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The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

VOLUME 112, No.07

www.thevincentian.com

EC$1.50

‘Free up the weed,’ says NDP

basis; they monitor them because you have to,” Eustace said.

But the point was that there was a lot of money to be generated from such a programme, once it was being run properly, Eustace said, and pointed out that the benefit of

THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY (NDP) is in support of decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.

Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward, Roland Matthews said, during the NDP’s analysis of the 2018 Budget, that the party was in support of the proposed medical marijuana industry — as long as the Roland ‘Patel’ Matthews, local farmers are an integral part of MP for North Leeward, known for its marijuana the trade. cultivation, articulated the But in giving NDP’s position with respect support to the medical marijuana to the decriminalization of marijuana. industry, Matthews chided the government’s decision not to look favourably on the issue of decriminalizing small quantities of marijuana.

Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves in his 2018 Budget address, said that, while there may be the call to “free up the weed,” the government was not currently prepared to do so.

“Unregulated consumption of recreational marijuana poses a number of risks and challenges that we do not currently have the data on which to make informed decisions, or the capacity to manage effectively,” he said.

He further cited the views held by some on the issue of the recreational use of marijuana, and the fact that marijuana remained illegal in other countries within the region to which Vincentian marijuana is exported.

Continued on Page 3.

Contined on Page 3.

EUSTACE: ÂTHE Arnhim Eustace and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves remain at opposite ends of the CIP debate.

TIME IS NOW FOR A CIPÊ Stories by DAYLE DA SILVA

A LOT OF TIME HAS BEEN WASTED and there is more competition, but the time has come for this country to establish a Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), says Parliamentary Representative for East Kingstown, Arnhim Eustace.

The former Leader of the

Opposition said on Monday that almost all the countries across the region have resorted to generating revenue in that manner.

He said even larger, more developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom had similar programmes.

“They invite people on the same

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2. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Youth

CW Prescod Primary continues outreach to fathers

A coast guard officer demonstrating a rescue technique.

THE CW PRESCOD PRIMARY SCHOOL (CPPS) last Monday, held its second ‘Daddy Day at School’. This time around, the exercise catered for fathers and male figures in the lives of students from Grade 2 to 5.

Following devotions with the children, the fathers and fathers’ representatives engaged the students in session in which they shared information on their occupations, gave pep talks and simply interacted.

During the break, students and their fathers or Reverend Adolf Davis interacting with fathers and students’ male representatives at the representatives shared forum that focused on ‘Being Responsible Fathers’. snacks together, following which a minias the basis of his delivery, evaluating the day’s the topic ‘Bridging the Gap: conference was convened.

Rev Davis analogized, activities, assessed, “It was The Role of Fathers in the Rev. Adolf Davis of the “God the father as one that a productive day, Education of their Methodist Church, who is honoured and respected.” immensely refreshing and Children’. addressed that forum on He appealed to the Emerging from that rewarding,” adding, “We the topic ‘Being Responsible fathers, that as “God as conference was a Fathers were pleased with the Fathers’, implored those in provider… God as turnout of the fathers, and Support Committee, which attendance to embrace sought to take the process forgiving”, to do likewise, we know that the day was their roles. forward. and called on them to impacting on those who In his usual down to The support group then perform their duties attended.” earth, man-to-man style of diligently, irrespective of hosted the inaugural The ‘Daddy Day at delivery, Rev. Davis called what might be going on ‘Daddy Day at School: School’ was borne out of a on fathers, to be “careLinking School and Work’ between them and the conference, held by the takers and protectors… (to mothers. on October 23 last year, for Parents Teachers be) fathers as authority Guidance Officer at the Association of the school on students from the figures in the home.”

Kindergarten and Grade CW Prescod Primary School 25th May last year, under Using the Lord’s Prayer - Patsy Ann Garraway - in One classes.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 3.

News 3 Get your act together THE INCIDENT INVOLVING a delivery truck that ended up over an embankment after a portion of road in Chateaubelair broke away, was a wake-up call for the government to get its act together.

Parliamentary Representative for the area, Roland ‘Patel’ Matthews said on Tuesday, as the Opposition New Democratic Party presented its views on the 2018 Budget, that he had, for some time now, been speaking of the need for that strip of road to be repaired.

Matthews said that the road had deteriorated following the rains which occurred in December 2013.

Heavy rains that occurred in 2016 worsened the condition of the road, Matthews said, and despite calls for the issue to be addressed, nothing has been done.

“Well, all of that came to a big stop yesterday (Monday),” Matthews said.

The truck was attempting to make its way along the road.

A drum which was

placed as a warning to drivers was moved, Matthews explained, and the driver attempted to make his way across, but in doing so, the road collapsed causing the truck to fall.

There were no fatalities, or serious injuries as a result.

But Matthews contends that what occurred was a wakeup call to the government.

He spoke out back in 2015 when three persons were killed after the vehicle they were travelling in went over a

Right: The road, already compromised by heavy rains, collapsed under the weight of a box truck. cliff in the Coulls Hill area.

That accident occurred in an area where the retaining wall had been compromised, and according to Matthews, despite calls for the relevant authorities to deal with the issue, nothing was done.

“We hope there is not another tragedy like what we had in Coulls Hill,” he said. (DD)

Number of rural constables decreased EVEN AS PROVISION has been made in this year’s budget for the hiring of 50 new (police) constables, it was announced that a decision had been made to decrease the number of rural constables.

Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves said in his presentation of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure on January 29, that the number has been dropped from twenty 20 to 10 rural constables.

He said that the decision was based partially on the lessons learnt about the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of some of the rural constables.

“We have retained the good, and we intend to do some new tactical and strategic outreach to help protect farmers, their livestock and their crops going forward,” Gonsalves said.

The 20 rural constables were commissioned back in June 2010, provided for by the Agricultural Produce and Livestock (Prevention of Theft) Act which was passed in 2007.

The rural constables were deployed in a number of his rural communities including Marriaqua, Georgetown, Colonarie, Park Hill, South Union,

Vermont, Chateaubelair, Sandy Bay and Biabou.

The commissioning of the 20 rural constables has had little or no impact on incidents of praedial larceny however.

Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar — in response to a question in Parliament in April 2017 — admitted that the unsuccessful prosecution of persons arrested for committing acts of praedial larceny was of serious concern.

He further stated that although there were a significant number of incidents reported, because of the lack of sufficient intelligence, the number of corresponding arrests was lacking.

Caesar said then that, based on statistics given to him by the Police, there were 202 reports of praedial larceny made in 2016, but only 11 arrests made and no Continued from Front page. convictions. (DD) such a programme was that the tax was for those who wanted to come here and invest.

He further contended that St Kitts/Nevis generated some Continued from Front small amounts of said, however the effects of EC$767 million back in 2014 from page. marijuana, and quoted the misuse of the herb was its CIP. that country’s Prime not as adverse as the The capital budget for 2018 was Therefore, it would be Minister, Gaston Browne, abuse of cocaine, heroin or EC$216 million, Eustace reasoned, irresponsible to sanction who said that the use of even alcohol. and here is St Kitts earning the flooding of regional marijuana had become a “So why not? Is he EC$767 million. markets with a product part of the Antiguan (Prime Minister Dr Ralph “That could have paid for our that remained illegal in culture.

Gonsalves) waiting for entire capital budget and have those markets.

Matthews argued that it election? money over. But we don’t want to But Matthews was the same here in St “We are spreading the do that,” Eustace observed. maintained the view that Vincent and the word that the NDP is in He said that rather than the legislation could be enacted Grenadines, especially full support of the government implementing a to decriminalize the herb among the Rastafarian recreational use of similar programme here, they were in small quantities. community. marijuana. When they content with implementing an $8 He referred to Antigua Marijuana was being come with that, tell them levee on hotels and guest houses. and Barbuda where smoked in almost every they are following suit,” One requisite, Eustace legislators recently passed area of the country, he (DD) Matthews said. acknowledged, was the need to put a Bill to decriminalize

‘Free up the weed,’ says NDP

Eustace: ‘The time is now for a CIP’ proper mechanisms in place to facilitate due diligence, because there would be some crooks from time to time who may want to take advantage of the offer.

But while the NDP remains enthused of such a programme, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has remained firm in his position that his administration does not support nor does it intend to implement a CIP. Rather, he was of the view that there are other bases on which foreign investment can be attracted, including the country’s legal and constitutional framework, political stability, a stable currency, low inflation rate and the availability of basic services including electricity, water and telecommunications.

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4. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Court

Cyber Crime Act: A living instrument instrument that can be utilized by persons whose ACTING reputations are COMMISSIONER of tarnished by Police Colin John postings on has described this social media,” country’s first John told THE conviction under VINCENTIAN the Cyber Crime on Wednesday.

Act 2016, on He is warning Monday, as a Catisha Pierrepeople historic Jack wrote generally, not development herself into the to commit these which proves that crimes against the Act is working. history books other persons. with respect to The accused, Catisha Pierreenforcement of He pointed out that, under the Jack, 29-year-old the tenets of Cyber Crime seamstress of the Cyber Act, as well as Lower Questelles, Crime Act. under was not only the international first person to be law, persons could be convicted under the Act, prosecuted for such but also the first o be offences. He assured that charged under it. the police will do their “The conviction shows that the Cyber Crime Act best to investigate any is not just another piece of report of this nature.

Acting Head of the legislation on the law books here, but is a living Criminal Investigation

Department (CID) Clauston Francis told this publication, “I hope that the public is taking note of this development, and rest assured, the police will continue to enforce this legislation.”

Pierre-Jack was charged on four counts of posting on her facebook page a number of libelous remarks against her sister Crystal Pierre, January 30, 2018.

She was charged with posting on her facebook page libel by electronic communication, to wit, ‘This girl Crystal Pierre abuse her own daughter, try to kill this little girl with an icepick, (2) to sell her own house and put her out on the street (3) I am asking for help for Louren Pierre to fight against her own daughter Crystal who is selling her mother house and putting Louren Pierre to live on the street,

a sick woman, three strokes, came close to death door twice because of stolen documents Crystal took from her own mother, and (4) I am asking everyone on facebook to help me share this post so the world can know the truth about this house and the stolen documents Crystal took to sell her mother house and poison a pot of food to kill her own family, someone please help Louren Pierre to fight against Crystal’.

Pierre-Jack, who is on station bail, pleaded guilty to the charges when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday. She will be sentenced today (Friday).

Section 19(1) of the Act, under the heading, Libel

By Electronic Communication, states that, “Any person who

IVAN JAMES SAMUEL, a 42-year-old labourer who five years ago used an icepick to stab a woman he claimed he wanted to marry, would be sentenced March 12 for attempted murder, at the High Court Criminal Assizes.

Samuel, who had initially pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Sherlene Hackshaw of Belair, changed his plea to guilty, following the testimonies of five prosecution witnesses, including the victim.

Hackshaw was stabbed in the vicinity of

just to get his papers.

“I told my brother, my mother and eldest son, that I am going to get marry to Shirlene Hackshaw, and not the woman in England.”

According to Samuel, “I told her (Hackshaw) about my lifestyle and how I really wanted to settle down with her, and that was it.”

However, Hackshaw, in her testimony, told the Court, “I was selling accessories for him (Samuel) in December 2012. We were not in a relationship, we were just friends. I knew him for about one year when I began selling for him.”

Hackshaw recalled that on the morning of March 30, 2013 when she was finished shopping at Bonadie’s Supermarket No 1, and was awaiting transportation to take her groceries home, James came from the nearby Kingstown Vegetable Market, and approached her.

“He told me he was calling me and I wasn’t answering my phone, and he started with attitude, telling me why I can’t answer my phone, and if I am not making up my mind to be with him,” Hackshaw related.

“I noticed I was bleeding a little, and I noticed one of his hands came down on my left shoulder, but did not notice that he had already stabbed me on my right shoulder. That is when a nurse pass and told me I was

bleeding,” the woman continued.

A female vendor, operating in the area, and a ‘cartman’, also gave evidence for the prosecution, saying they saw Samuel stab Hackshaw with an icepick, in the shoulder/neck area.

Lester James, then a police constable attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) when Samuel was taken into custody, recounted, “He handed over the icepick to me. He told me that is what he used to stab his girlfriend.”

James added that Samuel told him he wanted to kill the woman because she caused him not to go back to England. He said Samuel appeared to be upset.

Police constable Jasha Robinson, who was also stationed at CID when the stabbing occurred, said that while Samuel was in the holding area, he complained of feeling pains, and he took him to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

“While I was waiting on the doctor, the accused said, ‘She should ah dead. She better pray dey sentence me, I want her dead. I pelt some stab at she, but she get away’,” the police officer recounted.

Samuel will be sentenced following a Social Inquiry report on him, prepared by the Family Affairs Division in the Ministry of National Mobilization.

Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS

Labourer awaits sentencing Bonadie Supermarket No 1, next to the Kingstown Vegetable Market.

Crown Counsel Jameisha Prince led the case for the prosecution.

The trial had commenced and concluded on Monday, February 12 at the Criminal Assizes. After Samuel changed his plea, Justice Brian Cottle directed the 9-member jury to return a formal verdict of guilty.

Samuel, who was unrepresented, then told the Court, “My Lord, it was a pain,” adding that he was to get married to a woman in England,

uses a computer system to unlawfully publish any defamatory matter concerning another person with intent to defame that person commits an offence.

Section 19(2) states that, “A person who commits an offence under

Subsection 1, is liable on conviction to a fine of $50,000 or two years in prison, or both.

Pierre-Jack was unrepresented when she made her court appearance on Monday.

Two charged with stealing from the poor TWO FORMER employees in the Ministry of National Mobalization, accused of defrauding the nation’s Public Assistance Fund of monies amounting close to EC$3,000, two weeks ago, will return to the Derville Learie Serious Offences Thomas Johnson Court on Monday, February 19 for bail review.

Derville Thomas, also a former police officer, 42, of Bridgetown, Biabou, and Learie Johnson, 62-year-old retiree of Lowmans Windward, were remanded, following strong objections to bail by Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpleche, when they appeared in court last Monday on charges of forgery, theft, conspiracy and deception.

Thomas, who was employed as a chauffeur with the Mobilization Ministry but had his services terminated in 2016, has been charged on nine counts of making a false instrument, and nine counts of using that instrument, in the names of John Lavia, Geoffrey Lavia, Calvin Lavia, Bernice Cordice, Thaddius Baptiste, Sylvia Roberts, Cornelia James, Clifford Huggins and Irma Nanton, with the intention to induce Learie Johnson of Lowmans Windward to accept it as genuine, and by reason of so accepting, to do an act to the prejudice of the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Thomas is charged with conspiring with Johnson and others to steal $2,725 in cash, while Johnson is charged with conspiring with Thomas and others to steal $2,725 in cash, the property of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The men are also charged jointly with the theft of $2,475 from the Government, and dishonestly obtaining by deception $250, the property of Irma Nanton of Owia.

The offences were reportedly committed on February 7, 2018 at Owia, during the payment of Public Assistance.

The charges were laid indictably, and therefore, the men were not required to plead. They were represented by attorney Israel Bruce.

In objecting to bail, the Senior Prosecutor told the court that investigations into the matter were ongoing.

According to Delpleche, “This is the tip of the iceberg.”

He pointed out that “the investigations are spread far and wide, and concern people high and low.”

The prosecutor expressed the view that if the men were released on bail, those investigations could be hindered, and there could be interference with potential witnesses.

Bruce, in his application for bail, said that the prosecution cannot just arbitrarily object to bail by saying that the investigations could be hindered, or that potential witnesses could be interfered with, without bringing evidence to support those arguments.

After listening to both sides, Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne remanded the men until Monday when the issue of bail will be reviewed.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 5.

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6. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Government

SVG to act against T&T $$ control GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN a decision to enforce the Exchange Control Act, which had previously been suspended, as it pertains to trading with Trinidad and Tobago.

Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves announced on Monday during the 2018 Budget presentation, that as of March 1 this year, any payment in United States (US) dollars from St Vincent and the Grenadines to the twin island republic will now require prior approval of the Director of Finance and Planning.

“The Ministry of Finance will be happy to revisit this in the future, if all parties can arrive at a less bureaucratic cumbersome solution,” Gonsalves said.

The decision was taken in response to issues faced by Vincentian traffickers who trade on behalf of farmers, in Trinidad and Tobago.

Under the Exchange Control Act, there is freedom to repatriate capital and profits up to US$100,000. Any amount exceeding that sum requires approval before repatriation.

But this provision had been suspended, until now.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves first addressed the issue, saying that he had included it on the agenda for discussion at the CARICOM meeting to be held in Haiti this month.

Speaking at a press briefing earlier

this year, PM Gonsalves explained that when goods are purchased from Trinidad, payment is usually made in US currency.

However, traffickers, who journey to that country to sell the produce, are forced to purchase goods for resale in St Vincent, following on which, payment is made to the farmers for their produce.

In his budget presentation, Finance Minister Gonsalves explained that T&T, over the last five years, enjoyed a trade surplus averaging EC$149.9 million, with this county. Over that period, this country imported EC$167.1 million annually while exporting EC$17.2 million to Trinidad each year.

He also noted that payment is made in hard currency, but at the same time, local exporters had difficulty repatriating income earned there.

“This is negatively impacting our farming community in St Vincent and the Grenadines. So it is not only the traders who suffer, but also their suppliers, the small farmers of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Gonsalves said.

Among the measures taken, according to the Minister of Finance,

A lot of Vincentian produce, ground provisions especially – find their way into vegetable/food crop markets in Trinidad and Tobago. were: cooperation between the government and the Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines (BOSVG) to devise a short term foreign exchange solution for agricultural traders; discussions with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), commercial banks in the country and other stakeholders.

“But unfortunately, we have been unable to arrive at a satisfactory lasting solution with the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Furthermore, Gonsalves said that a proposal had been made during a recent meeting with commercial banks for payments to be made in TT dollars.

“Once implemented, this measure will bring relief to the situation. The banks have indicated that they will need to discuss the proposal with their head offices.. However, the fate of our farmers and traders cannot wait indefinitely on corporate consensus in far-flung bankers’ boardrooms,” Gonsalves said. (DD)

FOR SALE Land at Chapmans Village near Grace & Truth Church 30,452 sq. ft. - $50,000.

Tel: 432-0337

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 7.

People

VINLEC continues to assist Dominica

The five-member VINLEC team currently in Dominica assiting with the restoration of electrical power in that hurricane-ravaged Caribbean partner.

ST. VINCENT island. The other members are ELECTRICITY Mr. Mowai Latham, Mr. SERVICES LIMITED Lamont Sterling, Mr. Kemmael (VINLEC) is again Jacobs and Mr. Kemoul Harry. assisting the people VINLEC’s initial response to of the Commonwealth Dominica was part of an of Dominica by initiative where regional providing technical utilities provide assistance to support to the countries that are impacted by Dominica Electricity natural disasters immediately Services Limited after the incident.

(DOMLEC). The VINLEC’s decision to reach island’s electricity out at this time, comes in light supply was severely of the developments on the disrupted following island where a number of the passage of customers remain without Hurricane Maria, last power. VINLEC acknowledges A VINLEC team member that electricity supply is September. putting his back into the critical, as many essential A team of five relief effort. from the services (water, gas, Transmission and communications) and Distribution infrastructures depend on its Department left the island on Sunday, continuity for their smooth functioning.

February 11th for Dominica to help with In addition, the way of life of the citizens the restoration of electricity. This team is altered without electricity supply. is being led by Mr. Rodney Duncan (Line During the 2017 Hurricane season, Supervisor, Construction and VINLEC provided technical assistance to Maintenance) and will work with staff Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands from DOMLEC to rebuild the network after their systems were damaged by the and restore electricity to sections of the passage of hurricanes. (Submitted)

New CIBC Country Head appointed for SVG CIBC FIRSTCARIBBEAN has announced the appointment of Mrs. Shelly-Ann Samuel as Country Head for St Vincent, effective November 1, 2017. Mrs. Samuel has been acting Country Head for one year.

Mrs. Samuel is a career banker holding various positions over her 20 years of banking experience, including our Halifax operation, and the most current being the Business Banking Officer in St Vincent.

Shelly-Ann recently completed her MBA with the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Chief Operating Officer,

Colette Delaney, said the move to officially appoint Mrs Samuel as Country Head responsible for St Vincent’s , was a natural next step as she has proven to be a visionary leader with superb execution abilities. We are confident Shelly-Ann’s background and business experience areis well suited to lead the next phase of the company’s growth and success.”

Mrs. Samuel took the opportunity to thank the leadership for the opportunity to continue to lead with commitment and dedication to the financial institution. She expressed her eagerness to influence the future business development strategies of

Mrs Shelly- Ann Samuel – New SVG - CIBC Country Head. the bank, and to continue to shape the bank’s path.

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8. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Views The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Editor: Desiree Richards Editor: Cyprian Neehall Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129 Website: www.thevincentian.com Email: vinpub@thevincentian.com Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial

The Opposition Boycott NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, the Opposition New Democratic Party found it ‘useful’ to boycott a sitting of Parliament here.

More significantly, they boycotted the Presentation of and Debate on the 2018 Budget, occasioning, perhaps for the first time in our modern history, a jet-propelled passage of the 2018 Appropriation Bill, since Members of the Government side had decided that they ‘couldn’t debate themselves’.

As the calypsonian Exposer said, ‘Dey Kicksin in parliament’.

Notwithstanding (the ‘kicksin’), there might have been plausible cause for the boycott.

When examined, with an unorthodox eye, the issue of a boycott of parliament is like a split personality: you either accept the legitimacy of the parliament, which means you should be in parliament and you should make your vote and voice count; or you don’t accept the legitimacy of the government, so you boycott parliament.

This raises the question: What is the real position of the Opposition, i.e. do they accept the legitimacy or not?

If they do, then it would be safe to say that they are ready to compete. That they accept the existing majority in parliament and that majority’s right to see their policies through.

But if they don’t, is it that they are saying to their supporters and the electorate, that the rationale for boycotting parliament is that they consider what transpire there to be illegitimate?

Are they saying that simply turning up to the parliament to criticize and vote against legislation would, indeed, offer a rubber stamp of legitimacy to the majority agenda that they consider to be anathema to the interest of the country as a whole?

Is it that they are saying that they are not prepared to lend credibility to what they perceive to be a corrupt legislative process, and therefore, they do not see their presence as being in support of a ‘healthy’ party system and ‘vibrant’ democracy?

Is it that they don’t see Parliament as another opportunity for them to pitch alternatives to the electorate — to inform the electorate so that they can make a decision in their favour?

Is there a glimmer of hope, or a parliamentary requisite moreso, that will ‘force’ the Opposition to return to parliament to debate on the laws which will serve the interests of the country, even if they have some concerns on some parts of the law?

It would be good, even if the fore-mentioned stands as representative of the Opposition’s intention, if they consider the results beyond the immediate; that they consider the long-term ramifications and whether or not a boycott could well suffer from diminishing returns.

And if they did consider the long-tern fallout and the likelihood of diminishing returns, whether they have devised a strategy to leverage the shot-term momentum into tangible gains.

In the face of the latest boycott, should the Opposition not be considering other ways to voice its case against the ruling party’s actions and their misgiving about parliament as conducted in recent times?

They appear to have, but they must continually assess these strategies for their long-term effectiveness, and not get immersed in the euphoria that is wont to be created in the immediate.

For the electorate’s part, it would be legitimate to ask whether the Opposition accepts that they have an obligation to the Parliament to which they were elected; whether they should engage in the matters of Parliament, no matter the degree to which they oppose a piece of legislation on the table, or the degree to which they find the behaviour of the majority members to be abhorrent.

In the meantime, the majority uses the boycott to apportion accusations of abandonment of duty, disrespect for the people who elected them, and lacking in patriotism, against the Opposition.

At the end of the day, a boycott of parliament will have its impact on those few minutes that we are allowed in a polling booth.

How that impact translates will be determined by how that boycott is managed, especially in terms of what comes thereafter.

In the meantime, to boycott or not to boycott? That is still the question.

Threats to democracy (first published in 2005) “THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED general elections of 2005 ended, for the time being, not in a cliff-hanger or clear NDP victory as this columnist had dared to forecast, but in a runaway victory of 12 to 3 in favour of the ruling ULP. In fact, Prime Minister Gonsalves described it as a landslide thrashing, focusing this time on the number of seats he won and not on the popular vote which he used in 1998 to justify his protests.

In 2005, among other things, three seats won by less than 50 votes for the ruling party seem to have hosted some glaring irregularities, for which the NDP will have its day in Court.

The challenges will be fine-tuned before the end of this year and will be made against the returns of Conrad Sayers by St. Clair Leacock for the constituency of Central Kingstown; against Rene` Baptiste by Daniel Cummings in West Kingstown; and against Jerrol Thompson by Patel Matthews in North Leeward. At the moment, the claims that have seen the three elections as flawed, seeking a re-election. And there may be one or two other rogue constituencies added to the list, if not the entire election to be declared null and void.

ULP supporters rely on the bill of health pronounced at the end of the polling by outside observers. But NDPites hold that the verdict was precipitate, declared before the ugly details of sins committed on Election Day were uncovered.

Above all, the infractions were said to be elementary, basic, bold and brazen, but fatal to our democracy.

Meanwhile, Dr. Gonsalves, as is his right, has proceeded to configure a Government of “all Chiefs and no Indians”. There are fullfledged Ministers, no Junior Ministers of State or Parliamentary Secretaries. Certainly, not a single back-bench to whisper a syllable of warning or protest to any Government measure.

What is more is that the PM has created an Administrative Bureau to man Grenadines’ affairs out of his Ministry. And the two persons slated for the jobs, heading that mission, are two electorally rejected ULP candidates, Belmar and Snagg.

The PM seems deliberately to be creating an area of serious conflict, a recipe for future disaster.

Then, there is Julian Francis, made a Senator which he had left with the vaulting ambition of defeating Arnhim Eustace at the polls, and having been humiliated, takes up once more the mantle of Senator. Not only that, he has been given perhaps the most powerful Ministry, after the PM. The “twin towers of evil”- to use Lynch’s infelicitous reference - are thus preserved

intact to continue their thing. They are in fact Siamese twins that cannot be separated, not even by the vote of the sovereign electorate. Franco Construction will build St Vincent anew, in the circumstances!

And what about the remaining three Government-appointed Senators? They are all promising, young persons — Rochelle Forde, Richard Williams and Ronald Marks. And all three are lawyers at that. The first problem is which one to elect Deputy Speaker.

The second is that the PM seemed unable to think that there are potential young people in other professions. Like Milton Cato — and he had a reason for this - Ralph appears to be hung up on the profession of law, though he personally makes claims toward finance and economics.

If the youngsters are being trained to enter the political field later, perhaps their mentor is to be warned that he has missed the boat.

Lawyers dominated in the 1960s and 1970s when their power of advocacy were in scare supply, and knowledge of their law and constitution was needed at the terminal stage of colonialism to assist the thrust towards Independence.

The time (1974-1984) is past when the Labour Government comprised a team of lawyers - Milton Cato, Hudson Tannis, St. Clair Dacon, Grafton Isaacs, Arthur Williams and Arthur Woods. In the modern world, such a government would guarantee that we remain “hewers of wood and drawers of water”. Informatics, communication, tourism and other attributes of a service-oriented economy would have passed us by, chained to an inglorious past, the rhetoric notwithstanding.

So, three young up-and-coming lawyers being groomed for the future. There are the PM and Rene in the engine-room. And young George is free-floating while the PM’s son, Camillo, is in the AG’s office.

In addition, there is the “independent” DPP Colin Williams who may soon have a massive role to perform in the Ottley Hall Enquiry and the cases arising out of the recent election.

Then there is Cecil “Blazer” Williams, onetime Deputy-Leader of the Gonsalves founded MNU, editor of the party’s newspaper “Unity”, a partner in the Gonsalves legal chambers, and a former electoral candidate for Gonsalves’ party.

Cecil Blazer Williams now presides over the Government bureaucracy, sitting in his quasijudicial post (he is lawyer too) as Chairman of the PSC. He must wonder over the outcropping of a “Legalocracy” he once wrote in negative terms during the reign of the first Labour Party.

And to think that there was no space for Jomo Thomas in all that!” (Conclusion/update to follow next week)

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 9.

Letters

Appointing your own OUR HONOURABLE Prime Minister went at great length to rationalize, justify, the appointment of his daughter-in-law to the position of Executive Director (Acting) of the FSA. He explained, and correctly so, that the young lady was as qualified as anyone else who might be suitable for the job and, in fact, had been encouraged to apply officially for the position, which she refused to do.

The young lady is a

member of the Board of the FSA and it is not uncommon that during an interim period, e.g. when a Board considers applications for a position that has become vacant, that a member of the Board might be requested to fill the seat.

What is troubling about the move, however, is that if the young lady was uncomfortable with accepting the position — temporarily or otherwise — why did the Board insist on appointing her

to act?

As I see it, this is tantamount to a case, once again, of the government of Dr. Ralph Gonsalves flying in the face of the people. Given all the public ‘bassa bassa’ in which the young lady is involved, it is, to me, an act of contempt for the people of this country, for this appointment to have been made.

The government of this country is led by Dr. Gonsalves as head of the

Intellectual dishonesty YOU KNOW something Mr. Editor, there has never been before in our history so many intellectuals working about, yet, sadly, there is as much intellectual dishonesty.

Take for instance the last Budget Address: 1. The intelligent finance minister raised the tax threshold for PAYE, but tagged on an $8.00 per head on stayover visitors. That is like digging a hole to fill a hole. Nothing intelligent about that.

2. The Minister of Finance said that the Buccament Bay Resort will be reopening sometime in the year — under new management. That is fine, but he did not address, unless I missed something, anything to do with severance for the workers, and whether or not we are moving to

Curtis Mayfield

collect on that big tax bill that the fellow Ames is owing us. Now, that is intellectual dishonesty, as far as I see it.

3. The Prime Minister and former Minister of Finance promised that his government was going to build the airport, and Vincentians would not be burdened by any big loans. All of a sudden, we hear that Venezuela has forgiven us some debt, and promised more, on our loans for construction of the airport. Something is not honest about that, eh?

And I can maybe go on and on with this issue, but I don’t want to bore anybody. Except to say that intelligence is one thing, honesty is a whole different thing.

C. Davis

Stop the pussyfooting THE TRAFFIC situation here is getting from bad to worse, and if something is not done soon, all hell will break loose on our roads.

What we need, Mr. Editor, is a vigorous enforcement of the traffic laws. That is, enforcement with bias.

Traffic officers must enforce the law without favour. They cannot continue to turn blind eyes when their friends and family commit traffic offences and, worse, when some of their very own disobey and abuse the laws.

Take for example the case of lights on the vehicles. The traffic cops seem to enjoy pulling up and charging privately own vehicles and some minibuses, but I have seen countless service vehicles here in my area, with one headlight, one brake light, or no light on the licence plate. And this is not only for a day or so, but for months.

And the police must also check their vehicles to make sure they are not also at fault.

For too long I have heard about how the traffic department is constrained by the lack of legislation. Nonsense! Many of the infractions and bad habits are already covered, giving the police the right to take action. So please, Mr. Traffic Police, stop hiding behind this legislation thing.

We already have limited roadways, so all the more reason why we have to ensure that they are properly used, and that no one group of users feel they have more rights than others.

Road user

Unity Labour Party.

Leading a government does not given any person title to this country - its institutions included.

Nepotism, throughout history, has proved to be the downfall of many a great empire. Ours is not an empire, but if Dr. Gonsalves continues on this path, it might not be too far-fetched to think that soon we would become the Gonslaves Empire of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Stop the nepotism now!!

A note to our writers EDITOR’S Note: Some of these letters have been edited for length, accuracy and slander. We reserve this right, and hope that those who choose the pages of THE VINCENTIAN to express their views, would do so with care and attention for others.

Garbage dump unbearable IS THIS HOW the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment care about the health of the citizens of this nation, when this garbage dump situated in Lower Redemption Sharpes, at the corner of the road leading down to Kingstown Park, is left to breed mosquitoes, rats, and other rodents?

It has now become a bed for the growth of vegetables, such as pumpkins and other plants.

This situation is not only unsightly, but unhealthy, and has been brought to the attention of the Public Health Department on several occasions, by at least one resident who has to put up with the stench which at times is unbearable.

The authorities concerned are being asked to kindly have this removed, and to have a ‘No Dumping’ sign placed there.

Resident

McFee demits SVG Green party I, KADMIEL MCFEE, here declare that I have resigned from the SVG Green Party and, therefore, from my substantive position as deputy leader.

In so doing, I call on the nation to support me as an independent political candidate.

My resignation has been occasioned by my conviction that Ivan O’Neal is not serious about steering the course so as to attain office (government).

We as a nation have witnessed what appears to be continuous internal wars within various political parties, leading one to wonder what’s the real chance of the major parties actually achieving any of their goals.

My major goal is to deliver SVG into a complete democratic nation — one with equal opportunities for all regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, etc., that will take SVG to it natural course to prosperity.

Kadmiel McFee Independent Politician/British War Veteran politicianmrmcfeekd@gmail.com

Sir Viv deserves governmentÊs pension I READ WITH DELIGHT in last week’s edition of THE VINCENTIAN newspaper, of the Antiguan government’s decision to give a state pension to Sir Vivian I. Alexander Richards of memorable and glorious cricket fame.

I believe that the international cricket fraternity, especially those who are keenly aware of Viv Richards’ demolition of some of the world’s top bowlers at the time, would welcome this initiative taken by the Antiguan authorities.

The Antiguan government has set a precedent hitherto unknown in the Eastern Caribbean. Sir Vivian Richards, who will be 66 years on the 7th March, is already the beneficiary of the state’s recognition, including enjoying import concessions on certain items, and diplomatic status (travel).

These perks are deserving of a man of Sir Viv’s calibre.

We in several quarters of the Caribbean need to emulate this

initiative and vision of this small island state, Antigua. They demonstrate in kind, the high regard in which they hold one of their iconic sportsmen.

This, too, is a timely reminder for countries like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, that national sporting personalities (both male and female) constitute the bulwark of national development, have brought their countries into the regional and international spotlight, and need to be publicly applauded.

While nothing is wrong in recognizing outstanding sporting personalities posthumously, it is more palatable, more respectful, to salute them before they are dead. We need to eliminate the folly of only recognizing our heroes when they are dead.

Thank God Sir Vivian Richards can enjoy his accolades and national concessions in his lifetime.

Patmos Richards

* Is there a dress code for Parliamentarians? * Anybody knows what is the salary of that Barbadian fellow who is running the show at the AIA and how that compares with similar positions here? * When are those in charge of security at the AIA going to tell their people that they can’t put their hands down passengers’ pants? * Anybody else notice that prices on some goods at the supermarkets have gone up? * Food gone up.

Electricity gone up?

What next?

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10. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

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Praise for Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves

Crisis in Governance (Pt. 2)

Introduction

(Excerpts from Dr. Friday’s press conference)

PRIME MINISTER Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is no longer the Minister of Finance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Without much fanfare, that portfolio has been transferred to the member for East St. George, the Hon. Camillo Gonsalves. In this excerpt from his budget address, the current Minister of Finance, offers praise and thanks to the former minister, on his outstanding work.

“It would be unpardonable of me not to acknowledge the giant on whose shoulders I now gratefully stand. The longest-serving Finance Minister in the history of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, who served with distinction, passion and creativity for the past 16 years.

On his watch, and with his wise and creative guidance, his government recorded many landmark achievements, including: 1. There are 6,046 more employees and employers on the rolls of the National Insurance Services; 2. The total number of households/houses increased by 6,300, or 20%, between 2001 and 2012 census periods; 3. Poverty was reduced, and indigence and undernourishment were slashed; 4. Nine new secondary schools were constructed, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines achieved universal secondary education;10 Early Childhood Centres, 4 primary schools, 13 Learning Resource Centres, and a Modern Library were built; and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College was markedly expanded and renovated.

5. The number of secondary school teachers increased by 300 — from 405 to 704 — an almost 75 per cent increase, and the number of graduate teachers more than doubled; 6. Community College enrolment increased by over 1,200 students per year — a 150% increase over his tenure; 7. Vincentian enrolment at the University of the West Indies more than tripled, making SVG the largest source of students among non-campus territories; 8. The Windward Highway, the South Leeward Highway, the Canouan Jet Airport, the Argyle International Airport, the Rabacca Bridge, the Spring Bridge, the Caratal Bridge among others, were completed; 9. Three (3) new polyclinics were built; the Modern Medical Complex at Georgetown is about to be opened; and Milton Cato Memorial Hospital was substantially renovated.

austerity, he creatively maintained our sovereignty and independence against the dangerous and destructive external imposition of heartless structural adjustment programmes.

When our brothers and sisters in nearby lands had nothing left to trade or sell but their citizenship — the very essence of their nationhood — the Finance Minister rightfully resisted, and by the sweat of our collective brow we continued to eat our bread.

In the midst of these global difficulties, we somehow managed to build a world-class international airport, without funding from our traditional multilateral partners, but instead with courage, creativity and a coalition of the willing — cobbled together from the most distant corners of the planet. The completion of the Argyle International Airport stands indisputably as an achievement that would have been impossible without the direct involvement of the Honourable Prime Minister.

Debt of Gratitude

This country, this Government, this Parliament owe this Prime Minister an enormous debt of gratitude for the courageous and creative role he has played as the Finance Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In particular, his financial stewardship over the last decade of global recession has been exemplary. Indeed, across the Caribbean, only two finance ministers have survived the electoral fortunes of the entire post-crisis decade: the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica and the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves.

In light of these formidable triumphs in the face of daunting challenges, we continue to act upon the Honourable Prime Minister’s vision and consolidate the gains achieved thus far. The development thrust of this Government is predicated upon seven broad conceptual pillars, as enunciated by the Honourable Prime Minister: i) Our people-centred vision; (ii) our social democratic philosophy; (iii) the affirmation that our nation is a dynamic part of our Caribbean civilisation; (iv) our tripartite economic approach by way of the private, cooperative, and State sectors, in the quest to build a modern, competitive post-colonial economy; (v) our fiscal stance grounded in prudence and enterprise; (vi) our commitment to Choppy Economic Waters the deepening of regional integration; The Honourable Prime Minister also and (vii) our international solidarity and activist foreign policy.1 navigated the choppy economic waters Within the context of those pillars, that followed the 9-11 terrorist attacks the Honourable Prime Minister last of 2001, the collapse of Colonial Life year elaborated ten issues for strategic Insurance Company (CLICO) and the developmental focus going forward.

British American Insurance Company (BAICO), the massive erosion of market Those cross-cutting and interrelated issues are: preferences for our bananas in Europe, Climate Change and National and a number of terrible natural Disaster Reconstruction/Recovery; disasters. In the midst of the worst Making the AIA Work; Quality global economic and financial crisis in living memory, when debt-to-GDP ratios Teaching and STEAM; Public and soared over 100% in many countries, he Private Sector Investment and Productivity; Roads and Bridges; kept ours within manageable parameters. He has now set our debt to Citizen Security; Health and Wellness; Housing and Lands; Energy; and Job GDP ratio on a downward trajectory, Creation, Poverty Reduction and with prudent management and active Sustainable Development. pursuit of debt forgiveness These signposts on our arrangements. developmental journey, laid down just When neighbouring countries were 12 months ago, remain relevant for our forced to slash public sector workers continued quest to shape a more and social safety nets, we lost no jobs, resilient, developed and inclusive Saint and social protections were strengthened. When others had trouble Vincent and the Grenadines. This Budget will build upon this practical paying salaries on time, ours arrived vision for national development. We are like clockwork. When countries across embracing wise continuity, settled our region were forced into painful stability, and sensible change.”

AS THE LEADER of the Opposition, I argued strenuously in the House against the PM’s claim. I later denounced the Speaker’s ruling as being: “… a violation of our Constitution. When you violate our constitution, you violate our rights and I tell you we will make sure that this right is protected for the people of this country….”

I have since written to the Speaker confirming the Opposition’s rejection of the ruling and the proceedings which followed it as a nullity under the Constitution. I pointed out that section 47(2), of the Constitution of SVG which speaks to a vote of no confidence, provides in relevant respects that: (a) If notice in writing is given to the Speaker signed by not less than three Representatives, of a motion of no confidence in the Government the Speaker shall- (i) if the House is then sitting or has been summoned to meet within five days, cause the motion to be considered by the House within seven days of the notice, or (ii) if the House is not then sitting……. (b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be without prejudice to the power of the House to provide by its rules of procedure that notice of a motion of no confidence in the Government may be given by any member of the House or the power of the House to debate and dispose of such a motion at any sitting of the House.

In addition, I emphasized that no such rules of procedure have been made. The Standing Orders of the House of Assembly, which were passed under the provisions of section 45(1) of the Constitution to regulate its procedure and for the orderly conduct of its proceedings, are expressly stated to be made subordinate to the substantive provisions of the Constitution.

Accordingly, whilst these Standing Orders may be used for the conduct of the proceedings in the House in relation to the presentation, consideration and/or disposal of the Motion of No confidence by the House, they cannot be used in such a manner, as to deviate from the substantive provisions of section 47(2) of the Constitution.

The Speaker’s Mea culpa Although in replying to criticisms of his ruling by the public, the Speaker has since posted comments on Facebook, agreeing with Dr. Friday’s interpretation, and stating that he erred by entertaining the amendment, that there is no way a constitutionally mandated provision can be negative by an amendment and that once he ruled the motion could not be voted down before a debate the only other thing left was for the debate, the Government is persisting in their position that no vote of confidence in the government can be brought by the Opposition without the acquiescence of the Government lawmakers. In SVG, therefore, this important democratic right has been removed by the majority in Parliament.

The Opposition’s Position The members for the Opposition reiterate our earlier denunciation that what was done in the House violated the Constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Many people before us fought for our Constitution to ensure that we are able to benefit

from those freedoms which it guarantees. PM Gonsalves has transformed our Parliament into a pantomime, by which he indulges himself in acting out narcissistic fantasies. He obeys rules and laws when it suits his purpose, and ignores and tramples on other laws when it does not suit his purpose to follow them. He flaunts the garb of democratic governance, but functions like a despot, reminiscent in many eyes of recently deposed Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

The succession debacle What is most intriguing about the PM’s frustration of the Motion of No Confidence, is that during the course of the heated debate on the impropriety of amending it, the Member of Parliament for South Central Windward, Hon. Saboto Caesar, who is the Minister of Agriculture in the ULP Government, protested passionately to the Speaker, pronouncing that PM Ralph Gonsalves does not have the moral or legal authority to speak for him.

“Mr. Speaker, with respect,…..the Prime Minister… doesn’t have the moral or legal authority to speak on behalf of Saboto Caesar at any place, at any time in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and you do not know if I am going to vote with the opposition.

You do not know that!”

Minister Caesar was once regarded by observers as a leading candidate to succeed PM Gonsalves as leader of the ULP and Prime Minister, but more recently, the Prime Minister has been manifestly showing preference for his own son, Hon. Camillo Gonsalves MP, whom the PM clandestinely elevated some weeks ago, to the post of Minister of Finance and thereby eclipsing any chances that Minister Caesar had of succeeding him and becoming Prime Minister; even as the older Gonsalves accelerates the process of handing over the leadership of the ULP and the mantle of Prime Minister.

Woeful socio-economic conditions In the meantime, the ULP Government has been failing the people of SVG miserably in providing a satisfactory quality of life. The priorities of the Government in its use of taxpayers’ money have produced totally inadequate health services and basic maintenance of roads.

The collapse of the economy has deprived our youth of hope and employment opportunities, and a climate of fear through intimidation at all levels of Vincentian society, has become widespread due to the manifest abuse of the powers of the State and its institutions, which are regularly employed as weapons against citizens, to serve the agenda of Government officials, their family members and associates, and have been characterized by some commentators as being cynical, manipulative and unethical.

There has been a breakdown in law and order, as demonstrated by the incidence of rampant crime and the failure of the various agencies of law enforcement to protect the more vulnerable members of society, including the elderly, women and young persons.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 11.

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Route to ruin

“Destroy the seed of evil or it will grow up to your ruin.” Aesop - a slave of African descent who lived from about 620 to 560 BC in Ancient The recent “Me Too” campaigns in Greece. Aesop’s Fables are still taught North America and Europe, tell a sad as moral lessons. tale of individuals who used their position of authority to compromise the THIS COLUMN’S REGULAR READERS are principles of others. Some of these aware that the essays that appear here predators have had to resign their frequently focus on the positive. The thoughts shared are especially intended lucrative positions as executives in to encourage young readers to strive for media firms, parliament, and other halls of power. Some, now in excellence and to pursue noble dreams retirement, spend their twilight years with passion. Although the title of this in shame and disgrace. They, too, week’s article may seem to imply that realise that such unethical and socially the writer is taking a slightly different unacceptable behaviours are sure path, it is still intended to be positive; it routes to ruin. The temporary cautions readers (young and old) of the pleasures were not worth it after all. dangers of selecting the wrong path We can ask Dr. Larry Nassar who, on when pursuing goals. It is anticipated July 11, 2017, pleaded guilty to federal that the thought expressed will cause each of us to halt, examine the path that child pornography charges and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. But we are on (or are tempted to take), and this was only the beginning of the make the wise choice as we seek to revelations of this osteopathic avoid the route to ruin. physician who previously worked with There are some who believe (and will advocate) that we should focus on the USA Gymnastics national team. succeeding at all costs. Some athletic He subsequently appeared in court on additional charges for sexually coaches and providers of sport molesting over 265 young, innocent, medicine see nothing wrong or unsuspecting girls. On February 5, unethical about encouraging and 2018, Nassar received his final providing athletes with performance sentencing, confirming that he will enhancement drugs. Some business persons see nothing wrong with paying spend the rest of his life in prison. His ill-discipline and unethical behaviour a bribe to suppliers, distributors, led him down a path to ruin. And in politicians, or government workers to get favourable responses to their bids. the process, he traumatised so many blameless children.

Others see nothing wrong to give The WHO database “gifts” to customs officials to “turn a (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsh blind eye” to un-manifested or underpriced items in their containers. After eets/fs239/en/) estimates that approximately 1/3 of women worldwide all, they consider such behaviours as are exposed to some form of sexual “necessary investments” as they seek to gain a competitive advantage on the violence. Such data is often more readily available for North America. market. Students may seek to rationalise cheating on an examination ABC News and The Washington Post conducted research in 2017 that or paying someone to do an revealed that 54% of American women assignment, claiming that such behaviours are necessary if they are to confirmed receiving “unwanted and inappropriate” sexual advances. secure a tertiary level scholarship.

Within recent years, partly due to the The list goes on. There are so many speed with which social media invitations and enticements for individuals (especially those in power) transmits information, we have been to seek to rationalise corrupt and reading and viewing reports of similar dishonest behaviours for the sake of behaviours being perpetrated by “getting ahead” or achieving their business executives and politicians in selfish ends. However, there is a our Caribbean territories. Many are danger in seeking to make wrong no longer viewed as “squeky clean” or appear right. It is a sure route to ruin. “decent”. Many have lost their Individuals who lack self-control or mandate to lead … having chosen the incorrectly assume that they are so path to ruin. Regardless of the powerful and well-connected that they positive image that they may have can circumvent the law, need to think previously had, they are now again. The “Me Too” campaign that tarnished. Warren Buffett, the emerged in October 2017 and spread American multi-millionaire, reminds like wildfire via social media, revealed us that, “It takes 20 years to build a numberless tales of sexual misconduct reputation and five minutes to ruin it. and harassment in the workplace.

If you think about that, you will do This movement commenced with the things differently.” unearthing of sexual misconduct As we end this week’s essay, it is allegations against Harvey Weinstein, necessary to provide a word of caution the American film producer who coto those intelligent young ladies who founded the entertainment company may be tempted to compromise their Miramax. The New York Times and principles in an effort to get a job, a The New Yorker interviewed dozens of promotion, or access to the financial women who detailed decades of alleged reserves necessary to pursue a tertiary sexual harassment against this movie level education. We hear stories of tycoon. The subsequent revelations by such vulnerable individuals being high-profile celebrities, confirmed that enticed to compromise their values and similar behaviours have been also their purity in an effort to “get ahead”. demonstrated by business executives, In so many cases, the predators are politicians, and other professionals. “men in position” and “men of power” Such predatory behaviours are more who prey on the vulnerable and common than we may have previously unsuspecting. Compromising thought. principles and purity are sure routes Opportunities will always emerge to to ruin. invite us to “sell our principles to get ahead”. New, young, and attractive Send comments, criticisms & employees (or potential employees) suggestions to appear to be especially vulnerable. julesferdinand@gmail.com

Black history should never begin with Slavery ‘You will have to be a damn fool to embrace an island and disown and abandon the African continent.’

Historian John Henrik Clarke.

FEBRUARY IS BLACK History Month, but our celebration of all things African should be all year round. Black history is front and centre in my life. During my college years, I was referred to as a race man.

Even now, many describe to me as racist.

My simple response is that Black/African people can be prejudiced, but we can never be racist. We simply do not have the institutional and organizational power to systematically engage in racism.

Africans on the continent or in the diaspora know of everyone else except ourselves. To free ourselves of mental slavery, our task must be to teach ourselves and our children about the glorious African past.

The biggest problem that Africanists and nationalists have with Black History Month (and black history in general) is that, far too often, it begins with the enslavement and the dreaded middle passage.

At least 70,000 years ago, deep in South Africa, traces of modern men and women have been found. In 2002, in the Blombos caves of South Africa, the earliest abstract art was discovered. In Africa, traces of migration routes, art and civilization take us all the way through the Nubian kingdoms that began 7,000 years ago. During that time, millions of Africans lived and died before the idea of the trans-Atlantic slave trade would come into being.

Thousands of years before slavery in the ‘new world’, African kingdoms like the Axum Empire ruled. Other rich civilizations like the Mali or Songhai empires have so much to tell that they alone could fill Black History Month.

Hundreds of years before Columbus stumbled on the Caribbean, Mana Musa, whose kingdom dominated West Africa, was the richest man alive.

Adjusted for inflation, his wealth is estimated to have been more than $400 billion. When he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, he flooded the places he passed with an abundance of gold. Of course, this means he oversaw a complex economy with a rich culture – all overlooked in most basic retellings of black history.

In the 1500s, Leo Africanus wrote of Timbuktu that its king “hath always 3,000 horsemen ... (and) a great store of doctors, judges, priests and other learned men, that are bountifully maintained at the king’s cost and charges.”

Yes Chatoyer, Fedon, Nani, Boukman, Dessalines, Toussaint and Harriet Tubman are heroic and deserve to be highlighted, but the history of black people did not begin with their courageous efforts.

The problem with starting Black History Month off with slavery goes much deeper. It is a formative, emotional, psychological mistake to introduce the history of black people with them as subjugated, enslaved peoples. Yes, it’s simply inaccurate, but it actually does damage – not just to young black children, but to all children, when they are given the distinct impression that black people began as inferior subjects.

The earliest white people that young students of all races learn about are world travellers, inventors, and American presidents like Christopher Columbus, Ben Franklin, and George Washington. From there, students are likely to learn about Michelangelo, Mozart, or Galileo. They may learn about Abe Lincoln, but (white) history never begins or ends with horror or pain.

Of course, the trans-Atlantic slave trade is an important piece in the total history of the African Diaspora, but

starting off with it, strikes me as a suspicious form of white supremacy.

When young white students first see that historical heroes who look like them were the glorious leaders of the world, and that the first black people they learn about were owned like property and lived as mindless slaves picking tobacco, cotton and sugar, what impact do you think that has on their worldview?

To get a clearer liberating view of African history, we need to go way back, almost to the beginning of time. We have started Black History Month off in pre-historic South Africa or in early African Kingdoms to show the true depth and breadth and beauty of blackness or we start off in present day and work ourselves backwards, introducing children first to healthy, relevant, modern examples of black leaders before we move through slavery then back to Africa. Either way, Black History Month must never begin or end with slavery.

Here are some facts we need to know: Mathematics: The invention of mathematics is placed firmly in African prehistory. The oldest known possibly mathematical object is the Lebombo bone, which was discovered in the Lebombo Mountains of Swaziland and dated to approximately 35,000 B.C. Many of the math concepts that are learned in school today were also developed in Africa. Over 35,000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians scripted textbooks about math that included division and multiplication of fractions and geometric formulas to calculate the area and volume of shapes.

Medicine: Many treatments used today in modern medicine were first employed in Africa centuries ago. The earliest known surgery was performed in Egypt around 2750 B.C. Medical procedures performed in ancient Africa before they were performed in Europe include vaccination, autopsy, limb traction and broken bone setting, bullet removal, brain surgery, skin grafting, filling of dental cavities, installation of false teeth, and what is now known as Caesarean sections and anesthesia.

Architecture and Engineering: The African empire of Egypt developed a vast array of diverse structures and great architectural monuments along the Nile, among the largest and most famous of which are the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Giza.

By the 12th century, there were hundreds of great cities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique made of massive stone complexes and huge castle-like compounds. In the 13th century, the empire of Mali boasted impressive cities, including Timbuktu, with grand palaces, mosques and universities unlike anything in Europe at that time.

Mining of Minerals: The oldest known mine on archaeological record is the “Lion Cave” in Swaziland, which radiocarbon dating shows to be about 43,000 years old. The gold mines of Nubia were among the largest and most extensive in the world.

Apart from the foregoing, whether we are talking about metallurgy, navigation, astronomy or art, African people were the pioneering trail blazers on whose shoulders everyone else stands.

As I have said repeatedly to our people, if ever we learn about our true history, we will fly.

Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to jomosanga@gmail.com

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Camillo Gonsalves punishes the poorRemove him as SVG Minister of Finance IN THE 2018 BUDGET, the highly incompetent and unqualified Camillo Gonsalves showed he is a liability to our country and people as the SVG Minister of Finance, by his plan to reduce the Kilowatt hour (kWh) usage threshold for charging VAT down to 150 kWh from 200 kWh. Effective 1st May 2018, this reduction in the kWh threshold for VAT, means that all of VINLEC’s domestic customers who consume 150 units or more monthly will be required to pay 16% VAT on their bill.

The nastiness of reducing the kWh threshold from 200 kWh to 150 kWh means an additional 13 percent of VINLEC consumers will be subjected to the 16%

VAT on their bill.

According to the Leader of SVG Green Party, Warrant Officer Ivan O’Neal, the additional 13 percent of VINLEC consumers who will now be subjected to VAT, will be VINLEC’s poorer consumers.

Camillo Gonsalves is punishing poor people with this tax increase. It is totally unfair and vindictive.

The cost of VINLEC electricity will increase by 16% VAT for usage of 151 kWh and above. This is a direct attack by Camillo Gonsalves on poor people, many of whom are unemployed and already struggle to make ends meet.

Meanwhile, Gonsalves still will not abolish the tax and customs duty

exemptions of hundreds of millions of dollars annually given to the super-rich of Mustique and Canouan.

Lowering the kWh threshold for VAT, will reduce the consumption of VINLEC electricity and reduce the number of VINLEC customers, as more households will find that they cannot afford the price of electricity. This means the number of people paying the 16% VAT for usage of 151 kWh and above will be reduced.

According to Warrant Officer Ivan O’Neal, it is a backwards tax policy and highly regressive as it takes a proportionally greater amount of tax from people on lower income. Camillo Gonsalves’ appointment

as SVG Minister of Finance must be revoked.

The social impact of increasing the price of electricity will be significant on the education of children of the poor, as fewer households will have access to electricity. The long-term negative impact on poor children’s education will be that fewer will gain qualifications, they will be unlikely to get jobs, and their ability to rise out of poverty will be severely reduced.

A few weeks ago, a young child died in SVG from a candle fire in a home which had no electricity. How many more children’s lives must be lost before we have electricity for all at an affordable price?

Rather than increase taxes on poor people and punish poor people, Camillo Gonsalves should be generating new sources of revenue

from new industries in SVG. It is insane for Camillo Gonsalves to lower the VAT threshold to include poor households of 151 kWh usage, when a few blue-fin tuna fish could earn more revenue for the SVG Treasury if SVG had its own tuna fishing and canning industry.

Camillo Gonsalves must start taxing Taiwan and the super-

rich in Mustique and Canouan.

It is unfair for the SVG Minister of Finance to lower the VAT threshold from 200 kWh to 150 kWh and increase taxes on poor households whilst not taxing the rich.

Break the chain - SVG needs change.

SVG Green Party

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 13.

Government

Grenadines students disadvantaged THE STUDENTS of the Grenadines are at a disadvantage.

That is the view of Parliamentary Representative for the Southern Grenadines, Terrence Ollivierre, who made the comment on Monday when the Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) presented its alternative budget at the Party’s headquarters in Kingstown.

“They are far removed from the administrative centre and from the mainland,” he said.

Sixteen students from Mayreau for example, according to Ollivierre, were forced to drop out of school in one year because of the cost of transportation, which he cited as one of the causes of the high number of school dropouts in the Grenadines.

He did not provide the year, however.

“And I have repeatedly asked in

Parliament for something to be done.

There must be equity in the system,” he said.

“Just as how you provide buses, or a subvention for other people, you must help them (students from the Grenadines),” Ollivierre continued.

There were students from Bequia who were successful at the CPEA, he said, and attending some of the best institutions on the mainland, but have been forced to transfer into schools on that Grenadine islands, which, while performing creditably, still lack the overall quality education available on the mainland.

“The playing field must be level,” Ollivierre declared.

Ollivierre called for the construction of a teacher’s quarters in Union Island in order that quality teachers can be assigned to work there; the building of a secondary school on Canouan, and

The Contingency Fund was set up to provide the resource to respond to situations like this flood damage in the North Windward area.

Contingency Fund capitalization continues THE THRUST to capitalize the Contingency Fund, which was introduced last year, continues.

The Fund was set up as a measure aimed at accumulating local resources to assist in the aftermath of a major storm or other adverse weather occurrence.

It was financed initially by funds collected from the 1 percent increase in the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT), which moved then from 15 to 16 percent.

And based on the 2017 Estimates, it was anticipated that as of May 1 — when the new VAT rate took effect — to December 31, the Fund would have accumulated

EC$6.75 million.

During the 2018 Budget address on Monday, Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves announced that the government was expecting to collect EC$11 million towards the Fund for this financial year.

He however pointed out that in the recent rounds of consultations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that, while the government had been commended for the initiative, it was pointed out that the resources collected thus far was insufficient.

“We agree with this assessment, however, the burden that we place on Vincentian

consumers cannot be so onerous as to constitute a drag on economic activity,” he said.

Gonsalves announced two initiatives aimed directly at capitalizing the Fund: the implementation of a nightly $8 levy on hotel, guesthouses and shortterm apartment rentals which is expected to generate EC$1.7 million; US$5 million of the US$67 million World Bank International Development Association 18 allocation to a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT DDO).

This money, according to Gonsalves, is expected to further supplement the local contingency fund capitalization. (DD)

for the establishment of a skills training component for students in the Grenadines.

Students dropped out of school for many reasons, he said, but government has shown no real effort to determine why, far less to provide a solution to the problem, the MP continued.

But in addressing the issue of transportation of students from the Grenadines to the mainland, Herman Belmar, Director of Grenadines Affairs, spoke to a programme set up by the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social Development, etc, through which students can access assistance for transportation.

A call to the Family Affairs Division indicated that the requirements included a formal application, and proof that the student was enrolled.

Applications could also be made by economically disadvantaged students for an allowance for lunch, or transportation or both.

THE VINCENTIAN was told, however, that this programme had not yet become operable and that, as such, there were currently no student receiving such assistance.

Belmar did add that the Tobago Cays Marine Park was involved in providing transportation, free of cost, to the students of Mayreau who attend school in Union Island. (DD)

Terrence Ollivierre, Parliamentary Representative for the Southern Grenadines, not for the first time, highlighted what he saw as the disadvantages that students from the Grenadines face.

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14. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Arts and Culture

RHCDO publishes book of ethno-botany

by GLORIAH...

they undertook over the last year or so has shown their determination to have the cultural heritage of this country well preserved.”

She went on to describe the undertaking as one in keeping with UNESCO’s ‘Memory of the World’ programme, which promotes UNESCO’s mandate of preserving and safeguarding culture.

“We have to give a big applause to those involved in this ethnobotany project here at Rose Hall,” Henry-Rose A section of the audience at the launch. continued, saying used, those still in use, And while he made further, “They produced and the purposes for mention of some of the a herb garden with many which they were used. other projects which the plants that have been The Richmond Vale group had undertaken, used to heal our he described the one y ancestors, and even went Academy, he said, one as “..one of our further to document it in availed itself of the opportunity of going greatest work because a book.” around with the group now we have a document Referring to a recent that we can say, ‘We signing by this country of beginning from at an area called ‘Lemme have done this!’” the Convention that He thanked UNESCO safeguards the intangible Lone’; to what is called ‘The Village’. and Mrs. Henry-Rose for cultural heritage, she The information, affording them the proffered, “Vincentians, readily gathered from opportunity to realize therefore, need not be eager villagers, was such a project that The UNESCO point afraid of making public documented, and “belongs to Rose Hall”. our traditions, festivals, herbalists were invited to In her address, Mrs. craftsmanship and so work with the group to Patel extends high Henry-Rose declared that on.” research and assign the praise the ceremony was a scientific names of the testimony of the teamThe RHCDO viewpoint plants.

Hon. Roland ‘Patel’ work between UNESCO Common roots used as Matthews expressed his and SVG, a collaboration Selwyn Patterson of medicines were also pleasure at witnessing in education, the the RHCDO presented investigated, Patterson the occasion. He said, Sciences, ICT, and details on the project. said.

“This project that we are culture, formalized He related how, once With the closing here today is, when this country joined the group embraced the documentation intact, a indeed, very historic in the UNESCO family in idea, its members herb garden was the sense that I’ve never 1983. proceeded to visiting established to include the heard of any community “Amidst all the with community challenges,” she said, “we members, to solicit their propogation of many of in St. Vincent and the the herbs under all should be proud of the knowledge about the Grenadines taking on investigation.

RHCDO. The project herbs that were once such a project of getting

realized a project which culminated with the THE ROSE HALL CULTURAL production of the ethnoand Development botany of the Rose Hall Organization (RHCDO) has community.

On Wednesday, 23rd January, the organization held a ceremony at the Rose Hall Community Centre to give information on the work done and to launch the book.

The publication is, as its name implies, ‘a scientific study of the traditional knowledge and customs of plants, and their medical, religious, and other uses’.

Presiding over the launch was agriculturalist and Pastor, Mr. Dan Richards. Other officials Mrs. Janelle Henry-Rose included Mrs. Jinelle described the RHCDO Henry-Rose, Secretary of undertaking and the UNESCO in St. Vincent eventual publication as and the Grenadines; something of which all Hon. Roland ‘Patel’ Vincentians should be Matthews, proud.

Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward; and Mr. Selwyn Patterson, activist and foundation member of the RHCDO.

Mr. Selwyn Patterson of EHCDO gave a comprehensive review of the work that was involved in realizing the publication.

information from the older folks of the community about uses put to plants.”

He recalled that older folks used many plants for ailments when he was growing up, and he was happy that the current document could be available to incoming generations.

The rRepresentative called the project “a job well done,” and wondered why the virtues of the marijuana herb were not explored.

He encouraged the group to make this their next target.

Whatever the next project of the RHCDO will be, the current book on the ethno-botany of Rose Hall is here to stay.

A copy has been promised to the Rose Hall library and the library of the Rose Hall Primary School.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 15.

Arts and Culture

A section of Blondie Bird and Friends’ 2016 presentation on parade at Victoria Park.

A section of Blondie Bird and Friends’ 2017 parade at Little Tokyo.

Put back mas in Victoria Park: continues to bring traditional mas, despite the move, in recent years, towards “bath suit and feathers”.

“Victoria Park is my had no place for people to theatre; there is my shelter.”

Hollywood, there is where I Boyde is also of the view does go and perform. Round that most of the people who dey have all the facilities. Mas journey to Kingstown on in Little Tokyo is dotishness,” Carnival Tuesday to view the Boyde said. parade of the bands on the THE VINCENTIAN was streets, did not come into town reliably informed that until about 4 p.m. last year, discussion were still ongoing because they were not pleased as to whether or not Tuesday with the decision to put mas in mas will be held at Victoria Little Tokyo.

Park this year.

Boyde, who has been involved in mas Right: Elroy ‘Blondie Bird’ Boyde is for almost his entire never one to conceal his feelings on life, said his band any issue related to mas.

Little Tokyo is a ‘big stone’ VETERAN MASMAN and leader of Blondie Bird and Friends Mas Band - Elroy ‘Blondie Bird’ Boyde is calling on Minister of Culture Cecil ‘Ces’ Mc Kie and the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) to put back Tuesday Mas in Victoria Park.

Boyde described last year’s removal of Tuesday Mas from its traditional venue, as “an insult to our national pride and dignity.”

Speaking with THE VINCENTIAN on Tuesday of last week, Boyde said there were two shows on Carnival

Tuesday, last year, one at the Windward Bus Terminal at Little Tokyo and the other uptown.

Describing the venue at Little Tokyo as a “big stone,” Boyde added, “Putting mas in Little Tokyo was the worst thing to ever happen to me in all my over 50 years in mas.

“When they put we on the ‘big stone’ in Little Tokyo last year, we lost all pride in ourselves. We didn’t have no stage and no spectators.

Suppose rain did come, they

Mustique ‘Blues’ makes a bang at Villa

by CARLYLE DOUGLAS THE 2018 MUSTIQUE BLUES FESTIVAL climaxed with a bang, at the Mangoes Restaurant at Villa, on mainland St. Vincent.

This, the 22nd edition of the internationally acclaimed festival conceived and orchestrated by Basil Charles of Basil’s Bar fame, had its usual opening act in Mustique, joined

in the recent Bequia Music Fest, and then journeyed to mainland St. Vincent.

THE VINCENTIAN caught up with its last leg on Friday, Feb 2nd at Mangoes, and witnessed and participated (dancing) in what was nothing short of a delightful evening.

The cast of ten acts featured the ‘Who’s Who in the world of Blues’: Joe Louis Walker, Ian Seigal, Rich Estrin,

There was no stopping the crowd from getting into it, especially when Skip Martin took the stage.

Matt Gest, Murali Coryell, Tia Gouttebel, Amar Sundy, Anthony Cage, John Bradford and Skip Martin, former vocalist/trumpeter of Kool and The Gang and vocalist for the Grammy Award winning ‘Let it whip’ with the Dazz Band.

As many of his generation would have expected, it was Martin who whipped the crowd into a frenzy, starting with an Instrumental version of Michael Jackson’s ‘Human Nature’ and then breaking into the hits of Kool and The Gang including ‘Ladies Night’, ‘Ooh la la la’ and ‘Celebration’ . His approximately one hour was not enough for the dancing crowd, and he was coerced into an encore, which even had Producer Basil Charles, dancing away as though in a trance.

While Martin’s genre of music is not Blues typically, his energetic performance — trumpet playing and vocal range - made him stand out, without chasing away the Blues.

Skip Martin brought the audience to its feet with his vocals and ‘cool’ trumpet pieces.

Left: Tia Gouttebel thrilled with a deep Blue Rhythms and rifts on the guitar.

V Building on a Garifuna base 16. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Heritage

AN INTERNATIONAL GARIFUNA conference on the theme: ‘Balliceaux: sacred lands or economic opportunity,’ is scheduled for March 12. That is a high point of National Heroes and Heritage Month activities held under the auspices of the Garifuna Heritage Foundation.

Dr. Yanique Hume, Lecturer at the Department of Cultural Studies, University of the

West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, will address the conference.

Vanessa Demirciyan, Director Alliance Francaise, St. Vincent and the Grenadines outlined aspects of that segment last Tuesday. Events run from March 8 to 24.

David ‘Darkie’ Williams, President of the Garifuna Heritage Foundation, looked forward to the staging of

Cultural Market Place set for Heritage Square. This is the fourth year of such presentation, and Williams is pleased that a platform is there for local craft people to make money. The Handicraft Centre and the Adult and Continuing Education Department are involved in this venture.

Williams, known in the cultural arena for drumming, poetry, and

drama, is combining his talents in the creation of a play entitled ‘Mali’.

It features a full-fledged youth cast, and Williams predicts it will be different from the norm.

“The play seeks to use an element of Garifuna

culture to explore issues faced daily by women across the Caribbean and beyond,” Williams declared.

The play incorporates music, poetry, drama, story-telling and dance.

There are other areas emphasising the importance of youths in building on Garifuna Heritage. This Garifuna Folk Festival has attracted 21 primary and secondary schools.

Aldia Dyer, representing the Education Ministry, committed her Ministry to an “holistic’ development of the student. She is happy to support any measure aimed at cultural preservation. The Ministry is working to ensure that “children appreciate the rich legacy of the Garifuna story,” according to Dyer.

She determined that the Folk Festival, set for Victoria Park, March 9, will be “educating, entertaining and stimulating.”

Claydonna Peters, from Ministry of Culture, also expressed delight that her area has been incorporated.

The Folk Festival will be observed under the theme: ‘Children of Chatoyer, Fruits of our Heritage.’

The students will parade from Bishop’s College Kingstown to

(L-R): Vanessa Demirciyan - Director Alliance Francaise, Claydonna Peters Ministry of Culture, Aldia Dyer – Ministry of Education and David Williams - President of the Garifuna Heritage Foundation, addressed the launch of a programme of events for the celebration of National Heroes and Heritage Month.

Victoria Park, accompanied by the Police band, and C. W. Prescod Primary School Marching Band. The procession will be decorated by the yellow, black and white colours which signify Garifuna resistance.

In addition to emphasis on youth, activities centre on matters far impacting and far reaching. An executive body of a CARICOM version is to be elected to serve an Indigenous and Tribal People’s network. The movement arose from ‘Impact Justice’ a project funded by the Government of Canada. A seminar in October 2017 in Guyana laid the groundwork for the extension of operations.

This grew out of American Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was adopted by the Organisation of American States in June 2016.

V

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 17.

People

Statement

by CAFRA on the Yugge Farrell issue CAFRA TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO joins in the expressions of concern and alarm over the treatment of 22-year-old Yugge Farrell by the administration of justice in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

We take note that Yugge Farrell was charged with using abusive, insulting and offensive language against the spouse of the Minister of Finance, who is also the son of the Prime Minister and Minister of Legal Affairs, and with whom she has alleged had been in a relationship.

As an organisation committed to confronting unequal power relations between women and men, between the state and individuals and inequalities in society, CAFRA TT is troubled by this case. We wonder whether the police of St. Vincent and the Grenadines routinely charge the many persons who insult or curse each other in public places.

And if not, as we suspect, we ask what were the considerations of the police in charging this 22-year-old woman. We wonder why the resources and the attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions were engaged with this rather minor charge. We question why Ms. Farrell was sent to a mental health institution for observation when she indicated that she intended to plead not guilty and was represented by an attorney.

Many women’s rights and social justice advocates across the region following this case, are questioning whether the administration of justice has functioned in a nonbiased and fair manner.

We seek to understand the motivations for what seems to be a disproportionate wielding of state power against this young woman.

Given the persons involved in this case, directly or indirectly, and

Yugge Farrell the tremendous differences in positional power among them, the responsibility is on the State to show how the conduct of this case, from investigation, charging and prosecution, was consistent with other cases of this type. The police and the prosecution have a rule of law obligation to show how their pursuit of this case was ‘as usual’ and not, by contrast, extraordinary and targeted.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, like other Caribbean countries, has a high per capita rate of sexual violence. Domestic violence is prevalent with very few charges laid by the police and even fewer perpetrators prosecuted. Yet a 22year-old woman, using what can only be described as very mild language in the context of the sexualized and violent invective women hear every day on our streets, has been exposed to the heavy hand of the law. She was deprived of her liberty for three weeks in a mental health institution before she was granted bail. This charge hangs over her head with the case adjourned to December 2018.

CAFRA TT expresses its solidarity with Yugge Farrell and all social justice advocates following this case across the Caribbean. We call for an independent inquiry by the relevant authorities into the administration of justice’s conduct of this case. (Submitted)

18. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 19.

Tribute

Clarke pays tribute to Lloyd Lewis

by NELSON A. KING naking@verizon.net; kingnaking210@yahoo.com

US CORRESPONDENT FRANK ‘MONTY’ CLARKE, a Washington, D.C.-based tax accountant and former treasurer/public relations officer of the Sion Hill Sports and Cultural Club, has paid tribute to the late, popular former manager of the Sion Hill Cricket Club and long-standing curator of the Sion Hill Playing Field, Lloyd Eli Lewis.

Lewis, renowned as ‘manager’ and ‘Barber Lloyd’, died at his home in Roseau, Sion Hill, in capital Kingstown, on Jan. 22. He was 81.

Lewis, a former Customs Officer in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and popular barber, spearheaded the establishment of the Sion Hill Playing Field before it was re-developed for the 2007 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in the West Indies.

Clarke, a former Counselor and Alternative Representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the Washington, D.C.-based Organization of American States (OAS), said Lloyd’s “energetic behavior was exhibited repeatedly in the manner he devoted a significant amount of his time to the development of the Sion Hill Playing Field.

“Every year, from when he began taking care of the matting wicket, to the introduction of turf wickets, he would present his plans to the management team of the Sion Hill United Cultural and Sports Club for consideration and possible approval,” he said about Lewis, whom he affectionately called ‘manager’. After approval, he was relentless at implementing these development plans. “‘Manager’ must be commended for the leadership role he played in transforming the ground,” Clarke added.

“By the addition of turf wickets, and increasing the acreage of the facility, from the time he took the baton from those who came before him, to the current curator(s), it was quite a significant effort on his part, and a study in best practices for other Vincentian communities.”

There are many who would support the naming of the Sion Hill Playing Field in Lloyd Lewis’ honour.

More than a curator But Clarke said the Sandy Bay-born Lewis did not limit himself to the curator and infrastructural work at the playing field, “because he was equally involved in the fundraising aspect of the development.

“He led by example, in leading one of many teams of young men and women from the community, in traversing the towns and villages of the mainland — from Chateaubelair to Fancy, and the Grenadine islands of Bequia and Union Island — to sell raffle tickets to assist in generating revenue for the club, including playing field development,” Clarke said.

He said another area of revenue generation, where Lewis provided leadership, was in the selling of national lottery “scratchy” tickets, “which also provided employment for some youngsters of the popular Sion Hill community. “’Manager not only ‘talk the talk’, but he poured his maximum physical effort into whatever fundraising project was on deck,” said Clarke in his tribute, read at the Lewis’s funeral on Monday at the Kingstown Methodist Church. “He was an inspiration and a cheerleader to all of us, young men and women coming of age in the Sion Hill community, who observed his work ethic from the close proximity we all had.”

The visionary In addition, Clarke said Lewis was very tenacious, stating that this was “on full display whenever his ideas and plans did not receive initial approval from the club or anyone else.

“Such outcomes would refresh him,” Clarke said.

“His tactic was to retreat, then recalibrate his efforts by adjusting his methods and procedures to satisfy the necessary requirement to obtain future approval.”

He said that Lewis, whom he described as having “a big heart,” was also “a great visionary,” stating that this trait was borne out in the manner in which he focused on individual player development in the club, playing field development at Sion Hill and, later on, playing field development island-wide.

In the early 1970s, when Lewis began his campaign to re-invent Sion Hill Cricket, after the days of veterans, such as Irvin Millington and the late Kerwin Webb, Clarke said Lewis was instrumental in having two teams from Sion Hill compete in the Narvo Shield (2nd Division) Competition in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

But, within a few years, Clarke said the stronger of these teams — including former West Indies fast bowler Winston Davis, Jerome Samuel, and Carlos and Monty Sealey — gained promotion to compete in the Frazer-Neckles Cup (1st Division).

“This strategic decision to expose more young men to domestic cricket, was vindicated by a steady stream of talented young men from the community representing the national team during the 1980s and 90s,” said Clarke, adding that Lewis’s proudest moment came on Thursday, April 28, 1983, when Davis made his West Indies test debut at the Recreation Ground in St. John’s, Antigua.

“It was one of the few times I saw him shed a tear, because it was quite emotional for him,” Clarke said about Lewis.

Praise from those who know But he said the high point of Lewis’s “journey”, another proud moment, came on Mar. 9, 2007, after the warm-up 50 overs match, in preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup across the Caribbean. England played Australia at the Sion Hill Playing Field.

“He told me by telephone afterwards how

Lloyd Lewis (above) made his mark within and beyond the boundaries of the cricket field.

contented and gratified he felt to be told by Michael Vaughan, the English captain, of his satisfaction with the match wicket, and the encouraging words he received from Ricky Ponting, the Australian skipper,” Clarke said.

He said Lewis was a “self-made cricket ground curator,” who “had no formal training but he picked up bits and pieces from the likes of the late

Frankie Thomas [cricket administrator], and also Mike Findlay [former West Indies wicket keeper and manager] and Lennox John [former president of the Windward Islands Cricket Board].”

Lewis was interred at the Kingstown Cemetery last week Monday, last Monday, after the funeral service. He is survived by wife, Ethel ‘Chemist’” Lewis, children and grandchildren, and the cricket fraternity.

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20. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

Free yourself of her grip

not giving any to me.

Played

Dear George, I DID SOME time in jail for something my girlfriend encouraged me to do. I wanted to please her.

Before that, I had never got in trouble with the law.

I am now out of prison and she is digging horrors to be seen with me. From what she is saying, she does not want to be seen with a man who was in prison.

I understand from a friend that she is dealing

with somebody else which would explain why she does not want to be seen with me. I asked her a couple of times if there is a future for us, and she always say the same thing; “One day at a time.”

I need answers and she is

Dear Played, It is unfortunate that you allowed yourself to be sucked into a situation of actually committing a crime on your girlfriend’s prompting. I guess you are wiser now. Use that

wisdom to guide you now.

Your partner should be someone who wants the best for you, and would certainly not want you to get into conflict with the law. You should not be seeking answers from her because you have the only answer that you need,

which is: Your girlfriend is bad new,s and you ought to safeguard your future by choosing a woman whose dreams and outlook on life are compatible to yours.

George

Pregnant?

Not for me!!

Dear George, I CAUGHT my girlfriend with that thing you use to give pregnancy results. She was using it in the bathroom. I walked in on her accidentally and caught her with it in her hand.

I asked her what was she was doing and she mumbled some jumbo nonsense.

George, the reason why this is a big deal, is that my girlfriend said she was a virgin, and was waiting for marriage before she has sex with me. We have been together now for eight months, and for those eight months she had me on dry dock. She is now begging me not to leave, and is saying she has an explanation for having the pregnancy test.

I asked her to just leave me alone and go where she can be free to

take as many pregnancy tests as she wants.

Shocked down Dear Shocked down, There would be no need for anyone to be doing a pregnancy test if they did not think that a possibility exists that they might be pregnant.

Your girlfriend would have to be sexually active to be fearing that she might be pregnant.

You do not want to be someone who thinks that it is OK to play with your emotions.

Getting married to her with this dreaded secret could have proven disastrous to you emotionally. Do not, however, let this setback deter you from seeking that special person with whom to share your dreams and your life.

George

Get rid of that hair Dear George, Dear Ant-facial hair, MY GIRL HAS A PROBLEM with facial hair. She has what you would call a moustache. I have calmly told her that she needs to get rid of it as I feel like I am kissing a man, and that caressing her in the dark gives me the creepy impression that I am in bed with a man. But, she gets defensive and accuses me of picking on her because she belongs to me.

George, am I wrong to think that once she loves me that she is supposed to do everything to please me, including shaving that horrible moustache?

I have said it to her in plain language: Either she shaves or ship out.

Asking your friend to shave her facial hair ought not to be a problem at all and therefore, there should be no need to argue about it. She should do this not only to please you but for her own regular upkeep.

If facial hair on a woman affects you that greatly and if she is unwilling to make the accommodation, then maybe, just maybe, it’s time you say: “Either you shave up or ship out.”

You have the right to know who you want in your life as a partner, and that person should be in sync with you in more ways than one.

Anti-facial hair,

George

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21‐ April 20) Don't trust others with private information that could be used against you. You can make money if you put your savings into conserva‐ tive investments. You can have an enjoyable time if you socialize with friends. You need a break from your daily routine.

TAURUS (Apr. 21‐ May 21) You must follow your desires and dreams.

You can bet officials will be waiting for you when you do. Be discreet about your feelings, and hold back until you find out a little more about the person who's coming on to you. If you take on too much, you will find yourself in martyrdom.

GEMINI (May 22‐June 21) You will be ready to jump on anyone who gets in the way of your progress this week.

Find out what they're up to, and see if you can pick up where you left off. Opportunities to meet new lovers will I come through pleas‐ ure trips or social events. Use your energy wisely.

CANCER (June 22‐July 22) Try not to be overly generous. Opportunities to show your worth will enhance your reputa‐ tion and bring possible advancement. Discuss your objectives with partners or peers.

Educational courses will be stimulating and successful.

LEO (July 23‐Aug 22) You can enhance your reputation if you treat family and friends with respect and dignity.

You will find it easy to learn and excel. It's time to get yourself back on track. Get think‐ ing about prolonging longevity.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 ‐Sept. 23) If they don't want to get involved, work by yourself. Opportunities may come up at pres‐ tigious affairs. You have been going through a period of change that has caused problems for you with your loved ones. You can enjoy

doing things that include children.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 ‐Oct. 23) You can get phenomenal returns if you pres‐ ent your ideas to those who can back your interests. You can get your point across if you don't beat around the bush. Don't overload your plate. Opportunities for travel must be carefully considered.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 ‐ Nov. 22) Emotionally you won't see things accurately.

Pamper yourself for a change. You may have a problem with coworkers if you try to tell them what to do. Your emotions are fluctuating, so be careful not to say things you'll regret.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 ‐Dec. 21) You will communicate with ease this week.

Love and romance are evident. Find an outlet for any mounting frustration. Consider a cre‐ ative hobby. You will find that valuable knowl‐ edge can be gained if you are willing to listen.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.‐ Jan. 20) Your concern with older family members and those less fortunate than yourself will only add to your attractiveness. You're on the right track and you can make money if you are will‐ ing to go out on a limb. Don't make large pur‐ chases or investments. You can find solutions if you are willing to communicate.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.‐ Feb. 19) Try to spend some time on your own. Travel will lead you in new directions. You can mes‐ merize anyone you meet with your cultured attitude and outlook. Don't let those close to you get under your skin.

PISCES (Feb. 20‐Mar. 20) Refrain from overspending on entertainment or luxury items. Take care of any pressing health problems. Put your money into a safe place that will ensure a profit if you let it sit long enough. Make plans to meet again in the near future.

ACROSS 4. Snakelike fish 8. Large burrowing African mammal 11. Sprouts 13. Meadow 14. Flagrant 15. Charged particles 17. Greek goddess of the dawn 18. Remain 19. Pungent bulb 21. High‐pitched 22. In bed 24. Alkali 27. Stated 29. racket 31. Doctor 33. Cushions 35. Apiece 36. A person that uses 38. Tear roughly 40. Small tree 42. Tibetan oxen 43. Spoken 15. Cockroach 49. Malt beverage 50 . To be unwell 51. Psalms collectively 52. Second son of Adam and Eve DOWN 1. Small galley 2. The Muse of astronomy 3. I have 4. Mistake 5. Supplements 6. Ring used in the game of

quoits 7. Donkeys 9. Great age 10. Period of human life 11. Christian writings 12. A failure 16. Weeps 20. Tides that attain the least height 21. Affirmative vote 23. Clock face 25. Truth 26. Nonsense 28. June 6, 1944 29. Bleat of a sheep

30. Definite article 31. Quarrel 32. King mackerel 34. Covered with scabs 35. Scottish Gaelic 37. Rustic 39. Supplement

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 21.

41. Aromatic fragrance 44. The Lion 46. Label 47. Falsehood 48. Former measure of length

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22. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Opinion

THE FIRST ANTI-CANCER VACCINE: A response to Anesia Baptiste

FINAL PART

by DR. JERROL THOMPSON retracted then republished MD / MPH Infectious 3 years later in a minor Disease Specialist. journal. (b) Dr. Sears compared aluminium in 9. THE RETRACTED intravenous nutrition RESEARCH: Four doctors: products for preemie (a) Dr. Sin Hung Lee babies to aluminium in published a Dwoskin intramuscular vaccines.

Foundations financed The wrong guidelines were study that: Aluminium used — and paper was found in brains of retracted. However the mice; and Detection of biggest retraction since HPV-L1 gene DNA Wakefield’s happened on fragments in an autopsy August 10, 2017, four after Gardasil. It was months ago and labelled

kindly as “antivaccine pseudoscience”. Notorious antivaxx researchers (c) Christopher Shaw & Tomljenovic quoted by Anesia and relied on by (d) Professor Exley had published in the infamous Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry an awful paper asserting that aluminium compounds activate inflammationrelated genes in the brains of mice pups, causing

brain damage (autism).

The article was discovered to have (amateurish, altered, photoshoped-like) image duplications; the deliberate removal of control results; glaring data reuse from earlier Shaw publications and other problems raising speculation, if the experiments were ever performed at all. This led to the article’s unceremonious retraction.

Shaw’s admission “Our own analysis showed some figures had been altered.

We requested the retraction because we could not understand how that had happened. We felt the data had been compromised. He also blamed Dr. Lee’s flawed claims. But Shaw had prior retractions on vaccine side effects. In February 2016, article: “Behavioural abnormalities in mice due to Aluminium and Gardasil” the journal Vaccine had temporarily removed then retracted — It was republished in July 2016 in Immunologic Research, another disreputable, for-profit, open access journal. These retractions highlight the level of irresponsible intellectual inbreeding among antivaxx researchers. Anti-vax sites are notorious for making the same errors, caught in a whirlpool of devious, retracted, falsified data being diced, repackaged and recirculated for a profit. I will be told by Anesia to Know my Place and my Limits. I can take that, but the way that she insulted good hardworking, honest, Medical professionals was disgraceful, and she knows better. She claims fighting a philosophical war, intelligently for the security of the nation, but really she owes this nation an apology.

Then there is Japan, another great example of how “vaccine panic” can take off and how hard it can be to undo, even with the best of efforts. In Japan, another mouse study authored by Dr. Shuichi Ikeda, claimed that the vaccine was harmful to mice brains, and purported to show that rodents injected with the vaccine had suffered brain damage. Slides from the study were widely shown on Japan’s TV programmes, but the study was never replicated in humans. He suggested that some girls suffered a neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in a video. Due to the public alarm, the Japanese Health Ministry stopped the proactive recommendation of the vaccine, “in consideration for the victims.” While keeping it in the national immunization program, it did not ban the vaccine, but vaccination rates fell from 70% to 1%. Another research doctor, Dr. Riko Muranaka, in a shocking journalist expose’, tracked

dow and revealed the source of the slide. The real researchers involved told her the experiment had involved only one (1) mouse being injected with each vaccine, and that the mouse brain showed by Ikeda was not even the one injected with HPV vaccine. On November 30th , 2017, her work won the 2017 John Maddox Prize for Standing up for Science which recognizes the work of individuals anywhere in the world who promote sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest.

Dr. Ikeda sued for defamation, but the deadly deed had been done, for each year, 28,000 women in Japan are diagnosed with cervical cancer and around 3,000 die. As Ikeda also used videos purporting to show young girls suffering mysterious side effects. The Health Ministry after an intense study said “it could find no link between the HPV vaccine and the neurological symptoms”.

Only 43 adverse events out of around 3.3 million HPV vaccinations were ever reported. It also concluded that Dr. Ikeda had not fabricated data but they criticised him for presenting preliminary data on just a single mouse as conclusive research. The defamation case is pending, but it prompted Japan’s Health Ministry to also disown Dr Ikeda in an unusual statement November 2017 (last month), saying “Dr Ikeda bears a large social responsibility for inviting public misunderstanding through his inappropriate announcement,” HPV vaccines can prevent this disease, and it is expected that Japan will restore its recommendation.

In July 2017, one of the largest 100,000-person study in China showed a combination of HPV vaccine with Pap smear screening was highly costeffective and significantly reduces HPV infectionrelated disease. I want to strongly recommend to patents in SVG, the first HPV-Anti-Cancer Vaccine and other vaccinations that have served us so well. I don’t have drug company stock or anything to sell, much less cold pressed coconut oil. I am writing in defence of our nation, to promote and protect the health of all Vincentians, The motives of the DRP are quite clearsimply to scare and mislead our people.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 23.

Piggott takes BCK athletics title

Action among the senior females in the BCK Intra House Athletics Meet.

PIGGOTT HOUSE, with a total of 736 points, raced away with top honors at the recently staged 2018

Bishop’s College Kingstown Intra House Athletics Meet.

Woodroffe House was

second with 608 points, on 434 points. third was Jackson House In the individual - 547 points, and Friday category, Julicia Jack House in fourth position emerged as Female

Junior champion with 28 points, while Desron Quammie took that award for the Male Juniors with 30 points.

The Female Intermediate champ was Aaliyah John with 31 points, while Record breaker Romar Romar Stapleton Stapleton. was the Male champ Stapleton, however, stole on 27 points. the day with two recordRykiesha Jack breaking runs in the captured the Female Intermediate Division for Senior champ with 23 Males. His time of points, and Chrisheur 10.84secs smashed the Harry top the Male existing 11.08 record for Senior category with 33 the 100m, and he also points. erased the 400m record John was the Vitric Ludorum and Chrisheur of 56.32 secs when he clocked 52.21 secs.

Harry the Victor Ludorum.

Piggott House’s Romar Stories by I.B.A.ALLEN

Blessed Ann Marie: SJCM Athletics Champs BLESSED ANN MARIE HOUSE (Blue) amassed 625 points to emerge champions of the St Joseph’s Convent Mariaqua Athletics Meet, when the school held their ‘sports day’ at the Arnos Vale Playing Field last week.

In second position was St Michael House (Green) with 596 points, ahead of St Francis (Yellow) third on 585, followed

by Joan of Arc (Red) in fourth

position on 582 points.

The Junior Boys champ was Kharmanie Samuel of Blessed Ann Marie, and the Junior Girls champ Brianna McIniss of Joan of Arc. St. Michael dominated the Relay action for the Senior Boys at the SJCM 2018 Athletics Meet.

Intermediate division, with Shemar Wilks taking the Boys That House also ran away Fego Pope took the top Male Henry ran away with the Girls title and Grenisha Thomas the with the top Senior titles and award and was the Meets title and was crowned Victrix Girls.

Ludorum. overall individual champions. Victor Ludorum. Ronecia

Morgan confident ahead of Penn Relays RAWLSON MORGAN, coach of the St Vincent Grammar School team set to participate in the 2018 Penn Relays, is confident it will perform better than it did at last year’s Relays.

“The guys look a lot better at this point,” Morgan said, adding that he used the team’s participation in the recent Team Athletes Relay Classics, to measure the athletes’ progress.

That 4x4 relay team recorded a time of 3min 36 secs, well within the Penn Relays’ required standard of 3min 40 secs.

“We will be going Grenada this coming weekend to compete in an event where we will determine which time we will submit for the Penn Relays,” Morgan explained.

Hesaid that the team’s training has been ongoing since last summer — including

particicpation in a number of local competitions.

But Morgan is aware that his 2017 Penn relay team recorded a time of 3 min 27 sec, while other schools were doing 3 min 8 secs.

“For us to achieve this time, the athletes have to be more committed,” he noted.

But despite all the challenges, personal and otherwise, Morgan is working hard with the

athletes to get them into “the best possible shape for the big stage.”

Training is ongoing at the Sion Hill playing field where there is a 400 meters track, which provides the opportunity for the athletes to get used to the standard distance while working on their tactical demands of the race.

“Persons go to the Penn Relays with different objectives in

minds, but for most athletes, the benefits are not immediate… athletes usually have to wait for a few years to reap the benefit,” Morgan said as he addressed the usefulness of participating in the Penn Relays.

The SVGS Penn Relay team is comprised of Javorn Rallons, Javornie Lavia, Ethan Mayers, Rawlson Morgan – Head Zuica Charles, Handel Coach of the St. Vincent Roban, and Jaden Grammar School.

Delpleche.

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24. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

Avenues set for Regional Club Championships AVENUES UNITED winners of the 2017 St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation’s Premier Division of the National Football Club Championships, is priming

for a return to the Regional Club competition.

Avenues, whose last outing at this level was in 2010, will be this country’s sole representative, on what

is set to be a revamped format of the Championship.

In 2017, local champion System Three Sports Academy and runner- up- Bequia United, were this

country’s entries in the Regional Club competition.

System Three Sports Academy hosted one of the groups, while Bequia United travelled to Antigua and Barbuda on their maiden sojourn.

Neither System Three Sports Academy nor Bequia United advanced from the group stage.

Avenues United is among 12 clubs from across the region which have won their national competitions, but which are not fully professionalized. They will compete in Tier Two of the new format.

Others in this mix are: Avenues United

SV Deportivo Nacional of Aruba; Weymouth Wales — Barbados; Real Rincon — Bonaire; Bodden Town - Cayman Islands; RKSV Centro Dominguito — Curacao; Hard Rock Sports Club — Grenada; USR SainteRose - Guadeloupe; Guyana Defence Force Guyana; Club Franciscain — Martinique; Cayon — St Kitts and Nevis and Inter MoengotapoeSuriname.

Tier Two is set to kick off in the first week of April this year, with the twelve units placed in three groups of four.

Tier One began last week in Trinidad and Tobago and the

Dominican Republic, featuring the two top professional clubs from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as the full professional clubs.

The winner of Tier Two will face the fourth place in Tier One in a playoff match to determine the third club that will represent the Caribbean in the 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.

The winner of the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship will qualify directly to the 2019 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

TBPO hosts inaugural NineA- Side Football Competition THE DAUPHINE Playing Field will be the venue for the next two months, as the Top Belair Progressive Organisation (TBPO) host the inaugural Coreas Distribution/COMSPORTS) Nine- A Side Football Competition.

The competition kicked off last Saturday.

Speaking on behalf of the Organising Committee at the opening ceremony on Saturday, Junior Bacchus said that it was smooth sailing in getting the competition from

conceptualisation to implementation.

Bacchus revealed that the sponsors, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, the SVG Referees Association and the National Sports Council, all readily sided with them in bringing the competition to fruition.

“I have not had in the number of years of organising, a group of people from the first approach, their answer to us was, yes,” Bacchus confirmed.

Last Saturday’s opening also ushered in the completion of a bleacher which can accommodate about 120 spectators; an addition to the Dauphine Playing Field, which Bacchus highlighted.

Beside Bacchus, First Vice President of the SVGFFOtashie Spring, Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture-

Catalans’ Fitzroy Shallow starts one Ces Mc Kie, Carlton James of Coreas of his team’s attacks during last Distribution and Michael John of Saturday’s opening fixture at the COMSPORTS, addressed the Dauphine Playing Field. ceremony.

A feature of the opening ceremony Rollers got past Roma 3-1. Juma Jilkes was the adjudication of the best scored two of the goals for 1998 dressed team on show, but the judges Hillside Rollers, and Shaun Durham, were locked in their decision and the other. Roma’s goal was scored by awarded Groove Street Ballers Ashwin Richards.

Catalans and Computec Older Boys as On Monday, Adamo Johnson, Shane joint winners.

Jackson, and Kevin Audain scored a However, Catalans distanced goal each for Street Kickers in a 3-2 Computec Older Boys when the two win over Dream FC. Joborn squared off in the opening fixture.

Cunningham netted both goals for A hat trick from Najima Burgin, a Dream FC. brace from Jowan Sawyers and a Dan The other teams in the competition Laborde strike, saw Catalans are Coreas Distribution Older Boys, Groove Street Ballers triumphing 6-1.

Sentry Insurance Champions, Catalans.

Tyrone Shooting Stars and Royal Roots.

Prince All ten teams will face each other in scored the round robin format. The top four Computec teams will advance to the semi-finals, Older Boys’ to determine the winner.

VINCENTIAN, Jummone Exeter effort last Saturday, measured on show on the US indoor circuit lone goal.

At stake is $1500 for the first place; on consecutive Saturdays, won 15.36 metres. last weekend.

Then on $1000 for the second place, and $500the Men’s triple jump titles at US The previous Saturday, at the Shafiqua Maloney, running for Sunday, third place. track and field meets.

Art and Linda Mailett University South Illinois University at the 1998 Also there will be awards for standExeter, competing for the St of North Carolina Open, Exeter, Vanderblitz Music City Challenge Hillside out players.

Augustine University, was the who won the Triple Jump at the in Nashville, Tennessee, was best at the Triple Jump event at Penn Relays in 2016, had a best 13th in the women’s 400m. She the Central leap of 14.88 metres to take the clocked 54.96 seconds. A time of Inter- Collegiate gold medal.

24.55 seconds, put her 10th in the Athletics But he fell outside the medal 200m.

Association distribution in the Long Jump, as And, competing for (CIAA) Indoor his 6.93m, could only put him in Kingsborough College at the championships fourth place.

David Henry Valentine that took place Also last Saturday, fellow Invitational was the Vincentian in Winston, Vincentian and St Augustine pair of Shantal Rouse and Zenron Salem, North University student — Brandon Chance.

Carolina.

Parris, placed fourth in the 400m Rouse’s clocking in the Named the in a time of 49.86sec. This run Women’s 60m prelims was 7.78 2016 CIAA bettered his time of 50.65 secs seconds and she timed 24.99 Indoor Field of which placed him sixth at the seconds in the 200m. the Year, North Carolina Open.

Chance’s time in the Men’s Jummone Exeter’s winning There were other Vincentians 400m was 51.28 seconds.

Exeter Computec Older Boys

Exeter wins double TJ titles at US meets

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 25.

Sports

Everything to prove IT WILL HAVE to be a case of seizing the moment and going with the momentum. There will be no space for complacency; it will be the ultimate battle of revival.

That’s what the West Indies will face when they go into the qualifying stage for the 2019 World Cup. Everyone has taken to ridiculing the 1975 and 1979 champions. Since they missed the hat trick in 1983, it has been an empty plate as far as World Cup trophies are concerned.

The Champions trophy and T/20 titles are symbolic and significant, but there is an added prestige to the World Cup title.

That we have to go through this process (of qualification) is evidence of our declining fortunes.

We have arrived at a stage where the stakes are critical.

West Indies will be part of a 34-match tournament. They have to be in the top three of their Pool of five in order to qualify for the Super Six. And they have to be at least in the top two in order to reach the 2019 World Cup. They face Ireland, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and Nepal.

Pool B consists of Scotland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

In addition to the thrill of a World Cup qualification for Associate Members, the three highest finishers will earn ODI status till 2022.

There is hope for the teams on the fringes, and some might be audacious enough as to suggest that West Indies is hovering in those circles.

It is up to the players to put everything aside and prove to the world that the West Indies can overcome any trials.

The bid for a spot in the qualifiers produced some miracles and heart break. Nepal proved the point of uncertainties. It could not have been more devastating for Canada. Having scored 194 for 8 from their allotment, victory seemed signed, sealed and delivered when Nepal lost their eighth and ninth wickets at 144.

A foregone conclusion — all over, bar the shouting. But it wasn’t for the Nepalese. They are close to the Himalayas so they must be used to scaling heights. That heist over Canada will be one of the most memorable and historic. The Nepalese pair had not been known for any heroics with the bat. The number 11, S Lamichhane, suffered an injury which curtailed his spell of leg spin when he fielded.

Karan KC, as he is called, at number ten, was not known for earth shattering performances, until then.

What he carved out in the space of 31 balls turned out to be beyond all realms. His unbeaten 42 was the team’s top score.

If there is an example of self-belief, Nepal revealed it. That is an attitude West Indies can emulate.

Athletics coach Ollivierre optimistic Athletics SVG (TASVG), the sports’ local governing body.

On the state of affairs regarding TASVG, he recognizes that with a number of affiliated clubs not in effective operation, the election of a new executive committee could be another “farcical exercise.”

He is, however, willing to serve in some capacity.

Looking at the season ahead, Ollivierre said, “I think this year will see Michael Ollivierre an overall improvement Athletics coach of athletes from my club… they will do well MICHAEL OLLIVIERRE, because they have been leading Track and Field training.” coach here and founder/ The coach also pointed coordinator of It DAT Club, to likely improvement is optimistic about the coming from schools like development of athletes Thomas Saunders here, even as he reiterated Secondary, St. Martin’s his concern about the Secondary, the Girls’ operations of Team High School and Central

Leeward (Barrouallie) Secondary, who, he said, “have some good young athletes”.

Ollivierre, though, pointed to the challenge of sustaining commitment on the part of the athletes.

“There are good talent and coaches, but some (athletes) don’t have the support of the family, and their (athletes’) commitment is not enough to yield success,” he cautioned.

As it relates to regional and international events, Ollivierre is hoping the best teams are selected for these events.

“We have got quite a bit of new talent who will replace some of our senior athletes who have moved on to scholarships abroad. I hope they

would be considered for CARIFTA. I think SVG can do well this year in the Under 20 category, especially in the 4x4 relays; we have the people… they just need the opportunity. … I’m also hoping that we can be represented at the Commonwealth Games where our top 4x4 team will be given an opportunity to begin to build for the future,” he said.

When prodded, coach Ollivierre admitted that he is happy he has assisted in getting 7 athletes to secure full scholarships in the last 3 years, and intimated that more are lined up to go in 2018, depending on performance, to Jamaica and USA. I.B.A.ALLEN

Victors, Rivals, Police chalk up wins VICTORS ONE, Team Rivals and Police Two recorded wins in last weekend’s round of the NLA Premier Division Two-day National Cricket Competition.

An eight-wicked match haul by Alston Bobb and a show of form by batsman Atticus Browne assured an 8wicket victory for Victors One over Flow Radcliffe.

Bobb snared 4 for 34 and 4 for 54 in Flow Radcliffe innings of 153 and 106 for 7 declared respectively. Browne had knocks of 34 and 60 in his team’s scores of 95 and 165 for 2 respectively.

Dyke Cato turned in yet another sterling performance, accounting for 7 wickets for 35 runs in Victors One’s first innings.

Miles Bascombe also had a good second innings knock of 69 for Victors One. The match that ended in a 9-wicket victory for Team Rivals over

Providence Electronic Solutions North Leeward, threw up one century and 3 half centuries.

Casmond Walters was the standout in that match, scoring 119 in Rivals’ first innings of 299, and finished with a match haul of 10 wickets or 76 runs.

He took 6 for 17 in North Leeward’s first innings of 105, and 4 for 59 in their second innings of 218, their highest score to date, in which Leshawn Lewis topscored with 89. The match’s other half century maker was Roneil Jeffery with 52 in Rivals’ first innings.

Team Rivals, set 22 for victory, made 26 for 1 from 3 overs.

Police Two’s win came at the expense of Guardian General Saints, whom they beat by 9 wickets in a low scoring game.

Saints recorded totals of 58 and 101in their two turns at the crease, with Darius Martin, 5 for 26, accounting for their first innings demise, and Sylvan Spencer, 8 for 22, doing likewise in their second innings.

Police Two had inning; totals of 144 and 16 for 1, having been set 15 for Cosmond Walters on the go against North Leeward.

Alston Bobb proved too much for the Radcliffe batsmen. victory.

Jeremy Haywood of Saints recorded the jhigh individual match score of 36.

This weekend will determine the Premier division champion when defending champion Flow Radcliffe face Team Rivals at Park Hill, Guardian General Saints take on Providence Electrical North Leeward at Sion Hill and Police Two oppose Victors One at Arnos Vale One. I.B.A. ALLEN

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26. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018. 27.

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Faith Temple Church New Montrose Saturday 10th February, 2018 Viewing: 1:00 p.m.

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JOSEPH EZEKIEL JAMES Aka Antique, Ken, Fight it, Elder Fountain Seventh-Day Adventist Church Sunday 11th February, 2018 Viewing: 1:00 p.m.

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F O R

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

S A L E

FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

VOLUME 112, No.07

www.thevincentian.com

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EC$1.50

ÂNOT A REAL BUDGETÊ

by DAYLE DA SILVA

“SERIOUSLY, we did not have a budget; all we had there was a pack of crap!”

The words of former Leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace during the New Democratic Party’s analysis of the 2018 Budget on Monday.

According to Eustace, former Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves had indicated during his 2008 Budget Address, that St Vincent and the Grenadines was on the cusp of an economic take-off.

However, from 2009 to 2016, this

country recorded an average growth in the economy of .2 percent, Eustace said , and declared, “We have no economy”.

And the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report indicated that a 2 percent growth in the economy can be expected this year.

But Eustace pointed out that this prediction was made, based on conditions such as whether or not the capital projects, like the international airport or the proposed geo-thermal project, work.

“Today you are not going to get that, so we will continue this small growth

that you have been having all these years,” Eustace said.

They were proud to state that there was a surplus in the current account, but during the NDP administration, surpluses ran as high as EC$35 million, Eustace recalled.

He accused the government of providing false figures in its capital and other receipts, saying that due to a lack of funding, they were unable to do any of their proposed projects, which resulted in the lack of creation of jobs.

“They are living a lie, and they know it’s a lie,” Eustace said.

Public Debt

Could this have been prevented?

LAST MONDAY, February 12, this Facey-owned box truck, branded with the Busta trademark, landed in a ravine after a portion of the road in an area known as ‘Gooling’ in Golden Grove, Chateaubelair collapsed, seemingly under its (truck’s) weight.

The portion of the road which collapsed, formed part of a roadway which Area Representative Roland Patel

Matthews has been repeatedly asking, literally begging, the authorities to repair, but to no avail.

Perhaps now it will be attended to, even though it comes after the horse has bolted, so to speak.

Fortunately, none of the three occupants of the vehicle received serious injury. (See related story on Page 3.)

Eustace said that he was concerned about the public debt.

At the end of the 17 years in office under Arnhim Eustace, the NDP ‘Shadow Minister of the NDP, the national Finance and Economic Development’, said debt amounted to 2018 Budget was predicated on a lie.

EC$565 million.

Under the present relief initiatives announced by the administration, the national government, which were expected to debt had now reached result in the government collecting EC$1.685 billion, Eustace EC$12 million less in revenue. remarked.

However, according to Eustace, it “That means Ralph added EC$1.2 billion in his 17 years.” was announced that government was going to be taking steps to collect Even with the US$81 outstanding amounts of revenue owed million debt forgiveness from in taxes, beginning with offering a the Bolivarian Republic of three-month amnesty so that those Venezuela, the former opposition leader said that the owing can use the period to make arrangements for payment of level of debt to the GDP ratio outstanding amounts. was still far more than the Gonsalves further noted that recommended 60 percent. provisions were made in the budget for With the debt forgiveness, the hiring of three bailiffs to assist in the debt to GDP ratio was the process. expected to dip down to 77 But Eustace said that the percent, the lowest it has been government did not indicate the in years, according to Finance amount they expected to collect.

Minister Camillo Gonsalves.

“There is some concern as to how much money they will collect during Tax relief the amnesty,” Eustace told those gathered.

Eustace addressed the tax

Published by The VINCENTIAN Publishing Co. Ltd, St. Vincent and the Grenadines;

Printed by the SVG Publishers Inc., Campden Park.