by KENVILLE HORNE

DIRECTOR OFPUBLICPROSECUTIONS,Colin Williams, hasstated categoricallythat he has never seenan affidavit sworn toby Uroy LaybayRobertson, in whichRobertson claimed thathe lied under oathwhile giving evidence,as a state witness, inthe Lloyd LazarusSamuel murder trial.

I have never seensuch an affidavit,Williams told THEVINCENTIAN.

Williams responsecame on the heels ofthe murder ofRobertson on Sunday,September 2.

Asked whether hebelieved Robertson wasmurdered because hegave evidence in the

Continued on Page 3.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 VOLUME 106, No. 37 www.thevincentian.com EC$1.50

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Colin Williams,Director of PublicProsecutions, putspend to the rumourthat Uroy LaybayRobertson had swornthat he lied under oath.

Right: Uroy LaybayRobertson, star witness,was shot to death.

DPP: Ihavent seenan affidavit

Story on Page 3.

Left: JasonKenney,CanadasCitizenship,Immigration andMulticulturalismMinister, citingsubmission ofunreliabledocuments ascontributing tothe decision tointroduce a visarequirement.

Vincentians will now have to getsomething like this to be allowed intoCanada.

2. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

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V News 3THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. 3.

Canada introducesvisa for Vincentians FROM PAGE 1.

VINCENTIANS wishing to visitCanada will now have to get avisa.

Prime Minister Dr. RalphGonsalves made the disclosurelast Tuesday, during a pressconference.

But while Dr. Gonslavessaid then that no formalannouncement had beenmade and no date set for theimplementation of the newtravel arrangement, and thatthe visa requirement had not(up to then) been officiallycommunicated to thegovernment of St. Vincent andthe Grenadines, a release fromthe Foreign Policy andDiplomacy ServicesDepartment of the CanadianGovernment gave indicationthat the new policy, tookeffect from last Wednesday,September 12, 2012.

That release advised thatVincentian nationals would berequired, as of that date, tosubmit their applications bymail or in person to theCanadian visa office in Port ofSpain, Trinidad and Tobago.The release also provided alink to a website that offersguidance and furtherinformation on the process.

The release came almostsimultaneously with newsreports in the Canadian pressof last Tuesday, which quotedCitizenship, Immigration andMulticulturalism Minister,Jason Kenney, as saying thatbeginning at 12:01 a.m. ESTtoday (Wednesday 12thSeptember, 2012), citizens of

St. Lucia, St. Vincent andthe Grenadines, Namibia,Botswana, and Swaziland nowrequire a visa to travel toCanada.

THE VINCENTIANunderstands that for the first48 hours, or until 11:59 a.m.September 12, citizens of these

countries who are in transit toCanada at the time the visarequirement took effect,received a TemporaryResident Permit on arrival inCanada, free of charge, if theywere not otherwiseinadmissible to Canada.

Factors leading up to visapolicy

And while Prime MinisterDr. Ralph Gonslaves pointedto the documented effortsmade by Vincentian nationalsto secure refugee status inCanada as a majorcontributing factor inadvancing the implementationof the visa requirement forVincentians, another, evenmore damning reason hasbeen given by the CanadianGovernment.

The Canadian Citizenship,Immigration andMulticulturalism Ministry hasgiven as a key reason forimposing the visa requirementon St. Lucians andVincentians as the submissionof unreliable traveldocuments.

It goes on to say, Inparticular, criminals fromthese countries can legallychange their names andacquire new passports. Insome instances, people whowere removed from Canada assecurity risks later returnedusing different passports.

And Minister Kenneyreinforced thiswhen he is quotedin the Canadianpress as saying,Theserequirements willbetter protect thesafety of Canadiansby preventingforeign criminalsfrom coming toCanada in the firstplace. The

Government of Canadaremains committed topreserving the security of ourborders and immigrationsystem, and to protecting thesafety of Canadians.

Dr. Gonsalves, at lastTuesdays press conferencenoted that Vincentians havebeen applying for Canadiancitizenship for some time, andone method of approach was toclaim that they were facingharassment at home.

According to Dr. Gonsalves,A number of persons claimedthat their husbands orboyfriends had been abusingthem. Others claimed thatthey were facingdiscrimination on racial orpolitical grounds.

He spoke of having torebuke Vincentian officialswho sought to jump on therefugee claim bandwagon.

Whatever the reason orreasons for the introduction ofthe visa requirement by theCanadian government, theonus is now on Vincentians, tosatisfy visa officers that theirvisit to Canada

is temporary and they willnot overstay their authorizedstay; have enough money tocover their stay; are in goodhealth; do not have a criminalrecord; and are not a securityrisk to Canadians, accordingto Canadian immigrationregulations.

These requirements are thesame for anyone who wants to

visit Canada.

Reaction

A cursoryinquiry of somepersons on thestreet here,threw up a bagof mixedreactions.

One personwonderedwhether thiscountry wouldever introducethe samerequirement forpeople fromCanada andAmerica, whileanother couldfind no faultwith theCanadiangovernment forintroducing therequirement.

One veryvociferousrespondee,politicallycoloured itappeared,blamed all demNDP people whogey SVG a badname when deytry to geh a stay as refugee.

Official notification from theCanadian government on thenew visa requirement forVincentians was received bythe Government of SVG, on

Wednesday 12th September,in a diplomatic note, datedSeptember 12, 2012, from theCanadian High Commission inBridgetown, Barbados. Itstated that the new policy tookimmediate effect.

Continued from Page 1.

Lloyd Samuel case, the DPPdownplayed such a suggestion,and reminded that Robertson hadgiven evidence in other cases.

Why would anyone wait untilthe guys were sentenced? Killingthe witness (then) wouldnt makesense, he posited.

On the question of protectionfor the witness, he confirmed thatwhen Robertson was shot in thehand earlier in the year, heidentified the shooter, but hewasnt protected.

Williams also corroboratedinformation that threats had beenmade against Robertson, andadmonished the state mechanismfor not supporting Robertson.

We did not provide thenecessary measures, the DPPstated.

Witness wanted to leave

The DPP also disclosed thatRobertson wanted to leave thecountry after giving evidence inthe Samuel murder case, since heknew he would not be safe in thecountry.

There was approval by theMinistry of Security to protectRobertson, Williams said, andexplained that after traveldocuments were organized, themoney to purchase the ticket wasnot forthcoming.

People who should haveprotected him did not give himthe kind of support, saidWilliams.

Information reaching THEVINCENTIAN indicates thatRobertson had providedinformation to the police onnumerous occasions, but there

were persons in the Police Forcewho did not like him and failed tooffer him protection.

Witness protection

In the wake of Robertsonsmurder, the DPP made a call for awitness protection system, saying,in fact, that there is an urgentneed, for such.

Williams conceded that justiceprotection, which includes witnessprotection, is very expensive, butit is also very important.

He believes that if persons paytheir taxes, Government mighthave enough money to fund thewitness protection programme.

Notwithstanding, the DPPadmitted, We as a nation wouldhave to provide in our budget, thefinancial support for the witnessprotection.

DPP: I havent seen an affidavit

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves citedthe unscrupulous behavior of someVincentians and their advisors as havingcontributed to the introduction of the visa.

4. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

CourtVStories by HAYDNHUGGINS

CONSTABLE GodwinCharles of the SpecialBranch, a prosecutionwitness at the BurtonWilliams trial, told thecourt on Tuesday,September 11, thatWilliams had called onpersons at an oppositionNew Democratic Party(NDP) led protest marchand rally in Kingstown,January 28, 2011, to joinwith him and take theParliament.

Following his call,Charles testified thatWilliams and others useda police barricade to ramthe parliament precinctsmain gate, which wasclosed and chained.

Constable Charles isthe first and only witnessto have testified, so far,at the hearing which

commenced on Tuesdayafternoon before SeniorMagistrate DonaldBrowne, at theKingstown MagistratesCourt. He was expectedto leave the state onTuesday night but can berecalled if needed.

Williams, whounsuccessfully contestedthe South Windward seatfor the NDP in theDecember 13, 2010general elections, hasbeen charged with, thatwithin the precincts ofthe House of Assemblybehaved in a manner inwhich a breach of peacewas likely to beoccasioned contrary tosection 15 of the PublicOrder Act, Chapter 396.

Williams is alsoaccused of attempting todamage property. Thatcharge was broughtunder section 315(1) of

the Criminal Code,Chapter 171 of the Lawsof St. Vincent and theGrenadines.

Williams isrepresented by lawyerAndreas Coombsattached to Attorney Dr.Linton Lewis law firmalong with lawyers OlinDennie and EmeryRobertson.

Crown Counsel ColinJohn leads the case forthe prosecution.

Dennie and Robertsonwere unable to attendCourt on Tuesday.

Williams recorded andpictured

Constable Charlestestified that on Friday,January 28, 2011 he wasdispatched to the NDPled protest march andrally, which was aimedat forcing government to

pull back the CriminalProcedure CodeAmendment Bill and theRepresentation of thePeople Act. The formerwas passed close tomidnight that Friday,while the other was putto a select committee.

Constable Charlesrecalled that he wasstanding in the vicinityof the House of Assemblyand the Building andLoan building when heheard Williams makingcertain statements.

According to theevidence, Charles was inpossession of a whiteOlympus digital voicerecorder and a blackcanon digital camera. Hesaid Williams wasstanding next to a blueHino truck upon whichthe public addresssystem was attached, inthe same vicinity. He

recorded Williamsstatements.

Charles said hehanded over the voicerecordings to Sergeant321 Simmonds and theywere transcribed. Hewas able to access thosetranscripts and couldidentify them by hissignature.

The photographswere printed by me and Ihad them in mypossession, he added.According to him, theywere not altered oredited by anyone.

Gate rammedCharles testified that

Williams proceeded tothe main, southern gateof the House ofAssembly, locatedopposite the KingstownVegetable Market.

I notice Mr. Williamsand other persons begantrampling the policebarricades erected on theouter perimeter of theHouse of Assembly, andas a result I begantaking pictures, herecollected.

P.C. Charles added, Ialso observed Mr.Williams and a few otherpersons took up one ofthe police barricades andbegan to ram the maingate of the House ofAssembly. That gate wasclosed and chained.

When Crown CounselJohn asked him todescribe how Mr.Williams and othersrammed the gate, P.CCharles replied, Violentand aggressive.

Charles said Williamsstated, My brothers andsisters, I tell you what ishappening here today.My brothers and sisters,I tell you what ishappening in the peoplesparliament.

At this point, Coombsinquired whether thewitness wasparaphrasing.

Charles replied thathe was giving a synopsisof what was said.

He recalled thatWilliams further stated,They are trying to pass

the bill in one day. Mybrothers and sisters, Iwant you to understandthat under section 48(2)they can have the billread three times, passedand become law today.

P.C. Charles reportedWilliams as continuingwith, We have to kill thebills, kill the bills. Mybrothers and sisters,they just read the billsfor the first time.

The witness testifiedthat Williams added, Iwant to inform you thatthey have just read thebills for the second time.

Charles revealed thatat this point, Williamsappeared to be in a rageand shouted, We have tostorm the parliament.Its not Ralphparliament, it is thepeoples parliament, andshouted further, Letstake the parliament.

According to the policeofficer, Williams threwthe microphone he heldin his hand onto theground, ran into thestreet between theparliament and theVegetable Market, andpulled at a barricade,causing it to fall. Thecrowd joined him bypulling down thebarricades and Williamsrepeated, Lets take thepeoples parliament,and he grabbed onto abarricade.

Charles said a fewpersons picked it up and,along with Williams,began ramming theparliaments gate.

P.C. Charles wasexpected to leave thestate on Tuesday night.However, the SeniorMagistrate informed thatif the court needs him,he can be recalled.

The matter wasinitially adjourned totoday (Friday), but thatdate was subsequentlychanged to September25.

The prosecution isexpected to call sevenadditional witnesses.

ALTHOUGH prosecution witnessConstable Godwin Charlestestified on Monday that therewere police officers on the scenewhen opposition New DemocraticParty (NDP) candidate BurtonWilliams and others used a policebarricade to ram parliamentsmain gate, January 28, 2011,during an NDP led protest marchand rally in Kingstown, Williamswas not arrested on that day.

During his cross-examinationof the witness, Williams lawyer,Andreas Coombs, asked if apolice officer who sees anycriminal act taking place, whetherhe is duty bound to make anarrest or to act, in order toprevent any criminal activity,whether he is in plain clothes ornot.

P.C. Charles replied in theaffirmative.

Coombs suggested that thereason why the police officers onduty did not arrest Williams onthat day was because there wasnothing to arrest him for.

Charles disagreed when he wasre-examined by Crown CounselColin John. I did not arrest Mr.Williams because the crowd wasaggressive and the crowd wasbecoming violent, he explained.

John further asked, Is it everytime that an offence is committedthat a police officer would arrestfor that offence?

Charles replied, No, yourhonour.

When would a police officernot arrest? John inquired.

They would not arrest if thesituation is beyond their control,the witness said.

During further cross-examination of the police officer,Coombs asked why it was notmentioned in his report that hehad a digital camera as was saidduring his testimony.

You recalledmaking a reporton January 30,2011, in relationto the matter?

Yes Sir,Charles replied.

This reportthat you madewas two daysafter the incidentallegedlyoccurred. Twodays after, theinformation wouldhave been fresh in your mind asto exactly what happened andwhat you did? Coombs asked.

Charles replied in theaffirmative.

Why was it not mentioned inyour report that you had a digitalcamera? Coombs insisted.

Because I was writing myreport toward the transcripts,Charles answered.

Why then does your reportrefer to other things? How wouldwe know that you are the personwho took the photographs, whenit was not mentioned in yoursigned report?

I took the photographsbecause I was about 12 feet fromMr. Williams, the witness said.

Noting that P.C. Charlessignature had been affixed to themain statements that wereextracted from a recording,Coombs asked, But how comethat was not done to thesephotographs, they are just blank?Mr. P.C. Charles, I am suggestingto you that you had nothing to dowith these photographs. Charlesdisagreed.

Coombs further questionedwhether the NDP had held aprotest march and rally prior toJanuary 28, 2011, during whichthey congregated next to thatparliament.

If the NDP had a previousrally, what is there to say thatthey (photographs) were taken onJanuary 28? Coombs asked.

I only had the camera onJanuary 28, 2011 and on theother dates I did not have acamera, the witness responded.

Now P.C. Charles, there wereother persons who were aroundthe barricades at the time. Didother people not pull thebarricades? Coombs asked, andnoted that the pictures showedother people around Mr. Williams.

Other people pulled thebarricades as well, Charlesreplied.

Holding up one of thephotographs, Coombs said, Thispicture does not show Mr.Williams pulling on thebarricades.

But the officer insisted thatWilliams pulled the barricades.

Crown Counsel John indicatedthat he was wondering whereCoombs was going with that lineof cross-examination, because thefact that other persons may havedone similar things, does notprevent Williams being guilty ofcommitting the offence.

The matter has been adjournedto September 25.

Burton Williams (right) in conversation withprosecution witness Constable Godwin Charles,after Mondays court proceedings. AndreasCoombs, Williams lawyer, is also pictured (left).

Witness: Williams urged supporters to take Parliament

Crown Counsel Colin John (left) and Defencelawyer Andreas Coombs go head to head in theBurton Williams case.

Witness cross-examinedin politicians trial

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. 5.

NewsV

SOME CARNIVAL watchers here aresaying that the Carnival DevelopmentCorporation boys should take a leaf outof the Domincans book.

The reference is made to therecently launched Bring-a- FriendCampaign in that fellow OECSpartner country.

The Campaign is aimed at enticingDominicans and their friends to theisland during the islands flagshipevents.

According to a release, Thecampaign is geared towardsencouraging the Dominicancommunity abroad to bring a friendwhen they travel to Dominica for theWorld Creole Music Festival andCarnival.

Dominicas World Creole MusicFestival is held in late October, toIndependence in November. Carnivalis celebrated in February/March as aPre-Lenten festival.

Word is that the Discover DominicaAuthority (DDA) has partnered withhotels, restaurants, car rentals, touroperators and other companies toprovide discounts on their services fortwo weeks during the festive season.

Dominicans in the Diaspora arebeing deliberately targeted,encouraging them to Bring a Friendwhen they travel to Dominica. Inreturn, they can receive coupon booksfor discounts at participating stores,restaurants and other serviceproviders.

Dominicas Director of Tourism said,It is believed that Dominicans livingabroad travel to the island largelyduring the festivals and thus this isthe perfect opportunity for them toexplore the island and experience someof the cuisine, tours, and activitiesthat the island has to offer. .withdiscounts in hand and a friend to showaround, we hope that this will drive

them to do the activities knowing thatthey can save.

Now thats what we mean when we

talk about marketing, commented onecarnival maker here in SVG.

Barbados: The Americasfirst African SocietyIF PROFESSORHILARY BECKLES hashis way, Barbados, longknown as LittleEngland, could wellbecome known andaccepted as The FirstAfrican Society in theAmericas.

The Professor madethe claim in a lead up tohim being the featurespeaker at this monthsAfrican DiasporaHeritage TrailConference to be hostedin Barbados, by thatcountrys Ministry ofTourism.

Professor Beckles,Principal of theUniversity of the WestIndies (UWI) Cave Hillcampus, explained,according to CaribbeanNet News Now, thatBarbados occupies avery special place in themaking of the AfricanDiaspora. Reflections onits relation to Africawithin the publicimagination andhistorical discourseshave revolved aroundgeographic rather thanits demographic factor.

He continued, Whatis of special importance,

however, is that Africafound in Barbados thefirst place where asociety was constitutedupon the majorityprinciple.

Professor Beckles, ahistorian of wideacclaim, pointed out thatby 1660, Barbados hadalready emerged as thefirst society in theAmericas with anAfrican majority; and as

the largest and leadingAfrican society in the17th century.

Barbados, purportsBeckles, was by thistime, ...the only societyin the Americas whereAfrican women were amajority during most ofthe slavery period andafter. This demographicfact has had a strikingsocial and economicimpact on the making ofBarbados as a society.Within the network ofAfricas Diaspora, theentire island can thus beclassified as a site ofmemory in thetransatlantic slavetrade.

Barbados, therefore,in the view of ProfessorBeckles, has a great dealto teach to other parts ofthe African Diaspora.

The African DiasporaHeritage TrailConference is scheduledto be held fromSeptember 17 to 19. Anumber of local, regionaland internationalspeakers are slated toaddress a wide range oftopics relevant to theAfrican Diaspora.

AUSTIN JACK WARNERhas survived anotherround in what seems tobe an unending effort torun him into the ground.

At least, this was thecomment of oneTrinidadian with whomTHE VINCENTIANspoke earlier this week.

In his latest battle toavoid being made to dropto his knees, according toour source, Jack lived tofight another day, whenhis governmentcolleagues voted 91-6 todefeat a motion to havehim removed as amember of the Cabinet ofthe Government, of his nativeTrinidad and Tobago.

A motion to have one of theconstituent groups, the Congress ofthe People (COP), force the PeoplesPartnership Government to haveWarner removed as Minister ofNational Security and the cabinet,failed to get anywhere at a weekendconference of the COP.

The motion had been tabled by vice-chairman of COP, Vernon De Lima,who had also threatened to have COPdisassociate itself from the PeoplesPartnership Government if his motionwas unsuccessful.

His motion proved futile, and the

COP proceeded toaffirm itscommitment to thePeoples PartnershipGovernment, ofwhich WarnersUnited NationalCongress (UNC) is acomponent.

The COP,however, called, in a

counter motion, for the police toconclude, as speedily as is possible,any criminal investigations in relationto that Minister (Warner), so we canhave a final resolution in relation toany criminal charges or not on this. Itis fair to all to have a final and quickdetermination on this issue,according to the Trinidad Express,which attributed the fore-mentionedquote to COP leader PrakashRamadhar.

The investigation into the dealingsof Warner stems from an allegedbribery charge made by FIFA, duringa meeting of Caribbean footballofficials in Trinidad in 2011.

Professor HilaryBeckles makes a claimfor Barbados being thefirst African society inthe Americas.

Left: Austin jackWarner just seemsto wallowuntouched throughthe barrage ofclaims made againsthis person.

JACK remains in Cabinet

The main stage of the World Creole Music Festival has featured the likes ofinternationals star Maxi Priest and Morgan Heritage, and more importantly ahost of local stars.

DominicalaunchesBring-A-FriendCampaign

6. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

NewsV

Stories by KENVILLEHORNE

THE THREE CHARGES ofperjury brought againstOpposition SenatorVynette Frederick arepolitically motivated,according to Fredericksfather Bayliss Frederick.

The senator wasreleased on bail onWednesday 12th afterappearing in theKingstown MagistrateCourt before SeniorMagistrate DonaldBrowne, where shepleaded not guilty.

Senator Frederick hadreported to theKingstown Police Stationearlier that day,responding to a requestso to do.

According to BaylissFrederick, the Senatorsfather and himself anattorney, he had beenwith his daughter at theCID until officers

informed him that shewould be transported tothe Magistrates Court.

However, after middayarrived and the femalesenator had not appearedat the court, he returnedto the CID to inquireabout the delay. He wasinformed by theinvestigating officer,Sergeant HesronBallantyne, that thepolice were awaitingfresh instructions.

They are playingpolitics , either internalor national politics,because it does not followthe rules of the CriminalProcedure Code, thatsays, once you havecharged an individual ,you are to take him tocourt as soon as possible,and the practice is within24 hours after he ischarged, BaylissFrederick said.

In a highly chargedmanner, the elder

attorney declared,Sergeant Ballytyne isclearly working as a

robot. What he wasasked to do, he did. Hehad questions laid out forhim ... He had tomake a report back tosomebody.

Frederick expressed aview that Ballantynehas nothing to do withwhat transpired, andreiterated that thematter was a politicallymotivated exercise.

The charges of perjuryagainst SenatorFrederick arose as aresult of evidentialmaterial the senator

submitted in a matter ofdefamation she hadbrought against PrimeMinister Dr. RalphGonsalves.

Attorney NicoleSylvester, who was atthe CID office withSenator Frederick, statedthat Frederick was not

broken at any time, sinceshe knew the charges arebaseless, adding thatthis is the price fordemocracy.

Senator Frederick,before leaving theprecincts of the courtsaid, I am doing betterthan they thought.

No head table address for LeacockST. CLAIR LEACOCK,Member of Parliament forCentral Kingstown, wasnot allowed to addressthe National Consultationon Vending, held atVictoria Park lastTuesday, September 11.

And the action toprevent Leacock fromspeaking from the headtable, taken by SenatorJulian Francis, Ministerof Transport, Works,Urban Development andLocal Government, wasmet with strong objection.

Minister Francis hadjust finished addressingthe gathering whenLeacock appeared at thehead table to make animpromptu speech. ButFrancis stated over thepublic address system,Mr. Leacock would liketo speak, but I aminsisting that Mr.Leacock speak from upthere (were some

microphones wherelocated for the vendors touse) and not down here(at the head table).

Francis told personspresent that the meetingwas arranged by hisministry, and I am theminister. I am not goingto allow Mr. Leacock toaddress this gatheringafter me.

His comments drewloud disapproval from thecrowd, with some personsseen leaving the venue indisgust.

Francis reminded thegathering that theconsultation wasarranged a week and ahalf ago and he had hadno indication from Mr.Leacock that he wasdesirous of addressing thegathering.

Leacock should havecontacted me or thePermanent Secretary toget a seat at the head

table. I cannot have aparliamentaryrepresentative behavingin such a manner andexpect to hijack thismorning meeting, hesaid.

One vendor in theaudience told Francisthat he should haveallowed Mr. Leacock theopportunity to speak, andhis refusal to allow thearea representative theopportunity was belittlinghis (Leacocks) position.

Leacock responds

This was the saidsentiment expressed byMr. Leacock when THEVINCENTIAN contactedhim.

According to theopposition member ofparliament, thediscussions were based onissues affectingKingstown, and he was

the duly electedrepresentative, therefore,Franciss statement thathe needed to seekpermission to address thefunction, should havebeen the other wayaround.

I think Francis is outof context, he stated.

Mr. Leacock admittedthat the issue of streetvending was not a newone

But things were nowon the other foot, Leacockimplied, adding, TheULP is getting a taste oftheir own medicine since,when they were inoppostion, theyencouraged persons tostay out of the market.They bad-talked it.

He explained that theissue was brought to himby vendors who wantedhis assistance, after theywere being removed fromthe business galleries in

Kingstown. Leacock disclosed that

he held discussions withthe Prime Minister, theWarden of the KingstownTown Board and themanager at the Bank ofSVG, seeking to resolvethe issue of vendingunder that banks gallery.

Leacock said that hewas asked by the vendorsto represent them at theconsultation, but he hadno knowledge of how thePark would be set up.

He refuted Francissstatement that he hadjust arrived at the venuewhen he indicated hisdesire to speak.

Its contentious and away to score politicalpoints and belittle me,and therefore, I just leftthe place withoutcontention, so it was amissed opportunity,Leacock concluded.

St. Clair Leacock, MP forCentral Kingstown, seenleaving Victoria Parkafter he was refusedpermission to speakfrom the head table atlast Tuesdaysconsultation.

SenatorFrederickcharged withperjury

A seemingly unperturbed Senator VynetteFrederick leaving the Court last Wednesday.

Left: Bayliss Frederick sees nothing but politicsbeing behind the charges laid against hisdaughter.

Opposition Leader andPresident of the NDPArnhim Eustace was onhand to offer support tothe Senator, but refusedto comment to thisnewspaper.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. 7.

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THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLEfirst heard about unity of theWest Indian islands aroundthe 1930s.

England was somewhatembarrassed by herownership of many dependentcountries in the fastapproaching era of decolonisation, and so theydreamt up different ways of allowing theircolonies some measure of freedom, especiallyafter the spate of rioting locally and the SecondWorld War internationally.

For the West Indies, the preferred route wasby way of the federal principle, because it wasnot then thought that these territories couldbecome Independent, Sovereign nations on theirown.

In the 1930s and 40s talk was knockingdown the place over federation with rallies anddemonstrations aplenty. There was a seriousconference in Jamaica in 1947 leadingultimately to a Federation of ten CaribbeanCountries, which was inaugurated in Port-ofSpain Trinidad in 1958.

But the Federation collapsed in a shortthree years, after which both Jamaica andTrinidad struck out on their own, declaringtheir individual Independence in 1962, andBarbados joined in 1968, after failing to hit itoff in a Little Eight federation. Sir ArthurLewis Agony of the Little Eight wasinstructive on the causes of its still-born death.Just as Sir Hugh Springer and Sir JohnMordecai had told the earlier tales respectivelyof the Failure of the First West IndianFederation and The West Indies: The FederalNegotiations, both insightful publications.

In short, both publications had decried theself-centredness of the unit territories as awhole, warning that the West Indies shouldhave plugged for a unitary State or at least fora strong Federal Government as Eric Williamshad recommended in his Economics ofNationhood. His office charged that Only apowerful and centrally directed economiccoordination and interdependence can createtrue foundations of a nation. Barbados will notunify with St Kitts, or Trinidad with BritishGuiana, or Jamaica with Antigua. They will beknit together only through their commonallegiance to a central government. Anythingelse will discredit the conception ofFederation and leave the islands more dividedthan before.

Perhaps that most brilliant publication thattreats with problems of the West Indies,covering the place and role of the federationthough difficult of attainment, is that ofProfessor Gordon Lewis, The Growth ofModern West Indies, published in 1968.

At least three years before, the Flambeaugroup was enlightening our people on ourpolitical condition. Gordon Lewis made severalreferences to the Flambeau in commending itsgeneral Quest for Caribbean Unity. He singledme out for a direct quotation in noting that theadvocates of loose federation often argue aboutour cosmopolitanism when we are eightypercent Afro-Asian, they speak about ourdifferences, of our various identities when weare fairly homogenous in terms of religion andlanguage, they talk glibly of economicdisparities when we are all poor, and of ourseparation by the sea when a sun-jet can runthrough the entire West Indies archipelago in-between two successive meals.

To this day, thepolitical class makes afetish of our pettydifferences, at the expenseof the rather broad area ofcommonality which isnever stressed.

Since 1968, the small-island politicians have become intoxicated bytheir leadership of Independent territorieswhich have been allowed to become in their ownright sovereign nations in the NewDispensation.

There was a brave, courageous andcommendable attempt to bring the islandstogether following a clarion call by VincentianPrime Minister James Son Mitchell in 1987. Itnearly worked. Taking advantage of thechemistry of feeling that existed among fellowheads of Government in the Windward Islandsat the time - Mitchell, Compton, EugeniaCharles and an unlikely oppositionist, GeorgeOdlum who saw the big picture, Mitchell all butpulled it off.

Little did he know however that he had firstto contend with a sub-regional OppositionGroup _SCOPE_ comprising Julian Hunt, Rosieand Michael Douglas and Ralph Gonsalves.They had been totally obstructionist, usingtheir brains to scuttle the exercise, in their ownpartisan-political interest.

The political arguments against unificationas adumbrated by members of Scope was that itmust not be rushed hot and sweaty, that itwas a mere scheme to provide jobs for the boys,that it was not of spontaneous growth but hadbeen ordered by the Anglo-American bossesetcetera.

In 1987, Mitchell in his Tortala speech hadopened up the possibilities which Willie Demashad enlarged in his masterpiece of a landmarkspeech, pleading that we seize the time whichwas then opportune, but drifting away.

Instead, the magic moment was allowed toslip from our grasp, and even the idea offederalism seemed to regress. The economicargument has been pushed at the expense ofthe political which it vitally needed. It providesa classic case of putting the cart before thehorse.

A related and fatal consequence is that anelite has taken control of the show, and thepeople, the real flesh and blood of all politicalcontrivances, have reverted to being whatGordon Lewis has termed the darkenedtheatre audience whose only role is to gaze atand applaud a galaxy of stars as they performon the public stage.

So, the important matter of Freedom ofMovement has been botched, and is limited to awell-chosen few of the professional andcommercial classes, with the others to followsometime in the misty future.

For, apparently, there still lurks anirrational and unfounded fear that hordes ofoutsiders will invade and flock to the one or twoplaces that seem progressive. And so we courtthe danger of locking ourselves into a cul-de-sac, a historical back-water, devoid of growthand incapable of expansion.

This is not to say that the present managersof the process do not want the best for theislands as had been dreamt of by the old fathersof integration. But it is to say that one musttread warily for the road to hell is paved withmany a good intention.

8. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

ViewsV

Editorial

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.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

A Witness ProtectionProgrammeSPECULATION IS RIFE: Uroy Laybay Robertson put his life on the lineto testify against two of his associates who were charged with themurder of Lloyd Lazarus Samuel.

No one, it seems, took seriously the issue of protection of thiswitness; no one thought for a moment that Robertson was inmortal danger.

Now, Robertson is dead, and the fingers are pointed abusivelyat those in immediate authority over the case.

Consider: It must have been an agonizing period in the life ofRobertson as he sat deliberating over the decision that led him toeventually turn star witness against his associates. Noassumption is made that he was coerced; we give the benefit of thedoubt to better judgement prevailing in the circumstances.

Whether or not Robertson was threatened before he even tookthe witness stand is further speculation. Maybe some indication ofthis would be revealed during the hearing of the case againsttwenty-year-old Kenny Lewis, who has been charged with causingthe death of Robertson. What might also be revealed is someexactness with respect to whether or not Robertson was fatallyshot as revenge for having turned against his associates.

What is accepted, even at this point though, is that his murderbrings into focus concerns about the safety of witnesses in seriouscriminal cases murder included of course.

That the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has called forthe formalization of a Witness Protection Programme here in SVG,is enough to speak to an acceptance that this country has joinedthe ranks of fellow Caribbean countries, - Guyana, Trinidad andJamaica in the horrific reality that criminals will stop at nothingshort of murdering witnesses, to beat the judicial process.

For what it is worth, THE VINCENTIAN supports the call bythe DPP.

Notwithstanding, we have to say from the outset that anyWitness Protection Programme must be designed to caterspecifically to key individuals who can provide essential andimpacting evidence, in relation to the most serious crimes. That isto say, the Programme must, in its execution, not be used willynilly so as to become an inordinate burden on the national purseand manpower resources of the Police and other related nationalservice providers.

It is a given that in addition to direct financial support for theupkeep of persons while in Witness Protection, the Programme willcall for specialized training of Police Officers and appropriatecompensation for their services.

The DPP is correct when he gives strong hints that a WitnessProtection Programme is a costly undertaking; one which thecitizens must be prepared to support if we are to combat the far-reaching tentacles of criminals who harbor propensities for crimeswhich we think exist only in the movies.

That is why it is important that citizens understand that theProgramme will be selective in deciding whom it should protect.Implicit therefore, is the proviso that the witness who is offeredthis protection must be determined to be open to a substantialthreat against his/her life.

Those who would qualify are those persons, like Uroy Robertsonwho themselves are criminals but who have turned against theirunsavory associates and/or victims of crime, and even innocentbystander(s) who would have witnessed a crime as it unfolded.

Yes, even as we endorse the call for a Witness ProtectionProgramme, we are mindful of its cost and involvedness (includingthe displacement of and disruption in the life of the witness). Thatis why we accept that it must be resorted to, only in extreme andsubstantiated cases.

Let us accept that a Witness Protection Programme is aneffective tool in the war against organized crime. The benefits ofsuch a programme have been catalogued by many countries whohave introduced and used the approach. We can learn from them.

Before the unwarranted dispensation of key witnesses becomeanother widening blotch on our social landscape, it would serve uswell to act now to encourage witnesses for the prosecution byoffering protection for those persons brave enough to comeforward.

The Political gamesmanship of the OECS

I MUST ADMIT that I have seen someimprovements in education, especially when itcomes to opportunities to pursue studies abroad.However, I am puzzled when I see some of thethings going on in education at this time.

I think, instead of the Minister of Educationsaying no child shall be left behind, she shouldhave been saying, some teachers will be leftbehind.

I speak of the three teachers who are still athome and have not been rehired by mygovernment.

I want to single out one of these teachers at thistime for good reason...that teacher is ElvisDaniel.

We all know by now that the Mathematicsresults at the CSEC level this year are poor. Wealso know that Mr. Daniel has taught Math atthe secondary level for over 20 years, with agreat degree of success.

Why is Mr. Daniel left behind in thiseducation revolution?

Am I to believe that there is not even one postavailable for him in 26 secondary schools in thecountry?

When you combine the number of Mathpasses at the secondary schools in Sandy Bay,Georgetown, Colonarie, North Union andAdelphi, you get less than 10 passes.

All of these schools are close to where Mr.Daniel lives in Georgetown. Why cant he besent to one or even 2 of these schools to teachMaths?

Alternatively, why cant he be sent to theCommunity College where his services are justas needed? After all, he taught at thisinstitution before, so he has the experiencenecessary.

If Mr. Daniel is not included in theMathematics programme at one of the manylevels in our country, then this will finallyconvince me that we are TALKING educationrevolution, but we are not WALKING the TALK.

Plain minded

I WANT TO SUPPORT what last weeks letterwriter said about, keeping Obama in the WhiteHouse.

I recall President Obama proposing what hecalled the Americans Jobs Act. Through action

proposed therein, thePresident hoped to boostthe US economy with acombination of tax cutsand spending increases.Independent analystsenvisioned that anestimated 1.3. millionjobs would have beenadded by 2012.

Unfortunately, the Billdidnt get very far. Itwas blocked by theRepublican majority inCongress. Now, thosesame (bold faced)Republicans point day inday out to disappointingjob numbers, and declarethe President to be afailure.

How on earth cansomething be judged tohave failed when thatsomething never got theopportunity to offer itselfup to be tested!

I say the Republicanshave been nothing shortof being obstructions tomuch of what PresdientObama would have likedto have implemented inhis first term of office.

Give him anotherterm.

Vincy in New York

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. 9.

ViewsVI DIDNT MEAN to contribute tothe discussion on this goatthief business because I didntthink it would mean anything tothe authorities, if I carried therope a little longer. But whenGarnet, who sits miles away inthe US, found it appropriate torespond to the Frank da Silvapiece, I re-thought my positionand decided, leh me tek derope a little further.

Those who continue to stealthe livestock and smallrudiments of our farmers, andeven our households, have got

to be the most detestablespecie of human beings. Howon earth can any right-thinking human being sit idlyby, wait until another mansanimal is fattened, and movein for the kill?

We boast of having avariety of qualified and giftedVincentians among us, but itseems we also can boast abouta variety of despicable onesamong us.

I am aware of manyfarmers losing large numbersof animals to these lazy (no

apology) so called humanbeings. How else can youdescribe them other thanlazy!!! They do nothing toadvance themselves theyhardly ever think about doingan honest days work insteadthey rely on the hard-workingfarmers to do it for them.

And before I forget: Thosewho continue to purchasethese animals, knowing fullwell that the persons fromwhom they purchase theseanimals are not farmers oreven have a goat in their

yards, are as guilty as thethieves.

I recall the big do aboutthe Rural Constableprogramme introduced underthe watch of the Police Force.Is this all smoke and no fire?How many of these goatthieves have been arrested,charged and jailed under thisprogramme?

May be it is time that wereturn to the type ofcommunity action to whichGarnet referred in his letter,since the authorities dont

seem capable or willing to doanything about this ongoingcrime. Then again, if acommunity takes action, thefirst thing that might happenis that some of the members ofthis community might becharged for taking the lawinto their own hands.

But I ask the question:When the law becomes silentor is ignored, is it wrong forcitizens to take action to curba crime?

Barnett

That goat thief issue again

ROMEO says inShakespeares Romeoand Juliet as he gazedupon his Juliet peeringthrough her window:I wish I were a gloveupon thy cheek that Imay touch thy cheek.

I am inspired bythat verse to wish: Iwish I were theconsciences of thosewho pass themselvesoff as political leadersof this country, that Imay prick them whenthey speak with forkedtongues.

Thats All

A wish

In support of ObamaMr. Editor, the killing of UroyLaybay Robertson, a key witness in arecent murder trial, raises thequestion of how safe witnesses are inthis country.

My concern is now that we havestarted getting rid of the witnesses,like Trinidad and Jamaica, how longis it going to be before there are nowitnesses, especially for the state? Iknow there are people out there whowould say I am talking foolishness;but tell me, which one of you wants tostand up in court and point theirfinger at a known criminal, especiallyone with gang connections, knowingthat you stand the chance of beingbumped off or if not you, some

member of your family?This is not far-fetched. We have

got to the point when the criminals inthis country are not afraid of lettingloose on anyone, regardless of age andsex. Remember what they did to thatold woman in Lowmans Hill?

I tell you, this place is just toosmall to even talk about a witnessprotection programme. Places likeAmerica which have size can putsomebody in witness protection andeven change their whole life history.If we have to put people in witnessprotect, we may have to think aboutsending them to some other country.

George

Witness protection

What does BRAGSAreally stand for? This ismy question to thatentity which carries thatacronym.

If I am being askedwhat it stands for, Iwould say Buildings,Roads and GeneralServices Authority. Butaccording to the ads thatare placed in thenewspapers by thatAuthority, it stands forRoads, Buildings andGeneral ServicesAuthority. (BRAGSA).

Can someone fromthat entity please correctme. Which is the rightone, Buildings, Roadsand General ServicesAuthority (BRAGSA), oris it Roads, Buildings

and General ServicesAuthority (BRAGSA)?

If it is the latter, thenit can never be BRAGSA;it has to be RBAGSA,and that does not makesense to me.

What if our CommonEntrance studentsshould get a question onthis? What should bethe correct answer?

Please, BRAGSA, getit right.

SKIM

BRAGSA OR RBAGSA?

Oh how she cries sosilently,All alone day after day.She just couldntunderstandWhy someone she loves, Will treat her this way.Many nights she will go tobedAnd has to sleep all alone.Wondering all to herselfWhere has her lover gone?Outside she paints a pictureOf smiles and happiness allthe while,But silently within herheart,Oh how she cries and cries.She tries very hard dayafter day To wipe her silent tearsaway,But not matter how hardshe triesThose tears just wont goaway.

Sydney K. Morgan 2000

Silent tearsSilent tears

I WISH TO publicly thank the Directors,Management and Staff of Coreas/Hazells Inc. for arecent generous donation to my ongoing efforts toprovide for myself.

I was, recently, a thankful beneficiary of aquantity of materials from that company, whichenabled me to reconstruct a chicken pen whichforms a major requirement of my poultry project.

Donations like this prompt one fromCoreas/Hazells Inc. reassure me that the corporatecommunity continues to demonstrate acommitment to the poor and especially, thechallenged persons in our society. In my case, I amtotally blind, but with the assistance from entitieslike Coreas/Hazells Inc., I am able to fend formyself.

Thanks again to Coreas/Hazells Inc for your kindand generous donation. I wish you continuedsuccess.

Stanley Richards - Georgetown

Thanks to COREAS/HAZELL INC.

* Is it true that acertain senatoragreed to hand overhis stipend to aformer teacher turnedcandidate in the lastelection, as thecondition underwhich that senatorwas named?

* Now that thisgoat thief thing hasbeen taken a littlefurther, would wehave to go overseas tocharge a very highranking person forhaving done the samething?

* Why arecalypsonians so quietabout that speechtheir president gaveat the CDC prize-giving ceremony?Dont they agree thatshe sounded asthough she wasrepresenting onetent?

Get Daniel back in the system

10. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

ViewsVThe Issue

Getting the education system andapparatus in good order for thenew school year is not an easytask. The ULP administration hasbeen doing this for a number ofyears, and in the process, thewhole affair looks relatively easy to theordinary layman, and those nay sayerswho support the opposition NDP.

But the reality calls for a lot ofplanning, coordination and hard work.For this, the ULP administrationmust take its hat off to a number ofinstitutions, including the Ministry ofEducation, BRAGSA, the Ministry ofWorks, and some private contractorshere.

The process begins long before thenew school begins. The Ministry ofEducation makes an assessment ofthe existing state of the educationsystem in the country, to determinewhat needs to be done for the newschool year.

First of all, there is the need tomake changes or repairs to thephysical structure of the buildingswhich have deteriorated during thepast school year. Then there has to bea determination as to the number ofpupils who will be attending school inthe new school year. In this case,issues such as staffing andaccommodation will take centre stagein the planning process.

Armed with this information, theMinistry of Education is well placed todevelop its plan to get the educationsystem in a state of readiness for thenew school year. In the mix will go thefinances necessary to pay for therepairs to schools, and to meet thesalaries for teachers and other relatedcosts. In all, the ULP administrationspent some two million dollars ingetting the education apparatus readyfor the 2012-13 school year.

The 2012-13 school year

The Ministry of Education musttake credit for the fact that all theprimary and secondary schools in thecountry, opened on time, without anyserious hiccups. Of note must be theeffort to restore the KingstownGovernment Primary School, after thefire last month that destroyed part ofthe building.

Kingstown Government opened itsdoors on time. There were some minorissues with several schools, buteducation officials were on the roadearly in an effort to meet thesechallenges, and provide solutions.

Prime Minister Dr. RalphGonsalves himself took to the roadand visited a number of primary andsecondary schools in the state, mainlyin the Kingstown and Windwardareas, to get a firsthand view of theseeducational institutions, and whererequired, to sort out any minorproblems. These were few and farbetween.

Generally speaking, right-thinkingVincentians understand thepreparation process that the Ministryof Education must undergo, and theproblems that may arise. For example,there is the issue of suddenresignations from the TeachingService which may create a void inschools here and there. The Ministryhas to respond swiftly to assignteachers to fill these vacancies.

There is also the issue of teachersgoing off on study leave. Even withthe best of intentions, some teachers

make last minute plans to go on studyleave, and this is a challenge for theMinistry. Then there are requests fortransfers, and of course some teachersget pregnant and have to proceed ontheir maternity leave. Still someteachers have to proceed on theirholidays and long leave, creatingadditional challenges.

Added to this is the concept offurniture bashing that occurs at theend of each school year, particularlyamong boys who might not bereturning to that school. The level ofdestruction is cause for concern, sincethe ULP administration must replacethe furniture, and this will lead toadditional cost. We must appeal to thestudents to desist from this practice.

The ULP administration isimpressed with the way in which theMinistry has responded to thesechallenges. And yet there are personswho find it necessary to beat up onthe senior officials from the Ministry.Sister Girlyn Miguel and her officialsare quite competent, and theEducation Revolution is in goodhands.

More work ahead

Still there is more work ahead forthe Ministry of Education.Immediately, issues related to theperformance of our students in thesubject areas of Mathematics andEnglish must be addressed. We expectother stakeholders to be involved inthis assessment, as we find differentways and means to improve theperformance of our students. It maybecome necessary to examine theperformances in other subject areassuch as the sciences, history and IT.

We have already detailed themassive expansion now underway atthe Community College, particularlyunder the 9th European DevelopmentFund/ICT Project.

We have to continue to address theissue of enhanced quality training forour teachers, so that they can deliverin their classrooms. We have toenlarge and secure a more committedrole for parents, in their childrenseducation.

The Ministry has to continue tofurther integrate the subject area ofICT in the teaching and learningprocess. This is very critical, as weprepare our students for professionalcareers after their graduation.

Equally important is thedevelopment of a quality corecurriculum in primary and secondaryschools in the State. Expansion workfor the secondary schools atTroumaca, George Stephens,Buccament, Sandy Bay, and ThomasSaunders, will be done this year, at acost of EC$1.5 million.

More Early Childhood Centres willbe established, and the book loanscheme will be expanded so that morestudents, especially those from poorhomes, can benefit.

The Education Revolution ismoving upwards by leaps and bounds,thanks to the hard work of all stake-holders, teachers, students, parentsand most of all, the Ministry ofEducation.

EDUCATION is often a personsmost valuable asset. It is indeedthe most powerful tool forescaping poverty and increasingones personal welfare. That iswhy the people of the SouthernGrenadines have been lamentingthe difficulties faced in the questto achieve access to secondary andtertiary education. Undoubtedly, itmust be noted that the financial costis much higher for students from theGrenadines, especially Canouan andMayreau, to access quality secondaryand tertiary education on themainland. Thus, mechanisms shouldbe put in place that will seek to levelthe playing field and improve accessand quality to those in rural areas.Indeed, emphasis must be placed onleveling the playing field in theeducation sector, since an expandinggap between those who have andthose that do not have couldnegatively affect social cohesion, andpotentially worsen inequality andaggravate crime.

Thus, it is of major concern thatmany students from Canouan arefaced with difficulties to gain accessto secondary education. Indeed, ahigh percentage of children are facedwith many social problems in additionto the high financial cost incurred. Insome instances, parents cannot meetthe financial needs of their children,as well as students who cannot copewith some social and other problemssoon drop out of some of the mostprestigious schools in the state.Similarly, students from Mayreaualso faced financial constraints toaccess secondary education on theisland of Union. Indeed, parents coulddo with assistance with thetransportation cost from Mayreau toUnion Island and back on a dailybasis. Without a doubt, the boatcharge is not the only transportationcost borne by parents of students fromMayreau who attend secondary schoolin Union Island, but also a transportcost via bus from the dock to schooland back is also borne. Many parentsfind it difficult to meet these needs inaddition to other obvious costs. As aresult, some parents were unable tomeet the transportation cost of theirchildren last term. So what are theyto do without any assistance fromgovernment?

We have often heard the phrase,no child will be left behind. Thisstatement has no meaning to thechildren of the Southern Grenadines,particularly those from Canouan andMayreau, since they are fighting tokeep up with their cohorts in otherparts of the country in access tosecondary education.

The people of the SouthernGrenadines had anticipated that theopening of the new school year wouldhave brought renewed hope toparents and students alike. They hadexpected that many of the problemsexperienced in the quest to accessquality secondary education wouldhave been given urgent attention.However, the many problems persist,and frustration and disappointmenthave continued to be experienced bystudents and parents alike. The callfor secondary education on the islandof Canouan has been denied, andworse yet, no assistance has beenoffered to assist parents to meet theneed of educating their children.

Furthermore, these are not theonly problems affecting students inthe Southern Grenadines. The fact isthat some schools in the Grenadinesas in other places in this country, arein poor conditions, thereby affecting

the teaching and learning process.How can teachers and students beexpected to perform under such poorconditions? The hallmark of anyeducation system is definitelystudents positive outcomes and highachievements. Consequently, theenvironment must ensure teacherefficacy and improve studentsperformance. Cognizant of this fact,much is desired of the physicalenvironment of the Stephanie BrownePrimary School located at Clifton,Union Island. In one section of theschool, the roof is rotten, louverscompletely missing and the buildingis in derelict condition. It is a wonderboth teachers and students arefunctioning in such an environment.Indeed, that section of the school is inneed of complete renovation. At theother section, the doors cannot lockand the physical environment is notaesthetically pleasing. The MaryHutchinson Government Schoollocated in Ashton, also suffers fromwater situation which affects theoperation of the school on a regularbasis. The big concrete tank has beenleaking for years now, but nothingwas done to correct this smallproblem. Thus, the struggle continuesfor both teachers and students as themeasure taken does not adequatelymeet their needs.

Cognizant of this, if the children ofthe Southern Grenadines are to reachtheir full potential, then there mustbe improvement in the quality ofprimary education to ensure that allstudents are sufficiently prepared forsecondary school, when theytransition from one level to the next.Inevitably, in todays world, it iscrucial that all young people receivethe opportunity to complete secondaryeducation that fits their needs. Thisbrought into question the UnionIsland Secondary School, the onlysecondary institution in the SouthernGrenadines. In the pursuit tosuccessfully implement universalsecondary education and ensure thatit is rewarding, the quality ofeducation offered as well as thecurriculum is extremely important.

Students accessing education at theUnion Island Secondary School canonly pursue certain career paths,since the curriculum does not cater tovaried needs and abilities. It is ofconcern that students at thisinstitution cannot write certainsubjects since the teachers requiredare not available. Thus, whenstudents meet the requirements of thecolleges, they have to change theirchosen career path. This is definitelynot acceptable. Nevertheless, theUnion IslandSsecondary School whichis the only secondary school in thisconstituency should be well equippedto cater to the needs of students fromthe Southern Grenadines in terms ofboth human and physical resources.

In view of all these problems, theideal scenario would have been toeffectively plan during the holidaysfor the new school year. In an idealworld, this was the period to get allthe small things right. Theopportunity was missed, and we areleft wondering when improvementswill be forthcoming to fix the manyproblems in education in theSouthern Grenadines.

ULP administration andback to school readiness

NDP will make things better for all The Southern Grenadines Plight

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. 11.

ViewsVBe not as one that hathten thousand years to live;death is nigh at hand:while thou livest, whilethou hast time, be good.- Marcus AureliusAntoninus (121-180)Emperor of Rome161180, distinguished Stoicphilosopher

IT HAS BEEN APPROXIMATELY fouryears since this column featured anarticle entitled The Bucket List. Thewriting was based on the movie by thesame name and revolved around ablack, blue-collar mechanic namedCarter Chambers (portrayed by MorganFreeman) and a white billionairehospital tycoon, Edward Cole (portrayedby Jack Nicholson). Their paths crossedin the hospital after both werediagnosed with cancer and wererequired to share the same hospitalroom. Cole initially objected to sharingthe room with Carter, but eventuallyaccepted the hospitals cost-cuttingpolicy. The two men became friends asthey underwent their respectivetreatments. Carter was a giftedamateur historian and family manwhose ambition was to become ahistory professor. However, this careerwas never realized due to his lack offinancial resources while growing up.Cole, on the other hand, was acorporate magnate, weird loner, fourtimes divorced, who enjoyed nothingmore than irritating others. As themovie progressed, the two men agree tocreate a list of things they wanted to doand places they needed to see beforethey kick the bucket; their bucketlist.

A colleague recently provided mewith the link to Candy Changspresentation on TED.com that causedme to reflect on what I had sharedvia The Bucket List article(http://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to.html). Butit beckoned me to go beyond that; topen these words inviting each readerto contemplate the noble things thatwe all need to place on our To dolist of things to accomplish before wedie.

The thought of death and dyingwill immediately turn some personsoff. It is therefore not surprisingthat, at this juncture, some readersare contemplating whether theyshould discontinue reading thisarticle and more on to some morepleasant reading (concluding thatdeath is equated withunpleasantness). However, you areinvited to stay with me. Let usexplore some thoughts that mayenrich our lives as we consider someof the tasks that we should performbefore we die.

Many have discovered thatthinking, talking, or writing aboutdeath can be quite sobering. We arereminded of our frailty and theinevitability of this date withdestiny. But this article is notintended to generate feelings ofvulnerability and/or depression. Far

from that! It is intended to remindus that we cannot get out of life alive(paraphrasing a Les Browneexpression). And though some mayanxiously and expectantly lookforward to the second return of JesusChrist and the privilege of meetingHim in the air, we clearlyunderstand that the majority of uswill taste death most of us will notbe alive when He comes again.

Now, lets do a little exercise here.What are the ten most importantthings that you will want to do if youdiscovered that you would die tendays from now? No, dont skirtaround the question. There is valuein responding. Make your list. Whatare the ten most important tasks thatyou would want to perform if youknew that you only had 240 hours tolive? Some of us will consider achange in lifestyle. Others may seekto mend relationships with closerelatives and/or friends. Others mayseek to pay off all their debts, whilesome may venture to collect allmonies owed to them. Some mayeven venture to withdraw funds fromtheir savings accounts and visitdistant lands or have a nice time.What would your list look like?

An appendix question nowsurfaces: what is keeping you backfrom doing the things that are onyour list? Life is fragile. You and Ican be much closer to deaths doorthan we think. It therefore behovesus to do what we must ... while thereis still life. Let us fuel that spirit tobe proactive and move in thedirection of implementing positivetasks and projects.

It will be remiss and irresponsibleof me if this article ended withoutinviting readers to consider yetanother question. A question that ismore important than the twoprevious ones: if you were to die now,where would you spend eternity? TheBible clearly indicates that it isappointed unto man once to die andthat after death there is judgement(Hebrews 9:27). We know that allhave sinned and come short of glory(Romans 3:23) and that because ofthis we all deserve wrath. However,we also know that God commendedHis love to us in that, while we weresinners, Jesus Christ died to save us(Romans 5:8). All we need to do is toaccept His gift of love and accept Hisgrace, and that simple act of faithwill be our passport to spend eternitywith Him. This is no fable. This isno fairy tale. However, I am assuredthat this decision must be made onthis side of life ... before I die.

Send comments, criticisms &suggestions to

julesferdinand@gmail.com

If the truth be told, the personsdirectly responsible for thedecision by the Canadiangovernmentto impose visarestrictions on Vincentiansareunscrupulous immigrationattorneys and consultants.These professionals knew thatchances were slim to none forVincentians to obtain legal status on thebasis of humanitarian, human rights andrefugee grounds .

But make no mistake about it,leaders of the opposition NDP,especially Arnhim Eustace, St. ClairLeacock and VynnetteFrederick, played a key enabling rolein encouraging Vincentians to makemeritless claims to Canadianimmigration officials.

Most of us distinctly remember theway the political opposition greetedthe claim published in the TorontoStar that St Vincent and theGrenadines might be the worst placein the world to be a woman. The Starreported that thousands of Vincentianwomen were breaking down the doorsof immigration offices in Canadaseeking refuge from rapaciouslybrutal Vincentian men, and the lack ofresponse from a political and economicsystem that harboured little or no careabout their plight.

The fraud was made easy because,once refugee or humanitarian statuswas claimed, the unscrupulous lawyer,who ought to have known that hisclients had no chance, was paid by thestate. The more claims the lawyerfiled, the more money she makes.Health and other economic benefitsalso flowed to the applicant. Becausethe applicant used none of her ownmoney to file, she became even moreprone to a decision that would prove tobe penny wise and pound foolish.

Lost in the political bacchanal wasthe fact that many of theseapplications will fail because neitherinternational Refugee Law orCanadian Humanitarian Lawpermitted entry nor the legalization ofstatus based on economic hardship.Where political persecution is alleged,proof has to be sound. These truthswere disregarded as government waswrongly condemned for makingeconomic times so hard and unable tocontrol killings through gang violence.Those seeking refugee status weresupposedly literally running for theirlives.

We distinctly remember Oppositionleader Eustace and St Clair Leacockadmitting on radio that they had donerecommendation for persons whosought refuge in Canada. PMGonsalves plea to Vincentians torefrain from filing bogus claims wasdismissed as the sweet words of aleader unconcerned about the plight ofnationals. Dr Richard Byron Cox, anoutstanding international expert, hisforthright statement that based on hisstudy and understanding ofinternational human rights andrefugee law, most if not all, of theseclaims will fail, was laughed at andcondemned. Plain Talk also warnedagainst a backlash from excessivelyfrivolous applications. We too weremocked and scorned.

Yesterdays news of the newCanadian visa requirement is a sternreminder that those who disregard thewailing sound of high winds willcertainly reap the whirlwind. Now

another safety valve, exit to Canada,has been closed. Vincentians, whocould without restrictions travel toToronto, Montreal, Ottawa andCalgary must first obtain visas beforeentry into Canada.

It is not an easy life when you arefrom the lower classes of a poordeveloping country. In good times asin bad ones, the government will neverbe in a position to adequately takecare of its most needy citizens.

So the immigrant story is the storyof these Caribbean islands, indeed theworld. We are particularly incensed bywhat has happened because of ourown story. Mom travelled to New York41 years ago on a 6 months visa. Sheleft 7 children, ages 3 to 15 yearsbehind. We never saw her again forten years. To hear her tell her story ofloneliness, hardship, fear, confusion isto love her more. But against the odds,she persevered because she wanted abetter life for her children.

But most of our politicians or theirmouthpieces could not care less. Oncea given reality can be exploited forpolitical gain, they will jump at itwithout thinking through therepercussions. They rarely have littleto lose. Most of the elected ones andtheir relatives are part of the politicaland economic elite. They can live quitewell here. Except for the occasionalvisit to the metropoles for medicalcheckup, they live First World lives inThird World SVG. When we playpolitics with the life chances of themost vulnerable sections of thepopulation, people get hurt.

The poor desperately need theavenues where they can travel todestinations of greener pastures.Most of us migrate in search of abetter life. Apart from the convenienceof travel, it is much cheaper. Visaapplications are not free. The cost isdifficult, especially for the people whoare least able to pay.And that is whythe enablers who pushed our citizensto slamming the door shut onthemselves must be condemned.

Further, those who can see nofurther than their partys allegianceshould be shocked into a newconsciousness by the Canadiandecision. Sometimes, many of thethings you support, in the name ofparty, are anti-national and objectivelyin contradiction to your own personalinterest.

But rather than accept that we mayhave gone too far with our narrowpartisan politics, some in the politicalopposition refuse to take any blame atall for their folly. They now say thatgovernment must take some of theblame for creating the economichardship that forced people to run.Who advise them? Are they tooignorant to know that economichardship is not a basis for refugeestatus?

We pay to learn. Hopefully,Vincentians would have learnt a hardlesson.

Send comments, criticisms &suggestionsto wefirst@aol.com

The enablers mustbe condemned

Before I die

THE ECONOMIC tables have turned against PMGonsalves. Twelve years of gross economicincompetence, coupled with poor vision, has seen theSVG economy damaged to dangerous levels. The peopleof SVG are paying a heavy price, enduring much painand suffering because of Gonsalves incompetence.

Gonsalves gamble of driving the SVG economywith a foreign policy of begging and borrowing wasnever sustainable and was foolish. Gonsalvesbegging targets - Gaddafi of Libya, Chen of Taiwan,Badawi of Malaysia and Manning of Trinidad andTobago - have all been kicked out of office.

Begging is no way to run an economy, and thispolicy has placed the livelihoods and future ofVincentians at risk.

The safe and responsible way to managegovernment resources is to invest in projects thatbring returns, and then use the returns from theseprojects to modernise infrastructure such ashospitals, schools, factories and roads. This way,thousands of long-term jobs are created and theeconomy is strong and stable.

Gonsalves economic incompetence was illustratedby him wasting over $100 million in building theroad from Fancy to Kingstown, before investing inprojects that bring returns. The $100 million shouldhave been wisely invested to build new factories, soSVG could export goods and bring money into thecountry on a continual basis. Money earned fromexports could then be used to build roads.

Does Gonsalves not know that you cannot exporta road? SVG cannot earn money from abroad fromthat road, because that road cant go anywhere.That $100 million was killed by incompetence.Likewise with the Belle Isle jail, money was wastedas the jail brings no returns from abroad and thejail cannot be exported.

The sources for begging have dried up and themoney has dried up.

Gaddafi of Libya, Chen of Taiwan, Badawi ofMalaysia and Manning of Trinidad and Tobago wasGonsalves attempt at an economic plan. Now thetables have turned, the ripple effect of economicincompetence is highlighted all around SVG, withmany businesses closing down, no moneycirculating, and rampant unemployment and crime.

In September 2012, SVG experienced threemurders in five days. Is this Gonsalves idea ofeconomic and social success?

A Green Government will invest wisely and buildprojects that bring continual returns. We will createthousands of new, long-term jobs, economic growthand continual surplus revenue. Then, with thecontinual surplus revenue, a Green government willinvest incrementally in the infrastructure that ourcountry badly needs.

SVG needs new products and new markets, andwe urgently need factories. Our economy needsleadership that can competently manage SVGsfinance. A SVG Green Party government has theexpertise to competently run our economy to bringrevenue into the country and prosperity to thepeople.

A Green government will modernise the SVGeconomy to be an export-driven economy. SVG canonly increase revenue and create thousands of newjobs by exporting new products such as canned fish,

bulk tankers of fresh water, and agro-products liketea, juices and baby food. It is crucial that SVG

creates productive economic sectors.

SVG Green Partywww.svggreenparty.org

12. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Opinion VThe economic tablesturned against PM

by Frank E da Silva

AGED READERS of this papermay remember a weekly columnwith the above caption. Thecolumns were written by Mr M MScott, a proud North Leewardman from the village of CoullsHill.

A response by Garnet of NewYork (07 09 12 pg 9) to my piece,Goat Thief (31 08 12 pg 12),inspired me to take a trip downMemory Lane for my renditionof Mr Scotts original. As the titleimplies, I will deal with severalissues.

Unorthodox sexual unions On page 9, last weeks issue a

letter writer Paul Jacksonexhorts, Keep Obama in office.According to him, Obama, thefirst black president, was takingover at a time when Bush hadtaken the country into thepitsWhatever he did wouldhave been unpopular becausethey might not have effectimmediately. But what he didmust be given time to work, andthat is why Americans need tovote him back .The fact that theUS (the real name of the countrynot USA) is not yet out of itseconomic constraints does notmean that Obama must not begiven credit for what he has done,or tried to get done, when hisopponents ruled both theAmerican Congress and Senate.

Huh! Mr Jackson, Sir, theAmerican Congress is two-tiered House of Representative andSenate. Mr Jackson, Sir, for thefirst two years of Mr Obamasterm, both House and Senatewere controlled by Mr Obamasparty. Mr Jackson, Sir, as oftodays date, the Senate is stillcontrolled by Mr Obamas party.Are you a Christian? Do yousupport unorthodox sexualunions?

Mr Jackson, Sir, we do notknow your political affiliation inSVG, but should the NDP havechallenged the ULP in 2005 oreven again in 2010? Since ULPwas taking overat a time whenthe NDP. We should give theULP credit for what they triedto get done, like the cross-country road, we suppose?

Picky headPage 20 is becoming a page to

watch. Again in theaforementioned edition, we haveMs Luzette King and her GlobalHighlights, she wrote. How canwe ever trust Dr Gonsalves tointerpret our African history

when he uses his politicalplatform to send subliminalmessages about those Africanfeatures that do not fit the whitemans criteria for beauty: picky-head gal, ugly and too dark forwhite man to see?

Ms King, I challenge you toproduce any recording of RalphGonsalves using the term pickyhead gal. Further, RalphGonsalves said, would askhim who the fellow next to himis. How does that translate tougly and too dark? Ms King?

Sewer ratsStill on page 20, but August 24,

two pieces, one by ConcernedCitizen, Whether goeth theOpposition in Parliament andthe other by Helen Alexander,The NDP Silent.

Concerned citizen wrote: Onthe 23rd July, I listened to theopposition leader getting allexcited in announcing to thepublic that there would beparliament on the followingTuesday; he seemed like a manthat was going on a joyousadventurewhat I heard inparliament was shamefulJustrecently, we saw the replacementof an opposition senator with acook-up opposition prohibition,and this has helped to set up anenvironment for more chaos andpersonal showboatingI amashamed of all of them...thebullies, cowards and oppositionHollywood actorsthe oppositionmust purge itself of theleader/leaders.

And wrote Helen Alexander:Mr Eustace in failing to takeadvantage of issues raiseddemonstrates his lack ofleadership qualities. TheHonourable Arnhim Eustaceneeds to step down as leaderWe need real change.

A few weeks ago, I got this textfrom a friend after I sent him atext message which I had sent tosome members of the NDP:Frank, I wish you luck. They areas organized as sewer rats set onfire.

Mr Patrick Ferrari, writingelsewhere, penned this: The NDPhas not yet recovered from the2010 loss and I do think theywant toright after they saidelection coming they said thatthey were ready. Ready, my arse! the most immoralgovernment the most fraidyopposition. I get the feeling thatthey (NDP) are going around incircles pinning their hopes thatRalph will give in to their cry forhim to go.

On January 23, 2012, MrMatthew Thomas, wounding up(Did I say wounding?) expressed asimilar view. Mango on tree,everyone else stoning but theNDP, they waiting it for it to ripeand drop.

Now we go way back. Back toThe Vincentian, December 9,2005 to Mr Kenneth John: If theULP won the elections, then amprepared to band my belly andpray to Heavens for a change ofheart in the ULP, which is barelypossible. Eustace will bow out ofpolitics, after a year or so. If thereis an 8 to 7 either way, I predict a4 year round of tumult which thesociety can hardly bear.

Patrick, the year is 2012 andthere is an 8/7. Any tumult?

But country men, Eustace inconversation with an NDP rising-star he was about to dump basedon nasty rumours, said to him, Ihave no overwhelming desire tobe Prime Minister. It was neveran ambition that I haveif itcome, it come. That was July2005.

The VincentianAnd now to Garnett of NY, a

little lesson on my connection toThe Vincentian. My first Letter tothe Editor appeared here around1968 or 69, under the pseudonym,Curious. I was a teacher and mywritings, as usual, were aboutthings political. My inspiration? LA Providence (Avil Cupid is notplaying with a full deck) and aGrenadian, Alister Hughes. I feltthe black-power movement wasakin to hoola-hoop andcommunism with all its supposedequality was a farce. An article,Some Questions for Reviewchallenging assertions made byJim Maloney and others aboutChiles communist PresidentAllenda, appeared here. But eventhough I was vociferous in myopposition to the views of BLAC,OPCA or whatever name theycalled themselves at the time, Iwas outraged when MarcusRacan James supposedlyinvolved in the killing of AttorneyGeneral, C A E Rawle wasgunned down and left like a road-kill in Edinboro . My pieceappeared here: Who killedMarcus James?

My mother was afraid I wouldlose my job. Forty years later, Iremain unafraid.

Next week, more Bits andPieces. I will detail myconnection to E M Richards,owner of this paper.

Bits and Pieces

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. 13.

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14. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Arts/DiasporaV

Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS

MURDER ACCUSED Kenny Lewis wasremanded on Monday, September 10while a gun allegedly found in hispossession would be sent abroad forexamination.

Lewis, 20, of Campden Park, hasbeen charged with the murder offormer state witness Uroy LaybayRobert