What a Xmas Eve it was?

Last night as I lay in bed with a burning fever I posted Merry Xmas greetings to all my FB friends, reminding them that just in case I am down today I would have been pleased that I sent the greetings. Today, I am sure, many, especially those with the other networks apart from mine, those with no battery charge are not happy for not being able to check their favorite social media. Soufriere is worst off as nothing seems to be coming out of there regardless of network.
Initially, although in bed, and sick, I was enjoying the loud music with no amps present, the christmas light show, and the free non-alcoholic drink that poured and poured. Fhap! Yo pwen light la. But the Xmas light show continued to light up the place and the a new sound effect was introduced to produced a whistling sound to the amp-less music. What a night is was!
It would take the next morning to realise the damage that was done: land slippage everywhere, fallen trees, fallen utility poles and the washed away Piaye Bridge - just to mention Choiseul.
At the Piaye bridge scene, a large crowd had gathered to witness the catastrophe for themselves. Persons stranded on the VF side of the bridge were taking risks crossing the raging river with the support of a rope tied across from bank to bank.
There is a power outage from Rivere Doree down to Soufriere and according to a LUCELEC spokesman, restoring the power may take some time due to the washing away of the Piaye bridge.
In my community, a few homes got flooded, the Lamaze community is cut off due to a landslide and there are numerous land slippage on the roadside in Debreuil.
Have this stopped the Christmas spirit in the community? Definitely it is not what it was last year. As I write I hear the sound of fireworks and the sound of a group of boys screaming at the top of their voice, 'Nwel la weva'
Apart from this, the sky is still gloomy, the wind still gusting off and on, all radio stations are off except Hot Fm and things are just quiet. Many of the expected family and friends who usually come down from Castries this time of year to make the place merry are not here.

Dedan Makes His Views Known.

Obama's Tribute To Nelson Mandela

To Graça Machel and the Mandela family; to
President Zuma and members of the government;
to heads of state and government, past and
present; distinguished guests - it is a singular honor
to be with you today, to celebrate a life unlike any
other. To the people of South Africa - people of every race and walk of life - the world thanks you
for sharing Nelson Mandela with us. His struggle
was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph.
Your dignity and hope found expression in his life,
and your freedom, your democracy is his cherished
legacy.
It is hard to eulogize any man - to capture in words
not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but
the essential truth of a person - their private joys
and sorrows; the quiet moments and unique
qualities that illuminate someone's soul. How much
harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved
billions around the world.
Born during World War I, far from the corridors of
power, a boy raised herding cattle and tutored by
elders of his Thembu tribe - Madiba would emerge
as the last great liberator of the 20th century. Like
Gandhi, he would lead a resistance movement - a
movement that at its start held little prospect of success. Like King, he would give potent voice to
the claims of the oppressed, and the moral
necessity of racial justice. He would endure a brutal
imprisonment that began in the time of Kennedy
and Khrushchev, and reached the final days of the
Cold War. Emerging from prison, without force of arms, he would - like Lincoln - hold his country
together when it threatened to break apart. Like
America's founding fathers, he would erect a
constitutional order to preserve freedom for future
generations - a commitment to democracy and rule
of law ratified not only by his election, but by his willingness to step down from power.
Given the sweep of his life, and the adoration that
he so rightly earned, it is tempting then to
remember Nelson Mandela as an icon, smiling and
serene, detached from the tawdry affairs of lesser
men. But Madiba himself strongly resisted such a
lifeless portrait. Instead, he insisted on sharing with us his doubts and fears; his miscalculations along
with his victories. "I'm not a saint," he said, "unless
you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on
trying."
It was precisely because he could admit to
imperfection - because he could be so full of good
humor, even mischief, despite the heavy burden s
he carried - that we loved him so. He was not a bust
made of marble; he was a man of flesh and blood -
a son and husband, a father and a friend. That is why we learned so much from him; that is why we
can learn from him still. For nothing he achieved
was inevitable. In the arc of his life, we see a man
who earned his place in history through struggle
and shrewdness; persistence and faith. He tells us
what's possible not just in the pages of dusty history books, but in our own lives as well.
Mandela showed us the power of action; of taking
risks on behalf of our ideals. Perhaps Madiba was
right that he inherited, "a proud rebelliousness, a
stubborn sense of fairness" from his father.
Certainly he shared with millions of black and
colored South Africans the anger born of, "a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a
thousand unremembered moments.a desire to
fight the system that imprisoned my people."
But like other early giants of the ANC - the Sisulus
and Tambos - Madiba disciplined his anger; and
channeled his desire to fight into organization, and
platforms, and strategies for action, so men and
women could stand-up for their dignity. Moreover,
he accepted the consequences of his actions, knowing that standing up to powerful interests
and injustice carries a price. "I have fought against
white domination and I have fought against black
domination," he said at his 1964 trial. "I've
cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society
in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope
to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an
ideal for which I am prepared to die."
Mandela taught us the power of action, but also
ideas; the importance of reason and arguments; the
need to study not only those you agree with, but
those who you don't. He understood that ideas
cannot be contained by prison walls, or
extinguished by a sniper's bullet. He turned his trial into an indictment of apartheid because of his
eloquence and passion, but also his training as an
advocate. He used decades in prison to sharpen hi s
arguments, but also to spread his thirst for
knowledge to others in the movement. And he
learned the language and customs of his oppressor so that one day he might better convey to them
how their own freedom depended upon his.
Mandela demonstrated that action and ideas are
not enough; no matter how right, they must be
chiseled into laws and institutions. He was practical,
testing his beliefs against the hard surface of
circumstance and history. On core principles he was
unyielding, which is why he could rebuff offers of conditional release, reminding the Apartheid
regime that, "prisoners cannot enter into
contracts." But as he showed in painstaking
negotiations to transfer power and draft new laws,
he was not afraid to compromise for the sake of a
larger goal. And because he was not only a leader of a movement, but a skillful politician, the
Constitution that emerged was worthy of this
multi racial democracy; true to his vision of laws that
protect minority as well as majority rights, and the
precious freedoms of every South African.
Finally, Mandela understood the ties that bind the
human spirit. There is a word in South Africa-
Ubuntu - that describes his greatest gift: his
recognition that we are all bound together in ways
that can be invisible to the eye; that there is a
oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those
around us. We can never know how much of this
was innate in him, or how much of was shaped and
burnished in a dark, solitary cell. But we remember
the gestures, large and small - introducing his
jailors as honored guests at his inauguration; taking the pitch in a Springbok uniform; turning his
family's heartbreak into a call to confront HIV/AIDS
- that revealed the depth of his empathy and
understanding. He not only embodied Ubuntu; he
taught millions to find that truth within themselves.
It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailor as well; to show that you
must trust others so that they may trust you; to
teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring
a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with
inclusion, generosity and truth. He changed laws,
but also hearts.
For the people of South Africa, for those he inspired
around the globe - Madiba's passing is rightly a
time of mourning, and a time to celebrate his heroic
life. But I believe it should also prompt in each of us
a time for self-reflection. With honesty, regardless of
our station or circumstance, we must ask: how well have I applied his lessons in my own life?
It is a question I ask myself - as a man and as a
President. We know that like South Africa, the
United States had to overcome centuries of racial
subjugation. As was true here, it took the sacrifice
of countless people - known and unknown - to see
the dawn of a new day. Michelle and I are the beneficiaries of that struggle. But in America and
South Africa, and countries around the globe, we
cannot allow our progress to cloud the fact that our
work is not done. The struggles that follow the
victory of formal equality and universal franchise
may not be as filled with drama and moral clarity as those that came before, but they are no less
important. For around the world today, we still see
children suffering from hunger, and disease; run-
down schools, and few prospects for the future.
Around the world today, men and women are still
imprisoned for their political beliefs; and are still persecuted for what they look like, or how they
worship, or who they love.
We, too, must act on behalf of justice. We, too, must
act on behalf of peace. There are too many of us
who happily embrace Madiba's legacy of racial
reconciliation, but passionately resist even modest
reforms that would challenge chronic poverty and
growing inequality. There are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba's struggle for
freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own
people. And there are too many of us who stand on
the sidelines, comfortable in complacency or
cynicism when our voices must be heard. The questions we face today - how to promote
equality and justice; to uphold freedom and human
rights; to end conflict and sectarian war - do not
have easy answers. But there were no easy
answers in front of that child in Qunu. Nelson
Mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until it is done. South Africa shows us that is true.
South Africa shows us we can change. We can
choose to live in a world defined not by our
differences, but by our common hopes. We can
choose a world defined not by conflict, but by
peace and justice and opportunity.
We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again.
But let me say to the young people of Africa, and
young people around the world - you can make his
life's work your own. Over thirty years ago, while
still a student, I learned of Mandela and the
struggles in this land. It stirred something in me. It woke me up to my responsibilities - to others, and
to myself - and set me on an improbable journey
that finds me here today. And while I will always fall
short of Madiba's example, he makes me want to
be better. He speaks to what is best inside us. After
this great liberator is laid to rest; when we have returned to our cities and villages, and rejoined our
daily routines, let us search then for his strength -
for his largeness of spirit - somewhere inside
ourselves. And when the night grows dark, when
injustice weighs heavy on our hearts, or our best
laid plans seem beyond our reach - think of Madiba, and the words that brought him comfort within the
four walls of a cell:
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. What a great soul it was. We will miss him deeply.
May God bless the memory of Nelson Mandela. May
God bless the people of South Africa.

The Roblot Multi-Purpose Centre Has Gone To The Dogs

Any serious and concerned citizen in any community or enclave will always strive for the good welfare of the people. He will put his neck on the block, challenge the relevant authorities, take unorthodox steps, just to make sure the constituents where he lives are taken care of with good representation.
Dr Augustin Charles quickly comes to mind. One will remember his constant pleas demanding that the people of his area are not made to suffer for a want of pipe-borne water. After much strife and callings, he finally reverted to writing an open letter to the PM, and by all accounts it seems that this plea was finally heard and soon water was gushing in the pipes in Mongouge and environs. Bravo Bolo!
Yes, it is the little things we write on facebook and the blogs that get things going for our people. These are the little things, which our Rep vehemently gave a bashing at the Choiseul Constituency Conference, that work for the Choiseul constituents. Although 'ROPE' (Representing Ourselves Par Excellence) has not yet been launched, the little things are getting things done.
This brings me to my frequent calls for some sought of security service to guard the materials of the Roblot Multi-purpose Centre since its devastation during Hurricane Tomas. One will recall a post earlier this year calling on the attention of the Rep.
The Choiseul Constituency Council must take full responsibilty for the present state of the Centre. ( By the way, isn't there a Councilor from Roblot?) According to the Council Act, all public buildings in a constituency are the responsibiltity of the Council to protect and maintain them.
Vandals, many of them known to the the residents have had a field day looting lumber, toilet facilities, doors, windows and galvanize and constructing little shacks near their homes, selling the materials to friends and/or stock piling at their abode. The pics clearly show the level of looting that has taken place.
One must not forget the frequent pleas by the residents and this blog in particular, to the District Rep to pay a visit to the Polling division I5 to see first hand the condition the Centre is in; And to take the matter up with the relevant authorities for consideration. For the two years in office, he has not seen it fit to tour the area. Lorne has failed everyone in this polling division - from the newly born to the just recently buried 92 yr. Old.
Today, at about 11:30 am, the police almost made an arrest at the Centre. The vandals were using the cover of the inclement weather to strip the centre of more flooring boards and galvanize. Shots were fired, but they, the culprits got away by fleeing into the thick brush that surrounds the Centre.
Lets hope the police are skillful enough with their investigations to come up with a conviction.

The Roblot Multi-Purpose Centre Has Gone To The Dogs

Any serious and concerned citizen in any community or enclave will always strive for the good welfare of the people. He will put his neck on the block, challenge the relevant authorities, take unorthodox steps, just to make sure the constituents where he lives are taken care of with good representation.
Dr Augustin Charles quickly comes to mind. One will remember his constant pleas demanding that the people of his area are not made to suffer for a want of pipe-borne water. After much strife and callings, he finally reverted to writing an open letter to the PM, and by all accounts it seems that this plea was finally heard and soon water was gushing in the pipes in Mongouge and environs. Bravo Bolo!
Yes, it is the little things we write on facebook and the blogs that get things going for our people. These are the little things, which our Rep vehemently gave a bashing at the Choiseul Constituency Conference, that work for the Choiseul constituents. Although 'ROPE' (Representing Ourselves Par Excellence) has not yet been launched, the little things are getting things done.
This brings me to my frequent calls for some sought of security service to guard the materials of the Roblot Multi-purpose Centre since its devastation during Hurricane Tomas. One will recall a post earlier this year calling on the attention of the Rep.
The Choiseul Constituency Council must take full responsibilty for the present state of the Centre. ( By the way, isn't there a Councilor from Roblot?) According to the Council Act, all public buildings in a constituency are the responsibiltity of the Council to protect and maintain them.
Vandals, many of them known to the the residents have had a field day looting lumber, toilet facilities, doors, windows and galvanize and constructing little shacks near their homes, selling the materials to friends and/or stock piling at their abode. The pics clearly show the level of looting that has taken place.
One must not forget the frequent pleas by the residents and this blog in particular, to the District Rep to pay a visit to the Polling division I5 to see first hand the condition the Centre is in; And to take the matter up with the relevant authorities for consideration. For the two years in office, he has not seen it fit to tour the area. Lorne has failed everyone in this polling division - from the newly born to the just recently buried 92 yr. Old.
Today, at about 11:30 am, the police almost made an arrest at the Centre. The vandals were using the cover of the inclement weather to strip the centre of more flooring boards and galvanize. Shots were fired, but they, the culprits got away by fleeing into the thick brush that surrounds the Centre.
Lets hope the police are skillful enough with their investigations to come up with a conviction.

Bolo "Pissed Off" With Lorne? "..... My Patience May Have Reached Dielectric Breakdown...." He Tells PM

Below is a letter posted on Facebook yesterday to the Prime Minister. This letter is written against the backdrop of numerous complains by the writer to get the relevant authorities to get a water problem which affects the community of Mongouge and its environs addressed. This letter is timely since at the last SLP conference in Choiseul the District Rep took more Jabs at individuals who oppose him rather than deal with the issues that affect the constituents. The leatter reads:
DEAR MR PM,

This is a little missive to you; it's not meant to hurt or
embarass you, even if it may sound a little angry. It
may just be that my patience may have reached its
"dielectric breakdown" point. After all, we are all
human!
Mr PM, let me begin with the old saying that "the more
things change, the more they remain the same". Just
when we thought a solution to our water crisis was
struck, things became just as worse as quickly as
they got better.
In the past 12 days, I have received water once! Most
persons in my zone affected by the problem have
told me that they have received none at all and with
absolutely no explanation.
Mr PM, what's even more disturbing is the fact that
none of the key stakeholders has added a voice to
the ongoing water crisis. I hope it's not the case that
they are mute or afraid to speak about it head on!
They either seem to have recoiled completely into
their shells and seem to have taken a vow of silence or they have completely ignored the problem. The
responsible agency has stayed away completely with
apparently no interest in the matter.
Mr PM, at the recently concluded SLP constituency
conference, more time was spent defending the
parliamentary rep's absenteeism and poor
performance rather than the needs of the
constituency itself. The parliamentary rep himself
went on the offensive against his constituents, excoriating them because they spoke against two
major problems facing the constituency, rather than
launching an offensive on the problems we face. Up
to now sir, he has not seen fit to contact the affected
persons for feedback on the nature and gravity of
the water problems. Tell me, Mr PM, would you say that this is the
re presentation we deserve? Mr PM, it's approaching a year since I was told by a
top WASCO official that upgrade and improvement
works of the water infrastructure are 80% complete.
Every anomaly is being attributed to that "80%
complete" frame of reference.
Mr PM, I was a public servant and I understand very
well what "80% complete" means. It's an apology for
substandard service. The problem we face has very
little to do with the "80% complete. The problem is
lack of sensitivity.
I can vouch that the line feeding us has been
ruptured and throwing thousands of gallons daily
into the bush but because the nature of the terrain
poses access problems and (I believe) the lack of the
necessary strong supervision, such problems drag to
eternity.
Mr PM! Apparently, while WASCO focuses on its grand
designs like desilting the JC damn (and I know you
would be pleased with that), the suggestion is
people like me in the deep rural areas can "go to
hell". It's precisely for reasons of that nature that, we,
the vulnerable and the oppressed can go to hell - but there's a time for hell for every body.
I wish Mr PM that after reading this letter that you
would post comment in earnest, for I don't believe
you subscribe to the prevailing state of affairs.
Indeed, if "Water is Life", then don't allow us to suffer
and then die!
Mr PM, I know you have a busy and difficult schedule
and I don't want you to micromanage anything;
more over, Choiseul has a capable but invisible
parliamentary rep. It is in that context that I, Bolo, Mr
PM, implore you to intervene and give directives that
will redound to the people of your colleague natives.
Please Mr PM . . Do it in the name of justice, in the
name of love, in the name of caring for your people?
You can reach me at 1-758-461-7056.
Thanking you in advance, Mr PM; and seasons
greetings.

Sincerely
Bolo

Apology - There's No Spining It!

By Melanius Alphonse
In retrospect, Timothy Poleon's apology as written and delivered, probably at the directive of the legal luminaries familiar with the pending action, makes it clear for all to see the trivial-mindedness, and the state of affairs in Saint Lucia under the St Lucia Labour Party.
On the heels of the Labour Party's newly found adoration of President Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela, and on the second anniversary of the SLP narrow return to power (November 28), the Labour government may have just celebrated their foremost achievement in office -- an apology. Melanius Alphonse is a management and development consultant.
As hard as one may try to separate the party and the government, in this regard, the outcome is to accomplish a common purpose.
A common purpose that should not be taken lightly, particularly as it serves to have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech and press freedom in Saint Lucia. Given the nature of the SLP regime, this action is reminiscent of what socialist countries and dictators thrive on -- intimidating their people, and controlling their local domain.
But if there was any doubt why the backdoor formation of the National Broadcasting Network (NBN) by the government of Saint Lucia, then there must be even more vigilance and a rapid response to debunk fallacies.
What these occurrences revealed is a scheme to suppress information dissemination. Which recalls to memory: "Whoever controls the media, controls the mind." -- Jim Morrison (The Doors) Timothy's apology, if intended to bring one to their knees and to make columnists, reporters and journalists afraid of touching critical issues pertaining to the government of Saint Lucia, may have produced the opposite result in the regional and international press.
Prior attempts to oppress and intimidate the local media with the introduction of article 361 amendment did not work. As such, no amount of calculated attempts to instill fear in opponents with the intent to silence voices and derail strongholds of freedom, or to disregard the rights of freedom of expression guaranteed under the constitution of Saint Lucia, or even to show signs of manipulating the democratic process should be tolerated by any government or group of persons. This leads me to understand Rick Wayne's frustration with the Saint Lucia Media Association's "need to step up and take their responsibility to citizens more seriously." He describes the Saint Lucian media as silent and incompetent, advocating that they learn their profession and their rights. If anything, the current (apology) stunt should become St Peter's stone and help to urgently hasten the demise of this socialist SLP regime and their puppeteers.
At the same time, this epic catastrophe must not permeate right thinking Saint Lucians, and should rather wake them up from their blindfolds and guard against the detrimental elements of socialism and political dogma, that has no place in western democracies.
It is the role of citizens to ask questions, especially in the face of allegations and apologies that try to mislead and have international organizations asking what is going on in Saint Lucia. The country is becoming a different place, more in decline and complicating matters.
One indication is an unashamed and two-faced SLP regime that seems comfortable parading a make- believe agenda, bloated with smiling faces that lack major skills and international clout; including economic and capital development capabilities. As such they rely on hand-to-mouth economics and heavy borrowing that has to date placed Saint Lucia's debt service ratio in the vicinity of 80%, to keep Labour Party hacks and the socialist mafia wealthy. This influence, in combination with a fearful symmetry, is inclining the country to a welfare-state to tolerate a dependency regime that is dodging social and economic collapse.
It would be highly fortunate for a turn of events and major changes to take place. But evidently, one knows a perfect storm is up ahead when a minister of government can acclaim that EC$5, in Saint Lucia, can adequately feed a hungry belly, and "block-a- hole."
Where's the apology from the wordsmiths of a SLP bureaucratic regime? "A regime that is sensitive to 'distorted' messaging, and prides itself with credibility."
And, as for the Apology - there's no spinning it! It's an irreconcilable SLP bureaucratic regime. A regime with a legacy of low standards, poor decision-makers and pipe-dreamers! An unapologetic legacy that stifles nonconformists, except to service Labour elites at their fancy and to reward the socialist mafia!
Labour's apology web is troublesome for a country that needs peace, order and good governance. Not a despondent regime!

It's The Little Things That Counted

The rooster has finally come home to roost. That's how this blog sees Lorne's latest actions. In spite of him taking shots at us bloggers and social media users at the latest SLP conference in Choiseul, threatening us with the statement, "I will deal with them." these little things he said we write on facebook and blogs has finally brought him to his senses.
This blog has repeatedly called for his attention to the Roblot community and the rotation of supervisors for the STEP workers. Not that this blog is completely pleased with his latest moves to get into our good books, but it shows that the " macho" stands he took in the past seem to be dissipitating.
Two days ago two so-called contractors named Royden Theophilus, Lorne cousin, from the Choiseul Village and one Umbert from Tete Morne, where awarded contracts from Lorne's Office to construct 'curb and slipper' and 'box drains' in the community of Roblot. According to this blog's investigations out of twenty workers employed only two workers are from the Roblot community.
Can this be fair? Each contractor came into the community with their workers from another community, while our very own workers just have to stand by and look on. This brings to mind the incident that happened on the Canaries bridge back in 2012 when the Canaries residents prevented workers outside their community from doing works in Canaries. This is what should have happened in Roblot. God forbid. Selection of contractors for these small jobs, must be selected from the community.
This is not the first time that this has happened in polling division I5. Sometime late last year and earlier this year two contractors one from Reunion and the other from Grace in Vieux Fort, respectfully, executed contracts with workers from their communities while local workers just looked on.
Finally, the little things posted on facebook and blogs calling for less favouritism in the STEP programs did make an impact on this term's selection of workers, albeit because of a new supervisor for I5 in the person of Cecilia Cooper. At least we saw some UWPs in the group this time around.
Yes, Mr Rep, it's these little things that helped you pull up your socks up and step up to the plate.
Bravo to the blogs and social media. A force to be reckoned with.

Shame on Labour by Looshan Forum

Break the silence the authorities would now
encourage us to openly stand against child sexual
abuse, while other forms of abuse like bullying go
unnoticed. It's as if the authorities pay attention to
children's problem only when these problems form
part of the official calendar of activities. Many are, however, quite aware that seldom does
government language materialise into action.
Rather than assist those children who are victims of
sexual abuse the authorities would simply continue
with their campaign of "good touch, bad touch" as
if this is all that matters in helping children of sexual abuse.
Just when one tagline is replaced by another nice
sounding tagline, receiving the nod of government
officials of how well it sounds, perpetuators of
crime against children remain free to continue their
exploits with impunity. Government technocrats
are somehow contended for a job well done in educating our young against abuse as a target
setting. When what is largely needed as a weapon
against sexual abuse and all other forms of abuse
against children is enforcement, which leads to the
swift indictment of those persons who for all intent
and purposes violate the rights of our children.
Break the silence they would admonish an already
indifferent society, while the Ministry of education
remains silent on the bullying of a female student
by another male student. The ministry wouldn't
care to have this problem staring it in the face as it
was not on their calendar of activities. Their campaign on bullying was just about a success.
After all, the ministry had just about pull out all the
stops in educating students about the problem of
bullying. It had check off this concern on its short
list of concerns for this year. Who was now making
it a problem when it was so professionally dealt with, would obviously have to wait for next year,
as the Christmas barrels for this year were just
about being rolled off.
But if the message on bullying was missed by the
male student who was bullying this female student,
it was most certainly missed by his mother too. No
sooner was the bully's mother the main
perpetuator taking over from where her son had
left off. They were educating the people when all along education on the rights of others were
seldom upheld by enforcement. In this nation, the
relay of abuse runs from home to school, from
school to the community, from the community to
the wider society, with law enforcement hardly
done by a justice system too caught up in its delayed proceedings to careless. Now, you see why
we have become so apathetic. Bravo to Molly Allen for standing up for her abused
daughter.
Bravo to Molly Allen for the tongue-
lashing meted to an indifferent ministry of
education and the minister of labour. Robert Lewis,
no matter how much he tried to wash his hands
from off this matter as Pilate did in the crucifying of Christ, he can't. No amount of water will keep
Robert Lewis' hands from being stained from the
abuse received by this little girl while at school. Had
Robert now conveniently forgotten to "step-down"
and to serve his constituents when he had so
proudly exalted on the election campaign trail? How quickly has he Robert now forgotten?
Robert Lewis had somehow lost his political fervour
from chasing all about the place behind Taiwanese
money. If there was no credibility left in him, one
expected that he would, at least, remain steadfast
in obeying the words of his God when he
admonished us "to suffer not the little children to come onto thee". With his mind on the Taiwanese
money, school is definitely out. He would rather
chase the fire engines in his constituency rather
than come to the aid of a bullied little school girl.
Robert Lewis missed a rare opportunity to serve in
a dual capacity; first, as district rep to a child and mother from Castries South, which he represents
and, secondly, as minister of education to a little girl
attending school whose mother believed that the
minister of education would make safe.
When at school a young female student is bullied
and bruised, Robert is absent. The ministry's
technocrats in the chief educational office is the one
on whose shoulder and not that of the minister of
education this matter rests. The chief education
officer is the technocratic responsible for handling this matter and not the minister; after all, he is a
policy maker. Try as hard as he may to wash his
hands clean of this matter, his hands are already
red. He has let down this little girl and her mother
simply for not showing any care towards them. All
Molly Allen was asking of the minister was to extend a reassuring hand at this her child's
moment of peril.
We see it all the time public officials coming out and
reassuring victims' families that justice will be done
without taking sides. To reassure this mother that
her child would be safe at school was an
opportunity again missed by the minister. Labour
pays lip service to the ills of the nation's children. There is this young school girl being bullied by
another male student and the authorities did
nothing about it. For two years this would go on to
the point where the child being bullied is attacked
by the bullying male student's mother. How could
this have been allowed to happen in the first place by a school system which is obligated to keep our
children safe?
Break the silence the authorities would admonish.
Now, Molly Allen has done just that and the
authorities are having none of it. Just recently a
young man was shot for the second time and killed
in the same Castries South constituency despite
asking to be placed in police custody. Must Molly's daughter kill herself or be killed by this bully in
order for her plight is taken seriously? An ever
bizarre twist to this story, will the bullied female
student's mother become a victim of bullying
herself, this time from the government, as the
Labour government tries to make an example of her for breaking the silence.
Social services have since been put on notice to
follow up on why Molly's daughter remains at
home. According to the authorities now showing
concern for Molly's child, it is an offence to keep a
child of school age from attending school, without
reasonable excuse. With the mother who attacked the school girl now arrested after TV reports
showed the child unable to talk and apparently
injured. The authorities now seem eager to
embarrass or to even make Molly pay for berating
them publicly for failing to keep her daughter safe
at school. The youth is the future, then, again this is St Lucia where lip service is only paid to such an
assertion, victims are not protected, the dead are
marched for, vigils are kept, and the living must
break the silence, and suffer, but are made to be
silent like the dead! Shame on you, Labour!

Strange But True

The following is an editorial posted on the Caribbean News Now website. The article was published on November 28, 2013.
An apology read out on air in Saint Lucia, which
might charitably be described as craven, represents
a new low in the ongoing practice of media
intimidation by governments in the region
generally and in Saint Lucia in particular, and the
submission to such intimidation by the media. Of course, the situation may be different in Trinidad,
where it seems the media is in bed - literally, as well
as figuratively - with politicians. However, be that as it may, three government
officials in Saint Lucia apparently forced local
broadcaster Timothy Poleon to admit that they
were defamed by his reading on air an article
published by Caribbean News Now on September
25, 2013, entitled "US action against St Lucia may be connected to visa revocation". A summary of subsequent threats of legal action
against Poleon and why, in our considered and
reconsidered opinion, nothing in our article was
defamatory in the first place, may be found here. On Monday, Poleon read the following on Radio
Caribbean International:
On September 25th 2013 an article appeared on a
website entitled US action against Saint Lucia may
be connected to visa revocation. This article
contained statements which were highly
defamatory of certain individuals including the
minister of tourism and creative industries, Honourable Lorne Theophilus; the minister of
foreign affairs, Honourable Alva Baptiste and the
president of the senate, Claudius Francis. Essentially
I stated that, in respect of Mr Baptiste, among other
things, that present day government officials who
were then in opposition supplied the United States government with false information in a successful
bid to discredit a then minister of government. I
also referred to the unimpeded ability of two
government officials to travel to the United States
despite their past criminal conduct. I accept that,
taking into consideration all the surrounding circumstances, ordinary sensible listeners could
and would have come to the conclusion that I was
referring to Mr Theophilus and Mr Francis. I
unreservedly accept and wish to state that the
statements made in respect of these individuals
were and are highly defamatory of them and that there is absolutely no factual basis for such
statements, which allege and insinuate among
other things that these individuals are guilty of an
ethical, immoral and professional and criminal
misconduct. I was wrong to have published these
statements on air or at all. I accept that by publishing this highly defamatory article on air that
I made it my own. I was negligent in that regard. I
wish to take this opportunity on behalf of Radio
Caribbean International and on my own behalf to
apologise for the inevitable injury to their
reputations by my repetition of these malicious and unfounded allegations.
Assuming that the apology was in fact required
purely on the strength of Poleon's reading of our
article in question and no other statements were
involved that may have been made on air at the
time, this must surely be the first case where a
journalist has been forced to apologise for something that was never said in the first place. First of all, the minister of foreign affairs, Alva
Baptiste, apparently thinks our article stated that,
"among other things" (whatever those other things
might be), he is one of the present day Saint Lucian
government officials who were then in opposition
that supplied the United States government with false information in a successful bid to discredit a
then minister of government.
The only mention of Baptiste in our original article
was in connection with his visit to the US Embassy in
Bridgetown, reportedly at the request of the US
government, accompanied by Prime Minister Kenny
Anthony, national security minister Phillip La
Corbiniere; commissioner of police Vernon Francois; and George Deterville (about whom more
at a later date). Since when does a stated visit to Barbados become
an issue of reputational injury, even if it is untrue?
In this case, the fact of the matter is easily proven
one way or the other by the relevant embassy logs.
And what about the other four individuals named
as visiting the embassy? One can only assume that they did not feel as grievously injured as Baptiste
clearly does, for reasons apparently best known to
himself. By thus voluntarily taking ownership of the alleged
provision of false information to the United States
government, does Baptiste have something to hide
of which we were hitherto unaware? If this is so,
thanks for the "heads up". Next, the other two individuals, Theophilus and
Francis, neither of whom were actually named
anywhere in our original article, nevertheless
claimed that they were therein accused of past
criminal conduct. This is also misguided. What we stated was that two
unnamed "prominent Saint Lucian government
officials . have a known history of violent sexual
assault". Again, Theophilus and Francis took
ownership of this assertion. As outlined in our subsequent article, the facts of
the matter are that Theophilus and Francis have
each been accused and formally charged with rape
(more about this later also). However, as previously
made clear, criminal conduct is not substantiated by
allegations, charges or indictments; it has to be proven in a court of law. Nevertheless, Theophilus and Francis apparently
now acknowledge that it was "criminal conduct",
when none was alleged, by us at least, even
though such conduct may have been alleged by
the respective victims and the director of public
prosecutions. Last but not least, why has no approach
whatsoever been made to Caribbean News Now by
the individuals allegedly defamed or their
attorneys, seeking to correct the information
contained in the article in question and requiring an
apology and/or retraction from us? One might in fact argue that Poleon has now
defamed Caribbean News Now by stating that our
article contained statements which were highly
defamatory, when in fact they were not, for the
reasons outlined.

Source: www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headline-editorial

THE SLP FARCE CONTINUES.

 

   

Lorne Theophilus

The Choiseul/Saltibus UWP Constituency Branch calls on the Parliamentary Representative for Choiseul/Saltibus to immediately desist from issuing veiled threats to patriotic St. Lucians who muster the courage to criticize his pathetic performance to date as their Parliamentary Representative. Instead, Hon. Theophilus would be better served to attend to the desperate cries of the people of Choiseul/Saltibus including that of his former Campaign Manager, one of his principal critics. Further, the Branch would like to remind Hon. Theophilus that as a trained attorney at law and a government Minister, he should set the example by respecting and adhering to the constitution of St. Lucia which arms every citizen in Chapter 1 clause 10 with, “Protection of freedom of expression.”

It is glaringly evident to all that Hon. Theophilus’ verbal rampage of an address at the Choiseul/Saltibus SLP Constituency Conference was none other than a botched attempt at distracting the people of Choiseul/Saltibus from the stark reality and pungent embarrassment of his inept and negligent representation.

It is for this reason, on the second anniversary of his tenure as Parliamentary Representative of Choiseul/Saltibus, we respectfully request that Hon. Theophilus provides his constituents an account of his accomplishments in the constituency. We also invite Hon. Theophilus to enlighten the people of Choiseul/Saltibus of his plans for the development of the constituency for his next three years in office.

The Choiseul/Saltibus UWP Constituency Branch would also like to remind Hon. Theophilus that the youth of Choiseul are also victims of the unemployment scourge which has worsened over the last two years in St. Lucia under his SLP administration. The youth of Choiseul/Saltibus are also in desperate need of and are waiting for his commitment and professional dedication to their dreadful circumstances that he promised during his 2011 election campaign.

Finally, Choiseul/Saltibus UWP Constituency Branch advises Hon. Theophilus that if he is unable to efficiently and effectively perform his duties as the Parliamentary Representative for Choiseul /Saltibus and his responsibilities as the Minister of Tourism and Creative Industries as alluded to by his Cabinet colleague, Mr. Harold Dalson, then in the interest of the people of Choiseul/Saltibus and the people of St. Lucia he should do the honourable thing and get out of the kitchen.

/ Ends

Party Stalwarts Defends Lorne At Conference

   

 
The SLP Constituency Conference which was held at Choiseul last Sunday, seemed to have taken the characteristics of a trial - the accused being Lorne Theophilus, being represented by the Party stalwarts and ministers  and the plaintiff, Labour supporters  of Choiseul-Saltibus. The judge, the people of Choiseul-Saltibus

    The case?  Lorne is accused, left, right and centre by the constituents about his prolonged absence from the constituency and  poor representation.

    The persons Lorne suggests that hide behind face book and the  little things written on the blogs, so he says, are the very things  that opened the eyes of the people in the constituency  to demand better representation and not  a "Soucoyan" form as described by a blog that gave him full support during the last election campaign.  Yes, the person whom he implied to "know better" is the very one that somehow almost single-handedly won him this position which he now enjoys.

    So here we are, Minister after Minister, as well as party stalwarts, defending  spewing out all sorts of rhetoric to validate the Rep's  non-presence in the Constituency. Pierre in his defense of the Rep, explained how Lorne  holds that important Tourism Ministry, having a $40m budget, travelling around the world to bring the dollars home and that Choiseul-Saltibus constituents  will not be able to be blessed with his frequent presence. Pierre continued, " My brothers and sisters, how can you see Lorne when Lorne has to go out and promote St Lucia for tourists to come to St Lucia............ How can he sit with you on the block when Nations are fighting for the same tourism market........?" Dalson added to Lorne's defense by saying if Choiseul has to be the sacrificial lamb in place of Lorne's travelling overseas, well so be it.  " Your Parliamentary Rep is a man who is important to this country. If he has to make a sacrifice for the country and he has to sacrifice Choiseul you have to accept this." Dalson echoed.

   

  Dalson, crude as ever, blasted at the supporters that they are political cannibals and that they eat each other; seemingly implying that they, the supporters of Lorne, should not be the ones to criticize the Rep.  Many persons seem to think that Dalson aimed that low blow at Lorne's past campaign manager, because of a post he once published on his Blog "The Choiseul Powerhouse?" Is Dalson suffering from amnesia? Didn't he know how effective this Blog was during Lorne's campaign? Though Dalson and the past manager are buddies, we are all aware at the hypocrisy and nastiness in SLP's politics. "We have political cannibalism  in Labah. ........You know what that means? " Because of the gathering he reverted to kweyol, "Se ou kar manje moon ou say yon cannibal. Nou kar manje labourites nou mem. Stop that nonsense, stop it." Dalson blasted out. His all wrinkled and shiny face looking miserable.

    Dalson 's misplaced statement should have really been made in his constituency, where  to coin his term "political cannibalism" really took place. One would like to call to his attention the Chris Dolor incident where his supporters savagely brutalized one of their own, as he (Dalson) stood and watched without uttering  one word. The clip "SLP attacks one of their own" on You Tube speaks volumes to this.

     Lorne just amazes me with his constant swings in personality - sometimes, passive, sometimes angry, sometimes mean and loose and sometimes a concoction of all . During his presentation at the conference, he was truly himself - the mean and loose type. Like one person said he was firing on all four cylinders. This blog would have liked to see his performance at the conference if he was prepped with six cylinders.  Lorne seems to dislike criticism, even from his own supporters. Politicians, must put up with the fact that not everyone will be in their corner and that criticisms will always be on the horizon. Lorne continues to threaten persons who oppose him. He, in his address said , "I will deal with them." This statement was directed at the bloggers and users of social media.  This blog makes no bones about Lorne's poor record of representing the people of this constituency. This blog make no bones  writing about Lorne's  poor visibility in the constituency, with special emphasis on Polling division I5 - over 725 days now and no contact with the residents.( remember his apology  in the House to his constituents earlier this year). This blog makes no bones about  condemning  Lorne's statement he made in the House when he announced his intention to make Piaye playing field a "cricket mecca" in the south.(La Fargue Playing Field is more appropriate). This blog makes no bones  complaining about the deplorable conditions of roads in the constituency, and more specifically the Debreuil-Myers bridge Road.  And finally this blog mkes not bones when it comes to exposing the favoritism displayed by this Rep. So for the Rep to come and threaten persons who speak their opinions on  face book or blogs in a legal manner is frightening.

    In his usual rhetoric, to divert persons attention from his poor performance as the District Rep, he took swipes at the former Rep and one individual who he claims was Bousquet's right hand man. One should have seen the glee in his eyes as he  told the poorly attended conference, that he  awaits the day when the PM will give him "card blanche" to expose the wrong doings of the past Rep and his surrogates.    Referring to the past Rep he said, "You will never hear your Parliamentary Rep involved in any scandal. Yea, you will never hear your Parliamentary Rep pocketing monies that belong to the people of Choiseul-Saltibus and using them for his own purposes." As if waiting for his turn to take revenge he bloated, "....given the chance, ..........let the PM tell me," Lorne open your mouth and tell the people of the country what has been going on. When he tells me, my brothers and sisters," rocking from left to right and that mean look on his face,  " on that , I will have a special day in the House.  I will call every name, I will call every cent, and let the people of this country know the kind of scoundrels that have represented them before."  He went on to disclose that he  has  SSDF documents and one of them for sure he is going to make a document of the House and hopefully send it to the DPP office. This time referring to Bousquet's right hand man

   He  seems  to have laid off Chastanet, for now, after probably enjoying the Dubai trips.

    Coming to think about it, Jn Marie may have been right about our District Rep when he said that Lorne lacks the experience and clout to be able to manage the tourism Ministry. The Rep is unable to balance his time effectively between his constituency and the Tourism demands. For that one he can't blame facebook or blog writers or even Chastanet and  Bruce Tucker, much less Tucker's surrogates.

  Finally, instead of Pierre, Dalson and the rest trying to make a case for Lorne over his poor representation for the past two years and blaming it on the Tourism Ministry's work load, one would have hoped Lorne and his party stalwarts would informed Choiseul what steps are in place to make his Ministry part of the development of Choiseul into a tourist attraction district. We in Choiseul- Saltibus are blessed with Beachfronts, Windmills, Waterfalls and Trails.

He lost the case. The Choiseul constituents won big time.

Thursday will be two years since Lorne took over to represent us, could someone point their finger on his achievement?

Choiseul-Saltibus Constituency Branch Press Statement Kicks The Wind Out Of Lorne And Pierre

 

Choiseul District Rep

 A recent Press release by the UWp Choiseul-SaltibusConstituency Branch by the Uwp Choiseul-Saltibus had both Pierre and Lorne feeling uncomfortable in their chair as they responded to questions from HTS pertaining to that press release. One could have visibly seem Pierre's eyes rolling all over the place, an indication of the reliability of his statements and Lorne so sombre as if to indicate to the public his concern. - the games politicians play.
The press release went like this:

CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Monday, 11 November 2013 – The Choiseul/Saltibus Constituency Branch   is calling on Parliamentary Representative, Hon. Lorne Theophilus and Minister of Infrastructure, Port Services and Transport, Hon. Phillip J. Pierre to come to the relief of the elderly, sick, school children and residents of Darban, Saltibus and Balca by effecting urgent and much needed remedial works on the Darban, Saltibus and Balca road network.

The Government of St. Lucia Ambulance Service has stated categorically that they will not drive into these communities to transport sick persons to Hospital as the road is too deplorable for the Ambulance to traverse.

Delivery trucks from the Windward and Leeward Brewery and other wholesalers have also refused to service these communities because of the terrible road conditions. Bus drivers and other motorists have complained that their vehicle’s suspension cannot withstand the condition of the roads any longer.

The residents of Darban, Saltibus and Balca want to remind Hon. Lorne Theophilus and his local surrogate Mr. Kevin Thomas of their responsibility to the constituents, as this situation has become a matter of life and death for the sick and others who may fall gravely ill and will be needing the services of the Ambulance. The livelihoods of persons living within these communities are also being impacted negatively by deplorable condition of the road network.

We the residents are expecting urgent action by all responsible parties. (Photographs of the deplorable roads are attached for reference).
Ends/

   

Minister of Infrastructure

  Though he Pierre, out of pure guilt, refused to respond to the criticism from the Branch, he however admits that his Ministry is aware of the conditions of the road. He said that the Ministry has conducted a full assessment of the Daban, Saltibus and Balca  roads - a statement Lorne also endorsed, when he (Lorne) said that  he was part of a team that  made a community tour to assess these roads.
    Pierre, swinging from left to right in his cushioned chair continued, ".......as we speak a contractor is costing the roads, so that the cost of the contractor can be compared to the estimates of the Ministry. His big bloodshot eyes starring through his glasses as if to imply uncertainty, he continued. "When that happens, when the process is completed,we will endeavour to fix the roads for the people in the area." (this reminds me of Lacobs statement where he said an investigator came into the country, did his work and flew back out - and not one Lucian knew about this?)
    But Pierre had to shift the blame. This has always been the modus operandi of the SLP. he contends that these roads has always been bad even during the time of reign of the last administration. is Pierre suffering from amnesia? Can't he remember, the works done on both the Daban and Balca roads? can't he remember it was smooth sailing from Piaye to Saltibus?
   Lorne, devoid of all the posturing and aggressiveness he has known to display in the House, was rather sombre and  had a look synonymous with Kenny sometimes, when he  needs sympathy from the public, frown-less this time around, he went on, ".....I understand and feel the plight of the Constituents, because these roads affect them in a material way. We have instances where the people are cut off in times of bad weather and in instances where people cannot have access to ambulance services. We have instances where people cannot even get buses to take them to their homes. These are not conditions anyone would like to live under, and I as District Representative of Choiseul-Saltibus, I take this matter very seriously."
   It is not surprising, like Pierre, Lorne had to find fault with someone or something. He claims, " It is unfortunate that during this time when people know the process is on the way they decide to make a political football of it. He went on, " But that is the nature of the game. It's just that we'll do  what is necessary...."
  During his last Budget contribution in the House, he vowed to be consistently present in the constituency. This has not materialized, and there should be no reason to blame  the Constituency Branch for calling upon him to live to his reputation as District Rep.
  Pierre says that the rehabilitation of the roads will cost approximately $10m and should begin in the next two months.
The Saltibus, Daban and Balca residents await this project with bated breath.  The bus drivers have threatened strike action if the officials do not keep to their word. The Rep's popularity in his constituency is way down low, and it would be to his advantage if he could see this project commencing before the festive season, at least to put bread on the table of many in the constituency.

A Clarion Call For More Human Rights Laws

By Human and Gender Justice Advocate - Felicia Browne.

Felicia Browne

  Shakadan Daniel’s death has drawn much concern in relation to modern legislative laws and litigation where we rely upon the professionalism of custodians and that of the penal system. Though many agree that human rights are of key significance in our society, very little has been done to educate the general populace on the Human Rights Conventions. Human Rights are fundamental to human development and shape our modern understandings of what actions are morally permissible when interacting within our own society. Rights structure very nature of governments, the content of our laws, and the shaping of our moral values and our ability to act responsibly to our fellow humankind. Such moralities and universal values are usually geared towards shaping our human and national development- in relation to person-hood, collectivism and patriotism. Felicia Browne, who was recently awarded a Ambassador for Peace, agrees that though our legal and human rights advocates have continued to advocate for justice and peace within our society, not much has been done to educate various sectors on Human Rights. Human Rights have been often seen as a nuisance in many social matters. However, it is imperative that the rights of others, regardless of soci-economic backgrounds, must be upheld by the State and human institution. Victims of human rights violation are becoming an international and global concern. These violations have an extremely devastating effect, not only on the victim but the perpetrator as well. Theories of Victimology recognize that passive victims are more likely to be prone to further abuse within their formative and developmental stages. These may manifest themselves through various forms of violence, which include but not limited to; bullying, rape, suicide, crime and gun violence. In many cases, families of human rights victims are usually prone to further violence or injustices which may create a space for internal and immediate conflicts that are far removed by possible solutions. Governmental and non-government organisations must not remain at loggerheads with each other, nor remain silent on matters of human dignity. A young citizen has died, and it is the State’s responsible that the general public, including the media, understand how such cases are being handled without any biases or ambiguities. Our country needs and requires good leadership and transparency in order that citizens are able to feel safe and secure. Sadly, what we are now observing is that people no longer feel that the local police stations are safe for their families when they are held in custody. There is a growing element of fear, uncertainty and lack of faith in our judicial and social systems.
 

Shakadan Daniel

 Criminal activity and violence is escalating with society from our homes, schools and now our prisons. Can we currently be certain, without any reasonable doubt, that Shakadan Daniel was not simply bullied by the authority to the point of death- directly or indirectly? Was young Daniel a victim of an injustice system where persons in authority are claimed to have more rights than others? Do our families need to mourn for similar losses of sons and daughters, before serious changes are made in our justice system? Had CCTV and proper monitoring of the system been in place, would Shakadan Daniel be dead today? Does having only one pathologist and the lack of a functional forensic lab in this developing country not warrant some serious and reflective concerns by our policy makers? These are questions we must ask if we are to ensure that no such event occurs again. We must implement effective policies on Human Rights may have saved the life of this young man and others. As leaders in our communities must recognise the role we play within our communities and places of employment. Our young leaders are observing those policies, behaviours and solutions in addressing various social concerns that we are faced with, and we must ensure we set the example of good moral leadership that they can then follow. It is a time where peaceful resolutions are deeply needed. In the case of Mr. Daniel, we have lost a young citizen and we must try to ensure that his death is a symbol for greater peace and justice within our society. His death should not be seen as a tug-of-war between the State, families and advocates, but it must be seen as an opportunity to begin immediate and effective human rights awareness within all facets of society - schools, police force, civil servants and private sectors. Human rights must also be seen as a developmental tool to project greater economic and social stability. Our leaders should be seeking those clear advantages when dealing with sensitive concerns on human rights violations. We must never forget our ability to show compassion, empathy and humanity. We need to revisit our traditional ways of doing things and seek alternative ways to foster a greater level of compassion for each other. It is clear that everyone has been affected by this tragedy but we must ensure that the law is effective and contemporary enough to deal with such challenges. Additionally, the inadequacies within the criminal law and justice system must reflect international standards of human rights policies. Proper legal infrastructures like CCTV and video recording in police stations, counselling for custodians who are awaiting trial, as well as an independent victim’s aid should be implemented to alleviate these challenges. We must begin to practice these fundamental rights in order that peace, justice and fairness are encouraged to flourish within our small society. We must NOT wait until a tragedy occurs for us to inform the public about their rights. Human rights are universal rights. Every human being has rights that protect them from harm from others, including the State. Human Rights Advocates and the media must continue to educate the society on the Human Rights acts as well as examples of human rights violations. We have heard all too often, that someone‘s rights have been violated, but do we know which Human Rights have been violated? We need to conduct educational programs that educate on human rights in order that children, youths, women and men, all have a fair understanding of those basic human rights. Some universal rights include the right to a nationality, the right to an education, the right to proper legislative procedures and the right to health.” We need to save lives and become more humanistic in our approaches to good governance and policy making if we hope to achieve a peaceful and prosperous nation.

Source: UnitedPac

Who Has Jurisisdiction Over Parliamentarians? By Dr. Augustin Charles

If a PM has oversight over the ministers, then who
has oversight over parliamentarians (to ensure that
they do their work conscientiously)? By the way, do parliamentarians who graduate to
ministers of gov't get remuneration for their 'work' as
MPs?
And is this a plus or minus for our parliamentary
system? Does the lack of an MP salary to Ministers
exonerate them from their poor quality or even non-
representation to their constituents? What specific recommendations are there in constitutional reform
report to address those issues? By the way, who is responsible for the (final review?)
and implementation of the constitutional review
recommendations?
Now that St. Lucia is seemingly at a "crossroad" point
and seemingly facing irreversible discontent and
degeneration in almost every sphere of life, is it now
a strategic point to consider a complete overhaul:
economic, social, constitutional etc?
In the new dispensation, Consideration should also
be given to special provison in our new constitution to
deal with 'negligent' utility companies and also
negligent parliamentarians. Perhaps, we can consider
surcharge for the former and recall after two years
for the latter. Comments:
Merle St.hill: Interesting, keep us informed if you get the answers
De Dan: For poor representation by an MP, Recall should be
on the cards after two years? Hmm! Not in a life
time would you see that. Our electorate are not savvy
enough and our politicians are too greedy. Plus the
partisan politics is a murderer.
Magdelene Daniel: Recalls be done every five years but some of us are
too myopic to even do such. We so love our quality of
lack of representation, that some constituency votes
them forever without any representation. We've got a
long way to go but I pray we get there, when we
starting thinking outside the box and using our brain cells.
Winston Williams: At list someone is asking some question,our st lucia is
how it is now ,because we let mp's do as they please
with us. Like ·
Veran Laforce: It's time to organize and demonstrate against the
miss representation that weve gotten over the years
from our so call MP's.
De Dan: Veran Laforce, take Choiseul for example, all you
hear is talk, talk, and more talk about such a position.
You Veran, I am sure have felt the victimization of
some of these politicians for taking a stance against
them. Thank God you are self-employed. you can
survive. You reallly believe many persons with their two-cent jobs will endanger their job to demonstrate
against a Labah rep? Boy Choiseulians en have balls,
a bunch of cowards who only talk, talk, talk. Come
election time and you will see that the very ones dat
were crying their eyes out about poor
representation, are the very ones ready to kill to re- elect that same rep who gave the 'Soucouyanish'
representation. The more things change, the more
they remain the same. Jah! By the way Veran, are you
willing to lead the charge? You have me , full time. Lol.

The Pros and Cons of Petro-Caribe Agreement

A sister blog posted this article which i thought makes for good reading. Below is the article:
SOME of the weaknesses and strengths of the
PetroCaribe agreement were highlighted during a
recently hosted panel discussion and forum. Weighing in on the topic, lecturer in the
Department of Government, Sociology and Social
Work at the Cave Hill campus, Kai-Ann Skeete,
suggested that some of the benefits outlined in the
agreement include an appropriate or suitable
means of integration as small developing countries and the provision of social assistance. She said it
also generates additional savings for countries and
deepens and widens Caribbean integration. On the other hand, some of the weaknesses
include the potential to endanger the private
sector; Venezuelan dominance, which was seen in
Guyana; and the potential to divide CARICOM. "Barbados produces approximately 1 000 bpd
and has an arrangement with Trinidad and
Tobago to refine the oil. Therefore, Barbados
refused to sign on to the PetroCaribe as it could
affect its relations with Trinidad, which affords
Barbados a preferential supply," she said. She also suggested that purchasing oil at cheap er
a cost could be more harmful if not manage d
efficiently. Skeete told the large audience in the Errol Barrow
Centre for Creative Imagination that CARICOM
Member States should indicate their intention to
CARICOM and what they would like to achieve from
joining the treaty agreement, the Bolivarian
Alliance for the People of our Americas (ALBA). ALBA is an international cooperation organisation
based on the idea of the social, political and
economic integration of the countries of Latin
America and the Caribbean. The nine member
countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba,
Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela and St. Lucia. She stated: "It is duly recommended that if other
CARICOM states wish to integrate and accept the
principles of ALBA, it is necessary to negotiate
within CARICOM on the terms to ensure that our
national interests will not be compromised. "There is a need for a CARICOM-wide collective
agreement to assist Member States in achieving the
collective gains of these strategic partnerships and
alliance formations such as the ALBA." The lecturer recommended that the ALBA secure its
future with CARICOM by assisting the region in
achieving its development goals and visions.
"Therefore, if the ALBA-Caribe continues to be
implemented as planned, it could offer to the
Caribbean more than what CARICOM currently offers as it goes beyond the economic realm and
focuses in-depth on the social rights of citizens." Skeete explained that ALBA is novel in trade
agreements as it is not the typical commercially
driven agreement, because it is based on the
principles of complementarity as an alternative to
competition; solidarity as opposed to domination;
cooperation as a replacement for exploitation; and respect for sovereignty rather than corporate rule. She added that ALBA is implemented through
government-to-government agreements and not
treaties as in trade agreements, and it is a bartering
type of arrangement where a country has the
option of paying with other goods and services
such as sugar, bananas etc. (JH)
Source: http://grenadaadvocate.blogspot.com

The Better Bitter Days

Uwp political leader

    It is clearly evident that Choiseulians and by extension, Lucians are reeling under these tough economic times under SLP. While Labour boasts of keeping their election promises - the latest being laptops to form 4 students at all secondary schools, there seem to be deliberately form of amnesia when it comes to the promise where they were suppose to inject $1m into the economy and the promise of jobs, jobs, jobs.
     The re-employment on retirees by this administration, while school leavers scrunt for jobs is a burning issue among the youth. Also the policy of this administration to recycle its supporters in the STEP, NICE and other what have you programs is really hurting citizens in the communities. There seem to be a concerted effort by the administrators of Lorne's policies to keep  Choiseul UWP's down. They take pleasure in doing this.

District representative

  Just yesterday a young man told me that during Bousquet's tenure, more SLP's supporters got jobs than UWP's. He continued, 'You guys were trying to buy Labahs.' 'True bro.' I replied. On numerous occasions, I can recall when certain UWP contractors who had 'big contracts' one could visibly see more labahs at work than flambeaus. In one instance a Labah was even the boss on site. So it is not surprising that Bruce Tucker was kicked out. UWP's stayed home on election day, as a form of protest against Bruce Tucker.
   Bruce Tucker is now rolling his rosary in the political wilderness. But has anything changed? Has Lorne brought the promised goods to the people? Lorne's trickery will catch with him. And soon. It is alleged that his election crew have distance themselves from him. Mrs T, Mr V, W and most recently Ms I.
  To met out this kind of treatment to Ms I is showing the lack of sensitivity on the part our District Rep. The lady, under all kinds of conditions, making enemies, to have Lorne win the seat, and this is how she was repaid - fired from the position.
    As for Roblot' zeleves, there is one family whom does not even want to see where Lorne passes much less. That zeleve personally attacked my family and spread all kinds of rumors, all for Lorne, and today the Rep has turned his back on her. How ungrateful.
   The roads and the multi purpose center, in Roblot are in dire need of repair. Yet still Lorne was playing 'Santa Claus Bearing Gifts' when he came to visit the lady who recently gave birth to triplets. And giving the impression that these gifts came from him. Informed sources have confirmed otherwise.

Prime Minister

   Talking about Ti-canal under Bruce Tucker's reign? It remains to be seen that Tucker's construction of Ti canal and foot paths have grossly improved the living standards of the people. A fact. The same Ti canal labour was criticizing, they are at it now with the same Taiwanese money which they so vehemently opposed.
My God, what a bunch of Hypocrites! And talking about corruption; what about a party hack who was given a job by SSDFto lay out 56 cu metres of concrete on the Caffiere road and he only laid out 26 cu metres, yet he was fully paid. Is the DR blind to this.
    What's about the politician that turn contractor, and is more in Choiseul that his home community. Ask Lorne about that also?
   What's about Mr D who finds himself in the constituency every election to mamaguy people to support his side only to disappear and never to be seen again until next election? Ask Lorne about that as well. Heard that Lorne's cake and Mr D burn. Not surprised at all
It is alleged deal was struck with a known businessman and the Constituency Council over the purchase of a no good excavator for over $100,000.00. That was his payment for helping out in the elections. Ask the chairman of the Chairman of the Constituency council and the Rep about that.
   So dear reader, things ain't rosy in Choiseul. Yet Labour is still being allowed free reign in this country. Nobody opposes them, they keep on threatening the press with lawsuits, grynberg is being kept a secret, reckless statements are spewed out on a regular basis, all in the name of good governance. Far from it.
Uwp continue to dilly dally, by not putting caretaker Reps in place, by not having proper constituency branches, and it is just talk, talk, talk.
  Choiseulians may soon be happy when they will hear who their caretaker Rep is.
One thing for sure, he is a no nonsense person and not a Bruce Tucker. Impeccable reputation.
Mamai Choiseul, I present to you Mr ???????????????. Filmed at 11

Kenny and Dalson, "Provide a timetable for restoring elected local government" says Therold Prudent

The decision by the St Lucia
Labour Party (SLP) to abolish local government
elections throughout the island in 1979 and to
replace elected representatives with handpicked
party loyalists may have contributed to much of the
social degradation and the polarization of local communities that exists in Saint Lucia today,
according to the Lucian People's Movement (LPM). The LPM leader Therold Prudent said, "The current
system of local government shows a blatant
disregard for the democratic process. It has created
a dysfunctional and unproductive bureaucracy
consisting largely of political zealots who lack the
will to advance a progressive agenda to help transform their communities. Moreover, since the
only requirement for becoming a councillor is an
affirmation of loyalty to the ruling party, it is not at
all difficult to understand why those appointed may
not feel that they are answerable to the people
whom they purport to serve." Prudent added, "The SLP should be chastised for its
reckless actions in 1979. These have contributed to
the destruction of the authority, structure,
independence, and progressive dynamism with
which local governments had previously operated.
Much of the blame should also be shouldered by the United Workers Party, which upon resuming
office in 1982, and for the next 20 years, failed to
correct the dangerous precedent set by the SLP." Saint Lucia's system of local government, as
currently instituted, said the LPM, does not lend
itself to attracting quality persons with a deep
commitment to community development. Prudent stated, "Since the narrow focus of the
ruling party is to extend its political dominance and
control, even in communities where parliamentary
representatives from their side were not elected,
those who may possess the qualities required to
help develop their respective communities are systematically overlooked or may decide against
offering themselves to serve because of the
selection process." The LPM said that all communities on the island
could be revitalized if the SLP were serious about
fulfilling its electoral promise of holding local
government elections. This would be a progressive
move that would return the island to its former
status as a fully-fledged democracy that reflects the will of all the people at all levels of governance. All
persons who desire to serve as councillors would
then be able to present the reasons to the people
that they should be elected, and once elected, they
would have the legitimacy that comes with the
approval and support of the voters. These representatives would have the opportunity to
openly debate and present their plans for
community development. Prudent said, "Given the serious social erosion of
the people's community spirit, the LPM is firmly of
the view that it is incumbent upon Prime Minister Dr
Kenny Anthony and the minister responsible for
local government, the Hon. Harold Dalson, to
provide the nation with a timetable for restoring elected local governments throughout the island." The LPM said it believes that the two years since the
narrow return of the SLP to office is more than
sufficient time for the government to have drafted a
credible proposal for holding elections. It should
also provide a blueprint for how much power will
be transferred from the central government in Castries to the local town and village councils,
including the structure and operational frame work
of these public bodies. Democracy, insisted Prudent, is about getting the
people involved in the governance of the country
so that a national consensus for its progressive
development can be achieved.