travel industry?

PM: The tourism industry has shown its resilience. We’ve had SARS, global wars, world recessions, climate change and now we have the pandemic. It’s not to say that we did not have economic fallout but persons are no less inclined to want a vacation and travel. Globally we see how big this industry is. So we talk about the planes that are flying, tourism plays a significant role in allowing those planes to fly. The airports and all the services that are being provided, the ability for people to meet and I mean, as successful as zoom has been there are things we realized that can’t be replaced. Human contact is absolutely engrained in us as a people. This cannot be replaced, a vacation, sitting down at a bar and having a drink and meeting somebody.

Zoom is too limiting in that regard. Is it is a good immediate substitute? Sure. Have we gotten better at understanding and embracing that technology? Yes! But to say it’s going to replace what travel and tourism does? It’s stronger than ever before. What we need to do as a people is to be proud of what we have to offer and to continue to improve on the quality and the efficiency and more importantly, the authenticity of what we offer. So village tourism is heading in the right direction.

STAR: As we approach the end of 2020 how do you feel your administration has performed? Would you do anything differently?

Photos by Daniel Marcion if it has to be one or the other. You cannot easily replace tourism. There is no other industry available to us that generates the foreign exchange, jobs and linkages to other sectors of the country. Tourism does not displace agriculture. Tourism has not displaced manufacturing; tourism does not displace international financial business, and it doesn’t displace call centers. The locations hotels go in do not inhibit other sectors. The more hotel rooms you have the stronger your manufacturing becomes; the stronger your agriculture becomes; the stronger your call centers and financial businesses become and the stronger your orange economy becomes. It’s more exposure. The ideal is to take greater advantage of the opportunities tourism provides. So you want to develop a manufacturing sector that eventually reduces its dependence on tourism.

I always use Tortuga Rum Cakes as a classic example: they started selling to one hotel, then it was to multiple in Cayman. Then it became linked to financial business; you saw mail orders and then it became available in duty-free shops in the Caribbean, cruise ships and now globally.

Secondary home markets: now here’s something most people don’t talk about. In 2009 when we had the financial crisis, we asked ourselves: Who are we in Saint Lucia?

The answer was that we represent romance. Everything you do in Saint Lucia oozes romance. Whether it’s Friday Night in Gros Islet, a sunset cruise to Soufriere, walking Tet Paul, going to a rum bar or going to one of our restaurants.

Everything is so romantic. I mean, Saint Lucia is just such an incredibly beautiful island and in the minds of millions out there an unbelievable place to fall in love. We realized also that romance was recession proof. So a person who is going to get married is going to spend the same amount of money regardless of the global economy. A person who

is looking to take someone out on a date is going to spend money; a person who is looking to make up with someone is going to spend money. In comparison to a family vacation which is an annual trek, depending on what is happening economically, they may travel further and spend less.

So within tourism now there is a tremendous amount of diversifying we can do. The Gros Islet sports academy is diversification; we see that there is an opportunity for sports tourism.

The Headquarters Act is an example of the diversification of our tourism product. We are now diversifying from the persons who just come here for a quick vacation and that’s the most readily available tourist commodity in the world. So we must pick out niches and ensure that we diversify. Diversification comes from strengthening all sectors of your economy.

STAR: How do you think Biden’s win will affect travel from the US? PM: I think that Governor Cuomo’s strategy on how he is dealing with COVID will probably become U.S. policy.

That is, countries that are in Level 1 or less will be able to travel back and forth without having to go into quarantine.

Countries that are in Level 2 or higher will have to go into quarantine. I think that pretesting of persons travelling will become standard now, both domestically and internationally. More than likely the Democrats are going to pass the largest stimulus bill known to man. So that’s going to put a tremendous amount of liquidity in the market place.

The prognosis is that the US dollar is going to weaken and that’s good news for us. Already we are seeing that the pound was 1.33 today. The stronger the pound gets,

PM: I am very proud of the plan that we had coming into government. I think because of that it has allowed us to see some of the successes we are seeing. Do I wish some of the things could have happened faster? Yes, I do. I am very comforted that the conversations I am having now within the civil service and the government are much better. We are now starting to speak the same language on things that make a difference. This is a huge change from what previously existed. There is much more buy-in that we have ever seen before. I am just grateful that they gave us the opportunity. Things will be much easier the second term and that’s when people are going to see a huge change in the country. A lot of the foundational stuff on the ground that people don’t normally see has been changed.

STAR: Would you do anything differently?

PM: The one criticism I get about my government concerns communication. That has been a challenge and continues to be, so maybe more emphasis on communication. People may not have seen me as much, or heard me as much, as they’d want to. But that’s because I was just so involved in trying to understand and to get a true picture of where we were as a country. From that perspective, I think a second term will be much easier. We certainly have learned a lot about how important communication is.

STAR: How much have you and your government learned from 2020?

PM: You can survive! The strategy of staying in front of a crisis is an important lesson. Don’t allow the crisis to overwhelm or drown you. Let’s learn to surf the wave, don’t let the wave bear you. I think the other thing is that, for the most part, Saint Lucia listened. There is a silent majority in this country that speaks volumes. As useful as is social media, it is not necessarily reflective of the reality.

Going house to house and meeting people is vital. And natural. Our people are hardworking, resilient. I am seeing a greater sense of people knowing things, that we can build a better Saint Lucia if work toward achieving our dreams— together!

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SAINT LUCIA WE ARE S TOGETHER AGAINST

6 ft

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APART

APART

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COVID-19 SAFETY STEPS to keep us all healt STAY HOME IF YOU DON’T FEEL WELL 6 ft

6 ft

APART

APART

ALWAYS COVER YOUR COUGHS AND SNEEZES

6 ft APART

6 ft

6 ft

APART

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WASH & SANITIZE YOUR HANDS OFTEN

STAY 6 FEET AWAY FROM PEOPLE 6 ft

APART

WEAR A MASK 6 ft APART

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Stay Stay Stay Stay 6 ft

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E STRONGER T COVID-19

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A message from the Office of the Prime Minister

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

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Now tranquil Le Sport Beach is the perfect place to destress

Are We Gonna Make It? Travel demand down 80%-90%. Average annual hotel occupancies down 60%-70%. Unemployment rate over 20%. Booking cancellations mounting. UK Shutdown slashing year end occupancies by 50% for some resorts.

Saint Lucia continues to reel from a three-month shut down of an industry that contributes to two-thirds of its GDP. Lives and livelihoods devastated.

by Cybelle Brown

I

n mid-March I sat in our 6th floor New York apartment with my husband and 4-year-old daughter, having just completed a promotional event in Toronto for Stonefield Villa Resort, my family’s boutique resort in Saint Lucia. It was officially a global pandemic and my husband was sick. It seemed like flu but

we assumed the worse and my daughter and I isolated in the living room while he recovered. Our corner apartment had floor to ceiling windows surrounding us, so we had a birdseye view not only of the beautiful city skyline but also of the horror that surrounded us. We listened to sirens and watched as ambulances with medics in hazmat suits picked up the sick and the dead in our area.

In Saint Lucia, our resort team worked to get the last few guests on planes and back to their respective countries before the island’s borders were closed.

While I quarantined in our living room with my daughter, I strategized with the resort team how best to deal with cancellations, drive re-bookings

and how we were going to remain top of mind for travelers considering a Saint Lucia vacation. Cancellations came fast and furious and maintaining calm amidst never-ending challenging decisions was a mounting feat. We had no idea how long this lockdown would be or how this pandemic was going to play out. Neither did the world’s most powerful leaders.

Like our own, most of Saint Lucia’s other tourism businesses were experiencing a strong winter season.

The path to getting rid of debt and growing business seemed bright. Average occupancies were in the 80s and 90s for most of the island’s resorts. St. Lucia’s airlift was slightly higher than it had been in 2019, especially for Spring and Summer 2020. Mark Adams, SLTA’s deputy chairman, laments that with the strong U.S. economy St. Lucia’s 2020 arrivals likely would have ended 5–8% above 2019. By the end of march, all resorts, villas and other tourism accommodations on the island were empty. Airlines were shutting down all scheduled flights to the Caribbean and the cruise industry suspended sailing until September 2020. The most experienced and accomplished in the business had never faced a challenge of

this magnitude.

While government officials grappled to handle the shutdown, resort marketers were engaged in maintaining pandemicfriendly and socially conscious content on their digital and social platforms. We all sat and watched while our biggest source markets worked hard to flatten the rise of infections and deaths, and our government worked on plans to re-open while keeping citizens safe. The big question was whether people would want to travel when we did re-open?

What I did know was that after four months in an apartment in New York City I could not wait to feel sand between my toes and taste the salt-water air of the Caribbean Sea. I became extremely optimistic about the demand to travel.

What strengthened my optimism was my own experience with COVID-19. I, too, became sick after my husband did. We both had mild symptoms and recovered within two weeks. We tested positive for the antibodies in May. No doubt there were thousands of COVID-19 survivors, and many Americans, exhausted from the lockdown, anxious for an escape. However, many remained fearful, with the devasting death numbers

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

17

“At this point,” said Adams, “the airlines are not trying to make money. But they are focused on keeping losses as low as possible!” and personal stories exposed across all media platforms.

With the announcement of the reopening in July, I could not wait to get on an airplane. I had survived four months in a New York apartment playing hide and seek, catch, and patiently baking and cooking with my 4-year-old. My daughter is now excellent at making salads and fresh salad dressing. It will likely be years before my husband touches banana bread again.

Meanwhile, Saint Lucia’s resorts engaged with the government to meet an exhaustive list of safety protocols.

An entire quarter of revenue was lost, and hotels were now required to invest thousands of dollars in PPE, medical stations, full-time medical staff, and laundry facilities. Many resorts either struggled to meet the requirements and were unable to open on July 9 or made the financial analysis of cash outlay against expected revenue and decided not to open at all.

Government protocols are the same for small boutique resorts like Cap Maison, Ti Kaye and Stonefield Villa Resort as they are for Sandals, Coconut Bay and Le Sport. This has put the smaller properties at a disadvantage. According to Ross Stevenson, general manager of Cap Maison: “The protocols for us—a small Boutique 50 room/suite resort—amounts to EC$10,000 per month in additional costs

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to maintain current protocols.”

The impact on Sandals appears not to be as painful. According to general manager Gaurav “G” Sindhi, Sandals Regency La Toc: “We have gone even further to create hundreds of additional positions whose sole purpose it is to monitor our processes and ensure they operate at the very highest levels. While we have always had an extremely high standard of hygiene at all our hotels, we have spared no cost to enhance this since the safety of our team members and our guests, and by extension the general public, remains our priority.”

With rising cost complaints from smaller resorts, the island’s Chief Medical Officer has now offered flexibility with protocol modifications that can meet the hygiene standards while reducing the cost burden.

The issue of demand has been another factor to deal with. In the early months following the border opening, Saint Lucia was considered almost COVID-19 free, with only 26 cases and stagnant. The CDC positioned Saint Lucia as very low risk, and bookings trickled in. The resorts that were able to open early enjoyed thousands of dollars in positive PR from multiple travel publications and major newspapers in all our major markets. Some properties experienced average occupancies in the mid 60s at a high this summer.

However, the airlines were and continue to be fickle, with unexpected cancellations. Flights are being rescheduled but last-minute cancellations continue as the airlines reduce capacity for lack of bookings. Reports from the airlines have indicated that St. Lucia is performing better than many of its Caribbean counterparts. Nevertheless, sales are far below 2019 pre-COVID levels.

According to Mark Adams, Saint Lucia’s deputy chairman and lead SLTA strategist for airline growth to Saint Lucia: “The two key factors for the airlines are revenue and load factors. Over the last several years most airlines with service to St. Lucia have experienced 80%+ load factors and higher than average ticket prices. During this pandemic, both airfares [revenue] and load factors have been much lower.”

“At this point,” said Adams, “the airlines are not trying to make money. But they are focused on keeping losses as low as possible. There really isn’t a magic number, but judging from the results over the past four months, if the airlines see forward bookings high enough to achieve 50% or greater they keep their schedule and fly with the hope that late bookings will come in and they could achieve 60% or more. On the flip side, if they look at their scheduled flights 30 to 45 days in advance and they only see a 25% in

advance bookings load factor they in turn cancel flights and consolidate passengers on a reduced schedule.”

As I write, local COVID cases are spiking rapidly and the CDC has placed Saint Lucia on Level 2 alert. This indicates that travel to Saint Lucia offers moderate risk, recommending that persons at risk of severe illnesses from COVID-19 postpone non-essential travel. This will now put the island on a quarantine list in source markets.

The challenge of demand is now even greater as this will increase the consumer’s reluctance to travel. Not only must we educate the consumer about the requirements and protocols of travel, but we must also drive pre-flight testing. Most Caribbean countries now have pre-flight testing requirements, and so the airlines have implemented the necessary procedures and it is working well. American Airlines has just launched a pre-flight testing program that has an in-home PCR test with an on-line teledoctor component, making it easier on the passenger to get the test within the required time.

With Saint Lucia now listed as Level 2 for travel by the CDC, we must now niche target low risk consumers where quarantine upon return does not pose an issue. In the short term, protecting people and maintaining a healthy tourism industry are important. St. Lucia’s government must continue to protect its workers and the local population.

Says Le Sport and Rendezvous’ Andrew Barnard: “If destination Saint Lucia cannot offer certainty and safety we will rapidly fall off the list.”

Our expert sources also stress that success requires frequent communication with the airlines, monitoring airline pricing and creating demand through innovative marketing and advertising that promotes St. Lucia as a safe destination. Every hotelier interviewed expressed some level of optimism.

Saint Lucia welcomed some 20,145 visitors from July 9 (the first flight arrival) through October 2020. As of November 10, the island has welcomed back Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Tui and United, from markets including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London/Gatwick, New York, Newark, Miami and Toronto—all positive signs to a slow recovery.

Winston Anderson of Sandals Grande states: “The travel sector is very resilient, and even now the feedback we are getting is that people still desire to travel. People still crave a vacation. We have a great opportunity to tap into that, particularly where many other destinations remain on lock-down. But rapidly changing situations makes it a bit more difficult for travelers to plan their trip, and that level of uncertainty is what we have to work to dispel, while ensuring the systems we put in place provide the strongest protection for our team members, guests and the general public.”

We know the government has limited means to support or underwrite a major industry. However, with financial relief from low-interest loans and grants, tourism enterprises and support sectors impacted

A Word from Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee

Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa & Beach Resort

Ti Kaye Resort & Spa

Sandals Regency La Toc Resort Cap Maison Luxury Resort & Spa | St Lucia

should be assisted to avoid bankruptcy.

The owner of Ti Kaye Resort, Nicholas Pinnock puts it this way: “Travel will rebound when inconvenience and fear are replaced by their opposites.”

This is indeed the reality. Until a vaccine is available to the world, the key is to stop community spread, staying at a very low risk level for travel as defined by the CDC, effective testing policies, and driving increasing demand for the destination. Having left one of the USA epicenters of COVID-19 cases, one thing I know for sure, despite all the protocols, it’s good to be in Saint Lucia. There is no other place I would rather be.

Stonefield Villa Beach Resort & Spa

“For large and small resorts,

Government protocols are the same.”

Editor’s note: Cybelle Brown is a management consultant and hotelier.

Contact her at www.brownprojectsolutions.com brownprojectsolutions@gmail.com

C

ovid has proven to be such a fluid pandemic that a lot can change between now and when this interview is published. This is clearly evidenced in the current shutdown of the UK, expected to lift in early December. The international wave in our key source markets is also serious cause for pause, exacerbated by the increase in the number of active cases while on the local front.

However our hotel workers, owners, taxi drivers—among other key tourism front liners—remain optimistic largely due to the tremendous progress we have made over the last four months. We are about 30% of where we were pre-COVID and if all continues we can get to 50% of where we were by January 2021. It would mean an increase in jobs, taxes to government, business to farmers, fishers and other sectors.

The key now remains a vaccine to be effectively manufactured and distributed and it looks like another couple of years before the world can get this virus under complete control. It then suggests that tourism destinations will somehow have to find a way to overcome all that COVID 19 brings with it. The recovery is painful.

Many businesses are either still closed, while those that are open are losing money. Many employees have not been recalled to work. But five thousand have been painfully reemployed. Despite this, we will win this of we work diligently together.

Health experts around the world show that COVID brings with it tremendous physiological problems that will require some vacation therapy and so we have to position our destination to be among the ones in the best state of readiness. Which is why we are with much eagerness fastracking the implementation of many tourism development projects island-wide.

The airlines are showing tremendous confidence in our recovery. Air Canada and United have made their inaugural flights since we reopened our borders. Let us all try to keep positive, in the meantime.

Together, we shall overcome!

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

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How to navigate through tough economic times and survive

by Ingrid Floissac

C

OVID-19 is a significant risk to the growth of the Saint Lucian local economy. The substantial reduction in economic activity resulting in the loss of cash inflow is like an avalanche burying the economic aspirations of government, as well as many of our corporate, micro, small and medium enterprises. The International Monetary Fund indicated that the sudden reduction in tourism within the Caribbean is quickly slowing economic activity and further cited contraction of growth by 6.2 percent in 2020. This scenario could be devastating, and the Caribbean would experience the deepest recession in more than half a century. (https://blogs.imf.org)

Given this uncertainty, many businesses will need to closely monitor all developments within their business to ensure accurate reporting and decisionmaking. From the point of financial management, businesses must understand that profits cannot finance the cost of operation; the success of any business is dependent on the efficient management of cash flow cycles. Without the availability of cash, many companies will experience considerable pain, quickly becoming unsustainable. Understanding the financial health of your business requires analysis of your financial statements, and this entails a thorough assessment of financial ratios: liquidity, solvency, profitability, management, and return on investment ratios. There must be an understanding of the daily sales intake and how quickly you can turn sales into cash.

Our reality is that the increased levels of unemployment created by the COVID-19 resulted in a significant reduction in our population’s spending power and contributed to liquidity constraints. As a result, many businesses will be competing for fewer dollars in an extremely challenging time. Micro Small Medium Enterprises are a significant contributor to the island’s Gross Domestic Product and are financially fragile, with minimum resources and limited cash reserves.

While Saint Lucia’s annualized GDP for 2020 is not available, noting increases in expenditure, decreases in income and production brought about by COVID-19, we are likely to experience the worst depression in our lifetime. The tourism industry, the rock of our economy, has completely shut down, with layoffs across various industries. This extraordinary uncertainty requires that we all come together to survive this crisis.

Most MSME’s do not have sufficient hard money to cover their expenses for two months, and without a credit lifebelt, many

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of these businesses may fold. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has stepped in to support the banking sector by facilitating a loan repayment moratorium for enterprises and citizens over an initial six-month period, along with a waiver of late fees/charges to eligible customers.

This will ensure that credit passes through the system allowing businesses to remain afloat for an extended period while supporting the banking sector in classifying these loans as “restructured assets,” without negatively impacting the banks’ Non-Performing Loan ratio. The banking sector must ensure they employ an efficient end-to-end system where the funds quickly get to those who need them.

While moratoriums allow for delayed loan payments, it is essential to note that banks will continue to apply interest under the loan agreement. It is financially prudent for businesses and individuals who have accepted the moratorium offer to continue making loan payments once cash reserves are available to offset accrued interest.

Bank clients must bear in mind that this extraordinary situation caused by COVID-19 does not mean that the banking sector will discontinue adhering to sound financial assessment of loan proposals.

The ability of borrowers to repay their loan obligations will continue to be a crucial consideration when providing loan approvals. The National Insurance Corporation is making an unprecedented move to provide income/cash to contributors who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19). This policy is in place for three months and has provided some degree of spending power to thousands of contributors. Beyond these arrangements, businesses must take on the posture of the Buffalo Soldier as defined by brother Bob Marley and fight to survive the possibility of bankruptcy.

It is about finding the courage and discipline to invest in cash management strategies that are generous in dealing with customers, while simultaneously and aggressively managing expenses.

These ideas, although seemingly at odds, will persuade customers to support your business, ensuring a positive economic outcome. To achieve this balance, companies can focus on the following: Focus on Cash Management While there are no miracles amid this economic storm, you can’t allow your business to be broken without fighting to win this savage battle called COVID-19.

The need for improved cash forecasting is a concern shared by the Banking Sector for ages. The effects of the financial disruption from COVID-19

have significantly highlighted the liquidity management challenges encountered by many businesses; it is, therefore, a matter of urgency for companies to review current practices; this includes but is not limited to: • The need to minimize the risk of bad debts and optimize collections strategy.

• A comprehensive review of your accounts receivable portfolio.

• Account Receivables should be classified as follows:

a. Accounts in a reasonably strong position and not severely impacted by COVID-19

b. Accounts where there is a negative impact, but where, clients can pay.

c. Customers who could be facing possible insolvency.

• Consider re-negotiating options with debtors.

• Regular meetings with the financial team to review cash flow position (recommended daily/Weekly).

• Manage inventory and stock levels and dispose of obsolete stock.

• Effective cash management is critical in understanding the business’ cash flow.

It involves knowing the timing of cash receipts in comparison to sales made, as well as the timing of cash disbursements relative to when expenses are incurred. If the company waits until it is in a desperate position to come up with ideas to cover the shortfall, it may not find adequate cash to keep it from encountering a disaster.

• You may want to review your list of assets to evaluate and sell those not critical to the operation of the business.

• It is essential to discuss your plan to cover the shortfall with your Banking Relationship Manager at your respective financial institution. Whether this means securing additional equity capital, seeking moratorium or any other option, it will allow the business to take appropriate and swift actions within a timeframe safe enough to protect the company.

• Each employee must be trained and aware of his/her responsibility to maximize income, reduce expenses, comply with all practices, procedures and guidelines to achieve optimal results.

• Review your marketing plan and focus on sales with a high margin and quick cash inflow.

• Re-access the possibility of internal and external risk exposure, which can threaten the sustainability of your business; this includes but is not limited to, credit sales, relying on one customer segment or supplier, and increased fraud risk.

In addition to focussing on cash management strategies, companies can

look to capture demand by: 1. Focusing on creating new market space. By breaking away from the conventional “targeted customer” approach and including complementary products and services that create value for both customers and non-customers, across various groups/category of customers.

(Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne,2015) 2. Businesses can accelerate relevant customer value through business innovation while simultaneously driving down operational cost. Companies can achieve this outcome by creating a new classification of customer-base, thereby increasing profitability and expanding market share. (Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, 2015) 3. Many companies are looking towards digital transformation: implementation of E-Commerce Platform, contactless payments, digital currency, online banking and digital marketing. To succeed companies must ensure strategies are cost-effective and meet their business objectives.

4. Hiring and attracting the right talent is paramount to the success of any business.

Get the right person on the right seat of the bus and the wrong person off. (Jim Collins 2001). Business success is measured by the quality of talent, which includes investing in the development of the team.

Organizations that encourage debates among team members in an atmosphere that promotes candour, where leaders are humble and willing to listen, will see an increase in productivity and revenue, contributing to sustainable business growth. How often do businesses allow great talent to walk through the door?

5. Re-examine company policies that reflect discounts, warranties, and fees offering a more generous package to close the sale. Evaluate the possibility of providing gift cards and rewarding points for purchases. This plan will assist in maintaining customer loyalty.

6. Chief Executive Officers, Executive Managers, Managers and staff must return to the classroom, creating and supporting a brainstorming environment that energizes creative thinking; where team members can challenge and propose activities and ideas designed to add value for customers.

When we look back in history, the survivors of this era will be those businesses that, while walking a tightrope, exhibited agility, embraced change, demonstrated humanity and created value innovation for all clients.

Ingrid Floissac Is the director of Floissac Receivables Management & Consultancy Services Inc.

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A Revolution of Words!

A

ll about the battlements was litter: flattened discarded Revolutionary Army uniforms, boots, padded boxes which contained Russian weapons (the inventory on the lids in English), much paper, much writing. This army had studied. It had studied politics; it had studied a particular anti-aircraft weapon and had done many simple written exercises, many communist magazines.

The revolution depended on language. At one level it used big, blurring words; at another, it misused the language of the people. Here the very idea of study—a good idea, associated in the minds of most Grenadians with self-improvement—had been used to keep simple and obedient.

“My God, they’ve turned the guns on the people!” These are among the last recorded words of the leader of the revolution. A photograph taken at the time of the shooting shows the armoured cars, the army lorries, people running, and the slogan board—later painted over—at the foot of the Fort hill: POLITICS DISCIPLINE COMBAT READINESS EQUALS VICTORY.

The revolution was a revolution of words. The words had appeared as

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Shortly after the 1979 Grenada revolution its leader Maurice Bishop (with cigarette) journeyed with an entourage to Zimbabwe. While in-transit in London they addressed an enthusiastic audience of fellow West Indians at Westminster Hall. At microphone is St. Lucia’s newly elected foreign minister George Odlum. Dominica’s Rosie Douglas is seated at extreme right, with George Louison at Bishop’s left.

All are deceased, save the last mentioned.

an illumination, a short-cut to dignity, to newly educated men who had nothing in the community to measure themselves against, and who, finally, valued little in

their own community. But the words were mimicry. They were too big, they didn’t fit; they remained words. The revolution blew away; and what was left in

Grenada was a murder story.

Taken from the essay Heavy Manners In Grenada, by V.S. Naipaul.

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23

Laura Jn.Pierre Of Invictus Wins Local Leg Of Get In The Ring 2020!

O

n Tuesday, October 27, 2020, six start-ups competed in the finals of the Get in the Ring (GITR) competition St.Lucia edition. Get in the Ring (GITR) is a global start-up pitch competition active in over two hundred cities. The objective is to give opportunities to unconventional solutions in all corners of the world, to prove their solutions and solve 21st Century challenges. Working alongside industry leading partners, GITR supports the scale and impact that start-ups make across the globe.

The face-off scheduled consisted of three 5-round battles. After each of the three intense battles, questions were fielded from the champion jurors.

Sindiwe Sealy of Ewitaj, Laura Jn.Pierre of InVictus and Jade Hutchinson of Noah Energy were the top three selected to

move on to a final knock-out round. In this round, each battle winner was given another opportunity to convince the champion jurors why their start-up should represent St.Lucia at the global meet up stage, in Montreal, Canada. Laura Jn.Pierre of InVictus ultimately knocked out her competitors to emerge the winner of an all-expenses paid trip to participate in the global meet-up in February 2021. Ms Jn.Pierre pitched the Life Cube desalinator with brine neutralizing system that had won InVictus the Prime Minister’s award for Innovation in 2019.

Get in the Ring St.Lucia is organized by the. St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture. This is the third installment of the GITR and the first year that two-thirds of the finalists are females.

Ms Jn.Pierre is the first female winner of GITR St. Lucia

A triumphant Laura JnPierre flanked by fellow competitors.

Local Priest Weighs In On Pope’s Civil Unions Declaration!

by Fr. Linus F. Clovis

I

n a new documentary about his life, it would seem that Pope Francis endorses the legalization of same sex unions. This strange news should not be a surprise for anyone who is aware of the meaning of his off-the-cuff utterances or of the significance of his réclame. Accordingly, Pope Francis has declared that persons of homosexual orientation, being children of God, “have a right to a family” and “should not be thrown out or made to feel unhappy” because of their orientation. He further declared the need to create civil unions to give homosexuals legal cover.

This declaration is clearly contrary to the teaching of Sacred Scripture, opposed to Sacred Tradition and differs from the Church’s recent Magisterium. The function of the Magisterium is to guard, protect and interpret the whole deposit of faith contained in the Scriptures and Tradition.

It is equally clear that this declaration has stirred up doubt, much confusion and even error among the Catholic faithful, as well as misled people of goodwill, who sincerely wish to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church. For the sake of clarity, it must be stated categorically that this declaration is at best a private opinion, and in no way binds the consciences of the faithful.

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The reason for relegating the declaration to the realm of private opinion is threefold. Firstly, it contradicts Sacred Scripture which regards homosexual acts as gravely sinful; secondly, it opposes Sacred Tradition that judges homosexual acts as intrinsically disordered, and thirdly, it undermines the recent Magisterium which clearly teaches that homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law, closed to the gift of life, and void of true affective and sexual complementarity.

The authentic Magisterium, even though it holds homosexual acts as objectively disordered, nonetheless recognises that the deep seated tendency of the homosexual condition is a severe trial. Therefore, ensuring that all unjust discrimination is avoided, persons with such inclinations are to be received with respect, compassion and sensitivity.

Thus, according to the teaching of St Augustine, the faithful are to extend unconditional love to the person who is involved in evil—without losing the firm abhorrence of the evil into which the person has fallen.

Additionally, marriage is a divine institution that the Creator, by making them male and female, established for the transmission of life—children. Since its future depends on children, the State has a vested interest in marriage to

Pope Francis

which it grants institutional recognition.

Since the State does not benefit from homosexual unions in this regard, their legal recognition is unnecessary. In the administration of justice, persons in the homosexual condition, as with all citizens, can always access the provisions of law to safeguard their personal rights.

Finally, the Catholic Faith does not depend on the utterances of one pope, nor of one Council but, rather, in the harmonious declarations by the Magisterium over the centuries. This

particular papal utterance glides over and ignores the fundamental and constant teaching which is revealed in Sacred Scripture, developed in Sacred Tradition and consistently taught by Councils, popes and saints for two millennia. Pope Francis’s personal declaration, which appears to have given the media the impression that the Catholic Church has changed its perennial teaching in such a fundamental moral issue, is utterly false.

The confusion and scandal which it has caused is to be deeply regretted.

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

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25

Olympic Federations including St Lucia face qualification hurdles for Tokyo

By David R Pascal

D

ue to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were postponed for the first time in their history. The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will now be held on July 23, 2021.

About 57 percent of more than 11,000 places in the Tokyo Olympics had been secured in March when the games were postponed, but many of the 33 sports on the Tokyo program now have challenges staging international events.

With that in mind, world rankings and past performances could be used to allocate entries for Tokyo, if qualifying events cannot be organized.

Needless to say Olympic Sports Federations are worried about completing Olympic Qualifiers. St Lucia is no exception. For now anyway St Lucia is on the outside looking in, when it comes to qualifying athletes for the upcoming Olympic Games.

During a recent interview Secretary General of the St Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) Inc, Alfred Emmanuel told me: “To date we have absolutely no athletes that have qualified for the games, we have people who are still preparing to meet the standards for participation in the games.”

He went on to say: “The St Lucia Olympic Committee does not have athletes under its control at this point in time. All the athletes are under the control of their National Federations. They are better placed than us the Olympic Committee, to know what the plans of the athletes are and the qualifying events that are out there for them to compete in.”

He feels the SLOC is doing their part

Female Sprinter Julien Alfred

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High jumper Levern Spencer.

from a financial standpoint, to facilitate athletes seeking to qualify for the Olympics in various events.

Emmanuel said: “We have paid for the boxing qualifier and I think I saw correspondence to say that this qualifier is likely to take place in March 2021. It was supposed to be in Argentina. We have also paid for the volleyball teams to go through to the second round of qualifying. In terms of other assistance offered we have four athletes. There is Levern Spencer (high jump) presently in the United Kingdom, Jeannelle Scheper (high jump) in the Netherlands, Sandisha Antoine (triple jump) in Jamaica all from athletics and sailor Luc Cheverier who is in France.

Assistance to the athletes previously mentioned is in the form of an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship Program which has been extended to August 2021. The athletes receive US$1500 a month which is still on going and also receive additional support from the Pan American Sports Athlete Preparation Program.

You might be wondering why St

(Triple jumper Sandisha Antoine (Photo courtesy St. Lucia Newsonline)

Jeannelle Scheper competes in high jump.

Lucia’s sensational female sprinter Julien Alfred who attends the University of Texas on an athletic scholarship, is not among the athletes receiving assistance from the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship Program.

According to one official, she is not eligible due to the fact she is a collegiate athlete with the NCAA.

Alfred said: “In terms of preparation, the associations are better placed to say what they are doing to prepare their athletes at this point in time. We hope they are putting the necessary technical work in, while we have put our financial assistance on the line at this point in time.”

Despite the challenges due to Covid-19, Emmanuel expects athletes to rise to the occasion. “I am sure the athletes themselves are preparing technically with the hope that once competition is available they are going to put their best foot forward.”

Technical Director of the St Lucia Athletics Association, Henry Bailey, pointed out these challenging time for the athletes looking to qualify for the Olympics. He’s

Javelin competitor Albert Reynolds.

Technical Director of the St Lucia Athletics Association, Henry Bailey.

not overly concerned with overseas athletes like Spencer, Scheper and even Antoine “because they are at high performance centers.”

In the case of Alfred the NCAA championships (if they do take place), could be a stepping stone to qualifying but said: “It is a bit ticklish when it comes to Albert Reynolds who competes in javelin and regionally is ranked amongst the very best.”

Reynolds recently spent time on a coaching stint in Grenada. However, unlike the other high profile athletes who are at “high performance centers” overseas, for now anyway Reynolds is currently in St Lucia.

If all goes well, Bailey feels at least four athletes stand a good chance of qualifying for Tokyo. That’s just athletics.

Here’s hoping other national sports federations most notably the Lucia Aquatics Federation who in the past had athletes compete at the Olympics, can increase the number of qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics.

Secretary General of the St Lucia Olympic Committee Inc, Alfred Emmanuel.

Season of Mist (2002-2018) Review by George Goddard

M

ac Donald Dixon is one of a number of Saint Lucian writers who have emerged in the post-colonial period, a generation or so after fellow countrymen Nobel Laureate Sir Derek Walcott and novelist Garth St. Omer. Along with contemporaries John Robert Lee and Kendel Hippolyte, as well as Jane King, Adrian Augier and more recently Vladimir Lucien, Mac Donald Dixon is a clear affirmation (if any more was needed) that the Saint Lucian lexicon is to be taken seriously in Caribbean and world literature.

Although Mac D, as he is fondly known in the small Saint Lucia writing circle, has been writing since the Sixties he has not gained as much prominence outside of his native country. The locally prestigious M&C Fine Arts Awards or local acclaim accorded his plays such as “Kesnoe” are hardly reflective of the breadth, depth and import of his literary work. His first novel, Seasons of Mist: Vendettas Bitter-Sweet (2002, revised edition 2018) is a compelling piece of historical fiction that is both believable and authentic. The story is set in late 18th into 19th Century Saint Lucia in the midst of the French Revolution, and in the social and revolutionary foment that it helped generate, particularly in the French Caribbean colonies of which Saint Lucia, like Haiti, was one. This narrative relates how a small 238 square mile island was drawn into the maelstrom of the revolution for Liberté, Fraternité and Égalité taking place in Europe, and into the struggle for human dignity and freedom. It tells how in Saint Lucia the enslaved population of African descent, people of mixed heritage, free people of colour and Republicans rose up to challenge the status quo.

The intricate threads of this story are all the more sensitive because this social upheaval is melded into the struggle between two colonial world powers, Britain and France, for military and economic preeminence.

While this is the story of a revolutionary epoch that engulfed France and its Caribbean possessions, it is not only a story of heady slogans and political passion. It is also a very human story of love, hate, passion, the pursuit of revenge, compassion, appreciation of beauty—as much as it is of daring raids, the struggle to exist, murder, mayhem, revolutionary justice, reactionary reprisals and brutal suppression.

The main protagonist in Dixon’s l’histoire is Madlienne Des Voeux, a freeborn woman, an affranchi leading a band of young rebels in the forests of La Soufrière in the Island’s south-west.

Madlienne, a natural-born leader and daughter of Desolée, Leader of the Camp, is unwittingly drawn into the larger fight for freedom having lost the innocence of her early teen years through the brutal

Mac Donald is a prolific, well-respected St. Lucian writer.

murder of her father and the wiping out of the elders of their Camp by the Royalists.

At first it was essentially a matter of survival and of avenging the slaying of their forebears. It however became the necessary joining up with the L’Armée Francaise dans Les Bois (the Brigands or Neg Maron) who sought to overthrow the Royalist order. The Story seems to be fashioned after the legend of Flor Gaillard-Bois, a Black woman warrior who is reputed to have led a band in the Brigands War, making common cause with the French Army in the Woods. This was an alliance of Republicans and Black and coloured freedom fighters, who were fighting the French, and then the British who sought not only to recapture this island, strategically placed in the centre of the island-arc, but to shore up the colonial slave economy. This of course meant the re-imposition of slavery in the small colony of Sainte Lucie.

One wonders as well whether Madlienne, who emerges as an Icon, a veritable Jeanne d’Arc in a society where everything saintly and sacrosanct was white, is not a reflection of the powerful influence that Dixon’s mother clearly had on his view of the world. Madlienne seems to have slowly accepted the imperatives of the revolution, rising in the ranks to command a company in the revolutionary forces but all the while keeping a longerterm parallel mission at the forefront of her mind – that of avenging the brutal slaying of her tribe. As Dixon tells it, at first her free-born status did not seem to allow her to understand the urgency of the cause espoused by the revolutionaries, especially given that most were white Frenchmen many of whom still seemed to carry the same condescending attitude towards those of her skin colour.

The plot is authentic. It is based on the real story of the attempt to liberate Saint Lucia from Royalist France, and the substantial role played by Black freedom fighters in the cause, their freedom being the condition of their participation. While Dixon’s descriptions and metaphors are often a bit mellifluous, and while his language cannot be critiqued for being spare and stark (as in the case of his compatriot Garth St. Omer), it has an authenticity to it that is the hallmark of a good story. The minute detail with which he treats day-to-day living in the towns and settlements, Madelienne’s visits to la Convention or Castries, life in the great house at Moulin-a-Vent in Gros Islet, the smell of molasses and the manufacture of sugar at crop time, the tranquility of her

home at Trois Pitons, and the goings-on and intrigues of personal relationships is impressive. Mac Donald’s attention to the physical detail of scenery and geography as Madelienne visits Guadeloupe gives the narrative an authenticity and believability that many an author would envy.

This tale makes Caribbean history come alive, and the role of Caribbean people in making their history is placed at the centre. Dixon is indeed is a Master Griot who should be taken seriously. His novel makes a good parallel read with the late Michael Aubertin’s Neg Maron, also of Saint Lucia.

George Goddard is a Saint Lucian writer. His first collection of poetry Interstice was published in 2016.

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

27

We Are HIRING We are seeking applications from highly-motivated, responsible, dynamic and experienced individuals for the following position:

MARKETING MANAGER Role: The Marketing Manager will need to create and execute strategies that will build a successful brand through use of events, marketing materials, media and PR opportunities as well as set the direction for accompanying PR and sponsorship strategies that will drive the company’s brands forward in the immediate term and over the coming years.

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•Experience in successfully building brands (8+ years’ experience) •Experience with creating a marketing campaign, marketing strategy, and marketing plan.

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•Understanding of public relations.

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Applicants are required to submit their resume complete with details of academic qualification, work experience, present and expected salaries, contact number and email address not later than 30th November 2020 to: admin@rsltc.com All applications will be treated in strict confidence. Only short-listed candidates will be considered for an interview.

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NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

Royal Bank of Canada - St. Lucia Branch Operations

Abandoned Property

as at 31 October, 2020

In accordance with the Banking Act #7 Sec 58(3), we publish hereunder the names of account holders of RBC Royal Bank, St Lucia with unclaimed balances for over 15 years. Unclaimed amounts will be transferred to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank if no claim is made within thirty (30) days of this notice. Interested parties may inquire at their local RBC Royal Bank Branch, if their name appears on the Abandoned Property Listing.

ACCOUNT TYPE Savings Savings Savings Current A/c

ACCOUNT NBR 752-166-9 752-337-6 790-474-1 101-447-1

Current A/c Current A/c Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings

101-511-4 113-222-4 700-139-9 702-586-9 703-068-7 704-344-1 704-697-2 704-940-6 705-326-7

Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings

705-736-7 705-969-4 707-905-6 707-978-3 710-483-9 710-715-4 710-796-4 714-153-4 715-317-4 717-561-5 726-015-1 729-866-4 770-274-9 770-299-6 770-310-1 770-321-8 770-808-4 772-323-2 773-245-6 773-376-9 774-422-0 775-638-0 775-639-8 775-731-3 775-834-5 775-875-8 776-142-2 779-152-8 800-046-5 830-027-9 830-186-3 1800010050119866 1800010072933761 1800012078002126 1800010075006632 1800011071364767 1800011020314668 1800011075470114 1800011078184791 1800011078126392 1800011078254749 1800011078054766 1800011078243372 1800011078190147 1800011078124152 1800011020310371 1800011050107643 1800011075475407 1800011050005597

NAME EVESTA JN MARIE PATRICIA ANN LYNCH-PAUL ALANA-JO MC QUIKLIN INSURANCE AND INVESTMENT BROKERS ASSOCIATION COMP4LESS SHADOWFAX INTERNATIONAL LTD ZINNEL JACK MARIE MONMIRAIL OR TYRONE MONMIRAIL JOSEPHINE DE LEON SYLVESTER HIPPOLYTE ST. LUCIA BOW COMPANY LIMITED LESLIE LORDE PENNY LYNN SIMMONDS OR ROSALYN PRISCILLA SIMMONDS NICHOLAS ST ROSE OR CLEO P LOUIS C0NSETTA PRAVILLE DEBRA MITCHEL AUGUSTINE OR DICKENSON ASFORIS FORTUNA PHILIP OR FELIXIANNE FLORENT HILTON JN BAPTISTE OR MILDRED BAPTISTE MARY A EDWARD ELIZABETH ENTIEN MARY ST CROIX HARRY ELIAS OR KENT ELIAS ANNETTA BENN BRENT BRUNO NAYOTA SHALAMA CHARLES HYACINTH MITCHEL ADRIEL PHILGENCE SANDRA BETRANDE ALDRIC JULES ELIZABETH MARCELIN BERNILL NARVAY OCTAVE CHERYLINNE TESSA PINA OR DELLE LEO DWAYNE JAMES JOAQUIN WILLIE OR MAVIS LEONA WILLIE NARDLYN JEANNE ALEXANDER GERALD AURELIEN JEROME MOISE MAGDALENE STEPHEN MAGDALENE STEPHEN DENISE EDWARD TYRONE D CHONG GEORGE OR ANNE MARIE LAURENCE JAMES MODESTE LUCRETIA ST.BRICE JULIAN JULES DEIRDRE ST BRICE MARC JOHNSON BERTILLE MYRNA THOMAS JULIETTE JAMES MC COLIN FONTENELLE ZANDRA LABADIE STACEY GABRIEL RICHARDSON LUCIEN FERMANSHA AUGUSTE FERNELLE NEPTUNE JOSEPHINE JOHN MICHAELLE ALEXANDER HILARY MORTLEY NORMAN FRANCIS ALEXANDER ROBERT GROUCHY KERVINA HELICIA WILLIAMS

ACCOUNT TYPE Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings Savings

ACCOUNT NBR 1800012078131651 1800011078260358 1800011070474758 1800011078280235 1800011078138196 1800011078119043 1800011078168044 1800011078173498 1800011020050237 1800011050070006 1800011073010477 1800011078014004 1800011070727397 1800011030018563 1800011078194029 1800011071276992 1800011078228365 1800011078124985 1800011078125302 1800011071936267 1800011072462188 1800011072995062 1800011078057579 1800011070071076 1800011020204857 1800011078223727 1800011078182489 1800012078142394 1800011071183188 1800011078121676 1800011070338064 1800011020086967 1800011078141488 1800011050249553 1800011020218898 1800011078148175 1800012078209391 1800011072255271 1800010020281243 1800011078175881 1800011077126496 1800011075316689 1800012072461358 1800011071624567

NAME CATHERINE BISCETTE GENEVE ST.ROSE WINSTON CELESTINE SHENAVIA PATRICE FREGIS ROMILTON MALISA BEAUSOLEIL NAADIA G LAMBERT SHANE DIDIER EXECUTIVE TRANSPORT INC. KURVIN W CONSTABLE LIANNE ANELLE CHARLERY CARLYLE PROWELL CYNTHIA EDWARD ANSA RE LIMITED MC CLINIUS ELCOCK CLAUDIUS REMI JEANNA ST.ROSE LADELL EDGAR JOACHIM JIMIE CHRISTINE HYACINTH KENT FRANCIS ESTHER ANTOINE SHERMA K CASIMIR HONORIA JULES AUGIER AND PETERSON CUST AND SHIP SHANA HOUSON LEEANN JOSEPH RITA DANTES SIMON TOUSSAINT SHAWN DESRIVIERES IVY DANIEL DELNARD’S SPECIALTY INTERNATIONAL JACQUELINE FRANCIS JOANNE CHERRY ANSA MC AL TRADING (ST.LUCIA) LTD LEANDRA FREDERICK EMMA PIERRE VIRGINIA M CHARLERY ANN MARIE KELLY-LOUIS JAYDE JEAN CLIFFORD NARINESINGH JACQUES LUCIEN PRIAM KIMSON ALOYSIUS BAPTISTE JIMMY ST. CATHERINE

DORMANT DRAFTS

PAYEE

NAME OF PURCHASER

XCD

U.W.I. WANG SONSON

XCD

BETHEL TABERNACLE ANNE MARIE KELLY-LOUIS

XCD

UNCLAIMED DRAFT DRAWN ON RBTT GRENADA

26-May-05

XCD

UNCLAIMED DRAFT DRAWN ON RBC ST. KITTS

26-May-05

XCD

ALICO ACB POULTRY & RENTALS LTD

ACB Poultry & Rentals

32367

21-Jun-05

XCD

ACM COLLABORATIVE BWIA WEST INDIES AIRWAYS

BWIA west Indies Airways

32452

4-Jul-05

XCD

BENNY HINN MINISTRIES ROSALYNN BRANDON & SELWYN BRANDON

Rosalyn & Selwyn Brandon

31571

26-Oct-05

XCD

WINDJAMMER LANDING BEACH RESORT THE BEACON INSURANCE CO. LTD

The Beacon Insurance

34811

18-Nov-05

Ann Marie Kelly-Louis

DRAFT NUMBER

DATE OF DRAFT

30993

17-Mar-05

35683

13-Apr-05

NOVEMBER 21, 2020

THE STAR

27

Saint Lucia

#LetTheProtocolsWork

Tjenn Distans ou KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

#SaveJobs #ProtectLives #KeepSaintLuciaStrong Printed and published by STAR Publishing Co. (1987) Ltd., Rodney Bay Industrial Estate, Massade, Gros Islet, P.O. Box 1146, Castries, St. Lucia, W.I., Tel: (758) 450-7827 Email: info@stluciastar.com Website: www.stluciastar.com