CGID Submits Picture

Submitted by Jevon Suralie/CGID Director of Communications

CGID Board Members with then Leader of the British House of Lords, Baroness Valerie Amos and Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves

For the benefit of your subscribers, I suggest that you post the attached photos of some of the CGID Board Members with then Leader of the British House of Lords, Baroness Valerie Amos and Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. This will demonstrate how dangerous the PPP propaganda machinery is. The post from “Marx” indicates that he is clearly party of that slime machine. They must be debunked at all cost. As a Grenadian, I am appalled that the rest of the Caribbean tolerates such rabid racism in Guyana.

Are We Being Served?

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

The caller was adamant that it was the Leader of the Opposition who was behind a recent criticism of me that was carried in the political gossip column of the other publication.

He insisted that the concern about my absence from the country was consistent with laments that had emanated from the Leader of the Opposition in her tabling of a Parliamentary Question several months ago. I maintained on this occasion that it could not have been Ms. Mottley.

The temptation is great, I am aware, to direct criticisms of a party at its leader. Therefore the caller was well in order to suggest that my presence in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis over the past two weeks was of such concern to Ms. Mottley that she would have articulated this publicly and it was from there that the authors of the gossip column would have gotten the motivation to write about my working outside Barbados while retained as an advisor to the government.

It is a subject I would welcome being put under the microscope. Firstly, the facts are that I have not signed on a new client since accepting a consultancy with the government of Barbados. Indeed, I have not renewed any of the contracts that expired since January 15th, 2008. I am currently in the process of “serving out” existing contracts, with the view of working full time in Barbados in the service of my country. That is the sacrifice I am willing to make at this time.

But my insistence that it could not have been the Leader of the Opposition who “squealed on me” was predicated on the fact that sitting across the political divide from me in the court of St. Kitts these past two weeks, in clear view, was none other than the Leader of the Opposition of Barbados. Indeed, some Kittitians joked that it was a “Bajan invasion”, because Barbados born High Court Judge, Francis Belle is presiding in the matter to determine if, how and when constituency boundaries in St. Kitts and Nevis will be altered.

CGID Condemns Arrest Of Lewis, Benschop and Witter As Political Thuggery

Submitted by CGID

Commissioner of Police Henry Green (l) President Bharrat Jagdeo (r)

NEW YORK: The New York based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) has harshly condemned the July 15, arrest of Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labor; Norris Witter, General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress as well as journalist and former political, Mark Benschop, by the Guyana Police.

The three high profile Guyanese were protesting against human rights violations and atrocities by the Guyana Government and Police, during a Police Awards Ceremony outside of the Guyana Police Headquarters.

They were subsequently arrested and taken into custody. They are being held at the “A” Division Police Headquarters, Brickdam Police Station, Georgetown, and have been denied access to their Attorneys. The Police Station was immediately besieged by supporters and well wishers, who commenced a massive impromptu vigil outside the compound.

Guyana’s Police Commissioner, Henry Green, while addressing the ceremony, mocked the three and referred to them as “the three Musketeers,” and made special mention of CCL General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis.

CCL General Secretary Lincoln Lewis, Norris Witter And Mark Benshcop Arrested For Human Rights Protest In Guyana

Submitted by Edward, Guyanese Family Member

Mark Benschop (l), Norris Witter (c), Lincoln Lewis (r)

Today July 15 2009 Mark Benshcop, Lincoln Lewis and Norris Witter have been arrested by the Guyana Police for staging a three man protest in front of Police Headquarters Eveleary. They are currently being processed by the police as I write this. Their protest is intended to bring attention to human rights violations facing all Guyanese and the oppressive , corrupt practices of the racist PPP government.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding Of Jamaica Stands “Firm” On The Death Penalty, Should Barbados Follow His Lead?

Submitted by Yardbroom

Prime Minister Bruce Golding

“The International Federation For Human Rights (FIDH) welcomed the Caribbean Court Of Justice first death penalty ruling given on Nov 8, 2006, which dismissed an appeal by the Barbados Government seeking to restore execution orders for two convicted murderers.  The case was largely perceived as a test case of the new court’s position on the death penalty.”

“The CCJ is the Supreme judicial organ in the Caribbean community and replaces the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council since April 2005.”

The situation has changed since 2006, as this year it was reported that Barbados’ Deputy Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, who is also Attorney General announced that the mandatory death sentence will be abolished in Barbados.  “This statement was made after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights had stated that the power to have the death sentence commuted by an executive body as is the current situation, is not the same as having the appropriate punishment determined by a competent court of Law”.

There we have Barbados’ position however an up date of the situation will bring differences and similarities into focus.

The Darkest Day In West Indies Cricket

The West Indies cricket test team was beaten by the Bangladeshis today. The significance of this result of being beaten by a team ranked last in the ICC Rankings is yet to needle its way into the psyche of the depraved West Indian cricket fan.

The West Cricket team represents one of the few regional entities which had been held up as a symbol of Caribbean unity. In light of the illogical decisions in recent years exhibited by the WIBC and WIPA, the biggest stakeholder of all the PEOPLE has now been dulled into a state of apathy.

To be a world class performer in any sphere requires the best management approaches and all that it brings. The members of the Board of Management (WIBC) which oversees West Indies cricket are not selected based on any pre-requisite competencies which mimic how successful organizations are run. Instead the Directors of the WIBC are all elected based on membership in private enclaves which operate based on petty whims and fancies of many seeking fame and fortune.

PNCR’s August Election For Leader Must Be Supervised By An Independent Observer

Submitted by Rickford Burke, Former Special Assistant to the Leader of the PNCR

The June 28, 2009 election for chairman of Guyana’s opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Georgetown District, has been sullied by credible allegations of fraud.

The party said that Ms. Volda Lawrence, a party vice chairman and supporter of party leader, Robert Corbin, in the ongoing leadership crisis, allegedly beat then chairman, Aubrey Norton, by 220 to 96 votes.

This debacle was an indictment of the leadership. The allegations of fraud have undermined Ms. Lawrence’s legitimacy as chairman and has further shattered the party’s image.

Aubrey Norton has categorically stated that “the elections were fraudulent,” and has presented a compelling case. Norton is no petulant outsider who hates Corbin and Lawrence, who is motivated by avaricious politics. He is a Corbin insider as well as a PNCR Central Executive Member and Member of Parliament. He supported Robert Corbin in the leadership challenge at the last elections, and two months ago, defended Corbin in the press, against criticism from Dr. Richard Van West-Charles, a former PAHO/WHO official, former PNC Minister of Health and a new contender for leader.

Norton has been bitten by his own serpent, but his allegations are legitimate. He did not complain after the vote. He began to object to the process as it unfolded and discovered it to be corrupt. He and other members objected to the manner in which ballots were distributed and to whom. They alleged that some persons had received more than one ballots while others received none. He was right to object; as such “racketeering” affects the outcome of elections, as it apparently did.

Down By The Boardwalk

Link submitted by Living in Barbados Blog

The recently constructed Boardwalk on the South coast which stretches from Accra Beach for about half mile towards Bridgetown has been well received by locals and tourists alike. This week it was reported in the news that the Segway Scooters donated to the Royal Barbados Police Force have been withdrawn from patrolling the Boardwalk. If we can read between the lines from the press report, a policeman was injured while negotiating the Boardwalk but may not have been covered adequately by insurance.

Sluice Gate Failures Cause Environmental Problems At Graeme Hall

Submitted by Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

Habitat map of Graeme Hall Swamp showing main vegetation types and location of CARICOMP monitoring plots.

[Bridgetown, BARBADOS] Low water levels caused by an inoperative government-owned sluice gate at Worthing Beach continue to cause mosquito infestations at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, according to Sanctuary officials.

“The water either drains completely or is stopped up,” said Stuart Heaslet, representative for the Sanctuary.  “There has been no effective wetland water level control in place for many years.” Low water levels in the wetland have caused stagnant ponds to form in the drainage canals. Stagnant water is a haven for breeding mosquitoes, including the malaria-carrying anopheles mosquito.   As a result, the Sanctuary has been forced to use insecticide pellets to control mosquito populations.

“Years ago we were able to control mosquitoes naturally.  When the sluice gate worked, we were able to raise the water levels and get water flowing through the canals.   Flowing water in the canals meant fewer mosquitoes not only for the Sanctuary but for the surrounding neighborhoods,” said  Heaslet.

Despite the already high chemical pollutant levels in the wetland, the Sanctuary has been told by the Ministry of Health that insecticide pellets are increasingly necessary because of the unpredictable wetland water levels. In addition, since the sluice gate ceased operations in 2006 there has been no tidal flushing of the wetland.  “We haven’t seen any tidal exchanges or fish migrations since the sluice gate went into total disrepair,” sighed Heaslet.   “The Graeme Hall wetland and its fish and wildlife traditionally depend on tidal actions to stay healthy.”

What Is The Song And Dance About The Hike In Water Rates?

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

Two separate but yet related matters sparked my attention this past week. First, there was the predictable hue and cry from “professional opposers” to the increase in water rates. Second, there was Barrack Jagdeo swiping and getting clean bowled by his fellow countrymen.

It is clear to me that if water rates had been increased by five cents a gallon the reaction of some in our midst would have been the same.

What took the cake for me in the gas station last Sunday afternoon was this known Barbados Labour Party operative and spokesman who approached me, in their usual arrogant and bombastic manner, claiming that “the new water rates will kill poor people”.

My intended response would have been to set forth the argument in favour of the need for an increase in rates, given the magnitude of the capital development programme about to be undertaken by the Authority as well as the ongoing desire to enhance both the quality of and accessibility to the resource. I am sure I could have made a compelling argument, but this gentleman gave me the perfect opening when, in approaching me he armed himself with nothing less than a two litre bottle of water, which, from the label, I became aware was bottled in Trinidad and Tobago.

I deliberately asked him to buy me a similar drink, because quietly I wanted to discover the price he had so willingly paid a few seconds ago for imported drinking water. The price at the register was $3.40.