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THURSDAY,

APRIL 02, 2015

VOLUME 109, No.15

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Left: ‘Not me and this same-sex conversation’, says PM Gonsalves. Right: Senator Vynette Frederick has called for an open, frank and national conversation on the issue of same-sex relationships.

Stories by DAYLE DA SILVA OUTGOING PARLIAMENTARY Representative for East St George, Clayton Burgin, has asked the constituents to ensure that newcomer Camillo Gonsalves retains the seat with over 3,000 votes, in the upcoming general elections.

Burgin, while speaking at the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) 14th anniversary celebrations held at the Calliaqua Playing Field last Saturday, March 28, endorsed Gonsalves, who was officially nominated as the replacement for Burgin back in November 2014.

“This is the man that I have chosen, and this is the man that the people of East St George have accepted to be the candidate for East St George in the next general elections,” Burgin said.

Continued on Page 3.

Clayton Burgin out (left), Camillo Gonsalves in, East St. George for the ULP.

LEAVE ME OUT OF SAME-SEX TALK, WARNS PM IF OPPOSITION SENATOR Vynnette Frederick and the New Democratic Party (NDP) want to initiate a discussion on the issue of same-sex relationships, then they should go ahead and do so, but not drag the name of Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves into that conversation.

That was Dr. Gonsalves’ response to Senator Frederick’s statement , during the NDP’s public forum dubbed ‘Conversation with Women’ held last week Monday, that her party had become aware that a conversation about issues relating to sexuality, needs to get going in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

She further stated that she felt that she was the best placed person to have the conversation, based on the premise of a comment that Gonsalves made during the 2010 election campaign.

Back then, it was alleged that Gonsalves stated during a public meeting, that Frederick’s father would be a very unfortunate fellow if he sent a daughter to study law and got back a son.

But Dr. Gonsalves on Saturday night voiced strong concern that Frederick and the NDP wanted to start a conversation on such an issue, and that his name had been dragged into it.

“If she wants to start a conversation, and the NDP wants to start a conversation on the subject of same-sex relationships, why is she pulling me in that?” the Prime Minister questioned.

Continued on Page 3.

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2. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

News

Antonio Forbes accepts his prize from Danielle Cupid, Digicel’s Marketing Executive.

Digicel rewards 12 on 12th anniversary DIGICEL CELEBRATED 12 years of operations here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Tuesday March 24th, and with that, came special rewards for 12 customers.

From March 13th to March 24th, as part of its 12th anniversary of its entry into the St. Vincent and the Grenadines market, the

telecommunications company ran a promotion that saw persons who signed up for a seven-day data plan or paid their bills in full and on time before March 24th , being entered in a draw that allowed 12 Digicel subscribers to win, what Marketing Executive Danielle Cupid described as, “12 wonderful prizes.”

The winners were Digicel’s Danielle Cupid drawn on Thursday (centre) is pleased to reward March 26th, and Carissa Harry (left) and collected their Niasha Stapleton. winnings on Friday March 27th. bill); Calliaqua resident The prizes included the Carissa Harry (groceries); likes of EC$300 per month Buccament resident for 12 months toward Kelroy Warner (data groceries at CK Greaves plan); Redemption Supermarket; EC$100 per Sharpes resident month towards electricity Fernando Longdon for the next 12 months; (credit), La Croix resident EC$100 a month towards Charmin Davis (post-paid a water bill for the next 12 subscription); Kenlyn months; EC$100 towards Bailey of Sion Hill Bay post-paid subscription for (petrol); Tatiann Mayers the each of the next 12 of Diamond (post-paid months; EC$100 petrol for subscription); Heather the next 12 months; free Grant of Union Island data for the next 12 (data plan); Niasha months; EC$100 top up for Stapleton of Spring the next 12 months; and a Village (water bill); and free handset within the Dave Crosby of Cane next 12 months.

Garden (new device).

The lucky winners Cupid added that the were: Redemption Sharpes prizes were designed to resident Antonio Forbes show appreciation to (Electricity); Questelles valued customers, while resident Andeno Young helping to ease their (credit); Canouan resident “economic situations.”

Antonia Gardener (water

Sexting SEXTING is a growing problem in today’s society. It is practised primarily among the youth population of the world.

Sexting involves the sending of sexually explicit content, usually between two individuals, through the use of technology.

Not only should teens be made aware of the emotional consequences of sexting, but the legal ramifications as well. For instance, most of the time sexting involves minors, so these nude photos are considered child pornography. As a result, sending or receiving these messages is a crime.

Persons affected by sexting may experience: embarrassment and humiliation; bullying which can lead to suicidal tendencies; the ending of friendships; guilt and shame; objectification; and feelings of hopelessness.

Sexting can also lead to legal consequences. People often don’t realize that sexting is not a harmless act.

They may risk facing serious legal ramifications, such as: being (criminally) charged for child pornography; having to register as a sex offender; exposing parents to legal consequences; and having to enter foster care or being removed from the home.

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 3.

News 3

Still no disclosure in teacherÊs case Attorney Nicole Sylvester is concerned that failure to provide disclosure could result in an injustice.

by HAYDN HUGGINS UP TO PRESS TIME TUESDAY, lawyers representing graduate

school teacher Josette Bibby-Bowens, charged on two counts of obscene publication, were still awaiting the disclosure of all relevant information to the case.

When the Bishop’s College, Kingstown teacher had returned to the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, March 17, Magistrate Carla James ordered that full disclosure be given by Tuesday, March 31, and adjourned the matter to April 17. She made the ruling after Prosecutor Sergeant Elgin Richards requested further adjournment of about a month, stating that the prosecution was not ready to proceed.

Defence lawyer Nicole Sylvester had strongly objected to the

adjournment.

When contacted around 5 pm on Tuesday, Sylvester told THE VINCENTIAN that to date, the defence had not received any disclosure whatsoever.

“Disclosure is a critical tool in ensuring the fairness of a trial, and to enable persons who are accused to know the likely evidence to be brought against them,” Sylvester explained.

“The court had ordered disclosure of all relevant information to this case by March 31. It is a matter of great concern that this is not another delaying tactic.

When the matter was first called, we indicated that we were ready to proceed, subject to disclosure, and we

remain ready and willing to proceed; but to date we are still awaiting disclosure, and we hope that this is not going to lead to another adjournment,” the lawyer contended. She pointed out that, “Our client is presumed innocent, and failure by the prosecution to provide disclosure could result in an injustice, and it deprives the defence of being fully prepared.”

When contacted on Tuesday, Commissioner of Police Michael Charles said, “I am not in a position to say if anything was disclosed because I was out of the country.”

Charles assured that, once the information comes to him, he would

pass it on to the relevant persons who, in this case, would include Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ASP Sydney James.

Bibby-Bowens, a 37year-old Principles of Accounts and Information Technology teacher, has been charged with “For the purpose of distribution or public exhibition made obscene writing to wit, “Ralph you should shame to congratulate the new government of St. Kitts.

Dem must tell you haul yuh (expletive)”. She is also charged with “For the purpose of distribution or public exhibition made obscene writing to with, “Wunna does (expletive) feel the (expletive) country is

Burgin pleads for support for his replacement Continud from Front Page.

“I recommend him highly, … [a] very good guy, and he is not hung up on names like me.”

According to Burgin, the new candidate was often referred to by his first name, by party supporters.

“I hear them call him Camillo, I never hear them call him Mr Gonsalves, or Honourable Gonsalves — all I am hearing is, “When is Camillo coming by? When you bringing Camillo here?,” Minister of Health Burgin said.

Burgin continued, saying that he has been referred to as Burgin, “but the candidate who will contest the seat for the New Democratic Party (NDP), Dr Linton Lewis, did not want to be referred to by his nicknames … you have to say Dr Lewis.”

And with regard to his formal training, Burgin told the large gathering that he is the only other member of government, after Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, to have attended one of the more prestigious universities in the United Kingdom — The University of Manchester.

“Since he (Dr. lewis) is always trying to put me down, I am telling you the prestigious institution that I have gone to.”

Lawyers for Josette Bibby-Bowens (pictured here) are yet to receive relevant information regarding her case. wunna own, dey must jail yuh (expletive) now, all yuh does let power get to all yuh head but even the longest rope have an end”.

The charges stemmed from comments BibbyBowens posted on the social media site, Facebook on February 17, 2015. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

She is also represented by Dr. Linton Lewis and Kay Bacchus-Browne.

Leave me out of same-sex talk, warns PM Continued from Front Page.

The crowd gave Camillo Gonsalves a resounding welcome and show of support.

And while he is no longer making himself available for public office, Burgin said that supporters can expect to hear from him during the campaign.

“I hope that I did represent you well…I want to thank the people of East St George from the bottom of my heart, all those guys from the

constituency council, family, friends, all those persons who have made a contribution and who have supported me over the last 14 or so years, Thank you kindly,” Burgin said.

Burgin was successful in his first outing in the March 28th, 2001, and was appointed Minister of State in the

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

After winning again in the May 2005, he served first as Minister of Education and then as Minister of Transport and Works.

Following his three-peat in 2010, he was appointed Minister of Health.

“She say that I said something about her.

The court showed that I didn’t say anything like that — they trying to make up a story as many of them try to make up things on me,” he continued.

Back in June, 2011, Frederick filed an affidavit in the High Court against Gonsalves, charging that he slandered her name by referring to her as a lesbian.

It was, however, later discovered, based on evidence produced by Frank Da Silva, when he admitted to providing tapes to the NDP for two public meetings, that the tape with the alleged statement may have been doctored.

Homosexuality is a criminal offence, according to the laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

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4. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

News

Williams ready to serve at the highest level

by HAYDN HUGGINS GRENVILLE WILLIAMS has a strong desire to serve the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the highest level.

Williams, who heads the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and was appointed chairman of the National Commission on Crime Prevention (NCCP) February 2 this year, made this clear during an interview with THE VINCENTIAN on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves had disclosed during a ULP celebration rally at Calliaqua last Saturday that Williams would play a major role in the Ministry of National Security, in his next administration.

Williams told THE VINCENTIAN, “I was inspired to consider greater service to the people and country by offering myself as a potential candidate in South Leeward.

However, the candidacy of Grenville Williams is an idea which time has not yet come or matured, and as such, I will not be a candidate in the next general elections.”

But he added, “I still have a strong desire to serve the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the highest level, whether as a member of the government, member of the diplomatic core or in a regional institution, should the Honourable Prime Minister ask me to serve in any of these capacities.”

The FIU chief assured, “I will undertake such responsibilities in a manner that is fitting to any of these offices. I will serve to the best of my ability, without fear or favour, and in the interest of all Vincentians.”

Williams pointed out that young people like himself must see it as their responsibility to contribute to the building and advancement of SVG and the Caribbean civilization.

“I believe my record at the FIU, which is recognized regionally as a centre of excellence, is a clear indication that I am results- oriented and a person who believes in accountability, good governance and a deliverer of the highest standards of service to our people, in whatever capacity I may be

afforded the opportunity to serve”, Williams said.

Asked whether any proposals have been made to him to serve in any other distinguished office, Williams responded, “It would be premature at this time for me to address whether any proposals are being made to have me serve in any other distinguished office.

However, I remain the humble and loyal servant of the people and always ready and willing to serve.”

support by voting overwhelmingly in favour of the ULP on election day”, Williams told THE VINCENTIAN. “I believe that the policies of the Unity Labour Party administration is the most progressive for the people and nation, and as such, I support the party seeking a fourth term in government, to continue these policies”,

he said.

The FIU chief, however, declared that his support for the ULP is not blinded to the fact that there are challenges that confront our people on a daily basis, such as the need for more employment opportunities. But he is confident that the policy makers are working diligently to address these challenges.

Grenville Williams, Head of the FIU, says he is open to accepting to serve at higher national levels if called upon so to do.

Support for Jomo Williams, is urging persons in the South Leeward constituency to support the ruling Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) candidate, Jomo Thomas, in the upcoming general elections.

“The Party has decided that Jomo Thomas is the candidate in the upcoming general elections, and all disappointments must be set aside in the interest of progress.

“Progress means victory for the ULP, and therefore, all supporters ought to give their support for the chosen candidate, and demonstrate their

The property that serves as the Headquarters of the ruling Unity Labour Party.

ULP to purchase property party’s General Secretary, Julian Francis.

A MOVE is afoot by the Unity “I really don’t understand that, Labour Party (ULP) to purchase the that is why I call it a piece of property on Murray’s Road, mischief,” he said.

Kingstown, whioch it now occupies According to the Prime Minister, and uses as its headquarters.

Francis paid a substantial amount of This was disclosed by Prime money on March 24 to the person to Minister and Leader of the ULP, Dr. whom rent was being paid, with the Ralph Gonsalves, to a large gathering understanding that the arrears that of party supporters at Calliaqua, last had accumulated would be paid by Saturday evening. Gonsalves was last Monday or Tuesday. reacting to an article which appeared “But I want to tell you this, nobody in the press last weekend, stating do mischief on the Comrade like that. that the ULP owed the property’s We had an agreement to buy the landlord EC$100,000 in rent, and property,” he said. was being asked to vacate the The Leader assured his supporters building. that he spoke to the owner of the According to Dr. Gonsalves, the property earlier in the day (last ULP initially leased the building in Saturday), and indicated to him that 2007 for a period of one year, with the ULP would purchase the the option to renew the lease. When property. the lease expired, the party started “That is all I want to say on that, paying rent on a monthly basis. [so] let not your heart be troubled,” But the article referred, alleged he said. that the ULP, over time, had In a more recent development, amassed arrears dating back to 2011, THE VINCENTIAN was informed by amounting to $100,000. attorney Nicole Sylvester, that she, Dr. Gonsalves referred to the acting on behalf of Kay Bacchusinformation published in the article Browne, had written to the Prime as “mischief,” and told party Minister on Tuesday, demanding a supporters that the political retraction of his statement in which party would not be vacating the he described the action of Bacchusproperty.

Browne as having mischievous He charged that the details of the intent. letter prepared by lawyer Kay “What the Prime Minister said Bacchus-Browne, on behalf of the amounted to an attack on Bacchusowner of the property, appeared in Browne’s standing and reputation,” the media before the letter got to the Sylvester said.

by DAYLE DA SILVA

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 5.

Regional

ÂLIATÊs CEO should resign,Ê says PM Browne

PRIME MINISTER of Antigua & Barbuda, Gaston Browne, has given LIAT’s CEO, David Evans, warning about his tenure in that office.

He has called upon Evans to explain where a plan emanated to dissolve the airline, or resign.

The Antigua Observer reported on Monday 30th March, that Prime Minister Browne made the call on ‘government-aligned media’, following what he, Browne, said was confirmation of the existence of a seven-page document, dated February 9, bearing the company’s letterhead and having the initials DE, which proposes that Barbados take ownership of LIAT ATR aircraft, for its 51% shareholding in the regional airline.

When contacted prior to the Prime Minister’s confirmation, CEO Evans told the Antigua Observer he was “not aware of that (proposal).”

But Prime Minister Browne was adamant about the existence of the proposal, saying, “My understanding is that Barbados is considering forming a new airline ….. seeking to literally collapse LIAT and to take several of the planes and to form the new airline.”

The PM said further, “I certainly will be calling in Mr. Evans very shortly to discuss with him exactly where that plan emanated from.

“He needs to tell me, as the Prime Minister of this country and the Prime Minister of a

shareholding government, where that plan emanated from, and if it is that he hatched that plan on his own.

You can be assured that, as Prime Minister of this country, that as a shareholder of LIAT, that I will be asking for his resignation.”

Board culpable The Prime Minister is reported to have acknowledged that LIAT’s struggles have existed for decades, and (he) laid the blame for the airline’s dismal state squarely at the feet of its Directors, who he believes should step down as well.

“We accept that there are legacy issues, and that they should be fixed,” he said. “…The current Board of Directors, including Mr. Evans, undertook to fix those legacy issues. So, if it is that they can’t handle the job, then they ought to resign,” Browne said.

He added that, from his understanding, the Board of Directors “practically tripled” the losses at LIAT, and he called for the Board to give an account of their stewardship, and the resulting failure to make the regional airline profitable.

According to information received, the proposal that has raised the ire of PM Browne details the dissolution of LIAT, and proposes the creation of a new airline based in Barbados.

Barbados, the proposal says, would return all its shares

(51%) in LIAT, in exchange for five of the company’s ATRs to start the new airline, tentatively called Newco.

Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, will have no part of ‘collapsing LIAT’ in favour of a Barbadian airline.

Antigua objects – SVG responds This is the second time within a matter of weeks that the Antigua and Barbuda government has voiced concern about a decision affecting the operations of LIAT. It declared its opposition to a decision, taken by a meeting of Heads of shareholder governments (February 2015 Barbados), which PM Browne did not attend, to relocate the base of the airline from Antigua and Barbuda to Barbados, and requested that no further action be taken on the matter.

PM Browne said then, that the relocation would result in job losses and negatively affect his country’s economy.

But St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, made it clear that there will be no change to the decision taken at the Barbados Meeting.

At a press conference held on Monday this week, in Kingstown, Dr. Gonsalves alluded to the matter of Antigua’s objections.

He stated that he has received no request for a meeting of the shareholder governments to discuss a rescinding of the decision regarding the relocation of LIAT’s aircraft, a change that

David Evans, CEO of LIAT, said that he was unaware of the document proposing a Barbados-owned airline. will see four of LIAT’s ATR fleet stationed in Barbados, two in Trinidad and two in Antigua, location of the airline’s headquarters.

The Vincentian Prime Minister cautioned that persons must be careful what they say about LIAT, and indicated that their remarks could undermine confidence in the Chief Executive Officer and the airline.

He acknowledged that “decisions can be amended” but scoffed at statements which he deemed can destabilise the company.

Dr. Gonsalves also justified the move to place more emphasis on the Barbados hub, because it made more money for the airline.

Barbados attracted the most flights by LIAT, and the routes between St. Vincent

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, says there is no going back on a decision to relocate LIAT. and the Grenadines and to Trinidad have been profitable for LIAT, Dr Gonsalves disclosed.

According to Dr. Gonsalves, there could well be, in the not too distant future, an increase in the number of scheduled LIAT flights between Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

LIAT major shareholder governments are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Barbados is the primary shareholder, with Antigua and Barbuda being the second largest. (Partial Source: Antigua Observer)

CWC closer to Columbus takeover THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) has given Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) permission to dispense with its 49 per cent stake in majority State-owned Telecommunications Service of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT).

CWC has one year in which to complete its divestment, with a proviso for an extension of up to six months.

CWC’s divestment of its shares in TSTT was one of the conditions the TATT had affixed to any consideration for approval of its proposed takeover of Columbus Communications, trading as Flow in the T&T market.

This is in keeping with the terms of concessions granted to Columbus in

T&T, which made it obligatory for CWC/Columbus to seek regulatory approval from TATT, to allow the change of control of Columbus’ operations in Trinidad and Tobago, to CWC. This decision of the TATT moves CWC closer to completing its US $3 billion acquisition of Columbus Communications across the region.

Addressing the fear of anticompetitive effects that might come as a result of the takeover, the TATT said that CWC and Columbus had given the assurance that appropriate measures will be put in place to mitigate such occurrences.

In an immediate reaction to the news of the TATT approval, John Julien, General Secretary of the

Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) which represents TSTT workers, said that, while he is not surprised at the decision, it (decision) proves that the TATT is anti-Trinidad and Tobago.

“TATT has always been trying to put a smoke screen over the nationals of Trinidad and Tobago. TATT does not have the interest of this country or the interest of TSTT employees at heart,” the Express newspaper quotes Julien as saying. (Source: Trinidad Express)

The TATT has cleared the way for CWC to divest their TSTT shares, so that the takeover of Columbus can be effected.

John Julien, General Secretary of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), TSTT workers representative, described the TATT as being anti-T&T.

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6. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Grenadines

Canouan wharf still a problem

Stories by DAYLE DA SILVA

THE PEOPLE OF CANOUAN are unsure if they will have a wharf from which to catch a ferry.

This was the opinion expressed by Parliamentary Representative for the Southern Grenadines, Terrence Ollivierre, while speaking on Monday’s ‘New Times’ radio programme.

According to Ollivierre, the needs of the people in the Southern Grenadines A section of the Canouan Wharf showing large often go unheeded.

He went on to explain cracks, and a portion on the front that has collapsed. that the original wharf representative said. had to be condemned, and a temporary This was indicative of how things facility was constructed.

But now, the temporary wharf is also were being done in the Southern Grenadines, Ollivierre said. in a severe state of disrepair and has “They go make decisions and the been in this state for some time, from as far back as 2001, the area representative representatives don’t know what is going on,” he continued. said.

The area representative often hears “The temporary one is worse than the about the proposed developments, but is original one,” Ollivierre said, adding never invited to give input. that the wharf is quickly becoming “That is the way they do their unsafe to use. business,” he said.

There has been some talk about Even in Parliament, he contended, relocating the facility, but according to the members of the Opposition New Ollivierre, the proposed site is among Democratic Party (NDP) do not get the the last mangrove areas on the island, and is the natural habitat for some land right answers to the questions that are posed to members of the government. and sea animals.

“You just ask the question to make “Remember that they had them know that you are aware, but they consultation with the people; I was not don’t respond,” Ollivierre said. invited,” the parliamentary

‘Wishful thinking,’ says Ollivierre PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVE for the Southern Grenadines, Terrence Ollivierre, is not being bothered by the seeming confidence shown by some of the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) members and supporters, that there will be a change in that constituency.

Speaking on Monday morning on the New Democratic Party (NDP) sponsored ‘New Times’ programme, Ollivierre responded to a comment

by Senator Camillo Gonsalves, candidate for East St George in the upcoming General Elections, made during the ULP’s 14th anniversary victory celebrations last Saturday, at Calliaqua.

Ollivierre dubbed some of the things that were said as “only wishful thinking.”

Gonsalves, in his address, hinted that the ruling ULP could be victorious in the Southern Grenadines, which has been an NDP stronghold since the constituency was first introduced for the 1989 general elections.

“It is within the mind, but I wish to say to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines that I want to assure you, that since the Unity Labour Party came about…it will be the most licks in the history of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ politics and the ULP, that they will ever get in the Southern Grenadines, and that is all I have to say,” Ollivierre said.

He continued, saying that the ULP has been predicting victory in the said constituency ever since forming government back in 2001.

“And after every election, they marching up and the victory margin gets wider and wider, and the trend will continue to do that,” he said.

“Regardless to what some persons said, that is just wishful thinking.

They have it within their mind, and they are not on the ground, so much so the Southern Grenadines have been neglected under any labour government, whether you put unity to it. Anytime there is a Labour Government, the

Terrance Ollivierre promises an even wider margin of victory for himself and his party in the Southern Grenadines constituency. whole Grenadines suffer,” the area representative said.

The ULP constituency council is expected to be meeting this weekend to select the candidate to contest the Southern Grenadines seat, in the upcoming General Elections. Its last candidate was Edwin Snagg.

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 7.

News

The Thomas Saunders Secondary School also got some ‘upgrade’ (support) from LIME.

LIME supports schoolsÊ athletics meets

THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED 2015 Inter Primary and Secondary Schools Athletics championships was not without their share of corporate support.

And one of the major benefactors was telecommunications provider LIME, who pledged more than $11,000 to the March 24th and 25th events, which took place successfully at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex, This support made it possible for the events to be streamed live, through the Ministry of Education, Andre McLean and VC3, and to be carried live on VC#, channel 114.

The streaming, according to reports, was well received by persons home and abroad.

LIME’s pledge also made it possible to award a Fugoo Digital, waterproof, dust proof sport speaker to Akani Slater of the Bethel High School, the most outstanding athlete in the secondary school competition.

Also receiving gifts, compliments LIME, were the cheerleaders from the Troumaca Ontario Secondary School, for winning the cheer leading competition. They received goodie bags containing LIME credit and other gifts.

This is the third year (2013 — 2015) that LIME has been on board as a major sponsor of the Schools Athletics Meet.

In addition, LIME was a primary contributor to the Windward Islands School Games Tournament, when it was hosted here in 2013.

According to a release from LIME, the company is pleased that it has built a solid partnership with the organizers of the competition, the National School Games Committee, and committed to do its part in the effort to upgrade sports on a whole, in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Big Comeback for LIME in Easterval EASTERVAL ENTHUSIASTS in Union Island are said to be ecstatic to have LIME back on board, as a major partner of the festival.

Head of the Union Island Easterval Committee, Abdon Whyte, said that the Telecommunications provider came on board in “a big and important way,” and his Committee is excited to be working with LIME once again, on one of the annual premier events to take place in SVG. “We have always been trying to get LIME with us. LIME has been in Easterval for years, but for the past three years not as much, so we are looking forward to big things in store for the celebrations taking place this weekend,” Whyte said.

Abdon Whyte, Head of the Easterval Committee, gladly accepts sponsorship cheque from Nikala Williams, Marketing Manager of LIME. According to Whyte, the partnership with LIME would elevate this year’s Easterval to higher heights, and he felt assured that the revellers on the island were looking forward to a smooth and enjoyable weekend.

Platinum sponsors LIME will be a part of the major events of the weekend, including the White Fete, the Miss

Easterval Teen Pageant, J’Ouvert, as well as a beach party to take place on Sunday.

LIME’s participation in Easter festivities also extends to the Grenadine island of Bequia, where the company is a major partner of the Annual Bequia Regatta, in particular the highly anticipated sand castle competition, and other private on shore activities.

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8. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 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 LIAT will always be in the news (Pt 2) WELL, WELL WELL!! When this publication proffered that “LIAT will always be in the news’ (re Editorial Column of 5th December, 2014), it did so for reasons far removed from what we can now add to the case.

We had proffered then, that because of LIAT’s almost organic relationship with the people of the Caribbean island chain, especially those in the smaller territories, the airline will always come under close scrutiny by the people it endeavours to serve.

The referred Editorial stated, inter alia, ‘Therein lies the fundamental issue/problem with the airline. It is an entity with a split personality; it is schizophrenic. It must, ‘smile’ and service routes that are far from being able to turn even an operating profit, and cringe while absorbing the fallout that comes because of its government owners’ (read ‘politician owners’) need to satisfy its citizens (read voters).”

The focus on LIAT carried concerns for its operational and administrative welfare, e.g. its re-fleeting programme (refurbish the durable Dash 8s or swap them for improved models, as against purchasing the unknown ATR); choice of CEO (tried and tested Caribbean Aviation persons - not Brunton — overlooked).

Never once did we think that we would have to say that LIAT will be in the news for reasons other than its inefficiencies, the greater degree of which were and are of its own making.

Now, sadly, we have to question the veracity (Is that a ‘nice’ word for sincerity and truthfulness?) of those who represent us as shareholders (Prime Ministers of Antigua, and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and those appointed to the Board of Directors to oversee the day to day operations.

Why would we want to question the veracity of those representatives?

The most recent communiqué from the shareholder governments of LIAT, had to do primarily with the relocation of aircraft, and its consequences.

Barbados and Trinidad were going to see an increased number of LIAT aircraft domiciled in their territories, thereby decreasing the number of aircraft stationed at LIAT headquarters, Antigua and Barbuda.

That, in itself, created fallout, with the Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, in keeping with THE VINCENTIAN Editorial as referenced, did not ‘…lie down and play dead in the midst of any restructuring of LIAT’.

He called for further discussion on the decision to relocate aircraft away from Antigua and Barbuda, aware that any such move would mean mass retrenchment of primarily Antiguans.

Now, after that communiqué and immediate fallout, we, only last week, understood that that meeting may well have received another proposal.

According to the Antigua Observer, that newspaper “obtained a document in which a proposal was made to have Barbados obtain ATR planes, in exchange for its 51% shareholding in the airline.”

The proposal, described as a seven-page document, dated February 9, 2015, “bears the company’s letterhead and has the initials DE.” However, according to the Observer, Chief Executive Officer of LIAT, British-born David Evans, told the newspaper, he is “not aware of that (proposal).”

Needless to say, Prime Minister Gaston Browne pounced on the issue.

He confirmed that he had seen the document, which, in his understanding, would mean Barbados taking ownership of LIAT’s ATR aircraft, towards forming a new airline.

Prime Minister Browne is quoted as saying, “It is unfortunate that they are seeking to take that position.”

The question: Are we to believe that a document dated February 9, 2015 and of that nature did not make it to the hands of other shareholder governments?

Given that the last shareholders meeting was held after the date the proposal carries, are we not to assume that there was every likelihood that this proposal was broached, if not officially tabled, for discussion?

These are questions that, according to how they are answered, will do much to allay any fear(s) that the people, technically the rightful shareholders of LIAT, might have now about to what degree they have been kept in the dark.

When, for example, did our own Prime Minister intend to reveal the Barbados proposal to Vincentians? We have bent backwards as a country, to ‘keep LIAT in the air’. The least we expect is full and unambiguous revelation of what goes on behind closed doors, on our behalf.

And while we are at it, perhaps our shareholder representative could confirm for us whether, in fact, LIAT will now have to send its Dash 8 aircraft to the chop shop?

What a loss if that is so! Maybe we will rue the decision to go French.

Good Friday and Easter- Death and Life AROUND GOOD FRIDAY this year, I publicise the deaths of a few good and true persons.

Firstly, my own contemporary, Cedric ‘Pronto’ Harold, who travelled to UWI in October 1960 with me, but failed to make it back home physically for more than one month periods, which now will be no more.

Cedric had been one of the brighter persons to pass through the Grammar School; but it so happens that his scholarship was generally lit up by the social media of Jamaica, where he had put down an anchor.

Back home, he had been an active member, in absentio, of the Kingstown Literary Society which published Flambeau, to which he had been a regular contributor, as was his sister, Marcia Hinds, now of Barbados.

Both brother and sister have done much to keep aflame our connections with our Garifuna forbears, of which they have been outstanding patriots.

Barbara Samuel, wife of Claude, was mother to a fine family of three in their own right, having perhaps been spurred on by the glowing example of their brilliant father, who had breezed through secondary school at quite a young age.

I recall the fledgling family going to Jamaica to provide a family-base to their brilliant father who attended the UWI at the period as I did, also with a budding family.

Actually, the family lineage had been good, given a maternal grandfather of O.D Brisbane, who had been a formidable person in the business as well as the political world. Come to think of it, O.D’s biography is the stuff of which National Heroes are made.

Barbara had always been a cool and backseat personality, a quiet and hardworking nurse by profession, and the unseen matrix at back of her family’s progress.

By the way, whatever became of the eldest and youngest sister Madge Archer and, particularly, Yvonne Cato?

My sister Rita and I spent August school-holidays in 1947 at Mrs. Gertrude Bowman’s home in Rose Bank, which was situated next to the Bacchuses of which Sheila had been a nurse at the General Hospital, as was my own sister Elsie.

Sheila carried a loving relationship with Dr. Frank Ellis who, with his cigar smoking, became a character in the town, so much so, that he ran for the Adult Suffrage Election for Kingstown in 1951, in the campaign of which he merely drove around the town pleading with the people to “vote for sane and sober government by putting an X against the Bottle”, his symbol. He lost handsomely despite my father’s vote for Biabou solidarity.

Less than two years later, my father had died from diabetes, despite wondrous care of his pair of darling nurses, Sheila Bacchus

and Olive Jackson of Barrouallie. Probably, out of a sense of mistaken loyalty, I carry on this hereditary disease, sporting a recently severed big toe as token of my faithfulness so far.

Meanwhile, the couple’s (Dr. Ellis and Sheila Bacchus) only child, Charles Ellis, betook himself to England, where he enlisted in the Royal Air Force, in which he equipped himself, married, and fathered a beautiful family.

With the effluxion of time, he grew weary with England and went back home with buddies like Vanny Alexander, to relax, settle and enjoy their last days, partly in their parental home. In fact, the family home was extended to picturesque Bequia where Charles actually died, leaving a yet beautiful wife and children.

The foregoing concentrates on the bittersweet of Good Friday and all that that entails.

We happily cast our eye on the future, the great resurrection and all the promises that it bears. Quite frankly, it is submitted, that everything rests on the result of next election, when the hope is that the NDP chastened, educated and experienced over the past 15 years, will pull itself together and rescue this country from the abyss whither it seems headed.

Already, Dr. Gonsalves has recorded a victory of sorts without firing a single shot.

He has got his ULP floor membership to surrender rights which inhered in them for the building, preservation and enhancement of a democracy, right back to a leader and his elite group. It is right back to square one.

The subtle ploy is seen in the way he has manipulated the choice of electoral candidates. Years ago, that had been the case when a Gairy in Grenada or a Joshua in SVG could hand-pick a team of candidates that remained personally beholden to them.

As we grew up politically and constitutionally, democratic tenets found their way into the mix, in order to give the ordinary man a real voice in the running of their affairs.

Now, the PM has called a halt to this democratic trend, and which he claims invites too much “Basa Basa” in party affairs. Everybody must now sing the same tune; there is to be no enterprising or dissentient views. And the trouble has been that the party accepts this old concept of totalitarianism, warmed over and served with a glowing smile, as a master-stroke.

It can be likened to the Jim Jones massacre where there was mass suicide in the cause of more abundant life. The ULP seems ready-made for self-destruction.

The NDP had better step in and save St Vincent and the Grenadines from itself.

In other words, prepare the ground for a resurrection, like Easter is.

V

THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 9.

Letters

In support of Hon. Camillo Gonsalves

“I AM PLEASED and proud to offer my unequivocal support of Camillo Gonsalves as a candidate for parliament in our forthcoming elections. As a native son of the East St. George /Calliaqua constituency, I am especially enthused by the prospect of having our community represented by a leader of such unparalleled personal and professional accomplishment, experience and expertise. In standing for elective office from our area, Camillo enjoys the overwhelming support of our community; he has emerged as our most worthy and eminently qualified successor to such visionary leaders as our own former Prime Minister Milton Cato, who represented the East St. George constituency, and was the founding father of the modern Vincentian nation. I have no doubt that Camillo will carry forward that tradition of bold and enlightened leadership, and that he will conduct the affairs of his office with honour, distinction and an abiding allegiance to the best interests of our people — not only in Calliaqua, but in our nation as a whole.

As an elected parliamentarian, Camillo Gonsalves will bring to that public responsibility an already outstanding record of public service on behalf of the Vincentian people at home and abroad. Prior to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Commerce and Information Technology, he had served with distinction for nearly half a dozen years as our Permanent Representative to the United Nations. “Who is this young, impressive, bright man?” was the refraining question asked about Camillo by senior diplomats at the UN. I myself have interacted with Camillo in New York on many occasions in his capacity as UN ambassador, and I have always been impressed by his depth of knowledge, his command of the issues, and above all, his passion to serve the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

With young leaders like Camillo, our future as a nation will be secure. As a native of Calliaqua, I am proud to support his candidacy, and I urge the good people of East St. George to join me in making Camillo Gonsalves our next representative in parliament. He will make us proud.”

Vaughan Toney, President/CEO Friends of Crown Heights (New York)

Kenturah Cupid’s revelation YOUR FRONT PAGE ARTICLE of THE VINCENTIAN of March 27, 2015) must have met with mixed reactions.

I can hear some people saying how ‘unethical’ it might have been to report so vividly on what Ms. Kenturah Cupid had to say about herself. On the other hand, I can hear all those who have been at the forefront of the fight against abuse of women, hailing you for presenting a ‘face’ to what is certainly a reality in our society.

Whatever the reaction, as far as being ‘unethical’, those who think so should be reminded that Ms. Cupid was the one who chose to go public with her ordeal. You merely, as far as I am concerned, presented it to the public for ventilation.

I was rather moved — chuckled really — by your editor’s note that prefaced Mr. Kenville

Horne’s story. I can’t help but congratulate you on giving the article perspective, thereby taking any ‘politics’ out of the issue since, given that the presentation was made at a function hosted by the opposition NDP, there would obviously be those who would want to ‘politicise’ the issue.

I recall that the scourge of AIDS was brought home to the world when ‘famous’ faces were attached to that reality. The world woke up to the AIDS pandemic when the world renowned basketball player, Irvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, went viral with a revelation that he was HIV positive.

Maybe it is that we have our own ‘Magic’ Johnson in this case.

Maybe now that Ms. Cupid has gone public, we will wake up to the fact that abuse of women is a real phenomenon,

and that the perpetrators of this inhumane practice include persons from all classes and professions in society. (I was particularly moved by Ms. Cupid’s reference to ‘a lawyer’ as being one of those who had inflicted abuse on her.)

I thank you, Mr. Editor and your staff, for continuing to deal with issues affecting women, as well as children.

Regarding the latter, I do recall an editorial of some years ago in which you brought home that there were ‘Paedophiles in our Midst’.

My hope is that this society of ours would offer more support to victims of abuse, and that our menfolk, in particular, would wake up to the fact that the female sex is not a commodity to be beaten about and/or sold down the river.

Susan J.

On the streets of Kingstown HUSTLING AROUND Kingstown, there are times when you are brought to a sudden stop.

The introduction varies: there is the sharp outburst, “Gimme

Beware of what you share!

Welcome to the world of technology.

It’s a wonderful era for you and me, So let’s use this responsibly.

So I want to be a bully?

A Cyber one at that?

I will THINK! It’s real people with real feelings, And that’s the fact.

Together as an online community, We can all Peacefully interact.

I will never post nude pictures of my body, That’s not for me, For I have a tower of pride and dignity.

Can we look within ourselves and see how intelligent we are?

Just a little hint and we go Shooting for the star.

Technology, let’s use it wisely.

The George Stephens Senior Secondary School Young Leaders encourage you to “BE RESPONSIBLE ONLINE TODAY!”

a dollar,” then a sudden turnaround with “Miss, do you have a fifty cent?”

Very often, you have to literally push or pull yourself away, even though there is no physical contact.

The appearances of those who approach you also vary. Some are dressed the part -very raggedly looking, hoping that such will quickly bring about their objectives; others are very healthy looking and well dressed — very mannerly, well-chosen words accompanied by a nice handshake.

It is also baffling to figure out their sex — both sexes dress more or less the same.

But there is variety in other things about them - their locations and their expectations.

But they all target individuals from all walks of life.

This is a sad state of affairs, with so many finding it fit to resort to this low, annoying way of life.

They are full of strategies. They engage you in what you think at first is an up-building conversation, then, when they feel that you are about to leave, they pounce on you with their demands. Abuse follows when such demands are not forthcoming.

These persons fail to look for other ways. If only they would try to channel their energies into doing worthwhile things, then their begging habits will fade into the background.

Some travel daily to Kingstown for that purpose. The fare can be used to do some meaningful things, which could yield a little more.

A skill can be learnt. Our people are very talented.

Why not identify what they are good at, and work at developing it?

There is so much that can be done, such as fishing, singing and gardening.

Concerned

Avoid speaking ill of others I WAS MOVED by a letter to your paper, written by one ‘Charles’, in which he reminded our politicians that they signed on to a Campaign Code of Ethics. I couldn’t agree with ‘Charles’ more, and would like to add my call to the Christian Council to call the fellows in early, to remind them of this.

No doubt we are in the campaign season.

Another election is around the corner but, unfortunately, only the PM knows when that day will come.

Whether it is this year or next year, my call applies. I want to warn our politicians that it is ‘what comes out of a man’s mouth that will defile him’.

Please, Mr. Politicians, especially the Leaders of the political parties, refrain from speaking ill of your fellowmen. Our campaigns have been laced with too much of what we know and don’t know about the opponents.

Every year, we hear about how much advancement we have made. But it seems to be one step forward, two steps backwards.

I pray that our campaign will not be one of attacks on anybody’s personal life.

Remember, we all have to live together after the elections.

Thomas G. Kingstown

V

10. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Views

The 14th Anniversary Event of the ULP administration - PHENOMENAL The issue PHENOMENAL….that’s the word being used to describe the event at Calliaqua on Saturday March 28th, to mark the 14th anniversary of the ULP assuming political office, after the NDP was soundly whipped at the polls, in March 2001. There was an outpouring of support, of solidarity, of love, of celebration and of appreciation for the tremendous work done by the ULP administration, in taking the country forward.

It was a celebration that took most persons by surprise, including the opposition New Democratic Party.

Political pundits were perhaps expecting a crowd of about three to four thousand persons. Instead, the conservative estimates put the crowd at over eight thousand persons, perhaps higher. Truly, it was a magnificent event. The speeches were tremendous, with the young senator, Camillo Gonsalves, really electrifying the crowd of supporters, with his “whose door to knock on” references, during his address.

In true celebratory style, a number of local artistes performed with new songs, or adaptation of old ULP songs, all praising the ULP for the outstanding work over the last 14 years. The entire ULP slate of candidates, including those who have been identified, but who still have to go through the official process, was present on the stage for all to see.

Worldwide, ULP supporters and wellwishers in North America, the UK and other countries, followed the event with attention and appreciation.

on the stage that night, it is clear that the ULP is putting up a formidable slate for the next general elections. It is clear that Camillo Gonsalves, Jomo Thomas, Jimmy Prince, Carlos James, Beresford Phillips and Debra Charles are light years ahead of what the NDP has on offer. As compared to the full slate of the NDP, the ULP is putting forward a candidate base that is the change factor. The slate includes well qualified young people, ready to advance the developmental agenda of the ULP, coupled with the experience of the older heads, who will provide the support and guidance.

The Fourth Term

The stage is now set for the fourth term of the ULP administration, when the Comrade rings the bell. The ULP has already outlined several critical projects and programmes, which have captured the imagination of the voters.

These include: a) The International Airport project at Argyle, nearing completion, and which holds tremendous potential for the tourism, transportation and agricultural sectors. b) The geothermal project, a game changer, now gathering speed, and with the potential to drastically reduce the cost of energy in the state. c) The new city at Arnos Vale, which Observations will evolve, once the Argyle Airport is completed and operational. Coupled There are five critical observations with this will be the tunnel at Cane that must be drawn from this glorious Garden which will enhance the flow of event. traffic in this area.

1. This event dispelled the notion d) The diagnostic hospital in pushed by NDP persons on Nice Radio, Georgetown, which will provide that the ULP is losing, or has lost enhanced medical services and support support among voters. In fact, what for the people of this country. emerged is that the ULP base of e) Port Development, as the support, is stronger than ever, and is government completes a number of ready for the election, when the studies aimed at enhancing port Comrade rings the bell. Of particular facilities in the State. note is the number of young people who f) Hotel development at Mt. Wynne attended the event, a signal that the and Peter’s Hope, bringing more jobs for youth of the country understand the Vincentians. policies of the ULP, and are providing The existing programmes, including support. the Education Revolution, the Housing 2. The organizer extraordinaire, Development and the drive to revive the Senator Julian Francis, has not lost his agricultural sector, will continue and be touch, and indeed seems to be getting expanded in the fourth term. better than ever. As the mastermind Above all, the ULP will continue to behind this event, Julian Francis provide good governance and strong exposed new skills in planning and leadership. It is already acknowledged management of mass events, and this that the current ULP administration is must be a worry for the NDP. the most progressive in the political 3. The event also emphasized the history of the country. Prime Minister value of Star Radio, the radio station Dr. Ralph Gonsalves will continue to owned and operated by the ULP. Star provide the quality of leadership that is Radio has already demonstrated its strong, full of insight, but at the same value in the dispensation of information time compassionate and understanding. related to the projects, programs and The NDP and Arnhim Eustace provide policies implemented by the ULP nothing but hate and bile, and there is administration. In the lead up to the no compelling narrative coming from celebration of the 14th anniversary, them, to take this country forward.

Star Radio was a key factor in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in promotion of the event, and the success good hands, once the ULP of the promotion must be judged by the administration remains in office, and large crowd which was present. based on the outpouring of support at 4. Camillo Gonsalves has come home Calliaqua last Saturday, all signs point to his people, based on the response to another resounding victory at the from the ULP supporters in East St. polls for the ULP, and a fourth term in George. The response to his presence office. In the words of Senator was overwhelming, a clear indication Gonsalves, “Together we have that when the Comrade rings the bell accomplish a lot. Together, we have for the election, East St. George will be much more yet to accomplish. Together counted in the column of the ULP. we will dream and plan and learn and 5. Based on the candidates assembled achieve”.

A Ministry of the private sector for the private sector This writer read with some disgust, an article in last week’s issue of the Searchlight newspaper, under the caption ‘Incentives Galore for investors’, written by the Prime Minister’s press secretary Hans King. Firstly, a claim is made that the government is focused on encouraging both local and foreign investment, and has been since 2001.

Then, reference is made to facts and figures (not produced) which somehow are used to support this claim, and also, according to King, all of this is as a result of the ULP having put the correct regulatory framework in place. It goes on to mention, briefly, what the writer refers to as specifics on fiscal incentives offered to the private sector, then uses the other half of the article to highlight some incentives given to the tourism sector, farmers through the Banana Accompanying measures project (BAM), ICT sector and businesses utilizing YES program workers.

It will appear, from the article, that incentives primarily means tax concessions. This reveals a clear lack of understanding of what private sector development really entails. The tax concessions which are referred to in the article are granted primarily after businesses would have sold their goods or services (back loaded incentives), and do not address the critical needs of businesses prior to producing the goods or services (front loaded incentives).

Private sector development since 2001 (What has really happened?)

Apart from the existing Fiscal incentives Act of 1982 and the Small Business Grant Programme (which were both in existence prior to 2001);a few tax concessions and some specific changes to the Hotel Act, there has been no real legislative change that speaks specifically to private sector development. The Prime Minister, from time to time in his budgetary addresses, declares that concessions will be extended to small and medium enterprises; but this is highly discretionary, and frequently ends up being a nightmare for business people seeking to benefit. In other words, cabinet gets to say who should receive these incentives, and not the technocrats in the Industry department or the Ministry of Finance.

Over this same period, a number of initiatives which began with the previous NDP administration, in the form of Developmental projects and programs were continued and/or supervised by the relevant Ministry officials , sponsored mainly by the European Union, and involved all the relevant stakeholders. These included the Private Sector Development Programme, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise policy framework, Private sector Development Policy, Small business Development Act and other programmes specifically geared towards building capacity in critical areas of private sector development.

To date, none of these policies or programs have been implemented or passed by parliament, proclaimed and implemented. The Centre for Enterprise Development (CED), which should play a critical role in business service delivery and technical support, has seen its complement of staff and government budgetary allocation for the implementation of its mandate, cut by over 50%. Yet a claim is made of this government doing exceedingly over and above what previous governments would have done since 1979, to stimulate private sector investment.

Revitalizing the private sector and stimulating growth Reviving and revitalizing private sector investment and activity will require significant policy adjustment

(Pt 1)

and resource redirection. Fortunately, though, most of the technical resources are readily available within the public service, but just simply misplaced presently. It will not involve displacing persons from their air-conditioned offices in the Ministry of Finance, as stated by a Member of Parliament on the government’s side. With respect to financial resources, however, government may be well advised to secure a low-interest loan to immediately settle outstanding debts owed to the private sector. The private sector is the engine of growth, and holds the key to escaping this unemployment dilemma in which this country now finds itself. Empowering businesses and facilitating business activity is the first step in achieving private sector led growth.

Some policy issues that need urgent attention include: Amendment of the fiscal incentives Act to address, more specifically, current investment needs and make it WTO compliant Access to low interest finance for Medium, small and micro enterprises (Currently even the new credit entity (COMFI), created by the Credit Unions, specifically to lend to small businesses, lends at rates unfriendly to small businesses).

Formulation of a national industrial policy framework to address and direct manufacturing and industrial development on a whole.

Enactment of current private sector development legislation, including the Small Business Act and the ICT Investment Incentives Act. Technical support to start-ups and other businesses support to all sectors (This includes business advice, training and coaching).

Affordable factory space for small manufacturers (Building of Factory shells to accommodate agroprocessors).

Strengthening of Center for Enterprise Development (CED) (restoring staff and increasing budgetary allocation, building capacity for business delivery).

Database /business register (to keep /record data on businesses/firms as it relates to their operations, needs and growth in the sector.

Identification and focus of three (3) or four (4) key agricultural products to be developed for the export market.

Increasing the aggregate small business grant offered to agro processors from $20,000 annually to at least $100,000 initially.

Further development of the creative industries sector and its role in private sector development.

The role of Science and Technology and Innovation in business development (this is a critical element in moving up the production value chain).

The government has not developed through the Ministry of Agriculture a program which seeks to move farmers up the production value chain and focus on adding value to their produce.

Instead, they continue to produce commodity goods to be sold in its raw state at extremely low prices. The support given to farmers through the Farmer Support Company (FSC) is inadequate at best. In the absence of some level of income support since farmers inevitably will use a portion of the monies to meet basic needs.

While these issues/recommendations are in no way exhaustive, they represent some of the key policy issues that the government has failed to address in any meaningful way.

V From strength to strength

THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 11.

Views

“They go from strength to strength.” Psalm 84:7 THE STREAMS OF POWER MINISTRIES in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ended the fifty days of its 50th Anniversary Celebrations with a rally. This took place on Sunday, March 29, 2015. Church members from their assemblies at Sion Hill, Bequia, Sans Souci, and Carriere gathered at the Peace Memorial Hall in Kingstown at 4:00 PM, and walked to Victoria Park where a 3-hour thanksgiving ceremony was held. The members, clad in their blue, white, purple, and pink polo and tee shirts, sang and waved flags and palm branches throughout the 45-minute walk.

The seventeen (17) visiting members of the all-male choir from the People’s Cathedral in Barbados also joined the march. Their melodious voices blended in with the locals as they sang a variety of choruses and hymns en route to Victoria Park.

The rally officially commenced at 5:30 PM. It was broadcast live on Praise FM, Nice Radio, and the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). It was also televised live on SVG TV. Individuals outside St. Vincent and the Grenadines were also able to view the live video streaming at www.praisefmsvg.com.

Pastor Alwyn Joseph (Pastor at the Sans Souci Streams of Power) and Brother Darion Daniel (Youth Director at the Sion Hill Streams of Power) were the Masters of Ceremonies for the event. Pastor Dr. Errol Daniel (Overseer of the Streams of Power Assemblies in St. Vincent and the Grenadines) welcomed the attendees and provided a brief description of the agenda for the evening’s activities. He was especially appreciative of the leaders from the other church denominations who had accepted the invitation to attend, and to bring greetings from their respective church assemblies. Sister Carmalie Daniel said the opening prayer. This preceded the singing of the National Anthem of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the church anthem (All Hail the Power of Jesus Name).

The scripture reading was taken from Psalm 84. Brother Warren Rodgers read this Old Testament passage in its entirety. He paused to emphasise the seventh verse - the theme for the 50th anniversary celebrations.

The Streams of Power Ministries Worship Team, comprising members from the four church assemblies (Sion Hill, Bequia, Sans Souci, and Carriere) ushered some very spirited and uplifting worship songs and hymns.

They reminded the audience of many of the “old time choruses and hymns” that were sung at Victoria Park fifty years earlier.

Sister Shana Daniel provided an overview of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations. She noted that the planning committee had decided to have 50 days of activities. This included a gospel concert, press conference, nights of prayer and consecration, open-air meetings, fellowship events, a fun day, a gala dinner and awards ceremony, and the rally. The crowd erupted with applause when she mentioned that several individuals accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour as a result of the open-air activities that were held during the celebratory period.

Sister Shana noted that the Dutch missionaries Karl and Beth Hookendykes established the Streams of Power Mission in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in February 1965. Fellow missionaries Henk and Rina Houseman ably assisted them in their efforts to spread the good news throughout the nation. She indicated that many of their public meetings were held at the same venue that was being used to commemorate the 50th anniversary — Victoria Park.

Sister Shana continued by informing the audience that the missionaries from Holland returned to their homeland

nine years later (1974). However, before doing so, they had sought out the young Pastor Errol and Carmalie Daniel to take over the Streams of Power Ministry. Their commitment and determination to serve the Lord have enabled Streams of Power to grow from strength to strength. The Streams of Power Assembly is now a household name throughout the nation. It has also touched and changed the lives of many through its various radio and television programmes. Many individuals are now regularly blessed as it beams programmes via the Internet (www.praisefmsvg.com).

During her presentation, Sister Shana noted that countless children, parents, and grandparents have been part of the Streams of Power Ministry.

Many individuals were spiritually nurtured through this ministry.

Several have gone forward to light the world. She thanked God for the numerous blessings that have emerged through this ministry … “Many, O Lord, are Thy wonderful works.”

Several church leaders or senior officials from various church assemblies throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines provided brief greetings and congratulatory remarks from their respective assemblies.

It was then time for Sister Pearl Lynch, a foundation member of Streams of Power, to share her testimony of the positive influence that the ministry has had on her life over the last five decades. She reminisced about those “good old days” when they went through the highways and byways beckoning the lost to accept Jesus Christ as Saviour.

The all-female dance and flag group, comprising participants from the four church assemblies, mesmerised the crowd as they praised God through intricately choreographed moves. They were the forerunners to the all-male choir from the People’s Cathedral in Barbados. These seventeen (17) men blessed the audience with their two renditions; praising God and glorifying His name. However, not to be outdone by the all-female and all-male presentations, the mixed-gender and mixed-age Mass Choir of the Streams of Power Ministries rendered two songs that blessed all who saw and heard them. All three special renditions reminded the audience of the beauty and blessings when we work together in harmony.

The evening’s activities climaxed with the stirring sermon that was delivered by the Antigua-based Bishop Dr. Lester Emmanuel. Throughout his sermon, he reminded the gathering of the theme for the anniversary — “From strength to strength”. He challenged the audience to “awake, arise, and stir yourself” - a call to not be complacent as soldiers of the cross. He reminded the believers of the privilege and responsibility of being the salt and light of the world and the need to not lose hope or grow tired. Bishop Emmanuel noted that this sometimes happens even to those who are considered strong. He used the example of Elijah who, following his victories over the worshippers of the false god Baal, became fearful of Jezebel’s threats of persecution. He challenged the believers to stand firm in the Lord and His promises. He commended the organisers of the 50th anniversary celebrations before returning the microphone to Pastor Dr. Errol Daniel for his closing remarks. Indeed, the Streams of Power Assemblies in St. Vincent and the Grenadines continue to grow from strength to strength.

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

Another giant step for reparations AN INTERNATIONAL REPARATIONS Summit will be held in New York City from April 9 to 12, 2015. SVG will be represented by Jomo Thomas and Curtis King, the chairman and deputy chairman of the local reparations committee. The summit, which is being sponsored by the Institute of the Black World and the Caribbean Reparations Commission, promises to add new energy, and to create greater impetus for the reparations cause.

“We are delighted that the Institute of the Black World can be a clearinghouse for ideas and strategies on how to pursue reparations for historical crimes and injustices against people of African descent in the US and across the Americas,” said Dr. Ron Daniels, the Institute’s President. “The courageous decision by nations in the Caribbean to demand reparations from the former European colonialists for Native Genocide and African enslavement, and the formation of a CARICOM Reparations Commission is re-energizing the Reparations Movement in the U.S. and throughout the Pan African world.”

Scores of reparations advocates, Pan-Africanists and social justice activists from across the USA, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, will take part in the New York Summit. Leaders of national reparations commissions, committees and task forces from 11 CARICOM nations will interface with leaders of the recently formed European Reparations Commission and with members of the National AfricanAmerican Reparations Commission (NAARC) which will be formally launched during the conference.

“The main purpose of the International Summit is to advance the public discussion and debate around reparations issues, and to provide a platform for advocates from around the world to dialogue, learn from each other, strategize, support and reinforce each other’s campaigns, build bridges across geographical and linguistic barriers, and co-ordinate action plans,” said Don Rojas, IBW’s director of communications. “The international nature of this summit is unprecedented in the long, and all too often ignored and marginalized, history of the reparations movement in the Americas.”

The conference begins at the historic Mother AME Zion Church in Harlem, the oldest black church in New York State, and a center for the Underground Railroad back in the 19th Century.The business sessions will be held at York College in Queens, and the Summit will conclude with a public rally at the First AME Zion Church in Central Brooklyn, home to the largest Caribbean community in the United States.

One of the highlights at the closing rally will be inspirational music sung by a newly formed ‘Reparations Choir’, composed of members from several black churches in Brooklyn.

The three-day meeting will honor pioneers in the fight for reparations for Black Americans, including Callie House (1861-1928), a former slave who demanded that $68 million in taxes on Confederate cotton seized by the North be given to Blacks as reparations,; and Queen Mother Moore (1898-1997), a longtime Harlem activist who popularized the reparations idea in the middle 20th century. It will also pay tribute to the tireless work over many years of The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA).

“Reparations is not an issue of the

distant past,” said Dr. Daniels. “The Japanese-American community demanded–and got–reparations in the late 1980s for how they were treated by the American government–their own government–during World War II,” he said, referring to the interment of those Japanese by the United States.

“And in 2015, the parliaments of Russia and Greece are voting to demand Germany pay them for the damage inflicted on them by the Nazis,” he added. “So this issue is not, and should not, go away, particularly when Africandescended people are concerned.”

Reparations is an issue that has occasionally flared up in Black political circles since the end of slavery in the mid-19th Century. It has been publicly opposed by several U.S. Presidents, and dismissed by most white Americans; but it has always found a place on the Black political agenda.

At the UN’s Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001, the Atlantic slave trade and chattel slavery was declared a “crime against humanity”, and was described as the greatest holocaust in human history.

Hundreds of reparations activists from the USA and the Caribbean participated actively in the Durban conference, which helped to infuse the reparations movements with new energy at the beginning of the 21st Century. But that energy petered out in the first decade of the new century, particularly after the 9/11 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Centre in New York.

Today, this pattern is changing. A June 2014 cover story in The Atlantic magazine, “The Case for Reparations,” by prominent journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, generated much discussion in African-American communities as well as within elite white American intellectual and political circles.

The International Reparations Summit comes two years after CARICOM decided unanimously to form a reparations commission and to demand that the former European colonial and slave-trading powers pay the debt owed to African people in the Caribbean region for the enormous wealth made off of their forced and uncompensated labor during the centuries of African enslavement.

And in January 2014, CARICOM issued a 10-point program for “Reparatory Justice” that frames the reparations demands as a “development strategy”. The program’s stated goal is “to use reparations payments to deal collectively with pressing economic and educational problems facing the citizens of the Caribbean that trace their origins to the underdevelopment imposed by slavery, slave trading, native genocide, and economic exploitation by the European nations”.

CARICOM’s 10-Point Program enjoys the unanimous support of all the member countries in the Community of Caribbean and Latin American States (CELAC) and the Bolivarian alliance for the Peoples of the Americas (ALBA).

The summit will be addressed by a number of outstanding personalities, including Dr Hilary Beckles, chair of the Caribbean Reparations Commission, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

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12. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Views

ULP celebrates 14 years of chaos in public finances

licence in the Atlantic Ocean.

A MAJOR problem for SVG, since 2001, graduate in finance, and the catalogue Since 2001, the ULP regime’s has been the ULP regime’s gross of financial wrongdoings listed in the economic plan has been begging and financial incompetence in managing the various Director of Audit reports, show borrowing. Gonsalves has been flying country’s public finances. that he is utterly hopeless as the SVG around the world begging and The ULP regime has announced its Minister of Finance. The financial borrowing. We have seen just last 15 candidates for the next general incompetence has been immense, and week, Gonsalves flying to Morocco. election, but not one of the 15 is a the poverty all around SVG illustrates There has been an outright failure by university graduate in finance. Our that SVG is being pulled down to the the ULP regime over the past 14 years country cannot take 5 more years of poverty levels of Haiti, Nepal and to create sustainable sources of ULP’s financial incompetence.

Bangladesh. revenue for the SVG Treasury.

The SVG Director of Audit has Economically and financially, SVG The ULP regime has shown its revealed that the management of has moved backwards under the intention of yet more economic and public finances by the ULP regime has incompetent Gonsalves. Our people financial madness. As well as wasting been an absolute mess. The Director of and our economy are struggling, yet millions more on the Argyle airport Audit failed Gonsalves in 2008, 2009 Gonsalves still allows Taiwan and the fiasco, it was announced last week and 2010 on the audit of public super-rich of Mustique and Canouan that the ULP regime is considering finances. Gonsalves is hopeless as blanket tax and customs duty subsidising foreign airlines. Creating SVG’s Minister of Finance. exemptions. Taiwan is a major jobs is the priority for SVG, not From 2001 to 2007, the ULP regime impediment to SVG’s economic subsidising rich, foreign airlines. failed to produce proper bank advancement, creaming-off billions of The ULP regime has shown that reconciliations between the Treasury dollars using SVG’s tuna fishing since 2001, it has failed to deliver and balance and the National Commercial Bank (NCB) balance. There is a discrepancy of EC$306,607,629.43 (source: Audit reports). Gonsalves killed the NCB in 2008 with a massive bank overdraft of EC$185 million.

For the years 2005 to 2015, there DIGICEL has called upon the Eastern merger could ‘potentially result in a have been fiscal deficits totalling negative impact on competition’ by Caribbean Telecommunications EC$1.08 billion in the SVG budget ‘reducing choice for consumers of both Regulatory Authority (‘ECTEL’) to estimates. services and service providers’. publicly clarify and confirm The Director of Audit reports for The statement also noted ECTEL’s the present status of the regulatory 2006 and 2007 show that Gonsalves approvals process being undertaken by position then, that ‘increased overshot the legal limit by EC$22.8m and EC$63m, respectively, without the them, in conjunction with the National monopolisation can erode the gains made by liberalisation’, and that Telecommunications Regulatory prior approval of Parliament.

ECTEL had recognised that ‘the Commissions (‘NTRCs’), in relation to The ULP regime has been proposed merger raised significant the proposed merger between Cable manipulating the public finances.

According to a Director of Audit report, and Wireless Communications (‘CWC’) issues in terms of potential breaches of licences by both CWC and Columbus and FLOW / Columbus there were several instances where which must be investigated Communications Inc. (‘Columbus’). expenditure relating to the previous thoroughly’.

Digicel registered its concern as it financial year was deferred to the Digicel acknowledged that ECTEL current financial year. The Director of relates particularly to the markets in Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and was engaged in a comprehensive Audit report states that, effective regulatory approvals process, and had the Grenadines. management is virtually impossible retained external assistance to this In a statement issued on Friday when there are so many instances of 27th March, 2015, Digicel reiterated its end. manipulation of the accounting In citing a meeting of the ECTEL concern, which it made shortly after system. the proposed merger was announced in Council of Ministers convened in St. Gonsalves is not a university Lucia on December 4th 2014 to address November 2014, that the proposed the challenges posed by the proposed merger in the ECTEL Member States, Digicel recalled that a statement following that meeting confirmed that due process must be followed in relation to the proposed merger.

Digicel understood this to include ‘an absolute adherence by Columbus and CWC to the approvals process required for change of control of licences in the ECTEL region’.

Digicel’s call (to ECTEL) comes on the heels of what it described as ‘recent significant decisions issued by the Barbados Fair Trading Commission (‘the Barbados FTC’) and the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (‘TATT’) regarding the merger.

According to the referred Digicel statement , ‘Both the Barbados FTC and TATT confirmed unequivocally that the proposed merger would involve anti-competitive effects in the fixed voice (landline) telephony and Broadband markets, whilst TATT also confirmed that the proposed merger would also have anti-competitive effects in the Pay TV and wider wholesale telecommunications markets in Trinidad and Tobago’.

Noted as reference to Digicel’s recent call was that TATT and the Barbados FTC had made approval of the mergers in their markets conditional on significant asset divestments in

is unable to revive the economy or provide enough jobs and revenue.

SVG urgently needs a Green government to bring competent financial management and build a strong economy. As a nation, we need to grow and make much more of what we consume by import substitution.

This would create thousands of new jobs and get money circulating around SVG. A Green government will use education and science and technology as the engine of the SVG economy and modernise our economy, so that it is export-orientated, to help local businesses and create revenue for the country.

At the next election, reject financial incompetence — reject the ULP regime!

Vote Green Party.

SVG Green Party www.svggreenparty.org

The CWC-Columbus merger: Digicel calls on ECTEL for clarification Barbados, and share divestments in Trinidad.

Concern was also registered that the merger, like in Trinidad and Digicel Group Barbados, ‘also CEO Colm involves the creation Delves says of a monopoly and that ECTEL strong potential antihas a moral competitive effects in and a legal the markets for right to landline, broadband subject the and Cable TV in proposed Grenada, St. Lucia merger to a and St. Vincent and rigorous the Grenadines’. examination.

“We very much welcomed the initial intervention by ECTEL and its expression of support for a rigorous regulatory examination of the proposed merger,” the statement quotes Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves as saying.

“Digicel was taken aback by the dismissive stated position of CWC/Columbus that the Governments of the ECTEL Member States and the established Regulatory Authorities in those countries were essentially powerless, and had no right to oversee the proposed merger. We are now respectfully calling upon ECTEL to clarify the process for regulatory approvals for the proposed merger in the OECS Member States,” Delves continued.

In calling on ECTEL ‘to clear the air’, Delves reminded that “ECTEL and the NTRCs in each Member State have an absolute right, morally as well as legally, to subject the proposed merger to a rigorous examination and approvals process, in collaboration with their respective Governments and relevant Ministerial bodies, before it is allowed to proceed,” and repeated his call for “clarification from ECETL as to the present position in this regard.”

As far as Delves is concerned, he believes “that the consumers, as well as the industry as a whole, in St. Lucia, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, would certainly welcome such clarification,” and expressed the hope for receipt of prompt confirmation from ECTEL.

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News

SVG deepens ties with Morocco

that country.

In addition to the scholarships, Gonsalves ST. VINCENT AND THE is looking forward to GRENADINES continues continued supplies of to deepen its relations fertiliser from Morocco. with more developed During his visit, Dr. countries.

Gonsalves looked at A recent visit by Morocco’s airport Prime Minister Dr. network and expressed Ralph Gonsalves to the interest in their Northern African country aeronautics. of Morocco, with a If things go the way population of some 30 Gonsalves plans, million, has opened Vincentian students will opportunities for learn more in this field Vincentians to study in in Morocco.

by WILLIAM ‘KOJAH’ ANTHONY

DPP’s Office says thanks

by HAYDN HUGGINS THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has expressed profound gratitude and appreciation to those who contributed in one way or another, to the success of the recent Criminal Assizes.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the DPP’s Office at the closing ceremony of yet another sitting of the Criminal Assizes Thursday, March 26, Crown Counsel Karim Nelson stressed that, “At every Assizes, there are several state entities, functionaries, right- thinking and fairminded persons from the community, who cooperate to facilitate the administration of Justice in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Nelson thanked presiding Judge KathyAnn Latchoo for her guidance to lawyers on both sides of the Bar, and High Court Registrar Andrea YoungLewis and her team for “the wonderful work they have been doing.”

In this regard, the Crown Counsel pointed specifically to Criminal Division Manager Antonio John, the wife of Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Colin John, court clerks and bailiffs, who all fall under the Registrar.

He had a special word for the bailiffs who he said would have heard scores or even hundreds of cases, assuring them that young lawyers, including himself, have benefitted from their guidance from time to

Crown Counsel Karim Nelson, on behalf of the DPP’s Office, expressed thanks to all those who contributed to another unencumbered sitting of the Criminal Assizes.

time. “I am very grateful to them,” he said.

Crown Counsel Nelson also expressed appreciation and gratitude to the police officers who provide court security, as well as to Sergeant Rudolf Bartholomew and his team from the Criminal Records Office (CRO), of the Royal St. Vincent and Grenadines Police Force, for being instrumental in preparing witnesses for the Assizes.

He highlighted the significant role of jurors in the disposal of cases, and the importance of prison officers in getting prisoners to court on time. As for the witnesses, he stressed, “Without them, there could be no justice.”

In concluding, the Crown Counsel said, “If I have forgotten to mention any particular person or group of persons, please know that you are greatly appreciated, and to you I say thanks.”

He also noted that African nation’s thrust in Vocational Training, and expects that Vincentians will get training in that country, and pass on their skills to their fellow citizens.

The variety of Morocco’s craft is also of interest to the

Vincentian leader, and with the Arab country, “strong on tourism,” Gonsalves is anxious to It may be that Vincentians would soon be studying at see collaboration between the Marrakesh’s Cadi Ayyad University, the leading the nations. university in Morocco.

Hotel development Gonsalves indicated.

St. Vincent and the and construction are He outlined plans to Grenadines to be a “hub” areas where the two strengthen the “bilateral for Morocco in the countries can find relationship,” and wants Caribbean. common grounds,

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14. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

News

OECS countries urged to reduce import bill St. Vincent, OECS Director General, Dr. THE OECS COUNTRIES are Didacus Jules, told the being urged to reduce audience consisting of their import bill, so as to OECS Agriculture increase benefits to the Ministers and regional nationals of the respective public service officials, member countries. that such is the fiction of At the historic, first globalization that people meeting of OECS Council have come to internalize, of Ministers of and believe that Agriculture to be held in increasing importation of

by KENVILLE HORNE

The OECS Ministers of Agriculture pose with Dr. Didacus Jules at last week’s OECS meeting.

foreign goods signals modernization.

“So Crispies and Cornflakes at the breakfast table which formerly was laden with arrowroot and banana bread, are seen as modernizing progress,” said Jules.

He, however, recognized that today, countries are waking up to the reality that the The world is facing a and multi-faceted food crisis, in which imported processed food has created unacceptable levels of dependence, exacerbated a health and nutrition crisis, and has stripped rural communities of jobs and dignity.

According to the Director General, the main target of the

Dr. Didacus Jules, OECS Director General, called on the meeting to seriously address the issue of the food import bill of the OECS, and the sweeping effects this was having on the economies. our depressed rural communities; and the creation of new vibrant Agro enterprises meeting brought together Agriculture Ministers targeting tourism and related government personnel. health food markets,” asserted Dr. Jules He said if this can be meeting should be stemming the flow of tackling the growing food leakage from the tourism achieved in the next 3 years then, “We would import bill, which in sector and from the have set the stage for 2011 stood at USD 473 import of food for making a fundamental million, almost 20% of domestic consumption, impact on reducing the total import of goods principally from North poverty, and positioning into the OECS. America; on nutritional our farmers and Agri “Consider the positive status and reduced entrepreneurs to start impact on the value health care expansion penetrating export added to national related to nonmarkets.” income, GDP or foreign communicable diseases exchange earnings from and creation of jobs in

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 15.

News

Appeal against land acquisition ruling filed said.

The Prime Minister said that he respects the judge (Ag), Pearletta Lanns, but there was AN APPEAL has been filed, on behalf of the government, against the judgment made by the Eastern something that was not right about the judgement.

“And that is why, despite the fact that we respect Caribbean Supreme Court to pay former Commissioner the judge, an appeal has already been filed against of Police, Randolph Toussaint, EC$436,779.30, on the that decision,” Gonsalves told the gathering of grounds that the acquisition of Toussaint’s land was hundreds. unconstitutional, unlawful and null and void.

The government had the right to appeal, and that The judgment, handed down on March 3, ordered the Attorney General to pay Toussaint $361,779.30, is what it has done, he asserted.

He showed those gathered a document which he plus an interest rate of 6 percent per annum said contained the grounds for the appeal. starting from December 2002. The court also ordered that Toussaint receive EC$75,000 as aggravated damages, amounting to bring the total amount to EC$436,779.30.

However, speaking at the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) 14th anniversary celebratory rally last Saturday, at Calliaqua, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said that the former top cop bought the said land, which is located on the Southern end of the Grenadine Island of Canouan, at 50 cents a square foot, back in 1990, under the then New Democratic Party (NDP) administration.

“The judge say that the government should pay nearly $400,000 for taking that land. Well, I don’t understand that, because I don’t even think is $50,000 that Toussaint paid for the land,” Gonsalves Stories by DAYLE DA SILVA

No to Government Company to manage airport LEADER of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace is objecting to plans for a governmentowned entity to manage the international airport, when it is completed.

Eustace said on Monday during the New Times radio programm,e that such an idea did not make sense, as it raised questions as to where would the skills be coming from for those Opposition Leader charged with the Arnhim Eustace has responsibility of overseeing doubts about the the facility’s day to day sense in setting up a operations. government entity to “Where are the skills manage the yet to be going to come from? Are we completed airport at going to buy into expensive Argyle. skills?” he questioned.

He called on Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves to come up with something more meaningful, adding that it was mentioned before that a Malaysian entity would be managing the airport.

“Now, we hear about a government-owned company when you can’t even pay people’s NIS (National Insurance Services) money?” Eustace said.

The opposition leader further questioned the government’s ability to pay such a staff, adding that the international airport would require substantial staff to run the facility, particularly based on the airlines that will be operating here.

“People have to have a level of competence and training in the industry. Do we have that now?

Have they gone off to train already? I don’t know; so there are so many questions,” Eustace said.

Prime Minister and Minister of Minister of Finance Dr Ralph Gonsalves had announced in last month’s Sitting of the House, that a governmentowned company is being established to manage the Argyle International Airport, and that the relevant authorities were putting the necessary systems in place to facilitate this.

“So let me make that point very clear, but I don’t understand how the NDP rejoicing that Toussaint pay less than $10,000 for land and he must get $400,000?

Whose side is the NDP on, on the side of the people or not?”

Gonsalves questioned.

PM Dr Ralph Gonsalves shows the large gathering the document containing the grounds for the government’s appeal.

16. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 17.

Business

Tax Department garners interest of business persons half-hour presentation.

The chamber CEO went on to say THE “TA X FACTOR” secured the that part of the reason for inviting the attention and apparently keen interest of Inland Revenue Department to make a members of the local business presentation was to “humanize” them, community last (week) Thursday, as the as the Inland Revenue Department Inland Revenue Department held centre has been making much effort to stage at another of the now regularlycommunicate the message that they held business luncheons of the St. are approachable, and that one can Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of discuss one‘s tax matters with them as Industry and Commerce. opposed to playing the ‘avoidance Under the leadership of new game”. chamber CEO, Anthony Regisford, the President of the Chamber, Christine chamber hosted the business luncheon Da Silva, at the head table with presentation, headlined The Ta X chamber CEO Regisford and key Factor, at the newly-renovated and speaker, Pompey, in greeting the attractive Blue Lagoon Hotel at Ratho group, indicated that the Ta X Factor Mill, in collaboration with the presentation was part of what the Mustique Company.

Chamber does in keeping the business Regisford alerted the influential community informed. She pointed out gathering of just under 100 business that the Ta X Factor discussion was owners, executives, facilitators, timely, not only because it was tax managers, accountants and leading month, but that there are new business persons, mostly women, all developments at the Inland Revue members of the Chamber, that a team Department, including the process of from the Inland Revenue Department, offering its new system of online filing. led by experienced Comptroller of During his presentation, Mr. Inland Revenue, Mr. Kelvin Pompey, Pompey referred repeatedly to the was on hand to field any ‘taxing’ theme of his department’s month of questions, following Mr. Pompey’s activities, ‘Tax Compliance — Shared

by CHESTER CONNELL

Responsibility to Build a Sustainable Economy’. Using the rubric of the Ta X Factor, the Inland Revenue head reminded his influential audience that the tax factor is a function of business growth, development and profitability.

He said he wanted to make the “bold statement” that “your profitability is my business.”

The country’s chief tax collector pointed out that while “so called external factors” — particularly the global economic melt-down originating in the United States - have been blamed for slow growth, slow or no profits, business failures and closures, a closer examination would reveal that in many instances, what these external factors did, was to highlight and exacerbate pre-existing structural and operational weaknesses in several local businesses.

Mr. Pompey went on to highlight

those weaknesses to the audience.

Following his presentation, he responded to issues highlighted Kelvin Pompey, by members Comptroller of Inland of the Revenue, assured Chamber of Chamber Commerce members present at the luncheon, that their ‘profitability’ was his business. who raised questions related to controversial, continuing and nagging matters of local business profitability and growth.

The Chamber says it plans to create further opportunities for such useful exchanges among its members at frequent business luncheons.

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18. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Easter Messages

Scapegoating

thinking for us: “If we let this man go on like this” Caiaphas reasoned, “everyone will believe on him, and then the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation”. (Jn. 11:48) In other words, to let Jesus continue, was to risk some sort of nationalistic or religious upraising in the

by Bishop SONNY E. WILLIAMS – Presiding Bishop, shifting the focus to who made the mistake which led to city. If this occurred, the Romans would most certainly (Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies, St. the problem, the blame game distracts others from why crush it, dismantle the Sanhedrin and perhaps even Vincent and the Grenadines District) the problem occurred in the first place. Work place destroy the temple. Consequently, Mark’s Gospel tells tensions are often settled that way. Unpopular politicians us, “they kept looking for a way to kill Him; for they THE EASTER story as told by the Gospel writers, portrays often start a war to unite people against a common were afraid of Him”. (Mk. 11:18) It was therefore, an interesting human tendency of scapegoating. Social enemy. necessary, for the sake of national security and the groups have often reverted to the scapegoating The Gospels made it dazzlingly clear that the Son of good of the people, that Jesus should die. They mechanism to deal with internal conflicts. To achieve God became the victim in this process of scapearrested him and dragged him before a sort of unity, the group often falls on the scapegoat and unites goating. The words of Caiaphas, the High Priest, made kangaroo court, and demonized him, so that they could against him. Scapegoating is a projection defence. If one this clear: “It is better that one man should die for the feel justified to abuse and dehumanize him with can put the blame on another, he doesn’t then have to people, rather than that the whole nation should violence and mockery. assume any personal responsibility for the problem. By perish” (Jn: 11:50). John’s Gospels expands his Caiaphas’ words are the voice of everyone, every individual, every family member, every group, every society which has tried to solve its problems by scapegoating. His is the voice of reason, the voice of political common sense, the voice which THE ST. VINCENT AND THE atmosphere and the apparent doubt carry significant economic costs to speaks for the common good. It is the GRENADINES CHRISTIAN COUNCIL, acrimonious relationships between society. voice of ethnic cleansings. This voice as it joins with the rest of the Christian citizens on account of varying political It is “while it was still dark” that the has been heard countless times Community in Celebration of the views, allegiances and commitments. As Resurrection took place, providing us as throughout history, and has resulted in Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour we celebrated International Women’s a nation with the opportunity to hope for untold human suffering.

Jesus Christ, extends Christian greetings Day, the references to the continued better, share a confidence in the power of Caiaphas’ voice is heard in countless to the people of St Vincent and the pervasiveness of violence against women, God through Christ, to embrace the families where children have been Grenadines. the related increasing disenchantment of optimism that waiting on and with God designated the black sheep of the The Easter story is a historic reality men, and a corresponding loss of brings. Easter should challenge us to family. Scapegoating of children often and the foundational event on which the confidence in manhood as a noble virtue, work deliberately as a nation towards results in feelings of insecurity and Christian Faith and the Christian provide additional occasion for us to building a new St. Vincent; confident victim mentality. They are made to Community stand. It defines the consider the “while it was still dark”. that however bad we may think our past learn that they are at the bottom of the teaching of the Church, and shapes the Further, while the SET programme is has been, however much the evidences of pecking order of the family, and often life of individuals, and has influenced the among the laudable initiatives which gloom, darkness and disappointment automatically gravitate to that role at fabric of society. In this event are the create meaningful employment pervade, we can collectively, with Christ, school or at work. basis of fundamental truth that can opportunities for many, it is difficult to shape a better nation.

Caiaphas’ voice has not been silent provide the wisdom and inspiration ignore the impact which the closure of In such a nation we learn how to at work. Many often feel like they are which, once appropriated, can shape the KFC and the prolonged economic disagree responsibly; our relationships caught in a scapegoating work place. development of the nation, and provide downturn have brought to a number of with one another across the political They feel unfairly treated, singled out the values that will sustain the people of homes; many who can identify with the spectrum and our developmental model and accused for problems that this Nation in times of challenges and “while it was still dark”. Questions are would be informed and shaped by a deep rightfully belong to the larger otherwise. It also provides an evaluative continually raised regarding our banking sense of Christian spirituality and faith organization. Consequently, many seek framework and the guiding principles and financial sector and the extent to in God through Jesus Christ. A nation professional help for job stress, and within which a sustainable which they seek to serve the where all feel they have access to justice, others attempt to cope through developmental agenda can be pursued. development of our nation versus being adequate health-care, sound education, substance abuse, angry outbursts or The Gospels report that “while it was purely profit driven; whether their good job opportunities, and can social and emotional withdrawal. still dark”, the ladies went to the tomb approach and the fact that they are not meaningfully contribute to the continued Wherever the voice of Caiaphas is and discovered the good news: it was indigenous institutions for the most part, development of this nation. heard, the human suffering is empty and Jesus was alive. The context contribute to the socio-economic darkness Consequently, the gifts and talents of all immeasurable. of the Resurrection is more than which some experience. The conspicuous should be placed at the disposal of the This is not the voice of the Easter symbolic and can challenge us to explore, presence of the unproductive or less larger community in order that Message. This good news speaks with discover and identify those areas of our productive sector of our society is of innovation and initiative, leadership and another voice, the voice of the victim. lives and our nation, where we have much concern regarding the darkness servanthood become the norm and not an Jesus’ message from the cross speaks experiences of or perceived experiences and gloom it suggests and facilitates; the aberration. to those perpetuating this scapegoating as real darkness, gloom and obscurity. prevalence of able-bodied men “liming” The Resurrection calls us as a people culture. “Father forgive them for they The message of the Resurrection not only for the better part of the day, some to forge ahead and build a great Nation know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). illuminates the darkness but also creates prompted by real frustration, others under God. To face the darkness with the Like the Jewish and Roman the framework to ask questions about enabled by ‘deep meditation’ and still light of truth, courage, justice and peace. authorities, scapegoating may seem the various dimensions of the life of our others who are more occupied testing The light of Christ’s Resurrection shines only sensible thing to do. The Jews Nation, such as the current political their alcohol absorption levels — these no on each of us, giving us the courage to were convinced that they were doing choose light over darkness, unity over the will of God, while the Romans division, and hope over despair. believed the killing was necessary to Christ is Risen! He is alive! Light has maintain public order. It is amazing Conquered! how scapegoating can be considered divine, and be masked in a coat of selfMonsignor Michael Stewart - President righteousness.

Major Pierre Antoine - Vice President On behalf of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies, St. Rev’d Adolf Davis Vincent and the Grenadines District, Rt. Rev’d C. Leopald Friday have a wonderful and peaceful Easter holiday.

Christian Council Easter Message

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 19.

Diaspora

Reparations summit for three N.Y. City boroughs

Ogeltree of Harvard University; and Mireille Fanon Mendes-France, President of the Frantz THE INSTITUTE OF THE Fanon Foundation BLACK World 21st Century and Chair of the UN (IBW), a leading research, Working Group of Experts policy and advocacy group on People of African with offices in New York and descent, and daughter of Baltimore, says it is holding Frantz Fanon, the Black an International liberation theoretician and Reparations Summit at psychiatrist from various sites across New Martinique.

York City from April 9-12, During the summit, US 2015. congressman John IBW announced on Conyers Jr. (D-Michigan), Friday that speakers at the most senior member of the conference include the US Congress and the Prof. Sir Hilary Beckles, dean of the Congressional Vice-Chancellor of the Black Caucus (CBC), will University of the West be honoured for authoring Indies and Chair of the a bill, HR 40, the Caribbean Community’s “Commission to Study (CARICOM) Reparations Reparation Proposals for Commission; US civil African Americans Act”, rights leader Rev. Jesse and for his 50 years of Jackson; Prof. Charles service on Capitol Hill.

by NELSON A. KING naking@verizon.net US CORRESPONDENT

“We are delighted that the Institute of the Black World can be a clearinghouse for ideas and strategies on how to pursue reparations for historical crimes and injustices against people of African descent in the US and across the Americas,” said Dr. Ron Daniels, the Institute’s president. “The courageous decision by nations in the Caribbean to demand reparations from the former European colonialists for Native Genocide and African enslavement, and the formation of a CARICOM Reparations Commission is re-energizing the Reparations Movement in the US and throughout the Pan African world.”

IBW said scores of reparations advocates,

pan-Africanists and social justice activists from across the US, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean will take part in the New York summit.

In the months ahead, IBW said the NAARC will hold a series of town hall meetings across the country, designed to solicit ideas from AfricanAmerican communities on what should constitute a comprehensive program that advocates for reparations for the historical crimes of slavery and segregation.

The conference begins at the historic Mother AME Zion Church in Harlem, the oldest black church in New York State, and a centre for the Underground Railroad

back in the 19th Century.

The business sessions will be held at York College in Queens, and the summit will conclude with a public rally at the First AME Zion Church in Central Brooklyn, home to the largest Caribbean community in the United States.

One of the highlights at the closing rally will be inspirational music sung by a newly-formed “Reparations Choir”, composed of members from several black churches in Brooklyn, IBW said.

It said the three-day meeting will also honour pioneers in the fight for reparations for Black Americans, including Callie House (1861-1928), a former slave who

Mireille Fanon MendesFrance, one of the speakers down to address the Summit. demanded that US$68 million in taxes on Confederate cotton seized by the North be given to Blacks as reparations; and Queen Mother Moore (1898-1997), a long time Harlem activist who popularized the reparations idea in the middle 20th century.

It will also pay tribute to the tireless work over many years of The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA).

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20. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

My fiancé, not all there sounds trivial, but I do table, and you owe it to that this relationship not want to go through with your present fiancé your fiancé to let him with the marriage, and I know the truth about falls short, you need to I AM ENGAGED to be do not know how to tell you. The sooner you let speak up and do not married in six months. him in on what has been prolong the inevitable.

The truth is I am overcome him. happening with you since Your ratings, however, with guilt after sleeping Guilty your engagement to him, would have gone up a with four different men, the better it would be for few notches higher, had since my engagement to Dear Guilty, both of you. you leveled with him my fiancé. He believes in You have the right to before now. me, to the point where he This is the time to put go after what you want, refuses to accept that I and if you are convinced George all the cards on the have been sleeping around.

Several of his friends have squealed on me to him, but he dismissed myself available. He was so shocked Dear George, their accusations as that he started offering me all sorts of rumours. I do not want monetary gifts to keep my mouth to hurt him, but I cannot I RECENTLY went for a job go on like this. interview, and I was told that the job shut. I plan to let his wife know what transpired that day, and my boyfriend Before I began is mine, only if I am willing to ditch sleeping around with is willing to back me up 100 percent. my boyfriend and make myself these four guys, my available for ‘extra’ duties. At first, I I am doing this in the interest of all fiancé was my first thought I was not hearing right, but it the other women who may come into sexual experience. Now, turned out that my hearing was contact with this slime ball.

I have discovered that he perfect. My boyfriend was waiting for is not all that great in Unemployed me outside the office where I had the bed. Now I think I want interview, and I asked the individual more in that area, and I in question if he could excuse me for a Dear Unemployed, do not think he can give minute, which he did. it to me. Sex is very What you have done is to let it be I went back into the office with my important to me, and in known that it is not OK for boyfriend and asked the person who this area, my fiancé is managers/men to put women who are had interviewed me, to tell me again definitely not it. seeking employment in positions what he told me about me making I know this where they are required to offer up their bodies in exchange for employment.

You did very well in standing your moral ground, and also to let others know that transpired. It is the silence that gives men, such as the one you ran into, the power to keep preying on women who may be at the most vulnerable period in their lives.

Good for you! Do not let that experience dampen your enthusiasm to find meaningful employment.

Dear George,

Kudos for exposing Âthe ratÊ

George

Come out of the closet Dear George, I HAVE BEEN seeing this girl secretly for five years, and our friends believe that we are not into women. We have pretended to be best friends for these five years, when in fact, we are lovers.

The problem now is our love affair has come to an end, and my girlfriend is threatening to expose my interest in women. I told her that she is not playing fair, and should keep her mouth shut about my preference for women.

Do you think she has the right to bad talk me with them, and if she does, would I have the right to bring legal action against her for defaming my character?

Scared Dear Scared, The downside of a relationship gone sour is the possibility of the disgruntled partner spreading negative information to all and sundry, and usually to protect themselves.

You can take legal action against her for spreading false information about you, ONLY IF that information is indeed false and can be proven as such, and has caused damage to your image, character and/or reputation. You may want to consult a legal mind for assistance in this regard.

Unfortunately, you cannot force this individual not to release information about your preference for the same sex. This may very well be your opportunity to come out of the closet instead of misleading everyone into thinking differently.

That deception, in the end, may have negative repercussions from your friends and relatives, after they find out about your double life. At the end of the day, it remains your choice to remain in the closet, but you have to keep in mind that no one is obligated to keep that information closeted.

George

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) If you work in conjunction with someone else you may find they're trying to steal your thunder. You will communicate easily and should be able to accomplish all that you set out to do. Strength will come from your ability to overtake just about any one. Children's needs could be more costly than you anticipated.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) Your lack of attention may have been a factor. Opportunities to make advancements through good business sense are apparent. Your hypnotic eyes will capture the hearts of those who interest you. It might be time for you to take a quantum leap from one career to another.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Enjoy some socializing this week. You can be sure that any dealing with large institutions should go well. Don't forget that your budget is limited right now.

You can make money if you pursue your own business.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) You can elaborate on your creative ideas and get involved in groups that relate to the arts. Your talents might just be discovered. Make changes that will heighten your appeal. You could be emotional if you didn't take care of problems with loved ones.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) They will not be in the right frame of mind to put up with tactless comments.

Lighten up your serious attitude Relatives will not agree with the way you are dealing with your personal problems. You need to sit back and enjoy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) You might find group functions tiring. Be aggressive and colorful, and you will get your way. You'll have problems with authority figures if you don't play by the rules. Spend some quality time with your lover.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Use your inventiveness to find solutions.

Your personal life will be disrupted if you have been too busy with business. Make changes regarding your status in society. You're in the mood for love.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) You must not allow them to force you to rush. Don't ignore any emotional issues that could be causing problems. Don't expect the whole family to be overjoyed.

Get involved in activities that will be fun for the whole family.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) It will be important that you have your priorities straight. Take the day to relax and pamper yourself. You can make new friends by taking part in social events involving colleagues. A new you could help your attitude.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) You may have been too nice to a friend who just wanted to take advantage of you. Be creative in your pursuits. Work on legitimate financial deals that may enable you to bring in some extra cash.

Problems with your partner could be reaching a high level of concern.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19) You can't do everything on your own. Try making some changes to your appearance and your attitude that will reinforce just that. Resistance leading to conflict will only make it twice as hard to turn the situation around.

Disappointments are likely if your mate embarrasses you in front of friends.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Romance could be exciting if you are spontaneous. Joining organizations will provide you with stimulating romantic contacts. Visit friends or relatives you rarely see. Overindulgence could cause problems for you with your loved ones.

ACROSS

Cannon 46. Getting 1.”__ Blue?” grayer (2 wds.)

50. Poker 4. ‘60s money president’s 53. ShakespearInits. ean Monarch 7. Onassis, for 55. __ coat short 56. Leaves 10. Command to 57. Pinochle Fido term 11. “__ and Otis” 58. Lubricant 12. Unknown 59. Form of author “to be” (abbr.)

60. Summer 13. “Message __ beverage Bottle” 61. Heredity (2 wds.) initials 14. Woeful cry 15. Cable choice DOWN (abbr.)

16. Office 1.“Clueless” worker, at catch phrase times (2 wds.)

18. Actor Bridges 2. Knee-expos20. Penpoint ing skirt 22. Clench 3. Eur. 26. 1993 Peace Language Nobelist 4. “__ Liza Nelson Jane” 30. Reliever 5. Tell all 31. WNW’s opp. 6. San __ 32. Eastern 7. “Raggedy” “truth” doll 34. Insurance 8. Steal from plan option 9. Business (abbr.) collaborative 35. Small (abbr.) pastries 11. Curie or 38. California Osmond locale 12. Infiniti 41. Mar competitor 42. Former 17. Cease 43. Actress 19. Birthday

number 21. Deli sandwich, for short 23. “A Hard Road to Glory” author 24. Interstate sight 25. School dance 26. ’69 World Series stars 27. Memo letters 28. Wicked emperor 29. Where to go for a tow (abbr.)

33. Canadian prov.

36. Ebb and neap 37. Foxlike 39. Gold medal, e.g.

40. Witch 44. __ mater 45. Require 47. MP3 player from

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

V

THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 21.

Apple 48. No, to Beethoven 49. Party 50. __ Khan 51. Also not 52. Golfer’s device 54. Microbrewery brew

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22. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Arts

GRADUATES CALYPSO TENT: ÂKeeping the Calypso Flames BurningÊ Tent , ‘KEEPING THE CALYPSO FLAMES BURNING” is not just a rebranding slogan, but is reflected in our approach to the 2015 season, where we have already approached some young and new faces to join the tent’.

That release cites the Graduates’ struggles to maintain its crowd appeal, resulting in what it describes as a ‘drastic decrease in attendance at tent shows, …and Glenroy ‘Sulle’ Caesar, veteran a corresponding loss of revenue’. calypsonian and two-times The Tent is Calypso Monach (1997 & 2005), determined to will lead the Graduates tent in begin a its year of a re-branding turnaround in its exercise. fortunes, and it hopes that its past THE GRADUATES CALYPSO record would rekindle TENT, celebrating thirtyinterest and returns. two years of unbroken The Tent’s history contribution to the calypso boasts several National art form here, is on a Calypso Monarchs, rebranding mission. including CP Hall, Dubbed Professor, Black Ebou, D “GRADUATES Man Age, Sulle, Princess CALYPSO TENT @ 32Monique and Tajo, 1983-2015 ‘KEEPING making it the most THE CALYPSO successful Calypso tent FLAMES BURNING”, in this regard. the effort is aimed at Graduates has also attracting young persons to the cast of the tent, as dominated the ex-tempo well as attracting young competitions with Lex-I, and more recently Blakie people as patrons of carrying the torch of calypso shows. victory, and has been And according to a active, competitive and news release from the victorious in

Independence, New Songs and Exhibitions competitions.

According to the relase, ‘KEEPING THE CALYPSO FLAMES BURNING” is not just a rebranding slogan, but is reflected in our approach to the 2015 season, where we have already approached some young and new faces to join the tent’.

Plans for the 2015 calypso Season will see the Graduates opening on Tuesday June 2, with another show scheduled for Tuesday June 9, and the Tent’s preliminary judging for the 2015 National Calypso Monarch Competition on Tuesday June 16.

The band VYKINZ, led

by Junior Sutherland, will provide musical accompaniment for the tent shows.

Maxwell ‘Tajo’ Francis was the last Graduate to win the National Calypso Monarch (2011).

How to pot plants FIRST, wash the pot and cover base with small pebbles. Sprinkle a layer of moistened soil or peat on top of these, then put in the plant. Add more soil or potting compost, leaving about half an inch at the top of the pot for watering.

Press soil firmly but gently around the plant with your thumbs.

A few drops of water should always be given to plants when newly potted.

Moving a plant to another pot or garden Hold the rim of the pot with your fingers and gently turn it upside down.

Tap the base of the pot with the other hand, and the plant with the ball of soil would drop into your hand, so you will be holding the top of the soil and not the plant.

Pot the plant, add more soil if needed, and water it.

Presented by the SVG Horticultural Society

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 23.

„Basketball needs extra hands,‰ says VP

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation, Conrad Simon, is soliciting extra hands to aid in the sport’s development locally.

Speaking at last Sunday’s opening of the national tournament at the New Montrose Basketball facility, Simon underscored the need for support all round.

Simon said that his organisation is embarking on an ongoing programme into the various communities across the mainland to plant the seeds of Basketball, but they cannot do it alone. “ We would need a battery of coaches and referees, and we are encouraging all the teams who are present here today ... If you are interested in working with the youths, be it coaching , be it administrating, contact the Federation , give us your contact number,” Simon appealed.

He further implored, “We are encouraging all of the teams, as you have done in the past, to work with the youths in developing a second team ... It is amazing over the years, when you think you have a team, our experiences through migration and many different reasons, there is a quick turnover of members of your team.

We need to have a second team developed to fill those players.”

With the secondary schools’ competition back on track, Simon assured, “We are working assiduously towards starting the primary schools’ tournament.”

Long standing friend of Basketball, former parliamentarian René Baptiste, who also spoke at last Sunday’s opening, laid down her recipe for the sport, which she acknowledged is going through some challenges. “ I often read the sports pages in the newspapers ... I see such great support, especially in Bequia for Basketball teams, and I am hoping that the games you play here would encourage other persons,” Baptiste said.

She urged the players and the Federation to, “Take beautiful pictures , spectacular shots and post them on line and put positive words ... When you want to catch a fly, you spread honey, not vinegar; so the best way is to spread the good words, so that others would come and give you the support you richly deserve.”

Baptiste and the other speakers addressed a few of the teams and a

Conrad Simon and René Baptiste inspecting the teams last Sunday at the opening of the national basketball tournament.

Left: Defending male champions- Aycees Calliaqua United. female teams were represented at Sunday’s opening.

Registered in the male division are defending champions Aycees Calliaqua , Mavrix, Bequia, Advent Ballerz, Inter Secondary School , Sweaters, RSVG Police sprinkling of spectators at and Mattafix Playerz. last Sunday’s opening.

Inter Secondary She and likewise Schools, Advent Ballers master of ceremonies John and Bustas make up the Horne, himself a past female division. national basketball player, The opening match advised the leaders of the between Calliaqua and sport not to be daunted by Advent Ballerz , which the turnout, but (to) look was first delayed by a at the positives of their power (lights) failure, was efforts. eventually rained out at Four of the eight the half way mark, with participating male teams Calliaqua leading 32 — 18. and two of the three

SVG Rugby Team tramples St. Lucia IT WAS A TIME for celebrating for rugby enthusiasts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as the senior men’s team returned triumphantly from St. Lucia, after their second match of the NACRA 15-a-side Championships, two weekends ago.

After oming away with a commendable draw with group favorites Curacao just two weeks before, the team doubled up on St. Lucia, for a convincing 16 to 8 margin victory.

St. Vincent took an early 10-0 lead, thanks to a pair of tries by outside centre Anzio Lewis.

Penalties added from scrum-half George Kruger at 40 minutes increased the lead, and second row Kimran Barnum closed the door at

80 minutes with a kick to make the final scoreline 16-8.

St. Lucia did not hit the scoreboard until the 67th minute when fly-half Colvis Samuels scored a try.

St Vincent now sits at the top of the South Zone Cup League with 4 points from 1 win and 1 draw and a pair of bonus points from their two matches.

St. Vincent looks forward to welcoming BVI here at home on Saturday April 18th , for the final match of the group.

The match will take place at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex with kick-off scheduled for 2pm.

The SVG Rugby team reads Andrew Phillips (Captain), Recardo

Action in SVG Rugby team’s convincing victory over St Lucia.

‘Yellow” Dallaway, Guy Hadley, Benson Nanton, George Kruger, Jayvan Lucas, Dellon Durrant, Godfrey Matthews.

The national squad also includes, Kimran Barnum, Anizo Lewis, Dimitri ‘Shane’ Samuel, Gilan Comas, Brian Alexander, Richardo Roberts, Odonza Dennie, Kit Horne, Justin Tittle, Jonathan Franklyn, Antoney Joseph, Kemi Francois, Phillip Alvis and Dugal James.

I.B.A.ALLEN

New records established at ISSAC 2015 SEVERAL RECORDS, all but one in track events, were set at the 2015 National Lotteries Authority Inter Secondary Schools Athletics Championships, which concluded last week Wednesday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Responsible for four of the new marks were Romar Romar Stapleton, Stapleton of the Bishop’s College record holder of Kingstown and the Girls’ High the junior boys’ School’s Shantell Williams.

100m and 400m.

Stapleton broke Kwan Stewart’s record in the boys junior 100m of 12.75 seconds, lowering it to 12. 25.

He also sent packing Shemar Welcome’s 400m best time of 58.46 seconds to the new timing of 57.61 seconds.

Williams ran new times of 12. 67 seconds in the 100m and 25. 80 seconds in the 200m, in the girls’ intermediate category.

She erased the 12.97 seconds Shantell Williams, set by Deslorn Lawrence in the record holder in 2014 100m, and Shaffiqua Maloney’s 26.25 seconds, which the girls’ intermediate 100m was established in 2013, in the and 200m.

200m.

Meanwhile, Dexroy Wilson of the Central Leeward Secondary bettered Kellornie Howe’s 50. 27 seconds in the senior boys 400m, by registering 49.08 seconds in the same event.

The Bethel High School’s Shannell Lampkin broke her own record in the 1000m for junior girls, when she lowered her 3 minutes 27.14 seconds set in 2014, to 3 minutes 26.92 seconds.

Also writing her name in the record books was the Girls’ High School’s Tamara Woodley, who ran 2 minutes 27.95 seconds in the intermediate 800m. She removed Adora Lawrence’s time of 2 minutes 31. 46 from the record books.

Woodley was also part of the Girls’ High School quartet who broke the 4 x 100m, which now stands at 51.81 seconds. The old mark stood at 52.1 seconds.

The girls’ intermediate time in the 1500m, established by Kerina Hooper in 2013, was broken by Zita Vincent of the Central Leeward Secondary.

Vincent‘s clocked 5 minutes 12.64 seconds, to Hooper’s 5 minutes 17. 90 seconds, set two years ago.

There is a new record in the 4 X 100m for senior boys, as the Thomas Saunders Secondary’s 43.84 seconds, outdid the previous record of 44.29 seconds.

And, the St Vincent Grammar School rewrote the records in the junior boys 4 x 200m. The new record is 1 minute 46. 11 seconds, over the 1 minute 51.07 seconds, which reigned since 2011.

The lone field event record that was broken was in the junior girls shot putt. Becky James of the Emmanuel High School Mespo flung the new mark of 8.11m.

With the track events timed electronically since 2011, the previous hand times which stood, were done away with and new marks established since.

There are, however, long- standing records in the high and long jumps .

Rohan Saunders’ 1982 mark of 1.87m in the intermediate boys high jump is yet to be equalled or even broken; so too is Agenella Young’s 1985 record of 1.72m in the senior girls high jump.

Staying unchallenged since 1986, is Marvette Collis’ 5.06m in the junior girls long jump.

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24. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

Saints triumph at Sion Hill Keroy Roberts made 73 in Triumph’s 173.

Romel Currency (bowling) had a good match with both bat and ball.

centuries, and featured in an unbroken century stand for the fifth wicket.

They came together with the team’s score at 105/4, after Sunil Ambris (30) was LBW from one that kept low, characteristic of the pitch all match long.

Currency threw off the shackles of defensiveness and went at the bowling, which at times created some problems, with great gusto and panache in association with John.

The pair added 147* by the time stumps were drawn in fading light, with John on 69 and Currency on 73.

This was John’s first premier division half century as he raised his bat. In all, he struck four fours and four sixes in the seventy-five minutes he stayed at the wicket. Currency struck seven fours and two sixes, faced 71 balls and batted 85 minutes.

Guardian General Saints went to stumps 252/4 and declared overnight. Zenroy Lee, 2/36, was the most successful bowler for Triumph United.

Triumph took to the crease with an apparent intention of batting out the day, and appeared to have been on course to do so at 130/3 just before tea, with Keroy Roberts looking good for a century. But

things took a significant swing when Roberts (73) and Ahmed Baptiste (27), who had added 78 for the fourth wicket, were both dismissed within minutes of each other.

Opener Roberts batted for more than three and a quarter hours and was the first to go, when he was bowled by Damal Phillips at 130/4. Baptiste batted for 145 minutes, faced 92 balls and was next to go at 147/5.The innings then went into a whirlpool, with three wickets going with the total on 160, and two on 173m, as the last five wickets fell for 13 runs.

Phillips 5/52 and Currency 3/14 did the damage for Guardian General Saints.

Guardian General Saints, with a lead of 79, then faced three overs and racked up 43/1, with Ambris being dismissed for 38 (5x4, 2x6), before setting their opponents a gettable target of just under five runs an over, on a lightning fast outfield .

Set 123 for victory in 27 overs, Triumph were in serious trouble at 4/8 and were finally dismissed for 78 in 20 overs, with Zenroy Lee 43 being the topscorer. It was the spin of Currency, 3/29, Andrew Emtage, 3/35, and Phillips, 2/11, that did the damage, as Guardian General Saints got home with seven overs to spare.

by E. GLENFORD PRESCOTT GUARDIAN GENERAL SAINTS took full points from newly promoted Triumph United Cricket Club, with a 45run victory, following a second innings declaration that some may have termed insane and others inane, in their premier division match at the Sion Hill Playing Field, last weekend.

SCORES: Guardian General Saints 252/4 &43/1, Triumph United Cricket Club 173 & 78.

Winning the toss and batting after a late start, Guardian General Saints rushed to an impressive 252/4 in the 45 overs available to them. This was mainly due to the batting of captain, Romel Currency, and Jeron John, who struck rapid half

Khir Huggins accepting the donation from GTC’s Akeil De Roche, while other members of the club look on, including headman – Grant Connell and head of maintenance- Calvin Findlay.

Tennis welcomes new club to the fold THE GRAND View New Age Tennis Club is the latest to enter the local Tennis fold.

Operating from its base at the Grand View Hotel, the new entity has as its head, Khir Huggins.

Served with a quantity of rackets and balls by the Grassroot Tennis Club, New Age is now ready to propel its programme.

Quizzed on his new undertaking, Huggins said, “A man cannot stay at one place all the time; he has to seek for opportunities to help himself..

“I am thankful to Grassroot Tennis Club for coming to my assistance... This shows that one club does not have to fight down the other, because we are all here to develop the sport of Tennis,” Huggins reasoned.

Head of the Grassroot Tennis Club, Grant Connell, welcomed the emergence of the new club.

“It’s great to see another club launched. This now makes it four(4) recognised Tennis clubs on the mainland now: Bonan, the Grassroot Tennis Club, the Triangle Court with Keebajah King, and now Khir Huggins at New Age Tennis Club,” Connell acknowledged .

“The Grand View Tennis Club has a lot of history; I remember being a ball boy at the regional championship when the likes of John Maginley of Antigua played with our very own Toney Boyea and Peter Nanton ...I must commend the owners of the facility, Toney and Heather Sardine, for giving Khir the opportunity, and I am certain he will do well. He has our full support”, Connell added.

In concluding, Connell noted: “I am confident the other two active ITF level two coaches in St Vincent and the Grenadines, in the persons of Peter Nanton and Toney Boyea, will assist him (Huggins) along the way.”

No place for Peters in W.I. training squad

by E. GLENFORD PRESCOTT

Kenroy Peters THE DECISION by the Windward Islands tour collects test selectors to omit Kenroy Peters from their final cap from eleven during the course of the regional season West Indies seems to have had a negative impact on him playing team more than a solitary test match for the West Indies. manager, One is led to make this conclusion after the West Sir Richie Indies Cricket Board announced a 20-member squad Richardson. minus Peters, for a training camp in Antigua, ahead of the International Home Test Series against off a Man of England, starting this month April. the Match All but seven of the players selected were part of performance in Trinidad the squad that played in the Test series against against the Red Force, South Africa this past December/January.

Peters found himself The seven include four uncapped Barbadians in carrying the drinks the Carlos Brathwaite, fellow fast bowler Miguel following match at the Cummins, Shane Dowrich wicketkeeper/batsman Kensington Oval. His and batsman Shai Hope, with the Guyana spin season came to an twins, Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul, inauspicious close when winning a second lease on life. he was recalled for the TnT’s left-handed batsman Darren Bravo, having match in Dominica, recovered from the injury that ended his where his 25.2 overs participation at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 saw him taking 1/67, Windwards opener early, is inlcuded in the squad. and was guilty of Devon Smith is retained.

But Peters was overlooked, despite once again overstepping the front being among the leading wicket-takers this season, crease on a few with 37 @ 14.16 a peice. occasions.

The 33-year-old Peters, called up as a Last year, Peters collected 40 wickets, to be the replacement for the injured Kemar Roach on the leading wicket-taker in the competition, resulting in tour to South Africa last December, played one test, his call up, which many thought should have come taking 2/68 in his only bowl, with some pundits more than a decade before. questioning his lack of pace. He was dropped for the The training camp will begin on April 5 and next match when many, including former West culminate with preparation for the first Test, Indies speedster now commentator Ian Bishop, starting on Monday, April 13, at the Vivian thought he had done enough to merit a second test. Richards Cricket Ground.

However, returning to the Caribbean at the end The squad: Sulieman Benn, Devendra Bishoo, of the tour with aspirations which he expressed Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg publicly of getting back into the team, the Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Vincentian pacer was promptly dropped by the Chanderpaul, Sheldon Cottrell, Miguel Cummins, Windwards selectors for the Nagicor Super50 in Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Trinidad.

Shai Hope, Leon Johnson, Veerasammy Permaul, His humiliation did not end there, for despite Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, being the team’s leading wicket-taker and coming Devon Smith, and Jerome Taylor.

V

THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 25.

Sports

Pope at Windies HPC

by E. GLENFORD PRESCOTT

Round Two shapes up BARBADOS advanced to Round two of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers with a 4: 0 win over the United States Virgin Islands, last week Thursday.

That was a relief to their Brazilian coach and supporters.

Barbados lost one nil to the visiting US Virgin Islanders in the first encounter. Everything clicked on away turf.

Barbados plays Aruba in home and away matches June 8 and 16.

Belize advanced by virtue of an away goal in the Cayman Islands, in a one all tie. The Cayman Islands held Belize to a goalless draw on the Central American mainland, but having taken the lead at home, Belize edged them out with that equaliser.

Next up for Belize is the Dominican Republic.

It will be a sterner test for Bermuda in their clash with Guatemala. Bermuda disposed of Bahamas 5: 0 and 3: 0 to secure their berth.

Dominica will battle Canada. The Dominicans were held to a nil/nil draw at home, following an away 3: 2 victory over British Virgin Islands.

St. Kitts will face El Salvador. It was easy pickings for the Kittitians with 6 - 2 results in both games against Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Suriname/Nicaragua clash will add to the CONCACAF intrigue. Nicaragua overcame Anguilla 5 and 3 nil.

Curacao beat Montserrat 2 - 1 in the first encounter and were on course to take the berth against Cuba.

The other fixtures will include the St. Vincent and the Grenadines/Guyana encounter.

Puerto Rico and Grenada will look to advance, and Antigua and Barbuda at the expense of St. Lucia.

Those will be knock out matches, so there will be no second chance for those teams that place second in those matches.

Thereafter, it will be Group stages when teams will be placed in batches of four. The going gets tougher then, so it will be survival of the fittest.

The campaign intensifies thereafter, and it will be a scramble for the three automatic places, as the two teams from each of the three Groups rumble for spot in the hexagonal play off.

The Schools sports came off here last week, and the analysis continues as to the performances of those students. Interest seems to be more on the coaches than on the athletes.

Some persons are more obsessed with the glitter and glamour than on producing genuine athletes. In any event, the facilities on the ground are lacking, and this country lies dismally in the distance when it comes to producing top class athletes.

Taking sports seriously and attending to the needs of our younger athletes do not seem to be a priority. The authorities prefer to allow the youngsters to fall victim to their own devices, rather than put things in place to guide them into some positive direction. Sport development has been left to chance for too long, and the sporting authorities still linger in their approach to sporting development.

We have survived on the basis of elementary grounds. The time has come for us to make that scientific advance and adopt to the modern aspect of sports.

Ray Jordan is one of seven Vincentians who have represented the Windies at ICCYWC.

ST. VINCENT and the Grenadines U19 captain, Gidron Pope, is into the first week of a two-week training camp at the West Indies High Performance Centre on the UWI Cave Hill Campus, Barbados.

The talented opener, who plays for NEWS Spartans in the local Premier league, was named by the West Indies Cricket Board in a 16-member West Indies under19 squad for the camp, scheduled from March 29 to April 11.

Pope, a left-handed batsman who bowls off spin, will be trying to earn a place for the team to the 2016 ICC Youth World Cup, to take place in Bangladesh.

He along with Kofi James, Kirstan Kallicharran, Ryan Johns and Dominic Drakes did not participate in the Nagico Super50 tournament in January, in Trinidad & Tobago, and he is one of two Windward Islands players to be named in the squad, Grenada’s all-rounder Ryan John, being the other.

Four of the players called are from the Leewards (Kacey Carty, Jaeel Clarke, James, and Alzarri Joseph), while three are from Barbados (Drakes, Nicholas Kirton, and Shamar Springer).

Trinidad & Tobago are represented through Amir Jangoo, Kallicharran and Akil Seetal.

Guyana’s flag bearers are Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo

Paul.

In his only (local) match before going off, Gidron Pope is hoping to follow the Pope hit an impressive 67 for lead of previous Vincentians who News Spartans against Lime represented the W.I. at the ICC Youth Radcliffe, at the main Arnos World Cup. Vale Playing Field.

He will be hoping to follow South Africa are the defending in the footsteps of Kenroy Martin, champions after beating Pakistan Stephen John, Kenroy Peters, in the final-their first ever World Darnley Grant, Delorn Johnson, Cup trophy.

Sunil Ambris and Ray Jordan as The West Indies Under-19 Vincentian players who have squad: Leewards — batsme Kacey represented the West Indies in Carty and Kofi James, the ICC U19 World Cup. wicketkeeper/batsman Jaeel The West Indies Cricket Board, Clarke, and fast bowler Alzarri in a release, indicated that the 16 Joseph; Barbados — fast bowler at the camp do not represent the Dominic Drakes, batsman/off final squad, as players will have spinner Nicholas Kirton and allthe chance to impress during the rounder Shamar Springer, all2015 regional under-19 rounder; Jamaica - offtournament, set for July 20 to spinner/batsman Michael Frew August 16, Jamaica. and fast bowler Odean Smith; The West Indies best placing at Trinidad and Tobago the ICC Under-19 (Youth) World batsman/wicketkeeper Amir Cup came in 2004 when they Jangoo, batsman/leg-spinner finished runners-up to Pakistan.

Kirstan Kallicharran, and fast The Young West Indians placed bowler Akil Seetal; Guyana third in the inaugural competition batsman Shimron Hetmyer and in 1988 and third again in 2010. all-rounder Keemo Paul; and In the last two editions (2012 and Windwards - all-rounder Ryan 2014) the regional youngsters John and batsman/off-spinner finished sixth.

Gidron Pope.

TOSS takes schools’ cricket title with ease THE TROUMACA ONTARIO Secondary School (TOSS) uncomplicatedly took the United Insurance Schools’ cricket title last Tuesday, at the Arnos Vale One Playing Field.

Facing the Thomas Saunders Secondary School (TSSS), the North Leeward institution romped to an easy 53run triumph.

Winning the toss and deciding to bat, Troumaca got to 114 all out. Benniton Stapleton topscored with 31. But it was the 42 extras conceded by the TSSS

which propped up the TOSS innings.

Rayshorn John, 3 for 33, Vincent Cupid, 2 for 24, and Dari Haywood and Gregory Wyllie, with 2 for 28 each, shared the TOSS wickets.

Thomas Saunders Secondary never looked like challenging the score, and were dismissed for 61. They surrendered meekly to the bowling of Stapleton, who bagged 5 for 28, and Shammon Hooper, 4 for 29.

In a game in which extras dominated,tThe TSSS had 31 in their innings. Vincent Cupid with 18, was their best batsman.

It was great for the TOSS who were thrown out of last year‘s competition, but turned around to play unbeaten this year.

Stapleton was named player of the final, for his effort with both bat Benniton Stapleton, Player of and ball. the Final, accepts his trophy He also captured from Director of Physical the most catches in Education and Sports, Nelson Tuesday’s final, for Hillocks.

The Troumaca Ontario Secondary School – winners of the 2015 United Insurance Secondary Schools’ Cricket competition. which he was awarded a trophy.

Shammon Hooper secured the awards for the most runs (2720 and best all rounder. He also was the lone centurion in this year’s competition.

Javed Williams of the George Stephens Secondary took the most wickets, 24, while the TOSS’ Elmore Robertson was adjudged the best wicket-keeper.

Sandy Bay won zone one, TOSS won zone two and taking zone three was the Mountain View Adventist Academy of the preliminary round.

George Stephens Secondary took the third place.

Shammon Hooper who scored the most runs and was voted the best all rounder, accepts his award from EO for Physical Education in Ministry of Education, Rosmund Griffith.

26. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. 27.

Classifieds

Election dates known, says PM EVEN IN THE FACE of sustained from the Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) and its supporters, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves says he is not ready to reveal the date for the next General Elections.

He, however, told the Unity Labour Party supporters gathered at the Calliaqua Playing Field last Saturday for the 14th anniversary of the party’s victory at the polls, that the dates for the next general elections had already come to him.

“I know when I’m going to dissolve the House, and I know when I am going to ask the Governor General to have the writ issued for the election date,” Gonsalves said.

General Elections are constitutionally due by March 2016.

“Let us hear all their confused conversations about all kinds of subjects. Let us hear they tell the people what policies they are going to bring, because up to now there are none — they have no compelling narrative,” he continued.

He accused the NDP of being opportunistic in their attempt to address the issue of women, and he

brandished a document which he said was a record of the amount of work that his government has done in relation to women, since coming into office in 2001.

“And I want you to go down to social development and talk to the people down there,” Gonsalves said.

The gathering at Calliaqua comprised a large percentage of women.

DENNIS NIGEL BIBBY

SHIRLEY HADLEY

JERITA BROWN

Chebar Evangelical Assembly Inc. Tuesday 31st March, 2015 3:00 p.m.

Bethel Gospel Assembly Georgetown Saturday 28th March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

Apostolic Faith Mission Church Campden Park Saturday 28th March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

AKISHA HANSON South Rivers Playing Field Sunday 29th March, 2015 2:00 p.m.

MARVA CARMETHA PROVIDENCE Full in the Spirit Pentecostal Ottley Hall Saturday 28th March, 2015 2:30 p.m.

ANESTA CAESAR Gomea Methodist Church Thursday 26th March, 2015 3:00 p.m.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

F O R S A L E

THURSDAY,

APRIL 02, 2015

VOLUME 109, No.15

CANOUAN INVESTORS END QUARREL Canouan, as part of the development which Saladino initiated.

DIFFERENCES between Dermot But Saldino found himself at odds Desmond, an Irish businessman and with Desmond. financier, and Antonio Saladino, a SwissThat dispute dragged on and Italian entrepreneur whose investment resulted in a cessation of development propelled high end tourism related work in which Desmond was involved, investment in Canouan, have been causing major fallout for Vincentian settled. workers.

Desmond, who owns the Sandy As many as 500 jobs were said to Lane Hotel in Barbados, played a have been affected. major role in the construction of the Prime Minister Dr. Ralph top of the line Pink Sands Resort on Gonsalves, in addressing the impasse the Southern Grenadines Island of during a press conference last Monday,

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Antonio Saladino (pictured with socialite Denice Riche) and Dermot Desmond have mended their differences, and indications are that there will be re-start of development work in Canouan. first expressed sympathy with the plight of the families who were affected as a consequence of the impasse, but said that he was pleased “to use our office in assisting in resolving the matter.”

He recounted his role in solving the crisis, and referred to the end of the hostilities as “good news.”

Dr. Gonsalves read an email from Desmond, in which he (Desmond) expressed “appreciation for all the support you have given to both sides during this challenging dispute.”

Desmond is keen on working with the Vincentian government “in building a world class marina,” which Dr. Gonsalves projected as a major provider of opportunities for Vincentian businesses.

In a related matter, US $9.5 million outstanding from sale of lands in that territory will be forthcoming, according to the Prime Minister. That money has been earmarked for use in the construction of the International Airport at Argyle.

Running for, and running four Camillo Gonsalves, a first time candidate for the ULP, claims that his opponent in East St. George, Dr. Linton lewis, has a losing record, which he (Gonsalves) doesn’t want.

WHILE THE NEW DEMOCRATIC Party (NDP) is busy talking about change, Senator Camillo Gonsalves, the man selected as the candidate to contest the East St George constituency against the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) Dr Linton Lewis, maintains that the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) is the change.

“When we go to the polls, in the next election, only two candidates would have been in every victorious election of the ULP from start to finish,…… comrade Ralph and comrade Daniel — so when I look around and I see some little posters in Calliaqua saying that is time for a change, this is the change,” Gonsalves said in his first public presentation

since being selected as a candidate.

“The ULP is the change, and we continue to change and update ourselves for the next election,” he continued.

He boasted about the new look of the ULP slate of candidates selected thus far, which he said featured some youthful faces, including Carlos James, Jomo Thomas and Saboto Caesar.

There was only one new name on the ballot paper for East St George, and that was his, he quipped.

“Some people ask me if I am running against Linton Lewis, they ask me if I am competing against Linton Lewis, and my answer to that is no. Because for me to compete

That Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and ULP would win a fourth consecutive term is utmost on the mind of Camillo Gonsalves. against him, he would have to have something that I would want.

“For me to compete against him, he would have to have something that I strive to be; but all he has is a losing record, and I don’t want that, and I am not competing against him for that,” the current Foreign Minister said.

He continued, saying that he was not running against anybody, but that he was running for the opportunity to represent and serve the people of East St George, and the people of St

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

Vincent and the Grenadines.

Gonsalves added that he was also running for the opportunity to ensure that Dr Ralph Gonsalves remained as the Prime Minister, and for the opportunity to strengthen and advance the good work that was being celebrated for the 14 years that the ruling ULP was in office.

“I am running for, and I am running four,” he said, the four referring to a possible fourth consecutive term in office for the ULP.

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