Caribbean Roundup

Manning criticized over decision to resume hangings

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – The Patrick Manning administration has been warned that the country’s reputation in the international community could be in jeopardy, if government insists on acting against a civilized judicial system.

Queen’s Counsel Lord Thomas of Gresford who represented condemned prisoner Ramsingh Jairam at the Privy Council, has written to Prime Minister Manning, saying that while crime is a concern, the resumption of hangings as a political gesture is appalling.

“The intention of your government to hang the people who have been on death row in your prison for many years as a political gesture appalls us all,” the letter stated.

“It would be deeply damaging to put your international reputation in jeopardy by acting in a way which is against all the principles of a modern civilized justice system and in defiance of your highest court, as it still remains the Privy Council,” the letter continued.

Lord Thomas represented Jairam at the Privy Council last February and said they were assured by the State Counsel that his client would not be hanged.

On Monday High Court Judge Ian Benjamin ordered the stay of execution until Friday, of all death row inmates who were convicted before 7 July, 2000, pending the hearing of a motion to have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

The office of the attorney-general said Monday’s court decision was not unexpected, as attorneys for the condemned men had written to the government asking for one month, but the state agreed to give them ten days.

However, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday has accused the government of rushing to resume hangings as a diversionary tactic.

PM Owen Arthur warns of criminal network

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) – Speaking during debate on a resolution paving the way for the building of a new Barbados Coast Guard headquarters at the Flour Mill Site, just outside the Bridgetown Harbor, Arthur also urged Barbadians not to underestimate the seriousness of the situation.

“The whole country should be alert to the fact that there is now an international criminal culture that has entrench-ed itself.

“It’s not only a criminal network that is selling drugs but [they] are in-volved in narco-terrorism, narco-kidnapping and other such actions sponsored by those involved in the illegal drug trades,” Arthur told the House yesterday.

The Prime Minister called on parliamentarians for a unified approach and announced that the United States, Can-ada and Britain had scaled down their military assistance to the island.

“I’ve come to the House to say this and ask the House’s support for it.

This country may be doing well in dealing with crime and violence but let us not underestimate the threat from the criminal network involved in the narco-culture.

“We are now facing a situation where the traditional sources of support on a bilateral basis for our disciplined forces have been removed,” he added.

Arthur also told the House of his Government’s intention to purchase a military aircraft and possibly a helicopter to help beef up the immediate security needs of the country.

“We are ... on our own, yet we have a duty to provide security and for the safety of our people and to ensure that the development of Barbados can continue on our own terms to take place within an environment of security and stability.

“It is my judgment, Sir, and I have recently convened the chairman of our own Security Council of Barbados to ask that a special paper be prepared to discuss how and what Barbados needs to do to fully equip our security forces to fill the gap that is left by the withdrawal of support of our former traditional donors, as well as to make a sensible assessment as to what is required to meet the gathering threat that is ob-vious to anyone,” Arthur said.

The Prime Minister drew reference to some Caribbean countries that were faced with a serious security crisis and noted that Barbados could no longer pin its fate in the hands of others.

Sugar officials to protest against European Union

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) – Local sugar officials will be protesting outside the gates of the British High Com-mission in Kingston tomorrow against a plan by the European Union (EU) to cut the price of sugar from the Carib-bean by 39 percent.

The EU’s announcement is expected on June 22.

According to Professor Trevor Mun-roe, president of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU), the protest will start at noon tomorrow and will include delegates of the three unions representing employees in the sugar industry. The other two unions are the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union and the National Workers Union. The unions staged a similar protest last summer.

A delegation from the demonstrators will meet with British High Com-missioner Peter Mathers and head of the European Commission delegation in Jamaica, Gerd Jarchow, Munroe disclosed.

The protest coincides with a meeting of the heads of the local EU member missions at the British High Com-mission.

Today is also when the EU’s annual summit is to be held in Luxembourg, presided over by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The current situation follows last year’s ruling by the World Trade Or-ganization (WTO) that EU sugar ex-ports are subsidized beyond levels accepted by the WTO. This sugar in-cludes the 1.6 million tons imported annually at high prices from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) producers. As a result, the EU announced it would abandon the 1975 Sugar Pro-tocol signed with ACP countries guaranteeing them price and quantities of exports for an indefinite period.

ACP countries and the Jamaican sugar industry have argued against the cuts and the timing, which they said is too sudden, and threatens the industry’s future.

More time is needed they argue, to adapt to modern market conditions and move into refining, ethanol production and energy co-generation.

Antiqua avoids American blacklist of countries

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (AP) – An-tigua & Barbuda continues to maintain its full compliment of vessels calling at its ports since the 1 July deadline of the introduction of the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS).

Manager of Bryson’s Shipping Nathan Dundas said the Antigua Port Authori-ty as an entity, as well as the country as a flag state for ships carrying the country’s flag, has been able to maintain its fair share of ships berthing here.

Dundas said recently the US Home-land Security through its enforcement agency the US Coast Guard released a blacklist of flag state countries where ships would automatically be delayed entry into US waters due to non-compliance with ISPS.

He stressed it is imperative for An-tigua & Barbuda to maintain its com-pliance status on a yearly basis, “Es-pecially in view of the fact that we depend significantly on the marine industry - both the cruise sector as well the cargo business.”

Dundas believes for the country to maintain its compliance status it would have to keep the security levels up to the standard of the International Mari-time Organization on a yearly basis.

“They do routine checks. They make unannounced calls. The US Coast Guard can come in anytime and make unannounced calls.”

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